RTHK: Four top aides desert UK's embattled Johnson British Prime Minister Boris Johnson suffered four staff defections on Thursday as pressure intensified on the embattled leader over lockdown parties and his loose-lipped style of politics. One of the departures was linked to an inflammatory remark made by Johnson, attacking opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer over a notorious paedophile. "Being honest, I wouldn't have said it and I'm glad the prime minister clarified it," finance minister Rishi Sunak said in an extraordinary rebuke of his boss during a televised news conference. Sunak is tipped as a leading contender to replace Johnson, if a brewing Conservative revolt against the prime minister develops further. Downing Street confirmed that chief of staff Dan Rosenfield was leaving, just over a year after he took on the role with a brief to professionalise Johnson's chaotic operation. His resignation comes after a top civil servant, in a long-awaited inquiry, this week condemned "failures of leadership" in Downing Street over a series of parties held in violation of Covid restrictions. Also going is Johnson's "principal private secretary", Martin Reynolds, who sent a now-notorious email in May 2020 urging Downing Street staff to "bring your own booze" to one lockdown gathering. Johnson "thanked them both for their significant contribution to government and No 10, including work on the pandemic response and economic recovery", a spokesperson said. Their departures were confirmed not long after those of two other top advisors director of communications Jack Doyle and head of policy Munira Mirza. According to the Daily Mail, Doyle told colleagues as he left: "It was always my intention to do two years. Recent weeks have taken a terrible toll on my family life." Doyle was implicated in the "partygate" affair after attending at least one Downing Street event that is under investigation by police. Johnson's long-term ally Mirza quit after the prime minister tried to link Labour's Starmer to the failure by UK authorities to prosecute veteran TV host Jimmy Savile, who died in 2011 aged 84. While alive, Savile was seen as a widely loved presenter. But after his death accusations emerged that he had been a serial abuser of hundreds of children, without facing prosecution. In parliament on Monday, Johnson shocked many on his own side when he aired a conspiracy theory prevalent among far-right groups that Starmer had personally failed to prosecute Savile when he was director of state prosecutions in England and Wales from 2008 to 2013. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2022-02-03. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Vietnam sees great strides in illiteracy eradication, education universalisation Vietnams education development on the foundation of building a learning society has been on the right track, helping Vietnam to make great progress in illiteracy eradication and education universalisation. Illiteracy eradication and education universalization are major policies of the Party and State, aiming to improve people's knowledge, train human resources, foster the development of talents, contributing to the successful implementation of industrialisation and modernisation targets of the country. Great achievements According to UNESCO, literacy is the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Conversely, illiteracy is understood as the state of people who cannot read or write. At Class 9A2 of the ethnic minority boarding high school of Meo Vac district, Ha Giang province. (Photo: VNA) In most developing countries, the low quality of basic education causes an increasing number of illiterate persons. Illiteracy is associated with social challenges such as poverty, gender and income inequality. Literacy eradication is a smart investment for the future and the first stage for all new forms of education universalisation in the 21st century. In 1965, UNESCO selected September 8 every year as the International Day for the Elimination of Illiteracy, with the aim of highlighting the importance of education universalisation for citizens, communities and society as a whole. The organisation has actively lobbied the international community and promoted illiteracy eradication as a tool to empower individuals, communities and societies. In Vietnam, President Ho Chi Minh launched a campaign to eliminate illiteracy. He considered illiteracy a national problem and "ignorance" is also a dangerous enemy that needs to be eliminated. It was around this time 76 years ago that saw the beginning of a popular movement known as Binh dan hoc vu (Mass Education Movement), which was initiated by President Ho Chi Minh. It encouraged people of all ages to volunteer to teach others to read and write, and basically helped eradicate illiteracy in the country. After a year of launching, more than 2.5 million people escaped from illiteracy. This is a feat of learning socialisation in the educational history of Vietnam. The practical experience of illiteracy eradication in the North became valuable and useful lessons for the illiteracy eradication work in the South right after the liberation and reunification of the country. By the end of February 1978, all 21 southern provinces and cities had basically eliminated illiteracy. The cause of raising people's intellectual level advanced to a new step in the 1990-2000 period when the whole country implemented the illiteracy eradication- primary education universalisation in order to realise the goal of entering the 21st century without illiteracy recommended by UNESCO and launched by the United Nations. In the next 10 years, Vietnam continued to universalise secondary education scheme, which was completed in 2010. Despite being a developing country with many difficulties, Vietnam was always highly valued by international organisations for its achievements in education and education universalisation. Since 2014, the Government has issued many policies to promote education universalisation and illiteracy eradication, especially those for ethnic minority-inhabited areas. Vietnam has made important achievements in education development. All the provinces and cities have fulfilled the target of universalising preschool education for five-year-old children, met the standard of primary education universalisation at level 2 and secondary education universalisation at level 1. All 63 provinces and cities of the country have met illiteracy eradication standards at level 1. Literacy classes have been organised for more than 300,000 people aged 15- 60 nationwide. Thanks to the project on building a learning society from 2012 -2020, the network of educational establishments was expanded nationwide. There are also more than 10,000 community-based learning centres across the country. Educational institutions have promoted online learning and teaching, teaching on television, and have gradually developed mass open online courses. In the next phase from 2021- 2030, the project aims to help Vietnam develop an open, flexible and connected education system and make sure all people will have an equal opportunity to access high-quality life-long education. According to statistics, over 53,000 schools nationwide have organised online teaching and learning, raising the average rate of students participating in online learning to 80 percent. The number of people joining classes to update knowledge, skills, technology transfer; classes of foreign languages, applied informatics, life skills education, short-term vocational training at community learning centres has also increased. An arrest has been made in a double slaying on Marylands Eastern Shore last week, police announced Thursday. Charles Jones III, 35, of Vienna, is charged with two counts each of first- and second-degree murder, Maryland State Police said in a news release. Advertisement Cleon Mullings, 36, of Oxford and Kelvin Wiggins, 42, of Cambridge were found inside a building on Park Lane in Cambridge on Jan. 25 with multiple blunt force injuries and they died at the scene, police said. An autopsy confirmed the cause of death as blunt force trauma and the manner of death as homicide. The investigators developed information and evidence that identified Jones as a suspect and they believe Jones and the two men knew each other. Jones was arrested Wednesday at his home, where police said he was seen burning items in the backyard. A motive remains under investigation, police said. Advertisement Jones is being held without bond. Its not known whether he has an attorney who can comment on his behalf. Yerevan Police apprehend opposition MP Police: 199 people apprehended in Yerevan as of noon Armenia defense ministry refutes Azerbaijan MOD statement Resistance Movement coordinator says they will assemble at France Square in downtown Yerevan at 6pm Armenia parliament opposition faction leader: More than 200 people apprehended The Azeri Times: Azerbaijan closes airspace for Russia military aircraft to disrupt transportation to Armenia Police: 3 dozen intersections in Yerevan were closed off by citizens since morning Armenia PM congratulates several Arab countries leaders on Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr 3 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Journalist falls ill during scuffle at civil disobedience action in Yerevan Armenia FM to head for US, will meet with Blinken Armenia Police: 189 people apprehended so far in Yerevan UN announces blocking of millions of tons of grain in Ukraine ports Small plane crashes in Canada, 4 dead 125 people taken to Yerevan police stations Erdogan says will hold talks with Putin this week Quake hits Armenia-Georgia border zone One person falls ill during oppositions peaceful disobedience action in downtown Yerevan Resistance Movement coordinator says 14 streets currently blocked by citizens in Yerevan Peaceful civil disobedience actions kick off in Yerevan early morning Hungary says 10 European countries opened bank accounts in Russia to pay for natural gas in rubles Finland to build fences along Russia border Armenia ex-President Serzh Sargsyan: For 10 years international community said Artsakh should self-determine Putin signs decree on measures to ensure Russia information security 3rd President Serzh Sargsyan is at Yerevans France Square Opposition continues to keep France Square in downtown Yerevan closed Europe asks Russia natural gas giant to increase supplies Clashes break out between police and anarchists in Paris The Jerusalem Post: Time for Israel to not fear Turkey and to recognize Armenian Genocide Armenia opposition lawmaker: People are constantly approaching ex-president Kocharyan (VIDEO) Putin bans foreign investors from organizing regular transfers on public-private, city-private partnership basis Ex-defense minister: Prior to 44-day war it was possible to negotiate in such way that Armenia will not be at war Police dispatching additional forces to Yerevans France Square Opposition to set up tents at France Square in downtown Yerevan (PHOTOS) Armenia opposition MP: How did US, France, Russia talk about Karabakh status after war? Resistance Movement coordinator: Armenian people told whole world that they are masters of their destiny, future Huge opposition rally kicks off in downtown Yerevan Armenia former ruling party official says ex-President Serzh Sargsyan will attend today's opposition rally Russia to impose $101M fine on Google Resistance Movement marches reach French Square in Yerevan Turkey police beat, detain dozens in May Day demonstrations Armenia international airports passenger traffic doubles in first quarter of 2022 Nancy Pelosi visits Kyiv, meets with Zelenskyy Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan defense ministry disseminating disinformation Armenia ex-President Kocharyan joins opposition march to Yerevan US Embassy in Armenia: Large crowds are unpredictable Germany supports EU plans to give up Russian oil Russia MOD announces airstrike on Odessa military airport Italy cancels Covid certificates Resistance Movement marches reaching Yerevan Artsakh President receives Armenian Relief Society delegation 4 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Blinken, Kuleba discuss return of American diplomats to Ukraine Armenia PM: Thanks to joint efforts and work we were able to overcome these crisis situations Person commits suicide by hanging self in Armenias Artik US, UK hold talks to reduce risk of war with China over Taiwan 1 dead, several injured in US festival shooting Drought causes megafire in US New Mexico Biden resumes White House Correspondents' Dinner tradition, Kim Kardashian among celebrity guest Turkey expresses readiness to support UN efforts on Ukraine Survey: Erdogan's rating falls again after slight improvement China launches new remote sensing satellites Clashes between police and protesters against anti-coronavirus measures in Ottawa Denmark sends Piranha 3 APCs and heavy mortars to Ukraine Macron promises Zelenskyy to increase military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine Egyptian tricycle carrying 13 children sinks in Nile Delta killing at least 8 children Iraqi PM: Tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia are coming to an end Russian MFA: Dialogue with US on strategic stability is frozen Indian authorities seize 90 kg of heroin-soaked yarn worth $58 million at port Germany sues Italy to the International Court of Justice Parents of fallen soldiers protests at Armenian Prosecutor General's Office building Politico: Germany supported sanctions on uranium imports from Russia Pentagon says American soldiers in Germany began training Ukrainian soldiers Armenia confirms 2 COVID-19 new cases Ecuador declares state of emergency due to rise in crime Armenian and Georgian FMs visit Genocide memorial Armenia opposition: Tomorrow we'll start decisive stage of our struggle with nationwide rally Armenian MFA reacts to Aliyev's statements that Syunik is historical territory of Azerbaijan German authorities may get right to expropriate property of energy companies Ukraine opens criminal case against Azerbaijani ambassador to Moldova Opposition Armenia Bloc: Marches from various directions approaching border line Tesla recalls over 14,600 Model 3 electric vehicles in China due to technical issues Turkey's foreign trade deficit widens by 75% in March Panama Parliament approves law regulating use of crypto assets in country Swedish FM says her country has not yet decided to join NATO Bulgaria removes all COVID restrictions on the entry of tourists on May 1 NEWS.am digest: Armenia, Russian, Azerbaijani FMs meet on May 13; more on situation in Ukraine EU wants to sue Apple because of issues with Apple Pay Yerevan Brandy Company Initiated Tree Planting Project (PHOTOS) Armenia Security Council Secretary to meet with Azerbaijani President's aide Information march of resistance movement starts in Yerevan Massive explosion hits mosque in Kabul: at least 10 people killed Another resistance movement march starts in Gyumri Aeroflot speaks on resumption of flights to Turkey from May 6 Georgia completes first part of EU accession questionnaire Armenian Defense Minister visits combat positions Kazakhstan head proposes to hold a referendum on amendments to Constitution Diaspora professionals are invited to work in Armenia public sector Dollar continues to fall in Armenia Three people die in fire at factory in Istanbul Certain statements voiced in Yerevan legitimize the territorial claims of Azerbaijan, the Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan said at the press conference on 4 February. The human rights defender stated once again the fallacy of the Armenian side's approach to the mirror withdrawal of troops from the line of contact. Tatoyan recalled the numerous violations of the rights of the residents of Armenian borderline villages due to the direct presence of Azerbaijani troops. He reiterated the need for the withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops and the creation of a demilitarized zone to ensure the rights of residents to the end of the process of determining the border. "The Azerbaijani military not only settled on the territories belonging to the villagers by law, but also made their natural life impossible, he said. The ombudsman emphasized that it is not only about the consequences of the May invasion. "The cadastral documents were provided by the Soviet cadastral authorities," the human rights defender recalled. He added that European structures, represented by PACE, share the approach of the necessity of a demilitarized zone. According to him, meetings with international partners show that this approach will find support. "Unfortunately, there is an opinion that this is unrealistic. This is not true. We do everything to legitimize the presence of Azerbaijani military, and then we say it's unreal. When the Goris-Kapan and Kapan-Chakaten roads were blocked, instead of immediately going to the ECHR, not to mention other bodies, we began to state on an official level that these were Azerbaijani territories, that security was observed and everything was okay. They started praising the alternative roads, hiding problems from international structures, and refuting the Ombudsman. If we had then appealed to the ECHR, the Azerbaijani authorities would have brought statements from the Armenian side," said the Ombudsman. Tatoyan once again reminded that people's safety must be the guiding principle. "With all due respect to the Foreign Ministry, the mirror withdrawal violates human rights. Moreover, there are all the grounds, including documents from Soviet times, to remove Azerbaijani military from the territories directly adjacent to the Armenian villages. The process cannot be implemented at the expense of the rights of our citizens," Tatoyan said, reminding that a lot is spoken about maps, but there are different maps and not only maps should be guided by. "Our policy is going the wrong way. General statements are made without indicating the facts of human rights violations," the ombudsman said, noting that certain statements from Armenia have created serious problems, they legitimize the illegal actions of the Azerbaijani authorities. "They will tell us in international instances, and it happened to me, then you yourself admit that the territory is Azerbaijani," the ombudsman repeated. "And take the situation in the village of Shurnukh, through which the line of contact runs. Can the rights of children be ensured in such a militarized zone, where the Armed Forces of three countries are?" Arman Tatoyan concluded. YEREVAN. The process of customs reforms in Armenia was discussed during Friday's consultation chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the PM's Office informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.. The Customs Administration Development Program was introduced to the Prime Minister, which envisages the introduction of a standard model at the border checkpoints and service centers of Foreign Economic Activity (FEA). The reform envisages the introduction of the "One Stop, One Window" principle, export promotion, trade facilitation, elimination of double control, development of transit potential, improvement of the investment environment. It was noted that the program was developed based on the current business tendencies, legal regulations, the experience of countries with modern FEA procedures, and the study of international guidelines. In particular, the situation related to border crossing and customs clearance procedures was analyzed, a number of issues related to integrated management, database interaction, application of risk management systems, etc. were identified. During the exchange of views, issues related to the implementation of the Customs Administration Development Program were discussed. It was noted that it will contribute to the modernization and improvement of the above-mentioned business processes. The Prime Minister stressed that checks at border checkpoints should be based on risk management systems, and in this regard, highlighted the interoperability of electronic databases. Emphasizing the importance of the program, Nikol Pashinyan instructed to proceed with the reform. Sanobia Wilson, left, speaks during a press conference held by City States Attorney Marilyn Mosby, right, to announce the arrest of Michael Robertson for the murder of Wilsons niece, Akia Eggleston, and her unborn child in May of 2017. Other relatives of Eggleston, in background, join Mosby, law enforcement partners, and a representative of the Black and Missing Foundation, which publicized the case. (Amy Davis/Amy Davis) Four and a half years after a 22-year-old pregnant mother from Baltimore vanished before her baby shower, authorities say they know whos responsible for Akia Egglestons sudden disappearance. Baltimore police and prosecutors say the evidence points to another person absent from the celebration planned for May 7, 2017: The purported father of her unborn child. Advertisement Michael Robertson was arrested Tuesday in Michigan and is awaiting proceedings to determine whether hell be extradited to Maryland, where hell face two counts of first-degree murder for the death of Eggleston and her unborn boy. The second murder charge for the unborn baby stems from a reasonable likelihood of the fetus viability because Eggleston was eight months pregnant when she vanished, according to charging documents. Robertsons case does not yet appear in Marylands online court record system, and its unclear if hes being represented by an attorney. The Baltimore States Attorneys Office did not know if an extradition hearing has been scheduled. Advertisement Authorities havent found Egglestons remains, according to charging documents. But in more than four years since she disappeared, she never contacted her young daughter and none of the dozens of family members, friends and acquaintances who spoke to investigators have heard from her. Based on her pattern of life, the time passed, extensive publicity, multiple searches, and monetary reward for information in this case, the fact that Eggleston has not returned to her family or been electronically or physically located overwhelmingly indicates that she is in fact, deceased, police wrote. Akia Eggleston was eight months pregnant when she vanished before her baby shower in May 2017. (HANDOUT) Baltimore States Attorney Marilyn Mosby said during a news conference that the case should remind Baltimoreans her office does not give up on the victims of Baltimore City, ever. She praised her prosecutors, Baltimore police and the FBI for their collaboration and dedication to an investigation that spanned almost five years. I give a special thanks to the family of Akia Eggleston who have never given up in their pursuit of justice for Akia and her unborn child, Mosby said. From the time Eggleston disappeared, her family endured constant pain and anguish, said Shawn Wilkinson, who described his stepdaughter as a beautiful and talented young woman whose bright future was abruptly interrupted. The family continued to hold onto hope that the expecting mother and her soon-to-be baby boy were alive, Wilkinson said. Every time you close your eyes, he said, youre always thinking about them. Sanobia Wilson, right, is comforted by Derek Butler, a board member of the Black and Missing foundation in Baltimore, during a press conference to announce the arrest of Michael Robertson for the murder of Wilsons niece, Akia Eggleston, and her unborn child in May of 2017. (Amy Davis/Amy Davis) The arrest was promising, but the pain doesnt stop. Eggleston left behind a young daughter and siblings. Advertisement They have to live with that moving forward, Wilkinson said. This path of destruction didnt end when he was arrested and hopefully charged to the maximum extent. From the outset, Egglestons family demanded answers and accountability. They searched for her in Cherry Hill Park, near the apartment where she last lived, and shared her story on national television. Eventually, her name gained more and more attention as the nation confronted missing white woman syndrome, where the disappearance of white women draws broad interest whereas their Black and minority counterparts arent given the same coverage when missing. The podcast Crime Noir, which seeks to make up for disparate media attention, highlighted her case. It was featured in People Magazine and NBC News. Wilkinson spoke up on ABCs The View. The HBO documentary series Black and Missing profiled the work of the Black and Missing Foundation, spotlighting Egglestons case as an example of the lack of attention for missing women of color. Her family sat for videotaped interviews. Wilkinson credits their persistence along with the attention brought by the Black and Missing Foundation, a nonprofit organization which raises awareness about missing people of color, and some dogged detective work for bringing about an arrest. Derrick Butler, whos on the board of Black and Missing and helped to spread the word about Egglestons case, said they were very happy to hear of an arrest but expressed concerns about what happened before the case got more extensive attention. Advertisement But for the efforts of Black and Missing, the HBO documentary, I do not think that it would have happened because we had no other reason to believe they were doing any active research on this case or investigation because they werent returning phone calls, Butler said. The missing persons case seemed to dry up within six months of Eggleston going missing, with Baltimore police saying they had exhausted all leads. The FBI announced a $25,000 reward and a special agent on the FBIs violent crimes task force promised theyd never given up on the case, having put together a decent time frame for her disappearance. Mosby acknowledged the disparity of media attention Egglestons case received compared to missing white women and said she hopes Roberstons arrest brings a measure of hope, the first phase in our pursuit of justice. Shayne Buchwald, an FBI supervisory special agent, called Robertsons arrest a long and painful journey. As Egglestons story gained national attention over the past five years, Buchwald said agents remained focused on solving her case, evening hanging a photo of Eggleston in their office as a daily reminder. Eggleston was last seen alive in the afternoon of May 3, 2017, and thats around the time all the young womans cell phone and social media activity stopped. Police never found Egglestons phone, and Robertson changed his device before Eggleston was reported missing. Still, cellular location data helped them piece together the sequence around her disappearance. Robertson was the only person with the motive, means, and opportunity to murder Eggleston, investigators wrote in charging documents. Advertisement Robertson was expecting a child with Eggleston while maintaining a relationship with another woman who was the mother to two of his children, police said. Police wrote that Robertson and the other woman he was dating got into a heated argument after the woman saw a photo of Egglestons sonogram. According to charging documents, Robertson was evicted from the other womans apartment before staying with Eggleston more frequently. He and Eggleston picked out a place to live together, but investigators found he misled her with blurry photos of a different apartment that required a security deposit far exceeding the amount of money hed asked her to withdraw. Robertson allegedly told investigators that he saw Eggleston for the last time a day or two before she disappeared, yet cell phone data showed him in the area of her Cherry Hill apartment the evening she was last seen. After Egglestons disappearance made TV news, Robertson googled about trash pickup, dumpsters and landfills in Baltimore 18 times, police said. There were dumpsters 30 feet from Egglestons apartment, and investigators traced the route for trash from her apartment to a Northern Virginia landfill, according to charging documents. Engineers narrowed in on 20 acres of the landfill that were filled with 500,000 tons of compacted municipal waste filled 40-feet deep within the three-month window around her disappearance. Safety regulations prohibited digging more than four feet down. Afternoon Update Weekdays Updating you on the day's biggest news before the evening commute. > Robertson moved with the mother of two of his children to Muskegon, Michigan, within days of being interviewed by police for the third time in October 2017, according to charging documents. With the last message she sent, Eggleston invited a friend to her baby shower; the woman who Robertson was seeing allegedly told police he spent the weekend of the baby shower at a hotel with her. Advertisement When neither expecting parent showed up for the baby shower, Egglestons family called police. Even with Robertsons arrest, its hard to feel any closure. Wilkinsons faith makes him believe that until Eggleston comes home, theres a chance shes still with us. Even though this chapter may be finished, there are still other chapters that need to be written..., he said, because we still dont have her or my grandson to properly lay to rest with a proper burial. Baltimore Sun reporter Lilly Price contributed to this article. The Assembly (81-member parliament) of Montenegro at an emergency session refused to support the proposal of Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic to reduce its mandate,TASS reported. In the vote to put the proposal on the agenda, 28 deputies voted in favor, six voted against, and another 42 abstained. Thus, the proposal to reduce the mandate was not accepted for consideration by parliament, after which Speaker Aleksa Becic announced the closure of the second emergency session. Earlier, on 20 January, the government of Montenegro decided to propose to parliament to terminate its powers before the end of the mandate and to hold new parliamentary elections in May. According to the constitution, the mandate of the parliament can be terminated early, either by reducing the mandate or by dissolving parliament. Reducing the mandate of parliament can be proposed by the president of the republic, the government, or on the basis of 25 signatures of deputies. The decision to reduce the mandate is taken by a majority vote of the deputies (41 votes out of 81). Earlier, initiatives of no confidence in the government led by Krivokapic were introduced in parliament. In response, he made a motion in Parliament to dismiss the initiator of the vote of no confidence in the Cabinet - Deputy Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic, the vote was held on 3 February and was not supported by deputies. The extraordinary session of the Parliament of Montenegro on the issue of distrust in the government will be held soon. At about 85 million, teachers are one of the largest groups of trained professionals in the world. Yet students access to education is exceedingly disproportionate on an international level. UC Santa Cruz alumnus and trailblazer for social change Fred Mednick (Stevenson 76, literature) founded the world-renowned organization Teachers Without Borders in 2000 to combat the global educational divide by utilizing teachers as catalysts for change in 171 countries around the world. Teachers have always beenand it is their very nature to betrue catalysts of change, the acupuncture points of our society, and the glue that holds our world together, Mednick says. An educator himself, Mednick is currently a professor of education sciences at Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium while working remotely from his home in Seattle. After earning his undergraduate education at UC Santa Cruz, Mednick received his M.A. in education from Claremont University in 1982 and then his doctorate in comparative education at Seattle University in 1999. Mednick looks back at his time at UC Santa Cruz as a pivotal moment in affirming the connection between higher education and social change throughout his educational endeavors. UCSC trusted me to reflect not only upon what I was learning, but how I could translate learning into social change, he says. UCSC helped me understand that I could shape a path. I must say how important that is, because prior to attending the university, I wasnt certain I could. Shaping paths for students worldwide Teachers Without Borders offers many developmental programs and courses for both teachers and students, including peace education programs, education in emergencies programs, and girls education courses. Raised in a feminist household and a father of two daughters, Mednick recognized the inequities in educational opportunities for women and girls worldwide and the importance of bridging that divide. Its more than just reaching a minimum standard, Mednick says. The world needs feminist leaders who are scholars as well as practitioners. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization estimates that 129 million girls are out of school, and only 49 percent of countries have achieved gender parity in primary education worldwide. I can go on and on about the importance of girls education for the world, Mednick says. Educated girls are 50% more likely to immunize their children in the future and with an extra year of education, a girl can earn up to 20% more as an adult. A child born to a literate mother is 50% more likely to survive past the age of 5. Teachers Without Borders works directly with international NGOs and civil society organizations that focus on re-enrollment programs, anti-early-marriage campaigns, and the prevention of human trafficking. In addition, Teachers Without Borders provides free courses for teachers, with an emphasis on the before, during, and after of education in emergencies. Mednick says his organization has substantially impacted girls education in Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, South Africa, Rwanda, Burundi, China, India, Haiti, Suriname, and Mexico. Teachers Without Borderss efforts in girls education in Afghanistan were significantly impacted by the Talibans takeover of most of the countrys borders in August 2021, threatening women and girls rights and educational opportunities. The whole thing breaks my heart, Mednick says. Womens organizations and NGOs serving girls and womens education are under assault. But even then, there are extraordinary efforts afoot. Mednick says Teachers Without Borders continues to support efforts in Afghanistan through two initiatives focused on girls education but would not get into specifics given the sensitivity of the situation in the country. Its hard to know exactly what is going on there, and though we receive anecdotal information, we have to tread carefully, Mednick says. Afghanistan may be out of the headlines now, but I refuse to forget. No one should. Education, peace, and social change Since its inception over two decades ago, Teachers Without Borders has received 15 awards and recognitions, including two Peace Prizes in 2018: The Luxembourg Peace Prize for efforts in peace-building through teacher professional development and the Ahmadiyya-Muslim Prize for the Advancement of Peace. Mednick credits the 2018 Ahmadiyya-Muslim Prize for the Advancement of Peace to teachers in Pakistan, Israel, Palestine, India, Rwanda, Burundi, Mexico, and Kenya. He says teachers in those countries emphasized peace in ones home, peace in the classroom, and peace in ones community. For current UC Santa Cruz students seeking social justice and change in their communities, Mednick offers some advice: Please dont let the fervency of your mission cloud your message. Social justice is not a clean, unencumbered path riding on fixed rails, he says. It is more often than not one step forward and two steps back. Do not rush to fix the injustices you see with magic solutions. Pay attention. You have two ears and one mouth, and they should be used in that proportion. Mednick finished his most recent book; I Want to Meet the King of America: Encounters with Remarkable Teachers and the Power of Human Agency , highlighting the past 20 years of Teachers Without Borders. All proceeds from the book will be donated to the Jane Goodall Institute . Goodall is a partner with Teachers Without Borders and a close friend of Mednicks. New Delhi [India], February 4 (ANI/PRNewswire): The festival of love is around the corner. On this day, people across the globe celebrate the importance of true devotion in life. They greet each other by sending exclusive Valentine's Day gifts and flowers. India Flower Mall is a leading online florist in India. The company understands the importance of the expression of love on such a significant day of the year. The lockdowns due to the Covid-19 pandemic have increased the physical distance among the people. India Flower Mall is committed to reducing emotional distance by helping people send Valentine's Day gifts to India. Therefore, the company has launched an exclusive range of products this year. With these newly launched products, India Flower Mall is ready to celebrate the day, designated for love, over flowers, cakes, chocolates, teddy bears, and gifts on all the seven days of valentine week: rose day, propose day, chocolate day, teddy day, promise day, hug day, and valentine's day. The collection of rainbow gifts, each gift for each day, will help color Valentine's week in affection and passion. Talking to the media personnel, Aarti Jain, the director, explained the strategy behind the new launch. According to her, "The sentiments are always high during this time every year. Valentine's Day offers an opportunity for people to express their true devotion and love for each other. The moment of expressing love is sensitive and emotional. A gifting company like ours should always be discovering innovative ways of expressing emotions. Hence the company has revamped the whole product range and delivery system to meet the requirements of its customers. Now the customers can express themselves more effectively by sending Valentine's Day flowers to India." She invited the patrons to visit the website and explore the exciting products: flower bouquets, red roses arrangements, lip-smacking heart-shaped caked, chocolate bouquets, and teddy bears, and share their feedback with the product team. "You will find an exclusive gift for each day of the week. Whether you decide to send flowers to India or cake, you will appreciate our products and services," she added. India Flower Mall is a leading online florist and gifting website based in India. The company has been helping its customers across the globe connect with their loved ones on important events of life such as Valentine's Day, birthdays, and anniversaries. This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire) Harford Community Action Agencys Freezing and Inclement Weather Plan has been enacted 24 nights since Jan. 1. When this plan goes into effect, the agency works to shelter homeless people to get them out of the cold when the weather is below freezing. Were trying to get all individuals who are at risk for homelessness off of the streets, said Pamela Craig, CEO of Harford Community Action Agency. Advertisement From January to March, the agency operates an emergency winter shelter to house people when other shelters in the county are full. The emergency shelter has eight rooms for families and seven rooms for 14 individuals. It is currently at capacity, Craig said. If this shelter is also at capacity, or if someone is unwilling or unable to go there, the freezing weather plan kicks in. Advertisement The plan goes into effect when the outside temperature is at or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit for more than 24 consecutive hours. Harford Community Action Agency collaborates with multiple agencies, including the countys Office of Community and Economic Development, the county sheriffs office and Harford County Hope for the Homeless Alliance, to place people in one of five motels along the Route 40 Corridor. That is where we see most of the episodes of homelessness or chronic homelessness, Craig explained. Harford Community Action Agency pays these motels to shelter people with money from the county government. When the plan is enacted, local law enforcement is notified via email, and notices are posted on the county government and the Office of Community and Economic Development Facebook pages. This year is also the first year where they have help available on call around the clock when the Freezing and Inclement Weather Plan is activated. They are partnering with local law enforcement to refer and transport people to a shelter location. Afternoon Update Weekdays Updating you on the day's biggest news before the evening commute. > Last year, there were 34 freezing nights, but the agency had 14 rooms to house 28 individuals. This year with the emergency winter shelter housing families, it has cut our ability to house individuals in half, Craig said. Advertisement Prior to the pandemic, Craig said, the agency only housed individuals but re-evaluated the community need through working with Harford County Public Schools Title I liaison to refer families of students that are in need of shelter. After hours, they have placed 31 individuals, six couples and four families through the freezing weather plan. During regular hours, theyve placed four individuals, one couple and two families. Craig said the cut in the amount of available individual rooms is why at least 30 people have been picked up after hours by police this year. As of Thursday, the Welcome One Emergency Shelter, open year-round, has seven male beds and one female bed open. The agency has a form on its website that people can fill out if they see or know someone who is in need of shelter: https://harfordcaa.org/programs/homeless-prevention/concerned-citizens-form/. New Delhi [India], February 4 (ANI/SRV): Niranjan Mahawar, Founder & CEO of the Taxway Group, has been named "The Entrepreneur of the Year" for the year 2021. Niranjan has been honored in a public function organized by Business Icon and Nation TV. This award is granted every year to those institutions that make the country's economic business smooth and rapid, according to the function committee. Uday Veer Singh Bindra, the event committee's spokesperson, stated that taxes are the most important contributor to the country's economy and development. About 90 percent of the people are still not aware of the tax-related topics and the benefits they get from them. To make the country financially strong and people aware of this national interest topic, Niranjan has made the general public aware of taxes in their common languages. With over 11,000 outlets across the country, Taxway has grown to become India's largest enterprise. Today, taxway provides tax information in both Hindi and English across India, assisting the government in increasing tax collection by educating citizens on tough topics such as ITR and GST. Taxway Group continues to be at the forefront of resolving tax-related issues in a timely and technical manner. It is noteworthy that headquarter of the Taxway Group is located in Ajmer. Niranjan was honored by the chief guest in the function, K. L. Ganju (Advisor to the Foreign Minister Union of Comoros), Wing Commander Rajinder Choudhary VSM (Honorary Council General of India to Lithuania) Dr. Neeraj A. Sharma (Honorary Council General of the Republic of Palau to India), Shabina Sultana (Honorary Council General of the Republic of Tunisia). India's largest tax consultancy company, Taxway, has successfully completed its fifteen years under the leadership of Niranjan Mahawar (the CEO of Taxway Group). It takes a lot of patience, dedication, and hard work to reach the top of one's profession and as hard as to keep that position. Take, for instance, the Founder and CEO of Taxway Group of Companies, Niranjan Mahawar, who has been in the business for more than fifteen years, and has accomplished a great place in the taxation business. He has been in this business since 2002, After a few years of working in this sector, In 2007, He realized that the clients who are going to the taxation consultants are being charged different rates for their taxation services like ITR(income tax return), PAN card services, TIN NO.(known as GST nowadays), Trademark, Copyright, etc., back then the taxation consultants were charging people for their services on their terms or according to their client's knowledge about taxation. So in 2007, Niranjan Mahawar initiated a startup from his home town Ajmer, Rajasthan. This company was founded with the goal of raising tax knowledge and assisting people who were having trouble paying taxes or dealing with other tax-related issues. In this startup, all individuals have to do is call customer service and request the services they want, and the company will send an executive to your home to supply you with those services. This startup was created to provide taxation services at the client's home, in which they will provide you proper documents, filing, and give you reminders through SMS and call services. So this startup was proved to be very helpful to people who did not have proper knowledge about taxation and was fair to all people as there were no fixed rates or MRP of their products, so because of that the company fixed the MRP's of their services, for example, Rs500/- for filing ITR(income tax return), so people who may or may not be familiar with the process of taxation can get a fair price, it does not matter through which consultant in our company you are getting your services done, the consultants will only take a particular price from you as the company has decided a fixed rate for each every service they are providing to their customers. Niranjan's business is now recognized as a 'B2C' hit (Business to Consumer). After successfully operating this business in the state of Rajasthan, he discovered that other jurisdictions require similar taxation services, and they began receiving calls for his services from states such as M.P., Mumbai, and Delhi. So Niranjan decided to open a franchise for his company to extend services to different parts of the country, and thus the Taxway franchise was born, and it was India's first taxation franchise. The Taxway franchise business grew more with time and In 2013 Niranjan Mahawar became E.R.I.(e-return intermediary ) and got authorized by the Indian government for providing their taxation services to people. The income tax department planned E.R.I. for them to cooperate with work like filing ITR, GST, etc. After becoming the ERI he planned of expanding his work throughout the country on a big level, he made it possible and now the Taxway company has its franchises in almost every state or city of the country. As Niranjan Mahawar always says that bricks and walls don't make the company or the business. The team and people working in it build the company or the business. 2 core team has peculiarly contributed with Niranjan Mahawar. First Core Monetary Team members are as follows- Girish Tak, Krishna Dadhich, Manish Kumar, Dharmendra Lekhra, Arvind Kalot, Manoj Kumar, Praveen Kumar Singh Rathore, Dilip Gehlot, Narendra Singh Rawat, Nisha Pareek, Javed Khan, Nikhil Tondon, Rashi Sharma, Amita Panwar, Ankush Verma, Pooja Keswani, Gaurav Agarwal, Tan Singh, Dheeraj Gaur, Vasudev Gaur, Satya Prakash Sharma, Deepak Kumar, Bhur Singh, Sunil Bakoliya, Late Revanti Gangwani. In the same manner, Second Core Management Team Members are as follows- Kamal Sankhla, Rishabh Harshwal, Abha Mishra, Anil Gupta, Vikas Saini, Akshat Gaur, Chirag Dua, Sujit Mukherjee, Praveen Kumar Uday, Yogesh Ubana, Mudra Sharma, Mohit Sabhnani, Ajayraj Wilson, Ritesh Tak, Abubaker Husain, Ravindra Kachhawa. Also, Niranjan Mahawar is thankful to Ras Bihari Gaur, Khushboo Saini, Naveen Agarwal, CA Deepa Jain who has supported to TAXWAY GROUP. To know more visit Www.onlinetaxwayindia.com Watch: https://www.youtube.com/c/NiranjanMahawar This story is provided by SRV. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/SRV) Chandigarh [India], February 4 (ANI/PNN): Chandigarh-based share-mobility platform Fico mobility announced on Monday of raising an undisclosed amount in seed funding from investment firm SR Consultancy Services. Harjeet Singh, Founder, Fico Mobility, in his statement said that his company plans to utilize these funds in upgradation and expansion. Fico Mobility started in 2021 is a self-drive car-sharing platform. The company offers easy and hassle-free solutions to some of the most common problems faced by urban commuters, by offering them to choose share mobility, a mode of transportation that is more affordable, reliable, clean, and efficient. "During the last few decades, India has seen an unprecedented boost to its urban infrastructure, particularly its mobility system. Despite that, the urban centers are under tremendous pressure due to our cities witnessing an increase in private vehicles and lesser use of public modes of transportation. At Fico mobility, we are addressing these growing challenges by enabling efficient asset utilization by transitioning from a model of ownership of private assets to users of shared assets." Harjeet added. At Fico mobility, the rides are cost-efficient and hassle-free. The mobile application can be downloaded from Google Playstore and Apple Store. After a quick signup, the user is ready to share any car of his/her choice without worrying about its maintenance, fuel, or insurance. The company hosts pre-owned cars from all segments on its platform and offers users to share them on a short to long-term basis. The car owner (host) can get on board by following a quick process. Being a part of the FICO ecosystem comes with many perks. It not only helps the host to mitigate the depreciation cost of the car but also creates a second stream of income with it. The company intends to create a cohesive ecosystem where the hosts (car owners) and users can be seamlessly connected through data for an improved user experience. The company also highlighted the untapped potential of India's shared mobility market. The segment was valued at $1,025.8 million in 2019 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 56.8% during the forecast period (2020-2025). Founder Harjeet Singh looks very optimistic about the future. He said, "We are moving towards a smart city culture. Apart from these optimistic numbers, the fact that people are slowly moving away from a typically costly, inequitable, and inefficient way of owning a private vehicle that makes this segment so promising." This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN) The official said, "If Tesla or other firms need a concessional tax rate structure for electrical vehicles, they will have to give a commitment to do some local manufacturing, assembling, and sourcing." The finance ministry official said that investments are already coming with the current tariff structure and other foreign companies are selling their electric vehicles with the current tariff structure. The route is open for others also with the current tariff structure. Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk has requested India to lower taxes and also allow the company to first sell vehicles built elsewhere at a competitive price. Import duty in India is 25 to 100 per cent on completely built unit (CBU) vehicles. Last year in September, Tesla officials were spotted driving a red Tesla Model 3 car in the building of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in the national capital. Tesla officials met top officials in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to discuss their India business plans. (ANI) Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 4 (ANI/PRNewswire): A woman gives up her fight against breast cancer every 13 minutes in India, making it the most prevalent cancer among Indian women. The importance of early detection of breast cancer cannot be overstated. On the occasion of World Cancer Day, Manipal Hospitals, Sarjapur launched a Breast Care Clinic in an endeavor to provide early detection and screening, and aid in the treatment of breast cancer. Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women worldwide. In reality, it accounts for roughly 25% of all cancers in women. Urbanization, obesity, alcohol consumption, lack of physical activity, delayed childbirth, and short duration of breastfeeding are becoming commonplace in India, resulting in an increase in the prevalence of breast cancer. Speaking at the launch of the clinic, Dr Baswanth Rao, Consultant Medical Oncology, Manipal Comprehensive Cancer Care Center, Sarjapur Bengaluru, said, "Breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer in Indian women. However, there is so much fear and myth around cancer that the patient is immediately plunged into a whirlwind of doctor visits, tests, and medication. However, it is critical to assist the patient in understanding the medical condition, being informed of the various treatment options, receiving support to cope with the situation, and having coordinated care with the doctors to ensure they receive the best medical care possible. The breast care clinic is an effort to help patients not only receive the necessary quality care and treatment, but also to encourage other patrons to come for regular screenings or consultations, allowing for early detection." "We are committed to doing our best to help empower our women and one of the ways is to enable them to detect any breast abnormalities at the earliest of stages so that they can be treated early and be cured soon. We at Manipal Hospitals believe that every woman deserves the best treatment and to ensure that we deliver care in a fast and cost-effective way. Today on World Cancer Day, we are calling out to all our Pink Warriors. Take your health in your own hands, get screened for breast cancer, live a healthy, peaceful and cancer-free life," said Dr Rahul Kanaka, Surgical Oncologist, Manipal Hospitals Comprehensive Cancer Care Center, Sarjapur, Bengaluru As a pioneer in healthcare, Manipal Hospitals is among the top healthcare providers in India serving over 4 million patients annually. Its focus is to develop an affordable, high-quality healthcare framework through its multispecialty and tertiary care delivery spectrum and further extend it to out of hospital care. With the completion of the acquisition of 100% shareholding in Columbia Asia Hospitals Private Limited and Vikram Hospital (Bengaluru) Private Limited, the integrated network today has a pan-India footprint of 27 hospitals across 15 cities with 7,600+ beds, and a talented pool of 4,000 doctors and an employee strength of over 11,000. Manipal Hospitals provides comprehensive curative and preventive care for a multitude of patients from around the globe. Manipal Hospitals is NABH, AAHRPP accredited and most of the hospitals in its network are NABL, ER, Blood Bank accredited and recognized for Nursing Excellence. Manipal Hospitals has also been recognised as the most respected and patient recommended hospital in India through various consumer surveys. This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire) New Delhi [India], February 4 (ANI/PNN): With the arrival of the omicron variant, the pandemic roller-coaster ride resumes, but now that the omicron has reached a new low, we may all breathe a sigh of relief. With this, tourism also has rebounded. Traveling to explore new destinations has now begun with utmost care and caution. Travel is no more just a distant dream. We are considering our travel by doing a thorough research and being mindful of the entire situation and health precautions. Thus, we zero down to those destinations, which are safe in terms of Omicron and Covid, and not far from our country, and yet, offer a refreshing and rejuvenating holiday. The destination that ticked all the boxes is the Maldives. After doing the due diligence around the Maldives, the vital factor that mattered the most - was how each island of Maldives is isolated, wherein most islands have just one hotel each. Thus - the Maldives, it is for the much-awaited getaway! The Maldives is apt for Honeymooners - wherein the couple can have all the time to themselves - without following a set trip routine or tick all the sightseeing places. Some of the off-beat experiences in the Maldives that honeymooners should not miss are as follows: Dine under the stars Do not miss the chance to have a candlelight dinner under the twinkling stars with the calm, soothing sound of the waves as the background music, and in the company of your beloved. Indulge in couple spa therapies Complete relaxation with spa therapies next to your partner, overlooking the grand Indian Ocean, is an experience not to be missed during your Maldives Tour. Beachside Cinema Imagine snuggling with your partner while watching a romantic movie on the beach, having your favorite meal with the sound waves of the ocean as the backdrop. Watching a movie in such a gorgeous location will be an experience to cherish. Take a Stroll on the glowing beach During your Maldivian stay, take a romantic stroll with your loved one on Vaadhoo Island. Watch the bioluminescence - with glowing carpet below your feet, twinkling stars above you, with a mild ocean breeze creates the perfect moment to sink in during your Maldivian Honeymoon. A Romantic Date at Underwater Sea Restaurant You would have had many romantic dates at several restaurants in town, but experiencing a romantic date at an underwater sea restaurant while viewing fishes, turtles, stingrays, and other marine life swimming all around you - is altogether a different experience. After planning the destination and various experiences during your holiday - the next vital aspect, to work upon is the accommodation. An overwater villa or an accommodation option above water or next to the beach is what would be the best for honeymooners. But, choosing a resort can be a tricky one. Due to the pandemic, many resorts offer lucrative packages to lure customers. It could lead to even greater confusion about which one to choose. Worry not; seek assistance and advice from our hotel experts to create your customized Maldives tour package. The ideal time to visit the Maldives is right now. There is never a bad moment to travel to this country. The weather in this country is warm all year round, wherein now - the time between Novembers to April is the best time to visit the Maldives. The temperatures generally range between 25 to 31 degrees Celsius. There may be unpredictable showers, mornings warm and sunny, humid air, and cool sea breeze during the evenings. In March - April, the ocean is quite calm, thus making it favorable for water sports. With the visa-on-arrival for Indians - Maldives Tourism has been promoting the destination that enables Indians to plan their travel without any hassles with all the safety and hygiene protocols followed stringently. Planning a Maldives honeymoon, these all and a few more things need to be considered, for which destination experts at Flamingo Transworld will guide you. This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN) Hollywood's favourite child actor Macaulay Culkin has joined forces with the production company Lightbox, to develop a new documentary titled 'Macaulay Culkin's Midlife Crisis', a travelogue about becoming middle-aged. According to Variety, millions of people turned to Culkin in 2020, when he tweeted that he had hit 40 and needed suggestions on how to handle going over the hill. His post generated over 3 million likes. This tweet, and its half a million retweets and 70,000 replies, spawned 'Macaulay Culkin's Midlife Crisis', a new premium documentary format with Lightbox, which will see him travel the world as he explores and celebrates what it means to be the big four-oh on an intrepid, international journey. In it, Culkin will be asking questions that anyone who is dealing with the process of ageing, fatherhood and lifetime partnership needs to ask themselves in order to ensure that unbridled passion does not become a relic of our youth. The actor has famously starred in 'Home Alone' and its sequel along with films such as 'My Girl', 'The Good Son' and 'Richie Rich' before taking a break from acting. He returned in 2003 with a spot on 'Will and Grace' and feature 'Party Monster. Culkin was more recently seen in FX's American 'Horror Story. He also founded The Pizza Underground, which parodied The Velvet Underground with pizza-themed songs. 'Macaulay Culkin's Midlife Crisis' has been executive produced by Lightbox co-founders Simon Chinn and Jonathan Chinn alongside Culkin's manager Emily Gerson Saines. "Mack remains as iconic, and as loved as ever, a social media sensation, internet entrepreneur and a hard-working member of his pizza-themed Velvet Underground tribute band," said Jonathan and Simon, in a statement. They added, "Despite his legendary status, like the rest of us, he's having to confront what it means to be a normal middle-aged guy, with a wife and a new kid who's soon going to be the same age he was when he became a massive global superstar. We are thrilled to be working through our mid-life crises with him on this exciting project!" As per Variety, speaking about the project, Culkin jokingly said, "Wow, Lightbox. Thanks for reminding me I'm in my 40s. Well, rather than make a big deal about it I figure we should just make a show about it. Makes sense." (ANI) Excited to be a part of the 18th season, Sonu said, "The journey of MTV Roadies moulds you into a champion for life. The series of challenges are unlike any other as they put you in contention with yourself to see if you have the fight within to emerge back as a stronger version of yourself. I am truly honoured to be hosting the 18th season of MTV Roadies." The new season of the stunt reality show is set against the locales of South Africa. "As a host, I will guide the contestants through the tough journey ahead in South Africa while challenging them to see if they have the spirit within of being a true Roadie," he added. The shoot will begin in the second week of February in South Africa and is expected to go live in March 2022 on MTV India. (ANI) The period drama, which will have its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival, has been adapted from one of the chapters of noted author Hussain Zaidi's book, 'Mafia Queens of Mumbai'. It features Alia as Gangubai, one of the most powerful, loved and respected madams from Kamathipura during the 1960s. Ajay Devgn also plays a pivotal role in the movie. The almost 3-minute trailer of 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' opens with a voiceover followed by fast-paced background music, which isn't a staple of Bhansali's films. As Alia is introduced, the actor through her dialogue delivery, mannerism and expressions, outshines all her previous performances. Devgn's entry in the trailer was also what can be called a full-on Hero style 'dhamekadar' entry that will for sure gather several rounds of whistles in the theatres. 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' also stars Vijay Raaz, Indira Tiwari, and Seema Pahwa. The film marks Bhansali's first collaboration with Alia. This project will also see Bhansali Productions collaborating with Jayantilal Gada's Pen India Limited and the reunion between superstar Devgn and Bhansali after the 1999 iconic film 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam'. After being delayed multiple times due to the ongoing COVID pandemic, 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' is now slated to release in theatres on February 25. (ANI) Hollywood actor Sarah Jessica Parker has recently dismissed Kim Cattrall's return to 'Sex and the City' franchise. For years when rumours of a 'SATC' revival swirled, Cattrall, who was one of the stars of the original series and its two films, insisted she would never reprise her role as Samantha, according to Fox News. Due to her desire to put the franchise to bed, Cattrall and Parker were embroiled in a public feud for quite some time. Hence, when the show was revived via HBO Max's 'And Just Like That...', news broke that Cattrall, wouldn't be involved, and it seems Parker, isn't very interested in that changing in the future. In a recent interview with Variety, the Emmy winner was asked whether she'd be fine with Cattrall returning should Cattrall suddenly change her mind. Parker said, "I don't think I would, because I think there's just too much public history of feelings on her part that she's shared. I haven't participated in or read articles, although people are inclined to let me know." The actor along with 'And Just Like That...' writer Michael Patrick King also revealed that Cattrall was never approached to appear in the show because she'd previously expressed so much disinterest in appearing in such a reboot. "We didn't go to Kim for this, you know. After we didn't do the movie and the studio couldn't meet what she wanted to do, we have to hear her and listen to her and what was important to her. It didn't fit into what was important or needed for us," Parker explained. King also told the outlet that Cattrall was never approached "because she's said what she had said" and that he has "no realistic expectation of Kim Cattrall ever appearing again." King said that the reboot explained Samantha's absence through a falling out between Samantha and Parker's Carrie Bradshaw when she moved to another country, which was an attempt to "respect the legacy" of Samantha. "There's a very distinct line between Samantha and Kim. Samantha's not gone. Samantha's present, and I think it was handled with such respect and elegance. She wasn't villainized. She was a human being who had feelings about a relationship, so I think we found a way to address it, which was necessary and important for people that loved her," said Parker. (ANI) Actor Chris Noth's final scenes were cut from the 'Sex and the City' reboot 'And Just Like That' finale amid sexual assault allegations against the star. The series followed Carrie Bradshaw's (Sarah Jessica Parker) grief as her longtime love Mr Big (Noth) suffered a fatal heart attack in the first episode on his Peloton. In the final episode of the show, which became available for streaming on HBO Max on Thursday, Bradshaw is seen heading to Paris to spread Big's ashes. The City of Lights plays a significant role in the storyline as Big famously jetted off to Paris to confess his love for the columnist in the final episode of the original HBO show titled 'An American Girl in Paris, Part Deux'. As per Fox News, in October 2021, Noth and Parker were seen shooting what were believed to be throwback scenes in Paris. Noth, 67, was supposed to appear in a dream-state fantasy sequence where the pair reunited on Paris' Pont des Arts bridge as his TV wife scattered his ashes. However, those scenes were long scrapped and they never appeared in the finale. Previous reports suggested showrunners felt the filmed and archived footage of Noth's appearance weren't significant enough to risk airing given the allegations that have been made against him. The actor played Big in 'Sex and the City', which aired from 1998 until 2004. He reprised the role for both films in 2008 and 2010. One of the women who accused Noth of assaulting her said his reprisal of Big on the reboot, which premiered in December 2021, prompted her to speak out. The allegations were made that month. The star has previously denied the allegations, which date back to 2004 and 2015. "The accusations against me made by individuals I met years, even decades, ago are categorically false," a statement from Noth previously provided to Fox News Digital by his reps read. "These stories could've been from 30 years ago or 30 days ago -- no always means no -- that is a line I did not cross. The encounters were consensual," the statement added. At the time the allegations were raised, Parker, as well as co-stars Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis, spoke out publicly in support of the women who have claimed Noth sexually assaulted them. "We are deeply saddened to hear the allegations against Chris Noth," read the trio's joint statement, shared on Instagram. "We support the women who have come forward and shared their painful experiences." They added, "We know it must be a very difficult thing to do and we commend them for it." (ANI) A Love Story for All is the theme of the Feb. 9 episode of Chesapeake Farm & Bay to Table, a virtual series produced by the Harford County Public Library and Chef John Shields Our Common Table. Joyce J. Scott, a nationally renowned artist from Baltimore, will join Shields and library CEO Mary Hastler as they whip up some treats for the amorous in celebration of Valentines Day. Scott was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2016 and a Smithsonian Visionary Artist in 2019. Advertisement The two will discuss the intersection of food, love, art and community while preparing a few recipes including profiteroles, a decadent cream puff with amaretto chocolate sauce. Our viewers are in for a real treat in February, Hastler said. Advertisement The show will be presented live on Zoom from 7 to 8 p.m. Advanced registration, including a valid email address, is required at HCPLonline.org. Once registered, participants will receive a confirmation email with a link and unique password to access the program. This episode of Chesapeake Farm & Bay to Table is presented in partnership with Harford County Public Library, the nonprofit Our Common Table, Gertrudes Chesapeake Kitchen, which is owned by Shields, and 32nd Street Farmers Market. The Chesapeake Farm & Bay to Table series provides a virtual excursion to Maryland farms, fisheries and local businesses that focus on the abundance and variety of fare that is grown in the region and caught off its shores in the Chesapeake Bay. For information about future programs, visit HCPLonline.org. Maria Morales Children who have received years of season-specific flu vaccines, develop antibodies that also provide broader protection against new strains, according to a new study led by researchers at McMaster University. These anti-bodies also provide protection against strains capable of causing pandemics. The same ability, however, does not exist in adults. The findings were reported in the journal 'Cell Reports Medicine'. These findings could inform the design of a universal influenza virus vaccine for children, who are especially vulnerable to serious complications from flu, such as pneumonia, dehydration, and, in rare cases, death. "Little is known about how seasonal flu vaccination impacts the immune responses in children, who are a major source of flu transmission and a very high-risk group," explained Matthew Miller, lead author of the study and Associate Professor at the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Diseases Research. "Understanding how seasonal vaccination and different vaccine formulations shape childhood immunity is critical for effective prevention." Children and adults are fundamentally different in their immune responses to the influenza virus, explained Miller, whose lab is part of McMaster's Global Nexus for Pandemics and Biological Threats. Unlike small children, most adults have been infected with and vaccinated against flu many times throughout their lives. "When we give adults vaccines, they make a very specific immune response against seasonal strains," said Miller. "Adults simply don't generate immune responses to seasonal flu vaccines capable of protecting them from pandemic viruses like children can." The researchers spent three years studying immune responses in children between the ages of 6 months and 17 years. They found that as the children grew older, they became less capable of producing broadly protective antibodies, because of their repeated exposure to influenza, through infection or vaccination. While COVID-19 related measures such as distancing and masking have resulted in lower rates of influenza, Miller warned that the flu will return, possibly in dangerous forms. Influenza has caused five pandemics in the last 100 years. The Spanish Flu of 1918-19 killed roughly 50 million people worldwide at a time when the global population was about 1.8 billion -- less than a quarter of what it is today. For the study, researchers also compared two forms of vaccine: the conventional flu shot and a nasal spray vaccine that works in the upper respiratory tract, where the infection first takes hold. Both worked equally well at generating broadly protective antibodies, which is welcome news for parents seeking a painless alternative to needles. "This is an important finding because it means we have flexibility in terms of the type of vaccines we can use to make a universal vaccine for children. We now know that children's immune systems are much more flexible than adults when it comes to being able to teach them how to make these broadly protective responses," said Miller. (ANI) A recent study has found that sleep apnea during pregnancy may increase the risk for brain and behavioural changes linked to autism in the male offspring. The research has been published in the 'PLOS Biology Journal'. The findings supported evidence in humans of a link between sleep apnea and neurodevelopmental disorders and provided a potential mechanism to explain the link. During episodes of sleep apnea, breathing is partially or completely interrupted, often hundreds of timers per night, causing intermittent hypoxia, or decreased blood oxygenation. The incidence of sleep apnea during pregnancy is on the rise, in line with the obesity epidemic, and occurs in about 15 per cent of uncomplicated pregnancies and more than 60 per cent of high-risk pregnancies by the third trimester. Sleep apnea during pregnancy is known to have detrimental effects on the newborn, but the impacts on neurodevelopment have not been well studied. To investigate such impacts, the authors, Amanda Vanderplow, Michael Cahill, and colleagues at the University of Wisconsin-Madison subjected pregnant rats to intermittent low oxygen levels during times of rest, during the second half of their gestational period. The treatment induced hypoxia in the mothers, but (as expected) not in the fetuses. Behavioural abnormalities in the offspring were observed beginning shortly after birth, including altered distress vocalization patterns in both males and females. Maternal hypoxia also impaired cognitive and social function in male, but not female, offspring, both of which persisted into adulthood. Effects included a reduction in working memory and longer-term memory storage, and reduced interest in socially novel situations. These behavioural changes were accompanied by significant abnormalities in the density and morphology of dendritic spines, the outgrowths on neurons that receive and integrate signals from other neurons. In adolescents of both sexes, but much more so in males, the density of dendritic spines was elevated compared to age-matched control animals, an increase due mainly to lack of spine "pruning," or reduction, a process that begins in childhood and is critical for normal brain development. How maternal hypoxia-induced these changes in fetuses, not themselves experiencing hypoxia remains unclear. The authors found that affected offspring had an excessive activity of a cell signalling pathway known as the mTOR pathway, a feature identified in the cortex of humans with autism and that treatment with rapamycin, an mTOR inhibitor, partially mitigated the behavioural effects of maternal hypoxia in the offspring. "To our knowledge, this is the first direct demonstration of the effects of maternal intermittent hypoxia during gestation on the cognitive and behavioural phenotypes of offspring," Cahill said. "Our data provide clear evidence that maternal sleep apnea may be an important risk factor for the development of neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly in male offspring," Cahill continued. Cahill added, "Based on clinical correlations, maternal sleep apnea during pregnancy has been theorized to potentially increase the risk for autism diagnosis in her offspring; however, functional studies are lacking. Here we show that sleep apnea during gestation produces neuronal and behavioural phenotypes in rodent offspring that closely resemble autism, and demonstrate the efficacy of a pharmacological approach in fully reversing the observed behavioural impairments." (ANI) The Enforcement Directorate in its charge sheet in the Rs 100 crore extortion and money laundering case said that former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh has been taking undue advantage of the positions he held since 1992. "Anil Deshmukh took the wrong advantage of his position since 1992. He made a lot of money and property through illegal means. The illegally earned money was used in 13 companies. These are either owned by his sons or his close associates," reads the chargesheet. "Many government employees were also associated with him and he used to get work done from them," the chargesheet added. So far, ED has recorded the statements of around 51 people in the case which include several IAS, IPS officers, CA, politicians and owners of bars. As per the chargesheet, dismissed Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze told ED in his statement that Deshmukh demanded Rs 2 crore from him for reinstating him in Mumbai Police after 16 years of suspension. "Waze said that many politicians were against his reinstatement. Deshmukh called him at Sahyadri Guest House on June 16, 2021, and told him that he has talked to those politicians who were against my reinstatement. He assured them that they would do 'good work' together," reads the chargesheet. ED also said that Deshmukh was regularly getting information from Sachin Waze and they were together involved in this whole racket of extortion of collecting Rs 100 crore a month from various bars, restaurants, and other establishments in Mumbai. ED in its chargesheet has also said that Deshmuh's family members -- son Hrishikesh Deshmukh, another son Salil Deshmukh and wife Aarti Deshmukh, are not cooperating in the investigation. Hrishikesh Deshmukh has been summoned six times and asked to appear for the investigation but he has not appeared even once. Salil was also summoned twice in this case for questioning but he also did not appear. Aarti Deshmukh was asked to appear on July 14, 2021, and July 16, 2021, but she has also not appeared before the investigating agency. The Former Maharashtra Home Minister was arrested by ED in November, last year in connection with the alleged Rs 100-crore extortion and money laundering case. He is currently lodged at Arthur Road jail in Mumbai. Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh had accused Anil Deshmukh of asking dismissed assistant inspector Sachin Vaze to collect Rs 100 crore from hotels and bars in Mumbai every month. ED registered a case against Deshmukh and others based on a corruption case filed against him by the Central Bureau of Investigation. Meanwhile, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had arrested dismissed Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze in March 2021 in connection with the investigation into the recovery of explosives from a car parked near Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani's house Antilia in Mumbai. (ANI) As per an official statement from Amarnath Panjikar, Chairman of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee Media Department, Rahul Gandhi was earlier scheduled to visit on February 2, which was postponed to February 4 as he had parliamentary commitments and also his visit to Raipur on February 3 for 'bhoomi poojan' of the memorial in honour of martyrs. Rahul Gandhi will interact with representatives of the Tourism Sector, Anganwadi staff and others. Besides this, he will address meetings of workers and will also guide candidates of Congress. During the Wayanad MP's visit to Goa on Friday, he will conduct a door-to-door campaign at Sada, Mormugao at 10 am. Then he will have a meeting with candidates at The International Centre, Dona Paula at 12.30 pm. At 2.15 pm, Rahul Gandhi will have meeting with representatives of tourism, shack owners and CII representatives at Dona Paula. In the evening at 4 pm he will attend "NIRDHAR" virtual rally at Sankhali Municipal Ground, Sankhali, Sanquelim. Goa will go to the Assembly polls on February 14. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. (ANI) The chief minister will file his nomination papers at 11.40 am on Friday. Prior to this event, Shah who is also one of BJP's star campaigners for UP polls, is scheduled to address a public meeting at 10.50 am at Maharana Pratap Inter College Grounds in Gorakhpur today. Notably, BJP was the first party in Uttar Pradesh which declared their chief ministerial candidate, CM Adityanath, for the upcoming State Assembly elections that are scheduled to take place in seven phases beginning from February 10. Earlier on January 15, BJP announced that Yogi Adityanath will contest from the Gorakhpur constituency in the upcoming Assembly polls. Following the announcement of Adityanath's candidature, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also declared that he will contest from Karhal in the Mainpuri assembly seat. Amit Shah, who was BJP chief from 2014-20, has been instrumental in sealing Uttar Pradesh for the party in 2014, 2017 and 2019 by using his success mantra of establishing contacts with party workers. The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27 and March 3 and 7 in seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. In the 2017 Assembly elections, the BJP won a landslide victory winning 312 Assembly seats. The party secured a 39.67 per cent vote share in the elections for 403-member Assembly. Samajwadi Party (SP) bagged 47 seats, BSP won 19 while Congress could manage to win only seven seats. (ANI) CM performed 'havan' which started around midnight and ended at 1:30 AM. Acharya Dinesh said that Channi often visits the Baglamukhi temple. "This is his third visit after becoming the Chief Minister. He has been visiting the Baglamukhi temple for the last 18-20 years. Gupt Navratri is going on and on this occasion, he came here with his family to offer his prayers," said the priest. "He prayed for the peace, prosperity and betterment of Punjab. He kept on whispering in front of god to do what's best for Punjab and Punjabiyat," he added. Channi's visit comes ahead of Punjab polls where Congress is soon going to announce CM face of the party. Punjab will go to the polls on February 20. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. (ANI) State Disaster Management Authority and Uttarakhand Police on Friday ramped up rescue and relief operations for people after heavy rainfall and snowfall battered parts of Uttarakhand. SDRF, Uttarakhand Police teams rescued people stuck at places due to extreme weather conditions. The official information received from SDRF today informed that as many as six people, who were trapped due to snowfall in the Diwalikhal area of Chamoli district were rescued by a team of SDRF. It was informed by the Sonprayag police that some people are trapped in the snow about three kilometres below Trijugi Narayan Temple. On knowing this, the SDRF team immediately reached the spot and rescued as many as two people trapped there and shifted them to a safe place. SDRF also received information about some people being trapped in the Mach Khali area of Almora district. The officials have reached the spot and are carrying out rescue operations. The rescue and relief operations at various places are still underway. The India Meteorological Department, in its tweet on Thursday, informed, "Fairly widespread to widespread light/moderate rainfall/snowfall very likely to continue over Western Himalayan Region on 3rd and 04th February. Isolated hailstorm very likely over Himachal Pradesh on 03rd and over Uttarakhand on 03rd and 04th February, 2022." This news holds importance as first virtual rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Uttarakhand, which was scheduled to take place on Friday morning, has been cancelled due to inclement weather, said the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday. "Keeping the safety of people who would come to attend this virtual rally in mind, the party decided to cancel the rally," said an official statement from BJP. The assembly elections for the 70-seat Uttarakhand assembly are slated to take place on February 14.The BJP which is seeking its second term in office is led by incumbent Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. This would have been Prime Minister Modi's first campaign for Uttarakhand after the announcement of the election dates. The weather has taken a sudden turn in states like Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh over the last 48 hours including rainfall that has been witnessed in the national capital as well. (ANI) The Chief Minister performed "Rudrabhishek" and "havan pooja" at the Gorakhnath temple. He is scheduled to file his nomination papers from the Gorakhpur constituency at 11.40 am today and will be accompanied by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Earlier on January 15, the BJP announced that Yogi Adityanath will contest from the Gorakhpur Urban constituency in the upcoming Assembly polls. Following the announcement of Adityanath's candidature, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also declared that he will contest from Karhal in the Mainpuri assembly seat. The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27 and March 3 and 7 in seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. In the 2017 Assembly elections, the BJP won a landslide victory winning 312 Assembly seats. The party secured a 39.67 per cent vote share in the elections for 403-member Assembly. Samajwadi Party (SP) bagged 47 seats, BSP won 19 while Congress could manage to win only seven seats. (ANI) Senior Congress leader V Hanumantha Rao on Thursday gave an ultimatum to Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao to take back his statement on rewriting the Constitution of India. Speaking to ANI, the Congress leader said, "The chief minister has introduced the Dalit Bandhu scheme and said the government will give 10 lakhs each to Dalit family. He is giving because they are downtrodden and have been slaves for years. Babasaheb has written the constitution, that gave upliftment for the weaker section. On one side, KCR wants to build a 124 feet statue of Ambedkar and on the other side he wants to change the Constitution." He said earlier they erected Ambedkar's statue from the Panjagutta Chowrasta in Hyderabad on April 13, 2019, a before Ambedkar's birthday which falls on 14 April. "We got Telangana because of this constitution as per Article 3. Now you have to change Constitution and want to remove Ambedkar legacy. The people are very angry, KCR is doing a big mistake. The people are revolting in Telangana. Giving 10 lakh as Dalit Bandhu is not what they want but everyone is asking for self-respect. Whatever statement given by KCR should take them back. We got real independence after Babasaheb Ambedkar wrote the constitution. We are giving an ultimatum to the government of Telangana to take back the words," Rao added. Earlier on Tuesday, KCR expressed disappointment over the Union Budget 2022 and said that the BJP-led Centre needs to be "removed and thrown in the Bay of Bengal". "He said being a chief minister, shouldn't speak undemocratically. He even called for rewriting of the constitution. He doesn't respect anyone. In the state, there's no Secretariat, he doesn't meet the opposition leaders. He falsely jails the opposition leaders and suppresses the voices of the people. As BJP grows stronger day by day in the state, he cannot digest it. I urge the chief minister to apologize," he said. Rao had said that the time has come that the Constitution in India needs to be rewritten. The BJP MP further said, "The Telangana Chief Minister is creating an unnecessary fuss over the demand for a new constitution." K Chandrasekhar Rao also stated that many countries in the world have also made changes in their Constitution, in the same way, it should be done in their country also. (ANI) Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao said that it is a proud moment that Telangana has become a centre for teachings of Sri Ramanujacharya of social equality among the citizens after thousands of years. Rao said it is wonderful that the Virat statue of Sri Ramanujacharya who depicted equality among the people is being installed in Hyderabad in Telangana. The CM hailed that Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamy and his followers have done a marvellous job in installing the statue. "It is a proud moment that Telangana has become a centre for teachings of Sri Ramanujacharya of social equality among the citizens after thousands of years," said the Chief Minister. The CM along with his wife visited Mutchintala and participated in Sri Ramanuja Sahasrabdi Samaroh celebrations on Thursday. Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamy accorded a formal welcome to the CM and his wife. The Chief Minister enquired about the arrangements with Chinna Jeeyar Swamy. Speaking on the occasion, Rao said, Sri Ramanujacharya had brought in revolutionary changes in the Bhakti Movement and worked for equality among all human beings. He said the pilgrims who visit this holy place get spiritual tranquillity and peace. The Chief Minister said he is happy to note that at Mutchintala, all the facilities for the comfort of the devotees of Sri Ramanujacharya are made and in future, this place would become a major pilgrim centre for the devotees. He said that the Telangana would further make its progress with the divine blessings of Sri Ramanuja. and would continue the spirit of Sri Ramanujacharya, who is above all. The Chief Minister said that it is a great endeavour that Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamy took the responsibility of collecting the funds and making other arrangements. He congratulated Chinna Jeeyar Swamy and his mission for the efforts. The CM said that the state government would take all the necessary responsibilities for the function. He said from his family they would offer fruits and Prasadams for the Pandits. (ANI) A Howard County Public School System employee remains on paid administrative leave after being charged this week with second-degree assault against a student at Howard High School. Howard County Police charged Michael K. Williams, 60, of Cooksville with assault following a Dec. 2 incident at Howard High School during which a 17-year-old male student assaulted other students in the cafeteria, according to the Howard County Police Department. Advertisement Williams, a security assistant at the high school, physically engaged with the student to stop the attacks, police said. The school system is conducting a thorough investigation in alignment with all HCPSS policies, said Brian Bassett, a school system spokesperson. Advertisement Willie Flowers, president of the NAACP Maryland State Conference, said he is glad community organizations came together to ensure the incident was not swept under the rug. The charge is a first step to also correct the practice of hiring anyone who is abusive, thanks to a camera and a brave student who filmed it, he said. On the other hand, there is a lineup of adults who delayed this investigation and demonized a child. We do commend the police investigator in this case, but the other adults get no points for their treatment of this student. Afternoon Update Weekdays Updating you on the day's biggest news before the evening commute. > A video of the incident surfaced on social media in early December. The video showed three adults an administrator dressed in a suit and two other adults in uniforms holding down the student on the floor of the cafeteria. One of the adults in uniform can be seen punching the student in the head twice and holding on to his hair while the other adult appears to hold the students arms down. A third adult in uniform, with the words police lettered on his back, can be seen holding down the students feet. The incident caused the school to go into a temporary lockdown. After a detailed police investigation and review by the Howard County States Attorneys Office, it was determined that Williams actions, which included striking the student, warranted a criminal charge, according to the police department. The student was charged as a juvenile in December with assault against the other students, police said. The other adults involved in the incident, including a school administrator and a school resource officer, were also investigated. It was determined that they would not be charged criminally as a result of their actions that day, police said. In December, HCPSS Superintendent Michael Martirano met with all school administrators and local and state partners, including the Maryland Center for School Safety and leaders from the Council of Elders, NAACP Howard County and the African American Community Roundtable, to discuss the incident. Advertisement On Dec. 16, representatives from the Council of Elders of Howard County, the Howard County African American Community Roundtable, the NAACP Howard County and other concerned residents held a news conference outside the Howard County Department of Education in Ellicott City to address the incident and demand that charges be filed against the employee. More than 10.71 crore balance and unutilized COVID vaccine doses are still available with the States, Union Territories to be administered, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed on Friday. The ministry has informed that more than 165.20 crore vaccine doses have been provided to States, Union Territories till date. "More than 165.20 crore (1,65,20,44,645) vaccine doses have been provided to States/UTs so far through Govt. of India (free of cost channel) and through direct state procurement category. More than 10.71 Cr (10,71,21,576) balance and unutilized COVID Vaccine doses are still available with the States/UTs to be administered," the ministry informed in its official press release. The Union Government is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country. The nationwide COVID-19 vaccination started on January 16, 2021. The new phase of universalization of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from June 21, 2021. The vaccination drive has been ramped up through availability of more vaccines, advanced visibility of vaccine availability to States and UTs for enabling better planning by them, and streamlining the vaccine supply chain. As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, the Government has been supporting the States and UTs by providing them COVID Vaccines free of cost. In the new phase of the universalization of the COVID-19 vaccination drive, the Government will procure and supply (free of cost) 75 per cent of the vaccines being produced by the vaccine manufacturers in the country to States and UTs. Moreover, the vaccination drive for those between the age group 15-18 was started on January 3, 2022, and for administering the precautionary doses to the healthcare workers, frontline workers and sixty plus individuals then commenced on January 10 this year. (ANI) Before the nomination, Shah and Union Minister and State BJP in-Charge Dharmendra Pradhan will address a rally in the city. Earlier in the day, Adityanath offered prayers at Gorakhnath temple, ahead of filing nomination for the state Assembly election. Notably, BJP was the first party in Uttar Pradesh which declared their chief ministerial candidate, CM Adityanath, for the upcoming State Assembly elections that are scheduled to take place in seven phases beginning from February 10. Earlier on January 15, BJP announced that Yogi Adityanath will contest from the Gorakhpur constituency in the upcoming Assembly polls. Following the announcement of Adityanath's candidature, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also declared that he will contest from Karhal in the Mainpuri assembly seat. Amit Shah, who was BJP chief from 2014-20, has been instrumental in sealing Uttar Pradesh for the party in 2014, 2017 and 2019 by using his success mantra of establishing contacts with party workers. The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27 and March 3 and 7 in seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. In the 2017 Assembly elections, the BJP won a landslide victory winning 312 Assembly seats. The party secured a 39.67 per cent vote share in the elections for 403-member Assembly. Samajwadi Party (SP) bagged 47 seats, BSP won 19 while Congress could manage to win only seven seats. (ANI) The arrest was made on Thursday. "Team of Mundka Police Station, Outer District has arrested the accused namely Nanhe Lal. A sum of Rs 21,50,000 out of Rs 23,00,000 has been recovered from his possession," Delhi Police said. On January 29 based on a complaint by Munish Sangar, who runs an Import/Export company in the Mundka area of Delhi filed a complaint against Nanhe Lal accusing him of fleeing with Rs 23 lakh he had been tasked to collect. Lal has been working in Sangar's company since 2018. It is alleged that Nanhe Lal had collected the Rs 23 lakh money from Chandni Chowk but did not turn it over to his employer and went missing. The police filed a case under 408 of IPC at Mundka Police Station and began an investigation. After police raided the accommodation in Rohini where Lal was living as a tenant and after not finding him there a police team was sent to his native village at Uttar Pradesh. The accused's father informed police that Lal had visited them but had returned to Delhi. Thereafter, raids were conducted at his known location in Uttar Pradesh and several places in Delhi and finally Nanhe Lal was arrested. (ANI) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday announced a cash reward of Rs 50,000 each for information on two absconding women accused persons in the alleged murder of mother of a BJP worker who has allegedly murdered in the post-poll violence in Jagatdal, North 24 Parganas of West Bengal. The agency has also promised to keep the name of the informant a secret. In a formal advertisement, the CBI said, "If any information about the five fugitives is given to the Central Intelligence Agency, the name of the informant will be kept secret and the cash reward will be given." Apart from advertising in newspapers, the CBI also announced the award through posters. The CBI had taken over the investigation of post-election violence on the orders of the High Court. Speaking to ANI, DIG CBI, ACB Kolkata, Akhilesh Singh said that the two absconding females accused in the murder of BJP worker's mother Sova Rani, who was allegedly beaten to death on May 2, 2021, at Jagatdal in North 24 Parganas, are residents of Shyamnagar Jagaddal. The accused have been identified as Jhuma Mistry and Paratima Ghosh. The agency has also advised those who wish to give any information on the accused to contact the Special Crime Branch of the CBI's Kolkata office by phone and email. Notably, the CBI has also announced similar rewards for information of others accused in other cases. "On post-poll violence allegation, more than 50 accused in separate cases has been absconding to date," the CBI informed. (ANI) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday took over the investigation of the murder case of Vishwanath Nair, nephew of the Rajmata of the erstwhile princely state of Kawardha and registered an FIR of murder. In August 2021, Nair was found brutally killed in his farmhouse in the Kabirdham district. The CBI FIR reads that Jyoti Nair, wife of the deceased Vahwanath Nair and three others, has filed a writ petition before the High Court of Chhattisgarh at Bilaspur praying for orders to transfer the investigation of the murder case of Late Vishwanath Nair to an independent agency like CBI. Police Station Pipariya of Kabirdham district had registered a case of murder and trespassing on August 27, 2021, against an unknown person based on the complaint lodged by one Ram Kosale. The allegation is that Vishwanath Nair was brutally murdered on the intervening night of August 26-27 at Yogeshwar Raj Agriculture Farm House situated at Indori in Kabirdham district. After completion of the investigation, the Station House Officer (SHO) of Pipariya had filed two different Chargesheets in two different Courts in this case. One chargesheet has been filed in the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate on Nov 24, 2021, against accused Prem Lal Sinha. Another Chargesheet has been filed in the Juvenile Justice Board against four juvenile accused persons on the same day. The chargesheet mentioned robbery as the motive. The CBI has been directed to further investigate the matter and has been asked to seize and collect all records pertaining to the case and SIM details of the mobile phones of the accused, victim and suspects as early as possible. (ANI) A senior BSF officer informed that in the intervening night of February 3-4, based on specific intelligence, troops of Border Out Post (BOP) Rangamura were operating in the area or responsibility. On being challenged, miscreants started stone pelting resulting in which constable Binod Soren sustained an injury on his forehead. However, the patrolling party successfully seized 25 kilograms Ganja worth Rs 1.25 lakh on the India-Bangladesh International Border under Bari Police Station of South Tripura district. The injured BSF Jawan was evacuated to the nearest Primary Health centre Rajnagar where he was administered three stitches on the forehead. In this regard, a complaint is being lodged with the police and the seized ganja is being handed over to the police. (ANI) The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim protection from arrest to actor and model Sherlyn Chopra in a case related to a porn films racket also involving Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty's husband Raj Kundra. A bench of Justices Vineet Saran and Justice Aniruddha Bose issued notice on the appeal filed by Chopra challenging the November 25, 2021 order of the Bombay High Court which had declined her plea for anticipatory bail. The top court said no coercive action shall be taken against Chopra. Earlier, the apex court had granted pre-arrest bail to Kundra and model Poonam Pandey in the same case. Advocate Sunil Fernandes appearing for Chopra contended before the bench that the petitioner is aggrieved by the High court order as it fails to provide proper reasoning for the sole ground for rejection of anticipatory bail i.e. need of custodial interrogation. Fernandes argued that Chopra was on ad-interim bail for almost nine months and there has not been a single instance where she has tried to abuse the concession of ad-interim bail granted to her earlier. The plea said that the only allegation against Chopra herein in the FIR is that she has allegedly acted in obscene video clips which are made available on certain websites. "The websites on which the obscene video clips were allegedly found are foreign companies having origins in France and Canada respectively and the Petitioner has no connection/ control/ dominion over them. It is pertinent to note that any unverified user or person can upload any video on such websites without the knowledge of the person shown or made to appear in the video," the plea read. Chopra's plea stated that she was not involved in the publication or transmission of the content available on the App, neither she was aware about the possible misuse of the content and it was only when the FIR was filed, she came to know about the misuse of her identity, for which she is made liable in the present case. The plea said that she has actively assisted in the investigation and has provided all information as requested by the investigating authorities and there is nothing which is required to be recovered from her. "Petitioner has rendered full co-operation during the stage of service of the Notice by the Respondent and is willing to provide un-fettered co-operation to the Investigating Agency," plea added. (ANI) The Supreme Court on Friday noted that Bombay High Court has resumed normal working hours and disposed of the plea challenging a circular issued by the Bombay High Court reducing its working hours to three hours a day in view of COVID-19. A bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud observed that the grievance of the petitioner has been met. The top Court directed the petitioner that if he wants to bring anything to the attention, he can raise this to the Bombay High Court Registrar General. With this observation, the Court disposed of the plea filed by activist Ghanshyam Upadhyay. The petitioner has stated that due to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), the principal bench of the High Court has been "functioning only for namesake" causing hardships to the litigants and advocates. According to the SOP issued on January 10, 2022, the High Court will function from 12 noon-3 pm without a lunch break from Monday to Friday starting from January 11 to 28. It stated that courts can be made functional through a virtual hearing without reducing the working hours. The plea said that the fundamental rights of citizens are being jeopardized and violated and it was a matter of great concern and public importance. "The reason seems to reduce risk for all concerned being infected with new variants, however, it has been forgotten that if all the courts are made functional for three hours in a day, then also such risk is enviable," it added. The plea while seeking direction to the Bombay High court to form guidelines and ensure the virtual functioning of all courts in the State also said that virtual hearings can increase the disposal rate of cases and are the future of court proceedings. According to the plea, another SOP has directed that from January 3, subordinate courts in Mumbai, Pune, Raigad and Alibaug to function between 11 am and 4 pm with 50 per cent of staff on rotation and to hear remand, bail and urgent matters through physical hearing. The matters for recording evidence and hearing arguments were directed to be taken through virtual platform. The plea claimed that there are no requisite infrastructures in these courts for hearing matters through virtual platforms. It sought directions to all courts in the State to function full time through the virtual platform by laying down guidelines without curtailing the court working hours. (ANI) Addressing a press conference after the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) review meeting, Sisodia said, "Schools will reopen from February 7 for standard 9-12. Classes for Nursery to standard 8 will reopen from February 14. Hybrid classes will continue." Sisodia, who is also the Education Minister, requested the colleges to encourage offline classes. "Colleges will reopen from Monday, February 7 and they will be asked to discourage online classes and have offline classes." He also announced that from now on, all restaurants can now open till 11 pm. Further, Sisodia said that all government and private offices have been permitted to function at 100 per cent capacity. Gyms and swimming pools have also been permitted to reopen, he added. On Thursday, Delhi reported 2,668 new COVID-19 cases during the last 24 hours with the positivity rate declining to 4.3 per cent. Recently, Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal had decided to lift the weekend curfew and the odd-even system for shops. In markets, market complexes, malls, all shops and establishments dealing with non-essential goods and services shall be allowed to open between 10 AM to 8 PM without the restriction of odd-even. (ANI) The Supreme Court on Friday reserved order on the plea of Trinamool Congress leader SK Supiyan, who was the election agent of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram, challenging an order of the Calcutta High Court which rejected his anticipatory bail plea. A bench headed by Justice L Nageswara Rao reserved the order after hearing the submission of both sides. "We will pass an order," the court said. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Supiyan, said that his client was not named in the chargehsheet and said that the case is political and mala fide. Additional Solicitor General Aman Lekhi opposed his plea and said that other co-accused are already in custody. Lekhi also said that interference of Calcutta HC order is unwarranted considering the nature of the case, circumstances peculiar to the accused. The apex court was hearing an appeal filed by Trinamool Congress leader SK Supiyan. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in its affidavit, opposed the plea filed by Supiyan and urged the court to dismiss his petition seeking relief, saying that there are cogent reasons to justify the arrest of the petitioner and his custodial interrogation to unearth a wider and larger conspiracy of planned political rioting and revenge "Thus, as per the material and statement on record pertaining to the offence in question, there are cogent reasons to justify the arrest of the petitioner and his custodial interrogation to unearth a wider and larger conspiracy of planned political rioting and revenge," said CBI in a reply filed opposing Supiyan's plea. The CBI told the Supreme Court that the gravity of the offences committed by Supiyan alias Suffian for which he is being investigated, the motive and intention with which such heinous offences were planned and executed by the petitioner do not entitle him from seeking any relief at this stage. The CBI, in its reply, said that witnesses have been identified and stated the criminal conspiracy hatched by the petitioner accused on May 5, 2021 after the declaration of result of Nandigram constituency with others to teach a lesson to Hindus who voted for BJP resulting in loss of the TMC candidate in Nandigram assembly constituency. The Supreme Court had earlier granted interim protection from arrest to Supiyan in connection with a murder case which the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been investigating. The CBI is probing the killing of a BJP worker in the Nandigram constituency which took place during the post-poll violence that transpired in West Bengal after the Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress won the state assembly polls in May 2021. The Calcutta High Court had ordered a CBI probe into various incidents of killings and sexual assault that took place in the State allegedly at the behest of the ruling party. (ANI) The biggest news out of Annapolis isnt redistricting, it is the enormous budget surplus. The unanticipated windfall comes from a combination of real increases in income as well as income from COVID-19 stimulus dollars pumping up income tax revenue. This, however, means that some of the surplus is a projection, and, since our incomes are not guaranteed for the next 5 years and COVID-19 stimulus dollars from the federal government have ended, some of the money may not materialize. Advertisement Regardless, Gov. Hogan is incredibly fortunate to have presided over the collection of unprecedented revenue due to pandemic relief funds and a growing national economy. What first caught my attention about Hogans plans for the windfall was the inclusion of $500 million to Re-fund the Police. First, when were the police de-funded? Regardless, the initiative includes $190 million to increase state police salaries over the next three years. The governor obviously did not read my recent commentary about inequities between the police and other state employee pay packages. Without the additional appropriation, state police employees are scheduled to receive a 12% pay increase over the next two years, while unionized state employees with AFT_Healthcare and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees will receive 7%. An additional $190 million to increase state police salaries only exacerbates these inequity. Advertisement Hogan justifies his largess toward police as needed to make salaries more competitive. Competitive with whom? U.S. News and World Report ranked patrol officer as one of the highest paying jobs for people without college degrees. State troopers in Maryland have salaries similar or higher than police in surrounding states. Furthermore, there are other mission-critical public employees that are under-compensated. Re-funding the Police is a good campaign slogan but will not address the alarming increase in gun violence, which has accompanied a surge in gun purchases during the pandemic. More guns, more gun violence; its not rocket science. Especially since we live under the tyranny of Second Amendment evangelists who oppose every attempt to regulate guns and ammunition. Why arent voting rights as sacred as gun rights? Can you imagine the uproar if buying and registering a gun was as cumbersome as voter registration and voting can be? I digress. Hogan is also touting a plan to use the surplus to fund tax relief for seniors by reducing, and eventually eliminating their income taxes. I support tax cuts for seniors, but I question the economic rationale for eliminating all income taxes for seniors regardless of income. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, people 65 and older are the fastest-growing segment of the population and will exceed 20% by 2030. Many of these newly minted seniors will face an uncertain economic future. A recent study projected that more than 50% of soon-to-be seniors are financially unprepared for retirement, or the increasing expenses for medical care and services. So, the governor is wise to devote funds to seniors, but his plan to target an enormous sum ($4 billion!) to mostly benefit high-income seniors without regard to a looming crisis for middle- and low-income seniors is not. The proposal is emblematic of the richer get richer policies that conservatives often advocate. People with millions of dollars in tax-deferred retirement accounts will hit the jackpot, no taxes in or out! Programs supporting aging in place would likely be more effective to help middle- or low-income seniors stay in their homes in Maryland than small or non-existent tax cuts. Hogans budget is a campaign platform for an unnamed office rather than a budget for Marylands future. His focus on unsustainable tax cuts for seniors and more funding for police is politically savvy but not the best plan for Maryland. Janet Holbrook is a resident of Crownsville and is a member of WISE: Women, Indivisible, Strong, Effective. The primary objective of policing is to instill a sense of safety and security among the citizens by establishing rule of law in the society, Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana said on Friday and added that Delhi Police is sensitive towards crime against women. "The primary objective of policing is to instill a sense of safety and security among the citizens by establishing rule of law in the society and Delhi Police is committed to curb crime and control the criminal elements so that each individual may pursue his civic life without any fear or insecurity in his mind," Asthana said while addressing the media. The police commissioner added that Delhi Police hopes for more police-public partnership and a stronger relation with civil society, which can act as a force multiplier in the various dimensions of day to day policing in the capital. He reiterated that the pandemic policing implemented by Delhi Police during COVID times was remarkably successful in achieving its objective which is a model to inspire organisations and institutions. He said that Delhi Police lost 81 police personnel due to COVID, while more than 18000 police personnel were infected by COVID but the spirit to serve never diminished. Being the capital of our nation, he said that Delhi also faces many unique situations to deal with. The Delhi Police Commissioner added that Delhi Police has to always remain on high alert, keeping in view the threat perception to critical infrastructure, VVIPs, Institutions of eminence, vital installations, etc. "Delhi Police is sensitive towards crime against women and other weaker sections of the society including children and senior citizens. Pursuing proactive policing, Delhi Police responds promptly and sensitively to such crimes," he said. Mentioning the unfortunate incident of Shahdara District, the police commissioner highlighted that the police team reached the spot in less than three minutes of receiving the call. "All the accused persons allegedly involved in the crime have been arrested and all possible legal help is being provided to the victim. The charge sheet will be filed in minimum possible time while trying for a speedy and fast track trial in court." "Delhi Police takes immediate action after scrutinizing the authenticity of videos which reflect unnecessary police aggression or misbehaviour. Corrective actions are taken accordingly against the delinquent police personnel. However, he highlighted the fact that policing is a daunting task and on various occasions, the human and benevolent aspect of police personnel needs to be appreciated by the society at large," he said. Delhi Police has set up "Pink Booths" where women officers are deployed so that women can freely interact with them and share their concerns and grievances. Delhi Police is in the process to install such "Pink Booths" in every district so that women do not feel hesitant in going to police stations. Besides, Delhi Police has also taken several women-centric initiatives like Sashakti (a self-defence program for girls and women). Presently six women DCsP and a dozen women Inspectors have been posted as District heads and Station House Officers, respectively. A large number of women personnel have been deployed in districts to facilitate women in sharing their grievances, the official release said. There is a well-oiled mechanism to deal with the complaints of police harassment, the release added. (ANI) The Delhi High Court on Friday said that it would hear from February 8, a batch of petitions related to Northeast Delhi violence. The petitions earlier heard by the Bench headed by the Chief Justice of Delhi have now been transferred to the bench of Justice Siddharth Mridul and Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani. On Friday, the new bench said that it will start the hearing from Tuesday (February 8), after taking note of Supreme Court direction passed on December 17, 2021 that requested the Delhi HC to dispose of expeditiously, preferably within three months related matters pending before it. The Delhi Police has also last week filed a fresh status report in Delhi High Court with regards to all 758 FIRs in connection with North East Delhi violence, alongwith the detail of present stages before the trial court, following court direction passed on the last date of hearing. The status report states that out of 758 cases registered, 695 cases are being investigated by North-East District police. 62 cases that pertained to major incidents like murders, etc were transferred to the Crime Branch, where three dedicated 'Special Investigating Teams' investigated these cases under continuous monitoring of superior officers. One case pertaining to the larger conspiracy behind the engineering of the communal riots in Delhi is being investigated by the Special Cell. The Division bench of Justice DN Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh earlier directed Delhi Police to file the status report after a counsel appearing for Jamait ulema-i-hind alleged that the last status report filed by Delhi Police did not have many details. Delhi Police also submitted that the FIRs arising out of or registered in connection with the riots which took place in North-East District in February-March 2020, have been or are being investigated promptly, diligently, and in accordance with law by the Delhi Police, which is now under trial in courts. It was also submitted that the investigations carried out by the state police are credible, fair, honest, impartial, and complete in all aspects. The status report of Delhi Police further submitted that apart from bald, fanciful, and uncorroborated assertions and allegations made in the present batch of petitions, which are motivated and made for reasons extraneous to the process contemplated under CrPC, there exists not even an iota of substance in the present petitions, which are required to be dismissed only on the ground that the investigations and the process of law in connection with the aforesaid FIRs are at an advanced stage and no ground/ circumstances for transferring of the case to a new SIT exists. The Delhi Police had earlier submitted before the High Court that the speeches of political leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Anurag Thakur, Kapil Mishra, Pravesh Verma, and others are being examined and necessary action will be taken if it is found that their speech had any nexus with the violence. The Delhi Police, in its affidavit filed on a batch on pleas pertaining to violence, said that the police authorities acted promptly, vigilantly, and effectively without any fear or favour as a result of which violence could be contained in few days and to a limited area. "It is also submitted that the petitioners in the present petition have not come before this court with clean hands. They have selectively chosen certain speeches and incidents to further their hidden agenda," Delhi Police said in its affidavit. "It is stated that the selective outrage by the petitioners towards specific incidents while ignoring other abhorrent incidents of violence, itself manifest that the present petitions are not bonafide but motivated need to be dismissed," it added. Around 53 people lost their lives in the violence that erupted in northeast Delhi after clashes between two opposing factions over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). (ANI) According to a team of researchers, an increase in daily exercise for more than 10 minutes could prevent more than 100,000 deaths. As per Fox News, in a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine (JAMA Network), a team from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) used activity monitor data to estimate the public health impact of small increases in physical activity across the U.S. adult population. The authors estimated that if adults aged 40 to 85 years or older increased moderate-to-vigorous physical activity by 10 minutes per day, approximately 6.9 per cent of annual deaths could be averted, or 111,174 preventable deaths a year. More benefits were linked to larger increases in activity, with similar benefits observed for men, women, Mexican Americans, non-Hispanic Black Americans and non-Hispanic White Americans. While previous studies have "depended on less reliable self-reports of physical activity, convenience sampling in cohort selection and relatively large increases in population activity levels," the authors used activity monitor data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), according to the NIH National Cancer Institute. The data included oversampling of non-Hispanic Black and Mexican Americans. The researchers paired a week's worth of activity monitor data from NHANES participants between 2003-2006 along with National Death Index data available through the end of 2015. "To our knowledge, this is the first study to estimate the number of preventable deaths through physical activity using accelerometer-based measurements among U.S. adults while recognizing that increasing activity may not be possible for everyone. However, [one] week of monitoring may not reflect changes in activity over time and the observational study design limits the direct determination of causality," the authors wrote. The National Cancer Institute highlighted that previous studies have shown physical activity improves human health, reducing the risk for several chronic diseases that cause premature death, including some cancers. (ANI) A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was moved in Delhi High Court has sought direction to the Centre to reduce the gap between the second dose and proposed third dose/precaution dose of COVID-19 vaccine from 39 weeks (nine months) to three months for frontline workers and senior citizens. The Bench of Justices DN Patel and Jyoti Singh on Friday said it's a policy matter of the Government while refusing to consider the issue. Advocate appeared for Petitioner Dishank Dhawan submitted that though waiting of nine months for a booster is not backed by any scientific evidence. On the contrary, WHO has said vaccination efficacy is about three months and the new sub-variant of Omicron which is deadlier and infectious has already infected 56 countries. Dishank Dhawan through the plea also sought appropriate direction to the Centre to give priority to the immediate family of frontline workers while taking booster dose/precaution dose (third dose). The plea further stated that, in September 2021, WHO established the Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition (TAG-CO-VAC). This multidisciplinary group of 18 experts reviews and assesses the public health implications of emerging VOCs on the performance of COVID-19 vaccines and provides recommendations on COVID-19 vaccine composition. Since its emergence, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has continued to evolve and WHO has designated five variants as SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern (VOC) to date - namely Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron - due to their impact on transmission, disease severity, or capacity for immune escape. While the Omicron variant is spreading rapidly across the world, the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 is expected to continue and Omicron is unlikely to be the last VOC. According to the petition, despite various other countries mandating the booster dose (third dose) immediately after 3-4 months of getting the second dose of vaccination to its frontline workers/ healthcare workers, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India is mandating a 39 week (nine-month) gap between the second dose and the proposed third dose/precaution dose. It is needless to mention that the said gap of 39 weeks (nine months) is not backed by any eloquent study, besides it being demotivating for the existing frontline workers/ healthcare workers, who are selflessly exposing themselves to the undetected virus every day. Furthermore, numerous frontline workers/ healthcare workers who got their second dose of vaccination after April 2021 are unable to get their precaution dose/third dose of vaccination, despite it being the need of the hour, the same being given in various other developed/ developing countries of the world including our immediate neighbours like Sri Lanka, plea read. (ANI) The Kerala High Court will pronounce the verdict on the anticipatory bail plea of Malayalam actor Dileep and other accused in the case of allegedly threatening the investigation officials probing the 2017 Actress Assault Case. Single Bench of Justice P Gopinath reserved its order for Monday at 10.15 am. Court also directed the accused to submit its statement tomorrow before 9.30 am. While hearing on today, the prosecution contended, "This is a unique case and unique crime. There is ample enough evidence to convict the accused. Here is an eyewitness for the conspiracy. This is a well-planned conspiracy. We are still at the preliminary stage of the investigation. The FIR clearly discloses sufficient material for a conspiracy and we have ample evidence to prove the same. Custodial interrogation is a must." The prosecution continued, "This case rises from another gruesome case where he hatched a conspiracy to sexually abuse an actress, his own colleague, and went on to tape it. He intended to use it as a perpetual source of blackmailing. It was executed and the target was hit. This shows how wicked he is. He was clever enough to evade the law." Director-General of Prosecution also said, "There are clear discussions about planning to kill certain officers and even about the manner in which they have to be killed. Many prime witnesses recognized the voice in the audio clips to be that of Dileep. In the audio, Dileep can be clearly overheard saying "when you plan to kill someone, you should kill them in a group." We have the audio clipping with us. Therefore, there is a clear direction from Dileep after the conspiracy was hatched. There has been acts and discussions in furtherance of the conspiracy. In another audio clipping, Dileep can be heard planning to 'burn these officers'. In another one, he can be heard saying that he has kept aside two plots for the two officers who investigated him. And also earlier Dileep asked the investigation officer Byju Paulose in the premises of the trial court, "you are living freely with your family. Isn't it?" He also contended, "Once the crime was registered, almost all the phones were hidden by the accused. This subsequent conduct of the accused is very incriminatory. Despite being specifically asked by the Court to cooperate with the investigation, the accused have refused to do so. They are trying to sabotage the investigation. They are trying to put stokes in the wheel of the investigative process and any delay will be beneficial to them. They have not been cooperating with the investigation and they are influencing witnesses and are capable of threatening witnesses with manpower and manipulation skills, they are not worthy of any protection. They all were changed their mobile phones. They sent their mobile phones to Bombay for manipulating." Crime Branch of Kerala Police registered the case against Dileep and five others on January 9 for allegedly threatening the investigating officials probing the 2017 actress assault case. Dileep is named as the first accused in the FIR. Anoop, who is Dileep's brother, and Suraj, Dileep's brother-in-law, are the second and third accused. Appu, Babu Chengamanad are the other accused. One more accused has not been identified yet. Dileep is also the eighth accused in the actress assault case for alleged conspiracy. The case pertains that an actress who worked in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu films was allegedly abducted and molested inside her car by a group of men who had forced their way into the vehicle on the night of February 17, 2017. (ANI) The Supreme Court on Friday approved the tweaked protocol for disposal of dead bodies of the Parsi Zoroastrian COVID-19 victim after the government of India and the members of the Parsi community reached an amicable settlement of the dispute. A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Surya Kant agreeing to the tweaked protocol for disposal of dead bodies of COVID-19 victims of Parsi Zoroastrian set aside the Gujarat High Court order, which had refused to grant any relief to the community. At the outset, senior advocate Fali Nariman appearing for the petitioner told the bench that parties have settled it with the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta as to how the dead will be placed in a tower of silence. Solicitor General told the bench that petitioners have agreed that over the tower of silence they will place an iron grid and net so that birds don't come feed on bodies and the bodies are primarily disposed off by strong rays of the sun. This is because bodies are to be disposed off by strong rays of the sun, he added. In its order, the apex court noted that as a result of the intervention of the Solicitor General, an agreed protocol has been reached. "Since dispute has been amicably settled and that proposal conforms to the faith and adheres to COVID-19 concerns. We appreciate the fair stand adopted by both sides. The protocol is accordingly accepted and order is passed in pursuance of the joint statement and thus the Gujarat High Court order is set aside," the top court said while passing the order. The apex court had earlier asked the Central government to consider tweaking the protocols for the disposal of dead bodies of COVID-19 victims to accommodate funeral rites for Parsi Zoroastrians as per their rituals. It had suggested that an informal virtual meeting of senior advocate Fali S Nariman, Central government officials, and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta can take place and suggestions can be put across and protocols can be tweaked. An affidavit was also filed by the Central government telling the apex court that keeping the corpses exposed without burial or cremation will not be a permissible way of disposal of dead bodies of COVID-19 positive patients and maintained that appropriate handling of dead bodies of COVID-19 positive patients, therefore, remained critical from a public health perspective. "The dead bodies of such infectious patients are likely to get exposed to environment and animals, if not buried or cremated properly. The OIE World Organization for Animal Health) has also observed that the people who are suspected or confirmed to be infected with the COVID-19 virus should minimize close direct contact with animals, including wildlife," the affidavit of Centre had stated. The virus introduction to a new animal species from a dead body might accelerate its evolution, which could potentially impact on surveillance and control strategies, stated the affidavit. The apex court had sought the assistance of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to find an amicable solution in resolving the grievances of the Parsi community, which is unable to perform the traditional burial of its members who died of COVID-19.Nariman, appearing for the Surat Parsi Panchayat Board, had said the Parsi community is the only community in the country that has professional pallbearers. The plea had said the existing guidelines do not allow for burial as is done in the Parsi community. The appeal was filed by the Surat Parsi Panchayat Board seeking a traditional burial for the members of the Parsi community who died of COVID-19. The appeal challenged a July 23 order of the Gujarat High Court which had dismissed the plea. The appeal said that there is a community of corpse bearers among the Parsis and when someone dies, the family members do not touch the body and only the corpse bearers can do so. General guidelines have been issued for the cremation and burial of COVID-19 victims, but there is nothing about the Parsi community, it added. The Surat Parsi Panchayat Board had sought to protect the fundamental right to perform the last rites of the community members, who died of COVID-19, in accordance with the tradition of Dokhamanshini and not cremation, as has been directed by the authorities in view of the pandemic. In the Dokhamanshini tradition, the body is kept at a height on a structure referred to as a well or the tower of silence, to be eaten by vultures, and the remains are left to decompose under the sun, it was stated in the plea. (ANI) Having successfully deployed and tested the K-9 Vajra Howitzers in the Ladakh sector, the Indian Army is now planning to deploy K-9 Vajra howitzers in the high altitude mountains in the central and eastern sector of the line of actual control with China. The Indian Army had deployed the made in India guns in Ladakh in the March-April timeframe last year along with the Eastern Ladakh sector and have been found to be very effective in those areas where they can move at high speeds and reach the frontline areas quickly. "The trials of the guns have been very successful and now the plan is to order 200 more of these howitzers and deploy them in the high altitude mountainous region in the central sector including Uttarakhand and eastern sector including Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh in areas where armoured vehicles can be moved swiftly," government sources told ANI. The performance of the howitzer has been very good and fulfils the requirements of the Indian Army in high altitude areas, they said. Recently, Army chief Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane had told ANI that the guns acquired for deployment in deserts and plains were put in the modifications with some modifications in view of the. Conflict with China. The regiments in Ladakh have built special tents and facilities to operate the howitzers in extreme winters conditions. General Naravane has been monitoring the induction and operations of the howitzers produced in the Larsen and Toubro facility in Hazira near Surat in Gujarat. The self-propelled guns have a range of 38 kilometres but they have been successfully hitting targets at 50 kilometres in the mountains up to 16,000 feet altitude in Eastern Ladakh. (ANI) Criticizing the Delhi government's decision of opening liquor stores in the national capital, Union Minister Smriti Irani on Friday said "Kejriwal's decision will hurt the respect and security of sisters, daughters, and women." While addressing a virtual rally in protest against the liquor policy of the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government, the Union minister said, "He opened the liquor shops in front of the women, it will hurt the honor and safety of the women." "Kejriwal's decision on opening liquor shop proved that he can go to any limits for profit. I would ask all brothers here, imagine a sister passing by a liquor store hoping for respect and safety, every day. The chief minister will be responsible for her struggle," said Irani. The union minister further took a dig at Kejriwal and said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is constructing a temple and the Delhi government is opening a liquor store near it. "BJP is constructing a temple and Kejriwal government is opening a liquor store near it. You will find a liquor store in the middle of two gurudwaras in Tilak Nagar. Religion has a decorum that has been violated by Kejriwal govt... and then he promises a 'Nasha-Mukt' Punjab," she said. "We provide education items and Kejriwal provides tools of violence, the government is playing with the future of the youth of Delhi and with the safety of women, it is very shameful," she added. The Kejriwal government is bent on making Delhi a liquor city through its new excise policy, but the BJP will not tolerate it under any circumstances. "The resolution which can empower the society was not fulfilled by the chief minister but it indicated that they are ready to go to any extent for their benefit," Irani said. "Our culture and history say that the money earned from liquor shops will never be used for the work of virtue and development," she explained. The union minister said the Delhiites suffered a lot due to the failure of the Kejriwal government and the attitude of blaming their shortcomings on others. At present, the whole of Delhi is against the new excise policy, but the chief minister is engaged in opening new liquor shops keeping the master plan and rules of the corporation on hold, she alleged. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi says we should build toilets for women's safety and Kejriwal says get 30 per cent discount on liquor contracts," Irani added. (ANI) The Delhi High Court on Friday set aside an order passed by Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) imposing a Rs 95 lakh environment compensation on Okhla Industrial Area CETP Society. The petitioner society has challenged the said order saying it was passed without hearing them. Justice V Kameswar Rao after hearing the submissions of counsel appeared for DPCC and Okhla Industrial Areas CETP Society on Friday set aside the order passed on July 7, 2021. The said order was passed by DPCC for non-compliance with environmental norms. The bench also took the note of the submission of Counsel appeared for DPCC. The Counsel submitted that the body will give a hearing to the petitioner. Okhla Industrial Areas CETP Society had moved a petition through Advocate S K Bhattacharya. He submitted that the petitioner is a body engaged in treating the industrial affluents. It was issued a show-cause notice on April 21. Bhattacharya argued that the reply to the notice was given on 4 May 21. Despite it, DPCC imposed a heavy environment compensation of Rs 95 Lakh without taking into consideration the reply filed by the petitioner. Counsel for the petitioner also submitted that the design and capacity of the plant are very few. It has a capacity of 116 MGL but it is treating more than 280 MGL. It also had affluent from domestic household as well. The bench asked the petitioner's counsel what is the agreement between you and DSIDC. Counsel reply that according to that CETP would treat all the affluent. Advocate Narender Pal Singh appearing for DPCC argued that the agreement is between DSIDC and CETP operator. We are only concerned with the norms only. The Counsel for petitioner objected to it saying that the effluent from domestic household get mixed the line of industrial effluent. The court asked the DPCC counsel if they have checked on this? Do you have a control mechanism? DPCC counsel replied, '' our officer and team regularly check and take action according to the law. Did you give any hearing to them before passing the order? On this the counsel sought time to seek instruction from the body, Court asked the DPCC counsel. He again appeared and submitted that the hearing was not given. He also submitted that a hearing will be given to the petitioner. The bench then disposed off the petition saying that the order of 7 July 21 passed by the respondent was passed with considering the reply filed by the petitioner. It is directed that the respondent will give a personal hearing and will pass a speaking order. The notice of 7 July 21 is set aside. The court directed that the respondent will inform the petitioner of the time and date of personal hearing within two weeks of this order. (ANI) Citing the Gol Ghar bomb blast in Gorakhpur in 2007, BJP National President JP Nadda on Friday launched a staunch attack at the Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and said that "SP extended protection to mafias and terrorism", adding that Yadav tried to withdraw the case against the Gorakhpur blast accused when he was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, Bharatiya Janata Party national president JP Nadda on Friday put serious allegations against former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav citing the Gol Ghar bomb blast in Gorakhpur in 2007 and said that he gave protection to terrorism during his tenure in the office. Addressing a public meeting here, Nadda said, "During its tenure, Samajwadi Party gave protection to Mafia and terrorism. There was a bomb blast in Gorakhpur at Gol Ghar on May 22, 2007. The blast was executed by Pakistan-sponsored terror organisation Indian Mujahidin and a Bangladesh terror organisation. UP Police could not catch them, NIA caught them. Two accused were arrested. One was Tariq Kasim from Azamgarh and the other Khalid Mujahid was from Jaunpur. Akhilesh Yadav tried to withdraw the case as a Chief Minister against the blast accused. He had said that he is withdrawing the case to maintain communal harmony. Allahabad High Court refused to withdraw the case." Launching a scathing attack on Yadav, he said that his government was a "kidnapping industry". "Akhilesh government was a kidnapping industry. Akhilesh government was a government of goons and Mafia. Women were not safe here at that time, whereas now they are completely safe," he said. Lauding Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's rule in the state, Nadda said that there has not been a single riot in the last five years and the state has clinched number one spot on various projects. "There were 300 riots during his rule. There has not been a single incident of riots in the Yogi rule. All the rioters are either in jail or out of Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh is standing on number two spot in the country in terms of economy. On 44 projects, the state is clinched the number one spot in the country. In terms of industry, Uttar Pradesh has attracted the most number of investments. Metro has begun in many places of the state and the work is underway in five new places," he said. The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27, and March 3 and 7 in seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. (ANI) A bill in the spotlight this legislative session would provide paid family leave. We have taken a strong stance against it, but I want to make an important point clear to the community: The Maryland Chamber of Commerce is not opposed to the concept of an insurance program that provides benefits when employees need to take otherwise unpaid time off for their own or their familys medical issues. We understand it can be necessary to take time for medical issues or to be with your loved ones when they are in need, and we empathize with the economic challenges brought about by unpaid leave. Our opposition to this bill is not in principle, but in practice. The proposal before the General Assembly is not the right bill nor is this the right time. Why isnt it the right bill? Because it provides paid leave a vastly expanded sick leave bank instead of insurance benefits. Under the current bill, employees can receive up to 24 weeks of paid leave 12 weeks for family reasons and 12 weeks for their own needs. But the state makes all the decisions about the leave without any input from the employer. Only the state can obtain certification to support the employees application for paid leave benefits. Only the state can approve the leave. The employer has no ability to verify the need for leave, to challenge leave as fraudulent or abusive, or to take into account the impact of the leave on business operations. Advertisement There are a number of other states that have implemented similar programs. Unlike the current bill being debated in Maryland, a number of these programs are clear that they provide benefits when an employee takes unpaid leave to which they are entitled under the law or by employer policy. And employees in Maryland do have rights to unpaid leave for family and medical reasons, including under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, the Maryland Parental Leave Act, the Maryland Organ Donation Leave law, the Maryland Deployment Leave law, the Maryland Pregnancy Accommodations law, the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and the state disabilities law. And of course, under the Maryland Healthy Working Families Act, employees are already entitled to up to 40 hours of paid sick leave. However, each of these laws provides some balance between the needs of employees and those of employers. Under all of these laws, the employer has the ability to obtain medical or other verification of the need for leave. The employer also has the ability to obtain additional information if fraud or abuse is suspected. In addition, in most cases, the employer has the ability to deny the leave if it would impose an undue hardship or significantly interfere with business operations which could certainly be the case if an employee were out for up to 24 weeks. Under current labor conditions the concern over leave management is even more present as many businesses struggle to find enough workers to keep their operations afloat. Advertisement And why is this not the right time? Many employers, particularly small businesses, have been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill stipulates that the program will be funded by payroll contributions from both employers and employees. This is a cost that many employers simply cannot afford at this time. Moreover, even before the pandemic, many smaller employers were already struggling with the increased costs of doing business in Maryland following the recent increases in the minimum wage and the enactment of the paid sick leave law. Other states that have implemented similar paid family leave laws include an exemption or adjustment to the contribution costs for smaller employers. This bill does not. The Maryland Chamber of Commerce is committed to working with the General Assembly to put together a program that better balances the needs of both employees and employers specifically by clarifying that the program will provide insurance benefits to cover an employees unpaid leave, but not paid leave itself. We know a common-sense solution is in reach if both sides can come to the table and work together toward a resolution. Kane is president and CEO of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce. Acting on a tip-off, on February 4, personnel of BSF 19 Bn and Assam police carried out an operation and arrested two Indian racketeers with fake Indian currency notes. The racketeers have been identified as Gullabuddin (22) and Aizul Haque (25), both residents of Dhubri district in Assam. Further investigation is underway. (ANI) A day after shots were fired at the vehicle of AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, the Lok Sabha MP on Friday said that Indian politics, which is under the control of majoritarian, may not become like that of Israel. Speaking to ANI, Owaisi said, "Many people are behind them (shooters). A so-called 'dharma sansad' was recently held in Prayagraj where people stood up and talked about killing me. Why is not the government acting against these elements? I am afraid that Indian politics, which is under the control of majoritarian, may become like that of Israel." "I had asked Parliament in 2015 to set up a de-radicalization group for all religions. Fundamentalism killed Mahatma Gandhi, our two former prime ministers and many other leaders," he said. Asaduddin Owaisi has demanded from the central government that he should be allowed to carry Glock weapons for his own safety. "I will ask the Union Home Ministry and the Government of India to allow me to carry Glock weapon for my safety in Delhi, not at government expense, but on my gun license. I will ask for permission to have a bulletproof car too," he told ANI. Meanwhile, the central government has reviewed the security of the AIMIM chief and provided him with Z security of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) with immediate effect, said sources on Friday. However, Owaisi refused to accept the Z category security cover provided by the Centre. The AIMIM chief said he is ready to go to Uttar Pradesh again tomorrow to campaign for the party. "I do not fear death. I do not want Z category security, I reject it... Make me an 'A' category citizen. I will not remain silent. Please do justice. Charge them (shooters) with UAPA. I appeal to the government to end hate and radicalization," the AIMIM chief told at Lok Sabha. Two men have been arrested allegedly for firing at the convoy of Asaduddin Owaisi when he was leaving Meerut's Kithoudh area for Delhi after poll campaigning, informed Uttar Pradesh Police.AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi was in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh's Meerut for campaigning on Thursday. The Uttar Pradesh assembly election for the 403 assembly seats would be held in seven phases from February 10 to March 7. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. (ANI) The Delhi High Court on Friday reserved order on the petition moved by TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee and his wife against the summons issued to them to appear in the national capital in a money-laundering investigation linked to an alleged coal scam in West Bengal. Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar after hearing the submissions by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta for Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal for the petitioners said, ''We shall conclude this case today. I am reserving this judgement." Rujira Banerjee's petition challenging the ED complaint filed in the case, the trial court order taking cognizance of that complaint and the subsequent issuance of summons for physical appearance will be heard on February 11, the bench said. According to the plea, the ED had on September 10, issued fresh summons to Abhishek Banerjee under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 requiring the personal appearance of him along with a voluminous set of documents on September 21, 2021, in New Delhi. The petitioners alleged that they have serious apprehensions about the fairness of the investigation being conducted by the ED owing to the fact that the respondent is adopting a pick and choose attitude with respect to certain persons and is giving undue benefit and protection to complicit individuals and in return extracting false, baseless and malicious statements from them. SG Mehta argued that the jurisdiction of ED probe was "not confined to one area, police station or State" as the offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) often have "cross border implications". "The concept of local jurisdiction, concept of police station, officer in charge of police station is avoided by the legislature while enacting PMLA. It is clear from section 71," he said. "This is a very peculiar type of offence in which money was transferred to Delhi and thereafter to Bangkok. The subject matter of the crime has also travelled to Delhi. It can't be now said that I can't be called to Delhi," SG Mehta stated. Senior Advocate Sibal earlier told the Delhi High Court that there is an embargo regarding to petitioner's wife. she has to be interrogated at her residence, Sibal said adding that a woman, a disabled person, a child should be investigated only where they reside and they can't be called to Delhi. Enforcement Directorate, earlier told the Delhi HC that there is difference between probe in offences dealing with provisions of PMLA & IPC and in IPC offences, there are police stations that have jurisdiction, however, in PMLA there is no such territorial jurisdiction. Petitioner Abhishek Banerjee along with his wife Rujira Banerjee sought the issuance of direction to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to not summon them in New Delhi and carry out any further examination in Kolkata, West Bengal. The petition stated that the petitioner Abhishek Banerjee, is a politician hailing from the state of West Bengal and is presently serving as a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha, having been elected from the Diamond Harbour, South 24 Parganas constituency in West Bengal and hence is a respected individual and a prominent member of the Indian polity and society. He has two minor children under her care, said the plea. In this particular alleged illegal coal mining case, in the state of West Bengal, the CBI had already interrogated Abhishek Banerjee. (ANI) All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday alleged that there were many and bigger persons behind the attempt at his life, adding that talks to kill him were done during a 'Dharm Sansad' held in Pragyraj. "Many people are behind them (shooters), there are certainly bigger persons and minds behind the attack since they knew my route. A so-called 'dharma sansad' was recently held in Prayagraj where people stood up and talked about killing me. Why is this government not acting against such elements?," said Owaisi to ANI. He urged the centre to look into growing radicalisation across the country, stating that it might 'eat' themselves (centre) if they do not pay attention to it. "I have asked this in 2015 in the parliament to establish a de-radicalization group for all religions. Radicalisation killed Mahatma Gandhi, our two former PMs & many other leaders" he added. Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday said he will talk to Speaker Om Birla over the matter. Two men have been arrested allegedly for firing at the AIMIM president's convoy when he was leaving Meerut's Kithoudh area for Delhi after poll campaigning, police said. AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi was in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh's Meerut for campaigning on Thursday. The Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections for the 403 Assembly seats would be held in seven phases from February 10 to March 7. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. (ANI) Security was deployed at the protest site. Two men have been arrested allegedly for firing at the convoy of Owaisi when he was leaving Meerut's Kithoudh area for Delhi after poll campaigning, informed Uttar Pradesh Police. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will give a detailed reply on February 7 in Parliament on the incident of firing on Owaisi's car in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday evening. Following the attack, the Central Government has reviewed the security of the AIMIM chief and provided him with Z security of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) with immediate effect, said sources on Friday. Owaisi raised the issue of the attack on his convoy on Friday and said that he does not want the Z security and demanded from the government to charge the shooters with Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. "I don't fear death. I don't want Z category security, I reject it; make me an 'A' category citizen. I'll not remain silent. Please do justice...charge them (shooters) with UAPA...appeal govt to end hate, radicalization," he said in the Parliament. Owaisi was in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh's Meerut for campaigning on Thursday. (ANI) The Tribunal for Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on Friday directed Dr Zakir Abdul Karim Naik to file his Vakalatnama in accordance with the decision of the Supreme Court. His vakalatnama is to be filed through Indian Embassy at Malaysia after proper verification of his signatures, said Tribunal Chief DN Patel. Tribunal also directed the Union of India to file its list of witnesses and examination-in-chief before the next date of hearing, while posting the matter for February 10, 2022 for detailed hearing. Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, appeared for Union of India on Friday objected to Zakir Naik's vakalatnama and said it is not according to Supreme Court direction and related judgement. Solicitor General also stated that someone has to carry out the verification that the signature upon Vakalatnama of Dr Zakir Abdul Karim Naik who claims to be the trustee of IRF is the signature of the same person. Since Zakir Naik is an absconder, hence the vakalatnama must be verified by Indian Embassy at Malaysia. The Tribunal on the last date of hearing had sought the response of Zakir Naik and IRF organisation in the plea to confirm the Centre's decision to declare Islamic preacher Zakir Naik's organization Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) as an "unlawful association" under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) recently has set up a tribunal headed by Delhi High Court Chief Justice D N Patel under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) to adjudicate over Islamic Research Organisation (IRF) ban. Ministry of Home Affairs on December 13, 2021 through a notification stated that, "The Islamic Research Foundation has been declared as an unlawful association, vide notification, dated the 15th November, 2021, published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (ii)." "Now, therefore, in the exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 5 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967), the Central Government hereby constitutes an UnlawfulActivities (Prevention) Tribunal consisting of Justice D.N. Patel, Chief Justice, High Court of Delhi, for the purpose of adjudicating whether or not there is sufficient cause for declaring the Islamic Research Foundation as an unlawful association", stated notification. The MHA recently had extended the ban imposed on Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), an NGO headed by Islamic evangelist and India-born preacher Zakir Naik for a further five years. In its notification issued, the Ministry mentioned if the activities of the "unlawful association" were not curbed, it would continue its subversive activities and reorganize its absconding activists to create communal disharmony, propagate anti-national sentiments and support militancy. The Ministry in its notification had said that Islamic preacher Naik's speeches and statements were meant to inspire youths of a particular religion in India and abroad to commit terrorist acts. Naik's statements and speeches are objectionable, subversive that promote enmity, hatred among religious groups, the Home Ministry said on extending the ban on IRF. The Centre had declared the IRF an unlawful organization under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967) on November 17, 2016 for a period of five years. The Union Home Ministry in its notification said that the IRF "has been indulging in activities which are prejudicial to the security of the country and have the potential of disturbing the peace and communal harmony and disrupting the secular fabric of the country." Naik's IRF has been "encouraging and aiding its followers to promote or attempt to promote, on grounds of religion, disharmony or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between different religious communities and groups which are prejudicial to the integrity and security of the country", the notification said. According to the Ministry, Naik makes radical statements and speeches which is viewed by crores of people worldwide. The Ministry said that these statements by Naik can also "disrupt the secular fabric of the country by polluting the minds of the people by creating communal disharmony, propagate anti-national sentiments, escalate secessionism by supporting militancy and some people may undertake activities which are prejudicial to the sovereignty, integrity and security of the country". Naik runs two television stations, namely Peace TV and Peace TV Urdu. Both the channels are banned in many countries. It is banned in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Canada and the United Kingdom. The IRF head fled to Malaysia in 2016, just before the National Investigation Agency (NIA) started a probe against the Islamic preacher. (ANI) Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday said that for the first time in 30 years, the party is contesting on all the 403 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh. "We are fighting with all our might. It's the first time in 30 years that our party is contesting on all 403 seats," Priyanka told ANI while holding a door-to-door campaign in Sahibabad and Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh ahead of Assembly elections. However, Congress star campaigner of Uttar Pradesh Sachin Pilot had earlier told ANI that as a "political courtesy" the party did not field any candidate against Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav justifying that the SP did not field any candidate against Sonia Gandhi, when she was contesting from Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat in the state earlier. Sonia Gandhi was elected as a Lok Sabha MP from Rae Bareli's seat in 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is contesting from Karhal assembly seat of UP, while his uncle who heads Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) Shivpal Singh Yadav is contesting from Jaswant Nagar seat. Notably, Samajwadi Party had also not fielded its candidate from the Amethi assembly seat against Rahul Gandhi during the Lok Sabha elections in 2019. In Uttar Pradesh, the first phase polling will be held on February 10, the second phase on February 14, the third phase on February 20, the fourth phase on February 23, the fifth phase on February 27, the sixth phase on March 3, and the seventh phase on March 7. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. (ANI) Congress leader and former vice-chairman of NDMA M Shashidhar Reddy on Friday condemned the firing incident that occurred on Thursday evening on Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, and said that a thorough investigation into the matter is "imperative". Speaking to ANI, Reddy said, "The incident near a toll gate in Meerut to Delhi Highway on Thursday evening in which shots were fired puncturing the tyres of the car of Asaduddin Owaisi is highly condemnable. It was a matter of relief that he was unharmed." "In the prevailing highly surcharged atmosphere of electioneering in UP, an attempt like this creates a lot of suspicion about the motive and the forces responsible for this. There is a strong effort to polarise the elections and a thorough investigation is imperative not only to identify the culprits but also to expose those behind them," the Congress leader added. Reddy suspected the incident to have been orchestrated to fan "communal tensions" ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls to polarise the voters. "This incident appears to have been clearly designed to fan communal tensions to polarise people in UP for electoral gains," he said. Reddy said that Owaisi should take "necessary safety measures at the personal level" too. "I am personally concerned for Owaisi's safety. Adequate security must be provided to him. Further, I would like Owaisi to be extremely careful and take all necessary safety measures at the personal level as well," he said. Following the attack on Owaisi's convoy in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut, the Central Government has reviewed the security of the AIMIM chief and provided him with Z security of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) with immediate effect, said sources on Friday. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will give a detailed reply on February 7 in Parliament on the incident of firing on Owaisi's car in Uttar Pradesh. Owaisi raised the issue of the attack on his convoy on Friday and said that he does not want the Z security and demanded from the government to charge the shooters with Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. "I don't fear death. I don't want Z category security, I reject it; make me an 'A' category citizen. I'll not remain silent. Please do justice...charge them (shooters) with UAPA...appeal govt to end hate, radicalization," he said in the Parliament. (ANI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will announce the party's Chief Ministerial face for the upcoming Punjab Assembly polls on February 6, said party state in-charge, Harish Chaudhary on Friday. The party would do so "respecting the sentiments of the Congress workers and people of Punjab". Addressing the media at party headquarters here, Chaudhary said, "Rahul Gandhi will address a virtual rally in Ludhiana on February 6 and during the event, he will announce the CM face." He said that respecting the guidelines of the election commission, the candidates of the party from all 117 constituencies will attend the virtual rally by maintaining the gathering at their respective venues as per the permissible limit. Referring to the recent arrest of Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi's nephew Bhupinder Singh Honey by ED in connection with an alleged illegal sand mining case, the Congress leader said that the Chief Minister's family has nothing to do with the action taken by the ED adding that the BJP "always has always misused" the Central agencies before the elections. "In the past also, this central government had adopted such tactics to put pressure on the opposition parties ahead of elections. They have targeted the families of MK Stalin in Tamil Nadu, Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal, and Ajit Pawar in Maharashtra. Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and his family have nothing to do with the action taken by the ED," he said. He added that CM Channi had supported the farmers during the farmers' movement. Apart from this, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the state in January where he was stuck on a flyover, CM Channi had said that he will not charge lathi on farmers. He alleged that the Central government is taking revenge and targeting the Chief Minister. Chaudhary said that the Congress party, its workers, and the people of Punjab are standing with Chief Minister Channi and will give a befitting reply to the people who are adopting "cheap tactics", in the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections. Punjab will go to the polls on February 20. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. (ANI) Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) is expected to soon give final approval to Russia's Sputnik Light, added the sources. Hyderabad-based Dr Reddy's Laboratories is the Indian partner of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which has sought approval from the Indian drug regulator for use of single-dose Russia's Sputnik Light one shot. The recommendation has been given as the primary dose. Recently, the company submitted a proposal for conducting trials of Sputnik Light as a booster to other vaccines. Sputnik Light is the first component of the two doses of the Sputnik V vaccine. (ANI) After closing its door in 2004, Crownsville Hospital Center has remained vacant and unusable with asbestos caked in the underground steam tunnels and a shameful history of treating mentally ill Black Marylanders. The facility was originally named the Maryland Hospital of the Negro Insane. Staff forced psychiatric patients to work as farmers and manual laborers on the land in order to manage their illnesses. Advertisement Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman said cleaning and renovating the buildings into a productive space to help those in need in the county was a goal of his from the start of his first term in office. And he received a big win for that project late last month when Gov. Larry Hogan published his proposed fiscal 2023 budget, and $2.5 million was allocated toward improvements to the Crownsville center. We were thrilled that he did that in his budget specifically singled out Crownsville. That was the first investment, the first commitment of dollars to a very large project, Pittman said, adding his administration estimates the project will cost about $30 million in total. Advertisement The administrations vision for Crownsville Hospital Memorial Park includes turning it into a nonprofit incubator, with housing for veterans and health and wellness programs that will grow from the ashes of yesterdays approaches to mental health, Pittman said to the Anne Arundel County Maryland General Assembly delegation last week. Our No. 1 ask of the Maryland General Assembly this year is more funding for Crownsville hospital, he added. One other small caveat remains: The county doesnt own this property yet, the state does. However, Pittman said Hogan is favorable to the countys request to obtain the land. The transfer first must be approved by the Board of Public Works and is expected to be completed by the second half of 2022. Rehabbing the 60 buildings across 544 acres will be a long, step-by-step process. Pittman said his first step is creating a memorial park at the hospital to honor those who are buried there. Janice Hayes Williams, an Annapolis historian who has studied the history of Crownsville Hospital Center extensively, wrote in an editorial in The Capital in 2020 that the first burial took place at the site in 1912 and headstones were labeled with only numbers, not names, until the 1950s when the patients themselves began labeling the headstones with names. Williams and other local volunteers have been working to identify all the remaining nameless Marylanders who were buried there. In a serious car accident, five people were killed and another one was injured in Tanda police station area in Rampur, said the Tanda Sub-Divisional Magistrate Rajesh Kumar. The five people travelling in the car have died and the condition of the driver is critical and he is admitted to the district hospital, added the SDM. The bodies have been sent to the district hospital for post-mortem, as per the SDM. "There is a Sikampur intersection in Thana Tanda area. According to the information received, six people were in the car. Five have died and the condition of the sixth person i.e. the driver is still said to be serious. He is undergoing treatment," said Kumar. "These people were riding in an Eco car. Which car has collided, it is yet to be ascertained. In Swar police station, there has been an accident in Swar while returning from the village," he added. (ANI) A new study has found a way that computer chips could dynamically rewire themselves to take in new data like the brain does, helping AI to keep learning over time. The study has been published in the 'Science Journal'. "The brains of living beings can continuously learn throughout their lifespan. We have now created an artificial platform for machines to learn throughout their lifespan," said Shriram Ramanathan, a professor in Purdue University's School of Materials Engineering who specialises in discovering how materials could mimic the brain to improve computing. Unlike the brain, which constantly forms new connections between neurons to enable learning, the circuits on a computer chip don't change. A circuit that a machine has been using for years isn't any different than the circuit that was originally built for the machine in a factory. This is a problem for making AI more portable, such as for autonomous vehicles or robots in space that would have to make decisions on their own in isolated environments. If AI could be embedded directly into hardware rather than just running on software as AI typically do, these machines would be able to operate more efficiently. In this study, Ramanathan and his team built a new piece of hardware that can be reprogrammed on demand through electrical pulses. Ramanathan believes that this adaptability would allow the device to take on all of the functions that are necessary to build a brain-inspired computer. "If we want to build a computer or a machine that is inspired by the brain, then correspondingly, we want to have the ability to continuously program, reprogram and change the chip," Ramanathan said. The hardware is a small, rectangular device made of a material called perovskite nickelate, which is very sensitive to hydrogen. Applying electrical pulses at different voltages allowed the device to shuffle a concentration of hydrogen ions in a matter of nanoseconds, creating states that the researchers found could be mapped out to corresponding functions in the brain. When the device has more hydrogen near its centre, for example, it can act as a neuron, a single nerve cell. With less hydrogen at that location, the device serves as a synapse, a connection between neurons, which is what the brain uses to store memory in complex neural circuits. Through simulations of the experimental data, the Purdue team's collaborators at Santa Clara University and Portland State University showed that the internal physics of this device creates a dynamic structure for an artificial neural network that is able to more efficiently recognize electrocardiogram patterns and digits compared to static networks. This neural network uses "reservoir computing," which explains how different parts of a brain communicate and transfer information. Researchers from The Pennsylvania State University also demonstrated in this study that as new problems are presented, a dynamic network can "pick and choose" which circuits are the best fits for addressing those problems. Since the team was able to build the device using standard semiconductor-compatible fabrication techniques and operate the device at room temperature, Ramanathan believes that this technique can be readily adopted by the semiconductor industry. "We demonstrated that this device is very robust," said Michael Park, a Purdue PhD student in materials engineering. "After programming the device over a million cycles, the reconfiguration of all functions is remarkably reproducible," Park added. The researchers are working to demonstrate these concepts on large-scale test chips that would be used to build a brain-inspired computer. Experiments at Purdue were conducted at the FLEX Lab and Birck Nanotechnology Center of Purdue's Discovery Park. The team's collaborators at Argonne National Laboratory, the University of Illinois, Brookhaven National Laboratory and the University of Georgia conducted measurements of the device's properties. The research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the National Science Foundation. (ANI) Washington [US], February 4 (ANI/Sputnik): US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad delivered remarks on the two countries' history of partnership before signing a new defence cooperation agreement during a ceremony in Washington. "This agreement makes it easier for our militaries to coordinate on common defensive efforts, like conducting joint training, exercises. It will create more regular consultation between our countries on threats to our people, to international peace and security," Blinken said during the signing ceremony on Thursday. Blinken in brief remarks said the agreement will not create permanent US military bases in Slovakia or authorize the permanent presence of US forces in the country. The Slovak government will also have to approve the agreement before final implementation, he added. Nad said during his remarks prior to the signing said the agreement also demonstrates the US and Slovakia's shared commitment to trans-Atlantic security as NATO allies. On Monday, Prime Minister Eduard Heger said Slovakia is ready to support strengthening NATO in Eastern Europe if the Slovak and European interests call for it. The agreement will enable the US to use several Slovak military airfields and bases free of charge for 10 years, with the possibility of extension and provides USD 100 million for the modernization of Slovak defence infrastructure, according to earlier reports. Slovak opposition parties have protested the agreement, claiming inconsistencies with Slovak national law and requesting review by the country's Constitutional Court. (ANI/Sputnik) Chinese Xi Jinping is set to launch the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022 in a grand ceremony on Friday along with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. Xi will declare the fortnight-long games open in a ceremony at the Bird's Nest National Stadium here which was built for and launched the summer Olympics in 2008 as well. Also as in 2008, the lavish opening ceremony is being directed by the renowned Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou. The 2022 Winter Olympics will take place in Beijing from February 4 to 20. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Thomas Bach President of the International Olympics Committee, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan are among the foreign dignitaries attending the event. The presence of a large number of foreign guests comes as the COVID-19 cases are on the rise in China and Winter Olympics games faces risks of air pollution. Meanwhile, US was among the first countries to announce its intention not to send any diplomatic representation to the Beijing Winter Olympics over human rights issues in China. This decision has been backed by other US allies, including the UK, Canada, Germany and Australia. However, athletes from these respective nations are still free to participate in the event. Meanwhile, India has also chosen to diplomatically not attend the event and described as "regrettable" China choosing to field a People Liberation Army's commander involved in the Galwan Valley clash as its torchbearer for the Beijing Winter Olympics. Further, India on Thursday expressed regret that Beijing has chosen to politicise an event like the Olympics and said its charge d'affaires will not be attending the opening or closing ceremony of the event. "It is indeed regrettable that the Chinese side has chosen to politicise an event like the Olympics. I wish to inform you that our charge d'affaires of the embassy of India in Beijing will not be attending the opening or closing ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Olympics," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at the weekly media briefing. India's National Broadcaster Doordarshan News has also decided to boycott the event. Earlier, a Chinese state media report said a PLA commander, who had suffered severe injuries during the Galwan clash will be a torchbearer at the Beijing Winter Olympics. A US lawmaker on Wednesday slammed China for choosing the PLA commander for Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics torch relay. "It's shameful that Beijing chose a torchbearer for the Olympics2022 who's part of the military command that attacked India in 2020 and is implementing genocide against the Uyghurs. The US will continue to support Uyghur freedoms and the sovereignty of India," said Senator Jim Risch, a Republican who is a Ranking Member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee. A report in an Australian investigative newspaper has revealed that China is hiding its losses in the Galwan Valley clash with India. The new research has shown that the PLA lost at least nine times more soldiers than its official count of four. At least 38 PLA troops drowned while crossing a fast-flowing, sub-zero river in darkness, according to an article in the 'The Klaxon' which cited a report prepared by a group of social media researchers after a year-long investigation. (ANI) The United States has reemphasized its strategic commitment with India ahead of the scheduled Winter Olympics and asserted that it stands with India against Chinese "intimidation". "When it comes to the India-China border situation, we continue to support direct dialogue and a peaceful resolution of the disputes," State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference on Thursday. "We have previously voiced our concerns on Beijing's pattern of ongoing attempts to intimidate its neighbours. As we always do, we stand with friends. We stand with partners and allies to advance our shared prosperity, security and values in the Indo-Pacific," he said. The United States and India have a strong strategic partnership founded on shared values and a commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region. The United States supports India's emergence as a leading global power and vital partner in efforts to ensure that the Indo-Pacific is a region of peace, stability, and growing prosperity and economic inclusion, according to the US State Department. Further, India and US have reaffirmed their strategic partnership through co-operation in the Quadrilateral Security Initiative along with Japan and Australia. Also, US strategic commitment to India in the Indo-Pacific comes ahead of the scheduled Quadrilateral foreign ministers meet to be held later this month in Melbourne, Australia. Earlier, the first in-person Quad Leaders Summit was held in September last year in the US. Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the meeting along with the leaders of Australia, Japan and US. Meanwhile, US-India defense cooperation is reaching new heights, including through information sharing, liaison officers, increasingly complex exercises like Malabar, and defense enabling agreements, such as the secure communications agreement Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement. Through the US-India Defense Technology and Trade Initiative, the United States and India work together on co-production and co-development of defense equipment. The United States and India cooperate on a wide range of diplomatic, economic and security issues, including defense, non-proliferation, regional cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, shared democratic values, counterterrorism, climate change, health, energy, trade and investment, peacekeeping, the environment, education, science and technology, agriculture, space, and oceans, as noted by US State Department. Further several US lawmakers slammed China for choosing a PLA soldier, who was part of the military command that attacked Indian soldiers in the Galwan Valley in 2020, as a torchbearer for the Beijing Winter Olympics. Twenty Indian Army personnel laid down their lives in the Galwan clashes that marked the most serious military conflicts between India and China in decades. Meanwhile, the US was among the first countries to announce its intention not to send any diplomatic representation to the Beijing Winter Olympics over human rights issues in China. This decision has been backed by other US allies, including the UK, Canada, Germany and Australia. However, athletes from these respective nations are still free to participate in the event. Meanwhile, India has also chosen to diplomatically the even as it has referred to China choosing a People Liberation Army's commander injured in Galwan clash for 2022 Winter Olympics torch relay. Further, a US lawmaker on Wednesday slammed China for choosing the PLA commander for Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics torch relay. "It's shameful that Beijing chose a torchbearer for the Olympics2022 who's part of the military command that attacked India in 2020 and is implementing genocide against the Uyghurs. The US will continue to support Uyghur freedoms and the sovereignty of India," said Senator Jim Risch, a Republican who is a Ranking Member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee. A report in an Australian investigative newspaper has revealed that China is hiding its losses in the Galwan Valley clash with India. The new research has shown that the PLA lost at least nine times more soldiers than its official count of four. (ANI) France will be debating a bill today regarding forced organ harvesting in China in the lower house of parliament. The bill to be debated points to a lack of transparency between French and Chinese hospitals. Several politicians have concerns that medical professionals in France could be complicit in forced organ harvesting from prisoners of concern in China, reported NTD News. In a bill to be debated, French MPs are questioning the lack of transparency in China's lucrative organ harvesting trade. Independent reports show that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been harvesting organs of political prisoners without consent for about 30 years. The victims are Christians, Uyghurs and Falun Gong practitioners in China, reported NTD News. Research quoted in the bill said that China conducted an estimated 60,000 to 100,000 organ transplants per year. These organs are sold to not only rich Chinese people but also to foreigners who travel to China for organs transplants. This practice has been denounced in EU's resolution in 2012, calling for the immediate release of prisoners of concern in China, reported NTD News. But, it did not stop the Chinese regime from continuing to harvest organs and one issue remains to be addressed - the complicity of French surgeons and hospitals, who help their Chinese counterparts. Head of Research and Technology Development, Salpetriere Hospital, Alexis Genin said in the 2018 Senate hearing that there is direct cooperation between French and Chinese surgeons, reported NTD News. "Our French organ transplant system is formidable, our best surgeons have taught and trained Chinese surgeons for the past 20 years. What they know about transplantation, they learned of from us," said Genin. The bill is supported with evidence from the French hospitals' programmes, helping Chinese transplantation systems. In 2019, the French delegation including a top French Heart Hospital director and president of the National Academy of Surgery officially opened a French-Chinese hospital in Shanghai. Each year ten cardiologists from Asia Heart Hospital in Wuhan are trained by the University Hospital of Bordeaux at a cost of approximately Euro 90,000 each. This involves the cooperation of French universities, pharmaceuticals, public hospitals and surgeons, reported NTD News. Investigative journalist Ethan Gutmann presented evidence to the National Assembly on his work, interviewing Uyghurs and former prisoners of concerns. He also said that pharmaceutical companies play a role. "French companies are trying to sell products that are directly related to organ harvesting in China and one of our pharmaceutical manufacturers is certainly selling immuno-suppressive drugs," said Gutmann. Gutmann said that pharmaceutical drugs are means to preserve the health conditions of people who have received an organ, reported NTD News. However, these drug companies played a major role in the fast development of forced organ harvesting in China beginning from the 90s. If the bill presented in the National Assembly is implemented, it might force French hospitals and companies to show evidence that the organs for transplant are ethically sourced. (ANI) The protestors said that if the problem is not resolved the Christian community would boycott municipality elections. Swat is a district in the Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Christians and other minorities in Pakistan are facing atrocities at the hands of Muslims and the government authorities. Earlier on Wednesday, hundreds of people from the Christian community gathered outside Karachi Press Club in Pakistan to protest against the land mafias who are driving them out from their properties, houses and land. Christians have historically been mistreated, marginalized, and attacked in Pakistan. Recently, a Christian priest was slain and another was wounded by gunmen on a motorcycle as they drove home from church in Peshawar, Pakistan's northwest, police authorities said on Sunday, reported the DW News. The most senior bishop in the Church of Pakistan, Azad Marshall, condemned the attack on a priest on Sunday urged the Pakistani government to give justice and protection to Christians, reported DW News. Taking to Twitter Marshall said, "We demand justice and protection of Christians from the Government of Pakistan." A Christian priest was slain and another was wounded by gunmen on a motorcycle as they drove home from church in Peshawar, Pakistan's northwest, police authorities said on Sunday, reported the news outlet. The clerics were said to be from the Church of Pakistan, a union of Protestant churches including the Methodists and the Anglicans. Moreover, Pakistan is muddled due to the European Union's (EU) Generalized Schemes of Preference Plus GSP+ status review proposed to take place this month in Islamabad. The EU had then observed that Pakistan had failed to make meaningful advances in protecting human rights, particularly in relation to the country's controversial blasphemy laws, targetting minorities. In Pakistan, minorities like Hindus, Christians, Ahmaddiyas, and Shiites are frequently harassed and persecuted. (ANI) "Nice to talk to FM @JeppeKofod. Appreciate Denmark's recognition of Indian vaccines Covaxin and Covishield. Discussed our bilateral relations and the regional situation," tweeted Jaishankar. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksan during the latter's state visit to India in October last year welcomed European Union's strategy on Indo-Pacific. Further, India will increase its engagement with the Nordic nations on the eve of the second Indo-Nordic summit which is to be held this year in Copenhagen. Further, during Danish's visit to India, both countries agreed to have warm and friendly relations and agreed to enhance efforts for reforming and strengthening multilateralism and a rules-based international order, including freedom of navigation. (ANI) Embassy of Afghanistan in Delhi has welcomed India's offer to enhance English communication skills for the recently graduated Afghan cadets in various military academies. Embassy of Afghanistan in Delhi welcomes the Government of India's decision to offer a 12-month training program in Effective English Communication for Business and Office Purpose under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme program to 80 Afghan cadets who have recently graduated from various military academies in India. The 80 young Afghan cadets who recently graduated from various military academies in India have been offered a 12-month training program in Effective English Communication for Business and office purposes under ITEC program by the Government of India. The program starts on February 7, the young cadets will be placed in three different institutes in India and will be provided with accommodation and a monthly allowance, according to Afghanistan's Embassy statement. Given the challenges and uncertainty facing these freshly graduated young cadets due to the prevailing situation back home, the Embassy of Afghanistan in India welcomes and applauses the generous move by the Indian government, as per the statement of Afghanistan's Embassy. (ANI) Ontario [Canada], February 4 (ANI/Sputnik): Police in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario said on Friday they are gearing up for a second trucker-led protest against COVID-19 restrictions during the weekend, preparing to maintain public order and ensure unimpeded access to hospitals. "The Service continues to prepare for weekend protests and there will be a large police presence in and around the downtown core. We have robust plans in place and are speaking with organizers to limit disruption," the Toronto police said on Twitter. The police warned of road closures amid the protests and stressed that those attempting to disrupt hospital or emergency operations would be held liable. "We are aware of potential further protests in other parts of the province, including the Greater Toronto Area. As with any major demonstration, local police will take the appropriate action to keep their communities safe," Ontario Solicitor General Sylvia Jones said, as quoted by the CTV broadcaster. The Quebec police have also been put on alert and are currently patrolling the building of the National Assembly, according to the report. On January 29, thousands of truckers and hundreds of other demonstrators gathered in Ottawa in protest against the recent COVID-19 restrictions, in particular vaccine mandates for truckers crossing the US-Canada border. The demonstrators believed the restrictions to be unconstitutional. The protests were generally peaceful. However, the police launched several criminal investigations into a series of incidents, including people jumping on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the desecration of the statue of the Canadian athlete and cancer research activist Terry Fox. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family were moved to a different location from their home in the capital city amid the trucker protest, according to Canadian media reports. (ANI/Sputnik) Ethnic Uyghurs from Turkey who went to study in China's Xinjiang's Province have recalled physical and mental torment during their stay there. Two ethnically Uyghur children say that their heads were shaved and that the class monitor and teachers frequently hit them, locked them up in dark rooms and forced them to hold stress positions as punishment for perceived transgressions, according to National Public Radio. By the time they were able to return home to Turkey in December 2019, they had become malnourished and traumatized. They had also forgotten how to speak their mother tongues, Uyghur and Turkish. (The children were being raised in Turkey but were forcibly sent to boarding schools during a family visit to China, as noted by National Public Radio. Meanwhile, since 2017 authorities in China's Xinjiang have rounded up hundreds of thousands of Uyghurs, a largely Muslim ethnic minority group, and sent them to detention centres where they are taught Mandarin Chinese and Chinese political ideology. Further, camp detainees have reported being forced to work in factories during their detention or after they are released. The children of those detained or arrested are often sent to state boarding schools, even when relatives are willing to take them in. Experts say this is part of Chinese authorities' efforts to mould minority children into speaking and acting like the country's dominant Han ethnic group. "This ideological impulse of trying to assimilate non-Han people corresponded with this punitive approach of putting adults in camps, and therefore lots of young children ended up in boarding kindergartens and boarding schools or orphanages," says James Millward, a professor at Georgetown University who studies Chinese and Central Asian history. "It really is an effort to try to make everyone Chinese and see themselves as Chinese and have a single cultural background," he added. These family separations have contributed to a slow erasure of the Uyghur language and culture in China, experts say one of the reasons officials in the US, Canada, France, the Netherlands and other countries have declared that China's policies in Xinjiang amount to genocide, as analyzed by National Public Radio. Meanwhile, the Chinese government closely guards information about Xinjiang's treatment of ethnic minorities by refusing to issue Uyghurs passports, arresting those who leak documents or give interviews to journalists and threatening loved ones who remain in China. Also, Chinese authorities had been disproportionately arresting Uyghurs for years following deadly ethnic violence between the minority group and Han people in Xinjiang in 2009. Sporadic terrorist attacks in the region also picked up, violence that Beijing blamed on Uyghur separatist fighters and that authorities used to justify tightening scrutiny of Uyghur residents. Further, Xinjiang quickly began constructing a sprawling network of detention camps and started expanding existing prisons. At least hundreds of thousands of Uyghurs and other historically Muslim ethnic minorities were sent to such "transformation through education" camps to study Chinese political ideology and the Chinese language, despite having no criminal record. In some of these facilities, Uyghurs also reported being mentally and physically tortured and the women sterilized. China has placed more central control over education after regional authorities blamed seditious textbooks and faulty curricula for radicalizing Uyghur students toward violent extremism. Last April, a Xinjiang court sentenced to death one of the region's former top education officials whereas Uyghurs and researchers say the accusation about radicalization in schools is false, as noted by National Public Radio. (ANI) As per the press release of the BLA, Majeed Brigade carried out massive attacks on Noshki and Panjgur FC headquarters. "The Baloch Liberation Army (#BLA) attacked Pakistani security forces' camps in #Balochistan's Panjgur and Noshki areas, in two separate attacks. A heavily armed group of Baloch self-sacrificers entered a #PAK Frontier Corps camp and the fighting continue at the time of reporting," tweeted Afghan Analyst. Meanwhile, the recent attacks in Balochistan, before Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's visit to China, have forced the country's law enforcement agencies to remain on high alert, reported The News International. Following the attacks, the intelligence and security agencies across the country have been directed to observe the "highest level of preparedness". Also, the amalgamation of two outlawed Baloch groups Baloch separatist organizations -- United Baloch Army (UBA) and Balochistan Republican Army (BRA) into Baloch National Army (BNA)-- has provided fresh impetus to the disgruntled people of Balochistan province in Pakistan, as noted by International Forum for Rights and Security. The newly formed BNA also marks the coming together of the Marris and Bugtis, two of Balochistan's largest tribes that historically have not always seen eye to eye. Moreover, the UBA-BRA merger underlines how Baloch militant groups are increasingly converging across tribal lines to form a united front against the Pakistan state. (ANI) Amid ongoing humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has called for greater investment in the country to save the Taliban-controlled nation's health care system and essential services. The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US troops from the country in August last year. Since then, the country has been gripped by a severe social and economic crisis, with its foreign assets frozen. "Humanitarian organizations cannot effectively replace a functioning public sector, nor can they fully meet the needs of the Afghan population. States and the international community need to invest more in Afghanistan. This is the only way to prevent a total collapse of essential services like health care, education and other vital services," Eloi Fillion, the head of the ICRC delegation in Afghanistan, told Sputnik. Describing the country's poor healthcare system, the head of the Red Cross said health facilities are extremely underfunded and thousands of them have been shut down or stopped functioning. "One of the doctors in Kabul was telling me how they serve only boiled rice to their patients just because they don't have money to pay for more nutritious meals. In the past months, many health workers couldn't afford transportation to their hospitals or paying their rents because they didn't receive their salaries for 4 or 5 months. Even to get proper heating inside hospitals is a huge challenge," Fillion stated. He told Sputnik that ICRC is discussing the economic revival of Afghanistan with the international community and will continue doing so. "The ICRC leadership is in constant talks and discussions with State representatives who have influence on countries affected by conflicts and will continue to do so. During his recent intervention at the Afghanistan Economic Conference held on 19th of January, [ICRC President] Peter Maurer has welcomed progress on some restrictive measures that create a more enabling environment for humanitarian response," Fillion said. The top official also noted that the ICRC maintains a constructive dialogue with the Taliban to provide humanitarian aid in the country. "We have previously worked in IEA [Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan]-controlled areas for many years and we continue to have a constructive dialogue with them," Fillion explained. Furthermore, he stated that the Afghan healthcare system is facing pressure from the COVID-19 pandemic, and only 10 percent of the country's population is fully vaccinated. (ANI) The prisoners were released at a ceremony held in Colombo's Welikada prison, according to Xinhua News Agency. Chandana Ekanayake, the prison's spokesperson said that those released were serving minor sentences and some of them had not been able to pay their fines. Prisoners over the age of 65 and those who had completed 50 per cent of the jail term were also among those who were released under the presidential pardon, the news agency reported. The amnesty did not apply to those convicted for murder, drug offences, rape and armed robbery, Ekanayake said. Sri Lanka got its independence from British rule on February 4 of 1948, and a grand military parade was held to celebrate its 74th Independence Day. (ANI) China and Russia on Friday said that they would make efforts to strengthen the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and continue increasing its role in shaping a polycentric world order. "Russia and China aim to comprehensively strengthen the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and to further increase its role in shaping a polycentric world order, based on the universally adopted principles of international law, multilateralism, and equal, joint, indivisible, comprehensive and sustainable security," the statement, as quoted by the Kremlin website. In a joint declaration, both the countries said they would resist the interference of external forces to internal affairs of sovereign nations and agreed to continue developing cooperation in the frameworks of "Russia-India-China" and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Separately, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin today held talks that lasted almost three hours, Sputnik news agency reported. At the beginning of the meeting with Putin, Xi Jinping said that China and Russia were committed to the sustainable development of bilateral relations even despite the coronavirus pandemic. "The parties strongly support the efforts to protect their fundamental interests. Political and strategic mutual trust is growing. The parties remain committed to the original goals, making unremitting efforts for the sustainable development of bilateral relations," the Chinese leader said. Putin, who is on a visit to China, plans to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games after the talks. During the meeting with Xi, the Russian President said relations between two countries are a good example of building worthy bilateral relations, they help both countries develop. (ANI) Afghan businesswomen, who have gone bankrupt and lost their jobs following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, urged the Islamic Emirate to pay attention to solve their challenges, local media reported. Fereshta Hashemi, a businesswoman in Kabul, said she has been embroidering clothes for nearly six years. She claims that many women's businesses have stopped since the political change in the country. "Our shops and factories have collapsed, women have stayed at home and there is nothing they can do," Fereshta Hashemi told Tolo News. Hashemi calls on the Islamic Emirate to support women in small and large businesses. "Factories should be opened, women should be given projects so that they can work side by side with their brothers," she said. "We ask the Islamic Emirate to provide jobs for women. Women are living in a bad situation and they need jobs," Tolo News quoted Mozhgan Hamidi, a businesswoman as saying. Meanwhile, some economists emphasised the role of women in the economy's growth and development of the country and asked the Islamic Emirate to address their problems. "The Afghanistan Businesswomen's Association (ABA) is a very good institution, it must be accepted and we must establish security for it. Secondly, we must maintain such an institution and take steps to develop it," Tolo News quoted Sayed Massoud, an economist as saying. The Taliban took over control of Kabul on August 15 last year and following this, the country has been battered by a deepening economic, humanitarian and security crisis. A combination of a suspension of foreign aid, the freezing of Afghan government assets, and international sanctions on the Taliban, have plunged the country, already suffering from high poverty levels, into a full-blown economic crisis. (ANI) A Hindu trader Satan Das was killed while his son was critically injured in an attack on January 31, the Dawn newspaper reported. The protestors in the Larkana city on Thursday complained that three days had passed since the case was registered but police were still clueless about the killers. They said the incident and the subsequent police inaction had deepened a sense of insecurity and unrest among members of the Hindus community in Sindh, a land of Sufis where Hindus and Muslims lived side by side in peace and harmony for centuries. The protestors added that some elements are bent on disturbing the peace in the province and called for immediate arrest of Satan Das' killers. The protesters started the procession from Dharamshala and marched on thoroughfares of the city before converging on the main gate of Jinnahbagh where they staged a sit-in. (ANI) Several Journalists were injured during a clash between two rival groups inside the National Press Club (NPC) on Thursday, local media reported. Recently, the National Press Club held its annual election after which one of the groups (Azad Panel) accused their rival (Journalist Panel) of rigging. On Thursday, Azad Panel announced to conduct a referendum over the election, Dawn reported. Leaders, members and activists of the panel gathered outside the club while members of the winning Journalist Panel were inside. Police were called to maintain law and order and they were deployed outside the club, the Pakistani newspaper reported. Meanwhile, both groups started raising slogans against each other which led to a brawl. A couple of journalists sustained injuries, including cuts and bruises, while others were seen trying to resolve the dispute, Dawn reported. It further reported, "separate complaints were lodged with Kohsar police. Police officials remained at the scene of the incident, standing as silent spectators and not even one tried to defuse the situation". A spokesperson for the police said "officials remained neutral as allegations of assisting one of the groups during the election were already levelled against them. No action has so far been taken." Earlier on Sunday, The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) released a report to highlight how press freedom deteriorated in 2021 as compared to the previous two years in Pakistan. In the report titled "Pakistan Media Freedom Report - 2021", CPNE said in 2021 alone, five journalists were killed in the line of duty, including Karachi-based social media activist and community journalist Nazim Jokhio, who was abducted and killed mercilessly. The report also said that Pakistan is one of the countries, where violence against journalists is increasing and not even a single murderer has been brought to justice. (ANI) The Chinese President made the remarks on Friday during talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing. China and Russia on Friday said that they would make efforts to strengthen the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and continue increasing its role in shaping a polycentric world order. "Russia and China aim to comprehensively strengthen the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and to further increase its role in shaping a polycentric world order, based on the universally adopted principles of international law, multilateralism, and equal, joint, indivisible, comprehensive and sustainable security," the joint statement, as quoted by the Kremlin website. Hailing the SCO's extraordinary course of development over the past 20 years, Xi said it has become an important constructive force in the international community, Xinhua news agency reported. China is ready to work with Russia to enable the BRICS cooperation mechanism to play a bigger role in upholding multilateralism, strengthening anti-pandemic cooperation and promoting economic recovery, and make a greater contribution to global development while realising the development of the five BRICS countries, he said. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), also known as the Shanghai Pact, is a Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance. (ANI) Dhondup Wangchen, a Tibetan filmmaker and a former political prisoner, has reportedly been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 2022, local media has reported. The filmmaker was nominated by the Green Party spokesperson and biologist Rasmus Hansson, who said Wangchen is "the memory of the Tibetans' obvious demands for human rights." The Norwegian environmentalist met Wangchen in January during his campaign where he urged authorities to boycott the Beijing 2022 Olympics that are to be held from Friday, Phayul.com reported on Friday. The 47-year-old Tibetan activist was imprisoned in Tibet by Chinese authorities in 2008 for six years on the charges of "subversion" for his documentary "Leaving Fear Behind", along with Golog Jigme. The film featured interviews of ordinary Tibetans voicing their feelings on the Summer Olympics in China and the CCP government repression in Tibet, according to Phayul.com. Wangchen fled from Tibet after his release in 2014 and was granted asylum in the US where he has since lived with his family. The self-taught filmmaker was the recipient of the 2012 International Press Freedom given by the New-York based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) for his courageous documentation to show the glimpse of Tibetans suffering inside Tibet. Wangchen kicked off a speaking tour to 15 countries in Europe in November last year beginning in Paris to urge the International Olympic Committee (IOC), national Olympic committees, and government officials to boycott the Winter Olympics in 2022. "You see the world coming together; I see a suffering nation, forgotten. Athletes are preparing for the biggest competition of their lives, yet my brothers and sisters are struggling for fundamental rights. I do this for the honour of my own people, and all oppressed persons, in respect for the fundamental principles of the Olympic tradition, and to strive to make the world a better place," he said in his Olympic oath when he launched his campaign, according to the media outlet. The prestigious Nobel Peace Prize nomination is a step further into Dhondup Wangchen's list of achievements as he continues to tell his story of imprisonment, the plight of his country under Chinese rule and life after the exile. (ANI) Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Blinken will travel to Australia, Fiji, and Hawaii to engage with Indo-Pacific allies and partners to advance peace, resilience, and prosperity across the region and demonstrate that these partnerships deliver. Blinken will attend the fourth Quad Foreign Ministers' meet during his stay in Australia from February 9 to 12. The ministerial meeting will be hosted by Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne. "With our Quad partners, we are delivering results for our populations and the region, including by advancing cooperation on COVID-19 vaccination delivery, humanitarian assistance/disaster relief, maritime security, counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, countering disinformation, climate change, and critical and emerging technologies," the State Department said in a statement. Blinken is scheduled to meet with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Foreign Minister Payne, Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoshimasa Hayashi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and other senior officials to discuss a range of bilateral and global priorities. This Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) foreign ministers' meeting is expected to be held in Melbourne. The last Quad Foreign Ministers meeting was held virtually in February last year. External Affairs Ministry's spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Thursday said the next meeting is expected to be held later this month in Melbourne. "We hope to share an update on this soon," Bagchi said at a virtual weekly media briefing. (ANI) Brussels [Belgium], February 4 (ANI/Sputnik): Messages delivered by French President Macron to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a series of calls were fully coordinated with member states of the European Union, given the tense situation around Ukraine, Peter Stano, the lead spokesman for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union, said on Friday. "French President Macron had a number of calls with President Putin by now and all the calls are taking place on the context of what the EU is doing in terms of engaging both with Russian and other partners with the ultimate aim to bring Russia to de-escalation of the current situation around Ukraine. Of course, the message is coordinated. President Macron delivers European messages as they have agreed among European Allies," Stano said at a midday briefing of the European Commission. In the past few months, the West and Kiev have accused Moscow of massing troops near the Ukrainian border in alleged preparation for invasion. Russia said that it has no intention of invading Ukraine, while stressing that it has the right to move its forces within its own territory. Russia has also expressed concerns over NATO's military activity near its borders and the ongoing military support of Ukraine, including an increase in the number of Western instructors in the breakaway Donbas region. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow does not exclude that the "hysteria" around Ukraine fueled by the West is aimed at concealing Kiev's plans to sabotage the Minsk Agreements on Donbas. (ANI/Sputnik) The delegation interacted with Vice Admiral MA Hampiholi, AVSM, NM, Flag Officer Commanding - in - Chief, Southern Naval Command, at Headquarters Southern Naval Command on 03 Feb 22 and held discussions on various defence cooperation issues with the Indian team The delegation also visited Cochin Shipyard Ltd, the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier- Vikrant, professional training schools viz Navigational & Direction School and Diving School. In addition, the delegation also interacted with the Staff Officers of Southern Naval Command on various professional subjects. The delegation would be departing Kochi for Oman on Feb 04. Prior to arriving at Kochi, the delegation had visited New Delhi from January 31 to February 02 and attended the 11th meeting of the India-Oman Joint Military Cooperation Committee (JMCC), aimed at enhancing the defence cooperation between the two countries. (ANI) Manzoor Pashteen, along with several other PTM leaders, were reportedly injured in Balochistan after the Pakistan army opened fire on Wednesday evening. The members of PTM were staging a peaceful protest in the Qilla Saifullah districts of Balochistan and the military went with machine guns brutally against peaceful demonstrators, according to reports. PTM, a rights-based resistance movement in Pakistan, which has been critical of state policies in the tribal belt has ruffled feathers among the Pakistan military with its demand of probe into gross human rights violations conducted by the Army. It has also been vocal against the government on the issue of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances. Ever since it was founded in 2018, the PTM has organised regular demonstrations against Pakistan Army's heavy-handed operations in tribal regions while the military has evidently chosen to crush the movement with its all too familiar tactics. Last year in September, Balochistan had demanded the withdrawal of Frontier Corps and armed forces from the district after three levies personnel were killed in a roadside explosion. "5th day of Sit-In in Ziarat along with 3 dead bodies of Levies personnel who were killed by a roadside bomb. Even people had to protest for state personnel killed. The state had exonerated itself from its basic responsibilities. No apathy. #StopSiegeOfZiarat #RemoveFCFromZiarat," Manzoor Pashteen had tweeted. (ANI) New York [US], February 4 (ANI/Sputnik): The United Nations has strengthened the presence of peacekeepers under the UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) in an area where a camp for displaced persons is located after a recent deadly attack that claimed 60 lives, UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said. On Wednesday, militants from the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo (CODECO) militia group, armed with machetes and other weapons, attacked civilians in the Savo displacement camp in Ituri Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), leaving 58 civilians killed and 36 injured. "UN peacekeepers are continuing to conduct robust patrols in the area. They have also reinforced their temporary operating base in the area with troops from Bunia [city in Ituri Province]. These additional troops will focus on providing security around the Savo site for displaced people -- the one attacked earlier this week," Haq told a briefing on Thursday. Haq noted that the Savo camp hosted more than 20,000 displaced people, including more than 13,000 children. The DRC is currently facing a variety of rebel and militant groups operating in the eastern part of the country. CODECO operates in the province of Ituri with its militia composed of representatives of the Lendu people. The agricultural Lendu and pastoralist Hema ethnic groups in Ituri have been fighting each other over the scarcity of land for decades. (ANI/Sputnik) US Special Envoy Rina Amiri has asked the Taliban to stop unjust detentions of Afghans' human rights if the outfit wishes to seek legitimacy from the Afghan people and the world. "These unjust detentions must stop. If the Taliban seek legitimacy from the Afghan people & the world, they must respect Afghans' human rights - especially for women - including the freedom of expression and immediately release these women, their relatives, and other activists," Amiri tweeted. This comes after the Taliban arrested two women activists in Kabul on Thursday. Recently, women activists who were voicing for their rights in the capital city started disappearing in recent months. Taking to Twitter, the UN Mission in Afghanistan sought information from the Taliban on the latest reported detentions by the Taliban. It also repeated calls for all 'disappeared' women activists and relatives to be released. "Urgent information sought from @moiafghanistan today by UNAMA on latest reported detentions over last 24 hrs by the Taliban of a further two women activists in Kabul. UN repeats its call for all 'disappeared' women activists and relatives to be released," the UN Mission said in a tweet. Taman Zaryabi Paryani and Parawana Ibrahimkhel were abducted from their homes by the Taliban last month. The UN's top envoy in Afghanistan had asked the Taliban to probe the issue of missing Afghan women activists. The United Nations had earlier said it was concerned about the disappearance of Afghan rights activists. The UN mission had called on the Taliban to account for the whereabouts of the activists. (ANI) Media reports in this past week have claimed that the US has held up the acceptance of the Pakistani Ambassador-designate to the US, Masood Khan, over his sympathy for terrorist leaders and organizations. Masood Khan's nomination was sent to Washington by Pakistan Foreign Office in November last year. Media reports say the US deliberately delayed the approval of Pakistan's ambassador-designate's posting in Washington and sought more time for his approval. A European think thank in its commentary said for far too long, the Pakistani leadership and officialdom have been allowed to get away with brazenly promoting terrorists and terrorism targeting both Afghanistan and J&K. "In J&K, the deceptive moral and diplomatic support that Pakistan claims to be extending has proved mainly to be convenient terminology for pushing a violent terrorist narrative. It is about time that anyone who speaks in favour of terrorism, even if it is an official immaculately suited and booted in western attire and suavely speaking a western language, is made to face the consequences," said Netherlands based think tank European Foundation for South Asian Studies (EFSAS). Earlier this week, a US Congressman raised grave concern about the appointment of Masood Khan as Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States. In a letter to US President Joe Biden, Congressman Scott Perry had asked Biden to reject Masood's appointment, stating that Imran Khan's nomination of a bona fide "terrorist sympathiser" Congressman Perry added that Masood Khan can only be described as a "breathtaking lack of judgment at best," and "a demonstration of Islamabad's unmitigated contempt for the United States at worst." "While I am encouraged that the State Department has reportedly placed a pause on approving Masood Khan as the new Ambassador from Pakistan, a pause is not enough. I urge you to reject any diplomatic credentials presented to you by Masood Khan and reject any effort by the Government of Pakistan to install this jihadist as Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States," Scott Perry said in his letter to Biden.Perry said that Masood Khan is a supporter of the terrorist groups Jamaat-e-Islami, as well as Helping Hand for Relief and Development, a group that had no qualms establishing a partnership with the foreign terrorist organisation responsible for the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. A US-based think tank also urged Biden to reject Pakistan's appointment of the 'Jihadi-terrorist-sympathizer', Masood Khan, as Pakistan's ambassador to the United States. Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS), in its press release, said that the diplomatic role of Masood Khan in the United States may open an avenue for access for terrorist organisations to US institutions. (ANI) Genocide Watch, a US-based organization that campaigns against all forms of mass murder, has recognized as genocide the crimes committed by the Pakistani forces during Bangladesh's Liberation War in 1971."Genocide Watch recognizes the crimes committed by the Military Forces of Pakistan against the Bengali population in Bangladesh in 1971 as genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes," the organization said in the declaration on Thursday in commemoration of 50 years of the genocide." The Washington DC-based NGO works to predict, prevent, stop, and punish genocide and other forms of mass murder. "These crimes by the Pakistani Military Forces constituted the crimes against humanity of murder, extermination, deportation or forcible transfer of population, imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty, torture, rape, sexual violence, persecution, enforced disappearance of persons, and other inhumane acts," the declaration states. It adds that strong evidence supports the conclusion that the crimes committed against the Bengalis of East Pakistan during 1971 were widespread and systematic and carried out by the Pakistani Army, other militia forces and pan-Islamic political forces. "Conclusive research by internationally recognized genocide experts indicates that the nature, scale and organization of the Pakistani Military operations demonstrates planning and intentional design by the Pakistani junta leadership and military command to destroy a substantial part of the Bengali ethnic and national group and a substantial part of the Bengali Hindu religious group," the declaration states. Gregory Stanton, an expert in genocide studies and founder of Genocide Watch, called upon the UN General Assembly to adopt a resolution recognizing the 1971 genocide in Bangladesh. He urged the member states of the United Nations, especially the United States, the United Kingdom, and Pakistan, to recognize the crimes committed by Pakistani Military Forces in Bangladesh as genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. The declaration also urged member states of the UN to take necessary measures to recognize these crimes in appropriate fora and to charge surviving leaders of this genocide in national courts with universal jurisdiction. (ANI) Stressing that threats posed by China in the United States is "more brazen" than ever before, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray said that China is trying to steal American innovation and technology than all other nations. "When we tally up what we see in our investigations--over 2,000 of which are focused on the Chinese government trying to steal our information and technology--there is just no country that presents a broader threat to our ideas, our innovation, and our economic security than China," Wray said in a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Monday (local time). "Here in the U.S., they unleash a massive, sophisticated hacking program that is bigger than those of every other major nation combined," he said. Speaking about the threat posed by the Chinese government in US, Wary said, the "threat posed by the Chinese government at home to our economic security and to our freedoms. Our freedom of speech, of conscience; our freedom to elect and be served by our representatives without foreign meddling; our freedom to prosper when we toil and invent. I've spoken a lot about this threat since I became FBI Director. But I want to focus on it here, because in many ways it's reached a new level--more brazen, more damaging than ever before, and it's vital--vital--that all of us focus on that threat together." Wray also stressed that his speech concerned the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party posing the threat the FBI is addressing, and not the Chinese people. "I do want to be clear that the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party pose the threat we're focused on countering--not the Chinese people, and certainly not Chinese Americans, who are themselves frequently victims of the Chinese government's lawless aggression. Protecting them from the Chinese government is top of mind for us, too. " FBI Director highlighted the recent case of the Chinese government stealing American secrets. He said, "A recent case from Ohio is a great illustration of the Chinese government's multiprong strategy for stealing our valuable secrets. This past November, a Chinese intelligence officer named Xu Yanjun was convicted of economic espionage in Cincinnati. He was part of the Chinese Ministry of State Security, which is one of their spy services, and he was in a unit responsible for stealing aviation-related secrets." "In 2015, the Chinese government publicly promised to stop handing hacked U.S. technology to Chinese companies, but their cybertheft program kept going strong. And in the years since, they've hit ever more companies and workers. We've seen small companies developing important medicines ransacked. We've seen big managed service providers remotely managing IT services for thousands of other businesses hacked, so the Chinese government could hijack their trusted connections with their customers and hack those companies, too," he added. Wray further stated that stealing innovation isn't the only way the Chinese government shows their disregard for the international rule of law. Despite this China is targeting the people inside the US. "The Chinese government is increasingly targeting people inside the U.S. for personal and political retribution--undercutting the freedoms that our Constitution and laws promise. The kinds of people the Chinese Communist Party tends to go after are not those that a responsible government would make their enemies--refugees, dissidents, and Uyghurs--people with their own ideas, who speak or worship as their conscience dictates," he said. (ANI) The multibillion-dollar bill titled America COMPETES Act represents the strongest congressional action yet to counter a rising China, said an editorial published in a Washington based news publication. The US House of Representatives this week advanced this 3,000-page bill aimed at increasing American competitiveness with China. The legislation, which was unveiled last month, would attempt to surge production of American-made semiconductors, tackles supply chain vulnerabilities, and strengthen its economic and national security. In an editorial pushed in The Hill newspaper, the publication argued that it may be too much to hope that this bill passes along the same bipartisan lines as its Senate counterpart did in June 2021, but Speaker Nancy Pelosi's control over her caucus ensures that the bill will pass along party lines. "The bigger challenge for Pelosi and House Democrats will be ensuring that key portions of their ambitious bill survive what is sure to be a contentious Senate back-and-forth over which programs move forward and which are left behind on the cloakroom floor," the editorial said. The legislation calls for assessments of China's relationships and influence around the world, including a six-month review of China's cooperation with Iran and Russia in an array of areas such as energy, banking, space and defence. It also calls for a six-month review of China's influence in the Middle East and Africa in terms of military cooperation. The America COMPETES Act would elevate US leadership in international forums and on global issues to counter China's efforts to undermine global rules. "America COMPETES makes historic investments to strengthen America's economy, security, and global leadership. To compete effectively with the People's Republic of China (PRC), the legislation leverages our core strengths and values, and presents a positive, whole-of-government agenda that rises to the challenges and opportunities of the twenty-first century," said House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks had said in a press release. The bill would mandate the creation of a USD 52 billion semiconductor chip fund to incentivize private-sector investments that help address supply chain disruptions and produce more semiconductors domestically. The legislation would also authorize USD 45 billion to improve US supply chains and prevent shortages of critical goods by ensuring more critical goods are made in the country. It also calls for an increase of US State Department personnel and resources devoted to the Indo-Pacific, as well as to regional and international organizations to boost multilateralism and global rules. Furthermore, the legislation asks for refugee protections for Uyghurs and Hong Kongers who have been persecuted by China, and provisions to hold China accountable for its human rights violations. (ANI) Crowds flock to tourist sites during Tet People have been rushing to many tourist sites in Vietnam during the Lunar New Year or Tet holiday. On the third day of the Lunar New Year, lots of streets in Da Lat City in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong such as Tran Quoc Toan, Bui Thi Xuan, Phan Dinh Phung and Tran Phu were jammed due to a surge in travellers. Tourists in Da Lat Tourist spots in Da Lat such as Love Valley, Lang Biang Mountain, and Tuyen Lam Lake National Tourist Site have lured many visitors. Between January 29 and February 2, Lam Dong welcomed around 27,000 visitors, including 2,172 travellers. During the time, Da Lat City alone served 25,000 travellers. Northern mountainous localities such as Sa Pa, Moc Chau and Ha Giang have also seen a sharp rise in tourists during Tet. Between January 29 and February 3, some 20,000 travellers came to Lao Cai Province. The figure is forecasted to be higher in the days to come. Destinations like Dong Van, Ma Pi Leng and Lung Cu Flag Tower have also become favourite places for tourists. Nha Trang City in the southern central province of Khanh Hoa welcomed up to 65,500 visitors between January 31 and February 4, up 241% on-year. This has brought the local tourism sector a revenue of VND256 billion (USD11 million), up 278% on-year. External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Friday cleared misgiving on the use of recently announced e-passport, stating that it will contain multiple layered security as the data will be on paper like regular passports. "The digital signature which will secure the data will be sent to other countries for recognition purposes," said Jaishankar in Lok Sabha on data security issues regarding the e-Passports. "The e-passports will ensure multiple layered security as the data will be on paper like regular passports and also on the verified chips," the EAM added. Earlier this week, the Central had informed about the issuance of e-Passports using embedded chip and futuristic technology will be rolled out in 2022-23 to enhance convenience for the citizens in their overseas travel. Later on Thursday, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said MEA is planning to issue chip-enabled e-Passports to citizens with advanced security features. "The e-Passport features contactless smart card technology, including an embedded Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip embedded in the front or back cover or page of the passport. The chip characteristics are in line with guidelines of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) which defines standards for international travel documents, including the e-Passports," Muraleedharan said in his answer to an unstarred question in Rajya Sabha. The minister added that the personal particulars of the applicants would be digitally stored in the chip, which would be embedded in the physical passport booklet. "In case, anyone tampers with the chip, the system shall be able to identify it, resulting in the failure of the passport authentication," he said. (ANI) India continues its COVID-19 assistance to Sri Lanka by initiating the delivery of 100,000 Rapid Antigen Self Test Kit from Friday, according to the High Commission of India in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Taking to Twitter, the High Commission said that the remaining kits to follow in the coming days. "A special gift from a friend on #IndependenceDay!! #India continues its #COVID19 assistance to #SriLanka by initiating the delivery of 100,000 RAT kits from today. Remaining kits to follow in the coming days," India in Colombo tweeted. As Sri Lanka is facing a serious financial crisis, India has stepped up and pledged a whopping USD 2.415 billion to the island nation to help overcome dire financial constraints caused by external debt payments and a lack of US dollars in the country for business. Last month, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a virtual meeting with the Finance Minister of Sri Lanka Basil Rajapaksa. During the meeting, Jaishankar conveyed that India has always stood with Sri Lanka, and will continue to support Sri Lanka in all possible ways for overcoming the economic and other challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. To help Sri Lanka overcome its economic challenges, India under the SAARC currency swap arrangement has made an extension of USD 400 million to Sri Lanka and provided a deferral of ACU (Asian Clearing Union) settlement of USD 515.2 million by two months. India's critical support to Sri Lanka is due to the ongoing fuel crisis where the country is unable to purchase due to short of US dollars in the country, the Policy Research Group (PRG) had said in its report. (ANI) The US lawmakers passed the measure with a 222-210 vote, sending it to the Senate for consideration, The Hill newspaper reported. The US House of Representatives this week advanced this 3,000-page bill aimed at increasing American competitiveness with China. The legislation would attempt to surge production of American-made semiconductors, tackles supply chain vulnerabilities, and strengthen its economic and national security. The legislation calls for assessments of China's relationships and influences around the world, including a six-month review of China's cooperation with Iran and Russia in an array of areas such as energy, banking, space and defence. It also calls for a six-month review of China's influence in the Middle East and Africa in terms of military cooperation. The America COMPETES Act would elevate US leadership in international forums and on global issues to counter China's efforts to undermine global rules. The bill would mandate the creation of a USD 52 billion semiconductor chip fund to incentivize private-sector investments that help address supply chain disruptions and produce more semiconductors domestically. The legislation would also authorize USD 45 billion to improve US supply chains and prevent shortages of critical goods by ensuring more critical goods are made in the country. It also calls for an increase of US State Department personnel and resources devoted to the Indo-Pacific, as well as to regional and international organizations to boost multilateralism and global rules. The bill also includes sanctions on the Chinese government for its rights violations against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang province. (ANI) Disgraced former Labour peer Lord Nazir Ahmed has been jailed five-and-a-half years for sexual abuse of two children in the 1970s, UK media reported on Friday. Ahmed, born in Pakistan occupied Kashmir, has carried out anti-India campaigns. He was found guilty last month by the Sheffield Crown Court of sexual offences against two children. He was found guilty of two counts of attempted rape and one of buggery. Justice Lavender passed the sentence on Friday. In March 2019, Lord Ahmed was charged with historical sexual offences against two children, two counts of attempted rape, and one count of indecent assault in the early 1970s. The charges against Ahmed relate to two complainants - a boy and a girl - and to alleged incidents between 1971 and 1974. The indecent assault charge relates to a boy under 14. He has been an ardent supporter of Khalistani terror groups and a critic of the Indian government's policies. Though he projected himself as a crusader for Kashmir cause, in reality, he used his position to sexually exploit Kashmiri women. Nazir Ahmed was born in Pakistan occupied Kashmir but his political roots are in Rotherham, where he grew up and still lives. He moved to the United Kingdom in 1969 with his family to join his father who was working in steel factories in Rotherham. After studying at Sheffield Hallam University, he ran a chain of shops in his home town and became a property developer.In 1998, he became one of the first Muslim peers to be appointed to the House of Lords by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair. He resigned from the Labour Party in 2013. Lord Nazir Ahmed, who calls himself "campaigner for Kashmiris" faced multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and resigned from the House of Lords in 2020. A House committee had recommended that he should have been expelled. A group of Kashmiri women in London had launched a Hollywood style #MeToo protest campaign against politicians including Nazir Ahmed and faith healers who are exploiting vulnerable women in the Kashmiri community, the committee report stated. (ANI) A group of US senators and Congressmen have introduced a bill proposing to rename the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office which is located in the US as Taiwan Representative Office, reported Sputnik. "US Senators Marco Rubio and Bob Menendez introduced the Taiwan Representative Office Act (S. 3573), a bipartisan and bicameral bill that would direct the US Secretary of State to enter into negotiations to rename the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in Washington, DC the 'Taiwan Representative Office,' which better reflects its status as Taiwan's de facto diplomatic mission to the United States," said Rubio's office in a statement. "Companion legislation was introduced by Congressmen John Curtis and Chris Pappas in the US House of Representatives," the statement added. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in the United States represents Taiwan in the US in the absence of formal diplomatic relations and a formal embassy, functioning as a de facto embassy. "Taiwan is an indispensable partner of the United States and an exemplary beacon of democracy in the Indo-Pacific region," Rubio said. "I can think of no better way to recognize Taiwan's contributions to global stability than by renaming their office in Washington, DC, the seat of American democracy, to better reflect its actual purpose. The U.S. must make clear that, despite all efforts by the Chinese Communist Party to intimidate and coerce Taiwan, hostile powers have no right to claim sovereignty over democratic countries." In November, Lithuania, a NATO ally, allowed Taiwan to open an unofficial embassy using its own name, rather than China's preferred name "Chinese Taipei." "At a time of unprecedented international tension and as Beijing continues to seek to bully and coerce Taiwan, this important bill demonstrates the United States' critical support for the people of Taiwan, and for Taiwan's right, consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act, to determine its own future and to be able to enjoy greater respect and diplomatic space as a member of the international community," Menendez said. (ANI) US President Joe Biden on Friday (local time) applauded the country's House members for passing new legislation to enable Washington to compete with China in the area of semiconductors manufacturing and research. "The US House took a critical vote today for stronger supply chains and lower prices, for more manufacturing - and good manufacturing jobs - right here in America, and for outcompeting China and the rest of the world in the 21st century. I applaud Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Hoyer, Whip Clyburn, and Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson for their leadership in getting this done," said Joe Biden in a statement on Friday (local time). "Business and labour alike have praised this legislation which is vital for continuing the economic momentum we have seen over the last year, and national security leaders from both parties have said that the investments in this bill are needed if we want to maintain our competitive edge globally," Biden added. The US President noted this bill was built on numerous bipartisan elements and on a shared bipartisan agreement on the need to act. "If House Republicans are serious about lowering prices, making our economy stronger, and competing with China from a position of strength, then they should come to the table and support this legislation, which does just that," said Biden. "I look forward to the House and Senate quickly coming together to find a path forward and putting a bill on my desk as soon as possible for my signature. America can not afford to wait," the US President added. It came after the US House of Representatives on Friday approved legislation to bolster domestic supply chains and scientific research to make the US more competitive with nations like China. The US House of Representatives this week had advanced this 3,000-page bill aimed at increasing American competitiveness with China. The legislation would attempt to surge production of American-made semiconductors, tackle supply chain vulnerabilities, and strengthen its economic and national security. The legislation calls for assessments of China's relationships and influences around the world, including a six-month review of China's cooperation with Iran and Russia in an array of areas such as energy, banking, space and defence. (ANI) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will hold a bilateral meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Melbourne next week during the Quad Foreign Ministers Ministerial Meeting. "In Australia on February 9-12, Secretary Blinken will attend the fourth Quad Foreign Ministers Ministerial Meeting, hosted by Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne," said the US State Department in a statement on Thursday (local time). "Secretary Blinken will meet with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Foreign Minister Payne, Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Hayashi Yoshimasa, Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and other senior officials to discuss a range of bilateral and global priorities. The Secretary will also engage with students, scholars, and technology leaders in Melbourne," added the State Department. Further, it said that "with our Quad partners, we are delivering results for our populations and the region, including by advancing cooperation on COVID-19 vaccination delivery, humanitarian assistance/disaster relief, maritime security, counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, countering disinformation, climate change, and critical and emerging technologies." Blinken will travel to Australia, Fiji, and Hawaii from February 7-13 to engage with Indo-Pacific allies and partners to advance peace, resilience, and prosperity across the region and demonstrate that these partnerships deliver. In Fiji on February 12, Secretary Blinken will meet with Pacific Island leaders to discuss the climate crisis, ending the COVID-19 pandemic, disaster assistance, and ways to further our shared commitment to democracy, regional solidarity, and prosperity in the Pacific. The Secretary also will meet with Fiji Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe "Frank" Bainimarama to discuss deepening bilateral engagement and ways to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific. This will be the first visit by a Secretary of State to Fiji since 1985. (ANI) Two unruly passengers were ejected from a Delta flight Tuesday at a Florida airport, the airline said. Witnesses told NBC Miami that one of two passengers on board was cursing at flight attendants. Delta Flight 1582 eventually departed Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport for Atlanta, the airline said. Delta said in a statement that the flight was delayed by about 28 minutes while the pair were escorted back into the terminal. The airline said it "has zero tolerance for unruly behavior" and apologized for the inconvenience. There has been a dramatic increase in unruly passenger incidents since the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The numbers have gone down since highs in early 2021. The majority of those 205 of 323 incidents this year involved face masks, which are federally mandated on flights, but in Tuesdays incident both people had masks, the video showed. MADISON Prosecutors in Waushara County have filed the first criminal charge to result from the attorney general's statewide investigation into clergy and faith leaders accused of sexual abuse. Remington Jon Nystrom, 33, was charged with one count of first-degree sexual contact with a child under 13 in connection with an incident that occurred in 2009, according to information from the Department of Justice. Nystrom was a counselor at a Mount Morris camp in Waushara County when, police say, he inappropriately touched a sleeping 10-year-old, waking the child. Mount Morris is affiliated with the Moravian Church of America. More: 'This is criminal evidence': Advocates deliver boxes of documents regarding clergy abuse to attorney general The victim had not previously reported the assault to either church or legal authorities, prior to reporting the abuse to the Attorney General's Office, according to the Department of Justice. This case is possible because of the report made by a brave survivor and the diligent work of investigators, victim service professionals, and prosecutors, Attorney General Josh Kaul said in a statement. We continue to ask anyone with information about clergy and faith leader abuse to make a report to the Wisconsin Department of Justice. Nystrom, who is listed with a Wisconsin Rapids address in an online court database, was ordered held on a $5,000 cash bond on Friday. A judge also barred him from having contact with minors without another adult present and prohibited any contact with Mount Morris. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Feb. 14. Kaul launched the clergy and faith leaders investigation in April after years of urging from survivors of abuse. By October, the Department of Justice had received more than 180 reports of abuse that were being investigated, including two that were forwarded to the Brown County District Attorney's office in Green Bay for further investigation. Story continues Reports have involved clergy and faith leaders from multiple religious organizations, as well as some reports of abuse not related to any religious organization, according to the Department of Justice. Some reports include claims against multiple abusers. More: Wisconsin's attorney general is investigating the handling of clergy abuse claims. Here is what we know. Of the reports received, 80% were reports of abuse, while 20% were related to how an institution handled a claim of abuse, according to the department. The ages of those reporting abuse range from under 18 to over 75. About 40% of the people who have reported to the clergy hotline have not reported to a law enforcement agency or a religious entity before. Some reports can't be sent on to local investigators, though, because they fall outside of the state's statute of limitations. For criminal cases, victims of child sexual assault older than 45 can't bring charges forward, and for civil cases, the ability to sue ends at age 35. How to file a report To file a report, call 877-222-2620 or use the online reporting tool at supportsurvivors.widoj.gov. Both options provide the ability to file an anonymous tip. Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on Twitter at @SchulteLaura. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Christian counselor charged in sexual abuse investigation A Wood Dale woman who gave birth at a Hoffman Estates hospital last year has filed a charge of discrimination with the Illinois Department of Human Rights alleging the hospital tested her urine for drugs without her consent, and then reported her to the states child welfare agency despite her insistence that the positive result was because she ate poppy seed cake. The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois and National Advocates for Pregnant Women filed the charge of discrimination on behalf of the 46-year-old woman against Amita Health St. Alexius Medical Center Hoffman Estates last week. Advertisement The woman is referred to only as Ms. F in the charge, which alleges that the hospital violated the Illinois Human Rights Act by testing her urine for drugs without her knowledge or consent and then reporting her to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services based on a false positive result. Were really worried about these kinds of intrusive drug testing, said Emily Hirsch, a staff attorney with the ACLU of Illinois. Theres no medical reason to drug test all pregnant people as they come in for medical care and these kind of blanket policies really deter pregnant people from getting treatment and support. ... Shes coming in and the only reason theyre drug testing her is because shes pregnant, and that is a form of sex discrimination. Advertisement St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates on April 29, 2020. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) Tim Nelson, a spokesman for Amita Health, said in an email the health system cant comment on pending litigation and did not answer questions about whether the hospital or Amita Health performs drug tests on all pregnant women who are admitted. Its unclear how widespread the practice of drug testing pregnant women is at Illinois hospitals. But Hirsch worries that it may be common, and Emma Roth, a staff attorney with National Advocates for Pregnant Women, said it happens frequently across the country. Similar complaints have been filed involving hospitals in other parts of the U.S. as well. The Wood Dale woman alleges that on the evening of Easter Sunday, when she was 34 weeks pregnant, she drove to the St. Alexius emergency room because of high blood pressure. She had previously been diagnosed with preeclampsia a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and was told to go to the ER if her blood pressure spiked. After she arrived, medical staff took blood and urine, which she assumed were being collected for reasons related to her preeclampsia. She alleges she didnt realize they had tested her urine for drugs until two days later, shortly before her labor was induced, at which point an obstetrician told her she had tested positive for opiates. The woman said she told nurses and doctors that she had not taken any drugs, and the only possible explanation was that it was a false positive because, the day she was tested and the day before, she had eaten makoweic, a poppy seed cake thats a traditional Polish Easter dessert. Research has shown that it is possible for people to sometimes test positive for opiates after eating poppy seeds. She alleges that a doctor and nurse brushed off her concerns. The baby was born premature but developmentally healthy, and showed no signs of withdrawal, according to the charge. The hospital tested the babys cord blood, and the mother was told it had tested positive for morphine. Hirsch said that was because of the poppy seed cake as well. Advertisement A hospital social worker then reported the woman to DCFS, which sent an agent to interview the woman at the hospital, the charge alleges. The agent told the woman that the baby could not go home with her unless a third party would be in the house with her and the baby at all times. Because her husband and his family had to work, and because her relatives live outside the country, the family paid a friend of a relative to stay in their home for two weeks with the family, and the baby was allowed to go home. Agents from DCFS visited the womans home regularly to check on the child, and she was told to get drug tested several more times, the charge alleges. After a couple months, the woman said she received a letter saying that DCFS had found the report of suspected child abuse or neglect to be unfounded. The day (Ms. F) gave birth should have been the most joyful day of her life, yet Saint Alexius turned it into a living nightmare, the charge alleges. The experience and weeks that followed caused the woman to feel shame and fear, as she recovered from her C-section and tried to breastfeed and bond with her baby, the charge alleges. The Illinois Department of Human Rights did not respond to questions about the charge Thursday. But the department can mediate and investigate complaints and issue findings. If it finds substantial evidence of the charge, the complaint can be taken to court or filed with the Illinois Human Rights Commission, among other outcomes. Its an issue thats come up in other states as well. A lawsuit was filed in 2020 in Pennsylvania involving a woman who said her urine was tested for drugs without her consent shortly before she gave birth. Also, National Advocates for Pregnant Women, which is based in New York, recently worked with the New York Civil Liberties Union to file complaints with that states Division of Human Rights on behalf of two new mothers who say they were given drug tests without their consent at a New York hospital and received false positives because they ate poppy seeds. Advertisement The Wood Dale woman reached out to National Advocates for Pregnant Women after hearing about the cases in New York, Roth said. National Advocates for Pregnant Women is a nonprofit that focuses on the human and civil rights, health and welfare of pregnant and parenting women. A spokeswoman for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said Thursday the group couldnt comment on how commonly hospitals perform drug tests on pregnant women. The group, however, says that routine screening for substance use disorders can be done through conversations with patients or through questionnaires, and routine lab testing is not required. When doctors must test patients for drugs, for medical or legal reasons, there is an ethical responsibility to notify patients of this testing and make a reasonable effort to obtain informed consent, according to the groups guidance. The group encourages doctors to be aware of their states reporting requirements related to drug abuse by pregnant women, and to work with their state lawmakers to retract legislation that punishes women for substance abuse during pregnancy. Illinois is one of 25 states where health care providers are required to report suspected prenatal drug use, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Eight states require testing when prenatal drug use is suspected, but Illinois is not one of them, according to the institute. lschencker@chicagotribune.com QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) Twin attacks by separatists on Pakistani military posts in the volatile southwestern Baluchistan province triggered intense firefights that lasted hours and killed seven soldiers and 13 assailants, Pakistan's interior minister and the military said Thursday. A recently formed separatist group, the Baluchistan Nationalist Army, had claimed responsibility for the attacks late Wednesday in a post on Twitter. In one of the attacks, four soldiers and nine militants were killed when the assailants raided a security camp in Baluchistan's remote Naushki district on Wednesday evening. The other attack, on a security post in the provinces Panjgur area, killed three soldiers and four militants, according to a statement released by the military. Pakistan's Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said the attacks were successfully repulsed. The military said Thursday that a total of 13 assailants were killed, revising an earlier, higher figure. A curfew was imposed in Panjgur on Thursday, after indications that some of the assailants had fled to a nearby bazar, according to Baluchistan's Home Minister Ziaullah Langov. He spoke to reporters in Quetta, the Baluchistan provincial capital. The military said that along with the seven martyred soldiers, four others were wounded. It also said a clearing-up operation was still underway in Panjgur and that intelligence indicated the attackers had aides in two neighboring countries, India and Afghanistan. As per an initial investigation, intelligence agencies have intercepted communications between the terrorists and their handlers in Afghanistan and India," the statement said. The military provided no evidence but Pakistan has long accused India of supporting Baluch separatists. The two countries have a history of bitter relations and have fought two of their three wars over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir since gaining independence from Britain in 1947. Story continues Separatists and militants have regularly staged attacks in Baluchistan in recent years. Last week, militants killed 10 soldiers in an attack on a a security post there. The separatists demand independence from the central government in Islamabad. Authorities say they have quelled the insurgency, but violence in Baluchistan has persisted. The militant Pakistani Taliban group Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP also has a presence in Baluchistan. It is an umbrella group that is separate from the Afghan Taliban. Last November, Pakistan reached a month-long cease-fire with the TTP, which has been behind numerous deadly attacks on security forces and civilians. The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in mid-August has emboldened the TTP, which has stepped up attacks in Pakistan, especially after the cease-fire expired. Also Thursday, gunmen shot and killed two policemen and wounded another near a bazar in Nowshera, a town in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, according to local police official Umar Khan. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a posting on Twitter. ___ Associated Press Writer Riaz Khan contributed to this story from Peshawar, Pakistan. Annie Suwan Toborowsky will have to wait even longer to be with her family. In PEOPLE's exclusive clip of David & Annie: After the 90 Days, Annie's brother Jordan and cousin Amber are denied American visas. The two family members go for an interview at the American Embassy in Thailand, only to be denied entry to America. "They said, 'Sorry, we can't give you a visa,'" Amber, 16, says to Annie and her husband David Toborowsky outside the embassy. While the family members are visibly upset, David, 53, shares his outrage over the immigration process. "It's not your fault," he reminds Annie's relatives. So, what exactly happened? Annie, 25, says the refusal had to do with Jordan's lack of English and Amber's attempt to help. "Amber said, 'I just want to help my brother read the paper, and they just told her 'Go. Get out. You're done. Get out. You're not gonna get [a] visa," she says. David & Annie: After the 90 Days TLC RELATED: 90 Day Fiance: 48-Year-Old Kentucky Man Proposes to 24-Year-Old 'True Love' in Thailand After 10 Days Together Annie also reveals that embassy officials asked Jordan, 14, if he was an "orphan," which David clarifies is an insult in Thailand. "Means you're not loved," he says in a confessional. Annie adds, "I can't believe they say that to the kids ... I see the kid walk outside with the tear in their eye. To call them orphan, to call them, 'You not good enough to go to America,' it's so unacceptable." The rejection took a mental toll on Amber and Jordan, as Amber tells the cameras, "When I knew I didn't get the visa, I felt like I've disappointed Annie and David. I felt like they have done so much for me, and I only had to go for a visa interview. And I failed." Jordan added, "Walking out of there, I had to hold back my emotions. I was walking out with my face straight and blank like I left my soul at the U.S. Embassy." Story continues David & Annie: After the 90 Days TLC RELATED: 90 Day Fiance Star Geoffrey Paschel Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison Without Possibility of Parole But David and Annie know it's not the teenagers' fault. "They have all the power," David says of the embassy officers. "If they don't like how they look, if they don't like how they sound, if they don't like anything, they say no." Originally from Thailand, Annie came to America after falling in love with David during season 5 of 90 Day Fiance. During their spinoff, David & Annie: After the 90 Days, they announced they'd be bringing Amber and Jordan to live with them in America. The couple flew to Thailand for the occasion, but what happens next is still uncertain. David & Annie: After the 90 Days airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on TLC. An activist group is calling for the release of body-worn camera footage in the fatal Lafayette Police shooting of Tyron Coates. Coates was shot and killed by police on Jan. 23. A Lafayette Police officer tried to pull over Coates, who was driving a car that had been reported as stolen, according to Louisiana State Police, who was asked to investigate the shooting. Coates pulled into a parking lot and ran from officers. The 24-year-old later reached for a gun, which was reportedly visible, and one of the LPD officers fatally shot him, according to state police. Officers told Coates not to grab the gun. The Village 337, a Lafayette activist group led by Devon Norman, is calling for the body-worn camera to be released to corroborate the official account. "We're not here to defend Tyron's actions, or what may or may not have happened on that night," Norman said. "But what we need to know, everybody needs to know, what happened on that night because it involved people that we pay and that we expect to protect and serve." Norman said The Village 337 and other groups in Louisiana are advocating for legislative changes that would require departments to release body camera footage in officer shootings within 48 hours, circumventing departments from saying it's under investigation and therefore not releasable. But until then, Norman wants to put pressure on agencies to release the videos themselves in the name of transparency, something he said LPD has not done in the past. He pointed to the 2020 Lafayette Police killing of Trayford Pellerin. The body camera footage was not released until months later, after a grand jury declined to indict the officers in Pellerin's death. The long wait for footage left questions about whether the footage could have been tampered with, Norman said. A year later: Trayford Pellerin's death brought national reckoning to Lafayette More: Louisiana State Police detectives met with Gov. Edwards' top attorney about Ronald Greene case Story continues Norman also said releasing the video would help community members trust what state police conclude in their investigation. He said the Ronald Greene case has caused mistrust with the department that is typically called to investigate instances where an officer or sheriff's deputy shoots someone. Greene, a Black man, died following a violent interaction with State Police while under arrest in 2019 in Union Parish near Monroe after a high-speed chase and crash. His cause of death was first covered up by state troopers on the scene who said he died from injuries suffered in a car accident during their pursuit of him before the severity of his beating and investigators' records became public. "When it comes to the body cam footage being released, our hope is that the Louisiana State Police would want to start to depict themselves in the light of transparency," Norman said. "We want to put that pressure on them to say, 'listen, we already don't trust any investigation that's going to come out of your office. The only thing that we're going to be able to trust at this point is the immediate release of that footage.'" Contact Ashley White at adwhite@theadvertiser.com or on Twitter @AshleyyDi. This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Lafayette Police urged to release body cam footage in recent shooting Addison Rae launched a blue light mist just a few weeks after Valkyrae had to cancel her similar product due to backlash. Screen Break, RFLCT Addison Rae has just launched a "blue light mist" to protect skin from the blue light from screens. But this comes just a few months after streamer Valkyrae canceled the same product due to backlash. Experts say there is little scientific evidence that blue light from screens damages the skin. TikToker Addison Rae promoted a "blue light mist" as part of her Item Beauty skincare range this week, saying it can help protect skin from potential damage from electronic screens. However, this comes just a few months after streamer Valkyrae canceled the same product due to backlash. Experts and critics alike said there was little scientific basis for a spray to protect against the blue light emitted from screens, and there is no evidence yet that the light from screens specifically causes damage at all. Valkyrae, whose real name is Rachell Hofstetter, launched a skincare line called RFLCT in collaboration with Ideavation Labs in October last year, saying the product contained something called BLPR, a "blue light protection factor," which worked in a similar way to SPF protecting against the blue wavelengths rather than UV ones, and a rice extract that "protects against blue light pollution." However, the line was branded a "scam" by some critics, who noted the inconclusive research and determined it a cash grab. Two weeks later, RFLCT ceased to exist. On its website, a message stated "While we believe in the formulations created, after further reflection, have decided to move forward on new paths, effectively terminating the RFLCT brand." Rae launchd her mist, called Screen Break, three months later, claiming it is "clinically proven to protect skin from screen-emitted HEV blue light and daily pollution." It contains many similar ingredients as Hofstetter's RFLCT spray did mostly oils, cleansers, and plant extracts. When Hofstetter saw the advert for Screen Break, she tweeted "HOW IS THIS REAL?!" Story continues "I wouldn't be surprised if it's the same company," she said. Insider's Canela Lopez reported that experts were skeptical about whether light from phone and laptops caused any damage to skin as studies have been inconclusive. Dermatologist with Schweiger Dermatology Group in Philadelphia, Dr. Michele Farber, told Lopez that while research has shown increased inflammation and degradation of collagen from blue light exposure, scientists are still looking into whether the light emitted from screens is enough to cause similar damage. Most of the health concerns regarding overexposure to blue light is related to eye strain and vision problems, not skin, according to dermatologist Dr. Adam Mamelak. "It can also affect circadian rhythms and potentially disrupt sleep patterns," he told Insider. "This is why many don't recommend looking at screens late at night or while in bed." Circadian neuroscientist Professor Russell Foster, the director of Sleep & Circadian Neuroscience Institute, told Insider a blue light mist was "complete nonsense," and claiming it helps prevent against damage was "misleading." Dermatologist Dr. Beth Goldstein, the founder of Central Dermatology and Get Mr. skincare, told Insider that there are ways to test for blue light protection, but "they are not standardized and widely recognized." "Therefore making claims without documenting some type of attempt to validate your claims, while difficult, can be done," she said. Spectrometers can be used to see which wavelength of light a product absorbs, and cells can be tested to see levels of certain enxymes relating to antioxidant exposure. But overall, there is no "state of the art" standard testing yet, Goldstein said. From the Screen Break ingredients list, the only one that seems specifically tailored to blue-light protection is withania somnifera root extract, according to Goldstein. Niacinamide and mentha arvensis leaf oil may have potential antioxidant properties, she added, while dandelion root extract can protect against UVB waves. Overall, though, the degree of blue light protection is "unclear," Goldstein said, as the concentrations of the the ingredients is not stated. There is also no mention of physical blockers or light filters in the list, such as minerals including zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, or iron oxides in their formula, she added. Insider has reached out to representatives for Hofstetter and Rae for comment. Read the original article on Insider Two men convicted in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery told a judge in Georgia on Friday they'll go to trial on federal hate crime charges after a deal with prosecutors fell apart. Gregory McMichael and son Travis McMichael had reached a deal with federal prosecutors that their 2020 slaying of Arbery, who is Black, was a racially motivated attack. The white defendants, convicted in state court in November and sentenced to life behind bars, were going to admit their guilt in U.S. District Court in exchange for spending the first 30 years of their imprisonment in a federal penitentiary. But Arbery's family balked at the deal, insisting the men shouldn't be allowed to pick the locale of their confinement. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Wood on Monday said she wouldn't abide by the terms of the agreed sentence and gave both men until Friday to decide whether they wanted to withdraw their admissions of guilt and go to trial. In court on Friday, Travis McMichael formally withdrew his guilty plea. Lawyers for his father had filed papers on Thursday also saying he'd plead not guilty, opting for trial. During the brief hearing in Brunswick, Wood asked Travis McMichael if he had enough time to consult with his legal team before making this decision. "I have, your honor," he said. "I withdraw the plea." Their case will now go forward, with jury selection set to start on Monday. Lee Merritt, an attorney for Arbery's mother, said his client is pleased the federal trial will go forward. If convicted these men return to a Georgia state prison to serve out their life sentences," Merritt said. "If acquitted these men return to a Georgia state prison to serve out their life sentence. Its a win-win. That is what Wanda Cooper Jones demanded. That is what will happen." The McMichaels armed themselves and pursued Arbery in a truck after they saw him running through their neighborhood near Brunswick, about 60 miles north of Jacksonville, Florida, on Feb. 23, 2020. Travis McMichael fatally shot Arbery. The defense tried to argue that the McMichaels were conducting a citizens arrest, that they thought Arbery was a burglar and that Travis fired in self-defense. A nearly all-white jury convicted the McMichaels and another man, neighbor William Roddie Bryan, who also chased Arbery. Bryan was also sentenced to life, but he could eligible for parole after 30 years. By Allison Lampert MONTREAL (Reuters) -Europe's Airbus and Quebec on Friday said they have agreed to a $1.2 billion investment deal that would allow the Canadian province to remain in the loss-making A220 jet program until the venture is likely to turn profitable. Airbus would invest $900 mln, while Quebec would put $300 million into the program, according to a statement from the province's government. The investment would help the A220 program globally to support an increase in production, Benoit Schultz, chief executive of Airbus' Canadian unit, told a press briefing. The A220 is built both at an Airbus plant in the Montreal area and at the Mobile facility in Alabama. The A220, previously known as the CSeries, is a 110- to 130-seater aircraft, a little smaller than Airbuss mainstay A320 jet. Reuters reported on the deal earlier, citing sources. The province has faced criticism for repeated investments in the program. Airbus Chief Executive Guillaume Faury said the program should be profitable by the middle of the decade. Faury told reporters that COVID-19 weighed on cost-cutting efforts because it impeded production increases. "We need volume to have these savings," he said. Quebec Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon said the A220 program has promise to turn the corner and generates key jobs for the province, Canada's aerospace hub. The deal would help maintain the equivalent of 2,500 jobs. The deal would defer by four years the period when Airbus buys out Quebec's 25% stake in the small jetliner from 2026 to 2030, and Fitzgibbon said that could be advantageous. "At that time we're going to have a fair market value assessment and I'm very hopeful we're going to make money and recuperate the original investment," he said. While the A220 has benefited from airlines' preference for relatively small jets during the pandemic, Airbus has yet to secure low enough prices for many of the plane's components to push the A220 project into the black. Story continues Airbus was expected to use its global marketing network and higher purchasing power from suppliers to move the project into the black, but while sales have soared, industry sources say it has struggled to win the concessions it wants from suppliers. In 2020, Canada's Bombardier exited the program, the first all-new narrow-body jet in 30 years, after it was beset with delays and cost overruns. (Reporting By Allison Lampert in Montreal and Tim Hepher in Paris; additional reporting by Ismail Shakil in Bengaluru; Editing by David Ljunggren, Elaine Hardcastle, Kirsten Donovan and Mark Porter) U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel meets with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida New U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Friday, saying he would "wholeheartedly work every day on behalf of the ideals of the alliance" between the two countries, The Associated Press reported. Emanuel spoke with Kishida about regional issues including military actions from China and missile tests from North Korea. Kishida praised the U.S. ambassadorship, saying that it "symbolizes the iron-clad bond of the Japan-U.S. alliance," and commended the former Chicago mayor in his role. The U.S. and Japan have recently experienced some friction due to coronavirus outbreaks spreading from U.S. military bases in the country. COVID-19 cases have grown especially in Okinawa, which houses most of the tens of thousands of American troops living in Japan. Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said Friday that any tension is a result of miscommunication on the part of both countries. Emanuel was former President Obama's chief of staff for his first term and a senior adviser to former President Clinton's administration. He was also previously a congressman. His confirmation was not without controversy: Multiple House progressives urged the Senate to reject his nomination over his handling of the investigation into the Chicago police shooting of Laquan McDonald in 2014. Emanuel will be officially placed in his ambassadorship after he meets Japanese Emperor Naruhito in a palace ceremony. The U.S. ambassadorship to Japan has been vacant since July 2019, when former Ambassador William Hagerty left the position to run for Senate. By Ahmad Ghaddar and Alex Lawler LONDON (Reuters) - After a month in which oil prices surged 15% and geopolitical tensions seethed around the world, OPEC and its allies took a record-quick 16 minutes to decide that they would stick to their previously planned output increase. Apparently, there were no lengthy discussions at Wednesday's meeting about member nations of the producer group failing to hit their production targets or about one of the busiest months on the geopolitical front in years, featuring: a potential war between Russia and Ukraine; rare unrest in Kazakhstan; hints of progress in nuclear talks progress between the United States and Iran; and repeated Houthi drone attacks on the United Arab Emirates. They instead chose to complete their regular monthly meeting in record time, avoiding any thorny discussions. OPEC+, which groups the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies led by Russia, agreed to a small increase for March, raising the collective oil production target by 400,000 barrels per day (bpd). Brent crude prices hit a seven-year high of $91.70 a barrel on Jan 28 and are currently trading at about $90. Several OPEC+ delegates said the latest leg of oil's rally was a result of concern over the potential for supply disruption due to conflict rather than an issue with undersupply. "Prices are high not because of market fundamentals but because of geopolitics," one delegate said. The source said, however, that geopolitical tensions were not discussed. "Nothing political (was) raised," he said. The group has been making the same monthly adjustment to targets since August as it slowly unwinds record cuts made at the height of the pandemic, when fuel demand slumped worldwide. OPEC+ has fallen well short of meeting the rising target, and is trailing the recovery in fuel demand, because several members failed to make needed investments to maintain oilfields during the pandemic. Story continues As well as the international crisis over Ukraine, tension this month also arose on the Arabian Peninsula where Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have launched drones and missiles to attack the United Arab Emirates in an escalation of a conflict with a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia. "A geopolitical premium is baked into prices with the Russia-Ukraine standoff continuing and trigger-happy Houthi rebels in Yemen," PVM analyst Stephen Brennock said. CAPACITY CONSTRAINTS Asked about the main driver behind the decision, another OPEC+ delegate said, "This decision ... suits everyone, both those who have the capacity to increase their supply and those who cannot". "With this decision, we maintain the cohesion of the group and we leave the difficult discussions for later," he added, referring to dwindling capacity among some members. OPEC+ data shows that in 2021 the group produced on average over 800,000 bpd below its production targets as some - mainly Western African - producers struggled with underinvestment. The group's lack of spare capacity -- idled oilfields ready to come online quickly to deal with unexpected outages in global supply -- along with a post-pandemic demand recovery, has put a charge into energy prices and driven global inflation higher. Just a few producers hold most of that global spare capacity: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq. Several analysts, including Goldman Sachs, argue that the very thin spare capacity could push oil prices over the $100 mark later this year. U.S. sanctions are also keeping millions of barrels of production offline in Iran and Venezuela. The quick decision gives the group more time to wait for the direction of the Iran nuclear talks with the West which would pave the way for the lifting sanctions on oil exports from the OPEC member. Indirect talks between the United States and Iran are entering the "final stretch," with all sides having to make tough political decisions, a senior U.S. State Department official said this week. Meanwhile Iranian oil minister Javad Owji was quoted as saying Tehran was ready to return to the oil market quickly, which could boost supply by an additional 1.5 million bpd. This month, China's customs reported the first import of Iranian crude in a year despite ongoing sanctions, offloading nearly 4 million barrels of Iranian crude oil into state reserve tanks. "The White House has already seemingly dispensed with the maximum pressure sanctions enforcement policy, and more Iranian(and Venezuelan) barrels are making their way to China," RBC Capital's Helima Croft said. Any nuclear deal with Iran will most likely force OPEC+ to rearrange its production quotas to make room for Iranian barrels as in previous years. Extra Iranian supply, however, could help plug the hole in OPEC+'s output target misses, one of the sources said. (Editing by David Gregorio) Athens-Clarke County Commissioner Patrick J. Davenport will perform 40 hours of community service as part of his sentence after he recently pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol. Athens-Clarke County State Court Judge Charles Auslander also sentenced Davenport on Jan. 25 to 12 months on probation, a $725 fine and ordered him to attend a DUI risk-reduction program. Patrick Davenport Davenport was arrested in September 2021 on College Station Road, where an Athens-Clarke police officer responded to a report from a person who reported seeing a GMC SUV with two flat tires and what appeared to be an intoxicated driver. Davenport was charged with DUI after he failed field sobriety tests and had a blood alcohol level of 0.216%. The legal limit is 0.08%. Davenport is up for re-election later this year in his District 1 seat. As part of his probation, Davenport has been ordered to abstain from drinking alcohol and must submit to random drug testing. More: Athens-Clarke commissioner Patrick Davenport arrested early Saturday This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Athens-Clarke commissioner sentenced after pleading guilty in DUI case Happy Thursday, Chicago. When Ive got a question about Chicago past and present there are two people I turn to: Kori Rumore and Marianne Mather. These two journalism pros have been at the Chicago Tribune for almost a decade, but their institutional knowledge of the city stretches back much, much further. Few have delved as deeply into this 174-year-old newspapers archives, and their ability to showcase our history in ways that resonate just as powerfully today has always impressed me. If youre a history buff, too, I highly recommend signing up for their new Vintage Chicago Tribune newsletter, where theyll be sharing highlights from the archives each week. This week, its the real-life women who inspired the movie and Broadway show Chicago, and a 1963 shot of a future presidential candidate being arrested. In slightly more recent news, weve got a review of Holu steakhouse in East Pilsen, a hilarious interview with actor Ike Barinholtz, and a beer writers lessons from Dry January and the nonalcoholic beers hell be keeping in his 2022 rotation. See you next week. Ariel Cheung, Food & Travel editor 1. Owner Jason Song prepares the grill for the Meat Paradise, which includes a variety of meats, salad, soup, and vegetables, at Holu, 2101 S. Jefferson St., on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune) As he took his first bite of a 45-day dry-aged rib-eye at Holu, Tribune food critic Nick Kindelsperger found himself marveling over the seemingly infinite complexity. The rest of the meal played out accordingly follow along in Kindelspergers latest review. Advertisement 2. Sebastian Stan plays Tommy Lee alongside Lily James as Pamela Anderson in Hulu's "Pam & Tommy." (Erin Simkin/Hulu) The star power behind this new Hulu biopic TV series is winsome, writes Tribune critic Nina Metz, who finds Sebastian Stan and Lily James performances in Pam & Tommy a terrific balancing act. But even as the show seeks vindication for Pamela Anderson, who bore the brunt of many a tabloid wisecrack, it rings hollow for one major reason, Metz says. Advertisement 3. Tijuana-style tacos from Tacos El Rey on the East Side. (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune) Few dishes spread as rapidly in Chicago as quesabirria tacos, a specialty born in Tijuana, Mexico, did in 2020. But Tijuana has more to teach us about tacos than just that beefy, cheesy delight, writes the Tribunes Nick Kindelsperger, who checks out newly opened Tacos El Rey near 95th Street and South Ewing Avenue in his never-ending quest for the citys best tacos. Advertisement 4. Ike Barinholtz (left) and Zoe Chao in The Afterparty." (Aaron Epstein/Apple TV+) The most entertaining thing Ive read in weeks is Tribune critic Nina Metzs one-on-one with Ike Barinholtz, the Chicago native starring in Apple TV+ comedic whodunit The Afterparty. In sidesplitting fashion, Barinholtz goes from observational asides I dont know what it is about my personality but when I get hurt, people laugh a lot to recounting a mortifying mishap involving a sunburn, cold yogurt and a wrong turn to the bathroom. Advertisement 5. Stacks of cans of Riwakama ready to be filled with beer at the Hop Butcher for the World, at 5 Rabbits old brewery in Bedford Park, Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) Make that two new breweries for Hop Butcher for the World. Months after announcing it would buy Half Acres original brewery on Chicagos North Side, the craft brewery with an ardent fan base has bought an even larger production facility in south suburban Bedford Park. Tribune beer reporter Josh Noel has the scoop both on Hop Butchers plans and where 5 Rabbit will move following the sale. Advertisement 6. A variety of chocolate bonbons from Sugoi Sweets in Naperville on Friday, Jan. 28, 2022. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) Got Valentines Day plans yet? While restaurant reservations are booking up fast, theres still time to order one heck of a box of chocolates. Perhaps consider Sugoi Sweets, the Naperville-based brain child of pastry chef Elle Lei, whose experiences at Lena Brava and sampling Japanese sweets in Kyoto shaped her own virtual sweet shop. Advertisement 7. Non-alcoholic beers, Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune) Just two days of Dry January made Tribune beer writer Josh Noel realize something important: what he likes most about beer are qualities like aroma, flavor and nuance. Alcohol just happens to help deliver those things, Noel writes in his Dry January recap. But alcohol itself? I didnt miss it much at all. In fact, Noel expects hell keep drinking nonalcoholic beers on the odd weeknight specifically, his six favorites from the monthlong ritual. Advertisement 8. Seidi Haarla, left, and Yuriy Borisov in a scene from "Compartment No. 6." (Sami Kuokkanen/AP) Head to The Music Box in the Lakeview neighborhood starting Friday to catch what Tribune film critic Michael Phillips considers an early 2022 front-runner. Compartment No. 6 is tough-minded and tenderhearted in equal measure, Phillips writes. Read the full review here. Advertisement 9. The eye- and ear-popping, brilliantly choreographed new Broadway show at the Neil Simon Theatre in New York, MJ, is set during the creative process for a Michael Jackson world tour. (Matthew Murphy) Jukebox musicals about megastars always are controlled either by the artist or an estate, Tribune theater critic Chris Jones notes in his review of the new Broadway show MJ: The Musical. That means the show, which focuses on the creative process ahead of the early 90s Dangerous world tour, makes no meaningful mention of the allegations of child abuse that followed the pop star in life and posthumously. Jones examines whether the brilliant choreography and superb star Myles Frost can make up for the omission in his latest write-up. Advertisement 10. Lisa Gaye Dixon and James A. Williams in August Wilsons "Gem of the Ocean" at the Goodman Theatre. (Liz Lauren photo/HANDOUT) August Wilson was Americas William Shakespeare, writes Tribune theater critic Chris Jones, and Gem of the Ocean was his version of Macbeth. If thats not enough to convince you to head straight for the Loop, check out our full review, in which Jones applauds compelling performances in a gripping supernatural exploration of the Black experience in America. Baltimore States Attorney Marilyn Mosby pleaded not guilty to federal charges of perjury and making false statements Friday, and is seeking a speedy trial within the next two months. The citys top prosecutor, who is up for reelection, went before by U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Mark Coulson in a virtual initial appearance and arraignment hearing. Were going to be asking for a speedy trial date within 60 days, Mosbys attorney, A. Scott Bolden, told the court. Bolden declined to comment after the hearing. Mosby was indicted Jan. 13 on two counts of perjury and two counts of making false statements on loan applications to buy a pair of properties in Florida. She entered a not guilty plea to all four counts. Mosby, Bolden and Mosbys supporters have claimed the case is politically and racially motivated, and she has pledged to fight the charges. I wanted the people of Baltimore to hear it from me: Ive done nothing wrong, she said last month. Dont be fooled. We are now five months from my next election, and this indictment is merely a political ploy by my political adversaries to unseat me. Mosby is expected to run in the Democratic primary on June 28 to seek a third, four-year term. At Fridays brief hearing, Bolden again described the case against Mosby as politically charged. He told the judge that he is seeking all discovery materials in the case and that he intends to file a number of pretrial motions. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leo Wise said the defense has not sent a formal request for discovery, but the federal prosecutors office will comply when it receives one. Wise also told the judge that a trial is expected to last four days. A Feb. 18 deadline is set for motions in the case, and a conference call with U.S. District Judge Lydia Griggsby, who is overseeing the case, is scheduled for at 11 a.m. Feb. 23. Griggsby, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in June, is the first woman of color to become a U.S. district judge in Maryland. Story continues During the 15-minute hearing, Coulson asked Mosby whether she had reviewed the indictment, and whether she understood the four counts against her and the potential penalties. Yes, Your Honor, I do, she said. Coulson then advised her of her constitutional rights to remain silent, and the right to be represented by counsel at all stages of the proceedings. Wise said the government was not asking for Mosby to be detained pending trial. Federal prosecutors allege that Mosby falsely claimed she suffered financial hardship during the coronavirus pandemic to obtain an early withdrawal from her retirement savings without facing tax penalties. The federal CARES Act allowed individuals to make early withdrawals without penalties if they experienced financial hardships during the pandemic as a result of being quarantined, furloughed, or laid off; having fewer work hours; being unable to work due to lack of child care; or the closing or reduction of hours of a business they owned or operated. Mosby did not face any of those circumstances, and received her full gross states attorney salary of $247,955, according to the indictment. At a news conference last month, Bolden provided a defense in the case, saying that Mosby was eligible to make early withdrawals without facing penalties. He said that her private businesses, Mahogany Elite Travel, Mahogany Elite Enterprises LLC and Mahogany Elite Consulting, detailed in her financial disclosures in 2020, were impacted by the pandemic. A spokeswoman for Mosby said in 2020 that the businesses were not yet active, and were considered a long-term venture. There are no plans to operate the company while she is states attorney, the spokeswoman said. Federal prosecutors also said that Mosby purchased two properties in Florida, and lied on the mortgage loan applications by failing to disclose a federal tax lien against her and her husband, Democratic City Council President Nick Mosby, who has not been charged. Bolden has said Mosby was unaware of the lien at the time of the applications. Prosecutors also allege that Mosby did not disclose that she planned to rent one property, which allowed her to obtain a lower interest rate on the mortgage for the property. The indictment said Mosby already had entered into an agreement with a property management company, giving it control over the rental of the property. BALTIMORE Baltimore States Attorney Marilyn Mosby pleaded not guilty to federal charges of perjury and making false statements Friday, and is seeking a speedy trial within in the next two months. The citys top prosecutor, who is up for re-election, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Mark Coulson in a virtual initial appearance and arraignment hearing Friday. Were going to be asking for a speedy trial date within 60 days, Mosbys attorney A. Scott Bolden told the court. Mosby was indicted Jan. 13 on two counts of perjury and two counts of making false statements on loan applications to buy a pair of properties in Florida. She pleaded entered a not guilty plea to all four counts Friday. Federal prosecutors allege that she with falsely claimed she suffered financial hardship during the pandemic to obtain an early withdrawal from her retirement savings without facing any penalties. The CARES Act allowed individuals to make early withdrawals without penalties if they experienced financial hardships during the pandemic as a result of being quarantined, furloughed, or laid off; having fewer work hours; being unable to work due to lack of child care; or the closing or reduction of hours of a business she owned or operated. Mosby did not face any of those circumstances, and said she received her full gross states attorney salary of $247,955, according to the indictment. Mosby, her attorney, and other supporters have claimed the case is politically and racially motivated. At Fridays brief hearing, Bolden again described the case against Mosby as politically charged. He told the judge that he is seeking all discovery materials in the case and that he intends to file a number of pretrial motions. Assistant United States Attorney Leo Wise said defense has not sent a formal request for discovery, but that when a request is filed the office will comply. Wise also told the judge that a trial is expected to last four days. A Feb. 18 deadline is set for motions in the case, and a conference call with District Judge Lydia Griggsby, who is overseeing the case, is scheduled for at 11 a.m. on Feb. 23. Story continues Griggsby, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in June, is the first woman of color to become a U.S. district judge in Maryland. During the 15-minute hearing, Coulson asked Mosby if there is anything that would make it difficult to understand. No, your honor she responded. The judge then asked whether she has reviewed the indictment, and whether she understood the four counts against her and and the potential penalties. Yes, your honor, I do, she said. Coulson then advised her of her constitutional rights to remain silent, and the right to be represented by counsel at all stages of the proceedings. Wise said the government was not asking Mosby to be detained pending trial. Glass breaks in front of Pikachu who reacts by making a shocked face. Anitubers and copyright owners have entered their tournament arc. Anime content creators on YouTube have been entrenched in a brutal fair use battle with aggressive Japanese copyright owners for a while now, but as one content creator tells it, things are starting to get out of control. Japanese companies dont want YouTubers using their footage. YouTubers need clips to critique, parody, and craft all sorts of content. While some anime YouTubers in recent bouts against Japanese companies successfully argued that their content falls under transformative fair use, others are facing what theyre calling The Shopro gambit. To understand where anime YouTube is now, we need to look back on events that transpired in late 2021. Back in December of last year, Mark Fitzpatrick, a popular anime reviewer from the YouTube channel Totally Not Mark, got hit with 150 copyright strikes by Toei Animationa grave number that would normally shutter a channel. Fortunately, however, YouTube stepped in and started enforcing a policy that gives content creators a bit more wiggle room when faced with legal removal requests from copyright owners. The new YouTubes policy allows owners like Toei to have videos from content creators removed from YouTube only in places like Japan, where the copyright holder resides, while allowing videos to remain up in other territories that have fair use policies. Read more While this policy was heralded as a win for content creators, legal action dubbed the Shopro gambit has everyone scared once more. According to Suede, a New Zealand YouTuber whos been making Pokemon and anime parodies for eight years, the legal strategy goes well beyond allowing Japanese companies to circumvent YouTubes copyright policy. The tactic, if implemented successfully, could force content creators into a prolonged, financially taxing international court battle that could jeopardize YouTube channels of any size. Although this strategy has apparently already claimed the likes of Suedes moderately sized YouTuber channel, as he noted in a series of tweets, he is now trying to warn others about the tactic out of fear that it might gain traction. Given how aggressive Japanese companies have been in the past regarding copyright ownership, he thinks every anime content creator, big or small, is on the chopping block as well. Story continues The Shopro gambit, as he calls it in the video, naming it after the production company behind the Pokemon anime, is essentially a slapp suit which is commonly used to intimidate a defendant from fighting back against a plaintiff. While the thing could go to court, the strategy assumes that the defendant will consider it too much of a hassle to pursue. If other Japanese companies decide to use this legal action, they can circumvent YouTubes counterclaim system and fair use policy to bully content creators both small and large. The fear is that, by doing so, these companies can have beloved channels purged from the platform, even if ostensibly some of these content creators not only love anime, they also provide free PR for their media. While its a fairly common legal tactic, many YouTubers are independent creators who may not have the resources to fight backso theres a sense of urgency in seeing big corporations start to adopt the tactic. From this point on, there are a million swords hanging over a million heads all held up by a single hair each. They might never drop, but they might also all drop tomorrow, he said. So many lawyers Local lawyers International lawyers Japanese Lawyers in NZ NZ lawyers in Japan lawyers specialising in IP that aren't equipped for international law lawyers specialising in international that don't do IP Time for more screaming SUEDE (@SuedeBlade) January 24, 2022 In YouTube-speak, Suede has three months to decide whether he wants to: 1) Ignore Shopros small claim and have his channel taken down anyway 2) Fight Shopro by hiring a Japanese lawyer to contest fair use for his videos under Japans strict interpretation of the policy and likely go bankrupt in the process 3) Pay Shopro 80,200 ($700 USD, and $1000 NZD) and set a precedent for other aggressive copyright owners to issue anime YouTubers financially draining legal action of their own. Read More: YouTuber Hit With Ungodly Number Of Anime Copyright Strikes Gets A Win For Everyone Suede has yet to decide how he wants to proceed with the claim but has come to terms with his channel being deleted and has created a new channel. Although the future of anime YouTubers looks uncertain, Suede started the hashtag #Geoblocking4all on Twitter as a call to action for YouTube. Currently, only content creators participating in MCNs can geo-block their content to help prevent the ire from aggressive companies, but Suede argues that YouTube should allow all content creators to geo-block content to prevent this from occurring in the future. But if this solution comes to light, it isnt foolproof. Suede said this solution can open up another massive can of legal worms by allowing piracy to run rampant on YouTube if it doesnt single out geoblocking Japan. INSANELY IMPORTANT VIDEO. ShoPro has sued and fined a 20k sub anime YouTuber to circumvent ContentID and strike his videos with no recourse besides going to court in Japan. The only defense we might have is to convince @TeamYouTube to give us #Geoblocking4all. https://t.co/Q1udawUC8u Geoff Thew (@G0ffThew) February 2, 2022 The only other alternative would be for anime YouTubers to not use any video, audio, or imagery from any Japanese I.P. forcing creators to shoot their content like a TV talking head in front of custom assets or nothing at all, which would effectively be a change for the worse for the anime YouTube community, according to Suede. Youtube is in a really bad situation too, and it needs to make a decision relatively quickly, he told Kotaku. It either needs to allow geoblocking to all users so that [they] arent at the complete mercy of Japanese rights holders, or continue its current policy, which could result in an entire demographic being purged from its base. A YouTube spokesperson told Kotaku, When YouTube receives a valid lawsuit regarding a creators content that allegedly infringes copyright, we may remove the content until there is a legal decision, which is what weve done in this case. We also reached out to Shopro but didnt hear back by time of publication. Youtube used to be a place where people could share a lot of transformative content that brought us together as fans, with content like reviews, music videos, fan art and parodies giving us a sense of community, Suede told Kotaku. But with this suit, a switch has been flipped and I feel like a harbinger of the end times. Update: 2/7/2022 10:50 a.m. ET: The post has been updated to include a comment from YouTube. BEDFORD Indiana has been gripped by winter storm Landon, which has brought freezing rain, snow accumulation, sleet and ice throughout the state. While the winter system is not projected to cause any more precipitation, frigid temperatures are moving into the region alongside extremely cold wind chills. This has led to multiple closings in Bedford and throughout Lawrence County. Be sure to check here for all the latest updates. School closings and delays can be found here. Keep checking these throughout the day as more updates become available. Road updates: Lawrence County under travel watch. The closures have also affected county government operations, as the Board of County Commissioners announced that all Lawrence County offices would shut down Friday. This decision delays the candidate filing deadline to noon Monday, Feb. 7. It was originally slated for noon Friday, Feb. 4. Local response Lawrence County received several inches of snow Wednesday and Thursday. The snow arrived shortly after rain, freezing rain and sleet showered down in the area Wednesday. Bedford Mayor Sam Craig said he is proud of the city's sustained efforts to treat the roads in a timely fashion to keep residents as safe as possible. "We have been working around the clock since Thursday morning around 4 a.m. plowing and salting. We have been running three shifts to cover a 24-hour time frame," Craig said. "Our employees have worked extremely hard during this snow event and have done an excellent job. We have been running five large plow trucks and two pickups with plows and sanders for smaller areas." Others are reading: North Lawrence Community Schools considering closure of Oolitic Middle School. The mayor laid out Bedford's strategy for the rest of Friday before cooler temperatures touch down in Bedford and the surrounding county areas over the weekend. "The crews this morning will be going over the roads again in a little more detail with daylight," he said. "We plan on having everything covered again and salted by 4 p.m. today. We want to have the roads in decent condition because of the falling temperatures tonight." Story continues There will still be cooler weather to contend with on Friday evening, with the wind chill dipping to -2 degrees Friday evening and calmer wind gusts of around 5 mph. Craig said this mix of snow that has been falling in Bedford since Wednesday and the declining temperatures could make traveling more difficult Saturday morning. The possibility of any ice forming beneath the snow remains a concern. "Travel will be somewhat challenging Saturday morning with some snow on the ground and the extremely cold temperatures," he said. Emergency Management Director Valerie Luchauer said roadways are in a much better condition thanks to the tireless efforts of county highway crews plowing and treating. She still cautioned anyone out driving to travel with care and at a reduced speed. "Roads are passable with using caution and having good tires," she said. More: Lawrence County Special Olympian to represent Team Indiana at USA Games. She thanked citizens for taking the necessary precautions by staying inside if they did not have to travel for work or an emergency. This extra space on the streets has made the cleanup efforts move forward without any hindrance. "Traffic has been light, which also enables county highway plows to get through to treat the roads," Luchauer said. Luchauer said the northwestern part of Lawrence County received six inches of snow and sleet. The southern and eastern portions of the county received an estimated total of 4 inches. "We are available and monitoring for any emergency requests and will do our best to fulfill those requests," Luchauer said. "We have not had any at this time." Weekend forecast According to the National Weather Service, the weather for the rest of Friday heading into the weekend will be considerably milder. All expected snowfall should stop around 9 a.m. Local news: Mitchell Community Schools Board approves $5 million bid for field turfing project. At this time of writing, Bedford is not expected to receive any more precipitation on Saturday or Sunday. Saturday will feature sunnier weather with a high of around 26 degrees and a low of 11 degrees. The wind chill will continue to be a factor to keep an eye out for, reaching as low as -2 degrees during the day and night. The weather on Sunday is projected to be warmer than the frigid, wintry temperatures of the last several days. The high on Sunday is 40 degrees while the low will be around 13 degrees. This article originally appeared on The Times-Mail: Bedford weather: Cleanup efforts multiply as freezing temps approach DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Throughout most of its 118-year history, Bethune-Cookman University has continually grown and evolved to meet the needs of its students. It's a place that accepts both academic stars and kids who need a second chance getting their lives on track. The private university has also become an important employer in Daytona Beach and a training ground for parts of the city's workforce. B-CU's history is intertwined with Daytona Beach's earliest days. The primary administration building, White Hall, and the on-campus home of school founder Mary McLeod Bethune are on the National Register of Historic Places. Yet two years ago, the institution known best for its beloved founder looked as if it could be headed for a sudden and tragic death. B-CU was sinking under the weight of legal and financial problems, but a mix of school, local and state officials joined forces to pull the university out of its bog. Now B-CU is hoping to carry on for another 118 years. A statue on the campus of Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida, depicts the school's founder, Mary McLeod Bethune, and quotes her from her 1954 visit to a rose garden in Bern, Switzerland: "This shall always be before me as a great interracial garden where men and women of all tongues, all nations, all creeds, all classes blend together helping to send out sunshine and love and peace and brotherhood that makes a better world in which to live." Sheila Flemming-Hunter, an adjunct history professor at Clark Atlanta University who wrote a book on B-CU, said the school's importance to Daytona Beach "is almost immeasurable." "Bethune-Cookman University is a major employer in Daytona Beach," said Flemming-Hunter, who has been a professor and held high-level administrative positions at B-CU, the University of Texas, the University of Maryland and Clark Atlanta University. Black History Month: In the crucible of historic change, I grew up Black and proud Unity without uniformity: 50 years later, ideology of 1972 National Black Political Convention still resonates Operation Breadbasket: How a 1966 economic boycott plan became Jesse Jackson's signature program B-CU has become part of Daytona's and Florida's economic engines, producing graduates who have gone on to careers in a wide range of professions, said Flemming-Hunter, an early 1970s graduate of B-CU. Abel Bartley, a professor of African American history at Clemson University, said B-CU's affiliation with the United Methodist Church has helped produce graduates who became ministers. Story continues Leonard Lempel, a retired history professor who taught at B-CU from 1980 to 1996 and Daytona State College from 1996 to 2015, said B-CU offered a place for Black students to earn a college degree and allowed a Black middle class to form in Daytona Beach. How B-CU came to be Bethune founded the Daytona Literary and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls in 1904. She started out with $1.50, five students and a rented house in the heart of Daytona's historically Black neighborhood. In 1923, the fledgling school began a two-year merger process with Cookman Institute For Boys in Jacksonville, Florida. Cookman Institute had been founded in 1872, and it was the first place in Florida where Black people could pursue an education. When the merger was complete in 1925, there was a new co-ed school called the Daytona-Cookman Collegiate Institute. Mary McLeod Bethune in 1905 with students of the school she founded the previous year. The Daytona Literary and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls would later merge with Cookman Institute for Boys to create the institution that today is known as Bethune-Cookman University. In 1931, the school became accredited by the Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools of the Southern States as a junior college, and the schools name was officially changed to Bethune-Cookman College. In 1941, a four-year degree program was developed in liberal arts and teacher training. While other historically Black colleges and universities too wounded by the Great Depression folded in the 1930s and 1940s, B-CU hung on and grew. Black, deaf and proud: Gallaudet University embraces commitment to diversity with student center War protests, Black Panther Party: Yale alums reflect on Black student movement of 1970s The college's offerings of courses and majors expanded over the decades, with fields of study increasing from 12 in 1975 to 37 by 2004. Then in 2007, Bethune-Cookman achieved university status. Today there are about 2,845 students at B-CU, and more than 19,000 have graduated from the university. B-CU avoids crash Several years after the advancement to university status, B-CU starting having problems that led to a flurry of lawsuits and financial difficulties so deep that the school was in danger of closing its doors. Around 2015, a plan was in place for a company called Quantum to build two 600-bed dorms on the B-CU campus. On the surface it appeared to be an $85 million venture, but under a 40-year lease agreement with Quantum with escalating payments, B-CU would end up paying $306 million for the dorms. The school quickly ran into problems making the annual dorm payments. Multiple lawsuits were filed, including one brought by the university against former B-CU President Edison Jackson alleging fraud and bribery related to the $306 million construction deal. Students pass the Thomas and Joyce Hanks Moorehead Residential Life Center on the campus of Bethune-Cookman University. The dorms were built in 2016, but a dispute with a developer over the cost and financing terms led to a lengthy court battle. At the beginning of 2018, B-CU became embroiled in another lawsuit over another student housing project. The plan to build apartments a few blocks from campus was presented publicly as rental units for anyone, but a deal had been put together behind the scenes for the six-story apartment complex to be high-rent housing for B-CU students. B-CU stood to make $45 million by the end of a 27-year agreement with Heron Development. B-CU was going to receive $240,000 every year to manage the apartments, as well as 25% of the gross rent proceeds. University officials said Jackson approved the deal without the knowledge of the schools board of trustees. B-CU backed out of the deal not long after Jackson left the university, and Heron Development sued the school. In the summer of 2018, the university was placed on probation by its regional accreditor, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The accreditor cited failings in multiple areas, including integrity, governing board characteristics, financial resources, financial responsibility, and control of finances. The accreditation action followed significant financial losses by the university $28 million over the previous two years. In 2020, under the leadership of Jackson's successor, LaBrent Chrite, B-CU was able to regain its balance and move away from a financial plummet too great to survive. In March 2020, an array of officials helped B-CU secure $13 million in new annual state funding that would be recurring. Then in September 2020, the university was taken off probation and maintained its accreditation. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Daytona Beach's Bethune-Cookman University thriving after 118 years Three weeks ago, this column reported on warnings issued by the Biden administration about the dangers of spyware. Spyware is software that permits the user to hack a computer unseen, unheard and undetected. The manufacturer of the warned-about spyware is an Israeli company called NSO, and its product is called Pegasus. Pegasus permits its users to type in anyone's cell number and, without requiring a response from the operator of the mobile device, gain complete access to the full contents of that device. Even though doing this in America or to an American is a federal crime commonly called computer hacking the Israelis have used it as part of their intelligence services for about six years. They have also sold it to about a dozen foreign government entities who have used it for law enforcement, spying and harassing political opposition and journalists. One of the government entities that purchased Pegasus is the FBI. When the Biden administration warned against being victimized by Pegasus, it did not tell the American public that the government owns this spyware. We now know thanks to dogged reporting by Ronen Bergman and Mark Mazzetti of The New York Times that the FBI experimented with Pegasus from a warehouse in New Jersey for about two years before abandoning it. For two years, Phantom the American version of Pegasus was used on two tracks. It was employed experimentally by the FBI and debated theoretically by lawyers at the Department of Justice and the White House during the presidencies of Donald Trump and Joseph R. Biden. The Biden administration must have known of the coming Times expose, hence its recent odd warning. FILE - In this June 14, 2018, file photo, the FBI seal is seen before a news conference at FBI headquarters in Washington. The U.S. government on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021, said a devastating hack of federal agencies is "likely Russian in origin" and said the operation appeared to be an "intelligence gathering" effort. The assessment was disclosed in a rare public statement from the FBI and other investigative agencies. Pegasus and Phantom have a sordid history, nearly all of which involves former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Suffice it to say that the Israeli government acquired new international friends by permitting NSO to sell Pegasus to foreign governments that had never been aligned diplomatically with Israel. Story continues Suffice it also to say that Netanyahu and his government looked the other way when the purchasers of this software including the Israeli government itself used it to spy on political opponents and journalists. While foreign governments were having a field day with this, lawyers in the Trump and the Biden administrations were debating privately whether the use of Phantom violated federal computer hacking laws and violated the Fourth Amendment. The government defends its $5 million purchase by arguing that its use lets it avoid needing the permission of Big Tech in order to spy on Americans. The government told the Times reporters that it needs to know about spy tools so it can "combat crime and ... protect both the American people and our civil liberties." This is an absurd defense for the acquisition of tools that on their face present no lawful purpose. It is also absurd to think that the government even remotely cares about civil liberties. The history of human freedom is the history of government assaulting civil liberties. There is no lawful purpose to this spyware because the Fourth Amendment requires a search warrant for all surveillance, and it requires that the warrant specifically describe the place to be searched and the person or thing to be seized. Because Phantom does not focus on narrow data, but gives its users full access to the contents of one's mobile device, it is a per se violation of the Fourth Amendment. Notwithstanding the facial unconstitutionality of this software, government lawyers took two years to advise the FBI to stop using it. We know from the Times' reporters that the FBI conducted experiments and tests before the DOJ told it to cease doing so, but we do not know on whom the tests and experiments were conducted. The reason the feds gave for telling the FBI to cease using Phantom is the need to balance civil liberties with public safety. It was apparently the consensus of DOJ and White House lawyers that balance favored civil liberties. Whenever a government official or politician suggests the need to balance civil liberties against public safety, get ready for a red herring, and note that he is either a deceiver or a fool. There is no such thing as a balance between liberty and safety. The relationship between the two is not balance; it is bias a bias for liberty. Because our rights come from our humanity, and our humanity is a gift from God, our rights are natural to us. For those who do not recognize the existence of a Supreme Being, you know that humans are the most intelligent beings on earth, and we can reason and act freely upon our reasoning. Those human characteristics reason and freedom come from within us. Andrew P. Napolitano Hence, whether divinely given or humanly crafted, freedom comes from within us, and not from the government. Because it is natural to us like our hair and feet and faces it is not subject to the whims of our neighbors or the caprice of government. Thus, since freedom is the default position, we can see the natural bias in favor of it. Government is the opposite. It is, as Ludwig von Mises famously said, the negation of freedom. This is not theoretical hairsplitting. It goes to the core of the relationship of all persons to the state, whether the issue is masks on the face, chemicals in the veins, travel in times of fear, or work in times of tumult, the government must recognize that our freedoms are natural and its incursions upon them are no more than the arbitrary use of force to gain political favor or power. All government domestic spying is a violation of personal freedom; and that conclusion should not have taken lawyers two years and $5 million to reach. Then again, those lawyers work for the government. Andrew P. Napolitano, a former New Jersey Superior Court Judge, has published nine books on the U.S. Constitution. This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: Andrew Napolitano: A bias for liberty President Joe Biden looks at his notes during an event to discuss gun violence strategies, at police headquarters, Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, in New York. AP Photo/Alex Brandon President Joe Biden spoke out against gun violence in New York City on Thursday. He promised to support New York Mayor Eric Adams in cracking down on violent crime in the city. Biden also spoke of increasing police budgets across the country. President Joe Biden pledged in a speech in New York City Thursday that he would support police and crack down on gun violence in the city. During his visit, the president expressed support of New York Mayor Eric Adams' anti-crime plan. Adams' 15-page "Blueprint to End Gun Violence" aims, in part, to put more New York Police Department officers on the streets, offer youth employment opportunities, and provide an improved crisis management system. The plan also hopes to partner with federal prosecutors on gun prosecutions. "The answer is not to abandon our streets," Biden said. "The answer is to come together, the police and communities, building trust and making us all safer." His remarks come after an increase in fatal shootings of NYPD officers. "And every day in this country, 316 people are shot, 106 are killed," Biden said. "Sixty-four children injured by gun violence so far this year, twenty-six killed." "Enough is enough," the president added. Biden said cities need to take four actions to keep communities safe: limit the sale of firearms, develop task forces to discuss shootings and arrests, put money into preventative crime and violence programs, and build better opportunities for people released from prison. Biden also urged Congress to pass a bill later this year that would give $300 million to police departments to hire more law enforcement officers that will "interact with the community, get to know the community, build trust in the community." "The answer is not to defund the police," Biden said. "It's to give you the tools, the training, the funding to be partners, to be protectors, and the community needs policing that treats everyone with respect and dignity." Story continues Critics have argued, however, that Adam's plan is counterproductive to public safety and that crime and police budgets do not go hand-in-hand. The president has been vocal about his opposition to efforts to defund the police a call made by left-wing advocates who argue that reallocating money from the police budget into communities is necessary to successfully bring about public safety. "What we need from the president is a comprehensive plan to end gun violence and one that doesn't rely on introducing even more violence by adding to bloated police departments," Alexis Confer, executive director of the gun control group March For Our Lives, told The Guardian. Read the original article on Business Insider jacoblund / Getty Images/iStockphoto Don't tell me what your priorities are, the old adage goes -- show me your budget and I'll tell you what your priorities are. Do you want to demonstrate your commitment to social and economic justice? Then patronize Black-owned businesses. There are 2.6 million Black-owned businesses in America, according to the Small Business Association. The overwhelming majority -- 2.6 million, or nearly 96% -- are nonemployee businesses run by sole proprietors. African-Americans own just 2.2% of the 6 million businesses that employ workers, according to USA Facts. Read: Oprah and 24 More Celebrities With Secret Business Empires Find Out: 5 Exceptional Banks and Credit Unions That Serve Communities of Color Black business owners are much more likely to be younger than the business-owning population as a whole and they're more likely to be women, as well. Together, Black-owned businesses employ about 975,000 people, roughly 840,000 of which work in small businesses with less than 500 employees. Two out of three -- 645,000 -- work in businesses with fewer than 100 workers. No matter what they do or sell, what product they make or what service they provide, each founder, co-founder, owner and CEO has a story to tell and a contribution to make. You can contribute by supporting them or any one of the many business owners like them today and every day. Chuleeporn / Shutterstock.com BeccaLovAccessories This Los Angeles-based Etsy shop specializes in high-quality, highly functional and super fashionable tote bags. The shop is owned and operated by Felicia Maxwell, who crafts all of her bags from exotic textiles and designs each tote to be waterproof. Bags are reasonably priced from $55 up. Check Out: 25 Biggest Companies You've Never Heard Of andresr / Getty Images BeautyStat Ron Robinson's skincare line is getting rave reviews for its ability to transform complexions. One of the top rated products is the Universal C Eye Perfector Cream which users claim helps to minimize dark circles and wake up the skin. Story continues More: 30 Ways Shopping Will Never Be the Same After the Coronavirus Shutterstock.com Marcus Books Marcus Books (named after the activist Marcus Garvey) is the oldest Black-owned bookstore in the country. The bookstore's founders, Drs. Raye and Julian Richardson, met at and attended Tuskegee University. The brick and mortar store is located in Oakland, California, but you can order online as well. Read: How a Side Hustle Can Help You Achieve Your Financial Goals Nina Buday / Shutterstock.com ClayJewelsByJules Run by Juliana Pache, this Etsy shop has a wide selection of beautiful handmade polymer clay earrings. Designs range from dangly moon shapes to rose-shaped statement studs. Prices start at just $14 a pair. Find: 25 Investments That Make You Feel Good While You Make Money ZoneCreative / Getty Images/iStockphoto Lemlem The entire artisan collection at Lemlem is made in Africa. This includes men, women and children's clothing, as well as home decor. Liya Kebede was born in Ethiopia and founded the company in 2007. Lemlem prides themselves on making sustainable and upcycled clothing. P_PHOTO / Getty Images/iStockphoto Oat Cinnamon If you're looking for expertly crafted flower arrangements, you need to check out Oat Cinnamon. Ryan Norville started the company in 2019, and has gained a large following on Instagram. Some of her clients include Warby Parker, Lulu and Nike. Delmaine Donson / Getty Images Melissa Simone Swim Want to upgrade your bathing suit? Look no further than the fashion-forward suits from Melissa Simone. Simone is inspired by '90s fashion sported by Christie Brinkley, Tyra Banks and Elle Macpherson. If that's your vibe, you have to check out this store. Look: 2 in 3 Americans Are Burnt Out: How To Not Fall Into the Overworked Trap Lesyy / Getty Images/iStockphoto The Furlough Cheesecake When sisters Jaqi Wright and Nikki Howard found themselves out of work during the government shutdown in 2018, the two made cheesecake to pass the time. Now, that's become a pretty sweet business. Flavors include classic, key lime, strawberry, pecan and more! PixelsEffect / Getty Images Nude Barre Erin Carpenter created Nude Barre after not being able to find hosiery that matched her skin color. You can take a quiz on the website to find your shade so your tights are a perfect match. RuslanDashinsky / Getty Images/iStockphoto JOSHICABEAUTY This Etsy shop run by Joshica Kiah Craig offers natural haircare products for 4C hair and skincare. Products come in an array of scents, like coconut, rosemary grapefruit and peppermint. All packaging is sustainable and products don't use harsh chemicals or artificial additives. More From GOBankingRates Andrew Lisa contributed to the reporting for this article. Photo Disclaimer: Please note photos are for representational purposes only. This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Black-Owned Businesses To Support Right Now Blocked From Mainstream Crowdfunding, Canadian Trucker Convoy Launches Replacement Fundraising Campaign PR Newswire OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 3, 2022 Canadian Truckers lose access to $10 Million in Funding for Food, Fuel, and Heat OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leaders of the national Canadian grassroots movement of truckers announced a new crowdsourcing campaign through the social media platform CloutHub to counter a recent block on their main fundraising page that collected over $10 million in donations. "There is no more important movement for freedom across the American continent right now than the Freedom Convoy 2022," said Jeff Brain, the founder of an all-in-one free speech social media platform CloutHub. "We are proud to support the Canadian truckers and will help support the other trucker movements popping up around the world to fight against unlawful mandates. CloutHub is where the world connects and organizes to take on the issues they care about, including defending liberty and freedom." Freedom Convoy 2022 has collaborated with social media platform CloutHub to organize their supporters and raise donations to replace the frozen funds. Crowdfunding for the truckers is available at freedomconvoy2022.org. These funds are meant to provide the truckers, who are protesting in temperatures as low as -25 F, with food and fuel. Without fuel, the truckers will have no heat which creates a serious humanitarian problem for those who are peacefully protesting the government vaccine mandates. In addition to the ongoing effort to suppress the protest, Big Tech social media has been removing groups and censoring content supporting the grassroots movement. CloutHub is an all-in-one platform that gives ordinary people the power to effectively connect, organize and address the issues they care about on a local, state, and national level. CloutHub's groundbreaking technology allows members to take action on the most pressing issues impacting their lives, communities, and country without fear of censorship. Story continues For more information, go to truckers.clouthub.com and https://app.clouthub.com/#/groups/FreedomConvoy2022. Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/blocked-from-mainstream-crowdfunding-canadian-trucker-convoy-launches-replacement-fundraising-campaign-301475395.html SOURCE CloutHub Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers recently gave an online talk on the state of Oak Ridge Schools to the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge. Bruce Borchers Borchers started the presentation by bragging about various programs at Oak Ridge Schools. One of them is the Innovative High School or iSchool Program. Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers "We're going to have something no other school in the region can offer and few in the country," Borchers said of iSchool. Oak Ridge Schools received $1.241 million from the Tennessee Department of Education as part of the Innovative High School grants. The grant is going to fund salaries and equipment for teaching an advanced manufacturing program, although both the state and the school system have described the program in much broader terms. Our aim is to teach better thinking everyone, everywhere, every day, stated an Oak Ridge Schools' flier that described the program while it was still a proposal. Borchers spoke highly of the program's teacher, Mark Buckner, with a slide listing his credentials. He said Buckner has an record of more than 32 years as a distinguished research scientist, Power and Energy Systems Group leader at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Oak Ridge High School students are working on building this airplane. Automotive, aviation Students in an Oak Ridge High School aviation class are building an airplane, a project that got attention from Gov. Bill Lee during a visit last year. Borchers said he hoped the plane would be flying within a year. "I don't think I'll take the maiden voyage," he joked, "But someone will." He also showed a photo of a Mercedes vehicle on which students can work. He said it had been donated by Mercedes of Knoxville for the school's automotive program, with which the school has a partnership. This partnership was just one of many partnerships Borchers spoke about in his presentation. He showed the League group a list of many companies with which the school system has partnered for career education. Story continues Arts With all of the focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses in Borchers' talk, one audience member asked about the arts. "We've not decreased anything with the addition of STEM," he said in response. "We continue to foster those programs, and they (students) don't lose out on anything." Masks, other pandemic issues Oak Ridge Schools can no longer require masks to help protect students and staff from COVID-19 as it previously did. "We certainly encourage masks to be worn," Borchers said in response to a question. He said as the omicron COVID-19 variant has spread more students have worn masks. "People are doing what they're comfortable with," the superintendent said of wearing masks. In response to another question, he said there are "probably more" mental health issues among students due to the pandemic than before, but that the school guidance counselors are available to help. During the time in which the school system had students working from home, the school system had MiFis, a type of mobile wireless device to allow students to connect to the internet. However, Borchers said the school system did not give many of these devices out because Oak Ridge students in general already had access to the internet. "We have done everything we can to keep kids in school," Borchers said. "We value face-to-face with our kids," he said, adding there are more mental health concerns about keeping children at home. One audience member asked if the school system is facing problems recruiting substitute teachers during the pandemic. "We absolutely are," he said. "A lot of our substitutes are retired folks." With the increase in the omicron variant of COVID-19, Borchers said, many of the retirees have decided to not substitute at this time. Digital Education During both his talk and in response to questions, Borchers talked about digital education, including classes in coding and keyboarding in the middle schools. One audience member asked about dealing with misinformation. Borchers said this too falls into the digital citizenship "bucket" and said teachers work with students on that issue. "They have so much information at their fingertips now. Right, wrong. True, not true," Borchers said. Complaints about books Some questions from the audience dealt with the topic of books in school libraries and curricula. Recently, in a decision that has made news across the country, the McMinn County Board of Education decided against allowing teachers to assign the graphic novel "Maus" by Art Spiegelman to eighth-grade students. The graphic novel follows Spiegelman's Jewish parents through their internment in Auschwitz in 1940s Poland. In the book, Nazis are portrayed as cats and Jewish people are shown as mice. The McMinn County School Board voted 10-0 to ban the book citing concerns over "rough" language and a nude drawing of a woman, according to meeting minutes posted to the district website. "Maus," by Art Spiegelman. One audience member in the Zoom chat asked if Borchers had received any similar criticisms. Borchers said he hadn't. He also said he did not know what Oak Ridge Schools' policy is with regard to challenging library materials is. Disabilities One question involved making the schools more accessible, including as polling sites during the upcoming elections. Borchers said the school system has made updates and plans to continue to make them. Electric buses In response to a question about switching from diesel to electric buses for health and environmental purposes, Borchers said it would be up to the bus contractor, First Student. City Council member Ellen Smith stated in the chat for the meeting that First Student has used electrical buses in other districts. Ben Pounds is a staff reporter for The Oak Ridger. Call him at (865) 441-2317, follow him on Twitter @Bpoundsjournal and email him at bpounds@oakridger.com. Francisco Guzman of The Tennesseean paper in Nashville contributed to this story, as did The Oak Ridger's News Editor Donna Smith. This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Borchers touts tech programs, encourages masks and in-person school As Drew Petersons appeals against his murder conviction repeatedly failed, it seemed the former suburban Chicago police sergeant might fade from the news. But a decade after a jury convicted him in the slaying of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, Peterson has been given something from the judge who sentenced him to 38 years in prison: Another day in court. Advertisement Will County Judge Edward Burmila is scheduled Monday to consider Petersons hand-printed motion sent from an Indiana prison to vacate his conviction after determining he had presented a gist of a constitutional claim. In this May 8, 2009, file photo, former Bolingbrook, Ill., police Sgt. Drew Peterson leaves the Will County Courthouse in Joliet, Ill., after his arraignment on charges of first-degree murder in the 2004 death of his former wife Kathleen Savio. (M. Spencer Green/AP) WHAT ARE PETERSONS ARGUMENTS? Advertisement Peterson says his attorney, Joel Brodsky, was ineffective. He argues that Brodsky gave bad advice, such as urging him not to testify and threatening to quit if he did. He paints Brodsky as a publicity hound. He also says Will County States Attorney James Glasgow was an overzealous and unethical prosecutor who intimidated witnesses. Peterson also blames Hollywood, arguing that a movie starring Rob Lowe portrayed him in a very negative light in the eyes of the jury. Finally, Peterson says he was the victim of hearsay evidence that should never have been presented to jurors. Peterson was the first criminal defendant in Illinois history to be tried after Glasgow helped push through a law dubbed Drews Law. It allowed Savio and Petersons fourth wife, Stacy, who disappeared in 2007, to speak from their graves via people who testified that both women told them things that implicated Peterson in the killing. COULD ANY OF IT HELP PETERSON? Much of what Peterson argues has already been shot down by judges and courts. They have dispatched the argument that Brodsky was ineffective. And the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that the use of hearsay testimony by Savio and Stacy Peterson whom Drew Peterson is suspected of killing though he has not been charged in her death did not violate his constitutional right to confront his accusers. The court found there was evidence that Peterson killed them to prevent their testimony. Attorneys say that means Peterson must have something new to say. Anything hes already raised, he cant raise that post-conviction unless hes found something new or there is something he didnt know or couldnt have known before, said Terry Ekl, a prominent Chicago-area defense attorney who is not involved in the case. Advertisement Legal experts and one former member of Petersons legal team said the argument that Glasgow intimidated witnesses is new and if evidence shows it happened something Glasgows office denies it might help the former Bolingbrook police sergeant. But attorney Joe Lopez, who was on the legal team, said Peterson will have to produce evidence. While the U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear Petersons appeal once, Phil Turner, a former federal prosecutor who isnt involved with the case, said theres a chance the high court might want to hear his arguments concerning the prosecutor. That issue has some substance, Turner said. If they frame that right, they might have a shot. WHATS NEXT? When Burmila agreed to hear more from Peterson, he appointed an attorney and an investigator from the local public defenders office to assist him. The attorney could ask for more time to investigate when the case returns to court Monday a request that Lopez and Ekl expect the judge to grant. Burmila could then agree to an evidentiary hearing, meaning people who Peterson contends were threatened or Glasgow himself could take the witness stand, Ekl said. Advertisement Brodsky and Peterson could also be called to testify, which might be problematic for Peterson. Brodksy would almost certainly be asked if he threatened to quit the case if Peterson testified at trial. Brodsky was careful with his words when he told The Associated Press that he would be forced to explain why he didnt want Peterson to testify. Does Drew really want to do that? he asked. Peterson would also be confronted with his own statement to Burmila at trial that the decision not to testify was his. Ekl suggested that Peterson, a veteran police officer, would have a tough time selling that argument. Hes not a 16-year-old kid, Ekl said. He could also be confronted with his own actions. If Brodsky wanted publicity, so, it appeared, did Peterson. Through all the publicity stunts, beginning with a Win a Date with Drew contest the two floated, Peterson seemed like a willing and even gleeful participant. COULD PETERSON WALK FREE SOON? Advertisement Nope. Such appeals are long shots. Besides, Peterson provided no proof in his motion, which he wrote by himself from prison. Even if hes successful, there is this: A few years after Peterson was convicted of murder he was found guilty of plotting to kill Glasgow. The sentence in that case was 40 years in prison two more than he got for killing his ex-wife to begin on the completion of his current sentence. Feb. 4BUFFALO The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District and the city of Buffalo celebrated completion of the new seawall at Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park during a Monday ceremony. The $10.6 million project included repairs to over 1,300 feet of seawall. According to a Corps of Engineers news release, the seawall protects one of Buffalo's most critical pieces of infrastructure, the Col. Francis G. Ward Pumping Station, and one of its most popular recreation spaces, Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park, from flooding. Construction of the new seawall began in fall 2020 and was completed in December by the Buffalo district and its contractor, Cold Spring Construction Company of Akron, N.Y. The pre-existing seawall had deteriorated over time due to Lake Erie ice and wave action. Without replacement, its deterioration would have resulted in critical damage and eventual failure of the pumping station, which provides clean, reliable drinking water to more than 250,000 residents and many commercial businesses in the city of Buffalo. The new seawall design replaced old technology with new for a long-lasting structure able to withstand the forces of Lake Erie, local weather and heavy use. Steel sheet pile and pipes replaced weathered timber cribbing and wood piling. Engineering soils replaced random industrial fill to improve on-site drainage, and new concrete replaced damaged asphalt. Compared to an estimated $13.6 million to maintain the previous seawall over 50 years, the USACE' says the project saved taxpayers $3 million in completing the new seawall at a total cost of $10.6 million. The project's $1.1 million design and feasibility phase was cost-shared with the city of Buffalo as its nonfederal sponsor. The $8.79 million construction phase, as well as general and administrative costs, were fully federally funded through the Emergency Supplemental Act of 2018. Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as people try to storm the Capitol on January 6, 2021 in Washington. Brent Stirton/Getty Images A man accused of assaulting officers at the Capitol asked a judge for the "right to defend himself" against prison guards. Prosecutors allege that Josiah Kenyon, 34, threw objects at officers while swinging a table leg with a protruding nail. Surveillance footage from the riots shows Kenyon dressed as "Jack Skellington," prosecutors say. A man accused of attacking police at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, while dressed as "Jack Skellington" bragged about his IQ during a court appearance before asking a judge if he had the right to defend himself if attacked by corrections officers in prison, according to Politico reporter Kyle Cheney. Prosecutors allege that Josiah Kenyon, 34, threw objects at officers protecting the Capitol while swinging a table leg with a protruding nail. Surveillance footage from the day appears to show Kenyon wearing a one-piece costume of "Jack Skellington" from "The Nightmare Before Christmas" during the attempted insurrection. During a hearing on Thursday, Kenyon asked US District Judge Carl J. Nichols for permission to speak, Cheney reported. When warned that he may want to speak with his lawyer first before speaking, Kenyon told the judge: "I have a high enough IQ range to not screw up there, boss." Following the back-and-forth, Kenyon then asked whether he had a right to defend himself if attacked by prison guards, which the judge declined to answer, according to Cheney. "I'm not making any finding one way or another about that," the judge said. At the end of the hearing, Nichols reportedly asked if Kenyon had anything else to raise before the court. "My wife and children homeless on the street," Nichols answered, leading the judge to end the hearing. Kenyon and his wife were arrested in December 2021 and charged with child endangerment after the Washoe County Sheriff's Office allegedly discovered his family living in an unheated trailer in Nevada. Story continues Deputies also allege they found an AR-15 rifle and Glock handgun in the vehicle during their search. Kenyon faces numerous charges in connection with the Capitol riot, including civil disorder, assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon, and destruction of government property. Kenyon has pleaded not guilty. Kenyon's next conference is set for March 3, 2022. At least 768 people have been charged with crimes in connection to the Capitol riots, with nearly 180 riot suspects entering guilty pleas so far. Read the original article on Insider Craig Sincock owner, president and CEO of Avfuel Corp., an Ann Arbor-based aviation fuel and services provider recently received the 2022 Kenn Ricci Lifetime Aviation Entrepreneur Award. Craig Sincock owner, president and CEO of Avfuel Corp., an Ann Arbor-based aviation fuel and services provider recently received the 2022 Kenn Ricci Lifetime Aviation Entrepreneur Award at the 19th Annual Living Legends of Aviation Awards, according to a new release from Avfuel. Although Avfuel is based in Ann Arbor, many of its employees reside in Lenawee County. Sincock was also inducted into the Living Legends of Aviation by actor and Official Ambassador of Aviation John Travolta during the ceremony on Jan. 21 in Beverly Hills, California. The Living Legends of Aviation is an elite group of people with extraordinary accomplishments in aviation and aerospace, the release said. The honorees have more than 100 accomplished men and women among their ranks, including entrepreneurs, innovators, industry leaders, astronauts, record breakers as well as pilots who have become celebrities and celebrities who have become pilots. Some of the honorees include Neil Armstrong, Sir Richard Branson, Edsel B. Ford and Morgan Freeman. In addition to his achievements as an aviation entrepreneur, Sincock is also an accomplished airline transport pilot. When Sincock acquired Avfuel 37 years ago, the release said, he sought to disrupt and reinvent the aviation fuel supply chain. His tenacity drove Avfuels evolution from a regional fuel distributor operating in a few Midwestern states to a global supplier of aviation fuel and services, offering everything from aviation refueling equipment and comprehensive training programs to aviation insurance and sustainability solutions. Sincock has dedicated his career to shaping and supporting the aviation industry. As such, he was instrumental in reimagining the role of fuel distributors, the release said. Competitor counterparts soon followed his business model. Under Sincocks leadership, Avfuel grew on a global scale. Starting with just three employees, Avfuel now supports more than 1,000 employees globally, conducting business in 149 countries and serving more than 5,500 flight departments with more than 3,000 global fueling locations. Story continues The Avfuel Network also includes more than 650 Avfuel-branded fixed-base operators. The concept is similar to how oil companies brand gas stations, but many of these field base operators located on airport fields provide concierge services and amenities akin to upscale hotels. Today, Avfuel supports all aviation sectors, including fixed-base operators, airports, corporate operators and helicopters, airlines, cargo/freight and the military. Sincock views his business as a vehicle to serve the community through philanthropic initiatives, the release said. In addition to supporting aviation causes, including medical-flight and aviation-education institutions, veteran organizations, and aviation scholarships, Sincock and his wife, Sue Sincock, established the Susan L. Sincock and Craig R. Sincock Scholar Fund, which supports University of Michigan researchers devoted to solving some of medicines most complex challenges. This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Local CEO receives lifetime achievement award Charades (Petrovs Flu, Diamantino) has come on board Hit Big, a dark humor-laced crime film set in Spain and directed by critically acclaimed Finnish filmmaker Jukka-Pekka Valkeapaa (They Have Escaped). Currently in post-production, the film is being presented at the work-in-progress sidebar of Goteborg Festivals Nordic Film Market. On the ground in Goteborg is Daniel Kuitunen, who is producing the movie through his Helsinki-based banner Komeetta. More from Variety Hit Big revolves around Marjaleena, a 60-year-old, boozed-up former beauty pageant star who left Finland for Spains Costa del Sol where she runs Bar Belle, once a popular spot for Finnish tourists, with her handyman Mikko. One day, they hear that Marjaleenas husband, Worm, will be released after 20 years in prison and is planning a dream life with his cell-mate lover thanks to the stashed proceeds of a major heist. Feeling betrayed, Marjaleena sets off to get her share of the millions. The colorful cast is headlined by Johannes Holopainen (Heavy Trip), Outi Maenpaa (Beyond), Ilkka Heiskanen (Hiljaisuus) and Paaru Oja, who was named an EFP Shooting Star at the Berlinale in 2020, among others. Hit Big marks Valkeapaas follow-up to Dogs Dont Wear Pants, which world premiered at Cannes Directors Fortnight in 2019. The movie swept six Jussi Awards, Finlands equivalent to the Oscars, as well as best film at Sitges. We were totally stunned by Dogs Dont Wear Pants and we are thrilled to work on this new project, which takes the form of an authentic dark humor thriller in which J-P Valkeapaa reveals once again his gift for imagining one-of-a-kind scenarios and characters, said Charades. The company is handling international sales on the movie and will be launching it at Berlins European Film Market. Story continues Speaking to Variety, Kuitunen said Valkeapaa is known as an auteur and his films often have existential themes, so it was really interesting to work with him on Hit Big which is plot-driven and filled with dark humor and action. The producer described the film as being in the same vein as Quentin Tarantinos Jackie Brown. Its a crime movie led by a female character and with lots of dark humor. Ultimately, Hit Big also has deeper themes in line with Kuitunens previous work. Underneath the action and the laughter, the film also shows a woman looking back at her life choices and taking the reins, he said. Valkeapaas debut feature The Visitor was developed at Cannes Residence program and premiered in Venice, while his second feature They Have Escaped played at both Venice and Toronto. They Have Escaped went on to win four Jussi Awards. Hit Big was co-produced by Evelin Penttila at Estonian company Stellar Film. Thomas Kristensen executive produced. It will be released by Scandinavian Film Distribution in the Fall. Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Variety The Judds were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame Sunday evening in Nashville, in an emotional medallion ceremony that went on as scheduled the day after Naomi Judds death. The Hall had announced Saturday that the induction would go on in the wake of the tragedy due to the wishes of the family. [] The Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools district office on Gracey Avenue in Clarksville. Due to the ice storm warning and predicted significant winter weather, all Clarksville-Montgomery County School System schools and District offices will be closed Friday, Feb. 4. The district's spokesperson Anthony Johnson made the school closure announcement Thursday evening. The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for Middle Tennessee Thursday as the rain changes to freezing rain. Most areas can expect a few hundredths of an inch of ice accumulation. Clarksville is among the areas where an Ice Storm Warning is in effect for expected ice totals of 0.25 inches or more. Weather: City requests Council Members & Public not to attend tonights City Council Meeting out safety Closed: Montgomery County government offices closing due to hazardous road conditions CMCSS will use the 4th of 5 inclement weather stockpile days tomorrow, Johnson said. Montgomery County government offices also closed due to hazardous road conditions. Jurors for Montgomery County who were scheduled to report on Friday, Feb. 4, have been rescheduled to Monday Feb. 7, at 7:30 a.m. Mayor Joe Pitts has also requested that City Council members and the public not attend the scheduled City Council Meeting Thursday evening Feb. 3, at the City Council Chambers. Officials are strongly discouraging travel at any time on Feb 3-4. Alexis Clark can be reached at aclark@gannett.com or 931-217-8519. This article originally appeared on Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle: CMCSS schools closed Friday due to weather: Clarksville-Montgomery FILE- Adult film actress Stormy Daniels, accompanied by her attorney, Michael Avenatti, right, talks to the media as she leaves federal court, on April 16, 2018 in New York.The jury deliberating the fate of Michael Avenatti on charges that he ripped off his star client, Stormy Daniels, has told a judge that it is deadlocked on the first of two counts he faces. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File) (Mary Altaffer/AP) Michael Avenatti was convicted Friday of charges he cheated the porn actor Stormy Daniels out of nearly $300,000 she was supposed to get for writing a book about an alleged tryst with former President Donald Trump. Avenatti, who acted as his own lawyer, stared straight ahead as the verdict was read. It was another crushing defeat for the California lawyer, who has faced legal problems after briefly rising to fame as one of Trumps leading antagonists on cable news. Advertisement Im very disappointed in the jurys verdict, Avenatti told reporters outside the federal courtroom in New York. Im looking forward to a full adjudication of all the issues on appeal. U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman ordered Avenatti to surrender Monday to U.S. marshals in California. Avenatti has delayed serving a 2 1/2-year prison sentence for his 2020 conviction in an extortion case while waiting for the book proceeds trial and the retrial of a fraud case in a California federal court. Advertisement Sentencing was set for May 24. Prosecutors said it was likely that Daniels will speak at sentencing. The verdict came hours after the jury foreperson sent a note to the judge saying one juror was refusing to look at evidence and was deciding the case based on her feelings and emotions. She does not believe she needs to prove her side using evidence and refuses to show us how she has come to her conclusion, the note said. Not going on any evidence, all emotions and does not understand this job of a jury. But the verdict was unanimous. It capped an unusual trial in which Avenatti dumped his lawyers and decided to represent himself on the trials second day, setting up a face-to-face showdown with Daniels, his former client, who appeared in a new role as star witness. Avenatti said after the verdict that he did not regret representing himself. Prosecutors portrayed Avenatti as a common thief and serial liar. He countered by seeking to cast himself as a white knight who came to the rescue of Daniels until she turned on him. Over two days of cross-examination, he questioned her about the allegations that hed swindled her out of book proceeds and about ghost stories shed told for a possible show about the supernatural world. Advertisement In addition to the sentence he has yet to begin serving for trying to extort up to $25 million from sportswear giant Nike, he is awaiting a retrial in Los Angeles on charges that he ripped off clients and others for millions of dollars. He represented himself last year for six weeks before a mistrial resulted. Daniels had initially hired Avenatti as she was trying to escape the terms of a $130,000 hush payment deal that kept her from speaking publicly about an alleged sexual encounter that Trump says never happened. Avenatti parlayed his representation with Daniels into a string of cable news appearances in which he mocked and baited Trump. When Trumps lawyer, Michael Cohen, was raided by the FBI in connection with tax evasion and payments made to women on Trumps behalf, Avenatti contributed to the spectacle by bringing Daniels to the federal courthouse. The relationship between the two fell apart after Daniels said she learned that Avenatti had taken a share of her $800,000 book deal for himself. Avenatti insisted he was innocent of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Advertisement After opening statements and two trial witnesses, he shed his lawyers and confronted witnesses himself, setting up his questioning of Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford. Avenatti asked her about things shed said for a potential program called Spooky Babes about living in a haunted house in New Orleans. Among other things, Daniels had talked about an invisible assailant attacking her partner and communicating with dead people and with a doll who calls her mommy. Prosecutors argued Avenatti was trying to portray Daniels as crazy what they called a blame-the-victim defense that failed to support his claim he was owed the money after spending millions of dollars representing Daniels. Whether you think its kooky to believe in the paranormal, whether you think its weird, she can believe whatever she wants and still be stolen from by the defendant and still deserve not to, Assistant U.S. Attorney Mathew Podolsky told the jury. Text messages, prosecutors said, showed that Avenatti repeatedly lied to Daniels in 2018 when she pressed him on when she would get a large installment she was owed on the book deal. They said hed already spent the money on airfare, food and payroll for his debt-ridden law firm. Advertisement Podolsky likened Avenatti to a store cashier taking $1,000 out of a register because he believed hed worked really hard and deserved a bonus. Avenatti argued at the conclusion of the two-week trial that the government failed to prove its case. Im Italian. I like Italian food. Ladies and gentlemen, the case that the government is trying to feed you has a giant cockroach in the middle of the plate, he told the jury. Would you eat that dish or would you send it back? I submit that you would send it back. Katharine McPhee and David Foster in 2006 (left) and in 2020 (right). Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Image; George Pimentel/Getty Images Katharine McPhee and David Foster were married in 2019, and had their first child in 2021. The pair first met when 21-year-old McPhee was competing on season five of "American Idol" in 2006. Here's a complete timeline of their relationship, from their meeting through their marriage. 2006: Katharine McPhee and David Foster first met on "American Idol." Foster (left) appeared on "American Idol" during its fifth season, in which McPhee (center) was the runner-up. Ray Mickshaw/WireImage for Fox Television Network McPhee and Foster first met when McPhee was a contestant on season five of "American Idol" in 2006. She performed Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing," which Foster wrote, and he and operatic tenor Andrea Bocelli helped her practice. "You have to say also that she is nice, beautiful, and young," Bocelli, who is blind, told Foster. "How do you know all this?" Foster responded. "It's important," Bocelli joked. "Don't worry. Don't care." Late 2000s: McPhee and Foster were seen together at public events. Katharine McPhee and David Foster attended the JCPenney Jam press conference in June 2006. Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images In the years following McPhee's season five run on "American Idol," in which she finished as the runner-up, she and Foster were pictured together at many public events, including the JCPenney Jam press conference in June 2006, the Carousel of Hope Ball in October 2006, and Gotham Magazine's Annual Gala in November 2008, according to photos available on Getty Images. Foster also produced McPhee's first post-"Idol" single, a cover of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," released in June 2006. February 2008: Foster performed with McPhee at her wedding to Nick Cokas. Katharine McPhee and Nick Cokas attended a New Jersey Nets vs. New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden in March 2011. James Devaney/WireImage Before her marriage to Foster, McPhee married actor Nick Cokas in February 2008. At the wedding, she serenaded him with a rendition of Natalie Cole and Nat King Cole's song "Unforgettable." And, as People reported per its own exclusive photos from the 2008 event, Foster accompanied her on the piano. Mid-2010s: Both Foster and McPhee ended their previous marriages. Both McPhee and Foster divorced their respective spouses in the mid-2010s. Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage; Chance Yeh/WireImage McPhee filed for divorce from Cokas in May 2014 after a year of separation, and the divorce was finalized in 2016, E! News reported. At the time of filing, a representative for McPhee told People that the two "have an amicable relationship and will remain friends." Story continues As E! News reported in December 2015, Foster and his wife, "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Yolanda Hadid, divorced after four years of marriage and nine years together. In a statement to E! News, the couple said that they were "grateful for the years we've spent together" and would hoped that they could move forward "with the love and respect we will always have for one another." Their divorce was finalized in 2017. During this same period, McPhee and Foster continued to be pictured together at public events they both attended, including the the Jane Seymour Open Hearts Foundation Inaugural Celebration in February 2011, a Thanksgiving concert in Washington, DC in 2009, and Barbra Streisand's 75th birthday in April 2017. 2017: Dating rumors around the couple began to spread. Katharine McPhee and David Foster performed together at the 2017 Grammy Museum Gala. Timothy Norris/Getty Images Foster and McPhee began to spark relationship rumors after they were spotted eating together in Miami at Nobu in May 2017, E! News reported. Citing an anonymous source, E! News reported at the time that the pair were "very intimate" during their dinner. Later that year, one of Foster's daughters added fuel to the rumors. In September 2017, Foster and McPhee attended, and performed at, the Grammy Museum's third annual gala, hosted at The Novo in Los Angeles, People reported. Foster was awarded with the Architects of Sound Award at the event. McPhee helped him debut a song from the stage musical he was working on that the time, according to People. As People reported, Foster's daughter Erin, who is two years older than McPhee, posted photos of McPhee and Foster from the event on her Instagram story. "Excited about my new step mom" and "my parents," she wrote in text-overlay captions on the photos that she posted. In the wake of Erin's Instagram story posts, an anonymous source close to the pair told People that the two weren't dating. The source told people that Erin's posts were sarcastic, and directed to "those who can't seem to grasp that her dad and Kat can be colleagues, collaborators, and longtime friends without it being some big romance." Late 2017: Dating rumors continued to spread, prompting further denial from anonymous sources. Katharine McPhee and David Foster attended a Los Angeles Lakers Game in November 2017. Kevork S. Djansezian/Getty Images In October 2017, McPhee and Foster were spotted walking arm-in-arm, with McPhee later reportedly placing her hand on Foster's backside at an ATM, People reported. An anonymous source close to the couple told People that the pair were "[having] some fun" with paparazzi following them, saying that they were "in no way romantically involved." "They are dear, old friends who genuinely love spending time together, but it is nothing more than that," the anonymous source said, according to People. Later that year, McPhee and Foster were spotted together at a November 2017 Los Angeles Lakers game, as well as other events that same month, including the Bumble Bizz Los Angeles Launch Dinner and the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Patron of the Artists Awards, according to photos available on Getty Images. December 2017: McPhee reiterated that she was single in a Health Magazine cover. Katharine McPhee and her mom in LA in 2007. BG002/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images McPhee told Health Magazine in an interview for the magazine's December 2017 cover that she was "pretty single" in the wake of a nearly two-year relationship with her "Scorpion" costar Elyes Gabel. At the time, she told Health that she and Foster were "very close friends" and that she was "really fond of him." "I've known him since I was 21 years old, you know? He produced my first single," McPhee told Health, referring to her cover of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." "So he's been really good to me. People can say whatever they want." May 2018: McPhee and Foster made their relationship red-carpet official at the Met Gala. Katharine McPhee and David Foster at the 2018 Met Gala. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP As Insider previously reported, the pair made their relationship official at the Met Gala in 2018. McPhee was wearing a sheer, blue dress from Georges Chakra Couture, while Foster wore a black suit. July 2018: Foster and McPhee were engaged. David Foster and Katharine McPhee attend the Argento Ball for the Elton John AIDS Foundation on June 27, 2018 in Windsor, England. David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for BVLGARI and EJAF In July 2018, both McPhee and Foster got engaged while on vacation in Europe. McPhee first confirmed the news on Twitter, sharing a ring emoji and a gif of Ariana Grande saying, "and what about it?" Later, she posted a text exchange with Just Jared founder Jared End, revealing that Foster proposed at the top of a mountain in Anacapri. "Thankfully he didn't push me off the cliff," McPhee wrote in the texts. "He said it was one or the other. And in the end he spared me." Foster also posted on Instagram to confirm the engagement, posting a photo of himself and McPhee, accompanied by a caption reading "Yup!!" His daughter, Erin, jokingly commented on the photo of the pair, writing, "Mommmyyy." September 2018: Foster and McPhee reunited with Andrea Bocelli, who appeared alongside Foster on "American Idol." Katharine McPhee and David Foster at Celebrity Fight Night at Arena di Verona on September 8, 2018 in Verona, Italy. Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images People reported in 2018 that the couple attended Celebrity Fight Night in Italy in September of that year. At the event, McPhee performed "I Can't Help Falling In Love with You" with Bocelli, who appeared with Foster on "American Idol" in 2006 to help McPhee practice. "A few years ago I told you she was the one," Bocelli told Foster at the event, People reported. "You were right," Foster replied. June 2019: McPhee and Foster were married in London. Katharine McPhee and David Foster seen leaving their wedding reception on June 28, 2019 in London. GORC/GC Images The two were married in June 2019 in a ceremony taking place at the Church of St. Yeghiche in the South Kensington district of London, Vogue reported. McPhee told Vogue that they chose to have the wedding in London after her run in the musical "Waitress" there. Her wedding dress, custom made by Zac Posen, featured one of Foster's songs "The Colour of my Love," written for Celine Dion and Rene Angelil's wedding day notated on the back, according to Vogue. "Exactly 13 years ago today my very first single, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, was released right after Idol," McPhee wrote on Instagram the day of their wedding. "Today I'm marrying the man who produced it. Life is full of beautiful coincidences, isn't it? Thank you for taking me over the rainbow, David." October 2020: People reported that McPhee was pregnant with her and Foster's first child. David Foster and Katharine McPhee at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in 2020. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP In October 2020, People, citing anonymous sources, reported that McPhee and Foster were expecting a child. McPhee alluded to the news a day later in an Instagram post that mentioned that she would be refraining from drinking alcohol. Over the course of her pregnancy, McPhee posted several selfies featuring her baby bump, posing at times in both all-blue and all-pink outfits. February 2021: The pair had their first child together. Katharine McPhee and David Foster speak during An Evening with CARE on May 11, 2021 in New York. Theo Wargo/Getty Images for CARE In February 2021, McPhee gave birth to her and Foster's first son, People reported. Later in March, McPhee revealed that their son was named Rennie David Foster during an interview on the "Today" show with Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager, saying that Foster would probably "kill" her for revealing the name. McPhee told Kotb and Hager that she and Foster didn't have a name picked out when she went into labor. In a family text chain, Foster's sister suggested a family name, Ren, that had belonged to his great-grandfather and great-uncle. December 2021: McPhee defended Foster after he made comments about her post-baby body. Katharine McPhee on Fox's "I Can See Your Voice." FOX via Getty Images In December, Foster posted a photo on Instagram of McPhee wearing a bikini, captioning it, "What baby!" His caption drew criticism, with some commenters saying that Foster was "out of touch" and objectifying his wife's body, Yahoo! Life reported. As Insider previously reported, McPhee defended her husband in a subsequent Instagram post, calling the backlash against him "so dumb." "I cannot with this overly sensitive society right now," McPhee wrote. "But as Taylor Swift said haters gonna hate." Read the original article on Insider HOLLAND Holland City Council kicked off the process of replacing the Waverly Road fire station on Wednesday with the hiring of a company to design and engineer the structure and a construction manager to oversee the effort. Holland's fire department has outgrown the Waverly Road station, built in 1971, city officials said. The exterior of the Holland Fire Department's Waverly Road stations sits Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, located at 761 S. Waverly Rd. After 50 years in operation, the city of Holland has begun planning to build a new station on the same site. The station will be on the same site but north of the existing station, allowing the fire department to continue using the current station while the new one is being built. As part of the same project, the architects and engineers hired Wednesday will also draw up plans for a renovation and expansion of the Kollen Park Fire Station, 279 Kollen Park Drive, built in 1978. The city is expected to issue bonds to finance the pair of multi-million-dollar projects. The city has not put together official cost estimates for the project yet because the stations haven't been designed, but a city consultant provided a preliminary guess of $10-$15 million total for the two projects. The exterior of the Holland Fire Department's Waverly Road stations sits Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, located at 761 South Waverly Road. "We're not going to build the Taj Mahal, but we're going to make sure that we build something that's solid, something that's functional, something that's (an) enjoyable place to live in," said Mayor Nathan Bocks. "In my mind one of the most important things that we do is public safety, and we need to make sure that we provide the best environment that we can for our public safety officers so that they can do their jobs well." More: Fire service strained under ever-rising call volumes, fewer recruits More: 'Transformational' projects on horizon, but city may need more staff to get job done More: Holland City Council talks priorities in annual retreat The fire service has seen a steady rise in call volume and especially concerning to fire department leadership an increase in overlapping calls, when multiple calls occur at the same time, and the Department of Public Safety is expected to make a request for the funding to hire more firefighters this year to ease the strain. Story continues Assistant city manager Matt VanDyken said in addition to expanding the capacity of the fire stations, firefighter safety would be a key component of the renovations. Joseph Gorris takes off his equipment after a training exercise Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021, at the Holland Fire Department located at 279 Kollen Park Drive. Both fire stations will have decontamination rooms for dirty gear separate from the "turnout gear" room where clean gear is available for the next run. Decontamination showers will also be separate from living quarter showers in the new designs. Subscribe: Get unlimited access to our local coverage The idea of the separation of these "hot" and "cold" zones in the station is to reduce firefighters' exposure to cancer-causing contaminants and biohazards that come home with them on their gear. Living quarters will also be modernized for the future of the force, as more women firefighters join the fire department. Rather than large, multi-bed dorm rooms, firefighters will get single-occupancy dorm rooms and unisex single-occupancy bathrooms. The exterior of Holland Fire Department's Kollen Park station Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, located at 279 Kollen Park Drive in Holland. The 44-year-old station will undergo a renovation and expansion to modernize the station. Holland City Council awarded the $759,150 contract for architecture and engineering services to Integrated Architecture and BRW Architects. The Texas-based BRW firm specializes in fire station construction. The construction management services contract was awarded to Holland company GDK Construction for 3.4 percent of the final project cost, $23,650 in pre-construction services and $4,450 per week in site supervision costs once work begins. The architects and construction managers are expected to return to Holland City Council with detailed designs and cost estimates for the project before council approves bids for construction. Contact reporter Carolyn Muyskens at cmuyskens@hollandsentinel.com and follow her on Twitter at @cjmuyskens. This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Council hires architect, manager to build new fire station Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has come out in support of Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) on Friday after a video of a woman shouting at Youngkin about his lack of a mask at grocery store in Alexandria went viral. Cruz, who formally threw his support behind Youngkin in the Virginia gubernatorial race and campaigned for him, tweeted on Friday in response to the incident, criticizing what he referred to as "angry screaming Leftists." "Dem Karens want to tell you how to live your life," Cruz added. "And they'll fire you, cancel you, or scream at you if you don't obey." Cruz formally endorsed Youngkin in the Virginia gubernatorial race, saying in a video message released ahead of the state GOP convention last year, "Glenn is the best chance Republicans have of winning in Virginia this year." Youngkin was on the receiving end of criticism from a woman at an Alexandria grocery store Thursday while he was there to discuss his plan to eliminate the state's grocery tax. The woman confronted him for not wearing a mask, asking, "Governor, where's your mask?" video posted by a WUSA reporter showed. Youngkin then engaged with the woman and responded, "We're all making choices today." "Yeah, look around you governor, you're in Alexandria," the woman shouted. "Read the room, buddy!" The businessman-turned-politician hit the ground running after his inauguration last month, signing a number of executive orders on his first day in office that lifted mask mandates and banned the teaching of critical race theory in Virginia schools, among other things. The order making wearing a mask optional in public schools has met with resistance from school boards and some parents, with multiple lawsuits being filed against the measure in the weeks since it was issued. The majority of Alexandria County residents voted for Youngkin's Democratic opponent, former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), in the 2021 state gubernatorial election, according to CNN. I've never met Bridget Fonda and doubt I ever will. But after seeing a viral tabloid photo of a woman who's allegedly the now-58-year-old actor, I wanted to scoop Fonda or whoever that is or isn't into my arms, give her the hug way too many of us need right now and not say a word. When and how are we going to stop this toxic meanness? When did we let that invisible dam break, the one that held back words meant to wound? Take that aforementioned viral photo, for example. If indeed that's Fonda, as countless people pointed out in blatantly unkind ways, yes, she's gained weight. And let her hair go gray, and doesn't look like she did in "Single White Female," any more than anyone reading this looks like they did 30 years ago. More: Yes, I often wear a mask. No, not because I don't trust my vaccinations | Opinion Or consider the recent plea of "Bridgerton" star Nicola Coughlan for people to quit commenting about her body: "It's really hard to take the weight of thousands of opinions on how you look being sent directly to you every day," she wrote on Instagram. When, and why, did so many of us decide to model such hateful behavior, especially with our words, and make no bones about it? I'm not talking about the stalkerazzi, photographers who track down celebrities and hold them up for shaming and blaming. That's what they do. Or about the psychology of people who've felt like they didn't have a voice finally feeling they do, though that well could be part of it. I'm not talking about COVID-related stress, either. As mental health experts have wisely pointed out: We're pandemic-fatigued. We're irritable. We're stressed. But snapping in frustration and then apologizing for our behavior not the mean I'm talking about. Rather, I'm talking about the evolution of in-your-face, everyday mean. Mean that has no filter and touches every aspect of life. It seems to come so easily now to so many, young and old, on social media and in public meetings over heated topics, whether it's how we look, or who we love, or politics or religion or the intersection of the same. Story continues It's the kind of mean that can rise to cyberbullying, causing someone embarrassment or humiliation, or, as spelled out at stopbullying.gov, crossing the line into unlawful or criminal behavior. More: Brevard-based kindness logo, movement spreading ... are you on board? | Kennerly The kind of mean that drives kids who don't realize how beautiful they are and adults with well-earned age lines to feel pressured to filter selfies. To strive for perfection in a much-blemished world. Or worse, to consider suicide. The kind of mean where presidents and politicians model behavior we'd hopefully not see in children, using vulgar, mocking language. Miss North Carolina Cheslie Kryst wins the 2019 Miss USA final competition in the Grand Theatre in the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nev., on May 2, 2019. Police said Kryst, a 30-year-old correspondent for the entertainment news program "Extra," jumped from a Manhattan apartment building. She was pronounced dead at the scene on Jan. 30, 2022. Her family confirmed her death in a statement. Where Miss USA 2019, Cheslie Kryst, a young Black lawyer and activist who struggled with depression and died by suicide recently, was, after her win, the target of social media trolls who sent vomit emojis and death threats. Where a brilliant "Jeopardy!" champion, Amy Schneider, faced transphobic comments that led her to tweet, with humor and grace: Id like to thank all the people who have taken the time, during this busy holiday season, to reach out and explain to me that, actually, Im a man." More: One Senior Place: Bullying is surprisingly common among seniors, including at assisted living facilities Happily, regarding that photo of a woman nearing 60 who has the audacity to gain weight, Twitter was filled with positive comments, too, and much-needed discussion of body-shaming. Schneider's fans, as well, blanketed social media with huge support. I see kindness as a movement at Tropical Elementary School, where a "kindness initiative" encourages children to, well, be kind. And of course, "mean" is subjective. And timeless. And despite faulty memories of some of my contemporaries, there were bullies among us decades ago. We just didn't have iPhones. When, in modern times, did that damn dam actually break for you? For me, it started cracking in the early '90s pre-online newspapers, on my first reporting job and first story, when a reader told me to find Jesus and included a Bible tract in her letter. I started meeting trailblazing trolls in the late '90s, when I was a chat host on Nick at Nite's first website. By early 2000, at a newspaper in Indiana, I was called a "homosexual lover" and much worse by email when I reported on a Fortune 500 company offering domestic partner benefits. Now I'm in my 60s and the comments, snarkier than ever, are often ageist. Once, a man wrote on a former colleague's page that it was obvious my hair was dyed. I wore red shoes on TV: You're too old to wear red shoes, I was told. I smiled for a photo: Your teeth aren't shiny white, I heard. More recently, it was "You should cover that spot on your nose" and again: "Find Jesus." My husband often refers to what he calls "American Idol mentality," the misguided notion that every one of us should voice a vote, or opinion, on everything, from who gets booted off the island to whether I should wear red shoes (I will, trolls. Watch me). "Finding Graceland" (1998) - A wannabe Elvis hitches his way to Memphis in this movie staring Harvey Keitel and Bridget Fonda. I vote for this: How about, even when we have serious issues with someone, we don't express our feelings in a way meant to belittle that person? How about, as my Grandma Bess said, not letting everything that comes into our heads come out of our mouths or, updated for 2022, off the tips of our fingers? Let's try this, just for giggles, too: How about not arguing so much about our constitutional right to say whatever we want whenever we want, and think more about what we're saying? About the value and veracity of the message. About what it will sound like on the receiving end. I know, I know. It's not going to rebuild that dam. That thing's floating at sea by now. But one kind word after another, or sometimes, simply saying nothing at all ... It's a start. Contact Kennerly at 321-242-3692 or bkennerly@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @bybrittkennerly Facebook: /bybrittkennerly. Support local journalism and become a subscriber. Go to floridatoday.com/subscribe This article originally appeared on Florida Today: In a flood of meanness, how do we keep our head above water? | Opinion Photo Illustration by Luis G Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty In her new book Taking Down Backpage (NYU Press), prosecutor Maggy Krell tells the behind-the-scenes story of how she and her team started with the prosecution of street pimps and ultimately battled the corporate sex-trafficking monolith Backpage.com, which operated in more than 800 cities throughout the world, raking in millions of dollars from commercial sex ads, including ads featuring children. In this excerpt from the book, Krell describes waiting for Backpage CEO Carl Ferrer to land on his flight from Amsterdam to Texas, so that her team could arrest him and execute a search warrant at Backpages Dallas headquarters. Carl Ferrers flight from the Netherlands to Houston was the longest flight of my life that I was never on. Once Homeland Security confirmed that he had boarded United Flight 21, we tracked it on the airlines website, watching as it made its way across the world. And waiting. We couldnt raid Backpages offices while Ferrer was in the airinflight Wi-Fi might have notified him of our move, and hed start destroying evidence and contacting others from whatever handheld device he had with him. So we sat tight, making small talk and discussing the investigation ad nauseam, full of anxiety. At lunchtime, my Texas counterpart Kirsta Melton dragged me to a legendary Texas barbeque place. The man behind the counter filled my tray with cornbread, potatoes, pulled pork, sliced tri-tip, and greens. It looked fabulous. I couldnt eat a bite. I snapped a photo and texted it to Cary, my husband, so that at least one of us could enjoy it. Then I resumed my obsessive monitoring of United.com. Trafficking Victim: They Made Me Have Sex With Cops At last, Flight 21 was approaching Texas. I texted my colleague Brian Fichtner, needing to do something, anything, to ease my anxiety: Me: Hey, looks like his flight is landing soon? Brian: Yeah, I should probably get to the airport. Hed been there for hours, of course, waiting like me. And I knew that this arrest would be easy compared to the arrests that officers make every day in uncontrolled street environments, with armed subjects and no backup. I should have been calm. I should have been eating barbeque! But the stakes were too high. Years of my life and countless hours of work by dozens of good people were sunk into this operation. More importantly, what we did here today would stop thousands of victims from being sold for commercial rape and would prevent thousands more from getting ensnared in Backpages web. Story continues Time crawled by. At last, when we knew Flight 21 was only moments from touching down, Kirsta, I, and several cars full of Texas agents parked in a lot behind Backpages headquarters. Finally, we got a text: Flight 21 had landed. And Brian and his team arrested Carl Ferrer without incident. Kirstas agents immediately stormed Backpages shiny glass office building. I had to wait. This was standard protocol: when nonarmed personnel such as lawyers, evidence technicians, and victim advocates accompany law enforcement on an operation, the officers enter first to ensure that there are no armed or dangerous individuals at the scene. Non-law-enforcement personnel are summoned after the officers give the all clear signal. I sat in the car in a daze, waiting to be summoned. It was a cloudy, gray afternoon, just starting to drizzle. Through the rain-spattered windshield, I watched the last agents rush into the building. We got him. I thought about Leslie and Shyla and Andrea and Genevieve and Shenevla and Lizzie and Kim and Drea and Kayla and another Kayla and all the kids who had been sold on Backpage. I thought about what this would mean to them. Lizzie had said in her interview that nobody cared about girls like her. If they cared, they wouldnt have allowed them to be sold for sex on Backpage. How could it be illegal? shed asked. It was easier than ordering pizza. I thought about Carissa Phelps, the tenacious survivor, leader, and lawyer who first talked to me about going after Backpage years ago, and how proud and gratified she would be that this day had finally come. Then I thought, What is taking them so long? As I reached for my phone, Kirsta appeared at the car window. Come on, girlie, she said, a big smile on her face. Before getting out of the car, I sent a text Id been looking forward to for years. Maggy: Watch the news. Yiota: Whats going on? What can you tell me? Maggy: Ill call you later. But Im in Dallas, Texas. Yiota Souras, my tireless partner at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, knew there was only one reason for me to be in Backpages hometown. On my way into the building, I got a call from my press office, wanting to know if they could issue a news release. I told them to hold. Our first order of business was interviewing Ferrers employeesif those employees saw the news before we talked with them, it could influence whether or how they answered our questions. But as it turned out, the Texas attorney general was about to start a press conference, so that got away from me. I followed Kirsta into the tall glass building at 2501 Oak Lawn Ave. The scene was chaotic: dozens of freaked-out employees were meandering around bullpen-style cubicles, while twenty or so Texas agents did their best to create order. As Kirsta and her team identified the employees and began the interviews, I went in search of Ferrers office. It was a large corner room with broad glass windows. He had a bottle of Macallan whisky on a shelf and a certificate from the FBI for outstanding cooperation for all the times Backpage helped law enforcement find victimswhom Backpage then continued to exploit and victimize. I steeled myself and examined the place, doing a mental inventory. I was sick to my stomach, standing in this room that had served as a command center for the worlds largest child-sex-trafficking operation. When agents came in for documents, I took the opportunity to escape. After we dismissed the Backpage employees, we began identifying, seizing, and searching evidence: computers, hard drives, piles of papers, and binders of information. Following standard procedure, the officers sketched and labeled each office, listing what, if any, items would be taken. We needed to account for every piece of paper we took and precisely where we took it from. The details mattered. An incriminating document found in Ferrers shred bin had much- greater legal significance than one found in a low-level accountants cubicle. Moreover, if we couldnt establish when and where we obtained an item, the court might deem it inadmissible. Despite the madness, our officers had to be organized, diligent, and totally meticulous. The process should have been mind-numbing. In fact, it was gripping. We were looking for Backpages policies, its financial records, and evidence that Ferrer, James Larkin, and Michael Lacey knew they were enabling sex trafficking. We were looking for communications among the three of them. And we were looking for instructions and employee manuals directing employees on how to moderate sex ads. The documents would bolster our case that Backpage was no mere internet platform but an informed, financially invested, and active enabler of sex trafficking. The search started in the afternoon. We ordered pizza around eleven that night, careful to prop the doors open since we didnt have keys. All the agents were there, combing through files, until the following afternoon. Larkin and Lacey were still at large. Eventually, their attorneys contacted us, and we made arrangements for them to turn themselves in, which spared them the embarrassment of a public arrest. They both showed up at the Sacramento jail and stayed in custody that weekend, pending arraignment. At some point that evening of Ferrers arrest, I left the Backpage offices with two Texas agents. We wanted to track down a former employee who had been deeply involved in Backpages finances and who would have been an ideal witness for us. He wasnt home, but we decided to wait a bit. While I was in the car, I called Yiota. She told me she was getting bombarded with calls from victims, from victims parents, and from other advocates at NCMEC. Everyone was crying with joy and overwhelmed with gratitude. An entire movement was rejoicing that Ferrer had been arrested. As sleep-deprived and brain-fogged as I was, for a few precious moments I was able to step back and relish how far wed come. It felt unbelievably good. Excerpt from Taking Down Backpage: Fighting the Worlds Largest Sex Trafficker by Maggy Krell, printed with permission from NYU Press. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - A Danish district court on Friday found three members of an Iranian Arab opposition group guilty of financing and supporting terrorist activity in Iran in collaboration with Saudi Arabian intelligence services as well as espionage, local news wire Ritzau reported. The three members of the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahvaz (ASMLA) were arrested two years ago and have been in custody since. The defendants face prison sentences of up to 12 years for numerous offences, including providing information about Danish and foreign organisations and individuals to a Saudi Arabian intelligence service. The court will decide on sentencing in March. All three defendants also face potential deportation, and one also risks having his Danish citizenship revoked. ASMLA seeks a separate state for ethnic Arabs in Iran's oil-producing southwestern province of Khuzestan. Arabs are a minority in Iran, and some see themselves as under Persian occupation and want independence or autonomy. The three men were also convicted of endorsing attacks against Iran and supporting the militant group Jaish al-Adl, which operates in Iran and is listed as a terrorist organisation by the United States. In a related case, a Norwegian of Iranian heritage was sentenced to seven years in May last year for spying for an Iranian intelligence service and plotting to assassinate one of the ASMLA-members. The two cases have exposed an intelligence power struggle on Danish soil between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and led Denmark to call for EU-wide sanctions on Iran in 2018 following the Norwegian man's arrest. (Reporting by Nikolaj Skydsgaard; Editing by Angus MacSwan) When the Detroit Lions moved back to the city from Pontiac in 2002, the current Detroit mayor made a remark to Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford Motor Co., whose family owns the NFL team. "I said to Bill, 'You will never do more for the future of this city than what you did here today,' " Mayor Mike Duggan told an audience Friday. "Was I ever wrong. "What is happening here eclipses anything we have ever seen," he said. Duggan recounted that decades-old remark from the grand opening of downtown's Ford Field during a news conference inside Ford Motor Co.'s under-renovation Michigan Central Station, the centerpiece of the automaker's future 30-acre mobility-focused "innovation district" campus in Detroit's Corktown neighborhood. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, left, Ford Motor Co. Executive Chair Bill Ford, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Google and Alphabet CFO Ruth Porat and Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield pose for a photo on stage before a presentation about the progress in the district and the building at Michigan Central Station in Detroit on Feb. 4, 2022. The Friday event celebrated a new public-private partnership among Ford, the state of Michigan and the city of Detroit plus new commitments from tech giant Google. More: Ford to enter public-private partnership at new Detroit campus More: Transformed Michigan Central Station to include hotel rooms, massive wedding space Under the partnership, the state is to direct more than $126 million in new and existing programs and spending to support or complement Ford's district, to be called Michigan Central. Included in the announcement was news that Google will be a founding member of the district and also provide free computer science classes for local high schoolers inside the former train station. Detroit will be the first Midwest city to have those after-school and weekend classes for teens made available through Google's Code Next Lab program. Google and Alphabet CFO Ruth Porat speaks during a presentation about the progress in the district and the building at Michigan Central Station in Detroit on Feb. 4, 2022. Last year, Google won a six-year contract to be Ford's "preferred" cloud-computing services provider and install Android-powered Google services in Ford and Lincoln vehicles. As part of the public-private partnership, the city of Detroit has a tentative agreement to designate a special Transportation Innovation Zone testing site within the Michigan Central district. The zone would give businesses and startups expedited approvals for trying out new technologies. Story continues If you have an idea to change mobility in the world, this area right here on Michigan Avenue is where you can make your dreams come true," Duggan said of the zone. Details on the precise location of the zone were not immediately available Friday. Mid-2023 finish Ford is busy rehabbing Michigan Central Station and is on pace to finish by mid-2023. Work continues to be done on Michigan Central Station in Detroit on Feb. 4, 2022. The train depot opened in 1913, closed in 1988 and devolved into a graffiti-covered symbol of Detroit's declining fortunes by the 2000s. When Ford purchased the abandoned station and nearby properties in 2018, it made world headlines. Friday's news conference was held in the depot's former lobby. While the room is still under construction, 29,000 ceiling tiles have been replaced or cleaned by hand since the project began. The men and women who have been doing the restoration on this project are amazing, so thank you to every one of you," Bill Ford said. Ford Motor Co. Executive Chair Bill Ford speaks to a crowd while sharing details on progress in the district, as well as who will be joining Ford at Michigan Central to help create the future on Feb. 4, 2022, at Michigan Central Station in Detroit. When this is open, its going to be amazing. Its going to be a gathering place for the community," he added. Southwest (Detroit) and Corktown residents are going to come here, have fun, meet friends, hang out. Its also going to be a great place to work in a post-COVID environment. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Ruth Porat, chief financial officer for Google and its parent company, Alphabet, also visited Ford's train station Friday and praised the automaker's ambitions. Ford has said it will ultimately bring 5,000 workers to Michigan Central, with 2,500 of those being Ford employees and the others affiliated with outside organizations that would set up shop in the district. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks during a presentation about the progress in the district and the building at Michigan Central Station in Detroit on Feb. 4, 2022. Today, we are laying the groundwork to shape the next century of transportation solutions while reducing emissions and accelerating electrification, Whitmer said. Of the more than $126 million in state funds to support or complement the Michigan Central project: $72 million will be for new housing around the district via the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. $35 million will fund street planning and reconstruction through the Michigan Department of Transportation. $2 million will be for grants for "smart infrastructure." Nearly $2 million will fund workforce training. $500,000 will be designated for various electric vehicles and mobility programs. The total cost for Ford's new Michigan Central Detroit campus, including the train station rehab, was last pegged at $950 million. Contact JC Reindl: 313-222-6631 or jcreindl@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @jcreindl. Read more on business and sign up for our business newsletter. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit train station rehab said to be bigger deal than Lions Houston police are looking for a person accused of hitting a woman with his vehicle before moving her body out of the street and driving away. Police say Carolyn Sanders was crossing the street in north Houston at about 8:45 p.m. on Jan. 17 when a white SUV of unknown make and model hit her. The driver exited the car and moved the 57-year-old from the street and onto the sidewalk, police said in a news release. The driver whom police describe as an older heavy set male with gray hair and a mustache then got back into the car and drove off, the release said. According to police, the driver did not attempt to give medical assistance to Sanders, who was later taken to the hospital with serious injuries in stable condition. Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to contact the Houston Police Department Hit and Run Unit at 713-247-4072. Child killed in hit-and-run was sledding when he entered roadway, Oklahoma police say Frightening video shows cyclist dragged by car. Now California police seek driver Driver pleads guilty in car crash that killed three passengers at Maine park, feds say DUBLIN, CA A Lunar New Year celebration scheduled for Saturday at Dublin High School has been postponed to an unknown date due to coronavirus concerns. Organizers felt it would not be prudent, given the rapid spread of the coronavirus and the Omicron variant during the past few weeks, a city spokesperson told Patch. The event was co-organized by the city and the Tri-Valley chapter of the Asian and Pacific Americans for Public Affairs. It was scheduled to feature traditional dances, vocal ensembles, comedy, lion dance, kung fu performances, and more. APAPA and the City of Dublin are scheduling a new event celebrating Asian cultures scheduled for the spring, but no official date has been announced. On Saturday, a Lunar New Year celebration at San Ramons City Center Bishop Ranch is still a go. Set at Alexander Square from 11 to 1:30, it will feature traditional drums, cymbals, dances, live music, cultural performances, red envelopes with good luck charms inside, and more. This article originally appeared on the Dublin Patch MINNEAPOLIS The Minneapolis mayor on Friday imposed a moratorium on no-knock warrants after Amir Locke was killed this week as a SWAT team executed a search warrant. Mayor Jacob Frey said the moratorium is effective immediately and will ban requests for and the execution of warrants in which police do not announce themselves. Advertisement Frey said that while the moratorium is in place, he and Minneapolis Police Department leadership will work with national experts to review and suggest revisions to the departments policy. No matter what information comes to light, it wont change the fact that Amir Lockes life was cut short, Frey said in a statement. Advertisement In this image taken from Minneapolis Police Department body camera video and released by the city of Minneapolis, 22-year-old Amir Locke wrapped in a blanket on a couch holding a gun moments before he was fatally shot by Minneapolis police as they were executing a search warrant in a homicide investigation on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022, in Minneapolis. (AP) The parents of Amir Locke and their attorneys said Friday that the 22-year-old Black man was executed by a Minneapolis SWAT team that woke him from a deep sleep, and that he reached in confusion for a legal firearm to protect himself. Lockes parents, Andre Locke and Karen Wells, described him as respectful, including to police, and said some of their relatives work in law enforcement. Wells said the couple coached their son on how to act and do what they needed to do whenever they encountered police officers because of the danger to unarmed Black males. My son was executed on 2/2 of 22, Wells said. And now his dreams have been destroyed. The parents spoke at a news conference organized by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who said Lockes family was just flabbergasted at the fact that Amir was killed in this way and disgusted at how the Wednesday morning raid was conducted. They said he was law-abiding, with no criminal record, and had a permit to carry a gun. They didnt even give him a chance, Crump said, adding that it was shocking that Minneapolis police had not learned from the death of Breonna Taylor, who was killed in a botched raid at her home in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2020, leading to calls for an end to no-knock warrants nationwide. Police said Locke pointed a loaded gun in the direction of officers. An incident report said he had two wounds in the chest and one in the right wrist. The killing prompted outrage in Minneapolis, where prominent activists confronted the mayor and interim police chief at a news conference Thursday. Nekima Levy Armstrong, a civil rights attorney, called the citys release of information the anatomy of a cover-up. Gov. Tim Walz called Lockes death a tragedy and said it showed the need for further examination of no-knock warrants. Body camera video released by police Thursday evening shows the footage in slow motion and at regular speed. It shows an officer using a key to unlock the door and enter, followed by at least four officers in uniform and protective vests, time-stamped at about 6:48 a.m. After they open the door, they repeatedly shout, Police, search warrant! They also shout Hands! and Get on the ground! The video shows an officer kick a sectional sofa, and Locke, who was wrapped in a comforter on the sofa, begins to move, holding a pistol. Three shots are heard, and the video ends. Advertisement The city also released a still from the video showing Locke holding the gun, his trigger finger along the side of the barrel. Otherwise, all that can be seen of Locke is the top of his head. Levy Armstrong posted a link to the video on social media for those who can stomach the murderous conduct of the Minneapolis Police Department. She added: The mother in me is furious and sick to my stomach. Amir never had a chance to survive that encounter with police. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said he asked Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison to help review the case for possible charges. Ellisons office led prosecutions of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin in George Floyds killing and of former Brooklyn Center Officer Kim Potter in the shooting of Black motorist Daunte Wright. Amir Lockes life mattered, Ellison said in a statement, promising a fair and thorough review guided by the values of accountability and transparency. A gun-rights group highlighted the timing of the raid, saying it appeared from the video that Locke was awakened by a confusing array of commands from officers pointing lights and guns at him. Mr. Locke did what many of us might do in the same confusing circumstances, he reached for a legal means of self-defense while he sought to understand what was happening, said Rob Doar, a spokesman for the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus. Advertisement Interim Police Chief Amelia Huffman said during a news conference Thursday that Locke wasnt named in the warrants. She said it wasnt clear how or whether Locke was connected to St. Pauls homicide investigation. A spokesman for the St. Paul Police Department said he could not comment because the homicide investigation was ongoing. The search warrants that led the SWAT team to enter the apartment early Wednesday were still not public as of Friday morning. But a search warrant filed by state agents investigating the shooting was provided. It said the initial search warrants were being executed for a homicide suspect who was apparently located at the building where the shooting took place. Mayor Jacob Frey said the video raises about as many questions as it does answers and that the city was pursuing answers as quickly as possible and in transparent fashion through investigations including one by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Huffman said the officer, Mark Hanneman, was in a difficult position. The still shot shows the image of the firearm in the subjects hands, at the best possible moment when the lighting was fully on him. Thats the moment when the officer had to make a split-second decision to assess the circumstances and to determine whether he felt like there was an articulable threat, that the threat was of imminent harm, great bodily harm or death, and that he needed to take action right then to protect himself and his partners, she said. Hanneman was hired in 2015. Records released by the city showed three complaints, all closed without discipline, but gave no details. Data on the website of the citizen group Communities United Against Police Brutality showed a fourth complaint, in 2018, that remains open. No details were given. Advertisement Huffman said the city had knock and no-knock warrants. The shooting came as three former Minneapolis officers are on trial in St. Paul on charges that they violated George Floyds civil rights. Floyd was among several Black men to die in confrontations with Minneapolis police in recent years, and his death spurred widespread protests and drive to remake the department. The Department of Justice is currently investigating the Minneapolis Police Department to see if it has a pattern or practice of civil rights violations. Walz on Friday authorized the National Guard to provide public safety assistance if needed. Walzs order said it was in response to the city of St. Pauls request for aid during the trial in that city, but said Guard members would also be ready to serve in Minneapolis if needed due to Lockes death. PORTSMOUTH A highlight of journalist Nikita Stewarts career came in 2019, when, as a contributor to The New York Times Magazines 1619 Project, she wrote an essay about slavery that referenced her great-grandfather, a Black man who was enslaved as a child. Stewart, real estate editor for The New York Times, will visit Portsmouth this weekend for a discussion surrounding how American history is portrayed and sometimes excludes the truth of the treatment of minorities. She will sit on a panel for this year's first Elinor Williams Hooker Tea Talk on Sunday, Feb. 6, the beginning of a six-part discussion series presented annually by the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire. There is an erasure happening right now and we are watching it before our eyes. We are watching it at school boards and in state legislatures, Stewart said. We are watching it happen one by one. Its like a domino effect. More: Black Heritage Trail's Tea Talk Series begins Feb. 6 Nikita Stewart, a real estate editor for The New York Times, will speak at the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire's first 2022 Tea Talk this weekend. The theme for Sunday's talk is Divisive Concepts: A Chilling Effect on Teaching History, a nod to the controversial language inserted into the states budget last year prohibiting schools and public entities from teaching that one race or group is superior to another. Proponents of the language touted it as strengthening New Hampshires existing anti-discrimination law, though critics highlighted its language as limiting honest conversations surrounding racism, sexism, sexual orientation and ability status. Whether it be through an inaccurate portrayal of history in textbooks, the removal of books from schools, falsities spread in public meetings or simply a lack of curriculum, Stewart said, modern students are not learning the full scope of basic American history. Im hoping that we can have an honest conversation about what is happening right now around the country, she said. More: NH Republicans open new front in divisive concepts debate: colleges Stewart said shell touch upon her work with the 1619 Project and pushback sweeping the country right now regarding how historical events and periods like slavery are taught at school, if at all. Story continues There has been an effort to erase the past and a lot of times it was erasing contributions of Black people to their own freedom and now were talking about erasing any history of bad acts, she said. Not just bad acts, but acts that were horrific, led to deaths, murders (and) inhumane treatment of other human beings. And the fact that thats the history that some folks are trying to erase, it is just very disturbing and weve got to do something," Stewart said. What's happening in NH schools Elizabeth DuBrulle, the New Hampshire Historical Society's director of education and public programs, will sit on the panel and discuss how social studies education has become somewhat of an afterthought in New Hampshire public education. DuBrulle said the trend began before last years budget adoption and approval from Gov. Chris Sununu. As an example, she cited a former program the state Historical Society would run called New Hampshire War, which would travel to classrooms to educate elementary students about the Revolutionary War, the Civil War and World War II. They discontinued the program because, in many instances, students werent being taught about the conflicts. More: ACLU joins NEA-NH teachers union in second lawsuit against NH 'divisive concepts' law Some students couldnt even put the three wars in the proper timeline sequence. Its gotten to a point where we are having to change programs that weve taught for decades because students arent learning that anymore, DuBrulle said. Speaking to school staff throughout the state, DuBrulle said many have expressed their confusion about what can be taught in school compared to the past because of the state budgets language. In my discussions with teachers, and I talk to them all over New Hampshire, people are very worried about what they can teach, what they can say, if they can be honest about our history or if they have to sugarcoat it, she said. Sunday's Tea Talk will also feature Portsmouth Middle School history teacher Erin Bakkom and will be moderated by state Sen. David Watters, D-Dover. Black Heritage Trail Executive Director JerriAnne Boggis said the first Tea Talk will dive into what exactly the state budget, which does not use the term divisive concepts, which originated with a former bill in the state legislature, means for public education. Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire Executive Director JerriAnne Boggis speaks before the unveiling of the Pomp and Candace Spring marker in Portsmouth Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021. The panel will explain where the divisive concepts framework derives from, what critical race theory is and whose stories are being left out or misrepresented in classrooms and culture. Im looking for a robust dialogue, a really democratic look, with a small d, at what these issues are, Boggis said. Tea Talk series Upcoming Tea Talk panels include discussions on discrimination against Asian-Americans, the growth of the country's multiracial population and the effects of racism on Black people. The six-week 2022 Tea Talk series, free and open to the public both in-person at Portsmouth Middle School or online, will be held each Sunday from Feb. 6 until March 13. Information on how to register: blackheritagetrailnh.org/tea-talks-2022/ This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: NY Times Nikita Stewart on panel for NH Black Heritage Trail's Tea Talk Nathan Chen competes during the men's singles short program team event at the Beijing Olympics on Friday. (David J. Phillip / Associated Press) Nathan Chen allowed himself a small laugh, a rare indulgence that was four years in the making. Having banished the dread that strangled him at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics and contributed to his glaring missteps in the short program phase of both the team and individual events, Chen was at his powerful, expressive best on Friday during his short program in the team event in Beijing. He was light but made a weighty statement by cleanly landing two quadruple jumps and compiling a personal-best score of 111.71 points. He was attentive to every detail in his performance to La Boheme at Capital Indoor Stadium but skated freely, fully present and enjoying each moment in ways he couldnt enjoy them four years ago. Chen, who trains at Great Park Ice in Irvine, had looked forward to this moment and was ready for it. That wasnt true four years ago. The difference was apparent to no one more than Chen, the three-time world champion and six-time U.S. champion who was expected to boost the U.S. teams hopes of exceeding its two bronze-medal finishes in the team event before he challenges two-time Olympic gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan for the mens individual title. It feels great to have a short program that I actually skated well at an Olympic experience, Chen said, allowing himself a chuckle. Ill take as much as I can from this experience and then take it day by day from here. It would be easy to say he had exorcised the demons that marred his first Olympic experience, when he stumbled in the team event and stood a dismal 17th after the short program of the mens competition. Chen, always thoughtful, rejected that cliche. I think you learn the most from your mistakes and I certainly learned a lot from that competition, he said. And I dont think Id be able to be here, where I am now, without having had that experience. This will be the third Olympics for the team event, which takes place over three days. In the first phase, each of the 10 competing skating federations nominates one female singles skater, one male singles skater and one pair to perform their short program and one ice dance duo to perform their rhythm dance. Points are awarded based on rankings, with 10 points for first, nine for second, eight for third and so on. Story continues The top five teams will advance to the final phase and will nominate one female singles skater, one male singles skater, one pair and one ice dance couple to perform their free skate program. The points each team earns will be added to their total from the first phase for the final score. After the first day the U.S. led the team event with 28 points, to 26 for the Russian Olympic Committee and 21 for China. In addition to Chens win in the short program, U.S. ice dancers Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue earned 86.56 points for their rhythm dance to finish ahead of world champions Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov of the ROC, which is the name under which Russian athletes compete here because their country has been banned because of previous doping violations. Wenjing Sui and Cong Han of China got the top score of 82.83 for their pairs short program, but Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier helped the Americans cause and point total with a season-best performance that ranked them third and produced eight points. The team event continues on Sunday with the womens short program and mens free skate. Medals will be awarded on Monday following the pairs free skate, ice dance free dance, and womens free skate. The team event is gimmicky but its also fun because it gives skaters a rare opportunity to feel camaraderie in a fiercely competitive sport. But there wont be a showdown in the team event between Chen and Hanyu because Japan entered 2018 silver medalist Shoma Uno to compete in the short program and its unlikely Chen will also be chosen to perform his long program so that he can save himself for the individual competition. Uno, the 2018 Olympic silver medalist, also landed two quads in a brilliant effort on Friday and stood second to Chen with 105.46 points. Hanyu has said hes trying to up the ante in the mens singles event which begins on Tuesday here by attempting a quadruple axel, a jump of 4 revolutions. Chen wants to see him do it as much as any figure skating fan does. Im honored to be alive at the same time as him. Its pretty crazy, what hes doing, Chen said. Its been a really great adventure and journey for me to be able to have someone like him to share the ice with, and it certainly has been a great inspiration to me. Chens impressive performance Friday should boost his confidence for the mens event. It certainly proved he has made the most of the painful lessons he learned in Pyeongchang. Im certainly happy that I had this opportunity to compete in the short program and put down a short program that I actually feel good about, he said. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. ANKARA (Reuters) -President Tayyip Erdogan said the United States and other Western nations had done nothing to help resolve the Russia-Ukraine crisis and were merely a hindrance, broadcaster NTV and Turkish media quoted him as saying on Friday. Erdogan, who is seeking to burnish his credentials as a potential mediator, said no European leader was capabale of resolving the stand-off and U.S. President Joe Biden had made no positive contribution yet. The president, who has close ties with both Kyiv and Moscow, said he "greatly values" a planned visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Turkey. His comments came after he met Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Thursday in Kyiv and repeated Turkey's offer to mediate the crisis with Moscow, which Zelenskiy welcomed. He also proposed hosting a meeting of the Ukrainian and Russian leaders. "I have to say this very clearly: if you pay attention, the West has unfortunately not contributed anything to solving this matter," Erdogan told reporters on his return flight. "I can say they were literally only a hindrance". "There is a serious issue in Europe now in terms of leaders who can solve this issue" now that former German Chancellor Angela Merkel stepped down, he was quoted as saying. "When we look at...the United States, Biden has not yet shown a positive approach to the matter," Erdogan added. The United States and European nations are concerned about Russia's buildup of more than 100,000 troops near Ukrainian borders. Moscow denies Western suggestions it plans an invasion but it has demanded security guarantees and says it could take military measures if demands are not met. Turkey, which shares a maritime border with both Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea, has said any military conflict would be unacceptable and warned Moscow that an invasion would be unwise. Erdogan has said Turkey will do what is necessary as a NATO member in the event of a Russian invasion but has opposed sanctions on Russia as threatened by other allies. Story continues While forging cooperation with Russia on defence and energy, Turkey has opposed its policies in Syria and Libya, as well as its annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014. It has also sold sophisticated drones to Ukraine and inked a deal to produce more near Kyiv, angering Russia. Some Western nations have accused Turkey of straying from NATO over its cooperation with Russia, which led to U.S. sanctions against Ankara in 2020. Turkey has dismissed this and said it can form positive ties with all countries. (Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Jonathan Spicer and Angus MacSwan) BERLIN (Reuters) - The European Union has prepared a "robust and comprehensive" package of sanctions to unleash on Russia if it continues its aggression towards Ukraine, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the Handeslblatt and Les Echos newspapers. Russia, which seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and backs separatists in the east of the country, has amassed some 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border and is demanding security guarantees including a promise NATO will never admit Kyiv. "We have prepared a robust and comprehensive package of financial and economic sanctions," von der Leyen told the papers, adding that these included "capping access to foreign capital" and "export controls, especially on technical goods". The controversial Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline was also part of the sanctions package. Whether the pipeline can go into operation depends "on Russia's behaviour", von der Leyen said. "People close to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and oligarchs could of course be hit sensitively," she added. Russia has formulated several options as an excuse to invade Ukraine, including the potential use of a propaganda video showing a staged attack, the United States said on Thursday, as the Kremlin condemned American troop deployments in the region. The Kremlin accused Washington on Thursday of ignoring its calls to ease the standoff, a day after the United States announced it would send nearly 3,000 extra troops to Poland and Romania. (Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Michael Perry) Morel mushrooms on a blue background Morels are some of the best mushrooms money can buy, but what are they exactly? The dark-hued, blob-shaped fungus doesn't look appealing to the untrained eye, and their short season and high price makes these special mushrooms difficult to come by. However, when you do encounter morel mushrooms, you're in for a splurge-worthy culinary experience. What Are Morel Mushrooms? Completely distinguishable from any other type of gourmet fungus, morels are a class of their own, dark, spongy, and uniquely rotund and dimpled. "Morel mushrooms are a group of mushrooms in the Morchella family, sometimes called sponge mushrooms," explains Ron Kerner, the mushroom expert behind the foraging site Indiana Mushrooms. "Morels grow from a fungus that is usually underground. These fungi have symbiotic (mycorrhizal) relationships with trees and help them absorb nutrients and water from the soil by interconnecting with the tree's roots. The fungus, in return, gets sugarscarbohydratesthe tree produces by photosynthesis." Just like us humans, fungi cannot create their own energy like photosynthesizing plants can, so mushrooms must get their energy, i.e. carbs, from other sources. In this case, the source is a tree's roots. RELATED: 7 Mouthwatering, Easy-to-Make Mushroom Recipes Kerner compares mushrooms to apples growing on trees: The tree is always living, but the apples only grow once a year during their season. "With mushrooms the tree is always there, but underground," he says. "The fungus underground is made up of fine, thread-like filaments called mycelium. When a fungus runs out of food resources underground, it sends up special mycelium that produce mushrooms. Mushrooms are the reproductive organ of a fungus and produce spores that begin the life cycle." Where Do You Find Morel Mushrooms? "Morel mushrooms are found in the woods growing around certain trees. They can be found growing under elm, sycamore, ash, poplar, and several other trees, including pine trees," Kerner says. "Dying elm trees are known to produce large fruitings of morels." Morels are known for being pricey, particularly because they are not easy to find. "Some years morels are relatively abundant, and other years they can be scarce," Kerner adds. "They seem to like wet and warm, hotter-than-50-degree conditions in early spring." In southern Indiana, for example, the best time to find them is roughly mid-April to mid-May. Story continues Morels often average about $50 a pound, which is about the size of a gallon-volume plastic bag. You can find them at specialty supermarkets, online retailers, and also from mushroom hunters. Kerner suggests checking social media to connect with local mushroom hunters for some of the best finds. RELATED: The 30 Healthiest Foods to Eat Every Day How Do You Wash Morel Mushrooms? Kerner recommends rinsing your morel mushrooms under cold water, slicing them in half, and then soaking them in salt water. "This helps to get rid of tiny bugs that are usually on morel mushrooms. They are harmless," he shares. Then, dry the mushrooms off and store them in a paper bag. Fresh morels can typically stay in the refrigerator for three to four days. How to Cook With Morel Mushrooms Morels have a distinctive, savory flavor that can add a lot to any typical mushroom dish. Kerner is partial to dipping his morels in an egg wash, dredging them with seasoned flour or breadcrumbs, and frying the morels in butter or cooking oil until they are golden brown and crispy. You can also saute morels like you would other types of mushrooms, or pan-fry them without breading. Experimenting with different sizes and slices can yield various tasty results, and even chopping or pureeing morels into a sauce or soup can create a spectacularly rich flavor. Morels are better off cooked than consumed raw. Eating raw morels can lead to some stomach pain for those with sensitive stomachs. RELATED: 30 Easy Shiitake Mushroom Recipes That'll Make Your Dinner (or Brunch) Totally Wow-Worthy Morel Substitutes "Although subtle, morels have a unique flavor and also a textural component on the palate that makes them unlike any other mushroom," Kerner explains. That said, if you're not up for the $50-per-pound splurge, you can substitute other dark, rich-flavored mushrooms, like portobello mushrooms, knowing that your recipe will not taste 100 percent the same. Another thrifty way to cook with morels is to use half the amount of morels a recipe calls for, and substitute the second half with a more affordable mushroom. Morel Mushroom Recipes While substituting morels out of recipes may lead to a flavor deficit, the opposite is also trueadding morels to mushroom recipes where other varieties are called for can lead to a major flavor bomb, yielding a true treat for your tastebuds. Try using morels in this crispy roasted mushrooms dish, add morels to mushroom pot pie, glitz up chicken with mushroom sauce by making it with morels, or go for a restaurant-quality winter pasta courtesy of mushroom and radicchio spaghetti made with morels. As long as you're cooking with morels, you can't go wrong! Steven Rapada, a former staffer for Fresno County Supervisor Sal Quintero, was sentenced Thursday in Fresno Superior Court to one year of probation and 60 hours of community service for a misdemeanor conflict of interest violation. Rapada was arrested in October 2020 and initially charged with a felony for allegedly having a personal financial interest in a county-negotiated contract to develop the former University Medical Center site. The Fresno County District Attorneys Office announced the sentence Thursday. Rapada initially pleaded not guilty to the felony, but he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor on Thursday. The conviction forever disqualifies Rapada from holding any office in California. Rapadas arrest and subsequent court case threw the UMC development deal into turmoil. Originally, the county planned to sell the campus to a developer who outlined plans to transform the site into affordable housing, complete with a pharmacy, grocery store, and retail. After Rapadas arrest, the Fresno City Council revoked a key regulatory deal for the project, calling it tainted, and Fresno County put the building up for sale again. Now, the city and county are in negotiations for the sale of the building, but the developer involved in the project prior to Rapadas arrest has filed a lawsuit against both the city and county, alleging breach of contract and fraud. Rapadas attorney, Mark Broughton, declined to comment for this story. Quintero did not return a phone call and voicemail requesting comment. A young lieutenant staged his gear at the Fort Bragg, North Carolina, airfield on Thursday -- awaiting the C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft that would take him and his troops to Europe amid one of the first major faceoffs between the U.S. and Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union. This is his first deployment, and it came with virtually no notice. "It's excited nervousness," he said. "My grandfather was in the 82nd; my dad was also at Bragg for a while. So this means a lot that I can be here. My dad reached out and said congratulations." Military.com was granted access to the soldiers deploying to Europe, on the condition they not be named. Troops shuffled into the airfield's staging area, where they ate breakfast; grabbed water and Meals, Ready-to-Eat; and boarded a plane to cross the Atlantic with no clear schedule for when they will return home. Read Next: ISIS Leader Detonated Suicide Bomb Killing Family as Troops Closed In, US Military Says The first wave of some 2,000 U.S. troops to beef up NATO's warfighting capacity in eastern Europe deployed from Fort Bragg, tasked with deterring any plans Russian President Vladimir Putin might have to conquer Ukraine using the 130,000-strong force he's amassed in surrounding countries. Paratroopers departed on a C-17 around noon Thursday. Troops were placed on heightened alert last week by the Biden administration and told to prepare to rapidly deploy as Russia has built up forces near several countries' borders with Ukraine. Russia has demanded that Ukraine be barred from ever joining NATO. Troops from Fort Bragg are set to deploy to Germany and Poland, far from the front lines of Ukraine -- and the danger from any initial blitz by Russian troops. Another 8,500 troops are still on a so-called heightened alert, including those with the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The alert order also included units at bases in Arizona, Texas, Washington state, Louisiana, Georgia and Ohio. Story continues Many of the Bragg troops are part of the Army's Immediate Response Force -- a rotating contingent of service members who are permanently on standby and serve as America's 911 emergency responders. The goal is to be able to deploy within about 18 hours. That responsibility and heightened readiness shifts between units at Bragg about every six months. In practice, this means soldiers have to have their bags packed, weapons prepped and all their personal affairs in order to respond anywhere in the world with little warning. "This is what being in the 82nd is all about, being the face of the nation. So we take it very seriously; it's a humbling experience when the nation calls and you need to perform your best," an infantry captain, and Afghanistan war veteran, told Military.com. "It's an incredible opportunity to be here." Most of the Bragg assets being deployed consist of administrative personnel and ground combat units -- no heavy armored vehicles or attack aircraft. The deployment is relatively small compared to the force Russia has built up on the Ukrainian border -- one that could bring cataclysmic conflict. "The United States stands shoulder to shoulder with our NATO allies," Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said at a media briefing Wednesday. "The current situation demands that we reinforce the deterrent and defensive posture on NATO's eastern flank." There are currently no plans to bolster Ukraine's front lines with U.S. troops. Roughy 150 Florida National Guard troops from the 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat team are in Ukraine on a training mission. However, those Guardsmen are on the other side of the country, far from Russian forces -- which include tanks, artillery and warships. Meanwhile, more troops at Fort Bragg are gearing up and staging at the base's airfield for flights expected to continue throughout the week. -- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon. Related: NATO Says Russian Buildup in Belarus Is Biggest in 30 Years By Julien Ponthus and Pamela Barbaglia LONDON (Reuters) - Advent International is looking to sell its French biometrics and fingerprint identification firm IDEMIA in a deal worth up to $4.6 billion as it seeks to capitalise on growing demand for cybersecurity assets in Europe, two sources told Reuters. The U.S. buyout fund is reviewing a series of options to sell IDEMIA, including a possible break-up of the company which was formed in 2016 by combining Safran's identity and security business with Oberthur Technologies, the sources said. The move comes as governments around the world have stepped up their data protection defences during the pandemic due to the increased threat of cyberattacks while companies are vying to provide identification services to their clients. Cybercrime worldwide has jumped 600% during the pandemic, according to research published by Embroker, as hackers are upping their game and developing new malware to attack and infiltrate systems with the shift to remote working. IDEMIA, which is also backed by Bpifrance, provides facial recognition and other biometric identification products as well as ID tools for border control, working closely with government agencies to verify travellers' identity and avoid irregular immigration. Advent has asked investment banks to pitch for a mandate as it wants to launch an auction process later this year, the first source said. The sale, which is valued at 3 billion to 4 billion euros ($4.59 billion), has already drawn interest from France's defence firm Thales which could only bid for parts of IDEMIA due to antitrust hurdles, the sources said. Thales said this week that it was "potentially interested" in any cyber-security asset that could be up for sale, stressing it would not diversify beyond its three core businesses of aerospace, defence and digital identity and security. Private equity firms are also keen to join the race for IDEMIA, which is based on the outskirts of Paris, but no deal or pre-emptive approach is expected to come before the French election in April, the sources said. Story continues A spokesperson for Advent declined to comment. Thales declined to comment. BREAK-UP? IDEMIA, which underwent a 2020 leadership change when Pierre Barrial stepped in as CEO, has benefited from the post-pandemic rebound but is still carrying a heavy debt load and its key credit metrics remain weak, according to rating agency Moody's. It reported core earnings of 360 million euros in 2020 and overall revenues of about 2 billion euros, the first source said. To fetch the highest price Advent could carve out IDEMIA's prized government business, valued at about 3 billion euros, and sell it separately from its enterprise operations which provide sim cards for mobile phones and payments platforms and could be worth about 1 billion euros, the sources said. Thales is waiting in the wings as it wants to bulk on cybersecurity but would struggle to swallow IDEMIA's enterprise assets due to the overlap in sim-card supply following its purchase of Dutch firm Gemalto in 2019, the first source said. The French defence group, which is controlled by Dassault Aviation and the French state, has eyed a similar move for Atos' cybersecurity business, known as BDS, but would need support from the government for any tie-up involving strategic defence interests or technology. A 2018 French government study said consolidating the industrial base in cyber defence would be "advisable" to provide high security while ensuring companies were economically viable. ($1 = 0.8719 euros) (Reporting by Julien Ponthus and Pamela Barbaglia, additional reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Kirsten Donovan) By Chen Aizhu (Reuters) - Russia has agreed a 30-year contract to supply gas to China via a new pipeline and will settle the new gas sales in euros, bolstering an energy alliance with Beijing amid Moscow's strained ties with the West over Ukraine and other issues. Gazprom, which has a monopoly on Russian gas exports by pipeline, agreed to supply Chinese state energy major CNPC with 10 billion cubic metres of gas a year, the Russian firm and a Beijing-based industry official said. First flows through the pipeline, which will connect Russia's Far East region with northeast China, were due to start in two to three years, the source said in comments that were later followed by an announcement of the deal by Gazprom. Russia already sends gas to China via its Power of Siberia pipeline, which began pumping supplies in 2019, and by shipping liquefied natural gas (LNG). It exported 16.5 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas to China in 2021. GRAPHIC - Russia-China plan new gas pipeline https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/ce/mopanywylva/RussiaChinaGasPipeline.png The Power of Siberia network is not connected to pipelines that send gas to Europe, which has faced surging gas prices due to tight supplies, one of several points of tension with Moscow. Under plans previously drawn up, Russia aimed to supply China with 38 bcm of gas by pipeline by 2025. The new deal, which coincided with a visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Beijing Winter Olympics, would add a further 10 bcm, increasing Russian pipeline sales under long-term contracts to China. Gazprom gave few details about the deal in its announcement. Russian gas from its Far East island of Sakhalin will be transported via pipeline across the Japan Sea to northeast China's Heilongjiang province, reaching up to 10 bcm a year around 2026, said the Beijing source, who asked not to be identified. The deal would be settled in euros, the source added, in line with efforts by the two states to diversify away from U.S. dollars. Story continues Discussions between the two firms began several years ago after the start-up of Power of Siberia, a 4,000-km (2,500-mile)pipeline sending gas to China. Talks accelerated more recently after Beijing set its 2060 carbon neutral goal, the source said. "China's coal shortage last year served as another wake-up call that natural gas has its special value, that's why CNPC decided to top up with the new pipeline deal," the source said. A CNPC representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The pricing of the new gas deal will be similar to that of Power of Siberia, the source said, adding that both were "fairly satisfied" with that arrangement. The deal is expected to weigh on China's LNG import outlook. "Piped gas from Russia can be supplied to northern China at prices that are competitive when compared with LNG," said Ken Kiat Lee, analyst at consultancy FGE. The IEA said in a report last week that China will remain the single largest country contributor to LNG import growth, but with a growth rate dropping to 9% in 2022 from 17% in 2021 due to the ramp-up of pipeline flows from Russia and the overall slowdown in gas demand growth. (Reporting by Chen Aizhu in Singapore and Vladimir Soldatkin in Moscow and Marwa Rashad in London, Editing by Timothy Heritage and Kirsten Donovan) The group calling itself the Laquan 9 gathered at a South Loop neighborhood church Friday to reflect on their message and what happened during their Thursday arrests. The morning news conference at the Quinn Chapel AME Church came a day after Jason Van Dyke, the former Chicago police officer who fatally shot Laquan McDonald, was released from prison. Advertisement Eight members, taking turns, vowed to keep protesting police misconduct and police brutality and said they will continue to bring attention to police reform. Community organizer Ja'Mal Green, one of the organizers arrested during a protest Thursday, at a news conference at the Quinn Chapel AME Church in Chicago on Feb. 4, 2022. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) Why does it require a viral consumption of outrage and Black suffering in order to shame and embarrass the criminal justice system into accountability? said congressional candidate Kina Collins. We cannot get justice for Laquan McDonald because the only just thing would be if he was alive and breathing, and we cant get that. So what we are asking for is accountability metrics particularly and primarily through our federal government. Advertisement The five women and four men arrested included community organizer William Calloway and fellow organizers: former mayoral candidate JaMal Green; Collins; Justin Blake, uncle of Jacob Blake who in 2020 was shot by police in Kenosha; Amber Leaks; Dave Power; Nataki Rhodes; Cate Readling and Cassandra Greer-Lee. Blake was the only one not at the news conference. They were charged with misdemeanor civil contempt for violating the chief judges order governing demonstrations at the Dirksen Federal Building, according to Elorm Blake, a spokesperson for the U.S. Marshals Service in Chicago. Readling was also accused of recording the protest in the lobby of the courthouse, which is prohibited. Calloway said the group was in custody for probably a few hours before appearing before a federal judge Thursday night. They were released, and all nine are due back in court Tuesday. Community organizer William Calloway, one of the nine organizers arrested while calling for additional charges against Jason Van Dyke on Thursday, at a news conference at the Quinn Chapel AME Church on Feb. 4, 2022. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) Calloway said their situation reminded him of the Little Rock Nine, a group of African American high schoolers who protested racial segregation in Little Rock, Arkansas, public schools in 1957. This, along with it being the first week of Black History Month, inspired the group to call itself the Laquan 9. It was Black men and Black women, like Dr. King, Diane Nash and so many more that have laid out a blueprint for us to fight for civil rights and to fight for it even if it costs us our freedom, and thats the message that we want to send not just to our city but to our nation and to our federal government, that we are African Americans and with our allies that are non-Black, we are willing to sacrifice our freedom in the name of justice, Calloway said. On Thursday afternoon, protesters gathered across the street from Federal Plaza downtown calling for Van Dyke to face federal charges. Participants included the Rev. Jesse Jackson and McDonalds grandmother, Tracie Hunter. While most of the protesters were outside, some were inside with a couple of McDonalds family members, including his grandmother and aunt, Tanisha Hunter. They were inside to lend their support to a letter that was handed into U.S. Attorney John Lauschs office signed by several community leaders and organizations calling for Van Dyke to face additional charges for McDonalds murder. Advertisement Demonstrators get in a brief skirmish with police outside the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on Feb. 3, 2022, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) While some people came back outside, about 15, chose to stay in the lobby of the Dirksen building, which closes at 6 p.m. At one point, those who were inside locked arms and stood by the windows facing the crowd outside and began to chant. One of them, Calloway, said the group was very peaceful but refused to leave until we thought our voices were heard. Around 5 p.m., the group inside was escorted out of the lobby by U.S. marshals, and the nine were taken into custody. Van Dyke, who was convicted of second-degree murder in 2018 for fatally shooting McDonald, was released from prison just after midnight Thursday after spending about three years behind bars. The shooting marked a pivot in the citys history and policing, sparking reform efforts and a federal investigation. A dashcam video that captured the fatal shooting was made public only after a journalist made a FOIA request and later sued after being denied. A judge ordered the video to be released a year after the shooting. The video showed McDonald, who was walking away from officers while holding a knife, as Van Dyke fired 16 shots into him, many as he was on the ground. But it also showed a jarring contrast between the police and Fraternal Order of Polices narrative of the shooting and what actually happened. In 2018, Van Dyke became the first officer to be found guilty of murder for an on-duty shooting in about half a century. Advertisement Chicago Tribunes Paige Fry contributed. sahmad@chicagotribune.com A boutique in New Orleans claimed a Disney film production put it out of business (TikTok / @michaelmanzella37) In a viral TikTok video, a shuttered store in New Orleans blamed a Disney film production for putting it out of business. The video, which has gained nearly 120,000 views, shows a sign in the window of a shop in the citys French Quarter, typed up in large black letters. Thanks Disney and NOLA Film Office for putting me out of business after 37 years at this location, the sign reads. I survived Katrina, the BP oil spill, the building next door collapsing, mandatory Covid closure, to name just a few Who would believe Mickey Mouse would take me down! Somewhere in the background, a voice can be heard shouting, F*** Mickey! The video did not reveal the name of the business, but it appeared to be a boutique of some kind. In the window were some floral shirts, straw hats, sunglasses, and various souvenirs. Disney did not immediately respond to The Independents request for comment, but according to local news reports, the studio is currently filming a movie called Joyride in the French Quarter. The film, based on Disneys Haunted Mansion ride, is expected to star Tiffany Haddish, LaKeith Stanfield, Owen Wilson, Rosario Dawson and Danny DeVito. The Independent has also reached out to Film New Orleans (also called the NOLA Film Office) and the TikTokker who posted the video, @michaelmanzella37, for comment. Though the footage received a great deal of interest on TikTok, few viewers were convinced that Disney was to blame for the stores plight. Sounds more like they werent making money, one person commented. Thats total BS, another wrote. Disney compensates businesses to close for the time they are filming. Seems like this shop was already going downhill for a while. One person blamed the shops very dated clothing. Another blamed its business hours. Was just there in December, he wrote. Wanted to visit but she was never open. Many others faulted the merchandise. Judging by the clothes in the window, its not Mickeys fault, one user wrote. LONDON (Reuters) -Britain's competition regulator said on Friday it had fined Facebook-owner Meta 1.5 million pounds ($2 million) over fresh issues regarding its purchase of Giphy, a sanction that the U.S. firm said it would accept. Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has taken a tough line with major tech groups in recent years, investigating their dominance of markets such as digital advertising and seeking to block the Facebook-Giphy deal. The CMA ordered Meta to sell animated images platform Giphy, which it acquired for a reported $400 million in May 2020, after it decided the remedies offered by the U.S. company did not answer its concerns over the impact to digital advertising. It said on Friday that Meta had failed to comply with certain aspects of its requirements in regard to the handling of Giphy, with the U.S. firm failing to notify the UK regulator that key staff had left Meta. The CMA described this as a "serious and particularly flagrant nature of Meta's failure to comply" with rules it set to make sure the two firms were still competing with each other, and do not integrate, while the regulator investigated the deal. Friday's announcement marks a new deterioration in relations between the U.S. tech giant and the UK regulator. The CMA fined Facebook 50.5 million pounds over other breaches in October last year, and ordered Meta to sell Giphy. Meta is appealing the ruling to sell. It said on Friday it did not agree with the CMA's latest fine but would pay it. It added that it could not prevent staff from leaving the company. "We intend to pay the fine, but it is problematic that the CMA can take decisions that could directly impact the rights of our U.S. employees protected under U.S. law," a spokesperson said. (Reporting by Kate Holton, Editing by Alistair Smout) The claim: Canadian 'Freedom Convoy' is larger than the country's army Canadian truckers and their supporters protesting the new government vaccine requirement for cross-border truckers drove across the country to the nation's capital, Ottawa, in late January. The group dubbed itself the "Freedom Convoy," and some on social media claim it had grown larger than the country's army. "Did you know that the convoy is now bigger than our army?" reads a Feb. 1 Facebook post. The post received more than 1,000 likes and 100 shares in two days. A deleted Jan. 28 Facebook post, which garnered more than 2,300 likes and 400 shares in two days, read, "Thought it might be fun to point this little tidbit out: Convoy 2022 is larger than the Canadian Army." But that's not true. While it's impossible to know the exact size of the "Freedom Convoy," estimates don't come close to the size of the Canadian army Follow us on Facebook! Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook user who shared the claim for comment. Canadian army is bigger than convoy The Canadian army is made up of 22,500 full-time members in the regular force and 21,500 part-time, volunteer soldiers in the reserve force, including 5,300 Rangers dispersed along northern, coastal and isolated areas of Canada, according to the country's National Defence Department. Though it's impossible to definitively count the number of protesters participating in the "Freedom Convoy," there were a number of estimates of the size of the convoy in Canada and the figures don't come close to the size of the nation's army. Fact check: Canada truck convoy not an official Guinness World Record Police said Jan. 26 at a special meeting of the Ottawa Police Services Board that they planned for the arrival of about 1,000 to 2,000 vehicles, according to the Ottawa Citizen. Story continues David Atkin, a reporter for Global News, tweeted Jan. 27 that a convoy that arrived that day in Thunder Bay from Winnipeg consisted of 113 commercial vehicles and 276 personal vehicles, like cars or pick-up trucks, citing the Ontario Provincial Police. Police in Kingston, Ontario, said in a Jan. 28 tweet that the convoy passing through that town consisted of 17 full tractor-trailers, 104 tractors with no trailers, 424 passenger vehicles and six RVs. News reports from The New York Times and Canadian Broadcasting Corp. on the day of the main protest, Jan. 29, said "thousands" of demonstrators showed up to protest. The Ontario Provincial Police did not respond to USA TODAY's request for comment on the size of the protests and convoy. Convoy organizers claimed its numbers were much higher, somewhere between 36,000 to 50,000 heavy trucks. Fact check: Video shows South Carolina truckers during Special Olympics parade There's no evidence that's true; it contradicts both reporters and police on the ground. Additionally, an analysis by Canadian daily newspaper the National Post found that a line-up of that many trucks would be "so unprecedently massive that it would currently be lined up bumper-to-bumper across swaths of Ontario and Quebec." USA TODAY has debunked several false claims regarding the convoy, including that the protest achieved a Guinness World Record. Our rating: False Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that the Canadian "Freedom Convoy" is larger than the country's army. While it's impossible to know the exact size of the convoy, estimates don't come close to the size of the Canadian army. Our fact-check sources: Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Canadian Freedom Convoy didn't outsize country's army NFTs have been the craze lately and numerous fashion brands have hopped on the metaverse train. However, the space is relatively new, so companies are sourcing new talents who possess an array of tech skills and the ability to adapt to a rapidly changing environment. Each brand differs in regards to the knowledge they require, with some being stricter than others. Sebastian Fahey, the managing director for EMEA and metaverse executive lead at Sotheby's, shared with Glossy that hiring requirements were laxer for candidates in the space -- they do not need to have a lot of work experience under their belt. Meanwhile, StockX's posting for a senior NFT product manager calls for someone who is "fluent in NFTs." Fahey said: "We're looking to draw from across experiences, coupled with a knowledge of the Web3 space." He continued: "It's not necessarily more difficult to find candidates who fit, but it is a more niche field." Other creative agencies such as Harper + Scott have utilized nontraditional platforms in the search for fresh talent, looking to online channels such as Discord via word-of-mouth in NFT-focused communities. Michael Scott Cohen, the brand's founder, states that the process is not as simple as "going on LinkedIn and searching for people with 'NFT' in their job title." Rather, the hiring team has been looking for people who understand certain parts of it, such as cryptocurrency. He says: "We're not necessarily looking for someone who is already an expert, but someone who can become an expert." A car full of men became upset when another vehicle cut them off on a Tacoma street so they opened fire, killing one of the passengers, court documents say. Victor Scott, 56, of Graham, died in Mondays road rage incident near South 54th and South Washington streets. On Friday, Pierce County prosecutors charged Keon Simms, one of the alleged gunmen, with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault, second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm. Simms, 24, pleaded not guilty and is jailed in lieu of $1 million. Simms told police he was driving the car but did not shoot at the victims. No other arrests have been made in the death of Scott, who was the fourth homicide victim in the city this year. Charging papers give this account of the homicide: A woman called police about 3:15 p.m. Jan 31 and said somebody was shooting at her car, one of her passengers was hit and she was taking him to St. Clare Hospital. Scott was later moved to Tacoma General Hospital, where he died. The other two in the car with Scott told detectives they were looking for a buyer for a catalytic converter when they took a wrong turn and inadvertently cut off another vehicle on South Washington Street. She stated that the other vehicle proceeded to pull up next to her and several occupants waved guns at them, records say. The woman tried to drive away but the armed men followed, striking the back of her vehicle with theirs before they started shooting. After Scott yelled Im hit from the backseat, his friend traveled several more blocks to make sure the armed men werent following, then pulled over to call 911. Police found video surveillance footage of the road rage shooting, which showed the gunmans Hyundai Sonata following the other car closely before the front passenger pointed a handgun out the window and fired. The driver, later identified as Simms, then did a U-turn so the back passenger could also shoot at the victims car. Story continues Both 9mm and .40 caliber shell casings were found at the scene. In the video surveillance, detectives were able to see the Oregon license plate and discovered the car had been rented by Simms mother, who told police her son had been struck by a hit-and-run driver in the Hyundai. The rental car was found with the license plates removed and serious damage to the front end. Simms was arrested Wednesday after his girlfriend tried to flee from officers trying to pull them over, but crashed her car. A handgun was recovered from her vehicle. Simms said he bought it after the homicide, records say. The gun was reported stolen in Tacoma. Simms is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing weapons. Prosecutors said Simms could face additional charges for a pursuit he mentioned to police that is still under investigation. PANAMA CITY A Florida man was arrested early Friday morning on various charges, including homicide, after trying to hide from pursuing lawmen inside Hathaway Bridge. Xavier Michael Mitchell, 26, of Orange City, was arrested on charges of homicide, principal to attempted felony murder, principal to robbery with a firearm, carrying a concealed firearm and in state delinquent in possession of a firearm, electric weapon or concealed weapon, a Bay County Sheriffs Office press release states. Mitchell, who is a target of the U.S. Marshals and has a nationwide extradition order, was turned over to Florida Highway Patrol. The Hathaway Bridge photographed November, 10, 2020 looking to the west. Dining in Bay County: Craving soul food? These are the 6 Bay County restaurants to find. Bay County restaurant inspections: 2 places closed briefly in January; 1 for mice, other for roaches The press release states that sheriffs deputies responded to the Hathaway Bridge soon after midnight Friday to assist FHP and the Panama City Police Department in apprehending a fleeing suspect. The FHP had requested assistance when a passenger in a vehicle fled as the trooper attempted to arrest him on a misdemeanor. It was later learned that the suspect was Mitchell and that he was wanted on a host of charges. The deputy arrived and first checked the top of Hathaway before he walked down to the water and saw Mitchell on top of the rocks, under the road deck where bridge meets the land. The press release states Mitchell saw the deputy and went into hiding. Two other deputies then arrived and began to climb the rocks in pursuit. Two of the deputies entered the superstructure of the bridge, spotted Mitchell about 100 yards inside and took him into custody, the press release states. This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Florida man tries to hide inside Bay County bridge to escape police Hull business owner Casey Mahoney in Crave, her Nantasket Avenue shop that serves coffee and smoothies along with other treats, Monday, Jan. 31, 2022. HULL In the fall of 2020, Casey Mahoney said she knew her career in the food distribution industry was struggling and she didnt know if it would rebound. But instead of waiting it out, she took what some people told her was an even bigger risk: leaving her job and starting her own business. In October 2020, Mahoney opened Crave, which serves up acai bowls, smoothies, coffee and other healthy snacks on Nantasket Beach. This was something I always wanted to do, and I knew if I didnt do it now, I would have gone back into the same kind of career. It was my chance, she said. With my job, I saw what kinds of places were succeeding, and it was takeout types of places, so it worked out. A self-proclaimed workaholic, Mahoney said the downtime brought on by the pandemic gave her the opportunity to get Crave started. Tough industry gets aid: South Shore women-owned restaurants get $5,000 grants Real estate: Our latest list has 20 of the most expensive homes recently sold on the South Shore So many people said I was crazy, but I had to go with my gut because it was something I thought of doing for a long time, she said. Im not getting any younger, and not doing this was going to be something Id regret. More women starting businesses Women-owned businesses made up about a fifth of all firms that employed people in the United States in 2019, an increase of more than 100,000 from the year prior, according to the U.S. Census Bureaus Annual Business Survey. More than 40% of businesses 10.9 million without paid employees were owned by women in the same year. That brings the total number of women-owned businesses to more than 12 million, with $2.1 trillion in receipts, according to the Census Bureau. And the COVID-19 pandemic has only pushed more women into launching their own businesses. Women were more than twice as likely as men to start a small business since the start of the pandemic in 2020, according to a study by Next Insurance Inc. Story continues This could be due to demands at home, such as child care, that forced women to leave their jobs. More than 2.3 million women left the U.S. labor force between February 2020 and the end of January 2021, according to the National Women's Law Center. Many of these women went on to launch their own businesses. Calli McPherson opened William James Gifts, a gift basket business, in August 2020, from her house and opened a store in Quincy Center in October. She said she knows of many other mothers who have jumped into running their own businesses in the last couple of years. Get one, give one: Milton florist donates a bouquet to seniors for every order she fills Specializing in gluten free: Milton mom opens Quincy store after Food Network boost "In the Quincy area, there are a lot of women who have started businesses in the last couple of years and really feel empowered to do so," she said. "They continue to take off and employ more people." Women seek help growing their businesses Tim Cahill, president and executive director of the Quincy Chamber of Commerce, said hes seen an increase in women interested in opening or expanding their own businesses in recent years. The chamber offers a program called QUEST, which helps business owners increase their skills in finances and marketing and develop a three-year strategic growth plan. Of the 12 business owners enrolled in the program, Cahill said 11 are women. Cahill said there is a national trend of more women opening businesses and hes seen examples locally. I think women are leaving the workforce due to challenges with child care or simply not wanting to work in corporate America anymore, he said. It creates opportunity when women have a skill set they can turn into a business and chase their passions but not uproot their families. Jenn Ormond, owner of Coffee Break Cafe in Quincy, moved one store and opened a fifth location when COVID-19 hit. While shes been in business for 26 years, she said she understands the challenges of working through a pandemic. South Shore cocoa crawl: Here's where to snag a cup of steaming hot chocolate A unique art: Art of making paper revived by Marshfield's Erin Merchant MacAllister Ormond, who is part of the QUEST program, said shes noticed a lot more women getting into business in recent years. I love seeing the creativity of women, and I think its definitely one of the silver linings of the pandemic that everyone has had more time to think about what truly makes them happy, she said. There are a lot of lifestyle changes happening, so its really interesting. Lost jobs create opportunities Cristina Curreri took a chance on opening her own business after losing her job as a regional manager for a national yoga studio company during the pandemic. When Curreri was dealing with knee problems from running, a friend recommended she try halotherapy, or salt therapy, so she traveled to a salt cave nearly two hours away with her fiance. We had the most amazing experience and looked at each other and said, This is what we need to do, she said. Having experience in wellness for 25 years, I knew I wanted to stay there, and this was the perfect opportunity. Curreri last year opened Scituate Salt Cave, which has two rooms with 30,000 pounds of pink salt from the Himalayas. She said business has been great, and sold out of gift cards three times before the holidays. Curreri said she works closely with local female artisans, and they've all "ramped up" businesses since COVID-19 hit. McPherson, whose mother runs a gift shop, said she always wanted to eventually open her own, once her kids got a little older. But then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and McPherson suddenly had more time at home. That's when she opened William James Gifts. Calli McPherson, of Milton, owner of William James Gifts in Quincy Center, on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022. It's always been something Ive wanted to do, and the pandemic accelerated having more time at home thinking about it. I had that burning desire inside and feeling like I have to do something about it, and it motivated me to do it now, she said. A stay-at-home mother at the time, McPherson said she was able to be there for her kids while still getting her new business off the ground. 'Furniture with good bones': Marshfield restoration artist breathes new life into antiques "I didn't have the meetings and calls and deadlines, so there was the flexibility to work when it was best for me," she said. "You have the ability to make your schedule and make it whatever works for you and your family." With opportunities, pandemic also brings struggles While the pandemic created an opportunity for some women to start businesses, it also hit some hard. A survey by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that the number of female business owners who ranked their business's overall health as "good" fell from 60% in January 2020 to 47% in July 2020. That number fell five points for male business owners, from 67% to 62%. Beth Whitney and Cindy McCarthy co-managed Fitness Unlimited in Milton for nearly 30 years before buying the womens gym together just before the pandemic hit. They were then forced to close their doors for several months and reimagine many aspects of their business. I feel like Im a brand-new owner of a brand-new business because we bought a pre-COVID business, Whitney said. In COVID, its a completely different animal. Its shaken us and forced us to completely pivot so many times. Whitney, who is also enrolled in the QUEST program, said she hadn't noticed the surge in female business owners until she became one herself. There are definitely more and more women opening businesses, and its really great, she said. "It creates a camaraderie among us and we can learn from each other." New Coronavirus Watch newsletter: Get the latest South Shore COVID news in your inbox This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Pandemic pushes more women to launch their own businesses By Gwladys Fouche PARIS (Reuters) - French drugmaker Sanofi said it still expected its COVID-19 vaccine to complete phase 3 trial in the first quarter and reported a rise in fourth-quarter sales and earnings on Friday. The group, which is hoping for a comeback after losing ground in the COVID-19 jab race, also said it was aiming for an increase in its earnings per share in the "low double-digit" in 2022. Its sales in the three months to December grew 4.1% to 9.99 billion euros ($11.45 billion) while its EPS came in at 1.38 euros, compared with 1.22 euros in the same quarter last year. For the whole of 2021, its earnings per share rose by 15.5% at constant exchange rates, while the company had guided for a rise of 14%. Despite being one of the biggest makers of vaccines in the world by sales before the COVID-19 pandemic, Sanofi was beaten by newcomers who used newer mRNA technology to immunize people against coronavirus. It is instead focusing on efforts with British partner GlaxoSmithKline to develop a COVID-19 vaccine candidate based on the more conventional protein-based approach, where mass trials are ongoing. The two partners had initially targeted approval in the first half of 2021, which was later delayed to the end of the year and in December, they again pushed back the expected approval to the first quarter of 2022. On Friday, Sanofi's chief financial officer said it still expected the vaccine's phase 3 trial to be completed in the first quarter. "There is no update today. We said that it should happen during Q1 of this year," Jean-Baptiste Chasseloup de Chatillon told reporters. Consumer goods giant Unilever offered 50 billion pounds last month for the consumer healthcare business of drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline but declined to raise its bid when GSK sought a higher price. De Chatillon said he expected "some consolidation" in the pharmaceutical sector following this attempt but that Sanofi would not be part of it. Sanofi is planning to separate its own consumer healthcare unit by the end of 2022. Story continues "We are not in that game," De Chatillon said, adding that the company's focus was on growing the value of that division. (The story corrects headline, bullet point, 1st, 8th and 9th paras to show Sanofi expects its vaccine's phase 3 trial to finish in Q1 (not win approval for vaccine in Q1). Also corrects headline, 1st para to show it did not say vaccine would drive earnings in 2022) (Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Tomasz Janowski) About a week after a blizzard dumped two feet of snow on the region and canceled classes, the winter weather is playing havoc with school schedules again. Friday's weather is expected to be cloudy and cold, with rain in the morning that will freeze to ice in the afternoon, causing potentially hazardous road conditions. Here are the latest weather-related cancellations: Andrew Bockhorst shovels on Rock St. in Fall River. Argosy Collegiate Charter School: No school Atlantis Charter School: Early dismissal B.M.C. Durfee High School: After-school sports canceled. Bishop Stang High School: Early dismissal Bridgewater State University: Campus closed, no classes or events. Bristol Community College: Closing at noon, no evening classes or activities Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School: Early dismissal at 12:28 p.m. Espirito Santo School: Early dismissal at 11:30 a.m. Freetown-Lakeville: Two-hour early dismissal Happy Feet Preschool, Swansea: Early dismissal at 12 p.m. Highland Adult Daycare: Early dismissal; lunch will be served. Holy Name School: Early dismissal at 11:30 a.m. Little Compton Public Schools: Distance Learning Day Montessori School of the Angels: Early dismissal St. Philomena: Distance Learning Day Schwartz Center for Children: Closed Somerset elementary schools: Early dismissal at 12:30 p.m. Somerset Middle School: Early dismissal at 12 p.m. Somerset Berkley Regional High School: Early dismissal at 11:30 p.m. Small Wonders Nursery and Daycare: Early dismissal at 1 p.m. Swansea public schools: Early dismissal, with Case High School dismissed at 11 a.m. Tiverton Public Schools: Distance Learning Day University of Massachusetts Dartmouth: In-person classes canceled, with classes held remotely where possible. Westport Middle High School: Early dismissal at 11 a.m. Westport schools: Early dismissal, with Macomber School Pre-K preschool at 11:20 a.m., Westport Elementary at 11:45 a.m., Macomber School kindergarten at 11:55 a.m. Afternoon extended day and all after-school activities and events canceled. This story will be updated. This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Fall River area schools cancel classes with freezing rain forecast Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson during the annual memorial service, Dec. 22, 2021, for fallen Chicago firefighters at the old entrance to the Union Stockyards. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) The list of political heavyweights to face criminal prosecution at Chicagos federal courthouse is dismally long and peppered with names such as Ryan, Blagojevich, Cellini, Vrdolyak, and Burke. But there has never been a Daley until now. Advertisement On Monday, Chicago Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson, grandson and nephew of the citys two longest-serving mayors, is scheduled to go on trial at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on charges alleging he lied on federal tax returns about a line of credit he received from a Bridgeport bank that later collapsed. A pool of prospective jurors reported to the courthouse Friday morning to take COVID-19 tests and fill out a questionnaire. Jury selection and opening statements are set for Monday. Advertisement In demanding a trial just months after being indicted, Thompson, 52, who represents the 11th Ward where the Daley family built its once-formidable political machine, will be the first sitting alderman to face a jury since the Operation Silver Shovel probe more than two decades ago. But even more importantly, Thompson will be the first member of the Daley clan ever tried on federal charges a prospect that would have been virtually unthinkable when the family was at the height of its power, holding sway over virtually every aspect of the citys political structure, including who would serve as the U.S. attorney. Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson during a City Council meeting on May 26, 2021. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) Thompson, who has served on the City Council since 2015, was charged last April in a seven-count indictment with filing false tax returns and lying to Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. officials about $219,000 in loans hed received from clout-heavy Washington Federal Bank for Savings before it was shuttered in 2017. The indictment alleged Thompson filed false tax returns stating he had paid a total of more than $171,000 in interest to Washington Federal related to the loans, when actually he had paid nothing, the indictment alleged. He also allegedly understated his taxable income on those same returns, according to the indictment. Thompsons attorney, Chris Gair, has sought to portray any discrepancies in the paperwork as sloppy bookkeeping, not fraud. In a statement after the indictment was announced last year, Thompson said his conscience was clear and that hes paid the back taxes owed and repaid the rest of the loan in question. I did not commit any crime, I am innocent and I will prove it at trial, the statement said. The charges in the indictment do not relate in any way to my public service or to my professional life. I remain 100% dedicated to serving the people of Chicago to the best of my ability. The more serious charges of making false statements carry a maximum of 30 years in federal prison, while the tax counts are punishable by up to three years behind bars. Meanwhile, a conviction on any of the counts would likely force Thompson to immediately resign his seat on the council. Advertisement The case is an offshoot of a bigger probe filled with intrigue. The banks president, John Gembara, died by suicide at the home of a customer days before the feds shut it down. A massive federal investigation later led to criminal charges accusing a number of former bank employees and customers of running a multiyear, $31 million embezzlement scheme that doled out millions of dollars in loans with no collateral or expectation of repayment. Thompson was not charged as part of the embezzlement scheme and U.S. District Judge Franklin Valderrama has barred any direct testimony about it. Instead, the evidence in Thompsons case will be largely dry, focusing on his bank records and tax returns. The evidence is also expected to contain little if any mention of Thompsons position as an elected official or his role in the Daley family. In fact, the indictment doesnt include the Daley name at all, only his middle initial, and the judge has barred Thompsons attorneys from showing the jury the aldermans biography posted on the 11th Ward website. The questionnaire jurors filled out, however, does identify Thompson as a Chicago alderman and states his grandfather was the late Mayor Richard J. Daley and his uncle is former Mayor Richard M. Daley. To help weed out any potential biases, members of the jury pool were asked whether anything about those facts would lead them to treat him differently in this case than someone not in politics. At a hearing Friday night, nine potential jurors were stricken for cause, all due at least in part to their views of the Daleys and their ability to remain impartial. The remaining members of the jury pool will be questioned about their answers in court on Monday. Advertisement The trial is expected to wrap up by Feb. 16. Among the key witnesses will be Thompsons former accountant, Robert Hannigan, who testified during a pretrial hearing last year about the aldermans efforts to amend the tax returns at the center of the charges. Another witness, former Washington Federal loan officer Alicia Mandujano, is expected to testify for prosecutors that Gembara directed her to doctor the banks books to make it look like Thompson was making payments on his loan. Mandujano, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges, admitted in a 27-page plea agreement with prosecutors that her alterations to Thompsons loan records were just part of her role in the larger embezzlement conspiracy to hide millions of dollars in bad loans. The trial will likely also focus on the morning of Dec. 3, 2018, when FDIC agents knocked on the door to Thompsons bungalow at 35th and Lowe the same home where his grandfather, the late Mayor Richard J. Daley, raised his family and served him with a subpoena for his tax records. A report of that interview made public in court records showed Thompson initially talked to the agents through the storm door, saying he was heading into the ward office. He wound up inviting them inside and answering their questions for about 15 minutes before cutting the interview short, according to the report. Advertisement Thompson told the agents it was tragic what had happened to Gembara, whom he described as the nicest guy who meant well but whose unresponsiveness had left Thompson unable to close with a new lender that was going to take over his debt, according to the report. At one point, Thompson said Gembaras delays were killing me, before swiftly apologizing for his choice of words, the report stated. When the agents started asking Thompson whether hed been making payments on his loans with Washington Federal, the alderman answered Yeah, according to the report. But when he was asked to produce canceled checks as proof, Thompson replied, No, there werent any. He then requested an attorney be present for any further questioning, according to the report. Thompsons lawyers have characterized the report generated from the interview as unreliable and that Thompsons answer about payments was misconstrued by the agents, who had asked confusing, compound questions. There is good reason to doubt the accuracy of the agents interview memoranda, Gair wrote in a court filing last month asking to review the agents raw notes from their interaction Thompson that day. Advertisement Thompson, a real estate attorney, began his political career when he was elected to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District a decade ago. With the support of Richard M. Daley and another uncle, Cook County Commissioner and 11th Ward Democratic Committeeman John Daley, he then promptly won a seat on the City Council in 2015, representing the South Side Bridgeport neighborhood that has been his familys seat of political power for decades. Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson during the Cook County Democratic Committee slating meeting on Dec. 14, 2021. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) Observers noted Thompsons jowly, blue-eyed resemblance to his grandfather, a connection bolstered by the fact that he and his family live in his grandfathers former home. When he ran for aldermen, Thompson played coy when asked about possible mayoral ambitions, saying he wanted to win the council seat and, then, take four years at a time, and take a look and see. On the council, Thompson largely backed former Mayor Rahm Emanuel, though he pushed back against Emanuels moves to toughen restrictions on tobacco sales, saying they hurt corner stores in his ward. He endorsed Toni Preckwinkle in the 2019 mayoral runoff election, and has voted against some of Mayor Lori Lightfoots major spending initiatives, including her 2021 budget with its $94 million property tax increase and her plan to borrow $1.4 billion to help fund a major infrastructure package. Advertisement Thompson did vote in favor of Lightfoots 2022 budget, however, and isnt considered a hard-line Lightfoot opponent like some of his colleagues on the council. Since his indictment, Thompson has remained involved with City Council issues. He attends nearly all the Zoom meetings for council committees on which he sits, frequently questioning Lightfoot administration officials about the potential impact their proposals will have on city policies and finances. And he has spoken up repeatedly during the city ward remap fight in defense of keeping the Back of the Yards neighborhood in the 11th Ward, instead of cutting some of it out as part of a move to create Chicagos first majority Asian ward. The trial proceedings will be subject to strict COVID-19 protocols that have allowed the courthouse to remain open for business despite the recent surge in the omicron variant. Valderrama began a recent hearing by asking both sides if they wanted to request a continuance due to COVID-19 issues. Both prosecutors and the defense team said they wanted to go ahead with the trial. To accommodate crowds and allow for social distancing, members of the media and public will be able to watch the proceedings via a live video feed in the large ceremonial courtroom on the 25th floor of the courthouse. Advertisement The judge said that any witnesses or attorneys who wish to take their masks off during the trial must first verify under oath that they have been vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19. Witnesses and jurors will also be tested regularly for the virus throughout the trial, he said. While Thompson is the first member of the Daley family to face a federal criminal trial, hes hardly the first to get into hot water. In 1992, then-Mayor Richard M. Daley`s son, Patrick, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and providing alcohol to teenagers during a beer party that turned into a brawl at the family`s summer home in Michigan. Two decades later, Daley nephew Richard Vanecko, who is Thompsons first cousin, was indicted on manslaughter charges stemming from a fatal altercation on the Near North Side in the 2000s, Vanecko was later sentenced to 60 days in jail. Patrick Daley also caused the family considerable embarrassment when it was revealed that he and another cousin, Robert Vanecko, were secret investors in a sewer company that landed a lucrative contract with the city. Their business partner, Anthony Duffy, later was convicted of fraud and sentenced to 17 months in federal prison for his role in a scheme that used a minority-owned company as a front to fraudulently secure millions of dollars in Chicago sewer contracts. Advertisement Duffy, who is white, admitted in a plea agreement he lied to federal investigators about why he didnt reveal on economic disclosure statements that Patrick Daley and Robert Vanecko, were investors in the company. Neither Daley nor Vanecko was charged with any wrongdoing as part of that case. Chicago Tribunes John Byrne contributed. jmeisner@chicagotribune.com A police officer uses a radar gun to catch speeders. Gainesville adopted its first speed limit in 1882 10 mph to crack down on fast horses and daring bicyclists. One hundred and forty years and far too many traffic deaths later, commissioners appear poised to set a citywide speed limit of 30 mph for Gainesville roads and 20 mph on neighborhood streets. It is an eminently sensible proposal. Why should anyone need to drive faster in a city full of schools, parks, churches and, of course, neighborhoods? Slowing cars ought to be a top public safety priority. And Gainesville could use some help from some of its partners. More from Ron Cunningham: Use tragedy to take a holistic look at Eighth Avenue in Gainesville Clemons, Perry seeking to remake Alachua County government in their own image 'Saving Florida Springs' provides remedies for problems ailing springs For instance, it would be a huge assist if Alachua County would lower the speed limit on Northwest 16th at least the portion of that four-lane urban highway that puts city residents in jeopardy for the convenience of suburban commuters looking for a fast way in and out of town. It would be even better if the state joined in. Having already reduced speeds on one portion of University Avenue in response to several University of Florida student deaths and injuries, the Florida Department of Transportation needs to slow traffic on East University Avenue, where a 4-year-old boy was recently run down and killed. Oh, and there is one other partner that apparently must be persuaded to help curb traffic violence. The Gainesville Police Department. I know. If youve ever looked in your rear-view mirror and seen a city patrol cruiser, you probably already assume that GPD is doing its bit to slow the cars. A officer with the Gainesville Police Department drives near department headquarters. But the numbers dont bear that out. In fact, Gainesville has seen a steady and dramatic decline in traffic enforcement over the last quarter century. Consider that in 2008, GPD officers wrote a total of 25,556 traffic citations. Story continues Ten years later the department wrote just 11,886 tickets. And last year, when we were all wringing our hands over the latest student deaths, GPD wrote just 6,960 tickets citywide. It is almost as though slowing cars hasnt been a public safety priority at GPD. But it should be. It is the rare year that we dont lose far more lives to traffic violence than murders. In 2019, for instance, 19 people died in traffic in Gainesville. That same year saw just two homicides. Ive been speaking to command and they recognize that (enforcement) needs to be part of the solution and something they need to find some answers to, says Mayor Lauren Poe. There are some pretty simple technologies we can use that dont cost a lot of money. Gainesville Mayor Lauren Poe listens during a 2018 meeting. For instance, we can send an officer out with a radar gun and instead of stopping motorists and issuing tickets on the spot mail them their citations. There are some real benefits to not putting officers on the point of conflict for traffic stops. Poe said it GPD may begin a pilot citations-by-mail program in school zones. If its deployed equitably throughout the city, people will quickly understand that if they break the law they are going to get caught. Gainesville has a Vision Zero goal to eliminate traffic deaths. And Vision Zero works on the 3 Es: education, engineering and enforcement. Public education is always a tough nut to crack in our autoAmerica culture. Engineering redesigning streets to make fast driving uncomfortable will be the work of years and millions of dollars. Of the three, only determined and continued enforcement has the potential to pay immediate benefits. Time to get back on that horse, GPD. Ron Cunningham is former editorial page editor of The Sun. Read his blog at www.floridavelocipede.com. Email him at ron@freegnv.com. Gainesville Sun columnist Ron Cunningham Join the conversation Send a letter to the editor (up to 200 words) to letters@gainesville.com. Letters must include the writer's full name and city of residence. Additional guidelines for submitting letters and longer guest columns can be found at bit.ly/sunopinionguidelines. Journalism matters. Your support matters. Get a digital subscription to the Gainesville Sun. Includes must-see content on Gainesville.com and Gatorsports.com, breaking news and updates on all your devices, and access to the Gainesville.com ePaper. Visit www.gainesville.com/subscribenow to sign up. This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Ron Cunningham: GPD needs to make slowing cars a higher priority DAWSON, GEORGIA A Georgia man has been charged with murder in the death of a 59-year-old woman after he was caught hiding in a car trunk in Virginia, according to an Associated Press report. Nakia Lanard West II, a suspect arrested by Augusta County Sheriff's Office. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced Thursday that it had charged 26-year-old Nakia West with felony murder and aggravated assault in the death of Annie Josie Chappell. She was found dead in her home in Dawson, Georgia, on Monday, according to a press release from the Augusta County Sheriff's Office. West was arrested in Greenville Wednesday after deputies found Chappell's stolen Hyundai Elantra, apparently abandoned with the lights on in the middle of a road. The Sheriff's Office connected it possibly to a homicide scene in Dawson, Georgia a car stolen Jan. 31. Georgia investigators had been looking for the car. WHAT HAPPENED: Hiding in trunk of car with APB: Fugitive Georgia suspect arrested in Greenville Virginia sheriff deputies launched an intensive search in the area including dogs, but found no one, the press release said. As they were towing the car, they found West hiding in the trunk with a gun. West is also charged with grand larceny in Virginia and is being extradited to Georgia. It's unclear if Annie Josie Chappell's death is linked to a search for her cousin, Natonya Chappell, who is accused of murder in the Jan. 15 death of Tana Mullis in Leesburg, Georgia. The GBI didn't immediately respond to questions Friday about whether agents believe Natonya Chappell, 41, was involved in Annie Josie Chappell's death, or how Annie Josie Chappell died, the release said. The Augusta County Sheriff's Office said authorities don't believe Natonya Chappell was in Virginia at the time of West's capture. Natonya Chappell shot Mullis after a predawn argument with Mullis' daughter, whom Natonya Chappell was dating, authorities said. GBI agents said a man who was a family friend was called to the home and also was shot and wounded. Officials said Natonya Chappell then broke into a nearby home, forced someone into a car and drove off. The carjacking victim jumped out and the car was later found abandoned. Story continues WALB-TV reports Annie Josie Chappell was a lifelong Dawson resident who had 10 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. More: Investigation leads to arrest of Staunton man who is being held on child porn charges Monique Calello (she/her) has been a journalist with The News Leader/USA TODAY Network since she made the Shenandoah Valley her home almost 10 years ago. Have a good feature or story tip? Questions? You can reach her at mcalello@newsleader.com. Follow her on Twitter @moniquecalello. Your support is vital to local journalism. Please subscribe. This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Georgia fugitive found hiding in car trunk charged with felony murder BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's health experts are divided over whether the country is ready to ease COVID-19 restrictions as its neighbours start dialling back curbs. Germany on Thursday reported a record of 236,120 new daily cases thanks to the more-infectious Omicron variant of the coronavirus, but some health experts say it is time to put a "freedom plan" for how restrictions will be eased gradually. "Formulating this Freedom Plan is now the most important task of politics," Andreas Gassen, the head of the KBV family doctors' association, told Rheinische Post newspaper on Friday. Gassen said Germany should accept living with COVID-19 as it does with influenza which has always new variants and cases tens of thousands of deaths annually. "We have to accept that with corona and at the same time continue to offer vaccinations for risk groups," Gassen added. Other European countries, including Finland, Britain, Ireland and neighbouring Austria and Switzerland have started scaling back their restrictions in recent days in pursuit of a return to pre-pandemic normality. Last week, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declined to give details about national plans to relax restrictions before the latest infection wave peaks, which is expected in mid-February. But some German states, such as Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein have already announced easing curbs earlier this week; a step that was criticised by some German health experts as premature. "It would be fatal if we got on a rollercoaster ride with the number of infections increasing again due to loosening too early," Gernot Marx, the head of Germany's association for intensive care medicine, told Funke media group of newspaper. Marx said concrete easing steps should only be decided when the number of infection steadily fall over several days. Scholz is due to discuss possible coronavirus measures with the federal states' leaders on Feb. 16. (Reporting by Riham Alkousaa; Editing by Aurora Ellis) Gov. Bill Lee plans to submit a detailed education funding proposal to legislators by mid-February, the next step in a long-awaited process to overhaul the state's outdated funding model. Lee and Tennessee Commissioner Penny Schwinn on Thursday announced the new funding formula, called the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement, would be sent to the Tennessee General Assembly within weeks. Details on the proposal are still scarce, though Lee this week proposed more than $1 billion in new, recurring funding for K-12 education including $750 million for the new funding formula. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee delivers his State of the State Address in the House Chamber of the Capitol building in Nashville, Tenn., Monday, Jan. 31, 2022. Our approach is about funding students unique needs and that funding will follow the student to his or her public school, Lee said. I believe we have the capability, the resources and most importantly the desire to not let this become a multi-year project that turns into another 30-year, outdated formula. The time is now. Previously: Tennessee releases draft framework of new school funding formula, seeks more input Related: Gov. Bill Lee outlines $1B more for education, new conservative initiatives in annual State of the State The governor and Schwinn launched a 90-day review of the state's current funding formula in October, gathering 1,300 public comments and feedback through town halls and school district visits. The review then headed to 18 subcommittees and a steering committee, made up of key legislators to discuss and provide input. The subcommittees wrapped up their work at the end of January, laying out policy recommendations on more than a dozen aspects of the formula, including teacher salaries, tutoring, career and technical education and potential additional weights for early-elementary students. Other recommendations include factoring in cost of living when creating policies around teacher salaries, providing funding for teachers to receive training on unique learning needs of students and ensuring that funding for staff reflects class-size requirements. Story continues But some committee members have balked at signing off on the state's plan before they see specific monetary details, which have not yet been provided. Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn reacts as Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee delivers his State of the State Address in the House Chamber of the Capitol building in Nashville, Tenn., Monday, Jan. 31, 2022. Last month, the state released a draft framework, dubbed "Funding for Student Success," but the four-page document didn't dive into specific funding allocations. The base funding under the framework would include money for educator salaries, nurses, counselors and student supports, intervention resources and technology along with varying district-specific needs. What to know: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee's budget: Here's what's in the $52.5 billion proposal Related: Billions of dollars and no COVID talk: Takeaways from Gov. Bill Lee's State of the State Districts would also receive additional dollars for specific student subgroups that are sometimes harder or more expensive to educate like students who are living in poverty, English language learners and students with disabilities or students who qualify for Section 504 dyslexia plans. The draft framework also included an "outcomes section" that would provide a per-student bonus for performance, how many advanced courses a student takes or how they perform on high school exams, among other things. In its final recommendations, Chamber of Commerce Subcommittee members requested the opportunity to review a draft formula with actual dollar amounts before endorsing the state's work. Subcommittee members also asked the state to share a sustainability plan for year-over-year funding and how a new formula could be altered in the future. The steering committee met for the third time Thursday, where Schwinn shared some of the policy recommendations the department received from the subcommittees. Subcommittees generally preferred additional funding be allocated only to four specific groups of students: economically disadvantaged, students with disabilities, English learners and students with characteristics of dyslexia, according to education department documents. More: Why Gov. Bill Lee's new school funding formula still faces a long road ahead But lawmakers still have policies to hammer out, such as how economically disadvantaged is defined in the formula or how the state calculates whether a community is rural or "sparse. The department is still debating whether to use the number of students who receive free lunch or attend a Title I school to define economically disadvantaged or federal data that illustrates concentrations of poverty. The state has also started to parse down outcomes measures that could be associated with funding amounts. Subcommittees gave strong feedback to use growth rather than proficiency on third-grade state assessments if the state decided to tie that outcome measure to funding. Stay up-to-date on Tennessee's top education news by signing up for our new weekly newsletter, School Zone. Sign up here. Reach Melissa Brown at mabrown@tennessean.com. Meghan Mangrum covers education for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee. Contact her at mmangrum@tennessean.com. Follow her on Twitter @memangrum. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Gov. Bill Lee to submit new education funding plan by mid-February Gov. Laura Kelly rejected Thursday a Republican-authored set of congressional districts, saying the maps ran afoul of the Kansas Legislature's own redistricting guidelines and illicitly divided Wyandotte and Douglas counties. The move to veto the proposal was expected by top GOP legislators, who have defended the maps and believe they have enough support to override her decision. Redistricting committees in both chambers adopt standards aimed at guiding the once-in-a-decade map-drawing process. In her veto message, Kelly said the Congressional map, dubbed Ad Astra 2, "does not follow these guidelines and provides no justification for deviation from those guidelines." She pointed to a range of alternative maps that would ensure each of the state's four congressional districts have equal population "while protecting the core of the existing congressional districts and without diluting minority communities voting strength." "I am ready to work with the Legislature in a bipartisan fashion to pass a new congressional map that addresses the constitutional issues in Senate Bill 355," Kelly said. "Together, we can come to a consensus and pass a compromise that empowers all people of Kansas." Previously: I think our party is being bully-ish: Kansas legislator critical of congressional maps headed to Laura Kelly Gov. Laura Kelly rejected a set of GOP-authored Congressional districts Thursday, putting the onus on legislative Republicans, led by House Speaker Ron Ryckman (left) and Senate President Ty Masterson (right), to override her veto. The map backed by House and Senate Republican leaders controversially moves part of Wyandotte County from the 3rd District into the 2nd District. This has prompted a torrent of criticism from Democrats and area residents alike, who believe the proposed lines would unfairly target neighborhoods with a high number of voters of color, diluting their voice in the political process. Republicans have argued it actually increases the voting strength of minority residents in the 2nd District and that the goal in the redistricting process was to keep Johnson County in the 3rd District. It is mathematically impossible to keep both Wyandotte and Johnson counties in one district. Story continues In a statement, Senate Republicans defended the map, saying it was reflective of the will of residents who did not want to see Johnson County split and preserved the existing core of each Congressional district. "All in all, the Ad Astra 2 Map will serve Kansas well and accordingly, we will work to override the governors veto in short order," said Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, Senate Majority Leader Larry Alley, R-Winfield, and Senate Vice President Rick Wilborn, R-McPherson. But in her veto message, Kelly pointed to an array of predominately Hispanic neighborhoods "carved up" by the map and noted three conservative counties Anderson, Franklin and Miami that were added to the 3rd District. The move makes the district more conservative, potentially undercutting the re-election efforts of U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, Kansas' lone Democrat in Congress. Republicans have argued Davids would have won the proposed 3rd District in 2020. In addition, much of Lawrence, as well as Jackson and Jefferson counties, would leave the 2nd District and move into the 1st District, which runs to the Colorado border, encompassing much of western Kansas. More: Critics worry over plan to lump Lawrence with other college towns and rural western Kansas Critics of that move argue the college town shares little in common with rural swaths of the state, though Republicans framed it as a move to reunite the University of Kansas with its peer, Kansas State, in one district. Kelly said the decision to move Lawrence served to water down common groups of western Kansas residents while "unnecessarily dividing communities of interest in Eastern Kansas." House Speaker Ron Ryckman, R-Olathe, House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, and House Speaker Pro Temp Blaine Finch, R-Ottawa, meanwhile, said, "This isnt the first time the legislature has had to step up to protect Kansans from Laura Kellys partisan agenda." "It is no coincidence she pulled out the veto pen just hours after the ACLU told her to. Its clear she is beholden to New York special interests," the House leaders said in a statement. "The legislature is bound to do what is best for Kansans and we wont back down from that responsibility." Attention shifts to override vote on redistricting Democrats, however, cheered the veto decision, which came after days of lobbying from advocacy groups. House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer, D-Wichita, said the map "was an insult to Kansans," while Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, D-Lenexa, added the veto "provides us an opportunity to reflect on our failures and recommit ourselves to our professed principles of unprecedented transparency and accountability." Now the ball is in the court of legislative Republicans, who will need a two-thirds majority in each chamber to override her veto. Masterson and Ryckman have said they believe they have the support to do this. All Republican senators but one voted for the maps, though two members were absent. Masterson told reporters he expects those members will support the districts, allowing them to override. The House, however, could be a tricky proposition. One Republican voted against the maps last week and two more voted present, with four others absent for a variety of reasons. Five more votes are needed to overcome Kelly's veto. There is a broad agreement the matter will ultimately be litigated in court, however, either in federal court or at the Kansas Supreme Court. It remains unclear whether a lawsuit is possible in state courts, though the Kansas Constitution doesn't address congressional redistricting. A lawsuit there would likely be predicated on whether the maps follow the guidelines Kelly cited in her decision to veto the bill. More: Amid lawmaker probe, Kansas Legislature considers halting investigations into doctors prescribing ivermectin An array of advocacy groups, as well as Democratic legislators, have said they are confident there are grounds for a successful challenge in either federal or state court. Andrew Bahl is a senior statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached at abahl@gannett.com or by phone at 443-979-6100. This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly rejects GOP-authored congressional maps The gunman who robbed rapper Safaree Samuels in 2018, stealing $180,000 in jewelry off the music star during the Fort Lee holdup, was sentenced on Friday to 30 years in prison. Tacuma Ashman, 43, will serve at least 25 years before hes eligible for parole on multiple counts of armed robbery, a Bergen County judge ruled. Prosecutors said the Irvington, New York man was one of three conspirators who plotted to rob the North Jersey rapper and star of VH1s "Love & Hip Hop" outside his apartment complex in Fort Lee. The theft led to a high-speed chase across the George Washington Bridge as the trio attempted to flee with the rapper's valuables, the state said. The sentence came two months after a jury convicted Ashman on two counts of first-degree robbery, along with charges of weapons possession and resisting arrest. He was acquitted on conspiracy charges and owning a handgun without a permit. Tacuma Ashman is sentenced to 30 years of prison time for his roll as the gunman in a robbery in Fort Lee in 2018. Ashman was found guilt of armed robbery of $180,000 in jewelry music star Safaree Samuels. Judge Christopher Kazlau handed down the sentencing in Hackensack, N.J. on Friday Feb. 4, 2022. The state requested a 31-year prison sentence for Ashman, and a Bergen County judge nearly obliged, remarking that the evidence against him was overwhelming. This was a carefully planned armed robbery over the course of weeks and months, with specific steps taken to execute it, Judge Christopher Kazlau said Friday. Prosecutors said the men plotted the robbery weeks in advance, scanning Samuels' Instagram account for pictures of high-end jewelry that he wore in public, including a watch, bracelet and ring, some valued at more than $40,000. Authorities also found a GPS tracking device under the rapper's car, used to trace his whereabouts so the crew knew when to strike, the state said. The heist was masterminded by Shawn Harewood, childhood friend of Samuels in Brooklyn, prosecutors said. He later recruited Ashman and Carl Harry to act as his henchmen, knowing the rapper would recognize his face. Harewood and Ashman were co-defendants in the trial, but a judge declared a mistrial for Harewood after his attorney withdrew from the case over a personal matter. Story continues On Friday, Ashman told the court his case should have ended in a mistrial as well. He had rejected several plea deals, including a seven-year offer by prosecutors, instead choosing to risk his case before a jury, the judge noted. Im not responsible for what the state is alleging against me Ashman said. Bergen County courts: Bergen man serving life sentence for 2012 murder gets new trial over 'unreliable' DNA test Samuels did not attend the sentencing, but prosecutors said the robbery left him scarred after he tried to avoid the spotlight by moving from New York City to a more low-key area in Fort Lee. He thought he would be safe, and his whole world was shook by this, Assistant Prosecutor Megan Kilzy said Friday. In April 2018, the three targeted Samuels as he returned home to The Modern, a luxury apartment building on Park Avenue in Fort Lee, prosecutors said. Surveillance video from The Modern's parking garage showed two men, allegedly Ashman and Harry, approach Samuels from behind and tussle with him. Ashman held the gun while they swiped his valuables and then piled into a black Cadillac Escalade driven by Harewood, the state said. Officers were on their way to the scene when they spotted a black Escalade without license plates blocks away from the site, authorities had said. The Escalade reportedly sped at 80 mph across the George Washington Bridge into New York City, with police in pursuit. During the chase, the Escalade crashed into a concrete divider at the Henry Hudson Parkway South ramp. Dashcam footage played during the trial showed three people bail out of the truck and flee on foot after the crash. Harewood was arrested that night near 144th Street in Manhattan. Police picked up Ashman weeks later in Newark. Ashman's driver's license and cellphone and a red hat he wore during the robbery were found inside the crashed car, prosecutors said. Authorities also recovered Samuels' wallet and jewelry. A new trial date for Harewood is pending. Harry pleaded guilty in 2019 to a conspiracy charge. Tom Nobile covers Superior Court in Bergen County for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from criminal trials to local lawsuits and insightful analysis, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. Email: nobile@northjersey.com Twitter: @tomnobile This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Safaree robbery suspect in Fort Lee NJ sentenced to 30 years Leon County Schools Superintendent Rocky Hanna is once again at odds with the state's Republican leaders who, with a new proposed line item in the next state budget, are targeting school districts who defied the governor's ban of mask mandates last year. House Republicans introduced legislation this week that would slash salaries from school districts, of which Leon was one, that implemented mandatory mask rules after Gov. Ron DeSantis prohibited them in schools. In a K-12 Appropriations Subcommittee meeting, state Rep. Randy Fine, R-Palm Bay, proposed a line item in the budget a "Putting Parents First Adjustment" that would take away $200 million from a dozen school districts that defied the governor's emergency rule that banned mask mandates and give that money to other districts. "A number of school districts intentionally broke the law, but 55 of them did not," Fine said at the meeting. Read more: House Video Player: House PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee - February 3, 2022 Leon County Schools was one of 12 districts that initially mandated masks to combat the COVID-19 delta wave that hit right as the fall 2021 semester started. The county was also one of six school districts in a lawsuit that challenged the state's emergency rule, now a law, that banned mask mandates, alleging it was an overreach of authority. Fine said the $200 million would be taken from 1,644 employees, not teachers or in-school personnel, who make more than $100,000 a year. That money would be given to the other 55 districts based on enrollment. "I think we were very clear as a legislature working with our governor that when we set policy we expect it to be followed," Fine said, then he quickly adjourned the subcommittee meeting and said debate would continue at next week's full Appropriations committee meeting. Story continues Rep. Randy Fine, who was hospitalized earlier this year for COVID-19, sits at his desk with a mask on during the Florida Legislature's Organization Session at the Florida Capitol Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020. More: Rocky Hanna on masks in school and Gov. Ron DeSantis Rocky Hanna calls Rep. Randy Fine 'a childish, immature bully' Hanna told the Tallahassee Democrat he wasn't surprised by the line item, calling Fine "a childish, immature bully who simply hates public schools. He added: "I am simply dumbfounded as to how this man could ever be placed on an education (legislative) committee given his disdain for public schools. Even more disappointing is that he would not be saying these things without the support of the governor, the speaker of the house and other Republican legislators. "If he is, they need to put a muzzle on him," Hanna said. Fine responded by saying that, as a product of government schools and the son of a school teacher, he is thrilled that the House is proposing to give $200 million to school districts that chose to put parents first. "I think it's pretty clear who is immature and childish here," he said in a text message. "Perhaps the next time career politicians like Hanna are considering breaking the law, they will think twice." Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran withheld the salaries of all Leon County School Board members in October after finding the district in non-compliance. Richard Corcoran, Florida Education Commissioner and former Speaker of the Florida House, responds to questions asked by the Florida State Presidential Search Committee on Saturday, May 15, 2021. Back story: Corcoran: Leon County school district now in compliance after superintendent eased mask rule In a letter to the district dated Oct. 15, 2021, Corcoran said that even though the district gave parents have the ultimate authority on whether their child wears a mask to school, the policy still required asymptomatic children to wear a mask if they wish to return to school during the seven-day quarantine period. That, he said, did not comply with the state's own new emergency rule. The district finally dropped its mask mandate, even for exposed and asymptomatic students in late October, which brought the district into compliance. In a tweet in early November, Corcoran thanked the Leon County and Brevard County school districts for reversing their mask requirements and empowering parents: "Lets keep working together to provide students a world-class education." The five school board members' salaries were withheld for one month's pay for a total of $17,199 until the state deposited it back on Dec. 9, 2021. Contact Ana Goni-Lessan at AGoniLessan@tallahassee.com and follow her on Twitter @goni_lessan. Want more news coverage? If you're already a subscriber, thank you! If not, please subscribe using the link at the top of the page and help keep the news you care about coming. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Leon Schools head Rocky Hanna at odds with GOP lawmaker over budget item LAS CRUCES - The plan to arrest Omar Cueva on Feb. 4, 2021, was simple but had deadly results. Court records and public records suggest that federal agencies contacted New Mexico State Police with a plan to arrest Cueva, who they believed was trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl across the borderland. A medical team coupled with tactical units ready to ambush and surround Cueva was posted on stand-by off Interstate 10 between Las Cruces and Deming. The outsized force reflected a belief on the part of law enforcement that Cueva wouldn't hesitate to kill a police officer, court records claim. Court records and hearings over the last year have brought to light an ominous warning Cueva imparted on an undercover officer. He allegedly said that he "wasnt going back to jail," and carried a semi-automatic rifle for such an occasion. Darrian Jarrott knew none of this when he pulled Cueva over for a traffic stop near milepost 101 on Interstate 10 east of Deming, a lawsuit alleged. When Cueva exited his vehicle during the traffic stop, he fatally shot Jarrott. Jarrott was 28. He left behind a wife and four children. "Officer Jarrott was sent into an ambush without protection, backup, or even the information needed to know the danger he was in," a civil complaint reads. "As a result, he was brutally murdered." After Cueva killed Jarrott, he returned to his truck and sped east on I-10 to Las Cruces where a shootout ensued after vehicles came to rest on the interstate. Cueva shot and wounded a Las Cruces police officer before Cueva was eventually shot dead by police. That was a year ago. Watch: Bystander video captures Las Cruces police in shootout with Cueva on I-10 In the weeks following his death, Jarrott's widow, Gabriella Jarrott, notified the state that she would sue New Mexico State Police, claiming their actions led to the wrongful death of her husband and father of her children. The complaint was written by Jarrott's attorney, Sam Bregman. Story continues The state of New Mexico's response to the civil complaint suggests they believe there are numerous issues with the complaint. "Defendant objects that Plaintiff's lengthy narrative within the 'Introduction' section of her Complaint contains numerous false, inflammatory, and vague statements and plainly violates the New Mexico Rules of Civil Procedure," the response reads. The response goes on to state that NMSP denies seeing Jarrott into an ambush without protection or information, and denies that NMSP had the opportunity to arrest Cueva using the officers stationed nearby. While the wrongful death lawsuit officially started with the filling of Gabriella Jarrott's civil complaint in June 2021, the case picked up a lot of steam last month. In January, Bregman filled 12 notices of depositions. In those depositions, he requested to interview under oath several police administrators, most notably Sgt. Mark Madrid, who instructed Jarrott to pull over Cueva. According to reporting from the Albuquerque Journal, Madrid oversaw some of the operations and told Bregman that NMSP was not at fault for Jarrott's death. Madrid said that he thought Homeland Security Investigations a federal organization under the U.S. Immigration, Customs and Enforcement agency that was involved in the investigation into Cueva was "confused on what they were doing." Madrid also said that HSI did not provide him with enough information about Cueva, specifically the alleged comment about Cueva not wanting to go back to jail. I will not work with (HSI), Madrid said. They do not put the information out, I believe, properly for officer safety purposes. The wrongful death case has a long way to go before it reaches a resolution. Jury selection is scheduled to begin in December, but that could easily be deleyed. Justin Garcia is a public safety reporter for the Las Cruces Sun-News. He can be reached at JEGarcia@lcsun-news.com or on Twitter @Just516garc. More reporting on Jarrott: This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Darian Jarrott: Wrongful death suit sheds light on officer's killing Today is Thursday. Welcome to Hillicon Valley, detailing all you need to know about tech and cyber news from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. Subscribe here: thehill.com/newsletter-signup. Follow The Hill's tech team, Chris Mills Rodrigo (@millsrodrigo) and Rebecca Klar (@rebeccaklar_), for more coverage. Senators on the Judiciary Committee advanced another antitrust bill, the second so far this year, and this time it's focused on market power concentration in app stores. It has strong backing from app developers, but tech giants and industry groups argue it could lead to secuirty issues. Meanwhile, members of the House aviation subcommittee questioned federal agencies over the rocky 5G rollout. Let's jump into the news. Senate advances bill targeting Apple, Google A bill aimed at reining in Apple and Google's app store market power advanced out of the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday with support from all members of the panel except Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas). Cyber concerns: Other Republicans on the committee, as well as two California Democrats, expressed similar concerns as Cornyn regarding potential cybersecurity issues, though they voted to advance the bill, known as the Open App Marks Act, anyway. It is the second major antitrust bill the committee has advanced so far this year, following the positive vote on the American Choice and Online Innovation Act last month. Although the Open App Marks Act advanced Thursday with even broader committee support, the ongoing concerns may pose hurdles for the bill if called for a full Senate floor vote. Rein it in: Proponents of the bill, which is co-sponsored by a group of bipartisan senators, say it would provide guardrails for tech giants they argue are operating as gatekeepers and stifling competition through restrictive app store rules. "It is important that our legislative agenda adapts with the times, and technology has outpaced legislation to such a grave extent that more burdensome measures are now necessary to rein in big tech. I'm not here to break up companies, but I am here to put executives and boards on notice. We're not going to let you lobby your way out of this problem," Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) said. Story continues The bill would restrict the owners of major app stores, like Apple and Google, from requiring users of their devices to use only their app marketplace, blocking the ability of developers to use alternative payment systems, and collecting commission fees up to 30 percent. Developers have criticized the practices and argued they are anticompetitive. Read more here. A MESSAGE FROM CISCO How did privacy become mission critical for organizations across the world? Find out how organizations view privacy and privacy laws in Cisco's 2022 Data Privacy Benchmark Study Lawmakers blast agencies over 5G rollout Lawmakers went after federal agencies on Thursday over the tumultuous rollout of 5G technology earlier this year, accusing officials of creating a crisis by failing to communicate over aviation safety concerns. Members of the House aviation subcommittee questioned the head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) along with airline and wireless executives about the lead-up to the 5G standoff, which resulted in delayed rollout of the technology in January. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, criticized the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for approving the sale of C-band spectrum to telecoms last year without taking input from FAA officials who have been warning of potential disruptions as far back as 2015. "It's a pattern of ignoring consequences beyond the consequences to the profitability of the telecom industry, that's their only focus," DeFazio said of the FCC, whose chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel was invited to the hearing but did not attend, citing a scheduling conflict. "Having a dropped call is way less serious than having a dropped airline out of the sky," DeFazio added. Committee members and airline officials said the situation is still not resolved and urged regulators to develop a permanent solution that allows for 5G to be widely instituted without risking passenger safety. Read more here. TESLA RECALLS 800K VEHICLES Tesla will recall more than 800,000 vehicles because of an issue with the seat belt reminder feature. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) disclosed in a Thursday safety report that 817,143 Tesla vehicles would have to be recalled because the seat belt reminder may not activate when a new driver cycle begins, which could lead the driver to operating the vehicle without a seatbelt. The recall includes the 2021-2022 Model S and Model X, the 2017-2022 Model 3 and the 2020-2022 Model Y. Tesla, however, is not aware of any injuries or deaths stemming to this issue as of Jan. 31, according to NHTSA. "If the audible seat belt reminder chime does not activate at the start of a new drive cycle and the driver does not notice the accompanying visual seat belt telltale, the driver may not be reminded to buckle their seat belt and may begin operating the vehicle in an unbuckled state, which could increase the risk of injury," NHTSA wrote in its report. Read more here. BITS AND PIECES An op-ed to chew on: The 'metaverse': A chance for Biden to reset safety on the internet Lighter click: Back in pre-Wordle times Notable links from around the web: People are selling themselves their own NFTs to drive up prices, report finds (NBC News / Kevin Collier) Fitness influencers are using steroids in secret, trainers say (Insider / Lindsay Dodgson and Rachel Hosie) Google Vanquished a Rival in Prague. Payback Could Hurt. (The New York Times / Adam Satariano) Facebook's dream of connecting the whole world is dead (The Washington Post / Will Oremus and Elizabeth Dwoskin) A MESSAGE FROM CISCO How did privacy become mission critical for organizations across the world? Find out how organizations view privacy and privacy laws in Cisco's 2022 Data Privacy Benchmark Study One last thing: Breaking the bridge for Bezos A historic steel bridge in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, will be partly demolished so that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos can sail his new megayacht through the Maas River, also known as the Meuse River, Agence France-Presse reports. The Koningshavenbrug, which locals call De Hef, was first built over the river in 1927 and has served a historic role, especially when it was damaged during the bombardment of Rotterdam in May 1940. The bridge was previously dismantled in 2017 for renovations. The Rotterdam council pledged that year that the bridge would never be dismantled again, Dutch News reported, but Bezos' new yacht appears to be an exception to that promise. The new megayacht built for Bezos will be too tall to fit under the bridge when its three large masts are at full height. The boat is being constructed by the Oceano shipyard in Alblasserdam and is expected to be the largest sailing yacht in the world at 127 meters long. Read more here. That's it for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hill's technology and cybersecurity pages for the latest news and coverage. We'll see you tomorrow. Demonstrators get in a brief skirmish with police outside the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on Feb. 3, 2022, in Chicago. Representatives of several organizations demonstrated after a letter was delivered to U.S. Attorney John Lausch asking him to file federal charges against former police Officer Jason Van Dyke, who was released from prison Wednesday after serving a sentence for the murder of Laquan McDonald in 2014. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) Just after midnight Thursday, as the wind blew whirls of snow around a remote downstate prison, one of Illinois highest-profile prisoners walked out of custody under the cover of darkness. Ex-Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke spent a little more than three years behind bars for the 2014 murder of Laquan McDonald, a shooting captured on police video that sent shock waves from neighborhood streets to the mayors office at City Hall. Advertisement The eyes of the world were on Van Dykes trial, almost every moment of which was livestreamed. But his time in prison was cloaked in secrecy to the very end. For years, prison officials refused to disclose where he was being held. And the details of his departure were not disclosed until more than 12 hours afterward, when a spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Corrections confirmed Van Dyke had been released from a minimum-security facility in downstate Taylorville at 12:15 a.m. Advertisement The lack of information surrounding Van Dykes exit from custody added a new layer to a case that has sparked outrage from activists and Black leaders who decried Van Dykes lenient sentence and called for renewed civil rights charges against Van Dyke. Protesters including the Rev. Jesse Jackson and McDonalds grandmother, Tracie Hunter, crowded near Federal Plaza downtown in a demonstration calling for Van Dyke to face federal charges. While most of the protesters were outside, several were inside the lobby of the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, and after some time, U.S. marshals appeared to escort them away. Some were taken into custody; others, like Hunter, were not. A poster depicting former Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke is held in front of a police sergeant outside the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on Feb. 3, 2022, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) Its just so terrible how the system and the laws (are) that wasnt no time served, period, at all, and I want federal charges against this man, she told reporters afterward. While Hunter and one of McDonalds aunts have joined the call for new charges, McDonalds great-uncle has told the Tribune that they do not speak for the majority of the family. Elorm Blake, a spokesperson for the U.S. Marshals Service in Chicago, confirmed that nine people five women and four men were taken into custody Thursday and charged with misdemeanor civil contempt for violating the chief judges order governing demonstrations at Dirksen. The arrestees were processed and went before a federal judge Thursday evening, she said. Among those arrested was JaMal Green, a Chicago activist who has repeatedly pushed for federal charges against Van Dyke, a source said. Other names of those arrested as well as specific court information were not immediately released. Bishop Tavis Grant, national field director at the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, said its significant that some activists went to U.S. Attorney John Lauschs offices and delivered a letter to his staff calling for Van Dyke to face additional charges. Its in the spirit of Emmett Till, its in the spirit of Trayvon Martin, Grant said. So many cases go unresolved and leave this sense of angst and anger and frustration in Black and brown communities that our lives dont matter. Advertisement Protesters later stepped off the curb and onto Dearborn Street and others in the Loop chanting for more to be done in the case. A Cook County jury convicted Van Dyke in 2018 of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery one for each shot he fired into McDonald, who was walking away from officers holding a knife. It was an enormously high-profile case, since dashboard camera footage of the 2014 shooting sparked widespread protests and political upheaval. Van Dyke became the first officer to be found guilty of murder in an on-duty shooting in about half a century. Word of the ex-officers release spread last month and caught many by surprise, though he was expected all along to leave custody in February 2022. Former Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke listens to the judge describe how he'll be sentenced with attorney Daniel Herbert at Van Dyke's sentencing hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Jan. 18, 2019, in Chicago. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) At sentencing, Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan chose to sentence Van Dyke on the second-degree murder conviction not the aggravated battery counts meaning Van Dyke faced a lower sentencing range. And a procedural technicality gives inmates day-for-day credit for good behavior on many felony convictions, including second-degree murder, meaning he only had to serve about half his sentence. Since the January 2019 sentencing, Van Dyke has served time at a downstate prison, a federal detention center in Connecticut, and at least one undisclosed location as part of an interstate agreement where high-profile prisoners can be kept off databases of inmates available to the public online. The Illinois Department of Corrections has for the past two years declined to say where Van Dyke was being held for safety and security purposes. But a two-page release order from the Prisoner Review Board, the government agency responsible for scheduling a prisoners supervised release program, stated Van Dyke had been at the Taylorville facility minimum-security prison. Advertisement Officials have offered no explanation why Van Dyke should be afforded so much secrecy when the locations of other high-profile inmates including other convicted police officers, terrorists and gang leaders are routinely disclosed in public databases across the country. That includes Derek Chauvin, the white Minnesota police officer who was convicted last year of murdering George Floyd, a Black man, by kneeling on his neck, a case that sparked nationwide protests and unrest, including in Chicago. Although he is arguably the highest-profile imprisoned former law enforcement officer in the country, Chauvins location, booking photos and release information are readily available on the website for the Minnesota Department of Corrections. And it is unclear why Van Dyke was released in the middle of the night, or whether less high-profile inmates are afforded the same opportunity for a quiet exit. No news cameras were stationed outside Taylorville on Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. A handful of journalists showed up outside Van Dykes parents home in DuPage County later Thursday; all the blinds were drawn, and nobody answered when a Tribune reporter knocked at the door. Van Dyke must now complete his term of mandatory supervised release, Illinois version of parole. The only requirement marked on the review boards form was that he participate in a cognitive behavioral therapy program, a common measure aimed at reducing recidivism. Van Dykes release comes as Black leaders, as well as Illinois two Democratic senators, continue to pressure the U.S. Justice Department over a federal civil rights probe into the McDonald killing that ended quietly after Van Dyke was convicted in state court of second-degree murder and aggravated battery with a firearm. Van Dyke, who is white, was captured on police video shooting the Black teenager 16 times as he walked away from police with a knife. Advertisement Cassandra Greer-Lee holds a protest poster against a window of the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on Feb. 3, 2022, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) A police sergeant and a demonstrator argue outside the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on Feb. 3, 2022, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) On Tuesday, the president of the national chapter of the NAACP sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland saying the lack of resolution in the federal case, coupled with Van Dykes pending release, was clearly alarming to the Black community. We trust that you find the matters alarming as well and join with us in our call for closure of that federal grand jury investigation, wrote NAACP President Derrick Johnson. He also asked for Garlands commitment in moving forward with appropriate and applicable federal charges based on the evidence. Hours later, Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth penned a letter of their own noting that the state conviction does not preclude the filing of federal charges, citing the recent cases against ex-Minneapolis officer Chauvin, who was charged in both jurisdictions with the May 2020 murder of George Floyd. We urge the Justice Department to carefully and expeditiously complete its investigation, the senators letter concluded. A Justice Department spokesperson said the department has received the letters and will review the information, but declined further comment. Advertisement When asked Tuesday whether she would support bringing federal charges against Van Dyke, States Attorney Kim Foxx said she was not in a position to give federal prosecutors direction. But Van Dykes sentence was not appropriate given the seriousness of the crime he committed, she said. If he had been sentenced on his aggravated battery convictions, he would have faced a far longer term, and he would have had to serve more than half of it. I would suggest and hope and pray ... that any and all those who have the power to make sure that theres accountability for the death of Laquan McDonald do everything thats in their power to hold him accountable, said Foxx, whose office did not handle Van Dykes prosecution. mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com jmeisner@chicagotribune.com sahmad@chicagotribune.com Advertisement Chicago Tribunes Armando Sanchez, Stephanie Casanova, John J. Kim and Annie Sweeney contributed. Feb. 4Honolulu firefighters rescued two hikersone lost and another injuredon Oahu this afternoon. At around 3 :30 p.m. the Honolulu Fire Department responded to a 911 call for an injured hiker on the Kuliouou Ridge trail. A 24-year-old woman reportedly had been hiking for four and a half hours before injuring her ankle. At approximately 4 :10 p.m., firefighters airlifted the hiker via helicopter. Just before 4 p.m., while responding to the injured hiker, HFD received another call about a lost hiker on the Kaunala Ridge trail in Aina Haina. The hiker, a 69-year-old man, had been hiking for two and a half hours when he called 911 because he was lost and did not think he could make it off the trail before dark. Around 5 p.m. today, rescue personnel located the man and airlifted him to safety as well. Washington cheerleaders spell their mascot, the Warriors, on Saturday, September 11, 2021 in the Presidents Bowl at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls. The House Education committee killed a bill that would've prohibited school districts from using certain mascots and team names derogatory toward Native American peoples or culture. Ross Garelick Bell, a lobbyist for the Yankton, Crow Creek and Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribes, said the tribes support the bill wholeheartedly. Rep. Jennifer Keintz, speaking in place of Rep. Shawn Bordeaux, said the bill was the right thing to do, and the right time to do it. Keintz explained that Bordeaux told her Britton-Hecla's Braves and the Washington High School Warriors would be affected. Opposition came from Wade Pogany with the Associated School Boards of South Dakota, who brought forth a document and resolution from the South Dakota High School Activities Association stating in 2015 that high schools shouldn't use any stereotypical mascots that cause harm. More: Indigenous lawmakers want offensive place, park and mascot names to change in South Dakota Pogany also argued that "derogatory" is a very subjective term, and that nothing in the bill told people what is or isn't derogatory. Washington cheerleaders stand at attention as a Washington player throws a free throw during a game on Saturday, December 18, 2021 at Harrisburg High School. The bill states it doesn't apply to schools where half its student population are Native American, but Pogany and Rep. Mike Stevens called that a double standard. Committee members voted 12-2 to kill the bill with Reps. Erin Healy and Jennifer Keintz voting to save it, and Rep. Sue Peterson excused. More: Lions, tigers and bears: How South Dakota's 149 public school districts chose their mascots Other committee action, education bills to be heard by House next week The committee also killed a bill to require the playing of an honor song or Lakota Flag Song at certain graduation ceremonies upon student request, HB 1184. A similar bill failed in the 2021 legislative session. And, the committee also passed HB 1172 to "assist students in objectively reviewing scientific information;" passed HB 1185 to permit the wearing of a beaded graduation cap at a school honoring or graduation ceremony; passed HCR 6004 to urge the creation of safe and supportive environments for students with epilepsy; all three of these will be heard on the House floor by next week. The committee also reintroduced a bill funding alternative education students' participation in activities that had been tabled, HB 1119, which could be heard in its next meeting on Monday. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: South Dakota House committee votes down 'derogatory' mascot ban bill Outgoing Hudson City School District Superintendent Phil Herman smiles as he is greeted by students during a driving tour of the buildings on his last day in the office on Monday, Jan. 31. Herman is leaving after eight years as superintendent and 16 years working in the district. He has accepted a job with The Impact Group. HUDSON "What I bring to my work is hope and I try to share that with those around me. Outgoing Hudson Schools Superintendent Phil Herman said that's the answer he gave in 2005 when he was asked what made him a better candidate than the other applicants who were interviewing for the district's human resources director job. Herman was hired as director of human resources, then became assistant superintendent and ascended to superintendent in 2013. Herman announced in November he was resigning from the superintendent's position after accepting a role as a principal with the Impact Group a company specializing in providing service to school districts, local governments and agencies that help individuals with developmental disabilities. More: Hudson schools Superintendent Phil Herman to exit in February for private sector job This optimistic spirit at the heart of Herman's tenure was clearly appreciated by staff members and students who publicly thanked and celebrated him during his last day in the office Monday. A student holds up a sign on Monday thanking outgoing Hudson City School District Superintendent Phil Herman. District staff took Herman on a surprise driving tour of each building, where students and staff stood outside to thank him for his eight years of service as leader. Jennifer Reece, the school district's spokesperson, said staff took Herman on a surprise trip to each building where students and staff members lined the sidewalks, held up homemade signs, cheered and offered well wishes. An open house, as well as a short presentation with a few speakers, took place at Hudson Middle School Monday evening. Staff members offer praise via social media As Monday's farewell tour unfolded, district staff members took to social media to thank Herman. "Celebrating Phil Herman today!" tweeted Beth Trivelli, principal of Evamere Elementary School. "He inspires all of us to show love and compassion for everyone." "What a day celebrating @philherman and the legacy he leaves behind in @hudsonohschools!" tweeted Jen Filomena, principal of Ellsworth Hill Elementary School. "You will be greatly missed, Phil!" A group of elementary school students hold a sign thanking departing Hudson City School District Superintendent Phil Herman Monday. Students and staff stood outside each building and thanked Herman when he traveled through on a surprise tour that staff took him on. Monday was Herman's last day working in the district office. He announced in November that he was resigning after accepting a job with The Impact Group. "You will be missed by so many @philherman!" tweeted Gretchen Fritsch, teacher at Hudson Middle School. "Best wishes in all of your future endeavors. Thank you for your leadership and for always showing kindness. A true role model!" Story continues "Celebrating the legacy of Superintendent Phil Herman on his last day with @hudsonohschools," tweeted Kim Cockley, principal of Hudson Middle School. "He has made a lasting impact on our students, staff, and community! Thank you @philherman for making a true difference!" Outgoing superintendent says students provide 'booster shot of hope' When Herman offered parting remarks at the board of education meeting on Jan. 24, he reflected on that answer he gave in his job interview in 2005. "I think that there are times when I did a really good job of living up to that answer, and there have been other times when I lost sight of hope myself," Herman said. When he found himself in that state of mind, Herman noted that visiting one of the school buildings could provide a "booster shot of hope." "As adults, we sometimes lose sight of hope or forget that it is our role to provide it for one another, but our students cant help but provide it," Herman said. "They exude hope through their enthusiasm, their wit, their charm, their creativity, their determination, their curiosity, their empathy, their understanding of others, and their willingness to embrace change. Every opportunity I have had to work with our students in Hudson has always left me with the feeling that our future is in good hands." Phil Herman, superintendent of the Hudson City School District, is pictured at a Board of Education meeting in August 2021. Herman stepped down from his position after accepting a job with The Impact Group. His last day working in the the office was Monday, Jan. 31. Herman said students need role models who display the values of integrity, honesty, work ethic, desire to learn, caring, perseverance, creativity and compassion. He thanked the board of education for creating an environment that models those values. "My hope tonight is that our school district and our community continue to create an educational environment where hope can thrive for each and every student in Hudson City Schools," Herman said. Phil Herman Board members offered kudos to Herman. "We are just so blessed and so fortunate to have had you with us during this time," said board member Steve DiMauro. Board of education president David Zuro called Herman's leadership "exemplary," and board member James Field told Herman "you truly leave a legacy." Herman thanked the students for helping him maintain a sense of optimism. "Thank you for inspiring me, joking around with me, for constantly reminding me that there are better days ahead," Herman said. It has truly been an honor." Former superintendent is interim leader Former Hudson Superintendent Steve Farnsworth will serve as interim superintendent starting Feb. 19. He is serving as special assistant to the superintendent until Feb.18. Herman said he will be using accumulated unused vacation time until Feb. 18. More: Former superintendent will serve as interim leader of Hudson schools The board of education recently hired Finding Leaders to conduct a search for a new leader of the school system. Applications for the superintendent's job were due Feb. 4. Finding Leaders is slated to conduct the first round of interviews the week of Feb. 14. The board will then do interviews the week of Feb. 28 and then an additional round of interviews the week of March 14. The board is hoping to name a new leader by the end of March and have that person start no later than Aug. 1. More: Hudson schools hire firm to find new leader Reporter Phil Keren can be reached at 330-541-9421, pkeren@thebeaconjournal.com, or on Twitter at @keren_phil. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Hudson school staff members, students thank leader The five-foot bronze statue greets travelers at Yonkers Metro-North station. Before Ella Fitzgerald became known as the First Lady of Song, she was raised in Yonkers. Decades before the height of the civil rights movement, Fitzgeralds jazz music career smashed color barriers as she became world renown for her melodic voice and scatting. After becoming the first Black woman to win a Grammy Award she went on to win 12 more before her death in 1996. The statue in Yonkers not only honors her career but also Black history, and its not the only place you can find such a monument. A sculpture of Ella Fitzgerald outside of the Yonkers train station, created by sculptor and Yonkers resident Vinnie Bagwell, is pictured Jan. 29, 2020. Around the Hudson Valley, statues, markers and murals can be found honoring leaders of the Black community and cultural icons with ties to the region. And all can be seen for during February and beyond. Heres a look at some of the many options: Editors note: This story was originally published in August 2021, but we are bringing it back for readers during Black History Month: Sojourner Truth on the Walkway Cory Mcliechey grasps the hand of the the Sojourner Truth monument in Highland on August 26, 2020. Mcliechey is a fifth generation descendent of Truth. The statue of Ella Fitzgerald was created by Yonkers sculptor Vinnie Bagwell in 1996. More than two decades later, Bagwell was enlisted to create a statue to a very different icon on Black culture, which now stands at the Highland entrance to the Walkway Over the Hudson in Ulster County. A seven-foot statue in honor of Sojourner Truth was unveiled in 2020, honoring the former slave who became an abolitionist and women's rights activist on the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendments ratification giving women the right to vote. Truth was born into slavery in Ulster County with the name Isabella Baumfree and was sold three times before she escaped to freedom. "Sojourner Truth is relevant today because of her strength, discipline, clarity, vocals," Bagwell said at the unveiling. "She is what today's kids call goals. We have a powerful potential in our youth. And we must have the courage to change old ideas and practices so that they may direct their power toward good ends." Story continues Harriet Tubman in White Plains Harriet Tubman: The Journey To Freedom was displayed at the Haverstraw African American Memorial Park in 2021. It is coming to White Plains in April, and will then move on to Kingston in December, 2022. A temporary monument to American abolitionist and political activist Harriet Tubman titled The Journey to Freedom created by award-winning sculptor Wesley Wofford has been traveling around the United States. The monument has already been in residence in Newburgh, Peekskill and Haverstraw in 2021 . It will stand in Renaissance Plaza in White Plains beginning in April. The city and the White Plains Business Improvement District are in the planning stages for related events and programming; details will be released in March. In November, the sculpture will move onto Kingston. Walking through history in Newburgh A walking tour titled In Washingtons Shadow in the City of Newburgh highlights historic locations, such as AME Zion Church, buildings used by former slave and Underground Railroad activist George Alsdorf, and the Colored School, which was the main school for Black students in Newburgh. Signs for the tour begin at 93 Liberty St. and continue on Washington Avenue. Audio for the walking tour is available at soundandstory.org/directories/inwashingtonsshadow.html 'I Have a Dream' Bust of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. by sculptor David Frech along the Newburgh waterfront. Newburgh is also home to a monument dedicated to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., designed by Beacon sculptor David Frech in 2015. The bronze statue features some of King's quotes from his "I Have a Dream" speech and his "Letter from Birmingham." The statue can be found at the corner of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Colden Street. A bench in Nyack This bench in Nyack commemorates the life of Cynthia Hesdra, a woman who was enslaved early in her life and after gaining her freedom she became a successful entrepreneur. The Bench by the Road project was launched by The Toni Morrison Society in honor of Nobel and Pulitzer prize winning author Toni Morrison. There are plenty of places to find a seat in Nyack. At least one bench, though, offers history and a link to other activists around the world. A "Bench by the Road" in Nyack was dedicated to former slave and Underground Railroad activist Cynthia Hesdra by the Toni Morrison Society in 2015. Started in 2006, the Bench by the Road project highlights the history of African American slaves and stands as a memorial for the absence of slaves. Hesdra and her husband, Edward, operated an Underground Railroad safe house, helping numerous slaves along the Hudson River. The bench at Nyacks Memorial Park on Piermont Avenue was actually the 15th placed by the society. The first was placed at an African Slave Trade point of entry in Sullivans Island, South Carolina, and the second was at an Underground Railroad site in Oberlin, Ohio. Others can be found in such places as Paris; Atlanta, Jackson, Mississippi; and other areas. Most recently, the 25th bench was placed at Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 2019. Remembering musical artists Two icons of Black culture are remembered in their hometowns in Westchester. A mural in Yonkers was recently completed to honor the late rapper DMX, who grew up in the city and also had ties to Mount Vernon. Born Earl Simmons, the hip hop legend died after suffering a heart attack in April at the age off 51. Detail of the DMX mural at the Calcagno Homes on School Street in Yonkers. In his memory, artist Floyd Simmons no relation to DMX began working on the 35-by-22-foot mural in May. It was unveiled in July, displaying verses from DMX's songs, "Look Through My Eyes" and "School Street." It is painted on the Yonkers public housing complex, Calcagno Homes on School Street, marking the legacy of the rapper's childhood home and memory. Ten years earlier, Heavy D., a rapper who grew up in Mount Vernon, died at the age of 44. An art sculpture in the city titled "Peaceful Journey" recognizes Dwight Errington Meyers. It was designed by New York artist and college professor Eto Otitigbe. The monument at 43 Broad St. and West Fleetwood Avenue takes the shape of an arch made from Vermont marble and steel. The 20-foot sculpture illustrates harmonious balance and movement that represents the lives of people of color in Mount Vernon. "Peaceful Journey," honors the late rapper and Mount Vernon resident Heavy D. A Cornwall pioneer A historical marker across from Cornwall Central High School recognizes Harriet Josephine Terry, a Cornwall-on-Hudson native who was a pioneer in education. Terry was a founding member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and an educator for almost 40 years. She was born in Orange County in, at the time, one of five Black families in Cornwall-on-Hudson. She was a graduate of Howard University, where she also wrote the hymn for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Terry also went on to teach English and history at Gloucester High School in Virginia, where she later became the head of the department. In her teaching career, she also taught English at Alabama A&M University. The marker is located at 24 Idlewild Ave. A burial ground in New York City A bonus site to visit outside of the Hudson Valley was designed by Rodney Leon. The African Burial Ground National Monument is known as the largest known African American cemetery. In the late 1600s, the burial site was owned by Sara Van Borsum and used as a cemetery for African Americans, according to the National Park Service. In 1991, the site at 290 Broadway was being prepared for a federal office building when archeologists excavated the bodies of 419 men, women, and children and 500 artifacts 30 feet below city ground. In 1933, the burial ground was designated a New York City Historic District and as a national landmark. The African Ground Burial is the first national monument dedicated to Africans of early New York. It consists of seven elements that symbolize the spiritual, physical, ritual, and psychological definition of re-interment where the African artifacts were found. The monument includes 22 Adinkra symbols that are along the walkway of the monument and in the entrance. The granite headstone symbolizes the ship that carried slaves through the Middle Passage and stands four stories high. This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Black history, culture in Hudson Valley remembered at these sites ENFIELD, CT Effective Monday, the indoor mask mandate for municipal buildings in Enfield will be lifted, according to interim Town Manager Ellen Zoppo-Sassu. The mandate, which was reinstituted shortly after Zoppo-Sassu took over her position in December, required all visitors to town-controlled buildings to wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status. Some examples of muncipial buildings include town hall, the Enfield Senior Center and the two public libraries. The policy had caused consternation among many residents, particularly some who wished to attend town meetings but were not allowed access to the Council Chambers due to the mandate. Zoppo-Sassu cited three straight weeks of declining COVID-19 infection rates below 10 percent as a factor in her decision. She did emphasize, however, that masks will continue to be "recommended for those who are unvaccinated in municipal buildings." All other suggested guidelines continue to be recommended, including social distancing, encouraging those who are ill to not enter municipal buildings, and an acknowledgement that Enfields current vaccination rate of 62 percent lags behind other communities in the region. "In light of that, the town will continue to encourage residents to visit the free vaccination/booster clinics that are being offered on Fridays at the Senior Center, as well as be pro-active with utilizing the town-sponsored free COVID-19 testing site at The Annex in order to continue to monitor their health and work together to suppress the community spread," Zoppo-Sassu said. "As I indicated a month ago, my priority was ensuring that we preserved the municipal workforce so that municipal services would not be adversely affected. At one point during the post-holiday surge, over three dozen employees were ill. Back then, the statewide infection rate was ranging between 20 and 25 percent." Mayor Bob Cressotti said, "The town will continue to work with the Health District to monitor health and infection indicators. It is important to note that residents should also be aware that individual businesses within Enfield are still allowed to ask customers to wear masks. I think I speak for all members of the town council when I say that we are interested in resuming normal community activities without fear of COVID setbacks; however, it is also my recommendation that residents continue to use an abundance of caution when they are indoors, and especially when gathering with strangers, as well as employing all necessary standard practices like hand-washing, etc. We have a large number of senior citizens, residents with immune-comprised medical situations and children who are not yet eligible for vaccinations. We need to respect and care for the well-being of others that we may be affecting as well." This article originally appeared on the Enfield Patch LAS CRUCES - A bill that would've made it easier for courts to jail people accused but not convicted of a crime was given a "do pass" recommendation Monday by a New Mexico legislature committee. The designation was a crucial step forward for one of the most controversial bills in this year's Legislature. But despite the bill's progress, 3rd Judicial District Attorney Gerald Byers told the Sun-News he's pessimistic about its chance of making it to the governor's desk. Byers told the Sun-News that he supports the bill which would have created a rebuttable presumption for certain crimes. A rebuttable presumption is a legal term that means defendants of certain criminal cases would be forced to prove to a judge that they should be released before trial. According to the bill called pretrial release conditions or HB 5 those accused of certain crimes would be presumed to be dangerous and the court would presume that no conditions of release could reasonably assure the safety of the community including the alleged victims. HB0005 (1) by Justin Garcia on Scribd In 2017, New Mexico voters passed a constitutional amendment granting pretrial release to defendants who are not considered a threat but remain jailed because they cannot afford to post bail. If prosecutors believe a defendant should be held in jail, they'll file a motion requesting a judge's order to jail the defendant. The prosecutor then has to prove that the defendant is dangerous and that no conditions of release can assure the safety of the community. Supporters of the bill, such as 2nd Judicial District Attorney Raul Torrez, said the bill was meant to "reform the reform." More: New Mexico 2022 legislative session: 5 under-the-radar bills that deserve your attention "I think people are being harmed in ways that are preventable and not in line with what the voters thought they were getting," Torrez told the Sun-News in an interview. "I just don't think it's working, the right way." Story continues Detractors such as the Law Office of the Public Defender or LOPD have pointed to the low percentage of defendants who are charged with new crimes while awaiting resolution in other matters. "Understanding that some defendants commit new crimes while on pretrial release, it is a small percentage of the overall crimes being committed. Even if New Mexico decided to detain absolutely everyone pretrial, the vast majority of criminal activity would continue," Chief Public Defender Bennett Baur said in a statement sent to the Sun-News. Hundreds of defendants in Dona Ana County are represented by LOPD attorneys. If the bill passed, LOPD said their public defenders would be forced to spend more time in hearings and lead to a $1.6 million recurring cost to the agency, according to a legislative fiscal report. While it's not clear HB 5 would increase the number of pretrial detention hearings, it would likely lead to more success for prosecutors seeking to keep defendants detained. In Dona Ana County, less than half of defendants hit with a pretrial detention motion are jailed by judges, according to statistics provided by the 3rd Judicial District Attorney's office. Of the 256 pretrial detention motions filed in 2021 by 3rd District prosecutors, 158 were denied and 98 were granted. That means judges did not jail about 62 percent of defendants that prosecutors believed should remain jailed. For instances of alleged sexual assault of a child, battery on a peace officer, and human trafficking, the percentages were even lower. It's a different story for murder cases. Of the nine murder cases in 2021, every single defendant was detained. If HB 5 were in place, it's not entirely clear how those percentages would change. Byers, who said he was hesitant to speculate, said the bill's rules would likely lead to an increase in detentions. "Based upon the data that we have, I think that (HB 5) would have changed the percentages of those individuals who were detained and brought a degree of psychological comfort to those people who have been victimized by crime," he said. In his interview, Byers emphasized the latter point. He said his office is often inundated with calls from crime victims questioning why the defendant has been released. Despite that reality, the victim's voice in the pretrial detention debate has been absent, Byers said. "The voice of the victims needs to be heard. The content of their statements is worthy of that to inform the decisions today before the conversation, If passed, the American Civil Liberties Union has promised to challenge the bill, suggesting new rules might not be implemented immediately, if at all. Timely and resource-intensive litigation over the constitutionality of HB 5 is guaranteed, ACLU attorney Denali Wilson said during a committee hearing. The bill is scheduled to face a hearing in the house judiciary committee. That hearing has not yet been scheduled. Justin Garcia is a public safety reporter for the Las Cruces Sun-News. He can be reached at JEGarcia@lcsun-news.com or on Twitter @Just516garc. Others are reading: This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: What would the pretrial detention bill mean for Dona Ana County? Chief custodian Ryan Nail cleans a classroom at the Jesse Franklin Taylor Education Center in Des Moines in July 2020. Charlie Neibergall/AP An Iowa Republican lawmaker wants parents to be able to monitor nearly every classroom in the state. State Rep. Norlin Mommsen compared the presence of cameras in classrooms to police body cameras. The proposal comes amid a national GOP-led effort to politicize parents' frustration with schools. A Republican state lawmaker in Iowa wants nearly every classroom in his state to have cameras so that parents or guardians can monitor what their children are learning in real-time, a proposal that comes amid a national effort by conservatives to use frustrations about schools as a political wedge issue. State Rep. Norlin Mommsen's bill would require cameras to be installed in all public school classrooms that are not being used for special education or gym. Parents or legal guardians would be given access to live feeds, which they could access while school is in session. School districts would be required to pay to set up and maintain the cameras. Mommsen told The Center Square, a news offshoot of the conservative Franklin Foundation, that teachers should welcome his legislation, arguing that the effort would "showcase the great work our teachers do," while holding schools and teachers accountable. He compared the classroom surveillance to police body cameras, which law enforcement agencies across the country have increasingly adopted in the wake of high profile police killings of Black people. "Similar to a body camera on a policeman, a camera takes away the 'he said, she said' or 'he said, he said,' type argument and lets them know 'hey, we are doing a good job.' It takes that argument away," Mommsen told the publication. He did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Teachers' unions and other school groups slammed Mommsen's legislation as a waste of already limited funds, an attack on educators, and a violation of students' privacy. Iowa State Education Association President Mike Beranek said in a statement that the proposal was "written with the intent of further insulting public education professionals and the locally elected school boards." Story continues "Instead of wasting public funds on monitoring equipment, we should employ additional qualified professionals, reduce class sizes, and provide more programming that helps students acquire the skills they need," said Becky Pringle, president of the 3-million-member National Education Association the nation's largest union. The Iowa Association of School Boards is formally lobbying against the bill. Tammy Votava, a spokesperson for the organization, said the group opposes the legislation because it believes filming students and teachers in the manner proposed would violate federal student privacy laws. "Because it would be nearly impossible to guarantee that a parent could only view their own student in video footage, the privacy of other students in the classroom would be violated," she told Insider in an email. The legislation, House File 2177, would also punish administrators or teachers who in any way obstruct the footage, starting with a written reprimand and escalating to a fine of 5% of a teacher's weekly salary. Superintendents would also be punished if they fail to comply with the bill. The Iowa bill is just the latest example of a growing effort to monitor teachers' behavior in the classroom as Republicans lean into parental involvement in schools as an electoral issue. They believe the issue can help them win majorities in 2022 as skirmishes over face mask mandates, controversial books, and education concerning race and gender play out across the country. Education was a key issue in the November election of Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican who last month promoted an email address that parents could use to report public-school teachers they believed were "behaving objectionably." "This gives us a great insight into what's happening at a school level, and that gives us further ability to make sure we're rooting it out," Youngkin said in an interview with conservative radio host John Fredericks. The move drew widespread criticism and spam from TikTokers. In New Hampshire, the Department of Education created a webpage to help the public file an "intake questionnaire" that can lead to formal discrimination complaints against teachers. The website is for those who believe they or their child was discriminated against because their school was teaching that one group is superior to another group or "inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously." Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said in a statement to Insider, "These noxious efforts to chill speech and politicize schools are intended to divide our communities and deny our kids opportunities to learn and thrive." The AFT-New Hampshire chapter, along with public school teachers and parents, filed a federal lawsuit against state officials, challenging the state's "divisive concepts" law. "Putting politicians in control of classrooms is a slap in the face to all Americans who value freedom and local control, and teachers will fight this blatant censorship tooth and nail," Weingarten said. Read the original article on Business Insider Holocaust survivor Steen Metz at his home on Feb. 3, 2022, in Barrington. On Oct. 2, 1943, he and his parents and were arrested and deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp from their home in Odense, Denmark. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) If Steen Metzs willingness to share his story of being a Holocaust survivor had been dependent on face-to-face connections, the Barrington residents words might have been lost during the pandemic, which has limited in-person interactions. But Metz, who was taken alongside his mother, Magna Metz, to the Theresienstadt concentration camp in whats now the Czech Republic at just 8 years old, developed an element of tenacity that never left. Advertisement And when Metz, 86, learned about online video platforms, he began using the technology to reach others with his story. Theres an increase in antisemitism in the world today, an increase in hate, Metz said of recent events, including incidents in the Chicago area. As far as Im concerned, its even more important now to learn. I believe education is the major tool to help. Advertisement Metz, of Barrington, calculates that he has done presentations for about 94,000 people over the past 10 years, with more than 12,000 of those connections just over the past year due to his newfound ability to do presentations online. With virtual sessions eliminating geographical barriers, Metz has addressed audiences that would have been impossible to reach. This includes his former high school, Sct. Knuds Gymnasium in Odense, Denmark. Holocaust survivor Steen Metz speaks with Woodstock High School students via Zoom on Feb. 3, 2022, in Barrington. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) Holocaust survivor Steen Metz holds a photo of himself at age 8, along with his grandmother and father, in Odense, Denmark, in 1943. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) School in Denmark became a place of comfort for Metz after the Swedish Red Cross liberated him and his mother from Theresienstadt on April 16, 1945, when he was nearing his 10th birthday. Seeing familiar faces made him temporarily forget he had been gone. His friends avoided acknowledging that he was absent for 18 months, later revealing that they wanted to let him reflect when ready. Discussing such memories with his audiences has made an impact. Instead of just facts and figures, its hearing from somebody who has lived through something like this, said Megan Young, programs and exhibits supervisor at Arlington Heights Memorial Library, for which Metz did a Zoom presentation Jan. 11. We received a lot of comments about people being humbled and shocked and going through an emotional journey as Steen talked to everyone. Virtual programming has been tricky of course, but its reaching people who otherwise wouldnt necessarily go to these things. Metz described his life at Theresienstadt, where he and his mother lived in a loft with 60 to 70 other women and children. His father, Axel Metz, was in a different part of the camp. He said days consisted of lining up for coffee, which he described as boiled water with coffee substitute. They would receive a loaf of bread to share with the family for the entire week. Lunch was potato soup every day. Metz refused to eat the soup at first because of the taste, but he remembers his mother saying if he was going to make it out, he had to eat it. Reliving his time at Theresienstadt out loud is not how Metz planned on spreading his Holocaust experiences. In fact, he never planned on sharing his story at all. But when his wife, Eileen, decided to write a memoir, Metz wanted to do the same and was forced to think about his early years. After connecting with people from Denmark and retrieving CDs of his mothers voice recalling her memories from Theresienstadt, Metz decided he needed to dedicate chapters in his memoir to this time in his life. Later, a friend pushed Metz to publish that part of the book on its own. Metz self-published that material in a book called A Danish Boy in Theresienstadt, Reflections of a Holocaust Survivor, and felt his job was done. However, others around him, like his daughter Annalise Herman, knew it was not. Holocaust survivor Steen Metz speaks with Woodstock High School students via Zoom on Feb. 3, 2022, in Barrington. His book, A Danish Boy in Theresienstadt, Reflections of a Holocaust Survivor, is in the foreground with a photo of himself at the age of 7 in Odense, Denmark. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) It was always sort of the family secret, Herman said. (But) it was my fathers concern that it could happen again. Its frightening to see how history repeats itself. We dont recognize when there are hints of it happening again today in other countries and our own country so its important to keep (these stories) in the forefront. It was at Hermans request that Metz spoke about his Holocaust experience for the first time. He addressed his grandson Alexs eighth grade class at Lincoln Middle School in Park Ridge and put a face to the history they were studying in class. Advertisement After learning of Metzs story, a chain of people began pushing him to keep sharing the words he had kept to himself for so long. This included Danny Spungen, owner of a well-known collection of Holocaust postal materials from concentration camps and Jewish ghettos. He helps Metz arrange many of his speaking engagements. Theres many reasons why Holocaust survivors kept quiet, Spungen said. (But) they needed to speak because people cant forget. But how can we take these stories and get young people to transform the future? To learn from the mistakes of our generation? Sarah McDermott, Metzs granddaughter, has made it her mission to embody this. It has fully changed how I view the world and who I am as a person, its really shaped me, McDermott said. It even led me to pick a social justice and inequalities minor in college. The pandemic and acknowledgment of his age have created a sense of urgency to talk about the Holocaust for Metz. He knows the number of Holocaust survivors is dwindling. But his family will ensure his legacy lives on. Its been a blessing in disguise because with it being virtual, his talks are being recorded and were going to have his story to pass down to generations upon generations in our family, McDermott said. Years down the line, I can just imagine my grandkids will be able to read his book but also watch him speak and that to me is amazing. Holocaust survivor Steen Metz at his home on Feb. 3, 2022, in Barrington. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) To commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27, Metz spoke virtually to students from James G. Blaine Elementary School on Chicagos North Side. Reaching out to younger audiences like these has become routine, but programs like the speakers bureau at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie offer an opportunity for Metz to connect with even more audiences. Advertisement The privilege of hearing directly from a survivor is not something that will happen indefinitely so even if its virtually, its such an amazing opportunity, said Amanda Friedman, assistant director of education at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. Its actually enabled the survivors to not only continue to share their stories and their lessons in a way that is safe and less strenuous, but to a significantly larger audience. For Metz, reaching a greater number of listeners has helped him achieve his goal of representing those who lost their lives, including his father, who died of starvation at Theresienstadt. I was angry, and maybe Im still angry, Metz said. But Im lucky. I made it. I survived and Im able to talk to people. That is my revenge. Elise Devlin is a freelancer. ACCRA (Reuters) - Islamic State has claimed responsibility for freeing about 20 prisoners during an attack in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's North Kivu province this week, according to a statement published on Friday by the SITE Intelligence Group. Witnesses and an army spokesman blamed the attack, which killed at least three people, on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) - a Ugandan armed group which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State. The U.S.-based SITE Intelligence Group, which follows militant websites, republished an IS communique on Friday that claimed fighters had stormed and looted the town of Nobili before breaking into the jail and recruiting prisoners into its ranks. "The soldiers of the Caliphate attacked a post of the Crusader Congolese army in the town of Nobili, near the Ugandan border, two days ago, causing its personnel to flee," the statement said, adding that "they were able to free nearly 20 Muslims detained in the prison there." ISIS has branded the ADF, alongside fighters in Mozambique, as its "Central Africa Province" (ISCAP), although the two groups are operationally distinct. The United States attributed the deaths of 849 civilians to the group, which it calls ISIS-DRC, in 2020. More than 1,200 people were killed in similar attacks in 2021, according to United Nations figures. (Reporting by Cooper Inveen; Editing by Leslie Adler) His horn students receive this caution: always have a list of Plan B's, because anything can happen. Richard Seraphinoff teaches horn at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music, plays the horn and the Baroque flute, makes horns he is considered the finest horn maker in the world and, now, writes novels. He has already begun his second; his first, "Corno da Capo: The Life and Adventures of an 18th Century Horn Player" is available on Amazon.com. Facial surgery changed the way he can play the horn, so he performs less. His Plan B list, however, is packed with so many other horn-related activities that he barely misses his old solos. All of his horn-making is commissioned, and his client-chart bulges with names. Indiana University horn professor Richard Seraphinoff plays one of the horns he has made. And, now, Seraphinoff's 10 years spent writing his first novel has produced "Corno da Capo," a 480-page story (including end matter) about two actual famous horn players from the 18th century Johann Palsa and Carl Turrschmidt plus Beate Pokorny, the only documented female horn player of the 1700s. Mozart's dog Bimprel has a role, too, as does Ben Franklin. "Pokorny is without a doubt my wife, Celeste Holler-Seraphinoff. Her horn playing, her personality, right down to her glasses," he said. More: IU opera, ballet to feature music of William Grant Still, first professional Black conductor "This (may be) the first novel written for natural horn players," Seraphinoff said. Musicians played "natural" horns before the instrument had valves. They consist of a mouthpiece, coiled tubing the length of which varies the horn's pitch and a large flared bell. If someone were to stretch out the curved tubing, the sound would be exactly the same as when the coils, or "crooks" are wound. Crooks are of different lengths, and a player uses the one that will play a particular key. "It's a very primitive system." The novel, which covers horn making, may seem narrow in its readership, but Seraphinoff wrote it so that anyone musical, and many others in fact, will enjoy it. He even includes disclaimers, such as the title of Chapter 9, advising non-horn folk to just skip this one and move ahead. Story continues Indiana University horn professor Richard Seraphinoff's first novel, "Corno da Capo: The Life and Adventures of an 18th Century Horn Player," is available on Amazon.com. But even his detailed descriptions are usually easy for a novice to imagine: "Jean-Pierre was polishing a horn bell that was clamped to a wooden board held fast in a vice. He was using a flat stick covered with cloth that he dipped from time to time in a pan of pumice and water or maybe some kind of oil, and after that he would rub the surface of the metal with a highly polished steel burnisher to give it its final finish." Celeste not only helped edit the book but read it to Rick twice so they could master the tone, "like real people speaking." Husband and wife work side by side in the studio. Celeste, now retired from horn playing and finance, instead, makes art, as her husband cuts, folds and seams metal to make horns. "We've found out we like each other better than ever," Rick Seraphinoff said. The 18th century was important for horn history, and much has changed since. The author shows what life was like for traveling horn soloists. Because of limited data on his subjects, he unleashes his knowledge and imagination. More: WWII hero the focus of Bloomington composer Lauren Bernofsky's developing opera "Corno da Capo" uses several genres: time travel, historical fiction, textbook (don't worry; Seraphinoff departs from his usual academia style), fantasy and science fiction. It begins with 21st century horn player John Paulson being run down by a vehicle just as he had finished playing a concert. Paulson awakes, being cared for by a flock of reeking yet kindly folk dressed oddly and suggesting he let the doctor bleed him; lances and bowl are ready. Recovering and aching, Paulson, now called Johann Palsa, meets Carl Turrschmidt, and the pair end up having a 22-year musical career, both famous soloists. First, however, Palsa has the odious task of explaining to Turrschmidt what has happened. The problem is Palsa doesn't know. A couple of centuries seem to have been lost, so there's that, but Palsa tries to describe his life in 21st century Boston to Turrschmidt, who says, "Oh, you mean the English colonies!" Historically, no one has known how the real Palsa gained his notoriety. Seraphinoff imagines, here, how it happened. It's an 18th century story told through 21st century eyes. Seraphinoff has taught at IU since 1986 and teaches in two departments: brass and the Historic Performance Institute (previously called early music). His adoration of anything horn-or brass-related seems full-blown. Richard Seraphinoff shows how he can use his hand to inside the flare of a natural horn to alter its length, making it play different pitches. "My hand is making the horn think it's longer." In a normal year, he offers the International Trumpet Making Workshop in Cambridge, England, and Rostock, Germany, in July, and in Bloomington in August. His two colleagues for this event are from Canada and Germany, and each week 10 participants make their own 17th century Baroque trumpet using only tools and materials that would have been available back then. "Since 1994, over 800 people have made trumpets at these courses. We don't make horns in those courses, only trumpets." It's not a college course. The students receive no university credit; they just love brass, and pay to learn how to make their own. He picks up one of his horns to demonstrate a technique: "I can alter the length of the (natural) horn with my hand," he said, explaining how he gets a horn to play different pitches. The horn he was playing was in the key of E, and he can fill in the gaps in its harmonic range (the notes not playable on that horn) by placing his hand inside the horn's flare. "My hand is making the horn think it's longer." But during most days he's teaching people to be modern orchestra musicians and chamber music players. "A lot of (IU Jacobs') students go to military bands, because there are good jobs there these days." Find him at bit.ly/34fsEZ3 and on YouTube. This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: IU music professor, horn maker tries hand at historical fiction Four members of the House Select Committee on the January 6 Capitol riot are devastated for our democracy after CNN president Jeff Zucker announced his resignation earlier this week, according to a CNN correspondent. Zucker stepped down on Wednesday after acknowledging that he had failed to disclose a romantic relationship with CNN executive vice president and chief marketing officer Allison Gollust. As part of the investigation into Chris Cuomos tenure at CNN, I was asked about a consensual relationship with my closest colleague, someone I have worked with for more than 20 years, Zucker wrote in a memo to staff. I acknowledged the relationship evolved in recent years. I was required to disclose it when it began but I didnt. I was wrong. During a 90-minute meeting with Jason Kilar, chief executive of CNNs parent firm, WarnerMedia, staffers from the cable news channels Washington bureau went to bat for Zucker and expressed concern over the future of the company, according to an audio recording obtained by the Los Angeles Times. I think weve heard a lot of corporate double talk, said Washington correspondent Jamie Gangel. I think the company has made a terrible mistake by doing this. Gangel, who has worked with Zucker since her early days as an up-and-coming producer at NBC, said she received calls from four members of the nine-person congressional panel investigating the Capitol riot who felt devastated for our democracy now that Zucker has left CNN. I do not think you have any appreciation for what youve done to this organization, she said. The committee is made up of seven Democrats and two Republicans: Representatives Bennie Thompson (D., Miss.), Zoe Lofgren (D., Calif.), Elaine Luria (D., Va.), Adam Schiff (D., Calif.), Pete Aguilar (D., Calif.), Stephanie Murphy (D., Fla.), Jamie Raskin (D., Md.), Liz Cheney (R., Wy.) and Adam Kinzinger (R., Ill.) During Wednesdays meeting with Kilar, CNN Washington correspondent Jim Acosta claimed that without Zuckers leadership during the Trump administration we would have probably been taken out and you would have something like Fox News lite on the air right now, according to the report. Story continues Its a rather delicate time, not just for this country but this business, he added. Meanwhile, anchor Jake Tapper said the network would have turned into benign, vanilla gruel without Zucker. Tapper went on to claim that WarnerMedia was caving to disgraced anchor Chris Cuomo, who has promised to retaliate against Zucker for firing him without pay, the report says. Cuomo is likely to pursue legal action over his compensation, an estimated $6 million annually, according to the report. He threatened, Tapper said. Jeff said we dont negotiate with terrorists. Chris blew the place up. How do we get past that perception that this is the bad guy winning? CNN fired Cuomo in December over his involvement in advising his brother, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, on how to handle nearly a dozen sexual harassment allegations. Zucker had supported Cuomo for months before the anchor was finally let go following the release of documents by the New York State attorney general showing that Cuomo had leaned on contacts in the media business to help his brother navigate his sexual-harassment scandal. CNN reportedly learned of a sexual misconduct allegation against Chris Cuomo by a former junior colleague at another network days before it fired the anchor, though Cuomo has denied the allegation. For her part, Gollust, who served as a communications director for Andrew Cuomo for just four months in 2012 and 2013 before quitting to join CNN, said Wednesday she plans to remain in her role at the company. Jeff and I have been close friends and professional partners for over 20 years, she wrote. Recently, our relationship changed during Covid. I regret that we didnt disclose it at the right time. Im incredibly proud of my time at CNN and look forward to continuing the great work we do everyday. More from National Review People Picture / Willi Schneider In a feel-good bit of recent news, philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has reportedly donated $133.5 million to Communities In Schools (CIS), financing the largest unrestricted donation the organization has ever received. See: Experts Compare the Best Ways To Secure Money for Your Children From Education to Living on Their Own Find: Amid Great Resignation, Taco Bell Launches Business School Today is an important day for students who are underserved, under-resourced, and in need of transformative support to build a brighter future, Rey Saldana, president and CEO of Communities In Schools, said of the donation. This unrestricted gift allows us to combat the inequities in public education and reimagine the way schools operate and show up for all students. Our national goal is to bring our model inside of every one of the 70,000 Title I-eligible schools in the country; currently, we operate in 3,000 schools so we still have a long way to go, and we will need ongoing support to get there. According to a press release, this investment will help CIS carry out its mission to break down systemic barriers that stand in the way of opportunity and student success. Over the next five years, CIS seeks to scale its evidence-based model of integrated student supports to reach more schools and serve more students while deepening and sustaining its existing commitments to achieve broader impact across its affiliated network, the press release reads, in part. CIS operations involve 40 affiliates in 19 states: California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. With the pandemic continuing to interrupt public education and students lives, the work of Communities In Schools has never been more important, Elaine Wynn, chairman of the CIS board of directors, said of the organizations efforts. This generous gift will allow us to provide thousands more students with a significantly improved educational experience and the help they need to graduate from high school and go on to rewarding lives. Story continues Learn: Why Technical School Might Be the Best Education Move for Your Financial Future Explore: COVID-Related School Closures Could Cost US Children $4.25 Trillion in Lifetime Earnings CIS has staff working inside schools to help students in grades K-12 navigate issues and move beyond barriers in the classroom, at home, and in the community. The organization coordinates with schools and local service providers to meet the needs of students and families, and provides critical resources like food, housing, healthcare, counselling, access to remote technology, and more so that students (and educators) can focus on academics. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Jeff Bezos Ex-Wife MacKenzie Scott Donates $133.5 Million to Communities in Schools Clarksons Farm has been condemned by farming safety groups over a photo promoting the second season of Jeremy Clarksons agricultural Amazon series. Season one of Clarksons Farm, which followed the former Top Gear host as he tried to run his own working farm, won praise from the farming community when it debuted last year. However, in promoting season two of the show, Clarkson shared an image that shows co-star Kaleb Cooper lying in the weight box of a tractor. Safety groups have described the image as disappointing in light of the number of deaths through fatal injury that occur in farming. Between 31 March 2020 and 1 April 2021, there were 41 deaths in the UK farming industry. Speaking to Farmers Weekly, the manager of the Farm Safety Foundation Stephanie Berkeley said: This programme could be a great way to help improve this, so it is a pity that they chose to use this photo displaying such poor safety behaviour. Agriculture continues to have the poorest safety record of any occupation in the UK and we are working hard to change that. Elizabeth Creed, the farm safety consultant at the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, said: It is frustrating that the team at Clarksons Farm did not recognise that their platform has a huge potential for influencing and encouraging a positive safety culture in farming. Creed also stated that there have been 12,000 injuries to farming workers over the past year. It required hiding in piles of potatoes and behind hay bales, but weve finally got some pics of #ClarksonsFarm season 2. Excited? pic.twitter.com/SnSpXU08Xd Prime Video UK (@primevideouk) February 1, 2022 The shows production has issued a response to the criticism, with a spokesperson saying: As our first series showed, Jeremy has great respect for the farming community. The programme is not a how to guide for farmers, who already know far more than he does about farming. On Jimmy Kimmel Live Thursday, Josh Gad spoke in public for the first time about the big mistake he made before shooting an episode of the latest season of Curb Your Enthusiasm . Gad said he woke up with a neck ache so he took some Advil, but when he showed up to set, he knew something wasnt right, and he soon found out why. Gad called his wife, who informed him that hed taken Advil PM. I took three Advil PM and shot an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Gad said. Kimmel didnt think it affected his performance, to which Gad replied, It did. I was not there that day. But I had the best time. In the episode, Gad played Larry David s chiropractor who just happens to wear deteriorated underwear. David catches multiple glimpses of Gads underwear and is disgusted, which is one of the main storylines of the episode. In one such instance, Gad bends over and David sees much more of Gad than the old underwear. Though Gads memory of that day may be a bit hazy, he would eventually receive a reminder. They sent me a nudity rider about and it basically issued a notification of how many inches of ass I was permitting them to show on camera, Gad said, and Im like, Did I do an episode of Euphoria that I forgot about? Video Transcript JOSH GAD: I took two Advil-- three Advil that morning before going to work. And I-- [CHUCKLES] I got to set. And they're all talking to me. And I just hear them like [INAUDIBLE]. [LAUGHTER] And I'm like, something's not right. KYLIE MAR: Josh Gad appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" Thursday, where he spoke about starring alongside Larry David in an episode of the latest season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm." As Gad mentioned, something wasn't right. And he soon found out why. JOSH GAD: I called my wife, and I'm like, can you take a look at the bottle next to the bed? And she goes, yeah, what do you need to know? I go, what's on it? She goes, Advil. I go, thank God. And she says, PM. [LAUGHTER] I took three Advil PM-- Story continues JIMMY KIMMEL: That's bad, yeah. JOSH GAD: --and shot an episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm." JIMMY KIMMEL: Oh. [APPLAUSE] Well, it didn't affect your performance. KYLIE MAR: While Gad's condition may have gone unnoticed by viewers like Kimmel, Gad said it definitely affected his performance. JIMMY KIMMEL: Maybe did. I don't know. JOSH GAD: It-- it did. JIMMY KIMMEL: [LAUGHS] It did? JOSH GAD: I mean, I was not there that day, but I had the best time. Larry is a consummate professional. KYLIE MAR: And though Gad's memory from that day may be a bit hazy, he was reminded of his attire, which was a focus of the episode weeks later. JOSH GAD: They sent me a nudity writer [LAUGHS] about-- and it like basically issued a notification of how many inches of ass I was permitting them to show on camera. JIMMY KIMMEL: Oh. JOSH GAD: And I'm like, did I do an episode of "Euphoria" that I forgot about. [LAUGHTER] Tam Vuong arrives at the federal courthouse to be arraigned on tax fraud charges in 2019. WORCESTER A federal judge is mulling how much a city temp agency manager should pay in restitution following a multimillion-dollar under-the-table payment scheme that netted him two years in prison. Tam Vuong, who is set to report to federal prison by months end, argued through his lawyer Thursday that he should pay nothing, a contention at which a prosecutor bristled. The defendant claims to take responsibility, but seeks to pay nothing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol E. Head told a judge in Worcesters U.S. District Court. That is not taking responsibility. Vuong was sentenced to 25 months in prison in December after pleading guilty to charges relating to allegations he, for the second time in a decade, skirted payroll taxes and insurance premiums by paying workers at his temp agency under the table. The government has alleged Vuong owes the IRS about $3 million in unpaid payroll taxes, and his insurance company about $350,000 in unpaid premiums both sums they say he avoided by failing to disclose the cash wages. Vuongs lawyer, Forrest W. Kim, argued Thursday that Vuong should pay nothing, saying he was not wholly responsible for the scheme and that no entity was actually stolen from. Kim asserted that Vuong did in fact pay payroll taxes on at least $4 million of about $30 million in disputed wages. He said the people who did not pay taxes were silent partners of Vuongs whom he, regrettably, allowed to use his tax identification and other credentials. Kim, in response to a question from U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman about what Vuong thought the silent partners would be doing with his credentials, called his clients behavior very reckless. He said Vuong, who watched the virtual court conference from inside a vehicle, was really stupid to give the silent partners his credentials, and is now paying the price. Kim asked Hillman to consider his argument regarding the alleged partners as mitigating the governments restitution request. He further argued in court documents that the people Vuong employed were not likely to be beneficiaries of Social Security or Medicaid programs payroll taxes fund and so there was essentially no actual loss to the government. Story continues He made a similar argument with respect to the insurance company, Travelers, which, the government argued, lost about $350,000 in artificially low premiums as a result of Vuong understating how many people he employed. Kim argued that Travelers never paid, and would not likely have paid, any benefits on behalf of the unreported workers. We are making the insurance company rich, in a way, he said. They didnt pay any money out of their own pocket. Head said the argument was meritless, pointing Hillman to a decision from another federal court circuit in a similar case that she said supported her request. Its persuasive, but its not really binding in this circuit, Kim replied when Hillman asked him to comment on the ruling. Head argued none of Kims arguments should be adopted. Vuongs guilty plea requires him to pay restitution, she said, and he is responsible for the fraud perpetrated in his name. In addition to requesting more than $3 million in restitution, Head asked Hillman to order Vuong to forfeit more than $150,000 in Facebook stock she said Vuong holds in an E-Trade account. The government said in court papers that Vuong opened the account in his mothers name with ill-gotten funds. Kim argued Thursday that the money was legitimate proceeds Vuong earned and invested. His court brief requests that Hillman not order the money forfeited. Hillman took the arguments under advisement Thursday. He also Thursday took under advisement a restitution request regarding an employee of Vuongs who was also criminally charged. Julio Lopez Julio Lopez, who was sentenced to two years of probation in December, requested that Hillman not impose $239,000 in restitution the government alleges he owes to Travelers Insurance. Lopezs lawyer, Blake J. Rubin, noted that the government acknowledged the man to be a low-level player in the scheme. His main involvement, Rubin said, was acting as the paper owner of one of the temp agencies for Vuong, and creating an email account under a fictitious name to aid in the fraud. Head said the government, recognizing Lopezs role, decided not to request he pay restitution to the IRS. She said restitution to Travelers was appropriate and legally required, however, since he pleaded guilty to aiding in that fraud. Head also requested Lopez forfeit about $18,000 in commissions she said he made that were related to the fraud. Rubin asked Hillman to not order the money forfeited. He said Lopez is a father of two working 80 hours a week as a trucker, and noted he is on a payment plan to repay about $4,000 in related payroll taxes to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. Lopez, who used to live in the area but now lives in California, attended the hearing virtually. Rubin noted at the mans sentencing that he is facing immigration proceedings as a result of his guilty plea. Court records show Hillman in December granted a request that Lopezs U.S. passport which was taken from him before his plea be returned. The man argued in support of his request that he had never violated the terms of his release, and that the U.S. Probation Office in California did not object to the passports return. This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Judge mulling restitution for Tam Vuong, man convicted in $3.5 million temp agency scheme KEANSBURG - First, frantic 911 calls from several people reported a man with a very large knife" had taken an employee hostage at Keansburg Pharmacy. Theres a man in here with a knife and hes holding one of my co-workers hostage," says a female caller who works at the drugstore. A half-dozen police officers who respond with guns drawn saw the armed man struggling with the employee in the back of the pharmacy, making downward thrusts toward his hostage with what appeared to be a foot-long chefs knife in one hand, while his other arm was around the hostage. Thats the story that dramatic video and tapes of 911 calls tell about what happened at the pharmacy at 199 Main St. on the afternoon of Jan. 6, when one police officer was stabbed, and the knife-wielding man, James Sutton, was shot dead. Confronting the assailant The video shows the knife-wielding man ignoring repeated orders to drop the knife. Two officers fire their tasers at the man. One of those officers goes behind the pharmacy counter and physically confronts the subject, who now appears to be thrusting the knife at the officer. Story continues after audio The officer pushes the man to the ground in a struggle as about six gunshots ring out. Then, one officer with a long gun trains it on the subject, who is now motionless on the floor of the pharmacy. The video and tapes were released Thursday by the state Attorney Generals Office, which is investigating the fatal police-involved shooting. Prior coverage: Keansburg cop stabbed in pharmacy robbery undergoes surgery The attorney generals office, in a news release accompanying the video and audio tapes, for the first time identified the dead man as Sutton, 55, of Keansburg. The news release did not identify the officer who was stabbed, but said he is recovering and was one of two officers who fired tasers at Sutton. The news release identified those who fired their guns at Sutton as Officer Jillian Putkowski and Detectives Christopher Rogan and Richard Johnson. Story continues The attorney generals office released the audio and video tapes of the incident after the Asbury Park Press made an Open Public Records Act request for them. 911 calls James Sutton is seen holding a knife in surveillance footage at Keansburg Pharmacy on Jan. 6, 2022 in Keansburg, N.J. The office released tapes of five 911 calls, four surveillance camera videos showing the incident from different angles inside the pharmacy, and two body-camera videos from the officers wielding the taser guns. We work for Keansburg Pharmacy, a woman said on the first 911 call. Somebody walked in the pharmacy and told us all to get out. When the 911 operator asked the caller if the person had anything, the caller responded, He has one of our employees. A second caller, a man, said he was at the pharmacy where a guy behind the counter was just saying, Everyone get on the ground. The man told the operator he told everyone to get out of the store. His conversation continued on a third audio tape. It looked like his face was covered up, and he started telling the people behind the counter to get down, Im serious, get the (expletive) down," the man told the operator. I was just walking up to the counter and I heard it, so I beelined it out of there and I started telling everybody around me to go." The next call was from a woman. Theres somebody with a knife," the caller said. More coverage: Keansburg man who was shot to death after stabbing cop identified The operator asked the woman where in the store the armed person was. In the back. He has a hostage," she replied. He has a what?" The operator said. He has somebody," the caller said. The next caller, a female employee at the pharmacy, provided more detail. Theres a man in here with a knife and hes holding one of my co-workers hostage," the caller reported. They are in the pharmacy section of the store," she said. They are holding my co-worker hostage with a knife a very large knife." When asked if the man was making demands, the caller said, Hes trying to get everybody out of the store." The caller described the armed man to the operator as an older, white man with glasses and gray and white hair, wearing a New York Yankees hoodie with a black jacket over it. Hes holding one of my co-workers hostage and hes going through the medicines right now," she said. The caller revealed that someone opened the back door to the store to set off an alarm. Theres an officer here now," she said. Grabbing a hostage One of the surveillance videos shows a man fitting the description provided by the caller walking to the pharmacy section of the store, placing what looked like bandage tape on the counter and then walking over to a half door, reaching over and opening the door from the other side and walking into the area where the prescriptions are kept on shelves. A second surveillance video depicts the man grabbing a male employee by the neck with one hand and thrusting the knife downward toward the employee with his other hand. There appears to be a struggle, which is mostly hidden by the pharmacy shelves. Then, three officers show up and maneuver around the shelves, soon followed by a fourth officer. A third surveillance video shows the struggle from a different angle as uniformed officers arrive at the pharmacy counter. One of the officers has a yellow Taser gun, two have handguns and a fourth has a long gun. Then, a plainclothes officer arrives and the officer with the Taser physically confronts the subject and pushes him to the floor. The officer with the long gun moves in and points his weapon at the man, who is now motionless on the floor. The fourth surveillance video again shows the subject grabbing the employee and struggling with him while thrusting the knife downward toward him. It shows him dragging the employee to the back of the pharmacy, and an officer physically confronting him before hes shown on the ground. The officer with the long gun moves in, while a plainclothes officer kicks the knife out of the subjects reach and then appears to check on his neck. The final two videos are from body cameras of the officers with the tasers. They are the only videos that contain sound. Drop the knife, drop the knife, drop the (expletive) knife," someone yells as the subject is thrusting the knife toward his hostage. Tasers appear to be fired and about six gunshots ring out. Everybody get back," someone says. One of the officers says, Do you want a tourniquet?" The attorney generals investigation into the incident is ongoing, as required by state law when a death occurs during an encounter with police acting in official capacity. When the investigation is completed, the case will be presented to a grand jury to decide whether criminal charges would be filed. Kathleen Hopkins, a reporter in New Jersey since 1985, covers crime, court cases, legal issues, unsolved mysteries and just about every major murder trial to hit Monmouth and Ocean counties. Contact her at khopkins@app.com. This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Keansburg Pharmacy police shooting involved hostage at knifepoint David Wood, 57, has been charged with abuse of a corpse (WLKY) A man in Louisville, Kentucky has been arrested after police say he wrapped his dead mothers body in a blanket and left it on his back porch for almost two years. David Wood, 57, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with abuse of a corpse. The Louisville Metro Police Department says his 89-year-old mother died in May 2020, but her remains were not discovered until December 2021. According to WLKY, police said Mr Wood treated the corpse in ways that would outrage ordinary family sensibilities. The LMPD has not revealed further details about the case. Police say theyre working with the Jefferson County Coroners Office to investigate the womans cause of death. At a court appearance on Wednesday, Mr Wood told a Jefferson County District Court judge that he wished to represent himself. The judge advised against this. Sir, you understand you have the right to remain silent? the judge asked, according to WAVE. Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. After Mr Wood affirmed that he understood this, the judge warned him again, I would suggest you dont tell me anything about the nature of this. Mr Wood would not be deterred. All I want to say is I talked to the detective, the defendant said. These charges sound a lot worse than they are, and I do have a few medical issues. Im not a flight risk, Im not a violent person, as you can see from my record. I have no reason to I want to resolve this, believe me, more than anything. The judge, whom WAVE did not name, was unconvinced. I will tell you I am uncomfortable releasing you on this charge, the judge told him. The court denied Mr Woods request for release from jail. He is currently being held at the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections, with his bond set at $120,000. Rep. Liz Cheney speaks during a news conference with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on July 21, 2020. Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images Kevin McCarthy refused to defend two of his colleagues after the RNC's formal censure He suggested that Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger's congressional careers are over. "I think those two individuals will have a hard time ever coming back to Congress," McCarthy said. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said on Friday that Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger's congressional careers are effectively over, declining to support them after the Republican National Committee's censure. "I think those two individuals will have a hard time ever coming back to Congress," McCarthy said on Fox News. McCarthy, who once counted Cheney as one of his top deputies, sounded bemused as he pointed out that Kinzinger is "quitting" and that Cheney "has a very low poll rating in Wyoming." The RNC formally censured the two Republicans on Friday, citing their participation in the House January 6 Committee as evidence of their apostasy against the party. The resolution refers to the committee's "persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse." After intense criticism, RNC Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel later clarified that the resolution did not intend to refer to the ransacking of the Capitol as "legitimate political discourse." Unlike Kinzinger, Cheney is running for reelection in the face of a Trump-backed primary opponent. CNN reported that McCarthy has thus far declined to take a position on whether he would support Cheney. Traditionally, the party supports all incumbents in the event of a contested race. Read the original article on Business Insider Strong cold weather continues hitting northern region The northern region of Vietnam has continued experiencing strong cold weather with lowest temperatures of below three degrees centigrade. According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, the cold weather would last until the end of February 6. The lowest temperature in the north is 9-12 degrees centigrade or even below three degrees centigrade in some high mountainous areas. The northern region of Vietnam has continued experiencing strong cold weather Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday defended his support for sweeping criminal justice reforms he signed into law last year and dismissed GOP candidate Richard Irvins accusation that it played a role in law enforcement officer deaths as unfounded political exaggeration. Richard Irvin is exaggerating because he doesnt really understand the law. It seems like if youre running for governor, you ought to understand the law. The law that hes referring to is one that mostly doesnt go into effect until next year, Pritzker said of Irvin, the mayor of Aurora and one of five Republicans running for governor. Advertisement He also misunderstands what that law is about. It would keep people in prison who could otherwise afford to get out of prison. These could be very violent criminals. And it allows people who are nonviolent criminals who may be in jail for a petty offense, and just dont have $100, to get themselves out of jail, the first-term governor said. Pritzkers comments, made at an unrelated Chicago news conference, came a day after Irvin used his first series of media interviews since announcing his candidacy Jan. 17 to contend the criminal justice law Pritzker signed a year ago had led to increased outbreaks of violent crime and had a role in the deaths of eight law enforcement officers. Advertisement Gov. J.B. Pritzker is joined by lawmakers and community advocates as he speaks after signing House Bill 3653, a sweeping criminal justice and police reform bill, on Feb. 22, 2021, at Chicago State University. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune / Chicago Tribune) Eight police officers have been killed in the line of duty since that bill has been signed, Irvin said. Of course signing that bill affects crime in this state. Many of the laws provisions, including one Irvin cited that does away with cash bail, take effect next year. But Irvin said the law was emboldening criminals though it has largely not gone into effect. The criminals know its coming, Irvin said. Pritzker said on Friday that The reality of the matter is that were protecting people by enacting this law. There are many more things that we need to do to fight crime, he said. Weve got to make sure were investing in the things that police need. Were investing in the things that communities need to lift themselves up. Republicans have sought to use outbreaks of violent crime, along with the signing of the criminal justice reform law, to portray Democrats as soft on crime. The GOP is particularly pushing the message in the suburbs, which had traditionally been Republican strongholds but have recently favored Democrats. Pritzker said he supported strong sentences against people who attack or kill a police officer and bristled at Irvins criticism. I attend the funerals of police officers. I talk to family members in the wake of the deaths of their loved one who was a first responder, Pritzker said. So, no one needs to tell me about the seriousness of the attack that has taken place on a police officer because I feel it, I talk to those people, unfortunately, too regularly. But its also one of the important duties of being governor. Advertisement Pritzker made his comments as another of his prospective Republican opponents, businessman Jesse Sullivan of Petersburg, named Kathleen Murphy as his running mate. Sullivan needed to name a lieutenant governor candidate to circulate candidacy petitions for the June 28 primary ballot because candidates for governor and lieutenant governor must run as a team. Murphy is a longtime aide and media partner of former state Rep. Jeanne Ives of Wheaton, working in Ives unsuccessful campaigns for Congress last year and for the GOP nomination for governor in 2018. In April last year, Murphy acknowledged plagiarizing a Chicago Tribune story about mail-in voting in an Ives congressional fundraising email, calling it an oversight. More recently, Murphy and Ives have been partners in a political outreach group called Breakthrough Ideas that has lately focused on organizing protests at suburban school boards over state masking requirements. The group also has featured Murphy and Ives on conservative politically oriented podcasts. In a podcast hosted by Murphy, she connected the famed Chicago political phrase We dont want nobody that nobody sent to Albert Mikva. The phrase became part of the citys lexicon thanks to the late congressman, federal judge and White House counsel Abner Mikva, who heard it from a ward heeler when he sought an early political job. With Murphys addition, all five GOP contenders have running mates. Irvins is state Rep. Avery Bourne of Morrisonville; Bull Valley businessman Gary Rabine has Palatine Township Republican Committeeman Aaron Del Mar; state Sen. Darren Bailey of Xenia has former suburban right-wing radio talk show host Stephanie Trussell; and former state Sen. Paul Schimpf of Waterloo has McHenry County Board member Carolyn Schofield of Crystal Lake. Advertisement rap30@aol.com Whether looking to add a new furry friend to your family or find a lost pet its home, Indianapolis Animal Care Services can help. Their services include adoption, surrendering animals, connecting lost pets to their owners and addressing reports of animal cruelty or neglect. The shelter is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., except Thursdays, when they close at 7 p.m. Roxie Randall, IACS manager of community outreach, recommends coming in at least a half hour before close. Heres a rundown of how to use IACS: How do I adopt a pet? Those interested in adopting an animal can browse the available pets on the shelters Petfinder page. The shelter recommends filling out an online adoption application to speed up the process. Those looking to adopt can then head into the shelter, located at 2600 S. Harding St., during business hours. Shelter staff will then help them through the process of bringing home a new pet. All adoptions are currently free. A dog looks out of its cage Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021 at Indianapolis Animal Care Services. How do I surrender my pet? An appointment is required for owners looking to surrender an animal. To schedule a surrender, email IACSIntake@indy.gov and provide a name, phone number, information about the animal and whether it is a stray or a pet. Available appointment times to surrender an animal are currently being scheduled a couple months out, Indy CARES Program Director Ashley Temple. If the shelter is over 80% capacity, IACS can turn away non-Marion County residents who are trying to surrender their animals. Since the shelter has been over capacity since April 2021, Temple said they typically redirect out-of-county residents to their respective shelters. Overworked and overcrowded: 'Heartbreaking all around': Packed Indy animal shelter takes a toll on pets and employees If an owner wishes to keep their pet but needs extra help, Temple said Indy CARES offers assistance, such as free vaccinations, low-cost veterinary care and behavior training as well as smaller items such as a bag of food or a crate. Indy CARES can be contacted through their online form. Story continues For Marion County residents, there is no cost to surrender. If an out-of-county resident is able to surrender their pet, the fee would be $100 per animal. What do I do if I find a lost or stray animal? The shelter asks people to look at different options before bringing in a lost or stray animal. This includes reporting the animal on Indy Lost Pet Alert, spreading the word on Facebook or Nextdoor or taking it to a vet clinic to be scanned for a microchip. People should avoid immediately taking a found pet to a shelter, Temple said, because many lost animals are typically found within a mile of their home. If brought to a shelter, she said it may be more difficult for the owner to find their pet around their neighborhood. Instead, she said they should spread the word locally and talk to their neighbors first. Read more: 'We Love Lucy': Tiny poodle mix makes big impact as therapy dog in Indianapolis school If all is done to no avail, email IACSIntake@indy.gov to schedule an appointment to surrender the animal. Appointments are currently about six days out, Temple said. While waiting for an appointment, Temple said the shelter can provide items, like a crate or food, to make it easier for the person holding onto the animal for the time being. Surrendering a stray animal is free. What do I do if my pet is missing? When stray animals are taken into the shelter, Temple said they scan to see if a pet has a microchip and contact the owners if possible. If a lost animal was brought to IACS or another local shelter, it may be on the 24Petconnect database, which lists stray animals at shelters in the area. Found animals may also be reported on Indy Lost Pet Alert. Residents can visit a shelter in-person to report a lost pet and check to see if it has already been found. IACS said people should stop at the shelter to look for their lost pet every couple days and check other local shelters, like IndyHumane or the Hamilton County Humane Society. Per city-county code, an owner has 32 business hours to claim an animal in-person at the shelter. This cannot be done over the phone, email or social media. After that period, animals are evaluated for the adoption floor and are available to one of the shelter's approved rescue partners. If an animal is found at a shelter, a person must provide evidence they are the owner, such as photos, vet records or microchip information. Can I get my pet microchipped? Owners can microchip their animals without an appointment during business hours, Randall said. Microchips serve as a permanent identification on a pet with an owners name, address and phone number. Randall said an owner must show photo ID and proof of ownership of the animal in the form of photos or vet records. The service costs $10. What should I do if I need to report suspected animal cruelty? Issues regarding animal cruelty, attacks or similar issues can be reported through the RequestIndy website and app. People can also call the Mayor's Action Center at (317) 327-4622 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m Monday through Friday. To anonymously report dog fighting, contact the Central Indiana Canine Crime Stoppers at (317) 262-8477. Cate Charron is an intern at the IndyStar. You can contact her on Twitter at @CateCharron or email at CCharron@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pet adoption near me: What to know about IACS, petfinder and more The Rev. Candace McKibben Recently, I was sorting through papers that once belonged to my parents. I came across a small wallet-sized Selective Service Registration Certificate. I was drawn to the card because of my fathers very careful signature, squeezing 19 letters on a two-inch line. He registered on the 10th day of September 1948, not long after his 20th birthday. It was moving to think of him, the youngest of 10 children in his family, taking such a bold step. Hope: Lesson from a 'hope dealer': Share testimony and pass it along to others | Tompkins Wolf Creek: Magic carpet of flowers will be blooming soon at Wolf Creek Preserve near Cairo I was surprised by the description of the registrant on the flip side of the card. Not my fathers handwriting, I suppose it was that of the registrar who called my daddys blue eyes, grey, his complexion ruddy, his hair brown, and guessed his weight and height fairly accurately. His race was the last data point, followed by four blank lines to record obvious physical characteristics to aid in identification. What was most surprising to me was, Scar on right cheek bone. Candace's father's Selective Service Registration Certificate. What identifies us? It is not that I cant imagine him having a scar, growing up on a working farm in South Georgia with four brothers, five sisters, and nieces and nephews that were his senior playmates. It is just that I never remember noticing a scar on his face or hearing a story of how he acquired it. It seems like such an intimate detail on a public form. And as he was the last member of his immediate family to die, there is no one to ask. It has set me to thinking not about physical characteristics that someone might notice about us as part of our identification, but spiritual, emotional, psychological qualities that are telling. What personality traits and values might be listed on a small card that would help someone to identify us? Perhaps I am thinking of this because my church is studying Adam Russell Taylors book about revisioning beloved community. To reclaim and invigorate some of the noble founding principles of our nation, Taylor invites the reader to examine the ideals of equality, dignity, freedom, and inalienable rights. Story continues He encourages resisting the destructive forces of fear, hate, and hypocrisy, and strengthening forces of understanding, concern, and sincere love. In a helpful analogy, Taylor writes that premarital counseling helps couples build and maintain trust, identify shared values and priorities, cultivate open and honest communication, develop an understanding of the past and how it shapes us, and commit to the importance of forgiveness and reconciliation. He believes that what is true for couples can be true for communities and for nations, if we have the will to look at ourselves and make the changes necessary for the good of the whole. His pathway seems somehow a possible way forward. Suffering and healing It goes without saying that the past few years have been challenging for all of us and in many ways. Certainly there are those who have suffered far more than others in the pandemic. Our hearts go out to those who have lost family members or know failed health, who have endured job loss, who have had undue strain in the workplace, and who have had to forego funerals or weddings or graduations or the many other celebrations that make life special. We know children have suffered greatly as have the elderly. But no one has lived through the last few years without being impacted in some way by the uncertainty, fear, anxiety, concern, frustration, and more, that a pandemic, racial unrest, political division, inequality in resources, and environmental disasters, among other concerns, present. How is all we are facing shaping our lives? What are the obvious spiritual, emotional, and psychological characteristics that help identify who we are after all we have been through? Taking a positive shape I admit to feeling discouraged by the problems before us. I know I have been angered by an unrelenting virus that has so greatly changed life for so many. I have felt frustration at the disagreement among us about how best to pursue public health. I fear what might happen to us as a nation if we are not able to find a way forward on a number of issues. But I do not want discouragement, anger, frustration, and fear to be the obvious characteristics by which I am identified. I want to believe there is a way forward, that hope is stronger than despair, that love is stronger than hate. I have a friend who speaks about choosing to believe the very best about a day or a procedure she must endure or a problem she must solve. It is not a naive choice of one who has led a charmed life, just the one she selects. It is how I want to be identified. And I believe it is how most of us prefer to be known. From scars to better selves As we enter Black History month, we all can learn stories of ways in which Black Americans have shaped who we are. Some of those remarkable stories will come to us with little effort on our part as media portrayals, and it will be to our advantage to listen. But we might also learn healing stories of our Black neighbors, colleagues, and friends by inviting conversation, by asking questions, by listening for the obvious characteristics of identity they share. Scars tell a story, a story of healing. And healing stories are what we most need to inspire our hearts in times of difficulty. While I will never know the story of my fathers scar on his right cheek bone, I want to emulate more of his spiritual, emotional, and psychological characteristics of love, kindness, faith, and hope. I pray we all will thoughtfully consider how we are known and live lives that call forth our better selves. The Rev. Candace McKibben is an ordained minister and pastor of Tallahassee Fellowship. Never miss a story: Subscribe to the Tallahassee Democrat using the link at the top of the page. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: From scars to healing, stories help shape our lives Barista Grace Norris works at the Starbucks location at 2624 Lake Lansing Road on Friday, Feb. 4, 2022, in Lansing Township. The baristas are joining a nationwide union effort. Baristas at a Starbucks on Lake Lansing Road are joining a nationwide union effort, filing a petition for an election Friday morning to combat what workers say are unrealistic expectations at an unmanageable pace. Employees say the store at 2624 Lake Lansing Road is understaffed at key times, regularly strained by mobile orders and subject to decisions by executives who do not grasp life working the floor. Baristas also say they must manage contradictory goals from the company, such as optimizing drive-thru times while also performing for "customer connection scores," which gauge the degree to which baristas try to get to know a customer while handling an order. "People tend to associate this kind of work, they call it low-skill wage labor," said Grace Norris, 21, a Michigan State University senior and employee leading the union push at the store. "I invite them to come in with no training and try to do the work that we do every day." Desirae Taylor, the store manager in Lansing Township, declined to comment when reached by phone Friday. "We're listening to the partners in these stores the way we always do across the country," Starbucks' corporate press office said in a statement. "Our success in the past and going forward is built on how we work together, and our partnership and our direct relationship." Starbucks employees gather outside the store location at 2624 Lake Lansing Road, where workers today announced their intention to file for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board. Friday's announcement included the Lake Lansing location and three Ann Arbor stores. A total of eight Michigan locations have now declared intention to unionize with Workers United, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union. Workers at a Starbucks in Buffalo, New York were the first to successfully unionize in December. Norris said the union push at her store started with jokes in passing among staffers after the shop in Buffalo organized. The effort started in earnest when she was driving home with a coworker who turned to her and said: "So, unions?" Story continues "We want to be able to have a say in setting some of these goals, so that we can have a more realistic outlook for our store," Norris said. Barista Grace Norris photographed at the Starbucks location at 2624 Lake Lansing Road on Friday, Feb. 4, 2022, in Lansing Township. The baristas are joining a nationwide union effort. Workers United declined to say how many employees signed union cards in Lansing Township, but spokesperson MC Floreani said in an email it was an overwhelming majority. The mobile orders are a sticking point for employees, said Cassidy Thurmond, a 24-year-old MSU graduate student who works the morning rush. She said the Starbucks app frequently gives customers inaccurate pickup times that don't reflect the pace of work, ratcheting up tension as more people file in for orders that aren't ready. Thurmond said she's seen as many as 50 mobile orders come through in a five-minute timespan. "There's just so many drinks to make and customers don't really understand the process that goes into all these beverages," she said. "Of course they get frustrated, on top of us being frustrated." While the morning shift is usually well staffed, fewer workers are scheduled later in the day, when mobile orders can come in random bursts, Norris said. She typically works the closing shift, and said she and two coworkers recently saw an afternoon with 30 to 40 transactions every half hour. Like many of their coworkers, Norris and Thurmond are part-time employees, pulling shifts between classes and extracurriculars. But they say labor is labor, and they deserve representation like full-time workers. "Starbucks is not any less of a job than anywhere else," Thurmond said. "I think that anywhere you are working to make a living and provide for yourself or provide for other people, you deserve to have your voice heard, regardless of where it is." Contact reporter Annabel Aguiar at aaguiar@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @annabelaguiar. This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Lansing Twp. Starbucks workers join union push, decrying mobile orders By Gessika Thomas and Brian Ellsworth MIAMI (Reuters) - The leader of a group of Haitians concerned about the Caribbean country's future called on Friday for the formation of a provisional government to bolster security and ensure free elections in two years. The nation of 11 million people - the poorest in the Western hemisphere - has been in a political vacuum since President Jovenel Moise's July assassination. Gang violence has some politicians worried Haiti is in no condition to hold elections. "We're close to a situation of chaos," group leader Fritz Jean, an economist, said in a Zoom interview from his Port-au-Prince home, adding voters would be unable to participate given the country's security problems. The group, which calls itself the Montana Accord for the Montana hotel in Port-au-Prince where they have been meeting, has proposed that Jean, 65, lead a provisional government replacing Prime Minister Ariel Henry. The group includes civic leaders, former politicians, journalists, economists and entrepreneurs who have met for nearly a year to discuss a common political platform. Henry, backed by the United States and major foreign powers, has in recent days tweeted that the next government will only arrive via elections. Consulted about the Montana Accord, the prime minister's office referred Reuters to a January speech by Henry in which he said there was no legal or constitutional way to choose a legitimate interim president. Haiti's gangs have increasingly carried out kidnappings in broad daylight, entire neighborhoods are under gang control, and government officials have had to cancel state events because of gunbattles between police and criminal groups. "We cannot talk about elections in times of such violence in the country. If you cannot have participation, what credibility can these elections have?" Jean said. "If you have elections in this environment, it may mean giving more control to (gangs)," Jean said, noting that the government does not control half of Port-au-Prince and that the capital is inaccessible by road due to gang presence. Story continues The proposed transition plan comes as Henry's government faces a crisis of legitimacy. Monday marks the expiration of Moise's term in office, leaving Henry, a neurosurgeon appointed prime minister by Moise shortly before the assassination, with no official mandate. Legislators have similarly seen their terms expire. Jean said the Montana Accord, which has forged alliances with other political and civil society groups, has laid the groundwork to create legitimate authorities when elections are possible. "This was a first step for people to have a consensus among them, for people to share a common vision of where we are to go," he said. (Reporting by Gessika Thomas and Brian Ellsworth; Editing by Howard Goller) Two state legislators have taken direct aim at the gun shows held for more than a decade at the Ventura County Fairgrounds with a bill that would prohibit firearm sales on the state-owned site. Assemblymember Steve Bennett, D-Ventura, and State Sen. Monique Limon, D-Santa Barbara, introduced AB-1769 Wednesday targeting the long-running battle over the fairgrounds shows held several times a year by Utah-based Crossroads of the West. If successful, the ban would likely take effect on Jan. 1, 2023. Another bill introduced Wednesday, SB-915 by Sen. Dave Min, D-Irvine, takes a broader approach, prohibiting gun shows on all state property across California, including 73 fairgrounds. The bill is Min's second attempt at a statewide ban. "We're here to say enough is enough," Min said Thursday, joining Bennett and Limon at a press conference. "When I grew up, fairgrounds were meant to be places for family-friendly events," he said. "Today they have been identified with guns shows and all of the extremist anti-government, sort of violent characteristics that gun shows bring." If either bill becomes law, a court battle is guaranteed, said Rob Templeton, vice president of Crossroads of the West. People protest a gun show at the Ventura County Fairgrounds in this 2019 file photo. "Crossroads would file a lawsuit. There would be several people who file against this," Templeton said. He cited the $500,000 settlement that followed a court ruling in favor of Crossroads in a lawsuit it brought against Del Mar Fairgrounds over a gun show ban. "Anyone else that tries to fight against the First and Second Amendment will also lose," he said. Bennett said the likelihood of a legal fight involving an increasingly aggressive firearms lobby and a growing gun culture makes it more important for lawmakers and community members to take a stand. Min challenged the assertion that gun shows on state-owned fairgrounds are legally protected. "There is nothing in the Constitution that would imply the state of California has to use its property to sell guns," Min said. Story continues More: Ventura County pandemic gun store shutdowns violated right to keep and bear arms, judge rules In their years-long debate over the Crossroads shows, Ventura County Fair Board directors have repeatedly expressed concerns that a lawsuit could financially devastate the fairgrounds. Several directors have also said they want state lawmakers to take the lead and minimize the fairgrounds' liability. After a closed-door session with lawyers on Jan. 7, the directors voted 4-3 to allow the gun shows to continue. The next show is set for March 5-6, and Crossroads has requested two additional shows in the coming months. The gun events bring "mixed feelings" on the board, said longtime director Mike Bradbury, who voted for continuing the shows. "There is certainly an interest on the board to stop having gun shows but we want to make sure we do it properly and legally," he said. "Having legislation in place would be pretty much the perfect solution." More: Gun show ban? Ventura County Fair Board to ask lawyers, governor for advice on controversial events In their press conference, state legislators and their supporters said the gun shows put more weapons into the community, increasing the chance of violence and other crimes "Our state government does not belong in the business of adding to the proliferation of guns and making a profit," said Rose Ann Sharp, founder of the NeverAgainCa gun violence prevention group. Limon said the majority of residents want the fairgrounds gun shows to end. "This is not an issue where we stand alone," she said. Templeton said there is no connection between gun shows and mass violence or other crimes. "Its disappointing," he said of the new bills. "Because some people dont like firearms, they feel like no one should be allowed to have them apparently or be allowed to sell them." Tom Kisken covers health care and other news for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at tom.kisken@vcstar.com or 805-437-0255. SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM: To see more stories like this, subscribe here. This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Legislators introduce bill to ban gun shows at Ventura County Fairgrounds Feb. 4NEW LONDON The man charged in connection with a tire-slashing spree in New London last month now faces a criminal trespass charge linked to a fire at the vacant Crystal Avenue apartment complex. Police arrested Jason Castro-Campus, 39, at the scene of the Thursday morning blaze, which the fire marshal's office has determined was intentionally set. The fire occurred on the third floor of Building A of the former Thames River Apartments at 48 Crystal Ave. The fire, Mayor Michael Passero said, has accelerated plans to go to the City Council and request needed funds to complete the demolition of the high-rises. Fire Marshal Vernon Skau said the fire occurred in a third-floor apartment bathtub and in a stairwell near the apartment. The reason the fire was set is unclear and part of an ongoing investigation. City officials have voiced concern in the past that break-ins by vandals or homeless could be an issue until the buildings are demolished. Castro-Campus has a last known address at the New London Homeless Hospitality Center. He was held in lieu of a $5,000 bond on the arrest and still faces 39 counts of third-degree criminal mischief in connection with the tire slashings in the area of Brainard and Mercer streets. He was not charged with setting the fire. Firefighters had responded to Thursday's fire amid thick fog at 7:28 a.m. and found Castro-Campus in the building. He was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation. Waterford, Poquonnock Bridge and the Naval Submarine Base fire departments provided mutual aid, along with ambulances from Waterford and Groton. New London fire Chief Thomas Curcio said firefighters searched the entire complex to ensure no one was still inside before the building where the fire occurred was sealed up. The buildings, formerly a 124-unit federally subsidized apartment complex for low-income families, has been vacant since 2018. The city purchased the building from the New London Housing Authority in 2018 not long after a cooperative effort obtained federal housing vouchers and moved families into private housing. Story continues The exodus from the property was prompted by repeated complaints over deferred maintenance and horrible living conditions. A lawsuit from residents also forced the housing authority to take action. Passero said the first phase of demolition the removal of hazardous materials already is completed and the buildings could come down as early as this month. The council in June approved the choice of Stamford Wrecking Company for the remediation and demolition of the buildings. The estimates for the work were $3.5 million, which was completely covered with state funds. Passero said costs for transportation and removal of the tons of demolition material to an appropriate dumping site have drastically increased since the early cost estimates. "The cost of transportation and disposal of the demolition materials has skyrocket(ed) from the original quote of $87 per ton to $130.00 per ton," Passero said in a memo to the City Council. He plans to bring a request for an additional $708,090 to the City Council for approval on Monday. The cost is not covered by state funds. "I don't want to wait. The real pressing issue since we closed those buildings is the possibility of vandals and homeless getting into the building, starting fires and risking their own lives or lives of first responders," Passero said. What the future holds for the site is unclear but the city changed the zoning designation from high-density residential to commercial and industrial, something Passero said is more fitting for the industrial area where it is located. Day Staff Writer Taylor Hartz contributed to this report. g.smith@theday.com Editor's Note: This version corrects the time of the first arrest; it was in January. Lubbock County seal During a special meeting on Friday morning, the Lubbock County Commissioners Court voted unanimously to approve an application for a grant that would help the Lubbock County District Attorney's Office provide services to victims of crime. The grant funding would cover the continued employment of two victim advocates as part of the DA's Victim Advocacy Project, which plays a "critical role in the restoration of victims by meeting their emotional and physical needs and also by informing them of their rights," according to the grant application. Lubbock County is asking the Office of the Governor for $125,476.02 through what is known as a VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) grant to pay for the two advocates' salaries and benefits, as well as training and travel expenses. Since this is a matching grant, the county will be required to contribute a $31,369.02 match to the program's budget. Neal Burt and Traci Wiseley of the Lubbock County District Attorney's Office were on hand to explain the grant and victim assistance program to commissioners. They say the DA's office has pursued the VOCA grants for more than 10 years and that they have seen considerable success in serving victims as a result. "In the past year, our victim advocates have served 3,664 victims," Wiseley told the court. "As part of their duties, they help with protective orders, emergency protective orders, they go to court with victims, they offer counseling referrals. They also help with crime victims' compensation paperwork, victim impact statements and give victims information on parole and how to locate offenders when they're in jail so that victims know where the people that hurt them are." Burt added that the victim advocacy resources are more important now than ever, thanks to more stringent requirements for victim services passed by Texas lawmakers. "The most recent legislature once again bumped up some of the requirements for counties to provide (parole and release information). More specifically, we're to notify victims when conditions of bond change for someone who is an alleged perpetrator," Burt said. "As y'all can probably realize and appreciate, the role continues to grow." In a resolution, the Commissioners Court authorized County Judge Curtis Parrish to submit the grant application and work with the state on behalf of the county in matters relating to the VOCA grant. This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock County seeks grant to aid crime victim support program Republican candidate for governor Richard Irvin on Thursday blamed sweeping criminal justice reforms signed by Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker for playing a role in the deaths of eight law enforcement officers in Illinois over the past year, even though many of the laws provisions have yet to go into effect. Let me tell you how many police officers have been killed since that bill has been signed: eight. Eight police officers have been killed in the line of duty since that bill has been signed, Irvin said, noting the last was the late December murder of Bradley police Sgt. Marlene Rittmanic by an assailant using her own gun. Of course, signing that bill affects crime in this state. Advertisement Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, a Republican candidate for governor, stands along the city's riverfront Feb. 3, 2022. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) The accusation from Irvin, the mayor of Aurora, came during a brief 12-minute interview with the Tribune as he conducted a second day of media question-and-answer sessions more than two weeks after he formally launched his bid for the June 28 GOP primary nomination. A Pritzker spokeswoman said Irvins attempt to blame the governor for actions under a bill that hasnt even gone into effect demonstrates a frightening lack of understanding for someone seeking the states highest office. Advertisement Irvin, backed by many in the states GOP establishment despite questions about his Republican credentials, did not directly answer if he believed Donald Trumps false contention that the 2020 presidential election was stolen or if he voted for Trump. He dismissed questions about Trump as efforts by Democrats to try to turn attention from his leadership abilities, though each of the four other GOP contenders for the nomination have been asked similar questions upon their entry into the race. Allegiance to Trump is key for many Republican voters, particularly in downstate, rural areas. Irvin, a former local states attorney and defense attorney before becoming Auroras first Black mayor in 2017, stuck to a Republican playbook looking to paint Pritzker and Democrats as soft on crime amid violent outbreaks of gun violence, smash-and-grab retail thefts and carjackings in Illinois, something also occurring at the national level. The crime theme has been pushed by billionaire businessman Ken Griffin, who is widely expected to back Irvin and whose funding ability is seen as critical to the Republican candidates success. Asked how much influence Griffin would have in a prospective Irvin administration, the mayor said accusations by his GOP rivals that he would be a puppet of the hedge fund billionaire offends me. I am nobodys pushover, said Irvin, an Army veteran. I am my own man. Always have. Always will be. Irvin called crime in Illinois out of control and said it didnt matter that many provisions of the sweeping criminal justice reform package signed by Pritzker last year, including an end to cash bail, have yet to take effect. Its not even about (the law) going into effect. Its about the fact that the criminals know whats coming. They know that when they get arrested, theyre not going to have to post bond. That empowers criminals to want to commit more crime, Irvin said. Advertisement A national database on deceased law enforcement members, the Officer Down Memorial Page, shows eight Illinois officers killed from gunfire, assault or vehicular assault in 2021. A ninth died in an automobile crash. In addition to questioning Irvins knowledge of the criminal justice changes, Pritzkers campaign said the Republican candidates law-and-order credentials should include a review of his time as a criminal defense attorney If Richard Irvin was serious about solving crime then he would be honest about the 15 years he spent downplaying the trauma of survivors and keeping violent abusers out of jail and free from accountability, the campaign said in a statement. The campaign also noted that Pritzkers budget proposed on Wednesday would more than triple state violence prevention funding and makes the single largest investment in state history to expand Illinois State Police cadet classes. An Irvin campaign commercial that focuses on the law-and-order issue says he called the National Guard into Aurora to quell a May 31, 2020, protest over the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police that turned violent. Only governors have the ability to authorize the use of the National Guard. Asked specifically if he was the one who called in the Guard, Irvin said he watched as his emergency management director requested guard assistance. Advertisement Irvin has found his Republican credentials under fire from rivals for the nomination, most notably over his pulling a Democratic primary ballot in 2014, 2016 and 2020. He explained that in a heavily Democratic area, he cast a vote for down-ballot Democrats who, even though they are not Republicans, are following the same conservative views and values to move Aurora forward. Its worked because Ive done more economic development in my city in four years than the city has seen in 40 years, Irvin said. Irvin sought to distance himself from Trump. Asked if he agreed with Trump that the 2020 election had been stolen, Irvin replied, Listen, Joe Biden is president, before contending the controversial former Republican president was someone Pritzker wants us to be talking about because he doesnt want to talk about his failed record. Asked how he would appeal to conservative Trump supporters, Irvin maintained that voters arent concerned about the former president, but about issues important to the state. Ill be looking for support from anyone that believes in whats important to our residents in Illinois, he said. Advertisement While Irvin repeatedly bashed Pritzkers leadership, last March he publicly lauded the first-term governor at a pandemic vaccination event in Aurora, calling him a great friend, a great leader who has guided our state with professionalism and compassion throughout this entire pandemic. Now, Irvin said he is generally opposed to coronavirus mandates and favors local control. He said he has been vaccinated and received a booster for the coronavirus. As for his remarks supportive of Pritzker less than a year ago, Irvin said, My mother taught me great manners and I was just being polite. So did Irvin say something he didnt really mean? Im saying, listen, when the governor of Illinois comes to town and you rely on the governor for so many resources in your city, the second largest city in the state, its probably good to be polite, Irvin said. rap30@aol.com CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (AP) A sheriff's deputy is being praised for smashing the windows of a burning SUV and rescuing a frightened dog in a neighborhood south of Denver. Douglas County Deputy Michael Gregorek's body camera video from Jan. 22, which was released Thursday, shows him arriving on the scene as smoke pours from the driver's side window of the SUV. The owner frantically yells that his dog Hank is somewhere inside the locked vehicle. Gregorek uses his retractable baton to smash a side window and then the rear window before pulling Hank out and quickly carrying him to a nearby snowbank. I just went in there and grabbed on. And his body had already kind of started to tense up, so I knew he was really in a bad way. ... Nothing else really mattered at that point other than getting Hank out of the car, Gregorek said in an interview released by the sheriff's department. A neighbor told the deputy his wife was a veterinarian, but by the time she got home, Hank was already sprinting around and ready to play. Im a dog parent. My only child is my dog, so I would have done the same thing, whether it be baby, human, dog, cat. A life is a life, and you kind of treat it as such in a situation like that," Gregorek said. Feb. 4A man due to appear in court on Tuesday on homicide charges was arrested on Jan. 1, one year to the day he is alleged to have fatally shot Ladarius Howard, 27, on Wilcox Boulevard in Chattanooga. Zachary Tyrell Smith, 33, was arrested in Bridgeport, Alabama, in a joint operation between six law enforcement agencies, the Chattanooga Police Department announced in a news release. They included the Chattanooga Police Department's Fugitive Unit, the U.S. Marshals Service, Bridgeport (Alabama) Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the 12th Judicial District Drug Task Force. Police responded at 5 p.m. on New Year's Day 2021 to the 2200 block of Wilcox Boulevard after receiving a report of a person being shot, the release said. They were told that a person suffering from a gunshot wound had been taken by a private vehicle to a hospital, reads an arrest report. After securing the scene at the gas station, police traveled to an area hospital and confirmed that Howard was the man who had been shot. Howard later died. Smith was identified by several witnesses at the scene, according to the report. Video of the Shell gas station at 2285 Wilcox Boulevard showed a man wearing a black jacket and pants, a white T-shirt and red and black shoes entering the convenience store of the gas station with a gun in his pocket, according to the arrest report. The video shows the vehicle pulling into the gas station with Howard sitting in the passenger seat. A man, later identified as Smith, is seen walking over to the car, opening the driver-side rear door and shooting at Howard, the report said. Smith is being held at Silverdale Detention Center without bond. He is charged with criminal homicide, possession of a firearm with intent to go armed, possession of a firearm while in the commission of a felony and reckless endangerment. He is due to appear in court on Feb. 8. Contact La Shawn Pagan at lpagan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6476. Follow her on Twitter @LaShawnPagan. Manchester United teenager Anthony Elanga is consoled after missing his penalty (Manchester United via Getty Images) Manchester United are out of the FA Cup. Ralf Rangnick might argue that they should not be, both on the balance of play and the nature of the goal they conceded, but the only hope of silverware at Old Trafford this season is now the Champions League trophy and it would be a stretch to call that realistic. Middlesbrough are instead celebrating a famous victory and a place in the fifth round, won by a penalty shoot-out. After fifteen perfect spot-kicks, it was cruel that the decisive miss was Anthony Elangas, the teenager recently promoted to the first team by Rangnick and who has otherwise impressed. The blame for this early cup exit cannot be placed at his door, though. This was a collective failure. United started brightly, missed a first half spot-kick through Cristiano Ronaldo and yet still led courtesy of a deflected Jadon Sancho strike. On the balance of play, Rangnicks side really should have secured their place in Sundays fifth round draw inside the regulation. That they did not was due to a combination of poor finishing, questionable game management and controversial officiating. Was Duncan Watmores touch before Matt Crooks equaliser handball? It seemed so, but referee Anthony Taylor considered it accidental, as did VAR. It was an odd goal but it did not need to be the turning point which it transpired to be. From then on, United lost a lot of their vigour. There was a point, perhaps, where they were even playing for penalties. Middlesbrough, meanwhile, dug in and made their luck. The most notable name on the team sheet was that of Paul Pogba, returning to the starting line-up for the first time since suffering a calf injury while on international duty in November. This was Rangnicks first opportunity to call upon Uniteds record signing, and he deployed him alongside Bruno Fernandes in a midfield pairing, with Scott McTominay holding for support. Dean Henderson started between the posts but this was otherwise about as close to a first-choice United line-up as possible. The gulf in class could have told inside two minutes when a mix-up between Joe Lumley and his centre-half Dael Fry presented Jadon Sancho with an opportunity to chip the Middlesbrough goalkeeper, but there was too much height on his attempt from outside the area and it bounced back off the crossbar. Story continues United had started as they meant to go on, though. Their opponents may only have been the seventh-placed team in the second tier, even when allowing for Middlesbroughs recent good form, but this was the closest approximation yet to the fast and fluid attacking play that Rangnick wants to see. Wave upon wave of extended pressure during the opening 20 minutes resulted in Pogba being tripped by Anfernee Dijksteel and winning a penalty. Ronaldo walked up to the spot having scored 143 penalties in his career. This, to the surprise of the many supporters in the old Scoreboard End holding camera phones, would be the 29th that he has missed. That is still an excellent record - well above average - but this was a far from excellent penalty, struck low and hard but off-target, wide of Lumleys right-hand post. The 9,500 travelling Middlesbrough supporters revelled in Ronaldos misery a long, booming Siuuu - the five-time Ballon dOr winners insufferable catchphrase - but their joy would be short-lived. United maintained their relentless pace and, after a Pogba interception and raking Fernandes pass, Sancho burst in behind the visiting defence, shot across Lumley and found the far corner from a narrow angle. It was exactly the type of moment that Sanchos fledgling United career has needed and, unfortunately, perhaps still needs. Just as with his goal in the 3-1 win over Burnley in December, the decisive touch had appeared to come off a defender. Dijksteels deflection had made all the difference. Still, it was a well-crafted move and nothing less than Uniteds start had deserved. Given that they had missed a penalty, spurned several presentable chances and a technical fault at Old Trafford had prevented the sale of pies and beer on the concourse at half time, things were going well for United. That would soon change. For even though United began with the same intensity at the start of the second half, Middlesbrough began to find more joy on the counter-attack. Henderson was finally called upon, forced into a sprawling, acrobatic save by Crooks, and his next significant action was to pick the ball out of the back of his net. It was life-long United fan Crooks again, sliding in at the far post to send the thousands travelling from North Yorkshire into raptures, but in controversial circumstances. Watmore had appeared to bring a deep cross under control first awkwardly with his right foot, then illegally with his left hand, before sending a deflected shot back across goal for Crooks to finish. Referee Anthony Taylor did not intervene and neither did VAR. United were not so incensed as they were dumbfounded by the decision, which seemed like an open and shut case of handball. Whether it was the correct call or not, it would have been an irrelevance had United made the most of the opportunities they had created. That wastefulness peaked when Fernandes somehow contrived to hit the post on open goal, after Ronaldos pressing had flustered Middlesbrough on a short goal kick and left Lumley exposed. It was a better scoring chance than the penalty. Still, it was missed. With much of Middlesbroughs threat on the break now spent, United toiled in search of the goal that would avoid extra time and failed to find it. Things were no easier in the additional half hour, when the absences of Jesse Lingard and Edinson Cavani - granted time off after the winter break - were felt. When Sancho was forced off with a hamstring injury, the only attacking player Rangnick could turn to was Juan Mata, making only his fourth appearance of the season. And if anything, the best chances fell Middlesbroughs way. Aaron Connolly, on loan from Brighton, first failed to meet a low Watmore cross that skimmed across the face of goal in the first half of extra time. In the second, he flicked a deep free-kick goalward only for Henderson to turn away. Both opportunities were better than anything that a fatigued United could muster up. Perhaps they fancied their chances in the lottery of shoot-out, though Hendersons failure to stop eight Middlesbrough spot-kicks set up the 19-year-old Elanga for a sudden death kick that has all but killed Uniteds hopes of a trophy. DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Patsy and Samuel McLeod knew the cruelty and harsh realities for Black people in the Civil War-era South. When the former slaves' 15th child was born in 1875, they undoubtedly hoped their baby girl Mary would live a purely free life, have the chances they never did to get an education and one day be a wife and mother. From the 19th-century view on their small South Carolina rice and cotton farm, never could they have imagined what was ahead for the person the world would come to know as Mary McLeod Bethune after she married in 1898. She started a fledgling school for girls that evolved into Bethune-Cookman University. Her quest for civil rights and women's rights to vote took her to Washington, D.C., where she became the only African American woman to help the U.S. delegation that created the United Nations charter. She created the National Council of Negro Women, directed the Office of Minority Affairs in the National Youth Administration, and became a general in the Women's Army for the National Defense. She became an adviser to four U.S. presidents, including Franklin D. Roosevelt. Leonard Lempel, a retired history professor who taught at Bethune-Cookman University from 1980 to 1996, said it wouldn't be a reach to consider Bethune "the mother of the civil rights movement." "She set the stage in the 1930s. She sparked it," said Lempel, who also taught history at Daytona State College in Florida from 1996 to 2015. "I think Mary McLeod Bethune was one of the key figures in launching the modern civil rights movement through her activism, her political skills and her ability to convince the Roosevelt administration to do things. The civil rights movement really began in the Great Depression with the New Deal." Bethune gets a seat at the table Roosevelt used the New Deal to give Black people middle-management jobs and a voice, Lempel said. Roosevelt also created what came to be known as the Black Cabinet, and Bethune was a leader of that body. Story continues The Black Cabinet was made up of an unofficial group of advisers who met in Bethune's home in Washington. Combined with her official positions in the nation's capital, Bethune held some sway. "It was a big deal then for Blacks to have any influence," Lempel said. Mary McLeod Bethune, shown in this undated photo, was one of the earliest civil rights pioneers and founder of what is now Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida. She was also a suffragist, a presidential adviser, a diplomat, an entrepreneur and much more. He said Bethune groomed herself to become a leader by starting various organizations for women and Black people. Bethune originally wanted to be a missionary in Africa, but she was turned down because she was Black. She eventually let go of her dream of being a missionary abroad, but she wound up becoming a missionary of sorts for Daytona Beach and eventually for Black people nationwide. In 1904 she decided to start a school for girls in Daytona Beach. She rented a small house for $11 a month in the only part of town where Black people could live, run businesses, worship and go to school. Black History Month: In the crucible of historic change, I grew up Black and proud Unity without uniformity: 50 years later, ideology of 1972 National Black Political Convention still resonates She made benches and desks from discarded crates, pencils from burned wood and ink from elderberry juice. The Educational and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls site bordered Daytona Beach's trash dump, so Bethune raised money selling sweet potato pies, ice cream and fried fish to crews at the dump. She went on to do much more for Daytona Beach, including opening a hospital for Black people, securing oceanfront land so Blacks could go to the beach, and persuading city leaders to build sidewalks and create a city-funded Black police force for the Black neighborhood. She also stood up to the Ku Klux Klan when they marched onto her campus, bravely coming outside and refusing to budge when they approached. Lempel said two gifts Bethune left behind were self-respect for Black people, and a place for them to get a college degree, which together allowed a Black middle class to form in Daytona Beach. Bethune also trained women to vote when they gained that right for the first time in 1920, he said. "She was very practical and able to compromise," Lempel said. "She was criticized for not asking for more, but she knew the limits of how far to push. If she challenged segregation, she would have been lynched. She worked within the system." Mary McLeod Bethune in 1905 with students of the school she founded the previous year. The Daytona Literary and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls would later merge with Cookman Institute for Boys to create the institution that today is known as Bethune-Cookman University. 'Way ahead of her time' Abel Bartley, a professor of African American history at Clemson University, said Bethune was one of the rare female Black civil rights activists of the 20th century. "She embodied the hopes and the wishes Blacks had for that period," said Bartley, a native of Jacksonville. "She knew how to articulate that in ways that did not offend the white South." He said she was "way ahead of her time" and had an incredible level of courage. She pushed the limits of what a Black woman of her generation could accomplish and was successful perhaps because people underestimated her and didn't push back, Bartley said. Operation Breadbasket: How a 1966 economic boycott plan became Jesse Jackson's signature program Black, deaf and proud: Gallaudet University embraces commitment to diversity with student center War protests, Black Panther Party: Yale alums reflect on Black student movement of 1970s She also understood the minds of elite white people, he said. Over and over, she was able to persuade wealthy white people to help in her efforts. One of Bethune's biggest legacies, Bartley said, is the tens of thousands of students who attended the schools she started for young girls, high-schoolers and college students. Those pupils have gone on to become ministers, attorneys, nurses, teachers, government officials and law enforcement officers. Mary McLeod Bethune, second left, poses with J.N. Crooms, left, Evangeline Moore, and George Engram, right, at Bethune-Volusia Beach in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, in an undated historical photo. Bethune-Volusia Beach was one of the few beaches open to and owned by Black people before integration. George Engram, who became the most hands-on investor, built the Welricha Motel and a bar and restaurant called the Beach Casino. The beach was named after Mary McLeod Bethune. Lasting legacies "Mary McLeod Bethune is my shero," said Sheila Flemming-Hunter, an adjunct history professor at Clark Atlanta University who wrote a book on Bethune-Cookman College. "She was a Renaissance woman." Bethune did everything from selling life insurance to Black people in the 1930s and 1940s to establishing a hospital in Daytona Beach's historically Black Midtown neighborhood that operated until the late 1950s. She said Bethune left educational, economic, political, religious and spiritual legacies. The force of all that is still being felt today in the institutions Bethune founded and worked with, said Flemming-Hunter, an early 1970s graduate of Bethune-Cookman College, which is now a university. The National Council of Negro Women, for example, still exists and encourages Black women's political participation, she said. Bethune-Cookman University has become a major employer in Daytona Beach, creating an economic impact on the city for decades, said Flemming-Hunter, who has been a professor and held high-level administrative positions at Bethune-Cookman University, the University of Texas, the University of Maryland and Clark Atlanta University. Master sculptor Nilda Comas and members of the Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Statuary Fund applaud on Oct. 11, 2021, following the unveiling of the statue of Bethune in Daytona Beach, Florida, at the News-Journal Center. The statue will be installed in the U.S. Capitol in 2022. 'Can't get enough of Bethune's story' Bethune improved racial tolerance in Daytona Beach during an era when there was very little throughout the South, said Mayor Derrick Henry. "Mary McLeod Bethune has an unrivaled place in our history," Henry said. "She is on Daytona Beach's Mount Rushmore." There is no large rock formation anywhere with Bethune's face on it to celebrate the trailblazer, who died in 1955. But there are two new statues of Bethune created in an artists' studio in Italy. If all goes as hoped, a bronze sculpture of Bethune will be permanently placed in Daytona Beach's Riverfront Park in May or June, and a marble sculpture honoring Bethune will move into National Statuary Hall inside the U.S. Capitol in Washington in May. After the statues were completed last year, the marble statue was shipped to Daytona Beach, where more than 10,000 people were able to see it during a temporary display inside the News-Journal Center. A group of Daytona Beach leaders shepherded the years-long effort to get the two sculptures created and placed. The marble statue will be the first in Statuary Hall's state collection to honor an African American, male or female. Henry said people "can't get enough of Bethune's story" because it "resonates with who we are and who we aspire to be." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mary McLeod Bethune championed civil rights, educational opportunity A preliminary report on the crash near Philadelphia of a medevac flight that took off from Hagerstown Regional Airport shows the helicopter at one point rolled over and pinned the occupants to the ceiling, but they were able to strap back into their seats before impact. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the Jan. 11 crash of Life Net 81 operated by the Colorado-based private air medical service Air Methods. A final report on the cause is expected within 12 to 24 months, according to NTSB spokeswoman Jennifer Gabris. A medical helicopter rests next to the Drexel Hill United Methodist Church after it crashed in the Drexel Hill section of Upper Darby Township in Delaware County, Pa., on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022. Life Net 81, a Eurocopter EC135, departed from Hagerstown at 10:29 a.m. that day and landed in Chambersburg, Pa., about 8 minutes later to pick up a 2-month-old baby at Chambersburg Hospital and take her to a facility in Philadelphia. The helicopter took off at 12:05 p.m. and began having problems over U.S. 1 in Delaware County about 45 minutes later, authorities said. The preliminary report on the NTSB probe states that a flight medic told a Federal Aviation Administration safety inspector that the flight was routine and they were about 10 minutes from their destination when a loud bang was heard and the helicopter banked sharply right and continued into a right roll. "The medic said that the helicopter rolled inverted, perhaps multiple times, and that he and the nurse were 'pinned to the ceiling' and internal communication was lost," the report states. "The helicopter was leveled, the patient was secured, the crewmembers secured themselves in their seats, and they braced for landing." More: Pilot of Hagerstown-based helicopter that crashed heralded for 'miracle' landing Earlier: NTSB to release early findings on crash of medevac that flew out of Hagerstown The pilot searched for a place to land, gliding lower and lower overhead for about a mile before the aircraft "slammed violently" into the street at Bloomfield Avenue and Burmont Road, then skidded into the side of Drexel Hill United Methodist Church, Tim Boyce, director of Delaware County's Department of Emergency Services, told the Associated Press at the time. Story continues The baby was taken to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia by ambulance. The pilot, who was seriously hurt, was transported to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. The nurse and medic did not require medical attention. The identities of those involved have not been released. No bystanders were injured, nor did the church receive any structural damage. Witnesses and first responders called the crash landing a miracle and praised the pilot for avoiding all surrounding structures, utility poles and wires, the AP reported. This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Medevac helicopter that departed Hagerstown rolled before Pa. crash Republican Senate candidate and businessman Bernie Moreno speaks at the annual Ohio Republican pancake breakfast hosted by NEHCRC at the Sharonville Convention Center on Saturday, October 16, 2021 in Sharonville, Ohio. Luxury car dealer and blockchain executive Bernie Moreno dropped out of Ohio's crowded U.S. Senate race Thursday after he met with former President Donald Trump to discuss the state of play in the Buckeye State. Moreno was among the leading GOP candidates angling to replace Sen. Rob Portman and had invested millions of dollars in his campaign. The meeting with Trump underscores the influence he has over the race as Republicans clamor for his endorsement in the May primary. I asked for a private meeting with President Trump this afternoon to discuss the state of the Ohio Senate race," Moreno said in a statement Thursday. "I am a businessman, not a politician. Business leaders recognize patterns before they happen. After talking to President Trump we both agreed this race has too many Trump candidates and could cost the MAGA movement a conservative seat." Moreno is the first to drop out of the GOP primary, and his departure came one day after he filed candidate paperwork with the secretary of state's office. Also running for the nomination are former state treasurer Josh Mandel, former Ohio GOP chair Jane Timken, "Hillbilly Elegy" author J.D. Vance, state Sen. Matt Dolan and investment banker Mike Gibbons. Moreno, like several others in the race, used his personal wealth to boost his bid. He loaned his campaign $3.75 million last year and kicked off a $4 million TV ad spree in December, but his contributions began to decrease after starting strong over the summer. Internal polls released by multiple campaigns in recent months show Mandel at the top of the heap, but they also indicate many voters are still undecided about their preferred candidate. Trump's endorsement would help set the candidates apart, although it's unclear if or when he'll wade into the race. Trump commended Moreno's decision to exit the race in a statement: "He has done much for Ohio and loves his State and our great MAGA Movement. His decision will help ensure the MAGA Ticket wins BIG, as it is all over the Country." Story continues Moreno said he plans to return to the private sector and will support whomever Trump backs. "To whomever wins the Senate race, I hope and pray they take the actions needed to stop illegal immigration, bring our manufacturing base back to America, and shrink the size and scale of the Federal Government," he said. "Its not too much for Americans to expect their government work for them." Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Senate race: Bernie Moreno drops out after Trump meeting Michael Avenatti Spencer Platt/Getty Images Michael Avenatti has again been found guilty in a criminal trial, this time for stealing from his former client, Stormy Daniels. Avenatti, the attorney who rose to fame after representing Daniels in a lawsuit against then-President Donald Trump, was convicted of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft on Friday after allegedly defrauding Daniels out of almost $300,000 from a book deal, CNN reports. Prosecutors said Avenatti directed payments meant to go to Daniels to an account he controlled, sending a letter to her literary agency that included her falsified signature, according to The New York Times. Daniels testified during the trial that Avenatti "stole from me and lied to me," and prosecutor Robert Sobelman said Daniels "thought he was her advocate, but he betrayed her and he told lies to try to cover it all up." Avenatti represented himself during the trial, arguing prosecutors did not prove that he "possessed fraudulent intent and lacked good faith." At one bizarre point during the proceedings, he tried to call Daniels' credibility into question by asking her about her paranormal beliefs and claims that she can speak with the dead. The verdict came shortly after it was reported that the jury said it needed assistance because one juror was "refusing to look at evidence" and was "acting on a feeling." Avenatti was previously found guilty in 2020 on charges including attempted extortion and honest-services fraud in connection with a plot to extort Nike. He was sentenced to 30 months in prison and tearfully told a judge, "I and I alone have destroyed my career, my relationships, my life." On Friday, Avenatti told CNN he was "very disappointed in the jury's verdict" and planned to appeal. According to The Washington Post, he faces up to 22 years in prison. You may also like South Texas butterfly sanctuary closes indefinitely due to QAnon conspiracies, escalating threats The fantasy of a Trump-slaying Republican Ottawa police say there's a 'significant' U.S. presence at Canadian anti-mandate protest Northwest China's Gansu province is seeing a new energy development boom as the country seeks to reduce carbon emissions and improve the energy mix. By 2021, the installed power generation capacity of new energy projects in Gansu had reached 27.63 GW, accounting for 48% of the total installed power generation capacity in the province, according to the State Grid Gansu Electric Power Company. Last year, the electricity generated by new energy projects exceeded the 40 billion kWh mark for the first time to reach 44.6 billion kWh, the company said. By 2021, the utilization rate of new energy power generating capacity in Gansu had reached a record high of 96.83% after local authorities further encouraged local consumption and transmitted more energy to the country's eastern and central regions. The province, rich in wind and solar energy, will step up new energy development in the coming years. The installed power generation capacity of new energy projects in the province is expected to exceed 80 GW in 2025, with non-fossil energy accounting for nearly 30% of primary energy consumption, the company said. "New energy development is key to achieving carbon peak and neutrality targets and nurturing new pillar industry in Gansu province," said Xue Zhaojun, an official with the research office of the Gansu provincial government. The case of a missing Haitian construction worker was strange enough to begin with, but now its become downright bizarre. A month after police arrested a couple and charged them with the kidnapping and torture of a man who eventually escaped, they say they now believe that Gerson Monfort a construction worker missing and not seen since New Years Eve suffered a similar fate. But the couple have not been charged with the crime, and there is still no sign of Monfort. There are no new charges, said Miami Police spokeswoman Kiara Delva. The only update is that they are now identifying him as a victim. The couple said they released him and he was unharmed. But detectives have yet to make contact with the victim. It was just last week when friends of Monfort, 43, identified him as the missing person that Miami police say they had been seeking since the early January arrests of Marie and Occius Dorsainvil. Police didnt say at the time what the connection might have been. Police released Monforts picture on Jan. 11 without identifying him and asked for the publics help a week after the Dorsainvils were arrested. Delva said Friday that investigators found a picture or pictures of Monfort on Occius Dorsainvils cellphone, but couldnt identify him. She said the couple claim they released him unharmed. Last week Monforts friends came forward and said the last time they had heard from him was on WhatsApp just after 6 p.m. on New Years Eve. One friend even said he went to police on Jan. 4 to say his friend was missing after he failed to show up at a weekly dominoes game, didnt show up for work and wasnt answering texts. But the friend couldnt say what police agency he spoke with. Its also still not clear how, or if, Monfort knew the Dorsainvils, or how they even came upon each other if they did. Marie Paul, who said she lives with Monfort but hasnt heard from him since New Years, said she doesnt recognize the clothes he is wearing in the police photo. Story continues Maybe they put those clothes on him when they kidnapped him, she said. Miami-Dade County records show that Monfort was married in December 2017. The woman listed as his wife couldnt be reached. Marie Dorsainvil, 52, and Occius Dorsainvil, 56, have been jailed without bond since Jan. 6, charged with armed robbery, attempted murder and the Dec. 28 kidnapping of a still unidentified man, who somehow managed to escape. The crazy scheme, according to police, began when Marie Dorsainvil met the man, asked him for a ride home, then invited him into the couples home in the 700 block of Northwest 69th Street. Inside and waiting for him, the man told police, was Occius Dorsainvil, with a gun. For the next three days the man said he was alternately tied up with cord and chains and forced to crawl to the bathroom. He also told police that he was forced to say he was sleeping with Marie Dorsainvil as blackmail at gunpoint, and that they told him if he didnt fork over $50,000 or the title to his car, he would be killed. Finally, after three days, the man said Occius Dorsainvil took him back to his car and forced him to drink a concoction of bleach and Haitian rum. The man told police he passed out, and when he awoke he flagged down a passerby to call police. When they got there, the man was throwing up. It didnt take long for police to find the Dorsainvils. Emmy Award-winning actress Thandiwe Newton is facing backlash after she broke down while discussing the topic of colorism in Hollywood and dealing with how her fair-toned skin color has brought her both privilege and prejudice. During the conversation, The Westworld star apologized to darker-skinned actresses for taking their roles, their men, but her admission garnered mixed reactions. Newton is currently out promoting her new film Gods Country, in which she plays a 40-something-year-old grieving professor who confronts two white hunters trespassing on her property. The movie is based on James Lee Burkes short story Winter Light, in which the storys protagonist is an older, weathered white man instead of a Black woman. NEW YORK, NEW YORK NOVEMBER 29: Thandiwe Newton attends the 2021 Gotham Awards Presented By The Gotham Film & Media Institute on November 29, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Gotham Film & Media Institute) During an interview with Sky News, the English and Zimbabwean actress admitted that she almost didnt take the job because she didnt believe she was dark-skinned enough. However, she shared that taking on the part helped her overcome many of her own prejudices before apologizing to darker actresses for being the one chosen. I now realize that my internalized prejudice was stopping me from feeling like I could play this role when its precisely that prejudice that Ive received. It doesnt matter that its from African-American women more than anyone else, she said. I received prejudice. Anyone whos received oppression and prejudice feels this character. Newton also acknowledged how darker women might perceive her opportunities and tearfully revealed, Ive wanted so desperately to apologize every day to darker-skinned actresses. To say, Im sorry that Im the one chosen. My Mama looks like you. She added, Its been very painful to have women who look like my mom feel like Im not representing them. That Im taking from them. Taking their men, taking their work, taking their truth. However, Newtons comments garnered mixed reactions from critics who took to their social media platforms almost immediately, slamming the actress for her remark, including one Twitter user who stated, Thandiwe Newton saying taking their men when shes been married to a white man since 1998 is SENDING me. Story continues Thandiwe Newton saying taking their men when shes been married to a white man since 1998 is SENDING me The Bad One (@BadvocateAgain) February 3, 2022 Thing is we know about racism & colourism in TV/Hollywood, we know why lightskinned/mixed women get cast more, noted another person. No one actually blamed Thandiwe Newton personally nor expected her to take responsibility. So my question is why. Like it was so unnecessary and achieved nothing. Thing is we know about racism & colourism in TV/Hollywood, we know why lightskinned/mixed women get cast more. No one actually blamed Thandiwe Newton personally nor expected her to take responsibility. So my question is why like it was so unnecessary and achieved nothing keir starmer is a tory sleeper agent (@afuntybaby) February 3, 2022 Still, many people defended the actress, including one person who wrote, Stop judging Thandi. She didnt ask to be bi-racial, nor for the privileges that came with that disposition. The fact that the penny finally dropped for her is something to be celebrated, not mocked. We all learn at different times and paces. Stop judging Thandi. She didn't ask to be bi-racial, nor for the privileges that came with that disposition. The fact that the penny finally dropped for her is something to be celebrated, not mocked. We all learn at different times and paces. Connie.. (@ConsceliaM) February 4, 2022 Elsewhere, Newton noted that the woman in Gods Country was named Sandra after Sandra Bland the 28-year-old Black woman found dead in a Texas jail cell days after her arrest for a minor traffic violation in 2015 which further motivated her to take on the role. For a good five (years), Ive been supporting Kimberly Crenshaws work with the African American Policy Forum and movement Say Her Name, which she coined, Newton said. And in this movie, right from the get-go, we are saying her name. I dont mean just about Sandra Bland. Im talking about all the Sandra Blands. Now and in the past. More Stories from Our Partners: Let Us Be a Part of History: T-Pain Had This to Say About Celebrating Black History Month, and Fans Agree Black-Owned La Fete Wine Company Adds NBA Star Chris Paul as Equity Stakeholder DeMeco Is Going To Be A Head Coach. Hes Too Good Not To Be | DeMeco Ryans Turns Down Second Interview With Vikings, Is It Because Of Flores Lawsuit? ATLANTA More than 100 potential witnesses have been identified by local prosecutors leading an investigation into election interference by former President Donald Trump, indicating that the inquiry has grown substantially since it was publicly disclosed nearly a year ago. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, in a wide-ranging interview with USA TODAY, said a "significant" number of those witnesses require subpoenas to compel their appearances, prompting her to seek a special grand jury to assist in the investigation. "There is a significant enough number of people, who when we're calling ... politely to say we'd like an opportunity to sit down and talk to you about matters related to this (investigation), refrained from wanting to do that. And some even specifically requested subpoenas," she said. Local judges granted the grand jury request last month, indicating that the panel would be seated by May, for a term of one year. Fani Willis: Citing Trump's rhetoric, Atlanta-area DA seeks FBI assistance with security amid probe Willis declined to identify any of the witnesses, including whether they would include former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows or other members of the former president's administration, saying only that the number is "well in excess of 100." The district attorney said that she met in December with attorneys representing the former president who sought information on the status of the inquiry. Willis described the meeting as "very cordial" but brief and that the discussions did not address details of the investigation or the prospect of Trump's cooperation. She said that she told the lawyers that they "could rely on" a decision on possible charges by the end of this year. "That's my full expectation," Willis said, referring to a tentative timetable. "Obviously, I now have a grand jury that carries over to April 30 (2023), but I still believe that...even though you have that time, I don't necessarily think we'll need it." Story continues Although the investigation was launched nearly a year ago, Willis said she has made no preliminary judgments. "I am not privy to ... enough information to even say whether charges will or will not be brought," she said. "You don't go into investigations like that, with the end in mind; you go in seeking information that leads you to the truth ... I can foresee any of the possibilities, but my mind is completely open." Last year, Willis disclosed that local prosecutors had launched a wide-ranging investigation of possible election fraud, false statements, conspiracy, oath of office violations, racketeering and violence associated with threats to the election process. A major focus of the inquiry has been Trump's Jan. 2, 2021, telephone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in which the former president urged the state official to tilt the 2020 statewide vote in his favor. "So look, all I want to do is this: I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. Because we won the state," Trump told Raffensperger, according to audio of that call. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger resisted pressure from Donald Trump, telling the president his claims of election fraud were false. Separately, Trump also urged a Georgia election investigator in a phone call in December to "find the fraud." Willis also is examining a November 2021 call in which Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a prominent Trump ally, allegedly asked Raffensperger whether he had the authority to disqualify mail-in ballots from certain areas of the state. Graham has denied making such a request. On Thursday, Willis indicated that local prosecutors would also be examining the submission of an alternate slate of electors by Republicans in Georgia, one of seven states in which officials allegedly sought to reverse Trump's defeat. Last week, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco told CNN the agency was weighing whether to press criminal charges over fake Electoral College certifications in the 2020 election. Our prosecutors are looking at those and I cant say anything more about ongoing investigations,"Monaco told CNN. Fake electors: Feds looking at fake 2020 elector certificates for potential criminal charges, DOJ official says In Atlanta, Willis said the state investigation is "looking at the total scope" of possible wrongdoing, adding that a review of the alternate Georgia electors "absolutely would not be out of the question." Willis' investigation is playing out against a backdrop of deep political division across the the state and country, where hundreds of threats have targeted elected officials and election workers, fueled in part by the extreme rhetoric of the former president. Willis cited Trump's "alarming" recent claims about the Fulton County investigation and others that continue to shadow him, requesting that the FBI assess the security of the local government complex as authorities prepare to empanel the special grand jury. "I am asking that you immediately conduct a risk assessment of the Fulton County Courthouse and Government Center, and that you provide protective resources to include intelligence and federal agents," Willis said in a letter to Atlanta FBI chief J.C. Hacker. More: Atlanta DA granted request for grand jury to probe Trump alleged 2020 election interference Willis said her request was prompted by Trump's Saturday appearance in Conroe, Texas, where he referred to "radical, vicious, racist prosecutors" and called on his supporters to stage the "biggest protests we have ever had in Washington, D.C., in New York, in Atlanta and elsewhere because our country and our elections are corrupt. Former President Donald Trump arrives during the "Save America" rally at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022 in Conroe, Texas. Trump's visit was his first Texas MAGA rally since 2019. While Willis is leading an investigation into Trump's interference in Georgia, authorities in New York are conducting a sweeping investigation into the operations of Trump's family business and a special House committee in Washington is reviewing Trump's role in the deadly Capitol attack on Jan. 6 of last year. More: Revelations in New York court underscore Trump's legal peril on multiple fronts "We must work together to keep the public safe and ensure that we do not have a tragedy in Atlanta similar to what happened at the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021," Willis wrote. Willis said Trump's rhetoric was especially "alarming" since he suggested at the same event that if he won reelection, he would consider pardoning those convicted in the Capitol attacks. If I run and if I win, we will treat those people from Jan. 6 fairly," Trump told supporters at the Texas rally. "We will treat them fairly. And if it requires pardons, we will give them pardons because they are being treated so unfairly. Members of the Oath Keepers on the East Front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. The District of Columbia has filed a civil lawsuit seeking harsh financial penalties against far-right groups Proud Boys and Oath Keepers over their role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump. The FBI has acknowledged receiving Willis' letter, but declined to comment on the substance of the request. The district attorney said Thursday that within 48 hours of the Sunday request, her staff was meeting with federal authorities to discuss the security concerns. The FBI doesn't generally conduct the kind of security assessment sought by the district attorney. Yet Willis' request underscores concerns raised by the Justice Department related to potential threats against elected officials. Earlier this month, federal authorities charged a Texas man with threatening state officials in Georgia in the aftermath the 2020 election, including his call to "exterminate" authorities who he labeled "lawless traitors." The case against Chad Stark, 54, marked the first enforcement action brought by the Justice Departments Election Threats Task Force, launched by Attorney General Merrick Garland and Monaco last summer. Willis said she has "an obligation" to safeguard her employees and those who work in and around the Fulton County office complex. More: Georgia prosecutors investigate election fraud, conspiracy after Trump's pressure campaign as part of 'high-priority' criminal probe "My staff and I have already made adjustments to accommodate security concerns during the course of this investigation, considering the communications we have received from persons unhappy with our commitment to fulfill our duties," the district attorney wrote in her letter to the FBI. "We are also working with Fulton County officials about the need for additional security measures as the investigation progresses." Those security measures also include her personal protection. In recent months, leaders of her county security detail requested additional personnel, given a wave of disturbing communications. In the 48-hour period following Trump's weekend remarks, Willis said her office was inundated with 270 calls. Some of the calls, Willis said, offered support, "but there was a significant enough number that we have to bring them to the attention of my security team." "They're drunk, they're irrational," she said. "They're saying very, very ugly things. Some of it is just racial slurs. Too many of them are racial slurs to even count or care about. "I signed up to do this job and to do a very good job, and to work very hard," Willis said. "I did not sign up to die, though." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Atlanta DA Willis: More than 100 potential witnesses in Trump inquiry MUNCIE, Ind. Two Muncie men and a former local resident are among 39 people indicted after a two-year investigation of what the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation called a "violent drug trafficking organization." The investigation began in March 2020 and focused on drug trafficking in the Knoxville area in eastern Tennessee. Those indicted included Juan Carlos Brown, 34, of Muncie, who was charged with: Conspiracy to possess with intent to sell, deliver or manufacture 300 grams or more of meth. Conspiracy to possess with intent to sell, deliver or manufacture 150 grams or more of heroin. Conspiracy to possess with intent to sell, deliver or manufacture 150 grams or more of fentanyl. Conspiracy to possess with intent to sell, deliver or manufacture 300 grams or more of cocaine. Possession of more than 26 grams of meth within 500 feet of a "Drug-Free Zone." Possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony. Unlawful possession of a weapon. Also indicted was Muncie resident Chase Hamilton-Roberts Foster, 39, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to sell, deliver or manufacture 300 grams or more of meth and 300 grams or more of cocaine. Former Muncie resident Rashid Shahid Ross, 41, was indicted on a count of conspiracy to possess with intent to sell, deliver or manufacture 300 grams or more of cocaine. EARLIER COVERAGE: Muncie man with drug record faces dealing charge in Tennessee Brown and Foster were being held Friday in the Knox County jail in Knoxville about 350 miles southeast of Muncie under $250,000 bonds. Ross, more recently of Indianapolis, was arrested on Jan. 26, and continued to be held Friday in the Delaware County jail. The Muncie-Delaware County Drug Task Force assisted in the Tennessee investigation and apprehended Foster and Ross. Brown was arrested in Tennessee. In a Thursday news release, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation credited the local task force, along with law enforcement agencies in Tennessee and Georgia, for their participation in the probe. Story continues The indictments, by a Knox County grand jury on Dec. 15, as of Wednesday had resulted in 28 arrests. "This operation is a perfect example of what can be accomplished when agencies work together," David Rausch, TBI director, said in the release. "These dangerous drugs and the violence fueled by those dealing them is having a devastating impact on Knoxville and other areas in East Tennessee." Brown's record in Delaware County includes convictions for dealing in a narcotic drug and dealing in a controlled substance. Foster has also been convicted in Delaware County of dealing in a controlled substance. Ross' record includes convictions for dealing in heroin and meth, and he faces allegations of probation violations in a local case. 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: Tennessee drug investigation leads to Muncie men's indictments Conyale Ingram MUNCIE, Ind. A Muncie woman convicted of robbery for a fourth time was sentenced this week to 19 years in prison. Conyale Denise Ingram, 37 had pleaded guilty in October to robbery resulting in bodily injury, a Level 3 felony carrying up to 16 years in prison, Ingram also admitted to being a habitual offender. Delaware Circuit Court 2 Judge Kimberly Dowling this week sentenced Ingram to nine years in prison for the robbery conviction, and added 10 years for the habitual offender penalty. Ingram had been accused, in October 2019, of robbing a Muncie food delivery driver at knifepoint after he had refused to accept a check from her mother. MORE NEWS: Muncie men indicted in Tennessee drug investigation Retired Muncie police officer: 'It was a bribe' Men charged in Blackford County heroin probe Ingram also listed in court records at an Indianapolis address received credit for 602 days already spent in jail. Under the terms of a plea agreement, 14 other charges pending against Ingram in three unrelated cases four counts of theft, three counts of counterfeiting, two counts each of attempted escape and resisting law enforcement, and single counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, driving while suspended and kidnapping were dismissed. The Muncie woman had been convicted of armed robbery in 2014 and twice in 2006.. 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: Fourth robbery conviction leads to 19-year term for Muncie woman The U.S. Supreme Courts decision last month to let stand its ruling on the Muscogee (Creek) reservation provides a new opportunity for Native American tribes and the state of Oklahoma to reach agreements on criminal and civil issues, top attorneys for the Cherokee and Chickasaw Nations said Thursday. Speaking to reporters, Cherokee Nation Attorney General Sara Hill said some elected officials had sought to undermine efforts necessary to establish cooperation among state, federal and tribal authorities on reservations. But, she said, Im hopeful, now that the issue on the reservation is settled, that we can move into more robust discussions about what tribal-state agreements could look like. Hill said those discussions need to be among leaders at the highest political level and take place with an eye toward the future rather than fighting over the past. Cherokee Nation Attorney General Sara Hill Stephen Greetham, senior attorney for the Chickasaw Nation, said fear-mongering about the impact McGirt v Oklahoma would have on state revenue has been refuted by record amounts of tax collections. We work best when we work together, Greetham said. And we work best together when both sides respect each other. So thats what Im going to count on. Hill and Greetham hailed the Supreme Courts decision late last month to reject efforts by Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and Oklahoma Attorney General John OConnor to overturn the 2020 ruling in McGirt, which has led to the affirmation of six Indian reservations in Oklahoma and reshaped criminal jurisdiction in about half the state. Greetham called it an enormous relief after tribes worked for the past year against the state, which filed about 50 petitions with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking the reversal of McGirt. Greetham said there was no ambiguity left. The law is the law. And we need to move forward. The Supreme Court, while rejecting the states request to overturn McGirt, did agree to review another question posed by the state whether Oklahoma prosecutors share jurisdiction with federal prosecutors in cases where a non-Indian is accused of a crime against a Native American in Indian country. Story continues Though Stitt has claimed victory that the court agreed to hear that question, Greetham noted that the state must now go from claiming that the reservations dont exist to arguing about the states authority on reservations. Under federal law, crimes involving Native Americans in Indian country must be prosecuted in federal or tribal courts. Except in certain circumstances under the Violence Against Women Act, tribes dont have the authority to prosecute non-Indians in their courts, so federal prosecutors handle the bulk of those cases Greetham said the tribes, even though their own jurisdiction is not at issue, are concerned about how the matter plays out. Oklahoma cant claim jurisdiction that hasnt been specifically granted by Congress, Greetham said, and Congress hasnt given Oklahoma jurisdiction in cases involving Native Americans on reservations. The court is expected to hear oral arguments in the case in April. A decision is expected by this summer. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: With McGirt ruling settled, tribes hope for robust talks with Oklahoma ARLINGTON, Va. Among the top risks to the critical Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine program is fragility in key parts of the industrial base. Additive manufacturing, better known as 3D printing, could fix that. The U.S. Navy plans to pair suppliers who cannot keep up with demand with additive manufacturing companies who can print parts around the clock to boost the supply, a service program official said Jan. 31. This effort would be aimed at the most fragile parts of the submarine-industrial base: companies that do castings, forgings and fittings, in particular. Matt Sermon, executive director of Program Executive Office Strategic Submarines, said this would help these companies some of them the sole sources of components to the Navy by removing pressure to increase production rates as theyre struggling to keep up with the current workload. The industrial base today builds two Virginia-class attack submarines a year, is working through construction of a single Columbia-class sub and helps maintain in-service subs. But fabrication has already begun on the first Block V Virginia-class sub with a mid-body Virginia Payload Module that increases the construction workload by about 25%. The Navy will buy its second Columbia-class submarine in 2024 and start one-per-year production in 2026, translating to a spike in work for the prime shipyards and their supply base. The Navy has started referring to this time of consistently buying one ballistic missile submarine and two general-purpose submarines every single year as the 1-plus-2 years. If the demand for parts cant be reduced, then lets go additively manufacture the components in that space, such that by the time we get to the 1-plus-2 years, we will have reduced demand signal in castings, forgings and fittings, Sermon said in his remarks at an American Society of Naval Engineers event. Today, the Navy certifies individual parts to go on submarines. That part-by-part qualification wont work going forward, Sermon said, advocating for the Navy to instead qualify materials and processes used for additive manufacturing rather than the parts that result from it. Story continues But the Navy has struggled to do this. For aviation programs, additive manufacturing advocates sought permission to print noncritical parts but the Navy wouldnt allow it. The aircraft carrier John C. Stennis hosted the first-ever advanced manufacturing lab onboard, but used the laser scanning and additive manufacturing tools to print parts for the ships in the strike group, not the aircraft. Putting printed parts on a submarine is as risky a proposition as putting them on aircraft, with both communities having strict standards to keep sailors safe in the air and under the ocean. But Sermon said the engineering community is now onboard. The technical warrant holders are part of ongoing discussions, and Naval Sea Systems Commands engineering and logistics directorate has accompanied the program office on site visits to companies that demonstrate additive manufacturing best practices. Additive manufacturing gives you a better material, a better steel, than [working with raw materials], he said. It is complicated, and microstructures are complicated and do change some fundamental concerns of ours. We will have to change how we do nondestructive testing in many cases not because its bad, but because its different, and we have to understand that. The Los Angeles-class attack submarine City of Corpus Christi maneuvers into position to moor alongside the submarine tender Emory S. Land to complete repair maintenance actions on Sept. 24, 2015. (MCSN Zachary Kreitzer/U.S. Navy) The effort to put printed parts on submarines began in November, and Sermon said the Navy will install the first parts on an in-service submarine this calendar year. He told Defense News after his remarks that the program office has a ranked list of six to 10 components theyd like to print, based on a list of trouble components consistently unavailable at the public shipyards when theyre needed for a submarine maintenance availability. The vendors who make the parts wont be cut out of the process. Rather, theyll help with the engineering and have the option to do the printing if they have the capability though Sermon said most of the companies involved dont. If the original manufacturer cant do the additive manufacturing itself, the Navy will pair it with a small business that can. Sermon noted during the panel the multiple benefits of embracing additive manufacturing. First, it addresses capacity issues during the 1-plus-2 years, when a lack of parts could jeopardize construction and repair timelines. In the longer run, however, he said that working through the processes and the certification of printed parts will enable the Navy and industry to design the next-generation submarine, dubbed SSN(X), with additive manufacturing in mind potentially reducing the programs cost or generating a better or more survivable part. Three members of the National Socialist Movement, including Kissimmee-based leader Burt Colucci, were arrested after a scuffle during a demonstration at Waterford Lakes last weekend made national headlines, the Orange County Sheriffs Office announced Friday afternoon. Colucci and Joshua Terrell of Indiana were charged with battery evidencing prejudice under Floridas hate crime statute after video and witnesses showed the two attacking a Jewish man who confronted them as they shouted anti-Semitic slurs by Alafaya Trail. A third man, Jason Brown of Cape Canaveral, was arrested for grand theft. A Sheriffs Office spokesperson said viral video of the hateful rallygoers and evidence that was not immediately available on the date of the incident led to the arrests. The battery charges, normally first-degree misdemeanors, are being upgraded to third-degree felonies under Floridas hate crime law. This is a developing story. Check back later for updates. creyes-rios@orlandosentinel.com Trans Netflix employee Oliver Whitney is leaving the streaming service. (Dan Goodman / Associated Press) The editorial and publishing manager in Netflix's film department has left the streaming service over "what happened last fall" with comedian Dave Chappelle's recent stand-up special on the platform. "im no longer at Netflix," former manager Oliver Whitney tweeted Friday. "too complex to sum up in a tweet, but after what happened last fall, i decided this week that as a trans person i couldnt continue working there." ill be back on the freelance grind soon and avail for work in social marketing, brand/social strategy, ent journalism, film criticism, or really any intersection of film x editorial x social. feel free to DM any leads! oliver whitney (@cinemabite) February 4, 2022 Whitney will "be back on the freelance grind soon" and available to work in jobs that intersect with film, editorial and social content. Whitney did not immediately respond to The Times' request for comment Friday. A Netflix spokesperson confirmed Whitney's exit from the company but declined to comment further. Upon release last October, Chappelle's explosive Netflix special The Closer was widely criticized for the comedian's transphobic comments and support for author J.K. Rowling. Later that month, Netflix fired an employee for allegedly leaking financial data that detailed how much the company paid for "The Closer." That employee, program manager B. Pagels-Minor, was one of the key organizers in the employee protest and walkout that drew international attention. Pagels-Minor and senior software engineer Terra Field were leaders in the Netflix employee group Trans*, which had criticized the special. The two also filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board that alleged the streamer tried to stop them from speaking up about working conditions. They later withdrew the labor complaint and Fields resigned. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Coups detat come in different flavors. Theres the classic vanilla, where the president is assassinated and the military takes over as we saw recently in Haiti. But there are other ways to slice the pickle. You cheat. Bend the rules. Bribe the refs. So that even though your side should lose, you win. Everybody likes to win. And nobody likes to cheat. I should say nobody wants to cheat. Wed all prefer to win without dealing off the bottom of the deck. That way you preserve your money and your dignity, too. But if you can convince yourself that the ends justify the means that losing would be catastrophic to the higher good you just might do it. Insurrection at the US Capitol, Jan. 6, 2021. But cheating in a national election is no easy task. Each state or province has its own rules about when and how one can vote, how the votes are counted and who confirms the winner. We should all know by now that the U.S. is not a true democracy. If it were, the Republican Party would have won only one presidential election since 1988. Instead thanks to the Electoral College it has won three. But now, the GOPs chances of winning, even with the Electoral College, have diminished. Hear more Tennessee voices: Get the weekly opinion newsletter for insightful and thought-provoking columns. So what should the party do? One would hope what political parties have always done. Change the message. Energize the base. Enlarge the tent. But whats happening instead is this: In key battleground states still under GOP control such as Georgia and Texas, the party is removing the civil servants who confirm who has won and replacing them with party loyalists. I am not making this up. They are replacing the refs with their own players. That way if the other side wins, they can site some evidence of voter fraud theres always some small error in a statewide election and throw out the results. And because the ultimate power to select delegates to the Electoral College belongs to the state legislatures, they can simply send an alternative slate of delegates who will vote the party line. Story continues A posting on Twitter from the Arizona Republican Party on Dec. 14, 2020, showed the Republican electors meeting to cast their votes for Donald Trump, falsely claiming they were the state's true electors. I feel half-crazy even writing these words, but this is exactly what is going on right now. Not in Egypt or El Salvador. In America. Buzz Thomas The point of a coup is to overturn the lawful government and replace it with one of the insurrectionists choosing. President Donald Trumps supporters tried this the old-fashioned way on Jan. 6, 2021, and failed. Now theyre doing it a new way. A smarter and more sinister way. If youre like me, you may have thought that the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol was carried out by fringe elements and far-right extremists. It wasnt. We now know from the more than 700 people who have been charged and arrested that the vast majority of insurrectionists were mainstream Republicans. Many college-educated and white-collar workers. Many with their own businesses. The common denominator was a deeply held belief that the 2020 presidential election was stolen (a belief shared by the majority of registered Republicans despite a battalion of GOP judges ruling otherwise) and a willingness to use all means necessary to right that wrong. If youre willing to take up arms against your own government, its a baby step to cheat in order to win the next election. Your state. Your stories. Support more reporting like this. A subscription gives you unlimited access to stories across Tennessee that make a difference in your life and the lives of those around you. Click here to become a subscriber. Thats the state of our union in 2022 whatever President Joe Biden has to say about it to Congress in his State of the Union Address on March 1. And you can forget counting on good Christians like Gov. Bill Lee or U.S. Sens. Bill Hagerty and Marsha Blackburn to do anything about it. They seem devilishly delighted by the prospects of a game where their side cannot lose. Buzz Thomas is a retired minister and attorney, and the former interim superintendent of Knox County public schools. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: The next coup is being attempted, and it's more sinister than the last Holiday travel across China has increased since Wednesday, the third day of the week-long Spring Festival holiday season. Some 137 million domestic tourist trips were made across the country in the first three days of the holiday, data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed, generating 167 billion yuan ($26 billion) in tourism revenue. The number of tourist trips saw a 71.5% recovery to the pre-COVID-19 level in 2019, according to the ministry. Short-distance tourist trips, home visits and suburban trips accounted for the bulk of the travel rush. Ice and snow-themed travel has grown in popularity, as the holiday coincides with the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Additional trains were provided in many regions to meet the transport demand. Some carriages have been adorned with festive decorations to celebrate the Lunar New Year, and specials, such as intangible cultural heritage products, local specialties and fine handicrafts, are on offer on some services. Strict COVID-19 prevention and control measures are in place for the travel rush. Passengers are required to wear masks, present Health QR codes and undergo temperature checks before departures. Also, contactless services are accessible to create a healthy travel environment for passengers. RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) Jakia Brown-Turner scored 13 points and No. 3 North Carolina State bounced back from a loss this week to beat Florida State 68-48 on Thursday night. Raina Perez added 11 points and a season high-tying eight assists to help N.C. State (20-3, 11-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) rebound from a loss at No. 20 Notre Dame on Tuesday night. I was just reading the defense better today and my teammates were just knocking down shots, Perez said. I think in the Notre Dame game, we didnt really read the defense and we didnt really play inside-out. I think this game, we pushed the ball a little bit more. Elissa Cunane had 11 points and six rebounds, and Kai Crutchfield added 10 points for the Wolfpack. Cunanes points didnt come easy though, as Florida State (10-10, 4-6) focused early on denying entry passes to the All-American in the post. She finished with seven shot attempts, making five of them. When Cunane didnt get the ball, N.C. State utilized its 3-point weapons and shot 47.8% from deep. We were going to take away Cunane first and we did that, Florida State coach Sue Semrau said. Theyre so hard to guard because every one of them can shoot the 3. That spreads them out and you got to pick your poison. OMariah Gordon led Florida State with 12 points. Morgan Jones had nine points, three rebounds and three blocks. The Seminoles jumped out to an early five-point lead, but the Wolfpack ended the first quarter on a 20-3 run. Perez had six points and four assists during that stretch. N.C. State kept Florida State at bay for the rest of the game, never allowing the Seminoles to cut the deficit to less than five points in the final three quarters. The Wolfpack took their largest lead of the game at the 3:56 mark in the fourth quarter, starting the final period with an 8-2 run to pull ahead by 22 points. The win for N.C. State was the third game it played in the span of five days. Good effort on a quick turnaround, Wolfpack coach Wes Moore said. When we set the tone like that, I just think its contagious. Everybody feels more confident and comfortable. So, hopefully we continue to do that. Story continues BIG PICTURE N.C. State: N.C. States 3-point shooting improved massively from its loss to Notre Dame. The Wolfpack shot just 5 of 20 from behind the arc against the Irish. On Thursday, N.C. State made six 3s in the first quarter, and finished with 11 makes from deep, tied for its second-most in a game this season. Florida State: The last time Sue Semraus side didnt go to the NCAA Tournament was 2012. Florida State started the season ranked No. 16 in the AP Poll, but now have a .500 record and havent won two straight games since early December, leaving their postseason hopes in doubt. We continued to fight tonight, Semrau said. I feel like we made some great strides here against what I think is a Final Four team. STAT OF THE NIGHT N.C. State played some of its best defense against Florida State, holding the Seminoles to 33.3% shooting from the floor. The Seminoles connected on just 18 shots, the second-least amount theyve made in a game this season. It was the fourth time this season that N.C. State held an ACC opponent to less than 50 points. POLL IMPLICATIONS N.C. State is likely to fall from its No. 3 spot in the next AP Poll after its defeat at Notre Dame. Still, the Wolfpacks resume should be strong enough to stay in consideration for a high ranking. N.C. State has beaten five other Top 25 teams this season, and hasnt lost an ACC game at home in nearly two years. TIP-INS N.C. State sophomore Diamond Johnson played just 14 minutes and finished with zero points on three shot attempts. Mike Petersen, an advisor to the Atlanta Dream, attended the game. The Dream have the third overall pick in the WNBA draft. UP NEXT N.C. State: Hosts No. 12 Georgia Tech on Monday. Florida State: Hosts No. 20 Notre Dame on Sunday. The New York Police Department (NYPD) on Thursday formally recognized the service of former undercover detective Frank Serpico, who testified about corruption within the department over 50 years ago. Serpico, 85, received an official certificate and medal of honor in the mail, which he shared photos of in a tweet. Serpico thanked New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D), ACLU New York Legal Director Christopher Dunn, attorney Peter Gleason and New York Daily News reporter Larry McShane "for their efforts in facilitating my receipt of this long overdue honor awarded to me by the NYPD over 50 years ago." Then Mayor-elect Adams, a former NYPD officer, tweeted in December that he planned to recognize Serpico's work once he was inaugurated on Jan. 1, saying that Serpico's "bravery inspired [his] law enforcement career." Serpico previously received a medal for his work in 1972, though it was handed to him over a countertop without the certificate or any formal recognition, according to the New York Daily News. The former detective testified in Dec. 1971 to a panel investigating police corruption, shattering the "blue wall of silence," an informal code under which officers sometimes decline to testify against or report on their colleagues, The Associated Press reported. Serpico was shot in the face during a drug arrest in Brooklyn months before his testimony. He has claimed that the other police officers present never made a call for an "officer down," the AP reported. Serpico continued to be an outspoken advocate against police corruption throughout the years. In a 2020 editorial for The Hill, he wrote in support of protections for police whistleblowers. He was portrayed by Al Pacino in the 1973 movie "Serpico," about his testimony against the NYPD. Every year, approximately 6.5 million companion animals enter shelters nationwide, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Of those, about 3.3 million are dogs and 3.2 million are cats. Each week, The Arizona Republic highlights a handful of the many pets up for adoption at Valley shelters. To check the status of a specific animal, please contact the shelter directly. Oliver: Young at heart, and still a gentleman Interested adopters can view available pets, like Oliver, and schedule an appointment online at azhumane.org/adopt. At about half a pound over seven pounds, little Oliver is a small pup with a big personality. Surrendered to the Arizona Humane Society in mid-January after the other pets in the home were not getting along well with him, the 7-year-old Chihuahua is hoping that there is a family that loves senior pups. Oliver is an extremely friendly and loving baby once he is given some time to warm up to new people. Allowing of all handling and pets while in AHS care, this cute boy was a great patient while receiving medical treatment in AHS animal trauma hospital when he was found to be in need of a dental. With February being Pet Dental Health Awareness Month, Oliver is a great example of how important it is to keep our pets mouths as healthy as the rest of their body. Dental health for pets not only helps keep their teeth and gums safe but it is also imperative for their overall health, as bacteria in the plaque can cause damage to other organs. Full of energy, very playful and even gets the zoomies every now and then, Oliver definitely has a puppy state of mind. And although he may be young at heart, this peppy doggo has all the experience of an older gentleman including being potty trained and loving to be held. How to adopt: The Arizona Humane Societys Virtual Matchmaking Adoptions by appointment is available to place pets with their forever families. Interested adopters can view available pets, like perky-eared Oliver, and schedule an appointment online at azhumane.org/adopt. Kelsey Dickerson, Arizona Humane Society Story continues Toffee: If you are interested in meeting Toffee, please call Sun Cities 4 Paws Rescue, 623-876-8778 or 623-773-2246 after 9 a.m. Valentines Day is on the horizon, so its time to think about sweethearts. In the feline world, Toffee is at the top of the list. She's a 2 -year-old tabby who couldnt be more loving. Although she doesnt tolerate other cats, she dishes out plenty of affection on people. This is a kitty who will follow you around just to be close; she enjoys being picked up and held and certainly likes a good brushing. Toffee has never met a dog, so that is an unknown. When it comes to looks, anyone can see what a beautiful girl she is. How to adopt: Visit her at Sun Cities 4 Paws Rescue, 11129 Michigan Ave., Youngtown. Call 623-876-8778 after 10 a.m. Adoptions are Tuesdays-Saturdays, 10-3 p.m. Other locations for adoptions are the Surprise PetSmart, 13764 Bell Road, and Lake Pleasant Towne Center PetSmart, 25372 Lake Pleasant Parkway, Peoria. Beverly Bormann, Sun Cities 4 Paws Lolie: Ready to add some sweetness to your home Interested adopters can view available pets, like Lolie, and schedule an appointment online at azhumane.org/adopt. Lolie definitely offers a pop of sweetness anywhere she goes! The sugary-hearted 2-year-old domestic shorthair kitty was originally brought to the Arizona Humane Society in December of this year as an owner surrendered when they were no longer able to care for her. Once this beautiful girl was in AHS Second Chance Animal Trauma Hospital, it was found that Lolie was in need of a dental as some of her teeth were in bad shape. After recovering from having a few extractions, it is no wonder that she found an adopter rather quickly, but unfortunately has found her way back to AHS after her new family was allergic to her. Extremely loving, active and playful, Lolie is a huge fan of wand toys that she can chase while bonding with her favorite humans. Additionally, allowing your kitties to tap into their natural drive by allowing them to recreate and hone their hunting instincts through playtime. This helps your feline friends to become healthier and happier both physically and mentally. Naps and head scratches are also a great way into this gorgeous girls heart when playtime is over. How to adopt: The Arizona Humane Societys Virtual Matchmaking Adoptions by appointment is available to place pets with their forever families. Interested adopters can view available pets, like lovable Lolie, and schedule an appointment online at azhumane.org/adopt. Kelsey Dickerson, Arizona Humane Society Eva and Riley: A pair of besties If you're interested in Eva and Riley, please go to azfriends.org to fill out a consultation form and then head to the adoption center at 952 W. Melody Ave. in Gilbert. Eva and Riley are a bonded pair of 8-year-old Chihuahuas. Their human had to go into hospice and they found themselves in a situation with nowhere to go. Both are very sweet and love to cuddle next to each other. One home, where they can be together, will be ideal for this bonded couple. They've lost so much and all they have is each other now. They are living in a foster home with one of the volunteers at Friends for Life Animal Rescue. How to adopt: To meet them please contact Friends for Life at FFLdogs@azfriends.org, call 480-497-8296, or visit the adoption center in person. Friends for Life is located at 952 W. Melody Ave. in Gilbert. Both of these darlings are altered, licensed, microchipped, and vaccinated all they need is you! Their adoption fee is $250 for the pair. To find out more about Friends for Life you can also visit their website at www.azfriends.org. Jannelle Cosgriff, Friends for Life This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Adopt a pet: Oliver and more pets up for adoption in Phoenix-area shelters By David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) -Ottawa police vowed on Friday to crack down on an "increasingly dangerous" protest by hundreds of truckers who have shut down the center of the Canadian capital for eight days to demand an end to COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The well-organized blockade, which police say has relied partly on funding from sympathizers in the United States, is unprecedented by Canadian standards. Hundreds more truckers planned to enter the city this weekend, Ottawa police chief Peter Sloly said. "This remains ... an increasingly volatile and increasingly dangerous demonstration," he told reporters. Protesters in the downtown core "remain highly organized, well-funded, extremely committed to resisting all attempts to end the demonstration safely," he added. Some want an end to a federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers while others insist Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau be deposed on the grounds he exceeded his authority by imposing restrictions to tackle the pandemic. GoFundMe took down the Freedom Convoy's donation page on Friday, saying it was in violation of its terms of service. "We now have evidence from law enforcement that the previously peaceful demonstration has become an occupation, with police reports of violence and other unlawful activity," the website said in a statement. It said donors had until Feb. 19 to request a full refund, then it will "work with organizers to send all remaining funds to credible and established charities verified by GoFundMe." In the western province of Alberta, where truckers have been blocking a major border crossing with the United States in a similar protest, premier Jason Kenney said ministers would meet early next week to start lifting restrictions. "We can, and must, get on with our lives, restore our freedoms, and live with joy, not fear," he wrote on Twitter. Sloly, who said he and other top officials had received death threats, likened the protest to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot in Washington when thousands of supporters of former president Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol in a bid to overturn Joe Biden's election victory. Story continues Trump said the truckers were "peacefully protesting the harsh policies of far left lunatic Justin Trudeau who has destroyed Canada with insane Covid mandates". To the increasing fury of residents https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/ottawans-fed-up-with-trucker-blockade-blame-police-inaction-2022-02-03, Ottawa police have so far largely stood by and watched as some protesters smashed windows, threatened reporters and health care workers and abused racial minorities. Sloly said police would put in place a "surge and contain" strategy, including reinforcements of 150 officers deployed downtown, to restore order. "The hatred, the violence, the illegal acts that Ottawa residences and businesses have endured over the last week are unacceptable," he said. Blockades are also planned in Quebec City and Toronto, where authorities closed off access to the city centers. "We all want to do everything we can to avoid the situation we are seeing in Ottawa," said Toronto mayor John Tory. The protest is dividing the official opposition Conservative Party, which this week ousted its leader https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/main-rival-canadas-trudeau-ousted-after-losing-party-confidence-vote-2022-02-02 amid complaints he had not sufficiently backed the truckers. Interim Conservative chief Candice Bergen, in an email leaked to the Globe and Mail, said on Monday "we need to turn this into the PM's problem" and saw no need to ask the truckers to leave. Bergen issued a statement on Friday asking Trudeau to provide a clear plan to end the blockade and urging the truck drivers to remain peaceful. The party's public safety spokesman, Pierre Paul-Hus, tweeted on Friday that the blockade needed to end. Fellow legislator Dean Allison then tweeted that Paul-Hus was wrong. (Reporting by David Ljunggren; Additional reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal; Editing by Grant McCool and Daniel Wallis) Vice President Mike Pence on Friday resoundingly rejected a claim by former President Trump that he had the ability to overturn the 2020 presidential election, saying that there's little that is more un-American than the notion that any president can choose the nation's leader. "There are those in our party who believe that as the presiding officer of the joint session of Congress that I possessed unilateral authority to reject Electoral College Votes. And I heard this week that President Trump said I had the right to overturn the election. President Trump is wrong," Pence said during a speech in Florida to the Federalist Society. "I had no right to overturn the election." "The presidency belongs to the American people and the American people alone," Pence continued. "And frankly, there is no idea more un-American than the notion that any one American could choose the American president. Under the Constitution, I had no right to change the outcome of our election." Earlier this week, Trump made the false claim that Pence "did have the the right to change the outcome." Pence's contradiction of his former boss did not go unnoticed by Trump, who said in a Friday night statement that it "would have been appropriate" for Pence to send votes back to the legislatures if there was "fraud or large scale irregularities." Pence also called January, 2021, a "dark day" in the nation's history. "January 6 was a dark day in the history of the United States Capitol. Lives were lost," Pence said. "And many were injured. Thanks to the courageous action of the Capitol Hill Police and federal law enforcement the violence was quelled. The capitol was secured. And we reconvened the Congress that very same day to finish our work under the Constitution of the United States and the laws of this country." The former vice president's remarks come at his own potential political peril, in a party that still embraces the former president and that largely still believes President Biden did not win the election. Story continues Meanwhile, the National Archives and Records Administration will release Pence's records to the House panel investigating the January 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol, despite efforts by Trump to shield their release. The Archives intend to deliver the records to the committee March 3. Pence's former chief of staff Marc Short met this week with the House select committee investigating the January 6 assault. Short was with Pence in the Capitol on January 6 when pro-Trump rioters overtook the building and the pair were forced to evacuate to a safe location within the Capitol complex. Republican National Committee votes to censure Cheney and Kinzinger over Jan. 6 investigation National Security Agency details 2021 cybersecurity improvements Fairy garden plants seed for lasting friendship Former Vice President Mike Pence during the 2021 Free Iran Summit in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 28, 2021. Mike Pence will be in the spotlight on Friday afternoon when the former vice president is expected to address ex-President Trump's most recent attacks on his handling of the 2020 election. It's unclear exactly how far Pence will go, but tensions between Pence and Trump are on the rise as the 2024 campaign season edges closer and both men flirt with the possibility of running for the nation's highest office. A preview of the Federalist Society event in Florida says that Pence "will deliver remarks about constitutional principles and the rule of law," but aides said Trump's comments about overturning the election will likely come up. Pence was the consummate loyalist to Trump as vice president, but the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot has emerged as something of a breaking point as he charts his own path into 2024 and beyond. Trump turned his fire on Pence in a pair of statements this week, first declaring the former vice president should have unilaterally overturned the outcome of the 2020 presidential election and later suggesting the House panel investigating the Jan. 6 riot should be probing why Pence did not reject the results. In a statement Sunday evening, Trump hammered Pence's handling of that process in January of last year, shortly after President Biden's 2020 victory, lamenting that his former vice president "could have overturned the Election" but opted not to. In a subsequent statement issued Tuesday, Trump complained that the House panel should instead focus its efforts, in part, on "why Mike Pence did not send back the votes for recertification or approval, in that it has now been shown that he clearly had the right to do so!" he added." Pence has previously acknowledged he and Trump may "never see eye-to-eye" on the events of that day, and he has expressed pride in Congress finishing the certification process after the riot. The former president's ire comes at a time when Pence and his team are moving farther away from Trump and positioning themselves for a possible 2024 run. Story continues Multiple former Pence aides have cooperated with the House committee investigating Jan. 6, a point that certainly isn't lost on the former president, who puts out statements on a near-daily basis hammering the select committee. Those contacts have almost certainly contributed to animosity and tensions between those in the Pence and Trump camps. Marc Short, Pence's former chief of staff, sat down with the committee late last month for an interview. Greg Jacob, who served as general counsel to Pence, spoke with the committee days later. Both were top aides for Pence during his time in the White House and could provide critical information about what was happening in the vice president's orbit in the days leading up to Jan. 6, 2021. "Trump should be worried. Out of any of these people from the Mike Pence team, Greg Jacob's integrity is unwavering," tweeted Olivia Troye, a former Pence homeland security aide who has since become an outspoken Trump critic. "He was never one to do Trump's bidding & he's always known what's at stake for our country." Trump has gone after Pence before, including the day of the Jan. 6 riot as the then-vice president was being escorted to safety and a mob was running through the building. In an interview with ABC's Jon Karl last year, he downplayed rioters calling for Pence to be hanged. His attention returned to Pence this week as the Jan. 6 panel continues its probe and as a group of senators discuss reforms that would prevent a vice president from single-handedly rejecting electoral results in the future. The tensions between team Trump and team Pence over Jan. 6 underscore the degree to which the Capitol riot has turned into a defining issue for Republicans, including those who might be seeking the 2024 presidential nomination. Pence is widely seen as positioning himself for a potential run, holding events in early primary states like Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina since leaving office. He has sought to blend the accomplishments of the Trump administration with his own spin on conservatism, suggesting Republicans should be putting forward a positive agenda for voters to get behind. But strategists widely agree his actions on Jan. 6, which Trump and many of his supporters view as a betrayal, will follow him to the campaign trail should he run and could be his undoing in the long run. "He has to appeal to the Trump wing of the party because they're rabid and without them he can't proceed forward, but they won't think he's loyal," a former Trump administration official said. "But he also has to appeal to another larger segment of the Republican Party that kind of wants to move beyond Trump and move to a different phase. Trying to bridge both sides of that divide can end up tanking a person's chances." By Alicja Ptak WARSAW - U.S. military equipment has begun to arrive in Poland, the Polish defence ministry said on Friday, to reinforce NATO's eastern flank as the West and Russia wrangle over Russia's military presence near the Ukrainian border. President Joe Biden's administration announced on Wednesday the deployment of nearly 3,000 American troops to eastern Europe in the coming days amid a standoff with Russia over Ukraine. Around 1,700 soldiers from the Fort Bragg-based 82nd Airborne Division are meant to come to Poland, Poland's Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak and the Pentagon said on Wednesday, but only on a temporary basis. In addition, roughly 300 troops will be based in Germany, where a joint headquarters is expected to be set up. Poland's Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak announced on Thursday evening that an "advance group" had already arrived in Poland. "This is a clear signal of allied solidarity," he wrote on Twitter, posting photos of soldiers unloading equipment from a single C-130 Hercules transport plane. Private broadcaster TVN24 showed the unloading of two American aircraft on Friday in Rzeszow-Jesionka airport in Southern Poland. The broadcaster reported that so far six American planes had landed. It is not yet clear when U.S. soldiers will arrive and where they will be based. The Polish Defence Ministry's operation centre referred Reuters to the U.S. Army, which did not immediately answer Reuters' request for additional information. The U.S. military already has about 4,500 troops in Poland in both a NATO and a bilateral capacity, mostly stationed in the west of the country on a rotational basis. (Reporting by Alicja Ptak; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) MEDINA TWP. Police seized drugs and weapons and found stolen property during a raid last week near Morenci. Detectives with the Region of Irish Hills Narcotics Office executed a search warrant Jan. 28 in the 12000 block of Lime Creek Road in Medina Township, a news release issued Thursday said. The Michigan State Police Emergency Services Team conducted the initial entry and secured the property. Officers seized seven guns including two semi-automatic pistols, an AR-15 rifle and a sawed-off shotgun, the release said. Additionally, detectives seized heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and prescription pills, all packaged for delivery. During the search of the property, detectives recovered a stolen motorcycle, a stolen snowmobile and a stolen camper trailer. Detectives with the Region of Irish Hills Narcotics Office seized seven guns, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and prescription pills during a raid Jan. 28 in Medina Township. Cash and a vehicle were seized pending forfeiture. The suspect, whose name was not released by police, was lodged at the Lenawee County Jail, the release said. Police will be seeking charges from the Lenawee County Prosecutors Office including possession with intent to deliver heroin, cocaine, meth and analogues; felony firearm; and possession of stolen property. All are felonies. RIHNO was assisted by troopers from the Michigan State Police Adrian Detachment, deputies from the Lenawee County Sheriffs Office, detectives from the Tri County Metro Narcotics Squad and the Michigan State Police Emergency Services Team. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call RIHNO at 517-265-5787. This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Police seize drugs, guns in Medina Township Angela Falconetti , President of Polk State College welcomes graduates during Polk State College Spring Commencement at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland Fl. Thursday May 6 2021. ERNST PETERS/ THE LEDGER With humble beginnings in the mid-1960s as Polk Junior College classes were held in structures hastily built at Bartows Army Air Force Base during World War II enrollment has grown to nearly 9,000 today. Concentrated among its primary campuses in Winter Haven and Lakeland, with branches in Lake Wales and Bartow, it's now the largest institution of higher learning in a county that is headquarters to nine distinct academic colleges, technical colleges and universities. Opinion: Expanding health sciences education is critical for Polk County Paid in full: Polk State College cancels $1.2 million in student debt using federal COVID relief money Angela Falconetti, Polk State Colleges fifth president in its nearly six decades of existence, is the daughter of Cuban exiles. A Florida native, Falconetti, 46, holds bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees and is the recipient of a post-doctoral fellowship in community college leadership. Slightly over a quarter of Polk States students come directly from high school. As the average age of 26 attests, however, the great majority come for career training, skill updating and job enhancement certifications. The college offers both associate and bachelor's degrees as well as non-credit courses. Q. How have teaching methods at Polk State been altered out of COVID-driven necessity and has this influenced graduation rates compared to pre-pandemic days? A. In March of 2020 we shut the door to our facilities. We had 440 faculty converting over a thousand courses to online. We already had some online as opposed to face-to-face but when we closed, everything went online. That was a learning curve not just for our students but for some faculty who had never taught online. Were open again but were encouraging our faculty to teach at least one class online being prepared for things like a pandemic or a hurricane so they can pivot quickly. Something else weve done since weve come back is create a return to campus plan - a roadmap that will get us back. Right now were about half online and half in person. The hybrid modality is very popular because there is an in-person component for those courses that are career and technical education based like nursing, physical therapy, engineering/machining. Hands-on experience is done in the classroom and lectures online. I see the future of education taking place more in the hybrid space at least in the community college world because of such flexibility. Academic advisors are online as well, though we still see a lot of students in person. Story continues Graduation rates are about the same. If the pandemic did anything, it discouraged some students from coming to school. Our enrollment is just a bit lower but not a lot lower. Q. Aside from pandemic considerations, what are the biggest challenges facing both the college and the students enrolled here? A. We are funded approximately 50 percent by the state and 50 percent by enrollment. Everything takes money and the continuing need for money is going to permit us to grow or not grow. For example, we have a property in Davenport right off U.S. 27 fastest growing area in the county but we dont have funding to build. We know theres a need. Weve asked the legislature for funds to do the foundational work because we can see the need there in the health care area, logistics, supply chain, hospitality and tourism. In the meantime were offering courses at Ridge High School. Thats just one example of things that we need. Q. What percentage of the student body is non-white and, in your observation, how have racial attitudes and personal interactions involving different ethnicities changed among students at Polk State? A. We are majority-minority about 48 percent white, 26 percent Hispanic, 17 percent Black and the rest from other backgrounds. My perspective is thats its getting better. The majority of our student government association leaders are Black. I find theres inclusivity not only for Blacks, Hispanic, Asian but also LGBTQ and students with disabilities. We have a culture in which the students all-in-all embrace each other. We do have specific clubs and organizations for different cultures. For example, we have the Sisters Club for Black females but we have white females and males who are a part of it. Our Hispanic club has non-Hispanics. I believe we can always improve and inclusivity should be one of our top priorities. Thomas R. Oldt Q. With many questioning the return-on-investment of a costly college education and with enormous numbers of students saddled with ruinous debt, some institutions are shifting away from a classic liberal arts education to one that prepares students for specific jobs and actual careers. While this approach appears to be fundamental to how Polk State operates, what are both the upsides and the downsides? A. A liberal arts education itself doesnt secure employment or lead to a specific career path and thats part of why the community college and state college emphasis has shifted, because we want the students to have employment or to go to the university where they can continue. What we provide is this transition to workforce and career education. Polk State offers bachelors degrees in supervision and management, criminal justice, early childhood and elementary education, nursing, and aerospace science all career oriented. But its important to note that the experience in liberal arts can lead to meaningful employment. It also helps shape the mind and the creative process. Students should select wisely, depending on what direction they feel they should go. I think its important that we continue to advocate for a liberal arts education students can still work with our career services and end up with a very good job. Q. What economic and technological trends already underway do you think will most affect the role and function of Polk State ten years from now? A. Look what the pandemic has done to the entire world and the workforce. From a business operation standpoint, more services can be done remotely, which will potentially free up space for classroom instruction and potentially not have to build and build and build. Were going to see more hybrid courses taught. And were seeing an exponential need for health care workers the nursing profession in particular. Our corporate college provides non-credit training short-term training that can lead to a national industry-recognized credential. The student completes the short-term course work that gives them the skill set to test for such credentials and were going to be doing that much more in the future. We developed customized training for Nucor and Mosaic that leads to several national certifications -- and that leads to higher salaries. Theres so much more of that we can be doing. Q. Conservative academics have long complained that liberals promoting political correctness have curtailed their ability to speak freely. Silencing professors and peers for controversial views has become something of a blood sport at some universities. Are civil discourse and freedom of speech at risk of disappearing on campus? A. Its a good question but the reality is that everyone here is very collegial. What you are talking about is more prevalent in universities - thats where it is happening. The greatest threat to higher education in my opinion is the political divide. When people express themselves I would only ask that it be in a peaceful manner have a civilized discourse. Were not perfect at Polk State but we do have an environment in which we can share ideas, talk to each other. I believe we are of a size where we can work on these things on a case-by-case basis, have open discussions. If something is needed we will provide it. If there needs to be a discussion on critical race theory, for example, we will provide it. Higher education is built on academic freedom and the need to educate students about every perspective. As the political arena continues to change, the question is how do you speak up in a peaceful way so the lives of others are not being harmed. Thats something we continue to talk about, to ensure, for example, that if we have a Democrat come to speak, we also have a Republican and an independent so that students are getting every picture and can develop their own political mindset. Q. Given all the problems we face, as you look at todays students, do you see cause for optimism about the future? A. I do. We have great students energetic, excited, talented. We have so many great examples. If you look at the demographics of our student body, most come from a socio-economic background that is disenfranchised. Yet there are so many success stories. We have a student who graduated from our collegiate high school and is now at M.I.T. His mother came from a domestic violence background and cleaned homes here in Winter Haven for years and years. He graduated with top honors and got full scholarship to M.I.T. Hearing those success stories thats what I live for in my professional life. Q. What question would you have liked to have answered if only it had been asked? A. Whats my favorite part about my job? Im very grateful for the opportunity to help our students and community thrive and be successful. To preside over the graduation ceremony is just the greatest honor to see them complete their education and enhance their lives. Its an honor to serve in this position but I wouldnt have anything if I didnt have my education. Education is something that can never be taken away from you. Once you have it, its always yours. What the United States has to offer with regard to education and opportunity I wish every single student would seize that opportunity because its in their hands and we have tools to help them get through. We do everything we can within the realm of legalities and possibilities to help our students succeed. Thomas R. Oldt can be reached at tom@troldt.com. This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk State's Falconetti talks COVID, school funding and the future United Nations experts called on the U.S. government Thursday to stop a small tribe in Washington state from evicting some disenrolled members in a growing dispute that has raised questions about the federal government balancing its duty to protect civil rights while respecting tribal sovereignty. The Nooksack Indian Tribe has taken steps in recent years to evict residents from tribal housing who the tribe states are not authentic members. The disenrolled tribal members claim their civil rights are being violated, which prompted the federal government to ask the tribe to hold off on evictions numerous times last fall before announcing an investigation in December. The tenants facing expulsion also asked the U.N. to investigate the matter as a potential human rights violation. The U.N. human rights experts revealed the conclusion of their investigation Thursday, urging the United States "to halt the planned and imminent forced evictions" citing the need to protect human rights and Indigenous people's rights. We appeal to the U.S. Government to respect the right to adequate housing... and to ensure that it abides by its international obligations, including with respect to the rights of indigenous peoples, the experts said in a press release. The experts said the evictions could harm the health of tenants, some of whom are elderly or facing chronic disease, a situation aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. We are also concerned that the forced evictions will deny them the possibility of enjoying their own culture and of using their own language in community with others, they said. Tribal sovereignty question: Native American tribe's eviction plan raises civil rights concerns. Should US government intervene? A group of tenants facing possible eviction from Nooksack Indian Tribe housing pose in front of a home in January. The tribe is evicting those who have been disenrolled from its membership The U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs, which has been reviewing the situation for potential civil rights violations, notified the tribe Wednesday that it found the Nooksack Indian Housing Authority complied with its own procedures, suggesting it could proceed with an eviction process that had been on hold until the review was completed. The investigation focused on nine people facing eviction. Story continues However, a separate statement issued Thursday by Interior Department Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Bryan Newland urged the tribe not to remove the tenants. Although the Interior Department has found that the Nooksack Tribe appears to have followed its internal administrative process, we implore the Tribes leaders to stop their planned evictions. While we respect and commit to uphold Tribal sovereignty, we do not support the manner in which these actions are being carried out. There is still time for the Nooksack Tribe to treat its community members with dignity and respect, and it is our hope that it will, Newland said. #USA: UN experts @adequatehousing & @RelatorDd call on the Gov to halt the imminent forced evictions of 63 Nooksack #indigenous people in northern Washington State. Evictions will deny them the possibility of enjoying their own culture in community. https://t.co/u0HFkfoHCx pic.twitter.com/nu2aCnJZxP UN Special Procedures (@UN_SPExperts) February 3, 2022 Gabriel Galanda, the lawyer for the tenants, raised the civil and human rights allegations to both the federal government and the U.N. in his effort to stop the evictions. A number of the tenants have been living in their homes more than a decade and some say they are entitled to full or partial ownership based on lease-to-own agreements. Galanda said up to 63 people could be evicted under the plan. "We are overjoyed that the United Nations has affirmed the human rights we have claimed have been violated at Nooksack for the last decade. Those human rights include the right to belong as Nooksack, the right to homeownership as Nooksack, the right to due process ... and the right to a lawyer in order to enjoy that due process protection of those rights," Galanda said. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which provides financial assistance for the tribal housing, issued a statement Thursday, noting it had raised concerns with the tribe several times since last fall and had asked it to hold off on the evictions until the Interior Department completed its review. "HUD is working to provide information regarding housing resources to families so they are aware of potential options to keep them stably housed. HUD is working closely with the Department of Interior and remains in communication with the Tribe, the department said in a statement. Nooksack Tribal Chairman Ross Cline Sr. said he is still committed to the eviction of disenrolled members those who have been removed after leadership determined they didn't have valid credentials and that the matter will be discussed at a tribal council meeting Friday. "What happens at that point, I don't know," Cline said. Cline, who spoke with USA TODAY before Newland's statement against the evictions was released Thursday, said he interpreted the bureau's findings to mean the eviction process can resume. The tribe has about 2,000 members. He added that doesn't trust communications from the federal government. "I'm accustomed to the white man speaking with forked tongue," he said. Cline said he had not heard of the U.N. request to the United States government until told of it by USA TODAY. "Unfortunately, we're one of the last ones to find out that kind of news. They don't bother contacting the Nooksack Tribe. We're too small," he said. Cline said the tribe had not been contacted by the U.N. as part of its investigation. "I wish they would come to the source rather than rely on Gabe Galanda, who obviously lies and stretches the truth and distorts everything out of proportion," he said. Gabriel Galanda is the Seattle attorney representing disenrolled Nooksack Indian Tribe members facing potential eviction from their homes in Washington state. Galanda said he thinks this is the first time the U.N. has called on the United States to take action in an Indigenous matter where it was not a party to the dispute. Although the U.N. does not have the power to force the United States to stop the evictions, the statement carries substantial moral weight, he said. "With the world now watching it creates political pressure upon the United States government to walk its talk on the front of indigenous human rights protection or human rights protection in general," he said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: United Nations urges US to stop Native American tribe's eviction plan Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, 2 of the Republicans who voted to hold Mark Meadows in criminal contempt of Congress, on July 27, 2021. Andrew Harnik/AP Photo An RNC committee voted to advance a censure targeting Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger Thursday. The whole organization is set to vote on the proposal during the RNC's winter meeting on Friday. Cheney slammed top Republicans in a statement following the vote, calling them "hostages" to Trump. Rep. Liz Cheney skewered top Republicans after an RNC committee voted to advance a censure targeting her and Rep. Adam Kinzinger for serving on the panel investigating the January 6 attack. According to Politico's David Siders, members of the Republican National Committee's resolutions committee unanimously voted Thursday to advance the resolution to censure Cheney and Kinzinger, who are the only two Republican lawmakers serving on the January 6 House select committee. They were also two of the ten GOP members who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump following the insurrection. "The leaders of the Republican Party have made themselves willing hostages to a man who admits he tried to overturn a presidential election and suggests he would pardon Jan. 6 defendants, some of whom have been charged with seditious conspiracy," Cheney tweeted following the Thursday vote. "I'm a constitutional conservative and I do not recognize those in my party who have abandoned the Constitution to embrace Donald Trump," she added. "History will be their judge. I will never stop fighting for our constitutional republic. No matter what." In May 2021, Republicans voted to remove Cheney from her leadership position in the House, and the Wyoming Republican Party voted to no longer recognize her as a member of their party in November last year. In September, Trump endorsed a GOP primary challenger against Cheney, but Rolling Stone reported that candidates backed by the former president are lagging behind their incumbent rivals in fundraising. Cheney has already broken her own fundraising records, raising more than $2 million in the final quarter of 2021 and bringing her total to $7.2 million, ABC News reported. Story continues Kinzinger announced in October that he would not run for reelection in 2022. Following Thursday's vote, the Illinois lawmaker said he had "no regrets" about his decision to "uphold my oath of office and defnd the Constitution." "I will continue to focus my efforts on standing for truth and working to fight the political matrix that's led us to where we find ourselves today," Kinzinger tweeted. The motion to censure heads next to the RNC's Friday general session meeting, where the organization's entire body is set to vote on the proposal during the party's winter gathering in Salt Lake City. According to CBS News, the motion could be amended during the Friday session, but supporters expect it to pass. Fox News reported that Thursday's closed-door meeting included little discussion of the resolution itself, though the specific language used in the proposal was fiercely debated prior to the gathering. According to CNN, a previous version of the resolution called for Cheney and Kinzinger to be expelled from the Republican Party's conference, but the final version was "watered down" after some RNC members worried the effort to punish the lawmakers was too extreme. Read the original article on Business Insider Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.). Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images The Republican National Committee will consider a resolution on Friday to censure two of the party's most vocal critics of former President Donald Trump: Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.). Cheney and Kinzinger are also the only Republicans on the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. RNC member and resolution co-sponsor Harmeet Dhillon told CBS News the resolution was passed by committee on Thursday afternoon, and the full vote will take place during Friday's RNC meeting in Salt Lake City. "I think it's important for members of the Republican Party to support one another and [Cheney and Kinzinger] made it clear over the past year that it's more important for them to attack the former president than it is to support the principles of the Republican Party," resolution co-sponsor John Wahl, chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, told CBS News. An earlier version of the resolution called for House Republicans to expel Cheney and Kinzinger from the party's conference, CBS News reports, but was changed to censure after more RNC members gave their input. Bill Palatucci, an RNC member from New Jersey, told CBS News the resolution is "distracting and counterproductive for our effort to win in November. I'm glad that it was revised several times and watered down to just censure." Kinzinger, who announced last year that he will not seek re-election in November, stated on Thursday that he has "no regrets about my decision to uphold my oath of office and defend the Constitution." Cheney said she is "a constitutional conservative and I do not recognize those in my party who have abandoned the Constitution to embrace Donald Trump. History will be their judge. I will never stop fighting for our constitutional republic. No matter what." You may also like Woody Allen goes out with a whimper Trudeau flees as trucker convoy enters Ottawa The fantasy of a Trump-slaying Republican The wealthiest households not only emit more carbon emissions than most of the rest of the world combined that inequality is growing, according to a new study. In 2010, things were already deeply skewed, with households in the top 10 per cent of wealth emitting more than a third of global CO2, compared to households in the lower 50 per cent emitting just 15 per cent. That divide grew by 2015, where the richest 10 per cent emitted 49 per cent of carbon emissions, compared to the bottom 50 per cents even smaller, seven per cent share. It is much easier for richer consumers to absorb these increases in costs without changing their behaviour, said study author Aimee Ambrose, a professor of energy policy at Sheffield Hallam University, of the paper which appears in Science Direct. But addressing excessive personal consumption is something that isnt on the agenda for the government and policymakers. This is bad news for the planet and our prospects of reaching net zero. While the wealthy may be able to afford more modern and energy-efficient homes, they also tend to live lifestyles that involve larger dwellings, and more travel with carbon-intensive methods like airplanes. For example, more than half of the emissions from passenger jets before the pandemic came from the top one per cent of air travel users. And this inequality compounds when it comes to the effects of all these emissions. The wealthy who emit more, have an easier time avoid climate impacts like pollution and extreme weather, leaving the poor to face disproportionate consequences. The research is part of a growing body of work highlighting the link between economic inequality and the climate crisis. (Getty Images/iStockphoto) In 2020, Oxfam found that the richest 10 per cent of people were responsible for more than half of the emissions between 1990 and 2015, with the top one per cent contributing a whopping 15 per cent on their own. That one per cent emitted more greenhouse gasses than the bottom half of the world population. Story continues The over-consumption of a wealthy minority is fuelling the climate crisis yet it is poor communities and young people who are paying the price, Tim Gore, Head of Climate Policy at Oxfam, said at the time . Such extreme carbon inequality is a direct consequence of our governments decades long pursuit of grossly unequal and carbon intensive economic growth. Members of the United Nationss Least Developed Countries (LDC) cohort have been calling on wealthy countries like the US and others to do more to balance out the disastrous impact of their economic abundance on the climate. We have contributed the least to this climate change problem; we emit less than 1 percent of the global emissions. Yet we suffer disproportionately every day, Sonam Wangdi, the secretary of Bhutans National Environment Commission and the chair of the LDC. We in fact would like to request governments, especially the big emitters, to stop skirting responsibility. And its time to address this crisis, which has taken us head on. Winter Storm Landon's particular mix of rain and ice made it impossible to pre-treat roads Wednesday and Thursday. That meant the Department of Transportation had a lot of work when the slow-moving storm hit Ohio. As of Friday morning, ODOT crews had driven 421,953 miles in 24 hours, nearly enough to make a round trip to the moon, according to the agency's press secretary Matt Bruning. To put it another way, that's about 17 trips around the world at the equator. Bruning said that although the storm has passed, travel is still dangerous and motorists should stay home if they can. Live updates: Road conditions, power outages, flights and more Crews have been working through the overnight. From what's been received to lingering snow showers & cold temps, it is challenging to make a lot of headway. Here's a real-time perspective of current conditions in some parts of the district. #ODOTworks #ODOTWinter pic.twitter.com/wul2BcARtu ODOT Cincinnati (@ODOT_Cincinnati) February 4, 2022 "It's going to be a tough battle to fight with Mother Nature to get these roads clear," he said. ODOT is responsible for clearing nearly all the interstates in Ohio and many roads that don't fall under the jurisdiction of municipalities. The interstates alone total 43,000 miles. Bruning said the warnings from the National Weather Service helped keep many people safe and at home Thursday. On Monday, ODOT met with the agency and got a full briefing on what they thought would happen. Bruning said this allowed them to have a good plan in place. "My hat is off to the meteorologists," he said. "They nailed it as good as they could." Story continues While the Cincinnati area saw a mix of snow and ice, other parts of the state are facing different challenges. Bruning said in the southeast, it's flooding, and in the north, it's very heavy snow. A snow plow removes snow on West Eighth Street on Friday, Feb. 4, 2022 in West Price Hill. Snow emergencies were declared in many parts of Greater Cincinnati as a severe winter storm swept across the region on Thursday and Friday night. Check the list: What are the snow emergency levels in Cincinnati and surrounding counties? Forecast: Snow emergencies continue, storm warnings dropped. What's next Bruning said he expects the roads to be better Friday than they were Thursday, but "that's a pretty low bar." He said staying home Friday will assist in making sure the roads are cleared as quickly as possible. While many people remained home Thursday, there were still several snow plows struck by motorists across the state. "It really helps our crews out tremendously when people stay off the roads," he said. THE LOOP: More ODOT plows getting struck and how ODOT deals with freezing rain. https://t.co/DzI8qDj3gw pic.twitter.com/FhJjMOE4UR Ohio Dept of Transportation (@ODOT_Statewide) February 4, 2022 This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How are the roads? ODOT snow plows battle snow and ice from winter storm Ross Young, left, stands with Appalachian Barn Alliance lead researcher Taylor Barnhill and ABA President Sandy Stevenson at the organization's three barns at Smith Farm at Bailey Mountain Preserve. Young retired from his state role as county extension director Jan. 31 and started a new position as the county's grant program manager Feb. 1. MARSHALL - "Thirty-one years is a lot of time," said Ross Young, who retired from his state role as the county extension director Jan. 31. Young started his role as the county's federal funds grant manager Feb. 1. "The county has temporary funds from COVID that are a pretty big chunk of money, and the county is supposed to have someone help them oversee that," Young said. "I've written several million dollars worth of grants in my role (as county extension director), and I guess that qualified me for that job when I applied for it." The county's federal funds grant manager said while he's looking forward to his new role, he was emotional after he reflected on the many memories he made during his time as county extension director. "I'm excited - emotional but excited," Young said. "I teared up more than once this week, thinking about things. Two of my employees I worked with that entire time, give or take a year. So I've got buddies who we've all got 30 years in here. When you walk away from that, it's tough." Madison County's extension director position is coordinated through N.C. State University. According to Madison County Extension's website, the position is a five-part umbrella job description, responsible for assisting with development of administration, commercial agricultural production, facilities management, oversight of the county's 4-H program and community development. According to Young, the role and his duties in it became a fixture in his life, as he took the job directly out of college. "It's the only career job I've ever had," he said. "I interviewed from Berea College (in Kentucky). I finished my bachelor's to come here. I started work June 1, (1990) and graduated mid-May. I've not missed a day yet, and been working ever since." After more than 31 years on the job, though, Young said he knew it was time to move on. Story continues "It's typical for state employees to retire after 30 years," he said. "Nobody forces you out, but once you pass 30 (years), then you pass 31 and you're bumping on 32, at some point you say, 'OK, now it's time.' I don't know if it's the right time or not, but it's signed in. Whether it's the right one or not, it's going to be time." Appalachian Barn Alliance President Sandy Stevenson recognized Young for his service during the organization's 10-year anniversary open house ceremony at the extension center Jan. 26. Appalachian Barn Alliance is a nonprofit organization that aims to preserve the rural heritage of Madison County and surrounding areas through the documentation of the historical barn building traditions and the barns they represent for future generations, according to its mission statement. Ross Young According to the organization's president, Young came to her with the idea to start an organization to preserve the county's historical barns. "I was a part of the (Madison County) Visitor Center, and I called him with a question," Stevenson recalled. "He said to me, 'Sometime I want to tell you about my big idea.' And that started it. If it weren't for Young, we would not be where we are. It was his idea to preserve this heritage, and we did it by focusing on that iconic symbol of the agricultural heritage: the barn." The ABA president said she will remember Young's strong and steady way of being. "What I remember most about Ross is his calm and perceptive nature," she said. "We could be sitting in a meeting discussing an idea. Ross would sit quietly and then make a few statements that brought everything together in a way that made perfect sense." Young said he will remain an adviser with ABA and will not become a full board member until he settles in at his new position. His retirement from the state position will free up some time for him now, as his county role is a part-time gig, Young said. "Mostly that allows a little bit of freedom to rebuild my own barn," he said. "I've got four kids (with wife Cherlon: Brandon, 34, Shana, 30, Carson, 15 and Corbin, 13). So we're spending a lot of time at ballgames." While the foundation of ABA ranks high on his list of memories throughout his tenure, Young said he is fortunate to have been a part of numerous accomplishments for the county. "This has been an amazing ride, to be able to work and get paid to serve people, and help people and make their lives better - to create fairgrounds and tailgate markets and WNC AgOptions grant program for Western North Carolina," Young said. "There are so many initiatives that I got to be able to help create, and it's humbling that I got to be able to get paid to do that. The value-added center (is another initiative). There's a long list of big initiatives that are really fun." This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Young retires after 31 years as extension director, to work for county Flash Tian Bao, the very first giant panda born in 2016 in Belgium, will be able to stay at the Pairi Daiza zoo in Belgium in 2022, according to a press release published by the zoo on Thursday. "Pairi Daiza has reached an agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) allowing the eldest of the giant pandas born in Belgium to stay in 2022 in the zoo, " said the statement. The two sides will also initiate the necessary arrangements for transporting Tian Bao to China this year, the statement continued. Panda twins Bao Di and Bao Mei, born in 2019 to Hao Hao and Xing Hui, the parents of Tian Bao, will settle together in a new territory that will be expressly built for them. The separation of the twins and the panda mother should make it possible to relaunch procreation attempts as part of the conservation program for this vulnerable species, according to the same source. Xing Hui and Hao Hao arrived in Belgium in 2014 on loan from China. The convention that governs the presence of pandas in Belgium provides that all the couple's children must be sent back to China at the age of four in order to better safeguard the species of giant pandas. The process of returning Tian Bao to China has been delayed by the COVID-19 restrictions. Pairi Daiza has thus become one of the rare animal zoos outside of China that has five giant pandas at the same time. MOSCOW (Reuters) - A court in Crimea has rejected an appeal by an alleged Ukrainian spy and confirmed his 12-year prison sentence, the TASS news agency reported on Friday, citing Russia's FSB security service. Ukraine's foreign ministry demanded that Konstantin Shiring, the alleged spy, be released last October, when the same court issued a verdict against him. Kyiv said at the time his case was politically motivated. Russian media reports suggest Shiring denies being a spy. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Moscow has now amassed over 100,000 troops near Ukraine's borders, demanding guarantees from the West that Kyiv will not be allowed to join NATO. (Reporting by Anton Kolodyazhnyy; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Andrew Osborn) Feb. 4SALEM The city's Chamber of Commerce is asking Salem health leaders to look at the Witch City's status as an island on the North Shore the one place where a vaccine mandate remains in effect to enter certain businesses and to consider whether it's necessary with the arrival of February. In a newsletter issued on Feb. 2, Executive Director Rinus Oosthoek called on the Salem Board of Health to take up the vaccine mandate at its meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 8 and "consider ending the vaccination mandate." "Impacted businesses are hurting, are losing future business and financial aid is non-existent," Oosthoek wrote in the newsletter. "It is time to end the mandate." The mandate, put into effect on Dec. 22 with no definitive end date, required that specific businesses require proof of vaccination for anyone entering, with specific levels of vaccination required by certain dates. Businesses impacted include: indoor entertainment, recreational and event venues, which have high occupancy; indoor food services or businesses where food and drink are consumed indoors without masks; and indoor gyms and fitness settings. The first deadline, Jan. 15, required that all people ages 12 and older have at least one dose of vaccine. The next date, March 1, will add a requirement for a second dose for ages 12 and over, and a first dose for those ages 5 to 11, with their second shot due by May 1. Also on Dec. 22, the board voted unanimously to put a mask mandate in effect for all businesses until at least March 8. That remains in effect at this time, according to city health agent Dave Greenbaum. An agenda for the board's next meeting on Feb. 8 wasn't posted as of Thursday afternoon and wouldn't be required under state law until close of business Friday, Feb. 4. City health officials didn't respond to a follow-up request for comment, so it remains unclear if the board will discuss the issue at the meeting. Story continues Oosthoek explained the Chamber isn't implicitly calling for the mandate to end; rather, they want officials to look at the data and see if they come to the same conclusion that other North Shore communities have that mandates aren't as necessary as they were during the holiday season. "They're the experts, not us, which is why we've asked them to re-evaluate it," Oosthoek said. "They've always said they follow the science. They follow what's out there, and we want them to continue to do that. Our thinking is if you do that, the hospitalizations have dropped all over the Commonwealth, including at Salem Hospital, and the cases have come down in the tens of thousands. We don't see any other conclusion than that the vaccine mandate should be lifted." In the meantime, many businesses have been hurt by the order, Oosthoek said. "I don't know everybody, but I've talked to 15, 20 of our members, and if you look at restaurants, event functions, hotels, they've had people withdraw their reservations and have also seen future reservations have stopped coming in, because people don't want to deal with a city that is so separated from everyone else with mandates," Oosthoek said. "They have choices. You celebrate Uncle Charlie's 80th birthday and have three uncles who aren't vaccinated? You don't do it in Salem." City Mayor Kim Driscoll backed the Board of Health's efforts on the matter, saying she has "the full confidence in the expertise and thoughtfulness of the Board of Health. I know they will continue to make decisions driven by science and data, aimed at protecting public health in the best interest of our community as they have throughout this pandemic." Driscoll said board members and city staff keep tabs on COVID metrics. Past actions happened "with case counts significantly up and hospitalizations and intensive care units at critically high occupancies." "The good news is that COVID conditions are improving relative to both case counts and hospital capacity," Driscoll said, "and I'm confident our board will use the same data to make adjustments to the policy, as necessary." Across the bridge, Beverly voted this week to let its mask mandate expire on Wednesday, Feb. 2. Other communities are also looking back at past decisions, with Gloucester's Board of Health voting Thursday night to delay their vote until next week, in the interest of reviewing more updated wastewater and hospital data. "I'm thankful for the (Salem) board for what they've done I am. They're a smart group of people," Oosthoek said. "The fact that we've truly become an island with just this vaccine mandate is a showcase that the other boards of health have looked at the same data, evaluated it, and come to the same conclusion to not do it, and no reason anymore to continue to do it." Driscoll said the plan is to keep watching the data and make decisions based on the reality of the pandemic in that moment. "Salem has been a leader in responding to COVID, from the very outset of this pandemic. From testing options, to piloting wastewater and school testing programs, from stepping forward to stand up a regional homeless quarantine site, to establishing mask and testing requirements during our busy October season," she said. "We will continue to respond to the data and never lose sight of our primary goal: keeping Salem safe, open, and strong." Gloucester Daily Times reporter Ethan Forman contributed to this report. Contact Dustin Luca at 978-338-2523 or DLuca@salemnews.com. Follow him at facebook.com/dustinluca or on Twitter @DustinLucaSN. Contact Dustin Luca at 978-338-2523 or DLuca@salemnews.com. Follow him at facebook.com/dustinluca or on Twitter @DustinLucaSN. Laura Duggan, right, a school office assistant, takes a coronavirus test at Wright Middle School in Calabasas in the fall before the Omicron surge. Recent tests show a decline in test positivity rates at L.A. County schools. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) Coronavirus infections have declined about 70% since the start of the spring semester among students in L.A. County, but overall rates remain significantly higher than they were before the current surge. The decline in the latest countywide figures, released Thursday by Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer, aligns with other data suggesting that the peak of the explosive growth due to the Omicron variant has passed. Health officials warned, however, that it remains important to take precautions many of which remain required under local health orders. Among the rules that Ferrer reiterated Thursday was the requirement for students and school staffers to continue to wear masks indoors and outdoors until there is further significant improvement in health metrics. For the third week in a row, the test positivity rate for schools has declined. More than 486,000 tests were administered from Monday to Friday last week, with 4% indicating a coronavirus infection. In the beginning of January, the test positivity rate was 14%. "The safety measures that schools have implemented along with the slowing that we're seeing of community transmission has likely contributed to these declines," Ferrer said. "And the continued use of our public safety measures will help keep our schools safe and open." The vast majority of the school-related data reported to L.A. County are from the weekly testing of students and staff members at the Los Angeles Unified School District, which has about a third of the county's K-12 students. From Jan. 3 through 10, just before classes resumed after winter break, about 17% of L.A. Unified tests came back positive. That worked out to 62,704 students with an infection who had to stay home until cleared for return. The number of infections has declined steadily since. For the week beginning Jan. 17, the district recorded 25,265 positive cases among students and 2,734 positive cases among employees, with 41,428 students and 836 employees identified as close contacts. Because of revised quarantine rules, only 25% of students were sent home and even fewer employees; last semester, all close contacts needed to quarantine at home for up to two weeks. Story continues During that week, the seven-day average for positive tests was 8% for students and 4.9% for employees. Last week, 14,759 students and 1,591 employees tested positive at L.A. Unified, and the seven-day test positivity average was 4.9% for students and 3.1% for employees. Starting that week, the district virtually discontinued individual contact tracing. At least partly as a result, just 2,546 close contacts had to quarantine. Home quarantines are still in effect for the youngest students in early education centers and for students who were exposed outside of school. These rates, while vastly improved, are still much higher than before the Omicron surge. In the last week of school before winter break when the Omicron variant started to push up numbers the student infection rate was 0.22%. Put another way, in testing during the week that ended Dec. 17, about 2 students in 1,000 tested positive. In early January baseline testing, just before school restarted, about 170 students per 1,000 tested positive. And in the last full week of January, about 50 students per 1,000 tested positive. Revised district policies regarding close contacts allow exposed individuals to remain on campus, provided they continue to test negative, have no symptoms and were following safety protocols at the time of the exposure. L.A. Unified operates the largest school coronavirus testing program in the nation, with the goal of carrying out more than 500,000 mandatory tests every week for all students and staff. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs throws against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium in May 25, 2019. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press) Federal prosecutors could call seven former Angels players as witnesses during the trial of the ex-communications director Eric Kay in the fatal overdose of pitcher Tyler Skaggs. In a witness list filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Fort Worth, Texas, prosecutors listed ex-Angels Cam Bedrosian, C.J. Cron, Matt Harvey, Andrew Heaney, Mike Morin, Blake Parker and Garrett Richards among 77 potential witnesses. The document provides a brief overview about the testimony of each witness, though such lists usually include many witnesses who never take the stand. The entry for Harvey, who pitched 12 games for the Angels in 2019 before being released, is typical: Interactions with [Skaggs] and interactions with Eric Kay. Will testify that Eric Kay provided drugs believed to be oxycodone to [Skaggs] and others; knowledge of [Skaggs] oxycodone use; lingo used when referring to oxycodone pills; and communications with Eric Kay about oxycodone. The entry for Richards said: "Will testify that Eric Kay asked him for unused oxycodone pills." Among scores of possible exhibits listed by prosecutors are immunity letters for three people identified only by the initials C.C., M.M. and B.P. in addition to grand jury and trial immunity orders for a fourth person identified as M.H. Several current and former Angels front-office employees are on the list, too. They include former vice president of communications Tim Mead, traveling secretary Tom Taylor and communications director Adam Chodzko. Eric Kays demeanor and performance of work duties before and after the death of [Skaggs]; Eric Kays statements about attending rehab for opioid addiction, the entry describing Chodzkos testimony read, continuing, layout of Angels Stadium and pre- and post-game procedures for communications department; travel duties for communications department; actions taken on July 1, 2019 after learning of the death of [Skaggs]; statements made and actions taken by Eric Kay after the death of [Skaggs]. Story continues After several delays, Kays trial is scheduled to start next week. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of distributing the drug that led to Skaggs death and conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute the opioids fentanyl and oxycodone beginning in or before 2017. Skaggs was found dead in his Southlake, Texas, hotel room on July 1, 2019, before the Angels opened a series against the Texas Rangers. Law enforcement discovered a counterfeit 30-milligram oxycodone tablet containing fentanyl a synthetic opioid 80 to 100 times more powerful than morphine in the room. Two months later, the Tarrant County medical examiner ruled that the 27-year-old died from mixed ethanol, fentanyl and oxycodone intoxication that led to choking on his vomit. Prosecutors allege Kay had been distributing controlled substances, including oxycodone to players since at least 2017. The government anticipates presenting testimony of approximately five players who received oxycodone from Kay in 2017, 2018, and/or 2019, prosecutors said in a motion filed in August. The evidence will also demonstrate that Kay often coordinated the distribution through text messages or through conversations involving the victim, [Skaggs]. Prosecutors initially filed the witness and exhibit lists under seal before a previous trial date last fall and fought to keep them sealed until the conclusion of testimony. The Los Angeles Times moved to intervene in the case in December in an effort to unseal the lists. In response, last month Judge Terry R. Means ordered that the witness and exhibit lists for the upcoming trial not be sealed absent extremely good cause. But prosecutors again asked to seal the lists until the trial ended, citing significant media attention and alleged that publication of the lists could enable third parties, directly or indirectly, to intimidate or embarrass the witnesses in such a manner that would alter their anticipated testimony. Prosecutors subsequently asked the judge to extend the deadline to file the lists until after the trial, while exchanging them informally with Kays attorneys. The Government has again turned its nose up at this Courts directives and the press and the publics First Amendment and common law rights, James A. Hemphill, an attorney for The Times, wrote in a filing. The judge ended the attempts to shield the records from public view before the trial in an order issued Wednesday: In short, the Court concludes that the government has failed to demonstrate that its concerns regarding the public filing of witness and exhibit lists outweigh the presumption of open public records. Other possible government witnesses listed include Skaggs widow, Carli, his mother-in-law, Nina Miles, Southlake first responders, DEA agents, other law enforcement and several expert witnesses. Kay, who had worked in the teams communications department since 1996, turned himself into law enforcement on Aug. 7, 2020, and the criminal complaint against him was unsealed. In the affidavit supporting the complaint against Kay, Drug Enforcement Administration special agent Geoffrey Lindenberg wrote, It was later determined that but for the fentanyl in [Skaggs] system, [Skaggs] would not have died. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia. AP Photo/Steve Helber, File Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin was heckled by a shopper in a local grocery store for not wearing a face mask. "Governor, where's your mask?" the customer yelled at the Republican politician, telling him to, "Read the room, buddy." Youngkin replied to the woman: "We're all making choices today." Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin was called out this week by a shopper in a local grocery store for not wearing a face mask inside the shop, video of the encounter shows. "Governor, where's your mask?" the masked customer yelled at the newly-inaugurated Republican politician while inside the Safeway grocery store in the heavily-liberal city of Alexandria on Thursday, according to video tweeted by WUSA9 reporter Matthew Torres. Youngkin replied to the woman, saying, "We're all making choices today." "Yeah, look around you governor, you're in Alexandria," the shopper shot back, adding, "Read the room, buddy!" Related video: Anti-maskers march through Fort Lauderdale Target in 2020 Youngkin, who was at the store to tout his plan to eliminate the state's grocery tax, appeared to ignore the woman's additional comments. "The governor often says if you want to wear a mask, wear a mask, but in Virginia you get to choose," Youngkin spokesperson Macaulay Porter told Insider in a statement on Friday. Youngkin is currently facing several lawsuits over his executive order issued last month on his first day in office banning mask mandates in Virginia schools. Read the original article on Business Insider Snow and ice are covering serval roads in Shreveport and Bossier City. On Friday, the Caddo Parish Sheriff's office issued a list of roads to drive with caution including: I-20 at Exit 3 and Exit 5 Hwy 1 Hwy 538 Rail bridge at eastbound and westbound I-20 in Greenwood These roads are not closed at this time but drivers are being asked to remain vigilant while driving. More: Winter weather is closing Shreveport, Bossier schools and roads. Here's which ones Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Some Shreveport roads are open. Here's which ones jetcityimage / Getty Images Most of the first SNAP benefits of the new year have already been paid out, which means many families are planning their February payments. See: Social Security Schedule: When the First COLA Checks Will Arrive in February 2022 Find: Didnt Get a January Child Tax Credit Payment? Heres Why Not In most states, SNAP benefits are transferred to recipients via a prepaid debit card with their specific benefit amount already loaded onto the card. Some states call it an EBT card and other states, like Texas, customize the name where its known as a Lone Star Card. Individual states are responsible for SNAP schedules and when payments specifically go out. Generally, states will distribute payment schedules according to the last numbers of your identification number for their programs. To find the information, search for a specific states SNAP program/provider website. For example, for Texas, simply type Texas SNAP into your search engine and the first link provided is that for the Texas Health and Human Services Department. From there, you can sign up for benefits, check your eligibility and when you will get paid. The USDA released a memorandum in October of 2021 stating that SNAP allotments would be increased for 2022. According to the agency, maximum allotments will increase for the 48 contiguous states and Washington D.C., Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Families of four will receive a maximum allotment of $835 if they are in the 48 contiguous states and Washington D.C. A family of four will receive a maximum of $1,074-$1,667 in Alaska. A family of four will receive a maximum of $1,573 in Hawaii A family of four will receive a maximum of $1,231 in Guam. A family of four will receive a maximum of $1,074 in the U.S. Virgin Islands. See: Social Security COLA: Seniors Will Receive the Highest Increase in Decades, But Its No Match For 6.2% Inflation Surge Find: Avoid Buying These 25 Grocery Items That Are Now More Expensive Story continues These increases in maximum benefits are the COLA increase adjustment accounting for the increasing prices in food and everyday grocery store items. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: SNAP Schedule 2022: February Payments Flash Dragon boat racing will be seen back in Australia's Sydney over the weekend as a part of its Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations. From Saturday to Sunday, 1,250 paddlers will compete in 72 races at Sydney's picturesque Darling Harbour. "It is wonderful to have this visually spectacular event features again this year as part of our Sydney Lunar Festival celebrations," Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said. The organizer, Dragon Boats New South Wales (NSW), has hosted the Dragon Boat regatta since the late 1990s, but it has been suspended since 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. "We invite all of Sydney to come down to Darling Harbour and get up close to all the action and watch this thrilling competition," said Dragon Boats NSW CEO Tony Henderson. "With over 1,000 paddlers of all ages, I guarantee we will see some thrilling competition, as the spectacular dragon boats race through the waters to pounding drums and cheering spectators," he said. Originating in the rivers of southern China, dragon boat racing today has evolved into a global competitive water sport with a passionate following. Sydney's dragon boat racing has become the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere. Moore said this event will become a good chance to draw crowds into the Darling Harbour and surrounding area to appreciate the city and support the local businesses. VERO BEACH State Rep. Erin Grall wants to move to the state Senate, on Thursday announcing her candidacy for the proposed Senate District 29, which would cover Sebastian to Port St. Lucie and west beyond Okeechobee. While the state House and Senate have approved the redistricting plan for the Legislature, required every 10 years to adjust for population growth, it still needs approval of the Florida Supreme Court. The new District 29 takes parts of the current state Senate District 17, now represented by Debbie Mayfield, R-Rockledge. Under the proposed redistricting, Mayfield, whose term ends this year, would be moved to District 19, which encompasses Roseland to north of Cape Canaveral. Erin Grall: Next steps for Florida House District 54 Rep. Erin Grall: Give birth, resume legislative work State House District 54: Erin Grall defeats Al Griffiths Grall, a Vero Beach Republican, is in her third term in the Florida House, representing District 54: Indian River County and part of northern St. Lucie County. She has focused on early-education initiatives, reducing automotive insurance expenses and improving water quality. Rep. Erin Grall speaks about the Parents' Bill of Rights legislation during a parent empowerment town hall meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021, at the Vero Beach Heritage Center. The event was hosted by the Indian River County Moms for Liberty and We the People. She was a sponsor and a driving force behind the passage last session of the Parents' Bill of Rights law, which expanded parents' ability to be involved in their children's school and, among other provisions, allows parents to exempt their children from sex education in schools. Grall was unavailable for comment Friday. A native of Vero Beach, Grall is a partner in her family's Grall Law Group. Parents' Bill of Rights: Parents' Bill of Rights on its way to becoming law; concerns of LGBTQ advocates remain My family and I are blessed to live in a region, and a state, that values personal freedom and economic opportunity," Grall said in a statement. "Florida stands in stark contrast to the dysfunction of Washington, D.C., and our leaders in the state Senate have been on the front lines of defending our shared priorities protecting peoples livelihoods, standing up for our schoolchildren and keeping Florida one of the most fiscally sound states in the nation. Story continues Throughout my tenure in the Florida House of Representatives, Ive worked hard to advance these shared priorities, and look forward to the opportunity to join with the accomplished and dedicated Republican leaders in the state Senate whove led with courage and conviction to keep Florida the freest, most prosperous state in the Union." More: Florida Legislature moves ahead with redraw of districts, but waits on DeSantis and court More: New Florida House boundaries approved, but draw fire over minority districts Robbie Brackett Grall's current House district also would be changing under the proposed maps. Renamed District 34, it would expand to south of Palm Bay, and west beyond Blue Cypress Lake. Vero Beach Mayor Robbie Brackett filed in December for the House seat, knowing Grall planned to run for the Senate. He plans to refile paperwork after the proposed maps are finalized because the districts will be numbered differently. "I decided (after talking with Grall about her plans) this was an opportunity for me, that maybe I can be an asset (to Vero Beach)," he said. Redistricting Map: Florida Senate breaks with Gov. Ron DeSantis on congressional redistricting map Airport-funding rules Vero Beach renews effort to get changes in airport-funding rules; state lawmakers pledge support For example, the city is trying to enlist state help in changing the rules for how regional airports are categorized and funded, he said. Having an additional local voice in Tallahassee could be beneficial, he said. Brackett is in "full-force campaign" (mode), he said, but is trying to avoid the appearance that he is running against Grall for the House seat. Colleen Wixon is the Indian River County government watchdog reporter for TCPalm.com. Contact her at Colleen.Wixon@TCPalm.com or 772-978-2235. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Erin Grall, Three-term state Rep., seeking state Senate seat in November UPDATE 2/4/2022: Broome County man sentenced to 30 years to life for attempted murder of state trooper A New York state trooper who was shot and injured while responding to a call June 13 in the Village of Deposit has been released from the hospital. Trooper Ryan Thorp was shot in the arm after responding to a reported domestic dispute shortly after 9 p.m. on Sunrise Terrace in Deposit, about 31 miles east of Binghamton. Thorp underwent surgery later that night at UHS Wilson Medical Center in Johnson City. He was released from the hospital Wednesday and will continue care at home, state police said. The man accused of shooting Thorp, Scott A. Mawhiney, 44, of Deposit, was taken into custody at the scene a short time after the incident. New York state Trooper Ryan Thorp is wheeled out of Wilson Memorial Hospital on Wednesday after recovering from a gunshot wound to the arm while responding to a call in Deposit. Mawhiney was arraigned on a charge of first-degree attempted murder and remains incarcerated at the Broome County Jail without bail. He could face 20 years to life in prison if found guilty. Thorp is a three-year veteran of the state police and is stationed at the Deposit barracks. Related: Broome County jury convicts Endicott man for role in 2020 shooting Technology: Steuben County-based Empire Access named fastest internet provider in the nation Entertainment: 4th of July fireworks, concerts, parades around Binghamton: Dates, times and more The June 23 incident was the second shooting of a state Trooper in the Binghamton area this month. Jason D. Johnson, 34, of Colesville, is accused of shooting and wounding state Trooper Becky Seager of the Binghamton barracks in the hip during a shootout June 9 in Colesville. That incident sparked a massive manhunt that ended the next day when Johnson was captured near a riverbank off State Route 79 in the Town of Colesville. Johnson was likewise charged with first-degree attempted murder and is also in custody at the Broome County Jail without bail. Follow Jeff Murray on Twitter @SGJeffMurray. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Binghamton-area state trooper hurt in shooting released from hospital JACKSON, Miss. (AP) A statue of white supremacist former Mississippi Gov. Theodore Bilbo has quietly been moved out of sight in the state Capitol a move praised by Black lawmakers who say he never deserved a place of prominence. Bilbo was a Democrat who blasted racist rhetoric. He was governor for the 1916-20 and 1928-32 terms and was in the U.S. Senate from 1935 until his death in 1947. The bronze statue of Bilbo stood prominently at the center of the state Capitol for decades. After the building underwent extensive renovations in the 1980s, the statue was moved to a first-floor committee room. Democratic Rep. Kabir Karriem, a member of the Legislative Black Caucus, said its lingering presence was very offensive" in a state where nearly 40% of residents are Black. Legislators have been meeting since early January, and it's only in recent days that people have begun noticing Bilbo was nowhere in sight. The statue is approximately life-sized, at 5 feet, 2 inches (158 centimeters). It was not a revered art piece: People sometimes hung their coats or purses on its outstretched arm. House Speaker Philip Gunn said he was unaware the statue had been moved until Thursday, when someone asked him about it. He said he does not know where it is. I have not verified anything, Republican Gunn said. Well look into it and see. Statues of Confederate soldiers and generals have been removed from public display in several places across the South in recent years amid debates about how the U.S. should acknowledge troubling parts of its history. In the summer of 2020, Mississippi legislators voted to retire the last state flag in the U.S. that prominently featured the Confederate battle emblem. Months later, voters approved a new Mississippi flag without Confederate imagery. Another member of the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus, Democratic Rep. Ed Blackmon of Canton, said that when he was first elected to the House in 1979, the Bilbo statue was still in the rotunda. Story continues Thats the first person I met when I came to the Capitol, Blackmon said Thursday. I said, My God. Bilbo. During Bilbo's last campaign in 1946, a group of Black Mississippi residents filed a petition with the U.S. Senate, saying Bilbo had used inflammatory appeals" to white people and incited violence that discouraged Black voters from participating in the Democratic primary, according to the U.S. Senate. A bipartisan group of senators traveled to Mississippi to hear testimony. A majority of them sided with Bilbo and said he should be seated, but a minority wrote a report saying Bilbo had used vile, contemptible, inflammatory and dangerous language." The Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus often meets in the room where the Bilbo statue stood. I really looked at it the same way I looked at the flag, Blackmon said. It was a symbol of this state's ideas about inferiority of Black people. He used my folk as a stepping stone to higher office." ____ Follow Emily Wagster Pettus on Twitter: http://twitter.com/EWagsterPettus. It seems like all we see are letters complaining about the lack of accessibility and poor management skills of Mayor Oakes and the "gang of four." Whether it's from inexperience and ineptitude, some Republican "Trumpian plot" or just sheer meanness, they have earned each and every one of those criticisms. But that is not why I am writing! I would like to express my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to former Mayor Carolyn Dull and council members Terry Holmes and Brenda Mead. They have chosen to take the high road and continue to exhibit professionalism and a true love and concern for this city and all of its citizens. I know it has to be frustrating and heartbreaking to see what is happening and be powerless to stop it. But please don't give up the fight! You have a lot of friends and support in the community. People look to you as our voice. Thank you for your service and dedication to our city. MASON KILBOURN Staunton This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Staunton reader grateful for service of Dull, Holmes and Mead to city Nine Kentucky residents lost a total of more than $600,000 in an alleged scheme to fraudulently market silver coins, state officials announced. The people are part of a case in which federal regulators have charged that a California company used lies and misleading information to hook people, most of them elderly, into investing in silver at an exorbitant mark-up. The Kentucky residents, four of them retirees, lost $616,428 to the scheme, Gov. Andy Beshear said in a news release. The victims thought they were investing their retirement funds to provide for future needs. In reality, they were caught up in yet another investment fraud, which have increased significantly during the (COVID-19) pandemic, Beshear said. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodities Futures Trading Commission filed enforcement actions in federal court in California this week against the company, Safeguard Metals LLC, and its owner, Jeffrey Santulan, also known as Jeffrey Hill. The Kentucky Department of Financial Institutions joined with the commission and 26 other states in one of the complaints, which seeks restitution for the people who invested. State regulators have seen an increase in alleged fraudulent investment schemes tied to gold or silver coins and targeting senior citizens, according to an association of securities administrators. Safeguard Metals received a total of $67 million from selling coins to more than 450 people across the country, according to one court document. Federal regulators said Santulan and Safeguard employees used false and misleading statements to convince people to sell their existing securities and use the money to buy silver coins and gold. For example, company sales agents told people a federal law allowed banks and brokerage firms to freeze their existing 401(k) and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) during a stock-market turn down. However, the law the agents cited applied only to money-market accounts in rare circumstances and would not allow freezing an entire account, according to court documents. Story continues The company also told investors that its mark-up on the coins was usually ranged from 4%-23% depending on the product, when Safeguard actually charged an average mark-up of 64% on silver coins, the SEC said. At one point the company and agents claimed it was managing $11 billion in assets and had offices in New York, Beverly Hills and London. In fact, it had sold less than $75 million worth of coins and had only one office, a small leased space on the third floor of a building in Woodland Hills, Cal., federal regulators said. People who bought coins from the company generally and almost immediately suffered substantial losses on their investments due to the fraudulently overpriced coins, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission charged. Kentucky officials said the Safeguard Metals case is one of several investment schemes they have tried to stop, and more are under investigation. As the market continues to fluctuate, we expect to see more fraudsters attempting to capitalize on investors uncertainty and using fear to manipulate people out of their hard-earned money, said Marni R. Gibson, a division director at the state Department of Financial Institutions. Gibson said investors should be especially careful when buying precious metals and should check for high commissions. People who suspect they have been targeted in a similar precious-metals investment scheme can contact the department at 502-573-3390 or at kfi@ky.gov. U.S. and European warnings about a potential Russian military attack on Ukraine may have staved off an invasion for the moment, but the statements have also caused collateral damage for Ukraines economy, officials in Kyiv and experts say. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week blamed talk of war by the U.S. and other foreign partners for scaring off investors and triggering a 10 percent decline in the countrys currency. U.S. and Western officials, however, believe the warnings have helped alert the world to the danger posed by Russias troop buildup and that Moscows menacing actions are to blame for any turmoil in the markets. This is a new way to prevent aggression reveal the Kremlins plans before it manages to do anything, said Hlib Vyshlinsky, the executive director of the Kyiv-based Center for Economic Strategy think tank. However, the constant flow of scary predictions and warnings about Ukraine has a negative impact on our economy, he said. Ukraines currency has plunged in value since the troop buildup over the past few months. On Jan. 28, it was trading at 28.6 to the U.S. dollar on January, close to a record low. Foreign investors also have unloaded Ukrainian bonds, sending their interest rates soaring to about 25 percent and making it nearly impossible for the government or private companies to borrow money on international markets, said Anders Aslund, a senior fellow at the Stockholm Free World Forum. Zelenksyys government had to dip into foreign currency reserves to shore up the hryvnia, and it is now seeking financial support from the U.S. and other governments to prevent further damage. Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko this week suggested the U.S. might underwrite bonds issued by the government in Kyiv because of the prohibitive cost of borrowing in international markets. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelenskyys chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, told NBC News that Russias escalating threats and other actions appear aimed in part at undermining Ukraines economic stability and that international aid could help safeguard Ukraines economy. Story continues Concrete steps in support of Ukraine could be quite a logical reaction of Western partners, in particular through the mechanism of credit guarantees and appropriate financing both at the bilateral level and at the level of international institutions, Podolyak said. The Biden administration is looking at providing financial support to Ukraine beyond the half-billion dollars in development and humanitarian assistance it provided in the past year, said a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council. We are exploring additional macroeconomic support to help Ukraines economy amidst pressure resulting from Russias military build-up, the spokesperson said, without offering more details. Unlike in 2014, when Russia invaded and seized the Crimean peninsula, Ukraines economy is better placed to withstand pressure on its currency and bonds. It has built up a cushion of foreign currency reserves of $31 billion, the highest in a decade, and it is running manageable budget and current account deficits, according to Aslund and other experts. The European Commission on Tuesday announced plans for a $1.35 billion assistance program to Ukraine through long-term loans, and the British government said it planned to deliver an additional $120 million in foreign aid for Kyiv. Ukraine also can draw on funds from the International Monetary Fund under a financing program agreed to last year. The latest commitments from European partners have helped calm the currency market in recent days, Zelenskyy told reporters Wednesday in a joint news conference with visiting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Apart from dire warnings from Washington about a likely Russian invasion, decisions on the departure of some embassy staff, and advice from some foreign nationals to leave Ukraine, were also clearly premature and exaggerated, said Podolyak. The U.S. and the United Kingdom last month both ordered the families of staff members at their embassies to leave Ukraine, a move that angered officials and members of the Ukrainian parliament. Danylo Hetmantsev, a member of Parliament from Zelenskyys Servant of the People party, criticized the evacuation of dependents at some foreign embassies, saying it helped spook financial markets. He also questioned why Western governments had a much less dramatic response when Russia massed large numbers of troops on the border last year. Why did our partners remain silent in April when we had the same number of troops on the borders? he said. But Podolyak said the financial markets appeared to be less volatile this week after the Biden administration toned down its panic rhetoric and the two governments synchronized their approach. Former U.S. diplomats said the Biden administration was not reckless when it warned of the dangers of the Russian build-up and that it was crucial to call out Moscows actions, even if it inflicted some temporary damage to Ukraines economy. I can only speak for our intention and our responsibility, and we feel its important to be open and candid about the threat from Russia, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday. Administration officials also say they believed it was vital to expose any potential fabricated pretext being hatched by Moscow to justify possible military aggression and not wait until it was too late. The administration said Thursday that it had intelligence about a Russian plan to fabricate a pretext for an invasion of Ukraine using a fake video involving actors. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the U.S. publicized the information about the plan to expose Russias destabilizing actions towards Ukraine and dissuade Russia from continuing this dangerous campaign and ultimately launching a military attack. The White House, however, acknowledged Wednesday that it had adjusted its language and was no longer describing the possibility of a Russian military offensive as imminent. We stopped using it because I think it sent a message that we werent intending to send, which was that we knew President Putin had made a decision, Psaki told reporters. The Lexington Police Department is investigating a fatal accident that involved an on-duty Davidson County Sheriff's deputy hitting a pedestrian Monday morning, A tanker truck has wrecked on a Davidson County road Friday morning and is leaking ethanol, according to a report from the N.C. Department of Transportation. More: Keeping Valentine celebrations local with everything from speed dating to dinner with queens The crash occurred on Young Road near Jerusalem Road in Lexington. Both lanes of Young Road are closed as crews work to clean up the crash and spilled ethanol. A tanker truck has wrecked on a Young Road in Davidson County and is leaking ethanol. Both lanes of traffic on the road will be closed until late afternoon for clean-up, according to official reports. If you want to stay on top of what is happening in Davidson County, please support local journalism and subscribe to The Dispatch. The crash was reported at 8:11 a.m. The road is expected t be closed until about 3:30 p.m. for clean-up and investigation. It is not known at this time what caused the wreck. More: Plumbing industry expansion in Thomasville will create 100 new jobs in Davidson County Joy with jewelry: 82-year-old Brookdale Lexington resident finds happiness in new hobby - Jill Doss-Raines is The Dispatch trending topics and personality profiles senior reporter and is always looking for tips about businesses and entertainment events, secret and new menu items, and interesting people in Davidson County. Contact me at jill.doss-raines@the-dispatch.com and subscribe to us at the-dispatch.com. This article originally appeared on The Dispatch: Tanker crash causes Davidson County road to close for hazardous chemical spill clean up GrapeImages / Getty Images/iStockphoto Are you facing tax season with a teenager in college for the first time? See: Are Working Minors Entitled to a Tax Refund? Find: How Much Can Your Teen Make Before Needing to File Taxes? In some cases, parents received the advance Child Tax Credit for their college student. If your teen was under the age of 17 in 2021 for instance, maybe they just started school you could have received advance CTC payments throughout the second half of 2021. On the other hand, if you have a teenage college student over the age of 17, you may have qualified for the $500 dependent tax credit instead. In either case, the money was deposited into your bank account by the IRS, and your college student has no responsibility to file taxes because of the money. You, however, will want to reconcile the amount on IRS Letter 6419, which you should have received in January, with the amount of advance CTC you received when you file your own taxes this year. Discover: My Teenager Had a Summer Job Do They Need to File Taxes? Learn: Does Your State Require Your Child to Pay Income Tax? Your college student may have to file taxes for other reasons, such as if they had earned income over $12,500, or net income exceeding $400 as a 1099 independent contractor. If your college student worked as a W-2 employee in 2021, they might want to file taxes even if the income did not exceed $12,500, in case they are owed a refund. More from GOBankingRates: This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Teens & Taxes: I Received a Child Tax Credit for My College Student Do They Need to File Taxes? ATLANTA (AP) A Texas man accused of posting a message on Craigslist after the 2020 election calling on patriots in Georgia to put a bullet in three government officials has pleaded not guilty to a criminal charge. Chad Stark and his attorney appeared briefly by video Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Russell Vineyard in Atlanta. Stark, 54, pleaded not guilty to one count of communicating interstate threats. He remains free on bond. The Justice Department has said Stark's prosecution was the first criminal case brought by its new Election Threats Task Force that was created last summer. According to prosecutors, Stark posted a message on Jan. 5, 2021, titled: Georgia Patriots its time to kill (Official A) the Chinese agent - $10,000." The message stated, Georgia Patriots its time for us to take back our state from these Lawless treasonous traitors. It goes on to urge Georgia residents to militia up and calls for shooting the three officials as well as corrupt local and federal judges. Prosecutors did not name the officials in documents filed in federal court in Georgia. Former President Donald Trump has made repeated false claims that widespread fraud cost him the election, and some of his supporters have targeted election officials and workers in Georgia and elsewhere, making violent threats against them. Flash China has been helping the African Union (AU) and its member states overcome the shock of COVID-19 since the outbreak of the pandemic, a senior AU official said Thursday. The remark was made by Samate Cessouma Minata, AU Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development while addressing a press conference on the sidelines of the AU Executive Council meeting. The meeting brought together foreign ministers of African countries at the AU Headquarters in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The AU Commissioner said China has been a privileged partner of Africa in the management and fight against the pandemic across the continent. "I would like to congratulate China and thank them for the support they have extended to the entire continent since the beginning of the outbreak, we have the support of China not only to the commission but to member states," said Minata. Noting that the African continent imports about 99 percent of its COVID-19 vaccines to inoculate its population, Minata said the AU commission and its members are working to produce the vaccines locally, a move in which China has become a major partner. Minata further said the 55-member pan-African bloc is working with China not only in the supply of life-saving COVID-19 vaccines, but also in ensuring the food security of the continent. By Paul Lorgerie Bamako (Reuters) - Thousands of anti-French protesters took to the streets of Mali's capital on Friday waving Russian flags and burning cardboard cut-outs of French President Emmanuel Macron in celebration of the expulsion of France's envoy in Bamako. Mali expelled the French ambassador last week over what the country's transitional government described as "hostile and outrageous" comments by the former colonial power. Relations between Mali and its former coloniser have turned acrimonious after the junta, which seized power in August 2020, reneged on a promise to organise elections in February and proposed holding power until 2025. The failure to hold elections has led to punishing economic and financial sanctions backed by France and other European Union (EU) countries. The EU on Friday imposed sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes, on five individuals including Mali's transitional prime minister Choguel Maiga and members of interim president Assimi Goita's inner circle. [L8N2UF51B] Around 3,000 people gathered in central Bamako Friday afternoon, according to a Reuters witness. Adama Ben Diarra, known as Camarade Ben Le Cerveau, a vocal nationalist pro-Russian activist who the EU accused of helping to overthrow the government in August 2020, was one of those sanctioned by the EU. He movement organised Friday protest before the EU sanctions were announced. Diarra told the cheering crowed that it was an honour to be on EU's sanctions list. He said the expulsion of France's ambassador was an important step. The next step must be the departure of over 5,100 counter-terrorism troops deployed in Mali to help fight insurgents linked to the Islamic State and al Qaeda, he added. Addressing the deployment of Russian mercenaries to Mali, another issue that has soured between Mali and France and other Western partners fighting militants in the Sahel, Diarra said: "For the security of my people, I am ready to make a pact with Satan to drive out France and its terrorist allies." (Reporting by Paul Lorgerie; Writing by Cooper Inveen and Bate Felix; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) Better plan Ive been a registered nurse for over 25 years and have seen many changes to the Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) reimbursement structures. While a uniform financial approach made complete sense at the height of the pandemic, now, two years in, it's illogical. With the less virulent omicron variant, and effective treatment protocols, it only makes sense reimbursement is tied to better patient outcomes. The current CMS approach may even encourage hospitals to utilize less effective treatment protocols in order to receive higher reimbursement. Why not allow reimbursement to incentivize us towards even more positive patient outcomes? Doing so would be consistent with all other current CMS reimbursement structures. A better plan is one where CMS pays greater reimbursements for those who survive COVID, and a lesser reimbursement for the fully-vaccinated patient who dies. Patient complexity may motivate hospitals to utilize only the most effective, science-backed treatments available. Positive patient outcomes and shorter length of stay result in higher reimbursements. Debra F. Hutchinson, Micanopy No Build needed I am writing to express my concern about the Northern Turnpike Extension project. Almost two years ago I built a very modest home in Marion Oaks to accommodate my retirement. A year ago I fully retired and have enjoyed my new home, working in the yard, enjoying the community, getting familiar with the neighbors and enjoying the natural resources. I must say that Marion Oaks is a gem. One thing that attracted me to the community was the landscape. This community is very rural and there are thousands of undeveloped acres, which is very appealing to someone who lived in Central Florida for 20 years. The natural setting of Marian Oaks is what drew me to the area. In addition to the layout of the land and the beautiful forests that surround Marion Oaks, we are fortunate to enjoy bird-watching trails, horse riding and the world-class equestrian center. We also have natural resources like our clean, natural springs, rivers, aquifers and waterbeds, all for the fine residents and neighbors of our communities to enjoy. Story continues If any of the proposed routes are approved, those natural resources will be negatively impacted. In addition to the natural resources, there will be a huge impact to thousands of families and the property that they own. As you may know, there are many farms that will be impacted by any of these routes. These farms have belonged to families for generations upon generations and are their livelihood. If the Turnpike extension were to be built, those families would lose everything. As lawmakers read my concerns regarding the Northern Turnpike Extension, I hope they will consider a "no build," as this project will have a huge, negative impact to our natural resources and the livelihood of thousands of families who live in the path of this toll road. Paul Davis, Ocala Poster child for elected board What an embarrassment Don Browning is for the Marion County School Board. With all of his bragging and cluelessness, he has become the poster child for keeping an elected school board. JoAnne Willits, Ocala Write to us Send a letter to the editor (up to 250 words) to osbletters@starbanner.com. Letters must include the writer's full name and city of residence. Guest columns of up to 750 words are also accepted on a limited basis. More information on submitting letters and columns can be found at bit.ly/starbanneropinion. This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Feb. 4 letters: Readers comment on hospitals' finances, turnpike Feb. 3The Daily Brief is the Bangor Daily News' politics newsletter. Sign up for free. What we're watching today Top Democrats have lined up behind a measure incentivizing locally owned broadband systems battling in some areas with big providers. Just two years ago, we were writing stories like this about how a $600 million estimated cost and lack of rural buy-in was challenging a state goal of expanding high-speed internet to 95 percent of Mainers. It now feels like a gold rush on that front, with federal aid on track to send a majority of that total to the state, which does not include $500 million in general-purpose aid to local governments. That is prompting an interesting chess match between big internet service providers like Spectrum and an emerging class of community-owned utilities that own the wires. One good example of the coming battle is in Washington County, where Calais and Baileyville started a utility beginning to offer lightning-fast speeds. After their work began, Spectrum reached an agreement to build a fiber network in neighboring Robbinston, which had never even had cable service. While the big providers are actively opposing some local expansions, competition is lifting many boats. The debate is around whether cities and towns should continue entrusting service to companies that have at times ignored rural areas or assume the risk of building and maintaining their own systems. Hampden turned down a community-owned utility last year, but some there have credited that bid to a later service expansion. Top legislative Democrats have looked to aid the local networks. That is continuing in 2022 with a measure from Senate Majority Leader Eloise Vitelli, D-Arrowsic, to establish a fund that would give priority to projects from those providers and also allow other utilities to operate broadband systems. Lawmakers' ultimate decision in the face of likely opposition from bigger providers could be a sign of where we are headed. Story continues What we're reading Despite a strong list of bipartisan sponsors, Gov. Janet Mills' utility accountability push is going to need more work to unite disparate factions in the Legislature. Critics of Central Maine Power Co. say it may not be enough to incentivize better performance, while some who have been more aligned with the utility want more information and are skeptical of the narrow pathway it leaves for establishing a consumer-owned utility in Maine. Former state Sen. Tom Saviello, the most prominent politician who was publicly considering a run against Mills and former Gov. Paul LePage, said he would not run as an independent in 2022. (This was the reaction from Jason Savage, the Maine Republican Party's executive director.) The race between two known quantities leaves a difficult environment for a third candidate. If Maine has a two-way gubernatorial race in November, it would be the first since 1982 in the independent-friendly state. The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention is ending contact tracing efforts that have been rendered less effective by the super-contagious omicron variant. The recent COVID-19 surge driven by that strain looks to be waning here on the heels of a similar decline across the rest of the state, according to recent hospitalization data. Follow along today 9 a.m. Vitelli's broadband bill will have a public hearing before the utilities committee. Watch here. The Maine Board of Environmental Protection will hold a hearing on rulemaking for a bill passed last year that strengthens state regulation of large, above-ground petroleum tanks, including those in South Portland and Searsport. Watch here. 10 a.m. The Legislature's health committee will work on several bills, including one aimed at expanding MaineCare to every resident of the state and will hear a bill later in the day that would restore $5 million annually to a tobacco prevention program. Watch here. The Daily Brief is made possible by BDN subscribers. Enjoy unlimited access to all we have to offer by subscribing. Want to get texts tipping you off to major political stories before we break them? Get Pocket Politics. The service is free for the first 14 days and $3.99 per month if you like it. Do you want to advertise in the Daily Brief? Write our sales team. Dr. Theresa Tam, Canadas chief public health officer, stressed that we need to be "grateful" for healthcare workers, after hospital employees in Toronto were advised to not to wear anything to identify them has health workers this weekend, due to a possible "freedom convoy" protest. "We need to really be grateful and appreciate our health workers and our public health workers because theyve been working day and night for over two years to try and keep all of us safe, and its unacceptable, any kind of hate, any kind of violence should not be tolerated," Dr. Tam said at a press conference on Friday. "Protests are one thing and should be done peacefully and these are the very people who are trying to help, not only to protect people against COVID-19 but to support the community and all sorts of health issues. If you had an accident, if you need surgical interventions, if you need cancer treatment, so all these workers need to be able to have a safe passage to work and I think thats critically important." Unreal! In advance of convoy protests this weekend, health workers in Toronto are being asked not to wear clothes that may identify them as health workers. They used to clap & bang pots for us. How'd we get to a place where health workers must hide in public just to be safe? Naheed Dosani (@NaheedD) February 3, 2022 no no no toronto police we dont need the memo: not to look like health workers to avoid harm. we will keep doing our job. we need you to do yours to keep us safe and every patient/family who needs care. Andrew Baback Boozary MD (@drandrewb) February 3, 2022 Due to a convoy protest this weekend, Toronto health workers are being asked to not wear clothes that identify them as health workers. These protests aren't about "freedom." They're a slap in the face of every health worker who has worked to save lives during this pandemic. Dr. Amit Arya (@AmitAryaMD) February 3, 2022 Make this make sense: Toronto police is suggesting that healthworkers hide from the "freedom" convoy as they head to Toronto this weekend. How ridiculous is that? Why do we have to be the ones to adjust so as to accommodate their protests? What is the role of the police? Birgit Umaigba RN, MEd (@birgitomo) February 3, 2022 Email today with @TorontoPolice suggesting we dont wear clothing that may identify you as a hospital worker for our safety as we go into work this weekend in preparation for #FreedomConvoy2022 . How did we get here? Anton Nikouline (@Anikoul) February 3, 2022 There is something wrong with the warning from law enforcement to healthcare workers on University Avenue NOT to wear garb that identifies them as such. Is that caution or capitulation? What right do protesters have to force me to hide the work I do? Dr. Brian Goldman (@NightShiftMD) February 3, 2022 HCWs are being told to come to work incognito. This may be reasonable advice to minimize the potential for confrontation, but Bill C-3 is meant to deter those who would otherwise intimidate HCWs and patients. Will HCWs be protected? Will sick/dying patients have peace? pic.twitter.com/QrErBOs66R Michael Warner (@drmwarner) February 3, 2022 Jean-Yves Duclos, Canada's health minister, urged all healthcare workers to report any incidents of harassment, intimidation and threats to their local police force. Looking at how Canada should manage COVID-19 moving forward, Canada's chief public health officer indicated that we need to recognize that COVID-19 "is not going to disappear." "We need to be able to address the ongoing presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in a more sustainable way," Dr. Tam said. "The virus will continue to evolve so we need to also continue to evolve our measures, recognizing that further waves will occur." "Some will actually be quite severe or disruptive and we need to be ready for them, but we do need to have more longer term, sustained approaches and capacity building so that were not in crisis mode all the time as we fight this virus." By Patricia Zengerle and Michael Martina WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday narrowly passed a multibillion-dollar bill https://www.reuters.com/business/us-house-leaders-set-unveil-chips-china-competition-bill-2022-01-25 aimed at increasing American competitiveness with China and boosting U.S. semiconductor manufacturing, despite Republican opposition. The Democratic-majority House backed the "America COMPETES Act of 2022" by 222-210, almost entirely along party lines. One Republican joined Democrats in voting for the measure and one Democrat voted no. The vote took place hours after the opening ceremony https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/after-fraught-games-run-up-beijing-turns-opening-ceremony-2022-02-04 for the Beijing Winter Olympics, amid criticism in Congress of the International Olympic Committee for awarding the Games to China. Human rights groups have long criticized China's rights record, allegations China denies. The bill's passage by the House set up negotiations with the Senate on a compromise version of the legislation, which must pass both chambers before it can be sent to the White House for President Joe Biden's signature. The talks could take weeks or months, although Biden urged quick action in a statement praising what he called "vital" legislation. "Every day we delay we fall farther behind and that increases our domestic national security risk," Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told a news conference. The House bill authorizes almost $300 billion for research and development, including $52 billion to subsidize semiconductor manufacturing and research into the key components used in autos and computers. It also has $45 billion over six years to ease supply-chain problems that have exacerbated shortages. It includes changes to U.S. trade rules intended to offset China's market-distorting trade practices, including by strengthening anti-dumping rules. Story continues The bill would authorize $8 billion in U.S. contributions to the Green Climate Fund, established by the Paris Agreement to combat climate change, to help developing countries cope. 'MAKE AMERICA ... SELF-SUFFICIENT' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters before the vote that she intended to begin negotiations with the Senate quickly. "It is about making America ... self-sufficient when it comes to the supply chain, so that we're not depending on other countries," she said. Raimondo said companies had told the administration that without the chips funding they would build manufacturing plants outside the United States. The Semiconductor Industry Association praised the bill. Steve Zylstra, president of the Arizona Technology Council, said the bill was "profoundly important" to the state's ambitions of becoming the center of excellence for semiconductors in the United States, after both Intel Corp and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd recently announced plans to build new plants there. House Republicans complained that Democrats did not include them in drafting the legislation. They harshly criticized the climate provisions and said they could be used to help Beijing, and accused Democrats of using the China measure to advance parts of Biden's economic agenda that could not pass the Senate. House Democrats said Republicans had refused to engage with them while they wrote the legislation. Democrats note that their bill includes all or part of more than 60 smaller measures that Republicans had co-sponsored. The Senate passed its own bill - the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act - by 68-32 in June. Eighteen Republicans joined every Senate Democrat in voting yes. That legislation includes $52 billion to increase domestic semiconductor production and authorizes $190 billion for U.S. technology and research to compete with China. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle and Michael Martina in WashingtonAdditional reporting by Richard Cowan, Doina Chiacu, Moira Warburton and Alexandra Alper in WashingtonEditing by David Gregorio and Matthew Lewis) By Joanna Plucinska WARSAW (Reuters) - The first main U.S. forces are expected to arrive in Poland on Saturday, defence sources told Reuters on Friday, in order to reinforce NATO's eastern flank as the West and Russia wrangle over Russia's military presence near the Ukrainian border. The sources, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the troops' arrival, said the plans could change depending on security and logistics. President Joe Biden's administration on Wednesday announced the deployment of nearly 3,000 American troops to eastern Europe in the coming days amid a standoff with Russia over Ukraine. Around 1,700 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, are meant to come to Poland, Poland's Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak and the Pentagon said on Wednesday, but only on a temporary basis. A small group of soldiers from the U.S. Air Force's 435th Air Ground Operations Wing, which is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, arrived on Thursday to prepare for the arrival of the troops and military equipment. More flights with equipment landed on Friday at Rzeszow-Jasionka airport in Southern Poland. The U.S. military already has about 4,500 troops in Poland in both a NATO and a bilateral capacity, mostly stationed in the west of the country on a rotational basis. (Reporting by Joanna Plucinska; additional reporting by Phil Stewart in Washington; editing by Jonathan Oatis) Sarajevo Just three decades ago, the country today known as Bosnia and Herzegovina was the center of Europe's bloodiest conflict since World War II. The war that erupted between the country's Muslim Bosniaks, Orthodox Serbs and Catholic Croats left about 100,000 people dead and displaced millions more. The landmark moment in the bloodshed was the massacre in Srebrenica in July 1995, when some 8,000 Muslim men and boys were murdered by Bosnian Serbs. NATO intervened, and finally, after more than three years of bloodshed, the United States was able to broker a ceasefire later that year. The resolution established a power-sharing agreement among Bosnia's three main ethnic groups: Bosnia would remain one country, but with two semi-autonomous regions, the Republika Srpska and the Bosnia-Croat Federation. The overall nation, Bosnia and Herzegovina, would be led by three leaders simultaneously: a Serb, a Croat and a Bosniak. The deal ended the war, but it has been a fragile peace, and one that Milorad Dodik, president of Republika Srpska, has increasingly threatened to destabilize over the last six months. Dodik has stirred up nationalist sentiment and had the Serb parliament pass laws that enable the theoretical withdrawal of the Republika Srpska from the combined military of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and from the judicial and tax systems of the federation. If his administration continues in that direction, it would shatter the agreement reached in 1995 in Dayton, Ohio, and there's fear that could pave the way for a return to armed conflict. Despite the actions he's taken, Dodik's secessionist moves are often dismissed as rhetoric by Western diplomats. But those who know how fragile the peace holding the country together really is, say the risk is real. Christian Schmidt is the high representative to Bosnia and Herzegovina, a job created as part of the peace accord. His mission is to oversee the implementation of the Dayton Accords that have kept the peace for 30 years, and he told CBS News that he sees a creeping dismantlement of the country from within. Story continues "It is such an inflammatory rhetoric," Schmidt told CBS News of Dodik's remarks, "that I see we could come to a situation where their own purposes and promises are self-fulfilling, and this is the challenge of the tactics of Mr. Dodik and people like him: They are putting the peaceful development in danger." Bosnian Serbs march carrying a giant Serbian flag in Sarajevo, Bosnia, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022. / Credit: / AP Dodik remains hugely popular in the Serbian Republic. "For us Serbs in the Serb Republic, but also for the Croats and the Muslims living here, he is good," Alexander Kolar, who lives in the Republika Srpska town of Pale, told CBS News. "He is a leader for everyone and he does a lot for his people I hope he will win in the next election, here in my country!" But in other parts of the deeply divided nation, Dodik is dredging up painful collective memories. For Nedzla Ohran, they aren't her own memories - she was born not long after the war ended. But her parents remember it well. Her father fought for the Bosniak army, and her mother was held in captivity. Ohran told CBS News there's still a lot of hostility toward the Muslim community in Bosnia, and she believes Dodik is fueling it, very deliberately. "In many interviews, Dodik degrades the Muslim community, denies that the Srebrenica genocide happened," she said. "In my opinion, he is voting for a cultural war here in Bosnia." Abdi, who lives in the capital Sarajevo, echoed Ohran's concerns: "We can't afford the luxury to think we won't have another conflict. That's what we thought in 1992, and we were wrong." The most immediate concern is the possibility that Dodik will withdraw Republika Srpska from the Bosnian armed forces, which could leave him with some revived iteration of an ethnic Serb army. That is of particular concern to Sifet Podzic, Bosnia and Herzegovina's minister of defense. "Unfortunately, the situation is very grave. Since the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement, this is the most difficult year," he told CBS News. "We have a specific situation here: In case of an internal conflict, the armed forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina have no mission whatsoever to deal with an internal conflict." As the country's own forces cannot be deployed to fight any part of the fragile alliance that splits off and the Bosnia and Herzegovina military would cease to exist in its current form anyway, should Dodik make good on his threat Podzic told CBS News that U.S. or NATO forces are needed in the country, once again, to keep the peace. Majda Ruge, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations thinktank, said Dodik's recent words and actions are part of a well-established pattern of provocation by the Serb leader. "This is now an escalation of a process that has been ongoing since 2006, really since he assumed power in Republika Srpska," she told CBS News. "He has been repeatedly assaulting the authority of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina and threatening the maximalist scenario of secession to negotiate kind of concessions and weaken the authority of the state." The West has taken some action against Dodik: Last month, the U.S. Treasury froze his property assets in the U.S. and barred American citizens from doing business with him. The European Union has threatened to impose sanctions, "should the situation further deteriorate." But especially as he appears to have at least tacit support from Russia and China, the limited pressure from the West may be not be enough to convince Dodik to drop his secessionist intentions. With memories of the Bosnia War fading, it's far from clear that the U.S. and its European allies are willing to do what it takes to ensure that the state they fought to hold together in the 1990s remains intact. Republican National Committee censures members investigating January 6 attack on the Capitol Strength training classes empower people with challenges Frontier and Spirit airlines to merge By Sergiy Karazy PRIPYAT (Reuters) - Ukrainian forces fired at abandoned buildings and launched grenades and mortars on Friday during urban combat drills in the town of Pripyat, which has been deserted since the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster caused thousands to flee. Special forces, police and national guard held the exercises on snowy streets near abandoned Soviet hotels and buildings, some of which display the hammer and sickle. A special radiation control unit made checks before and during the exercises. Ukraine has carried out drills while the country braces for a possible military offensive after Russia massed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine's borders in recent weeks. "This was a battle with irregular militias in (an) urban environment," said a soldier, dressed in white camouflage gear, who did not provide his name. Russia, which seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and backs separatists in the East of the country, denies planning to attack but is demanding security guarantees including a promise that the NATO military alliance will never admit Ukraine. On April 26 last year, Ukraine marked the 35th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, when a reactor at the plant some 108 km (67 miles) north of the capital Kyiv exploded during a botched safety test. The result was the world's worst nuclear accident and it sent clouds of radiation across much of Europe. Thirty-one plant workers and firemen died in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, mostly from acute radiation sickness. Thousands more later succumbed to radiation-related illnesses such as cancer, although the total death toll and long-term health effects remain a subject of debate. Most of the area around the abandoned nuclear plant is a wilderness of empty buildings, scrubland and rubble. Pripyat was once home to 50,000 people who mostly worked at the plant. (Editing by Matthias Williams; Editing by Cynthia Osterman) You are here: World Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday said his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin will inject more vitality into China-Russia relations. Xi held talks with Putin in Beijing ahead of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games opening ceremony scheduled on Friday night. Xi recalled his attendance at the opening ceremony of the Sochi Olympic Winter Games in Russia in 2014 when they agreed to meet again eight years later in Beijing. Xi said Putin's visit has realized their "get-together for the Winter Olympics." Xi expressed his willingness to jointly carry forward the Olympic spirit with Putin and friends from across the world. YAVORIV, Ukraine (Reuters) - Ukrainian troops on Friday trained at the Yavoriv military base in western Ukraine, using anti-tank missiles, launchers and other military hardware delivered by the United States as part of a $200 million security package. Soldiers, some in white camouflage gear, fired missiles or stood observing, while military vehicles drove across a snowy landscape. Ukraine has received planeloads of U.S. military aid as it braces for a possible attack after Russia massed tens of thousands of troops near Ukraine's borders in recent weeks. Moscow denies planning any such offensive. "These weapons will help stop military vehicles, damage them and in the urban environment they will allow us to destroy buildings where the enemy hides," said Andriy Bestyuk, spokesman for the General Staff of the Ukrainian army. "If you want peace, get ready for war," said one soldier, whose face was covered and did not disclose his name. Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov on Friday evening said that the next planeload of U.S. weapons was expected to arrive soon. (Editing by Matthias Williams; editing by Diane Craft) A South Georgia police officer accused of selling marijuana while on duty and in uniform is behind bars, according to the states top law enforcement agency. Leon Mitchell, 32, was an officer with the Warwick Police Department, just north of Albany, when he was arrested Friday, Jan. 28, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced in a Feb. 2 news release. He faces several charges including two counts of sale/distribution of marijuana and possession with intent to distribute. The agencys Southwestern Regional Drug Enforcement Office received a tip that Mitchell was peddling drugs while in uniform, according to police. Agents said they got drugs from the officer in Worth and Lee counties during their investigation. #AmberAlert issued for 5 y/o Brayden Dobbs on behalf of Haralson County S.O. Brayden was last seen at 6:00 a.m. Police believe he is traveling with Anitritte Boyd Dobbs in a black Dodge Charger. Call 911. @MissingKids @HaralsonSheriff pic.twitter.com/v0Wge0ueNf GA Bureau of Investigation (@GBI_GA) February 4, 2022 Mitchell was later arrested and a search of his car turned up more marijuana, drug scales and plastic bags, police said in the release. He was booked into the Worth County Jail where he remained as of Friday, Feb. 4, online records show. Hes also charged with four counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, three counts of violation of oath of office and two counts of use of a communication device during the commission of a felony, according to the GBI. The case will be turned over to the district attorneys office once the investigation is complete, the agency said. Story continues Warwick is about 80 miles south of Macon. Deputy faces DUI charge after leading troopers on 130 mph chase, Georgia cops say Inmate arrested after escaping custody due to door malfunction, Georgia police say Accused robber hit 2 banks in a day, Georgia cops say. He was nabbed at the second one A student was found dead inside a University of Kansas dormitory late Thursday afternoon after university police officers were sent to his residence to check on him. Officers made the discovery just after 5 p.m. in Gertrude Sellers Pearson Residence Hall at 500 W. 11th Street in Lawrence, Deputy Chief James Druen, a spokesman for university police, said in a statement. The student was found in his room. Few details were immediately disclosed by police about the death. Druen said the matter is still under investigation, and foul play is not suspected. Druen said the name of the student would not be released out of respect for the family. Students seeking to speak with someone are encouraged to contact the universitys counseling and psychological services at 785-864-2277. Professional counselors may be reached through MySSP at https://caps.ku.edu/my-ssp. A senior State Department official on Friday warned that the world is closely watching China's engagement with Russia as the U.S. and its partners in Europe work to stave off a potential Russian invasion of its neighbor Ukraine. Daniel J. Kritenbrink, assistant secretary of State in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said a meeting Friday between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin provided an opportunity for Beijing to "encourage Russia to pursue diplomacy and de-escalation in Ukraine." "That is what the world expects from responsible powers," Kritenbrink said in a briefing with reporters. "If Russia further invades Ukraine and China looks the other way, it suggests that China is willing to tolerate, or tacitly support Russia's efforts to coerce Ukraine, even when they embarrass Beijing, harm European security, and risk global peace and economic stability." Russia invaded Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and annexed the territory in a move condemned by the international community. Xi and Putin met ahead of the opening of the Winter Olympics in Beijing and issued a lengthy joint statement in which the two controversial leaders affirmed a bond between their countries that "has no limits" and is "superior to political and military alliances of the Cold War era," a veiled reference to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and partnerships among Western democracies in general. The statement went on to say that "The sides oppose further enlargement of NATO and call on the North Atlantic Alliance to abandon its ideologized cold war approaches ... The sides stand against the formation of closed bloc structures." It also further denounced the U.S. strategy in the Indo-Pacific as having a negative impact and engaging with "opposing camps in the Asia-Pacific region". The U.S. is engaged in intensive diplomacy to try to prevent a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Putin has massed more than 100,000 troops on its border with the former Soviet state and moved troops to Belarus on Ukraine's northern border, a move it says are part of military exercises but that the U.S. says is a dangerous provocation. Story continues Russia denies that it has plans to invade Ukraine but has issued security demands of the U.S. and NATO, asking them to commit to barring Ukraine and several other nations from ever joining the alliance. The U.S. has rejected this demand but said it is willing to discuss steps both sides can take to address arms control, impose limits on missile deployments and increase transparency around the size and scope of military drills. With Russia failing to heed calls by the U.S. and other nations to draw down its troops from Ukraine's border, the Biden administration has warned that Russia is poised to invade, and the White House is working to coordinate a punishing sanctions regime if Russian troops move across the border. The administration has further raised alarm that Russia is coordinating highly detailed operations to create a pretext for invasion, including the production of a propaganda video that the U.S. said would make use of fake corpses and crisis actors to portray a Ukrainian attack on Russians. Senior administration officials have raised the possibility that Putin's travel to Beijing could provide a small reprieve to the threat on Ukraine's border, speculating the Russian leader would not take action amid China's hosting of the two-week Olympic competition. But Kritenbrink on Friday raised the possibility that the Olympics provide an opportunity for Putin to launch an invasion, referencing Russia's invasion of Georgia during the 2008 Summer Olympics - which also took place in Beijing - that occurred following Moscow's stated opposition to Georgia's intent to join NATO. "We have unfortunately seen this before," Kritenbrink said. "This marks the second time that Russia has escalated aggression toward a sovereign country during a Beijing Olympics. The last time was Russia's invasion of Georgia during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics," he added. Kritenbrink underscored that the U.S. has held almost 200 diplomatic engagements with allies and partners since Russia first started posturing military troops on its border with Ukraine in November. "We are focused on working with allies and partners including in the Indo-Pacific to respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine." Robot dogs are being deployed to patrol the USs southern border with Mexico, attracting criticism that such a move will exacerbate anti-immigrant dystopia and the invasive and dehumanising conditions already prevalent in the region. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Tueday said it was deploying robot dogs to patrol the countrys southern border with Mexico to assist its Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel. The goal of the programme, it said, was to leverage technology to increase the presence of CBP at the borders and to reduce human exposure to life-threatening hazards. The southern border can be an inhospitable place for man and beast, and that is exactly why a machine may excel there, Brenda Long, programme manager of the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) at DHS, said in a statement. This S&T-led initiative focuses on Automated Ground Surveillance Vehicles, or what we call AGSVs. Essentially, the AGSV program is all about robot dogs, Ms Long added. Critics had earlier likened the unveiling of the robot dog by the company Ghost Robotics to one of the dystopic, science fiction concepts seen on the TV show Black Mirror. The company, which is collaborating with the DHS on the deployment, had unveiled the robot dog with a rifle on its back last year. #BorderTech robot dogs to be deployed by US Customs and Border Patrol. Announced Feb 1,2022, the robot dogs will lend a helping hand (or paw) with new technology that can assist with enhancing the capabilities of CBP personnel.https://t.co/jTF98UAq4B (via @ReeceJonesUH) pic.twitter.com/Z1L7VdBlzU Petra Molnar (@_PMolnar) February 2, 2022 Critiques of the technology have severely attacked it by saying it was dehumanising and invasive, even as the DHS believes semi-autonomous drones and robot dogs are force multipliers. Story continues The American Civil Liberties Union, a nonprofit legal and advocacy organisation, said the Joe Biden administration should cease the programme immediately. DHSs plan to use robot patrol dogs on its borders is a civil liberties disaster in the making. The government must retract this dangerous proposal, and the Biden administration must put the brakes on our countrys slide into an anti-immigrant dystopia, the ACLU tweeted. DHSs plan to use robot patrol dogs on its borders is a civil liberties disaster in the making. The government must retract this dangerous proposal, and the Biden administration must put the brakes on our countrys slide into an anti-immigrant dystopia.https://t.co/KIiDVaHrPo ACLU (@ACLU) February 3, 2022 Gavin Kenneally, the chief product officer at Ghost Robotics, however, said the companys 100-pound robot dog was bred to exactly suit the type of work the CBP needed. It is a rugged, quadruped robot. It traverses all types of natural terrain including sand, rocks, and hills, as well as human-built environments, like stairs. Thats why you want legs, and not tracks, Mr Kenneally added. Fascist police state https://t.co/upwxa23PdX Aren R. LeBrun (@proustmalone) February 3, 2022 Despite the harsh, inhospitable conditions at the US-Mexico border, DHS claimed many kinds of illegal activities occur in the arid regions. Just like anywhere else, you have your standard criminal behaviour, but along the border you can also have human smuggling, drug smuggling, as well as smuggling of other contrabandincluding firearms or even potentially, [the trafficking of] WMD [Weapons of Mass Destruction], Brett Becker, of the CBPs Innovation Team, said. These activities can be conducted by anyone from just a lone individual, all the way up to transnational criminal organisations, terrorists or hostile governmentsand everything in between, Mr Becker added. The desert and mountainous regions also pose several life-threatening risks to agents and officers. A recent study, published in the journal Science, also noted that this terrain could become more inhospitable in the coming decades due to the ongoing climate crisis, posing increased risk of death due to dehydration among undocumented migrants crossing the US-Mexico border. Operating out in the desert or mountains, agents and officers have to contend with the rugged terrain, high heat and humidity, and then, of course, they can come across those who wish to do harm, Mr Becker said. We're maybe 24 months away from someone kicking a robot dog and being charged with "assaulting an officer" https://t.co/1N6w8KnOFe Andrew Thaler (@DrAndrewThaler) February 3, 2022 The robot dogs are currently being tested for their abilities to complete assignments such as sentry duty as well as carrying payloads across rough terrain. Some of these payloads include video and other sensor packages, which after being mounted onto the robot dog, can transmit real-time video and other data back to the human operating or monitoring them. Researchers also subjected the robot dogs to scenarios that would require them to move through harsh environments, operate in tight spaces and be unfazed by high heat as well as low oxygen conditions situations dangerous for CBP agents and officers. The robot dogs are also programmed to go on simulated sentry duty in daylight as well as at night, with further tests also conducted on battery life and impact of terrain on their endurance. By Daren Butler ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Hundreds of protesters from China's Muslim Uyghur community rallied in Istanbul on Friday to call for a boycott of the Winter Olympics opening in Beijing and to urge participants to speak out against China's treatment of the ethnic minority. The Beijing Olympics opened on Friday in the shadow of a diplomatic boycott over China's human rights record and devoid of most spectators due to the coronavirus pandemic. "China stop the genocide", "Muslims don't sleep, stand up for your brothers", chanted the protesters, who briefly blocked a road and scuffled with lines of Turkish riot police as they tried to march up a hill towards the Chinese consulate. "These Olympics are being held not on snow, but on blood," said one protester, 26-year-old student Abdullah Mudinoglu. Many protesters, gathered on Istanbul's waterfront, waved the blue-and-white flags of the independence movement of East Turkestan, a group Beijing says threatens the stability of its far western region of Xinjiang. Some 50,000 Uyghurs are estimated to live in Turkey, the largest Uyghur diaspora outside Central Asia. Turks have close ethnic, religious and linguistic ties to the Uyghurs. 'BLOODY GAMES' "We call on all humanity to boycott and not watch the Winter Olympics, and for sports people and participants not to take part in these bloody games," Hidayet Oguzhan, head of the East Turkestan Education and Solidarity Association, told the crowd. U.N. experts and rights groups estimate more than a million people, mainly from the Uyghur and other Muslim minorities, have been detained in forced labour camps in Xinjiang since 2016. China initially denied such camps existed, but has since said they are vocational centres and are designed to combat extremism. It denies all accusations of abuse. "We are completely against the Olympics being held there with such genocide being perpetrated against the Uyghurs," said 28-year-old Sufinur Omercan at Friday's protest. Story continues "My father... was a historian and was thrown in prison because of the columns and books which he wrote. I can't get any news on him since 2017." Last month, 19 Uyghurs filed a criminal complaint with a Turkish prosecutor against Chinese officials, accusing them of committing genocide, torture, rape and crimes against humanity. The United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, Japan and Denmark have said they will not send official diplomatic delegations to the Games to protest China's rights record. (Additional reporting by Bulent Usta and Murad Sezer; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Jonathan Spicer and Gareth Jones) In the racial reckoning that followed the 2020 killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police, Democratic elected officials and candidates were unequivocal: Efforts to end discrimination and drive equity in our nation would be supported and encouraged in any and every way possible. Reforms such as legislation passed in New York's Legislature that reformed bail structures would expand. New ones, including the release of long-hidden police disciplinary records, would and did become law. Police accountability was pledged by candidates up and down the ballot in 2020 and again in off-year elections in 2021. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who sought a second term last year, made considerable hay in his campaign about how the Garden State would not "go back." New Jersey, he meant, would not return to the status quo. Meanwhile, police leaders across the nation marched in Black Lives Matter demonstrations, launched listening tours and community engagement initiatives and worked to recruit more diverse new officers. The unjust killings of Floyd and Taylor spurred a much-needed consciousness-raising on racial injustice. That effort has continued even in the face of a challenging pandemic that has upended nearly every aspect of American life. And it must continue. Now, though, Democrats in power from the White House to state capitols to Gracie Mansion in New York City, are attempting some very tricky trapeze maneuvers in trying to balance their commitments to police reform as a tool to achieve racial justice while also channeling resources to police agencies to address an alarming rise in gun violence. In New York alone, homicides involving guns surged 80% in 2020. We have reported extensively on the rise in crime and gang activity in multiple cities and towns across the Empire State. In a conversation with the USA TODAY Network New York Editorial Board late last month, Gov. Kathy Hochul said that curbing the violence was a top priority even as police agencies must continue to do better engaging with communities of color. Story continues "Well, that's the balance that is very important to strike, Hochul told us. "But right now, there is an unease, there's an anxiety that was not there before the pandemic hit. We have to deal with the sense that people don't feel comfortable in their streets." Young people express anxiety, fear: Gun violence on the minds of New York teens, residents as President Biden comes to NYC President Joe Biden hands a note to New York City Mayor Eric Adams during a discussion on gun violence strategies. Hochul took part in President Joe Biden's visit to New York City Thursday. Biden, along with U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, met with the governor and Mayor Eric Adams to announce new federal initiatives to stem the flow of illegal guns. The high-profile visit follows the shootings of New York Police Department officers Wilbert Mora and Jason Rivera in Harlem last month after they were called to respond to a domestic disturbance. Rivera, 22, died at the scene. Mora, 27, died after being taken off life support last week. Obviously, it's critical that elected officials work to make our communities safe and we expect them to do so. They must avoid the false choice, however, that tamping down crime means violating civil rights or disrespecting the people who live in the neighborhoods most affected by crime. It is quite possible, and necessary, to improve public safety while also addressing social injustice and systemic racism. Our law enforcement agencies must continue their imperative work to keep our communities safe particularly targeting the traffic flow of illegal guns into the most vulnerable neighborhoods in our cities. And they can and should continue efforts to better engage Black and brown communities in new and healthy ways. In neighborhoods with no opportunity, there is no hope, and that's often what draws young men into criminal activity. Our politicians, therefore, while affording police resources to decrease shootings and violence, must also make good on their pledges to invest in job creation. Put simply, the balance Hochul described must be struck. We encourage our readers to tell our elected officials that they expect a holistic approach to fighting the violent tide of crime tackling gun trafficking and shootings and continuing vital progress made on social justice promotion. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Reduce gun violence, respect civil rights, says Gannett NY editorial Korean zombie series "All Of Us Are Dead" is Netflix's most popular TV show right now. Netflix Korean-language zombie series 'All Of Us Are Dead' is Netflix's most popular show right now. For some, however, it's dredging up painful memories of South Korea's 2014 Sewol ferry disaster, which left 304 people dead. Many of those who died in the tragedy were students abandoned by the ship's crew as the ferry sank. Netflix's new number one series, "All Of Us Are Dead," is being lauded worldwide for its bloodthirsty zombie scenes but for many young viewers, it's also dredging up painful memories of one of South Korea's deadliest disasters in recent memory. On Twitter, users pointed out how many scenes from the Korean-language show were heartbreaking reminders of the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster that killed 304 people. Out of those, around 250 were children from the same high school on the outskirts of Seoul. One Twitter user shared that the ferry tragedy was all they could think after watching three episodes. "How children were neglected by adults whom they put their hopes on," they wrote alongside three crying emojis. Meanwhile, a Twitter user with the handle @say_nanya said they were reminded of the disaster after seeing the show's "adults failing the youth." The MV Sewol ferry sank en route from Incheon to Jeju on April 16, 2014. The tragedy sparked massive outrage when it was reported that several ferry crew members, including the captain, abandoned the ship after telling the passengers to remain in their cabins. Given Korea's culture of obedience, few students questioned the order, and hundreds died. Similarly, in "All Of Us Are Dead," high school students have been left to fend for themselves after a zombie virus takes over the school. Many of their teachers prove useless and selfish even as the children go to them for help. Story continues Some of the show's details have also been singled out on social media for appearing to pay homage to the ferry disaster. Several scenes, for example, prominently feature yellow ribbons, a recognized symbol of the Sewol tragedy. Another scene features the students recording a video message to their parents, reminiscent of the recorded farewell message videos and texts sent from the ferry as it sank. Yellow ribbons were used to mourn the Sewol ferry disaster victims, and they can also be seen in "All Of Us Are Dead." ED JONES/AFP via Getty Images As soon as "All Of Us Are Dead" was released on Netflix last Friday, it shot up to the top of the streamer's Top 10 non-English-language TV list in 91 countries worldwide. According to Netflix, it drew 124.79 million hours of viewing in its first three days and is now the streaming giant's most popular series. Following the massive success of its Korean thriller "Squid Game," Netflix is set to release more than 25 Korean-language series in 2022, its most in a single year. Read the original article on Insider A northern Virginia judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin's executive order that allows parents to opt their children out of locally imposed school mask requirements. Arlington County Circuit Court judge Louise M. DiMatteo wrote that Youngkin doesn't have the authority to override local school boards' decisions, citing a law passed when Democrats were in control last year that requires school boards to prioritize in-person instruction while abiding by COVID-19 mitigation strategies. Currently, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends "universal indoor masking by all students (ages 2 years and older), staff, teachers, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status." "While the General Assembly has granted to the Governor significant and sweeping general powers to address an emergency it does not follow that the Governor, even in an emergency, can direct the school boards to ignore the General Assembly's deference to CDC guidance and to abandon their considered determination about what is practicable regarding those mitigation strategies," DiMatteo wrote. Youngkin's executive order fulfills a promise he made on the campaign trail about "parents rights," and specifically says parents of any child in "elementary or secondary school based early child care may elect for their children not to be subject to any mask mandate in effect at the child's school." It adds that parents aren't required to provide a reason for opting their child out of school, and that they shouldn't be forced to wear a mask "under any policy implemented by a teacher, school, school district, the Department of Education, or any other state authority." School boards in Fairfax County, Prince William County, Alexandria, Arlington, Richmond, Falls Church and Hampton filed a complaint against Youngkin's order after its enactment in January. Story continues Youngkin spokesperson Macaulay Porter said they are going to appeal the court's decision and "this is just the first step in the judicial process." "The governor will never stop fighting for parents' ability to choose what is best for their children. The governor often said that this is not a pro-mask or anti-mask debate. It's about parents knowing what's best for their child's health, and opting-out should there be a mask mandate," Porter said. "More voices, including from the scientific and medical community, call into question the efficacy behind a universal mask mandate for children. This is about what's best for their kid's health and who can best make that decision." While DiMatteo wrote that a rule allowing parents to decide on whether to mask their children would cause "irreparable harm," she declined to weigh in on whether school mask mandates themselves are effective. "It is clear that the Governor views the costs associated with universal masking as greater than the benefits that policy may convey and endeavors to achieve a different approach to COVID transmission in the school setting," she wrote. "To take on the validity of the Governor's policy would require more than a difference of opinion at this stage and the Court has taken no evidence on these issues." Pence rebukes Trump over false election claim Deadly storm sweeps across U.S. with snow and ice "CBS Evening News" headlines for Friday, February 4, 2022 The defense in the Wesley Hadsell murder trial rested Thursday after calling five brief witnesses to testify. Hadsell who is accused of killing his 18-year-old adopted daughter in 2015 and then dumping her body behind an abandoned house didnt take the witness stand. When defense attorney James Ellenson asked him to state on the record whether he planned to testify in his own defense, Hadsell paused for several seconds before saying he didnt. Hadsell, 43, is charged with first-degree murder, non capital murder and concealing a dead body. Much of the testimony of witnesses called on by the defense focused on the comings and goings of Hadsell on the day his daughter, Anjelica A.J. Hadsell, disappeared. A.J. Hadsell was a freshman at Longwood University and spending her spring break at her familys home in Norfolk when she disappeared in March 2015. Her body wasnt found until five weeks later, behind a house in Southampton County near the North Carolina border. Wesley Hadsell wasnt charged in the case until 2018. His first trial in 2020 was declared a mistrial over a disagreement about what evidence the jury should be allowed to hear. The trial is in the second week of testimony. Commonwealths Attorney Eric Cooke said he plans to call rebuttal witnesses on Friday but didnt indicate how many. Closing arguments are expected to begin Monday. Among the witnesses called Thursday was a neighbor of the Hadsell family who said he saw a white compact car pull into their driveway sometime between 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. the day A.J. Hadsell disappeared. The time is important because thats when prosecutors have said Wesley Hadsell was seen on a convenience stores surveillance footage driving in his work van towards the house. Also called by the defense on Thursday was A.J. Hadsells friend Dustyn Brinkley. Brinkley said he saw A.J. driving Wesley Hadsells pickup not far from her home the afternoon she disappeared. But when a prosecutor told Brinkley his cell phone data showed he was in Virginia Beach that afternoon, he said he may have been wrong about the date. Story continues Former Norfolk Police Department homicide detective Joshua Hathaway told jurors on Monday that surveillance footage from a 7-Eleven near A.J.s home showed Wesley Hadsells work truck driving in the direction of her house at 12:16 p.m. the day she disappeared. It was seen driving in the direction away from the house at 1:27 p.m. FBI agent Albert Sena testified that GPS data recovered from Hadsells work van showed it drove to the house where A.J.s body was found two days after she went missing and stayed there 22 minutes before driving away. Willie Whitehead, who lived near the location where A.J.s body was found, testified about seeing a van different from the one Hadsell drove pulling into the property, but he wasnt sure when that happened. The last defense witness was Josh Campbell, who was dating A.J. at the time of her death. In response to Ellensons questions about whether text messages between Campbell and A.J. indicated they were broken up at the time she disappeared, Campbell said they were taking a break. A.J. was away at college and busy with her studies and club sports and he was busy with work, he said, but they still communicated frequently. They planned to go to a hockey game and shopping while she was home on break, he said. Text messages read by the prosecutor showed that in the days leading up to A.J.s disappearance, Campbell usually ended their evening conversations by wishing her sweet dreams. After she went missing, he continued texting her, saying, I hope youre ok. I love you. You did it over and over, hoping for a response? Deputy Commonwealths Attorney Toni Colvin asked Campbell. Yes, maam, he responded. Earlier this week, Corey French, a friend of A.J.s testified about police finding a windbreaker that belonged to A.J. in his house. French said hed never seen it before and didnt know how it got there. Prosecutors read a transcript of an interview Hadsell gave to a local TV station in which he admitted to breaking into Frenchs home but denied planting the jacket there. Ellenson ended his case Thursday by showing the jury several images with captions from the tumblr social networking website that had been downloaded to A.J.s phone shortly before she went missing that might suggest she was depressed or suicidal. Earlier this week, former Gov. Ralph Northam, who is also pediatric neurologist, testified he treated A.J. for migraines for years. Northam told jurors A.J. was a great kid and he didnt believe she was depressed or suicidal. Jane Harper, 757-222-5097, jane.harper@pilotonline.com Rockford Police Deputy Chief Kurt Whisenand ROCKFORD One of the citys highest ranking and most recognizable police officers will retire next month, capping a law enforcement career that spanned nearly three decades. Rockford police Deputy Chief Kurt Whisenand will leave the department on March 8, the 29th anniversary of his first day on the job. When things that you have to take on as part of this job are no longer fun, I think thats when you know its time, Whisenand said. This is obviously a unique profession. It does take its toll on your mental, physical and emotional health. I just got to the point where my cup is full, and I just think its better that I walk away. More headlines: Rockford police body cameras will be in use next week. Here's what you need to know Whisenand, 52, joined the department as a patrol officer in 1993. He was promoted to detective in 1999 and rose through the ranks as a lieutenant in charge of investigations. Whisenand was named assistant deputy chief in 2020 and deputy chief in 2021. As a patrol officer, detective, sergeant, lieutenant and all the way up through up through deputy chief, I was involved in over 200 murder investigations with a very high solve rate and was able to do that while working with some great people, he said. "I was able to accomplish all that and never had to sacrifice my integrity or do anything unethical. Looking back, I don't question anything that I've done." Whisenand served under six police chiefs, three interim chiefs and four mayors. Im incredibly grateful to Kurt for his nearly three decades of service to the Rockford community, Mayor Tom McNamara said in a statement. He is a bright, hard-working officer who worked his way up through the ranks to Deputy Chief. His depth of knowledge and ability to analyze data was critical to the development of my Office of Domestic and Community Violence Prevention. He will be greatly missed by the entire City team. Rockford police chief: Here's how police chief candidates say they would make city safer Story continues Whisenand said he developed an interest in law enforcement while in college. He earned his masters of criminal justice administration from Columbia Southern University in Orange Beach, Alabama, and completed police staff and command school at Northwestern University Center for Public Safety. I became interested in law enforcement because of the teamwork and camaraderie that this job requires and the fact that you get to stand up for people that cant stand up for themselves, he said. People who dont have a voice and cant fight for themselves. Thats the role of law enforcement as I see it, and it has been very rewarding. Whisenand was one of four finalists to succeed former police chief Dan OShea in 2021. The citys Board of Fire and Police Commissioners ultimately selected Carla Redd for the post. Ive had the privilege to work with Deputy Chief Whisenand during my 23 years on the Rockford Police Department and his dedication to law enforcement is the benchmark to which all up-and-coming officers should strive for, Redd said in a statement. During his time here, hes proven to be helpful, supportive, and one of those supervisors that can lead with care. I cant forget to mention that hes always had a special way when it comes to working with victims and their families which lead into his involvement in The Family Peace Center, and Im sure that special care will continue on in his retirement. "Many young officers and even retired officers credit a lot of the things theyve put into practice to Kurts guidance and with over 29 years on the Department, that is quite an impression. Police: Rockford man charged with murder in 2021 homicide case Whisenand said he'll miss the sense of family he gets from interacting with his fellow officers and the department's civilian employees. "They (civilian workers) are sort of overlooked from the outside, but they're such an integral part of what we accomplish every day," he said. Whisenands wife, Christina, was a Rockford police officer from 1997 until 2012 when an injury during a training exercise ended her career. The couples two sons Isaac,18, and Lucas,16, attend Hononegah High School. I have no plans right now, Whisenand said. I think Ill take a short time away to decompress, and then Ill see whats out there for me. My wife does have a rather lengthy list of things for me to do around the house so Ill probably work on that and then see what other opportunities are out there for me. Ken DeCoster: kdecoster@rrstar.com; @DeCosterKent This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Rockford deputy police chief announces retirement on 29th anniversary BEDFORD Two capital murder charges against a man accused of being part of the violent MS-13 street gang and taking part in the 2017 killing of a Lynchburg teen were amended Friday to two counts of aggravated murder. Josue Moises Coreas-Ventura, 25, appeared Friday in Bedford County Circuit Court for a hearing with an interpreter by his side translating the proceedings. He pleaded guilty during the hearing to one count of gang participation and will be sentenced at a later date on that felony charge. A jury trial is scheduled for Tuesday in Bedford Circuit Court on one of the aggravated murder counts against the defendant, which charges the killing of 17-year-old Raymond Wood occurred in commission of abduction for financial benefit, and a felony abduction charge, according to Bedford County Commonwealths Attorney Wes Nance. The second count of aggravated murder, alleging the killing of two persons within three years, was separated from the other counts at the request of the defense during Fridays hearing, Nance said. Nance declined to provide further details on that charge, but in 2017, the Montgomery County, Maryland Police Department announced Coreas-Ventura was arrested and charged with murder, along with four other people, in connection with the 2016 homicide of 18-year-old Cristian Antonio Villagran-Morales. The charge is set to proceed to a March 1 docket call, at which time a trial date could be set. While Coreas-Ventura no longer faces the death penalty as a result of the recent abolition of capital punishment in Virginia, an aggravated murder conviction could lead to a life sentence. In trials of his co-defendants, evidence has identified Coreas-Ventura as a homeboy, or mid-ranking member of MS-13. He and other gang members were living around Lynchburg and buying marijuana from Wood, prosecutors have said, when they felt they were slighted by the teen after a purchase and subsequently got permission from higher-ranking gang members to kill him. Wood was abducted from the front lawn of his Lynchburg home, according to evidence presented in connection with his death. Woods body was found off Roaring Run Road by a passing driver the night of March 27, 2017, prompting in-depth investigations that crossed state and national borders and marked the first time Central Virginia has seen such a high-stakes crime attributable to the gang. Chris Kowalczuk, one of two attorneys representing Coreas-Ventura, during Fridays hearing before Judge James Updike referred to autopsy photos as gruesome and indicated the defense may raise objections to certain ones being used as evidence at Coreas-Venturas trial. In November, two MS-13 gang members were found guilty in federal court of murder charges, having ordered other members to travel to Lynchburg and kill Wood, according to federal attorneys. Junior Noe Alvarado-Requeno and Miguel Angel Corea Diaz sat for a four-week jury trial in Maryland, where they had a home base for running gang operations, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release. Alvarado-Requeno controlled the Sailors clique within the gang, while Corea Diaz was its East Coast leader. Both directed a squad of gang members to drive down and meet two other members whod been living in Lynchburg to kill Wood, according to a news release. Five other men have been charged or convicted in Bedford County in connection with Woods killing. Victor Arnoldo Rodas was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 55 years in February 2019 and Kevin Josue Soto Bonilla was found guilty of capital murder and received a life sentence in December 2019. Lisandro Antonio Posada-Vasquez has pleaded guilty to capital murder and is scheduled for sentencing March 15. Juan Martin Hernandez has pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to murder and was sentenced to two and a half years. Cristian Jose Sanchez Gomez, who has testified in trials, is scheduled for a March 8 jury trial in Bedford County Circuit Court on one count each of capital murder, which is expected to be amended; robbery; gang participation; and abduction for financial benefit. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Purple Door Catering, a Wyndhurst-based company that provides charcuterie, grazing boards and prepared meals to go, is expanding its catering business and will open a new soup shop on Main Street. Owner Michelle Ayers said the business plans to open Soup22 at 912 Main St. this spring, where 20 different soups always will be hot and ready for to-go orders. She said there will be chilled soup options in the summer. There also will be mini charcuterie boards, salads and sandwiches to go. The company has leased space at the former Boiler Room space located at 904 B 9th St. where it will house all of its catering business and which it also can rent out for parties. In its current space at 101 C Northwynd Circle in Wyndhurst, Ayers plans to convert the front into a business under the Purple Door name, which will sell cheeses, meats and jams to make a charcuterie board. Ayer hopes to have this business, Cheese & Crackers, open by the fall. Once the new spaces are open, customers can order meals, soups, charcuteries and grazing boards and pick them up from any location. Rachael Smith Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. After asking parents to report inherently divisive teaching practices, Gov. Glenn Youngkins office is refusing to make public the emails sent to a tip line launched recently. When Margaret Thornton heard about the tip line, she worried it would roll back the progress made in public education over the past few years. But to her dismay, the governor cited a public records exemption Wednesday saying the emails she sought were considered working papers and correspondence of the Office of the Governor. I wanted to see what folks were saying and if that was matching up with the governors rhetoric, said Thornton, a post-doctoral scholar at Princeton University whose research focuses on segregation in schools. A similar request filed by several news organizations, including the Daily Press and The Virginian-Pilot, was refused on the same grounds. Youngkins administration did not respond to requests for comment. The account became a target for people on social media who vowed to flood the tip line with positive comments or jokingly submitted false reports. Eight Virginia public education organizations released a joint letter Thursday saying the states educational standard does not promote the racially divisive practices outlined in Youngkins first executive order. Additionally, the letter said having a tip line is divisive because there are measures in place within a school division to file a complaint about controversial or potentially inappropriate instructional practices. Megan Rhyne, executive director for Virginia Coalition for Open Government, said a government agency isnt required to cite the exemption, but that its a choice to withhold the requested records. This (tip line) has been looked at very publicly and its going to impact people, a lot of teachers, schools, she said. Thornton said she wasnt surprised when she saw her request had been denied. (This administration) came in and they said they were going to represent parents, Thornton said. They claimed that they were for transparency. And this is an opportunity to be transparent about our schools and they are choosing secrecy. I find that very disappointing and likely very harmful to the children of the commonwealth. Thornton said she was a high school teacher in Virginia for five years and sympathizes for her teacher friends whove expressed concerns about the tip line. She agrees teachers should be culturally aware of the students theyre teaching and held accountable for wrongdoing. But she said this provides yet another challenge, making it more difficult to teach students on top of the avalanche of issues brought on by the pandemic. Thornton posted the governor offices response on Twitter, which garnered hundreds of likes, gaining attention from elected officials, including State Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth. This is not how (the state Freedom of Information Act) works, Lucas tweeted. If the Governor wants to set up a tip line to report teachers who mention Black History he shouldnt be hiding what he finds. Biden says IS leader killed in U.S. raid in Syria Xinhua) 15:32, February 04, 2022 WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden confirmed Thursday that the leader of the extremist group Islamic State (IS) has been killed by a U.S. counterterrorism raid in Syria. In a statement released by the White House, Biden said U.S. military forces carried out a successful operation in northwest Syria that resulted in the death of Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi -- the leader of ISIS. "All Americans have returned safely from the operation," he said. The president said he will deliver remarks later in the day. Spokesman for the Defense Department John Kirby said in a statement that the operation was carried out by U.S. Special Operations forces under the control of the U.S. Central Command. "More information will be provided as it becomes available," he said. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) Mt. Hope United Methodist Church Mt. Hope United Methodist Church, 290th and Highway 6, McClelland, would like to invite all to join us on Sunday mornings for our worship service at 9:30 a.m. Children are welcome for the regular worship service and children sermon during the worship service. Upcoming event in March, we will have a council meeting at 8:30 a.m. followed by our breakfast and worship at 9:30 a.m. in our fellowship room. Also watch for our yard sale coming in June. You do not have to be a member to participate in our church activities. Everyone is welcome. Underwood Lutheran Church Underwood Lutheran Church, 10 Third Ave., will hold Sunday activities. Education begins at 9 a.m. In-person Worship begins at 10:15 a.m. with online video available later in the day. Pastor Scott Dalen will deliver a sermon based on Luke 5:1-11. Gethsemane Presbyterian Church Gethsemane Presbyterian Church, 224 Wallace Ave, invites you to worship with us. Our service runs from 9:30-10:30 a.m. and children are invited to participate in Sunday school. Rev. Dr. Edwin G. Steinmetz will be delivering the sermon The Way, the Truth, the Life! Communion will be served. Refreshments will be served following service. Adult Bible study meets on Mondays and Thursdays from 9-10 a.m. Our food pantry is open on Mondays and Thursdays until 10:30 a.m. We have an abundance of food. For more information contact the church office at 712-366-2513 or visit us on Facebook at gethsemanepresbyterianchurch.org. Timothy Lutheran Church Timothy Lutheran Church, 3112 W. Broadway, offers services at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on Sundays. The church alternates between traditional services and praise services each week. Bible study and Sunday school at 9:15 a.m. If a month has a fifth Sunday, the church hosts a combined service at 9 a.m. Food and fellowship after service on fifth Sundays and there is no Bible study or Sunday school on those days. The church is handicap accessible. St. Pauls Evangelical Country Church St. Pauls Evangelical Country Church, 11055 Dumfries Ave., rings the church bell at 10:30 a.m. to welcome people to worship each Sunday morning. There are directional signs from Wabash Avenue and Pioneer Trail leading to the church. We are a friendly, growing Bible-teaching church led by Rev. Jason Kinney. Sunday school for all ages, including adults, begins at 9:15 a.m. Wednesday night activities include adult small group Bible study and youth groups. This Sundays scripture is Numbers 25:1-18 with the sermon title Seduced by the Enemy. Greeters will be Jan and Dave Clayton. There will be bell practice following the worship service. Visit our website stpaulsecc.org for more information. We are handicapped accessible. Compass Christian Church Compass Christian Church, 2007 S. Seventh St., welcomes you to worship with us Sundays at 10:30 a.m. We are located just west of the South Expressway. The church is handicap accessible. During worship a cry room is available, and childcare for ages 1-4 with drop off at the beginning of the service and pick up after service. Following communion, Compass Kids grades K-5 meet downstairs for special Bible lessons. You may also worship with us on YouTube at Compass Christian Church CB. Weekly schedules include Mondays Mens Bible Study 7:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. includes Childrens Group K-5, student group 6th-12th and Adult Prayer Group. Mens and womens groups are held at various times throughout the year. Sunday evenings Jan. 23-March 13 at 7 p.m., Compass Christian Church is hosting Dave Ramseys Financial Peace University. This is a Christian-based, 12-week course designed to help you in finding financial freedom through better money management. The facilitator of the class is Dave Bayer. You may sign up for the classes by going to ramseysolutions.com/ramseyplus/classes/1144131. More information may be found on Facebook at Compass Christian Church CB, compasscb.org, or call the church office at 712-366-9112. Fifth Avenue United Methodist Church Fifth Avenue United Methodist Church, 1800 Fifth Ave., invites the public to participate in our live worship service at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings. Face masks are optional and the Sunday worship service will continue to be recorded live and can be viewed on our Facebook page: Fifth Avenue UMC, Council Bluffs. The church office can be reached Monday or Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for prayer or other requests at 712-323-7374 or through our email at fifthaveumchurch@gmail.com. Upcoming events Feb. 9, 6 p.m., Meal and Message; Feb. 13, noon, Valentines Day party at Golden Corral; Feb. 23, 6 p.m. Meal and Message. Bethany Presbyterian Church Bethany Presbyterian Church, 1900 S. Seventh St., begins at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday. Rev. Nancy Ross Hullingers message will be Confronted with Our Sin. Scripture is Luke 5:1-11. Liturgist is Evelyn Irwin and greeters are Micala Dillehay and Linda Cody. This is Communion/pantry Sunday. We are collecting soup and crackers for Souper Bowl on Feb. 13. We are a handicap accessible facility. Community of Christ Church Community of Christ Church, 140 W. Kanesville Blvd, holds Sunday worship at 10:15 a.m. Our theme this week is Speak Truth to Power. Our scriptures for this week are Luke 4:21-30; Jer 1:4-10; Psalm 71:1-6; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Services will begin at 10:15, come join us as Tom Arnold will be bringing us the message. Marlene Swanson will be presiding. Please call our office at 712-323-4498 for any questions. There are virtual ministries out on our World Church Website at ministries cofchrist.org. Epworth United Methodist Church Epworth United Methodist Church, 2447 Ave. B, worships on Sundays at 9:25 a.m. The people are friendly, the worship is meaningful and the building is handicap accessible. Masks and hand sanitizer are available. We invite you also to our Bible study on Thursday at 9 a.m. Our church is hosting Lenten Luncheons from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. every Wednesday from March 2 to April 6 and you are welcome to attend. We keep in prayer for the healing of our community and the nation for God. If you want us to pray for you, let us know your prayer requests by phone or online at facebook.com/groups/friends.epworth. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and our phone number is 712-323-3124. Faith Lutheran Church Faith Lutheran Church, 2100 S. 11th Street, will have Gospel worship with Holy Communion at the 9 a.m. Sunday worship service. Tuesday there is a 9:30 a.m. adult Bible study that is open to everyone in the church fellowship hall please enter by the rear door. Tuesday there is also an elders meeting at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday there is Praise Team practice at 5:30 p.m. On Saturday Feb. 12 the Prayer Sister group will have a soup and salad luncheon starting at 11 a.m. and all ladies of the congregation are invited to join the group. We will reveal the prayer sisters for the past year and will draw names for a new secret prayer sister name for the coming year. Faith is observing social distancing but masks are optional. Services are also available on Faiths Facebook page and on YouTube by searching to Ron Rosenkaimer. For more information about worship opportunities at Faith contact the church office at 323-6445. New Horizon Presbyterian Church New Horizon Presbyterian Church has traditional services at 8 and 11 a.m. and a praise service at 9 a.m. Sunday School is 10-10:45 a.m. Feb. 6 is Communion Sunday. On Wednesdays the Dulcimer Group practices from 4:30-5:30 p.m., the Praise Team from 5:45-6:30 p.m., the Chancel Bell Choir from 6:30-7:30 p.m. and the Chancel Choir at 7:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9, the Buildings and Grounds Committee will meet at 4 p.m. and the Administration Committee will meet at 5 p.m. On Thursday, Feb. 10, the Grief Group will meet at 1 p.m. The CDC advises everyone, vaccinated or not, to wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of high transmission such as Pottawattamie County. Please consider wearing a mask (regardless of your vaccination status), remember to use hand sanitizer frequently and maintain your social distance. Food and coffee will remain unavailable. Children are welcome to attend but the nursery will not be available. If you are ill, please worship from home by watching our Facebook page: facebook.com/NewHorizonPC. Westminster Presbyterian Church Westminster Presbyterian Church, 517 S. 32nd St., welcomes everyone to join us for worship on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Rev. Kim Crummer will be our guest speaker and his sermon is entitled Stop and listen. The focus text for Sunday is Nehemiah 8:1-10 and Luke 4:14-21. We are handicapped accessible through the northeast door of church. Corpus Christi Catholic Parish Corpus Christi Queen of Apostles, 3304 Fourth Ave. in Council Bluffs, and Corpus Christi Our Lady of Carter Lake, 3501 N. Ninth St. in Carter Lake, celebrates the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass every day of the week. Daily Mass is celebrated as follows: In English on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 8 a.m. and in Spanish on Monday and Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Council Bluffs location. Our weekend Mass in English is celebrated on Saturday at 4 p.m. and on Sunday at 8 and 10 a.m. in Council Bluffs and at 9:30 a.m. in Carter Lake. Our Sunday Spanish Mass is at noon in Council Bluffs. Eucharistic Adoration is held every Monday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. in Council Bluffs. On Friday, Feb. 11, 6 p.m. its Family Fun Friday at Corpus Christi Queen of Apostles. Join us for a chili and soup cookoff Competition and you get to be the judge chili and soup for all! On Saturday, Feb. 12, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. come to the salad buffet luncheon at Corpus Christi Our Lady of Carter Lake. Food, games, raffles. Adults $6, children 12 and under $3. All are welcome. For more information, call the parish office at 712-323-2916 or 712-323-4716 for Spanish, or visit our parish website at corpuschristiparishiowa.org. Emanuel Lutheran Church Emanuel Lutheran Church, 2444 N Broadway, welcomes everyone to come as you are and be who you are! Our weekly worship service as well as Sunday school are at 9:30 a.m. each Sunday. The service will be followed by coffee and fellowship in community room. Other events this week include Tai Chi in the youth center Monday at 10 a.m., Bible study in the conference room Thursday at 9:30 a.m. and Tai Chi Thursday at 10 a.m. Our worship service and weekly Sunday school show can be found on our YouTube channel or Facebook page. Visit us online at emanuelcb.org. DES MOINES Eight Iowa school districts, including Council Bluffs, are violating a judicial order by not reinstating face mask requirements, the American Civil Liberties Unions state chapter asserted in a letter sent Friday to those districts. The eight districts Council Bluffs, Ankeny Davenport, Decorah, Denver, Johnston, Linn-Mar and Waterloo should have mask requirements to protect the students with disabilities who filed a lawsuit challenging a state law that prohibited face mask requirements in schools, the ACLU said. On Jan. 25, a federal appeals court ruled the plaintiffs families whose children have disabilities from across 10 Iowa school districts should receive immediate relief from the new state law because those students health would be placed in danger in a school without a face mask requirement. The appeals ruling agreed with a lower court order that the parents deserved an injunction against the law being enforced since it violates the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and Rehabilitation Act, but said the injunction should not have automatically been made to apply to every district in the state. Since the initial ruling, only Des Moines and Iowa City, who also are plaintiffs in the lawsuit, have implemented face mask requirements, the ACLU said. The eight districts that received letters Friday have not, the ACLU said. Based on the legal force of the Eighth Circuits opinion, we are asking these eight schools to restore their mask mandates immediately because they are still necessary for our clients children to go to school safely during this time, ACLU of Iowa legal director Rita Bettis Austen said in a statement. Failing to require masking when it is necessary as a reasonable accommodation forces our clients to choose between their childrens health and their education. Diane Ostrowski, chief communications officer for Council Bluffs Community Schools, said on Friday that the district was not prepared to comment. Since we just received this letter today, we will need some time before we respond, she said. The Linn-Mar and Davenport districts said Friday they would not comment on the letter, and the Waterloo school district did not respond to requests seeking comment. The ACLUs letters ask the districts to respond within a week and states that, if districts do not respond, the plaintiffs will consider further legal action. Bettis Austen during a news conference Friday said that the ACLU does not forecast litigation strategy. Its really a misreading of the 8th Circuit (appeals court) decision to view it as a green light to lift those masking requirements when theyre required in order for kids with disabilities to be able to go to school safely on equal terms with their peers, Bettis Austen said. This is about enforcing existing anti-discrimination protections for kids to go to school and that they have a right to go to school on the same basis of their peers without discrimination, Bettis Austen added. One of the functions of discrimination protections is to ensure that individuals who are part of a minority have their rights protected when a majority may be interested in violating those rights. We wouldnt have these anti-discrimination protections if they werent necessary. The letters address only districts to which a plaintiff in the lawsuit attends. The ACLU said its interpretation of the Jan. 25 ruling is that any district must make similar accommodations for students with disabilities. And Bettis Austen said the ACLU may take action against other schools in the future. The rights of those children are also important to us, Bettis Austen said. Face masks became optional again Tuesday at all school buildings in the Council Bluffs Community School District after a drop in COVID-19 cases among students and staff, according to a message sent to students and families on Monday. Masks were strongly recommended from Jan. 18-31 because of an increase. Tim Johnson of the Nonpareil and Grace King of The Gazette contributed. DES MOINES Eight Iowa school districts including Linn-Mar are violating a judicial order by not reinstating face mask requirements, the American Civil Liberties Unions state chapter asserted in a letter sent Friday to those districts. The eight districts Ankeny, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Decorah, Denver, Johnston, Linn-Mar and Waterloo should have mask requirements to protect the students with disabilities who filed a lawsuit challenging a state law that prohibited face mask requirements in schools, the ACLU said. On Jan. 25, a federal appeals court ruled the plaintiffs families whose children have disabilities from across 10 Iowa school districts should receive immediate relief from the new state law because those students health would be placed in danger in a school without a face mask requirement. The appeals ruling agreed with a lower court order that the parents deserved an injunction against the law being enforced since it violates the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and Rehabilitation Act, but said the injunction should not have automatically been made to apply to every district in the state. Since the initial ruling, only Des Moines and Iowa City, who also are plaintiffs in the lawsuit, have implemented face mask requirements, the ACLU said. The eight districts that received letters Friday have not, the ACLU said. Based on the legal force of the Eighth Circuits opinion, we are asking these eight schools to restore their mask mandates immediately because they are still necessary for our clients children to go to school safely during this time, ACLU of Iowa legal director Rita Bettis Austen said in a statement. Failing to require masking when it is necessary as a reasonable accommodation forces our clients to choose between their childrens health and their education. The Linn-Mar, Davenport and Council Bluffs school districts said Friday they would not comment on the letter, and the Waterloo school district did not respond to requests seeking comment. The ACLUs letters ask the districts to respond within a week and states that, if districts do not respond, the plaintiffs will consider further legal action. Bettis Austen during a news conference Friday said that the ACLU does not forecast litigation strategy. Its really a misreading of the 8th Circuit (appeals court) decision to view it as a green light to lift those masking requirements when theyre required in order for kids with disabilities to be able to go to school safely on equal terms with their peers, Bettis Austen said. This is about enforcing existing anti-discrimination protections for kids to go to school and that they have a right to go to school on the same basis of their peers without discrimination, Bettis Austen added. One of the functions of discrimination protections is to ensure that individuals who are part of a minority have their rights protected when a majority may be interested in violating those rights. We wouldnt have these anti-discrimination protections if they werent necessary. The letters address only districts to which a plaintiff in the lawsuit attends. The ACLU said its interpretation of the Jan. 25 ruling is that any district must make similar accommodations for students with disabilities. And Bettis Austen said the ACLU may take action against other schools in the future. The rights of those children are also important to us, Bettis Austen said. The Linn-Mar Community School District stopped requiring students, staff and visitors to schools to wear a mask Jan. 3. In September, the school board had voted to require masks for students in prekindergarten through sixth grade a requirement that remained in effect until a COVID-19 vaccine was widely available for children. Kevin Fry, Linn-Mar communication director, said Friday the district has no comment on the ACLU letter. The district declined to comment on questions from The Gazette asking if officials plan to reinstate a mask mandate or if it will be a discussion item for the school board at its next meeting on Feb. 14. A mask requirement remains for students, staff and visitors in the Iowa City Community School District. Because the district is continuing to require masks, it did not receive a letter from the ACLU. Grace King of The Gazette contributed to this report. No, he wasnt one to pussyfoot around issues. Former South Dakota Gov. Bill Janklow (1979-1986 and 1995-2002) called it as he saw it. What some viewed as a my-way-or-the-highway style may not have endeared him to anyone who chose to take offense at something he said or did, but my recollec We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Morocco has pleaded for African solidarity to address the COVID-19 pandemic and renewed its firm commitment to the principle of this solidarity to protect the African continent and help eradicate the pandemic. The plea was made by Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita, in an address before the 40th session of the Executive Council of the African Union, convening at the headquarters of the pan-African organization in Addis Ababa feb.2-3. The ambition is to create an integrated Africa and a collective vision on all levels, including political and economic ones. A welded and united Africa, said Bourita who leads the Moroccan delegation to the Executive Council session. The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has plunged the world into its greatest economic slump. At a time when Africa was living at the pace of unbridled globalization, the pandemic has stopped its momentum and continues to immobilize the world as new variants emerge, the minister said. In addition to its socio-economic impact, this pandemic has proved that when health security is at risk, all sectors are at stake, and that there is no global security without health security, noted Bourita, adding that Africa has shown resilience, combativeness and adaptability following the outbreak of this health crisis, by devising strategies to limit the socio-economic impact of this scourge on African economies. Today, African solidarity is needed to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on African economies, he said, recalling in this context that King Mohammed VI took the initiative to provide medical aid to more than twenty African countries from the five regions of the Continent to support their efforts in the fight against the pandemic and mitigate its effects on their economies. He also recalled the launch on January 27, 2022, of the construction of a manufacturing plant for Covid-19 and other vaccines, a structuring project that will ultimately contribute to ensuring the sovereignty of vaccines in the Kingdom and the African continent as a whole. The Minister underlined that since the emergence of the pandemic, Morocco was among the first countries to convert its industry to meet national and continental health needs by manufacturing masks, antiseptic gels and other health equipment all Made in Morocco. The Kingdom has not only taken strict and rapid health and security measures but has also made financial compensation efforts to support the population with mitigation measures, both in the formal and informal economic sectors. Bourita emphasized the imperative for African countries to join individual and collective efforts to ensure the manufacturing of vaccines in Africa and proceed with the vaccination of all the African populations. Morocco reiterates its support to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) of the African Union and commends the tremendous work done by the African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team in securing millions of doses of Covid-19 vaccines to our Continent, he said. Bourita who also highlighted the role played by the African diaspora in helping fight effectively the pandemic and in supporting financially the continent through their remittances, urged the African Union to develop a common vision and to interact with its partners to address the socio-economic challenges triggered by the pandemic. During a debate on the Progress Report on the operationalization of Africa CDC, Bourita insisted that the issue of health security must remain at the top of the priorities of the African continent. Our Continent needs, more than ever, a strong specialized Health Agency, endowed with a clear and coherent structure and with all the means allowing it to act immediately on health emergencies threatening our Continent, he said. Tunisia is backpedaling to authoritarian rule following President Kais Saieds power grab, a deja vu for many Tunisians. But rights groups in particular are worried about their hard-won freedom as the crackdown on them intensifies. Last month, authorities prevented rights activists from staging protests against President Saied in a move that invokes fears of the beginning of the return of the police state that terrorized pro-democracy activists during Benali era. Scores were arrested as security forces used force and deployed water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesters. Last July 25, amid an acute economic crisis, Saied suspended parliament, dismissed the prime minister and said he would assume executive powers. Then in September, he took steps to rule by decree. His opponents denounced a coup on the constitutional order. Last January, Tunisia received its first warning about the deterioration of the human rights situation in the country in years. The UN human rights office voiced concern about the crackdown on rights activists and called on the government to protect and respect the rights and freedoms of its people. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) voiced concern that the gains of the revolution could be diluted and expressed fears of an authoritarian turn in the North African country. The repression at home came at a context Tunisia brings itself closer to other military-dominated authoritarian regimes such as neighboring Algeria, which has no interest in having a democratic neighbor. Meanwhile, Tunisias economy remains mired by the pandemic and the government Saied appointed in September has announced an unpopular budget for 2022. Over two third of the African Union member states renewed their trust in Morocco to seat in the supreme decision-making body of the Union, the Peace and Security Council. The election of Morocco for a three-year membership of the council confirms the trust enjoyed by Rabat among African peers in gearing the African Union towards constructive efforts in favor of peace and stability. This second election also confirms Moroccos weight and growing influence within the continent after the Kingdom won a two-year term in the same council in 2018. This is another inroad by the Moroccan diplomacy in Africa and a recognition of Rabats efforts in the fields of peacekeeping, peaceful resolution of conflicts, fighting climate change, transitional justice, the fight against terrorism and violent extremism. However, a shrinking ring of phony states that still turn in Algerias orbit have experienced Moroccos return to the Peace and Security Council as a nightmare, knowing with hindsight that this membership will further act as a bulwark to their attempts to use the African Union to serve Algiers hegemonic and pro-separatist agenda. Before Moroccos return to the African Union, Algeria used the comfort of not having Rabats voice to pass resolutions serving the separatist cause. Algerian proxy separatist militia, the Polisario, was introduced as a full member into the predecessor of the African Union, the Organization of African Unity, in 1984 at a cold war context using oil money. Morocco left the organization in reaction while focusing on fostering bilateral ties with different African friendly states. Yet, with an active presence within the AU, Rabat managed step by step to correct the bias of the organization and make its voice heard to the disappointment of Algeria and the few remaining countries rallying behind its agenda. One of the main milestones for the Moroccan diplomacy was achieved when the AU unequivocally declared that the Sahara issue should be handled exclusively within the framework of the UN. Algeria and its backers have failed in giving a role to the African Union as a mediator. The AU cannot simply mediate on the Sahara issue because by having the Polisario as a member, it has prejudged the outcome of the peace talk process which stresses the preeminence of the Moroccan autonomy initiative. It is worth mentioning that prior to Moroccos return to the African Union, 28 countries submitted a motion calling for a freeze of Polisarios membership. More than ever, Algeria is sensing that the days of the Polisario within the African Union are numbered. Building on a pro-active foreign policy and multi-layered cooperation based on a solidarity-oriented approach and win-win projects, Morocco stands in stark contrast to the cash hand out policy adopted by Algeria and formerly by Gaddafis Libya to buy support in the continent. Not only in Africa where Moroccos faithful supporters are located, the sands globally are shifting in favor of Moroccos autonomy initiative. The recognition by the US of Moroccos sovereignty over the Sahara and its support for autonomy as only political solution to the dispute and the opening by over 20 African and Arab states of consulates in the Sahara indicate an inflection point to put an end to attempts to undermine Moroccos territorial integrity. The membership of the Polisario within the African Union stands as an aberration that prejudged the outcome of negotiations in total disregard for the UN process and for Moroccos historical rights as a country that was divided by two colonial powers. A July 18 trial has been scheduled for one of two people accused of killing Annika Swanson in November 2019. Kevin S. Germans trial date was set during a hearing in Chase County District Court last week. The trial is scheduled to run through July 29. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for June 23. German, 26, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, is charged with first-degree murder and felony kidnapping in connection with the abduction and death of Swanson, 22. The murder charge was filed as a 1A felony, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison in Nebraska. German also is charged with a second count of felony kidnapping for allegedly holding a second woman captive for three days in a home near Enders. Authorities found Swansons body Nov. 24, 2019, at the bottom of an 8-foot-deep irrigation drainage pipe in a rural area near Imperial. Her father had reported her missing three days earlier. Keonna N. Carter, 24, of Taylorsville, Utah, is the co-defendant in the case. She is charged with first-degree murder and one count of felony kidnapping. Carter has not had a hearing since Oct. 27, 2020, and a search of court records does not indicate that one is scheduled. Both German and Carter were arrested in Fort Collins, Colorado, in the final week of November 2019. They waived extradition back to Nebraska during early December hearings in Larimer County Court in Fort Collins. Both remain confined at the Lincoln County Detention Center. More by Tim Johnson Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. After several years of planning for a multibillion-dollar project on the University of Nebraska Medical Center campus, some of that work is about to begin. The University of Nebraska Board of Regents next week will consider approving the demolition of the former Munroe-Meyer Institute complex, which is north of the Buffett Cancer Center on UNMCs campus. The 7-acre site where the institute sat for decades has been identified as a possible location for Project NExT. Its a proposal of UNMC and Nebraska Medicine that would combine a state-of-the-art teaching hospital and federally funded spaces designed to enhance the nations response to a host of different hazards. The proposal has pledges of funding from city and state leaders, with the states pledge contingent on securing federal and private contributions. Its an exciting time, Dr. Jeffrey Gold, UNMCs chancellor, said Thursday of the proposed demolition and site work. It recognizes an end of an era for the MMI facilities on this campus but also the beginning of another set of great opportunities. Munroe-Meyer provides a wide variety of services to people with intellectual and development disabilities, as well as to those with behavioral and learning disorders such as autism. The institute moved to a $91 million new home last year in Aksarben Village near 69th and Pine Streets. The regents also will consider approving the proposed Saddle Creek Campus Public Improvements Project, which will launch improvements to roadways, utilities and other infrastructure for the planned expansion of UNMCs campus west of Saddle Creek Road. If approved, construction would start in September and wrap up in August 2025. The City of Omaha has pledged $93 million over the next decade to support both the Saddle Creek expansion and Project NExT. The demolition and remediation of the Munroe-Meyer site will be covered by philanthropic dollars, Gold said. The regents agenda lists the projects cost at nearly $7 million. The work would be slated for completion next spring, depending on weather. Final relocations from the former Munroe-Meyer complex will be completed this spring, leaving the facility empty. The complex consists of four attached structures built in the late 1950s that previously housed Munroe-Meyer, the Hattie B. Munroe Home and J.P. Lord School, which relocated in 2018. University officials recommended the complex be demolished because it has among the highest utility consumption on campus and contains asbestos. The sites proximity to the cancer center, research towers and other facilities provides an opportunity for a large-scale replacement building connected to the core of campus, according to the regents agenda. Gold said the site is one of the potential sites, if not the prime potential site, for at least some of Project NExT, depending on the eventual scope of the project. Meanwhile, UNMC officials have been moving ahead on plans to create an innovation hub and a new administrative tower west of Saddle Creek. The tower, to be situated on the southwest corner of Saddle Creek Road and Farnam Street, is slated to begin rising this year. Not only will the tower allow the university to consolidate administrative offices that are scattered across campus, it also would be closely tied to Project NExT. Project NExT took a key step forward last May when Omaha was selected as one of five pilot sites in the U.S. tasked with developing a federal program to bolster the nations disaster response capacity. The goals of that effort are to improve the National Disaster Medical System, a federal program that provides trained medical personnel to respond to disasters, and to bolster the nations medical surge capacity. UNMC and Nebraska Medicine already have done a good deal of training through the system. The purpose of the pilot project is to define what Project NExT should be, in terms of how it will serve the needs of the country and the communities involved. The U.S. Defense Department is exploring some of those questions in an ongoing study, Gold said. A UNMC team is participating in that work. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, approved by Congress in December, includes the strongest language yet in favor of the project, Gold said. In it, the U.S. secretary of defense is urged to include sufficient funding in the 2023 budget request to execute a full-scale operational public-private partnership prototype of an all-hazards medical surge capability. A report is expected no later than March. This is true accountability by the United States Congress for moving the federal components of this forward, Gold said. In addition, he said, plans are underway to design and later create an 18- to 25-bed inpatient unit in an already cleared space in University Tower on campus. The university, he said, has begun bringing together designers and architects to design a health care unit of the future where they can test staffing models, air handling, lighting, sound and other factors in a way thats not possible on paper or in virtual reality. It, too, is part of Project NExT. The goal would be to have patients in the unit beginning in 2024. We want to make sure our patients, their families and our staff have not only the highest-quality health care but the highest-quality experience, and of course the safest, he said. That unit, the Munroe-Meyer site prep and the Saddle Creek infrastructure work with the city, Gold said, will send a very powerful message to the federal government and to the private sector here that we are truly shovel-ready and that were moving ahead. In a recent column, Gov. Pete Ricketts declared Nebraska a right to life state, listing organizations and legislators determined to deny Nebraska women their constitutional right to abortion without undue burden. Ricketts column may have come because of his bumbling interview a few days before with reporter Fred Knapp on Nebraskas NPR station. There, too, the governor declared Nebraska a right to life state. But Knapp called him on it. How could Ricketts say that, Knapp asked, when, in a Pew Research Center poll, 50% of Nebraskans supported a Nebraska womans right to choose vs. 46% against it? Ricketts quickly dismissed the Pew poll as left-wing. But Knapp wasnt having it. He pointed out that Ricketts himself had recently used Pew Research poll numbers to support one of his projects. There was an awkward pause. Then, Heh, heh, Ricketts smirked, that doesnt mean it isnt left-wing. So a Pew poll is right if it supports Ricketts opinion. If not, its left-wing, and wrong? We know, driven by desperation, health or hardship, women will make that choice anyway. Some will die. Many helping them will face threats on their own lives by those who sit in judgment on women they will never meet. A majority of Americans not with judgment, but with compassion support a womans right to choose. They respect that this difficult decision affects her life, not theirs. And even though their governor and the front pages ignore them, that majority of Americans includes Nebraskans. Linda Deeds North Platte You are clearly a super-user of NUVO.net. Thats a good thing. It means you depend on independent and local news sources to keep you informed. You are a smart person. Coincidentally, independent and local news sources depend on you too. Youve read 25 articles this month and now, wed like you to be join our mission and become a NUVO Supporter. For as little as $4 a month, you can keep us alive and fighting -- and can have unlimited access to the independent news that cant be found anywhere else. An integral figure to international students who called her their Auburn Mom, Nejla Orgen died Jan. 12, leaving behind a lasting legacy. Now a group of international students she took under her wing are trying to honor that legacy by creating a scholarship at Auburn University in her name. Asim Ali, an Auburn alumnus, helped start a GoFundMe raising $12,220 so far from 74 donations to put toward the grant. The minimum amount to establish an endowed scholarship at Auburn is $25,000. The scholarship allows the university to give this award to an international student every year and allows her legacy to live on, Ali said. He said Orgen was integral in helping international students find their sense of place at Auburn, and now, the paperwork to establish the Nejla Orgen Memorial Scholarship at Auburn is close to completion. The scholarship is meant to help students with financial need who are active in the International Students Organization (ISO) and/or Turkish Students Organization. ISO was near to Orgens heart because she spent most of her youth traveling the world as a diplomats daughter. She received her bachelors degree in Ankara, Turkey, and a masters degree in Prague, Czech Republic. Orgen then returned to Turkey and was a Reuters correspondent before coming to Auburn. After working as the Associate Director of Student Life at Auburn University, she accepted the role of International Liaison and Admissions Counselor for Auburn University in 1996. The new job made Orgen a representative for the Division of Student Affairs at AU as the point of contact for international students, scholars, special visitors and government officials. Because of this, she connected with hundreds of students throughout her time in the position. I think she knew what it felt like to be in a strange land and to feel like a stranger. Ali said. Then when she moved to Auburn, she had an opportunity to work with students who were feeling a similar way so she just naturally connected to them. Ali crossed paths with Orgen in 2003 when he became treasurer for ISO and she was his advisor. She really had a tremendous impact on many peoples lives in terms of giving them the confidence and comfort of making them feel at home in Auburn, Ali said. Sevin Sozer and Orgen met when Sozer first arrived from Turkey to pursue a doctoral degree in systems and industrial engineering at Auburn University in 2001. Sozer said she and other international students were immediately drawn to Orgen because of her warmth and welcoming attitude towards all. She was this energetic, selfless person that was there to help you, Sozer said. She was the first you would call when asking for help. Every Friday at 5 p.m., Orgen hosted a pizza party for the international students in Foy Hall. We met her and talked about our week and connected with other international students. Thats how we finished every week, Sozer said. Orgen was also famous for her cooking. She would host (students) in her home and make baklava and things like that, said Ali. Sozer said Orgen would teach the Turkish students how to make traditional foods and started a dance group to perform at Tiger Nights and at Turkish night outings. Orgen surprised everyone when she designed and sewed matching vests and pants for their performances. Nobody asked her, she didnt need to, but (she was) definitely such a giving, loving person who helped us, Sozer said. Family and friends have high hopes the Nejla Orgen Memorial Scholarship will get the funding needed to launch the scholarship. Supporters interested in donating can contribute at: gofund.me/100f870d. The Auburn Board of Trustees gave final project approval for the construction of an additional 10-bay T-hangar at the Auburn University Regional Airport at its meeting on Friday morning in Montgomery. Dan King, associate vice president of facilities, said the airport will lease these hangers to local and regional aircraft owners and the revenue earned from leasing will go back into the airport operations budget. One board member asked if the existing T-hangars are paying for themselves, to which King replied yes. King said there is a high demand for the space at the airport and there is currently a waiting list of 84 names. There are currently three hangars at the airport and one that is about this size of the one proposed to be built. King said the current hangars are all fully leased. The location of the new T-hangar will be in the vicinity of the other hangars on the northern part of the property. The estimated total project cost is $1.4 million, which will be financed by an Alabama Department of Transportation grant in the amount of $500,000 and university general funds, King said. At the previous meeting in June 2021, the board approved a resolution to initiate the T-hangar construction project and approved the engineering firm for the project to be Garver, LLC of Huntsville. King said the construction will probably begin within the next couple of months as it has already been designed and is ready to go. For Auburns airport to continue to sort of grow and develop and become more of a regional airport, I mean its the Auburn University Regional Airport, and the heavier the utilization of the airport, the better it is, King said. King said as more people, not just in Auburn but in the region, bring their aircraft to Auburns airport, they want to have a hangar to keep their plane out of the elements. I think its all part of the trend about Auburns airport continuing to grow and have a bigger impact, King said. I think were pleased to see that. Alabama lawmakers on Wednesday advanced legislation to end the requirement to get a permit to carry a concealed handgun in public, with the Senate Judiciary Committee voting 6-4 for the legislation. The bill, sponsored by Republican Sen. Gerald Allen of Tuscaloosa, now moves to the full Alabama Senate, and Republican Rep. Shane Stringer of Citronelle has sponsored a similar bill in the house. Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones and Opelika Police Chief Shane Healey are against the legislation. Jones spoke to the Senate Judiciary Committee in Montgomery during a public hearing Wednesday before the vote, and earlier this week Jones and Healey shared their views with the Opelika City Council, which issued a statement supporting them. These bills, as they sit, will be a detriment to public safety, Healey said Tuesday in Opelika. It will take away tools that we use as police officers on a daily basis to help protect the citizens of Opelika and Lee County. Healey said that all professional law enforcement organizations in the state of Alabama opposed the legislation. This legislation would make it easier for law abiding citizens to carry a weapon to defend themselves, said Jones, the Lee County Sheriff. No problem with thatmatter of fact, I support that, but its also gonna make it a little bit easier for those that are up to evil to do the same thing. Personally, I dont think we ought to make it any easier on these folks that have sinister purpose in our community to go out and harm others. Jones and Healey said the law currently in place is a tool that law enforcement has been able use throughout the years to keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldnt have them, which often leads to uncovering evidence of other crimes. Many times, evidence of other crimes, burglaries, robberies, even homicides are uncovered, Jones said. Thats the factor of community safety. It also is a safety factor for public safety officials, law enforcement officers, deputy sheriffs, police officers and those that are actually working the streets. Healey added that while checking for a permit they are also able to get stolen guns off the street as well as find out if the individual is a convicted felon. Jones and Healey said if the bill passes, officers would be unable to challenge an individual on the presence of a weapon. There will be people that will have guns in their possession that dont need to have them and we wont be able to do anything about it, Healey said. If we are not allowed some checks and balances and the opportunity to verify that people have guns lawfully, then theres gonna be more people with guns on the street, which could potentially lead to more violence. On Tuesday, Healey provided the Opelika Council with statistics of cases the OPD has made in recent years because of the current permit law. Healey said the OPD in 2021 made 78 cases for carrying a pistol without a valid permit. In the last five years, it had 333 cases, and 445 cases in the last 10 years. In each one of those cases, in fact, over 60% of those cases led to other charges, whether it be assault, possession of stolen property, drug crimes, a plethora of things, Healey said. The district attorney the other day showed me a stack of 37 open cases that all began as pistol permit cases. Healey said if the bills pass, officers will not be able to ask people about their guns and it will hinder their ability to question whether people are armed. Healey also said that officers wont even need to respond to calls about a man with a gun. Opelika resident Carolyn Morton, 67, spoke at the Opelika council meeting on Tuesday and encouraged the council to pass the resolution to oppose the state legislation. Morton said she lost her father to gun violence when she was 15 years old. She organized the Nonviolent City Project in Opelika, which focuses on ending all types of violence, including gun violence. With rights come responsibility, which means that we should do everything to make sure that people who carry guns are responsible gun owners by getting a permit to carry a gun, she said. Please help us to come together to support each other to keep our Alabama families safe form gun violence. Opelika Councils stance After listening to Healey, Jones and Morton, every council member voted to approve the resolution to oppose the legislation, even though it is just a symbolic statement to notify the state about its position. The resolution states: The City of Opelika supports the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and recognizes its duty to protect the welfare and safety of all Opelika citizens. The Second Amendment does not provide an unlimited right to carry a concealed weapon without a permit and handgun laws do not infringe on Second Amendment rights. Healey and Jones echoed their support of the Second Amendment. Were not against the Second Amendment, Healey said. Responsible gun ownership is the key. You have to have some regulations that help control some of those things. Its not about the issue of the Second Amendment, Jones said. We all support the Second Amendment. Theres not one of us here that would say we dont. Its not about that specific issue. Its about the safety of the community. Its about what we have, as an oath of office, to keep our community safe, and do everything we can in our power to be efficient. Jones and Healey said they appreciate the support they have received from Opelika and Lee County. I think it goes without saying that support is crucial to us, Jones said. The public support is what helps us to do our job. This is our home and we want it to be as safe as possible. We live here and were charged with protecting our communities and if a bill of this nature were to pass, it would lessen our ability to be effective. Local lawmakers Democrat Rep. Jeremy Gray of Opelika said he hasnt seen all of the bills in detail yet, but he believes there are different versions. I think the worst version is the one that essentially, to put it in the best terms, is almost like the Wild Wild West, Gray said. Where (individuals will) be able to have access to guns at sporting events, churches and your businesses, so it makes it where it creates a dangerous situation just for people in general. Gray believes these bills will make the job of law enforcement officers harder and will take away a current tool that allows them to filter out the good people from the bad people. Gray said he doesnt want to hinder peoples Second Amendment rights, but he supports law enforcement on this issue and believes its more about safety. In some parts of my district the crime rate and just the murder rate is very high, Gray said. Its projected that if this bill passes that it may double. Gray said that both his Republican and Democrat colleagues are hesitant about the bills because they think it goes too far. As the bill sits, it would be the most pro-gun bill in the nation with no restraints, Gray said. Republican Rep. Debbie Wood of Valley said there are two opposing camps on the legislation: those who believe in the right to bear arms and those who are concerned about the safety of the public and law enforcement officers. Both sides are right, she said. I think that the constitutional carry people are right, Wood said. They have a right to bear arms, and Im not going to vote against that. Then the sheriffs are right. They have a right to keep their first responders safe. So Im hoping we can reach an agreement where both sides are happy. Republican Sen. Tom Whatley of Opelika pointed out that there are 21 other states that do not require a permit to conceal carry. I support the Second Amendment, the persons right to bear arms and to be able to have free flow of commerce when it comes to anything they so desire, Whatley said. Both bills have some checks and balances. Both bills are different at this time. Both bills allow constitutional carry, and both bills have elements that give protections to business, industry and education in some form or fashion. SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Republican officials meeting in Utah advanced a watered-down resolution Thursday that would formally censure GOP Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for their perceived disloyalty to former President Donald Trump but not seek to expel them from the party. The resolution's passage through a subcommittee followed hours of hand-wringing over language that initially would have called on the House Republican Conference to oust Cheney and Kinzinger, the only Republicans on the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. The censure resolution is expected to be voted on Friday by all 168 Republican National Committee members at their winter meeting in Salt Lake City. Keep scrolling for a ranking of Senate races in 2022 "We want to send a message that we're disapproving of their conduct. It's a middle ground," RNC member Harmeet Dhillon said, noting that the vote was unanimous. "This is not about being anti-Trump. There are many anti-Trump Republicans that are not included in this resolution. These two took a specific action to defy party leadership," she added. The effort to punish Cheney, of Wyoming, and Kinzinger, of Illinois, comes as party officials juggle preparation for this year's midterm elections, when control of Congress and 36 governorships are at stake, with planning for the 2024 presidential election. In Salt Lake City this week, they've discussed where to host their 2024 party convention and whether to compel their candidates not to participate in presidential debates, a cause important to Trump. But the last-minute change to the resolution puts in question Trump's overarching influence on a party apparatus that has largely acquiesced to his wishes. The former president and other GOP members were incensed when Kinzinger and Cheney agreed to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's invitation to join the Democratic-led House committee investigating the insurrection, giving the panel a veneer of bipartisan credibility. The draft censure resolution accuses Kinzinger and Cheney of "participating in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse" and of "utilizing their past professed political affiliation to mask Democrat abuse of prosecutorial power for partisan purposes." It says the RNC will "immediately cease any and all support" of Kinzinger and Cheney as members of the party and says the RNC denounces "those who deliberately jeopardize victory in November." Read the full story here: *** MORE POLITICS *** Staff Writer Brad Hundt came to the Observer-Reporter in 1998 after stints at newspapers in Georgia and Michigan. He serves as editorial page editor, and has covered the arts and entertainment and worked as a municipal beat reporter. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. River Phoenix was known as Gen Xs James Dean. An intrinsically gifted young actor who delivered emotionally powerful performances, he was beloved by those who knew him and admired by those who didnt. He was a vegan and environmental activist before it was trendy and used his celebrity status to bring attention to the plight of humans and the earth alike. He was known for being unusual, sensitive, creative, kind, and naively idealistic. According to friends, the problems of the world weighed heavily on his shoulders as he felt it was his responsibility to solve them. He was a staunch supporter of LGBTQ+ rights and was an early icon for gay youth for his role as a gay street hustler in My Own Private Idaho. In contrast to his goodie-goodie image (as he mockingly described it,) there were burgeoning issues with drugs. River had a dark childhood growing up in the perverted Christian child sex cult Children of God, and admitted to losing his virginity at age 4 in a 1991 interview with Details magazine. He was the primary breadwinner for his family by age 7, busking with his guitar and sister on the streets of Venezuela for food before his parents moved the Phoenix clan to Hollywood to push him into stardom. His overdose at the Viper Room on Halloween eve, 1993, shocked the world. There are many conflicting accounts of what happened that fateful night, and this post notes those rumors as well as the truth of how River died, as told by a long-time friend and colleague of Rivers, director William Richert. Celebrity Rehab star and Thelonious Monster frontman Bob Forrest wrote in his memoir, Running with Monsters, that River had been on a heroin and crack binge for days with Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante. He claims that he saw River arrive at the Viper Room looking unsteady on his feet at the club. He also claims that River told him he was ODing before collapsing on the sidewalk and dying. Rumor 2: It was about 1:00 am, Phoenix was in the bathroom of the club doing some drugs with several of his drug dealer friends, when one of them would offer him a hit of heroin. It was pure-grade Persion brown. Almost immediately after snorting the heroin, Phoenix would begin trembling and shaking violently. He then turned to one of his friends and vomited. Another of his friends decided it would be a good idea to give him a valium to calm him down. After taking the valium, Phoenix would stagger back into the bar area and approach actress Samantha Mathis who was sitting with his sister, Rain Phoenix. Upon complaining that he could not breathe, Phoenix passed out. When he awakened, he begged his friends to take him outside the club where he quickly fell to the sidewalk and went into seizures until a photographer, Ron Davis made a 911 call on a nearby payphone, as did River's brother, Joaquin. Cell phones were not in the mainstream by then. Rumor 3: This story was allegedly told to several of Rivers close friends right after his death by his then girlfriend, Samantha Mathis. This version most closely aligns with Rivers autopsy report, as well as an interview John Phoenix (Rivers father) gave after River died. Director William Richert claims he met with Samantha three days after Rivers death, and the story she told him couldve implicated those present at the time of the event. The people involved (Rain and Joaquin Phoenix, Samantha Mathis, Johnny Depp, Flea and John Frusciante) didnt speak publicly about the incident for nearly thirty years, until Samantha did in an interview in 2018 wherein she told a version of the below story to the Guardian, omitting details that would get anyone into trouble. Rivers most recent directors, Peter Bogdonavich and George Sluizer, both believed there was foul play. River had returned to LA from Utah while shooting what would be his final film, Dark Blood. After a day of shooting in LA, River was coming down with a cold and wanted to sleep it off in his hotel room, as he had important meetings the next morning. Siblings Joaquin and Rain were in town to visit and wanted to go to the Viper Room but were underage and would need a celebrity escort to get in. Samantha volunteered and River planned to stay behind, but got a call from his friend Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, inviting him to play on stage. A last minute decision, River grabbed his guitar and ran to meet his girlfriend and siblings. Upon arrival, River was told by Flea that there was no room on the stage for him and he could not play. He then sat in a booth at the back of the club with his group. John Frusciante, who had recently quit the Chili Peppers and was suffering heroin addiction, was close friends with River. Knowing that River was bummed out about not being able to play on stage, he handed River a Dixie cup filled with unspecified liquid and said drink this, Riv, itll make you feel fabulous. Unquestioningly, River knocked back the cocktail which was later discovered to be a mixture of 8 times the lethal amount of cocaine and 3 times the lethal amount of heroin, as found in his autopsy report. There was no drug residue or inflammation found in his nasal passages, no needle marks on his body, and no alcohol found in his blood. After downing the drink, River soon vomited on himself and the table and passed out. When he came to, he began trembling violently. What is this shit? he asked, and quickly took a Valium to calm himself down. He could not feel his tongue or his mouth. Samantha told Richert that River was desperate to get out of the club, and that she helped carry him outside, where he promptly collapsed and started to have seizures. John Frusciante told a panicked Samantha to leave him alone and that she was spoiling his high. There was a delay in calling 911- the young people present were not sure whether to call their agents or paramedics due to Rivers celebrity status. Rain threw herself on top of her brother to stop his face and hands from smashing into the pavement as his body seized. They watched him thrash helplessly on the ground for nearly ten minutes before a paparazzi convinced Joaquin to call 911. By the time they arrived, River was unresponsive. Flea rode in the ambulance with him. From the time hed walked into the club to the time he died, it had been only 40 minutes. Biographies about River continued only to refer to the drug pusher as a guitarist friend, but Rivers father gave an interview in 1994 to Australias TV Week magazine, which corroborates the story that it was John Frusciante who gave River the deadly drink. He is only 23, the same age as River when he died, but he has a lot on his shoulders. He is keeping out of my way, because he knows I am looking for him. If you see him tell him Im going to strangle him no, dont print that but tell him, tell him hes an asshole. Hes very rich but he is a heavy drug user, and now he is a pusher. With River he was like, do drugs, do drugs. If you run into him, tell him, he may have gone back into the woodwork now but hell answer. I want him to know that I think hes scum. Print it and let him see it. He insinuated himself into my sons life, and River was too sweet to eject him. River was moving away from drugs and was actually trying to get this guy off heroin himself. River booked him into a farm, talked to him for hours, invested time into him. But the guy broke out and dragged my son down with him. Now he is alive and River is dead. Where is the fairness in that? 30 years on, because Rivers mother refused an investigation and those present refused to give details, the facts of that night remain up for debate. There are wild conspiracy theories that I didnt bother to mention up-top, like Johnny Depp using River as a satanic sacrifice. But one thing is for certain: Rivers legacy lives on through his work, activism, and fans. Here is a video compilation of River's famous friends talking about him, including Joaquin, Keanu Reeves, Ethan Hawke, Wil Wheaton, Sean Astin, Keifer Sutherland, Flea, Gus Van Sant, and Udo Kier: River's sister Rain hosts a podcast called LaunchLeft, and did a special video for River's 50th birthday featuring Flea, Dermot Mulroney and Michael Stipe talking about River. Grab your tisses for Dermot Mulroney's particularly emotional part: Sources: The Wrap Notated autopsy report In Search of River Phoenix: The Truth Behind the Myth Running With Monsters Videos by William Richert Youtube link to friends talking about River/Youtube link to River's 50th The "Since this is my first divorce" line got me laughing Reply Thread Link Lmao same so petty Reply Parent Thread Link i came to say the same thing, that has to be shade Reply Parent Thread Link it is! Reply Parent Thread Link I thought it was weird until someone mentioned her and now it's fucking hilarious. Reply Parent Thread Link The third attorney line also made me chuckle Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I fucking hate how objectively funny Kanye can be sometimes lmaooo Reply Parent Thread Link Lmao same (but not his last, let's be real). Reply Parent Thread Link he truly is so funny sometimes it's a shame he's who he his Reply Parent Thread Link it's especially funny because i doubt it'll be his last Reply Parent Thread Link it's savage, I love it lmao Reply Parent Thread Link Damn OP I just submitted this lollll Kanye clearly doesn't care if North is on Tik Tok, he has trotted north out for vogue photoshoots and other media. he's just saying stuff to make Kim look bad, it's classic abuser behavior and we shouldn't take the bait Reply Thread Link This. I don't think children should be on social media, but he's paraded her around himself in the past! And that "[she's] put on TikTok against my will" kinda rubs me the wrong way, considering she's not a baby any more. He just talks about her like property. Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah exactly! Idk maybe it's because all my former coworkers who had young children were very active on social media but I think it's very possible north wants to be on tik tok and no one is forcing her (that's not to say Kim doesn't also have other motives) so this just comes off as Kanye being very controlling. Her tiktok should absolutely be private tho, way too many creeps out there Reply Parent Thread Expand Link It's very controlling father who now sees his daughter as less of a child and more of a young woman he needs to "protect" / control. So many dudes who take that "daddy's girl" bs to some creepy extreme- I wouldn't put it passed Kanye to get even more disturbing ala T.I. proudly discussing the virginity tests he put his daughter through. Reply Parent Thread Link But also North should not be on tik tok Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Ding, ding. He had her front row of fashion shows, performing at his concerts, in his videos, in photoshoots of major magazines and had no problem with her being on a youtube channel with that child star (I forget their name, but with all the bows) and suddenly now it's an issue. I can't stand the Kardashian's but he is clearly just a manipulative manchild that needs to get over himself. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Yeah, that "against my will" line. That's really what this is about. They're no longer under his control, they're wearing *gasp* colors, posting on TT with their mother, and having kid time and he isn't there to make sure it's all done to his liking. I can't stand that I'm actually defending a kardashian, but I'm 100% team Kim on this one. I'm glad she's away from him, and I hope it sticks. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link the only part i would understand is that he cant control the content north sees on tiktok, not necessarily her posting videos. theres a lot of softcore porn on there. but i dont think thats what he cares about. Reply Parent Thread Link I was literally about to comment hes like my dad where the message itself may be right, but they dont really care, its just all about control. Reply Parent Thread Link That little dig he put "since this is my first divorce." Anyways these children deserve better Reply Thread Link I know everyone's ~cackling at that dig but dude willingly jumped into marriage with her double divorcee ass so it's cute that he's petty about it now. Reply Parent Thread Link but third times a charm!! how was he supposed to know they wouldnt last! Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I actually didn't realize it was a dig at her being divorced (didn't know she was) so my bad It just brought up memories of early 20s me trying to adult asking my parents, customer service or random strangers on the internet how to do things like "can you help me? It's my first time" lol Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Living for Kim's attorney jab Reply Thread Link he must be a nightmare to coparent with Reply Thread Link And likely a nightmare parent. These kids are gonna No-Contact him in their 20s, I just know it. Reply Parent Thread Link These kids are going to do anything to get out of scheduled visits, like head to the mall with friends when they should be with him - and he's the guy that's gonna call the cops and demand Amber Alerts every time it happens. "My children are missing, please, please tell me if you know of anything about their whereabouts!!" Gonna end up one of those shared posts on FB that nobody ever checks to confirm if it's still active, or if the child is with the custodial parent or not. Reply Parent Thread Link THE THIRD ATTORNEY HE HAS HAD IN THE LAST YEAR. The shade in a read. I cackled Reply Thread Link With parents like these, I'm sorry to this child. Reply Thread Link North is old enough to definitely be aware of whats going on too. Shes the same age I was when my parents separated and while my parents definitely protected us from most of their arguments, I still have memories. Not to mention the fact that North and her siblings have the misfortune of her parents being some of the biggest stars in the world and that theyre broadcasting it in this way I really hope these kids have some mature and responsible adults in their lives to help them process this and to help protect them, but Im not sure.. Reply Parent Thread Link Yup. Can only hope this kids find nice babysitters and friends and friends family that can be a support system to them because we know that they not gonba find that in their families Reply Parent Thread Link See, here's my issue. If this was literally any person but Kanye, I might believe that they were genuine in their desire not to have their child on social media. But it's this guy, who doesn't seem at all interested in the kids unless it's an opportunity for him to get public attention. Reply Thread Link And when he is 'interested' in the kids its only re: North. He acts like he doesn't have other kids most of the time. Chicago's birthday drama was more to dig at the Kardashians nothing more. Before the divorce, they were basically living apart for years he couldn't have given one shit while he was off in Wyoming. I think he only "cares" now b/c Kim has moved on tbh. Edited at 2022-02-04 06:24 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link He has had her on stage with him, performing at his concerts that are live streamed and had no issue with her being on Vogue. He is full of it. Reply Parent Thread Link i don't think it's super hypocritical per say. that's a controlled environment where she is with the parent(s) and strangers aren't going to be interacting with her in a way the parents don't know about. kim and kanye were likely very particular about how their family was shown in vogue but it's a lot easier for her to be on tiktok for hours talking about/being exposed to god knows what. social media is much more insidious than these planned events where she's visible to the public. that being said they're obviously both narcissists that have ulterior motives for their kids (kim wants a lil social media mogul, kanye wants a pawn to manipulate kim etc) so none of this is good for the kid regardless. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link He is really that 5th grader who waits until the teacher comes back into the room to tattle on his fellow students, and when you have someone like that constantly going to the media with stuff to try to make you look bad it's hard to deal with. I feel really, really bad for those kids. Reply Thread Link Kanye is obvs wanting to fuck with Kim but he possibly has a point about the TikTok. Even the words used in Kims statement about creativity got me rme. She is already starting to prep her for social media fame and follow in her footsteps. I dont see non-ulterior motive here. Her TikTok should be private and not for all ages. Reply Thread Link yeah exactly, they are both unfit parents in general, even though his feelings are not sincere, if one parent demands that a small kid not be posted on social media the other parent should comply. kim just wants parenting points Reply Parent Thread Link She wants her cool mom points and another way to stay relevant with the younger gen. Reply Parent Thread Link She is already starting to prep her for social media fame IA he's even contributed to that too by incorporating her in his shows and stuff. So I don't know what he's on about.... Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I thought the outlet for her "creativity" was painting anyway. I guess Kim just stopped pretending North was some artistic prodigy and moved on to trying to make her a social media personality. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link the creativity got me too lmao so full of themselves. Shes 8 and its a dangerous app to be on give her a damn coloring book Reply Parent Thread Link I think at the core, this is a sad story about an acrimonious divorce involving kids but "since this is my first divorce" is making me LOL Reply Thread Link maybe take your co-parenting conflicts off of social media? just a suggestion. Reply Thread Link Kanye? Yeah, someone should have cut him off SM a long time ago. Reply Parent Thread Link I dont think children should be on any social media. Reply Thread Link I work in education and the rise in mental health issues due to social media is mad. Im in a class with 10 year olds and they can't cope. Every day at least 1 arrives in tears because of what someone said online. In my school six kids were expelled this week because of inappropriate sharing of explicit images on WhatsApp (age 11). I'm so happy I had a childhood not worrying (too much) about what everyone else was doing 24/7. Edited at 2022-02-04 08:38 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link U.S. Department of Labor Investigation Finds Methylene Chloride and Other Workplace Hazards at Bergen County Manufacturing Facility Sinclair & Rush Inc. faces nearly $130K in proposed penalties. On January 19, 2022, the U.S. Department of Labors OSHA issued 10 serious and one other-than-serious safety and health citations. According to a press release, OSHA issued citations related to methylene chloride hazards, including allowing workers to be overexposed to the solvent and failing to provide PPE, eye wash stations and medical surveillance for workers exposed or potentially exposed to the solvent. Sinclair & Rush Inc. also failed to implement engineering controls and work practices to reduce employee exposure. On January 19, 2022, OSHA issued 10 serious and one other-than-serious safety and health citations. The proposed penalties totaled $127,539. Allowing employees to be exposed to methylene chloride improperly puts them at an increased risk of certain cancers, damage to the heart, liver and central nervous system, and skin or eye irritation. Employers must ensure critical safety and health precautions are in place to protect workers using or potentially exposed to this highly hazardous solvent from injury or illness, said OSHA Area Director Lisa Levy in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey. OSHA recommends employers use alternative, less hazardous chemicals or methods to prevent worker exposure to methylene chloride. Based in Arnold, Missouri, Sinclair & Rush Inc. manufactures and sells product protection for plastic components, plastic packaging and other products to customers in North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America and Australia under the StockCap, VisiPak and GripWorks brands. It has manufacturing locations in Missouri and New Jersey, as well as the United Kingdom, China and Australia. Ohios House Bill 6 was widely recognized as the worst energy policy in the country, according to a 2020 Vox article by Leah Stokes, an environmental political scientist at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The now-infamous bill gutted renewable energy budgets and bailed out coal and nuclear plants, to the shock, awe, and outrage of nearly everyone who wasnt a fossil fuel exec or the man who made it all possible Ohio Speaker of the House of Representatives Larry Householder. The passage of House Bill 6 was apparently so odorous of underlying offense and scandal that it helped to spark an FBI investigation into Householders activity in the Ohio government and whether there were any behind-the-scenes puppet masters pulling strings in favor of the fossil fuel industry. The four-year investigation involved phone taps, informants, and tracing the movements of huge amounts of money to and from Householder and local utilities. As it turns out, Householder was indeed involved in a grand conspiracy which involved hefty bribes from three Ohio electric utilities: FirstEnergy, its former subsidiary Energy Harbor, and American Electric Power. According to Federal Prosecutors, these companies gave Householder a $60 million slush fund to recruit other fossil-fuel-happy politicians into the Ohio legislature. As part of the deal, Householder helped steer billions of dollars in subsidies their way according to reporting from Grist. And then there was their magnum opus: HB6. The bill allowed utilities to use about half of the renewable energy than they had previously been required to put in their mixes, got rid of energy efficiency laws entirely, and handed billions of dollars to nuclear and coal plants to keep their operations running. Householder and his partners argued that the bill was essentially a nuclear bill, which could then be spun to be a clean energy bill since nuclear energy emits no greenhouse gases. Critics saw this as greenwashing at best and outright dishonesty at worst. House Bill 6 was really a coal bailout wrapped in a clean energy and nuclear argument, said Vox writer Stokes, who also wrote about the scandal in her book Short Circuiting Energy Policy. Related: Will OPEC+ Actually Deliver The Extra Barrels It Promised? Whats more, the bill wasnt just bad for the environment. It was also bad for Ohioans, ultimately costing them an undue 2 billion extra dollars in excess utility bills, and another $7 billion in health care costs related to pollution ushered in by HB6 over nine years, according to calculations by energy consulting firm Gabel Associates. Theres a clear pattern, Stokes was quoted by Grist. Utilities are rolling back climate policy, and they are charging ratepayers to do it. As for Householder, hes still awaiting a trial that has been postponed due to Covid-19. While the evidence against him and the orchestration of HB6 is condemning to say the least, the legacy of the bill lives on. While Ohio repealed parts of the bill as it became embroiled in scandal in March of last year, HB6 still largely favors fossil fuels over renewables. According to a report from Energy News released eight months after a federal complaint was filed detailing the scandal, a surgical repeal of parts of the bill leaves in subsidies for two 1950s-era coal plants among other props for fossil fuels and nuclear. Meanwhile, many efforts to repeal more of HB6 have stalled. While his hubris and greed was unusually unbounded and obvious, it seems unlikely that Larry Householder is an isolated case. Unfortunately, utilities that have already sunk money into fossil fuels are highly incentivized to find a way to keep renewables at bay. For regulated utilities, profits are determined by how much political influence you wield, Dave Anderson, communications and policy manager of the Energy and Policy Institute, was quoted by Grist. Its really just all about the money and driving as much profit as they can for their shareholders. On the other hand, the scandal is indicative of a wider issue: there is an ongoing struggle to find balance between renewable uptake and fossil fuel phaseout in the global green energy transition. Fossil fuels simply cant be discarded overnight, and renewable energy is a long way away from being able to replace that kind of energy capacity. In the meantime, finding the path toward a smooth energy transition with as few energy crunches as possible requires a delicate balance between investing more heavily in renewables without leaving oil and gas in the lurch. The complications of this tightrope walk have left many industry insiders in a new and unprecedented state of uncertainty and fear, leaving the door open for the Householders of the world to take advantage of a sticky situation. By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Chevron is in talks with the Venezuelan government to gain more control over their joint venture and help Caracas boost oil production. Bloomberg reported that the negotiations are being led by the chief of Chevrons Venezuelan division, Javier La Rosa, and PDVSAs president, Asdrubal Chavez, according to unnamed sources in the know. The two had discussed PDVSA giving the U.S. supermajor greater control over the joint operation in exchange for some debt relief. For now, however, the negotiations are informal because Chevron would need a sanctions waiver to make any formal commitments. Chevron and PDVSA operate four oil fields together. Before U.S. sanctions, these produced around 200,000 bpd, according to Bloomberg. Now, they are producing around 140,000 bpd, the report also said. While Chevron has been present in Venezuela for decades and has continued operating in the country under a series of waivers granted by the U.S. federal government, in 2020, the company wrote off its total $2.6-billion investment in the South American country due to the excessive uncertainty around Venezuelas oil industry. Last year, after President Joe Biden took office, Chevron lobbied for laxer sanctions on Caracas so it could operate in the country with fewer constraints. Venezuela, meanwhile, is ramping up oil production despite the sanctions, largely with the help of Iranian condensate that it uses to dilute its superheavy crude. Last year, PDVSa managed to reverse a decline in oil exports, booking a modest climb of 1% in annual exports, most of which went to China, Reuters reported last month. Production also increased, with the average for 2021 at around 600,000 bpd, with the December daily jumping to over 800,000 bpd, with one daily spike to 1 million bpdthe closest PDVSA got to its planned ramp-up to 1.28 million bpd for the full year. It is as part of these production boost efforts that the government in Caracas has become willing to give foreign partners of PDVSA a greater say in the operation of the joint ventures. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Japan has suggested that it could step in and help Europe with natural gas supplies in the event of disruptions in Russian deliveries amid the continuing Ukraine crisis, Reuters has reported, citing Industry Minister Koichi Hagiuda. The minister declined to comment on reports that the United States had reached out to Japan to ask if it could spare some of its LNG imports for Europe but said that "We would like to consider how we can contribute to the international community," noting that Japan had been a "driving force" in international LNG market development in the last few years. Japan is one of the most resource-poor countries in the world but also one of the largest energy consumers. This has made the country one of the biggest importers of energy commodities. Japan is the biggest LNG importer in the world. Because of its dependence on imported energy, the industry minister noted that the government will first ensure that local demand is secured before sharing any LNG with Europe in the hypothetical situation of a Russian supply disruption. "We will see if there is anything that can be done after ensuring that the people's lives are not affected," Koichi Hagiuda said. While the situation remains hypothetical, the implications for Europe's energy supply are, albeit also hypothetically, quite grim. The U.S. earlier this year reached out to Qatar, the world's largest exporter of LNG, to ask whether it could divert some supply to Europe in case of a disruption. But Qatar, it appears, is pretty much all booked with long-term contractsthe same kind the EU shunned in favor of spot market purchases of natural gas. The U.S. itself is also hard-pressed to help with more LNG because it, too, has other buyers in other parts of the world. There is also the issue of limited LNG import capacity in Europe itself, which makes ramp-ups of LNG imports quite useless if they are needed to replace as much as 30 to 40 percent of European gas supply, currently coming from Russia. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Russian exports of diesel to the United States last month hit the highest in three years as typical winter weather drove higher demand for heating and power generation in the Northeast. Bloomberg reported that some 1.55 million barrels of diesel were currently traveling from Russia to the United States, due to arrive by the end of this month, data from Vortexa has shown. The increase in Russian diesel deliveries comes as fuel inventories on the East Coast have fallen to the lowest in eight years while demand is running at the highest since 2018. At the same time, Bloomberg noted, refining capacity on the East Coast has also declined because of low margins and a refinery explosion. It appears that Russian fuel also has few alternatives for the U.S. Northeast right now: Canada shut down a refinery in the eastern part of the country early on in the pandemic while Europe, another supplier of fuel to the United States, is too deep into its own energy troubles to be able to spare a few million barrels of diesel, according to the Reuters report. The strength of U.S. demand for oil is evident in the latest movements in West Texas Intermediate: the local benchmark topped $92 a barrel this week for the first time since 2014. The immediate reason for this latest rise is the worry that another cold spell in Texas could once again hit production, which would contribute to the already tight global oil supply. At the same time, winter is a seasonally strong time for oil demand, which has contributed to WTI's recent climb. The geopolitical situation around Ukraine is also a bullish factor. "The tensions around the Ukraine conflict are providing support, and we have growing global demand and we're not really ramping up supply to meet it," Reuters quoted Tradition Energy's director of market research Gary Cunningham as saying this week. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Turkey is interested in resuming talks with Israel about using Israeli natural gas and transporting it to Europe, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday, as carried by the Daily Sabah news outlet. We can use Israeli natural gas in our country, and beyond using it, we can also engage in a joint effort on its passage to Europe, Erdogan told reporters on a return flight from Kyiv, Ukraine. Turkey and Israel have been in a tense bilateral relationship in recent years, after a fallout in 2018, when Turkey criticized Israel for its activities in the West Bank and its treatment of Palestinians. Israel, for its part, has demanded that Turkey drop support for Hamas in the Gaza Strip. In 2018, Turkey and Israel expelled each others ambassadors, following clashes on the Gaza border in which Israeli forces killed Palestinians. In 2020, Turkeys Erdogan said he wanted better ties with Israel, although he noted at the time that Israels policy toward Palestinians remained unacceptable. The two countries are now looking to mend relations and potentially cooperate in the energy sector. Israels President Isaac Herzog will visit Turkey in the middle of next month, Erdogan said earlier this week. During the upcoming visit of the Israeli president, energy cooperation will be one of the topics of discussion, Erdogan said today. The United States has reportedly pulled its support for the planned EastMed natural gas pipeline from Israel to Europea plan which does not involve Turkey and is backed by Israel, Greece, and Cyprus, The Jerusalem Post reported last month. Turkey has long opposed the EastMed pipeline project because it sidelines Ankara from energy plans in the Eastern Mediterranean. In January, Erdogan said that the U.S. had withdrawn its support for the EastMed gas pipeline project because of its high costs and reiterated that the project cannot work without Turkey. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: After being closed for more than a month, Over Easy near 168th and Q Streets is reopening today. A pipe burst in a ceiling at the restaurant on the first Sunday of January, causing about $50,000 in damage, said owner Nick Bartholomew. Repairs have been underway ever since. The restaurant needed a new oven, a new fryer, new ceiling tiles in the back, new paint, replacement plumbing and new insulation, he said. Servers who were out of work during that time four loyal women who have been with us for over four years pitched in and helped with repairs, he said. They were paid for that side work, but not as much as they would have earned if the restaurant had been open, he said. On Thursday, he launched a fundraiser for those non-salaried workers. For every $25 in gift card sales through today, we will be donating $5 in groceries to the people who make us go, he said. The cards are available by phone or in person, but not online. Bartholomew expressed gratitude for his employees. Amid an acute restaurant labor shortage, he said, they could have quit and gotten other jobs. Every restaurant in town would have taken them, but they have chosen to help us work, he said. Business owners cant make a business run without that kind of loyalty. Over Easy is back to its regular hours: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day. Visit overeasyhomaha.com for more info. Omaha World-Herald: Omaha Dines Sign up for the Omaha Dines weekly newsletter to stay up to date on the latest local restaurant and foods news and occasional offers. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Among community college students who drop out, there are a few who are really close to being finished. Nationally, about 10% of all students who leave college without a degree are only a few credits shy of graduation. They are also the most likely to re-enroll and graduate. Some colleges are trying to identify former students and persuade them to come back using a variety of methods that include data analytics and discounts on tuition. Using these tools, however, isnt always easy. Community college students who leave early rarely tell school administrators why they left. If colleges heard directly from students about why they drop out, the schools could help them with targeted resources. Or, better yet, they might be able to prevent students from dropping out in the first place. In our recent peer-reviewed study, we contacted over 27,000 former students of five large and diverse community colleges in Florida who had left in the prior four years without a degree. They had stopped taking classes despite having a C average or better and at least half the credits necessary for an associate degree. We asked them to choose from a list of possible reasons explaining why they left. As researchers focused on issues of access and equity in community colleges, we identified 11 of the most important reasons they gave. 1. Costs were too high Direct financial costs were the most common reasons for early exit from community colleges, even though the colleges are typically more affordable than four-year schools. Over half of the former students in our survey, 53%, said they left due to the cost of tuition and fees. An additional 25% cited the cost of textbooks. Our findings are in line with prior studies of students at four-year colleges that found students also sometimes leave college due to an inability to pay tuition and fees. 2. Living expenses were also too high Students sometimes drop out for financial reasons that have little to do with school. For instance, the cost of rent, utilities, health care, child care and food may simply be too much to bear in addition to going to school. This is reflected in the 48% of former students who told us living expenses were a reason they left early. 3. Ran out of financial aid Just under 43% of students told us they left college because they lost eligibility for financial aid. Students can lose aid for a variety of reasons, such as if they fail to keep their grades up or do not finish their degree fast enough. 4. Unpredictable schedules One out of every five college students is a parent, and nearly half of those students go to a community college. These students face many demands on their time related to work and child care. Among the leavers, 33% said they left because of problems with unpredictable schedules when it comes to work and family obligations. Those between the ages of 26 and 49 were twice as likely as younger and older students to say that unreliable child care contributed to their leaving. Women of all ages were more than twice as likely as men to cite child care difficulties. 5. Students lacked key information Many community college students say they do not know what they need to do in order to graduate. They also say their academic advising is limited or impersonal. About 24% of former students stopped going to school in part because they were unsure about which courses to take next. 6. Students wrongly thought they had holds placed on their accounts About 16% of former students said they could not register due to a financial hold on their school account. However, our study was designed so that it did not include any students who had holds that would keep them from taking classes. This indicates that former students had incorrect information, which is possibly due to limited time with advisers or miscommunication. Hispanic and Black former students were over two and three times more likely, respectively, than white former students to say they could not register due to a financial hold. 7. Health emergencies About 17% of all former students said that a health emergency contributed to their early exit. The percentage was even higher over 20% for those over 50. 8. Students got a new job or lost their job Most part-time community college students work while in college. For that reason, changes to their work life can affect their ability to go to school. About 34% of all former students said they left school due to a switch from part-time to full-time employment. About 15% exited early due to a promotion, and 13% left because they needed to take on a second job. Conversely, 12% said they left early because they lost their job. Men were more likely than women 22% to 13% to say that a change in career led them to leave college before earning their degree. 9. Math and science courses were too difficult Many community college students, for a variety of reasons, are not prepared to take college-level classes. So many struggle to meet math and science requirements. Indeed, 25% of former students told us they left college because they found the math and science courses too hard. 10. Students lacked strong connections to campus Students often leave college when they do not feel a strong connection to the school or its community. Of the former students we surveyed, 11% said they left in part because they did not have many friends on campus, while 8% said they did not feel welcome on campus. 11. Online coursework and unreliable internet access Though we surveyed students before the COVID-19 pandemic, which closed campuses and shifted much learning online, many former students indicated that factors related to internet access and online coursework led them to leave without a degree. About 25% of former students cited difficulty learning on their own in an online environment. Another 24% stated they did not have enough interaction with the online course instructor, and 9% said they did not have enough interaction with their peers in online courses. About 7% of all former students and 11% of Black former students said unreliable internet access led them to leave school. What could be done Community college students who drop out of school for any period of time are much less likely to graduate than their peers who stay in school. To increase the number of students who earn their degree, it would be beneficial if community colleges sought to keep students from leaving in the first place. We believe a few practices might help. Target financial resources: Community colleges may wish to provide targeted financial assistance to students who are close to finishing their degree but are running out of financial aid. This last bit of support may be what these students need to cross the finish line. Provide better information and advising: In order for students to better understand which classes they need to take to graduate or whether they are still eligible to take classes community colleges must ensure all students have accurate information. This is particularly important for equitable outcomes for students from different backgrounds. Strengthen the online learning experience: Finally, for students to feel supported and connected to their instructors and peers, community colleges should continue to improve online course offerings. Community colleges with strong online offerings may be able to offer students the flexibility they need to complete their degree as they also work and take care of their families. ___ More than 140,000 readers get one of The Conversations informative newsletters. Join the list today. Justin Ortagus receives funding from the National Science Foundation, the Helios Education Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the William T. Grant Foundation, Arnold Ventures, and the Joyce Foundation. The study referenced in this article was funded by the Helios Education Foundation, but the views expressed therein remain the sole responsibility of the authors. Benjamin Skinner and Melvin Tanner do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. ___ When President George W. Bush visited Omaha 17 years ago today, he called on all members of Congress including a certain U.S. senator from Nebraska to work with him on a plan to save Social Security from insolvency. The Republican said he was taking to the road after his State of the Union address to speak directly to Americans about the issue. But there was clearly one person he was out to woo. "Most presidents have shied away from talking about Social Security,'' Bush told a crowd of 10,600 at the then-Qwest Center Omaha arena. "I see a problem.'' U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson had already signaled his willingness to hear the president out, having been the only Democrat in the Senate not to sign a letter to Bush blasting the plan. The president's plan called for partially privatizing Social Security by allowing employees to divert some payroll taxes to personal retirement accounts. Afterward, the two shared a limousine ride from the arena to Eppley Airfield during which the president did some personal lobbying. Nelson later said he looked forward to seeing more details of the president's plan before he would make a commitment. Bush's plan eventually failed to gain enough support to move forward. Here's a look back at other presidential visits to Nebraska. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Six candidates for Nebraska governor offered their visions for reforming the states tax system and addressing workforce woes Thursday at a forum hosted by the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry and News Channel Nebraska in Lincoln. Republican candidates Charles W. Herbster, Brett Lindstrom, Jim Pillen, Breland Ridenour and Theresa Thibodeau shared a stage with the lone Democrat in the race, Carol Blood. Unlike a debate, where candidates may have a chance to respond to one anothers answers, the six were provided a list of questions beforehand and offered their remarks one by one. The big topics: taxes, the workforce and innovation. But that agenda did not stop candidates from occasionally veering into more contentious territory. In his answer to a question about making Nebraska more competitive in innovation, Pillen, a University of Nebraska regent and livestock producer from Columbus, mentioned ending abortion. Just where would we be if we didnt slaughter 220,000 babies in the last 49 years? he said. And in his closing argument, Herbster, a businessman who regularly touts his ties to former President Donald Trump, said hed crack down on illegal immigration and drugs as governor. If we cant close the border down south, Im gonna close the border in Nebraska, he said. When The World-Herald asked what he meant by that afterward, Herbster said: Every state has people thats being sent by the federal government into that state. As governor, if Im aware that we have a bus or a plane or a group of people coming in as illegal immigrants thats bringing in drugs and crime to our state and thats whats coming across the (U.S.-Mexico) border, I spent three days there you can be assured Im going to meet em where ever they park. Herbsters comment was similar to remarks Trump made in announcing his candidacy in 2015, when Trump portrayed immigrants from Mexico as bringing drugs, theyre bringing crime, theyre rapists, and some, I assume, are good people, the Associated Press reported. On the states tax system, all six candidates identified issues and some articulated specific strategies to address them. Some said they would work with stakeholders to find the right approach. I will work with chambers, Farm Bureau, local governments in order to ensure that the tax plan I deliver to the Legislature has the broad support of every Nebraskan, and I have already started this, said Thibodeau, a former state senator. One candidate, Ridenour, an IT manager from Elkhorn, advocated for the epic consumption tax a plan to replace existing taxes with a consumption tax on all services and new goods. Previous efforts in the Legislature to establish such a system have failed to gain support. Pillen opposes that plan, and Blood said its unfair to people whove been paying income tax their whole life and that the math doesnt work long term. Lindstrom said the idea, as it stands now, creates too many problems. Herbster, who previously endorsed the consumption tax plan, stopped short of full-throated support Thursday and named a consumption tax among options that need to be considered. Pillen, who had raised more money than any other candidate at the end of last year, argued for running the state like a business, and talked about bringing urban and rural communities together for transformative change. Property taxes affect more than just farmers and ranchers, he said. Blood and Lindstrom, both state senators, called upon their tenures in public office and referenced specific policies theyve supported or would support to change the states tax system. Blood talked about the importance of ending underfunded, unfunded state mandates for local governments that result in higher property taxes. She has introduced a resolution in the Legislature this year on that issue. No matter what sexy talk you hear about taxes, you will never see real property tax relief until that is resolved, she said. Among legislative efforts hes supported to lower income tax, Lindstrom mentioned a bill he sponsored to phase out state income taxes on Social Security benefits, and his bill this year to make that happen more quickly than originally planned. That bill recently got first-round approval in the Legislature. He also mentioned his current work on education funding and using flush state coffers to build a foundation to grow the state and investing in existing initiatives that help businesses, such as the ImagiNE Nebraska program that offers business tax incentives. As governor, that is the first thing that were going to tackle, is going into session in 2023, putting together a plan with the senators with the Legislature that tackles all of these things that have been talked about for years, he said. We are making steps and strides this session. Nebraskas unemployment rate dropped to a new national low in data released last month: 1.7%. Lindstrom said thats not a good sign for the states workforce. Low unemployment rates make for good headlines, but they dont make for a good workforce situation, Lindstrom said. He and Thibodeau offered examples of successful efforts in communities across the state. Lindstrom talked about public-private partnerships, workforce housing and attracting young people who want walkability, amenities and a main street with attractions such as wineries and breweries. He also called for shifting the states messaging away from the idea that Nebraska is not for everyone. And Thibodeau said Norfolk, where a strategic plan has come to fruition to prevent brain drain, offers a great example for the state. Pillen talked about letting communities solve their own problems by getting government out of their way, and about the importance of workforce housing. Communities can lower the cost via public-private partnerships, he said, or, sometimes, by using tax increment financing, known as TIF. Workforce housing is essential for our communities to grow, and every community needs to know they can figure it out for themselves, he said. Blood said the state needs good, nonpartisan immigration policy. She said she would address issues with licensure in the state that make it harder for people to find work, and include people in the 18- to 34-year-old age group in planning. Until we hear their voices, until we address those issues of child care, of housing, of a workplace environment, of a community where they feel welcome we are going to continue to have that brain drain, were going to continue have people going to other states, she said. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Six candidates for Nebraska governor offered their visions for reforming the states tax system and addressing workforce woes Thursday at a forum hosted by the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry and News Channel Nebraska in Lincoln. Republican candidates Charles W. Herbster, Brett Lindstrom, Jim Pillen, Breland Ridenour and Theresa Thibodeau shared a stage with the lone Democrat in the race, Carol Blood. Unlike a debate, where candidates may have a chance to respond to one anothers answers, the gubernatorial hopefuls were provided a list of questions beforehand and offered their remarks one by one. The big topics: taxes, workforce and innovation. But that agenda did not stop candidates from occasionally veering into more contentious territory. In his answer to a question about making Nebraska more competitive in innovation, Pillen, a University of Nebraska regent and livestock producer from Columbus, mentioned ending abortion. Just where would we be if we didnt slaughter 220,000 babies in the last 49 years?" he said. And in his closing argument, Herbster, a businessman who regularly touts his ties to former President Donald Trump, said he would crack down on illegal immigration and drugs as governor. If we cant close the border down south, Im gonna close the border in Nebraska, he said. When The World-Herald asked what he meant by that afterward, Herbster said: "Every state has people that's being sent by the federal government into that state. As governor, if I'm aware that we have a bus or a plane or a group of people coming in as illegal immigrants that's bringing in drugs and crime to our state and that's what's coming across the (U.S.-Mexico) border, I spent three days there you can be assured I'm going to meet 'em wherever they park." His comment resembled remarks Trump made in announcing his candidacy in 2015, when he said Mexican immigrants are bringing drugs, theyre bringing crime, theyre rapists, and some, I assume, are good people, the Associated Press reported. On the state's tax system, all six candidates identified problems and some articulated specific strategies to address them. Some said they would work with stakeholders to find the right approach. "I will work with chambers, Farm Bureau, local governments in order to ensure that the tax plan I deliver to the Legislature has the broad support of every Nebraskan, and I have already started this," said Thibodeau, a former state senator. One candidate, Ridenour, an information technology manager from Elkhorn, advocated for an epic consumption tax a plan to replace existing taxes with a tax on all services and new goods. Previous efforts in the Legislature to establish such a system have failed to gain support. Pillen opposes the plan, and Blood said that its unfair to people whove been paying income tax their whole life and that the math doesnt work in the long term. Lindstrom said the idea, as it stands now, creates too many problems. Herbster, who previously endorsed the consumption tax plan, stopped short of full-throated support Thursday and named a consumption tax among options that need to be considered. Pillen, who had raised more money than any other candidate at the end of last year, argued for running the state like a business and talked about bringing urban and rural communities together for transformative change. Property taxes affect more than just farmers and ranchers, he said. Blood and Lindstrom, both state senators, called upon their tenures in public office and referenced specific policies theyve supported or would support to change the state's tax system. Blood talked about the importance of ending underfunded and unfunded state mandates for local governments that result in higher property taxes. She has introduced a resolution in the Legislature this year on that issue. No matter what sexy talk you hear about taxes, you will never see real property tax relief until that is resolved, she said. Among legislative efforts hes supported to lower income tax, Lindstrom mentioned a bill he sponsored to phase out state income taxes on Social Security benefits, and his bill this year to make that happen more quickly than originally planned. That bill recently received first-round approval in the Legislature. He also mentioned his current work on education funding and using flush state coffers to build a foundation to grow the state and invest in existing initiatives that help businesses, such as the ImagiNE Nebraska program that offers business tax incentives. As governor, that is the first thing that we're going to tackle, is going into session in 2023, putting together a plan with the senators with the Legislature that tackles all of these things that have been talked about for years, he said. We are making steps and strides this session. Nebraska's unemployment rate dropped to a new national low in data released last month: 1.7%. Lindstrom said that's not a good sign for the state's workforce. "Low unemployment rates make for good headlines, but they dont make for a good workforce situation," he said. He and Thibodeau offered examples of successful efforts in communities across the state. Lindstrom talked about public-private partnerships, workforce housing and attracting young people who want walkability, amenities and a main street with attractions such as wineries and breweries. He also called for shifting the state's messaging away from the idea that Nebraska is "not for everyone." And Thibodeau said Norfolk, where a strategic plan has come to fruition to prevent brain drain, offers a great example for the state. Pillen talked about letting communities solve their own problems by getting government out of their way and about the importance of workforce housing. Communities can lower the cost via public-private partnerships, he said, or sometimes by using tax-increment financing, known as TIF. "Workforce housing is essential for our communities to grow, and every community needs to know they can figure it out for themselves," he said. Blood said the state needs good, nonpartisan immigration policy. She said she would address problems with licensure in the state that make it harder for people to find work and would include people in the 18- to 34-year-old age group in planning. "Until we hear their voices, until we address those issues of child care, of housing, of a workplace environment, of a community where they feel welcome we are going to continue to have that brain drain, we're going to continue have people going to other states," she said. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. LINCOLN Nebraskas corrections director made an urgent pitch Thursday to spend $270 million on a replacement for the Nebraska State Penitentiary in Lincoln, saying the facility has outlived its useful life and is ill-serving the state and those locked up inside. The inadequacies of the penitentiary are too many to name, Corrections Director Scott Frakes said. The issues range from poor plumbing to security limitations to less-than-ideal facilities for treatment. That makes now the time to decommission the facility and replace it, he said. With planning dollars appropriated by state lawmakers last year, Frakes said the Department of Corrections is making contact with landowners in Omaha, Lincoln and Fremont to secure potential options for the site, with one option nearly complete. Replacing the penitentiary is something that cannot wait, Frakes told members of the Legislatures budget-writing committee. But a host of justice advocates, family members of incarcerated Nebraskans and others spoke out against adding any new beds to the states prison system. They said the key to ending Nebraskas chronic prison overcrowding is reforming the states criminal justice system so that fewer Nebraskans are incarcerated. You have built and built and built and built, said Danielle Conrad of the ACLU of Nebraska. If you continue down that same direction, it will bankrupt us from a moral and fiscal perspective. Conrad also blasted the department for scouting potential prison sites before lawmakers have approved building it. They are picking out drapes before youve approved the mortgage, she told senators. State Sen. John Stinner of Gering, the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, revealed that the committee currently has funding for the prison in its preliminary blueprint budget. But Stinner and other senators also expressed concerns about the trajectory of the prison budget and projections for more inmate growth in the future. He said the committee also has $15 million set aside for the types of reforms that are reducing recidivism and prisoner numbers in most other states across the country. The penitentiary is old, and it is probably at the end of its usable life, but you are not addressing the overcrowding problem, Stinner told Frakes. I think its time for us to pause and relook at what we are doing in all corners of corrections. On a related matter, Frakes said hefty new raises planned for corrections staff are already making a dent in severe understaffing that has left many state prisons on lockdown several days a week, with inmates confined to their cells. Frakes said that in the two months since raises of up to 40% were announced, the department has had 700 new applicants and completed 283 new hires. The department also had only 17 resignations in January, a fraction of the monthly numbers seen last year. State lawmakers are grappling with how best to address the most overcrowded and fastest-growing prison system in the nation. The states prison population grew 16% from 2010 to 2020, even as all but a handful of states saw prison populations decline. Lawmakers are considering Gov. Pete Ricketts bid for a new 1,500-bed prison alongside possible reforms to the states criminal justice system. A state working group released a report last month containing almost two dozen policy ideas that could reduce recidivism and incarceration. Ricketts, who was part of the group, has said that changes to the justice system and building the new prison are not at odds and that both can improve public safety. While the State Penitentiary has been at its current site in south Lincoln for 150 years, and Ricketts often refers to it as a crumbling 150-year-old facility, the actual structure is much newer than that, with all but one housing unit built since 1981. Still, the condition of the aging facility came under the spotlight in October when leaking pipes forced officials to shut off running water for almost two days. When Frakes first pitched the idea of a new prison at the end of 2020, it would have been a stand-alone new prison to address overcrowding. But he is now offering it as a replacement for the 1,300-bed penitentiary, which would close if the new facility opens as planned in 2025. Frakes offered more details of the penitentiarys condition Thursday. He noted a recent engineering study that found that it would cost $220 million to bring the facility up to a usable level to house inmates into the future. The consultant study said if the facility were to continue to be used, six of the eight current housing units would need to be demolished and rebuilt. Frakes said trying to securely rebuild a prison while it is still holding inmates would be a challenge. Frakes also said the new prison would increase safety and security and offer improved space for the type of programming that can help prisoners succeed upon release. I have no desire to grow the number of people incarcerated, he said. But the people who need to be incarcerated, I want them to have good, healthy places for that to occur. Nebraskas prisons currently hold almost 50% more inmates than they were designed to hold. While the new facility would add only 200 net beds, Frakes said it would make a big dent in calculations of overcrowding because the new beds would be built to current standards. The systems design capacity would increase by 700 beds. Add in other beds set to be added at another facility in Lincoln, Frakes said, and overcrowding would be reduced to less than 25% over design capacity the level at which the state is officially under an overcrowding emergency. Conversely, he said, not moving ahead with the facility would leave the state in a worse position. The new prison was backed by the union representing correctional workers and by the Omaha police union. Anthony Conner, president of the Omaha police union, said Nebraska has a lower incarceration rate and the lowest number of prison beds per capita compared with surrounding states. We clearly have a capacity problem, not an incarceration problem, he said. But Diane Amdor of Nebraska Appleseed challenged the notion that Nebraska has an underbuilt prison system. While Nebraska has a lower incarceration rate than most states, the U.S. locks up more of its people than any country in the world. We over-incarcerate to a lesser degree than other states, she said. Several opponents said the state would be better off spending the money on efforts to combat the poverty, substance abuse and mental health problems that cause so many to land in prison in the first place. We are frustrated to be footing the bill for a failing system that is in urgent need of comprehensive reform, said Carol Dennison of the League of Women Voters of Nebraska. I believe we can break those cycles, said Teela Mickles, founder of Compassion In Action, an Omaha nonprofit that helps inmates and their families. Building bigger prisons is not the answer. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Sen. Julie Slamas proposal to seek elimination of the nonpartisan feature of Nebraskas unique one-party Legislature ran into a storm of opposition Thursday at a public hearing, including resistance from four former senators. If that were to happen, former Speaker of the Legislature Galen Hadley of Kearney warned, we will look a little bit like Washington where members of Congress battle every day along party lines. In Nebraskas Legislature, Hadley said, the emphasis is on you as an individual senator, not party. We do work for the people, not the parties, former Sen. Burke Harr of Omaha said. The issues are less party-driven in the Nebraska Legislature, he said, and more centered on urban or rural interests. Senators would be expected to toe the line on issues, former Sen. DiAnna Schimek of Lincoln said, and a partisan Legislature would give the governor more power. Term limits is what should change, Schimek said. Former Sen. Mike Gloor of Grand Island said he would not have been a candidate for the Legislature if the body had been partisan. Slama, of Sterling, said she introduced the proposed constitutional amendment (Legislative Resolution 282CA) to let the people decide whether they want to retain the current nonpartisan system or whether they may want to know the party affiliation of legislative candidates. Party identification would give voters a general sense of where candidates stand, said Slama, a Republican who was originally appointed to the Legislature in 2019 by Gov. Pete Ricketts. She subsequently was elected to a four-year term in 2020. A parade of speakers opposed the proposal during a noon-hour public hearing before the Legislatures Executive Board. Moving to a partisan Legislature would remove the possibility of independent decision-making, said Nathan Leach, speaking for Non-Partisan Nebraska. Nebraskas state senators act in the best interests of their constituents now rather than a political party, he said. A number of speakers suggested that the proposal could have the effect of disenfranchising 271,000 voters who are registered now as nonpartisans if subsequent implementation of the change would move legislative candidates onto partisan primary election ballots. Lets continue to evaluate candidates as people, said Westin Miller, director of public policy for Civic Nebraska. John Hansen of Lincoln, president of the Nebraska Farmers Union, said the proposal would be a giant step in the wrong direction. Our nation faces two issues that are directly linked: gun violence and the failures of the criminal justice system. Addressing both is critical. Living in a pandemic has taught us that preventing negative outcomes is far better than waiting to address a tragedy after it has happened. Public health strategies with a focus on prevention must be integral to our response to violence. We must treat gun violence like an epidemic. Whether a youth at home, a law enforcement officer, a child or teacher at school, a worker at a warehouse, a shopper or a member of a congregation attending services all are potential victims of gun violence. With millions of guns in circulation, insufficient background check laws, unrestricted gun show sales, reducing restrictions on concealed and open carry guns, straw man purchasers, access to firearms by those with severe mental illness, and the proliferation of well-armed hate groups, Americans are at much greater risk today than at any other time in history. This is especially the case in high poverty neighborhoods. A recent New York Times article by German Lopez focused on challenges of gun violence in the time of COVID. Nationwide, murders increased by 27% in 2020. In Omaha, guns are used in 75% of all homicides. And Black Americans are eight times more likely to be victims of gun violence than Whites. Omaha World-Herald reporter Henry Cordes has recently written a series on the impact of tougher sentences for gun crimes and the increase in the Nebraska prison population since 2009. In 2007, Omaha was the third most dangerous place in the country for a Black American. Law enforcement, prosecutors, community members and prison reform advocates came together to find common ground to address gun violence. In 2009, we passed LB 63 to attempt to address the issue with mandatory minimum sentences for gun crimes as well as prevention programs through the Office of Violence Prevention. The result has not lived up to its promise, however, as resources have been earmarked for new prisons rather than for prevention and rehabilitation measures. In 1991, Nebraska passed landmark legislation requiring thorough background checks by the local sheriff to obtain a permit to purchase a handgun. This was followed by Congress passing the Brady Bill and an assault weapons ban. These measures resulted in a 10-year decline in gun violence. Unfortunately, the federal law sunset in 2004 and all that is now required is a quick background check at time of purchase. Our law remains in effect but needs strengthening. Recently, Vox reported that Massachusetts has a permit to purchase law that applies to all sales of firearms, including private sales and gun show sales. As a result, Massachusetts has seen a dramatic decrease in gun deaths. Sen. John McCollister has introduced legislation to expand our permit to purchase law to all gun sales. The bill should pass. In 2007, Willie Barney and other community leaders created the Empowerment Network to address gang violence in North Omaha. Adopting a model rooted in public health strategies to intervene to stop the violence before it happens, Barneys efforts, in collaboration with local law enforcement, have had a profound impact on violence in the most impacted areas of Omaha. He has asked the Office of Violence Prevention for $5 million in funding. He should get it. Between 2007 and 2009, we worked with partners at Nebraska Medicine to reduce retaliatory gang shootings by intervening with victims and their families when hospitalized for their injuries. Today, a new initiative, Project Encompass, managed by Nebraska Medicine and UNO continues to work with hospitalized victims and their families impacted by violence. Don Bacon has requested funding from Congress to help fund this project. In an effort to keep offenders out of prison, my brother, the late Judge Mark Ashford, and other judges with the support of Chief Justice Mike Heavican, have expanded problem-solving courts to include veterans, young adults and those with severe mental illness. These courts provide sentencing alternatives to prison. In 2013, we passed comprehensive juvenile justice reform with a focus on prevention over detention. Douglas County Board member Chris Rogers has led the public effort along with the philanthropic community to significantly reduce juvenile detention and address mental health issues. In 2014, we passed legislation to establish a reentry project at Metropolitan Community College and expand mental health treatment for incarcerated adults. Under the leadership of Sen. Mike McDonnell, these efforts have been expanded in Project ReSet to connect ex-offenders directly with employment with the trade unions. These reforms are ongoing. A well-funded Office of Violence Prevention led by a first-in-class expert when combined with a more enlightened policy on sentencing will both reduce the prison population and reduce violence. The Legislature is well positioned to pass legislation to achieve both goals. The above represents only a slice of the efforts to address gun violence and reform our justice system. We have the tradition. Now we need the political will. Brad Ashford, who joins our lineup of community columnists this week, is a former U.S. House member and former Nebraska state senator from Omaha. With hundreds of families coming to Nebraska from Afghanistan in the last few months, local organizations and communities many of them religious have sprung into action to ensure that families have housing, basic needs, and education for children. Nebraska has long welcomed immigrants, including refugees and asylum-seekers, and religious organizations have led the way. Faith-based groups welcome and care for immigrants because of their moral teachings on welcoming neighbors and valuing all human beings. But as a new report shows, immigrants also contribute substantially to our states social and economic life a win-win proposition for groups who view welcoming newcomers as fundamental to their values. Two of the three organizations that resettle refugees in Nebraska are Christian: Catholic Charities and Lutheran Family Services. These organizations also provide legal services to all immigrants, as well as social services to anyone in need. Meanwhile, churches, synagogues and mosques across the area have contributed supplies and served as sponsoring communities for individual refugee families. For example, Citylight Church has arranged for its members to adopt an apartment to ensure refugee families have basic needs and a safe place to live, stating on its website, We want to step into radically loving our neighbors because Jesus radically loved us. Beth El Synagogue has sponsored refugee families since 2016 and collects donations for current refugees as well. American Muslim Institute has partnered with the Refugee Empowerment Center to greet and assist people coming from Afghanistan over the last several months. Religious groups often welcome immigrants and refugees based on the teachings of their scriptures and traditions. Both Jewish and Christian communities point to commands in Leviticus and Deuteronomy to welcome foreigners and sojourners, re-emphasized in prophetic books including Ezekiel and Zechariah. Christian organizations often cite the book of Matthew in the New Testament, in which Jesus says, I was a stranger and you welcomed me in praise of those who welcome outsiders. For Muslims, the Koran teaches to do good for strangers and wayfarers, and many Muslims highlight the migration of the earliest Muslim community as an example of why migrants should be treated well. Many religious people therefore view kindness and hospitality to immigrants as a moral calling, no matter what the outcome. But for Nebraskans, there is also a practical reason to welcome immigrants into the community: Immigrants have kept our population growing and our economy thriving. The latest available data on immigration in Nebraska from the American Community Survey, analyzed by UNOs Office of Latino and Latin American Studies (OLLAS), showed that immigrants represent 7% of the states population and almost 10% of the population in Omaha. While immigrants and refugees in the state come from all over the world, more than half of all immigrants in Nebraska were born in a Latin American or Caribbean country. And the immigrant population in Nebraska grew about 28% from 2010 to 2019, which is more than double the percent growth of immigrants in the United States as a whole. The most recent report on the economic impact of Latin American immigrants in Nebraska from UNOs OLLAS also shows that immigrants have contributed strongly to the economic growth of the state. In 2019, immigrant employment in Nebraska generated $22 billion in production and 94,409 jobs. These immigrants work mainly in construction, food services, and animal slaughtering and processing. In the same year, immigrant employment generated $7.9 billion in production and 37,271 jobs in the Omaha metro. Like in most states, immigrants contribute more taxes to the state than they receive in public benefits. Almost 6% of the states tax from income, sales and gasoline came from immigrants, who use about 5% of the state expenditures on public assistance. There are times when people must make difficult choices between following moral teachings and acting pragmatically. Our communitys response to immigration in Nebraska, however, requires no such choice. Religious groups provide services and hospitality to immigrants based on their moral convictions. As it turns out, those acts of welcome benefit all Nebraskans, and it would benefit all of us to follow their lead. Laura Alexander, Ph.D., is Goldstein Family Chair in Human Rights and assistant professor of religious studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Cristian Dona-Reveco, Ph.D., is director of UNOs Office of Latino/Latin America Studies and associate professor of Sociology & Anthropology. This article reflects the views of the authors and is not necessarily representative of the views of UNO. The new year opened new markets and options for Illinois farmers and food entrepreneurs to sell their homemade products directly to consumers. The changes make it easier for those who make food or drinks in their home kitchen, or an appropriate kitchen located on the farm, to sell directly to consumers. The Home to Market Act rules took effect Jan. 1 and were signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker last year. There are way more avenues than there were in 2021, said Mary Liz Wright, a University of Illinois Extension nutrition and wellness educator. Wright discussed the rules during the Illinois Specialty Crop Conference in January. Previously limited to selling at farmers markets, farms and home bakers may now sell at fairs, festivals and pop-up events, according to Wright. They may also sell non-perishable products online directly to consumers within Illinois. Out-of-state online sales are prohibited. Wright emphasized a direct-to-consumer focus underscores the laws underlying principle of product traceability back to its origins. She explained that is why the rules do not allow sales to restaurants, grocery stores or distributors that would sell to customers. What homemade foods and drinks can be sold? Wright said the rules specify which ones are prohibited. Prohibited foods and drinks include: Meat, poultry, dairy and eggs, except dairy and eggs used as ingredients in nonhazardous baked goods Garlic in oil or oil infused with garlic Low-acidic foods, such as soups, vegetables or food combinations Wild, harvested mushrooms Alcoholic beverages and kombucha. Wright explained home cooks may acidify low-acid foods they plan to sell. A list of acidified or fermented foods would include tomatoes, pickles, sauerkraut and chilled coleslaw. For example, an acidified tomato recipe would include a tablespoon of bottled lemon juice or two tablespoons of vinegar or one-fourth teaspoon of citric acid. We encourage people follow a tested USDA or Cooperative Extension recipe, Wright added. Home to Market Act rules specify home-canned foods for sale must be done in a proper, safe manner with boiling water, a vacuum-sealed mason jar with a two-piece lid. Jars must be sterilized in boiling water for 10 minutes. State-approved canning methods for low-acidic foods are a boiling water bath or pressure canning. This is to kill potential deadly bacterium, Wright noted. The new rules also expanded sale opportunities for frozen and chilled foods and drinks. Chilled products must be kept at a temperature of at least 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Wright suggested that could be accomplished with dry ice or chunks of ice. Frozen foods must be maintained at a temperature of 32 degrees or lower. The new rules update state labeling requirements to ensure important information is included for consumers and that the labels are prominent on packages and at the point of sale. Wright emphasized each label must provide the required information. This is essential and what health departments will look for, she said. A label must include the sellers name, county of operation, the products common food name, the processing date and the sellers health department registration number. Every label must also include the following language: This product was produced in a home kitchen not subject to public health inspection that may also process common food allergens. If you have safety concerns, contact your local health department. Labels must list all ingredients, including any food coloring, artificial flavors and preservatives. Those must be listed in descending order by weight as common names. In addition, allergen information, such as milk, eggs or wheat, should be included as specified in federal labeling requirements. Wright explained posting label information on a placard at the point of sale as well as a product label. For online sales, the information needs to be posted online in a spot where consumers will see the product. Potential customers may sample the product under the new rules. Wright explained two options for offering samples. Prepare and pre-package samples at home and bring them to the site. Samples may be made on-site, but the seller needs to first get a certificate from the local health department and meet sanitation requirements. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect that the Bloomington City Council will meet Feb. 14. BLOOMINGTON The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois is urging Bloomington to hold off purchasing automatic license plate readers and to get more input from residents. "There should be no hurry on this decision if the City of Bloomington is truly open to transparency and consideration of residents' feedback," Carol Koos, president of ACLU Central Illinois chapter, said in a statement on Friday. After several residents spoke out against the technology, citing privacy concerns, the Bloomington City Council in mid-January tabled a two-year contract with Atlanta, Georgia-based Flock Safety to purchase and install 10 ALPR cameras. At the time, the council intended to make a decision on the $59,000 contract with the company after a Public Safety and Community Relations Board meeting. The PSCR board meeting was cancelled Thursday due to a winter storm that blanketed Bloomington-Normal in around 12 inches of snow. The meeting is set to be rescheduled. If approved, 10 automatic license plate readers would be installed in areas that Bloomington police identified as having high rates of violent crime in 2021. Proposed locations are: West Market Street and Morris Avenue Clearwater Avenue and Hershey Road Prospect Road and Empire Drive North Hinshaw Avenue and West Market Street Oakland Avenue and Four Seasons Road Eldorado Road and Arcadia Drive South Main Street and the Interstate 55 interchange North Main Street and North East Street North Center Street and Graham Street West Washington Street and North Morris Avenue The Bloomington City Council will meet virtually at 6 p.m. Feb. 14. Meetings can be livestreamed through the city's YouTube page. Some city staff and up to 10 members of the public are able to attend in person. People can provide emailed public comment for city council meetings by emailing publiccomment@cityblm.org at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the meeting. Those wanting to speak in-person or remotely must register at cityblm.org/register at least 5 minutes before the start of the meeting for in-person comments, and 15 minutes prior for virtual. Contact Sierra Henry at 309-820-3234. Follow her on Twitter: @pg_sierrahenry. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SPRINGFIELD When Gov. J.B. Pritzker delivered his combined budget and state of the state address Wednesday, one phrase in particular stood out: spelunking for misery. Contrary to those folks who spend their time orbiting Illinois politics just spelunking for misery, our state has a lot to be proud of, Pritzker said, calling out Republicans critical of his and, by extension, Democratic legislative supermajorities stewardship of the state. The phrase later took on a life of its own as a Twitter hashtag used by top Pritzker officials to dismiss these criticisms, arguing that Republicans would rather look for the negative than accept the positive. The speech, in a sense, can be considered the opening salvo to Pritzker's reelection campaign, with the governor taking full advantage of unexpectedly-good budget numbers while offering a passionate defense of his sometimes-controversial legislative record just nine months ahead of facing voters. Pritzker touted major initiatives passed during his first three years in office, including $45 billion Rebuild Illinois capital program and the Clean and Equitable Jobs Act, which aims to move the state towards 100% renewable energy by 2050. At the same time, he pushed back on Republican calls to repeal Democratic legislative wins such as the landmark criminal justice reform law known as the SAFE-T Act and several pro-choice initiatives meant to ensure abortion access if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. At a time when politicians in some places have dipped their toes into the waters of sedition, or pulled chairs up for the ghosts of Jim Crow ... or are telling women you have to take your reproductive health choices back to the 1950s ... this government in this state said not here, Pritzker said. In fact, three Republican gubernatorial candidates vying to take on Pritzker sent their speech "reaction" comments either before it started or while it was still being delivered. It is no surprise that the Tax-Hiker-In-Chief is attempting to rewrite history today to mislead Illinois voters in an election year with gimmicks that rely on a disappearing federal bailout," said Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, offering the statement 15 minutes into Pritzker's speech. Businessman Gary Rabine, in a statement sent minutes before the speech was delivered, said that "we witnessed how out of touch" Pritzker is with the people of Illinois, saying that "a one-time bailout from the federal government does not equate with sound fiscal management." Venture capitalist Jesse Sullivan, in a statement sent before Pritzker finished, called the governor's proposal for nearly $1 billion in one-time tax relief as "classic election year bait-and-switch budgeting." State Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, released a statement after the governor's speech, said that "we need serious reforms in Springfield that arent reliant on federal bailouts." Pritzker, preemptively rebutting the claims to be made by his opponents, said "the same tired old characters who are always so desperate to bad-mouth Illinois will falsely attribute our fiscal success to the federal American Rescue Plan Act. As usual, theyre wrong." Pritzker's speech and the Republican responses illustrate some of the likely battle lines as campaign season kicks into high gear. Republicans have accused Pritzker of wanting to raise income taxes, pointing to his previous support for changing the state's flat tax structure to a graduated rate, which failed at the ballot box in 2020. Though Pritzker proposed raising taxes on the wealthiest state residents, Republicans have long said that the proposal would have opened the door to higher rates for everyone. And another clear campaign issue is crime, with Republicans attributing the rise in crime across the state to the the SAFE-T Act, a law signed by Pritzker last year that will eventually eliminate cash bail and require all police officers to wear body cameras among other changes. Most of its provisions haven't taken effect yet. Republicans have called for the law's repeal, but Pritzker said that will not happen. He also announced more funds for public safety in his budget, including appropriating $250 million for community-based violence prevention initiatives. "Crime is a complex and multi-faceted problem to tackle, and its cynical and counter-productive to simply shout 'lock them up' while providing fewer resources to the people and programs that prevent crime in the first place," Pritzker said. Legislative Democrats have also promised a package dealing with the rise in crime, especially as it pertains to petty theft and carjackings. Still, Republicans are expected to continue pushing for the SAFE-T Act's repeal and have also released their own proposals for addressing the rise in crime. It will likely continue to be a prominent campaign issue in 2022. But the battle lines were drawn in Pritzker's address. GOP candidate for governor Richard Irvin blasts Pritzker on crime Irvin said it didnt matter that many provisions of the sweeping criminal justice reform package signed by Pritzker last year have yet to take effect. Going into the campaign season, Pritzker and his team have reason to swagger. State coffers, buoyed by billions in federal stimulus funds and tax revenues that have been significantly boosted by robust U.S. economic growth, are flush with cash not seen in more than a quarter-century. The governor's office is now projecting a $1.7 billion surplus for the current fiscal year and a surplus in Pritzker's proposed fiscal year 2023 budget, which would begin July 1. Such budget flexibility has allowed Pritzker's administration to pay down state pension debt and unpaid bills all while proposing election year tax relief of nearly $1 billion. Pritzker's positive outlook is contrasted with a more grim Republican view, which the governor dubbed spelunking for misery. Illinois voters will get to choose which view they believe to be reality in November. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 CHICAGO Just after midnight Thursday, as the wind blew whirls of snow around a remote Central Illinois prison, one of the state's highest-profile prisoners walked out of custody under the cover of darkness. Ex-Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke spent a little more than three years behind bars for the 2014 murder of Laquan McDonald, a shooting captured on police video that sent shock waves from neighborhood streets to the mayors office at City Hall. The eyes of the world were on Van Dykes trial, almost every moment of which was livestreamed. But his time in prison was cloaked in secrecy to the very end. For years, prison officials refused to disclose where he was being held. And the details of his departure were not disclosed until more than 12 hours afterward, when a spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Corrections confirmed Van Dyke had been released from a minimum-security facility in Taylorville at 12:15 a.m. Central time. The lack of information surrounding Van Dykes exit from custody added a new layer to a case that has sparked outrage from activists and Black leaders who decried Van Dykes lenient sentence and called for renewed civil rights charges against Van Dyke. Protesters including the Rev. Jesse Jackson and McDonalds grandmother, Tracie Hunter, crowded near Federal Plaza downtown in a demonstration calling for Van Dyke to face federal charges. While most of the protesters were outside, several were inside the lobby of the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, and after some time, U.S. marshals appeared to escort them away. Some were taken into custody; others, like Hunter, were not. Its just so terrible how the system and the laws (are) ... that wasnt no time served, period, at all, and I want federal charges against this man, she told reporters afterward. While Hunter and one of McDonalds aunts have joined the call for new charges, McDonalds great-uncle has told the Chicago Tribune that they do not speak for the majority of the family. Elorm Blake, a spokesperson for the U.S. Marshals Service in Chicago, confirmed that nine people five women and four men were taken into custody Thursday and charged with misdemeanor civil contempt for violating the chief judges order governing demonstrations at Dirksen. The arrestees were processed and went before a federal judge Thursday evening, she said. Among those arrested was JaMal Green, a Chicago activist who has repeatedly pushed for federal charges against Van Dyke, a source said. Other names of those arrested as well as specific court information were not immediately released. Bishop Tavis Grant, national field director at the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, said its significant that some activists went to U.S. Attorney John Lauschs offices and delivered a letter to his staff calling for Van Dyke to face additional charges. Its in the spirit of Emmett Till, its in the spirit of Trayvon Martin, Grant said. So many cases ... go unresolved and leave this sense of angst and anger and frustration in Black and brown communities that our lives dont matter. Protesters later stepped off the curb and onto Dearborn Street and others in the Loop chanting for more to be done in the case. A Cook County jury convicted Van Dyke in 2018 of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery one for each shot he fired into McDonald, who was walking away from officers holding a knife. It was an enormously high-profile case, since dashboard camera footage of the 2014 shooting sparked widespread protests and political upheaval. Van Dyke became the first officer to be found guilty of murder in an on-duty shooting in about half a century. Word of the ex-officers release spread last month and caught many by surprise, though he was expected all along to leave custody in February 2022. At sentencing, Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan chose to sentence Van Dyke on the second-degree murder conviction not the aggravated battery counts meaning Van Dyke faced a lower sentencing range. And a procedural technicality gives inmates day-for-day credit for good behavior on many felony convictions, including second-degree murder, meaning he only had to serve about half his sentence. Since the January 2019 sentencing, Van Dyke has served time at a downstate prison, a federal detention center in Connecticut, and at least one undisclosed location as part of an interstate agreement where high-profile prisoners can be kept off databases of inmates available to the public online. The Illinois Department of Corrections has for the past two years declined to say where Van Dyke was being held for safety and security purposes. But a two-page release order from the Prisoner Review Board, the government agency responsible for scheduling a prisoners supervised release program, stated Van Dyke had been at the Taylorville facility minimum-security prison. Officials have offered no explanation why Van Dyke should be afforded so much secrecy when the locations of other high-profile inmates including other convicted police officers, terrorists and gang leaders are routinely disclosed in public databases across the country. That includes Derek Chauvin, the white Minnesota police officer who was convicted last year of murdering George Floyd, a Black man, by kneeling on his neck, a case that sparked nationwide protests and unrest, including in Chicago. Although he is arguably the highest-profile imprisoned former law enforcement officer in the country, Chauvins location, booking photos and release information are readily available on the website for the Minnesota Department of Corrections. And it is unclear why Van Dyke was released in the middle of the night, or whether less high-profile inmates are afforded the same opportunity for a quiet exit. No news cameras were stationed outside Taylorville on Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. A handful of journalists showed up outside Van Dykes parents home in DuPage County later Thursday; all the blinds were drawn, and nobody answered when a Tribune reporter knocked at the door. Van Dyke must now complete his term of mandatory supervised release, Illinois version of parole. The only requirement marked on the review boards form was that he participate in a cognitive behavioral therapy program, a common measure aimed at reducing recidivism. Van Dykes release comes as Black leaders, as well as Illinois two Democratic senators, continue to pressure the U.S. Justice Department over a federal civil rights probe into the McDonald killing that ended quietly after Van Dyke was convicted in state court of second-degree murder and aggravated battery with a firearm. Van Dyke, who is white, was captured on police video shooting the Black teenager 16 times as he walked away from police with a knife. On Tuesday, the president of the national chapter of the NAACP sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland saying the lack of resolution in the federal case, coupled with Van Dykes pending release, was clearly alarming to the Black community. We trust that you find the matters alarming as well and join with us in our call for closure of that federal grand jury investigation, wrote NAACP President Derrick Johnson. He also asked for Garlands commitment in moving forward with appropriate and applicable federal charges based on the evidence. Hours later, Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth penned a letter of their own noting that the state conviction does not preclude the filing of federal charges, citing the recent cases against ex-Minneapolis officer Chauvin, who was charged in both jurisdictions with the May 2020 murder of George Floyd. We urge the Justice Department to carefully and expeditiously complete its investigation, the senators letter concluded. A Justice Department spokesperson said the department has received the letters and will review the information, but declined further comment. When asked Tuesday whether she would support bringing federal charges against Van Dyke, States Attorney Kim Foxx said she was not in a position to give federal prosecutors direction. But Van Dykes sentence was not appropriate given the seriousness of the crime he committed, she said. If he had been sentenced on his aggravated battery convictions, he would have faced a far longer term, and he would have had to serve more than half of it. I would suggest and hope and pray ... that any and all those who have the power to make sure that theres accountability for the death of Laquan McDonald do everything thats in their power to hold him accountable, said Foxx, whose office did not handle Van Dykes prosecution. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google. For most of us, not a day goes by without interacting with one of their products or services. In 2022, whether we want to or not, Big Tech is a part of our lives. With that dominance growing, it is up to the government to remain vigilant against these corporations abusing their power. A good example of that watchdog role are the recent lawsuits by four state attorneys general against Google for violating user privacy. The bipartisan group which also includes the District of Columbia, Indiana and Texas alleges that Google employs deceptive practices, making it "nearly impossible" for users to avoid sharing their location data. The tech giant uses that information to target ads, denying consumers the ability to choose, and to track sensitive location data to make a profit, Ferguson said in a statement. "Google kept tracking individuals' location data even after consumers told the corporation to stop," he said. "This is not only dishonest it's unlawful." The company promised users that if they turned off location history, any place they visited would no longer be stored, but according to the lawsuit, even when consumers opted out of location tracking through that setting, Google recorded their whereabouts via other means. That discrepancy was first noted in 2018 by The Associated Press, which found that while Google is generally open about asking permission to use location information, some Google apps automatically stored time-stamped location data without asking. The AP discovered that location was used by weather updates on Android phones or stored by simply opening the Google Maps app. Even some searches unrelated to location, such as "chocolate chip cookies," would pinpoint the user's precise latitude and longitude. That's a complete disregard for privacy, all so that Google can sell you some Chips Ahoy. Big Tech is now facing a host of legal challenges from bipartisan coalitions of state attorneys general, as well as increased scrutiny by the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission. It's about time. For too long, little to no regulation was the default setting for the internet's development and growth. This allowed for innovation to flourish through the rise and fall of tech players big and small, but today's undisputed dominance of a few companies and their monopolistic power to stifle competition show that is no longer the case. Litigation is an important part of keeping these companies' worst impulses in check, but strong action by regulators, as well as legislation from Congress, is also needed. Big Tech can and does play a positive role in our lives, but we must be able to dictate the terms for the good of all. The Seattle Times Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 100 years ago Feb. 4, 1922: Another link with pioneer days is lost with the passing of Mrs. Mary Fults, 96, of Waynesville. She was thought to be the oldest resident of DeWitt County. Her family came west from Indiana when she was 4 and settled near Blue Grass Point west of Waynesville. 75 years ago Feb. 4, 1947: Attorneys Paul Schillinger and Dewey Montgomery have formed a law firm, which will operate from the Rolands building in downtown Bloomington. Schillinger passed his bar exam Jan, 20, having graduated from law school at Northwestern University. 50 years ago Feb. 4, 1972: A major urban renewal project has begun to make way for the new courthouse. Entire blocks are being razed between Main, Center, Olive and Front streets. The businesses that used to operate there have been bought out, although some contested their prices in court. 25 years ago Feb. 4, 1997: Towanda village officials rejected a state proposal to install gates at two rail crossings. The tradeoff would be to close a third one, and the village doesnt want that. There was a fatal accident at a crossing last year. The victim apparently didnt know a train was coming. Compiled by Jack Keefe; jkeefe@coldwellhomes.com. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with Government, is implementing an educational project to improve the standards of low-performing basic schools across the country. Christened "Ghana Accountability and Learning Outcomes Project," it would allow the government to invest $219 million in a comprehensive set of interventions that address constraints from teaching to learning in our schools. Through the Project, teachers, in the early grades, would be provided with continuous training, in line with the new curriculum; schools would receive teaching and learning materials; heads of schools would be trained on improved school management techniques, and supervision and assessment systems would be strengthened. Ms Tara Oconnell, UNICEF Chief of Education, Ghana Country Office, said this when she joined a team from the Ministry of Education to visit selected schools in Accra to welcome the new entrants. The team visited the John Wesley Methodist Basic School and the Ministry of Health Basic School in Accra and presented learning materials to the children to aid their studies. John Wesley Methodist Basic School had a total number of 62 kindergartens '1' children and 49 kindergartens '2', while the Ministry of Health Basic School had 70 kindergartens '1 '(A and B) and 111 (A, B and C) class one pupils. Ghana, she said, continued to be challenged by low learning outcomes in low student performance despite investment in the sector and was hopeful that the project would yield positive outcomes. She commended the Ministry for working assiduously to address many of these gaps with policies that support some of the challenges at the school level. Ms Oconnel said UNICEF's Country Programme had a robust education component, focusing on three things- equity and education, learning outcomes and accountability for results. She advised the children to take their studies seriously to justify the confidence reposed in them by their parents for a better future. The free education policy, she stated, should encourage parents to enrol their children in school, saying "parents have no excuse of financial constraints of not sending them to school." Nana Baffour Awuah, the Director of Pre-Tertiary, Ministry of Education, said it was necessary to address the problem of low learning outcomes that reflect in the performance of some of the children at the Early Grade Reading Assessment, Early Grade Mathematics Assessment, and Basic Education Certificate Examination. In September 2017, we introduced a new curriculum for kindergarten to primary school, which reflects the realities of the country's educational aspirations. "We continue to invest in infrastructure and in the supply of teaching and learning materials for our children to improve the standards of learning outcomes in schools," he said. Source: GNA 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. Featured Video Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Morocco has been gripped by efforts to save a child who fell into a water well near the northern city of Chefchaouen. The child, who local media have identified as a five-year-old boy named Rayan, was reportedly playing near the well in the town of Tamrout, 100km (62 miles) from Chefchaouen. Rayan is believed to have fallen about 32m (104ft) through a narrow opening. Rescue operations, led by Morocco's Civil Protection Directorate, have been ongoing since Tuesday evening. Despite suffering a significant fall, footage from a camera lowered into the well showed that the boy remains alive and conscious, though he appeared to be suffering from some minor head injuries. Rescue workers have lowered an oxygen mask, food and water into the well and a medical team is also on site, ready to treat the boy. A helicopter has also arrived at the scene to bring him to the hospital once he has been extracted from the well. Thousands of people have been watching footage of the rescue on social media, and a large group of onlookers have gathered at the scene. Local media reported that provincial authorities are overseeing rescue attempts and that dozens of police, auxiliary forces, Royal Gendarmerie and civil protection officers are now involved in the operation. Mohamed Yassin El Quahabi, president of the Chefchaouen Association of Caving and Mountain Activities, has been helping with the rescue and told the BBC that the narrowness of the well has hampered rescue efforts. He added that several attempts by local volunteers and rescue workers to gain access through the well's opening have already failed. "The problem of this rescue is that the hole diameter is very, very small, about 25cm (9.8 inches)," Mr El Quahabi said. "At the depth of 28 metres it became smaller so we couldn't reach him." Pictures from the scene show five bulldozers digging a large area parallel to the well's outer shaft to try and work around the narrow structure. By Thursday afternoon officials told the local media outlet, Le360, that rescue workers had less than nine metres (30ft) left to dig to reach the boy. Mr El Quahabi told the BBC that this was now the only way rescue workers will be able to reach Rayan. But authorities remain concerned that any interference with the well could accidentally hurt the five-year-old by triggering a landslide. 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. Featured Video The National Peace Council says it is concerned about the spate of coup detats in the West African sub-region. Reverend Dr Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, Chairman of the National Peace Council, said the Council was, especially, worried about "reckless pronouncements" by some persons in the country in the wake of the military takeovers. A coup is something we dont wish for ourselves. This is the only country we have, and we must do the best we can to protect our nation and our democracy, he stressed. The Chairman recounted past military juntas from 1966 and the excesses and said: We wish they wont ever happen again in our country. Dr Adu-Gyamfi, speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of a management and staff retreat of the National Peace Council on Thursday, therefore, called on Ghanaians to be measured in their commentaries and actions, especially, around this time. Public comments of a possible coup in Ghana, he noted, had the tendency of affecting the peace and security of the country. Burkina Faso, on January 24, became the third member of the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to be overtaken by the military. A coup in Mali in September 2020 was followed by a second in May 2021, and in Guinea, where elected President Alpha Conde was deposed last September. The National Peace Council Chairman, thus, appealed to the media and politicians to desist from making distasteful remarks and work towards a more peaceful country. He asked the media to ensure that their platforms were not used to incite people to carry out acts that could disturb the peace of the country. Some of these pockets of agitations enable other people to take advantage of the situation, and because there is unrest in these countries, people think it is the right time to strike or take advantage of the situation because of their unhappiness, he said. Mr Ambrose Dery, Minister of Interior, said the existence of pervasive ethnic and chieftaincy conflicts in Northern Ghana, intra-religious clashes, inadequate capacity of institutions and communities made the teeming unemployed youth vulnerable to radicalism and violent extremism. He said external threats to the countrys peace and security largely emanated from West Africa and the Sahel, including the spillovers from violent extremism, terrorism, acquisition and transborder smuggling of illegal and light weapons, drug trafficking and crimes relating to trafficking. Ghana, he noted, faced a potential threat of recruitment and radicalization, particularly of the youth, as the threat of violent extremism descended towards the coastal states from the Sahel, with an increase in attacks in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. The Interior Minister said the countrys strong interaction with and proximity to Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Mali and Niger - all theatres for terrorist violence had in the last four years provoked predictions and fears that the country could be the next frontier targeted for such radicalization and attacks in the West Africa Sub-Region. Meanwhile, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Chairman of ECOWAS, at the opening of an extraordinary summit by leaders of the regional body in Accra, urged collective and decisive action to subdue the resurgence of political instability in West Africa. He further urged the subregional bloc to ensure the protection of democracy in the region and find a sustainable solution to the resurgence of the canker of military coups. Source: GNA 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. Featured Video The European Commission proposed on Wednesday three new EU-wide taxes to help to repay the joint government borrowing in the 27-nation bloc for their 800 billion euro ($904 billion) COVID-19 recovery fund. The first measure will introduce a levy on CO2 emitted by fuels for buildings and cars under a new carbon market while using the EUs existing carbon trading system to impose CO2 costs on ships and increase existing payments from airlines. A quarter of such CO2 revenues, which currently largely go to governments, would in future go to the EU budget, providing 12 billion euros annually on average from 2026 to 2030, according to the Commissions proposal. The second would impose carbon costs on imports of goods from countries with weaker CO2 emissions standards, with three-quarters of those proceeds going to the EU budget, providing 1 billion euros per year on average over 2026-2030. The third tax would give the EU budget a 15% share of the residual profits from large multinational companies that will be re-domiciled in EU countries under a G20 and OECD agreement on a reallocation of taxing rights. Those revenues could amount to between 2.5 billion-4 billion euros per year. The COVID-19 recovery fund is to be paid back by 2058. EU budget commissioner Johannes Hahn said governments had a strong incentive to agree to the new levies, to avoid having to pay more into the next EU budget to repay that debt. The Commission proposals must be negotiated by the European Parliament and EU countries. The second package of similar proposals is due in 2023. But countries are already squabbling over the plans. Polish climate minister Anna Moskwa told a meeting of EU ministers on Monday that the new carbon market was unacceptable as it would impose an increased burden on vulnerable citizens. The Commission has said part of the new EU levies should form a fund to shield low-income households from potential costs, for example by subsidizing home renovations to curb energy bills Source: Reuters 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. Featured Video US President Joe Biden has expressed gratitude to Dr Edjah Nduom (the son of Ghanaian politician Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom) for his immense sacrifice for cancer patients in the US, especially his late eldest son Beau. Speaking at the relaunch of his Cancer Moonshot initiative on Wednesday (2 February) at the White House, Biden honoured Dr Nduom who treated Beau for glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer. See that doctor on the end there. Thats the man who spent 18 months trying to save our sons life. Doctor, I love you. The whole family loves you, Biden said. Every one of you have a story. And our message today is this. We can do this. I promise you we can do this for all those we lost. All those we miss. We can end cancer as we know it. Beau Biden was 46 when he died. Thursday would have been his 53rd birthday. Dr Edjah K Nduom, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at Emory University School of Medicine in the US. Dr Nduoms clinical specialty is the surgical management of brain and spinal cord tumors. He is particularly interested in the safe resection of malignant tumors located in eloquent areas of the brain, the brainstem and spinal cord. Dr. Nduom is a member of the Cancer Immunology Research Program at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. He holds numerous positions in national and international medical societies. Notably, he is Co-Founder and Diasporan Representative of the Society for Neuro-Oncology Sub-Saharan Africa; International Outreach Committee Co-Chair of the Society for Neuro-Oncology; Membership Director of the Joint Tumor Section of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and Congress of Neurological Surgeons; and Member of the Board of Directors of the National Brain Tumor Society. Dr. Nduom received his MD from University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He completed a residency in Neurosurgery at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. He completed a Research Fellowship in Neurosurgical Oncology in the Surgical Neurology Branch of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in Bethesda, Maryland, and an additional Neurosurgical Oncology Fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Dr. Nduoms research focuses on the modulation of the immune system for the treatment of malignant brain tumors. He has presented his translational and clinical work on immune therapy for brain tumors at numerous national and international meetings. 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. Featured Video The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), with the support of the British government, has organised a hands-on regional training course to sharpen the skills and capacity of its staff and those of other law enforcement agencies in container handling. The training will also aid the 40 delegates from Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone who are participating in the four-day intensive course to foster regional and inter-agency cooperation in maritime security. The Search of Container Course training, which began in Accra last Tuesday, is being facilitated by officials from the Customs and Drugs Agency of the United Kingdom (UK) and will provide participants with comprehensive knowledge on container control at the ports of entry in ways that will enable them to detect contraband products, especially illicit drugs. The course content has been selected to address the evolving trend in illicit drug trafficking via containers, with areas being covered being health and safety, types of containers and vulnerabilities, seal manipulation and image interpretation. The rest are trends and mode of concealment, intelligence-led and rule-based targeting, insider threat and anti-corruption measures. Commendation The acting Director-General of NACOC, Mr Kenneth Adu-Amanfoh, commended the governments of Ghana and the UK for organising the training in Accra and for law enforcement officers. Illicit drug trafficking is a transnational organised crime which requires effective and efficient international collaboration to combat and dismantle complex international criminal syndicates, he said. He said West Africa had had its fair share of being continuously exploited as a transit point for the trafficking of illicit drugs from Latin America to Europe and North America. He said it was imperative, therefore, that customs and port control officers were equipped with the requisite skills and knowledge to profile and target suspicious consignments, including the expertise to examine and effect drug seizures. According to Mr Adu-Amanfoh, the commission had, in September 2020, intercepted 152kg of cocaine concealed in sugar containers from Brazil. Having perused the course content, I have no doubt that by the close of this course, participants will be equipped with the requisite skills and technical know-how in seaport drug interdiction, he said. He entreated the participants to pay attention and also have an open mind to engage, learn and share knowledge. Expectations The British High Commissioner to Ghana, Ms Harriet Thompson, expressed the hope that the participants would benefit from the training by applying what they had learnt to make a difference in their respective schedules in the sector. She tasked the participants to apply what they would learn at the training to curb the trafficking of illicit drugs in and around the West African sub-region. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former CPP acting General Secretary and Managing Editor of The National Forum newspaper, James Kwabena Bomfeh Jnr aka Kabila is calling on the Speaker A.S.K. Bagbin to resign on grounds of ill-health to save Ghanas Parliament. "If we need to save the Speaker, let save the Speaker by asking him to resign quietly so that somebody who is healthy and stronger can occupy the space. After all, when he resigns today, he's entitled to all the things that he is entitled to till he dies. ''He swore that he won't allow anything to become an impediment in the function and functioning of Parliament. Mr. Speaker, by your own word [on your honour] these your travels on health grounds are becoming an impediment to functioning of that second arm of government, the Legislature. With the greatest respect, in the name of your own words and on your honour, I'm pleading with you 'save Speaker Bagbin' by resigning and let's get a new Speaker," he said on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'' Wednesday morning. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Minority Caucus in Parliament has served notice to resist moves to prosecute the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North, Mr James Gyakye Quayson, describing the suit as politically motivated. The Minority said any attempt by government to prosecute the MP was an affront to the suit pending before the Court of Appeal. Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu said the issue of whether or not, per Article 94(2)(a) of the 1992 Constitution, Mr Quayson was qualified to stand as an MP is a question of law pending before the Appeals Court as well as the Supreme Court in various suits. At a press conference at Parliament House on Thursday, Mr Iddrisu said those actions were attempts by government to intimidate the minority MPs in the quest to pass the E-levy, by trying to reduce their number through the suit. He said the latest action, endorsed by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr Godfred Yeboah Dame, came at a time an appeal and application for Stay of Execution had been filed against the Cape Coast High Courts annulment of the 2020 Assin North Parliamentary Elections, still pending before the Court of Appeal. He said information available to the Minority indicated that the said charges bordered on an allegation that Mr Quayson committed a crime by signing a declaration to the Electoral Commission to the effect that he was qualified to stand for an election as an MP. Under the circumstances, the lawful and reasonable thing for the Ghana Police Service, the ruling NPP governmentto do is to abide by the decision of the Court of Appeal on these processes, he added. Source: GNA 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. Featured Video Seasoned Journalist and Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has snapped at the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over comments by some members that Ghana should return to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for financial assistance. Speaking on Friday edition of Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'' programme, Mr. Pratt alluded to some statements made by some NDC members where they suggest that Ghana should go back to the era of seeking loans from the IMF to develop the country. These statements are as a result of the party's opposition to the e-levy pending implementation by the Akufo-Addo-led government. To the NDC, the e-levy will compound the plight of Ghanaians, so don't want it implemented. However, some officials of the incumbent government claim, without the e-levy, Ghana will not have adequate revenues to boost her infrastructure development. Responding to the NDC's suggestion for IMF intervention, Kwesi Pratt poured out his rage saying, ''They should stop making those statements that we should go the IMF. It's annoying me! Seriously, it's annoying me! Haven't we been to the IMF before? What was the result? So, why is it that everytime we are saying we should go to the IMF as if there is a solution there? There's no solution there; so the NDC should stop saying we should go the IMF. It's irritating me!!'' He recounted the hardships that Ghanaians faced during the days of going to the IMF for financial aid stressing the country's national currency was devalued by "more than 30,000 percent over the period". "Is this not the same IMF we went to that brought about the cash and carry [system]? Have you forgotten? So, stop telling us to go to the IMF. Nobody wants to go to the IMF," he fumed. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Members of Parliament (MP) have condemned the recent wave of coups detat in the West African sub-region that are fast eroding the democratic gains made in the region. The MPs have, therefore, called on the Heads of State and government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to take urgent steps and actions to address the root causes of military takeovers in the sub-region. The MPs were the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for North Tongu, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa; the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Nsawam-Adoagyiri; Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh; the NPP MP for Abuakwa South, Mr Samuel Atta Kyea, and the NDC MP for Bawku Central, Mr Mahama Ayariga. They expressed concern when they contributed to a statement read on the floor of Parliament last Wednesday by Mr Ablakwa, who is also the Minority Ranking Member of Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs. Resurgence Mr Ablakwa had expressed concerns about the alarming resurgence of a new wave of coups detat in the sub-region. He noted that within the short space of nine months, the sub-region had witnessed successive military takeovers in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and fourth attempted coup in Guinea-Bissau on February 1, 2022. "Mr Speaker, what is even more intriguing is the popular support and massive jubilation which these coups are greeted with by the African people. A clear paradox of the peoples democracy versus popular coups. Solution Mr Ablakwa, therefore, emphasised the need for African leaders to pursue urgent, bold and robust Marshall Plan to address regional insecurity, acute unemployment, lack of opportunities for the youth, marginalisation, corruption, nepotism, proliferation of arms, dictatorships, economic mismanagement, foreign exploitation and clueless leadership. He also called on the AU and other sub-regional bodies such as ECOWAS to institute an independent monitoring and evaluation system that assessed the democratic health, stability and economic well-being of member states for frank peer review as a proactive measure to forestall more coups. The independent assessment, he said, must be conducted regularly by credible African Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and foundations in a transparent and scientific manner. Their findings, Mr Ablakwa said, must be made public to both enrich the African democratic discourse and also assure citizens that their leaders were paying attention to what really matters to them. Ballot box Contributing to the statement, the MP for Abuakwa South, Mr Samuel Atta Akyea, said he did not side with the view that the military should take arms to overthrow an under-performing government as a solution to the problem. Rather, he said the solution to the problem was through the ballot box by allowing the elected government to serve its term of office and be changed during elections. Unacceptable conduct The NPP MP for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh, said while MPs must condemn coups detat in the sub-region, they must reflect on condemnable acts that undermined the image of Ghanas Parliament. The MP for Bawku Central, Mr Ayariga, in his contribution, called on the various arms of government, the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary, to play their roles effectively to let the people have confidence in democracy. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC , Sammy Gyamfi has said Ghanas economy has collapsed. He referred to a comment made by the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to the effect that it will be disastrous if the proposed E-levy in the 2022 budget statement is not approved by Parliament, and also the downgrade of the economy by Fitch Ratings, to support his point. Mr Ofori-Atta, at the governments Town-Hall meeting to discuss the E-levy on Thursday, 27 January 2022, said, When we were in the IMF programme, we couldnt pay for nurses and teachers, he said; we couldnt hire any more because there were restrictions on that. I mean, its just really thinking you can go back to Egypt. In a way, we have forgotten how difficult and tenacious that master from Washington was. So, we can deal with them for them to give us advice but we need not ever get into an IMF programme [again]. If we dont do this E-levy, were just pushing ourselves in a way that would potentially end up in such a disaster, Ofori-Atta said. Fitch Ratings has also downgraded Ghanas Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to B- from B. The Outlook is Negative. Speaking on this development on TV3, Sammy Gyamfi said You cannot but agree with fitch and the other international financial agencies who have all downgraded Ghana relative to our economy , our economic outlook. You cannot but agree with them that our economy is in shambles , our economy is in tatters , our economy has collapsed in fact as we speak we dont have an economy . The Finance Minister agrees with me because few weeks you heard him say that without the passage of the E-levy our economy will collapse . If you have an economy that, according to the Finance Minister is billed to collapse , should a policy that can only bring in some 6.9billion is not approved then it means the economy has has already collapsed. Source: 3news.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ghanaian business mogul, Dr. Osei Kwame Despite, turns 60 on February 2, 2022. The CEO of the Despite Group of companies marked his 60th Birthday in style as he stormed his hometown with his billionaire friends from the East Legon Fitness Club The East Legon Fitness Club. The successful business man and philanthropist celebrated this milestone in his hometown, Wiamoase, in the Ashanti region. He commemorated his birthday celebration with the company of members of the East Legon Executive Fitness Club, which is made up of his business associates and comrades who are of his caliber. The group moved from Accra with chartered flight to Kumasi and to Wiamoase where he was born and raised. A grand durbar was put together for inside his plush mansion in Wiamoase. Dr. Despite and his friends cut a 6-tier-birthday cake which was embedded with many photos of the birthday celebrant and also had some beautiful Adinkra patterns in it. He then donated several items including; 500 Cloth, 50 television sets, 500 bags of rice, 300 gallons of oil, 25 standing fans, 50 gas burners, 50 blenders, 25 Table top fridges, 4 double door fridges and a cash donation of GHE100,000 to 9 churches , Islamic community and the traditional authorities. Watch exclusive full coverage below: Source: Eugene Osafo-Nkansah/Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Controversial lawmaker and Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Hon Kennedy Agyapong gave a colossal speech at the lavish 60th birthday dinner held for millionaire businessman, Dr. Osei Kwame Despite which was attended by top politicians, celebrities, and friends. Kennedy Agyapong who has been a good friend of Despite from the beginning of time showered praises on the business mogul at his plush birthday party. The loudmouth MP posited that Osei Kwame Despite has been tremendous in helping most Ghanaian youths get jobs as his contribution to the growth of the economy. Speaking at the birthday party of the CEO of Despite Media, Mr. Agyapong, appreciated Dr. Despite noting that I would like to appreciate Osei Kwame Despite and his brother Ofori Sarpong for their immense contribution towards the economy. They are amongst the few Ghanaians who have opened businesses across the country and are employing the youth. He further admonished that Dont envy a brother when he is rich. Rather, go close to the person and ask how he did it so that you can imitate them. Appreciate a brother who has made it in life. Lets not only appreciate foreigners who have opened businesses in the country but also, lets appreciate our own. Note that while you appreciated your own, you pave way for your success too, he added. Watch the full video below: Source: Eugene Osafo-Nkansah/Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video THE Province of Cebu has inked the memorandum of agreement (MOA) of the Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) for the proposed 254-hectare reclamation project in the town of Cordova, Cebu. Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia led the signing of the agreement together with Provincial Board Member Glenn Soco, Cordova Mayor Mary Therese Sitoy-Cho, and the proponents of the JVA at the Cebu Provincial Capitol Friday, Feb. 4, 2022. The proponent of the JVA is Cordova Shores Development Corp., which is composed of Ulticon Builders Inc. and Premium Megastructures Inc. According to Garcia, the proposed reclamation project will spur economic development not only for the municipality but also for the entire Province of Cebu. The project will be divided into two sites: 204 hectares will be developed in Barangays Catarman and Buagsong that will be intended for commercial, residential and business areas. The second site will develop 50 hectares in Barangays Alegria and Poblacion that can be used as a business, residential and recreational area. The site is also eyed as a potential cruise ship dock site. Overall, the reclamation project will increase the land area of the town by 132.08 hectares. Sitoy-Cho said it has been a year since they wanted this project to be realized. The mayor then thanked the governor for taking the lead and keeping the municipality informed on the JVA. Garcia said the idea of building the ambitious Cordova Reclamation Project was already there decades ago when she was still a consultant for the province. The governor added that this could be one of the reasons why she is back as governor of the province. Because we will be working together, we will say, Yes, it will become reality and the reality begins today, said Garcia. The project is envisioned to complement the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway that is expected to open this year. Premium Megastructures Inc. and Ulticon Builders Inc. are also the proponents of another project on Mactan Island, where Cordova lies. Last December, Mayor Junard Chan of the neighboring Lapu-Lapu City announced the proposed construction of the Lapu-Lapu Expressway or LLEX, a P12-kilometer skyway that would start in Barangay Babag 2, pass through Barangays Basak, Buaya and Ibo, and end at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport. The project, a public-private partnership, was initiated by three construction firms, namely Premium Megastructures Inc., Ulticon Builders Inc. and MTD Philippines. Members of the Lapu-Lapu City Councils opposition bloc, however, thumbed down the proposed joint venture agreement for the P24.8 billion LLEX later that month, citing issues on the projects exemption from business, community and real property taxes, as well as the low share of the City in the projects revenues. 500 years of 2020 XL5 orbits plotted, relative to Earth. Credit: Phoenix7777 - Own workData source: HORIZONS System, JPL, NASA CC BY-SA 4.0 Research has shown that the Earth trails an asteroid barely a kilometer across in its orbit about the Sunonly the second such body to have ever been spotted. It goes round the Sun on average two months ahead of the Earth, dancing around in front like an excited herald of our coming. This object, known as 2020 XL, was first spotted in December 2020 using Pan-STARRS telescopes on the summit of Haleakala on the Hawaiian island of Maui. But determination of its orbit required follow-up observations using the 4.1-meter SOAR (Southern Astrophysical Research) telescope in Chile. Based on this data, a team led by planetary scientist Toni Santana-Ros of the University of Alicante in Spain has now announced that 2020 XL is trapped for at least the next several thousand years in an orbit about one of the Sun-Earth "Lagrange points." These are where the gravitational forces of the Earth and the Sun balance to create stable locations. It means the object keeps pace with the Earth as it goes round the Sun. Lagrange points exist around other planets too, they are equilibrium points for any objects with small mass under the influence of any two much more massive bodies. There are three such points on the Sun-Earth line (L1, L2 and L3, see image below), first discovered mathematically by the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler. Spacecraft, such as James Webb Space Telecope (at L2) and DSCOVR (at L1), can be maintained there with only a small expenditure of fuel. Two other points, L4 and L5, were discovered in 1772 by Euler's student Joseph-Louis Lagrange. Here, a small-mass object making an equilateral triangle with Sun and Earth is in a stable equilibrium. These points are 60 degrees ahead of and 60 degrees behind the Earth, and because 60 degrees (see image above) is one-sixth of the Earth's orbit this amounts to two months separation. If a small-mass object is perturbed so as to move away from L4 or L5, the combined gravity of the Sun and Earth draws it backbending its path into a stable orbit around the Lagrange point that looks kidney bean shaped relative to Earth. XL5, but no fireball 2020 XL is being called a Trojan companion to the Earth by analogy with Jupiter's Trojan asteroids. Jupiter shares its orbit with nearly ten thousand known asteroids, half of them ahead of Jupiter, and half behind. The first of those, discovered in 1906, was named Achilles after a central character at the siege of Troy in Homer's Iliad. The Lagrange points associated with Earths orbit (sizes and distances not to scale). Credit: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. da Silva A convention developed to name each one after a hero from the same story. Only those trailing Jupiter (clustered at the Sun-Jupiter L5 position) are given Trojan names, such as Hektor, whereas those ahead of Jupiter (at L4) are give Greek names, such as Achilles. Collectively, whether at L4 or L5 they are all referred to as Trojans. Small numbers of Trojan asteroids have now been discovered associated with Neptune (23), Uranus (1) and Mars (9). But 2020 XL is only the second Trojan companion of Earth to have been found. The first, 2010 TK, was discovered in 2010. That's only about 300 meters across, so 2020 XL considerably outmasses it at about 1.2km across. There are probably many more Earth Trojans, but they are hard to discover from Earth because they can only ever be seen fairly low in the pre-dawn sky if at L4 like both 2010 TK and 2020 XL, or just after sunset if at L5 (where none have yet been found). Their orbits are not stable over millions of years, so they can't be remnants that have been there ever since Earth's formation but must have drifted into place later. However, the SOAR observations were able to show that 2020 XL appears to be a carbon-rich asteroid (called C-type). So it is a sample of what the Solar System was built from, and it would be instructive to study Earth's Trojan companions in more detail as examples of unaltered material. Asteroid positions, with Jupiters Trojans in green. Credit: Mdf at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons But could we mine them or use them in other ways? Santana-Ros notes that 2020 XL has an orbit that bobs above and below Earth's orbital plane. This means that to maneuver a spacecraft into a rendezvous (to orbit or land on it) would require considerable velocity change. That would probably need too much fuel to be practical. The same applies to 2010 TK. However, the study points out that if other Earth Trojans are found in orbits that are less tilted, these might make handy bases as staging posts for exploration of the Solar System. They'd be much easier to take off from than from the Earth or Moon because their gravity is so slight. They could even be a source of resources that we could mine. Explore further Team confirms existence of new Earth Trojan asteroid This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Credit: Lauren Ashwood, QUT QUT Ph.D. researcher Lauren Ashwood has studied sea anemones' venom makeup extensively, in particular, Telmatactis stephensoni a reef-based sea anemone that can grow from 8 to 10 cm. Ms Ashwood found that this species produced different venoms for biological functionsdefense, predation, and digestionand that the toxins were located at sites that corresponded to their function. "Unlike snakes which deliver their venom via fangs, T. stephensoni venom is a complex cocktail of toxins that is found in stinging cells throughout the sea anemone's structure," Ms Ashwood said. "Analysis of the sea anemone's three major functional regions: the tentacles, epidermis and gastrodermisfound the locations of toxin production are consistent with their ecological role of catching prey, defense and digestion. "This means when we study the toxins in the context of what they do, we have an idea of how they might be useful for therapeutics." Ms Ashwood said animal venoms had been used to treat humans throughout history, with snake venom administered medicinally as early as the seventh century BC. "Peptide toxins from venomous animals are being developed into therapeutics for conditions, including cardiovascular disorders, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, wound healing, HIV, cancer and chronic pain," Ms Ashwood said. "In all we found 84 potential toxins in T. stephensoni including one that hadn't been seen before. A sample of this unknown toxin, named U-Tstx-1, has been sent to a specialized lab in Hungary for analysis. "Given that this toxin was found in the gastrodermis of the sea anemone it could be involved in digestionit could be a new type of co-lipase, enzymes that break down fat. "This toxin could also be similar to a toxin in the venom of black mamba snakes that stimulates intestinal muscle contractions." Co-researcher QUT Associate Professor Peter Prentis, from the Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy and the School of Biology and Environmental Science, said scientists were interested in pain-causing venoms because they could potentially be developed to provide pain relief. "If we can isolate the neurotoxin and find the nerve cell receptor it activates, we could potentially develop a blocker to stop activation and treat conditions such as chronic back pain," Professor Prentis said. "This means the toxins in the acontialong, stinging thread used to ward off would-be predators that cause intense pain to marine animals as well as humanscould be a source of an 'antidote' to some types of chronic pain. Professor Prentis said new analytical techniques had led to a shift towards toxin-driven discovery, away from the earlier method where crude venom was first tested against a target for desired activity. "This new strategy allows for the discovery of peptides that might have remained undiscovered, for example, those which may not be highly abundant in the venom or which possess unanticipated mechanisms of action. "Toxin-driven discovery to find therapeutic candidates, however, can be like finding a needle in a haystack and not all peptide toxins are likely to have the same success as pharmaceuticals." The study, "Venoms for all occasions: the functional toxin profiles of different anatomical regions in sea anemones are related to their ecological function," was published in Molecular Ecology. Explore further The very venomous caterpillar More information: Lauren M. Ashwood et al, Venoms for all occasions: The functional toxin profiles of different anatomical regions in sea anemones are related to their ecological function, Molecular Ecology (2021). Journal information: Molecular Ecology Lauren M. Ashwood et al, Venoms for all occasions: The functional toxin profiles of different anatomical regions in sea anemones are related to their ecological function,(2021). DOI: 10.1111/mec.16286 Proctors with California schoolchildren validate the new Multitudes reading assessment tool. Credit: Phaedra Bell A UC San Francisco-developed tool to detect early signs of literacy weaknesses that could lead to dyslexia got a boost in the California governor's recent budget proposal, and could be in widespread use in the state's public schools by 2023. Dyslexia is a brain-based learning challenge that affects about 15 percent of the population and is unrelated to intelligence, according to the International Dyslexia Association. Children with dyslexia have trouble learning to read and write, and can fall behind if the condition is unaddressed. UCSF's free digital assessment, which has been piloted with 2,000 students at dozens of California schools to date, is meant to spot pre-reading challenges in kindergarten or first grade, so educators can intervene before dyslexia is typically diagnosed, said Marilu Gorno Tempini, M.D., Ph.D., Charles Schwab Distinguished Professor in Dyslexia and Neurodevelopment, and co-director of the UCSF Dyslexia Center and the UCSF-UCB Schwab Dyslexia and Cognitive Diversity Center. "We don't usually diagnose dyslexia in kindergartenkids are not expected to read fluently yet," Gorno Tempini said. "But we know there are risk factors and the hope is that if we address those factors earlier on, the kids will not develop the difficulties with written language associated with dyslexia." "By the time dyslexia is recognized in third or fourth grade, kids have suffered through feeling incapable or being bullied for years" she added. "In a worst-case scenario, these kids fall further behind and eventually drop out. So we are really creating a prevention tool here." Governor Gavin Newsom, who struggled with dyslexia as a child, allocated $10 million to UCSF for dyslexia research in his January budget proposal. Lawmakers will debate the 202223 budget over the next few months, with a final budget plan due in June. The UCSF Dyslexia Center received $15.2 million in the current year's state budget, and $3.5 million from the 201920 state budget. Last year, a budget trailer bill allocated $4 million for dyslexia early intervention in the school system last year, as well. Neuroscience-based approach UCSF's assessment tool, called Multitudes, is unique because it is based in the latest neuroscience research and designed to be paired with interventions, said Gorno Tempini, who is affiliated with the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences. "Dyslexia has been addressed mainly as an academic issue and not a neurological/health one, and research usually goes through schools of education or psychology without a comprehensive brain health approach to the issue," Gorno Tempini said. "Here, we are combining the brain and education sciences, the imaging, the biology and the technology to really understand the strengths and weaknesses of dyslexia and bring it back to empower families and schools and children." Though administered by proctors on iPad currently, Multitudes will ultimately be web-based, administered by educators and take about 20 minutes. Some elements of the assessment are adapted from partner universities in other states, and UCSF is validating them for the California school populationessentially validating and revising the assessment in real time, said Phaedra Bell, Ph.D., a UCSF program manager and director of school partnerships of the Multitudes project. "This isn't a tool that is 'done,'" said Bell. "It will continue to be perfected and the data we collect will continue to inform it." Commitment to diversity and collaboration The Multitudes project team is prioritizing equity in the creation and use of its tool, noted Michelle Porche, Ed.D., associate director of community outreach for the UCSF-UC Berkeley Schwab Dyslexia and Cognitive Diversity Center. The 30-plus schools across California that are piloting Multitudes were chosen to reflect the state's demographics, and the scientists, clinicians, teachers, designers and software engineers who are working on the tool are from diverse communities. "We are building inclusive partnerships with schools and communities, so that we can recruit participants for our studies that reflect the racial, ethnic and linguistic diversity of the state," said Porche. "The study of dyslexia has been limited by a lack of racial, ethnic, and linguistic representation, but we are increasingly intentional about addressing structural racism that creates barriers to success for students of color in California." Initial research for the UCSF assessment was conducted at specialty schools for dyslexia, such as the Charles Armstrong and Chartwell Schools, and funded by Charles Schwab and other philanthropists, noted Christa Watson Pereira, Psy.D., UCSF assistant professor of neurology and advisor to the Multitudes project. "These independent schools, and the families and students who go there, gave us the opportunity to have a cohort of 400 children with dyslexia and other learning challenges who volunteered hours of their time to be tested and scanned with MRIs, and donated their DNA," said Watson Pereira. "From these children we gathered the evidence to make the tool that we are now scaling to public schools." The English version of Multitudes was piloted in fall 2021; the Spanish version will be piloted in spring 2022 and the Mandarin version in fall 2022. The goal is to reach 10,000 kids by the end of 2022, and to have the free tool in widespread use for California schoolchildren in 2023, Bell said. From Assessment to Intervention At the same time Multitudes is being validated and refined, UCSF researchers are working with the schools of education at University of California, Berkeley and University of California, Los Angeles to curate best-practice materials, curriculum and interventions for educators to use when reading challenges are detected. The Sacramento County Office of Education also is working closely with UCSF on the best way to train teachers across the state in early reading instruction. Currently, schools often use a single approach for reading issues that may not work for all students, Gorno Tempini said. For example, a school may use specific "dyslexia fonts" that are presumed to make reading easier for students who struggle, yet these fonts may not help children whose language issues stem from auditory problems. "The idea is to have multiple interventions available at every school that can be tailored to the strengths and weaknesses of each student, rather than each school having a different approach," Gorno Tempini said. "Different brains learn differently, and from a neurological point of view, precision education makes the same sense as precision medicine." Explore further Children with dyslexia show stronger emotional responses Provided by University of California Vietnamese nail salons have grown rapidly in recent years. Credit: BearFotos/Shutterstock Migration has always been a regular feature of human existence, but these days it is more visibleand politicizedthan ever. A 2016 survey found the vast majority of people (80%) would welcome refugees, in agreement with the 1951 UN refugee convention that those fleeing wars or at serious risk of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality or political opinion have the right to cross borders and seek asylum. However, there is much less consensus about those fleeing poverty to seek a better future. We are all familiar with the negative narratives about so-called "economic migrants," "coming to steal our jobs," "scrounge off the state," "overburden the system," or "undermine our culture and values." Even those who oppose such misplaced stereotypes may still be uncomfortable with easing border and visa restrictions because of economic concerns. Migrants who attempt to reach other countries by "illegal" means are also often branded "irresponsible" for embarking on dangerous journeys with vulnerable children. Hunting the Essex Lorry Killers, a recent BBC documentary, looked at the 2019 case of 39 Vietnamese migrants who were found dead in the back of a refrigerated lorry trailer in Essex. The documentary repeated the popular notion often promoted by politicians that smuggling gangs are responsible for these tragic deaths. And certainly, migration brokers can make a lot of money by supplying illicit transport services in this highly problematic market. But in another documentary interviewing the families of those victims back in Vietnam, one bereaved father gave a very different perspective. He stated that the reason his son was dead was "because of the currency difference. He went there just for that difference." In other words, while smugglers do contribute to undocumented migration, the root cause is actually global inequality. This inequality is reproduced and perpetuated by many multinational companies within a wider economic system that serves to directly benefit the most wealthy and, indirectly, industrialized countries, at the expense of others. Limited options As part of my ongoing research, I have interviewed many undocumented Vietnamese migrants who come to the UK to find work and send money back home. Most of them are from rural provinces that have been "left behind" by the rapid development of Vietnam's major metropolitan hubs. A common option in Vietnam involves moving to a big city or industrial zone, to work very long, exhausting shifts at a mega-factory assembling electronics for a salary of around 710 per day. This is relatively well paid compared to the average salary for unskilled workers in Vietnam, which is around 110 a month. But without a decent education or the right personal connections, it's impossible to move up the social ladder. Interviewees described this situation as a "dead-end" with no hope for a better future for their children in Vietnam. A report from 2017 found workers at a Samsung factory in Vietnam reported extreme fatigue, fainting, dizziness and even miscarriages due to poor working conditions. Samsung has denied these claims, stating that it "takes great care to provide a workplace environment that assures the highest standards of health, safety and welfare." Following these allegations and an internal audit, Samsung also adopted a "corrective action plan." Distribution of value for iPhone, 2010. Credit: Kenneth L. Kraemer, Greg Linden, Jason Dedrick The bigger picture Meanwhile, Samsung has made huge profits in Vietnam. This happens all across the world: multinational corporations take advantage of cheap labor in poorer countries through global supply chains. A 2011 study of an iPhone factory in China, for example, found that Apple only paid 1.8% of the finished product value to the factory workers, while the company reaped an enormous 58.5% in profits. In response to separate allegations raised about working conditions in iPhone factories, Apple said: "We care about every worker in our worldwide supply chain [and] insist that our suppliers treat workers with dignity and respect." Since the late 1970s, the richest 1% have increased their share of global wealth from 23% to a staggering 43%with the wealthiest four people in the world worth more than the entire country of Vietnam. Multinational corporations represent a continuation of historical exploitation and wealth flow from developing countries to Europe under colonialism, which funded the west's dramatic rise to prosperity in the first place. In an unequal world, it makes sense for those in poorer countries with limited options to follow the money to a more developed country, find a low-skilled job, work hard and then send some money back home. This may lead Vietnamese migrants to Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Germanyor all the way to the UK. Such movement, however, is often forbidden, forcing people to risk potentially deadly border crossings under the radar. Economic migration as justice? In our interviews, Vietnamese migrants told me they can earn up to 10 times more by working in a UK nail shop than they could hope to earn back in Vietnam. So it's not surprising that people would want to try their luck abroad. In fact, considering the mass exploitation of Vietnamese labor by foreign corporations (which has exacerbated global inequality), it could be argued that economic migration is a matter of justice and that it's only fair and reasonable that migrants should seek a portion of the extracted labor value that should have stayed in Vietnam. So if we really want to reduce migration, we must treat it as an inevitable by-product of inequality and address the root causesinstead of simply blaming smugglers or washing our hands of the migrants' plight. Explore further New study reveals attitudes towards climate migrants This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. An interactive map created by CSU doctoral student Brianna Rick using Google Earth Engine provides a look at glacial lakes and dams. Credit: Colorado State University Brianna Rick, a doctoral student in the Department of Geosciences at Colorado State University, has been conducting research in Alaska for several years. She's developed an interest in studying glacial lakes, bodies of water that form near glaciers, which can impact glacier behavior and drain catastrophically. "Floods that originate from these lakes can have devastating impacts on the downstream ecosystem, human infrastructure and communities," said Rick, also a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. Alaska and northwest Canada have more than 27,000 glaciers, which account for the second-largest area of ice in the world outside of Greenland and Antarctica. In part because large portions of the region are sparsely populated, there hasn't been a comprehensive survey of glacial lakes, until now. Rick and a team of researchersincluding CSU Assistant Professor Dan McGrathhave produced a detailed inventory of glacial lakes and dams over a 35-year timeframe from 1984 to 2019 in Alaska and northwest Canada. Their study was published Jan. 25 in The Cryosphere, an open-access journal of the European Geosciences Union. Lake number, area increase McGrath said that the new research is an essential first step in assessing hazards associated with these lakes and understanding why lakes have changed in recent decades. "With this analysis, we can look at how the lakes have changed and where those changes are occurring," he said. One hurdle for this study is the vast area of the region. To overcome this, Rick leveraged Google Earth Engine, a cloud-based geospatial platform, to analyze more than 6,000 satellite images. What the team found is that the number of lakes and their cumulative area have increased by 38 and 59%, respectively. This resulted in more than 185 square miles of new lake areaan area approximately equivalent to Lake Tahoe in California and Nevada. Another key finding of this work was that the dam type had a big impact on lake behavior. Lakes that were dammed by glaciers decreased in number and area, while lakes dammed by moraines (material deposited at the front of glaciers) increased in number and area. These details are important for predicting how they will evolve in the future, McGrath said. Suicide Basin, a glacial lake dammed by Mendenhall Glacier and located near Juneau, Alaska, has been draining almost every year since 2011. This draining can cause flooding at the adjacent campground and on trails and roads, said Rick. As a result, the site is one that is heavily monitored due to the immediate impacts. Alaska is incredibly large and large portions are remote, she added, and unfortunately not all glacial lakes can be monitored closely. "The satellite-based approach that we've used provides a much more systematic tool for tracking these lakes," Rick said. "As glaciers around the world thin and retreat due to warming temperatures, studies of this type are essential for documenting associated changes in these environments." Policymakers, others can use data to assess potential hazards Rick said that the team hopes that the new, unique dataset will be of interest to local governments and other organizations, like the National Park Service. "There has been increasing interest around risk assessment of natural hazards, such as landslides and glacial lake floods," she said. "Floods in the Himalayas have destroyed communities and caused many deaths," Rick said. She emphasized that while there hasn't been as much destruction from these floods in Alaska, compared with places like the Himalayas in Asia, it's still important to continue exploring. Ice-dammed lakes, which are common in this region, can repeatedly fill and drain, producing multiple floods over years, or even within one season. "Our next step is to use this inventory to quantify the number and patterns in actual flood events originating from these lakes, as satellites provide an unprecedented record," said McGrath. Explore further Almost 800 subglacial lakes cataloged for first time in new global inventory More information: Brianna Rick et al, Dam type and lake location characterize ice-marginal lake area change in Alaska and NW Canada between 1984 and 2019, The Cryosphere (2022). Brianna Rick et al, Dam type and lake location characterize ice-marginal lake area change in Alaska and NW Canada between 1984 and 2019,(2022). DOI: 10.5194/tc-16-297-2022 Access the map on GitHub: briannarick.github.io/dataviz/AKmapNov152021.html 20192020. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory One of the world's largest freshwater wetlandsthe Pantanalspreads across a bowl-shaped plain where Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay meet. During the rainy season in most years, floodwater drains from several swollen South American rivers into this vast inland delta, replenishing swamps and marshes. The region is home to thousands of plant and animal species, including rare and endangered jaguars, hyacinth macaws, and giant river otters. But in both 2019 and 2020, with the region gripped by severe drought, those refreshing floodwaters never came. Come June and July, fires did instead. They burned sporadically at first, but by August and September, they raged with such ferocity that they left vast swaths of the Pantanal blackened. The fires blanketed cities near and far with a pall of smoke. The burning was severe in 2019, charring roughly 16,000 square kilometers (6,200 square miles). But in 2020, the scale was catastrophic, burning one-third of the whole biome. A remarkable 39,000 square kilometers (15,000 square miles) burned in 2020, an area about the size of Switzerland. In the immediate aftermath of the 2020 fires, the simple explanation for the extensive fires was that unusually dry, hot weather had fueled them. But a new study led by NASA scientists suggests that human activity played a critical role in exacerbating them. The study was published in Scientific Reports in January 2022. "It is certainly true that extreme heat and drought in 2020 worsened the fires, but that's not the whole story," said Sujay Kumar, a hydrologist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. "It is also clear, based on a range of data, that these fires would not have happened in the absence of human activity. We even saw a very specific pattern of fire activity that suggests people allowed or even encouraged fires to burn in forested areas." Together with colleagues from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Cardiff University, and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Kumar analyzed land cover and burned area data from NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), precipitation data from the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission, and soil moisture data from the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite. The team also considered the density of cattle operations. "With over 52 percent of natural areas burned compared to only 6 percent of regions with high-cattle density, it is clear that natural, not human-dominated landscapes were most affected by the 2020 fires," said study co-author Niels Andela, a remote sensing scientist at Cardiff University. "The sensitivity of natural landscapes to fire-driven degradation has been a concern across the southern Amazon for years. With this research, we provide the first large-scale evidence that the same mechanisms may be applicable across the tropics, including in the Pantanal." The researchers also looked for signs that the fires may have changed the ecosystem in lasting ways. They examined the region's hydrologyhow water flows across the landscapeusing a data assimilation model called the Land Information System. The LIS combines satellite- and ground-based observations with modeling techniques that characterize land surface conditions. "Several months after the fire, we saw clear evidence of decreased evapotranspiration and more surface runoff, trends that can trigger or accelerate desertification," said NASA hydrologist Augusto Getirana, one of the study's co-authors. Scorched soils with less vegetation can mean less rainfall being soaked up by plants, more water and sediment running off the land into streams, and less moisture exchange with the air above. "All of this adds up to increased land degradation." February 20, 2000 February 21, 2021. Credit: Lauren Dauphin, using data from Kumar, Sujay, et al. (2022) and Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Changes like these could cause new challenges for the region's wildlife, which have already been hit hard by the burning and may struggle under new environmental conditions. One group of biologists that surveyed the Pantanal soon after the fires estimated that at least 17 million vertebrates were likely killed, including millions of snakes, rodents, and birds. While conservation areas and indigenous territories have been set up to limit development in parts of the Pantanal, the human fingerprint on the landscape is sizable and growing. Another recent study estimated that the amount of the Pantanal devoted to agriculturetypically cattle pasturehas increased by 3.5 percent per year since the mid-1980s. Some 3.8 million cattle are now spread among 3,000 farms, according to one estimate. Ranchers in the Pantanal regularly use fire to maintain pastures and sometimes to clear areas to establish new pastures. The expansion of pasture is evident in the pair of natural-color Landsat images above, which show part of Mato Grosso do Sul near Morrinho. While the area had minimal development and was mostly natural in 2000 (left image), much of it had been converted into pasture by 2021 (right image). Clearings for pastures appear as light green and brown rectangles. Surface water is dark blue. "As in other parts of the Amazon Basin, we are essentially seeing an arc of deforestation and land cover change spread along the Upper Paraguay River," said Renata Libonati of Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. "There is little that is natural about these fires. Some were probably lit intentionally to maintain pastures on or near ranches. Others were accidental but associated with human activitiesthings like campfires, burning trash, electrical wires, motor vehicles, hunting, and beekeeping." Lightning sometimes ignites fires in the Pantanal, but these fires tend to be small, causing just 5 percent of the total burned area on average. Also, lightning-triggered fires generally burn in the austral summer (December-February) not the winter (June-August). Further encroachment, combined with climate change and fires, is worrisome to Libonati. "We know that compound drought-heatwaves like we saw in 2020 are likely to become more common in the future due to climate change," said Libonati. "It's become obvious that we're going to need long-term management strategies to protect the Pantanal from future fire outbreaks like this." Explore further Fires triple in Brazil's Pantanal wetlands in 2020 Provided by NASA Earth Observatory A 1924 photo shows the oil derricks on Signal Hill. Credit: Water and Power Museum Archive Los Angeles had oil wells pumping in its neighborhoods when Hollywood was in its infancy, and thousands of active wells still dot the city. These wells can emit toxic chemicals such as benzene and other irritants into the air, often just feet from homes, schools and parks. But now, after nearly a decade of community organizing and studies demonstrating the adverse health impacts on people living nearby, Los Angeles' long history with urban drilling is nearing an end. In a unanimous vote on Jan. 26, 2022, the Los Angeles City Council took the first step toward phasing out all oil and gas extraction in the city by declaring oil extraction a nonconforming land use. That came on the heels of a unanimous vote by Los Angeles County supervisors to phase out oil extraction in unincorporated county areas. As environmental health researchers, we study the impacts of oil drilling on surrounding communities. Our research shows that people living near these urban oil operations suffer higher rates of asthma than average, as well as wheezing, eye irritation and sore throats. In some cases, the impact on residents' lungs is worse than living beside a highway or being exposed to secondhand smoke every day. The view across The Pike amusement park and downtown Long Beach, California, in 1940 shows a forest of oil derricks in the background. Credit: Water and Power Museum Archive LA was once an oil town with forests of derricks Over a century ago, the first industry to boom in Los Angeles was oil. Oil was abundant and flowed close to the surface. In early 20th-century California, sparse laws governed mineral extraction, and rights to oil accrued to those who could pull it out of the ground first. This ushered in a period of rampant drilling, with wells and associated machinery crisscrossing the landscape. By the mid-1920s, Los Angeles was one of the largest oil-exporting regions in the world. Oil rigs were so pervasive across the region that the Los Angeles Times described them in 1930 as "trees in a forest." Working-class communities were initially supportive of the industry because it promised jobs but later pushed back as their neighborhoods witnessed explosions and oil spills, along with longer-term damage to land, water and human health. Tensions over land use, extraction rights and subsequent drops in oil prices due to overproduction eventually resulted in curbs on drilling and a long-standing practice of oil companies' voluntary "self-regulation," such as noise-reduction technologies. The industry began touting these voluntary approaches to deflect governmental regulation. Oil drilling in Los Angeles. Increasingly, oil companies disguised their activities with approaches such as operating inside buildings, building tall walls and designing islands off Long Beach and other sites to blend in with the landscape. Oil drilling was hidden in plain sight. Today there are over 20,000 active, idle or abandoned wells spread across a county of 10 million people. About one-third of residents live less than a mile from an active well site, some right next door. Since the 2000s, the advance of extractive technologies to access harder-to-reach deposits has led to a resurgence of oil extraction activities. As extraction in some neighborhoods has ramped up, people living in South Los Angeles and other neighborhoods in oil fields have noticed frequent odors, nosebleeds and headaches. Closer to urban oil drilling, poorer lung function The city of Los Angeles has no buffers or setbacks between oil extraction and homes, and approximately 75% of active oil or gas wells are located within 500 meters (1,640 feet) of "sensitive land uses," such as homes, schools, child care facilities, parks or senior residential facilities. Lung strength is how strongly a person can exhale. Lung capacity, shown here as the difference in forced vital capacity compared to average, is the amount of air a person can exhale after a deep breath. The average forced vital capacity for a healthy man is about 4,800 milliliters, and about 3,700 ml for a healthy woman. Credit: Chart: The Conversation/CC-BY-ND Source: Johnston, et al 2021 Despite over a century of oil drilling in Los Angeles, until recently there was limited research into the health impacts. Working with community health workers and community-based organizations helped us gauge the impact oil wells are having on residents, particularly on its historically Black and Hispanic neighborhoods. The first step was a door-to-door survey of 813 neighbors from 203 households near wells in Las Cienegas oil field, just south and west of downtown. We found that asthma was significantly more common among people living near South Los Angeles oil wells than among residents of Los Angeles County as a whole. Nearly half the people we spoke with, 45%, didn't know oil wells were operating nearby, and 63% didn't know how to contact local regulatory authorities to report odors or environmental hazards. Next, we measured lung function of 747 long-term residents, ages 10 to 85, living near two drilling sites. Poor lung capacity, measured as the amount of air a person can exhale after taking a deep breath, and lung strength, how strongly the person can exhale, and are both predictors of health problems including respiratory disease, death from cardiovascular problems and early death in general. We found that the closer someone lived to an active or recently idle well site, the poorer that person's lung function, even after adjusting for such other risk factors as smoking, asthma and living near a freeway. This research demonstrates a significant relationship between living near oil wells and worsened lung health. People living up to 1,000 meters (0.6 miles) downwind of a well site showed lower lung function on average than those living farther away and upwind. The effect on their lungs' capacity and strength was similar to impacts of living near a freeway or, for women, being exposed to secondhand smoke. A state app called Well Finder locates active oil wells, including in Los Angeles County. Credit: State of California Using a community monitoring network in South Los Angeles, we were able to distinguish oil-related pollution in neighborhoods near wells. We found short-term spikes of air pollutants and methane, a potent greenhouse gas, at monitors less than 500 meters, about one-third of a mile, from oil sites. When oil production at a site stopped, we observed significant reductions in such toxins as benzene, toluene and n-hexane in the air in adjacent neighborhoods. These chemicals are known irritants, carcinogens and reproductive toxins. They are also associated with dizziness, headaches, fatigue, tremors and respiratory system irritation, including difficulty breathing and, at higher levels, impaired lung function. Vulnerable communities at risk Many of the dozens of active oil wells in South Los Angeles are in historically Black and Hispanic communities that have been marginalized for decades. These neighborhoods are already considered among the most highly polluted, with the most vulnerable residents in the state. In its landmark vote in January, the City Council moved to draft an ordinance that would ban all new oil wells, and it ordered a study to determine how to phase out and decommission existing wells over the next five years. The state, meanwhile, has proposed a 3,200-foot setback rule for new wells, but this has not yet gone into effect and does little to address health concerns for residents who live near existing wells. Gov. Gavin Newsom has also proposed to phase out oil extraction, but the proposal would allow oil wells to continue operating until 2045. Our research shows why a variety of policies, including buffers, phaseouts and emissions controls in existing wells will need to be considered to protect public health and accelerate the transition to cleaner energy sources. Explore further Urban oil wells linked to asthma and other health problems in Los Angeles This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. KHARTOUM, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations mission in Sudan on Thursday called on the Sudanese authorities to resolve the current political crisis through peaceful consultations. Volker Perthes, head of the UN Integrated Transitional Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), made the appeal during a meeting with Chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, the council said in a statement. The UN envoy stressed the need to provide a suitable environment to make the ongoing political consultations process successful by stopping the violence against the protesters. The meeting reviewed the progress of the political consultations facilitated by the UN mission to reach a consensus among major political forces. On Jan. 10, the UNITAMS launched an intra-Sudanese political process to end the political crisis in Sudan. For the third week now, Perthes has been engaged in consultations with Sudanese political parties and civil forces in the country. For nearly two months, the Sudanese capital of Khartoum and other cities have been witnessing continued protests demanding for a return to civilian rule. The country has been suffering a political crisis after Al-Burhan, also the general commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, declared a state of emergency on Oct. 25, 2021 and dissolved the Sovereign Council and the government. A cog ship on the town seal of Stralsund dated to 1329. Even if the depiction is nearly 100 years later than the Dyngo cog ship, it provides a good idea of what cogs may have looked like. Credit: University of Gothenburg A previously undiscovered wreck has been found outside of Fjallbacka on the Swedish west coast. Analysis of wood samples shows that it is the oldest shipwreck ever found in the province of Bohuslan. This is also one of the oldest cogs that has yet to be found in Europe. "The wreck is made from oaks cut between 1233 and 1240, so nearly 800 years ago," says Staffan von Arbin, a maritime archaeologist at the University of Gothenburg. This wreck from the Middle Ages was found by the island of Dyngo outside of Fjallbacka in the Swedish municipality of Tanum. This last autumn, the University of Gothenburg conducted archaeological diving inspections along the coast of Bohuslan to find out more about known wrecks on the seafloor. "We collected wood samples to determine the age by dating the tree ringsknown as dendrochronology," says Staffan von Arbin. It was during this work that the maritime archaeologists came upon the wreck outside of Fjallbacka which has been given the name "Dyngokoggen." This limited survey of the wreck shows that it is a cog, a type of ship that was widely used from around the 12th century onward." The bottom planking is flush-laid (carvel), while the side planks are overlapping (clinker). Seams between planks are also sealed with moss, which is typical for cogs. The surviving hull section is about 10 meters long and 5 meters wide. Staffan von Arbin believes, however, that originally the ship would have been up to 20 meters long. Maritime archaeologist Anders Gutehall from Visuell Arkeologi Norden inspects the bottom at Dyngo. Credit: Staffan von Arbin/Goteborgs universitet Was the ship attacked by pirates? Analysis of the wood samples shows the ship was built of oaks from north-western Germany. How did it end up outside of Fjallbacka? "Cogs are mentioned often in written sources about the medival Hanseatic League, but ships of this type were common throughout the Middle Ages in northern Europe." Staffan von Arbin argues that the find also points to the importance of Bohuslan as a transit route for international maritime trade during this period. This is also one of the oldest cog that has yet to be found in Europe. It is not yet known why the ship sank but that would likely be an exciting story. The survey of the ship clearly shows indications of an intense fire. "Perhaps the ship was attacked by pirates? Written sources tell us that Norway's southern coast, including Bohuslan, had periods with intense pirate activity during the Middle Ages." But it might also have been a simple accident, perhaps a fire spread while the ship was docked. Or the ship was sunk in battle? The first decades of the 12th century were a turbulent time in Norway, which Bohuslan was a part of, with intense internal struggles for the Norwegian crown. What happens now? There are currently no plans for more surveys of the wreck. However, they hope to conduct new dives of the wreck in the future. But this requires both a permit from the county administrative board and extensive external funding that is currently unavailable. The results and observations by the marine archaeologists are currently being analyzed for a larger scholarly article. New research shows that Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are attracted to specific colors, including red. Credit: Kiley Riffell Beating the bite of mosquitoes this spring and summer could hinge on your attire and your skin. New research led by scientists at the University of Washington indicates that a common mosquito speciesafter detecting a telltale gas that we exhaleflies toward specific colors, including red, orange, black and cyan. The mosquitoes ignore other colors, such as green, purple, blue and white. The researchers believe these findings help explain how mosquitoes find hosts, since human skin, regardless of overall pigmentation, emits a strong red-orange "signal" to their eyes. "Mosquitoes appear to use odors to help them distinguish what is nearby, like a host to bite," said senior author Jeffrey Riffell, a UW professor of biology. "When they smell specific compounds, like CO 2 from our breath, that scent stimulates the eyes to scan for specific colors and other visual patterns, which are associated with a potential host, and head to them." The results, published Feb. 4 in Nature Communications, reveal how the mosquito sense of smellknown as olfactioninfluences how the mosquito responds to visual cues. Knowing which colors attract hungry mosquitoes, and which ones do not, can help design better repellants, traps and other methods to keep mosquitoes at bay. "One of the most common questions I'm asked is 'What can I do to stop mosquitoes from biting me?'" said Riffell. "I used to say there are three major cues that attract mosquitoes: your breath, your sweat and the temperature of your skin. In this study, we found a fourth cue: the color red, which can not only be found on your clothes, but is also found in everyone's skin. The shade of your skin doesn't matter, we are all giving off a strong red signature. Filtering out those attractive colors in our skin, or wearing clothes that avoid those colors, could be another way to prevent a mosquito biting." Mosquito on a human hand. Credit: Kiley Riffell In their experiments, the team tracked behavior of female yellow fever mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti, when presented with different types of visual and scent cues. Like all mosquito species, only females drink blood, and bites from A. aegypti can transmit dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya and Zika. The researchers tracked individual mosquitoes in miniature test chambers, into which they sprayed specific odors and presented different types of visual patternssuch as a colored dot or a tasty human hand. Without any odor stimulus, mosquitoes largely ignored a dot at the bottom of the chamber, regardless of color. After a spritz of CO 2 into the chamber, mosquitos continued to ignore the dot if it was green, blue or purple in color. But if the dot was red, orange, black or cyan, mosquitoes would fly toward it. Humans can't smell CO 2 , which is the gas we and other animals exhale with each breath. Mosquitoes can. Past research by Riffell's team and other groups showed that smelling CO 2 boosts female mosquitoes' activity levelsearching the space around them, presumably for a host. The colored-dot experiments revealed that after smelling CO 2 , these mosquitoes' eyes prefer certain wavelengths in the visual spectrum. Top 4 reasons why mosquitoes are attracted to people. New work from the Riffell laboratory at the University of Washington shows that red is a new attractant. Credit: Jeffrey Riffell/University of Washington It's similar to what might happen when humans smell something good. "Imagine you're on a sidewalk and you smell pie crust and cinnamon," said Riffell. "That's probably a sign that there's a bakery nearby, and you might start looking around for it. Here, we started to learn what visual elements that mosquitoes are looking for after smelling their own version of a bakery." Most humans have "true color" vision: We see different wavelengths of light as distinct colors: 650 nanometers shows up as red, while 450 nanometer wavelengths look blue, for example. The researchers do not know whether mosquitoes perceive colors the same way that our eyes do. But most of the colors the mosquitoes prefer after smelling CO 2 orange, red and blackcorrespond to longer wavelengths of light. Human skin, regardless of pigmentation, also gives off a long-wavelength signal in the red-orange range. An image of the testing chamber and real-time, computer-based tracking system used to test the responses of flying mosquitoes to different visual objects, such as the colored dots at the base of the chamber. Credit: Kiley Riffell When Riffell's team repeated the chamber experiments with human skintone pigmentation cardsor a researcher's bare handmosquitoes again flew toward the visual stimulus only after CO 2 was sprayed into the chamber. If the researchers used filters to remove long-wavelength signals, or had the researcher wear a green-colored glove, then CO 2 -primed mosquitoes no longer flew toward the stimulus. Genes determine the preference of these females for red-orange colors. Mosquitoes with a mutant copy of a gene needed to smell CO 2 no longer showed a color preference in the test chamber. Another strain of mutant mosquitoes, with a change related to vision so they could no longer "see" long wavelengths of light, were more color-blind in the presence of CO 2 . "These experiments lay out the first steps mosquitoes use to find hosts," said Riffell. University of Washington biology professor Jeffrey Riffell and a research subject. Credit: Kiley Riffell More research is needed to determine how other visual and odor cuessuch as skin secretionshelp mosquitoes target potential hosts at close range. Other mosquito species may also have different color preferences, based on their preferred host species. But these new findings add a new layer to mosquito control: color. Co-lead authors on the paper are Diego Alonso San Alberto, a researcher and lecturer in the UW Department of Biology, and Claire Rusch, a UW doctoral alum in biology. Co-authors are Yinpeng Zhan and Craig Montell at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Andrew Straw at the University of Freiburg in Germany. The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the UW and the U.S. Army Research Office. More information: The olfactory gating of visual preferences to human skin and visible spectra in mosquitoes, Nature Communications (2022). Journal information: Nature Communications The olfactory gating of visual preferences to human skin and visible spectra in mosquitoes,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28195-x A manatee floats in the warm water of a Florida Power & Light discharge canal, Monday, Jan. 31, 2022, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The SeaWorld theme park in Orlando is opening new pools to care for Florida manatees that are dying because of starvation due to poor water quality in their normal habitat. Credit: AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File The SeaWorld theme park in Orlando is opening new pools to care for Florida manatees that are dying from starvation due to poor water quality in their normal habitat. The lovable, round-tailed marine mammals had their worst die-off last year, more than 1,100 of them, and there are federal and state efforts ongoing to save the threatened creatures. One of these efforts is to have a place like SeaWorld, with the marine assets it has, provide rehabilitation to those that can be rescued. SeaWorld announced Friday that it has added five 40-foot (12-meter) pools to accomodate up to 20 manatees within two weeks. The theme park is one of five facilities in the U.S. taking care of sick and injured manatees. It had 28 manatees in its care as of Friday, according to a company release. "We are bringing animals in that are skeletons. These animals need long-term care," said Jon Peterson, chief of zoological operations at SeaWorld who chairs a manatee rescue partnership with government agencies. "We've got the space. We will continue to use that space," he added. Manatees on the east coast of Florida, in particular, have suffered during winter months from a lack of food. They are large creatures that feed on sea grass, and poor water quality has reduced their natural food source, causing many to starve to death. It's mostly agricultural, urban and septic tank sources of pollution that are depriving them of food. As of Jan. 28, 97 manatees have been found dead in Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which has taken a leading role in the manatee rescue effort. Five of those were killed by boat strikes. Most of the rest are starving. "That is the same pattern we had last winter, and these numbers will continue," said Dr. Martine deWit, the veterinarian who examines dead manatees for the state of Florida. The Fish and Wildlife Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have embarked on an experimental attempt to feed manatees with romaine lettuce at a Florida Power & Light plant on the east coast. The animals typically gather there in winter months because of the warm outflow waters and at a time when there is very little natural food. Recently, wildlife officials said there were more than 700 manatees in that area, although it's hard to say how many were eating lettuce. "They are going to go where the food is," said Tom Reinert, South regional director at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. "We hope to make a difference." 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Could satellites be able to help track and map the marine plastic waste befouling our oceans? Research teams from across Europe returned to an ocean-wave test facility at Deltares research institute in the Netherlands to try and detect floating plastic. Harnessing a suite of microwave and optical instruments, the researchers are assessing if orbital monitoring of plastic might be practical in the future. Credit: ESA-P. de Maagt Could satellites be able to help track and map the marine plastic waste befouling our oceans? Research teams from across Europe returned to a Netherlands-based ocean wave test facility to try and detect floating plastic. Using a suite of microwave and optical instruments, the researchers are assessing if orbital monitoring of plastic might be practical in the future. "What we can say is that some of our instruments do detect increases in signal levels when marine plastic waste is present compared to when it isn't," explains ESA antenna engineer Peter de Maagt, overseeing the campaign. "This result represents a proof of concept that this approach is definitely worth further investigating. This is much more than I hoped for when we first began testing last year, but we've gone through a steep learning curve during our work here. "At the same time we can't say for sure if we are detecting the plastic directly, or the signals are due to some related factor, such as indentations in the water surface caused by the floating plastic, or small ripples. What needs to come next is follow-up testing in the actual marine environment, using aircraft or drones, and if that goes well then eventually an experimental space mission." The best estimate is that an average 10 million tons of plastic enter the ocean annuallyequivalent to a fresh truckload of plastic dumped every minutebut researchers only know what happens to about 1% of it. Satellite monitoring might in future help track its extent, and see where it goes, if such a technique can be proven to work in practice. Marine litter detection based on satellite remote sensing is becoming a reality but the current state of the art is not mature. An idea proposed through ESA's Open Space Innovation Platform (OSIP) has been implemented into a research study that will use the expertise in artificial intelligence solutions based on space technology to simulate and perform a plastic concentration forecast which would then be studied with more details thanks to the multispectral data from the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission. Credit: ESA / Deep Blue Globe Could satellites be able to help track and map the marine plastic waste befouling our oceans? Research teams from across Europe returned to an ocean-wave test facility at Deltares research institute in the Netherlands to try and detect floating plastic. Harnessing a suite of microwave and optical instruments, the researchers are assessing if orbital monitoring of plastic might be practical in the future. Credit: Deltares ESA's marine plastics detection test campaign took place at the Deltares research institute in Delft in the Netherlands, inside its mammoth Atlantic Basin Facility. This one of a kind facility 75 m long 9 m wide, half the size of an Olympic swimming pool employs wave generators to recreate realistic deep ocean waves. Credit: Deltares ESA is exploring how satellites can help detect and reduce plastic pollution in the ocean. From spotting build-ups of marine litter to tracking ocean currents, satellites could be game-changing in tackling this enormous environmental problem. This image is a still from a video that the Discovery & Preparation elements of ESAs Basic Activities has produced on this topic. Though engaging for children and adults alike, this video is designed with primary school students in mind. In particular, teachers can use it to introduce the topic of marine litter in subjects such as geography and science. A Dutch version will be available very soon. Credit: ESA/Science Office The test campaign took place at the Deltares research institute in Delft in the Netherlands, inside its mammoth Atlantic Basin Facility. This one of a kind facility75 m long 9 m wide, half the size of an Olympic swimming poolemploys wave generators to recreate realistic deep ocean waves. "We use the Atlantic Basin Facility to simulate the deep ocean environment as realistically as we can for these experiments," explains Deltares flow expert Anton de Fockert. "Normally we use this test facility to tackle the kind of hydraulic problems that cannot be solved using computer models. This includes, for example, testing bed protection for offshore wind farms and tidal energy converters as well as hydraulic structures. "From my perspective this current test campaign is unique, because it involves so many different groups with varied expertise, from ocean waves to microwaves, optics to plastic wasteas well as space. It's a follow-on from the previous test campaign we ran last year, except this time we're using smaller amounts of plastics, to try and quantify detection thresholds and trying out some new monitoring approaches." Explore further Hunting for marine plastic with satellites Credit: ICMAB Researchers at ICMAB present a study on new nanovesicles, known as quatsomes, which have been successfully engineered to encapsulate and deliver microRNAs for the treatment of tumors. These nanovesicles are produced by a simple GMP compliant process, an unavoidable requirement for the clinical use of new drug candidates. The study, published in Small, has been highlighted in the Women in Materials Science issue of Advanced Materials. "The beauty of these quatsomes nanovesicles is that they can be easily engineered for the delivery of a variety of nucleic acids. Importantly, they are stable at room temperature, which avoids problems associated to cold chain requirements," says ICMAB researcher Nora Ventosa at the Nanomol-Bio Group. MicroRNAs (also known as miRNAs) are small RNA molecules that can interfere with the stability of other RNA molecules (specifically, messenger RNA). They have many potential therapeutic uses due to the central role they play in major diseases. However, these molecules are still infrequently used in patients due to their instability in the bloodstream and their poor ability to reach specific tissues. A potential strategy to improve the clinical delivery of miRNAs in the body is to encapsulate them in tiny carriers that compensate its current shortcomings, without side effects and offering other complementary functions. To this end, researchers have developed and designed especially for this application nanostructures, known as quatsomes, composed by two closed lipid layers. In the new publication, the researchers present a newly engineered formulation of quatsomes that have a controlled structure, composition and pH sensitiveness. The study is the result of an interdisciplinary team of researchers from the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona, ICMAB-CSIC, the Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR)-UAB, the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), the CIBER network on Bioengineering, Biomaterails and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), the company Nanomol Technologies SL, the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and the Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS). Scheme of the functionalized quatsome and the interaction with a neuroblastoma cell. Credit: ICMAB "In this study we have collaborated with hospitals, research networks and companies. The successful results obtained illustrate the importance of collaboration across fields and beyond the academic system," says Ventosa. These new quatsomes can be coupled with the miRNA and injected intravenously into the body to be delivered in neuroblastoma primary tumors or in frequent sites of metastasis, such as the liver or lung, with a higher success and stability than if the miRNA were injected by itself. Once delivered, the miRNA has an effect on the cell proliferation and survival-related gens in the tumors, decreasing the tumor's growth rate. Many properties make quatsomes a good fit for these applications: they are less than 150 nm in size and are stable in a liquid solution for more than six months; they also have tunable pH sensitiveness, which means that different pH levels around can trigger different responses. The production of these nanovesicles has been optimized with their final application in mind and to make sure they can be used in clinics. Through a green and scalable one-step process, named DELOS, researchers have designed a procedure that is fully compliant with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines stablished by the European Union. "It is time to translate our scientific findings for the benefit of patients," says Ariadna Boloix, VHIR researcher. In this publication, the functionality of quatsomes in delivering miRNAs is demonstrated with a specific extracranial solid tumor common in pediatric cases of cancer known as neuroblastoma, which is responsible for roughly 15 % of all pediatric cancer deaths and lacks therapies for high-risk patients. The results show that quatsomes protect the miRNA from degradation and increase its presence on liver, lung and xenografted neuroblastoma tumors, amongst other tissues. Explore further New fluorescent nanovesicles for intracellular biomarker detection More information: Ariadna Boloix et al, Engineering pHSensitive Stable Nanovesicles for Delivery of MicroRNA Therapeutics, Small (2021). Journal information: Small , Advanced Materials Ariadna Boloix et al, Engineering pHSensitive Stable Nanovesicles for Delivery of MicroRNA Therapeutics,(2021). DOI: 10.1002/smll.202101959 Provided by ICMAB Map showing some of the transboundary waters between Finland and Russia. Credit: Marko Kallio Water cooperation between Finland and Russia is well-functioning. The countries share 19 major river basins and cooperation on all shared waters is coordinated by the joint Finnish-Russian Transboundary Water Commission. The Commission's work builds on a set of progressive bilateral agreements that include compensation mechanisms going both ways. But what is behind the present-day success? A new study by Aalto University researchers Juho Haapala and Marko Keskinen explores the 100-year history of Finnish transboundary water interactions with Russia, using a historical institutionalism as its lens. Although there exist numerous analyses of historical relations between Finland and the Soviet Union/Russia, the history of water interactions between the countries has not been systematically mapped in the past. In the article, such interactions include both water diplomacy and transboundary water cooperation. The article divides the water interactions between Finland and Russia over past 100 years into four distinct periods. Of particular interest is how the interaction was built from the tense post-war situation after World War II into the current expert-driven collaboration. "The situation that we see today is a result of a fascinating historical path where the countries' complex political relations are closely interwined with the societal significance of water," says Juho Haapala, a postdoctoral researcher at Aalto University. From peace agreements to transboundary cooperation In the post-war peace agreements, Finland lost not only remarkable land areas but also parts of several important waterways. At the same time, the number of significant transboundary river basins between the countries tripled. A significant part of the vitally important Vuoksi watershed was ceded to the Soviet Union, including two new hydropower plants. The loss of electricity generation was a severe blow to a young, industrializing nation. The location of hydropower plants and the related forest industry contributed also to the way the new border was drawn. While the war ended in 1944, Finland had to cede an additional land area in 1947. This process was also strongly related to water, as the main motivation for the Soviet Union to demand the area was the gain control of the Janiskoski hydropower plant. The post-war situation between the countries was very tense and distrustful, and cooperation on shared waters was practically nonexistent as well. Instead, both countries operated unilaterally on their parts of transboundary rivers. The strong role of Finnish president Urho Kekkonen in the political relations between Finland and the Soviet Union is often emphasized. Kekkonen had an important role also in the gradual establishment of water cooperation between the countries, providing important political support. He also played a key role in agreeing on the lease of the Saimaa Canal. After the war, the Saimaa canal became transboundary. The use of the canal ended for almost two decades, leaving the industries in South-Eastern Finland without a crucial maritime connection. When the countries in the early 1960s reached an agreement where Finland leased the canal area, negotiations between Kekkonen and Nikita Khrushchev, the head of the Soviet Union, were critically important. The leasing agreement of the Saimaa Canal is still in force, and is unique in the world. The golden age of water diplomacy From the 1960s onward, water diplomacy between the countries took great strides. The 1964 Watercourses Agreement between the countries was progressive, and it has withstood many political upheavals, including the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Agreement has also been complemented by additional agreements, which define, for example, the principles for compensation mechanisms in the Vuoksi river basin. "Finland is a pioneer in transboundary water cooperation," says Marko Keskinen, Associate Professor at Aalto. "Finland has initiated both UN conventions on transboundary water cooperation and is actively supporting their implementation. Here we have also made use of our own experience with the Soviet Union and later with Russia. Although transboundary cooperation is based on joint institutions and is mainly technical in nature, it is strongly influenced by political relations between the countries. The long history of Finnish-Russian interactions show how many steps it takes to establish a well-functioning cooperation. "Water diplomacy is an important part of Finland's current foreign policy and peace mediation activities. Only a few countries that are as active in water diplomacy have first-hand experience on this kind of a highly politicized but ultimately successful cooperation process," Keskinen emphasizes. What does the future of transboundary cooperation look like? Both Russia and Finland consider well-functioning water cooperation important. Over the past decade, the implementation of cooperation has increasingly shifted from the national level to the regional level. Finland's EU membership in 1995 brought a new institutional layer, which also affected bilateral relations. The impacts of climate change are visible in transboundary waters as well. Extreme weather events underline the importance of joint flood forecasting systems. Changing climate puts also pressure on the existing agreements, as they are based on historical flows and water levels. The transboundary water cooperation between the countries thus continues to evolve and generates important research topics. It would, for example, be interesting to analyze water cooperation from the Russian point of view. While the political relations between Finland and Russia change and evolve, the shared waters remain. Water connects the countriesand emphasizes the importance of effective cooperation. The article was published in February in the journal Water Alternatives . Explore further Changing climate increases the need for water diplomacy More information: Juho Haapala and Marko Keskinen, Exploring 100 Years of Finnish transboundary water interactions with Russia: An historical analysis of diplomacy and cooperation, Water Alternatives (2022). Juho Haapala and Marko Keskinen, Exploring 100 Years of Finnish transboundary water interactions with Russia: An historical analysis of diplomacy and cooperation,(2022). www.water-alternatives.org/ind 15issue1/655-a15-1-6 Credit: Takaki Yamauchi/Nagoya University Wetland plants have a high tolerance against flooding due to the formation of "lysigenous aerenchyma," air channels that help transfer gases to the submerged roots. These channels also help the plant withstand drought and nutrient deficiency. Now, scientists from Japan investigate the underlying mechanism of aerenchyma formation to understand the phenomenon better, opening doors to the development of crops that are resilient against extreme weather changes. Floods and droughts are the main environmental disasters responsible for most crop failures. Aerenchyma formation can help crops cope with these environmental stresses. However, it is not commonly observed in non-wetland species like wheat and maize, which are staple food crops in certain areas of the world. Researchers Takaki Yamauchi and Mikio Nakazono from Nagoya University, Japan, have surveyed literature on the topic to get a concrete overview of the various factors involved in aerenchyma formation. "If we can genetically control the timing and amount of lysigenous aerenchyma formation in roots of all agronomically important crops, such as maize, wheat and soybean, the global crop production loss could be dramatically reduced," says Dr. Nakazono. Dr. Yamauchi and Dr. Nakazono suggest imagining the lysigenous aerenchyma to a snorkel used to breathe underwater. During flooding, the roots get cut off from oxygen and other vital gases needed for survival. In response, the plant creates air pathways connecting the submerged regions of the plant to the parts above water. Similar to a snorkel, these pathways help the plant "breathe" by transporting gases to the submerged roots. Moreover, the air channels reduce the energy requirement for the breathing process and can help the plant conserve energy during extreme conditions of drought or nutrient deficit. The researchers found that a phytohormone called "auxin" is required for the formation of aerenchyma during normal root growth, and identified two factors leading to the induction of aerenchyma formation in response to flooding. The phenomenon begins when the roots are submerged underwater in aerobic conditions. The restrictions to gas exchange cause ethylene to accumulate in the roots, which encourage the production of respiratory burst oxidase homolog (RBOH) - an enzyme responsible for reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. As it turns out, the released ROS triggers cell death in the tissues, forming cavities for the passage of gases. The RBOH can also be activated by the presence of calcium (Ca2+) ions that are transported from the apoplast (water pathways). Certain plants have calcium-dependent protein kinases that use Ca2+ to add phosphates to the RBOH, stimulating it to produce ROS. This effect occurs at later stages as the plants gradually experience oxygen-deficient conditions after prolonged underwater submersion. While aerenchyma is mostly associated with plants that have adapted to soils with high water content, it can also develop in upland plants under drought and nutrient deficiency. Low concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorous, essential nutrients required for plant growth, was found to increase the ethylene sensitivity, stimulating the formation of aerenchyma. Moreover, ethylene was also a common factor in triggering aerenchyma in maize, offering a way to improve the crop's resilience. "The increase in ethylene sensitivity could be an effective strategy to stimulate aerenchyma formation in the absence of restricted gas diffusion," speculates Dr. Yamauchi. While the mechanism behind aerenchyma formation remains uncertain, suggesting the need for further research, the findings of this study open up the possibility of improving crop resilience and paving the way for better food security in the wake of climate change. The paper, "Mechanisms of lysigenous aerenchyma formation under abiotic stress," was published in the journal Trends in Plant Science on November 20, 2021. More information: Takaki Yamauchi et al, Mechanisms of lysigenous aerenchyma formation under abiotic stress, Trends in Plant Science (2021). Journal information: Trends in Plant Science Takaki Yamauchi et al, Mechanisms of lysigenous aerenchyma formation under abiotic stress,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2021.10.012 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Vikings were not a uniform phenomenon in ancient Scandinavia. They were part of a complex system of a plunder economy that existed in Europe until the early Middle Ages. With royal power rising, independent raiders either joined the new power, or moved to peripheries. The last dragon ships sailed the Siberian rivers and raided remote areas of Russia still in the late 17th century. A new study published in the Russian History journal shows that traces of Viking raids are still visible in the economic and political development of contemporary Russia. "Raiding by private warlords was beneficial to local economies. However, this system became integrated into the structure of Eastern princely powers because the European sovereign realms and their legal structure did not materialize in the East. It's vital to realize this in order to understand contemporary Russia," Professor Jukka Korpela from the University of Eastern Finland says. With Moscow's power strengthening after the end of the 15th century, the culture of raiding began to gradually decline in the Western and Central areas of Russia. In the East, however, Central Asian clan societies and the Bazaar economy in the Volga, Caucasus and Caspian regions were too strong to fall under Moscow's control and reforms. There, independent warlords were able to continue their economically beneficial raids, which were part of the local economy, and also beneficial to the local societies. Raiding declined as Viking leaders joined the growing princely power In Scandinavia, the Viking era ended in the 12th century, when royal powers were able to subdue and employ Viking leaders. However, in the Eastern parts of the Baltic Sea and along the rivers of Russia, the situation was different. The Viking culture arrived in the region in the 800s, but princely power formed late. The plunder economy and Viking type raiding continued until the late Middle Ages. "The difference between princely power and independent raiders wasn't always clear. For example, the Novgorodian chronicle speaks about Grand Prince Yuriy Danilovich in official terms, so Western historiography considers him one of the founders of Moscow. Yet, in an entry from 1325, he is also described as a raider." The turn of the 14th and 15th century marked the beginning of the division in the raiding society. One of its leaders, Vasiley Borisovich, joined the ruling structure, while Anfal," also an independent raider, tried to continue on both tracks, as a raider and as a princely commander. Some raiders stepped aside from state formation and continued to run criminal activity on its margins. When Moscow's princely power strengthened, systematic raiding finally faded away into local criminality. "However, the Viking modus operandi continued and even grew into new forms in Central Asia and in the Volga, Caspian and Caucasus regions. In the Russian peripheries, raiding continued until the 19th century," Professor Korpela says. Explore further When ant colonies get bigger, new foraging behavior emerges More information: Jukka Korpela, The Last Vikings: Russian Boat Bandits and the Formation of Princely Power, Russian History (2022). Jukka Korpela, The Last Vikings: Russian Boat Bandits and the Formation of Princely Power,(2022). DOI: 10.30965/18763316-12340024 Zambia to continue to support China-invested fertilizer plant project: authority Xinhua) 16:17, February 04, 2022 LUSAKA, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) will continue to support the construction of a China-invested fertilizer manufacturing plant, its acting chief said Thursday. Albert Halwampa, acting Director-General of the ZDA, also praised the progress that has been made since United Fertilizer, subsidiary of the Chinese firm Wonderful Group, launched the construction works of its 300-million-U.S. dollar fertilizer plant in November. In remarks delivered after visiting the construction works of the plant in Lusaka, the official said the ZDA was happy that the company was not only looking at satisfying the local market but targeting the export market as well. He further expressed delight that the plant was environmentally friendly. The plant, which is scheduled to launch officially in July, is expected to produce 300,000 tons of fertilizer annually after its launch, according to the United Fertilizer. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on Friday disclosed an urgent need of resources to respond to its emergency needs across Ethiopia. The UNHCR said in a statement that it is currently rushing together with its partners to provide life-saving aid to more than 20,000 refugees who fled clashes in Ethiopia's Benishangul Gumuz region, bordering Sudan and South Sudan. The UNHCR said fighting broke out in late January in the town of Tongo, reportedly between unidentified armed groups and federal forces, and the nearby camp hosting 10,300 refugees was looted and burned. The incident followed the looting of another camp in the area in late December. A total of 22,000 people in both camps were then cut off from access and assistance, it said. "UNHCR's Ethiopia operation has to date only received 9 percent of the countrywide requirements of 335 million U.S. dollars for the year (2022) and is in urgent need of resources to respond to this and other emergency needs," the UN refugee agency said in the statement. The UNHCR said all humanitarian staff had to evacuate and access to the area including the two camps of Tongo and Gure-Shembola remains impossible. "Since December last year the situation has been very tense in the Benishangul Gumuz region, which hosts more than 70,000 Sudanese and South Sudanese refugees and over 500,000 internally displaced Ethiopians," the UNHCR said. It said after the violence erupted, more than 20,000 refugees made their way over long distances to three different sites closer to Assosa, the regional capital of Benishangul Gumuz, arriving exhausted and in need of assistance. UNHCR is working with the Ethiopian government's Refugee and Returnees Service (RRS) and partners to provide the most urgent assistance to the displaced refugees, including hot meals, clean water and medical care. The UN refugee agency said it is presently working to install basic services including shelter, water points, and latrines and to begin relocating refugees to the site as soon as possible. With the fighting continuing, UNHCR said a cessation of conflict is essential to avoid further threats to civilian lives in the region, urging for the protection of civilians, including refugees and those forcibly displaced. "Tragically, refugees who had sought and enjoyed safety and were rebuilding their lives have now lost everything all over again," it said. BRIDGETON Miguel Perez, the 21-year-old city man accused of murdering 23-year-old Jonathan Morris, will stay in jail after agreeing to be detained by consent during a hearing Friday. Perez, whose arrest by State Police was announced Tuesday, appeared before Cumberland County Judge William Ziegler for his detention hearing Friday afternoon. Perez is represented by trial attorney Meghan McCormick Hoerner, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday. He is charged with murder for allegedly shooting Morris in his car last week. Perez also is charged with weapons offenses, desecration of human remains, evidence tampering, hindering, obstruction, escape and receiving stolen property. Morris was originally reported missing last Friday. His car was found abandoned on Archie Platt Road in Hopewell Township. His body was discovered Monday in a patch of snow along the road. Detention hearing for Bridgeton man's accused killer scheduled for Friday BRIDGETON A city man accused of murdering 23-year-old Jonathan Morris is set to appear in Police allege Perez drove to where Morris body was found to discard the body, leaving his car behind. Before Morris body was found, detectives obtained information that State Police say linked Perez to the Bridgeton mans death. Detectives also believe Perez allegedly returned to his home to try displacing evidence of the crime. Detectives found Perez at his Cotton Avenue home and arrested him, State Police said. The investigation into Morris death is ongoing. Contact Eric Conklin: 609-272-7261 econklin@pressofac.com Twitter @ACPressConklin Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. PLEASANTVILLE A local church kicked off Black History Month by hearing from an organizer of the 1963 March on Washington. Mount Zion Baptist Church on Wednesday night hosted its first weekly teach-in for Black History Month 2022. Held virtually via Zoom, the event centered on a conversation between Mount Zion Senior Pastor Willie Francois III and Virgil Wood, a leader at the Beloved Community Initiative, an ordained Baptist minister and a 90-year-old civil rights activist. It is a delight to start this Black History Month with Black history, Francois said. Tonight we will not only talk Black history, but tonight we will actually be greeted by, we will be engaged by, we will learn from living Black history. Wood helped organize demonstrators from Virginia for the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, at which the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his I have a dream speech. He also served on the national executive board of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and was an SCLC leader in Massachusetts and Virginia. Later, he worked as dean of the African American Institute at Northeastern University and held various other prestigious, academic roles and positions in the church. He has also worked in organizations led by famed civil rights activist Leon Sullivan and served on advisory panels for the Johnson, Nixon and Carter administrations. With Francois, Wood discussed how to apply the lessons learned from the Civil Rights Movement and other liberation movements of the 1950s and 1960s to combat racism and segregation today. He emphasized the need to build on that storied legacy and discussed how reinvigorating Black churches and other Black-led institutions would strengthen America. I want to suggest that 54 years since Martin (Luther King Jr.) left us, we have done little or nothing to authenticate Martins legacy, Wood said. We celebrate Martin in such trivial ways. Cape groups to host virtual Black wellness webinar The Cape May County Coalition for a Safe Community and Cape May County Prosecutor's Office w Wood said that within the next seven years, he wants activists to work toward seven achievements comparable to those of the Civil Rights Movement, making significant advancements in the cause of freedom by 2029 the centennial of Kings birth. He specifically asked for people to explore ways to combat mass incarceration in the United States and to make a resolute commitment to ensuring the health and safety of children around the world. I want to suggest that the genius of Martin Luther King was he followed Jesus all the way to the cross, Wood said. We must have done seven big things that rival what we did in the park in Washington. He asked that Black Christians follow the example of disciples. He also likened the importance of Black churches to that of Joseph, the son of Jacob who is sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers and later shows those same brothers mercy and compassion in the Book of Genesis. Im talking about the indispensable role that the Black church has in America today, Wood said. If it wakes up to it, its Josephs role. In attendance at the virtual event were several prominent figures from throughout the region, including state Sen. Vince Polistina, R-Atlantic, and Atlantic City Councilman Kaleem Shabazz. Francois noted that the event even had international reach, with one person tuning in from the Bahamas. Francois appealed to lay and clergy in attendance to become more involved in politics to advance missions of justice. He encouraged them to follow the example of civil rights activists like Wood and make their religious communities agents of change. One thing I notice is that so many churches do social service, community service very well, Francois said. We do social service really well, but we dont always understand how to actually do social justice. Wood also underscored the importance of interfaith cooperation in social justice movements. He recalled his own experiences and the experiences of other civil rights activists working with different religious leaders, including those who were Catholic, Jewish and Muslim, who were united in their commitment to struggling against injustice. It doesnt matter what your faith is as long as its about love, Wood said. Our challenge is to acknowledge the predicament were all in. We have so much to learn from each other. Contact Chris Doyle cdoyle@pressofac.com Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. I am grateful Judge Curio is willing to serve the public once again as a member of the Atlantic County Redistricting Commission, Rabner wrote in the letter to Democratic County Chairman Michael Suleiman and Republican County Chairman Keith Davis, both of whom are on the commission. Curio is a former Superior Court judge and assignment judge for Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties, Rabner said. According to the letter, Curio was appointed a Superior Court judge in 1995 after 15 years in private law practice, and retired after 22 years on the bench. After retiring, Rabner said the Supreme Court appointed Curio to a sensitive position on the Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct, where Curio and other members investigate allegations of unethical judicial conduct against sitting judges and refer matters for public disciplinary action to the Court. The county redistricting commission, originally made up of two Democrats and two Republicans, asked Rabner to appoint a fifth person to the panel to help it make decisions about new boundaries for the five Atlantic County commissioner districts. Under state law, the person must be fair-minded and impartial, and may not have held elected public or party office for the past three years, Rabner said. The commission voted to seek a fifth member at its first meeting late last month. Atlantic County is one of just three counties in the state that have voting districts for county office. The others are Essex and Hudson counties. All others elect their county commissioners at large, according to Suleiman. At the first meeting, Davis said only Districts 2 and 3 need to be redrawn, as their populations have changed so much since the last Census in 2010. District 2, covering the Mainland communities of Somers Point, Linwood and Northfield as well as Longport, Ventnor and Margate, has lost population and so needs its territory enlarged. And District 3, covering Hamilton Township and part of Egg Harbor Township, has grown too big in population so must give up some territory. Davis, who said he would have preferred to try to agree on a new map without a fifth person involved, asked the Democrats to promise to leave District 1 intact. District 1, covering Atlantic City, Pleasantville and part of Egg Harbor Township, is a majority minority district and has an African American commissioner. But Suleiman would not commit to that, saying all districts should be looked at to come up with a new map that will be used for a decade. REPORTER: Michelle Brunetti Post 609-841-2895 mpost@pressofac.com Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Episode 1 The Chinese fishing fleet and the threat to the Galapagos Biologists and local fishermen say there is a fleet of 300 Chinese boats that fish intensively on the outskirts of the Galapagos Islands. Voice of America went to the region to examine the impact Chinese fishing is having on this unique ecosystem. Jaime Moreno has the story. Select an episode The Humboldt Current comes from Peru The Cromwell Current comes from the western Pacific Ocean The Panama Current comes from the Gulf of Panama The Galapagos Marine Reserve is a sanctuary of 3,500 species Three ocean currents converge in the archipelago: the cold Humboldt Current from Peru; a warm current that comes from Panama; Cromwell Current, rich in nutrients. The Galapagos Marine Reserve The Galapagos Marine Reserve was created in 1998 and is a massive 138,000-square-kilometers. On January 15, 2022, Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso signed a resolution to expand the marine reserve from the original 138,000-square kilometers to 198,000-square kilometers. The Chinese fleet course from 2016 to 2020 The first Chinese fleet found west of the Galapagos Islands was detected in 2016. In 2020, the size of the industrial fishing fleet for giant squid in Latin American international waters had reached 615 vessels. Monitoring platform Global Fishing Watch says 95% of the boats have Chinese flags, and half of them operate most of the year west of the Galapagos archipelago. Your browser does not support the video tag. Ecuadorian minister of environment: Its aggressive fishing The Ecuadorian government monitors fishing closures and regulates activity within its national waters, but it has no control over the Chinese fleet because it is located in international waters. Gustavo Manrique Miranda Minister of Environment of Ecuador Any intensive extractive activity that does not consider sizes, seasons, species closures and others should be of particular concern. And a fleet of 270 international ships is alarming, said Gustavo Manrique Miranda, Ecuadors minister of the environment, who also views the activity of the Chinese fleet with worry and shares the fears of local biologists and fishermen. It is an aggressive, extractive fishing of great volume that Ecuador is working to regulate, but I insist, they are international conventions and agreements in international waters, he said. Chen Guoyou, Chinese Ambassador to Ecuador The Chinese ambassador Voice of America asked the Chinese ambassador to Ecuador, Chen Guoyou, about the Chinese fleets fishing operation near Galapagos. The diplomat said they are interested in protecting marine species in areas where they fish. To effectively protect marine fisheries resources and promote their long-term sustainable development, China has imposed a voluntary three-month moratorium on fishing in the Southeast Pacific and Southwest Atlantic oceans since last year. The moratorium mentioned by Guoyou occurs between September and November of each year west of the Galapagos. However, that time of year is usually not appropriate for fishing for giant squid outside the Galapagos because the species moves toward the coast of Peru. Your browser does not support the video tag. The Chinese fishing mission When you look at the migratory patterns of the fish, thats where you see them (the Chinese fleet) go over and over again, year after year, explained Ambassador Jane Manes, charge daffaires of the U.S. Embassy in El Salvador, who is an expert on unregulated fishing matters and has closely followed the expansion strategy of the Chinese fleet in the world and the region. Overfishing in Asia The Chinese fishing fleet travels farther and farther to replace the species it no longer finds in its own national waters. Over the last five years, they reached the west of the Galapagos Islands. The fleet is getting bigger and bigger, fishing for months, and the number of marine resources they take out of the ocean is a mystery. Jane Manes Charge daffaires to the Republic of El Salvador If you go back and track fishing boats over time, you will see a dramatic increase each year in the dominant large fishing fleets in this hemisphere, which is why this problem is so important. If we dont control it now, we know what is going to happen, because you can already see the results of that in Asia and Africa, really the levels of fish populations and seafood are already on the ground, Manes warned during an interview with Voice of America. Ships registered in Panama The United States government questions the transshipment of cargo on the high seas because ships avoid any control to which regulated industrial fishing fleets are subjected. Governance overfishing is just not there. We are not convinced that China, in the case of the Peoples Republic of China vessels, is adequately overseeing those boats, said David Hogan, director in charge of the State Departments Office of Marine Conservation. They take the species, but they leave the garbage Because Chinese vessels last for months without touching port, there is no clarity on how they handle the waste they produce. Since 2016, just when the fleet began operations on the outskirts of Galapagos, hundreds of plastic containers began to reach the beaches of the archipelago. Galapagos iconic species Galapagos sea lion One of the main attractions of the archipelago, male adults can weigh up to 250 kilograms. Galapagos giant tortoise One of the longest-lived tortoises, it has a life span of more than 100 years and is one of the most threatened species in the region. Waved albatross One of the most threatened birds on the planet. Many die when they become entangled in the fishing lines of industrial boats. Blue-footed booby The worlds largest population of this unique bird inhabits The Galapagos Islands. Marine iguana It is the only lizard that swims in the sea and another of the main tourist attractions of the archipelago. Blacktip reef shark Since 2009, the Galapagos National Park has been monitoring shark breeding sites. As a result, around 35 species, including Punta Negra, have been identified in the archipelago. (VOA News) Ecuador balance Both publicly and through diplomatic channels, the Ecuadorian government has raised concerns about the Chinese fleet operation near Galapagos. It has also asked for support from international organizations, according to Foreign Minister Mauricio Montalvo. Mauricio Montalvo Foreign Minister of Ecuador Its one of the main things Ecuador has worked on, raising its concern with regional organizations that regulate fishing activities, said the Ecuadorian foreign minister. But Ecuador enjoys close relations with China on issues that have nothing to do with fishing in the Galapagos. More than half of the vaccines applied against COVID-19 are from China, with 8 million doses. In the last four years, exports to China went from $615 million to $3.193 billion in 2020. And both countries are negotiating a possible Free Trade Agreement for 2023. The fact that there are concerns regarding the fishery does not imply that Ecuador cannot maintain dialogue on the issues you have mentioned, for example, in the opening of new markets, Montalvo explained. The issue of the Chinese fleet is relatively new to Latin America. Ecuador has sought a way to improve its relations with regional navies in other impacted countries to obtain more details about the behavior of the China vessels. Experts say the waters of Asia and Africa have been overfished, and that is why the Chinese fleet has come to this region. Galapagos biologists and activists worry if no action is taken to control the irregular and overcrowded fishing operations, the abundant fish in this region will disappear. A coalition of civil rights, social justice and community organizations led by the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa sent a letter Thursday to the Scott County Board of Supervisors challenging its plans to use federal COVID-19 funds to build a new, larger juvenile detention facility. The ACLU, in its letter, argues using COVID-19 funds to build the facility is unlawful and that building a new and expanded juvenile detention facility will deepen racial disparities within the juvenile court system. One out of every 22 Black children is detained in Scott County compared to 1 out of every 457 white children, according to a Sentencing Project analysis of state data collected in 2019. Statewide, the rate at which Black children are placed in detention in Iowa is more than double the national average. Black children in Iowa are about nine times as likely as their white peers to be placed in juvenile detention, putting Iowa's racial disparity in juvenile detention as the eighth highest in the nation. "These are deeply disturbing numbers," Mark Stringer, ACLU of Iowa Executive Director, said in a statement. "Scott County should be doing what it can to remedy racial disparities in its treatment of youth, not make them worse." Scott County Board of Supervisors Chairman Ken Beck and Scott County Juvenile Detention Center Director Jeremy Kaiser did not immediately return messages seeking comment Thursday afternoon. County officials have argued a 40-bed facility is needed to address overcrowding and long-term juvenile detention capacity needs. Over the past five years, Scott County has housed an average of roughly 25 juveniles per day between the jail and juvenile detention center, with peaks of up to nearly 40 juveniles. The JDC has an operational capacity of 14 to 16 beds and a licensed capacity of 18 beds. When the JDC reaches capacity, the county must spend money to house youths in facilities in other counties, separating them from their families and local support systems. Space constraints also limit detention staff's ability to properly classify and separate juveniles based on the severity of their offense, gender and gang affiliation. And as of December, any youth awaiting trial as an adult had to be removed from the Scott County Jail under a state and federal mandate, unless a court finds that they cannot be safely held in juvenile detention, necessitating the further need for more space, according to county officials. "Obviously, we need to listen to the ACLU folks and make decisions from there," Republican Supervisor John Maxwell, a proponent of the plans, said Thursday. "We need to digest this and see how we move forward. We need to show what is best for all citizens of Scott County, and that has got to be in my decision-making process." Maxwell, though, said he "stands firm" on building a new, larger facility. "I think keeping our juveniles at home is paramount to this. And I am unwavering when it comes to that," he said. "And I feel that is best for every Scott County citizen." Asked about the racial disparities noted by the ACLU and others, Maxwell said: "It's silly to think when someone calls 911 that race is involved." "It's not," he said. "It's a person's decision to do something wrong, and the police or the people of authority come and get involved." A 2020 report issued by the Iowa Department of Human Rights, however, found that Iowas juvenile justice system increases racial disparities at multiple decision points in the juvenile justice system, including referring children to the juvenile justice system, detaining them and waiving them to adult court. In 2019, Black children aged 10 to 17 years old were 6.5 times more likely to enter the juvenile justice system for simple misdemeanor offenses compared with white children. And between 2015 and 2019, the number of Black children placed in juvenile detention for probation violations increased 31% while the number of white children decreased by 28.4%. Black children in Iowa were also 9.8 times more likely to have their case waived to adult court compared with white children, and were 14.3 times more likely to have their case directly filed in adult court compared with white children. Maxwell and fellow Republican Supervisor Tony Knobbe also said the county had worked to expand diversion, restorative justice and prevention programs in recent years. Knobbe pointed to the county's school-based restorative justice and auto theft accountability victim-offender mediation programs, and the county's $700,000 commitment to the Youth Assessment Program run by Family Resources. The latter is aimed at connecting youth and families to preventative behavioral and mental health services to lower juvenile crime, by providing assessment, referral and case management services. Knobbe added: "We've checked with all legal and accounting authorities up from us and we've gotten a green light from all of them." 'Do the right thing' Supervisors have given preliminary approval to spend more than $7 million of the $33.6 million allocated to the county as part of the American Rescue Plan Act to build a planned 40-bed Youth Justice & Rehabilitation Center estimated to cost $21.75 million. The funds were specified by the Department of the Treasury to aid state, local and tribal governments in responding to the impact of COVID-19 and their efforts to contain COVID-19 in their communities, residents, and businesses. The ACLU, in its letter, argues building a new, expanded juvenile detention center that predates the pandemic violates U.S. Department of Treasury regulations governing the use of the funds. The Department of the Treasury issued a final rule last month stating the use of funds to respond to public health and negative economic impacts of the pandemic must be related and reasonably proportional to a harm caused or exacerbated by the pandemic." And expressly stated construction of new correctional facilities and new congregate facilities to decrease spread of COVID-19 were ineligible, "because such construction is generally expected to be more costly than alternative approaches or capital expenditures that may be equally or more effective in decreasing spread of the disease." Scott County officials including the Scott County Attorney's Office and external auditor Baker Tilly contend governments that report revenue losses to the Treasury have the option of using some of their American Rescue Plan money on government services that might not otherwise be eligible under Treasury rules, including juvenile detention. County Budget Director David Farmer said the opinion was based on guidance from the Treasury, Iowa State Association of Counties and National Association of Counties. Farmer noted the Treasury Department had advised recipients "have broad latitude to use funds for government services up to their amount of revenue loss due to the pandemic." Scott County, however, has financially weathered the pandemic well. While some county revenues have declined, others have exceeded expectations, Farmer said. And county officials initially did not anticipate a net loss large enough to qualify to use federal dollars to replace lost revenue under the interim rules. However, the final rules states recipients may elect a "standard allowance" of $10 million to spend on government services, regardless of whether they lost that much revenue. The final rule states the Treasury "presumes" local governments lost up to $10 million in revenue because of the pandemic "based on an extensive analysis of average revenue loss across states and localities." And recipients are permitted to use that amount to fund government services, rather than calculate their actual revenue loss. However, the ACLU and others contend building a 40-bed facility goes against the recommendation of state officials and national juvenile justice experts. "Best practice is to focus new dollars and reforms on preventing children from entering the juvenile justice system in the first place, not to increase the incarceration of children," Stringer wrote in the letter to Scott County officials. "Rather than invest millions of dollars in expanding Scott Countys ability to warehouse children who enter the juvenile delinquency system in Iowa, Scott County should focus on reducing the overall number of children in the system and reducing racial disparities." That includes making critical community investments in mental health counseling, violence prevention and restorative justice. "We call upon the Scott County Board of Supervisors to do the right thing," Stringer said. "We ask the board to change course." Should it not, the ACLU warns it will lodge a complaint with U.S. Department of Treasury and Office of Inspector General about the misuse of ARPA funds, in violation of the law, exposing the county "to the serious risk of federal enforcement action requiring it to reimburse the Treasury Department." The letter delivered to the Scott County Board of Supervisors was signed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Iowa, Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Iowa Justice Action Network, Iowa-Nebraska NAACP, One Iowa, Regret No Opportunities, Iowa Coalition for Collective Change and The Sentencing Project. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A Davenport man was arrested Wednesday in connection with the robberies of two Davenport credit unions, one of them on Wednesday. Rayontrez Brown, 25, has been charged with two counts of first-degree theft, according to the Davenport Police Department in a news release. Authorities believe he is the person who, on Wednesday, stole money from the Family Credit Union at 1400 Rockingham Road. He is also accused of the Jan. 21 theft at the Family Credit Union at 2238 Jersey Ridge Road. Brown was arrested Wednesday and that arrest was the result of a joint investigation by the police department and the FBI, the release states. Wednesdays theft on Rockingham happened at about 10:13 a.m., according to the complaint and affidavit provided by the police department. Brown is accused of getting behind the counter and demanding money from a teller. Authorities contend in the complaint that Brown took money from the till drawers, then ran from the credit union. The Jan. 21 theft on Jersey Ridge Road happened about 4:52 p.m. In this case, Brown is accused of jumping over the counter and demanding the teller give him the money from the drawers around her. Brown is accused of taking the money and fleeing the credit union. The complaint and affidavit did not include the amount taken in either theft. Authorities contend in the document that Brown admitted to the Wednesday theft after he was Mirandized and evidence of Wednesdays theft was found at his residence during the execution of a search warrant. The complaint also states Brown admitted involvement with the Jan. 21 theft. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Easter Bunny was representing the prosecution in several hundred Polk County criminal cases.At least thats what Iowa Courts Online, the court systems official, statewide web-based repository of court records, indicated for most of April.On April 4, the online docket sheets for hundreds of Polk County cases primarily misdemeanors and drunken-driving cases were revised to indicate the prosecution of those cases had been transferred from one particular assistant county attorney, Kailey Gray, to another prosecutor in the county attorneys office by the name of Easter Santa Bunny.And thats where the cases remained as of Thursday morning.Bret Lucas, an assistant county attorney, said Thursday the situation stemmed from a recent realignment of cases within the county attorneys office. Gray took over a colleagues cases, and Iowa Courts Online accurately reflects the transfer of those cases. But Grays old cases, he said, were transferred to the Easter Bunny until all of the work on the digital case transfer could be completed.We had contacted the Judicial Branch and they worked with their information technology department to facilitate the mass transfer of cases, Lucas said. Apparently, the Judicial Branch and the IT department decided to put that placeholder in there because, obviously, no one else would have that name. So they were all aware of that, and it sounds like they must still be in the middle of that transfer process.Stacy Curtis, a supervisor for the criminal division of the Polk County Clerk of Courts Office, said the references to the Easter Bunny should not be visible to the public either through a name search or in the docket sheets for the individual cases. She said the office took extra steps to make sure members of the public didnt see any reference to the Easter Bunny and only clerks, lawyers, judges and others with higher security clearance could see it. It appears that the opposite may have occurred, as the Easter Bunny references could be seen by members of the public who werent even logged into the site.This has been a nightmare for me, Curtis said. We moved everything from Kaylie to the Easter Bunny, and those should have all been cleaned up so you wouldnt be able to see that.Many of the cases that were publicly assigned to the Easter Bunny are open, active cases, but hundreds of others are dormant, though not technically closed because of probationary sentences that have yet to be completed or fines that have yet to be paid.The only practical effect of the Easter Bunny designation is that some defendants may see that information online and not know who to contact at the county attorneys office about their case.After being contacted by the Iowa Capital Dispatch on Thursday, court officials were working to erase from the website any mention of the Easter Bunny, and by late afternoon it appeared they had succeeded.Santa bailed out by RudolphThe Easter Bunny cases are not the only criminal matters listed on the court systems official website to have featured nonexistent lawyers or defendants. In what appear to be training exercises for clerical staff, fictitious test cases are sometimes created and then posted to the public website but never removed.For example, a December 1997 case shows Santa Claus being convicted of felony burglary and kidnapping, with a charge of assault on a peace officer dismissed by the court. The court records indicate a sentence of 999 years in prison was imposed.As part of that same test case, the court imposed a no-contact order prohibiting Santa from having any contact with Mickey Mouse. Santas bail listed as one million bucks in a possible punning reference to Santas reindeer is stated to have been posted by Rudolph.In 2014, Santa Claus was charged with second-degree robbery in Scott County, according to the Iowa Courts Online site. Although theres no record of a conviction in that case, Claus right to carry a gun was revoked.The court systems website also shows that in 2014, Mickey Mouse filed a small claims case against Donald Duck in Marion County.For more information, visit iowacapitaldispatch.com. DES MOINES Eight Iowa school districts including Linn-Mar are violating a judicial order by not reinstating face mask requirements, the American Civil Liberties Unions state chapter asserted in a letter sent Friday to those districts. The eight districts Ankeny, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Decorah, Denver, Johnston, Linn-Mar and Waterloo should have mask requirements to protect the students with disabilities who filed a lawsuit challenging a state law that prohibited face mask requirements in schools, the ACLU said. On Jan. 25, a federal appeals court ruled the plaintiffs families whose children have disabilities from across 10 Iowa school districts should receive immediate relief from the new state law because those students health would be placed in danger in a school without a face mask requirement. The appeals ruling agreed with a lower court order that the parents deserved an injunction against the law being enforced since it violates the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and Rehabilitation Act, but said the injunction should not have automatically been made to apply to every district in the state. Since the initial ruling, only Des Moines and Iowa City, who also are plaintiffs in the lawsuit, have implemented face mask requirements, the ACLU said. The eight districts that received letters Friday have not, the ACLU said. Based on the legal force of the Eighth Circuits opinion, we are asking these eight schools to restore their mask mandates immediately because they are still necessary for our clients children to go to school safely during this time, ACLU of Iowa legal director Rita Bettis Austen said in a statement. Failing to require masking when it is necessary as a reasonable accommodation forces our clients to choose between their childrens health and their education. The Linn-Mar, Davenport and Council Bluffs school districts said Friday they would not comment on the letter, and the Waterloo school district did not respond to requests seeking comment. The ACLUs letters ask the districts to respond within a week and states that, if districts do not respond, the plaintiffs will consider further legal action. Bettis Austen during a news conference Friday said that the ACLU does not forecast litigation strategy. Its really a misreading of the 8th Circuit (appeals court) decision to view it as a green light to lift those masking requirements when theyre required in order for kids with disabilities to be able to go to school safely on equal terms with their peers, Bettis Austen said. This is about enforcing existing anti-discrimination protections for kids to go to school and that they have a right to go to school on the same basis of their peers without discrimination, Bettis Austen added. One of the functions of discrimination protections is to ensure that individuals who are part of a minority have their rights protected when a majority may be interested in violating those rights. We wouldnt have these anti-discrimination protections if they werent necessary. The letters address only districts to which a plaintiff in the lawsuit attends. The ACLU said its interpretation of the Jan. 25 ruling is that any district must make similar accommodations for students with disabilities. And Bettis Austen said the ACLU may take action against other schools in the future. The rights of those children are also important to us, Bettis Austen said. The Linn-Mar Community School District stopped requiring students, staff and visitors to schools to wear a mask Jan. 3. In September, the school board had voted to require masks for students in prekindergarten through sixth grade a requirement that remained in effect until a COVID-19 vaccine was widely available for children. Kevin Fry, Linn-Mar communication director, said Friday the district has no comment on the ACLU letter. The district declined to comment on questions from The Gazette asking if officials plan to reinstate a mask mandate or if it will be a discussion item for the school board at its next meeting on Feb. 14. A mask requirement remains for students, staff and visitors in the Iowa City Community School District. Because the district is continuing to require masks, it did not receive a letter from the ACLU. Grace King of The Gazette contributed to this report. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 A Minnesota-based ownership group is in the process of selling its apartment buildings in Davenport to a local real estate investment firm with plans to completely renovate the properties, which the city has deemed substandard or uninhabitable. And a new, local property management company said it was helping relocate tenants displaced as a result of the sale and planned remodel. Rich Oswald, director of neighborhood services for the city of Davenport, said Arsenal Property Group, a private real estate investment firm based in Davenport, was in the process of purchasing property owned by Heatherton Apartments Cooperative of Forest Lake, Minn. Oswald said building permits had already issued to remodel the buildings. Chris Salazar, managing principal of Arsenal Property Group, did not return messages seeking comment. An owner of Heatherton Apartments Cooperative also did not return a message seeking comment. Oswald, too, said the Minnesota-based housing cooperative was in the process of selling the Crestwood Apartments, which the city deemed uninhabitable and ordered vacated in August. Inspections of Crestwood Apartments revealed problems that included water damage, inoperable or missing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, mold, mildew and rodents. City emails, notices and orders obtained by the Quad-City Times and Dispatch-Argus through a public records request showed a similar situation playing out at Heatherton Apartments at 3547, 3539 and 3553 Heatherton Drive, owned by the same Minnesota-based group, where some Crestwood tenants were relocated this summer. "We still have our notice and (repair) orders open," Oswald said, stating a property manager failed to show for a scheduled re-inspection after having canceled a prior inspection appointment because of COVID-19. As a result, Heather Apartments Cooperative will be "billed fines and charges," Oswald said. He could not recall the amount of the fines and charges. But given news of the pending sale, construction permits being issued for building renovations and a new property management group working to relocate tenants, Oswald said the city has not issued notice to vacate the buildings. The three buildings have 12 units each. As of Monday, about half of the apartments 19 were occupied, Oswald said. "You have a local, active property manager that's now taking care of the problems," he said. Years of neglect Kelly Boyd lives in a one-bedroom apartment at 3553 Heatherton Drive with her 27-year-old daughter and four grandchildren, who range in age from 7 months to 5 years old. Boyd, 50, has lived at the Heatherton Drive apartment for the past three years and said she has filed numerous requests for repairs to fix cracks in her apartment ceiling, including around the patio door where rainwater seeps in and has caused mold to grow. Her deck porch has deteriorated to the point where it is no longer safe. The city of Davenport issued notices last year to Heatherton Apartments Cooperative, ordering it to repair or replace the deck supports to meet city code. The city also ordered the housing cooperative to repair her ceiling, clean and sanitize the entire apartment to get rid of mold, repair or replace kitchen drawers and cabinets that have fallen apart, replace or re-install a loose, leaky toilet and repair or replace a loose ceiling fan. Nothing had been done as of last week. Boyd said she had submitted work orders online through the previous property management group only to see the work orders disappear from the website when she checked back on their status. "Anything you see in here that's messed up, it's been messed up since I moved here," Boyd said. "I got mold over there. When it rains, it comes through the patio door right there. I got cracks in my ceiling. They never came and fixed anything." Boyd claims she recorded and documented the damage to her apartment when she moved in and provided it to the property manager. Until repairs are made, she has refused to pay rent. Boyd received a notice dated Jan. 19 from McDonnell Property Management informing her she had three days to pay $3,465 in back rent or move out. Otherwise, she faced eviction and termination of her lease. She said she was surprised to see the letter from McDonnell, claiming tenants were not properly informed of the change in management. Days later, she received another letter dated Jan. 24 and signed by McDonnell Property Management but on Arsenal Property Group letterhead of a 30-day notice that her month-to-month lease was being terminated on Feb. 28. New management Matt McDonnell said his company was brought on to help assist with the transition to a new owner. That, McDonnell said, includes collecting rent, directing those who are behind to available financial assistance and getting those who are paid up into other rental housing it manages in the Quad-Cities with comparable rents "that will pass all the city regulations and standards for rental property." "We give them a year lease so this doesn't happen to them again," McDonnell said. "If they call us and tell us there's a problem, we take care of it so it doesn't become such a giant problem." While residents and families will be displaced, McDonnell said people shouldn't lose sight of the fact Arsenal Property Group plans to "take this eyesore of a property and return it to livable conditions." "We're not trying to put anybody out on the street," McDonnell said. At the same time, he said the buildings are in such disrepair, "the only way to fix those issues is to move people out" in order to completely overhaul the buildings. McDonnell said his company already had shown several tenants other units it had available at various price scales, including for those who couldn't afford much. "We can rehouse a lot of these folks without making the transition too terrible on them," he said. Arsenal Property Group undertook a similar project last summer, purchasing rental properties along East 35th Street with plans to renovate and upscale the properties. Tenants were given 30-day notice that month-to-month leases would not be renewed and they would have to move, leading to frustrations and pleas to city officials for assistance finding, affording and moving to new housing amid a severe shortage of safe, affordable housing for low-income renters in the Quad-Cities. Many of the renters live paycheck to paycheck, are elderly or have a disability and rely on government assistance and benefits. According to Humility Homes and Services in Davenport, for every 100 low-income renters, there are only 37 affordable and available units in the Quad Cities. McDonnell Property Management provided Boyd with a list of local organizations and nonprofits to reach out to for help. The company noted federal dollars remain available to assist Iowans who lost income or face financial hardship because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Money is available through the Iowa Finance Authority to help renters and mortgage owners with payments to avoid eviction and foreclosure. Renters can apply for up to four months' worth of rental assistance up to a maximum of $3,200, and can include months in arrears no earlier than the April 1, 2020, rent payment. Iowans can also apply for up to $2,000 in assistance to pay utility bills if at risk of disconnection due to loss of income related to the pandemic. Withholding rent Boyd, though, refuses to pay, arguing she has a right to withhold rent because of the previous property manager's refusal to make ordered repairs. Doing so, though, is risky. Tenants must follow very specific steps to withhold rent and could still be evicted if they dont pay the rent even if the landlord failed to make repairs, according to Iowa Legal Aid. That includes providing notice in writing, specifying repairs that need to be made, and setting rent aside in a special account separate from the landlord's personal accounts. "Withholding rent is always risky. You dont know whether a judge will agree that the problem was so bad that you had the right to withhold the rent," according to Legal Aid. "At the same time, it is illegal for a landlord to refuse to make repairs or shut off utilities because a tenant is behind on the rent." Iowa law does not outright state that a tenant in Iowa has the ability to withhold rent in response to habitability issues, but they do have the right to make and deduct the cost of repairs from the following months rent. Doing so, though, requires an agreement in writing between the tenant and landlord before proceeding. If a landlord intentionally or negligently fails to provide heat, water, electricity or other "essentials," tenants are allowed to pursue legal action to recover damages. They can also contact the city if a landlord fails to make necessary repairs and maintain the house or apartment. Boyd, though, insists she has the right to withhold rent because of the repeated notices and orders from the city to make repairs to address housing code violations. While she has the ability to move, Boyd said other tenants do not. She and her daughter, Mia Moore, said they also wanted the city "to do better on (enforcing) building codes." Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Members of Yemeni government forces are seen on a vehicle in Harad District, Hajjah Province, northwestern Yemen, on Feb. 4, 2022. (Photo by Mohammed Al-Wafi/Xinhua) HAJJAH, Yemen, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Yemeni government army on Friday advanced into the northern district of Harad near the Saudi Arabian border, recapturing a military camp, a village, and a series of strategic border mountains from the Houthi militia. "The operation began at dawn with heavy support from warplanes of the Saudi-led Arab coalition backing the Yemeni government forces," a Yemeni military source on the front line told Xinhua in Harad in the northwestern province of Hajjah. The operation came simultaneously with another offensive launched by the Yemeni army to recapture districts in the oil-rich province of Marib in central Yemen. Last month, the Houthi militia lost several districts in the southeastern province of Shabwa. Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa. The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 4 million, and pushed the country to the brink of famine. Members of Yemeni government forces are seen in Harad District, Hajjah Province, northwestern Yemen, on Feb. 4, 2022. (Photo by Mohammed Al-Wafi/Xinhua) Members of Yemeni government forces are seen in Harad District, Hajjah Province, northwestern Yemen, on Feb. 4, 2022. (Photo by Mohammed Al-Wafi/Xinhua) Members of Yemeni government forces are seen in Harad District, Hajjah Province, northwestern Yemen, on Feb. 4, 2022. (Photo by Mohammed Al-Wafi/Xinhua) Members of Yemeni government forces are seen on a vehicle in Harad District, Hajjah Province, northwestern Yemen, on Feb. 4, 2022. (Photo by Mohammed Al-Wafi/Xinhua) A military vehicle is seen in Harad District, Hajjah Province, northwestern Yemen, on Feb. 4, 2022. (Photo by Mohammed Al-Wafi/Xinhua) Members of Yemeni government forces are seen in Harad District, Hajjah Province, northwestern Yemen, on Feb. 4, 2022. (Photo by Mohammed Al-Wafi/Xinhua) Iowa bars could be taken to court and held liable for shootings, assaults and riots committed by unruly patrons who spill out of their establishment into alleys, streets and adjacent property, under proposed legislation. An Iowa House subcommittee advanced a bill last week being pushed by the city of Davenport to amend state law to help cities shut down nuisance bars for safety concerns. City officials have requested lawmakers allow cities to bring a case before local district courts to abate public safety nuisances caused by alcohol establishments, rather than having to rely on the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division. Davenport tried several times to deny the now-shuttered Shenanigans Irish Pub at 303 W. 3rd St. a liquor license based on its public safety history but was overruled by the ABD, which is responsible for regulating and investigating complaints about alcohol establishments. Police responded to more than 2,000 calls for service to the establishment over a three-year period before the bar shut down in December 2019. The final straw was a large fight that broke out at the pub during which a gun was fired and a bullet went through the window of Macs Tavern, located across the street at 316 W. 3rd St., and narrowly missed a patron. Yet, the bar was not closed because the state suspended its liquor license but rather because the landlord terminated its lease. Going through local courts, which typically handle nuisance complaints in all other capacities, will bring parity to the process and, hopefully, swifter resolution, according to city officials. "Had this amendment been in place at the time, the city of Davenport and local district courts could have been able to deal with this grave nuisance at a local level to address this violent behavior rapidly as opposed allowing the nuisance to continue for three years," city of Davenport officials wrote in a statement in support of the bill. House Study Bill 633 would allow city and county attorneys to sue alcohol establishments for creating a serious threat to public safety and seek a temporary injunction before trial. Licensed food establishments that sell alcohol, such as restaurants, would be exempt. The bill states a public safety nuisance exists if "it is established by clear and convincing evidence that an owner, manager, employee, contemporaneous patron or guest of the licensed premises commits any of the following acts either on the premises or within 1,000 feet of the premises." The acts include unlawful use of a firearm or offensive weapon, assault with a dangerous weapon or being the scene of a riot on three or more dates within a 12-month period. Should a district court determine a threat to public safety exists, the court could temporarily close the business, revoke its alcohol license or require a change in business practice or operations. It could also require the owner post bond to keep the property open pending final resolution of the lawsuit. Lobbyists for the city of Des Moines and Metropolitan Coalition have registered in support of the bill. The Iowa Restaurant Association, which represents Iowa's restaurant and beverage industry, is registered in opposition to the bill. "The city of Davenport recognizes that there are concerns from the Restaurant Association about this amendment applying to food establishments," the city wrote in a statement. "The city acknowledges this public safety nuisance rarely, if ever, stem from food establishments, and after hearing these concerns, this amendment excludes restaurants and instead applies only to pure alcohol (bar) establishments." State Rep. Rick Olson, D-Des Moines, a member of the House Public Safety subcommittee, raised concerns about holding establishments liable for activity that occurs beyond their property and clarifying which food establishments would be exempt. "I think it has to be (limited) to the parking lot, something they control," Olson said. He suggested lawmakers instead focus on amending the burden of proof required to revoke a beer, wine or liquor license before the ABD. Davenport city officials argue current code limiting the prevention of illegal activity to the licensed premise, including the grounds and parking lot, allows owners to skirt responsibility by pushing fights and other illegal acts out their door onto other property. "What this bill is doing is acknowledging that there may be patrons of an alcohol establishment who drink and then maybe right outside the establishment, though not on the licensed premise, are creating a public safety nuisance," Sarah Ott, chief strategy officer for the city of Davenport, said after the hearing. Ott, though, said the city is willing to look at a different radius, "if that is what helps get this passed." The city originally proposed within 1,500 feet for a licensed premise. Similar efforts have failed to gain traction in the Iowa Legislature in previous years over concerns and objections from Iowa's restaurant and beverage industry. Subcommittee chairman Rep. Ross Paustian, R-Walcott, who brought the bill forward, said he planned to work with lobbyists and lawmakers to amend the legislation to make it more palatable, including reducing or redefining areas for which bars would be responsible for the conduct of employees and patrons. Paustian called it "ridiculous" that a bar could generate more than 2,000 calls for service over a three-year period and still hold onto its license. "We don't need that kind of an establishment in the city," he said. "I'm going to work to keep it moving and see where it goes from there." Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Consulting engineers interested in overseeing the demolition of the old spans of the Interstate 74 bridge have three weeks to prepare their proposals. The Iowa Department of Transportation, DOT, which continues to oversee the I-74 corridor improvements, has issued its request for proposals, or RFP. The deadline to submit a bid is Feb. 23. No date was given for the conclusion of the DOT's selection process. The RFPs for the actual demolition are expected in coming months. For now, the DOT is looking for the consultant/inspector for the project. George Ryan, manager for the corridor, said the contractor would determine the method of demolition, including whether explosives were used in any portion of the twin bridges' removal. "The cost of the demolition of the old I-74 bridges will be shared 50/50 by Illinois and Iowa," he said. "Each state has a program estimate of $10.825 million for a total of approximately $21.65 million for the demolition of the bridges. "The final cost they pay for the demolition will depend on the lowest responsible bid by contractors for the project." The RFP contains the following background description: "The I-74 corridor in the Quad Cities has been undergoing improvements for the past several years, with the keystone project being the construction of the new arch bridges over the Mississippi River. Construction of the main channel Mississippi River bridges and approaches is nearly complete. "The remaining work includes, but is not limited to, removal of the existing bridges, landscaping and other miscellaneous projects. The consultant selected will provide construction inspection and related services for these projects." Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Nahant Marsh Education Center has raised $4.2 million to construct new trails, build a new operations center, buy more land for habitat restoration and expand programming. The nonprofit board that oversees the 305-acre preserve and education center in west Davenport exceeded its $3.7 million campaign goal. The fundraising started in 2019. Nahant Marsh Executive Director Brian Ritter said the successful capital campaign would have long-lasting positive impacts for the marsh, the river and for the community. Weve already put some of this money to work." he said in a news release. "We restored a 39-acre crop field back to prairie and wetlands. Weve begun constructing a trail spur that will connect Nahant Marsh to the Mississippi River Trail and we have purchased a variety of research equipment that is being used by staff and interns to better study the marsh. The money will be used to fund projects in three areas: education, conservation-and-research and recreation. Projects include: A two-story, 5,200-square-foot operations building to be built east of the existing education center. The $800,000 building will contain a classroom, equipment and lab space for college-level research and education, public restrooms, staff offices and a maintenance shop for equipment. It is expected to be finished by the end of 2022. A total of $500,000 that will pay for field trips or in-school environmental programs for schools with a high percentage of students who qualify for the free and reduced-price lunch program. Other funds will finance the hiring of a research coordinator/educator and another educator. Nahant buying three properties totaling about 100 additional acres. One of the properties is in Illinois, part of an area known as the Milan Bottoms. A 30-acre parcel on the north side of Nahants main lake has been graded to create 30 short ridges for the planting of 1,000 oak, pecan and hickory trees and 30 shallow ponds for seasonal wetlands that can support various kinds of aquatic life. A 40-acre parcel south of the railroad tracks toward the Mississippi River that has been turned into a wetland mitigation bank. Additional trails that will be built on the property, including a spur to the Mississippi River Trail. Alma Gaul contributed to this story. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A city council member is one of three local Rapid City residents who have filed to run as Democrats for seats in the state Legislature. Rapid City Council member Darla Drew has filed with the Secretary of State's Office to run for the District 34 seat, Planning Commissioner Vince Vidal filed for the District 33 seat, and David Hubbard filed for the District 35 seat. All are seeking House seats now held by Republicans. Drew announced she would not seek re-election for her Ward 5 city council seat previously but told the Journal at that time she was considering running for another office. Drew served on the council for about eight years. Her term expires in July. Drew said she's giving the run serious consideration but was not ready to discuss it. District 34 includes most of west and a portion of north Rapid City. The representative seats are held by Reps. Mike Derby and Jess Olson, both elected in 2020. Vidals term on Rapid City's Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Adjustment expires in October 2023. This is his fifth year of service on the commission. He ran for the Ward 1 council seat in 2020 and received 998 votes. Pat Jones received 1,187 votes to win that seat. Vidal and his wife, Peggy, have lived in Rapid City since 1995. They have four children and five grandchildren. Vidal served in the Navy for 20 years. He said there is too much politics and not enough listening in Pierre to produce the best results for South Dakota. "I'm going to listen to the voters," Vidal said. "I don't have to agree with everything, but I want to do what's right for South Dakotans." Vidal said he wants to pursue affordable health care and better wages for teachers in the state. "We pushed hard here locally to increase the teacher salaries here in the state, and it's important, yet we're lagging behind again," he said. District 33s current representatives include Taffy Howard and Phil Jensen. The district encompasses west and rural areas of Pennington County and just south of Catron Boulevard. Howard announced in October that she will challenge U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson in the Republican primary for the state's lone House seat. Curt Massie, a Republican from Rapid City, announced his intention to run for the state House seat earlier this month. Hubbard will make his second run for the District 35 seat in the state House. He ran in 2020 but lost to incumbent Reps. Tina Mulally and Tony Randolph. District 35 includes the eastern part of Rapid City, Rapid Valley, Box Elder and parts of the Ellsworth Air Force Base. "I guess I keep running because there aren't really people who are better qualified who want to run," Hubbard said. "I feel very strongly that Democrats, Independents and even more moderate Republicans aren't being represented in our state Legislature." He said he feels like voter-approved initiated measures and amendments have been ignored by the Legislature, particularly those concerning corruption and marijuana measures. Hubbard said he wants to hold government entities, particularly the state, accountable while representing all South Dakotans, not just those in his party. He said he's also concerned about anti-LGBTQ+ legislation now being approved by Republican lawmakers in Pierre. He said his grandson is part of the community and he is concerned about his future and the future of others who identify as LGBTQ+. "Not only are they putting up with harassment in the school halls based on who they are, but the state Legislature and Gov. (Kristi) Noem are picking on LGBTQ+ kids," he said. Hubbard also said he wants to help make public education better in the state, which includes teachers who are among the lowest paid in the nation. Keryn Rowland, chair of the Pennington County Democrats, said because of redistricting, there is an opportunity for Democrats to have a stronger voice in the state Legislature. "There's excitement around new ideas and new ways of governing that we haven't had in a really long time," she said. "People are hungry for the ability to have their voices heard." Rowland said legislators have not respected the will of the voters in the last several years. She said having the opportunity for more Democrats in Pierre would provide more balance and a stronger voice for the working class. "We're really hoping there will be a strong challenger in every district and not only every district but school boards, municipalities and things of that nature," she said. "There's a lot of energy around making sure there's not just one single perspective and not one voice that is represented." Contact Siandhara Bonnet at siandhara.bonnet@rapidcityjournal.com You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 7 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. About 600 acres off of state Highway 79 could be annexed into Rapid Citys boundaries if approved Monday night by the city council. Developer Dream Design International is making the request for David Lamb and Andrew Andersen Revocable Trust for the Rushmore Industrial Center southeast of Highway 79 and Old Folsom Road. A Joplin, Missouri battery manufacturer wants to build a plant there that could bring as many as 1,500 jobs to the area. The industrial center totals about 500 acres and would be anchored by battery manufacturer AEsir Technologies that would occupy almost 70 acres. The property is outside of the citys Urban Services Boundary, meaning the company would be required to extend utilities and infrastructure to the area. The item is on the councils consent agenda. If annexed, the property would be placed into a no-use zoning district. Six rezoning ordinance requests are contingent upon the annexation. If approved in two readings, the area could be rezoned to light industrial, heavy industrial, and general commercial. Two of the six requests are from KTM Design Solutions for Marvin and Kay Paschke and E.M. Hoff Family Ranch Limited partnership for heavy industrial district. The Paschke request is for 52.3 acres while the Hoff Family Ranch request is for 142 acres. There is also a Tax Increment Financing application and a preliminary subdivision plan to create 12 lots associated with all six rezoning ordinance requests. The application is still being reviewed by city staff and is not on Monday nights council agenda. Dream Design International Vice President Kyle Treloar said the application is in the late stages of city staff review and could be seen by city committees in the next couple of months. The council will also consider a preliminary subdivision plan to create 80 residential lots in the Apple Valley subdivision near Long View and Anderson roads in Rapid Valley. The city Planning Commission approved the item at its meeting and the Pennington County Commission approved a comprehensive plan amendment and two rezoning requests for the area. The county commission approved a $12.5 million affordable housing Tax Increment Finance District by a 3-2 vote in December. Apple Valley will eventually include about 460 homes on 120 acres. It is being developed by Pink Cabin, owned by Jim and Andy Scull. The 80 proposed residential lots are for the first phase of homes on 16 acres. The lots would range in size from 6,552 square feet to 9,054 square feet. Rapid Valley Sanitary District would provide the subdivisions utilities. Infrastructure would eventually connect to city services. The homes would be completed over six to 10 years, according to the developers. The council will also hear the second reading of an ordinance establishing new ward boundaries. Wards 1, 2, 3 and 5 will have new boundaries while Ward 4 will mostly stay the same. Contact Siandhara Bonnet at siandhara.bonnet@rapidcityjournal.com You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. What is the purpose of having zoning laws when big money operators can change the status as they desire? Kristi Noem's desire to combat perceived federal government overreach is to fight it with real state government overreach. Who in South Dakota is forcing critical race theory and "transgenderism" on kids? That's not a real thing. Noem said the House committee that rejected her bill is not listening to national leaders in the pro-life movement. She was elected to work for South Dakota, not the nation. I am a West River woman who is neither liberal nor envious of the governor on any level. Her continued bowing and conforming to outside-the-state influences and her own family interests are why I won't vote for her. Take your sexist shallowness and go back to your mire. Icy roads do not cause accidents. Not paying attention to road conditions does. I am totally in favor of red light violation and speeding cameras in Rapid City. Put them everywhere but start with Haines/5th St., St. Pat., and both gap roads. Maybe the income could be used for real estate tax replacement. Bring 'em on! You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 3 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 We have an opportunity to take down barriers and dramatically improve voter participation in South Dakota. Current state law makes voting difficult and inconvenient for municipal and school board voters. We can do better, but state law needs to change. South Dakotas voters are informed and diligent. In 2020, 73.88% of voters turned out in the November election. We regularly vote at a higher rate than the national average and many neighboring states. My experience tells me that South Dakotans are engaged and aware (even if they arent reading the minutes of every government meeting). Our strong voter participation figures have a big exception municipal and school board elections. In May, just 5% of Sioux Falls voters cast a ballot for school board compared to almost 75% in the general election six months earlier. Around the same time, Harrisburg turned out 4.5% of voters, woefully short of the 79.5% that voted in November. Fort Pierre had a turnout of around 25% for its April election, despite 79.25% turnout in the general election. So what gives? These are the same voters, the same constituents, the same community members. South Dakotans care just as much about their schools and cities as they do about their state and counties. The difference is - in June and November, voters know it is Election Day. Voters know its time to study the ballot and go vote for county commissioner and Governor and ballot measures. We see news stories from across the state, reminding us of the Election Day ahead. For June and November elections, state law encourages notice and makes participation convenient. Current state law restricts municipalities and schools to holding elections in April, May or June. State law prohibits cities and schools from holding elections in November. The result is random-date elections in the spring, often within weeks of the June primary election (but not on the same day). Our state law creates complexity and puts the burden on the voter. Municipal and school board elections should be held consistently and on high-profile election days. This policy would promote participation through increased notice and improved convenience. My proposal (HB1300) would allow municipalities and school boards to hold their elections on either the June Primary Election Day or the November Election Day each year their choice. The good news is: the bill grants flexibility without being disruptive. For example, Pierre already holds their City and School Board elections on the June Primary Day each year. More good news: were not just talking about increasing participation by a few votes. For most districts, this change would double voter participation at a minimum! I first brought up this topic in June, and immediately contacted the cities, schools, and folks in charge of running elections (county officials and the Secretary of States Office). I heard from a couple local officials that combining elections may present logistical, practical challenges. In deference to them, HB1300 doesnt go into effect until January 1, 2025. While Im eager to improve our elections, Id rather see this done right than done fast. Robust voter participation is crucial for a healthy republican democracy like ours. South Dakota voters are engaged and informed as evidenced by turnout for regular elections. We need to take down hurdles to voter convenience and pave the way for the largest increase in voter participation in decades. HB1300 will do just that. Representative Trish Ladner, District 24 You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 CHAMPAIGN, Ill. Professor Anna Dilger had never thought of using gene editing to create a green cow that could photosynthesize to feed itself, but her students did when she asked them to brainstorm what they would create if they could. This summer people of all ages will have an opportunity to learn how to become good stewards of wilderness. That will happen to honor the legacy of a woman whose love for the Selway Bitterroot and Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness led her from an Iowa classroom to one of most remote wilderness ranger stations in the lower 48 states. Connie Saylor Johnson knew first-hand that wilderness can change lives because it happened to her. Saylor Johnson was a young teacher in Iowa when she took a summer class about American wilderness leadership. She followed up by writing a grant that paid for a group of teachers to come to the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness on a service project. That was all it took. In the 1990s, Saylor Johnson quit her teaching job and eventually became the wilderness ranger at the remote Moose Creek Ranger Station, where she put the skills that shed perfected in the classroom to work in providing hands-on wilderness education experiences for people of all ages. She created a program that brought Iowa high school students to Idaho to learn hands-on stewardship skills while being introduced to the beauty and transformative power of wild places that continues to this day. If you can get them there, if you can get people to the wilderness, they become advocates already, Johnson said, in a 2011 interview. They understand, they get it. Johnson died in the place that she loved. She was working as a backcountry cook at a hunting camp in October 2018 near her beloved Moose Creek Station when she disappeared without a trace. An extensive search by friends, family as well as local, state and federal agencies failed to turn up a single clue. Her dog, Ace, returned to the Moose Creek Ranger Station about three weeks later, but Saylor Johnson was never found. In her memory, the Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation created the Connie Saylor Johnson Wilderness Education Fund. This month, the foundation announced its inaugural round of wilderness education grant awards to five organizations in Idaho and Montana. Connie was such a force for wilderness education that in the aftermath of her disappearance and loss to us all, everyone wanted to come together and do something, said the Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundations executive director Sally Ferguson. There was never a question that continuing her legacy of wilderness education was the right way to go about it. It was a way to take action in light of the sadness and devastation of her loss, she said. Deb Gale, a foundation board member from Corvallis, was also a good friend of Saylor Johnson. Gale was working for the Bitterroot National Forest when they first met at Moose Creek. She had mules and horses and would stay in the wilderness through the summer to manage the station and do her wilderness work, Gale said. She was really quite an amazing person and became a dear friend. Over her years with the Forest Service, Gale had seen several search and rescue operations, but none were as large as the one carried out for Saylor Johnson. It was the biggest search and rescue effort I had ever seen, Gale said. There were helicopters, teams of searchers out with dogs and outfitters and guides taking leave of absence. There were so many who knew her and cared about her. The massive search went on for about 15 or 16 days and they never found anything. The education fund was founded the next year and has grown steadily since then, Gale said. All of the inaugural projects focused on wilderness stewardship. They include: Pulaski Users Group, Hailey, ID A project to develop Wilderness Readers that include wilderness information for trail restoration volunteers. Grangeville Elementary School, Grangeville, ID Field trips for second- and third-graders to local natural ecosystems to learn about wilderness. One Stone Lab51, Boise, ID An immersion course for high school students that includes a backpacking trip, readings and interviews. Helena Indian Alliance, Helena, MT A weekend retreat for native youth to Blackfeet Nation, which includes a camping trip, skill building and conversations with elders. Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute, Moscow, ID An outdoor education program for students of 6 to 12 years to learn about no-trace camping, fire starting and wilderness survival. Gale hopes next year that a group in the Bitterroot Valley will have a project funded. Applications for next years CSJWEF grants will be open from April 1 through Oct. 31, 2022. The program is open to any nonprofit organization, institution, individual, or ad-hoc group working to further wilderness education. Grants are awarded up to $ 1,000 per year. More information can be found at selwaybitterroot.org/csjwef-grant. I think the variety of this years projects is great, Gale said. They are exactly what Connie would have liked to have been doing." Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. LUSAKA, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) will continue to support the construction of a China-invested fertilizer manufacturing plant, its acting chief said Thursday. Albert Halwampa, acting Director-General of the ZDA, also praised the progress that has been made since United Fertilizer, subsidiary of the Chinese firm Wonderful Group, launched the construction works of its 300-million-U.S. dollar fertilizer plant in November. In remarks delivered after visiting the construction works of the plant in Lusaka, the official said the ZDA was happy that the company was not only looking at satisfying the local market but targeting the export market as well. He further expressed delight that the plant was environmentally friendly. The plant, which is scheduled to launch officially in July, is expected to produce 300,000 tons of fertilizer annually after its launch, according to the United Fertilizer. The late Raymond H. Boone Sr., the founder, editor and publisher of The Richmond Free Press, and his wife, Jean Patterson Boone, the papers current publisher, have been honored with the George Mason Award for contributions to Virginia journalism. The Society of Professional Journalists Virginia Pro Chapter presented the award virtually Thursday evening. The award, named for the principal author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, has been presented annually since 1964. The Boones were named the organizations 2020 award winners, but the presentation event was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. An in-person event had been planned for Thursday evening, but that was switched to a virtual presentation because of the recent rising number of coronavirus cases. Raymond Boone, a former journalism teacher at Howard University in Washington, founded The Richmond Free Press in January 1992. Jean Boone served as advertising director. He also had been the editor of the Richmond Afro-American and Planet for 15 years. He started as a reporter at the News-Herald in his native Suffolk in the late 1950s. Jean Boone has been the publisher of the newspaper since her husbands death from pancreatic cancer in 2014. Under the Boones stewardship, the Richmond Free Press has won numerous awards for journalism and advertising. As editor of the Richmond Afro-American and then as editor of the aptly named Richmond Free Press, Ray Boone fearlessly and tirelessly spoke truth to the entrenched powers that be in Virginia and throughout the nation, Jack White, who has covered the civil rights movement and Black politics for The Washington Post, Time magazine and TheRoot.com, wrote in his letter nominating the Boones for the award. With the trucking industry still facing a labor shortage, a new push is underway to recruit and train more truck drivers in Virginia. The Virginia Trucking Association, an industry trade group, has started a driver recruitment pilot program in partnership with Virginia Ready, a nonprofit that provides financial incentives for Virginia residents to get training in high-demand trade skills. Among the goals of the program are to train and hire 100 truck drivers in 100 days and continue to recruit prospective drivers to attend commercial driver training schools at Virginias community colleges. Under the Virginia Ready Initiative, people can get a $1,000 cash incentive payment if they enroll in and complete a truck driver training program at a Virginia community college, and then pass the test to obtain a commercial drivers license. This is one solution to a problem that the whole industry is facing, said J. Ward Best, vice president of Atlantic Bulk Carrier, a Charles City County trucking company and one of eight trucking companies participating in the pilot program. Best, who also serves as president of the Virginia Trucking Association, said this is the most difficult hiring environment he has seen in 26 years. The American Trucking Association estimates the industry is facing a shortage of about 80,000 drivers nationwide. That number is only going up, Best said. A lot things happened during the pandemic, he said. The truck-driving schools had to shut down. We are an older industry just by demographics, and a lot of folks said this is a good time for me to retire. At the same time, the demand for transportation of goods rebounded quickly after the initial business shutdowns caused by the pandemic. So, while people were leaving the industry, we did not have that pipeline of people coming into the industry, Best said Wednesday during a meeting with leaders of the Virginia Ready program. The Virginia Trucking Association did not disclose how much money it is putting into the incentive program, though Best described it as a strategic investment in both time and money for trucking companies, which compares very favorably to ongoing expenses related to their recruiting efforts. The median pay for tractor-trailer drivers in the Richmond area is more than $54,000, but industry professionals say drivers can earn a lot more than that even six-figure annual sums depending on their experience and the routes they travel. Truck driving requires a commercial drivers license, or CDL, which is issued by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. It takes about 160 hours of training to earn a CDL, including 40 hours in the classroom and 120 hours of hands-on training. The Virginia Ready Initiative was started in 2020 to encourage Virginia residents who had lost their jobs in the pandemic to return to school at community colleges for trade skills. A coalition of 25 businesses across the state is providing financial backing for the nonprofit. The mission is to rapidly re-skill Virginians for in-demand jobs, said Taylor Beck, manager of partnerships for Virginia Ready. Participants in the program get $1,000 payments after completing courses and passing credential exams in the Virginia Community College Systems Fast Forward program. The program offers short-term training classes typically six to 12 weeks in such fields as medical and nursing assistance, phlebotomy, computer systems support, plumbing, pipefitting, welding, truck driving and electrical power line installation and repair, among others. Virginia Ready originally was founded to serve those that were unemployed because of the pandemic, Beck said. But in June 2021, we decided to help anybody, unemployed and underemployed. So we expanded our eligibility. Since the Virginia Ready Initiative started, about 3,400 people have completed courses at community colleges though the program, Beck said. Roughly 850 have enrolled in CDL programs, and about one-third of those have completed those courses so far. CDL has always been a part of the Virginia Ready program, but this is the first time we have had a partner that is hiring CDL drivers, Beck said. Now, we have got VTA backing us up and facilitating these relationships with the employers. The goal now is to enroll more people in the CDL programs at the 21 community colleges across the state that offer them. In the Richmond area, CDL classes are offered through Brightpoint Community College formerly John Tyler Community College and J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. The last of Richmonds Confederate monuments will be gone soon. It could be years before their new owners decide how to use them. Marland Buckner, the interim executive director of the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia, says there are no immediate plans for the monuments after city officials recently transferred control of them to the museum on Leigh Street in the citys historic Jackson Ward neighborhood. Workers started removing the pedestals and final pieces of the monuments last week. Officials declined to say where they will be stored as the Black History Museum takes responsibility for the monuments as part of a plan to work with other institutions, including The Valentine museum downtown, to determine where they will end up. While The Valentine was one of about two dozen museums, historical interest groups and individuals who requested the monuments in 2020, shortly after they were removed at the order of Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, the city announced in December that it would give all of them, including the Robert E. Lee monument that was owned by the state, to the Black History Museum. Stoney did not answer exactly how state and city officials reached an agreement to give the monuments to the Black History Museum. But the mayor said he thinks it was the best solution to a thorny issue. The Black History Museum in conjunction with The Valentine, I think, are great examples of people who understand history, Stoney said. I think that we were able to find a consensus among members of City Council alongside this administration that it would be better handled by subject matter experts, and not the whim of politicians. Buckner, the co-founder and director of the public policy and domestic strategy firm MB2 Solutions, became the museums director last spring after the death of former director Adele Johnson. He is also a member of The Valentines board of trustees. As work started on the final stages of the removal process, Buckner spoke with the Richmond Times-Dispatch on Tuesday about the future of the monuments. The following transcript was edited for clarity and length. Whats next for the Black History Museum in figuring out a final plan for these statues? The first thing to remember is we are going to be very patient, mindful and deliberate about this process. We are not rushing into what will be a multiyear community engagement process. So this isnt going to be the sort of undertaking where three or four months from now, we say, Okay, heres what were gonna do. Its not gonna happen that way. Were going to take a good long period of time to begin to engage in an interdisciplinary cross-sector conversation that is really designed to solicit thoughtful feedback from citizens as part of a larger civic process. This undertaking sits within a framework of a set of activities that are going on in Richmond. I think part of what we want to be able to do is situate this conversation in proximity to those other discussions, so that we can begin to build some collective muscle memory in ways in which we can take on tough cultural questions and thorny challenges and work through them to accomplish big things together. Whats that look like in the short term? Will there be community meetings this spring or summer about it? Have plans been drafted, or are things still to be determined? Well move into what in my former life we would call the quiet period in a deal. You should expect that the next few months will be relatively quiet. What well be doing during that time is reaching out to mission-aligned partners. I committed our organization to working to try to bring together a set of partners so that it wasnt just us leading in partnership with The Valentine. Thats why I say itll be cross-sector its really a range of cultural or social institutions so that we can make sure that the community engagement process once undertaken is appropriately representative, robust and diverse. As far as holding the monuments, will the city continue to store them, or will the Black History Museum move them elsewhere? That remains at this point an entirely open question. The reason I say its an open question is because as you know, institutions across the country, particularly arts-focused institutions, are keenly interested in borrowing these artifacts to work for lots of places. So it would be premature at this stage of the process for me to say definitively and categorically that they will stay in a particular place. Im not going to do that. What happens to the monuments as we go through this process of how they are used, will be handled and managed on a case-by-case basis, consistent with the mission and the commitment that we have made to the city; that they not be used in any way, shape or form to glorify the Lost Cause. Some critics have raised concerns that the museum could decide to melt down some or all of these monuments, such as in Charlottesville, where city officials gave a statue to a museum that plans to transform a statue of Robert E. Lee into a new work of public art. Is that an idea your institution is willing to consider? Everythings on the table. Others who have also criticized this decision by the city have questioned why a Black history museum should be responsible for these monuments. Why do you think your institution is best suited to handle this? Anyone who doesnt appreciate the importance of an African American-led institution taking control of these objects and artifacts pursuant to their ultimate disposition, I would suggest is completely missing the point. Where and how they are managed will be left to a Black-led organization whose very existence those statues were designed to obviate. Folks who have trouble understanding that have obviously never been in a position to fully understand at an immediate, personal level precisely what those monuments were designed to do. Those monuments were built so you and I could never have this conversation. Those monuments were built so that an organization like the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia would have no purpose or existence. Those monuments were built so that there would never be the possibility of a Black mayor and Black members of a City Council making the decision that they took. The city initially received about two dozen requests for the monuments after the statues were removed in 2020, per state law. The Black History Museum did not immediately make an offer in that initial phase. How did the Black History Museum become engaged with the city before the plan was announced this past December? I think those characterizations, fact patterns and deliberations are probably better left to someone else to comment on. I dont understand. Youre the executive director. Werent you involved in any kind of discussions with city officials about taking on this responsibility? I think its fair to say that as far as the monuments are concerned, the Black History Museum has always been in conversation in one form or fashion around their meaning. Further characterization of the way in which all of this is undertaken is best left to others. You should call or talk to [Richmond Chief Administrative Officer Lincoln Saunders] or other folks about that. Theres a clause in the museums contract with the city that says all communications regarding that agreement must be coordinated with city officials. Is it fair then to say that any decisions the Black History Museum makes about the disposition of the monuments will be made in tandem with the mayors administration? No. Itll be me and our board of trustees. Very well. Thanks for your time this evening. Any other comments you wish to make? This is a wonderful opportunity for us to build some collective muscle memory about how to take on tough challenges and do big things together. Stacey Davenport learned early in her career as a local prosecutor of the torment facing many military veterans who suddenly find themselves on the wrong side of the law due to substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder or mental illness stemming from their years of active-duty service. She prosecuted one such man charged for felony possession of cocaine who, after serving overseas in war, knew he wasnt quite right, but really didnt know what was wrong. He admitted he started using illegal substances and basically tried to get away from what he was experiencing on the inside, Davenport recalled. Because the man had a prior drug offense, he was ineligible under the laws on the books at that time to participate in a program that would have spared him a felony conviction. After his case was concluded, Davenport said she was so troubled by the outcome she called it a miscarriage of justice that she arranged with the courts approval to have his case reopened so his charge could be amended to a misdemeanor. What this man did for our country, and the fact there was nothing we could do to stop what happened, left me offended with the system, she said. After seeing similar cases come through the courts, Davenport believed there was a need that was not being met. After her election as Chesterfield Countys commonwealths attorney in 2019, she decided she now had the means to do something about it. Along with a team of court officials, clinicians, prosecutors, defense attorneys and a veterans justice specialist, among others, Davenport is working to establish the regions first Veterans Treatment Docket in Chesterfield Circuit Court. Judge Edward A. Robbins Jr., a U.S. Army veteran who last served in 2004 in the Army Reserve as a major in the Judge Advocate Generals Corps, has agreed to serve as presiding judge. When the docket becomes operational at the end of this year, Chesterfield will be one of only five localities in the state to run a Veterans Treatment Docket in circuit court. Existing programs operate in Hampton, Norfolk and the counties of Fairfax and Spotsylvania. Quite frankly, I think its a need for the Richmond metro area, Davenport said. The fact that we are as close as we are to Fort Lee, and the fact that we have McGuire Veterans Hospital literally down the road, I couldnt understand why no one Henrico, Richmond or Chesterfield didnt have one. This area is teeming with vets. Vets that wind up in the criminal justice system harbor an immense amount of embarrassment, because they have fallen so far, Davenport added. These people took an oath and swore to defend our country and served us proudly ... and now theyre sitting in a jail, usually addicted to something or unable to explain how they got there. So these dockets are run not only to provide the help that these individuals need to physically overcome their substance issue or mental health issue or both but its also organized in a way that is meant to rebuild the confidence in that individual, who used to feel good about themselves and those connections they had in the military, and those ideals that they believed in. Veterans Treatment Dockets operate in Virginia under guidelines and training established by the Virginia Supreme Court and Justice for Vets, a nonprofit affiliated with the National Association of Drug Court Professionals. The veterans treatment model requires defendants to regularly appear in court, attend mandatory treatment sessions, and submit to frequent and random testing for drug and alcohol use. Veterans respond well to this type of structured environment given their past military experience, according to Justice for Vets, which provides the training for those operating the dockets. Veterans can avoid jail and have their charges dismissed or reduced if they successfully complete the program. Veterans Court is structured to have one judge, preferably a veteran, handle numerous cases. A judge with a military background would have a better understanding of the issues a veteran may be struggling with, and would be in a better position to exercise discretion than would a random judge who only occasionally hears a case involving a veteran, according to Justice for Vets. The judge would be supported by an interdisciplinary team. Unlike some area localities that operate separate Drug Court and Mental Health Court dockets, which are not open to defendants with both problems, Veterans Treatment Dockets serve defendants with co-occurring problems. They also have the unique angle of where they try to build you up and reconnect you with that person you used to be when you were active in the military, Davenport said. They have an entire program of the docket dedicated to each individual having a mentor work with them that is also a vet in the community. Its not really an Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor, but similar. ****** Davenport said the Chesterfield team is still working to decide what types of cases to accept. She said she hopes the team can agree to accept a combination of violent and nonviolent felonies and misdemeanors due to my interest in addressing how mental health and substance abuse are frequently connected to domestic violence. I know there are some Veterans Courts out there that try to really limit what violent offenses they take, and so theyre not as robust of a docket, Davenport said. But if you truly want to get the treatment and services that [a veteran] needs to be able to address [their] problems and be able to function in society, we should offer you that opportunity if we have a reason to believe youre invested and that it benefits the community. Hampton began operating a Veterans Treatment Docket in circuit court in 2014, followed by Fairfax in 2016 and Spotsylvania known as the Rappahannock Regional Veterans Docket in 2018. A Veterans Docket also operates in Norfolk, but its not a standalone entity with its own funding, coordinator and resources. Fairfax also operates Veterans Dockets in the countys general district and juvenile domestic relations district courts. Combined with the circuit docket, the three courts serve an average of 21 veterans per year. Participating veterans come to court twice a month through the programs first three phases, and then monthly during the final two phases, said Brooke Dembert, who coordinates the Fairfax Veterans Treatment Docket. Because we have three levels of court, we are able to accept felonies and misdemeanors, which includes misdemeanor domestic assaults [filed against defendants] in juvenile and domestic relations court, Dembert said. The Fairfax program, however, cant accept violent felony cases due to federal funding requirements of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, which funds the program. The Hampton Veterans Docket will take felony cases with the exception of violent crimes and serves up to 10 people at time, said Hampton program manager LaShawn Giles. The Rappahannock docket is a regional program that serves Fredericksburg and the counties of Spotsylvania, Stafford and King George. The program takes about 18 months to complete and serves up to 10 veterans at a time, said Ann Baker, the programs probation manager. The dockets presiding judge, Ricardo Rigual, is a Marine. I think what makes our program unique is that both of our probation officers devoted to that docket are also veterans, Baker said. That way the participants can really identify with not only the judge, but the probation officers. They feel they can trust them more right off the bat. Davenport and several other Chesterfield team members visited the Rappahannock and Fairfax programs to gain an understanding of how they work. We had an opportunity to watch the dockets in progress, and to talk to the teams that run those dockets and the judges that sit in those dockets, Davenport said. At least initially, no additional funds will be required to plan and implement Chesterfields Veterans Treatment Docket; existing resources are being tapped, said Melanie Meadows, administrator of Chesterfields Drug Court. Ongoing we will evaluate our processes, and I expect that we will likely apply for a federal grant as our numbers warrant, she said. The Veterans Docket should not be difficult to implement, Meadows said, because we already have established partnerships that have a history of successful collaboration on the Adult Drug Court, which has been operating for nearly 22 years. Most of the partner agencies involved in the Drug Court are the same agencies that we are partnering with in the development of the Veterans Treatment Docket, she said. The Chesterfield County School Board is working through a $846.8 million budget proposal that includes $60 million for raises for teachers, bus drivers, custodians and other employees. But the board would likely need to persuade the county to give the system an additional $24 million an unlikely proposition or find other cuts in the budget to be able to fully fund the raises. The latest proposal, for the budget year that starts on July 1, includes roughly $36 million for raises for teachers and other school staff and $23.6 million for raises for food service staff, bus drivers, custodians, security and clerical support. A school division spokesman said individual raise amounts are still being determined as part of a salary study. The current budget devoted $25.2 million to raises, with a large focus being the longstanding issue of salary compression, which occurs when new hires make nearly the same as more experienced employees. Chesterfield schools chief Merv Daughertys budget plan is $85.6 million higher than this years budget, a figure almost entirely attributed to the raises. The school system is projecting state funding increases at $46.3 million plus $15.7 million in local funding from the county, leaving a $23.8 million gap in the proposal. We know that we have to investigate additional state and local funding, Daugherty said at a news conference last week. Last year, when Daughertys proposal had a $39.6 million gap, county government officials pushed back, asking for a balanced budget from the school district. The School Board trimmed Daughertys proposal by $14.7 million last year. We will have the ability to look at opportunities to provide additional resources to the school system, Deputy County Administrator Matt Harris said in an interview on Friday. The reality of the local side closing in on [a] $23 million [gap] is not feasible. Harris said that because of the school systems crunched budget timeline, needing to get an approved budget to the county by March 1, it puts the schools at a disadvantage because the budget is being built without all the final details. The Virginia code allows me to, really forces me to, make sure that I give a budget to our School Board that is in need, Daugherty said last week. So my job is to establish the amount of money needed and ideas needed for our school system to be successful. And so you will hear about our investment in our workforce, our investment in our student need and our investment in infrastructure. Other areas of focus in the proposal include preparing for projected growth in the districts English as a Second Language program by hiring 27 more ESL teachers and adding $9.7 million into the budget in response to a forecasted growth of 1,500 new students districtwide come the 2022-23 school year. As Chesterfield prepares to open up Moseley Elementary for the upcoming school year, the budget proposal includes $666,850 for increased personnel costs (wages and benefits) and $367,400 for operational costs, including startup supplies for the new school. Additional proposed budget items include a $3 million pilot program to provide stipends for hard to staff schools/positions, as well as $2.3 million to maintain an increased daily substitute pay from $83 to $101 and pay double on hard-to-staff days. Correcting bus driver pays comes on the heels of the district struggling to hire enough at the start of the school year. To fill a gap of roughly 100 bus drivers in the fall, the district offered raises and bonuses. In the third school year under the cloud of COVID-19, the district has also struggled to retain teachers. According to a schools spokesman, there were more than 200 teacher openings as of Friday morning. After working through the budget in various work sessions, the School Board is slated to vote on the proposal on Feb. 22, before sending the budget to the Board of Supervisors. A School Board public hearing on the budget is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The Chesterfield County School Board is scheduled to vote on a proposed budget Feb. 22. In an earlier version of this story the date was incorrect. The prophesy that John Mitchell Jr. issued about the Robert E. Lee monument continues to come to pass, even beyond the statues removal. As editor of the Richmond Planet, Mitchell fought against the 1890 monument honoring Lee and foretold of the Black man: He put up the Lee Monument, and should the time come, hell be there to take it down. And as it turns out, hell also be there to determine what happens to the Lee statue and other Confederate monuments beyond their removal. The Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia, the new owner of the monuments, will play the lead role in deciding their fate, with an assist from the Valentine museum among other institutions. Some folks take issue with the undemocratic nature in which Mayor Levar Stoney conveyed the monuments to the Black History Museum. And its valid to wonder whether an institution with its modest means has the wherewithal to handle such a responsibility. But lets face it: Some of the same folks who opposed the removal of the monuments are no doubt feeling indignant that they have been placed in Black hands following their removal by a Black contractor, Devon Henry. The moral arc of the universe not only bends toward justice, but takes an occasional twist toward irony as well. Anyone who doesnt appreciate the importance of an African American-led institution taking control of these objects and artifacts pursuant to their ultimate disposition, I would suggest is completely missing the point, Marland Buckner, the interim executive director of the Black History Museum, told Times-Dispatch reporter C. Suarez Rojas. Where and how they are managed, will be left to a Black-led organization whose very existence those statues were designed to obviate. Folks that have trouble understanding that have obviously never been in a position to fully understand at an immediate, personal level precisely what those monuments were designed to do. As if Buckner hadnt made his point with rapier-sharp precision, he elaborated so that there was no mistaking its message. Those monuments were built so you and I could never have this conversation. Those monuments were built so that an organization like the Black History Museum &Cultural Center of Virginia would have no purpose or existence. Those monuments were built so that there would never be the possibility of a Black mayor and Black members of a City Council making the decision that they took. Buckner also made it clear that whatever happens to each monument and their fates will be determined case by case they will not be used in any way, shape or form to glorify the Lost Cause. That clause is a no-brainer. How does it serve Richmond to remove its monuments to white supremacy and the glorification of the Confederate cause to continue the enslavement of Black human beings, if such idolatry is merely given a new venue? Everything is on the table, Buckner said, not ruling out that the statues could ultimately be melted down for a new work of public art, as planned for the former Lee monument in Charlottesville. Some folks will view all this as score settling, which again, misses the point. Those monuments were the ultimate symbol of score settling, designed to announce the return of a social order that stripped Black people of their agency. A constant mantra by opponents of monument removal was We cant change history. They were unmoved by the argument that the Confederate statues themselves were a blatant act of Lost Cause propaganda that, as Mitchell also predicted, will ultimately result in handing down to generations unborn a legacy of treason and blood. In a nation still reeling from insurrection and the stench of treason in the halls of Congress, the proper disposal of these monuments is crucial. History is not a finite substance hewed from bronze and granite. Its alive, ever changing, subject to enlightenment, distortion or erasure. We can see the latter two in the political rights feverish efforts to whitewash lessons of systemic racism in the classroom that they deem divisive. Anyone who thought the removal of these monuments was anything but a beginning must now realize how precious and tenuous social justice can be. Efforts to codify white emotional comfort (see Jim Crow) or roll back African American progress have been a constant in American history. In America, 1890 is always lurking around the corner. History, in the form of those monuments, was weaponized to announce the resurrection of our oppression. Black people, despite Mitchells warning, had precious little say as these monuments to white supremacy endured, with the blessing and protection of the commonwealth. Our control over their fate is not only proper, but just. SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Republican officials meeting in Utah advanced a watered-down resolution Thursday that would formally censure GOP Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for their perceived disloyalty to former President Donald Trump but not seek to expel them from the party. The resolution's passage through a subcommittee followed hours of hand-wringing over language that initially would have called on the House Republican Conference to oust Cheney and Kinzinger, the only Republicans on the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. The censure resolution is expected to be voted on Friday by all 168 Republican National Committee members at their winter meeting in Salt Lake City. Keep scrolling for a ranking of Senate races in 2022 "We want to send a message that we're disapproving of their conduct. It's a middle ground," RNC member Harmeet Dhillon said, noting that the vote was unanimous. "This is not about being anti-Trump. There are many anti-Trump Republicans that are not included in this resolution. These two took a specific action to defy party leadership," she added. The effort to punish Cheney, of Wyoming, and Kinzinger, of Illinois, comes as party officials juggle preparation for this year's midterm elections, when control of Congress and 36 governorships are at stake, with planning for the 2024 presidential election. In Salt Lake City this week, they've discussed where to host their 2024 party convention and whether to compel their candidates not to participate in presidential debates, a cause important to Trump. But the last-minute change to the resolution puts in question Trump's overarching influence on a party apparatus that has largely acquiesced to his wishes. The former president and other GOP members were incensed when Kinzinger and Cheney agreed to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's invitation to join the Democratic-led House committee investigating the insurrection, giving the panel a veneer of bipartisan credibility. The draft censure resolution accuses Kinzinger and Cheney of "participating in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse" and of "utilizing their past professed political affiliation to mask Democrat abuse of prosecutorial power for partisan purposes." It says the RNC will "immediately cease any and all support" of Kinzinger and Cheney as members of the party and says the RNC denounces "those who deliberately jeopardize victory in November." Read the full story here: *** MORE POLITICS NAIROBI, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Friday joined hands with governments and relief agencies to appeal for 67 million U.S. dollars for life-saving assistance to vulnerable migrants across the Horn of Africa region. Nearly half a million migrants from the Horn of Africa and Yemen are targeted for support once the funds are available, the IOM said in a statement released in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. "The funds will go towards addressing the humanitarian and protection needs facing migrants and local communities," the statement said, adding that the funds will also facilitate reintegration of migrants back into their native countries. In addition, availability of funds will also boost action on drivers of mass migration in the Horn of Africa region, which include climatic shocks, poverty, unemployment and inter-communal strife, according to the IOM. The IOM funding appeal, dubbed "Regional Migrant Response Plan for the Horn of Africa and Yemen," aims to strengthen response to a dire humanitarian and security situation facing migrants along the "Eastern Route," which traverses the Horn of Africa, Yemen and the Gulf region. Some of the urgent needs of the migrants that will be met using the funds include food, clean water, shelter, healthcare and safe repatriation back home, the IOM said. An IOM briefing document indicates that every year, tens of thousands of migrants leave Horn of Africa nations, including Ethiopia and Somalia, and take dangerous routes on their way to the Gulf region. These migrants face such risks as human trafficking, encounter with militants, lack of basic services in their adopted countries, xenophobia and unemployment, it said. An estimated 41,000 migrants were stranded along the route connecting the Horn of Africa to Yemen and the Gulf region as at December 2021, amid heightened vulnerability to environmental and human-driven risks, according to the IOM. IOM director general Antonio Vitorino said that strategic collaborations, advocacy, capacity-building and robust funding are an imperative to help address the plight of Horn of Africa migrants. An Arlington County judge ruled Friday that Gov. Glenn Youngkin did not have authority to override local school boards in deciding whether to require all students to wear face masks in public schools to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Judge Louise DiMatteo granted a temporary injunction to block enforcement of the executive order that Youngkin signed on Jan. 15, immediately after his inauguration as governor. Seven school boards including Richmonds sought the injunction on Jan. 24, the day the executive order was to take effect. DiMatteo said the state constitution and a law that the General Assembly adopted last year known as Senate Bill 1303 give school boards the authority to decide policies for protecting the health of students and school employees, following federal public health guidelines to the maximum extent practicable. Among those guidelines is universal masking for all students. The single issue before the Court is whether the Governor, via his emergency powers, can override the decision of local school boards delegated to them under SB 1303, DiMatteo wrote in the 10-page opinion. On this pivotal point, the Court concludes that the Governor cannot. Youngkin vowed on Friday to appeal the ruling. The governor will never stop fighting for parents ability to choose what is best for their children, spokeswoman Macaulay Porter said. The governor often said that this is not a pro-mask or anti-mask debate. Its about parents knowing whats best for their childs health, and opting-out should there be a mask mandate. Porter added: More voices, including from the scientific and medical community, call into question the efficacy behind a universal mask mandate for children. This is about whats best for their kids health and who can best make that decision. We are going to appeal; this is just the first step in the judicial process. Fairfax County, one of the seven school districts that challenged Youngkins order, said quickly on Friday that it will maintain its universal masking requirement, but the effect of the ruling is less clear in Chesterfield and Hanover counties, which were among localities that changed their policies to comply with the governors executive order. We are aware of the initial ruling by a judge in Arlington County Circuit Court and are evaluating it, Hanover County Schools spokesperson Chris Whitley said Friday. Should any changes to our current masking guidelines be deemed necessary by our School Board, we would communicate them broadly with our families, faculty and staff. The Hanover board approved a policy making masks optional on Jan. 24 and it took effect a week later on Jan. 31. The Chesterfield School Board voted Jan. 25 to give parents a choice on face masks. DiMatteo did not attempt to judge the best policy for schools, only the legal authority to decide it. She acknowledged that the governor views the costs associated with universal masking as greater than the benefits that policy may convey and endeavors to achieve a different approach to COVID transmission in the school setting. But DiMatteo said the effectiveness of Youngkins preferred policy does not bear on whether he has the authority to issue it. The ruling was consistent with the judges comments during a two-hour hearing on Wednesday in Arlington, in which she said, It is a question of who has authority. On that issue, DiMatteo sided with the seven school boards, representing Alexandria, Hampton, Falls Church and Richmond, and the counties of Fairfax, Prince William and Arlington. She said the state constitution vests supervision of schools in school boards and case law defers to the judgment and decisions of local school boards regarding the safety and welfare of students. DiMatteo further found that Senate Bill 1303 introduced by Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant, R-Henrico, and Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax City, to require in-person instruction to resume in public schools gave clear authority to school boards to decide school policies based on guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. In the courts view there is no ambiguity, she writes. But while the seven boards argued that the law required universal masking as one of those guidelines, DiMatteo challenged that conclusion during the hearing in Arlington. Its not a mandate is the bottom line, isnt it? she told John Cafferky, lawyer for the Alexandria School Board and lead attorney for the boards in the lawsuit. In her ruling, DiMatteo writes, While the General Assembly has granted to the governor significant and sweeping general powers to address an emergency, when confronted with a specific statute addressing the manner in which in-person learning can resume and directs local school boards to follow the guidance of the CDC, to the maximum extent practicable, it does not follow that the governor, even in an emergency, can direct the school boards to ignore the General Assemblys deference to CDC guidance and to abandon their considered determination about what is practicable regarding those mitigation strategies. As a result, she said the seven school boards are likely to succeed in winning the case and that undoing their current policies midway through the school year to allow parents to choose whether to mask their children would cause irreparable harm in these school communities. Consequently, DiMatteo said that an injunction is proper to maintain the status quo while the issue is further litigated. Keeping rules in place that have been established over the school year helps children, families and staff understand how they may be impacted during the pandemic, she writes. Without a restraining order, children and staff would have to reassess certain health conditions they believe are impacted by a mask policy (any mask policy), having relied upon a universal mask mandate implement[ed] by the school boards, she adds. The suit by the school boards is one of three challenging Youngkins order. A group of Chesapeake parents challenged the order in the state Supreme Court and a group of parents of students with disabilities filed a lawsuit Tuesday in federal court. The Associated Press reported that three parents who support the governors position filed suit against the Loudoun County School Board, which maintained its school mask mandate after Youngkins executive order. Attorney General Jason Miyares asked to join the parents suit in Loudoun. The judge determined that the governor doesnt have the power to override the supervisory authority delegated to school boards under state law, and we agree, Kevin Martingayle, the lawyer representing the parents in the Chesapeake case, said Friday. All school boards across the commonwealth are legally obligated to follow CDC guidance to the greatest extent possible, and we expect them to do so, Martingayle said. Governor Youngkin and Attorney General [Jason] Miyares should be urging compliance with law and safety protocols, not defiance and disobedience, he added. Virginias students and families deserve an end to the political posturing and recklessness they have endured so far in 2022. The political effect of DiMatteos ruling was immediate, as Democrats hailed it as a vindication of the states policy during the pandemic under Gov. Ralph Northam and the General Assembly. As I have said from the start, local school boards should decide what is needed to keep students healthy and safely learning in person, said former House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax, who stepped down as speaker after Republicans took control of the House. Unfortunately, Governor Youngkin has acted to satisfy a narrow political base at the expense of Virginia students and their families during this surge in COVID-19 cases, Filler-Corn said. This decision is a victory for our children, the health and safety of our communities, and all of us who believe public health policy should be driven by science, not politics. mmartz@timesdispatch.com (804) 649-6964 Staff writers Mel Leonor, Patrick Wilson and Holly Prestidge contributed to this report. Welcome to the Youngkin Tip Jar. Its not about money. It could be, depending how many millions the new Republican governors initiatives save or waste. Its about change. Thats what a tiny majority of voters demanded in electing Glenn Youngkin. Hes delivering with firings and hirings; revised spending, though hes not saying where hed find the requisite cash; a decree blocked Friday by an Arlington judge as overreach to give parents an opt-out from local mask mandates in public schools; and a snitch line targeting educators, many of them Democrats, for race-teaching. One would think urging Virginians to rat on Virginians would have a chilling effect. To the contrary, Youngkin in remaking Virginia, critics say, as a surveillance state is emboldening people to speak out. Some prefer, for purposes of job security, to whisper. Across the bureaucracy that will implement Youngkins agenda are government veterans who know when a governor is making rookie mistakes. Ditto lobbyists, legislative staff members, political operatives and government contractors. Theyve shared tips, under Republicans and Democrats. This is an invitation to do so again. Some already are. To paraphrase a legislator of yore, Al Smith: Were as close as a phone. Or email. Or text. Twenty-one days into Day 1, the Youngkin program is keeping some up at night with excitement. Its causing nightmares for others. For higher education, theres a bit of both. Its shaking loose largely forgotten and intriguing background that members of the new regime may not have thought about or didnt know. And it could apply to Attorney General Jason Miyares opinion that public colleges and universities cant mandate COVID-19 vaccinations because the coronavirus is not among the diseases for which students, under state law, must be immunized. Higher educations retreat on compulsory jabs, while a bow to Youngkin and Miyares, may have been driven by timing. Kids had returned for spring classes. Nearly all of them were vaccinated. The schools could be betting vaccines are moot by the fall semester, the pandemic having eased. The opinion it carries the weight of law unless upended by a court or the General Assembly reverses one issued in April 2021 by Mark Herring, the two-term Democrat whom Miyares narrowly defeated. This is not the first time an attorney general has undone the findings of another. What Miyares may not have anticipated is that such an about-face might not go unchallenged. That could create pressure for subtle or substantive changes in the policy that his opinion is intended to uphold. Flash back to January 2010: Gov. Bob McDonnell has just taken office, affirming in his first executive order and preserving a 52-year tradition broken by Youngkin a commitment to equal opportunity. The order did not acknowledge LGBTQ rights, though McDonnell movement conservative credentials, notwithstanding had been publicly welcoming of gay people. Colleges and universities, through their boards of visitors, began doing what McDonnell had not: endorsing protections for LGBTQ students and staff. Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, whose social conservatism makes McDonnells seem saccharin, fired off an opinion to the schools that they had no legal authority to include sexual orientation, gender expression or gender identity in their nondiscrimination policies. Though the law has since been changed, under Democratic control, to include such categories, at the time, Cuccinellis opinion created a firestorm, telegraphing to the nation that Virginia was not for lovers. Jerry Baliles, a former attorney general and governor then heading a program at the University of Virginia, was troubled by Cuccinellis findings, issuing a statement in which he said the opinion was flawed. Baliles said it considered colleges and universities were akin to localities, which then did not have the authority to expand their nondiscrimination rules. Rather, Baliles said, higher education operated under charters that, through law, gave the campuses broad powers to adopt policies for managing their affairs. The Baliles statement apparently got McDonnells attention. It provided cover for him to issue what was called an executive directive that, if only to minimize the states embarrassment, acknowledged equal civil and legal rights for LGBTQ Virginians under the U.S. Constitution. Between the Miyares opinion and the Youngkin executive order that would give parents an opt-out, making masks in public schools optional and was voided at weeks end in Arlington County Circuit Court higher education, accustomed under Democrats to going its own way, quickly came to heel, not wanting to cross the new crowd in Richmond. The colleges and universities perhaps because theres $150 million in new money in it embraced the governors call for more privately run, publicly financed schools, an idea resisted by Democrats as a drain on funding for the existing educational system. That the colleges and universities make nice with Youngkin might spur him to do the same in making appointments to their governing bodies. Over the past 28 years, mostly under Republican governors, boards of visitors have occasionally become free-fire zones for partisan squabbles over funding, course offerings and leadership. And it takes only one appointment to plunge a board into prolonged chaos. Paul Jost, a Jim Gilmore appointee to the William & Mary board, was an unsparing critic of the president, Tim Sullivan. During McDonnells term, Helen Dragas and Mark Kington both on the UVA board hatched the failed plot to oust the schools first woman president, Terry Sullivan. Dragas and Kington are no longer trustees, but as two of Youngkins top donors, they might be reappointed by the governor, freeing them to press anew an agenda resisted a decade ago as subordinating the universitys tradition of liberal arts to professional programs favored by uber wealthy donors. These are decisions for Youngkin that conjure an image from Animal House: When Pinto, wrestling with his conscience over how far to go with his young date, alternately listens to an imaginary angel perched on one shoulder; a devil, on the other. But this is not a ribald, coming-of-age college comedy. Its more a reality show, with Youngkin as The Apprentice. A major piece of Gov. Glenn Youngkins tax cut package suffered a serious blow on Thursday, when a Senate panel recommended deferring the proposed doubling of the standard deduction on income taxes for a year to allow study by a special subcommittee on tax policy. A Senate Finance & Appropriations subcommittee voted to send similar bills to raise the deduction, proposed by Senate Minority Leader Tommy Norment, R-James City, and Sen. David Suetterlein, R-Roanoke County, to a new special subcommittee to study over the coming year. The legislation would double the standard deduction on state income tax from $4,500 to $9,000 for individuals and from $9,000 to $18,000 for married couples, but it also would reduce state revenues by $2 billion over the next two years and almost $900 million in the following year. The concern I have is the price tag on it, Senate Finance Chair Janet Howell, D-Fairfax, said before the resources subcommittee voted to carry the legislation over to the 2023 General Assembly session. The panel also let die a proposal by Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax City, that would have raised the standard deduction on state income taxes even higher to match the federal deduction of $12,550 for individuals and $25,100 for married couples. Norment said his proposal would benefit middle-income families on their state taxes, but called himself a realist about its chances in the subcommittee of three Democrats and two Republicans. The subcommittee whose recommendations will go to the full finance committee next week for action endorsed a one-time income tax refund as had been proposed by Youngkin, the newly inaugurated Republican governor, and by former Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat. However, the panel did not recommend the amount of the refund, pending an expected new revenue forecast before the full committee produces its own version of the two-year budget and amendments to the current spending plan later this month. Northam had included almost $1 billion in his parting budget proposals to provide a refund of $250 to individual taxpayers and $500 for families. Youngkin has proposed refunds of $300 for individuals and $600 for families at an additional cost of more than $200 million. Sen. Emmett Hanger, R-Augusta, a member of the finance committee who sponsored the bill for Youngkin, said the state has surplus funds and it would be appropriate to return some of it to taxpayers. Hanger also acknowledged other pressing needs in the state budget, including paying down long-term pension liabilities and investing in major improvements to Virginias struggling behavioral health system. The number is the tricky part, he said, agreeing with the subcommittee to wait on the final refund amounts until the governor releases a new revenue forecast in the coming weeks. The House of Delegates, now under Republican control, is moving in a different direction on Youngkins tax package. A day earlier, the House Finance Committee approved the proposed doubling of the standard deduction and the refunds of $300 and $600 that Youngkin is seeking. The House Appropriations Committee will review those bills next, along with proposals to eliminate the state sales tax on groceries and suspend the most recent 5-cent-per-gallon increase in the gas tax. The House finance panel also backed those proposals on Wednesday. The Senate subcommittee also took a different position than the House on a proposal to make 20% of the Earned Income Tax Credit refundable, which would allow direct payment to eligible low-income families of the remainder of the credit after applying it to their income taxes. A House Finance subcommittee killed a similar refundable tax credit bill earlier this week. Advocates say making a portion of the tax credit refundable would help low-income families recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, but Sen. Steve Newman, R-Lynchburg, opposed using the states tax code to provide social welfare benefits to those who need them. I dont think the tax code is the right place to do it, Newman said, before the subcommittee voted 3-2 to recommend approval of the bill, co-sponsored by Sen. George Barker, D-Fairfax, and Sen. Jeremy McPike, D-Prince William. The tensest moment of the meeting came after Norment proposed to eliminate the slated dedication of 30% of the revenue from a new tax on marijuana to the Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Fund. He proposed to instead send the money to the general fund for lawmakers to spend. The assembly created the fund last year to direct a portion of the money from the marijuana tax to initiatives to help predominantly minority communities that had been most harmed by past enforcement of laws against drug possession and distribution. Former Richmond City Councilman Marty Jewell, who is chairman of the Cannabis Equity Council of Virginia, said he was shocked by Norments proposal. I cant help but believe that war has been declared on Black folks, Jewell said. Members of the board and other community groups also vehemently opposed the proposal, which the subcommittee recommended killing at the request of Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond. In response, Norment said, I categorically reject the egregious language that some of the speakers have used. He denied any nefarious intent in his proposal, which he called a policy issue in front of us. Legislation to revive the domestic manufacturing of semiconductor chips passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday, giving hope for the return of an industry that once powered jobs and the economy in the Richmond area before departing for Asia during the Great Recession. Both the COMPETES Act and the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, which the Senate passed in June, would provide $52 billion to help build eight to 10 new semiconductor fabrication plants in such places as eastern Henrico County, which lost a major chip manufacturer, Qimonda, after it filed for bankruptcy during the recession and moved out of the U.S. The real focus is bringing manufacturing back to the U.S., said Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, in an interview Friday at her congressional office. The 222-210 vote fell almost entirely on partisan lines only one Republican supported it and one Democrat opposed it eight months after the U.S. Senate adopted a bipartisan bill supported by 18 Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. The outcome was the same in Virginias congressional delegation, with all seven Democrats voting for the COMPETES Act and all four Republicans opposing it. The House Republicans have sort of withdrawn from helping us with anything, said Rep. Don McEachin, D-4th, who lives in South Richmond and represents a broad swath of the region. Rep. Rob Wittman, R-1st, opposed the act, which he derided as toothless legislation that fails to demand accountability for Chinas role in the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is not a serious attempt at confronting China, he said. However, Wittman, who would represent parts of Henrico and Chesterfield counties as well as part of Hanover if re-elected in a newly drawn congressional district, said he remains committed to advancing semiconductor chip manufacturing in Virginia. Virginia is already a leader in semiconductor chip manufacturing and is prepared to further assist in decreasing American reliance on foreign manufacturing, he said. Spanberger, who currently represents parts of Henrico and Chesterfield, faulted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., for waiting too long on a crucial issue for national security and the supply chain for domestic manufacturers. Now, she said, the House will have to negotiate a final bill with the Senate before it reaches President Joe Biden for signature. The Democratic House leadership has picked a fight now on a piece of legislation that should have been on the presidents desk a few months ago, Spanberger said in the interview. In a statement released after the vote, she called the delay unacceptable and said the House Democratic leadership had chosen to put this issue on the back burner. The two-term congresswoman is seeking re-election in a newly drawn district that leans Democratic but supported Republican Glenn Youngkin in his successful campaign for governor last year. She has won twice in a battleground district that favored Republicans, in part by keeping a political distance from Pelosi, whom she did not support for speaker. Spanberger lauded the legislation itself, which includes a proposal she had advocated to allow the National Science Foundation to help fund research in advanced manufacturing of pharmaceutical products, an emerging industry in the Richmond and Petersburg areas. This legislation will provide a pathway for the U.S. to regain its competitive position in the global manufacturing sector by providing cutting-edge technology that will promote 21st-century job creation, said Frank Gupton, CEO of the Medicines for All Institute at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he is chairman of pharmaceutical engineering. McEachin chided Spanberger for her criticism of Pelosi over the long delay in acting on the legislation. I dont think its appropriate to be critical of the speaker, he said in a phone interview on Friday. We had other priorities we were trying to move. McEachin said the legislation includes provisions he sought to give small businesses more opportunities to compete for federal contracts. Increasing our global competitiveness means supporting all American businesses, he said. Both of Virginias senators welcomed the House vote and the start of negotiations to reconcile competing versions of legislation designed to improve the U.S. competitive position in the world economy, especially with China. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., one of the principal sponsors of the Senate bill, said the U.S. manufacturers currently have a five-day supply of semiconductor computer chips, leaving vital supply chains extremely vulnerable to delays that are increasing prices for consumers on everything from automobiles to home appliances. Warner, who hopes to serve on the conference committee to negotiate the final bill, said the package also includes money for research and development of 5G wireless technology in a race with China for dominance in a critical telecommunications market. He called the House vote an important step in setting up a conference with the Senate so that we can finally get a bill to President Bidens desk to sign. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Rep. Bobby Scott, D-3rd, both emphasized provisions of the House bill to expand financial assistance for computer science education and training programs to prepare students for jobs in high-tech industries. The American COMPETES Act will connect students and workers with the skills they need to succeed in high-tech industries while strengthening our economys competitiveness in the years ahead, said Scott, chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee and a former congressional representative for parts of the Richmond area. Landlords who dont fix dangerous living conditions could face lawsuits from local governments under a new bill advanced by a House of Delegates subcommittee on Thursday. House Bill 802, proposed by Del. Cia Price, D-Newport News, would empower cities, counties and towns to take slumlords to court if they refuse to fix up their properties. The Houses General Laws Subcommittee #2 passed the bill on a 6-0 vote. We have seen, in Richmond, in Newport News and in other parts of the state, large apartment complexes that have problems like mold, infestations of roaches, that go unfixed for months and sometimes years, said Christie Marra, director of housing advocacy for the Virginia Poverty Law Center. With this bill, localities would be able to take greater steps to help tenants and make sure the members of their communities are living in safe and healthy environments. Marra was among several tenant advocates who spoke in favor of the measure during Thursdays meeting. Also supporting the bill were two influential landlord lobbying groups: the Apartment and Office Building Association and the Virginia Apartment and Management Association. No one spoke in opposition to it. Price cited a visit to one of her constituents homes in explaining her proposal. I have some residents in the district that I serve who invited me into their home so I could witness, Price said. It was deplorable, honestly. It was something neither you nor I would allow to happen in our living space. ... In these instances, the tenants feel helpless. They put in numerous work requests just to see it glossed over. Local governments can face a tough decision, too, she added. A local code enforcement division can issue citations to landlords and escalate to fining them. But if those efforts are unsuccessful, Price said there is little recourse under current law beyond condemning a unit, a decision that would force renters relying on the housing into homelessness. Her measure would provide another enforcement tool, she added. Other tenant-focused bills sponsored by Democrats met a quick demise in the Republican-led panel. That included a separate bill Price proposed that would have made permanent a key pandemic-era safeguard giving renters 14 days, instead of five, to pay their rent before their landlord can file an eviction case in court. It is scheduled to sunset in July. Advocates said extending the measure would give tenants time to catch up on their rent without costing landlords any of the money they are entitled to collect. Opponents of the measure, AOBA and VAMA among them, said it would strain small landlords and rental companies. Some who spoke against it said the extra time could hurt the renters it is seeking to help by allowing late fees and interest to compound the back rent they already owe. A lot of people have the ability to pay, but theyre choosing not to pay because more and more incentives and time is given, said Ace Karimi, a Fairfax landlord who spoke in opposition to the bill during a public hearing on it and said tenants needed to act with more urgency. The subcommittee tabled the measure on a 4-2 vote. Del. Alfonso Lopez, D-Arlington, saw several measures he proposed meet the same fate. One sought to crack down on instances of retaliation against renters for exercising their rights. In remarks, Lopez cited a Richmond Times-Dispatch investigation into Richmonds largest Latino community, the Communities at Southwood. Some tenants living there fear retaliation in the form of eviction or non-renewal of their lease for reporting dangerous conditions to the rental office. Too many people are afraid to take any sort of recourse on poor living conditions in their housing because landlords both hold so much power and receive the benefit of the doubt if they are accused of retaliatory actions, Lopez said. This is simply unjust. Industry lobbyists lined up against the bill, and the subcommittee tabled it on a 6-2 vote without discussion. Two others Lopez proposed one to add language to Virginias Landlord and Tenant Act prohibiting discrimination based on national origin and another to allow tenants to file a court case against their landlords for money damages if a local government condemns their rental unit were also tabled Thursday. The top lawyers at three public colleges in Virginia have left their jobs since Jason Miyares became attorney general, moves Democratic and higher education leaders say show Miyares is using excessive influence. Miyares fired Tim Heaphy, counsel for the University of Virginia, and Brian Walther, counsel for George Mason University. And he removed Mike Melis, head lawyer for Virginia Commonwealth University, and assigned him to the Office of the Attorney General. These personnel decisions suggest colleges are being used as part of a political agenda, said Carl Tobias, law professor at the University of Richmond, a private school. Universities need to be free, open places and not be politicized by the appointment of counsel who are loyal to the attorney general but not loyal to the university, Tobias said. The job shuffling comes as Miyares and Gov. Glenn Youngkin have made changes to COVID-19 vaccine mandates at state colleges. A directive from Youngkin ended the mandate for employees, and a legal opinion from Miyares led to colleges disbanding the mandate for students. Though college leaders seemed to oppose the end of mandates, they voiced little complaint. The firing and removing of college counsels reinforce the fact that state colleges have little recourse to oppose an administration, unlike K-12 school districts, which sued Youngkin over mask requirements. The message youre sending is you better watch out, said Del. Mark Keam, D-Fairfax. If you dont, the governor will yank you or the attorney general will yank you. ****** College counsels arent just employees of their schools they are employees of the attorney general. They serve at the pleasure of the attorney general, said Victoria LaCivita, spokesperson for Miyares. Its common practice for an incoming administration to appoint staff who share the philosophical and legal approach of the new attorney general, she added. But its not common, professors and lawyers countered, for the changes to be made in such overtly political ways. There were potential political elements to the changes at UVA and George Mason. Heaphy was the top investigator for the House panel investigating the Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. Walther was replaced by Anne Gentry, wife of Kevin Gentry, a GOP donor and executive for Koch Industries. LaCivita said Heaphys firing had nothing to do with the Jan. 6 investigation and that Gentry is plenty qualified. Gentry was associate counsel at George Mason. Alternate Headline: Interim Counsel chosen based off of seniority, LaCivita said via Twitter. Women are so much more than their husbands job. Miyares wanted counsels who share the philosophical and legal approach of the attorney general, LaCivita said. She declined to explain why Melis was moved from VCU. Miyares named Jake Belue interim counsel at VCU while a full-time replacement is found. Jasmine Yoon was named UVAs interim counsel. Miyares actions werent unprecedented or unlawful, said Jon Becker, professor of education at VCU. But the moves appear to be based on politics. Gentry is well-qualified, having served in that office for a long time, but the optics are not great if we care about making these decisions absent political considerations, Becker said. The governor already has a path to influencing state colleges, but its a longer, indirect one. A president leads a university, the president serves under a board of visitors, and the board is appointed by the governor. Subverting these paths, Keam said, sends a message to colleges that they better fall in line behind the administration. Its rare, but not unprecedented, for college employees to be the target of political maneuverings. In 2010, when Republican Ken Cuccinelli was the states attorney general, he attempted to investigate Michael Mann, a climate researcher at UVA. In an affair known as Climategate, climate change skeptics used stolen emails to attempt to discredit scientists such as Mann. The Virginia Supreme Court ruled Cuccinelli did not have the authority to make those demands. In the end, Keam said, Mann became a hero to the left for standing up for academic freedom. ****** Peter Lake, a law professor at Stetson University, told The Daily Progress that politicians attempts to micromanage state universities have grown across the country. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered professors at the University of Florida to stop testifying as expert witnesses in lawsuits attacking new state election laws. The professors had expressed opinions that the laws suppressed voting rights. A federal court judge recently overturned DeSantis order. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools said it would investigate this matter. Accreditation forbids undue influence by external people or bodies. But the association wont investigate the situation at UVA, The Daily Progress reported. In Alaska, Gov. Mike Dunleavy offered to minimize budget cuts to the University of Alaska if the college reduced spending in certain areas. The accreditor for the university said the governors actions may violate standards for independence. Ultimately, its difficult for a state college to push back against an administration, Tobias said. While there is a formula to determine a colleges funding, to some degree, schools are at the mercy of the governor and the General Assembly. Theres likely nothing stopping a university from hiring its own counsel with its own money, Tobias said. But opposing an administration could still put a college in danger of losing funding. Greg Washington, George Masons president, was one of the few administrators to speak out against the end of vaccine mandates. This is clearly not a ruling we wanted, he told The Washington Post, saying vaccine mandates were working well. Asked if George Mason has any recourse moving forward, a spokesperson for the university did not respond. Loose talk often rules the day, but what we say and how we say it still matters. Just ask Whoopi Goldberg, who, while talking about a graphic novel about the Holocaust that was banned by a Tennessee school board, asserted a stunningly wrong view of history. The Holocaust was not about race but about mans inhumanity to man, she said Monday on ABCs The View. When her co-hosts pushed back, she insisted: But these are two white groups of people, she said. This is white people doing it to white people, so yall going to fight amongst yourselves. Her comments were ignorant or misinformed, and led to immediate and widespread condemnation. Racism was central to Nazi ideology. Jews were not defined by religion, but by race. Nazi racist beliefs fueled genocide and mass murder, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington responded to Goldberg in a tweet. Goldberg quickly apologized. My words upset so many people, which was not my intention, she said. I misspoke. But ABC News President Kim Godwin, while acknowledging Goldbergs apologies, suspended her from The View for two weeks, saying Goldberg needed to think about the impact of her wrong and hurtful comments. Goldberg, a longtime ally of the Jewish community, was born Caryn Elaine Johnson in 1955. The origin of her stage name is hazy. The true story is that my family is Jewish, Buddhist, Baptist and Catholic none of which I subscribe to, by the way, as I dont believe in man-made religions ... So I took the last name from a Jewish ancestor. And I happen to be gaseous, which explains the first name, short for whoopee cushion, she told Reuters in the 1990s. But subsequent research by Henry Louis Gates Jr. revealed Goldbergs roots traced to West Africa, and she had no Jewish forebears, Gates wrote in his 2009 book In Search of Our Roots: How 19 Extraordinary African Americans Reclaimed Their Past. Goldbergs recent comments seem to reflect an evolving definition of race and racism as relating only to people of color, some Jewish scholars said. What she said was really horrendous, but its not her original idea, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, said in an interview on Talkline with Zev Brenner, a radio program and podcast. I dont think she has a bad bone in her body, but shes parroting now a new definition thats wrong. This woke definition of race as exclusively pertaining to Blacks and other people of color, Cooper said, is repeated over and over, taught in schools and has been adopted by some in the Jewish community. But Adolph Hitler and the Nazis were all about race, he said. We were the ultimate inferior race. Polls show Americans in the 21st century may be losing the shared memory of the horrors of the Holocaust, when about one-third of the worlds Jews were murdered. Only 45% of American adults know 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust, a Pew Research Center survey reported in 2020. In a separate survey, only 38% of teens know 6 million Jews were killed. The banned book that sparked Goldbergs comments, Maus by Art Spiegelman, tells the story of his parents in Nazi death camps. The book depicts Jews as mice and Nazis as cats. Maus won a Pulitzer Special Award in Letters in 1992. The McMinn County School Board in southeast Tennessee recently voted to ban the book from 8th grade language arts curriculum because of inappropriate language eight curse words and a drawing of a naked female mouse, thus missing the works point altogether. This is not about left versus right, Spiegelman told The Tennessean newspaper. This is about a culture war thats gotten totally out of control. Nothing spurs readership like censorship. The Maus books have sold out on Amazon and wont be available for weeks. For her part, Goldberg got a history lesson from which others may learn. It is indeed about race because Hitler and the Nazis considered Jews to be an inferior race, she said Tuesday. Now, words matter, and mine are no exception. I regret my comments, as I said, and I stand corrected. WINDHOEK, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- The number of the only free-roaming black rhinos left in the world has declined since 2020, Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) said on Friday, citing drought as the biggest contributing factor. SRT Chief Executive Officer Simson Urikob told Xinhua that the numbers are now just over 100, down from the over 200 figure he gave in 2020. "Although we did not record any poaching cases last year, the drought situation did not change much, we lost so many cubs as well as older rhinos. The last poaching incident recorded on free-roaming black rhinos was in 2020 where four were poached," Urikob said. He said the drought situation has, however, started looking positive as the country is receiving more rain while they are also intensifying efforts to maintain their zero poaching incidence status. According to Urikob, community intelligence has contributed tremendously to keep away poachers. Namibia is the only country with the last free-roaming black rhinos in the world and is working hard to grow the numbers after nearly becoming extinct some years ago from poaching and drought. Layers of bureaucracy Editor, Times-Dispatch: Recent news stories about Gov. Glenn Youngkins tip line have pointed out some of the anxieties Virginia teachers are experiencing. I think the tip line may also prove to be a legal nightmare that will keep people in uproar as long as it remains active. There are just too many uncertainties for this to be a success, no matter the intention. What will Youngkin's administration do with the tips they receive? Will they investigate the accuracy of the complaints? What sort of remediation will follow each complaint? What consequences will be visited on the teachers or administrators found guilty? Who will suffer the legal consequences when those reported pursue court action (as I am sure some will)? Perhaps most importantly, will those reported have the chance to face their accusers? Will the tips be certified by preliminary investigations? Who will investigate whom? Not only will the administrative side of this be profoundly messy, it may well add a new layer of bureaucracy to the Virginia Department of Education, probably headed by the High Adjudicator for the New Virginia Court of Educational Inquisition. Norbert Mayr. Regina Jones and Phyllis Morrison are the 2021 recipients of the Valiant Woman Award from Church Women United in the Roanoke Valley. The award recognizes a woman who has given service to Church Women United, her own church, and her community for an extended period. Jones and Morrison have served in various positions on the CWU board of directors for 15 or more years. Jones is one of the longest-serving members on the board and began her service to Church Women United over 30 years ago when she took a half day off from work to attend the meetings. She also provided transportation for some of the senior members of her church. A lifelong member of Loudon Avenue Christian Church, she has served in numerous leadership positions, including Adult Women Sunday School teacher, president of the Christian Women Fellowship, and with the senior choir. In addition to her church activities, Jones has volunteered with the Meals on Wheels program for more than 20 years. After ending a 37-year career with Norfolk Southern, she has served CWU in numerous leadership roles, including assistant recording secretary, a position she still holds. Since early childhood, Morrison has been an active member of High Street Baptist Church, where she has served in leadership positions such as president of the usher board, treasurer of the Golden Age Club, and a member of the Senior Choir and of Voices of Excellence Choir. She is president of the General Missionary Society of High Street. Shortly after retiring in 2000 with 30 years at General Electric, Morrison became involved with Church Women United where shes served as treasurer, a member of the music team, and on the financial review team. She also is a member-at-large on the board. Foundation grantNew funding from the Virginia Health Care Foundation will soon give more Virginians access to critical mental health services. Grants made throughout the state will enable health safety net clinics and mental health nonprofits, such as Family Service of the Roanoke Valley, to hire new staff members. A $59,400 grant will fund a pre-licensed, master of social work clinician at Family Service. That is one of 14 grants, totaling more than $1.1 million, awarded by VHCF in January to increase access to behavioral health, medical and dental services for uninsured and medically underserved Virginians. VHCF also awarded $53,740 to fund a part-time dental hygienist at the Bradley Free Clinic in Roanoke. Over the past 18 months, Family Service has experienced a great increase in demand for behavioral health services and has responded by adding telehealth options, offering free counseling supports, and hiring new providers. The wait list, however, has continued to grow, and providers are at capacity. The clinician will see clients in FSRVs office, via tele-health, and in the community. Founded in 1901 as the Charity Organization Society, Family Service was the first social work agency in Roanoke. It serves more than 2,350 families annually via behavioral health services, case management, and life skills supports. Theres a shortage of behavioral health professionals throughout the commonwealth, Deborah Oswalt, VHCFs executive director, said in an announcement. In fact, 66% of the state has been designated a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area. This impacts the quality of life of adults and children alike. During the past 11 years, the foundation has invested nearly $10 million to fund the addition of behavioral health professionals in Virginias healthcare safety net and local human service organizations; to develop more tele-mental health services; to provide scholarships for aspiring psychiatric nurse practitioners; and to integrate the delivery of mental health services with primary care. The foundation also has introduced and supported the implementation of a trauma-informed approach to providing care within the health care safety net. Behavioral health is a top priority for us as we embark on our 30th year of work, said Oswalt. We are delighted to invest in organizations like Family Service of the Roanoke Valley to ensure Virginians have access to the health care they need. The Virginia Health Care Foundation is a nonprofit public/private partnership with a mission to increase access to primary health care for uninsured and medically underserved Virginians. Initiated by the General Assembly and its Joint Commission on Health Care in 1992, the foundation has funded 495 community-based initiatives throughout the Commonwealth, touching the lives of more than 800,000 uninsured Virginians. Screen protectorsUnitedHealthcare recently gave Roanoke City Public Schools $20,000 to use for technology, plus 1,000 screen protectors from Eyesafe with blue-light-filtering properties. The donations are part of a national public awareness campaign focused on childrens eye health and helping support the well-being of young people as they spend more time using digital devices for learning and fun. According to a news release, with the spread of COVID-19, Americans are logging an average of 13 hours a day watching screens, up from between seven to 10 hours a day before the pandemic. That means increased exposure to blue light, which may have potential short- and long-term health implications that include potential damage to retina cells, disrupted sleep cycles and digital eye strain. Dr. Scott Edmonds, chief eye care officer for UnitedHealth has offered a few tips to help limit exposure to blue light. Use the 20-20-20 rule, which recommends that after 20 minutes of computer work, taking 20 seconds to look at something about 20 feet away. Keep devices at least 30 inches from the eyes and switching to a task for which the eyes dont have to focus on something up close. Make use of blue-light-blocking technology such as screen protectors. Get an annual comprehensive eye exam. Contact JoAnne Poindexter at joanne.poindexter @roanoke.com . Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. RICHMOND An Arlington County judge has blocked Gov. Glenn Youngkin's executive order to give parents an opt-out of local school mask mandates, ruling that his executive authority does not supersede state law. "The efficacy of the Governor's school mask policy contained in EO2 does not bear on whether he has the authority to issue it," wrote Arlington County Circuit Court Judge Louise DiMatteo. "The single issue before the Court is whether the Governor, via his emergency powers, can override the decision of local school boards delegated to them under SB 1303. On this pivotal point, the Court concludes that the Governor cannot." Macaulay Porter, a spokeswoman for Youngkin, said in a statement: "The governor will never stop fighting for parents ability to choose what is best for their children. The governor often said that this is not a pro-mask or anti-mask debate. Its about parents knowing whats best for their childs health, and opting-out should there be a mask mandate. "More voices, including from the scientific and medical community, call into question the efficacy behind a universal mask mandate for children. This is about whats best for their kids health and who can best make that decision. We are going to appeal, this is just the first step in the judicial process." Richmond and six other school boards for Alexandria, Falls Church, Hampton and the counties of Fairfax, Prince William and Arlington say they have authority under the state constitution, as well as under a law Gov. Ralph Northam signed last year to require public schools to provide in-person instruction while following federal COVID-19 guidelines to the maximum extent practicable. But an attorney for Youngkin said during a hearing Wednesday that the governors emergency powers are vast and broad, allowing him to act by executive order to protect the constitutional rights of students and their parents to choose whether to wear face masks in school. The public interest favors parental constitutional rights, Deputy Attorney General Steven Popps said. The suit by the school boards is one of three challenging the governors order to let parents opt their children out of school mask mandates. A group of Chesapeake parents challenged the order in the state Supreme Court and a group of parents of students with disabilities filed a lawsuit Tuesday in federal court. The Associated Press reported that three parents who support the governors position filed suit against the Loudoun County School Board, which maintained its school mask mandate after Youngkins executive order. RICHMOND Landlords who dont fix dangerous living conditions could face lawsuits from local governments under a new bill advanced by a House of Delegates subcommittee Thursday. House Bill 802, proposed by Del. Marcia Cia Price, D-Newport News, would empower cities, counties and towns to take slumlords to court if they refuse to fix up their properties. The Houses General Laws Subcommittee #2 passed the bill on a 6-0 vote. We have seen, in Richmond, in Newport News and in other parts of the state, large apartment complexes that have problems like mold, infestations of roaches, that go unfixed for months and sometimes years, said Christie Marra, director of housing advocacy for the Virginia Poverty Law Center. With this bill, localities would be able to take greater steps to help tenants and make sure the members of their communities are living in safe and healthy environments. Marra was among several tenant advocates who spoke in favor of the measure during Thursdays meeting. Also supporting the bill were two influential landlord lobbying groups: the Apartment and Office Building Association and the Virginia Apartment and Management Association. No one spoke in opposition to it. Price cited a visit to one of her constituents homes in explaining her proposal. I have some residents in the district that I serve who invited me into their home so I could witness, Price said. It was deplorable, honestly. It was something neither you, nor I would allow to happen in our living space In these instances, the tenants feel helpless. They put in numerous work requests just to see it glossed over. Local governments can face a tough decision, too, she added. A local code enforcement division can issue citations to landlords and escalate to fining them. However, if those efforts are unsuccessful, Price said there is little recourse under current law beyond condemning a unit, a decision that would force renters relying on the housing into homelessness. Her measure would provide another enforcement tool, she added. Other tenant-focused bills sponsored by Democrats met a quick demise in the Republican-led panel. That included a separate bill Price proposed that would have made permanent a key pandemic-era safeguard giving renters 14 days, instead of five, to pay their rent before their landlord can file an eviction case in court. It is scheduled to sunset in July. Advocates said extending the measure would give tenants time to catch up on their rent, without costing landlords any of the money they are entitled to collect. Opponents of the measure, AOBA and VAMA among them, said it would strain small landlords and rental companies. Some who spoke against it said the extra time could hurt the renters it is seeking to help by allowing late fees and interest to compound the back rent they already owe. A lot of people have the ability to pay, but theyre choosing not to pay because more and more incentives and time is given, said Ace Karimi, a Fairfax landlord who spoke in opposition to the bill during a public hearing on it and said tenants needed to act with more urgency. The subcommittee tabled the measure on a 4-2 vote. Del. Alfonso Lopez, D-Arlington, saw several measures he proposed meet the same fate. One sought to crack down on instances of retaliation against renters for exercising their rights. In remarks, Lopez cited a Richmond Times-Dispatch investigation into Richmonds largest Latino community, the Communities at Southwood. Some tenants living there fear retaliation in the form of eviction or non-renewal of their lease for reporting dangerous conditions to the rental office. Too many people are afraid to take any sort of recourse on poor living conditions in their housing because landlords both hold so much power and receive the benefit of the doubt if they are accused of retaliatory actions, Lopez said. This is simply unjust. Industry lobbyists lined up against the bill, and the subcommittee tabled it on a 6-2 vote without discussion. Two others Lopez proposed one to add language to Virginias Landlord and Tenant Act prohibiting discrimination based on national origin and another to allow tenants to file a court case against their landlords for money damages if a local government condemns their rental unit were also tabled Thursday. RICHMOND Del. A.C. Cordoza, R-Virginia Beach, the only Black Republican in the legislature, said Thursday he was denied membership to the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus and lambasted the groups agenda as leftist. In an emotive speech on the House floor, Cordoza said he had requested membership to the caucus, but had made it clear he did not support the caucus agenda, including its support for unions, insurance coverage for abortions and gun control legislation. I asked myself what any of those things mentioned have to do with being Black? The answer is, it has nothing to do with being Black, Cordoza said. Its about being leftists. And that means that the caucus is not about being Black. Its about being leftists. Leaders with the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus confirmed that the caucus voted on Cordozas membership Tuesday night, rejecting his bid to join. But, they also cast doubt on the sincerity of his request to join, and said that in meetings, Cordoza made clear he widely rejected the caucus agenda. The chairman of the Black caucus, Del. Lamont Bagby, D-Henrico, said he had several conversations with Cordoza before the memberships vote. I met with him privately to ask him what he agreed with us on. I also discussed with him that if he were a member of the Black caucus, that he could help make amendments to our agenda, Bagby said in an interview. But he said that he did not agree with anything on our agenda. Bagby said that some members of the caucus still supported Cordozas bid, but those in opposition won. Bagby declined to say what the vote was, and who supported Cordozas membership. Bagby he said he was skeptical of Cordozas intentions. Bagby said it was disturbing that he was contacted by Fox News shortly after delivering the news of the vote. The Tuesday night vote came shortly after a meeting between Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and the Black caucus. Bagby said he invited Youngkin to join them for a conversation about the caucus agenda and common goals. Bagby said there was little in the way of political agreement or compromise between the caucus and the governor, but added he remains hopeful. He said he came to listen, and he wasnt prepared to discuss our agenda, Bagby said of Youngkin. We wanted to talk about the issues, not just, are you Black and have a pulse? I think he just wanted to meet and greet. Cordoza in January became the first Black Republican elected to the chamber since 2004, after defeating Del. Martha Mugler, D-Hampton in a contest that went to a recount. Cordozas lack of membership is not unprecedented. Del. Paul C. Harris, R-Albemarle, an African American who served in the House from 1998 to 2002, also was not a part of the caucus. On the House floor, Cordoza said that he worked to help elect Barack Obama president in the lead up to the 2008 election. He said that around that time, a professor questioned him on his political views, leading him to realize his conservative values aligned with the Republican Party. Im a legislator. Im Black, and I want to help the Black community, he said. Maybe I need to start my own caucusthe Virginia Non-Leftist Black Caucus. Right now, itll be a caucus of one but thats OK. As [Henry David Thoreau] said, any man more right than his neighbors constitutes a majority of one already. RICHMOND A Senate bill that would increase compensation for jurors selected for circuit court trials in Virginia from $30 to $100 a day has moved forward without opposition. The current compensation amount of $30 hasnt changed in decades, the bills sponsor says. This bill came to me from somebody who has long worked in the court system, Sen. Lynwood Lewis Jr., D-Accomack, told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday in presenting the legislation. And I was just completely unaware of the fact that its been $30 a day for decades is my understanding. So if youve got somebody who is working at a chicken plant and gets off for a one-day, or two-day or three-day jury trial, that can have a significant impact on them financially if they arent fairly compensated for their jury service, Lewis said. There was no opposition among committee members, but Sen. Mark Peake, R-Lynchburg, asked if we have any idea how much the legislation will cost once implemented. Yes. $5 million, Lewis said. Thats not as much as I thought, Peake replied, expressing surprise by the number. According to Virginia Department of Planning and Budget documents attached to the bill, the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia reported that the amount the state paid jurors in circuit court at $30 a day during fiscal 2019 the most recent year unaffected by the pandemic was $2,288,658. Assuming juries are empaneled at the same pre-pandemic rate going forward at $100 a day, it is anticipated the proposed bill would result in an expenditure of $5,340,201 annually to cover expected juror compensation or more than double the 2019 amount. We had a heck of a time with finance staff, getting our arms around where the money came from and what it would cost, Lewis told the committee. Staff with the planning and budget office pointed out in the bills fiscal impact statement that the $5.3 million figure does not reflect the expected increase in the number of defendants who will opt for jury trials, due to changes in state law passed in 2020 regarding jury sentencing. During the General Assemblys 2020 special session, lawmakers passed a bill that transfers sentencing responsibilities for a jury trial from the jurors to a judge, unless a defendant specifically requests it to be set by the jury. Until the law was passed, Virginia and Kentucky were the only two states where if a defendant or prosecutor asked for a jury trial, the jury must also recommend the sentence which in the large majority of cases is imposed by the presiding judge. During debate on the legislation, the Virginia Association of Commonwealths Attorneys estimated the change could lead to an eightfold increase in jury trials, and without additional money to hire more prosecutors, they would be forced to agree to plea deals that are not commensurate with the crime. Advocates of the law noted that only 1.3% of felony cases went to a jury trial in Virginia in 2019. Ninety percent of the defendants opted to take a plea deal rather than risk what the jury may decide in punishment upon a conviction. Supporters said the law would end whats been described as the jury penalty, which defendants risk when they are convicted and sentenced by jury. Before the new law went into effect July 1, jurors could recommend sentences that in some cases would far exceed what a defendant would have received under sentencing by judges under state sentencing guidelines. What wasnt discussed during Wednesdays session is whether a more than three-fold increase in jury pay would encourage a stronger turnout among prospective jurors. Several localities in the Richmond-Petersburg region in recent years have had problems with residents summoned for jury duty failing to appear, causing some trials to be delayed or postponed. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 13-0 Wednesday to move Senate Bill 730 bill forward. It will now be considered by the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee. RICHMOND A major piece of Gov. Glenn Youngkins tax cut package suffered a serious blow on Thursday, when a Senate panel recommended deferring the proposed doubling of the standard deduction on income taxes for a year to allow study by a special subcommittee on tax policy. A Senate Finance & Appropriations subcommittee voted to send similar bills to raise the deduction, proposed by Senate Minority Leader Tommy Norment, R-James City, and Sen. David Suetterlein, R-Roanoke County, to a new special subcommittee to study over the coming year. The legislation would double the standard deduction on state income tax from $4,500 to $9,000 for individuals and from $9,000 to $18,000 for married couples, but it also would reduce state revenues by $2 billion over the next two years and almost $900 million in the following year. The concern I have is the price tag on it, Senate Finance Chair Janet Howell, D-Fairfax, said before the resources subcommittee voted to carry the legislation over to the 2023 General Assembly session. The panel also let die a proposal by Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax City, that would have raised the standard deduction on state income taxes even higher to match the federal deduction of $12,550 for individuals and $25,100 for married couples. Norment said his proposal would benefit middle-income families on their state taxes, but called himself a realist about its chances in the subcommittee of three Democrats and two Republicans. The subcommitteewhose recommendations will go to the full finance committee next week for actionendorsed a one-time income tax refund as had been proposed by Youngkin, the newly inaugurated Republican governor, and by former Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat. However, the panel did not recommend the amount of the refund, pending an expected new revenue forecast before the full committee produces its own version of the two-year budget and amendments to the current spending plan later this month. Northam had included almost $1 billion in his parting budget proposals to provide a refund of $250 to individual taxpayers and $500 for families. Youngkin has proposed refunds of $300 for individuals and $600 for families at an additional cost of more than $200 million. Sen. Emmett Hanger, R-Augusta, a member of the finance committee who sponsored the bill for Youngkin, said the state has surplus funds and it would be appropriate to return some of it to taxpayers. Hanger also acknowledged other pressing needs in the state budget, including paying down long-term pension liabilities and investing in major improvements to Virginias struggling behavioral health system. The number is the tricky part, he said, agreeing with the subcommittee to wait on the final refund amounts until the governor releases a new revenue forecast in the coming weeks. The House of Delegates, now under Republican control, is moving in a different direction on Youngkins tax package. A day earlier, the House Finance Committee approved the proposed doubling of the standard deduction and the refunds of $300 and $600 that Youngkin is seeking. The House Appropriations Committee will review those bills next, along with proposals to eliminate the state sales tax on groceries and suspend the most recent 5-cent-per-gallon increase in the gas tax. The House finance panel also backed those proposals on Wednesday. The Senate subcommittee also took a different position than the House on a proposal to make 20% of the Earned Income Tax Credit refundable, which would allow direct payment to eligible low-income families of the remainder of the credit after applying it to their income taxes. A House Finance subcommittee killed a similar refundable tax credit bill earlier this week. Advocates say making a portion of the tax credit refundable would help low-income families recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, but Sen. Steve Newman, R-Lynchburg, opposed using the states tax code to provide social welfare benefits to those who need them. I dont think the tax code is the right place to do it, Newman said, before the subcommittee voted 3-2 to recommend approval of the bill, co-sponsored by Sen. George Barker, D-Fairfax, and Sen. Jeremy McPike, D-Prince William. The tensest moment of the meeting came after Norment proposed to eliminate the slated dedication of 30% of the revenue from a new tax on marijuana to the Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Fund. He proposed to instead send the money to the general fund for lawmakers to spend. The assembly created the fund last year to direct a portion of the money from the marijuana tax to initiatives to help predominantly minority communities that had been most harmed by past enforcement of laws against drug possession and distribution. Former Richmond City Councilman Marty Jewell, who is chairman of the Cannabis Equity Council of Virginia, said he was shocked by Norments proposal. I cant help but believe that war has been declared on Black folks, Jewell said. Members of the board and other community groups also vehemently opposed the proposal, which the subcommittee recommended killing at the request of Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond. In response, Norment said, I categorically reject the egregious language that some of the speakers have used. He denied any nefarious intent in his proposal, which he called a policy issue in front of us. HILLSVILLE A Pulaski man was killed Thursday morning in a crash with a school bus in Carroll County, according to Virginia State Police. Nicholas B. Yates, 42, was driving eastbound on U.S. 58 when a Carroll County Public School bus pulled out onto the highway and collided with his 2015 Kia Sedona, authorities said. The wreck was reported just after 7:30 a.m. at the intersection with Virginia 701. Yates died at Twin County Regional Hospital. A 13-year-old student on board the school bus was also taken to the hospital with injuries described as minor. Fifteen other students, as well as the bus driver, Antonia E. Felts, 64, of Fries, were unharmed. The crash remains under investigation, state police said In yet another trend the older generation will have problems comprehending, a 3D-printed plant-based meat startup has just raised $135 million, bringing its total funding to date to over $170 million. The company, Israel-based Redefine Meat, said it will use the funds to set up two new production factories and to expand its non-conventional meat offerings. The company is already supplying restaurants in Israel and abroad with its ground beef, burger, kebab, cigar, and sausage products. Now, it is planning to print four new meatless types of meat, including a lamb flank and beef skewer. Redefine Meat uses digital processes and plant-based ingredients to produce high-protein, zero-cholesterol steak alternatives. The companys chief executive and founder, Eshchar Ben-Shitrit, has already noted that vegans are complaining that their meat is too much like meat. But isnt about vegans this is a trend to change the way the entire world eats. Personally, I dont eat meat. I think its wrong to kill animals and eat them. But in order to get the flexitarian (flexible vegetarian), its better to disregard the opinion of the vegan, Ben-Shitrit said Plant-based meat alternatives are nothing new. The boom in demand in the last several years from vegetarians has fed a surge in innovation. While plant-based minced meat has graced store shelves for some time now, a meat cut that has the taste and the appearance of a steak has long been considered beyond reach. Currently, printed steak is on the menus in a few high-end restaurants in Israel and Europe with prices ranging from $25 to $40. Redefine Meat nows says it can 3D print 10kg of protein per hour, combining soy, pea, chickpeas, beetroot, nutritional yeast, and coconut fat. Back in August, a team of Japanese scientists created a 3D printed side of synthetic beef, which they say is not so different in taste and texture to wagyu beef, which normally costs $200 per pound and more than $30,000 for an entire animal. In 2020, the alternative meat industry was estimated to be worth around $7 billion. Barklays, a British multinational investment bank, recently posted its estimate that the vegan meat market could be worth $140 billion by 2029. In other words, that would account for about 10% of the $1.4 trillion global meat industry. While lab-based meat is still likely several years away from hitting supermarket shelves, plant-based protein continues to gain ground vs. its animal-based counterpart, and we expect this trend to continue for the foreseeable future, the report said. As weird as it sounds, the market is actually in need of lab-created or 3D-printed meat. An ongoing meat shortage caused by the pandemic might just speed up mainstream acceptance of it. While many meat-related businesses were forced to scale back production in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, plant-based food companies increased their workforce. In the U.S., sales of plant-based meat grew 42% in 2020 compared with 2019. Fact is that the pandemic changed people's opinion about plant-based eating and its role in protecting personal health and the environment. Several other factors such as the pandemic itself and subsequent food supply chain issues, labor shortages and massive demand, have created meat shortages and high prices. Since October 2020, the price of meat, poultry and fish have all risen almost 12% compared to 2019, with meat packers profit margins soaring to 300%. The price of beef and veal increased 20.1% between October 2020 and October 2021. Photo taken on Feb. 3, 2022 shows the meeting hall of the African Union (AU) headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The AU Executive Council held its two-day sessions from Wednesday, under the theme of the year, "Building resilience in nutrition on the African continent: Accelerate the Human Capital, Social and Economic Development." (Xinhua) Photo taken on Feb. 3, 2022 shows the buildings of the African Union (AU) headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The AU Executive Council held its two-day sessions from Wednesday, under the theme of the year, "Building resilience in nutrition on the African continent: Accelerate the Human Capital, Social and Economic Development." (Xinhua) Photo taken on Feb. 3, 2022 shows the buildings of the African Union (AU) headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The AU Executive Council held its two-day sessions from Wednesday, under the theme of the year, "Building resilience in nutrition on the African continent: Accelerate the Human Capital, Social and Economic Development." (Xinhua) Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com. His book, "The Burzynski Breakthrough, The Most Promising Cancer Treatment and the Governments Campaign to Squelch It" is now available in a soft cover fourth edition. For more Elias columns, visit www.californiafocus.net " " When it's 9:30 p.m. in London, it's 4:30 p.m. in New York. Who decided this? Adam Gault/Getty Images If you travel, you know how much of an inconvenience it is to have to remember to adjust your watch and the clock on your laptop computer to reflect the local time at your destination, and then remember to switch it back when you return. Or maybe you've missed an appointment for a telephone conference with somebody in a distant city, because you forgot that 9:00 a.m. in Chicago is 7:00 a.m. in Los Angeles, and 10:00 a.m. in New York City. Either way, time zones, which are supposed to keep our clocks consistent with solar time wherever we are on the planet, can really be a pain when you're traveling across multiple time zones or communicating with someone who's in a distant place. It's strange to think that time zones were invented as a way of reducing confusion rather than causing it. Since solar time varies as you move even a short distance from one spot to another across the planet, for most of human history, the time of day varied everywhere. "Time was only measured by placement of the sun, so the sundial dictated what time it was," explains Steve Hanke, a professor of applied economics at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Noon in London, for example, came 10 minutes earlier than noon in Bristol, 120 miles (193 kilometers) to the west. Even after people started using mechanical clocks in Europe in the 1300s, the inconsistencies persisted. Advertisement How Railways Standardized Time Zones But confusion about the exact time wasn't a huge problem until the 1800s, when railroad trains started making it possible to quickly travel from one place to the next. All of a sudden, "people were missing trains, and you began to have near misses and train collisions occurring," Hanke says. It wasn't just Europe that was plagued by a hodgepodge of time zones. "In the U.S., every city had a different time standard," Hanke adds. "You had 300 local time zones in the U.S., though the railroads eventually condensed it down into 100." Finally, a Scottish-born engineer, Sir Sandford Fleming, missed a train in Ireland in 1876 due to a mistake in a printed timetable and decided to fix things. Fleming devised a system in which the world was divided into 24 time zones, spaced at roughly 15-degree intervals across the planet. Eventually, the world adopted Fleming's system, in which time was based not on the local solar day, but upon how many time zones separated a location from the Royal Greenwich Observatory in the U.K., where Greenwich Mean Time was determined by the average time of day when the sun passed over the Prime Meridian at Greenwich. Most people already used sea charts which designated Greenwich as the prime meridian, or longitude 0 degrees. This is the line that divides the Eastern and Western hemispheres. On Nov. 18, 1883 which, as this recent National Public Radio story details, became known as "the day of two noons" railroads in North America converted to a system of just four time zones eastern time, central time, mountain time and Pacific time. Many cities passed ordinances adopting the system as well, and eventually, it became the standard across the U.S. Using GMT as the starting point forestalled any competition between different U.S. cities for the honor of being the prime meridian. Advertisement Should We All Be on One Time Zone? But even with fewer time variations, time confusion again arose as a problem in the 20th century. The advent of air travel compressed distances even more, and the rise of the internet and mobile devices enabled instantaneous communication between people all over the planet and gave us a 24-7 culture in which we're tightly interconnected to events in distant places. That's why a few years ago, Hanke and his colleague, Johns Hopkins University professor of physics and astronomy Richard Conn Henry, proposed an even simpler solution. They want to do away with time zones completely, and put the entire world on universal time (UTC). Under their system, when it's 9:00 in one place, it's 9:00 everywhere on the planet, even if it's morning in one place and evening in another. In addition to making it easier to adjust to travel, having one time across the planet would make it easier for people who need to, say, set up conference calls with groups of individuals scattered from Montana to Germany, as Hanke, who is supervisory board chairman of a Dutch company, sometimes has to do. "Endless confusion would be gone forever," Henry concurs in an email. "Life will be simpler!" Abolishing time zones might also eliminate the negative health effects from sleep deprivation that affect people who live on the western edge of time zones, as described in this May 2019 article in the Journal of Health Economics. Since Hanke and Henry proposed abolishing time zones in 2012, others, such as bestselling author and New York Times essayist James Gleick, have supported the idea as well. And to a certain extent, a switch to universal time already has taken place. Pilots and air-traffic controllers in the U.S., for example, rely on universal time (or "zulu time, " as they call it). Financial traders, whose dealings sometimes cross borders as well as time zones, stamp transactions in universal time as well, to make sure that the pricing is correct. And the internet essentially runs on universal time. Some might wonder if a switch to universal time would alter the rhythm of people's daily schedules, but Hanke doesn't think so. "People say, 'Oh, if we went universal time, that would mean we'd have be opening businesses when it's dark outside.' No, your business would go like it does now, with the sun. In New York or Baltimore, if you open normally at 9 a.m., that would be 14:00 [2 p.m.] on your watch," he says (assuming GMT is 9 a.m.) It might take some getting used to, but Hanke thinks that in a generation, children who grew up with UTC would no longer associate, say 7 a.m. with breakfast time or 9 a.m. with starting work. And the switch not unheard of. "China currently has this 'problem' in that it has one time zone for a huge swath of East-West real estate," Henry adds. "But it is totally cured by having local decisions as to opening/closing times for businesses and so on. That would obviously be essential for a world-wide system." Now That's Interesting Hanke's and Henry's proposal to switch to universal time was an outgrowth of another of their projects, the Hanke-Henry Permanent Calendar, which would create a 364-day year in which the first two months of each quarter are 30 days, and the third has 31 days. Each quarter has the exact same number of days, 91, which is intended to simplify financial calculations. Advertisement Originally Published: Jul 16, 2019 " " You'd think being able to smell fresh water would be an evolutionary advantage. But we can only smell things that suggest fresh water. Why is that? Momatiuk-Eastcott/Getty Images We humans have done pretty well for ourselves, evolutionarily speaking. Check out this sweet empire we've built that renders every other organism on Earth a second-class citizen! With our winning combo of dexterity, intellect, endurance and a scrappy can-do attitude, we've managed to meet all of our material needs, and then some. But although humans are physiologically tricked out in a lot of ways, other animals have evolved capabilities we don't have: sniffing out water sources, for instance. That ability seems like it would've been of great evolutionary advantage to us, considering that, relative to most animals, humans have exceptionally high water intake requirements. So, if dogs, elephants and vultures seem to be able smell water, why can't we? Advertisement Before we get too far down this rabbit hole, let's be clear about two things: Science has always characterized the human olfactory sense as being just so-so. Though new research suggests we might be able to differentiate between around a trillion different odors, it's true that modern humans don't interface with the world through our schnozzes as much as some other animals do. Water is odorless. This chemical element is a total nonnegotiable requirement for almost every organism on Earth, but it's just a couple of hydrogen atoms stuck with covalent bonds onto an oxygen atom. There's nothing smelly going on there. So, it seems American environmentalist Edward Abbey was onto something when he wrote in "Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness," his 1968 memoir: "Long enough in the desert a man like other animals can learn to smell water. Can learn, at least, the smell of things associated with water the unique and heartening odor of the cottonwood tree, for example, which in the canyon lands is the tree of life." Because although plain H 2 O has no scent, chemically pure water also basically neveroccurs in nature. You've got to make that stuff in a lab. So when other animals sniff out a water source, it isn't the water they're smelling it might be a water-loving cottonwood tree, or it may be the other stuff in or around or otherwise associated with the presence of fresh water: chemicals, bacteria, algae, plant matter or minerals. " " An indigenous San hunter-gather from Botswana's G/wi tribe sucks moisture from sand through a straw in the Kalahari Desert, then deposits it into an ostrich egg to drink later. Peter Johnson/Corbis/VCG/Getty Images "Humans, like all terrestrial animals, smell volatile, or airborne, compounds," says Dr. Kara Hoover, an anthropology professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Dr. Hoover specializes in the evolution of human smell. "Our Class 1 olfactory receptor genes that detect water-borne odors are switched off, so we can smell water via other compounds in it that get released into the air through a variety of physical processes." According to Hoover, people have evolved to take pretty detailed visual and auditory inventories of their surroundings, and though our olfactory assessments aren't often as thorough as those of some other animals, we're perfectly capable of detecting a nearby swimming pool when we smell chlorine, and we can pick up on the sulphuric odor of a hot spring, or that mineral-rich, dead-fish thing the ocean's got going on. Like Abbey said, we might be able to teach ourselves to detect water sources if we applied ourselves to learning the smells that go along with it. Another reason humans might not smell sources of water as well as other animals is because we need a lot of it our bodies require extravagant amounts of the stuff due to the way we sweat. According to Hoover, walking exclusively on two feet came with some physiological shifts that drastically raised our water requirements. "One major shift is our ratio of eccrine to apocrine glands modern humans have more eccrine glands than any other mammal." says Hoover. "These glands release water, and to a lesser extent, sodium from our bodies when we sweat. Shedding water through eccrine glands is less energetically costly than shedding nutrients through apocrine glands, which is why humans will always beat a horse in a long-distance race as long as there is water available." Hoover suggests that between 4 and 7 million years ago, when our ancestors became bipedal, they became tied to sources of water, meaning they couldn't afford to sniff around they needed to know where to find reliable sources of water in their home territories or along regularly traveled routes. "We have no way of knowing, but most likely our original home ranges included water sources that were cognitively mapped," says Hoover. "As ranges expanded, new sources would be located." And maybe that next watering hole could be found by just following an elephant around for a while. Who needs a good nose when you've got brains? Now That's Cool Petrichor, that powerful, sweet aroma you smell in the air when a rainstorm is imminent, or just after one hits, comes from a compound called geosmin, which is excreted by soil-dwelling bacteria and is carried to your nose after rain hits the ground. FLORENCE, S.C. Alyssa Davison has a message for the driver who struck and killed her husband Wednesday night and then drove off. Levi Davison died after he was struck outside his vehicle on East Palmetto Street near Tremont Avenue, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol. I just want this person brought to justice. How do you hit somebody and just drive away? Alyssa Davidson said. A flashing message board now sits to the side of East Palmetto Street alerting drivers to the hit-and-run death and calling for anybody who knows something or saw something to contact the Highway Patrol. We were talking. I was in the hospital. Hes from Colorado and not familiar with the area. I was trying to give him directions and he was mid-sentence and the phone shut off, she said. She said their last conversation ended about 9:15 p.m. Troopers were dispatched to the area about 9:32 p.m. Levi Davison was a 21-year U.S. Army veteran who had been married to Alyssa eight months. We met in Texas. I have six children so we came back here to have a life, she said. She said their truck had brake problems earlier in the day and they had taken it to a mechanic for repairs. While I was talking with him he said the brakes werent doing what they were supposed to do, she said. She said the crime-scene photos show he pulled the truck well off the road and he too was well off the road when he got out to check on the brakes and was killed. Had somebody called when they hit him, they could have tried to resuscitate him, but they didnt even give him that option, she said. I just want these people, who ever hit him, to be identified and held accountable, she said. To report information on the crash people can dial *HP on their cell phone, go online to crimesc.com or call the Highway Patrol at 1-800-768-1505 or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIMESC. In the late 1990s, a time that seems ancient, I touched the emperors hem. That is, I corresponded with a writer whose words revealed a style original and mesmerizing. Somehow, I hoped, might his gift rub onto me? I first read him in Esquire before modern, less genteel ways soiled it. That was in June 1986. His story, The Captains Wife, told how he fell in love with a friends wife but did not pursue her. The storys subtitle told you all you needed know, Once Upon A Time There Was Honor In Love. His style of writing and his life view made you want to read more. And so I found his book, Burning the Days, Recollection in 1997. I had lost my way in the Sea of Life, and his book became my compass. I took his book wherever I traveled. I read it in hotels, at my parents home, wherever I ended up. I bought other books of his, and the idea came to me I should get him to sign them. But how? I contacted a writers organization in New York. Ship the books to us and well send them to him and he can sign them for you. Some money was involved. I waited and waited. Then day-of-days my books came directly to me from Salter. Now I had his address. I wrote him a thank you letter, not expecting a reply, but he wrote me back speaking of the difficulty of getting published. He wrote some more. Later he sent me a beautiful card, Blue Nude III, a 1952 cut-and-pasted paper print by Henri Matisse. On its back he told me he had just come back from Chamonix, France, where he had been shooting a documentary, largely based on his novel Solo Faces, for German TV. Oddly enough, he wrote, my biggest sales are in Germany. He mentioned two new books coming out and something called the Internet. Ive never looked myself up on the Internet, must be frightening. He closed his note, saying, Am very grateful to youembarrassing to talk about myself. Sincerely, James Salter. In Burning the Days youll read about Hemingway, Balzac, Roman Polanski, Irwin Shaw, Leonard Bernstein, and Robert Redford. No name appears more than Phil Casey Colmans, a Georgian, a fighter pilot in Korea alongside Salter. I crossed paths with Colman at a family reunion in Lincoln County, Georgia. Many pilots attended the reunion, Colman among them. He lived in Augusta. I had my book with me, of course, and showed him he was in it. He had no idea Salter had become a writer of high merit. In his book Salter wrote much about Phil Casey Colman, who was an ace. Heres a bit. It was May when Colman flew what no one except him knew would be his last mission. Colman left that day. He was lighthearted and self-promoting. Day-to-day truth was probably not in him but a higher kind of integrity was, a kind not wasted on trivial matters. He had an infectious spirit. We were unalike. I adored him. I handed my book to Colman. Look how many times you are in this book. For an hour or more he read the book. By now he was old and frail, but I knew exactly who and where he was at the moment. He was back in Korea and his youth had returned as he held an F-100 high above the Yalu River. In Salters words, He and a MIG roared across mud flats wide open, needles crossed, the MIG like a beast of legend fleeing ahead. The controls were unyielding. The ground rushed beneath him. Destiny itself, unrehearsed, shimmered before his eyes. Writers, well this one at least, worship the divine works of writers whose talent takes them to rarified heights. I admire these: James Dickey, Harry Crews, and James Salter. Salters alone at the top. Visit Tom Polands website at tompoland.net. Email Tom about most anything at tompol@earthlink.net. Like many modern observances, Groundhog Day can trace its origin from a few different directions. February 2 is Candlemas. In the Catholic Church, it is also known as the Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, and many sources suggest that candles were introduced in the celebration of the feast during the 5th century. Even before that, February 2 marked Imbolc, a Gaelic festival recognizing the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Through the centuries, songs and poems developed around the event, similar to this English verse of legend: If Candlemas be fair and bright, Come, Winter, have another flight; If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, Go Winter, and come not again. Through time, celebrations and folklore evolved and spread across Europe, ultimately becoming tied to the animal world. In Germany, if a badger or hedgehog saw its shadow on Candlemas, winter was expected to continue. German settlers brought their folklore to the New World, and a similar animal was found to continue the tradition, a groundhog. Several groundhogs, from Sir Walter Wally in North Carolina to Chattanooga Chuck in Tennessee, have gained popularity. But in Virginia, the groundhog stories are not quite as neat and tidy. On February 2, 1914, a practical joke led a couple thousand people to gather on Capitol Square to watch for a groundhog that never appeared. And in 1954, right before making his prognostication, Virginias official groundhog killed himself trying to get out of his cage at the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. The most famous groundhog resides in the small western Pennsylvania town of Punxsutawney, where they have been celebrating this tradition since 1887. Phil is such an icon in Pennsylvania, that the state uses a groundhog in its lottery ads (Keep on scratchin'). Although to keep the two creatures distinct from one another, the advertisers named their groundhog Gus. Whether or not Phil has been correct over the years is a matter of perspective, and how one subjectively defines winter. According to NOAA and the record keepers in Punxsutawney, Phil has forecast six more weeks of winter 105 times since 1887. The debates and discussions are all good fun. After all, how do you define an early spring, or a continuation of winter? One straightforward method uses average temperatures for the months of February and March. If the average temperatures are above normal for those months, it would qualify as an early spring. And vice versa. Using that method, Phil is only right about 40 percent of the time. Perhaps that's not the best track record. But in the end, it doesnt matter; we love our folklore and how it ties us to the natural world. And we love a reason to celebrate. The parties will continue every February on those cold Pennsylvania mornings, with people coming together to celebrate winter's annual turning point, just like their ancestors did centuries ago. Seguin, TX (78155) Today Windy with scattered thunderstorms this morning. Then mainly cloudy this afternoon. High 86F. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 74F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. (AP) Egypt assistant manager Diaa El-Sayed has called on Africa Cup of Nations organisers to move their final versus Senegal back a day after their gruelling penalty victory over Cameroon. The Pharaohs have gone the distance in both the semi-final and last-16 ties, having also required extra-time to beat Morocco in the quarters. Their last-four clash also came a day later than their opponents on Sunday. Speaking after Thursdays win, El-Sayed stated: I hope CAF would move the final from Sunday to Monday for the sake of fair play, they have done that with the third-place decider. Cameroons third-place play-off against Burkina Faso was moved forward 24 hours to Saturday evening, without any explicit reason provided by African football body CAF. Egypt are set to be without manager Carlos Queiroz on the touchline for Sundays final after his sending off on Thursday, with the game currently scheduled for a 7pm GMT kick-off at Olembe Stadium. We are the only team that played 120 minutes in three consecutive games, El-Sayed stated. The players are fully focused, they have a good base to build on, and we thank their clubs for that. [Mohamed] Salah being the group leader gives the players a lot of positive energy as well. We also have a great head coach that has a lot of experience dealing with players. I believe Queirozs send-off was undeserved, Id like to dedicate the win to both him and his assistant Roger de Sa. I dont want to discuss refereeing mistakes or the things we suffered throughout the tournament, players determination changes everything on the pitch. We appreciate our fans support and wed like to thank them for being there for us. Well celebrate tonight, but after all, we havent won anything yet. BANGKOK, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Friday that it has approved the use of China's Sinovac and Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines for people 6 years of age and older. Previously, the FDA only permitted the two vaccines to be used on people aged 18 and above. The FDA announcement came as the Southeast Asian country has been accelerating vaccine roll-out to step up protection against COVID-19. On Friday, the country reported 9,909 new confirmed cases during the last 24 hours, the highest daily case tally in more than three months, raising the total number of infections to over 2.47 million, according to the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA). As of Thursday, 70.1 percent of the country's nearly 70-million population had been fully vaccinated, while 21.4 percent had received booster shots, according to the CCSA. In December 2021, Thailand's FDA gave the green light to allow children aged 5 to 11 to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. FILE PHOTO: Representation of cryptocurrency Binance is seen in this illustration By Chayut Setboonsarng BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai power producer Gulf Energy Development Pcl expects to finalise a joint venture (JV) with the world's biggest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, in the second quarter this year, a senior executive told Reuters in an interview. "Once we conclude talks with Binance on business model and shareholder agreements, a JV will be formed, which will apply for the license with regulators," Gulf chief financial officer Yupapin Wangviwat said. She expects the JV to take about six months to obtain the license for trading and then other features would follow. Cryptocurrency trading has exploded in Southeast Asias second-largest economy with transactions reaching 251 billion baht ($7.57 billion) in November, prompting authorities to introduce regulation. The Gulf-Binance crypto exchange would have to comply with regulations, said Yupapin. Last year Thailand's securities watchdog filed a criminal complaint against Binance for operating without a digital asset license. The move into crypto comes from its owner and CEO Sarath Ratanavadi's plans to expand into digital infrastructure, which took shape last year when it increased its ownership of InTouch Holdings Pcl to 42% in a 48 billion baht deal. InTouch owns the country's the countrys largest mobile operator, AIS. On Thursday, Gulf established a separate JV with Singapore Telecommunications and AIS to build data centres. Initial plans include 20 to 40-megawatts (MW) of data centres in Thailand, Yupapin said, with an estimated cost of up to $400 million. "In the longer term we plan to reach 100 MW," Yupapin said on growing demand. BILLIONAIRE OWNER Gulf Energy traces its beginnings to 1990s and began making its mark after winning multiple power agreements including contracts worth 5.3-gigwatts in 2013. It went on to have one of Thailand's biggest IPOs in 2017, catapulting Sarath onto the Forbes Rich list, which currently ranks him as fifth richest in Thailand with a net worth of $12.4 billion. Story continues Gulf also expanded its infrastructure portfolio in recent years, snapping up projects including a $1.3 billion LNG project and $927 million container terminal with the government in recent years. ($1 = 33.1400 baht) (Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng; Editing by Kim Coghill) File photo: Hong Kong activist Koo Sze-yiu speaks to the media after arriving at a court in Hong Kong on 30 September 2020 (Associated Press) Veteran 75-year-old Hong Kong activist Koo Sze-yiu has been arrested under a national security law, days after he announced plans to protest the Beijing Winter Olympics outside government offices in the city. The senior member of the League of Social Democrats, who has cancer, was taken into custody around 6am on Friday from his home in Cheung Sha Wan district and sent to a police station for questioning. The charge against him inciting subversion against the state carries a penalty of life sentence under the contentious national security law. Mr Koo was planning to demonstrate outside Beijings Liaison Office in the city that morning to protest the Winter Olympics. He said he wanted to call attention to the political activists in the country who have been jailed by the administration. In a letter sent to several media outlets, he had asked the central government not to overlook imprisoned citizens and political figures in Hong Kong who did not have the opportunity to spend the Lunar New Year with their families. Mr Koo accused the government of abusing the national security law and said that many had been wrongfully detained. Other activists were also brought in to help with the investigation, local media said. But it was unclear if they were arrested too. According to Hong Kong-based online news portal HK01, among the four were activist Lui Yuk-lin and former Democratic Party member Virginia Fung. Chan Po-ying, chair of the League of Social Democrats was quoted as saying by nonprofit news website HKFP that if simply protesting at the China Liaison Office can be charged with incitement, it is quite terrifying. Mr Koo has been jailed 11 times before. Ahead of his last hearing, Mr Koo said: This will not be my last time in jail, there will be a 12th, 13th time. I might even intentionally violate the national security law next time. The South China Morning Post newspaper reported that the commissioner of police, Raymond Siu Chak-yee, said last month they had arrested 162 people for alleged breaches of the national security law since the law was imposed by Beijing in June 2020. It was also reported that the national security department in Hong Kong had prosecuted more than 100 individuals so far and frozen HK$150m (14m) in assets under the law. CHICAGO More than 200,000 homes and businesses lost power across the U.S. on Thursday as freezing rain and snow weighed down tree limbs and encrusted power lines, part of a winter storm that caused a deadly tornado in Alabama, dumped more than a foot of snow in parts of the Midwest and brought rare measurable snowfall and hundreds of power outages to parts of Texas. Storm conditions also caused headaches for travelers across the country as airlines canceled more than 9,000 flights scheduled for Thursday or Friday in the U.S. The highest totals of power outages blamed on icy or downed power lines were concentrated in Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas and Ohio, but the path of the storm stretched further from the central U.S. into the South and Northeast on Thursday. Heavy snow was expected from the southern Rockies to northern New England, while forecasters said heavy ice buildup was likely from Pennsylvania to New England through Friday. Parts of Ohio, New York and northern New England were expected to see heavy snowfall as the storm moves to the east with 12 to 18 inches of snow possible in some places through Friday, Andrew Orrison, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland, said early Thursday. However, ice accumulations were expected to be the primary hazard from central and eastern Pennsylvania through the Catskill Mountains of New York to New England, NWS meteorologist Rich Otto said Thursday evening. Along the warmer side of the storm, strong thunderstorms capable of damaging wind gusts and tornadoes were possible Thursday in parts of Mississippi and Alabama, the Storm Prediction Center said. In western Alabama, Hale County Emergency Management Director Russell Weeden told WBRC-TV a tornado that hit a rural area Thursday afternoon killed one person, a female he found under rubble, and critically injured three others. A home was heavily damaged, he said. Tornadoes in the winter are unusual but possible, and scientists have said the atmospheric conditions needed to cause a tornado have intensified as the planet warms. Heavy snow the storm brought to Midwestern states isn't unusual, except the bigger than normal path of intense snow in some places, said Northern Illinois University meteorology professor Victor Gensini. With a warmer climate, people are forgetting what a Midwestern winter had long been like, he said. "The only amazing winters I've been able to experience is through my parents' photographs of the 1970s," Gensini, who is 35, said. "This (storm) is par for the course, not only for the past, but winters current." More than 20 inches of snow was reported in the southern Rockies, while more than a foot of snow fell in areas of Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. The flight-tracking service FlightAware.com showed more than 9,000 flights in the U.S. scheduled for Thursday or Friday had been canceled, on top of more than 2,000 cancellations Wednesday as the storm began. "Unfortunately, we are looking at enough ice accumulations that we will be looking at significant travel impacts," Orrison said. At Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, an American Airlines hub, an estimated 700 customers stayed Wednesday night in its terminals, according to an airport statement. Airport personnel provided pillows, blankets, diapers and infant formula to the marooned travelers. Airport officials said in the same statement that on Thursday night "we are ready to provide assistance in anticipation of customers who may need to stay in the terminals. The Ohio Valley was especially affected Thursday, with 211 flight cancellations at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport on Thursday. An airport spokeswoman told the Cincinnati Enquirer that all flights were canceled Thursday except for Delta Air Lines and American Airlines flights before noon. Nearly all Thursday afternoon and evening flights were canceled at the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, and Friday flights could be as well, spokeswoman Natalie Chaudoin told the Louisville Courier-Journal. UPS suspended some operations Thursday at its Worldport hub at the airport, a rare move. Almost 300,000 homes and businesses were still without power as night fell Thursday, most of them in Tennessee and Ohio, according to the website poweroutage.us, which tracks utility reports. As night fell Thursday, almost 150,000 Tennessee customers were without power, including about 135,000 in the Memphis area alone or one-third of the customers of Memphis Light, Gas & Water. Power restoration could take days, said Gale Carson, the utility's spokeswoman. Its not going to be a quick process, she said. Six people were taken to a hospital after a 16-vehicle crash on a Memphis highway. Two were in critical condition when taken to an emergency room after the crash on Austin Peay Highway, the Memphis Fire Department said on Twitter. Four others suffered non-critical injuries. Meantime, almost 70,00 were without power in Ohio, with large percentages of the population in southeastern Ohio in the dark. In Texas, the return of subfreezing weather brought heightened anxiety nearly a year after February 2021's catastrophic freeze that buckled the state's power grid for days, leading to hundreds of deaths in one of the worst blackouts in U.S. history. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Have you ever thought about getting away from it all and trying your hand as an Alaskan longline fisherman? Now is your chance. Alaska Longline Fishermans Association (ALFA) is currently taking applications for its crew training program. The program is an effort to attract younger entrants into an industry where the average fishermans age is 50. The goal is to initiate trainees to the ins and outs of commercial fishing while also emphasizing sustainable practices. ALFA can arrange short-term placement (between a day and a week) or longer-term ones (weeks, months, or more.) The wild life of Alaskas small-boat salmon fishers Wild-caught Alaskan salmon are no easy catch, but Alaskans Own is doing so and going a step further by promoting healthy oceans and fisher advocacy. Since 2015, ALFA has placed over 100 apprentices on local fishing vessels in southeast Alaska. The crew training program is not ALFAs first effort at ensuring the long-term sustainability of their industry. In 2010 ALFA brought together a group of commercial fishermen to create Alaskans Own, a not-for-profit community-supported fishery. The organization helps make Alaskan seafood more accessible to Alaskans while also making the industry more enduringly sound, through fair wages and by supporting ecosystem conservation projects. If you are ready to trade in your laptop for a pair of fishing boots and join a crew, find out more here, or apply. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The 83-year-old man has pleaded not guilty of first-degree murder and willful injury. Since the case began, his mental condition has been questioned. In addition, his hearing loss has made it hard for him to talk with his attorney and follow along in court. LE MARS, Iowa -- Doctors are continuing their attempts to restore the mental competency of a Merrill, Iowa, man so he can stand trial for murder, but progress apparently has slowed. District Judge James Daane noted in an order filed Monday that a psychiatrist's report said Thomas Knapp has "stalled" in the restoration process. Daane left a previously scheduled competency hearing on the docket for Feb. 21 in Plymouth County District Court. In August, Senior Judge Duane Hoffmeyer ruled that Knapp was mentally incompetent to stand trial for the May 11, 2020, shooting death of Kevin Juzek and suspended all court proceedings until his competency could be restored. Knapp was admitted to the Iowa Department of Corrections' Forensic Psychiatric Hospital on Nov. 2. In a 30-day progress report filed with the court on Dec. 3, a psychiatrist said Knapp was cooperative and had been tentatively diagnosed with a mild to moderate neurocognitive disorder and should remain in the hospital. A 60-day progress report filed Monday contained the notice that Knapp's restoration has slowed. Another progress report is required by law in 60 days. Knapp, 83, has pleaded not guilty of first-degree murder and willful injury. He is charged with shooting Juzek, 51, in the abdomen and chest with a 20-gauge shotgun during a disturbance at a rural Merrill home. Knapp's mental condition has been an issue since the case's beginning. A previous psychiatric examination found Knapp mentally incompetent to stand trial, but the evaluation report mentioned the possibility of having Knapp undergo an MRI or other brain scan. The case has been further complicated by Knapp's hearing loss, which has made it hard for him to communicate with his attorney and follow along with court proceedings, even after being fitted with hearing aids. The December psychiatrist's report said Knapp's hearing loss has been an issue, but doctors have been able to work through it. Knapp has pleaded not guilty in a separate case of willful injury causing bodily injury, domestic abuse assault while using or displaying a dangerous weapon and two counts of first-offense domestic abuse. He is charged with striking his wife in the head with a stick and breaking bones in her hand during the same disturbance in which Juzek was killed. Both cases will be tried at the same time. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SIOUX CITY -- A Sioux City man is accused of offering a 14-year-old girl $600 to come to his apartment, presumably to have sex with him. Danny Beard, 66, was arrested Thursday and booked into the Woodbury County Jail on one count of enticing away a minor, a Class D felony. His bond was set at $10,000. According to a complaint filed in Woodbury County District Court, the teen was familiar with Beard because he lived in the same apartment building as her grandmother. The girl said that Beard, who is called "Cowboy" because he dresses and looks like a cowboy, would call her "sweet thing," a name she did not like. The girl said that on the evening of Nov. 14, she was walking from Cook Park to her grandmother's apartment and Beard pulled into the apartment complex parking lot and asked her what she was doing out so late. The girl responded she was going inside. Beard then asked, "You want to come with me?" The girl believed Beard wanted to have sex with her and refused to go with him. Beard then said, "I'll give you 500 (dollars)." After saying no, the girl said Beard drove away quickly to park his pickup, and she ran the other way to get to the apartment door. She entered the apartment building, but struggled to enter the code to unlock the security door. According to the complaint, Beard entered the building and offered the girl $500 to come up to his apartment, then raised his offer to $600. The girl did not respond, but Beard unlocked the secure door and they entered the building. As they were walking, Beard commented that $600 was a lot of money. The girl went to her grandmother's apartment, and her grandmother filed a police report. According to the complaint, Beard told an investigator that it was a case of mistaken identity and he had offered $100 or $200, but thought the girl was someone else he knew on the streets. Beard denied that his offer of money was for sex, but said it was for cleaning his apartment. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SIOUX CITY -- A Sioux City teen who had a falling out with his attorneys days before his murder trial was to begin has had his case rescheduled for trial with a new attorney. District Judge Jeffrey Poulson on Wednesday scheduled Dwight Evans' trial for July 26 in Woodbury County District Court. Evans, 17, has pleaded not guilty of first-degree murder, going armed with intent, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and failure to affix a drug tax stamp. He's charged with shooting Martez Harrison on May 1 during a fight outside Uncle Dave's Bar. On Jan. 12, six days before jury selection was to begin, Poulson granted a motion to withdraw from the case filed by public defenders Joseph Reedy and Andrew Munger, who said they were unable to adequately represent Evans because he was no longer accepting their advice and wanted them off the case. Assistant Woodbury County Attorney Jill Esteves had resisted the motion, calling Evans' actions a ploy to delay his trial. Michael Adams with the Iowa State Public Defender's Special Defense Unit in Des Moines has since been appointed to represent Evans. Evans could face a sentence of life in prison if found guilty of first-degree murder. He's charged with shooting Harrison once in the flank, then firing a shot into his chest while Harrison fought with Lawrence Canady outside the bar at 1427 W. Third St. According to court documents, Evans and Canady were armed and waiting for Harrison outside the bar. When Harrison's girlfriend arrived to pick him up, Canady punched her in the face, causing the fight that preceded the shooting. Harrison, 22, of Sioux City, died later at a Sioux City hospital. Evans was arrested hours after the shooting. His attorneys previously filed documents saying he acted in self-defense and/or defense of others in addition to being intoxicated at the time of the shooting. Canady, 21, of Sioux City, was charged with first-degree murder, willful injury and serious assault. In December, a jury found him guilty of the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter as well as willful injury causing bodily injury and serious assault. He's scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 25. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Human Rights Activists to Protest and Sit-in at NBC Headquarters in New York City, Calling for Them NOT to Broadcast the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games Because of China's Human Rights Abuses and Uyghur Genocide Reverend Mahoney Being Arrested in Tiananmen Square During the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics NEWS PROVIDED BY Stanton Public Policy Center/Purple Sash Revolution Feb. 4, 2022 NEW YORK, Feb. 4, 2022 /Christian Newswire/ -- By broadcasting the 2022 Beijing Olympics worldwide, NBC is complicit in China's genocide and human rights abuses. The protest/sit-in will be on Saturday, February 5, 12:00 PM at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. The protest is part of a global campaign called, #LeastWatchedOlympics , with the goal of making the 2022 Beijing Winter Games the least watched Olympics in history. This unique global #LeastWatchedOlympics boycott is being organized by Stanton Public Policy Center/Purple Sash Revolution, a women's advocacy and educational group that works on issues of human rights and justice which empower and inspire women. It is affiliated with Stanton Healthcare which has life-affirming women's health clinics in America and internationally. This campaign gives people the opportunity to make the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics the least watched Olympics in history, while sending a powerful message to the Chinese government that the world stands against China's tragic human rights abuses and Uyghur genocide. #LeastWatchedOlympics will encourage athletes, human right's organizations, faith leaders, politicians, world leaders, citizens, people of good will, celebrities, and political and religious dissidents to participate in this global Olympic boycott. It is unconscionable for NBC to broadcast the Beijing Games while China is committing genocide against the Uyghrus, oppressing Hong Kong, bulldozing churches, persecuting all religious minorities and trampling free speech and human rights against their own citizens. Rev. Patrick Mahoney, Chief Strategy Officer for Stanton Public Policy Center has been an outspoken critic of the human rights abuses in China for over 40 years. In 2008, he was involved in an effort to boycott the Beijing Summer Olympics and was arrested in Tiananmen Square (pictured above) during the Olympics speaking out for human rights. He was threatened with six months in prison and is currently banned from China. Rev. Mahoney states; "It is unconscionable for NBC to broadcast the Beijing Olympic Games while China is committing genocide against the Uyghrus, oppressing Hong Kong, bulldozing churches, persecuting religious minorities and crushing free speech and human rights against their own citizens. "By broadcasting the 2022 Beijing Olympics worldwide, NBC is complicit in China's genocide and human rights abuses. "We call upon NBC not to give the Chinese Communist Party an international propaganda platform before billions of people worldwide for a China that does not exist. The 'real China' is one that the government would never allow NBC to broadcast. That is, a country where Uyghurs are living in concentration and forced labor camps and facing genocide, Hong Kong democracy leaders are sitting in prison with no bail, Christian Churches are bulldozed, while political and religious dissidents are daily being brutalized and persecuted. "As the global community participates in the #LeastWatchedOlympics campaign, we are sending a clear message to the Chinese government we stand against China's human rights abuses and will not be a part of the CCP's attempt to use the Olympic Games as a propaganda tool. "Simply stated, our goal is to make the 2022 Beijing Winter Games the least watched Olympics in history." Brandi Swindell, Founder and CEO of Stanton Public Policy Center, adds, "NBC must stand against the human rights abuses of the Chinese government toward their own people. This is especially true concerning the brutalization of Uyghur women. They are facing genocide, forced pregnancy checks, medication that prevents menstruation, forced abortions, surgical sterilizations, rape and genocide. It is imperative that America and the free nations of the world publicly confront these attacks. "In response to these horrific atrocities, Stanton Public Policy Center is launching the global campaign called #LeastWatchedOlympics. It will send a clear message to the Chinese government that the world stands in solidarity with Uyghur women and all those who are being brutalized in China, as we refuse to participate in the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games. We call upon NBC to join with us." For more information or interviews call Rev. Patrick Mahoney at 540.538.4741 SOURCE Stanton Public Policy Center/Purple Sash Revolution CONTACT: Rev. Patrick Mahoney, 540-538-4741 Share Tweet STORM LAKE, Iowa -- A Storm Lake man has been sentenced to prison for his fourth drunken-driving conviction in the past six years. Mark Tyler, 55, was sentenced Monday in Buena Vista County District Court to five years in prison on one count of operating while intoxicated -- third or subsequent offense. Tyler was involved in a vehicle accident at 11:30 a.m. on May 1. Officers responding to the scene observed that Tyler had bloodshot eyes, slurred, mumbled speech and the faint odor of alcohol on his breath. He told police he had had three beers, according to court documents. At the time of the accident, Tyler was on parole for another OWI conviction out of Woodbury County. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SIOUX CITY -- Two more pilot training programs have been added in metro Sioux City. Carver Aero, which has a Council Bluffs flight school aligned with the University of Nebraska Omaha's aviation program, announced Wednesday it has opened flight training operations at Sioux Gateway Airport. That same day, Graham Airport said it plans to begin offering pilot training courses in March with the newly reorganized Graham Flying Service. On top of those two programs, Oracle Aviation, LLC, an Omaha aviation company, has already partnered with Morningside University to establish a fully accredited aviation program at Sioux Gateway Airport, with assistance from the city, which owns the airport. That program will offer a bachelor of science degree in aviation-related fields. "I think all of it is in direct response to what's happening nationally with the pilot shortage," Assistant City Manager Mike Collett told The Journal Thursday. "The pilot shortage has been discussed for quite a few years, but COVID really compounded the problem. Now, the pilot shortage is even forcing airlines to start their own pilot schools and they're having to cancel regional flights because they do not have enough pilots to fly those routes." Muscatine, Iowa-based Carver Aero starts its pilot training operations with a pair of single-engine Cessna 172s and utilize certified flight instructors from Council Bluffs until instructors can be hired from the Sioux City area. "We see tremendous potential to fill the needs of all current and want-to-be aviators in the Sioux City region," Guy Lieser, Carver Aero CEO, said in the statement. "Our pilot training is a first phase of service offerings we plan to offer at Sioux City. Our goal is to bring the wonder of aviation back to young people who may have never considered a career in all aspects of aviation, including pilots, mechanics and technicians." Jerome Howard, chief flight instructor for Carver Aero, said in the statement that Carver Aero has had 17 pilots move on to airlines in the last six months and others move into charter operations. Carver Aero, which is rebranding to revv aviation, is owned by CL Enterprises. Carver Aero has fixed-base operations in Aurora, Illinois; Davenport, Iowa; Janesville, Wisconsin; and Schaumburg, Illinois, as well as Council Bluffs and Muscatine. The company's Council Bluffs school, aligned with the aviation program at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, currently has 119 UNO students, including the entire freshman class of 70 students, Howard said. In addition, Council Bluffs is instructing an additional 63 student pilots with its 33 certified flight instructors. Oracle Aviation's flight school soon will join Carver Aero's at Sioux Gateway. Last July, the City Council voted to move forward with the Oracle Aviation Center project and reject an alternative proposal from Hawthorne Global Aviation Services, the current fixed based operator at the airport. Oracle Aviation operates a similar pilot training center at Millard Airport in Omaha with a partnership to offer a bachelor of science degree through the University of Nebraska Omaha. The Oracle Aviation Center project includes a 39,400-square-foot facility, with a minimum of 29,400 square feet of hangar space and a two-level office/training space with 5,000 square feet on two floors. The city has committed to investing $7 million in the construction of the new hangar facility. A $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration will assist with the construction of the hangar facility, offices and other site improvements. In North Sioux City, Graham Flying Services is offering pilot training as Graham Field prepares for a major expansion of the privately-owned airport that includes construction of commercial and residential properties with runway access. Graham, which offers full courses in ground school, currently has 15 students enrolled to fly with the program, according to the statement from Graham Flying Service. Airport manager Stephen Jones said students can expect to train in a Cessna 172 aircraft with a full glass panel and the latest flight technology for avionics. Licensed and certified instructors Scott Taylor and Richard Quandt will be teaching the students. "Our community is bringing life back to the Graham Airport. This flight training and our development project is so exciting for North Sioux City," Jones said. "It is an honor to continue the wonderful history of this airport and the Graham family with the opening of Graham Flying Service and the Graham Development. I can't wait to see new pilots training here at Graham." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. U.S. Congressman Russ Fulcher Joins #LeastWatchedOlympics Campaign as Part of a Global Boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics Click image for high resolution NEWS PROVIDED BY Stanton Public Policy Center/Purple Sash Revolution Feb. 4, 2022 NEW YORK, Feb. 4, 2022 /Christian Newswire/ -- Congressman Fulcher represents Idaho's 1st congressional district. Congressman Fulcher states, "The Chinese Communist Party hopes to use the 2022 Beijing Olympics as a propaganda tool to gloss over their continued human rights abuses against Uyghurs and religious minorities. Don't let them. Let's make this year's games the #LeastWatchedOlympics." This unique global #LeastWatchedOlympics boycott is being organized by Stanton Public Policy Center/Purple Sash Revolution, a women's advocacy and educational group that works on issues of human rights and justice which empower and inspire women. It is affiliated with Stanton Healthcare which operates life-affirming women's health clinics in America and internationally. This campaign gives people the opportunity to make the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics the least watched Olympics in history while sending a powerful message to the Chinese government that the world stands against China's human rights abuses and Uyghur genocide. The hashtag #LeastWatchedOlympics will encourage athletes, human right's organizations, faith leaders, politicians, world leaders, citizens, people of good will, celebrities, and political and religious dissidents to participate in this global Olympic boycott. One way to make this campaign go viral worldwide will be posting pictures of themselves on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms with the hashtag #LeastWatchedOlympics. The world cannot be silent or indifferent as the Chinese government crushes human rights and freedom. It would be unconscionable for us to remain apathetic while China is committing genocide against Uyghurs, oppressing Hong Kong, bulldozing churches, persecuting religious minorities and crushing free speech and human rights against their own citizens. Stanton Public Policy Center/Purple Sash Revolution comments: "We are so very thankful for Congressman Fulcher's long history of standing for human rights in China and speaking out against the oppression of the Chinese Communist Party against their own people. By joining the #LeastWatchedOlympics campaign, Congressman Fulcher is sending a clear message to the Chinese government Members of the United States Congress will be a powerful voice for freedom in China, and will not be used as pawns of the CCP's Beijing Olympic propaganda machine. "Stanton Public Policy Center/Purple Sash Revolution is looking forward to more Members of Congress joining the #LeastWatchedOlympics campaign." For more information or interviews call Rev. Patrick Mahoney at: 540.538.4741 SOURCE Stanton Public Policy Center/Purple Sash Revolution CONTACT: Rev. Patrick Mahoney, 540-538-4741 CEDAR FALLS A Tuesday night shooting in Cedar Falls happened after a person attempted to pass counterfeit money during a drug deal, according to court records. No injuries were reported, but the teen accused of firing the shots was arrested when he apparently dropped his cell phone at the scene and later went to police in an attempt to retrieve it. Residents called authorities after hearing multiple gunshots in the area of West 15th and Franklin streets around 11:48 p.m. Tuesday. Police found an iPhone and five spent shell casings in the street. Investigators also recovered surveillance video showing the incident. Officers determined the victim had climbed into a vehicle for a drug deal, but the seller realized he was being paid with two counterfeit $100 bills. The buyer exited the vehicle and fled to his own car, and the teen in the front passenger seat of the sellers vehicle fired a gun, hitting the buyers vehicle three times as it drove off, according to court records. Shawntelly Cortez Johnson, 17, later arrived at the police station to report his lost phone. Officers also searched a vehicle and found a bag of marijuana and two bogus $100 bills, records state. Johnson, of Cedar Falls, was arrested for intimidation with a weapon and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute while armed. He is charged as an adult. Court records show Johnson also is awaiting trial for drug charges stemming from a December raid by Violent Crime Apprehension Team and Tri-County Drug Task Force. Officers found marijuana and scales at his home along with two Glock pistols and a Smith and Wesson handgun. In January, a relative asked the court to have the weapons returned, and a seizure hearing is scheduled for March. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Army Corps of Engineers said this past week it will recommend that Congress approve $144 million in projects to reduce flood damage along creeks in the Omaha metro area. Included are two dams, construction of a levee/flood wall along the Little Papillion Creek in central Omaha, elevating or flood-proofing some homes and businesses, and erecting floodgates at several creek crossings. The corps decision is the latest chapter in battles over flood control in the metro area dating to the 1970s. The plan has been promoted by the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District, local governments including the Omaha City Council, and some businesses whose property is at risk along creeks, notably the Nebraska Furniture Mart. Those opposed include the Washington County Board and landowners who would lose homes and see their property values drop because of one of the dams. John Winkler, general manager of the NRD, said there is an urgent need for better flood protection in the area. The Corps of Engineers has estimated the cost-benefit ratio of the plan at 1.7 to 1, he said. In other words, the value of property protected is 70% higher than the cost, thus about $240 million worth of property would be better protected. The flood risks in the Papillion Creek Watershed are significant, Winkler said. Winkler said about 12,000 residents and 2,500 structures would see a reduced risk of flooding because of these projects. Those structures include homes and businesses, schools and emergency services, along with utility lines, he said. But a study funded by the Washington County Board and the Papio Valley Preservation Association found that the Corps of Engineers is significantly overstating the benefits. The study was conducted by Steven Shultz, a professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha who specializes in real estate and land use economics. Shultz said in his analysis that the cost-benefit ratio and other figures in the corps report were incorrect, misleading or inflated and that some were improperly included. Washington County Board member Lisa Kramer said the study buttresses the boards contention that the dam proposed near the Douglas/Washington County line would do little to protect Omaha from flooding. Additionally, the dam would require removing or relocating nine homes and would devalue adjacent land. The biggest reason for flooding in midtown (Omaha) is the concrete, Kramer said. And thats due to poor planning and zoning in the City of Omaha. Theyre trying to solve a problem in Omaha by imposing eminent domain on rural landowners. The next step is for the corps to submit the plan to Congress. It will be up to Congress to decide whether to approve and fund the projects. The decision would pit rural landowners and Washington County against urban Omaha interests. None of these projects are included in the hundreds of millions of federal infrastructure dollars flowing into Nebraska. Here are the projects proposed in the plan: A small reservoir on the South Papillion Creek near Gretna. Known as Dam Site 19, the 74-acre lake would be about half the size of Standing Bear Lake. The park around the lake would include a 2.5-mile walking trail, restrooms, a picnic shelter and boat ramp. Winkler said the lake has widespread support. A larger dry dam on Thomas Creek in northwest Douglas County. A dry dam has a lake behind it only during periods of heavy runoff. Known as Dam Site 10, the lake would have a 345-acre footprint that would extend into Washington County. Its flooded size would be somewhat smaller than Cunningham Lake. The dam would place nine homes and adjacent farmland underwater in periods of heavy runoff. A new levee/flood wall along the Little Papillion Creek and Keystone Trail. The levee/wall would run several miles from Cole Creek to Saddle Creek on one side of the Little Papio and from Charles Street to Spring Street on the other, protecting parts of central Omaha, including the Nebraska Furniture Mart and Aksarben Village. Construction of floodgates where Mercy Road and Pacific, Dodge, Cass and 72nd streets cross the Little Papio. Gates would also be placed at several pedestrian bridges. The gates would tie into levee improvements. Filling in 71 basements, elevating 59 residential buildings, and floodproofing 256 commercial, industrial and municipal structures. The federal government would shoulder $91.5 million in costs. The local cost would be $52.2 million. Not included in this plan are a handful of other dams proposed by the Papio NRD or any projects to reduce flooding downtown, which is outside the Papillion Creek watershed. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 JEFFERSON CITY Does the next director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services need to be a Christian? That is the question after Gov. Mike Parson said in a statement Tuesday that he would only choose someone for the job who shared the same Christian values as him. Parson, a Republican, was blasting conservative hard-liners in the Missouri Senate who had just jettisoned his pick for state health director, Donald Kauerauf, a pro-vaccine and pro-mask public health professional with 35 years of experience. But in defending his pick, Parsons statement, which his office also shared on social media, prompted a whole new round of criticism. Im curious Governor, is this a standard you traditionally use? state Rep. Adam Schwadron, a St. Charles Republican, asked on Twitter. Article VI of the US Constitution strictly prohibits a religious test as a qualification to any office or public trust. Considering that, I then must ask the question. Would someone who is Jewish, such as myself, be considered for nomination? In his statement, Parson said, Don is a public health expert that is on record opposing masking requirements and COVID-19 vaccine mandates. He is outspokenly pro-life and morally opposed to abortion. Missourians know that I share these beliefs and would not have nominated someone who does not share the same Christian values. Brian Kaylor, the editor of Word&Way, a Jefferson City-based publication founded in 1896 and focused on the Baptist faith and other topics, said in an interview he found Parsons statement inappropriate but also not surprising. Its a little shocking just to see the governor make such an explicitly sectarian claim about who he would pick for this type of position, said Kaylor, who is a board member of the St. Louis chapter of the Americans United for Separation of Church and State, according to his online biography. Kaylor also referenced a news release Parson had sent earlier defending Kauerauf, saying he is guided by our Missouri principles: Christian values, family values, and love for this nation. He was already kind of framing this as a you all should just vote for my guy because Im a Christian, hes a Christian, were all Christians, Kaylor said. The only religious reference in the United States Constitution is that there be no religious test for office, Article VI, Kaylor said. This is a public office. So it is unconstitutional to suggest that someone should be a Christian to be the director of the states DHSS. This is a state where this director is going to be serving people of many faiths and no faith, Kaylor said, and so I think thats very concerning that a governor would send a message that only Christians need to apply to this type of position, which not only impacts any applicants, or people who might be chosen, but also sends a message to the rest of the state that maybe youre a second-class citizen. Chuck Hatfield, a Jefferson City attorney who has worked in state government, said Parsons use of Christian values instead of plainly saying he would only hire a Christian could be the states saving grace if and when jilted job applicants start filing employment discrimination lawsuits because of the statement. Religious discrimination in employment is illegal under both federal and state law. He pulled up just short of saying, Im not going to hire someone whos not a Christian, Hatfield said. But by saying Im only going to hire people who share my Christian values, as opposed to my values, I think he does open the state up (to lawsuits) if there are folks out there who, you know, do not share the Christian religion whove not been hired for jobs. Theyve got a plausible claim that perhaps Missouri discriminates against folks who arent Christians, Hatfield said. Asked if saying he would hire someone with Christian values instead of saying he would only hire a Christian would save the state from legal liability, Kaylor said he wasnt a lawyer but thought the message was pretty clear. Who shares Christian values thats not a Christian? Kaylor asked. If hes talking about some generic nonsectarian values, those arent Christian values, right? If hes talking about being pro-life, well, there are non-Christians who are pro-life and there are some Christians who are not pro-life. As a minister, I would suggest that you really cant hold Christian values and not be a Christian, Kaylor said. The chief of all Christian values from the early church, and for 2,000 years, is that declaration, the foundational declaration, that Jesus is Lord. Kelli Jones, a spokeswoman for Parson, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday regarding the governors remarks. The Madison, Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation, which says it works as an umbrella for those who are free from religion and are committed to the cherished principle of separation of state and church, on Wednesday called on Parson to delete his tweet. The ban on religious tests in the United States Constitution is one of the truly great and original bulwarks for freedom of thought and expression, Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker, co-presidents of the foundation, wrote in a letter to Parson dated Wednesday. Our Constitution is godless, omitting any mention of god or Jesus a unique contribution of our founders. The group also linked to a Pew Research Center article that said according to telephone surveys in 2018 and 2019, the number of American adults who said they were Christians had dropped 12% over the past decade, to 65%. A March 2021 Pew survey found most U.S. adults support the separation between church and state but that many Americans supported more Christian influence within public institutions. The survey found 19% of respondents wanted the federal government to stop enforcing separation of church and state, for example. Kaylor said the episode is the same type of Christian nationalism that we saw helping storm the Capitol on Jan. 6 (2021). Its dangerous, Kaylor said. As a Christian myself, I speak up against (it) because its dangerous politically. I also think its a heresy of the Christian faith. Jack Suntrup 573-556-6186 @JackSuntrup on Twitter jsuntrup@post-dispatch.com Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Is the territorial integrity of Ukraine a cause worth America's fighting a war with Russia? No, it is not. And this is why President Joe Biden has declared that the U.S. will not become militarily involved should Russia invade Ukraine. Biden is saying that, no matter our sentiments, our vital interests dictate staying out of a Russia-Ukraine war. But why then does Secretary of State Antony Blinken continue to insist there is an "open door" for Ukraine to NATO membership -- when that would require us to do what U.S. vital interests dictate we not do: fight a war with Russia for Ukraine? NATO's "open door policy" is based on Article 10, which declares that NATO members, "may, by unanimous agreement, invite any other European State ... to accede to this Treaty." Moreover, membership is open to "any other European State in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area." Note that NATO admission requires "unanimous" consent of all 30 present members. Blinken has often stated this as U.S. policy: "From our perspective, NATO's door is open and remains open, and that is our commitment." What Blinken is saying is this: While America will not fight for Ukraine today, America remains open to Ukraine's accession to NATO, in which event we would have to fight for Ukraine tomorrow, were it attacked by Russia. What the U.S. needs to do is to say with clarity that while Ukraine is free to apply to NATO, NATO is free to veto that application, and the enlargement of NATO beyond its present eastern frontiers is over, done. In this crisis, we need to recall how and why NATO was created. In 1949, the year China fell to Mao Zedong and Joseph Stalin exploded an atom bomb, we formed NATO as a defensive alliance to prevent a Russian drive west, from the Elbe to the Rhine to the Channel. Of the original 12 members of NATO, the U.S. and Canada were on the western side of the Atlantic. Iceland and the U.K. were islands in the Atlantic. France and Portugal were on the Atlantic's eastern shore. Denmark, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg were astride the avenue of attack the Red Army would have to take to reach the Channel. Norway was the lone original NATO nation that shared a border with the USSR itself. Italy was the 12th member. Clearly, this was a defensive alliance to prevent a Soviet invasion of Western Europe such as Hitler had executed in the spring of 1940, when Nazi Germany overran Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg and France, and threw the British off the continent at Dunkirk. Nations that joined NATO during the Cold War were Greece and Turkey in 1952, Germany in 1955, and Spain in 1982. But, with the end of the Cold War, the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, the overthrow of Soviet Communism, and the breakup of the USSR into 15 nations by 1991, NATO, its goal -- the defense of Central and Western Europe -- achieved, its job done, did not go out of business. Instead, NATO added 14 new members and moved almost 1,000 miles east, into Russia's front yard and then onto Russia's front porch. The Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland joined in 1999. Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia became NATO nations in 2004. Albania and Croatia joined in 2009, Montenegro in 2017, and North Macedonia in 2020. Understandably, Russian President Vladimir Putin asked himself: To what end, and for what beneficent purpose, was this doubling in size of an alliance that was formed to contain us, and, if necessary, fight a war against Mother Russia? Alliances, which involve war guarantees, commitments to fight in defense of the allied nations, invariably carry costs and risks as well as rewards and benefits in terms of strengthened security. But when we brought Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia into NATO, what benefits in added strength did we receive to justify the provocation this would be to Russia, and the risk it might entail if Moscow objected and, one fine day, walked back into these Baltic states? If we will not fight for the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, the second largest nation in Europe with a population of over 40 million people, why would we go to war with a nuclear-armed Russia over Estonia, a tiny and almost indefensible nation with a population of 1.3 million? Besides Ukraine, two nations have been considering membership in NATO: Finland and Georgia. Accession of either would put NATO on yet another border of Russia, with the usual U.S. bases and forces. While this would enrage Russia, how would it make us stronger? Perhaps, instead of adding new nations on whose behalf we will go to war with a great power like Russia, we consider reducing the roster of NATO and restricting the number of nations for whom we must fight to those nations that are vital to our security and bring added strength to the alliance. Patrick J. Buchanan is the author of "Nixon's White House Wars: The Battles That Made and Broke a President and Divided America Forever." To find out more about Patrick Buchanan and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators website at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2022 CREATORS.COM Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The ongoing impeachment investigation into South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborgs 2020 traffic accident, in which a pedestrian was killed, has turned into something even more unpredictable than was probably thought possible. Ravnsborg ultimately faced only misdemeanor charges tied solely to how he operated his vehicle on that fateful September night. The charges had nothing to do with the death of the pedestrian, Joe Boever, along a dark highway in Hyde County. Lawmakers have been tasked with determining whether impeachment proceedings are in order for this incident. For the record, the Press & Dakotan called for Ravnsborgs resignation last year, as did Gov. Kristi Noem. While we left it at that, Noem certainly hasnt. She has been pressuring lawmakers to publicly release investigative files regarding the case, even while the select committees inquiry remains ongoing. Shes taken an aggressive stand regarding Ravnsborg practically since the 2020 incident, controversially releasing videos early last year of his interviews with investigators and making clear her belief that the AG should be removed. She is also demanding more openness in the proceedings. And to be fair, promises by lawmakers that this investigation process would be transparent have fallen far short, with much of the work happening behind closed doors. Despite that, lawmakers have committed to a path and do have to be allowed to conduct their investigation and sift through their findings. Should this process be more open? Yes. But it should be done without pressure from the executive branch, which doesnt help matters at all. Meanwhile, another twist in this saga came to light last week when it was reported that a telemarketing campaign has been launched to put pressure on the members of the select committee to impeach Ravnsborg. The calls originated in Ohio, and a representative of the company doing the telemarketing said the firm was not hired by a South Dakota politician. However, the Argus Leader reported the firm, Grand Solutions, Inc., refused to identify who was sponsoring the calls. Also, a recording, apparently from the Ohio company, that was inadvertently left on the voicemails of select-committee members included a voice in the background stating that an unnamed governor with plans on a presidential run is involved. (The female voice also said she doesnt know if that governor is Democrat or Republican.) Noems reelection campaign has denied any involvement with the telemarketing and, according to the Argus, has reportedly implied that a primary opponent might be behind it. advertisement People can draw their own conclusions from this mess. But it is, for the lack of a better word, an intriguing hand grenade lobbed into this situation, and it creates a LOT of questions about who is behind it and why, whether it was motivated from within the state or outside of it. (Honestly, the latter might prove to be even more intriguing in the scheme of this mystery.) South Dakota House Speaker Spencer Gosch of Glenham charged that the calls were an effort to impede, influence or taint the ongoing investigation of this committee. This tragic affair has never been a seamless process, beginning literally with the actions of the attorney general on the night of the incident. It has evolved from a fatal accident into something convoluted and, now, with possible political overtones. This serves no one well, whether its the people of this state, the victims family, Ravnsborg himself or the lawmakers assigned to sort out this matter. We must have resolution in this matter, but this process demands something better than what were seeing. The longer this goes on, the more twisting and turning seems to occur. And none of us need that. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Kenneth Rader, 53, is charged in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia with four charges: knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a capitol building and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a capitol building. U.S. Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey on Jan. 27 reviewed the conditions of release for Kenneth Rader, reminding him that he is prohibited from possessing any controlled substances. Harvey scheduled a status hearing for April 5 in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia. An FBI agent arrested Rader Jan. 20 on a warrant in Sioux City. Rader made his initial court appearance later that day in U.S. District Court in Sioux City, where Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Kelly Mahoney informed him of his charges and released him on a personal recognizance bond. Among Rader's conditions of release are that he may travel only to Washington, D.C., for court hearings or to meet with his attorney. He must first receive permission from the U.S. Probation Office or Pretrial Services to travel. This Saturday, four Hokies saw their dreams come true during the annual NFL draft. This years draft was held in Las Vegas, with round 1 on Thursday night, round 2 on Friday night and finally, round 3 on Saturday afternoon. The four Hokies selected had to wait until Saturday for their turn, Its been a while since a movie has come along that is as thoroughly explained by its title as Moonfall, the 18th feature from master of disaster Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, Independence Day: Resurgence, The Day After Tomorrow, 2012, Godzilla, etc.). This epic action picture is not a satirical allegory about climate change, like the similarly plotted and far inferior recent Adam McKay comedy Dont Look Up. It isnt a soul-searching drama about planetary collision as a metaphor for clinical depression, like Lars von Triers 2011 art film Melancholia. This is just a simple, straightforward, gloriously stupid movie about the big rock that orbits our planet suddenly (and, for much of the films running time, inexplicably) falling out of the sky. Advertisement As a lifelong aficionado of sprawling, dopey disaster movies with plenty of character back storyyour Poseidon Adventures, your Twisters, your Titanicsand as maybe the worlds biggest fan of Emmerichs 2012 (2009), I was naturally inclined to enjoy Moonfall, and I did, though maybe with not quite as much glee as I vibed with the fevered conspiracy theories and lovingly preserved world treasures of 2012. (The scene where two major characters are working out survival strategies in the foreground while a pair of giraffes are being airlifted to an ark in the background remains a touchstone.) But Im not inclined to write an ordinary review, since Moonfall is the kind of movie best experienced in real time, its preposterous moments hailing down on the viewer like so many hunks of lunar regolith. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here then, in the order they occur in the film, are the best lines of dialogue in Moonfall that contain the word moon (or in one key case, its sister term Earth), with enough context provided to establish who speaks those words to whom at what point in the story. Note: If you connect the dots carefully enough here, you might come across details that reveal some late plot twists. But really, the biggest spoiler is right there in the title: The moon, she falls. [Read: Fact-Checking Moonfall: Could the Moon Really Fall?] City-sized moon pieces will rain down.an unnamed research underling at NASA, nervously explaining to senior officer Jocinda Jo Fowler (Halle Berry) that the moon has inexplicably fallen out of orbit and is on a collision course with Earth. Advertisement Ive got a lot of problems.Jos former colleague Brian Harper (Patrick Wilson), a disgraced astronaut. Brian fell from his familys and NASAs graces back in 2011 when he insisted that the death of a fellow astronaut on his watch during a moon mission was the result not of human error but of an attack by a mysterious swarm of what he swears was alien nanotechnology. Advertisement And the moon falling into the Earth isnt one of them?Jo Fowler, nailing her comeback. Fuck the MoonFaded graffiti on the exterior of the rusted-out, long-unused Endeavor space shuttle, which Jo and Brian are recommissioning from storage for an impromptu Hail Mary operation. I hope the moon holds together. At least for a little while anyway.Jo Fowler, summarizing the quite literally lunatic situation to a roomful of space-related bigwigs that includes the secretly cowardly head honcho of NASA. Also present is Jos officious if well-meaning ex-husband (Eme Ikwuakor), a highly placed military official whos possibly in cahoots with an ill-advised Department of Defense plan to use nuclear weapons on the moon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [Military commanders] are prepared to use everything in their power to stop the moon.Jo Fowler apprising her rogue comrades that their scrappy, three-person plan to zip up to the moon and destroy the alien base there is the Earths only chance to survive. Does he mean inside the moon?Freelance astronomer and local conspiracy crank KC Houseman (John Bradley of Game of Thrones fame) upon confirming his theory that Earths only satellite is in fact a hollow megastructure built by ancient aliens. As is often the case in the Emmerich-verse, the character with the most out-there conspiracy theoryabout Mayan calendar predictions coming true or Shakespeares authorship being a confusingly durable historic long conturns out to be the only one in the end to be high-fiving, I told-you-so right. He will be the third astronaut on Jo and Brians maverick moonshot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Are we dead? No, we are just inside the moon. An exchange between the anxious KC and the reassuring Jo when they find themselves in a featureless all-white space not unlike the one where Neo first encounters Morpheus in The Matrix. Oh shit, the moon is rising! Gravitys gonna go crazy.Brians son (Charlie Plummer), fresh out of jail for a DUI but basically a good kid, fleeing to high ground with the cute Chinese exchange student (Kelly Yu) who is in charge of shepherding Jos small child to safety, while all around them falling lunar chunks shear the peaks off mountaintops and 100-foot tidal waves engulf the worlds coastlines, reducing the skyline of Manhattan to a field of sodden rubble (surely not for the last time in a Roland Emmerich movie). Advertisement Large parts of the moon will rain down on us. There will be radiation.Jos no-nonsense military ex detailing the results of his definitely not optimal moon-nuking plan. The viewer starts to sense early on that Jo and the moon nuker probably shouldnt get back together. Advertisement Brian! Brian Harper!KC calling out in search of his missing colleague (and by now trusted friend) from within the trippy expanse of that Matrix-y inner moon chamber. Advertisement How many Brians you think there are inside the moon?Jo to KC, again crushing it with the comebacks even in a high-stress situation. What the hell are you?Brian to the hologramlike image of his son as a young child that confronts him within the void. Advertisement The operating system of your moon. Child hologram to Brian, sagely. The moon must survive. Everything depends on it. Brian to Jo and KC, dazed by the epiphany of his white-space revelation. Brian, whats the plan?Jo, gearing up for the big final action sequence involving somehow tricking the A.I. swarmbots into rerouting the moon on its orbit. Save the moon. Save Earth. Brian, providing their new mission statement as he finally triumphs over the self-pitying nihilism that has for too long kept him estranged from his drunk-driving-but-ultimately-redeemable son. If the moon survives, they know organic life can still be born. KC, speculating about the surprisingly nonhostile game being played out between Earths inhabitants and the invisible artificial intelligence system that reigns within the innermost chambers of the moon. (It was a hollow piece of alien technology all along!) Advertisement The moon is [illegible] to [illegible] over the North Atlantic!a hasty scribble in my notes, with no record of who spoke this garbled line or to whom. A lot was happening at once, OK? It was the action climax, occurring in three locations (both terrestrial and galactic) simultaneously! Advertisement Advertisement You know, if the Earth gets a second chance, I think we deserve one too.Jo to Brian, not in a romantic tone but not ruling out the possibility either. Jo delivers this overture as, having just saved the world and introduced a new epoch of life on Earth with a disquietingly much-closer and weirder-looking moon, the two of them await rescue in a snowy mountain range, where, for reasons unknown, the top half of the Chrysler Building has landed during the moonfall event. This hints at a world fatality rate that our handsome heroes seem oblivious to as they joyfully reunite in the rubble-strewn snow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Am I still alive?What appears to be the intact body of KC, even though we have just seen him sacrifice himself by insisting on serving as organic bait to lure the evil nanobot swarms and get his fellow astronauts safely back to Earth. We scanned your consciousness. You are part of the moon now.hologram of KCs loving if demented elderly mother, petting a hologram of his cat, Fuzz Aldrin, as they prepare to initiate him into whatever post-human future awaits. To truly comprehend what this ending means, you too must unite your consciousness with the lunar core, preferably by watching Moonfall in IMAX. There are so many interesting firsts to be found on the shortlist of prospective Black women being vetted for the vacancy at the Supreme Court. We have candidates who dont hail from the Harvard-Yale near lock on SCOTUS. We have what appears to be the most overt political patronage appointment that we have seen in decades. We have judges culled from state supreme courts, federal appeals courts, and federal district courts, who, by necessity, write differently for different audiences. Yet most of the narratives upon which we have settled continue to essentialize race and gender almost to the exclusion of everything else. Advertisement Republican Sen. Roger Wicker wants to howl about affirmative action. And Republican Sen. Ted Cruz wants to cry about offensiveness. Thats a shame. Theres a lot to be learned from so much of what is new about this slate of potential nominees. By lumping the whole class of women into a category that has somehow been deemed lesser to so many critics, weve both essentialized and lost all the really remarkable differences. Weve also presumptively pitted them all against one another in ways that flatten their unique gifts and pathways. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe to the Slatest Newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Start with the bizarre fight over intelligence. It is a truth universally acknowledged that a white man in possession of a judgeship must be blindingly smart. We went back and looked at the coverage of the shortlisters contending for the Supreme Court seats vacated by, say, Justice Antonin Scalia in 2016 and Anthony Kennedy in 2018: Thomas Hardiman? Smart. Steven Colloton? Smart. Neil Gorsuch? Smart smart smart. Raymond Kethledge. Smart. Don Willett. Crazy smart. Oddly, in the roundups of their immense qualifications and writings, there is nary a hint of a doubt that each was immensely qualified and brilliant. You could praise Kethledge without anyone reading it to mean Colloton was a dummy. They werent pitted against one another as if the smartness of white men is in limited supply and if one had some the others somehow missed out. Advertisement Advertisement Turn now to the as-yet-unnamed nominee to fill the seat vacated less than a week ago by Justice Stephen Breyer. As we noted last week, in part thanks to President Joe Bidens promise to nominate a Black woman, the drumbeat of not smart had fired up within hours of shortlists being circulated. Conservative commentators were happy to consign literally everyone on the theoretical shortlist to the status of a lesser Black woman who raises urgent quality concerns even before they are formally announced. But it wasnt just conservatives taking the bait. An unsourced claim in SCOTUSblog speculated that one potential candidate, Leondra Kruger, is in the view of someeven more dynamic and intellectually stronger than another potential candidate, Ketanji Brown Jackson. This summation quickly turned into conjecture about how some observers believe Kruger is intellectually superiora whole new debate thoroughly removed from the substance of either womans work. Legal writing expert Ross Guberman, in a piece now taken down, ran samples of Jacksons and Krugers writing through a program that uses A.I. to score judicial opinions out of 100 on factors, like whether the writing is crisp and punchy. Conservatives like Ed Whelan then seized on parts of Gubermans analysis to cherry-pick language suggesting that Jackson is a terrible and tedious writer, relying on a program that he himself conceded no one should treat as gospel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were missing the opportunity to learn about real women and real work in a quest to score cheap political points. No matter that Jackson authored those opinions on the federal district court while Kruger wrote for a state Supreme Courttwo very different tribunals with different purposes that often necessitate different writing styles. The knock on Jackson is that she explains too much, laboring to help counsel (and the public) understand complicated things like subject matter jurisdiction. During her eight years on the district court, Jackson also had to take a first crack at immensely complex questions of statutory interpretation, whereas appellate judges get the luxury of merely reviewing the lower courts work. Compare their approach to that of the Supreme Courts conservative justices who routinely toss out a single paragraph of sparse reasoning on the shadow docket and call it a day. Meanwhile, a nominee like Jackson who bends over backward to show her work is critiqued for explaining too much. As Kimberly Atkins Stohr noted in the Boston Globe, Black women cannot just be qualified to excel in the law; they must be super-qualified throughout their careers.* And yet even those twice as qualified as their peers end up drawing twice as much criticism. Cant find anything substantive on their record to criticize because its without scandal, partisanship, or overt lobbying? Dont fret; you can always ask an A.I. algorithm to help sort the worthy from the strivers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the Amicus podcast this week former U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Gertner pointed out one reason why none of Bidens shortlisters have especially flashy opinions to their name. Gertner described how young liberal jurists audition for higher court appointments: They try to diligently apply the law to the facts, and to be as cautious as possible. The judges who swing for the fences on the left are rarely elevated. By contrast, conservative judges auditioning for SCOTUS go all out proving their Federalist Society bona fides: Gorsuch used his judicial opinions on the appeals court to advertise himself as an enemy of the administrative state and diehard proponent of religious freedom; Kavanaugh flaunted his support for the unitary executive and hostility to reproductive rights to earn a spot on President Donald Trumps shortlist; Amy Coney Barrett brandished her Second Amendment maximalism. Advertisement Advertisement The conservative legal movement rewards this kind of flagrantly ideological auditioning. Republicans demand evidence that their justices will aggressively overturn precedent and laws that conflict with their political goals. (Hence Trump judges on the lower courts tripping over one another to deploy the most outrageous, vitriolic, and churlish rhetoric ever to appear in judicial writing.) Meanwhile, Democrats seek down-the-middle judges with uncontroversial records. Its hard for left-leaning judges to write with much punchiness when theyre eager to stay in their lane. That asymmetry is replicated in the legal academy as well. Court watchers on the left sometimes rejoice in devouring their own, as if criticizing liberal judges demonstrates their high standards and intellectual consistency. Surely we are exceptionally smart when we can pass quick judgment on the smarts of everyone else. That tendency at least partially explains the impoverished debates we are having about writing style, intelligence, and other qualifications that dont come up when conservative white men occupy every spot on the list. Theres a generation of extraordinary women of color finally being promoted to the bench. Its unfortunate that we are missing the opportunity to learn about real women and real work in a quest to score cheap political points. At his United Nations speech in September, President Biden declared, I stand here today, for the first time in 20 years, with the United States not at war. Weve turned the page. He was speaking of the withdrawal of the last American troops from Afghanistan. But as shown by the U.S. raid on an apartment house in northern Syria on Wednesday night, during which the ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi was killed, the global war on terror is far from over. Advertisement U.S. troops, pilots, and advisers are still deployed in dozens of countries all over the world, prepared to engageand sometimes actually engagingin combat. The Special Forces who mounted the raid on al-Qurayshis residence were among 900 American troops and advisers in Syria. About 2,500 U.S. ground troops are still in Iraq. In a letter to Congress, written in compliance with the War Powers Act, Biden acknowledged that the U.S. has deployed combat-equipped forces to fight or fend off ISIS and other terrorist groups in several locations in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Asia Pacific. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A report by Stephanie Savell, director of the Costs of War Project at Brown Universitys Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, calculates that, between 2018-20, U.S. military forces were somehow fighting terrorism in 89 countries. Advertisement Advertisement In 79 of those countries, they were training indigenous forces in how to fight terrorists. In 41, they conducted military exercises either alone or with local armies. In seven, they launched air or drone strikes. In 12 of the countries, U.S. troops engaged in combat operations. Since the report was published, troops have withdrawn from Afghanistan, leaving 11 countries where theyre engaged in combat operations or are authorized and set up to do soIraq, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Cameroon, Libya, Niger, and Tunisia. (Savell told me that these numbers are slightly lower now because the COVID pandemic has scuttled a few training programs and exercises, but the overall picture has changed little since Biden became president.) Advertisement The big, often unaddressed question is how effective these operations arenot so much in terms of killing their targets (theyre usually very effective in that department) but in terms of stopping terrorism or destroying terrorist organizations. The answer, it turns out, is that, most of the time, theyre not very effective after all. Advertisement In 2008, Seth Jones and Martin Libicki wrote a report for the RAND Corporation called How Terrorist Groups End. After studying 648 terrorist organizations between 1968-2006, they concluded that military troops destroyed the groups in just 7 percent of the cases. In 40 percent of the cases, police and intelligence worked together to destroy the organizations. In 43 percent, the groups were incorporated into the political process or they disbanded after their political grievances were met. In 10 percent, the groups succeeded in their aims. (Savells Costs of War Project will soon publish a new review of several similar studies over the years, which she says is consistent with RANDs findings). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The RAND report found that military force is most effective when used against large, well armed, and well organized insurgencies. In opposing such large groups, military force has usually been a necessary component. However, against most terrorist groups, military force is usually too blunt an instrument, the report stated. In any case, U.S. military power against terrorist groupswhich often results in the killing of civiliansoften turns the local population against the local government, which the U.S. is supporting, and prods many civilians to join the terrorists. Advertisement Advertisement One section of the RAND report especially relevant to the fight against such Islamist groups like al-Qaida and ISIS found that religious terrorist groups take longer to eliminate. Since the report was written, almost a decade ago, 62 percent of the terrorist groups the authors studied have endedbut only 32 percent of religious terrorist groups have gone away. On a more positive note, the report said none of the religious groups had achieved outright victory. Advertisement It is unclear (and, again, often unexamined) whether even decapitation strikesoperations where the military kills the leader of a terrorist organizationhave a durable impact. Peter Bergen, vice president of New America and author of The Rise and Fall of Osama bin Laden, told me in an email, They have some effect, but less than generally advertised. Bin-Laden was a figure of such power and mystique that al-Qaida never recovered after he was killed in the U.S. raid on his compound. But in general, Bergen said, these groups name another leader and move on. Mullah Omar and Akhtar Mansour, two high-profile leaders of Taliban, died, yet the Taliban now controls all of Afghanistan.* These strikes are not without some utility, Bergen concluded, but game changers, they are not. Advertisement Advertisement In that respect, Al-Qurayshis death, while notable, isnt likely to put ISIS out of business. Relatively little is known about the man who, in his two years as the Islamic States leader, rarely left the apartment where he died. He is thought to have been an Iraqi officer who joined al-Qaida after Saddam Hussein was defeated during the U.S. invasion. A 2020 report on Qurayshi by West Points Combating Terrorism Center noted that, in online message channels, some ISIS members criticized al-Qurayshis rise to leadership, deriding him as a secluded paper caliph or an unknown nobody. His defender in ISIS countered that fame wasnt necessary, nor was it advisable from a security perspective. In any case, there should be little problem finding a successor. Advertisement According to early news reports (which, it should be said, sometimes turn out to be incomplete or wrong), the Biden administration had been secretly planning the operation against Qurayshi for months. Military engineers even designed a replica of his building and analyzed whether the whole structure would collapse if he blew himself upas his predecessor, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, had donerather than fighting or surrendering. Advertisement Advertisement As a further effort to minimize civilian casualties, Biden decided to send in Special Forces, at some risk, rather than drop bombs, which could kill other residents. The Special Forces also reportedly warned those residents to leave the building. At least a dozen people are said to have died, all reportedly the result of a bomb that al-Qurayshi set off. It is not yet known whether any civilians unrelated to the ISIS leader were killed. In any case, they are not likely to be the last casualties of terrorism or the war on terror. Facebooks parent company Meta just had an unprecedented, jaw-droppingly bad week. In an earnings call on Wednesday, executives reported that for the first time in its history Facebook had actually lost daily active users in the previous quarterabout a million of them, to be exact. Meta also spent $10 billion on its virtual reality projects, which CEO Mark Zuckerberg has pitched as the companys future, through the Reality Labs department. In the wake of the dismal disclosure, Meta dropped more than $237 billion in value on Thursday, the biggest one-day loss ever in the U.S. stock market. (Thats more than the market cap of Netflix or Twitter.) Zuckerbergs own net worth also fell by $31 billion. It was shocking news for a company that has pretty reliably reported solid-to-fantastic numbers in the past, even during periods of scandal and public ire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The forces working against Meta are formidable and multifarious. During the earnings call, executives specifically blamed a 2021 privacy update that Apple instituted in iOS for hitting Metas ad sales by about $10 billion this year. (About 97 percent of Metas revenue comes from advertising.) Apples update presents users with pop-up notifications asking if they want want to prevent certain apps from sharing identifiable personal informationlike location or browsing historywith third parties. A study by the mobile marketing analytics company AppsFlyer in October indicated that 62 percent of iPhone owners who viewed such notifications chose to opt out. Users on iPhone are reportedly more likely to spend money on items that they see in mobile ads. The New York Times notes that, because advertisers are having a tougher time targeting Facebook users now, theyve been devoting more of their ad budgets to Google instead. Google, which reported record sales on Tuesday, is less reliant on Apple devices for gathering data on its users. Zuckerberg said during the earnings call that Facebook would be rebuilding its ads infrastructure to adapt to this new landscape, though didnt give many specifics on what changes might be implemented. COO Sheryl Sandberg also said that it would take some time to figure out new ways to serve relevant ads without relying on personal data collection. Advertisement Advertisement Attracting and retaining daily users is also a big headache for Meta. Chief Technology Officer Dave Wehner said in the earnings call that Facebook saw a reduction in usage as coronavirus restrictions have loosened, since people arent stuck trying to entertain themselves at home. He also blamed internet price hikes in India, where 340 million of Facebooks users reside. TikTok in particular has been siphoning young users away from Metas platforms despite the larger companys efforts to clone the trendy app with Reels in Instagram and Facebook. While Reels have vecome the top source of engagement on Instagram, the company has been struggling to get users to buy products from video ads. (Users often skip ads in video form.) However, executives believe that Reels will net profits in the long run, if not immediately. Zuckerberg said during the earnings report, And while video has historically been slower to monetize, we believe that over time short-form video is going to monetize more like feed or Stories than like Watch so Im optimistic that well get to where we need to be with Reels too. The CEOs attempt to pivot the company to virtual reality and metaverse platforms is another endeavor that doesnt seem to be paying off in the short term while incurring steep costs. He seemed to admit that the company still had a lot to figure out in terms of moving forward in the metaverse, telling investors, Although our direction is clear, it seems that our path ahead is not quite perfectly defined. It seems unlikely that the company will pull back too much, if at all, on its pivot, given that competitors like Apple, Google, and Microsoft are also investing in the metaverse. Adding salt to the wound, Snapchat reported its first ever net profit and higher-than-expected user growth on Thursday, sending shares up more than 53 percent. After Meta repeatedly failed to acquire Snapchat, it cloned the platforms features with Instagram Stories, which turned out to be a big success. Investors feared that the move would end up tanking Snapchat, and it seemed as though Meta had the upper hand for a while. Snapchat can at least enjoy this rare victoryfor however long it might last. The premise of Moonfall is simple, deranged, and delightful: Something has knocked the moon out of its orbit, and in a matter of weeks, the moon will collide with the Earth. The only people who can stop it are disgraced astronaut Brian Harper (Patrick Wilson), NASA Executive Jo Fowler (Halle Berry), and conspiracy theorist K. C. Houseman (John Bradley). Over the course of the movies runtime, this motley crew manages to uncover secrets NASA has been hiding for years about the moon; take the Space Shuttle Endeavour out of a museum; and put together a rescue mission to figure out why the moon has broken its orbit, and hopefully put it back. Save the moon, save Earth, the tagline goes. Advertisement Its perfect disaster-movie fare, wonderful for turning your brain off and just experiencing. Theres no reason it needs to be scientifically accurate; its a fictional disaster movie! But if you would like to engage intellectually with the premise Moonfall presents, youll be surprised at how much of the science they got right. For all of its absurdity, this movie took its science seriously. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [Spoilers for Moonfall ahead.] Before we get to the main question posed by the moviewhat would happen if the moon did somehow break its orbit and begin falling towards the Earth?lets look at whats actually going on with the moon. Scientifically, its important to remember that the moon is moving away from the Earth, without any alien intervention. The moon is moving away from us an inch and a half a year, James Greene, NASAs former chief scientist and current senior advisor, told me. Advertisement Advertisement Scientists have run scenarios to peer into our distant future and see what will happen as the moon moves farther and farther away from the Earth. Eventually, in 50 billion years or so, the Earth and moon will be tidally locked to one another, meaning that the same sides of the Earth and moon always face each other. (Right now the moon is tidally locked to the Earth, so we only see one side of it from our planet, but everyone on Earth gets their view of the moon.) To dramatize the opposite scenario in Moonfall, in which the moon starts gently and devastatingly orbiting closer and closer to the Earth, disaster geophysicist Mika McKinnon (who consulted on the movie) explained to me that the films science consultants simply reversed those models. Advertisement Advertisement The first thing you think about is in terms of the tides, McKinnon explained. The moons gravity pulls on the Earths water, resulting in two high tides and two low tides per day. (The Sun contributes somewhat, too.) So, in Moonfall, as the moon spirals closer and closer to the Earth in a dance of death and destruction, the lunar gravitational pull on our planet increases, leading to massive floods. The movie features an epic flooding of Los Angeles, thanks to these tides. Advertisement Advertisement We normally think of tides just in terms of water. But the tides actually also impact the air, the atmosphere, and the rocks, said McKinnon. As the moon gets closer, those tides will get stronger and stronger. Suddenly, youd have high tide and low tide for your air. Places that are higher elevation having low [air] tide means they dont have enough air anymore. And indeed, we see this in Moonfall when Tom Lopez (Michael Pena), Sonny Harper (Charlie Plummer), and their companions are forced to find oxygen masks to travel through the mountains in their quest for safety. Advertisement Advertisement The structure of the Earths tectonic plates and large rocks will also be pulled and released by the moons gravity, says McKinnon. As youre squishing them in and out, youre going to see cracks and earthquakes and landslides. In fact, the Earth itself would be compressed and released with high tide and low tide. As the moon moved closer in and the tides became more frequent, so would this constant cyclical push and pull of natural disasters. Advertisement Advertisement As the moon moves closer and closer to Earth, things get even more dramatic. If you move the moon inward, the days will speed up, Greene explained, because the moons proximity would make the Earth spin faster. The moon is currently 60 Earth radii away, said Greene. (For reference, one Earth radius is about 3,963 miles). When its at four Earth radii, the day on Earth will be five hours long. Two and a half hours will be daylight, two and a half hours will be night. Advertisement And then, when the moon is 11,470 miles away from the Earth (about three Earth radii), it will reach the Roche limit. The Roche limit is when you have so much stress that it shreds physical objects and pulls them apart, McKinnon explained. In other words, on its approach the moon would actually start breaking apart, and pieces of it would rain down on Earth. Advertisement And then? Crisis averted. At least on screen. In the normal world, there would be nothing we could do to stop the moontheres no physics solution that could save us. But this is, of course, an epic disaster movie in which aliens are inside the moon. In the movie, the moon actually enters the Earths atmosphere and is perilously close to impact when our heroes finally manage to avert catastrophe, thanks to their daring plan to launch the Space Shuttle Endeavour to the moon to defeat the alien presence within. Advertisement This portion of the movie isnt even a little scientific. There arent aliens in the moon. Plus, Endeavour was retired in 2011, and using it to fly would be impossible, Astronaut Mike Massamino, who serviced the Hubble Space Telescope on his two Space Shuttle missions, told me. Were not going to be able to use [the space shuttles] ever again, and if we needed to do some kind of emergency flight to space, we have other options that I think we would use. If the moon had impacted the Earth, though, the planet itself would stay intact. The Earth wouldnt fall apart, McKinnon said. Itd just be significantly less habitable. When something large hits the Earth,its moving at such a velocity that a huge crater is created, typically 10 or 15 times the size of the object, said Greene. Everything in that [the crater] is gone. What happens to the material inside the hole is that it gets pulverized. The moons diameter is 2,159 miles. The Earths is 7,917.5 miles. Which means that the entire planet would be a massive impact crater. We are small and fragile on a crust that is tiny, said McKinnon. The crust would be obliterated and all life would come to an end. But hey, Earth would have rings! Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. This article is part of the Free Speech Project , a collaboration between Future Tense and the Tech, Law, & Security Program at American University Washington College of Law that examines the ways technology is influencing how we think about speech. In 2020, Spotify paid $100 million to become the exclusive home of Joe Rogans blockbuster podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience. Now, Spotify is in an uncomfortable spotlight over Rogans history of frequently broadcasting COVID misinformation, under the guise of just asking questions. Every day there seems to be a new development. Neil Young and Joni Mitchell took their work off the streaming platform in protest. Spotify staff is reportedly upset about Rogans shows, and prominent podcasters like Roxane Gay have pulled their work as well. In response to the controversy, Spotifys CEO Daniel EK admitted in a letter on the companys website that the companys content moderation policies had not been transparent and outlined some steps the company was taking regarding COVID content. Despite the letter, the issue of what Spotify should do regarding content moderation and continuing to act as a publisher of podcasts remains murky. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Fridays episode of What Next: TBD, I spoke with Evelyn Douek, a lecturer at Harvard Law School who studies online speech, about the questions around content moderation that the Joe Rogan Spotify controversy raises. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. Lizzie OLeary: Are you surprised that people care so much about Joe Rogan and Spotify? Evelyn Douek: I am in one sense. Ive been waiting for this for years, and Ive never really understood how thereve been this massive blind spot on podcasts that gets a free pass. People say wild things on podcasts and just get away with it in a way that you never would on Twitter. Podcasts have sort of been this strange space where for a long time they were niche interest, not many people paid attention to them, and then theyve exploded in popularity over the last little while. And of course, as soon as something becomes popular, platforms try and monetize it, which is what you see sort of Spotify doing here. Its getting into that much more curational, much more editorial, role, rather than nearly a hosting distribution network. Advertisement Advertisement Lets go through the latest controversy. On Dec. 31, Rogan has a doctor on named Robert Malone. This guy was at one point a vaccine scientist. Hes now a prominent anti-vax activist, and hes been banned from Twitter. And then he goes on Rogans show. Broadly speaking, how have platforms and tech companies been dealing with people like Malone over the course of the pandemic? Advertisement The pandemic itself has been a real inflection point for platforms in the role that theyre prepared to play. Before the pandemic started, they really had this, Were not going to be arbiter of truth, were going to be hands-off. Who are we to judge what is true and what is false in the marketplace of ideas? The best remedy for speech is more speech, that kind of thing. And then, as a result of the public health emergency, that went out the window almost overnight. We saw the major platforms all releasing COVID-19 misinformation policies. Based on what the WHO said was mis- or disinformation, they started taking a lot more content down and also started labeling a lot more content. So you do see this much more active role that platforms are prepared to play in terms of misinformation, false speech in the context of health than you do in the context of politics, for example. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After Neil Young drew more attention to the situation by asking for his music to be removed from Spotify, CEO Daniel Ek released a statement addressing the controversy, and he reportedly stressed to employees that Spotify doesnt hear Rogans shows before they go live. And the company has removed some of Rogans back catalog, including episodes with Alex Jones. But Ek also put the onus back on creators to abide by the platforms rules and understand their accountability. What do you make of all this? Advertisement Advertisement Their relationship with Joe Rogan is very different to any other content creator, right? Theyre paying the guy. As you said, hes been around for ages. They cant be surprised by the kind of content that hes producing. Its exactly the stuff that they were paying for. Advertisement Advertisement And its the only place to get The Joe Rogan Experience. Right. And so, if they wanted to alert Joe Rogan to their rules, Im sure they had better channels than trying to highlight it more on their platform in the interface or something. This is again, a completely different situation to, for example, Facebooks community standards, which govern what you and I can post on Facebook. Many people arent trying to break the rules. They dont want their content removed from Spotify. But Spotify had these secret rules that it was apparently applying. I mean, we learned throughout this controversy for the first time that Spotify has apparently taken down 20,000 other podcasts for COVID misinformation. That was news to me. We had no idea why those ones crossed the line and Joe Rogans podcast didnt. How is Spotify making these determinations? Who is making these determinations? Those seem like a really important things to know before we can start talking about whether these rules make any sense or whether Spotify is living up to its responsibility here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Is this a content moderation issue, or is it sort of Spotify quietly saying, Yeah. Were just going to kind of pick the person whos making a lot of money for us? I think it really suits Spotify to try and make it a content moderation problem, because content moderation at scale is really hard. The phenomenal hours of audio that are uploaded to Spotify every day is insane. And the idea that they could make the right decision in all of those cases around really contentious issues, where the rules are blurry, thats an unreasonable expectation. But thats not what were talking about when it comes to Joe Rogan. Hes releasing a handful of episodes that theyre paying a hundred million for. They are playing the role of a publisher, a broadcaster. And we might have some disagreements around how that editorial discretion that they have in those cases should be exercised. People may disagree about the best way of approaching that kind of mis- or disinformation, whether its counter speech, whether its labels, whether its removing it, whatever it is. But for Spotify to say, this is content moderation, is to avoid that this is much more like a radio broadcast or a Fox News broadcast. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It sounds like youre saying theyre hiding behind the content moderation debate, when they bought this guys show and they know what he does. Right. Exactly. Often, when we are discussing content moderation on a social media platform, were talking about how algorithms take inflammatory or outrageous content, amp it up, and put it in front of a lot of people. Podcasts are something different, but they are a multimillion-dollar business. How do they fit into this model? Advertisement Advertisement Its fascinating. I feel like content moderation debates, with respect to many platforms, are in their awkward adolescence, where weve sort of got past the initial Facebook needs to take down everything thats false, and leave up everything thats true. We are getting into these more nuanced conversations about like, OK, maybe thats impossible, but maybe Facebook needs to have more responsibility for what it amplifies, what it shoves in front of people. Advertisement Podcasts have been different for a long time. Instead of the awkward adolescence, podcast content moderation is in its infancy still. And for a long time, podcast apps were just these directories. There was no amplification. But as podcasts have become more popular, and platforms are trying to monetize them more, youre seeing a lot of the same features get introduced. Youre now seeing top 10 lists everywhere. Now that theyre taking on that role, were going to have to start having those conversations about when you are amplifying certain things, surely your responsibility for that content should be greater. Advertisement Is there something about the spoken word that makes this more difficult? I think we need to have a conversation about how different formats can have different effects. Podcasts often are very chatty, and you start to feel like you get to know the host. You start to develop some sort of a relationship, maybe a parasocial relationship with the person that is in your ears while youre doing the dishes, or folding the laundry, or going for a run. Advertisement That does create a different relationship. Theres also technical differences. Moderating audio content is really hard. The tools are worse at it. Like trying to recognize certain words when people say them is a lot harder than just using a keyword list for text. Advertisement This whole debate can feel intractable. Has any progress been made in making content thats more responsible without stifling speech? Yes. The idea of attaching a label is more effective than removing things. Were also seeing platforms experiment with things like friction. So, as we were talking before about amplification, well, reducing that amplification for certain kinds of content. Thats the kind of stuff that Im really excited about. Like, you got to read this thing before you share it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oh, my God. That is my favorite tool. Twitter released some stats about that. Its this very simple nudge, where if you go to retweet an article that you havent read, a little popup will come up and it will say, Hey! Do you want to read this before you share it? Thats so gentle, and it seems good. Twitter said that the number of people that clicked through and read that article, as a result of that tiny gentle nudge, was 40 percent more people. Thats insane. Even with tweaks to try to tamp down inflammatory content, trying to figure out who should bear the responsibility for what we consume online or in our ears is complicated. Advertisement Spotify has a responsibility for what its amplifying. Does that mean that it has the only responsibility? Does that let the producer, the content creator off the hook? No. Does it let the audience off the hook for their need to engage in critical thinking, critical listening as well? No. Does it let public health authorities off the hook from needing to do their own effective messaging and reaching people rather than letting people get their information from random podcasts on Spotify? No. But, when Spotify is promoting things, when Spotify is profiting off things, absolutely it has responsibility to know whats in that content and to own the consequences of letting it proliferate. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. We marked World Wetlands Day early in the week. Join us on a virtual trip to the Paris Swamps in this week's travel and culture roundup. Romer's House on Zamocnicka Street in Bratislava on February 3, 2022. (Source: Dano Veselsky for TASR) Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled This week, you can head to the Paris Swamps, read an award-winning book on philosophy, or make a bird feeder at Bratislava Zoo. The Book House on the square in Velke Kapusany, eastern Slovakia, on January 27, 2022. (Source: Roman Hanc for TASR) TRAVEL Getting lost in the Paris Swamps A bit of Paris, although green and quiet rather than vibrant and elegant, can be found in a village in western Slovakia. The Paris Swamps, part of a national nature reserve, are located between the villages of Gbelce and Nova Vieska in the district of Nove Zamky. It is an extraordinary area in which visitors can find more than 170 species of birds, river otters and marsh turtles. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement The swamps are visited by ornithologists from all over Europe, as they are the largest cane swamps in Slovakia. The Paris Swamps cover an area of 184 hectares. Originally, the swamps were much larger. According to written records, they were up to three times larger. However, the lords at the time needed land for agriculture, so a part of the swamps was drained by experts from Paris. Swans swim in Slovakia's largest cane swamps, Paris Swamps, in the Nitra Region. (Source: Dano Veselsky for TASR) The oldest written mention of the lake is a 1731 description in Notti Comitatus Strigoniensis by Matej Bel. Visitors can choose between two nature trails in the Paris Swamps. Most choose to set out on a walk from Gbelce - Trstinova Street. A look-out tower was built nearby. Fact: February 2 is World Wetlands Day. Other travel ideas Spa Piestany is notable for its gypsum-sulphuric thermal water and curative sulphur mud. Hike the Klokoc hilltop in the Small Carpathians. BOOK Americans win celebrated in Slovakia Jon Stewart, an American philosopher and historian of philosophy working for the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV), has won a prestigious PROSE award. American philosopher and historian Jon Stewart. (Source: Martin Bystriansky) The prize, awarded by the Association of American Publishers, celebrates the best scholarly and scientific works. I humbly consider this award a valuable recognition of my research, but I have to share it with all those who have kindly helped and supported me at the level of the leadership of SAV and my institute, said Jon Stewart. Stewart from SAVs Institute of Philosophy won the award in the Philosophy category for his book Hegels Century: Alienation and Recognition in a Time of Revolution, published by the acclaimed Cambridge University Press. This is the first time that an employee of one of SAVs organisations has received this award, the scientific institution said. Hegels Century: Alienation and Recognition in a Time of Revolution is a panoramic study of the profound influence of the German philosopher Georg W. F. Hegel on the nineteenth century. Hegels Century: Alienation and Recognition in a Time of Revolution by Jon Stewart. (Source: Martin Bystriansky) Stewart studied at the University of California and has worked at several research institutes. Since 2018, he has been working as a researcher at SAVs Institute of Philosophy. In his research, he specialises in continental philosophy of the 19th century with an emphasis on the ideas of S. Kierkegaard and G. W. F. Hegel. Other developments from this week Church: Medieval paintings and crosses - and a code - were discovered during the reconstruction of a church in Liptovsky Jan. Concert: Years & Years, a British pop band, will perform at Grape Festival at Trencin airport this summer. BRATISLAVA Baroque ceiling will undergo reconstruction Right after the non-profit organisation National Trust took over the very old Romers House in downtown Bratislava from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in 2014, it began organising volunteer works so it could start using the space as soon as possible. But volunteers discovered a historical wooden ceiling from the 18th century under plaster from the seventies in a ground-floor room. A wooden ceiling in Romer's House in Bratislava. (Source: Dano Veselsky for TASR) Restorers are using remnants of white lime paint to analyse the baroque ceiling in the birth house of Floris Romer, a native of Bratislava and the founder of modern archaeology in historical Hungary. The plan of the National Trust is to return the ceiling to its original beauty by the end of this year and use the house for public activities. Read more about the ceiling in Jana Liptakovas story. Monuments: The list of Bratislava monuments has been expanded by a number of artworks and a filling station that no longer exists. Zoo: Bratislava Zoo will run a workshop on February 5 for children on how to make a bird feeder and how to look after birds. Bus: The last accordion bus owned by the capitals public transport operator should be renovated. WEEKEND READ Touched by tragedy, changed by experience The Himalayas and mountains taught me humility, which for me means an acknowledgment of, and respect for, universally valid principles such as gravity and balance, Zoltan Demjan says in the opening scene of the film Dhaulagiri Is My Everest. As the world-renowned Slovak climber cooks his favourite Nepalese meal, dal bhat, on a wood range in the cosy, warm kitchen at his weekend cottage in Zazriva, he talks about his expeditions in the snow-covered Himalayas and what he learnt from them. Dhaulagiri, 5,600 m. (Source: Courtesy of Zoltan Demjan) Demjan climbed Alpine style - which famous Italian mountaineer Reinhold Messner described as climbing by fair means, i.e. carrying all food, shelter and equipment as you climb, and without fixed ropes, supplemental oxygen, or mountain guides. In the one-hour documentary film by award-winning Slovak documentary filmmaker Pavol Barabas, which premiered in mid-January and has already won the Grand Prix as well as the audience award at the Poprad International Festival of Mountain Films in October 2021, Demjan explains what is so important to him about the style. That is it for now. Have a great weekend! - Peter Do you have any tips? You can reach Peter at peter.dlhopolec@spectator.sk Parliament will deal with the agreement on Tuesday, February 8. Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed the US-Slovak Defence Cooparetion Agreement in Washington on February 3. (Source: Courtesy of Slovak Foreign Affairs Ministry) Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad (OLaNO) on Thursday, February 3, signed the Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington, DC. Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Ivan Korcok (SaS nominee) also attended the signing ceremony. The agreement, which has attracted loud criticism from opposition parties, will enter into force once it is approved by parliament and signed by President Zuzana Caputova. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement The deal, as signed, contains interpretation clauses submitted by both countries, which confirm their unanimous perception of the agreement, including mutual respect for sovereignty and law, Defence Ministry spokeswoman Martina Koval Kakascikova commented, as quoted by the SITA newswire. Cooperation in defence with the United States has significantly contributed to the successful transformation and modernisation of the Slovak Armed Forces, especially the air force and the special operations force, said Nad. Today, we are giving this cooperation an appropriate legal basis. It is an expression of our common commitment, as allies within NATO, to transatlantic security. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recalled that the US and Slovakia have been security partners since 1993, the year that the independent Slovak Republic came into existence. In 2004, the two counties became NATO allies, which took US-Slovak defence cooperation to a new level. This agreement [the DCA] makes it easier for our militaries to coordinate on common defensive efforts, like conducting joint training exercises, said Blinken as quoted by the US Embassy. It will create more regular consultation between our countries on threats to our people, to international peace and security. Related article Related article Slovak-US defence pact encounters fierce resistance Read more The Slovak Foreign Ministry noted that the bilateral agreement is the product of negotiations under several Slovak governments since 2018. It creates a legal framework for boosting defence cooperation and for investments in the military. The agreement is in full compliance with our interests and efforts as a member of NATO and the EU to reinforce our European security, as well as that of the Alliance, said Korcok after the signing ceremony, as quoted by the ministry. The DCA is a standard bilateral agreement between NATO allies that is based on the NATO SOFA agreement of 1951; so far, 23 out of the 30 countries that comprise the NATO alliance have concluded such an agreement with the USA, the ministry points out on its website. The Slovak parliament will deal with the agreement at a special session on Tuesday, February 8. https://sputniknews.com/20220204/bojo-staff-exodus-four-senior-aides-to-pm-resign-amid-partygate-row-1092736041.html BoJo Staff Exodus: Four Senior Aides to PM Resign Amid Partygate Row BoJo Staff Exodus: Four Senior Aides to PM Resign Amid Partygate Row Amid the fallout caused by the accusations of Downing Street officials partying during coronavirus lockdowns, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces a possible... 04.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-04T06:42+0000 2022-02-04T06:42+0000 2022-02-04T07:51+0000 uk boris johnson partygate downing street /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/02/04/1092738466_0:96:3299:1952_1920x0_80_0_0_d6aefdaded78e735b499ff19fe10eb0f.jpg In the wake of the publication of the report by senior civil servant Sue Gray, who investigated the allegations of parties being held in Downing Street amid strict nationwide coronavirus restrictions, Boris Johnson has been experiencing difficulties. Gray accused No 10 of "serious failures of leadership and judgement", pointing at the "excessive" amounts of alcohol involved in what Johnson insists were "work events", not actual parties. As No 10 continues to weather the "partygate" storm, four of the PM's senior aides have announced their resignation. Here is a quick look at these aides and their reasoning.Munira MirzaMunira Mirza, the prime minister's director of policy, was the first No 10 senior aide to announce her resignation on Thursday. She decided to leave Downing Street due to Boris Johnson's harsh remarks about Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party. On Monday, the embattled prime minister accused Starmer of failing to take action against late sex offender Jimmy Saville, a UK TV and radio personality who was accused of child sex abuse and rape. The majority of the allegations against him were made after his death in 2011; accusations made during his lifetime were largely dismissed or ignored. Starmer was the director of public prosecutions from 2008 until 2013. Before Saville's death, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided not to prosecute him, and Johnson alleged on Monday that Starmer had a role in it. There was, however, no evidence to prove Starmer's involvement in this decision. Later, Johnson admitted that Starmer had "nothing to do" with the Saville case, but failed to apologise. Mirza voiced her discontent with the prime minister over the incident.Shortly after her resignation, Chancellor Rishi Sunak (who is viewed by many as one of the likely successors to the prime minister) distanced himself from Johnson's remarks about Startmer and described Mirza as a "valued colleague" and said he was "sorry to see her leave government".The same sentiment regarding Mirza's departure was voiced by Johnson himself. However, he said he could not agree with her description of his Starmer comments as "inappropriate and partisan".Jack DoyleLater in the day, Jack Doyle resigned as Downing Street's director of communication shortly after Mirza's surprise announcement.He, however, specified that his decision had nothing to do with Johnson's remarks about Starmer, According to Doyle, he planned to step down after having served two years in the position.Reports suggested that Doyle was involved in the alleged parties - he is said to have handed out awards and given a speech during the infamous "Christmas party" in Downing Street. This fact is also said to have impacted his decision to leave. BBC reported in December that Doyle had already offered to quit after he came under fire over "partygate" allegations, but the prime minister had refused to accept his resignation at the time.Dan Rosenfield and Martin ReynoldsThe prime minister's chief of staff, Dan Rosenfield, and Johnson's principal private secretary Martin Reynolds exited No 10 later Thursday. A Downing Street spokesperson confirmed their departure and said that Johnson had accepted their resignation. Both are set to execute their duties until their successors are recruited.Neither Rosenfield nor Reynolds have revealed their reasons for quitting, but both are said to have organised the bring your own booze party in Downing Street that took place in March 2020.BoJo's TroublesThis week, Boris Johnson announced that there will be a shake-up among the MPs over the "partygate" report by Sue Gray. However, many observers have already speculated that it was Mirza's resignation that forced the embattled prime minister to bring forward these plans.Johnson is under fire as he is suspected of participating in some of the alleged parties that occurred in Downing Street from 2020 to 2021 when the country was plunged in strict coronavirus lockdown.Amid the "partygate" fallout, several Tory MPs filed their letters of no confidence in Boris Johnson, with reports suggesting that over a dozen of Conservative lawmakers did so, and more are considering to join their colleagues.In order for a no-confidence vote to be triggered, Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 Committee, needs to receive at least 54 letters. The committee, apart from providing a way for Tory backbenchers to coordinate and discuss their views independently from the frontbenchers, plays an important role as the body representing the views of the party's parliamentary rank. https://sputniknews.com/20220203/cream-tea-coup-five-more-tory-mps-reportedly-ready-to-submit-letter-of-no-confidence-in-bojo-1092704709.html downing street Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Daria Bedenko Daria Bedenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Daria Bedenko uk, boris johnson, partygate, downing street https://sputniknews.com/20220204/convicted-murderer-greg-mcmichael-withdraws-guilty-plea-in-ahmaud-arbery-hate-crime-case-1092734424.html Convicted Murderer Greg McMichael Withdraws Guilty Plea in Ahmaud Arbery Hate Crime Case Convicted Murderer Greg McMichael Withdraws Guilty Plea in Ahmaud Arbery Hate Crime Case Earlier this week, US District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood rejected federal prosecutors' proposed plea agreement with Greg and Travis McMichael, the father... 04.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-04T02:12+0000 2022-02-04T02:12+0000 2022-02-04T04:00+0000 ahmaud arbery hate crime case /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/02/04/1092734621_0:192:3071:1919_1920x0_80_0_0_1de0163c741d3a4747ec497b65219d61.jpg Gregory McMichael, 66, will move ahead with the federal hate crimes trial after canceling his portion of a plea agreement with US prosecutors, according to a new court filing. Travis McMichael. 36, is still scheduled to appear in court on Friday for a plea hearing. William "Roddie" Bryan, the third man convicted in Arbery's death, will also face hate crime charges that allege that Arbery, who was Black, was racially targeted by the white men.Last month, all three men were sentenced to life in prison for their respective roles in the 2020 murder.The reversal comes days after a US District Court judge rejected the terms of a proposed plea deal that was vehemently opposed by Arbery's parents. The 25-year-old's graphic murder was captured by Bryan, who joined the McMichaels in pursuing Arbery as he was jogging for exercise through the Satilla Shores neighborhood on February 23, 2020. After catching up to Arbery with their pickup truck, Travis McMichael exited the vehicle with a shotgun, prompting a brief struggle between him and Arbery, who was fatally shot moments later.Jury selection for the federal hate crime case is set to begin on Monday. https://sputniknews.com/20220131/us-judge-rejects-federal-plea-deal-meant-to-avert-hate-crimes-trial-for-ahmaud-arbery-killing-1092645856.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Evan Craighead Evan Craighead News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Evan Craighead ahmaud arbery, hate crime, case Chinese scientists develop AI-assisted tool to detect early-stage lung cancer Xinhua) 16:19, February 04, 2022 BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) assisted testing tool to detect early-stage lung cancer. The study published on Thursday in the journal Science Translational Medicine described the Lung Cancer Artificial Intelligence Detector that may play a part in the early detection of lung cancer or large-scale screening of high-risk cancer populations. Scientists from Peking University performed single-cell RNA sequencing of different early-stage lung cancers and found that the fat metabolism turns abnormal in different cell types. Then they recruited a cohort of 311 participants including 171 early-stage non-small cell lung cancer patients and 140 healthy people to analyze lipid-related molecules in their plasma. Using a machine-learning algorithm, the scientists selected nine lipids that are deemed most important for early-stage cancer detection and built the AI-assisted detection model, according to the study. In a lung cancer screening cohort of 1,036 participants undergoing routine CT exams at a hospital in Beijing, and a clinical cohort containing 109 lung cancer patients, the detector has reached an accuracy of over 90 percent, the study said. Most of the participants diagnosed with lung cancer were non-smokers with stage one tumors, according to the study. Yin Yuxin, the paper's co-author and a professor from the School of Basic Medical Sciences of Peking University said the new detection strategy is helpful for the early diagnosis, auxiliary diagnosis, or population screening of many tumor diseases. In 2021, Yin and his collaborators developed AI-assisted tumor metabolism detection methods for pancreatic cancer and esophageal cancer. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) https://sputniknews.com/20220204/dw-broadcaster-announces-closure-of-its-bureau-in-moscow-1092749335.html DW Broadcaster Announces Closure of Its Bureau in Moscow DW Broadcaster Announces Closure of Its Bureau in Moscow On Thursday, Moscow said that it is closing the Deutsche Welles bureau in the country and annulling the accreditation of its employees, among other measures... 04.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-04T12:04+0000 2022-02-04T12:04+0000 2022-02-04T13:45+0000 russia world rt /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/02/04/1092750695_0:234:2048:1386_1920x0_80_0_0_38683e14996d487de557e3dd58b234f1.jpg The Moscow bureau of Deutsche Welle (DW) closed after Russia decided to forbid the media company from broadcasting in the country, according to the DW website.In turn, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that journalists from Deutsche Welle's Moscow office are due to surrender their accreditation on Friday, but that it doesn't mean they have to leave Russia.According to her, "about 19 people work in the office, 16 of them are citizens of Russia".She added that neither she nor her colleagues from the press centre had received any requests from Deutsche Welle journalists.On 3 February, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Russia, in response to the cessation of broadcasting of the RT DE channel, was closing the Deutsche Welle correspondent office in Russia and cancelling the accreditation of all employees of its Russian bureau.On Tuesday, German media regulator MABB officially banned RT DE from broadcasting in Germany, saying that the broadcaster did not have the necessary permission. RT DE said it will appeal the decision in court.Moscow has described the ban as an infringement on freedom of speech.The launch of RT DE has been surrounded by controversy in the European Union. In August, RT DE was refused a broadcasting license in Luxembourg after reportedly receiving some data from the German authorities. In September, YouTube removed two RT DE channels without the right of recovery for alleged "violations of community rules". Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 russia, world, rt https://sputniknews.com/20220204/erdogan-offers-peace-mediation-to-russia-ukraine-during-kiev-visit-to-finalize-drone-deal-1092733802.html Erdogan Offers Peace Mediation to Russia, Ukraine During Kiev Visit to Finalize Drone Deal Erdogan Offers Peace Mediation to Russia, Ukraine During Kiev Visit to Finalize Drone Deal Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has offered to mediate between Kiev and Moscow, who have been at odds since a US-backed coup in Kiev brought a... 04.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-04T00:51+0000 2022-02-04T00:51+0000 2022-02-04T00:50+0000 turkey ukraine peace talks russia drone bayraktar /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/02/04/1092733777_0:392:2944:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_62f179045dfece217d1a99876fb139a2.jpg I have stressed that we would be happy to host a summit meeting at a leadership level or technical level talks, Erdogan told reporters at a Thursday presser following his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kiev. Instead of fueling the fire, we act with the logical aim of reducing the tensions.Erdogan said his government views the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Ukraine Special Monitoring Mission in Donbas as important and that he sincerely believe[s] the Minsk Protocol can end the conflict peacefully. The Russian-speaking region split from Kiev at the same time as Crimea, but did not join Russia, and has remained in rebellion since. More than 13,000 people have died in the eight-year-long conflict, which Ukraine has accused Moscow of secretly supporting.More recently, NATO has accused Russia of preparing an invasion force on Ukraines borders, although both Moscow and Kiev have said that the troops deployed in western Russia are there legally and are not sufficient to constitute a strike group. The US has used the crisis to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars in weapons to Ukraine, including anti-tank missiles, and has prepared a rapid deployment force of 8,500 troops in case the situation escalates, although the Biden administration has said the troops wont be sent to Ukraine itself.In a way, Erdogans offer is almost a reciprocation of Moscows hosting of peace talks on behalf of the Syrian government between Iran and Turkey in the Russian city of Sochi. Several times, interventions by Russian President Vladimir Putin possibly helped avert an all-out war in Syria between the Syrian government and its Russian and Iranian allies on the one side, and Turkey on the other, who has intervened in large parts of northern Syria in support of Islamist terrorist rebel groups.According to Turkeys Anadolu Agency, the two Black Sea nations signed a free trade agreement intended to help boost bilateral trade to $10 billion a year from its present volume of $7.4 billion.Kiev bought several last year and has used them in strikes against separatist forces in Donbas, and the drones were used to great effect by Azerbaijan in its 2020 war with Armenia. They are also rumored to have been sold to Ethiopia and played a role in its repulsing of the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) offensive in December 2021. turkey ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg turkey, ukraine, peace talks, russia, drone, bayraktar https://sputniknews.com/20220204/eu-actively-looking-for-alternatives-to-russian-gas-may-block-nord-stream-2-ec-prez-says-1092756727.html EU Actively Looking for Alternatives to Russian Gas, May Block Nord Stream 2, EC Prez Says EU Actively Looking for Alternatives to Russian Gas, May Block Nord Stream 2, EC Prez Says European officials have threatened to include restrictions against the brand new pipeline among other sanctions to be levied against Moscow in the event of a... 04.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-04T15:32+0000 2022-02-04T15:32+0000 2022-02-04T17:47+0000 ukraine russia gazprom sanctions european union ursula von der leyen /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/06/1089711317_0:100:800:550_1920x0_80_0_0_ac635fc3c5e90478b59272b50350b66c.jpg The European Union is actively looking for alternatives to Russian gas supplies, primarily from the United States, and the fate of the recently-completed Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will depend on Russias actions, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said.The official accused Russian gas giant Gazprom of delivering less gas to Europe than it is capable of, and suggested that the company should increase deliveries as much as possible to account for the current spike in demand in the region.Gazprom has indicated repeatedly in recent months that it meets all of its obligations under existing agreements, and is willing to boost supplies to Europe immediately via new long-term contracts. The company has also encouraged Germany to speed up the certification of Nord Stream 2, which would bring up to 55 billion cubic metres of gas per year in additional capacity online. The Russian gas giant has also doubled exports to Europe through Ukraine this week, booking 108 million cubic meters of pipeline capacity for this purpose.The politician argued that Europes reliance on Russian gas is fraught with risks over the long term, and pledged her support for the construction of a new liquefied natural gas terminal in Germany.Generally, we speak to everyone, starting with Norway a supplier with whom we have had reliable cooperation for a long time, and also with Qatar, Azerbaijan, and Egypt. Of course, the United States also plays a big role. We will hold an energy summit in Washington on 7 February, von der Leyen said.SanctionsThe EC president also commented on new sanctions being drawn up by Brussels against Russia in the event of an invasion of Ukraine, saying that restrictions may include a ban on the sale of high-tech items to Russia that the country simply cannot replace on its own in fields including artificial intelligence and armaments, quantum computers, lasers and space flights. Russia needs to urgently modernize its economy. This cannot be done without technologies in which we undoubtedly hold a leading position in the world, she stressed.The European Commission chief visited Finland on Thursday, where she told reporters that the buildup of Russian military forces near Ukraine and in Belarus was the largest of its kind since the Second World War.Moscow has dismissed the Wests sanctions threats over Ukraine, saying it has plans to hedge risks in place if new restrictions go into effect. Russian officials have also insisted repeatedly that the country has no plans to invade its neighbour, chalking up the claims made by Western officials and media on the subject to fearmongering aimed at justifying the continued buildup of NATO forces near Russias border.Russias concerns proved justified this week, with the Pentagon announcing that 1,000 US troops would be redeployed to Romania, with 2,000 more shipped to Germany and Poland. The US and its allies have also continued their deliveries of lethal arms aid to Kiev, citing the threat of Russian aggression.In an exceptional development possibly sparked by domestic economic and political instability, Ukrainian officials have sought to reign in their Western patrons claims about the Russian threat in recent weeks, making statements both behind closed doors and publicly that NATO allegations are overblown, or even criticizing Western media for fearmongering. https://sputniknews.com/20220131/eu-trade-commissioner-says-nord-stream-2-on-pause-pending-review-of-compliance-with-european-laws-1092643478.html https://sputniknews.com/20220203/preemptive-sanctions-against-russia-over-ukraine-almost-ready-senior-us-senator-says-1092725845.html https://sputniknews.com/20220129/ukraines-zelensky-fearing-us-deliberately-overplaying-escalation-rhetoric-reports-say-1092602817.html ukraine european union Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov ukraine, russia, gazprom, sanctions, european union, ursula von der leyen https://sputniknews.com/20220204/german-minister-for-media-advocates-dialogue-with-russia-over-dw-rt-de-reciprocal-bans-1092755725.html German Minister for Media Advocates Dialogue With Russia Over DW, RT DE Reciprocal Bans German Minister for Media Advocates Dialogue With Russia Over DW, RT DE Reciprocal Bans BERLIN (Sputnik) - German Minister for Culture and the Media Claudia Roth said Moscow and Berlin should seek dialogue on the situation around the Russian TV... 04.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-04T15:01+0000 2022-02-04T15:01+0000 2022-02-04T15:00+0000 germany russia rt /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0c/10/1091560292_0:119:3071:1846_1920x0_80_0_0_b943c7b871e3321d6f642181c150f9ba.jpg On Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Moscow would close the DW bureau and annul the accreditation of its employees in response to the RT DE ban in Germany. The ministry also promised to initiate a procedure to recognize DW as a foreign agent. At the same time, a high-ranking official in the Russian ministry said that if Germany changed its position on RT DE, then Moscow would also respond positively. In turn, Latvian Minister of Justice Janis Bordans proposed to move the DW office to Riga if Moscow would not lift the ban on its work."What we need is not aggressive actions, but dialogue, de-escalation instead of escalation," the German media minister said on the air of the German ARD broadcaster.At the same time, Roth called Russia's measures against DW "aggressive." The minister stressed that she was "really upset" to know about the situation, especially given the fact that she had just discussed the issue of improving relations between the countries with Special Representative of Russian President on International Cultural Cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoy.Roth promised to explain to Russian Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova the difference between the RT DE ban in Germany and the closure of the DW office in Moscow.In addition, Roth noted that RT DE could apply for a broadcasting license in Germany and take legal steps regarding the ban.German Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Andrea Sasse said on Friday that Berlin had outlined "a legal way" to resolve the situation with RT DE in Germany.However, earlier in the day, a high-ranking official in the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Moscow had proposed ways to resolve the crisis around RT DE during the visit of German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock to Russia, but Berlin had refused to discuss the issue. https://sputniknews.com/20220204/dw-broadcaster-announces-closure-of-its-bureau-in-moscow-1092749335.html germany Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 germany, russia, rt https://sputniknews.com/20220204/german-scientists-aim-to-breed-genetically-modified-pig-to-serve-as-heart-donors-for-humans-1092758105.html German Scientists Aim to Breed Genetically Modified Pig to Serve as Heart Donors for Humans German Scientists Aim to Breed Genetically Modified Pig to Serve as Heart Donors for Humans The scientists intend to have the first generation of the pigs ready this year and to test their hearts on baboons before eventually seeking human clinical... 04.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-04T17:41+0000 2022-02-04T17:41+0000 2022-02-04T17:43+0000 tech pig heart organ transplantation donor cloning /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/08/1080398802_0:99:1921:1179_1920x0_80_0_0_30cc9a80b38521591657344f5e3d814a.jpg Scientists in Germany seek to clone and breed genetically modified pigs to potentially transplant their hearts into humans.According to Reuters, a scientist at Ludwig-Maximilians University (LMU) in Munich named Eckhard Wolf said that his team plans to have the new species, modified from the Auckland Island breed, ready for transplant trials by 2025.As Wolf has explained, the team intends to create the founder animals via cloning technology and then use these creatures to breed genetically identical generations of pigs.The first generation is expected to be produced this year and their hearts are going to be tested on baboons first if all goes well, the scientists will ask for approval for human clinical trials, he added.This development comes after surgeons in Maryland performed a first-of-its-kind successful operation last month by transplanting a heart from a genetically modified pig (with 10 modifications) to a terminally ill man.Also in January, surgeons in Alabama successfully transplanted a pigs kidneys into the body of a brain-dead man, in a possible rehearsal for a surgery that may eventually be performed on living patients.While the scientist argued that using animals as organ donors could help shorten the list of people waiting for transplants, this approach also has its opponents.Animals should not serve as spare parts for humans," said Kristina Berchtold, a spokesperson for the Munich branch of Germany's Animal Welfare Association. A pet, a so-called farm animal, a clone or a naturally born animal all have the same needs, fears and also rights."And in 2019, a petition by a German pressure group Doctors Against Animal Experiments calling for a ban on xenotransplantation research (I.e. research on animal-to-human transplants) accrued over 57,000 signatures, Reuters points out. https://sputniknews.com/20220120/pig-kidneys-successfully-transplanted-into-brain-dead-human-body-1092403290.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Andrei Dergalin Andrei Dergalin News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Andrei Dergalin tech, pig, heart, organ transplantation, donor, cloning https://sputniknews.com/20220204/going-viral-libyan-education-ministrys-typo-turns-omicron-into-macron-1092745025.html Going 'Viral': Libyan Education Ministry's Typo Turns 'Omicron' Into 'Macron' Going 'Viral': Libyan Education Ministry's Typo Turns 'Omicron' Into 'Macron' This is not the first time the latest coronavirus strain has caused confusion among those unfamiliar with Greek, and been mistaken for a famous character whose... 04.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-04T14:57+0000 2022-02-04T14:57+0000 2022-02-04T14:56+0000 covid-19 virus omicron strain emmanuel macron /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/06/18/1083235831_0:191:2961:1857_1920x0_80_0_0_d7bfe9943caafef6f0fdb006042423e4.jpg Libya's education ministry issued a decree recently, asking schools to announce a quarantine between 3 and 10 February because of a surge in COVID cases across the country. But the ministry managed to insert a typo when referring to the name of the virus, which turned its decree - figuratively at any rate - viral: the Omicron variant - named after the 15th letter in the Greek alphabet - was misspelt "Macron", inadvertently shifting blame onto the French President.The document with the typo has been doing the rounds on social media since then. France's leader isn't the first one to have found himself accidentally linked with the virus: earlier, US rapper Omarion addressed fans on TikTok, asking them not to confuse his name with that of the new coronavirus strain. And Belgian death-metal group Omicron has said that it is not going to change its name because of the coincidence.In November 2021, the World Health Organisation designated the variant B.1.1.529 - first reported in South Africa - a variant of concern and named it Omicron, saying that the new strain would probably turn out to be more infectious but less deadly than the previous variant, Delta, which was named after the fourth letter in the Greek alphabet. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sofia Chegodaeva Sofia Chegodaeva News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sofia Chegodaeva covid-19, virus, omicron strain, emmanuel macron https://sputniknews.com/20220204/house-speaker-pelosi-warns-us-olympians-against-angering-ruthless-chinese-government-during-games-1092735307.html House Speaker Pelosi Warns US Olympians Against Angering 'Ruthless' Chinese Government During Games House Speaker Pelosi Warns US Olympians Against Angering 'Ruthless' Chinese Government During Games The US, Canada, and Australia have announced a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics, marking an escalation of the US-led pressure campaign against... 04.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-04T04:12+0000 2022-02-04T04:12+0000 2022-02-04T04:11+0000 us 2022 winter olympics beijing china pelosi us house of representatives /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/02/04/1092735279_0:0:3073:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_90041e3e0d835e43afa3703ce613988f.jpg While speaking at a Thursday Congressional-Executive Commission hearing on China, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged athletes to avoid speaking out against Beijing while participating in the winter games. Pelosi railed against the International Olympic Committee (IOC) during her Thursday speech, proclaiming that the organization "turns a blind eye to Beijing's alleged human rights violations."She also claimed that lawmakers in Washington had an "urgent moral duty to shine a bright light" on the Chinese government's wrongdoings amid the winter games. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) also took aim at the IOC, as well as its corporate sponsors. "If given a choice, I believe no athlete would want to compete in a country committing genocide and crimes against humanity. But that is what they are forced to do because of the feckless IOC and its corporate sponsors," said McGovern, who heads the committee. China has repeatedly rejected accusations about its treatment of Muslim Uighurs living in Xinjiang after claims of its reeducation camps first emerged in 2018. In the years since, the matter has become a major international issue for US and its allies, with the Biden administration earlier accusing China of committing genocide and opting to impose sanctions against Chinese officials. https://sputniknews.com/20220128/beijing-reportedly-gives-un-human-rights-chief-bachelet-clearance-to-visit-xinjiang-after-olympics-1092566765.html us beijing china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Evan Craighead Evan Craighead News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Evan Craighead us, 2022 winter olympics, beijing, china, pelosi, us house of representatives https://sputniknews.com/20220204/johnson-scholz-agree-dialogue-with-russia-necessary-amid-ukraine-crisis-1092756982.html Johnson, Scholz Agree Dialogue With Russia Necessary Amid Ukraine Crisis Johnson, Scholz Agree Dialogue With Russia Necessary Amid Ukraine Crisis LONDON (Sputnik) - UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz discussed the situation in Ukraine during a phone conversation on Friday... 04.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-04T16:01+0000 2022-02-04T16:01+0000 2022-02-04T16:00+0000 boris johnson olaf scholz ukraine russia /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/01/09/1092123779_0:0:3178:1788_1920x0_80_0_0_0a6c85f567dc8d6c82f26668969a59b1.jpg "The leaders agreed on the importance of dialogue with Russia. They resolved to use all diplomatic channels available to bring an end to the current tensions," a Downing Street spokesperson said in a statement.In addition, Johnson and Scholz said that it is necessary to send a "clear and consistent message to Russia, including on the repercussions of a further Russian invasion of Ukraine.""They agreed to continue working together and with other international partners on a comprehensive package of sanctions. The Prime Minister stressed that those sanctions should be ready to come into force immediately in the event of further Russian incursion into Ukraine," the spokesperson added.The West has been speculating on Russia's alleged plans to invade Ukraine, a claim Moscow strongly denies as groundless and absurd. Commenting on US claims that Russia has been building up its military forces - up to 100,000 soldiers - close to Ukraine's border, Moscow said that it was not clear where Washington had taken these figures from and added that Russia has the right to move its troops anywhere it likes, within its borders. Moscow also stressed that NATO's military activity close to Russian borders threatens the country's security. ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 boris johnson, olaf scholz, ukraine, russia https://sputniknews.com/20220204/last-living-signatory-to-canadas-charter-of-rights-takes-trudeau-govt-to-court-over-vax-mandates-1092758754.html Last Living Signatory to Canadas Charter of Rights Takes Trudeau Govt to Court Over Vax Mandates Last Living Signatory to Canadas Charter of Rights Takes Trudeau Govt to Court Over Vax Mandates Police across Canada are bracing for a fresh bout of trucker-led protests against Covid-19 vaccination mandates and other pandemic restrictions on the weekend... 04.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-04T17:18+0000 2022-02-04T17:18+0000 2022-02-04T19:00+0000 canada restrictions travel restrictions lawsuit /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/02/04/1092758729_0:56:800:506_1920x0_80_0_0_43ed4b12b07d1aab74563f9e2280e856.jpg Brian Peckford, the former Newfoundland premier who helped draft Canadas Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982 under Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, is suing the federal government headed by Trudeaus son Justin, arguing that its vaccine mandates for air travel are unconstitutional.Peckford, 79, joined five other applicants in a case filed with the Federal Court against Canadas minister of transport and the attorney general.The federal government put the restrictions in place last October.Applicants allege that the mandate was created and promulgated in a manner, means and in a form which is incorrect, unreasonable, an impermissible sub-delegation of authority, tainted by preconceived notions and consideration of extraneous and irrelevant factors, lacking in natural justice.Peckford spoke to a crowd of about 5,000 protesters before the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in Victoria last Saturday, explaining why the lawsuit is targeting air travel restrictions specifically.You just cant go to court and say generally youre violating my rights. Youve gotta pick one. You gotta pick one and argue that oneWell, what one could we pick that would apply to all Canadians? Mobility rights. The ban on travel, because that affects every Canadian from coast to coast to coast. Every Canadian is affected by the travel ban, he said.Were not going to allow this nation on the northern part of North America to go down the drain because we have people whove gotten hungry for power and have discarded the individual freedoms that you and I own. They are ours, Peckford stressed.Speaking to Canadian media, Peckford has elaborated that the rights and freedoms outlined in the Charter can only be subjected to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.Peckford is a veteran politician who served as the premier of Newfoundland and head of the provinces Progressive Conservative Party between 1979 and 1989. He is the last living member among the federal and provincial leadership including the late Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau and provincial premiers, who helped draft the 1982 Constitution and Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Signed on 17 April 1982, the Constitution Act served as the final step to full Canadian sovereignty from Britain.Peckford filed his suit together with the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, an Alberta-based group that lobbied against Covid-related restrictions. The Centre argues that the air travel restrictions have made it impossible for six million unvaccinated Canadians to travel within the country or abroad for work, leisure or to visit loved ones.Tens of thousands of long-haul truckers and their supporters travelled to Ottawa last weekend to protest the Trudeau government's vaccine mandates. The prime minister initially brushed the protesters off as a "small fringe minority," but was later moved to an undisclosed location by his security staff. He went into self-imposed isolation after contacting someone with Covid and prolonged the isolation period on Monday after announcing that he had tested positive himself.Along with protests in Ottawa, dozens of smaller gatherings have been held across Canada over the past week in support of the truckers, who have dubbed their movement 'Freedom Convoy 2022'. https://sputniknews.com/20220204/canadian-police-brace-for-new-trucker-protests-during-weekend-1092741655.html https://sputniknews.com/20220203/gofundme-freezes-over-10-mln-raised-for-canadian-freedom-convoy-amid-concerns-over-us-funding-1092708770.html canada Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov canada, restrictions, travel restrictions, lawsuit https://sputniknews.com/20220204/make-it-eight-yet-another-kamala-harris-staffer-to-leave-white-house-1092740924.html Make it Eight: Yet Another Kamala Harris Staffer to Leave White House Make it Eight: Yet Another Kamala Harris Staffer to Leave White House Over the course of several months, seven employees from the office of US Vice President Kamala Harris have stepped down from their positions. The exodus... 04.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-04T09:01+0000 2022-02-04T09:01+0000 2022-02-04T09:01+0000 us kamala harris exodus /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/02/04/1092741136_0:231:3071:1958_1920x0_80_0_0_31c8c2c47c58ef8192f89631ea7763fa.jpg Yet another high-ranking Kamala Harris staffer is getting ready to leave the White House: Kate Childs Graham, Harris' chief speechwriter, will quit at the end of the month, Fox News reported, citing sources.One of Graham's colleagues, Herbie Ziskend, who serves as Deputy Communications Director to the Vice President of the United States, commented on the speechwriter's upcoming departure.Graham herself is yet to comment on her decision to quit.She is not the only one who has decided to part ways with Kamala Harris recently. Amid the unflattering media reports about the toxic atmosphere of the VP office, seven top officials have already resigned. One of the most well-known names among those who have stepped down is Harris' ex-chief spokesperson Symone Sanders. She quit in December, shortly after a similar move was made by the VP's communications director Ashley Etienne, who said she resigned to "pursue other opportunities". Almost at the same time as Sanders, the door of the VP's office closed behind Peter Velz, director of press operations, and Vince Evans, deputy director of the Office of Public Engagement.Before them were Harris' director of advance Karly Satkowiak and deputy director of advance Gabrielle DeFranceschi, along with director of digital strategies Rajan Kaur.The vice president did not enjoy widespread popularity during her first year in the administration. Her approval ratings have been low over the past months as she faces criticism over her performance as "border czar". Her numbers appear to have settled way below 40%, making her one of the least popular vice presidents in US history. Reports about her office's toxic work environment certainly did not help make things better.Those willing to defend Harris include top White House officials such as Press Secretary Jen Psaki, as well as President Joe Biden himself. Biden is only marginally more popular than his VP, with over 50% of Americans expressing disapproval of his performance in the Oval Office. Psaki has written off critics of Harris as sexist and racist. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Daria Bedenko Daria Bedenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Daria Bedenko us, kamala harris, exodus https://sputniknews.com/20220204/minneapolis-police-department-releases-body-camera-footage-of-recent-shooting-incident-1092762463.html Minneapolis Police Department Releases Body Camera Footage of Recent Shooting Incident Minneapolis Police Department Releases Body Camera Footage of Recent Shooting Incident WASHINGTON, February 4 (Sputnik) - The Minneapolis Police Department on Friday released body camera footage showing officers shoot and kill 22-year old black... 04.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-04T20:08+0000 2022-02-04T20:08+0000 2022-02-04T20:08+0000 us police shooting /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/08/02/1083511667_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_d8fa9ffab299d4b1d15cc280e2588d38.jpg The body camera footage shows a Minneapolis Police SWAT team gaining and announcing entry into an apartment where Locke was laying on a couch before purportedly pointing a handgun in the officers direction. An officer in response returned fire, hitting and ultimately killing Locke."On February 2, 2022 at approximately 6:48am, the Minneapolis Police SWAT team, in Minneapolis Police Department uniforms, marked external ballistic vests, and tactical gear executed a warrant for the Saint Paul Police Department Homicide unit," the Minneapolis Police Department said in a public information report. "Approximately nine seconds into the entry, officers encountered a male who was armed with a handgun pointed in the direction of the officers. An officer fired his duty weapon and the adult male suspect was struck."The police officers immediately provided Locke with first aid while he awaited transport to a local hospital, where he later died, the Minneapolis Police Department said.The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is conducting an independent investigation into the incident, the department added. us Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 us, police, shooting https://sputniknews.com/20220204/photos-ukrainian-troops-spotted-drilling-for-urban-combat-in-abandoned-pripyat-near-chernobyl-1092763585.html Photos: Ukrainian Troops Spotted Drilling for Urban Combat in Abandoned Pripyat, Near Chernobyl Photos: Ukrainian Troops Spotted Drilling for Urban Combat in Abandoned Pripyat, Near Chernobyl It may be barred to the public, and one of the most radioactive places on the planet, but Ukrainian troops are staging drills in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone... 04.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-04T21:54+0000 2022-02-04T21:54+0000 2022-02-04T21:54+0000 ukraine pripyat chernobyl drills /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/02/04/1092763358_0:340:3035:2047_1920x0_80_0_0_08f0b37a98c272fe379cb3567095879c.jpg Ukrainian troops practiced urban combat and other tactics in the northern city of Pripyat on Friday, according to AFP. Due to many unique characteristics of the area, it offered a unique training opportunity. However, its also very dangerous, as the city lies within the fallout zone irradiated by the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, when a nearby nuclear power plant experienced a partial meltdown during a safety test."As there are no civilians around here we can conduct exercises with real ammunition in a situation as close to actual urban warfare as possible," one Ukrainian soldier told AFP. According to the agency, the troops practiced clearing buildings of enemy troops, targeted mortar fire and engaging snipers in urban conditions. Emergency service workers also practiced evacuations and firefighting.Photos of the drills show troops in snow gear maneuvering down streets and through wooded areas, and the erection of hedgehog tank traps and concertina wire.Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, who was accompanied by journalists to the Exclusion Zone, downplayed the threat posed by Russian soldiers, but described the Exclusion Zone as a major obstacle, with radiation forming just one peril.Civilians generally arent allowed in the exclusion zone, where some of the worst radiation spewed by the fire inside of Chernobyl Reactor No. 4 fell and irradiated the soil. The area covers some 1,000 square kilometers and abuts the Belarusian border.A New Safe Containment Shelter has also been erected over the collapsed fourth reactor to halt further radioactive leaking - a task its expected to perform for the next century.Kiev deployed several thousand troops to the area beginning in November, when the West began raising fears of alleged Russian invasion plans after Russian troops were deployed near the Ukrainian border. If an attack were to come from Belarus, the Exclusion Zone offers one of the quickest ways to the capital of Kiev.Moscow has denied plans for an invasion, and troops deployed to Belarus are scheduled for combined drills later this month. Indeed, Kiev has also sought to play down Western fears, saying the Russian forces near the border arent numerous enough to constitute an invasion force, and that such deployments are both legal and typical.So far, the alliance has refused to write off the possibility of admitting Ukraine, but has made some concessions about stationing offensive weapons in Ukraine or certain other weapons in nearby states. However, the US has demanded Russia pull its troops back from near the Ukrainian border, putting the entire blame for the crisis on Russias shoulders. ukraine pripyat chernobyl Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg ukraine, pripyat, chernobyl, drills https://sputniknews.com/20220204/porn-scandal-indias-apex-court-grants-protection-from-arrest-to-actress-sherlyn-chopra-1092749842.html Porn Scandal: India's Apex Court Grants Protection From Arrest to Actress Sherlyn Chopra Porn Scandal: India's Apex Court Grants Protection From Arrest to Actress Sherlyn Chopra Known for her erotic performances in Hindi movies, Indian actress Sherlyn Chopra's name cropped up after she and Poonam Pandey were accused by Mumbai Police in... 04.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-04T13:29+0000 2022-02-04T13:29+0000 2022-02-04T13:29+0000 india porn porn star porn site pornography scandal celebrity scandal controversy /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/02/04/1092751993_0:106:1365:874_1920x0_80_0_0_0a11fb635da80f1f5a4e71eb0f9c14d7.jpg The Supreme Court of India on Friday granted actress Sherlyn Chopra protection from arrest in the porn film racket case.In the police complaint filed against Sherlyn and Poonam Pandey, the actresses have been named as accused, amid allegations that their websites were broadcasting indecent videos that were lascivious, lustful, sexually offensive, and openly available throughout the Internet. To evade arrest, Sherlyn had filed an anticipatory bail application, which was rejected by the Bombay High Court in November last year. Sherlyn's advocate Sunil Fernandes made an appeal to the Supreme Court, which has now granted her protection, while ordering the Mumbai Police that no coercive action shall be taken against her. Earlier, the Supreme Court had also granted protection from arrest to the other accused actress, Poonam Pandey, and the main suspect Raj Kundra, the husband of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty. In February 2021, nine people, including artists, casting agents, and cameramen, were arrested for allegedly luring aspiring actors into making pornographic content for the HotShots and Bollyfame adult apps.On 19 July 2021, the Mumbai Police arrested Rai Kundra after being named as a key conspirator in the porn scandal and for allegedly distributing pornographic videos on the app.Several other actresses such as Poonam Pandey, Sherlyn Chopra, and others were also summoned in the case. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sangeeta Yadav https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/1b/1080292803_0:121:960:1081_100x100_80_0_0_7490b319dab9611e309056b177265184.jpg Sangeeta Yadav https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/1b/1080292803_0:121:960:1081_100x100_80_0_0_7490b319dab9611e309056b177265184.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sangeeta Yadav https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/1b/1080292803_0:121:960:1081_100x100_80_0_0_7490b319dab9611e309056b177265184.jpg india, porn, porn star, porn site, pornography, scandal, celebrity scandal, controversy https://sputniknews.com/20220204/prominent-muslim-party-to-protest-across-india-after-attack-on-party-chiefs-car-1092736965.html Prominent Muslim Party to Protest Across India After Attack on Party Chief's Car Prominent Muslim Party to Protest Across India After Attack on Party Chief's Car On Thursday, unknown assailants fired three or four rounds of bullets at India's prominent Muslim leader Asaduddin Owaisi at the Chhajarsi toll plaza in Uttar... 04.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-04T12:20+0000 2022-02-04T12:20+0000 2022-02-04T12:20+0000 india india muslim muslim /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/02/04/1092750035_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_d5eb8622c342c1908631ccd59fdef013.jpg The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) party unit will organise a peaceful protest across the country on Friday, demanding a detailed investigation into the attack on its chief Asaduddin Owaisi. The decision was announced by AIMIM party spokesperson and parliamentarian from Aurangabad District Imtiaz Jaleel.Jaleel also sought putting in place stringent security arrangements for the AIMIM president during his public meetings in the poll-bound Uttar Pradesh state.Uttar Pradesh state police have informed that two persons named Sachin and Shubham have been arrested in the matter. The accused told police that the AIMIM chief's anti-Hindu comments hurt them."Police has arrested two people -- Shubham and Sachin who attacked -- Owaisi's car," wrote a twitter user while posting the video of accused.Although the situation remained calm in Uttar Pradesh after the attack, tension prevailed in his home state of Telangana. Protesting the attacks on the AIMIM chief, a black flag was hoisted at Charminar Market in Telangana's capital city of Hyderabad. Local hawkers in the area also closed their shops as a sign of protest against the attack.Owaisi, a staunch critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), has often come under attack for his speeches, which are often called "anti-Hindu speech".Last September, Owaisi's official residence in New Delhi was vandalised by a group of Hindu Sena (a Hindu group) men, who called the MP a "jihadi". india Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Deexa Khanduri https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0c/1e/1081607388_0:0:961:960_100x100_80_0_0_e9e931b8c1e18fb41f3074e2145d7a3a.jpg Deexa Khanduri https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0c/1e/1081607388_0:0:961:960_100x100_80_0_0_e9e931b8c1e18fb41f3074e2145d7a3a.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Deexa Khanduri https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0c/1e/1081607388_0:0:961:960_100x100_80_0_0_e9e931b8c1e18fb41f3074e2145d7a3a.jpg india, india, muslim, muslim https://sputniknews.com/20220204/putin-xi-talks-russia-china-agree-to-resist-external-forces-and-strengthen-asean-1092746363.html Putin-Xi Talks: Russia, China Agree to Resist External Forces and Strengthen ASEAN Putin-Xi Talks: Russia, China Agree to Resist External Forces and Strengthen ASEAN MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The presidents of Russia and China, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, held negotiations earlier on Friday that lasted almost three hours. 04.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-04T11:33+0000 2022-02-04T11:33+0000 2022-02-04T11:31+0000 russia china vladimir putin xi jinping /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/02/04/1092746874_0:0:3111:1750_1920x0_80_0_0_b77102a30ea8117aecf22c85e4fa6ed1.jpg Mr Putin has arrived in Beijing to meet his Chinese counterpart and attend the opening ceremony for the Winter Olympics. The negotiations were preceded by an official meeting ceremony and photographing. After that, Putin and Xi talked with the participation of members of the delegations, then the meeting continued one-on-one.As a result of the talks, a package of joint documents was signed, and the leaders adopted a joint statement.Russia and China have agreed to resist the interference of external forces into internal affairs of sovereign nations and agreed to continue developing cooperation in the frameworks of "Russia-India-China" and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)."China and Russia support the ASEAN's central role in promoting cooperation in East Asia, continue enhancing coordination on issues of strengthening cooperation with ASEAN, and jointly promote cooperation in public health, sustainable development, counterterrorism and tackling transnational crime. We will continue strengthening the role of ASEAn as a key element of the regional architecture," the text of the declaration says.Russia and China agree that the international and regional security situation is "complicating" and "the number of global challenges and threats is growing from day to day" even as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. The two countries are opposed to the politicisation of the origins of the coronavirus. According to Moscow and Beijing, biological warfare of the United States and its allies raises deep concerns and threatens Moscow and Beijing's national security."The sides emphasize that domestic and foreign bioweapons activities by the United States and its allies raise serious concerns and questions for the international community regarding their compliance with the BWC [the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction]," the statement reads."Russia and China insist that the United States, as the sole State Party to the Convention that has not yet completed the process of eliminating chemical weapons, accelerate the elimination of its stockpiles of chemical weapons," the statement added.The sides also welcomed the adoption of the Joint Statement of the Leaders of the Five Nuclear-Weapons States on Preventing Nuclear War and Avoiding Arms Races.The Russian-Chinese joint statement also touches upon the question of Internet control, stressing that attempts to limit the right to regulate national segments are unacceptable."The sides support the course towards the internationalization of the management of the internet, stand for equal rights to manage it, consider unacceptable any attempts to limit their sovereign right to regulate and ensure the security of national segments of the internet, are interested in more active involvement of the International Telecommunication Union in solving these problems," the statement reads.Moscow and Beijing have reached an agreement on further supplies of Russian oil to China. Rosneft and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) have signed an agreement on the supply of 100 million tons of oil over 10 years for processing at Chinese refineries."During the visit of the delegation headed by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to Beijing (PRC), negotiations were held between PJSC Rosneft Oil Company and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and the Agreement was signed on the supply of 100 million tons of oil to China through Kazakhstan for 10 years. Crude oil will be processed at factories in northwest China to meet the country's needs for petroleum products," the statement says.In addition, during the visit, a memorandum in the field of low-carbon development was signed."In accordance with the Agreement of Rosneft and CNPC there are prospects of interaction worked out concerning a set of areas of low carbon development, particularly in reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, including methane, technologies of energy efficiency as well as CO2 capture and storage (CCS). Parties also consider other areas of potential cooperation in the field of low carbon development as well. Low carbon technologies developed by the companies, including "smart" and digital solutions, in the future may be applied within the large-scale joint petroleum projects in Russia and China," Rosneft said in a statement.According to a joint statement signed between Russia and China, they advocate for a more open, transparent and inclusive system of international trade and economic rules."The sides support and defend the multilateral trade system based on the central role of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), take an active part in the WTO reform, opposing unilateral approaches and protectionism...The sides are ready to strengthen dialogue between partners and coordinate positions on trade and economic issues of common concern, contribute to ensuring the sustainable and stable operation of global and regional value chains, promote a more open, inclusive, transparent, non-discriminatory system of international trade and economic rules," the statement says. https://sputniknews.com/20210720/china-upped-russian-oil-acquisitions-in-june-1083423956.html https://sputniknews.com/20210810/earth-warming-faster-than-previously-thought-us-military-largest-emitter-of-greenhouse-gas-1083566761.html china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 russia, china, vladimir putin, xi jinping https://sputniknews.com/20220204/rupert-murdochs-news-corp-reportedly-hit-by-cyberattack-from-china--1092757315.html Rupert Murdoch's News Corp Reportedly Hit by Cyberattack From China Rupert Murdoch's News Corp Reportedly Hit by Cyberattack From China WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - A number of media outlets part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp were hit by a cyberattack in late January, with a probe alleging China's... 04.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-04T16:23+0000 2022-02-04T16:23+0000 2022-02-04T16:27+0000 china cyber attack rupert murdoch /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/105507/07/1055070712_0:70:2969:1740_1920x0_80_0_0_71ba06474fbfbf415a31fc51518e7138.jpg The attack was reportedly detected on 20 January and affected an array of publications and business units, including The Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, the UK news operation of the holding, and the News Corp headquarters, according to an email sent by the company to its staff earlier in the day.Unknown hackers targeted the emails and documents of some employees, including journalists. News Corp hired cybersecurity firm Mandiant Inc. to help with an investigation, the report said.News Corp believes the threatening activity has been contained, the report said.The United States has repeatedly accused China of targeting US companies and government bodies. On Tuesday, FBI Director Christopher Wray said that China poses the greatest threat to the United States in the field of economic security and innovation, stealing "terabytes" of data from "hundreds" of American companies. He added that there are more than 2,000 investigations focusing on Chinese government attempts to steal US intellectual property.Beijing has repeatedly denied cyber attack allegations. https://sputniknews.com/20210803/uk-priest-sews-mouth-shut-over-silencing-of-climate-change-by-murdoch-owned-media-photo-1083518275.html china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 china, cyber attack, rupert murdoch https://sputniknews.com/20220204/russia-china-alignment-caused-not-only-by-us-policy-but-also-economic-interests---expert-1092758284.html Russia-China Alignment Caused Not Only by US Policy, But Also Economic Interests, Analyst Says Russia-China Alignment Caused Not Only by US Policy, But Also Economic Interests, Analyst Says MOSCOW (Sputnik) - A recently published joint statement of Russia and China demonstrates a remarkable unity of interests between the two countries, brought... 04.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-04T14:46+0000 2022-02-04T14:46+0000 2022-02-04T16:48+0000 russia ukraine china us opinion /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/02/04/1092758259_0:0:2693:1515_1920x0_80_0_0_ccc5db73990d88b02ed6f7d3098a52b1.jpg Earlier in the day, Russia and China issued a joint statement following talks between presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping in Beijing."The joint statement is quite a remarkable document. It shows tremendous commonality of purpose between China and Russia in terms of their visions for a post-pandemic world order. In addition, the statement does indicate Beijings support for Moscow on some specific issues. For instance, it explicitly opposes NATOs enlargement, supports Russian proposals for security guarantees in Europe and opposes deployment of US ground-based missiles in Asia-Pacific and Europe," Manoj Kewalramani, the chairperson of the Indo-Pacific Studies Program at the Takshashila Institution, told Sputnik on Friday.The expert added as a caveat that common purposes do not necessarily translate into shared approaches and policies, noting that Moscow and Beijing also have different interests in the Indo-Pacific and Europe.Various US policies, including the creation of the AUKUS defense partnership, have played their part, but other factors have prompted this development as well, the expert said.Tensions between Russia and the United States have escalated over the past several months after Russia was accused of building up troops near the Ukrainian border and allegedly preparing for an invasion. Moscow has denied the accusations, pointing to NATO's military activity near Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security.On Monday, the UN Security Council voted to proceed with a public meeting on Ukraine, with Russia and China opposing the move. Chinese Permanent Representative to the United Nations Zhang Jun said that China does not agree that Russia's deployment of troops near the Ukrainian border undermines international security and called NATO's expansion "a problem difficult to circumvent."In December, Moscow published its proposals for the United States and NATO on security guarantees. The proposals, if agreed to, would prevent NATO from expanding in Eastern Europe and prohibit the US and Russia from deploying intermediate and shorter-range missiles within striking distance of each other's territory, among other terms. ukraine china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 russia, ukraine, china, us, opinion https://sputniknews.com/20220204/russia-china-issue-joint-statement-on-opposition-to-nato-expansion-slam-blocs-cold-war-approach-1092743120.html Russia, China Oppose NATO Expansion, Alliance's 'Cold War' Approach Russia, China Oppose NATO Expansion, Alliance's 'Cold War' Approach Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing on Friday to meet with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and observe the opening ceremony of the 2022... 04.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-04T09:31+0000 2022-02-04T09:31+0000 2022-02-04T16:15+0000 nato /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/02/04/1092757414_0:0:3111:1751_1920x0_80_0_0_4af60064bc536df4a51885692cb116b0.jpg Russia and China are opposed to NATO's further expansion, and to the Western alliance's 'Cold War approach' to international affairs, the two countries said in a joint statement."Today, the world is undergoing massive changes. Humanity is entering a new era of rapid development and large-scale transformations. Such processes and phenomena as multipolarity, economic globalisation, the informatisation of society, cultural diversity, the transformation of the system of global governance and the world order are developing, the interconnectedness and interdependence of states is increasing, a trend is being formed to redistribute the balance of world power. There is a growing demand from the world community for leadership in the interests of peaceful and sustainable development," the statement, signed by Putin and Xi and published on the Russian president's website on Friday, reads.The two countries appeal to all nations, calling for the strengthening "of dialogue and mutual trust, a deepening of mutual understanding, the upholding of universal values such as peace, development, equality, justice, democracy and freedom, respect for the rights of peoples to independently choose the path of development of their countries, and the sovereignty and interests of states in the field of security and development." The joint statement also calls on the international community to "protect" the international system in which the United Nations plays a central role, and calls for the creation of "true multilateralism" in the interests of the "democratisation of international relations, peace, stability and sustainable development."NATO, TaiwanRussia and China "believe that individual states, military-political alliances or coalitions which pursue unilateral military advantages to the detriment of the security of others, including by means of unfair competition, serve to intensify geopolitical rivalry, increase antagonism and confrontation, and seriously undermine order in the fields of international security and global strategic stability."The two countries also "oppose the formation of closed bloc structures and opposing camps in the Asia-Pacific region, and remain highly vigilant regarding the negative impact to peace and stability in this region of the US Indo-Pacific strategy." Instead, the joint communique notes, Moscow and Beijing seek to build "an equal, open and inclusive security system" in the Indo-Pacific which is "not directed against third countries".The Chinese side "supports the proposals put forward by the Russian Federation on the formation of long-term legally binding security guarantees in Europe," the statement notes.The two countries pledge to "oppose the actions of external forces to undermine security and stability in common adjacent regions," and will oppose "interference of external forces under any pretext in the internal affairs of sovereign countries, oppose 'colour revolutions' and increase cooperation" in these fields.The joint statement also supports the idea of "a unified global anti-terrorist front" in which a central role is played by the UN. At the same time, "the parties oppose the politicization of the issue of combating terrorism...and condemn interference in the internal affairs of other states for geopolitical purposes through the use of terrorist and extremist groups, or under the banner of combating international terrorism and extremism."Strategic SecurityThe countries mark "serious concern" over the creation of the AUKUS tripartite security partnership between the US, the UK and Australia. "Russia and China believe that such actions run counter to the objectives of ensuring security and sustainable development of the Asia-Pacific region, increase the risk of an arms race in the region, and create serious risks of nuclear proliferation."On nuclear policy in general, Russia and China agree on the need to "abandon the Cold War mentality and zero-sum games" approach, and call on nuclear powers to withdraw nuclear weapons deployed abroad, to "rule out the unrestricted development of a global missile defence system" by the US, and call for steps to be taken to lessen the risk of nuclear war and "reduce the role of nuclear weapons" in nations' national security policy.More broadly, Russia and China oppose the US policy trend of ripping up international arms control agreements, saying such actions have had "an extremely negative impact on international and regional security and stability," with US efforts to construct a global missile defence shield, "combined with the building up of high-precision non-nuclear weapons for disarming strikes and other strategic tasks," and efforts to militarise space, seriously damaging global security.Eurasian Economic Union, One Belt, One RoadThe communique commits Russia and China to "intensify work on linking the development plans of the Eurasian Economic Union and the One Belt, One Road initiative to deepen practical cooperation between the EEU and China in various fields, and to increase the level of interconnectedness between the Asia-Pacific and Eurasian regions," including in the interests of a "Greater Eurasian Partnership."The parties also agree to "deepen practical cooperation" in the development of the Arctic.Russia and China call on all countries to engage in "open, equal and non-discriminatory" cooperation in science and technology, to strengthen collaborative efforts on creating sustainable transport systems, and reaffirm their commitments to the global fight against climate change. Moscow and Beijing also plan to "continue to increase cooperation" in medicine, including insofar as the coronavirus pandemic is concerned, and also express a readiness to "strengthen dialogue" on issues including artificial intelligence and information security.The parties mark support for an international trade order based on the central role of the World Trade Organization, support the G20 format, support the "deepening of the strategic partnership" within the BRICS group of nations, support the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and ASEAN forums, plan to expand cooperation in the 'Russia-India-China' format, and "aim to comprehensively strengthen the Shanghai Cooperation Organization" to further enhance its role in shaping a polycentric world order."The parties also express "deep concern" about Japan's plans to release radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the world ocean, emphasizing "that the disposal of radioactive water must be approached responsibly and carried out on the basis of agreements between the Japanese side and neighbouring states, other interested parties and relevant international structures, and be subject to transparency and scientific reasoning in accordance with international law." https://sputniknews.com/20220204/live-updates-putin-arrives-in-china-for-meeting-with-xi-opening-ceremony-of-winter-olympics-1092740196.html https://sputniknews.com/20220126/moscow-says-received-some-answers-to-security-guarantee-proposals-but-not-in-written-form-1092524198.html https://sputniknews.com/20220128/us-systematically-removed-trust-transparency-safeguards-preventing-nuclear-war-ignores-remainder-1092595388.html https://sputniknews.com/20210906/moscow-bothered-by-uncontrolled-unrestricted-expansion-of-us-military-biolab-network-near-russia-1083808703.html https://sputniknews.com/20220203/beijing-olympics-covid-19-vaccines--cooperation-putin-offers-insights-into-russian-chinese-ties-1092702457.html https://sputniknews.com/20211222/pacific-collective-vows-to-oppose-japan-dumping-fukushimas-nuclear-waste-in-ocean-1091723668.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov nato https://sputniknews.com/20220204/russia-recalls-colin-powells-anthrax-vial-stunt-amid-us-claims-of-planned-false-flag-in-ukraine-1092751691.html Russia Recalls Colin Powells Anthrax Vial Stunt Amid US Claims of Planned False Flag in Ukraine Russia Recalls Colin Powells Anthrax Vial Stunt Amid US Claims of Planned False Flag in Ukraine On Thursday, Pentagon and State Department officials told reporters that the US military had intelligence that Russia was working on fake videos of Ukrainian... 04.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-04T13:09+0000 2022-02-04T13:09+0000 2022-02-04T13:34+0000 ukraine false flag fake evidence video russia united states /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/106376/53/1063765347_0:133:2000:1258_1920x0_80_0_0_4d67548798a25f58d56c6a4d5ada9129.jpg Russia is not surprised by the new creative scenario outlined by the Pentagon and the US State Department regarding Russias alleged plans to stage a false flag operation against Ukraine, given Washingtons mastery of such actions, the Russian Embassy in Washington has said.Appearing before the United Nations Security Council in February 2003 to make the US case for war in Iraq, then-Bush-era Secretary of State Powell famously held up a model vial of anthrax, citing it as evidence of the kinds of chemical and biological weapons being created by Saddam Husseins regime. The US proceeded with its invasion of Iraq in March 2003. Weapons of mass destruction were never found, and Powell later dubbed the speech a great intelligence failure. His speech, and the famous image of him holding up the vial, has since become a universal symbol representing false pretexts serving as a justification for war.The Russian Embassys tweets follow remarks by Department of Defence spokesman John Kirby on Thursday claiming that the Pentagon had information that Russia was preparing to fabricate a pretext which would allow it to invade Ukraine, with options purportedly including planning to stage a fake attack by Ukrainian military or intelligence forces against Russian sovereign territory or against Russian-speaking people, to therefore justify their action and recording a very graphic propaganda video to serve as fake evidence.State Department spokesman Ned Price echoed Kirbys claims about a Russian propaganda video in his own presser Thursday, but was confronted by Associated Press reporter Matt Lee, who accused Price of getting into Alex Jones territory conspiracy theories of crisis actors and demanding sources. Price told the reporter that the US assertion about a Russian video fake was derived from information known to the US government, intelligence information that we have declassified, but provided no further details.Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov blasted US officials over the propaganda video claims on Friday. I have looked on the internet about some statements by the State Department that Russia is preparing fake videos of an alleged attack by Ukrainian troops on the Donbass. The delusional nature of such fabrications, and there are more and more of them every day, is obvious to any more or less experienced political scientist, he said.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov echoed the Russian foreign minister. I wouldnt recommend taking anyones word, especially that of the State Department, when it comes to these issues, he said.Dmitri Polyanskiy, Russias deputy ambassador to the UN, poked fun at Price over his exchange with Lee. How rude of Matt Lee to ask @StateDeptSpox for evidence to back up allegations that bloody Russians plan a false-flag operation in Ukraine? How dare he? Doesnt he known two rules: [1:] US officials never lie. [2:] When they do lie (like with WMD in Iraq), its for a noble cause, the diplomat quipped.Coincidentally, US officials' claims that Russia is preparing video fakes have been followed by reports coming out of the war-torn Donbass region in east Ukraine that Western media has been embedded with Ukrainian military units to create their own false reporting.On Friday, a spokesman from the Lugansk Peoples Militia one of the two paramilitary forces fighting against Kiev forces in eastern Ukraine, announced that militia intelligence had detected the presence of media from the US, the UK and Estonia alongside the 95th brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces with these media reportedly tasked with creating fake stories.The back-and-forth claims about fake videos and provocations comes amid the broader tensions between Russia and the West over Ukraine and months of claims by the US and its allies that Moscow is preparing to invade its neighbour. The Russian side has vehemently dismissed these claims, accusing the West of deliberately pumping up tensions to justify the further buildup of NATO troops and equipment near Russias borders, and to rationalise new sanctions against Moscow.On Wednesday, the Pentagon announced that 1,000 US troops in Germany would be transferred to Romania, with 2,000 more to be redeployed from the continental United States to Germany and Poland. Polish officials announced late Thursday that the first troops from the new US contingent had already begun arriving in the country. https://sputniknews.com/20220203/wapo-claims-us-to-accuse-russia-of-plotting-a-false-flag-attack-to-justify-invasion-of-ukraine-1092726744.html https://sputniknews.com/20220204/thats-rich-false-flag-experts-us--britain-accuse-russia-1092748523.html ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov ukraine, false flag, fake evidence, video, russia, united states https://sputniknews.com/20220204/russia-sees-trucker-protests-as-canadas-internal-affair-does-not-want-to-be-drawn-in-1092760691.html Russia Sees Trucker Protests as Canada's Internal Affair, Does Not Want to Be Drawn in Russia Sees Trucker Protests as Canada's Internal Affair, Does Not Want to Be Drawn in WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Russia considers trucker protests against COVID-19 restrictions to be Canadas internal affair, and opposes attempts by some media to... 04.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-04T19:07+0000 2022-02-04T19:07+0000 2022-02-04T19:07+0000 canada russia protest /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/02/04/1092761272_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_54a7a9792657727ff60b38b7b86737b2.jpg "The embassy, of course, sees what is happening as an exclusively internal affair of Canada," Stepanov said. "Our main concern is to ensure that Russia is not drawn into the story, that the consequences of the truck blockade do not interfere with the embassy and consulates general, that no incidents with our citizens take place during the protests. For safety reasons, we recommend them to avoid places where truckers are on strike."On 29 January, thousands of truckers and hundreds of other demonstrators gathered in Ottawa in protest against vaccine mandates for truckers crossing the US-Canada border. The protestors believe the restrictions to be unconstitutional.The protests were generally peaceful. However, the police launched several criminal investigations into a series of incidents, including people jumping on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and desecration of the statue of Canadian athlete and cancer research activist Terry Fox. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family were moved to a different location from their home in the capital city, according to Canadian media reports.CBC host Nil Koksal, during an interview with Canadian Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino, suggested that "Russian actors" could be behind the protests. The journalist referred to tension between Moscow and Kiev, Canada's ally."According to our observations, indeed, there has been an attempt to find a 'Russian trace.' But so far it hasn't developed," Stepanov said. "Now CBC is concerned that the money to support truckers could come from the United States from Donald Trump supporters ... In addition, famous entrepreneur Elon Mask, who has spoken in support of the protesters, got into hot water."Police in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario said on Friday they are gearing up for a second trucker-led protest against COVID-19 restrictions during the weekend, preparing to maintain public order and ensure unimpeded access to hospitals.The police warned of road closures and stressed that those attempting to disrupt hospital or emergency operations would be held liable. https://sputniknews.com/20220131/karma-indians-get-back-at-canadas-trudeau-as-truckers-protest-cripples-ottawa-1092630087.html canada Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 canada, russia, protest https://sputniknews.com/20220204/telegram-facing-fines-worth-63mln-in-two-german-lawsuits---reports-1092762573.html Telegram Facing Fines Worth $63Mln in Two German Lawsuits - Reports Telegram Facing Fines Worth $63Mln in Two German Lawsuits - Reports BERLIN, (Sputnik) The Telegram messenger is facing fines of 55 million euros ($63 million) in two lawsuits it is fighting in Germany, the Suddeutschen... 04.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-04T20:17+0000 2022-02-04T20:17+0000 2022-02-04T20:17+0000 telegram eu germany news /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/106161/23/1061612316_0:160:3077:1890_1920x0_80_0_0_36768f50b5be308ca5deb963d842aa96.jpg Earlier this week, Germany launched two investigations against the messenger for alleged violations of national laws on social media.According to the outlet, the sum includes 50 million euros for the lack of sufficiently clear notifications about hatred and harassment and five million euros for the lack of an authorized communicator with courts on behalf of the messenger.Earlier in the day, the German government held first talks with the Telegram leadership. Minister of the Interior, Building and Community Nancy Faeser described them as constructive and added that the parties will continue negotiations. However, according to the newspaper, the government does not see changes in Telegrams stance on the matter.Berlin has threatened to harden policy against the messenger, including a complete ban of the app on the countrys territory. germany Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 telegram, eu, germany, news https://sputniknews.com/20220204/thats-rich-false-flag-experts-us--britain-accuse-russia-1092748523.html That's Rich! False-Flag Experts US & Britain Accuse Russia That's Rich! False-Flag Experts US & Britain Accuse Russia The Pentagon has accused Russia of planning a false-flag provocation in order to provide a pretext for invading Ukraine. The Pentagon said such a ploy was... 04.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-04T12:15+0000 2022-02-04T12:15+0000 2022-02-04T12:15+0000 columnists us russia uk ukraine /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107561/44/1075614484_0:97:1024:673_1920x0_80_0_0_cb1abd3dda55414537e38fb461e51879.jpg By their, it was meant to mean Russian. But in an amusing way, the double entendre actually conveys American, that is, our playbook.To select just a few short examples out of a long, sordid history, we can point to the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana harbor in 1898 to launch the Spanish-American war; the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964 which was used to justify ramping up the US war against Vietnam; and the deception over alleged weapons of mass destruction that enabled the Anglo-American genocidal destruction of Iraq beginning in 2003.The pairing of the Americans and British in psy-ops is the dream team for the black arts of deception. When a State Department spokesman got flustered over the claims about Russia and Ukraine this week, he let it slip that British intelligence was also involved with the Americans in formulating the accusations.The Anglo-American dream team has the necessary amoral Machiavellian imagination, as well as expertise from years of practice and the widespread news media control. The latter is vital for selling the false flag to the public and thereby generating acceptance of the follow-up aggression.An honorable and rare exception to media control was seen this week when Associated Press reporter Matt Lee questioned the latest US claim about a planned Russian provocation in Ukraine. Lee simply and rightly asked for some evidence to back up the extraordinary claim. He was stonewalled and slapped back with the snide insinuation that he was siding with the Russian government.Given the criminal history of the US and its British accomplice staging war provocations, journalists and the public have every right to demand evidence when these disreputable parties make any such claims. For such reasonable questioning to be then smeared as treasonable only illustrates the untrustworthiness of the authorities. In short, beware, theyre at it again.Another suspicious thing about the US false flag claim this week is the ornate level of speculative detail, which was unintentionally revealing. There was no evidence provided (of course) but there was plenty of lurid detail.Spokesmen for the Pentagon and State Department claimed that Russia would produce a very graphic propaganda video which would include corpses and actors depicting mourners, and images of destroyed locations as well as military equipment supplied by the US and NATO to Ukraine.Russia rejected the accusation of planning such a provocation. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dismissed it as nonsense.Washington and London are literally projecting what their own intelligence agencies are adept at doing. The hypothetical atrocity scenario attributed to Russia has been played out over and over again in Syria by the United States and Britain using the so-called White Helmets group. The group has been exposed by investigative journalists like Vanessa Beeley and others for staging chemical weapons attacks that have been falsely attributed to the Syrian government. Those provocations, which include the apparent poisoning of children and other harrowing scenes, have been used as justification for US and British bombing of Syria in an attempt to overthrow Syrias President Bashar al-Assad. That covert regime-change war was defeated by Russias legal intervention to support Damascus. Strangely enough, the White Helmets have mysteriously disappeared from Western media coverage.But the nefarious techniques of deception authored and disseminated by the US and Britain in Syria with the White Helmets have an uncanny echo in the latest false-flag prediction for Ukraine.The question is: why now? Why have the US and the British pushed the false-flag envelope for Ukraine this week?It seems partly due to public fatigue from the baseless narrative of imminent invasion by Russia. For more than two months, the US and the Western media have been flogging the claim that Russia was going to invade Ukraine with mechanized battalions allegedly massing on the border. Two months later there is no invasion, just as Moscow has repeatedly said there wouldnt be precisely because it has no intention of attacking its eastern neighbor. Those Western claims were themselves a sort of false-flag provocation against Russia for the purpose of driving up Cold War tensions. The imminent invasion narrative hasnt panned out, as the White House indirectly admits. And so, the narrative managers are moving the props and scenery for another creative play. This one is based on claims that Russia is planning to stage an atrocity.The wicked genius of the latter innovation is that it actually gives the US and its accomplices some control over the staging of a provocation as opposed to the non-event invasion threat. American and British intelligence operatives are on the ground in Ukraine, as are extremist Neo-Nazi brigades under their direction. It would be easy to inflict an atrocity, and then with twisted Machiavellian plotting, say the atrocity was carried out by the Russians as predicted.History has shown time and again that with the criminal rogue regimes in Washington and London, anything is possible, and indeed to be expected. https://sputniknews.com/20220203/watch-state-dept-spox-tells-ap-journo-to-find-solace-in-russia-if-doubting-us-credibility-1092732187.html https://sputniknews.com/20220203/us-russia-escalation-over-ukraine-could-propel-oil-prices-up-to-100-analysts-say-1092719455.html us russia ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Finian Cunningham https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/01/0c/1081745381_0:429:2048:2477_100x100_80_0_0_02c0961b33c51d5d1a17db3237ef3811.jpg Finian Cunningham https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/01/0c/1081745381_0:429:2048:2477_100x100_80_0_0_02c0961b33c51d5d1a17db3237ef3811.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Finian Cunningham https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/01/0c/1081745381_0:429:2048:2477_100x100_80_0_0_02c0961b33c51d5d1a17db3237ef3811.jpg columnists, us, russia, uk, ukraine https://sputniknews.com/20220204/uk-foreign-secretary-truss-says-us-has-shocking-evidence-that-russia-has-plans-to-provoke-ukraine-1092736682.html UK Foreign Secretary Truss Says US Has 'Shocking Evidence That Russia Has Plans to Provoke Ukraine UK Foreign Secretary Truss Says US Has 'Shocking Evidence That Russia Has Plans to Provoke Ukraine LONDON (Sputnik) On Thursday, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby claimed the US has information that Moscow "likely to want to fabricate a pretext for an... 04.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-04T05:38+0000 2022-02-04T05:38+0000 2022-02-04T06:29+0000 world ukraine russia /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/01/1a/1092523188_0:0:3042:1711_1920x0_80_0_0_1ddc4d07f4bd05604aa536067dd43f3f.jpg UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has described the Pentagon's unsubstantiated claims about Russia's purported preparations to release a fake video as a pretext for an invasion of Ukraine "shocking evidence".On Thursday, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby claimed that Russia was planning to use a fabricated video of a Ukrainian military attack in eastern Ukraine as a pretext for an incursion into the country. The Pentagon believes Russia is going to produce some graphic propaganda video, which would contain corpses and actors depicting mourners, destroyed locations and military equipment. No explanation was provided as to why this would be necessary, given that according to US state media over 3,000 civilians have already been killed in the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, which began in 2014. Russian Permanent Representative to the EU Vladimir Chizhov has refuted the accusations, pointing out that Russia "never" does such things.US State Department spokesperson Ned Price, when pressed by journalists on Thursday during press-briefing to provide specific evidence to back the US administration's claims, said that the public announcement is evidence because it is based on "intelligence information" that was "declassified".The situation in Ukraine has worsened over the past several months, after the United States accused Russia of a troop build-up near the border with Ukraine and of allegedly preparing an invasion. Russia has repeatedly denied the accusations, saying it does not plan to attack any country, including Ukraine, but reserves the right to move troops within its sovereign territory. Russia has also warned that NATO's plans to expand further eastward, including in Ukraine, represent a threat to its national security. ukraine russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 world, ukraine, russia https://sputniknews.com/20220204/us-raid-in-syria-meta-stock-slides-freedom-convoy-and-migrants-in-mexico-1092731750.html US Raid in Syria, Meta Stock Slides, Freedom Convoy and Migrants in Mexico US Raid in Syria, Meta Stock Slides, Freedom Convoy and Migrants in Mexico Daesh leader killed in Syria, Meta stock slides, the Freedom Convoy jams the capital of Ottawa, Canada, and migrants held in Mexico. 04.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-04T07:04+0000 2022-02-04T07:04+0000 2022-02-04T10:09+0000 syria isis tax haven puertorico political misfits meta afghanistan radio /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/02/03/1092731540_56:0:1300:700_1920x0_80_0_0_5f076d1c624ed44492748fbea9369856.png US Raid in Syria, Meta Stock Slides, Freedom Convoy and Migrants in Mexico ISIS leader killed in Syria, Meta stock slides, the Freedom Convoy jams the capital of Ottawa, Canada, and migrants held in Mexico. Kevin Gosztola, journalist, writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, joins Michelle and John at the top of the show to talk about how the White House walked back rhetoric after repeating that Ukraine was in imminent danger of a Russia invasion. This follows Bidens comments about a minor incursion.Juan Jose Gutierrez, immigration lawyer and executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, joins John and Michelle to talk about the latest status of Joe Bidens immigration promises from the campaign trail. Biden promised to end a Trump-era policy called the Migrant Protection Protocols. Since Biden has been in office, numerous migrants have been held in a detention center in Mexico.Next, Nicholas Davies, independent journalist, researcher with Code Pink and author of "Blood On Our Hands: The American Invasion and Destruction of Iraq," calls in to discuss the latest killing of a Daesh leader in Syria. During the night, the United States launched a special forces raid outside of Idlib, Syria, killing the leader of Daesh, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi. Twelve other people were killed, including four women and six children.Adriana Garriga Lopez is an associate professor of anthropology at Kalamazoo College in Michigan, associate faculty of the Brooklyn Institute for Social Research, anthropologist and multidisciplinary artist. She joins us for the last segment of the show to talk about gentrification overrunning the real estate market in Puerto Rico and the impact that a new tax haven law is having on the displacement of native Puerto Ricans and their cultural rights.Join us tomorrow for more breaking news and Stories of the Weird.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.com syria puertorico Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 John Kiriakou https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107587/24/1075872494_475:-1:1818:1343_100x100_80_0_0_5f29aff18491914c2428c30eddaa3bae.jpg John Kiriakou https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107587/24/1075872494_475:-1:1818:1343_100x100_80_0_0_5f29aff18491914c2428c30eddaa3bae.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 John Kiriakou https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107587/24/1075872494_475:-1:1818:1343_100x100_80_0_0_5f29aff18491914c2428c30eddaa3bae.jpg syria, isis, tax haven, puertorico, political misfits, meta, , radio https://sputniknews.com/20220204/us-troop-deployments-in-europe-counter-diplomacy-increase-tensions---expert-1092732954.html US Troop Deployments in Europe Counter Diplomacy, Increase Tensions - Expert US Troop Deployments in Europe Counter Diplomacy, Increase Tensions - Expert WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States decision to deploy additional troops in Europe to deter the alleged Russian aggression against Ukraine completely... 04.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-04T00:00+0000 2022-02-04T00:00+0000 2022-02-04T00:00+0000 us troops europe diplomacy ukraine us russia tensions /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0b/0c/1090671689_0:0:3073:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_7e13ec9030d51876f9271ee96af2420f.jpg The US Defense Department announced on Wednesday that it would deploy additional troops to Poland, Germany and Romania within the next several days. US officials said the deployment is designed to reinforce NATO's eastern flank amid the Ukraine crisis.The United States is not taking much care of Ukraines or Europes security when it solely tries to advance its own political objectives, he said.The current situation has been created by the West, and more specifically the United States, for many reasons, including to distract from domestic issues; contain Russia; limit European and Russian cooperation hence limiting European sovereignty and economic development; and maintain US hegemony, Rasmussen said.The new US deployments seek to provoke Russia and while Moscow has no plans to attack Ukraine, such a development, here including an escalation in the Donbas, may force Kremlin to take appropriate reciprocal defensive actions, Rasmussen said.These actions will increase tensions, however I do not think Russia will launch any attack, he said.Rasmussen noted that most of the Russian troops are currently stationed in established bases hundreds of kilometers away from the border with Ukraine.The appropriate approach would be for Europe to stand up for its own interests and for Ukraine should implement the Minsk agreements, he said.The situation regarding Ukraine has worsened over the past several months after the United States accused Russia of a troop build-up near the border with Ukraine and of allegedly preparing an invasion. Russia has repeatedly denied the accusations, saying it does not plan to attack any country, including Ukraine, but reserves the right to move troops within its sovereign territory,Russia has pointed to NATO's military activities near Russias borders and warned the alliances plans to expand further eastward are a threat to its national security. https://sputniknews.com/20220203/watch-state-dept-spox-tells-ap-journo-to-find-solace-in-russia-if-doubting-us-credibility-1092732187.html ukraine us Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 us troops, europe, diplomacy, ukraine, us, russia, tensions https://sputniknews.com/20220204/white-house-on-putin-xi-meeting-biden-has-his-own-relations-with-china-1092759854.html White House on Putin-Xi Meeting: Biden Has His Own Relations With China White House on Putin-Xi Meeting: Biden Has His Own Relations With China WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - President Joe Biden is of the opinion that the United States has its own relationship with China, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki... 04.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-04T18:43+0000 2022-02-04T18:43+0000 2022-02-04T18:49+0000 us china xi jinping vladimir putin joe biden /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0b/11/1090799736_0:0:3071:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_1f0c8f7141fbe0810f50ccc5995adc45.jpg The President views it as we have our own relationship with China, Psaki said.Earlier on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing. The two leaders signed a joint declaration. Both leaders said they opposed a further enlargement of NATO and called on the alliance to abandon what they said were its ideologized cold war approaches.Psaki also commented on energy supplies to Europe amid Russia-Ukraine tensions."I think you are asking as it relates to potential invasion, that is something weve been very mindful of and in touch with our European partners and also suppliers about what can be done and how we can ensure or take steps to increase capacity out there to meet those needs should they raise," Psaki said.According to the spokeswoman, the Biden administration welcomes tough questions and scrutiny from reporters on issues including the validity of US intelligence assessments on Russia.State Department spokesperson Ned Price argued abruptly for several minutes with AP reporter Matt Lee during a press briefing on Thursday after Lee inquired about evidence to support US intelligence assessments alleging Russia is preparing to stage a false flag event in Ukraine as a pretext for an invasion.We welcome tough questions and good-faith scrutiny, Psaki said during a press briefing when asked about Thursday's interaction between Price and Lee.Clips of the incident went viral on social media on Thursday, sparking a public response from Price.The renowned [Matt Lee] and I have had our fair share of sparring sessions, and I have the scars to prove it. Clearly, hes no ones dupe, and Id never want to suggest otherwise. Nothing but respect for him, which I underscored in a call to him after the briefing, Price said via Twitter.Psaki said the Biden administration respects and values the role of the press and will do everything they can to provide as many details as possible about US actions and assessments. https://sputniknews.com/20220204/lavrov-us-statement-russia-allegedly-preparing-video-provocation-to-attack-ukraine-is-nonsense-1092742438.html china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 us, china, xi jinping, vladimir putin, joe biden https://sputniknews.com/20220204/youre-not-really-gonna-like-this-repairman-details-work-with-hunter-bidens-laptop-from-hell-1092763163.html You're Not Really Gonna Like This: Repairman Details Work With Hunter Bidens Laptop From Hell You're Not Really Gonna Like This: Repairman Details Work With Hunter Bidens Laptop From Hell Repairman Details Work With Hunter Bidens Laptop From Hell 2022-02-04T22:05+0000 2022-02-04T22:05+0000 2022-02-04T22:05+0000 us hunter biden laptop fbi corruption /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/06/03/1083069516_0:277:2000:1402_1920x0_80_0_0_528aaf5f3a9003e9d5c2e3e3644d61a2.jpg Hunter Biden seemed to be drunk when he appeared in the workshop to leave his laptop, and the FBI was later indifferent toward its unseemly content, said the former owner of "The Mac Shop" in Wilmington, Delaware, John Paul Mac Isaac, according to Fox News."I could definitely tell that he was inebriated," he said, specifying that Hunter entered his shop on April 12, 2019, just before closing time.After examining documents indicating possible fraud schemes along with the discovery of volumes of homemade pornography, the repairman contacted the FBI, but the latter did not appear to be very interested in the contents of the laptop, according to Mac Isaac.Mac Isaac later also passed the data from the laptop to Rudy Giuliani.In October 2020, the New York Post published a series of controversial reports about Hunter Biden, alleging that his family, including the current US President Joe Biden, was involved in corruption schemes related to Hunters businesses in Ukraine and China. They claimed, in particular, that Joe Biden was aware that his son, who was on the board of the Ukrainian company Burisma between 2014 and 2019, had reportedly been using his father's position as US vice president for financial gain.Some of the documents, according to the reports, indicate the Bidens were abusing their authority to make beneficial deals with a wealthy Communist Party-linked Chinese tycoon.Hunter Biden, who has been under investigation for possible tax fraud, claimed that the laptop didnt belong to him. Apart from that, the scandalous revelations were accompanied by reports claiming that the repair shop was a cover story and that the contents were handed over to Giuliani by Russian hackers. In addition, Twitter also restricted access to the New York Posts articles, marking the posts as hacked materials.In December 2020, Mac Isaac sued Twitter for defamation, saying that he was unfairly dubbed a hacker. He was reportedly forced to close his business due to numerous threats and negative reviews as a result of Twitter's restrictions. https://sputniknews.com/20211121/hunter-bidens-company-helped-chinese-firm-buy-stake-in-cobalt-mines-from-us-company-report-says-1090894026.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Alexandra Kashirina Alexandra Kashirina News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Alexandra Kashirina us, hunter biden, laptop, fbi, corruption Despite several inches of fresh snowfall, about 20 families braved the elements to attend a School Choice Week Fair held Saturday in Culpeper County. Greeting them at Providence Bible Church were about 20 vendors, who shared information about the areas private schools, homeschool options, curriculum representation and many other supplemental organizations. We have a dance studio and musical-instrument instruction, robotics and the Boy Scouts, preschool options and tutoring, and more, organizer Teresa Murnock said in an interview. We were disappointed with the weather, but were glad to be here for those families that need the information. The event was held in coordination with National School Choice Week, which was Jan. 23-29. It was the only School Choice Fair offered in the state, Murnock said. A school administrator with Kings Light Christian Academy in Culpeper, Murnock said Saturdays event was the first time that Kings Light has hosted such an event, coordinating it with National School Choice Week. We really hope it grows, Murnock said of the fair. It would be lovely to have surrounding counties participate more. A private Christian high school, Kings Light convenes three days a week in New Salem Baptist Church on Sperryville Pike in Culpeper. The other two days per week, students and faculty meet virtually. We firmly believe that parents are the main teachers of their children, and we come in as partners to walk alongside them for educational support, Murnock said. Amy Scruggs had a booth at the fair, offering her services in the Culpeper area for one-on-one tutoring for all grade levels. Though she works full time in Prince William County schools teaching English as a Second Language, Scruggs said demand has increased significantly as the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted traditional teaching practices. Ive seen such an enormous need this year for tutoring, Scruggs said. People started contacting me over the summer, asking me to help their child get back to where they should be in their learning. Locust Grove resident Dawnn Fletcher, who has been offering musical instruction since 2019, also staffed a booth. Ovation Youth Symphony Orchestra meets weekly under Fletchers direction, to give families a way for students to learn how to play an instrument if they cannot participate in public-school musical programs. My full-time job is a private musical-instrument instructor, Fletcher said, adding that she is teaching 54 students online in Virginia and nationally. Most of my students are homeschooled, but its nice to provide alternatives for families in any situation. Representatives from Heritage Child Development Center, a preschool that meets at Family Community Church at 120 Chestnut Drive in Culpeper, shared information about its programs for children 2-1/2 to 4 years old. Parents dont have a lot of preschool options in the Culpeper region, Heritage Administrator Lynn Albritton said. We are careful to keep our facility and children safe and healthy, and give them a good solid learning foundation for the years that follow. Nearly 52 percent of U.S. parents considered or are considering new schools for their children, according to a National School Choice Week survey. For two years during the pandemic, Americans have grappled with widespread illness, business and school closures, and masking and distancing requirements. Meanwhile, the Virginia Senate on Thursday killed a bill backed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin that would have given the state more power to approve charter-school applications, as well as a Yougkin-backed bill to ban the teaching of inherently divisive concepts in public schools. Murnock said parents are becoming more involved as school-choice issues churn through Virginia and the nation. The blessing of what we are seeing is the revival of parents getting engaged in the finer details of their childrens education and the impact it has on their childs character development, she said. In any format of educational structurebe it private, public or homeschoolingparents are the foundation and have the very precious role of training their children up in the core values and beliefs their family holds dear. Picking an education that fits in those parameters is what school choice is all about, Murnock said. Culpeper Star-Exponent staff writer Allison Brophy Champion contributed to this report. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Culpeper Masons will host the Kena Shriners of Manassas at 7 p.m. next Thursday, Feb. 10 at an open house. The special event, open to the public, is designed to spread awareness about one of the most effective and easily recognizable charitable organizations in the world. Fairfax Lodge No. 43 AF & AM, upstairs at 209 E. Davis St., will open its doors to highlight the group that supports more than two dozen Shriners Hospitals for Children across North America. The fraternal organization is most known for the little cars its members drive in parades. Sadly, there will be no little cars at the Culpeper open house. But the Kena Shriners will present a program on what Shriners do and how to become one, said Fred Soutter Jr., president of the Kena Shrine in Manassas as well as secretary of the Fairfax Lodge. All Shriners are Masons but not all Masons are Shriners. In order for a man to be a Shriner he must first be a Mason, Soutter said. Members of the Kena Membership committee are coming to Fairfax Lodge to present a program to the Masons in hopes that some may become interested and join the Shrine, he said. Shriners International is a fraternity based on fun, fellowship, and the Masonic principles of brotherly love, relief and truth, with nearly 200 temples in several countries and thousands of clubs around the world, according to the groups web site. Their mission is straightforward. Shriners are committed to being the premier fraternal organization for men of good character; providing interactive, quality programs and services for members, their families, and friends in a spirit of fun, fellowship, and social camaraderie; fostering self-improvement through leadership, education, the perpetuation of moral values, and community involvement; and serving mankind through the resources of its philanthropy, Shriners Hospitals for Children. Shriners are known for their compassion for others and for being active participants in local communities, according to kena.org. The bottom line is that Shriners help make the world a better place. Since 1952, Kena Shriners has been located in Northern Virginia starting at the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria. In 1964, the temple moved to Fairfax City and in 2018 Kena Shriners moved to its new home at 9500 Technology Drive in Manassas. Kena Shriner Secretary Jeff St. Onge has been a Mason since 2005. The iconic photo of a Shriner carrying a childand their crutchesinspired the retired Air Force serviceman to join the fraternity. No man is taller than when he stoops down to a child, said St. Onge, a DOD contractor, in a phone call. I have so much, my children are grown, have a good job and a homewhy wouldnt I give back? Soutter said he could go on for days talking about all the good things the Shriners do. Check out shrinerschildrens.org/ and kena.org to learn more. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The city of Bayard has been without a grocery store for the last 11 months. When Bayard Grocery owner Gary Moenning retired last March, nobody continued with the business. Last January, Michelle Coolidge, the community development director with Twin Cities Development, was approached about finding a way to start it anew. Since that time weve been working with a group of individuals in Bayard who formed a steering committee to see what the options were for reopening a store, and through that process determined that a cooperative was sort of the direction they wanted to go, she said. The committee has around a dozen members. On Jan. 19, they officially filed their articles of incorporation. The Bayard Chimney Rock Grocery Cooperative was born. Its possible for a sole proprietor to open the store again, but a cooperative method is cheaper and would allow the store to open quicker. That could still happen. Its not like the committee is being a roadblock to that, but were trying to make sure the steps are taking place so it hopefully shortens the amount of time to get a store open, Coolidge said. However, there is one hurdle the new cooperative has to overcome. They need to have all their legal paperwork and documentation approved by the Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance. The steering committee will also need to appoint a board of directors for the cooperative in order for their bylaws to be signed. Coolidge said the board will be comprised of five to nine Bayard-area citizens. Anyone who lives in or around the city can apply, including members of the steering committee. So far, Coolidge said shed received four applications. They will still be elected, but we have to have them appointed by the steering committee because there isnt a membership to do the election, Coolidge said. So were having to chicken and egg things a little bit. One-third of the inaugural board will serve one year, another third will serve two, and the final third will serve three years. After that, members will be elected for staggered terms of no more than three years. More groups than just Twin City Development helped progress the Bayard project. Additional aid came from Rob Eirich, the engagement zone coordinator at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center in Scottsbluff. Coolidge had reached out to him to inform him of the steering committees plans. As they both hail from Bayard, he was eager to help out. He helped draft business plans and develop paperwork. The extension center held town halls in the Bayard community to hear what residents wanted in a grocery store. Over time, conversations turned to the idea of a cooperative. The interesting thing is when the pandemic started, a lot of people were starting to look at local foods and how they keep their grocery stores. So there are a number of communities across the state of Nebraska that were developing cooperatives to keep their community grocery stores, Eirich said. One such town was Hay Springs, which a university group called the Nebraska Cooperative Development Center assisted. The Hay Springs grocery had shut down, and so a group of community members bought a new location and started their own. Its been up and running since last summer. The Bayard store will likely be larger and the process to completion will be somewhat different, Eirich said. Still, the Hay Springs cooperatives success shows the concept can work in the Panhandle. Coolidge said the Bayard community was very passionate about the project when their grocery first shut down, and unfortunately the length of time it takes to run this through legal makes some of that communication wane a little bit. Were really hoping that here in the next few weeks well be able to get some more information out to them. We really want them to give us feedback as well because were wanting to restoke the fire for the enthusiasm of having the store coming. Its definitely needed. Still, the process is advancing. Coolidge estimated the co-op could be operational by this summer. Were trying to get it done as quickly as possible, but were trying to be realistic, she said. She said the fundraising options the steering committee has are limited right now. Once weve been given the green light from the Department of Banking and Finance, well be able to actually finalize what those steps are going to be. Anyone living in or around Bayard who would like to apply for the board of directors may contact Coolidge at 308-633-2898 or development@tcdne.org. Applications are open until Thursday, Feb. 10. Submit Your News We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. There may be less of them, but you still see a few Believe Science signs out while driving. The challenge is that scientific knowledge makes progress when ideas are questioned, debated and explored. When the pandemic began, the public was told we could shut down for two weeks to flatten the curve. Two years later, we have endured a lot more than a two-week shutdown. Schools were moved to remote learning; colleges were shut for months; restaurants were forced to move to takeout only; and everyone who could move from working in an office to working from home did so. Did the draconian response of governments pay off in lives saved? Late last month, the Studies in Applied Economics journal published a paper that looked at this exact question, titled A Literature Review and Meta-analysis of the Effects of Lockdowns on COVID-19 Mortality, by Jonas Herby, Lars Jonung and Steve H. Hanke. Hanke is a professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering and co-founder of the Institute for Applied Economics, Global Health, and the Study of Business Enterprise. Herby, who holds a masters degree in economics from the University of Copenhagen, is a special adviser at Center for Political Studies in Copenhagen, Denmark. His research focuses on law and economics. Jonung is professor emeritus in economics at Lund University in Sweden. Their goal was to determine whether there is empirical evidence to support the belief that lockdowns reduce COVID-19 mortality. They specifically looked at any government mandate that directly restrict peoples possibilities, such as policies that limit internal movement, close schools and businesses, and ban international travel. Their study looked at whether government mandates saved lives. They concluded that lockdowns have had little to no effect on COVID-19 mortality. This was based on a review of data of actual responses after the lockdowns occurred. When this all began in 2020, we were told that a government mandate around lockdowns would save millions of lives. An often-cited model simulation study by researchers at the Imperial College London (Ferguson et al. (2020)) predicted that a suppression strategy based on a lockdown would reduce COVID-19 mortality by up to 98%, noted the study. While this was treated as science in 2020, it was a model based on science, and now that we have real world data, the analysis shows that the decision was wrong, and the lockdowns caused more harm than good. One of the failures of the Ferguson model was it did not factor in peoples natural reactions to danger. Even without government mandates, news of the pandemic would have caused people to change their behavior to avoid danger. A 2021 study by Herby noted the difference between changes people made on their own and those mandated by government. What was found was, voluntary behavioral changes are 10 times as important as mandatory behavioral changes in combating COVID-19. This means that people can make determinations based on information regarding their own behavior. Not only do they not need government mandates but government mandates meant to control people are harmful. Thats because the models that government works with regarding future outcomes are often wrong. What we do know is the devastation that the mandates have had on people, businesses and personal connections. While a few lives may have been saved by mandates, the costs have been enormous. They have contributed to reducing economic activity, raising unemployment, reducing schooling, causing political unrest, contributing to domestic violence, and undermining liberal democracy, noted the authors. Their conclusion: Lockdowns should be rejected out of hand as a pandemic policy instrument. Interestingly, the authors also included the fact that Our results are in line with the World Health Organization Writing Group (2006), who state, Reports from the 1918 influenza pandemic indicate that social-distancing measures did not stop or appear to dramatically reduce transmission. We should have followed the WHO advice and not shut down. The challenge is that, when people are scared, they look for answers, and for someone else -- an expert -- to decide so that they feel safe. Unfortunately, we gave up control to the government experts, and their models were wrong. We should spend some time digging in and learning from this mistake. Country United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe GRUNDY, VA The Elk Viewing Tour schedule for 2022 in Buchanan County has been released jointly by the Breaks Interstate Park and Southern Gap Outdoor Adventure, who coordinate the tours with the Southwest Virginia Sportsmen, the Southwest Virginia Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. The groups will again offer a spring and a fall viewing tour schedule. The spring schedule runs March 5 through May 15; and the fall schedule runs August 20 through October 29. Booking for the tours opened Monday both through the Breaks Park and Southern Gap Outdoor Adventure. Tour numbers are limited due to bus seating, We are pleased to be working with the fine folks at Southern Gap Outdoor Adventure and the many others mentioned to offer elk viewing tours again this season, said Breaks Park Superintendent Austin Bradley in making the announcement of the tour schedule on the parks social media page. Billie Campbell, one of the owners of Southern Gap Outdoor Adventure, noted the partnership between Southern Gap Outdoor and the Breaks Interstate Park to offer the tours has been a long-standing and successful one. Southern Gap Outdoor has been pleased to work with the park to offer the tours the past several years, Campbell said. Without the help of the Southwest Virginia Sportsmans Club and the local Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation chapter, these tours would not be possible. Not only do they assist in providing guides for the tours, but they are also the folks doing the majority of habitat work which keeps the elk in the area, Campbell said. Additionally, the two groups, with assistance from a cadre of volunteers, have built elk viewing stations in several locations which area residents and others utilize throughout the year to get a glimpse of the elk in the habitat plot areas. The tour schedule announced last week is as follows: Spring tours are planned on March 5 and March 12 at 4 p.m.; and on March 19, April 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 and May 7 and 14 at 5 p.m. Fall tours are planned on August 20 and 27; September 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17 and 30 at 5 p.m.; and on October 1, 15, 21, 22, 28 and 29 at 4 p.m. There is a fee to take part in the tours at $35 for adults and $20 for those aged 12 and younger. The fee includes a light boxed supper and a bottle of water. Bradley noted that almost 15 percent of the fees paid for each adult ticket are donated back to the sportsmans club which has done the vast majority of habitat work in the Buchanan County elk restoration zone. In 2021, the amount donated was almost $2,000. Volunteer work days are held annually during which habitat maintenance is performed to include removing rocks and invasive species to painting gates and removing/replacing old fencing and wire. Anyone who has a tractor is encouraged to bring it, if available. The dates for the spring volunteer session are March 25, 26 and 27. A volunteer meet and greet will be held at the Southern Gap Visitor Center on Friday, March 25 at 6 p.m. Volunteers will work at the habitat sites on March 26 and 27. Lunch will be provided and opportunities to hunt for sheds at Southern Gap and at the release site will be available. Virginia's elk population was restored after public interest in undertaking an elk restoration program in the state was expressed to the Virginia Board of Game and Inland Fisheries. In 2010, planning for the reintroduction of the elk into Buchanan County started after an almost 100-year absence of elk in eastern North America, including Virginia. Factors such as habitat loss and unregulated hunting caused elk to become virtually extinct within eastern North America by the late 1800s. Attempts at elk restoration in eastern states during the early to mid-1900s often failed due to a lack of suitable habitat and knowledge of elk ecology. In Virginia, working with the coal and gas industries on reclaimed surface sites in 2012, the population was reintroduced and has thrived. Reservations are required for the viewing tours which are offered seasonally. The tours offered last about two hours for travel to and from the habitat site and time spent there. Those attending the tours are reminded to wear clothing and footwear appropriate for the weather and outdoor environment on the day of the tour. Tours depart from the Breaks Park and from Southern Gap Outdoor. Those joining the tour at Southern Gap are reminded to arrive 20 minutes before the scheduled departure time. Tours may be booked through the link at Southern Gap Outdoor Adventure found at www.sgadventures.com on the events page, under elk viewing; or by calling the park at 276-865-4413, ext. 3201, or by calling Southern Gap Outdoor Adventure at 276-244-1111. ### A roughly five-month project to upgrade utilities and roads in downtown Kelso is scheduled to start around Feb. 14. The city plans to replace utility pipes and sidewalk ramps and repave about a half mile of four streets at differing times east of the Cowlitz River in Kelso. Construction is scheduled through June or July, depending on the weather, in four locations: North Pacific Avenue, from Allen Street to Cowlitz Way, Fourth Avenue from Oak Street to Allen Street, Fifth Avenue from Oak Street to Allen Street, and Oak Street from Fourth Avenue to Fifth Avenue. Officials say driveways, travel lanes and street parking will be closed during construction and traffic will be detoured by cones and flaggers. The city plans to replace the areas sewer, water and storm drains; upgrade sidewalk ramps to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards; and repave the roads. Kelso Senior Engineer Paul Klope said all the roads will not be closed throughout the entire duration of the project. He said work is scheduled to begin on Fourth Avenue. He said work at the intersections of Fourth and Fifth avenues and Allen Street will likely occur at night because the traffic volumes are too high. The Washington State Transportation Improvement Board says it is covering about 60% of the project with $500,000 and the city is covering the remaining $335,984. The board funds local transportation projects from the revenue generated from three cents of the state gas tax. The city has received 32 Transportation Improvement Board grants since 1983, reports the state. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Longview residents can pick up free carbon monoxide alarms from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday at the Longview Fire Department station on Commerce Avenue. The alarms will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis, and each household within city limits can grab two. The alarms are funded by a grant from the Jenkins Foundation, a local nonprofit founded after two Longview residents died of carbon monoxide poisoning in 2013 in a North Carolina hotel that did not have a carbon monoxide detector. Dwellings need detectors to warn people because the deadly gas cannot be seen or smelled, say Longview fire officials. Carbon monoxide can leak from heating or cooking equipment. For details, call the department at 360-442-5501. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Google privacy feature can boost your iPhone security and protect you from hackers. Here are all the details. Google privacy feature through its VPN service was already available for Android users, but its now being rolled out for iPhone users too. This feature is great to boost your iPhone privacy. In fact, Google One VPN service can limit who can invade or get access to your iPhone. VPN stands for the virtual private network and it is a smart tool to keep your device safe by encrypting your online activity that adds an extra layer of protection whenever youre connected. But Google VPN is a lot more than just security. To know how you can boost your iPhone security with Google One VPN, keep reading. How VPN boosts iPhone privacy Your browser and apps have the ability to send and receive sensitive information over the internet whenever you search for something. Some websites and apps even use outdated, insecure, or non-existent encryption. That means the unsecured data might be accessed or manipulated by hackers while in transit, risking your privacy and overall security. With VPN, the online data or online traffic is protected by travelling through a strongly encrypted tunnel, to block the way of online intruders to spy on you. This also ensures more privacy and security while using public Wifi, when there are more chances that your online activity can be monitored. Benefits of Google One VPN There are a lot of options to boost your iPhone security or any other device with a VPN but the advantage of Google One VPN is that it is managed by a credible source and well-known search engine - Google. The Google One VPN will assign you an IP address based on your current country, allowing websites to serve you content appropriate to your location. However, the websites are unable to detect your exact location, such as which city or region you are in. But you need to note that the Google One VPN is not free, actually, all high-quality VPNs are paid. To get VPN access by Google, you need to buy the Google One membership plan. The Google One membership doesn't only include VPN access but also the 2TB of storage for Google Drive, Gmail, Photos, and also access to Google experts for any tech support in the Premium plan which costs Rs. 650 per month or Rs. 6,500 per year. . You can share the plan with up to five other members. And with the Google One app, you can turn on the VPN with a single tap. An asteroid was discovered riding along in Earth's orbit and it might remain as a hitchhiker with our planet for at least 4,000 years. There is another too An asteroid that was discovered riding along in Earth's orbit is about three-quarters of a mile (1.2 km) wide and might remain as a hitchhiker with our planet for at least 4,000 more years while posing no danger, scientists said on Tuesday. Using observations from telescopes in Chile, Arizona and the Canary Islands, researchers provided the most comprehensive description yet of the asteroid, named 2020 XL5 and first detected two years ago. They confirmed it is one of only two of what are called Trojan asteroids traveling as a companion with Earth. Trojan asteroids can be wanderers in the solar system - as appears to be the case with this one - or material left over from their home planet's formation. They become ensnared by the planetary gravitational grip and subsequently orbit the sun along the same path as that planet. Looking for a smartphone? To check mobile finder click here. Also read: This one looks to be a so-called C-type asteroid - one of the most common kinds in the solar system, according to planetary scientist Toni Santana-Ros of the University of Alicante and the University of Barcelona's Institute of Cosmos Sciences in Spain, lead author of the study published in the journal Nature Communications. These are dark in color and contain a lot of carbon along with rocks and minerals. "2020 XL5 poses no threat to Earth. We expect it will remain in its current stable orbit for at least the next 4,000 years," said telescope scientist and study co-author Cesar Briceno of the U.S. National Science Foundation's NOIRLab. Its location varies between about 56 million miles (90 million km) and 168 million miles (270 million km) from Earth. The asteroid occupies one of five so-called Lagrange points - positions in space where objects tend to stay put. These five locales allow for stable orbits due to the competing gravitational forces of Earth and the sun. This one resides at what is called the L4 point. The only other Trojan asteroid seen around Earth, discovered 12 years ago, also at the L4 point, and called 2010 TK7, is smaller, with a diameter of about a quarter mile (400 meters). It, too, is thought to have been captured by Earth's pull while meandering through the solar system. 2020 XL5, first detected in December 2020 using a telescope in Hawaii, may have been captured by Earth's gravitational pull somewhere between 500 to 1,000 years ago, Santana-Ros said. Numerous Trojan asteroids populate our solar system, with the largest planet Jupiter known to have almost 10,000 of them, Santana-Ros said. NASA launched a spacecraft called Lucy last October to explore them. Trojan asteroids also have been found around Neptune (28 of them), Mars (four), Uranus (two) and Venus (one). "Jupiter is a giant in all senses, also in terms of mass. It cleaned its neighboring region of other objects and gathered thousands of objects on its L4 and L5 points," Santana-Ros said. "However, the Earth has a more delicate environment, with close gravitational competitors like Venus, Mars or even the moon. Therefore, gravitational perturbations on 2020 XL5 will eventually allow this object to escape from the L4 stability point." Santana-Ros said there could be more Trojan asteroids around Earth awaiting detection. The two Lagrange points where they might exist, L4 and L5, are notoriously difficult to observe from Earth. "Any asteroid orbiting around these points will only be visible during a short time window close to twilight, at very low elevations above the horizon," Santana-Ros added. "But if we point our largest telescopes low above horizon and close to twilight I am certain we will find more surprises." General Kenneth Frank McKenzie cited two successful intercepts by Thaad when the UAE found itself facing incoming missiles. The United Arab Emirates successful destruction of missiles fired by Houthi rebels in recent weeks represented the first combat use of Lockheed Martin Corp.s high-altitude interceptor known as Thaad, according to the head of U.S. forces in the Middle East. General Kenneth Frank McKenzie on Thursday cited two successful intercepts by Thaad when the UAE found itself facing incoming missiles fired from Yemen by the Houthis, who are supported by Iran. Thaad stands for Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense. Those were UAE-launched, U.S.-systems, McKenzie said during a video session sponsored by the Washington-based Middle East Institute. U.S. officials had previously described the response more vaguely, calling them Emirati missile defense systems. Looking for a smartphone? To check mobile finder click here. Also read: The UAE was the first international buyer for the Thaad system when the sale was initially proposed for congressional approval in September 2008. The system also has been purchased by Saudi Arabia and has been been deployed by U.S. forces in South Korea,Guam and Israel. While the U.S. has had Patriot antimissile batteries in the Middle East, and activated them recently when the UAE was facing attack, the Thaad is a more modern system that can intercept short- and medium-ranged ballistic missiles at higher altitudes. Having both Thaad and Patriot systems deployed can provide a more layered defense for U.S. forces and allies. Why UAE Is Latest Target as Yemens War Heats Up: QuickTake In January, the Houthis launched attacks with missiles and drones that ignited a fire at Abu Dhabis main airport and set fuel trucks ablaze in a nearby industrial area, killing three people and wounding six. The assault took place days after the Houthis warned the UAE against intensifying its air campaign against them. Officials at Lockheed declined to comment when asked about the use of Thaad in the UAE. The recent missile attacks mark the biggest blowback for the UAE since it got involved in Yemens civil war about seven years ago. They also threaten to rattle investors, who count on the country as a safe haven in a volatile region -- as well as legions of foreign workers, who call the Emirates home and keep its economy running. The latest interception came during a visit by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who met with the UAEs de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, for the first time since the two countries normalized relations in 2020. Biden Vows Support After UAE Intercepts Latest Incoming Missile Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said in a televised speech on the groups Al-Masirah TV Monday that its fighters conducted two attacks, targeting Abu Dhabi with ballistic missiles and Dubai with drones. He warned the strikes would continue until the UAE ends its involvement in Yemen. The U.S. has vowed to aid the UAE in bolstering its defense, a point McKenzie, the head of U.S. Central Command, emphasized on Thursday. We are going to bring in additional fighter aircraft into the UAE in the very near future and we are going to position some ships closer to the UAE as an indication that we very clearly recognize the situation they are in, McKenzie said. A giant asteroid four times bigger than the Eiffel Tower is likely to make a close pass by Earth, says NASA. A giant asteroid of up to 1.3 kilometers or 4,265 feet in diameter is likely to make a relatively close approach to Earth next month. The asteroid, named, 138971 (2001 CB21), is estimated to be potentially four times the size of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Spacereference.org has reported that the asteroid 2001 CB21 will pass by Earth on March 4 at about 3:00 a.m. ET. It is estimated to travel at over 26,800 miles per hour. The asteroid is classified as "potentially hazardous" by NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), however, it doesnt seem to be posing any danger of hitting us in the near future unless something drastic happens to make it change its course. Looking for a smartphone? To check mobile finder click here. Also read: While the asteroid has been dubbed potentially hazardous by NASA, it will actually be over three million miles away, which is more than 10 times farther than the moons distance from earth. However, on cosmic scale, this kind of a distance is not considered as being big in any way. Earlier, on January 30, an image of the 2001 CB21 was captured via an Earth-based telescope by Gianluca Masi, an astronomer at the Virtual Telescope Project in Italy. At that time, it was more than 21.5 million miles away from Earth. As per the report, 2001 CB21 makes an orbit around the sun once every 384 days, which is almost similar to Earth's own orbital period. Its large size makes it bigger than around 97 percent of known asteroids, however, its small compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge. According to CNEOS, the asteroids are classified as "potentially hazardous" based on their potential to make "threatening close approaches" to Earth. Notably, the asteroid smaller than about 500 feet in diameter can't get closer to us than around 4.6 million miles, and hence, it will not come in the potentially hazardous asteroid (PHA) category. Last month, another PH asteroid namely 1994 PC1 flew past Earth at a distance of around 1.2 million miles. Meanwhile, NASA is working on asteroid defence projects like the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) to prevent humanity from asteroid strike. As the name suggests, a NASA spacecraft will attempt to divert an asteroid from its course deep in space. The success of this experiment will be a big positive for scientists in their quest to find a viable solution in case an asteroid is found that will actually crash into the earth. Asteroid crashes have happened many times in earth's history and is blamed for the extinction of dinosaurs. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Web-based application programming interfaces (APIs) provide researchers studying online social networks with a sophisticated route into those networks that can allow them to study the activity of users in detail, given ethical constraints and specific limitations of the APIs. Writing in the International Journal of Services Operations and Informatics, a team from India reviews the state-of-the-art in this constantly evolving realm. In their review, they reveal the challenges that might be faced in using an API, the suitability of a given API for particular research purposes. They also discuss how social media analytical tools might be adopted to support knowledge-based business strategies. Pooja Nanda of Sharda University in Greater Noida and Vikas Kumar of the Central University of Haryana, suggest that their review will be useful for organizations hoping to identify the various tools on the market for assisting in the making of knowledge-based strategic decisions. Fundamentally, analysis can find out, at scale, what it is customers and potential customers are saying about a company and its products and services in great detail. Social media in this context is so much more than an advertising or marketing vehicle for those products and services it is a rich seam of opinion and user knowledge to be tapped to allow companies and improve their "offering," how they market it, and how they adapt to consumer opinion. As the team's review suggests, to get the most from such analysis, careful consideration of the available tools, their benefits and limitations, is needed. "Available social media analytics tools should be mapped to the specific knowledge needs of the organization and they should be implemented and monitored accordingly," the team writes. "Outcomes from the social media analytical tools need to be well understood and combined into the business strategy to reap their actual benefits," they conclude. Explore further Maturing social media analysis More information: Pooja Nanda et al, Social media analytics: tools, techniques and present day practices, International Journal of Services Operations and Informatics (2022). Pooja Nanda et al, Social media analytics: tools, techniques and present day practices,(2022). DOI: 10.1504/IJSOI.2021.120691 A banner encouraging workers to vote in labor balloting is shown at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Ala., on Tuesday, March 30, 2021. Amazon workers and organizers in Bessemer, Alabama, are making door-to-door house calls, sporting pro-union T-shirts and challenging anti-union messaging by Amazon-hired consultants as they try to convince their peers for the second time to unionize their warehouse. The union election starts Friday, Feb. 4, 2022, by secret ballot Credit: AP Photo/Jay Reeves, File Amazon workers and organizers in Bessemer, Alabama, are making door-to-door house calls, sporting pro-union T-shirts and challenging anti-union messaging by Amazon-hired consultants as they try to convince their peers for the second time to unionize their warehouse in an election that starts Friday by secret ballot. The new organizing tactics come two months after the National Labor Relations Board ordered a do-over election upon determining that Amazon unfairly influenced the first election last year. Workers back then overwhelmingly rejected the union in a vote of 1,798 to 738 and a turnout of 53%. The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which like last time is spearheading the union drive, has solicited help from other unions, including those representing teachers and postal clerks. Stuart Appelbaum, president of the RWDSU, says the union is also courting community groups like Greater Birmingham Ministries to amplify the message that Amazon workers are not just warehouse workers but belong to communities and deserve respect. "Alabama has a long history of denying the rights of workers in order to attract corporations," said Scott Douglas, executive director of Greater Birmingham Ministries. "We have to put a stop to this." RWDSU estimates that more than half of the roughly 6,100 workers at the Alabama facility who voted last year remain eligible to vote in the current election. But the numbers also speak to high worker turnoveran issue that has made it difficult for organizing efforts to gain traction in Bessemer and elsewhere. Organizers are nonetheless optimistic. Vaccines have made it easier for them to do face-to-face meetings during the pandemic as opposed to the texts, emails and phone calls they relied on last year. They also say workers are more open to being unionized and that new employees are taking note of the labor unrest that has become even stronger in recent months, not just at Amazon but other companies such as Starbucks. "We are letting Amazon know that we are going to stick together. We are going to work together and we are going to be one," said Bessemer worker Kristina Bell during a union-organized call last week. A repeat of the election puts the spotlight back Amazon and how it treats its workers. Pro-union employees at the Bessemer warehouse complain of 10-hour shifts on their feet with little time to take breaks. Barbara Agrait, an Amazon spokeswoman, countered in an email to The Associated Press that full-time employees at the Bessemer facility earn at least $15.80 an hour and have access to health care on the first day of work, and a matching 401(k) program with matching company contributions. In addition, Amazon will pay the full cost of employees' college tuition after three months on the job. Agrait further noted that more than 450 employees have been promoted since the opening of the warehouse in the spring of 2020. "Our employees have always had the choice of whether or not to join a union, and our focus remains on working directly with our team to make Amazon a great place to work," Agrait said. If organizers are successful, the Bessemer warehouse would be the first unionized Amazon facility in the U.S. The company is fighting a separate attempt by workers to unionize a New York City facility, where last week the nascent Amazon Labor Union lined up enough support to hold a vote. Michael Foster of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union holds a sign outside an Amazon facility where labor is trying to organize workers on Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. Amazon workers and organizers in Bessemer, are making door-to-door house calls, sporting pro-union T-shirts and challenging anti-union messaging by Amazon-hired consultants as they try to convince their peers for the second time to unionize their warehouse. The union election starts Friday, Feb. 4, 2022, by secret ballot Credit: AP Photo/Jay Reeves, File The RWDSU still faces an uphill battle with Amazon, which hasn't relented on its anti-union stance. Workers say the company continues to rely on consultants and managers to hold mandatory staff meetings to talk about why unions are a bad idea. Agrait defended the meetings: "If the union vote passes, it will impact everyone at the site, which is why we host regular informational sessions and provide employees the opportunity to ask questions and learn about what this could mean for them and their day-to-day life working at Amazon." The company is also keeping a controversial U.S. Postal Service mailbox that was key in the NLRB's decision to invalidate last year's vote. Amazon had argued it wanted to make it more convenient for workers to vote but the NLRB said the mailbox gave the false impression that Amazon was running the election. The mailbox has since been relocated from the entrance of the facility to another part of the parking lot. And, under the new election rules, it no longer contains the signage that Amazon erected last year. But the union says that the mailbox is still under camera surveillance and can leave workers under the false impression that they can only drop off their ballots there as opposed to the post office or mailing their ballots from home. "The whole election was overturned because of the mailbox. It needs to be removed," said Darryl Richardson, an Amazon worker in the Bessemer facility. The NLRB declined to comment. The agency will begin to send ballots to workers on Friday; the ballots must be returned to the NLRB regional office by March 25. Vote counting starts on March 28. For its part, Amazon reached a settlement with the NLRB pledging to refrain from activities such as threatening workers with discipline or calling the police when they're engaging in union activity in exterior non-work areas during a non-work environment. But John Logan, director of Labor and Employment Studies at San Francisco State University, says the settlement only required Amazon to act within the labor law, which favors employers. He noted the current labor law allows companies lot of leeway, including holding mandatory meetings that can potentially intimidate workers and send a barrage of anti-union messages throughout the workers' day. Appelbaum and some Amazon workers say they have pushed back at these mandatory meetings, correcting consultants or other managers on any false statements and sometimes even shutting the meetings down. Still, Logan says while Amazon made missteps in the last election, it continues to get better at anti-union campaigns, figuring out what it can and cannot do. "They're learning, and they're becoming more sophisticated," Logan said. Explore further Amazon union vote re-do date set in US 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. The coal-powered Hassyan power plant is seen under construction in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Oct. 14, 2020. The planned $3.4 billion coal-fired power plant in Dubai instead will be converted to use natural gas, the sheikhdom announced Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, amid the United Arab Emirates' wider pledge to have net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Credit: AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File A planned $3.4 billion coal-fired power plant in Dubai instead will be converted to use natural gas, the sheikhdom announced, amid the United Arab Emirates' wider pledge to have net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The announcement Thursday came in a statement quoting Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and CEO of the group owning the long-haul carrier Emirates. The statement offered no details on how much the conversion would cost, nor how that would affect the plant's planned time to come online in the energy-hungry sheikhdom. The plant also will include a desalination plant to provide the water needed to green its desert dunes. The Hassyan power plant near Dubai's border with Abu Dhabi is being built in part by China, which describes the plant as a "major engineering project of the Belt and Road Initiative," a project which seeks to expand its influence in Africa and Asia. China had anticipated that the plant, which has General Electric Co. involved in its construction, will meet 20% of Dubai's electrical demand. Its construction comes as the world is warming, mainly due to rising levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, according to the vast majority of peer-reviewed studies, science organizations and climate scientists. By far, most of the increase in temperature is the result of human activity, which includes burning coal, oil and natural gas. Those warming temperatures fuel extreme weather, such as powerful storms. 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. "Sunset clauses" should be introduced into relevant legislation to limit the use of coronavirus certificates to just the current pandemic and not beyond, a study warns. Legislation should set a clear expiry date for the passes to prevent the normalization of the current level of interference with individuals' privacy, and to stop the technical infrastructure used for COVID-19 certificates being repurposed for broader uses after the pandemic, an expert has said. The research, published in the journal Big Data and Society, by Professor Ana Beduschi from the University of Exeter Law School, says the legislation providing the legal basis for the deployment of certificates must clarify key questions concerning data access, purpose limitation and data storage conditions. The research was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as part of UK Research & Innovation (UKRI)'s rapid response to COVID-19 Professor Beduschi said: "Currently, COVID-19 health status certificates are being deployed around the world, including in Europe, the United States, and China. Yet, most countries in the Global South, where vaccination rates are low, have not yet fully implemented such certificates. "While mandating COVID-19 certificates may contribute to the management of the pandemic, technical solutions for the verification of COVID-19 health status do not suffice on their own. Because technologies do not evolve in a legal vacuum, the existing laws and regulations must be respected." Professor Beduschi urges governments to process health data securely and confidentially, ensuring the prevention of any unauthorized access, accidental loss, damage or destruction of the data. If breaches were to become widespread, they would undermine societal trust in these certificates. Professor Beduschi said: "Limiting the duration of the usage of COVID-19 certificates also clarifies that measures adopted during the pandemic are only justified within the exceptional circumstances of the present health crisis. Such an approach would set a clear precedent in favor of safeguarding individuals' right to privacy in the event of a future pandemic." More information: Ana Beduschi, Taking stock of COVID-19 health status certificates: Legal implications for data privacy and human rights, Big Data & Society (2022). Ana Beduschi, Taking stock of COVID-19 health status certificates: Legal implications for data privacy and human rights,(2022). DOI: 10.1177/20539517211069300 remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Travis Paynes family and friends gathered in Jekyll Square in downtown Brunswick Thursday to mourn and remember the impact he had on everyone he met. About 350,000 homes and businesses lost power across the U.S. on Thursday as freezing rain and snow weighed down tree limbs and encrusted power lines, part of a winter storm that caused a deadly tornado in Alabama, dumped more than a foot of snow in parts of the Midwest and brought rare measurable snowfall and hundreds of power outages to parts of Texas. Storm conditions also caused headaches for travelers across the country as airlines canceled more than 9,000 flights scheduled for Thursday or Friday in the U.S. The highest totals of power outages blamed on icy or downed power lines were concentrated in Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas and Ohio, but the path of the storm stretched further from the central U.S. into the South and Northeast on Thursday. Heavy snow was expected from the southern Rockies to northern New England, while forecasters said heavy ice buildup was likely from Pennsylvania to New England through Friday. In Texas, the return of subfreezing weather brought heightened anxiety nearly a year after February 2021s catastrophic freeze that buckled the states power grid for days, leading to hundreds of deaths in one of the worst blackouts in U.S. history. Facing a new test of Texas grid, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said it was holding up and on track to have more than enough power to get through the storm. Texas had about 70,000 outages by Thursday morning, nowhere close to the 4 million outages reported in 2021. About half had their power restored by evening. Abbott and local officials said Thursdays outages were due to high winds or icy and downed transmission lines, not grid failures. In Dallas, where snow rarely accumulates, the overnight mix of snow and freezing rain had hardened Thursday afternoon into an icy slick that made roads perilous. At Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, an American Airlines hub, an estimated 700 customers stayed Wednesday night in its terminals, according to an airport statement. Airport personnel provided pillows, blankets, diapers and infant formula to the marooned travelers. Airport officials said in the same statement that on Thursday night we are ready to provide assistance in anticipation of customers who may need to stay in the terminals. The Ohio Valley was especially affected Thursday, with 211 flight cancellations at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport on Thursday. An airport spokeswoman told the Cincinnati Enquirer that all flights were canceled Thursday except for Delta Air Lines and American Airlines flights before noon. Nearly all Thursday afternoon and evening flights were canceled at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, and Friday flights could be as well, spokeswoman Natalie Chaudoin told the Louisville Courier-Journal. UPS suspended some operations Thursday at its Worldport hub at the airport, a rare move. Parts of Ohio, New York and northern New England were expected to see heavy snowfall as the storm moves to the east with 12 to 18 inches of snow possible in some places through Friday, Andrew Orrison, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland, said early Thursday. However, ice accumulations were expected to be the primary hazard from central and eastern Pennsylvania through the Catskill Mountains of New York to New England, NWS meteorologist Rich Otto said Thursday evening. Along the warmer side of the storm, strong thunderstorms capable of damaging wind gusts and tornadoes were possible Thursday in parts of Mississippi and Alabama, the Storm Prediction Center said. In western Alabama, Hale County Emergency Management Director Russell Weeden told WBRC-TV a tornado that hit a rural area Thursday afternoon killed one person, a female he found under rubble, and critically injured three others. A home was heavily damaged, he said. Tornadoes in the winter are unusual but possible, and scientists have said the atmospheric conditions needed to cause a tornado have intensified as the planet warms. Heavy snow the storm brought to Midwestern states isnt unusual, except the bigger-than-normal path of intense snow in some places, said Northern Illinois University meteorology professor Victor Gensini. With a warmer climate, people are forgetting what a Midwestern winter had long been like, he said. The only amazing winters Ive been able to experience is through my parents photographs of the 1970s, Gensini, who is 35, said. This (storm) is par for the course, not only for the past, but winters current. More than 20 inches of snow was reported in the southern Rockies, while more than a foot of snow fell in areas of Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. Almost 300,000 homes and businesses were still without power as night fell Thursday, most of them in Tennessee and Ohio, according to the website poweroutage.us, which tracks utility reports. As night fell Thursday, almost 150,000 Tennessee customers were without power, including about 135,000 in the Memphis area alone or one-third of the customers of Memphis Light, Gas & Water. Power restoration could take days, said Gale Carson, the utilitys spokeswoman. Its not going to be a quick process, she said. Six people were taken to a hospital after a 16-vehicle crash on a Memphis highway. Two were in critical condition when taken to an emergency room after the crash on Austin Peay Highway, the Memphis Fire Department said on Twitter. Four others suffered non-critical injuries. Meantime, almost 70,000 were without power in Ohio, with large percentages of the population in southeastern Ohio in the dark. ATMEH, Syria The leader of the Islamic State group blew himself up along with members of his family as American forces raided his Syria hideout Thursday, the U.S. said the second time in three years the United States has taken out a leader of the violent group that is struggling for resurgence. President Joe Biden announced the overnight raid by American special operations forces, which U.S. officials called a significant blow to the radical militant organization. The IS group at the height of its power controlled more than 40,000 square miles stretching from Syria to Iraq and ruled over 8 million people. Its attacks in the region included a major assault last month to seize a prison in northeast Syria holding at least 3,000 IS detainees. The raid targeted Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, who took over as head of the group on Oct. 31, 2019, just days after leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died during a U.S. raid. Al-Qurayshi, unlike his predecessor, was far from a household name, a secretive man who presided over a far diminished version of the group and didnt appear in public. Biden said al-Qurayshi died as al-Baghdadi did, by exploding a bomb that killed himself and members of his family, including women and children, as U.S. forces approached. Thanks to the bravery of our troops this horrible terrorist leader is no more, Biden said at the White House. He said al-Qurayshi had been responsible for the prison assault, as well as genocide against the Yazidi people in Iraq in 2014. About 50 U.S. special operations forces landed in helicopters and attacked a house in a rebel-held corner of Syria, clashing for two hours with gunmen, witnesses said. Residents described continuous gunfire and explosions that jolted the town of Atmeh near the Turkish border, an area dotted with camps for internally displaced people from Syrias civil war. Biden said he ordered U.S. forces to take every precaution available to minimize civilian casualties, the reason they did not conduct an airstrike on the home. First responders reported that 13 people had been killed, including six children and four women. Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said U.S. forces were able to evacuate 10 people from the building: a man, a woman and four children from the first floor and four children from the second floor. He said when al-Qurayshi detonated the bomb, he also killed his wife and two children. Kirby said that U.S. officials were working to determine whether American action resulted in any civilian deaths. There were no U.S. casualties, Kirby said. U.S. forces took fingerprints and DNA, which confirmed al-Qurayshis death, he said. Biden, along with Vice President Kamala Harris and senior national security aides monitored a live feed of the operation from the White House Situation Room according to an official. In December, a tabletop model of the three-floor house had been brought to the high-security room. The raid marked a military success for the United States at an important time after setbacks elsewhere including the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal had led allies and opponents to conclude U.S. power globally was weakening. The house, surrounded by olive trees in fields outside Atmeh, was left with its top floor shattered and blood spattered inside. A journalist on assignment for The Associated Press, and several residents, said they saw body parts scattered near the site. Most residents spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. Idlib is largely controlled by Turkish-backed fighters but is also an al-Qaida stronghold and home to several of its top operatives. Other militants, including extremists from the rival IS group, also have found refuge in the region. The first moments were terrifying; no one knew what was happening, said Jamil el-Deddo, a resident of a nearby refugee camp. We were worried it could be Syrian aircraft, which brought back memories of barrel bombs that used to be dropped on us, he added, referring to explosives-filled containers used by President Bashar Assads forces against opponents during the Syrian conflict. The top floor of the low house was nearly destroyed, sending white bricks tumbling to the ground below. A wrecked bedroom had a childs wooden crib and a stuffed rabbit doll. On one damaged wall, a blue plastic baby swing was still hanging. Religious books, including a biography of Islams Prophet Mohammad, were in the house. Al-Qurayshi had kept an extremely low profile since he took over leadership of the Islamic State. U.S. officials said he never left his apartment except to bathe on the buildings roof. It is difficult to gauge how his death will affect the group. U.S. officials claimed he was directly overseeing operations in Syria, including last months attack on the prison. Theyre leaderless today, and thats a significant blow, Kirby said. This not something we believe ISIS is going to be able to get over real quickly or real easily. The second floor of the house was occupied by a lower-ranking Islamic State leader and his family, but the first floor contained civilians who were unconnected to the terrorist group and unaware of al-Qurayshis presence, according to U.S. officials, who described them as unwitting human shields. Biden gave the final go on the mission Tuesday morning during his daily national security briefing in the Oval Office, where he was joined by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley. Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command and the commander of the operation, said the mission goal was to capture al-Qurayshi. He said the blast set off by the IS leader was larger than would have been expected from a suicide vest, and that al-Qurayshis body was found on the ground outside the building, thrown from the third floor by the force of the blast. A U.S. official said one of the helicopters in the raid suffered a mechanical problem and was redirected to a site nearby, where it was destroyed. Texas A&M University will host Aggieland Saturday, a campuswide open house, on Feb. 12 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The self-guided program includes campus tours, demonstrations and presentations about financial aid scholarships. The event is free, but registration is required at go.theeagle.com/aggieland. FRIDAY EVENTS Daddy Daughter Dance, 6 p.m. at The Stella Hotel, 4100 Lake Atlas Drive in Bryan. The Childrens Museum of the Brazos Valley fundraiser will include appearances from princesses, crafts and activities, a photo booth, formal portraits, dinner and dancing. Tickets are $160 per couple, and each additional daughter is $30. Museum members are eligible for a $25 discount. Tickets can be purchased at cmbv.org or by calling the museum at 779-5437. 50 Men Who Can Cook, 6:30 p.m. at the Brazos County Expo, 5827 Leonard Road in Bryan. The event, hosted by the College Station ISD Educational Foundation, features local community leaders showcasing their culinary skills. Tickets are $75. Email givetokids@csisd.org for more information. Winter carnival, through Sunday at Post Oak Mall, 1500 Harvey Road in College Station. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 5 to 11 p.m.; Friday from 4 p.m. to midnight; and Saturday and Sunday from noon to midnight. Tickets cost $1 and rides are three to six tickets each. Unlimited ride wristbands are $30. Beautiful The Carole King Musical, 7:30 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium on the Texas A&M University campus. Tickets are $26 to $100 and available at boxoffice.tamu.edu. Jeeves Takes a Bow, 7:30 p.m. at StageCenter Community Theatre, 218 N. Bryan Ave. in Downtown Bryan. Tickets are $15; student and senior tickets are $12. stagecenter.net. The Little Mermaid, 7 p.m. at Bryan ISD Performing Arts Center on Coulter Drive. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Bryan school district employees are admitted free. For tickets, visit thelittlemermaidbhs.ludus.com or call 209-2400. Performances are also scheduled Saturday. Villainy The Musical, 7:30 p.m. at Brazos Valley TROUPE, 3705 E. 29th St. in Bryan. Tickets are $20 for 13 and older and $15 for youth ages 3 through 12. Reservations are recommended by emailing bvttix@yahoo.com. Teen Share and Care support group, 10 a.m. online and in-person at the National Alliance for Mental Illness Brazos Valley office, 3705 S. College Ave. in Bryan. A weekly support group for teens to share, listen and uplift each other during difficult times in their lives; led by trained adult facilitators. To register for online access, visit namibv.org/namibvsupport. Architecture for Health visiting lecture series, 12:30 p.m., online event. The theme is The Year of Design for Health. Visit tx.ag/AFH22 for a link to the Zoom meeting. Professional wrestling, 7:30 p.m. at The Western Steakhouse and Dancehall, 9524 Texas 6 in Navasota. Tickets are $10 to $60. go.theeagle.com/wrestling. LIVE MUSIC Mike Ryan, 9 p.m. at Hurricane Harrys, 313 College Ave. in College Station. Tickets are $15. go.theeagle.com/harrys. Great American Boxcar Chorus, Joey McGee, Grifters & Shills, 9 p.m. at The 101, 101 S. Texas Ave. in Bryan. Push to Start with Jon Couch and the Cushions, 8 p.m. at Grand Stafford Theater, 106 S. Main St. in Downtown Bryan. General admission is free; premium tickets are $10. grandstaffordtheater.com. Jasper, Mad Rant and The Grivettes, starting at 9 p.m. at Murphys Law, 107 N. Main St. in Downtown Bryan. Free. Tell Runyan, 7:30 p.m. at Canteen Bar and Grill in Cavalry Court, 200 Century Court in College Station. Brian Sacco, 8:30 p.m. at Whiskey Tango Bar & Grill, 15875 County Road 304 in Navasota. Jake Waylon, 6 to 9 p.m. at Brazos Valley Brewing Co., 206 S. Jackson St. in Brenham. Kites, 8:30 p.m. at Home Sweet Farm Biergarten, 307 S. Park St. in Brenham. Wesley Barlow, 7 to 9 p.m. at Ronin, 800 N. Main St. in Downtown Bryan. The Southern Degenerates, 9 p.m. at 3rd Floor Cantina, 201B W. 26th St. in Downtown Bryan. Peter Lieuwen Trio, 7 p.m. at Luigis Patio Ristorante, 3975 Texas 6 in College Station. Whats Left Band, 7:30 p.m. at Bottlenecks, 1789 F.M. 60 in Deanville. COVID-19 TESTING St. Teresa Catholic Church, 201 Hall St. in Bryan, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Due to high demand, walk-ins may not be accepted. curative.com. New Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 1505 Dansby St. in Bryan, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Due to high demand, walk-ins may not be accepted. curative.com. Kohls parking lot kiosk, 1509 Texas Ave. in College Station, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Rapid PCR testing. Due to high demand, walk-ins may not be accepted. curative.com. Blinn College, 651 Blinn Blvd. in Brenham, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Friday. Due to high demand, walk-ins may not be accepted. curative.com. Rudder Plaza kiosk, 275 Joe Routt Blvd. on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nasal swab tests for Texas A&M students, faculty and staff members. Appointments required. Mays Plaza kiosk, 1100 Hensel Drive on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nasal swab tests for Texas A&M students, faculty and staff members. Appointments required. A.P. Beutel Health Center, 311 Houston St. on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For Texas A&M students, faculty and staff members. Appointments required. EXHIBITS Oceans of Plastic at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station. A collection of art made from plastic pollution acquired from beaches along the Texas coast. The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $9 for adults, and tickets must be purchased at bush41.org/visit/admission. Astrophotography: Exploring Celestial Mysteries, through March 19 at the Arts Council of Brazos Valley, 4180 Texas 6 in College Station. A collection of work by Randall Light, a photographer and member of the Brazos Valley Astronomy Club. The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. Lovin That Lone Star Flag, through April 2 at the Arts Council of Brazos Valley, 4180 Texas 6 in College Station. A collection of work by E. Joe Deering. The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. Fire and Earth, the Story of Ceramics, through May 28 at the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History, 3232 Briarcrest Drive in Bryan. Exhibit highlights include the origins of ceramics, current uses and the future of the material. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults. Taking Shape: Geometry in Art, through March 9 at the J. Wayne Stark Galleries in the Memorial Student Center on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station. The exhibit features works by artists who expressed themselves and the world around them through geometric forms, optical illusions and abstraction. The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. tx.ag/geometry. In Actuality: Social Realism and Its Legacy, through April 10 at the Forsyth Galleries in the Memorial Student Center on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station. The exhibit features more than 40 images by nine photographers, highlighting their contribution to the social realism movement. The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. tx.ag/inactuality. Pulped Under Pressure: The Art of Handmade Paper, through March 20 at the J. Wayne Stark Galleries in the Memorial Student Center on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station. The exhibit features art with traditional papermaking at its core. The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. tx.ag/pulped. There are exactly 140 dams in Martinsville, Henry, Patrick and Franklin counties, inventoried in a recently updated national list available through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The National Inventory of Dams (NID) documents all known dams in the U.S. and its territories and is designed to provide the ability to search for data about dams throughout the United States and also serves as a resource to support awareness of dams and actions to prepare for a dam-related emergency, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers website. The updated list now available shows 54 dams in Patrick County, 44 in Henry County, 40 in Franklin County and two in Martinsville. The average age of dams in Franklin County is 68 years. Dams in the database are more than 25 feet high with more than 15 acre-feet in storage or at least 6 feet high with more than 50 acre-feet storage, as well as situated so that downstream flooding would likely result in loss of human life and/or disrupt access to critical facilities. Perhaps one of the most scenic and well-known dam in the area that is on the list is Phillpott Dam. The NID shows this dam was built in 1948 and began hydropower production in 1953. It stands 220 feet high at an elevation of 1,148 feet. The primary purpose of Philpott Dam is to reduce the risk of flooding, but it also provides hydroelectric production, recreation, a water supply and a fish and wildlife pond, the NID shows. Spanning 3,000 acres of water, the lake created by Philpott Dam is surrounded by lands that are managed by the Corps of Engineers, the Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) and the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the DWR states. The Corps of Engineers also operates a visitor center offering information, interpretive displays and spectacular views of the lake and the dam. There is also a system of water trails called The Philpott Blueway that is easily accessible from surrounding parks, boat launches and campgrounds, the DWR states. The Philpott Lake boasts good populations of largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, crappie and catfish, according to Virginia Outdoors, a resource for Virginia anglers and hunters and the DWR 2021 Smith River fisheries report shows 85% of reported catches were brown trout and the rest were rainbow trout. The complete national inventory of dams available through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lists at total of 92,071 dams across the country. The database contains information about a dams location, type, size, purpose, uses and benefits, date of last inspections and other structural and geographical information. The NID is used to assist federal, state, and local agencies develop safety policies, but also available to the public over the internet. Congress charged the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the 1970s to identify, inspect and inventory all dams nationwide, the website states. The first inventory was published in 1975 and by 1982, records for more than 68,153 dams had been gathered. The current list shows dams that meet the criteria have an average age of 61 years. While 75% of the dams are considered of high hazard potential, only 3% are equipped to provide hydropower. Bill Wyatt is a reporter for the Martinsville Bulletin. He can be reached at 276-638-8801, Ext. 2360. Follow him @billdwyatt. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. RICHMOND Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Feb.2 emphasized his administrations early activity in Southwest Virginia and reiterated campaign promises to a statewide assembly of rural officials. Hundreds of local officials from the states agrarian areas descended on the capitol last Wednesday to attend the annual Virginia Rural Caucus Reception, hosted in-person this year at the Omni Richmond Hotel. Addressing a sometimes raucous crowd were the three newly elected Republican members of Virginias executive branch: Attorney General Jason Miyares, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and keynote speaker Youngkin. Together, were standing up to those things that are most important to rural Virginia, Youngkin said. Its time that we recognize the interests of rural Virginia be represented well. Ive made two trips to Southwest Virginia, Youngkin said. Why? Because its important for rural Virginia to know that their governor is delivering on what government needs to do to help. Youngkin visited Roanoke in January to tour Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital and promote an executive order aimed at adding flexibility to the healthcare system. He was in Abingdon earlier in the week, also to highlight health care. The vast majority of people going into the hospital today for COVID-19 are unvaccinated, Youngkin said. Please get the vaccine. Its the best way to keep yourself safe, to keep your family safe. Youngkin said the states healthcare system is facing a staffing crisis, on top of an influx of coronavirus hospitalizations. But other matters of health are on his agenda. We need to comprehensively invest in our mental health and our behavioral health system, Youngkin said. Weve got a lot of work to do to make our community safe, and we can do it together. Youngkin said he expects to sign into law the largest education budget in state history, investing in teacher pay, programs for children with disabilities and school innovation. He also talked taxation. Virginias gotten to be way too expensive, Youngkin said. We got to get our taxes down. He reiterated campaign promises to eliminate the grocery tax, double the standard income tax deduction, suspend a recent five-cent increase to the gas tax, and provide additional tax breaks to retired veterans. In the House of Delegates on Wednesday, a grocery tax repeal bill sponsored by Del. Joe McNamara, R-Roanoke County, passed the House Finance Committee, and was referred to another panel of delegates for further consideration. One person died Thursday in a fire that also killed nine horses in a horse barn near 232nd Street and Dutch Hall Road north of Bennington. Crews from 13 fire departments from four counties responded to the fire, including firefighters from Waterloo, Valley, Bennington, Arlington and Omaha. The fire was reported about 6:10 a.m. at Heartland Farms at 23203 Dutch Hall Road. One firefighter suffered burns while battling the blaze, said Waterloo Fire Chief Travis Harlow. The firefighter was taken to Creighton University Medical Center-Bergan Mercy in serious condition. The name of the person who died has not been released. Firefighters had to work in shifts because of the cold conditions, Harlow said. The water source was 6 miles away, which complicated fire crews' work. Ice from the water sprayed on the building made footing treacherous. Several horses were injured in the fire, Harlow said. Horses were being cared for by people who live at a nearby farm, he said. Harlow estimated the barn was 35,000 to 40,000 square feet. Three apartments and an office were in the building, he said. Heartland Farms, owned by Blair and Karen Cudmore, breeds, sells and trains horses. Blair Cudmore, reached by phone in California, said he was heading to the airport for a flight back to Omaha. Cudmore said the indoor arena in the building is roughly the size of a football field. Fire crews were cleaning up after 2:30 p.m. Harlow said crews likely will come back to check for hot spots, but the scene was being turned over to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office and the Nebraska State Fire Marshal's Office. KEARNEY A Nebraska probation officer who reported being kidnapped, robbed and assaulted in December is being accused of lying about the incident, and court records indicate she was instead in a relationship with her alleged attacker. Mara Stamp, 31, of Kearney is charged in Buffalo County Court with tampering with physical evidence, a felony, and misdemeanor false reporting in the Dec. 18 incident. Stamp accused her former probation client Shawn W. Smith, 35, of Kearney of coming to her house, hitting her several times, taking her to an ATM, where he forced her to withdraw money, then allegedly threatening her if she told anyone. Smith was arrested and charged in Buffalo County Court with felony kidnapping, robbery, terroristic threats, misdemeanor flight to avoid arrest, third-degree assault and driving under the influence of alcohol-first offense in the incident. However, the kidnapping and robbery charges were dismissed Wednesday by Buffalo County Attorney Shawn Eatherton. The remainder of Smiths charges were sent to district court for trial. A hearing date has not been set. Court records indicate Stamp was in a romantic and intimate relationship with Smith on Dec. 18. At the time of Smiths arrest he told Kearney Police Department officers Stamp was a cheater and liar. Smith said on Dec. 18 he went to Stamps house in southeast Kearney, where he found her in bed with another man, and he became upset. Smith said he and Stamp had been in a relationship for about six months and they tried to keep it a secret because Stamp was a probation officer who had previously supervised Smith. Court records show Stamp was Smiths probation officer in August 2016. Smith told Kearney police he had been living at Stamps house for about 30 days prior to the Dec. 18 incident. He described to police several paintings he had made that Stamp had hanging on the walls of her house. Officers met with Stamp at her house and she initially denied any relationship with Smith, saying he was just a prior client and that she hadnt seen him for about two months. Inside the house police noticed blank places on Stamps walls where it appeared something previously had hung, and where Smith had earlier told police his paintings were located. A few days later, police returned to Stamps house for a follow-up interview, where they noticed paintings around the house had been moved. One painting was found sticking out of a metal trash container in her garage. When they looked at the painting they found a notebook with a note addressed to Shawn, and signed with a heart and always Mara. Police also retrieved Stamps cellphone at the time. When officers returned her phone later in the day they tried to retrieve the painting from the trash can, although the container had been emptied and the painting was missing. Records indicate Stamp claimed she didnt know where the painting went, although police later found it in the back seat of her vehicle parked in her garage. Police seized the painting, along with two others from the back seat. The yellow notebook also was missing from the trash can. It was later found, torn up and in a plastic bag under the kitchen sink, records indicate. The investigation revealed Stamp was involved in a relationship with Smith, that he knew where Stamp lived because Smith had lived with her at one time, and that Stamp allegedly deleted messages from her cellphone between her and Smith. Deb Minardi, Nebraska Probation administrator, said Stamp resigned her position when officials started their inquiry. This unfortunate incident involving Ms. Stamp was brought to our immediate attention. The Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation immediately started an internal inquiry to ensure all relevant facts where obtained, she said in an email response to the Hub. It important to note all probation personnel are held to a high standard and education, training and policies are in place to ensure these standards are met. Stamp is scheduled to appear Feb. 10 in Buffalo County Court for a preliminary hearing on her charges. YORK A fire erupted at an apartment complex at 1225 North Lincoln Avenue at approximately 6 p.m., in York, on Thursday, Feb. 3, with at least one person being transported to York General Hospital. At the scene, no information was available as to the cause or the situation at hand, but at least one person was critically injured in what appeared to be life threatening injuries. There was a strong law enforcement presence at the scene, with the Nebraska State Patrol, the York County Sheriffs Department and the York Police Department on the scene. York Fire Department responded quickly, as there was black smoke coming from a second story window and they requested mutual aid from the Waco Fire Department. Black smoke was coming from the building, from that apartment window on the south side of the complex, and there was also smoke coming from a window on the west side of the building. Firefighters, assisted by York Police officers, made their way inside, through a second floor window and pulled a man from the burning building. CPR was performed on the individual and he was quickly transported to the ambulance. With the situation evolving by the minute, no further information was readily available. There were a number of individuals outside the complex, who said they were residents there many of which commenting they no longer had a place to stay because the building was heavily damaged and the smoke had clearly moved throughout the entire facility. More information will be published as it becomes available, including the status of the person who was pulled from the building. Sen. Julie Slama's proposal to seek elimination of the nonpartisan feature of Nebraska's unique one-party Legislature ran into a storm of opposition Thursday at a public hearing, including resistance from four former senators. If that were to happen, former Speaker of the Legislature Galen Hadley of Kearney warned, "we will look a little bit like Washington" where members of Congress battle every day along party lines. In Nebraska's Legislature, Hadley said, "the emphasis is on you as an individual senator, not party." "We do work for the people, not the parties," former Sen. Burke Harr of Omaha said. "The issues are less party-driven" in Nebraska's Legislature, he said, and more centered on urban or rural interests. "Senators would be expected to toe the line on issues," former Sen. DiAnna Schimek of Lincoln said, and a partisan Legislature "would give the governor more power." "Term limits is what should change," Schimek said. Former Sen. Mike Gloor of Grand Island said he would not have been a candidate for the Legislature if the body had been partisan. Slama said she introduced the proposed constitutional amendment (LR282CA) to let the people decide whether they want to retain the current nonpartisan system or whether they may want to know the party affiliation of legislative candidates. Party identification would give voters "a general sense of where candidates stand," Slama, an active Republican who was originally appointed to the Legislature in 2019 by Gov. Pete Ricketts, said. Slama, who lives in Sterling, subsequently was elected to a four-year term in 2020. A parade of speakers opposed the proposal during a noon-hour public hearing before the Legislature's Executive Board. Moving to a partisan Legislature "would remove the possibility of independent decision-making," Nathan Leach, speaking for Non-Partisan Nebraska, said. Nebraska's state senators "act in the best interests of their constituents now rather than a political party," he said. A number of speakers suggested that the proposal could have the effect of "disenfranchising 271,000 voters" who are registered now as nonpartisans if subsequent implementation of the change would move legislative candidates onto partisan primary election ballots. "Let's continue to evaluate candidates as people," Westin Miller, director of public policy for Civic Nebraska, said. John Hansen of Lincoln, president of the Nebraska Farmers Union, said the proposal would be "a giant step in the wrong direction." Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSdon Learning Devices Google Introduces Chromebook Repair Hub for U.S. Schools, Self-Repair Guides for Acer and Lenovo Models Goal is to 'Create More Sustainable Device Ecosystem,' Google Says With 50 million Chromebooks now in use in schools, Google today introduced a new Chromebook repair program for U.S. education users of the Acer- and Lenovo-made models, with a new website providing self-service repair guides for each model. Citing a goal to create a more sustainable device ecosystem, Google said it will work with schools to make it easier to find information about which Chromebook devices or device components school IT administrators are allowed to repair without voiding any warranty, where to find the right tools and replacement parts, and learn how to conduct the repairs. This is just the first step of the Chromebook repair program, Google said in the announcement on its Education blog. Google also detailed new updates to Chrome Enterprise, with new release notes for administrators managing Chrome browsers or Chrome OS devices for schools. Also Thursday, Google introduced a Chromebook discovery website for education users that makes finding and comparing varying Chromebook models easier; Google also noted the recent release of several new Chromebook models for students and teachers, including four from Acer detailed recently on THEJournal.com, plus new models from HP, ASUS, Dell, and Samsung. Before attempting to repair a Chromebook, Google said to first make sure the manufacturer allows self-repairs. If the device is made by Acer or Lenovo, the manufacturer has already uploaded to Googles Chromebook repair hub a list of repairable components for each model as well as a full repair guide for each model. Google said it is working with manufacturers to establish which Chromebook models meet our repairability criteria and hopes to expand the self-repair program in the near future; the repair hub lists some components that may be locally repairable including display back panel, LCD display and display bezels, palm rest and touchpad, keyboard, motherboard, battery, and more. With the Chromebook repair program now accessible to all schools, Google is encouraging school districts to start their own repair program offering a downloadable guide to creating an in-school repair practice for simple issues and noted that some schoolss established repair programs even include students, allowing them to work alongside teachers and IT teams to fix their devices. One such example showcased by Google is Jenks Public Schools Technology Student Intern program in Jenks, Okla., a district with 10 campuses and about 12,400 students. The TSI program is staffed by students, who gain valuable career training in customer service and IT help desk skills, Googles case study said. The result: significant cost savings for the district, fast turnaround time for Chromebook repairs, and graduates who can land jobs in the IT field, Google said. The case study details how Jenks Public Schools set up the TSI program in 2012, requirements for students to participate, how students are trained and progress into increasingly complex repair work, and how the program has grown into a permanent elective offering certification in IT fundamentals. Find more information about Chromebooks, the newest upgrades, and support programs on Googles Education website. Improving Reading Skills Arizona ED Selects i-Ready as Universal Literacy and Dyslexia Screener for Students for 2022-23 The Arizona Department of Education has named Curriculum Associates i-Ready Assessment as an approved universal literacy and dyslexia screener for the 20222023 school year, allowing schools statewide to use the online diagnostic and offline literacy assessments to screen for risk factors associated with dyslexia. The new dyslexia screening process is part of Arizonas Move on When Reading policy, designed to provide evidence-based, effective reading instruction tailored to students individual needs. As a longtime partner to the Arizona education community, Curriculum Associates developed dyslexia screener items specific to the needs of Arizona students as required by state law, said Curriculum Associates CEO Rob Waldron. This recent approval by the ADE reinforces the power and validity of our assessment in identifying potential risk factors for dyslexia, which is necessary so educators can provide the specialized supports students need to succeed. ADE has directed Arizona schools to give all students in grades K3 a universal literacy and dyslexia screener within the first 45 calendar days of the school year and to perform additional screenings during the winter and spring benchmark periods, according to a news release. Each benchmark data set is to be submitted to ADEs Move on When Reading team throughout the school year. The i-Ready platform combines Diagnostic tools and additional tasks that leverage the newest research on dyslexia screening and adheres to recommendations of the International Dyslexia Association, Curriculum Associates said. Districts can use the program to determine whether further assessment and specialized reading intervention may be appropriate for individual students. Approximately one-fourth of all U.S. K8 students are assessed on the i-Ready program, the company said. Learn more at CurriculumAssociates.com/i-Ready. Republican candidate for governor Richard Irvin on Thursday blamed sweeping criminal justice reforms signed by Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker for playing a role in the deaths of eight law enforcement officers in Illinois over the past year, even though many of the laws provisions have yet to go into effect. Let me tell you how many police officers have been killed since that bill has been signed: eight. Eight police officers have been killed in the line of duty since that bill has been signed, Irvin said, noting the last was the late December murder of Bradley police Sgt. Marlene Rittmanic by an assailant using her own gun. Of course, signing that bill affects crime in this state. The accusation from Irvin, the mayor of Aurora, came during a brief 12-minute interview with the Tribune as he conducted a second day of media question-and-answer sessions more than two weeks after he formally launched his bid for the June 28 GOP primary nomination. A Pritzker spokeswoman said Irvins attempt to blame the governor for actions under a bill that hasnt even gone into effect demonstrates a frightening lack of understanding for someone seeking the states highest office. Irvin, backed by many in the states GOP establishment despite questions about his Republican credentials, did not directly answer if he believed Donald Trumps false contention that the 2020 presidential election was stolen or if he voted for Trump. He dismissed questions about Trump as efforts by Democrats to try to turn attention from his leadership abilities, though each of the four other GOP contenders for the nomination have been asked similar questions upon their entry into the race. Allegiance to Trump is key for many Republican voters, particularly in downstate, rural areas. Irvin, a former local states attorney and defense attorney before becoming Auroras first Black mayor in 2017, stuck to a Republican playbook looking to paint Pritzker and Democrats as soft on crime amid violent outbreaks of gun violence, smash-and-grab retail thefts and carjackings in Illinois, something also occurring at the national level. The crime theme has been pushed by billionaire businessman Ken Griffin, who is widely expected to back Irvin and whose funding ability is seen as critical to the Republican candidates success. Asked how much influence Griffin would have in a prospective Irvin administration, the mayor said accusations by his GOP rivals that he would be a puppet of the hedge fund billionaire offends me. I am nobodys pushover, said Irvin, an Army veteran. I am my own man. Always have. Always will be. Irvin called crime in Illinois out of control and said it didnt matter that many provisions of the sweeping criminal justice reform package signed by Pritzker last year, including an end to cash bail, have yet to take effect. Its not even about (the law) going into effect. Its about the fact that the criminals know whats coming. They know that when they get arrested, theyre not going to have to post bond. That empowers criminals to want to commit more crime, Irvin said. A national database on deceased law enforcement members, the Officer Down Memorial Page, shows eight Illinois officers killed from gunfire, assault or vehicular assault in 2021. A ninth died in an automobile crash. In addition to questioning Irvins knowledge of the criminal justice changes, Pritzkers campaign said the Republican candidates law-and-order credentials should include a review of his time as a criminal defense attorney If Richard Irvin was serious about solving crime then he would be honest about the 15 years he spent downplaying the trauma of survivors and keeping violent abusers out of jail and free from accountability, the campaign said in a statement. The campaign also noted that Pritzkers budget proposed on Wednesday would more than triple state violence prevention funding and makes the single largest investment in state history to expand Illinois State Police cadet classes. An Irvin campaign commercial that focuses on the law-and-order issue says he called the National Guard into Aurora to quell a May 31, 2020, protest over the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police that turned violent. Only governors have the ability to authorize the use of the National Guard. Asked specifically if he was the one who called in the Guard, Irvin said he watched as his emergency management director requested guard assistance. Irvin has found his Republican credentials under fire from rivals for the nomination, most notably over his pulling a Democratic primary ballot in 2014, 2016 and 2020. He explained that in a heavily Democratic area, he cast a vote for down-ballot Democrats who, even though they are not Republicans, are following the same conservative views and values to move Aurora forward. Its worked because Ive done more economic development in my city in four years than the city has seen in 40 years, Irvin said. Irvin sought to distance himself from Trump. Asked if he agreed with Trump that the 2020 election had been stolen, Irvin replied, Listen, Joe Biden is president, before contending the controversial former Republican president was someone Pritzker wants us to be talking about because he doesnt want to talk about his failed record. Asked how he would appeal to conservative Trump supporters, Irvin maintained that voters arent concerned about the former president, but about issues important to the state. Ill be looking for support from anyone that believes in whats important to our residents in Illinois, he said. While Irvin repeatedly bashed Pritzkers leadership, last March he publicly lauded the first-term governor at a pandemic vaccination event in Aurora, calling him a great friend, a great leader who has guided our state with professionalism and compassion throughout this entire pandemic. Now, Irvin said he is generally opposed to coronavirus mandates and favors local control. He said he has been vaccinated and received a booster for the coronavirus. As for his remarks supportive of Pritzker less than a year ago, Irvin said, My mother taught me great manners and I was just being polite. So did Irvin say something he didnt really mean? Im saying, listen, when the governor of Illinois comes to town and you rely on the governor for so many resources in your city, the second-largest city in the state, its probably good to be polite, Irvin said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Biltmore United Methodist Church of Asheville, North Carolina, is for sale. Already financially strapped because of shrinking membership and a struggling preschool, the congregation was dealt a crushing blow by the coronavirus. Attendance plummeted, with many staying home or switching to other churches that stayed open the whole time. Gone, too, is the revenue the church formerly got from renting its space for events and meetings. "Our maintenance costs are just exorbitant," said the Rev. Lucy Robbins, senior pastor. "And we just don't have the resources financially that we used to have to be able to do the kind of ministry work that we would like." Biltmore is just one of an untold number of congregations across the country that have struggled to stay afloat financially and minister to their flocks during the pandemic, though others have managed to weather the storm, often with help from the federal government's Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, and sustained levels of member donations. The coronavirus hit at a time when already fewer Americans were going to worship services with at least half of the nearly 15,300 congregations surveyed in a 2020 report by Faith Communities Today reporting weekly attendance of 65 or less and exacerbated the problems at smaller churches where increasingly lean budgets often hindered them from things like hiring full-time clergy. "The pandemic didn't change those patterns, it only made them a little bit worse," said Scott Thumma, director of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research and co-chair of Faith Communities Today. Attendance has been a persistent challenge. As faith leaders moved to return to in-person worship, first the highly transmissible delta variant and now the even faster-spreading omicron have thrown a wrench into such efforts, with some churches going back online and others still open reporting fewer souls in the pews. At Biltmore, for example, attendance at weekly services are down from around 70 pre-pandemic to just about 25 today, counting both in-person and online worship. After congregants voted last May to put the church property, a two-building campus perched on a verdant knoll just off Interstate 40, on the market, church leaders are still figuring out what comes next, including where the congregation will call home. But they hope to use some of the proceeds from the property sale to support marginalized communities and causes like affordable housing. Unlike Biltmore, Franklin Community Church, about 20 miles outside of Nashville, Tennessee, doesn't have its own sanctuary, holding services instead at a public school. That turned out to be a blessing during the pandemic, with no need to worry about a mortgage, upkeep, insurance or utilities. "We wouldn't have survived if we'd had all that," said the Rev. Kevin Riggs, the church's pastor. Still, it has been a battle. During the 15 months that services at Franklin went online-only, some members left for other congregations or got out of the habit of giving, according to Riggs. Weekly attendance is down from around 100 to less than 40, and the omicron spike recently forced the church to go virtual again. The impact is felt in the collection plate: The money coming in now is just about a third of what it was before the pandemic, the pastor said. The church has cut spending where it could, turned to grants to try to make up the difference and worked to raise more money from community members who don't attend but support the church's ministries, such as serving homeless people. "We're surviving. But we have felt the hurt," Riggs said. Another struggling congregation, Friendship Baptist Church in Baltimore, is essentially living week to week. The predominantly Black church received a PPP loan of more than $55,000, but that barely made a dent in expenses. The Rev. Alvin Gwynn Sr. has given up his pastor's salary and for now is living off Social Security checks and his other job in construction. Slumping attendance has hurt the bottom line there, as elsewhere. Friendship Baptist counts around 900 active members but only about 150 of them are showing up, making their donations especially crucial. The church is "surviving because of the sacrificial giving of the 150," said Gwynn, who doesn't intend to start drawing a paycheck again until the church is stable. "They give way, way more than a normal offering each Sunday individually." During the pandemic, experts said many congregations embraced online giving, which could boost contributions by $300 per person annually, according to The Faith Communities Today report. More broadly, various other surveys and reports show a mixed picture on congregational giving nationwide. Gifts to religious organizations grew by 1% to just over $131 billion in 2020, a year when Americans also donated a record $471 billion overall to charity, according to an annual report by GivingUSA. Separately, a September survey of 1,000 protestant pastors by the evangelical firm Lifeway Research found about half of congregations received roughly what they budgeted for last year, with 27% getting less than anticipated and 22% getting more. Hope Presbyterian Church in Austin, Texas, a largely upper-middle-class congregation of about 400, is among those that have enjoyed relative stability despite the pandemic. The Rev. Josh Robinson had expected contributions to drop off when in-person services paused for more than a year, but they remained steady. So have member pledges for upcoming gifts in 2022. Some in the congregation even donated their government stimulus checks to the church, which used them to set up a fund to provide direct financial assistance to those who lost income due to the pandemic. It all prompted the pastor to reexamine his own approach to the pandemic. "I needed to step back and think, what did it mean for me as a spiritual leader to not have the same faith mindset, since I was anticipating a downturn?" Robinson said. "Here were the members of the church stepping up I had to lean into that. And rightfully, I was able to do so with great joy." Even before, the church had embraced frugality in order to pay down its debt, which has fallen from $2 million in 2013 to less than $300,000 today. When services went virtual, savings on utilities and other costs helped keep the budget balanced. PPP loans of some $290,000 were also key to maintaining employees on the payroll and offsetting lost revenue from renting out space and other services. At West Harpeth Primitive Baptist Church, another church in Franklin, giving is down but only slightly. Hewitt Sawyers, the pastor, attributes that to the scant turnover among the more than 150-year-old historically Black congregation's members, many of whom are committed to financially supporting the church and work in sectors that were less damaged by the pandemic than others. "We've just been wonderfully, wonderfully blessed," Sawyers said. Budget projections for this year are rosy enough that West Harpeth leaders are hopeful they can tackle a needed building renovation. "We are extremely optimistic about it," Sawyers said. "We're planning on trying to do that in '22, and we feel very, very, very comfortable about trying to get that done." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 NASHVILLE, Tenn. Tennessee pastor Willie McLaurin has been named interim president and CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee, becoming the first African American to lead one of the denomination's ministry entities in its more than 175-year history. McLaurin's appointment as one of the top administrators for the largest Protestant church body in the United States was announced Tuesday in Baptist Press, an official SBC news outlet. He will lead the day-to-day business of the committee, which acts on behalf of the convention when it is not holding its annual two-day national gathering in June. "Our EC staff is committed to serving our Convention well. ... My prayer is that we will continue to put a laser-sharp focus on cooperation and collaboration," McLaurin told Baptist Press. McLaurin, 48, will temporarily fill the post vacated by Ronnie Floyd in October. Floyd resigned amid turmoil over the Executive Committee's handling of a third-party investigation into how the committee addressed sexual abuse reports. Several others also have stepped down from the body. In a statement, McLaurin noted the work the Executive Committee is tasked with, including planning for the June meeting and continuing to cooperate with the task force overseeing the third-party investigation. The committee will also focus on assisting churches through "a posture of listening and learning," he said. McLaurin has served as the Executive Committee's vice president for Great Commission relations and mobilization since the post was created in 2020. Due to internal rules, the seven officers who head up the committee comprising dozens of representatives were limited to naming an interim from among its current vice presidents. Recent resignations meant McLaurin was one of two options. "He's a proven servant leader," said Rolland Slade, the committee's chairman. "We're serving Southern Baptists. ... That's our role. That's our lane as Executive Committee." "Under Willie's leadership," he said, "I believe that we will excel in that lane and that will be good." He added that McLaurin will play an important part in repairing the committee's reputation and restoring trust that eroded amid the recent turmoil. The SBC, which has a predominantly white membership, has long struggled to reckon with its racist, pro-slavery history but has made some strides in recent decades. In 2012, the convention elected New Orleans pastor Fred Luter Jr. to be SBC president, making him the first African American to hold the role. McLaurin is the first to head up one of the denomination's ministry entities, which also include its publishing and public policy arms as well as its seminaries. Slade, the first African American to serve as chairman of the Executive Committee, said the officers did not consider the historic milestone when selecting McLaurin. McLaurin previously worked at the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board for 15 years and has held various pastoral roles for several churches. He also has served in state and national convention roles, including on the SBC Resolutions Committee, on the Tennessee Baptist Convention executive board, as president of the Black Southern Baptist Denominational Servants Network and with the African American Fellowship of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. McLaurin, who lives in Nolensville, in the greater Nashville area, assumes the new role immediately and is expected to deliver his first report as interim leader when the Executive Committee meets Feb. 21-22, Slade said. At that gathering the Executive Committee also is expected to decide who will sit on a search committee tasked with naming a permanent president, Slade said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A 21-year-old Neeses man was shot and killed following an argument on Wednesday afternoon, according to the Chapin Police Department. William Arthur Hicks Jr. was shot multiple times at Bojangles, located at 566 Columbia Avenue, according to Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher. Medics transported Hicks to Prisma Health Richland where he was pronounced dead, Fisher said on Thursday. The Chapin Police Department announced that Warren Bruce Rumph Jr., 20, is facing charges of murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. The department initially charged Rumph with attempted murder, but upgraded the charge after Hicks died. According to Chapin police, Hicks and Rumph were co-workers at the restaurant. Chapin Police Chief Thomas W. Griffin said, Officers eventually determined an argument between Rumph and the victim led to the shooting. Chapin officers took Rumph into custody at the Bojangles shortly after the shooting, Griffin said. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims family, friends and loved ones, Griffin said. He also noted, The Chapin Police Department is thankful for our law enforcement partners that continue to assist in this case to include the Lexington County Sheriffs Department, the Lexington County Coroners Office and the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division. The investigation is ongoing, and Chapin Police will provide updates to the community as their work continues. Rumph remains at the Lexington County Detention Center. A circuit judge may consider setting his bond at a later date. Contact the writer: mbrown@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5545. Follow on Twitter: @MRBrownTandD. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 4 Angry 2 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Orangeburg County Sheriffs Office A gunman robbed the Family Dollar at 2429 Russell Street in Orangeburg at 9:40 p.m. Wednesday, according to an incident report. An employee reported that the gunman jumped over the counter and said, Give me all the money. As the employee emptied the cash register, the gunman said, I know theres more in there. The gunman raised and lowered the pistol, motioning for the employee to move faster, according to the report. The gunman was described as a Black male who appeared to be in his late teens or early 20s, the report states. He was wearing all black attire: ski mask, hooded sweatshirt, gloves, boots and sweatpants with white block lettering on his left leg down to his knee. He fled the store on foot, going toward Goff Avenue. Surveillance cameras recorded the robbery. Anyone with information on the robbery should call the sheriffs office at 803-534-3550. In an unrelated report, a man reported on Wednesday that someone stole the catalytic converter from his 1990 white Mercedes Benz parked at a Misty Glen Road property in Elloree. The catalytic converter is valued at $500. Contact the writer: mbrown@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5545. Follow on Twitter: @MRBrownTandD Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. An Orangeburg man is in prison after pleading guilty to multiple charges. Deshaun Anthony Ryan, 46, of 335 Jamison Avenue, pleaded guilty to the following Calhoun County charges: two counts of breaking into motor vehicles and one count of financial transaction card fraud valued at $500 or less in six-month period. He also pleaded guilty to the Orangeburg County charges of trafficking in MDMA, first-offense possession of less than one gram of cocaine base and lottery fraud. During a recent term of court, Circuit Judge Ed Dickson sentenced Ryan to five years in prison. Ryan was given credit for having already served 287 days at the Orangeburg County Detention Center. As part of his plea agreement, prosecutors dismissed the following charges: six counts of breaking into motor vehicles, five counts of petit larceny with enhancement, two counts of first-offense possession of less than one ounce of marijuana and one count each of first-offense possession of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance near a school, financial transaction card theft, unlawful carrying of a pistol, third or subsequent offense driving under suspension license not suspended for DUI and financial transaction card fraud valued less than $500 in a six-month period with enhancement. In other recent guilty pleas: Jonathan Lee Green, 30, of 930 Boulevard Street, Orangeburg, pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer. Dickson sentenced him to three years in prison, suspended to one year of probation. Green faced an additional charge of assaulting a police officer, but prosecutors dismissed the charge as part of his plea agreement. Ikeem TyRik Fredrick, 23, of 163 Eaglewood Road, Cope, pleaded guilty to first-offense possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Dickson sentenced him under the Youthful Offender Act not to exceed three years, suspended to two years of probation. He gave Fredrick credit for serving two days in jail. Dickson stipulated that Fredricks probation term may end early upon his completion of college. Fredrick originally faced the charge of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, but he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance instead. He faced a charge of unlawful carrying of a pistol, but prosecutors dismissed that charge due to lack of evidence. Fredrick has a concealed weapon permit. Terell Deshawn Goldsmith, 28, of 2062 Muriel Street, Orangeburg, pleaded guilty to third-degree domestic violence. Dickson sentenced him to 90 days in prison, suspended to one year of probation. He gave Goldsmith credit for having already served one day in jail. He also ordered Goldsmith to complete a domestic violence intervention program. Goldsmith is prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition for the next three years. A warrant charged Goldsmith with second-degree domestic violence, but he pleaded guilty to third-degree domestic violence instead. Rashawn Marquise Thompson, 27, of 231 Bamberg Street, Orangeburg, pleaded guilty to unlawful carrying of a handgun. Dickson ordered him to pay a $100 fine and all court fees by March 15 or report to prison for six months. Dickson gave Thompson credit for having already served one day in jail. Contact the writer: mbrown@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5545. Follow on Twitter: @MRBrownTandD Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 3 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. South Carolina State University alumna Rosielynn Lynn Fox has been named to the top position with a Boeing drone manufacturer. Fox is president and CEO of Insitu, which provides unmanned aircraft systems, software solutions and services to global customers, including the U.S. Armed Forces. Fox joined the Bingen, Washington-based company in 2022 as CEO. She also serves as Boeings vice president of Missions and Payloads. Fox earned a bachelors degree from South Carolina State University in 1995 and a masters degree in computer resources and information management from Webster University. She also is a graduate of Villanovas executive MBA program. Founded in 1994, Insitu has facilities both in Washington and Oregon, as well as offices in Australia and the United Kingdom. Boeing purchased the company in 2008. Before joining Insitu this year, Fox was senior director of Boeings Electronic Sensor and Intelligence Solutions division while also serving as CEO of Argon ST of Fairfax, Virginia. Earlier, she served as the director of International Apache Programs in Mesa, Arizona, where she was responsible for managing development and production of the AH-64E Apache attack helicopter for all international customers. Prior to her role in Mesa, Fox was the program manager for V-22 Osprey Japan. She was responsible for the execution and business growth with the V-22s first international customer. Fox previously held several positions as program manager of the Mission Systems Integrated Product Team and capture team leader in the division previously called Network & Space Systems (N&SS). Her focus was tied to executing and capturing new market opportunities in tactical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Before N&SS, she led an engineering team within Boeings Phantom Works division. Her team led initiatives involving mobile satellite and tactical network communications. Prior to joining Boeing, Lynn held several Department of Defense civilian positions as a systems engineer and program manager. In these roles, she supported the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, Army Material Command Europe and U.S. Army European Command. She also served as a U.S. Army officer. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Vladimir Putin is not Russia and he is not the Russians. Some say President Joe Biden is right in amassing troops in Eastern Europe in support of NATO countries there, pursuant to Russian aggression on the Ukraine border. Some say Russia is a benign factor, only interested in safety, justifiably nervous about being surrounded by hostile powers. Everybodys right. Everybodys wrong. Yes, Russian paranoia, from its phobia about the Teutons (Germans) to the west and the west in general to the U.S. to its east and west (when your country spans 11 time zones many are to both your east and west) is understandable. I mean, Winston Churchill advocated that the west should strangle the baby Bolsheviks in their cradle, for heaven sake. OK, Russia is no longer Bolshevik. Really? Putin was KGB for the Bolshevik Soviet Union. Arguably, however, he was never an actual, ideologically driven communist. Right. Thats a comfort. Hes only a conniving, murderous, power-mad dictator with world domination ambitions who uses every dirty trick to cause destructive chaos and polarizing hatred in other countries such as the U.S.. So I wouldnt worry. Putin prides himself on thinking 12 moves ahead. He sees himself as the superior Russian grandmaster in global hegemonic chess. Biden is falling for it. Threatening Russia militarily is playing chicken with destruction of the world. Literally. And it plays into Putins hand. Putin controls a vast country, but he is fixated on regaining the global strongman status enjoyed by his predecessors who headed the Soviet Union. Getting all chest-to-chest man-dance with him is exactly what his pathetic ego needs. Cmon, Joe. Do better. Americans are ideologically driven to either hate Russia they are the Cold War enemy forever or defend Putin hes just leading a country that has been invaded by Napoleon and then the Nazis so whatever malfeasance he commits, we understand. Poor baby. Ideology is not reality. There are other, nonviolent, methods by which we can coerce Putin. Fortunately, the Biden administration is at least looking at some of them, some powerful sanctions that dont involve guns and bombs. Those need examination and evaluation. Sanctions that constrain Putin are good. Sanctions that hurt average Russians and never touch Putin are worse than useless. As long as Putin can point to the US/NATO dagger at the throat of Russia, his grotesqueries will have public acceptance in his country. When he can sell the U.S. and NATO as the modern Napoleon and Hitler, he will have the backing of his people. When NATO bristles with thousands of troops and millions of tons of explosive munitions pointed at Russia, Putin gets away with anything because we make it possible for him to posture to his people as their champion, their defender. Disciplining ourselves to only use smart nonviolent but coercive sanctions that target Russian elites is frustrating in the short run and will win over time. To paraphrase and rephrase that old bloviating scoundrel Winston Churchill, nonviolence is the worst form of conflict management except for all those which have ever been tried. Dr. Tom H. Hastings is coordinator of Conflict Resolution BA/BS degree programs and certificates at Portland State University and PeaceVoice senior editor. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 This subscription will allow existing subscribers of The World to access all of our online content, including the E-Editions area. NOTE: To claim your access to the site, you will need to enter the Last Name and First Name that is tied to your subscription in this format: SMITH, JOHN If you need help with exactly how your specific name needs be entered, please email us at admin@countrymedia.net or call us at 1-541 266 6047. A dozen weary residents stand outside the Casper Reentry Center as it grows dark, waiting to be let in from the cold. Many of them have been up since 5 or 6 a.m., working up to 12 hours and in need of a hot meal and a good rest. Some days, now-former resident Jon Guy said, it takes more than an hour to get checked into the privately run facility, which contracts with the state to house around 180 people on probation, completing court-ordered treatment or making the transition between prison and outside life. One frigid evening in early October, Guy said, about 30 people were left waiting outside until after 10 p.m. He called the Natrona County Sheriffs Office, which sent a deputy out. Within minutes, sheriffs records state, the residents were let in. They were told the wait was so long more than three hours for some because staff inside had been moving people who tested positive for COVID-19 to other units. While CRC residents have long reported poor living conditions at the facility, interviews with seven residents and a review of internal complaints show the pandemic has only made things worse. Complaints of coronavirus outbreaks, insufficient meals, restricted time outside the facility and mishandled quarantines and sanitation all while many residents are still on the hook for rent compound on existing reports of dirty facilities and broken heating and air conditioning. The Wyoming Department of Corrections is paying a Florida-based private prison corporation $3 million over 2 years to operate the facility, located near the Casper/Natrona County International Airport. That means information about what goes on inside its walls is under an even tighter lock than at the corrections department, which is subject to Wyomings public information laws. The company, GEO Group, has maintained that it is following CDC guidelines for prison facilities and other communal living spaces. But Star-Tribune inquiries into specific policies have gone unanswered. Even in prison, theres a certain level of respect given to you, former resident Myrl Williamson said. Thats just not given here...I feel oppressed, bulldozed. Its like a storage unit for human beings. *** In November 2020, the Casper Reentry Center reported 100 cases of COVID-19 among its residents. Along with the rest of the state, its cases fell last spring and surged again in the fall, residents say. Four residents who spoke with the Star-Tribune reported a haphazard approach to quarantines and isolation last year that, much like in the 2020 surge, resulted in COVID-positive residents sharing rooms and communal spaces with those who werent infected. The Star-Tribune granted anonymity to CRC residents who feared retribution for sharing information publicly. The newspaper took steps to independently verify their status within the corrections system. Last November, some told the Star-Tribune that newly positive residents would be moved into rooms with people already in the middle of their 14-day quarantine period, forcing the entire room to start their quarantines over. Its not clear how many cases of COVID-19 have been found in the facility in recent months, as several requests for testing results have been denied after being redirected around CRCs complex administrative structure. The facilitys operator, GEO Group, runs correctional facilities around the country and overseas from its Boca Raton headquarters and via a network of regional employees. Our legal team requested that I not share either the raw data or conduct even a high-level interview due to the medical nature of COVID testing and resident results, Monica Hook, the facilitys spokesperson and vice president of communications at GEO Care, said in an email in November. That said, I would reiterate to you and your readers that ensuring the health and safety of all those entrusted to our care and of our employees continues to be our number one priority in Casper and throughout the U.S. But CRC also partly falls under the jurisdiction of the Wyoming Department of Corrections, which contracts with GEO to take in people released from prison or needing treatment before theyre let out on parole. The facility is meant to house people sentenced to probation or those on parole making the transition between state or federal prison and outside life. Its treatment center also provides programs for people struggling with addiction before theyre released from corrections department care, in an effort to rehabilitate and keep them from falling back into the cycle of recidivism that often lands them back in the court system on the publics dime. Quote "Even in prison, there's a certain level of respect given to you. That's just not given here...I feel oppressed, bulldozed. It's like a storage unit for human beings." - Myrl Williamson, former Casper Reentry Center resident For state prison facilities, the DOC releases weekly COVID-19 testing numbers broken down by facility, and between staff and residents. But that information isnt provided for private facilities run on the states behalf. According to WDOC spokesperson Paul Martin, residents are tested for COVID upon intake and when showing symptoms. Those results are reported to WDOC, Martin said on Wednesday, but the department declined to release testing data to the Star-Tribune. To be honest, a lot of this stuff from a DOC standpoint, we dont know, said department compliance manager CJ Young in response to a list of questions sent to DOC and GEO administrators. Its their operation. The Star-Tribune did not receive a response to that list from any GEO representatives, and has been denied interviews with CRC director Josh Brown several times since July. *** Residents who come from the Wyoming justice system pay more than $500 a month in rent if theyre ordered to live at the Casper Reentry Center. In November 2020, in the midst of the facilitys first COVID-19 outbreak, a contract amendment shows that rent was raised from $15 to $17 a day a figure that does not include laundry, storage or transportation. During the pandemic, residents say, their home has been visibly dirty and seldom cleaned, even in places shared by people with COVID and those without it. Guy said there were several occasions where he asked staff for disinfectant and rags and was told there were none available to clean his room. Much of the cleaning in shared spaces, including bathrooms, falls on residents as part of their daily chores, but residents say it is often not checked by staff members who are supposed to sign off on the chores completion. After a 12-hour workday, Guy said, most residents arent motivated to scrub a toilet spotless. Three residents reported issues including fungus growing in showers and feces left in toilets for hours while water lines were down. An August 2021 state audit of the facility cited cleanliness as one of the biggest areas out of compliance particularly in the kitchen. And access to those facilities, no matter how grimy, has also been extremely limited at times when there are COVID-positive residents in isolation. One grievance, filed by Guy, said that he had to wait almost three hours after requesting to use the toilet before being allowed to. Part of the problem, four residents say, is a lack of communication between staff stretched thin across the facility and often in the midst of high turnover. Many longtime staff members have good relationships with the residents, they said, but most new hires dont stay long. During that more recent audit the centers only reported state inspection since the start of the pandemic the auditor noted that someone in the bathroom during a head count was skipped over. According to the audit report, that had been an issue during a 2018 audit as well. I had one staff member tell me I could use the bathroom, then another came by and gave me a write-up for it, said another resident. Either they dont realize, or they dont care. *** The reentry center, a stoic gray-and-red block, sits down Landmark Lane off of U.S. Highway 20/26, surrounded by plains with a smattering of industrial buildings in sight. Square windows look out on fencing that curves towards the building at its top, which separates the residents from a small parking lot and trees claimed by turkeys. At 8 on an early February morning, blinds were slowly drawn up to let in bright snowy light. A couple masked residents trickled out of the front door holding plastic bags, then climbed into a van to be taken to work. According to the facilitys contract with the Wyoming Department of Corrections, each room for state inmates is meant to be limited to eight beds. But two residents told the Star-Tribune that some rooms house as many as 10 or 12 people in mid-January, one said, his room had 12 beds but two were empty. The contract also states that the facility should comply with standards from the American Correctional Association concerning access to restrooms. Their rules state that residents should have 24/7 access to bathrooms with running water, hot and cold, without needing permission from staff. When Guy lodged his complaint about not being able to access the bathroom at will while in quarantine, the administration responded that pandemic measures made an exception to those standards. Delays in your bathroom break are unfortunate but this is an unusual circumstance due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, WDOC Director Daniel Shannon wrote in a response to the appealed grievance. CRC was never designed to deal with a mass amount of individuals that were positive for the diseasewe cannot go back in time to give you a bathroom break but since you have raised this issue the facility can go work to insure better process in the future. Records show Guy made a separate complaint about not being let out to exercise during quarantine, and asked to see the CRC policy governing the decision. I am under no obligation to share that proprietary information, Brown, the facilitys director, wrote back. Requests to speak with GEO representatives about living conditions during the pandemic have been denied, citing concerns over resident privacy. *** According to the CDC, as many as two in five people with COVID-19 may not show symptoms. That makes it hard, especially in a place where people live in close quarters like the reentry center, to tell who is actually infected. Just like in Wyoming state prisons, only a fraction of the facilitys population is tested if there are no known cases at the time. That means someone might spend up to six days in close quarters with a positive roommate (or several roommates) before they know theyre contagious. The stated purpose of the facility is to prepare its residents for life on the outside setting incentives (including eventual release) to get a job, save money and get clean. But lockdowns and stringent COVID precautions have made it harder to keep a job, as residents began missing work often due to quarantines, several said. Whenever someone comes back from work, their temperature is checked, along with their pockets and backpacks, and they take a breathalyzer test. You fill out a little form that says you dont have any symptoms ... half the time I just check all the boxes, its so routine, said Williamson, who spent around seven months at CRC in his most recent stint. The thing you want to do is catch it, then you know when youll be able to go back to work. If youre positive, you can tell your job when youll be back. Youre moved to an isolation unit with everyone else with coronavirus, according to four residents who described the process to the Star-Tribune. (GEO declined to provide details on its procedures.) Youre there for 10 days, then you can go back to work once your symptoms are gone. Meanwhile, the other eight or so people in your room who didnt test positive are on lockdown. Just like you, they cant go to work and make money to pay rent. And, like you, they go to the bathroom and take showers on a strict schedule set by the correctional officer in charge of the unit. But if someone else in your room tests positive the week later, youre stuck there for at least another seven days. Next week, another positive, another seven days. Members of one room, a resident told the Star-Tribune, were in isolation for 45 days while negative for the virus. *** Its already hard to find a job coming out of prison, especially with a felony on your record. Once you nail down work, its hard to keep it when you dont know if and when youll be placed on lockdown with no notice. Even before COVID, getting a write-up could put a resident on lockdown for a few days unexpectedly, making them an unreliable employee. Ive been turned away from jobs I was qualified to work, they wanted to hire me on the spot, one now-former resident said. The second they heard Im at CRC, they turned me away because of the b******* they put people through. Viable jobs are within a 125-mile radius of the facility, the resident said, but no one can be gone for work longer than 16 hours a day. Often, that rules out jobs they may have had before being incarcerated, which may be too far away, and more lucrative jobs like those in distant oil fields or coal mines. Other than work, the only time residents can leave the facility is on a limited number of passes, each of which gives them a few hours leave to go to the store, take care of external medical appointments or, if theres time, to relax outside CRCs walls. Its a good alternative to prison its able to have people maintain employment while still having some elements of incarceration involved, Casper defense attorney Don Fuller said. Ive seen it help people at least in the short term, but I doubt it has much effectiveness in terms of rehabilitation it doesnt really seem, in my opinion, to be their purpose. Fuller said that the facility makes sense for people serving probation or completing parole, but doesnt have the necessary counseling in place to fully rehabilitate its residents. Reviews from clients who have been there, he said, are a mixed bag. Among some former residents who spoke with the Star-Tribune, the reviews have been less kind. During COVID, residents had their passes temporarily cut in half to reduce time spent outside the facility, three residents told the Star-Tribune. When full passes were restored in late summer for residents who came from federal prisons, former resident Anthony Holman said, the rest of the population remained on the restricted schedule. It makes me want to go back to prison, or relapse, said former resident Steven Sheesley, who has been sent back to prison in Torrington since being interviewed. You cant win anyways. Im working on paying my bills, but I still get write-ups for little petty things. A write-up is a common disciplinary action in the facility. They can come from being outside your room after the place has been locked down, coming back from work late or missing an insurance payment on your car. Quote ..."Ive seen it help people at least in the short term, but I doubt it has much effectiveness in terms of rehabilitation it doesnt really seem in my opinion to be their purpose." - Don Fuller, Casper defense attorney Getting written up, depending on the incidents severity, can be just a slap on the wrist or a major setback. If its major, it could add as much as 30 days to your time there. More minor citations can revoke passes to go outside the facility, take away your carpooling privileges or place you on hold for up to a few days. In prison, several residents said, at least your fate is secured, and you typically know about how long youll be there. But at CRC, theres a lot more to lose including time. I would literally rather go back to federal prison than go back there, said Holman, who left the facility in October. *** COVID has made worse the already-poor conditions inside the facility, seven residents who spoke with the Star-Tribune said. The issues had compounded as of late, they said, compared to multiple stints at the facility some had done over a period of years. There are two other transitional facilities like CRC in Wyoming one in Cheyenne, the other in Gillette but residents who spoke to the Star-Tribune said that Casper has long held a reputation for being the least desirable. Rep. Karlee Provenza, D-Laramie, said there is very little oversight in Wyomings contracted correctional facilities, especially from lawmakers who allocate the money for those contracts. That means its difficult to know whether the private corporation is holding up its end of the deal. We want people to come out rehabilitated ... when we dont give adequate service for things like health care or substance abuse, we have people come out of the system who arent equipped to do as well, Provenza said. That creates a burden on the public. Besides unreliable air conditioning and heat, a generally unclean environment makes the facility unpleasant to spend much time inside, according to five residents. One former resident told the Star-Tribune that in July, the water was shut off unexpectedly meaning toilets couldnt flush, and were growing full with feces and toilet paper. A photo of the toilets obtained by the Star-Tribune showed the backup. When the resident asked to go off-site to use the bathroom at a gas station down the road, he said, he was denied. I feel downgraded as a human being, Sheesley said. It makes me feel like an animal. Just because Im in trouble, you can deny me a clean place to go to the bathroom? The unsanitary conditions, close quarters and a reported lack of nutrition, residents said, didnt stop people from catching COVID in the facility. The August 2021 audit noted that kitchen cleanliness needs improved (sic) in the cooking area and that conditions in the kitchen could be improved, especially in the corners along the walls. Quote We want people to come out rehabilitatedwhen we dont give adequate service for things like healthcare or substance abuse, we have people come out of the system who arent equipped to do as well. That creates a burden on the public. - Karlee Provenza, Albany County representative The food is disgusting, Holman said, my dog would bite me if I tried to feed it to her. In September, the facility stopped consistently providing hot meals for dinner, two residents told the Star-Tribune. That means that twice a day, for lunch and dinner, residents are given some variation of sliced bread, prepackaged meat and a serving of vegetables, plus extras like peanut butter, crackers or an apple. On that October evening that left Jon Guy outside long enough to call the sheriff, he was told after getting inside that there were no more meals for him even though he had signed up for one earlier in the day. I hadnt eaten in almost 12 hours, he said. And I had to get up in about six hours to go to work. He was given two slices of bread and small styrofoam cups of potato and salad remnants. The Department of Corrections said it did not know whether hot meals had been discontinued when asked. In response to a grievance complaining of cold, wet food, administrators said the concerns were justified but that pandemic measures warranted some leeway in the foods quality. Ive lost 30 pounds since I got out (of prison), Guy said, sitting in a Casper coffee shop in late October, the day he was released from CRC. They dont give you enough food. Guy went as far as getting a note from his doctor, outside the facility, who said he needed to be fed more given the long hours he was putting in at work. When he provided it to CRC staff, he said, nothing changed. Provenza said that in general, incarcerated people arent treated as a priority, which puts them at a disadvantage when reentering society. Are we spending funds that rehabilitate people? the representative, who also heads the reform group Albany County for Proper Policing, said. If we treat people poorly ... and they finish their sentence and go back out and reoffend, thats money out the window. *** In November, Anthony Holman sat at a table in the back of Metro Coffee in downtown Casper, sipping a frozen drink. Hed been released from the facility a few weeks earlier, and was ecstatic to put it in his rearview mirror. Dont send me back there. Send me to Victorville, he said, referring to the medium-security federal prison in California where Holman served time several years ago. For the last couple decades, Holman said, hes been bounced around prisons and transition centers in Wyoming in addition to his time in federal prison. Most of his charges are related to methamphetamine. He even spent time in the CRC treatment program around 15 years ago, shortly after it opened. Hed found an apartment on Jackson Street in Casper through a friend of a friend it wasnt much, and he apologized for it being in a state of disarray, but he was glad to at least have his own room. Holman, who had been a federal inmate at CRC, got a landscaping job to pay the bills. In an attempt to stay out of trouble, he was keeping busy going to the movies, doing escape rooms or bouncing on trampolines at Jump Craze. Quote Dont send me back there. Send me to Victorville." - Anthony Holman, former federal inmate at Casper Reentry Center Im 44, and Ive never really done anything in my life. Ive sold dope, just made random money, you know what I mean? Holman said. So I never had to be a responsible adult. Its a work release program, that means you kind of try to adjust to society. But they gave me nothing to help with that out there. A month after that afternoon at Metro, Holman was arrested again, this time on a charge of meth possession. He has spent the last two months at the Natrona County jail, waiting for adjudication in his latest case. If the court decides he needs treatment, or if hes sentenced to probation, he may be headed again to the Casper Reentry Center. Follow city and crime reporter Ellen Gerst on Twitter at @ellengerst. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 2 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A new subvariant of Omicron is spreading rapidly in some parts of the world. This spinoff from the original Omicron variant, called BA.2, has been found in at least 49 countries, including the United States. In some countries, like Denmark, BA.2 has already surpassed the original Omicron (BA.1) as the dominant variant. Because it doesn't cause a certain signature on lab tests called an s-gene target failure, it can look like other coronavirus variants on a first screen. That has some calling it "the stealth variant." How worried should we about this "stealth" Omicron? Are vaccinated people still protected? What about those who recently had Covid-19could they be reinfected? And can tests pick up this subvariant? For answers to these and other questions, I spoke with CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen. Wen is an emergency physician and professor of health policy and management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. She is also the author of "Lifelines: A Doctor's Journey in the Fight for Public Health." CNN: Should we be worried about this new Omicron subvariant? Dr. Leana Wen: We should be cautious and monitor new information as it comes out, but we shouldn't worry. Here's what we know about BA.2. Given how quickly it has spread and even displaced the very contagious original Omicron variant, known as BA.1, in some places, this new subvariant appears to have an even higher rate of growth. There's no evidence that it causes more severe disease than the original Omicron, which has been associated with milder illness than previous variants like Delta. Preliminary studies from the United Kingdom also show that people vaccinated and boosted are as well-protected against BA.2 as BA.1. That's very important, because it means that those vaccinated and boosted are unlikely to become severely ill if infected with this new version of Omicron. CNN: If you're diagnosed with Covid-19, how would you know if you have the original Omicron variant versus this one? Wen: Most people do not find out what variant they are infected with, because that takes special technology called sequencing that takes place in certain labs. Right now, the original Omicron BA.1 still accounts for over 99% of new infections in the US, so if you are diagnosed with Covid-19, chances are, that's what you have. CNN: If someone recently had Omicron, could they get reinfected with the new variant? Wen: It's unlikely. Recent infection, especially in combination with prior vaccination, protects against reinfection. We don't know how long that immune protection will last. Given how similar BA.1 and BA.2 are to each other, it stands to reason that someone who just had Covid-19, and therefore most likely had BA.1, is not going to contract BA.2 in the near future. CNN: Will the new Omicron-specific booster work against BA.2? Wen: Pfizer and Moderna have announced that they are both testing vaccines against Omicron. Since both BA.1 and BA.2 are subvariants under Omicron, it's expected that the vaccine would probably be effective against both. However, we will not know until the clinical trials are complete just how effective the new Omicron-specific booster is, compared to the vaccine and booster that we have already been using. No one should wait for an Omicron-specific booster if they are already eligible to be boosted. If you are five months out from two doses of Pfizer or Moderna, or two months out from the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, you should get a booster now. CNN: What could happen if BA.2 becomes dominant in the US? Wen: This is certainly a possibility, as it has occurred in other countries. A more transmissible variant means that it displaces previous variants. The best-case scenario is that we have enough people protected here in the US due to vaccination and recent infection that BA.2 does not cause a substantial rise in cases. We could continue on the track to experiencing a lull in case numbers over the spring and summer. Another scenario is that BA.2 blunts the sharp drop in cases that we are seeing, and we end up having a more prolonged fourth wave than we would have with BA.1 alone. In either situation, the key is to keep monitoring whether vaccination and boosters continue to protect against severe illness from BA.1 and BA.2. If so, that means vaccines are successfulthat's what vaccines were designed to do, to keep us out of the hospital and to prevent severe illness and death. CNN: Does "stealth" mean that the new subvariant isn't picked up on tests? Wen: No, there's no evidence to suggest that BA.2 isn't detectable with laboratory PCR or at-home antigen tests. CNN: What's your advice for protecting myself and my family from this subvariant? Wen: There are many people who want to continue taking precautions to keep from getting infected with Covid-19: those who are immunocompromised, for example, or others who are medically frail and therefore still vulnerable to severe outcomes despite being vaccinated. There are families with young children under 5 who are not yet eligible for the vaccine, although it looks like that could be coming. Another contagious virus means that people who want to avoid getting Covid-19 have to continue taking precautions. The most important is indoor masking, and quality of mask really matters. The best mask is a well-fitting, comfortable one that you can consistently wear and is a certified N95, KN95 or KF94. Wear these masks anytime you are indoors around people of unknown vaccination status. While coronavirus infection numbers are high in your community, you may want to take additional precautionsfor example, asking everyone outside your household to get a rapid test prior to gathering with you indoors. CNN: Will this be the last variant we see? Wen: Almost certainly not. New variants are popping up all the time, because that's what viruses do: They mutate when they replicate. Whether a new variant causes global concern depends on if it's more contagious, more virulent or if it can override prior immunity. This is why real-time surveillance is so important, and it's also why vaccination is key. The more population immunity we have, the less viruses will spread and mutate, and the quicker we can all emerge from this pandemic. The-CNN-Wire & 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 CHEYENNE A disciplinary hearing in the case of Laramie County District Attorney Leigh Anne Manlove began Wednesday, with much of the first day's testimony focused on the alleged environment within Manlove's office and the motivations behind judges sending a letter of concern to the Wyoming State Bar. Formal charges filed last year with the State Bar allege that Manlove mishandled the prosecution of cases in Laramie County and inappropriately dismissed certain cases, and that she created a hostile work environment for employees of the district attorneys office. Following the hearing, which may last until Feb. 11, a three-person panel chosen from the Bar's full Board of Professional Responsibility will decide whether to recommend disciplinary measures against Manlove to the Wyoming Supreme Court. The morning began with opening statements by Special Bar Counsel Weston W. Reeves and Manlove's attorney, Stephen Melchior. Laramie County District Court Judges Steven Sharpe and Catherine Rogers were the first two witnesses called. Cameron Geeting, a former prosecuting attorney in Manlove's office, began testifying after they were done and will continue Thursday morning. The hearing will resume at 9 a.m. Thursday in the Wyoming Ballroom at Little America Hotel and Resort, 2800 W. Lincolnway. Reeves said his office bringing the formal charges against Manlove was not an argument against prosecutorial discretion, or the ability of a prosecuting attorney to make decisions about which cases they decide to charge. Reeves said the disciplinary proceedings were about Manlove's failure to provide competent service to her clients. Special Bar Counsel described Manlove's office as operating with about half the number of attorneys it should have, saying a chaotic and abusive work environment fostered by Manlove had caused many qualified attorneys to leave. He also alleged a failure of Manlove's office to retrieve evidence for cases he said her office had access to, causing the dismissal of at least one case involving violent charges. Reeves mentioned a couple of specific cases, including the Andrew Weaver case, in which a failure to file charges caused Weaver to be released from jail. Weaver killed two adults and injured two teenagers in a shooting within days of his release. In his opening statement, Melchior said every prosecutor's office is busy, and that one-third of crime taken to court in the state of Wyoming is prosecuted in Laramie County. He said it would become clear that there were a couple of "primary complainers" who ended up causing problems for the district attorney's office. Manlove, he said, was just trying to better utilize the resources she was given. In a Wednesday news release, she described this as a "conservative, belt tightening approach" opposed by Bar Counsel Mark Gifford, who she and Melchior have accused of going after her, in part, because she said publicly she would not enforce a Laramie County mask mandate. Melchior alleged that after a petition filed with the Supreme Court by Gifford to suspend Manlove's law license was denied, Gifford's office began a campaign to remove her from office. Gifford and Laramie County judges didn't like the way Manlove was running her office, following a public announcement that she would not prosecute certain categories of cases because of budget cuts to her office by the state, he said. Melchior said that in an effort to correct behavior they didn't like -- which included a December 2020 letter signed by all seven Laramie County district and circuit court judges to the Bar -- these judges, as members of the judicial branch, were attempting to police the behavior of Manlove, a member of the executive branch. These efforts, Melchior argued, were "clear breaches of constitutional boundaries" and a separation-of-powers issue. He alleged sexism also may have played a part, saying that sometimes Manlove had said things that may have been accepted coming from a man. Melchior also revealed a kind of "intervention" had been attempted in November 2020, in which former Gov. Dave Freudenthal and former Cheyenne attorney Jack Speight visited Manlove at her home and spoke with her about apparent issues within her office. District court judges testify Judge Sharpe was the first witness called by Reeves, followed by Judge Rogers. Both testified that they'd voted for Manlove and were not apprehensive -- or, in Rogers' case, was "thrilled" -- about the idea of Manlove becoming district attorney. The two judges described hearing about abusive and unprofessional behavior by Manlove within her office. Rogers said Caitlin Harper, a former deputy district attorney, came to her multiple times seeking solace and guidance about how to deal with "toxic" and "erratic" behavior by Manlove, including alleged incidents in which Manlove had thrown a phone against a wall, shattering it, and publicly cursed at or berated her employees. Rogers said she decided to reach out to Gifford to see if there was a way to help Manlove, who she said had gone through a difficult time in the preceding months: the district attorney had recently lost her father, former Laramie County District Judge Ed Grant; and Manlove's best friend and colleague, Angela Dougherty, had died suddenly of an aneurysm inside the DA's office. Gifford organized the meeting between Freudenthal, Speight and Manlove. But when Harper told her things hadn't materially changed following the "intervention," Rogers said she and her fellow judges decided to write their letter. Melchior pointed out to both judges that their letter had been filed with Bar Counsel on Dec. 21, 2020. On the following day, Gifford filed his petition to suspend Manlove's license. Rogers, who was described as the "point of contact" between the Laramie County judges and Gifford, said she knew Gifford intended to use the letter in his petition, but that was not why she and her colleagues wrote it. Sharpe and Rogers said they didn't have any motivation outside of expressing concern to Bar Counsel when they wrote their letter -- they said it was up to the Bar to investigate the claims. After follow-up questioning by the hearing panel members Wednesday, both judges said they'd had a professional duty to report their apprehensions. Rogers also described incidents in which Manlove failed to show up on time for hearings or had errors in court filings, which Melchior characterized as her and the other judges being "overly critical." During cross-examination, Melchior asked both Sharpe and Rogers why they hadn't simply gone to Manlove to discuss their concerns, or tried to verify Harper and other attorneys' claims before going to the Bar. Sharpe said he had no reason to disbelieve Harper, as he understood her to be close friends with Manlove and that she had a strong desire to be a prosecutor. The judges had reached a conclusion based on hearsay, Melchior argued, assuming what they called a "mass exodus" from Manlove's office must be because of her behavior. He said Manlove would give the other side of the story later in the hearing. Manlove has previously said the high turnover in her office is largely because of a heavy workload common in prosecutors' offices and a consequence of state budget cuts. Sharpe, a former prosecutor himself, said he was deeply concerned about what he saw as an effort by Manlove to abdicate her duties as DA after statewide budget cuts sent a 6% reduction her way. In September 2020, Manlove sent an email to Laramie County judges and law enforcement officials, saying her office would only be able to prosecute violent felonies, domestic violence cases, repeat DUIs and felony drug cases, and that law enforcement may be responsible for prosecuting certain cases. This disturbed Sharpe, he said, because it was not his understanding that prosecutorial discretion allowed for a categorical refusal to take on certain cases. It also seemed to him that it was improper for members of law enforcement, or anyone without a law license that wasn't representing themselves, to prosecute a case. Melchior argued in his cross-examination that the letter was Manlove's effort to be "completely transparent" about the way budget cuts would affect which cases she chose to prosecute, and that it represented a policy decision by her office. Still, Sharpe testified that it was problematic to see a DA take the position that she would not be doing 50-60% of her job because of a 6% reduction in budget. He said victims have little to no recourse when their cases aren't taken up by a prosecutor. "The way she was running her office was hurting people," Sharpe said. In October 2020, hundreds of cases were dismissed in Laramie County Circuit Court, Sharpe said, and that November, the Wyoming Attorney General's Office inquired of the judges whether their office would be allowed to take on hundreds of tickets issued by the Wyoming Highway Patrol that weren't being prosecuted. In their letter to the Bar, the judges said they weren't sure statute allowed the AG's office to take on such a large number of cases from a district attorney's office. Manlove also began attaching her September 2020 letter about the budget cuts to motions for dismissal of cases. Judges often struck the letter, saying it was improper because the content of the letter was not specific to each case. Manlove then began incorporating the text of the letter into her motions for dismissal. Sharpe said it was also not appropriate to use a motion for dismissal to make a "political statement," which he saw as Manlove saying the governor's office should have given her more money. In November 2020, Sharpe held a hearing in which he asked Manlove to explain why her office had continued to include this "extraneous" information in her motions. Sharpe said Manlove was "very polite" and accepted his criticisms, saying she wouldn't do that anymore. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A former Teton County prosecutor will be suspended from practicing law in Wyoming for three years, the state Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday, despite the state bars recommendation to disbar him completely. Becket Hinckleys suspension comes after the bar found he violated seven rules of professional conduct in a 2015 aggravated assault trial that sentenced the defendant in that case, Josh Black, to life in prison. The decision was split, 3-2, with Chief Justice Kate Fox penning a separate opinion agreeing with the recommended disbarment. She was joined by Justice Michael Davis, who was the courts chief justice at the time of Hinckleys hearing. While its rare that the Wyoming Supreme Court disagrees with the bars recommendations in disciplinary matters, its even more unusual to see a split decision like this one, according to Mark Gifford, who represented the bar in Hinckleys case. Only one other time in the last 11 years have the justices been divided in these cases. In that instance, a 2014 case of Jackson lawyer Andrea Richard, just one justice dissented. After a three-day hearing held in Casper in May, the bars first disciplinary hearing open to the public after a 2019 rule change, a three-member tribunal found Hinckley had knowingly not followed court orders in the case. During the first trial, he had failed to produce records from Facebook and Verizon Wireless despite being repeatedly told to do so by a judge. Fox wrote in her separate opinion that Hinckleys number of violations, their severity and his pervasive dishonesty warranted disbarment. She also said, citing transcripts from his hearing, that Hinckley maintained that his misconduct was a gift to Mr. Black. The BPR (Board of Professional Responsibility) apparently was not persuaded by Mr. Hinckleys last-minute change of heart, she said. Nor am I. Black appealed after he was sentenced to life in prison thanks to prior felony convictions enabling a sentence enhancement. The Wyoming Supreme Court, finding no question of Hinckleys misconduct in that trial, reversed his conviction in 2017. When Blacks case was sent back to Teton County, Hinckley was once again assigned as its prosecutor but was taken off eight months later after failing to produce evidence ordered by a judge. Black eventually pleaded no contest to the charge in exchange for a shortened sentence without the habitual criminal enhancement. Hinckley had knowingly lied in court, the bar found in its 2021 hearing, failed to secure certain records in the case, disobeyed direct orders from a judge, made inappropriate comments during the trial and failed to follow up on warrants and preservation letters with law enforcement. It just doesnt make any sense to me that you dont disbar someone for such egregious and repeated violations, Black said. I had no right to a fair trial the whole time. As Americans, thats one of the things we cherish the most ... and he robbed me of that, not just once but both times. Following the May hearing, Gifford said that the Wyoming Supreme Court typically releases disciplinary rulings within three months. Hinckleys suspension comes nearly nine months after the bars recommendation. The ruling did not mention costs that Hinckley would have to pay, including the standard $750 administrative fee typically assessed on all attorneys who are suspended. The fees in Hinckleys case would likely be much higher, given the cost of holding the hearing in a hotel conference room and compensation for the bars representation in the case. Hinckley did not return requests for comment on Thursday. The former prosecutor, who resigned his position in Jackson in 2019, comes from a long lineage of Wyoming lawyers and judges. According to a Wyoming State Bar directory, he now lives in Corona Del Mar, California. Follow city and crime reporter Ellen Gerst on Twitter at @ellengerst. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Glenrock officials deny that former police chief David Theel was wrongfully terminated, as he has claimed in a federal lawsuit, court documents show. Theel was ousted in October, following an investigation into his conduct and treatment of his employees at the police department and a subsequent hearing in front of the town council. According to his complaint, filed in December, he and his wife allege they were subjected to harassment after being placed on administrative leave in February of last year. The couple allege that town employees drove past their home often to harass and intimidate them, and that police would walk by looking and pointing at their house. The suit states they felt they were being surveilled, and are severely traumatized as a result. Town officials denied those actions. The defendants in the case which include the towns mayor, interim chief, clerk and a council member say in a Jan. 24 filing that their conduct was not the proximate cause of any of the alleged injuries or damages suffered by Theel and his wife. Their response calls for the case to be dismissed permanently, and argues that town officials should be protected by qualified or governmental immunity. They also allege, the filing shows, that Theel did not exhaust all avenues before bringing the suit, that the statute of limitations has passed, and that the federal court where the suit is filed does not have jurisdiction over the case. According to court documents, Theel was first investigated in February 2020, based on allegations of him overreacting, being condescending, and being a generally unpleasant boss. While Theel says he was never told about these allegations, the defendants denied keeping him in the dark. A year later, the suit states, he was placed on leave shortly after assigning an investigator to look into reports of a Glenrock teacher having an inappropriate relationship with a local student. City officials said Theel did not produce a report on that investigation, though Theel maintains in his complaint that one was produced and delivered to the Wyoming Peace Officer Standards and Training office, which he says was approved by the towns legal counsel. Theel, according to the suit, asked for two members of the town council to recuse themselves from his hearing. One of those, a defendant in the case, is reportedly married to a police officer who signed a letter of no confidence aimed at Theel. That letter, signed by 13 police employees, alleges that Theel was a narcissist, created a hostile work environment and failed to perform some of his required duties. Theel alleged that town employees released the letter to the press, but the towns response denies that. They also denied, according to court documents, that Mayor Bruce Roumell and interim Chief Colter Felton made disparaging comments about Theel, some of which he alleged caused him not to get a job at the county communications center. A lawyer for Felton declined to comment on Friday. Theel and other counsel in the case did not return requests for comment. Follow city and crime reporter Ellen Gerst on Twitter at @ellengerst. Love 0 Funny 10 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Republican National Committee voted Friday to censure Rep. Liz Cheney over her service on the House committee investigating the Jan.6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. The censure was decided by voice vote of the 168-member committee. The resolution was co-sponsored by Frank Eathorne, the chairman of the Wyoming Republican Party. The resolution that censured Cheney said the panel had persecuted ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse. Cheney hit back on Twitter, posting a video of the violence and rioting from that day with the caption, This was January 6th. This is not legitimate political discourse. Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger, the only other Republican on the select committee, was also censured by the body. National committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said its the first time she knows of that the national Republican Party has censured current members of Congress. The vote comes during a tough reelection campaign for Cheney, who angered many in her own party for voting to impeach former President Donald Trump over the Capitol riot. Cheney has refused to back down from her criticism of Trump, whom she says is a threat to the rule of law in the United States. Shes also called elements of the state party radical, noting that Eathorne once raised the specter of secession. Frank Eathorne and the Republican National Committee are trying to assert their will and take away the voice of the people of Wyoming before a single vote has even been cast, a Cheney spokesman said Friday, after the censure. Trump is backing lawyer Harriet Hageman in the effort to unseat Cheney. Fridays censure shows Cheney cannot effectively represent Wyoming in Congress, Hageman said in a statement Friday. She doesnt have allies in the Republican Party, and the Democrats only see her as a temporary and useful tool to achieve their partisan ends, Hageman said. She spends every minute of every day engaged in her personal vendetta against Donald Trump, and that is not why Wyoming sent her to Congress. After the vote, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, came to Cheneys defense. He criticized the party for going after Cheney and Kinzinger. Shame falls on a party that would censure persons of conscience, who seek truth in the face of vitriol, Romney wrote in a tweet. Honor attaches to Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for seeking truth even when doing so comes at great personal cost. This censure comes almost a year to the day after the Wyoming Republican Party voted to censure the congresswoman. In the time since, the state GOP leadership voted to no longer recognize Cheney as a Republican. Leaders of the state party privately signed a letter that would allow the national party to financially back Hageman, the Washington Post reported. The letter also deems Hageman as the presumptive nominee in the race. The Wyoming House contest in unlike any in the states recent history. In the past, Cheney has coasted to victory. This time, the race has become hyper-national and shes running against a formidable opponent. The high stakes and nationalization of the race has also funneled considerably more out-of-state money into the Cheney campaigns pockets than previous Wyoming House contests (in a state whose electorate was known for not wanting outsiders involved in their politics). The Hageman campaign recently launched a page on its website thats aimed at indirectly inviting super PACs a type of political action committee that can raise and spend vast amounts of money on candidates into the race. The Hageman campaigns sly nod is the first time in recent history that super PACs have been welcomed into a Wyoming House race. Even as Cheney faces the toughest challenge in her political career and continues to be rebuked by state and national Republicans, she has shown little sign of backing down. The House Republican primary is set for August. Follow state politics reporter Victoria Eavis on Twitter @Victoria_Eavis Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 5 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A stranger pulled a Sweetwater County woman and her four children to safety after their home caught fire early Tuesday morning. A house on the 1600 block of Wyoming Highway 374 in Jamestown, west of Green River, caught fire sometime before 4:30 a.m. The fire was likely started by one of the kids' hoverboards, a kind of electronic scooter, according to the Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office. Green River resident Ryan Pasborg, 32, was on his way to work when he smelled smoke and spotted the blaze. Pasborg pulled over, and watched three kids make their way out of the home, the sheriff's office said in a Thursday news release. The children told Pasborg their 34-year-old mom and little brother were still in there, and needed help. Pasborg entered the home through the garage. The smoke was obscuring his vision, so he "crawled on his hands and knees" until he found the 4-year-old, whom he carried to safety, according to the release. It was below zero that day, so Pasborg put the kids in his truck to warm up. Then he went back in the house. When he found the woman, she was unresponsive. After dragging the woman outside, Pasborg was able to perform "lifesaving measures" to get her breathing again, the release said. He waited with the family in their driveway until crews arrived on the scene. The woman suffered severe burns, which left her in critical condition. Her 4-year-old also sustained minor injuries. Mother suffers severe burns in southwest Wyoming fire, child sustains minor injuries The woman, 34, was flown in critical condition to a regional medical center to be treated for severe burns. A 4-year-old child suffered minor burns. The two were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. The woman was later flown to the University of Utah Burn Center in Salt Lake City. Pasborg later spent "several hundred dollars" of his own money to deliver the family clothing and other supplies while they sheltered at their grandmother's house, said Deputy Jason Mower, spokesperson for the sheriff's office. "You know, as a police officer, most of the stories I remember involve bystanders helping first responders in difficult situations," Mower said in the release. "I think this is the first time in nearly 15 years of law enforcement that I've ever heard of a total stranger truly going above and beyond in a way and in a situation that many wouldn't have dared to face." The sheriff's office said Tuesday the woman's husband was at work when the fire broke out. The sheriff's office has not identified the family. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SHERIDAN The efforts to designate the Bozeman Trail as a National Historic Trail has continued in recent months with outreach to hundreds of landowners, governments and Native American tribes along the route. During a meeting of the Wyoming Legislatures Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources committee last week, Sheridan resident Dave McKee said the public response to the informational efforts has been strong, and many landowners, governments and tribes have chosen to write letters of support. But the conversations have also revealed concerns, particularly among landowners, about potential federal government overreach on private properties along the trail route, McKee said. During the committee meeting, Converse County rancher and former state Rep. Frank Moore shared some of those concerns. My concern is government overreach, Moore said. The National Historic Trails designation goes under the Secretary of the Interior, who has the ability of condemnation if they feel there is a parcel of private ground that needs to be utilized for this. Its real easy for someone in Washington, D.C., to look at a piece of ground and say, For the better good, we should condemn this piece of ground and use it for whatever they need, whether that be an interpretive center or a viewing area or whatever While I think the Bozeman Trail is historically significant and important, we need to be careful of what actually is going to happen if this gets designated as a historical trail. McKee said similar concerns were heard during the recent National Historic Trail designation process for the Chisholm Trail, which runs from Texas to Kansas. The legislation for that NHT designation included additional language protecting private property rights, McKee said. Tom Rea, Casper resident and president of the Wyoming chapter of the Oregon-California Trails Association, agreed the rights of private property owners will be protected through the process. Landowner rights will be completely protected, Rea wrote in a letter to the travel committee. NHT designation does not allow federal management or unauthorized public access on private land. The outreach process is just part of the long road ahead for the National Historic Trail effort, McKee said. The process, which will take a minimum of four years, according to McKee, involves requesting legislation from the U.S. Congress on two separate occasions. The first piece of legislation will direct the Secretary of the Interior to complete a National Trails System Feasibility and Suitability Study to evaluate whether the trail deserves the National Historic Trail designation. If the study comes back with a positive recommendation, as McKee expects it to, Congress will need to pass another piece of legislation listing the trail as a National Historic Trail. With many years to go, there is still plenty of time to meet with landowners like Moore and make sure their concerns are addressed, according to Rep. Pat Sweeney, R-Casper. I do appreciate Mr. Moores comments and would appreciate it if Tom and Dave would try to get together (with landowners), because I know its more than just Mr. Moores concerns, Sweeney said. The Bozeman Trail route established in 1863 as a 535-mile shortcut from the Oregon Trail on the North Platte River near Casper to the gold fields around Virginia City, Montana crosses private, state and federally managed public lands in eight counties in Montana and five counties in Wyoming, including Sheridan County. Supporters of the designation, including McKee and Rea, say designation of the Bozeman Trail as a National Historic Trail will provide clear and lasting documentation of the historical significance of the trail and the events that occurred along it. In addition, national designation will enhance preservation efforts, education opportunities and visitor experiences along the route while strengthening grant requests from museums, cities, counties, states, Native American tribes, federal land management agencies and nonprofits located along the trail. National Historic Trail status would also increase interest in visitation, which would, in turn, have a direct impact on local economies, Rea said. Such a designation would provide clear and lasting documentation of the significance of the trail and the events along it in the 1860s to our national history for current and future generations, Rea wrote in his letter. NHT status would encourage tourists and other travelers to visit the already well-developed historic sites and museums along the trail corridor and would encourage new signage and interpretation as well at other less well-known sites. Sheridan County sites that could potentially benefit from the designation include Fort Phil Kearny and the Fetterman and Wagon Box battle sites near Story; the Connor Battlefield near Ranchester; and the Museum of the Bighorns in Sheridan, Rea said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A pregnant mother and her family affected by the Quarry Street New Years Day fire say they felt pressured to accept an Oropune Gardens apartment as a permanent home after their years long efforts to find secure housing. The family, who had previously spent months surrounded by debris and without electricity, told the Express they felt as though they were being pushed to mortgage the apartment as a quick fix to their problem. A Tucson archaeologist has unveiled a discovery in Santa Cruz County that she thinks could rewrite the history of the Coronado Expedition. Deni Seymour said she has unearthed hundreds of artifacts linked to the 16th century Spanish expedition, including pieces of iron and copper crossbow bolts, distinctive caret-headed nails, a medieval horseshoe and spur, a sword point and bits of chain mail armor. The trophy artifact is a bronze wall gun more than 3 feet long and weighing roughly 40 pounds found sitting on the floor of a structure that she said could be proof of the oldest European settlement in the continental United States. This is a history-changing site, said Seymour, who touts herself as the Sherlock Holmes of history. Its unquestionably Coronado. The independent researcher revealed her find on Jan. 29 in a sold-out lecture to more than 100 people at Tubac Presidio State Historic Park. She promised more tantalizing details during a follow-up talk at the Tubac Presidio on Feb. 5. Seymour is not disclosing the exact location of the archaeological site, but her general description in the Santa Cruz Valley places it at least 40 miles west of Coronado National Memorial, which overlooks the San Pedro River and the U.S.-Mexico border south of Sierra Vista. In 1540, Spanish conquistador Francisco Vazquez de Coronado led an armed expedition of more than 2,500 Europeans and Mexican-Indian allies through what is now Mexico and the American Southwest in search of riches. The two-year journey took them as far north and east as present-day Kansas and brought them into contact and often conflict with centuries-old Indigenous cultures along the way. Which route? Though professional archeologists and amateur sleuths have puzzled over it for close to 150 years, Coronados exact route through Arizona to the elaborate Zuni pueblos of northern New Mexico remains a mystery. The consensus among scholars is that the expedition most likely followed the Rio Sonora through northern Mexico and the San Pedro River into what is now Arizona. Seymour believes her discovery proves once and for all that Coronado and company actually entered Arizona along the Santa Cruz River before eventually heading east. That puts her at odds with most researchers. Bill Hartmann is an accomplished Tucson astronomer, who has also been investigating and writing about Coronado for more than 20 years. In 2014, the University of Arizona Press published his book on the subject, Searching for Golden Empires. It sure sounds like she has a really exciting site, Hartmann said after attending Seymours first lecture in Tubac. The big question in my mind is whether it disagrees with the earlier interpretation of where the Coronado Expedition went. I dont think it undermines earlier thoughts that they came up the San Pedro. New Mexico historian Richard Flint had a similar reaction: excited by Seymours discovery, skeptical about her conclusions. Flint and his historian wife, Shirley Cushing Flint, are among the worlds leading experts on the expedition. In more than 40 years of research, theyve written eight books and countless academic papers on the topic. I think Denis finds are certainly fascinating and probably indicate the presence of the Coronado expedition, Flint said. I dont think that that means the usual reconstruction of the route going north has to be abandoned. The evidence is very strong that they came up through the Rio Sonora. Battle scars Seymour said she once favored the San Pedro route, too. But that was before all these artifacts turned up in an entirely different river valley. She said she first visited the site in Santa Cruz County in July 2020 and immediately found several caret-headed nails, which in this area means without question you have Coronado. She has been uncovering artifacts there ever since with the help of metal detectors and a crew of up to 18 volunteers, including several members of the Tohono Oodham tribe. The site keeps giving and giving, she said. Relics have been unearthed across an area that stretches for well over half a mile. At minimum, Seymour said, it is the remains of a large encampment, but she suspects it is something more. What we have is a named place, she said, a place named in the Coronado papers. Seymour believes she has found the remains of Suya, also known as San Geronimo III because it was the third and northernmost location of a Spanish outpost established to support the expedition. Along with the central structure where the wall gun was found, she said she has identified what appear to be six surrounding lookout stations, three of which show clear evidence of being attacked. The Spanish had a major presence here, and they had major conflicts with the natives here, Seymour said. And its different natives than previously thought. Based on the sites location and the items she has found, she is convinced the outpost was routed not by the Opata people who once dominated what is now Sonora but by the Sobaipuri, whose direct descendants include the Tohono Oodham at San Xavier. Clusters of lead shot and distinctive Sobaipuri arrowheads tell the story of their final confrontation, which sent the Spaniards retreating back to the south. We have clear evidence of battle, said Seymour, who has written dozens of academic books and papers about the region and its early native inhabitants. Theres no question. Unsettled issues Excavation at the site has yielded more than 120 caret-headed nails and more than 60 crossbow bolts so far. Those are the most diagnostic artifacts from the Coronado Expedition, Flint said, and to find so many crossbow bolts in particular is convincing evidence of a significant skirmish. According to Flint, there are a number of written accounts by members of the expedition that reference Suya and the battle that led to it being abandoned. He said the loss of the outpost sort of put the nail in the coffin of Coronados journey, because it cut him off from his main resupply and communication route. The question of whether it qualifies as the first European settlement in the U.S. seems to depend on how you define the word settlement. To Hartmann, Suya was more like a struggling military garrison than a town, he said. And it wasnt the first regardless, Flint added. By the time San Geronimo III was established, Coronado had already traveled deep into present-day New Mexico, where the expedition clashed with native people and lived for months in some of their captured pueblos. Everyone wants to be first. (This discovery) is important, even if its not the first, Flint said. Virtually anything that is found about the Coronado Expedition has the chance to shed new light on something that was not known. Seymour is far less measured. As far as she is concerned, this discovery is so important, so game-changing that it could wind up as a national monument or a World Heritage Site someday. There are a lot of naysayers, she said. Im an archaeologist. I just go where the evidence is. Seymour expects to publish the first of several peer-reviewed papers on her discovery sometime this spring. She said she has already received a few radiocarbon results and other dating methods to back her up, with more testing planned. Keeping secrets As for her recent public talks in Tubac, Seymour said she took the unusual step of selling tickets and publicizing her work early to raise money for a documentary thats being made about the discovery by Tucson-based Frances Causey Films. As archaeologists, we get to see the coolest stuff and go to places others cant go, she said. (The documentary) is important so people can see and understand the discovery process. As of Friday, just over $8,400 had been raised for the film, but the crowdfunding campaign was still well short of its $100,000 goal. Seymour hasnt kept the dig site entirely to herself. Over the past year, she has shared photos of the artifacts with several experts, including the Flints, and invited a handful of fellow researchers out to see where she is working. She said she only brings along people she can trust, and only on the condition that they not reveal the location or take anyone else there on their own. Seymour knows she cant keep the site a secret forever, but she wants to protect it for as long as she can. We still have a lot of work to do, she said. I dont want to be in competition with treasure hunters. The longtime Southern Arizona researcher also claims to have found Coronado artifacts at two other spots about 6 miles apart in the San Bernardino Valley, roughly 100 miles east as the crow flies from her main site in Santa Cruz County. She predicts these discoveries will eventually help pin down the exact route of the infamous expedition through Arizona. We have an anchor point now, Seymour said. I think were going to start finding a lot more Coronado sites. Contact reporter Henry Brean at hbrean@tucson.com or 573-4283. On Twitter: @RefriedBrean In search of silk Forget everything you ever heard about the Seven Lost Cities of Gold. According to leading scholar Richard Flint, Coronado and company were searching for riches of a different sort when they marched through the present-day Southwest some 481 years ago. They thought they were going to China, Flint said. Like Christopher Columbus before them, members of the Coronado Expedition assumed the place they called New Spain was actually part of the Asian continent, and if they just kept searching, they would eventually find a faster route to bring back silk, porcelain, spices, dye and other coveted Chinese goods. They knew nothing, of course, about the continents that were in the way, Flint said. People kept being disappointed, but they didnt give up on the idea. It took a long time, a couple of generations, for people to become convinced they hadnt landed in Asia. The evidence for the China theory is detailed in 2019s A Most Splendid Company: The Coronado Expedition in Global Perspective, Flints eighth book on the topic with his wife and fellow historian Shirley Cushing Flint. He said none of the original Spanish documents from that time ever mention cities of gold, and the Coronado Expedition carried no mining or assaying equipment with it during its two-year journey. But they did want to be rich, Flint said. Silk was the most valuable commodity in the world at that time. You spent gold to get it. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Condominiums are making a comeback in the Tucson market. As the prices of single-family homes continues to soar, along with homeowners equity, people are turning to condos as alternatives or investments. One project in the Foothills that will put 132 units on the market within the next two years looks to fetch $319,000 for a two-bedroom, 1,074-square-foot condo. A one-bedroom, 765-square-foot model will start at $253,900. Meanwhile, the average new home price in the Tucson area stands at nearly $430,000 and the average resale home price is $360,000. Creating condos in Tucson was of high interest in 2005, 2006 and 2007 when the housing market was hot. Several projects, predominantly downtown, were in varying stages of development when the housing crash brought most of them to a halt. Data from the Tucson Association of Realtors shows the average sales price for condos and town homes climbed more than 27% in 2021 to $241,692 versus $189,752 in 2020. Currently, the availability of condos up for sale is less than a months worth of inventory. The Placita Escondida project near River Road and Campbell Avenue, behind St. Philips Plaza, involves the renovation of a 72-unit condo complex with plans to add 60 more. Our company is a group of Tucson natives, and we wanted to get some more living space in that area with the shopping, restaurants and riverwalk, said John Jackson, a broker with the projects developer, Andy Courtney Properties. We also wanted to create something affordable for that area, at the base of the Foothills. The monthly HOA will be $225 a month when the project is built out. There are not a lot of condominiums in the Tucson area, Jackson said. Records from the city of Tucson commercial plans report the developers are investing about $15,000 in each of the renovated units. More condos likely Demand for all types of housing is high, and so is interest in second homes or investment homes, said Randy Rogers, president of the Tucson Association of Realtors. With all this equity in homes, people are looking to diversify their income and buy a rental property or second home, and Tucson is so desirable, he said. Winter visitors are also attracted to condominiums, and the Placita Escondida project is proof of that the first 24 units that were finished are sold out. Theres a tremendous opportunity for builders, Rogers said. I think were going to see more condos come online. He said there is a buzz about trying to get more owner-occupied dwellings downtown, as most new developments are predominantly rentals. Monthly rent in new complexes downtown are up in the $3,000-to-$4,000 range. Rogers said income like that will likely spur some condo development in downtown Tucson in the near future. Aerial photos of Tucson, Pima County, in 1980 Tucson aerial photos, 1980 Tucson aerial photos, 1980 Tucson aerial photos, 1980 Tucson aerial photos, 1980 Tucson aerial photos, 1980 Tucson aerial photos, 1980 Tucson aerial photos, 1980 Tucson aerial photos, 1980 Tucson aerial photos, 1980 Tucson aerial photos, 1980 Contact reporter Gabriela Rico at grico@tucson.com Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Xinjiang enjoys good governance featuring development, stability and opening up Xinhua) 17:06, February 04, 2022 -- Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has seen continuous economic development with businesses thriving. People's livelihood has also been boosted with higher disposable incomes across the region. -- Xinjiang registered a 7-percent GDP growth in 2021, totalling 1.6 trillion yuan (about 253.2 billion U.S. dollars). A total of 477,400 urban jobs were created in the region, reducing the surveyed urban unemployment rate by 1.1 percentage points to 2.2 percent. -- In 2021, Xinjiang continued to increase spending on people's livelihood, with an expenditure of 398.23 billion yuan, accounting for 73.7 percent of the general public budget expenditure. URUMQI, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- People of all ethnic groups in China's Xinjiang are leading a happy life thanks to good governance featuring development, stability and opening up. Especially over the past five years, people in the region are no longer disturbed by terrorism as Xinjiang has been free of terrorist incidents for five consecutive years. Thanks to the counterterrorism measures in Xinjiang, the region has achieved social stability and people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang have a growing sense of security and fulfillment. Along with the opening up drive, the economic growth has been sustained and public well-being has been continuously improved in Xinjiang. According to the work report of the regional government released last month, Xinjiang registered a 7-percent GDP growth in 2021, totaling nearly 1.6 trillion yuan (about 251.2 billion U.S. dollars). A cotton picker is seen in a cotton field in Gezkum Town of Xayar County, Aksu Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Oct. 25, 2021. (Xinhua/Ma Kai) INDUSTRIES DEVELOPING RAPIDLY Xinjiang put an end to absolute poverty in the region by the end of 2020. People in the region have access to stable income and public services due to the region's anti-poverty efforts. Various industries have been developing rapidly. The cotton industry -- a main industry in Xinjiang -- provides an important way for a large number of local farmers to increase their income. At present, Xinjiang has formed a cotton industry system integrating cotton production, service, circulation, processing and sales. In 2021, the total cotton output in Xinjiang reached 5.13 million tonnes, accounting for 89.5 percent of that in the country. The mechanical harvesting rate reached 80 percent. "Xinjiang's cotton industry is in the transitional stage from resource advantage to economic development advantage," said Song Lin, chairman of Xinjiang Beidacang Agricultural Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd. According to the government work report, Xinjiang will stabilize supply of high-quality commercial cotton at a level of over 5 million tonnes this year. Besides the cotton industry, industries of agriculture, animal husbandry, textile, wine, and petrochemicals have also been developing fast. In the future, Xinjiang will actively develop industries such as new materials, high-end equipment manufacturing, biotechnology, new energy, new-generation information technology, and energy conservation. Xinjiang will also increase the coverage and application of 5G networks, deeply integrate the Internet, big data and artificial intelligence with economic and social development, and promote industrial digitization. OPENING-UP DRIVEN BY BELT AND ROAD "Our village has converted the management right of 100 hectares of grassland into shares, and 395 herders have become shareholders of an economic cooperative," said Anar Balatibek, head of Kalasu Village. The local government implemented reform measures to make "pastures become equity, villagers become investors, and everyone gets dividends." The development measure in Kalasu Village is just an example of Xinjiang's deepening reform and opening-up policies in recent years. A China-Europe freight train, loaded with walnuts for export to Turkey, pulls out of the Urumqi China-Europe Railway Express Hub in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Feb. 20, 2020. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) "A better business environment has given us confidence and motivation," said Abduvpur Abdugul, deputy general manager of a Urumqi-based trading company, adding that establishing a good business environment is necessary for enterprise development. For the past few years, Xinjiang has taken proactive measures to build itself as a core area of the Silk Road Economic Belt and made progress. Xinjiang has opened its door wider to the outside world under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), with related cooperation deals covering more than 50 countries and regions, regional authorities said. The region has become an important channel for exchanges between countries along the BRI and an important gateway for China to open up to the West and foster opening-up on all fronts. In 2021, Horgos Port and Alataw Pass, both major rail ports in Xinjiang, handled a total of 12,210 freight trains connecting China with European and Central Asian countries, up 21.5 percent compared to 2020. Besides the launch of new freight trains to Central Asia, the prefecture of Kashgar in southern Xinjiang opened four new international air cargo routes in January in its efforts to further opening up, according to local authorities. Last year, the total foreign trade of Kashgar reached 23.12 billion yuan, up 89.7 percent year on year. "We will continue to optimize the business environment, advance the reform of customs operations, take advantage of the China-Europe freight train service to promote the exports of Kashgar's specialty agricultural products as well as clothing and textile products, to actively promote the high-quality development of local open economy," said Wang Chuanjie, head of Kashgar Customs. PUBLIC WELLBEING IMPROVED Buasi Maimati, a villager in Pishan County, is satisfied with the government's efforts to improve medical services. "I had an operation to treat intestinal obstruction, and I only paid a few hundred yuan. The rest was reimbursed by the government, which greatly relieved the pressure of seeing a doctor," she said. Children have fun in "Dove Lane" in the old town Tuancheng of Hotan City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, May 27, 2020. (Xinhua/Shadati) According to statistics of the regional health department, medical institutions have been set up in every town and village in Xinjiang. In 2021, Xinjiang continued to increase investment in people's well-being, with an expenditure of 398.23 billion yuan, accounting for 73.7 percent of the general public budget expenditure. According to the regional government, Xinjiang will implement a series of preferential policies in employment, education, and health to accelerate the improvement of people's well-being and continuously improve people's quality of life. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) MESA Joan Leafman spent much of her life as a medical researcher teaching in a doctoral program, presenting studies at conferences and publishing research. But there comes a point in your life, she said, where you dont want to talk you want to do. For Leafman, that moment came when her daughter, Corbin Leafman, 30, died of breast cancer. Corbin taught kindergarten at Title I schools, working with children from low-income families, and she made it her mission to ensure that no child went hungry. She very specifically asked to be remembered by how she lived, and not why she died, Leafman said of her daughter. Inspired by Corbins resolve, Leafman founded Corbins Legacy in 2015 to help reduce food and medical insecurity among underserved schoolchildren. The Mesa organization runs such programs as Food for Thought, delivering meals to kids in classrooms, and Weekend Food Warriors, which send backpacks of food home with children and parents on Fridays. In July 2020, Corbins Legacy delivered its 2 millionth meal to a family in need. But providing meals isnt the only way the charity aims to help children. In partnership with A.T. Still Universitys School of Osteopathic Medicine, Corbins Legacy opened the Simon Clinic at Emerson Elementary School in Mesa to provide health care to children right on school grounds. The clinic, named for Dr. Harvey Simon, a public-health pediatrician and professor at A.T. Still, provides physical exams, eye checks and dental screening to about 25 students daily, Mondays through Thursdays. Simon said the classroom-turned-clinic allows children to receive consistent, episodic care. I suggested to Dr. Leafman that we do something on-site at the school, because thats where the children are, he said. I believe very strongly that coming to the schools and coming to where the children are is the best way of reaching them. Open-access, community-based health care is a service that Simon has worked toward since his first days in medicine. During his pediatric residency at a maternal and child health center in the Bronx in New York City, Simon spent much of his time out in the communities that he cared for, speaking with teachers and meeting patients where they were. Providing care like that is a very different experience for everyone, he said. Its fun for the doctors, but its wonderful for the patients. When theyre more comfortable, you have a much more relaxed interaction with them. Simon said providing community-embedded care is an objective of A.T. Still University, which partners with Corbins Legacy to staff the Emerson Elementary clinic. Medical school professors recruit their students to receive hands-on experience. We like to give them responsibility, he said. Its very fulfilling to see the next generation of medical providers coming along. Those recruitment efforts are led by Angie Kiselyk, director of physician assistant admissions at the School of Osteopathic Medicine. Shes also an assistant professor and family practice physician assistant. To Kiselyk, the Simon Clinic offers students a break from classroom lectures and the chance to get some real-world experience. Its just a great opportunity, as the professor helping facilitate these students, seeing their growth, seeing them do physicals and exams, and helping bridge that gap of access to health care. Its very important, she said. Hispanics represented 53% of Emersons 814 students in the 2020-2021 school year. Nationally, Latinos have generally increased health risks and less access to health care. The Brookings Institution in September 2020 found that Latinos are at a 66% greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, and once diagnosed, they have worse outcomes than non-Hispanic white individuals. The same report indicates that Latinos have less access to health care, and 1 in 4 have no health insurance. The COVID-19 pandemic has made things that much harder: About 37% of Latinos have had someone in their household lose employer-provided health insurance benefits due to the economic downturn that began in March 2020. The Simon Clinic is attempting to address these disparities through a policy of not turning anyone away. If patients need further medical treatment, the clinic refers them to Adelante Healthcare, a community health center with locations across Maricopa County that offers affordable payment options and discounts depending on income. Student health is a priority of Emerson Elementary Principal Christel Arbogast, who recognized a need for screening services. We wanted them to have the opportunity to visit a doctor, even when they were healthy, to get some baseline data, she said. Arbogast said the clinic has even helped with attendance rates. Screening for such conditions as asthma or eczema, and connecting students with treatment, can increase their overall comfort in the learning environment. Its that tangible change that motivates Leafman to continue her work. I feed children, and I make sure that we take care of them medically, she said. Its not complicated. You just do it. For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. This story was created by #ThisIsTucson and BRINK and underwritten by Vantage West, celebrating the locally-owned businesses that make our community strong. Thank you for supporting the local organizations that support us! For years, Desiree Cook has had dreams about building a safe community of tiny homes for vulnerable youth. After much anticipation, contractors are expected to officially break ground next week and start construction on 10 tiny homes on Tucsons east side. Our office is right here where construction is happening, so Ill be here to witness (the start of construction), says Cook, who is the founder of local nonprofit I Am You 360. Its been a long time coming, she says of the venture. Weve been talking about it publicly for over three years, so I think seeing is believing for a lot of people. She calls the tiny home community historical, not only in its mission, but it will be environmentally-friendly and is African American-led. The roots of I Am You 360 I Am You 360 serves vulnerable youth and young adults who are in foster care or kinship situations, or are experiencing homelessness. The organization started in Cooks living room in late 2013 with bags filled with hygiene products that were given to youth on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in 2014. The bags came to be because children that are underserved should never look like their circumstance, Cook says. Through my lived experience of being homeless and drug-addicted and being incarcerated, once I reunited with my own family and got married, I felt there was something missing, Cook says, adding that her children spent time in foster care. I Am You 360 also provides life-skills trainings and a mentorship program, in addition to safe housing opportunities. Its about investing these young adults are in a situation at no fault of their own, Cook says. Its up to our society to rise up and help the youth become fruitful. To date, the nonprofit has served more than 4,000 youth in Arizona, with many from Southern Arizona. Cook says there are tens of thousands of underserved youth in Pima County a number that's rising due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Its extremely high, and even in our country alone, we have over 400,000 children in foster care and 2.7 million family members taking care of their family's children, Cook says. A years-long journey coming to life The ultimate goal for Cook is to break generational cycles and end homelessness. Register for more free articles. Log in Sign up In December, I Am You 360 was hoping to raise $1.5 million to make its community of tiny homes, dubbed the Small Home Experience, a reality. Now, that number has been lowered to around $1.3 million. The $200,000 raised allowed I Am You 360 to hire contractors who are expected to begin construction next week. The community will include 10 tiny homes nine for young adults ages 18-22 who are experiencing homelessness, particularly those who have aged out of foster care. One of the homes will act as a community center for trainings, meetings and behavioral health sessions. Im just so excited to see it starting its been a three-plus-year journey with the vision of tiny homes, Cook says. Its really going to transform the city, but more importantly, what its going to do is create generational change, she says. The most vulnerable the underserved youth are primarily the ones that slip through society and its up to us to fill in those gaps by sewing them back into the community. That not only starts with safe housing, but also with life-skills development. Gainful employment will be required for the youth living in the 450-square-foot tiny homes, in addition to participation in community service and attendance in I Am You 360s life-skills classes that teach students topics such as cooking, cleaning, nutrition, banking and credit. The nonprofit also encourages secondary education. The residents in the tiny home community will pay $1 per square foot for their homes monthly and I Am You 360 will put $225 of that into a savings account for the youth each month. When theyre ready to move out in two to three years, theyll be able to use that money for a down payment on a home of their own. The nonprofit also collaborates with real estate agencies, so the young adults will have someone to help them through the home-buying process when the time comes. Although the tiny homes arent expected to be ready for another seven months, I Am You 360 has been housing 10 young adults at an apartment complex given to the organization by a developer last summer. He donated that to us in June and we were able to move in selected young adults, Cook says. It was mind-blowing for them. They didnt believe it. A lot of people say a lot of things a lot of empty promises. They were blown away not only to see their keys, but for them to move in as soon as they got their keys. To me, that was such an emotional time because theyre now safe. The apartment complex will continue to be a housing option for youth even after the tiny homes are built, allowing the nonprofit to house 19 people in total. Those living in the complex now will be given the opportunity to move into one of the tiny homes when they're ready. Cook also landed a spot on The Ellen Degeneres Show with guest host actress Tiffany Haddish late last year, where Cook spoke about I Am You 360s mission. While on the show, Cook received $50,000 to furnish the tiny homes. First off, the Ellens and the Tiffanys of the world that was validation to us, Cook says. Seeing our grassroots organization being honored in that way. The exposure was so honorable, she says. For us, its really about creating awareness. A lot of people dont know that our numbers (of underserved youth) are critically high. Our underserved youth are somebody as well, she says. Were asking that you pay now rather than pay later as we are better together. For more information on I Am You 360, visit their website. Supporting local businesses as they Thrive Vantage West is committed to supporting and celebrating the locally-owned businesses that make our community strong. For the time being, the Thrive series is focused on the efforts locally-owned businesses have made to continue serving our community during the unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19. It can only be a sad song. We learn at the very start that the song to be shared is one about someone for whom the good news about the end of apartheid the entrenched racism that was the rule of law in South Africa came too late. Such a one is Jacob Zulu, the teenage son of a minister whose experiences as a young Black man in South Africa with the oppression, violence and terror of the apartheid regime slowly transform him into someone capable of committing an act of terrorism. World Stage Theatre Company has created an impressive production of The Song of Jacob Zulu, directed by the companys artistic director, Kelli McLoud-Shingen, which opened Jan. 27 at the Tulsa PAC. And song is very much an important part of this play, written by South African playwright Tug Yourgrau, and based on an actual incident. Yourgrau collaborated with the vocal ensemble Ladysmith Black Mambazo to create the songs and choral interjections that run throughout the course of the action. A quintet of vocalists, led by Justin Daniels, serve as a kind of Greek chorus to the events that unfold commenting on the action, giving voice to the conflicted ideas and emotions that roil through the main characters mind, providing moments of pure harmony in a society so viciously divided. Jacob Zulu (Chaston Fox) is already in custody for the crime of planting a bomb in a South African shopping mall on Christmas Eve. The fact that he has already confessed to being the lone culprit, and subsequently refuses to say anything else, makes the job of his defense lawyer, Mr. Frankle (Chris Williams), all the more difficult. As Jacobs trial progresses, it serves as the springboard for a series of flashbacks: Jacobs conversion to Christianity at the behest of his minister father; his first encounter with South African police and their violent over-reaction to a group of students gathering to pray; his subtle recruitment to become part of the then-outlawed African National Congress; and finally coming face-to-face with the brutality and horror of systemic racism taken to its terrible extremes, which becomes Jacobs breaking point. Fox does an exceptional job of portraying Jacob; he is rarely off stage over the course of the plays nearly three-hour running time, but he handles the characters shifts from stoic prisoner to desperate runaway, from young man in love to someone overwhelmed by anger and hate, grief and remorse, in equal measures extremely well. Williams is very good as the counselor Frankle, who hopes that an understanding of the forces that set Jacob on his twisted path will keep him from the gallows. Troy Knauls and La Tisha Lucas are convincing as Jacobs forceful father and longsuffering mother, and Josiah Parks is equally convincing as Jacobs friend Fumani, as well as the fanatical ANC officer who sends Jacob out to commit his final, fatal act. Obum Ukabam makes a indelible and fearsome impression as Itshe, who attempts to frighten Jacob away from the path he is following with graphic tales of life in South African prisons. Daniels and the chorus members Sincere Grant, Victor Grimes, Cornelius Johnson, Nash McQuarters and Victor Muse are wonderful from start to finish. Much of their singing is done a cappella, yet the harmonies and sense of ensemble were razor-sharp, a testament to music director Brian Jones fine work with the group. The Song of Jacob Zulu contains dialogue and songs in English as well as Afrikaans, the Dutch-based language of many white South Africans, and isiZulu, the language of the Zulu people of the country. A handout with the translations is available, but the cast embodied the emotions contained in the words each language that the gist of what was being said was never in doubt. The Song of Jacob Zulu continues through Feb. 6 at the Tulsa PAC, 110 E. Second St. For tickets: 918-596-7111, tulsapac.com. Featured video: Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Coronado, CA (92118) Today Sun and a few passing clouds. High around 65F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will become overcast later during the night. Low 56F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. A small Lincoln County town saw 13% of its annual budget misappropriated, a state audit found, with a report noting that the former police chief withdrew town funds at area casinos. Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd released her audit of the town of Tryon, between Stillwater and Chandler, on Thursday. She identified a total of $95,000 in misappropriated town funds via unauthorized and personal charges, according to a news release. That board (of trustees) has the power to stop things like this from happening if they would just look at the records put before them, or even ask questions, and I think this board was just asleep at the wheel, Byrd told the Tulsa World on Thursday in response to the Tryon audit. Most of the personal transactions are alleged to have come from former Police Chief Jered Prickett, noted in the audit report as having made $3,700 in questionable credit card expenditures, including deer hunting supplies. Donations made to the Tryon Police Department, totaling $3,960, were not deposited into the Towns bank account, Byrd wrote in the release. The checks were either cashed out by Prickett or deposited into his personal bank account. Prickett also misappropriated $4,866.50 from the Police Auxiliary bank account via cash and ATM withdrawals. Six of the ATM withdrawals occurred at area casinos. The person in charge of law enforcement appears to have been breaking the law. According to the report, Prickett appears responsible for $86,919 of the $95,252 total misappropriations. He reportedly purchased firearms that remain unaccounted for, including three Glock 9 mm pistols, a .40-caliber Glock pistol, a Remington Model 700 M40 rifle and a Ruger 6.5 Creedmor bolt-action rifle. The audit also says Pricketts wife was inappropriately appointed town clerk-treasurer, and she is named in the report as having received about $5,000 in misappropriated city funds. We have cited a couple of different statutes that we have recommended the district attorney to look into to determine whether or not charges of embezzlement should be filed against these individuals, Byrd said Thursday. In Pricketts resignation letter, included in the audit report, he asked that the board discuss his case only in executive session so that slander or talks about this issue remain private. I have no excuses for the things that have happened, Prickett wrote. I violated your trust in me and for that I hold myself accountable. Candace (Prickett) has no part in any of this nor was she aware it had happened. Prickett, who also served as the towns animal control officer, earned a combined salary of $6,086 per month, according to the report. In her audit, Byrd faulted not only the employees who benefited from the misappropriations, but also the governing board for the town. A timely review of bank statements, timecards, check registers or monthly expenditure reports should have brought some of the questionable transactions to light. Inherent to any small town, it is imperative that the Board be hyper-vigilant in their oversight of financial transactions, she said in the report. The Board must become part of the internal control process by providing the increased oversight required in order to protect town assets. Featured video: Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. With youth suicides and overdose deaths in Oklahoma expected to keep rising due to the pandemic, the time to act is now, says a Tulsa-based mental health advocacy group. We think this child mental health crisis is going to be the key and lasting impact from COVID from here on out, said Zack Stoycoff, executive director of the Healthy Minds Policy Initiative. The mental health policy and action group is making the issue its No. 1 focus in its 2022 push for mental health legislation, he added. Weve got to address it, Stoycoff said. Our hospital systems are seeing double in some cases the number of kids who are showing up to the emergency room with suicidal thoughts and suicidal ideation. As a state, Oklahoma annually sees almost 10 suicide or overdose deaths per 100,000 people in the 10-17 age range. Thats 32% above the national average, Stoycoff said. Thats child suicide and unintentional drug overdose combined. Its a true epidemic. How to combat that has become a priority for Healthy Minds and others, Stoycoff said, and it seems clear that schools will be pivotal partners. We need to transform what we do in schools, he said. This is radically aligning schools with existing community mental health providers in a coordinated, accountable way. The goal should be that every student regardless of their level of need is able to get the services they need that cant be provided by school personnel and for school personnel to have the support and resources they need. Stoycoff said House Bill 4106, sponsored by state Rep. Mark Vancuren, R-Owasso, would be a big step toward creating a collaborative relationship between schools and mental health providers. It actually requires schools to have a protocol for how you handle a students mental health crisis, much like a protocol for how you would handle an active shooter on campus, he said. What we know, he added, is that most schools dont actually tell their teachers what to do when a student hands a suicide note in. Most schools have no idea how to refer out to a mental health provider. Now, Tulsa schools and some of our more sophisticated districts do, but a lot of our rural ones dont. Established in 2018 by the Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation, Healthy Minds has tracked the pandemics mental health toll since it began, issuing a number of reports. Overall, the state ranks sixth in suicide annually, 36% higher than the national average. During the pandemic, the numbers have risen, particularly rural suicide deaths, which are up 27%. But the youth mental health situation needs special attention, and now, Stoycoff said. It is the No. 1 issue this year, he said. Our data has really shown substantial and frightening numbers of children who have suicidal thoughts, major depressive disorder, different things that are really going to affect the outcome of their lives. Creating a mechanism for schools to collaborate with providers, he added, is a good place to start. Once thats in place, the focus can expand to include lower level intervention and prevention measures. Obviously, you have to have prevention in schools, Stoycoff said. But what were choosing to work on this year is the fire. The house is on fire with children dying by suicide. To read a recent Healthy Minds report on COVID-19s impact on youth mental health, go to healthymindspolicy.org/covid-childrens-report. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The small story about a $500,000 federal grant awarded to Northeastern State University caught my attention for its purpose: drop-in child care for students. Its another employment gap being met. In this reimagined, reinvigorated workforce emerging from the pandemic, child care continues to pop up as a factor. Thats not new knowledge, but its often overlooked. As employers wonder why they cant attract applicants, my mind goes to supports for working parents. Those with odd hours have always faced this problem. But even for traditional shifts, many parents still fret over before- or after-school care. The pandemic provided a pause, whether by choice or not. Workers are exerting influence on where they choose to spend their talent and skills. For parents, that decision includes how their children will be affected; child care plays a big role. Starting with welfare reforms in the 1990s, child care evolved from being viewed as a social service issue into a workforce need. Thats when Oklahoma created a child-care subsidy program to help parents get a job and stay employed. It wasnt without its critics, who still occasionally revive old judgmental arguments. Usually, those are along the line of Dont have kids if you cant afford them. As if life doesnt throw curveballs. Also, children are the prime beneficiaries in having a safe learning environment. Subsidies are funded through a federal Child Care and Development Block Grant, and facilities obtaining higher quality ratings get higher subsidies. The Child Care Services Division has online access to information like locating a program and viewing inspection reports. Growing problems at both the national and state levels have been fewer options and affordability. Since 2016, the number of Oklahoma licensed child-care homes and centers has fallen by 13%. The biggest drop is in homes, at 19%, while the number of centers has dropped by 6%, according to DHS. Surprisingly, it wasnt the pandemic causing the decline; that happened in 2018. The pandemic has seen some slight increases in licenses for centers and in overall capacity. The federal pandemic relief bills have pumped in about $50 billion to stabilize the child care industry. The shutdown caused temporary closures. But those funds and the commitment to children by the industrys caregivers kept them afloat, says Brittany Lee, DHS director of child care services. The child care workforce has been affected like all other businesses. No one is operating at capacity, because they are looking for workers, Lee said. We are encouraging workers looking for a change and wanting to work with children to consider child care. DHS is working to identify areas lacking in child-care slots, estimating that about 500 ZIP codes are child care deserts, Lee said. Costs for child-care vary depending on geography and quality, with more expensive tuition for younger children attending higher rated programs in metropolitan cities. On average in Oklahoma, full-time care for an infant is about $11,664 a year, based on a 2021 market survey. For school-age children, the cost runs about $6,000 annually. Subsidies recognize that its less expensive to offset these costs than have parents forced to stay home and end up needing other welfare programs. Plus, more workers means a more robust recruitment pool for employers. Knocking down stigma has been a priority, with workers pointing out that child care subsidy eligibility has a higher threshold than other programs, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. That means more people qualify for this program but may not know it. These are systems to support quality child care to help keep parents employed and be comfortable knowing their children are in a safe environment, said Deborah Smith, DHS director of adult and family services. Child care is so expensive that parents might stay home, not realizing this benefit is there for them. This is directly tied to child safety and education and for families to become self-sufficient. Child-care subsidy eligibility previously was open only to working parents and those attending school full time. A policy change since the pandemic also allows for parents looking for employment. Its really hard for a parent to find a job while also caring for children full time, Smith said. No one wants to take their child to a job interview. An interesting program launched by DHS in 2020, Kith Care, provides $25 per child per day to family members serving as caregivers. Its targeting parents who dont have a traditional child-care facility option, such as overnight or weekend shifts, and qualify for a subsidy or are defined as an essential worker. We are trying to reach children and parents where they are and provide them with resources they need, Lee said. That gets me back to the NSU grant. A child-care system cannot be the sole responsibility of DHS. Its going to take other groups and businesses to think about how child care affects their workers or students. NSUs grant acknowledges this need and provides a solution. More of that kind of thing is needed to have a competitive economy and healthy, educated children. Subscribe to Daily Headlines Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. While meeting with state lawmakers on Tuesday, State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd didnt mince words about the ongoing investigation of Epic Charter Schools. I am shocked this hasnt been prosecuted yet, she said, calling what state investigators have found the largest amount of reported abuse of taxpayer funds in the history of this state. She further concluded that the school was set up to squeeze profits from the state, calling it the Enron of public education. The findings we know of thus far are a laundry list alleged wrongdoing: mixing public and private funds, nepotism, embezzlement and submitting false invoices, to mention a few. The State Auditor and Inspectors Office and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation have been investigating Epic, at one point the states largest school system, for several years. In 2020, auditors alleged that Epics founders, David Chaney and Ben Harris, split illegal profits of more than $10 million between 2013 and 2018. The two men deny wrongdoing. Federal authorities, including the IRS, are also investigating. The state is seeking $9.1 million back from Epic. The Attorney Generals Office says its waiting for any findings from the state investigation. Given the seriousness of Byrds words, we hope to see the state promptly prosecute anyone found to have broken state laws. On the legislative level, its time for lawmakers to act. During the last legislative session, a bill was written in response to the state multicounty grand jurys findings concerning Epic. The House passed House Bill 2966, but the Senate let it die without a hearing. The Legislature has a duty to make sure public funds are properly and legally spent and to craft safeguards to ensure those goals. Lawmakers failed to carry out that charge. Last sessions proposed reforms should be reintroduced, and as the investigations findings unfold further, new reforms designed to prevent further abuse should be enacted. We sense a reluctance by some state leaders to pursue strong action regarding Epic because it might hurt the image of the school-choice movement. The issues surrounding school choice deserve to be debated, but they are separate from what investigators have found at Epic Charter Schools. The Epic saga shouldnt automatically stain virtual and charter schools, but defense of school choice shouldnt shield people and institutions that have abused state funds, broken laws and harmed the education of Oklahoma children. Not acting on wrongdoing actually hurts the choice movement. Prosecutors and lawmakers should know this: Its past time for those responsible for this mess to be held accountable, and steps to ensure that it doesnt happen again need to be taken now. Subscribe to Daily Headlines Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has proposed that the national government fully reopen international tourism at the end of next month, after nearly two years of closure due to COVID-19 impacts. It is the appropriate time for international tourism to resume since March 31, when the country is expected to complete third-dose COVID-19 vaccination for its adult population, the ministry said in its recent proposition to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. Any later tourism resumption will lessen the attractiveness of Vietnams tourism to international travelers as many other regional countries are preparing to open up their borders again. The period between now and March 31 is enough for agencies concerned to adjust current regulations and issue new rules on tourism resumption, the ministry said. As Vietnam will host the 31st Southeast Asian Games in May, reopening borders will help attract more visitors from other ASEAN countries with high inoculation rates. Tourism businesses should initially focus on traditional markets with high COVID-19 safety levels such as South Korea, Japan, mainland China, Taiwan, ASEAN, the U.S., Canada, Australia, the UK, France, and Germany, the ministry advised. It also recommended that Vietnam should receive visitors coming by road and sea besides air passengers. International travelers should be required to meet only three conditions upon their arrival in Vietnam, the ministry suggested. Firstly, they must get full COVID-19 vaccination, with the second dose administered at least 14 days and no longer than 12 months before their entry date, or have certificates of recovery from COVID-19 within six months prior to their time of entry. There should be additional rules intended for children and people who have not been fully inoculated. Secondly, they are to be required to have a negative RT-PCR test certificate within 72 hours of departure. Lastly, foreign visitors must have health insurance that covers COVID-19 treatment at a minimum of US$50,000. The ministry also proposed all tourism businesses that meet related requirements are allowed to receive international guests, not just some selected firms as planned before. From now until March 30, the pilot tourism reopening program that has been conducted in several localities since late 2021 will continue as necessary preparations for the proposed full resumption, the ministry said. Previously, the Vietnam Tourism Association, the Vietnam Tourism Advisory Board, and the National Private Economic Development Research Board recommended an earlier date, February 1, for tourism reopening. To facilitate foreigners' entry into Vietnam, the Southeast Asian country has so far recognized vaccine passports or full vaccination certificates of 79 countries and territories, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As of Thursday, the country, whose population is around 98 million, had given 79,080,702 first COVID-19 vaccine doses to people nationwide, while the numbers of second and third shots were 74,187,590 and 28,390,799, respectively, the Ministry of Health reported. Health workers have administered the first vaccine shots to all eligible adults, and 52 out of 63 provinces and cities have reached a second-dose vaccination rate of over 90 percent. Meanwhile, 8,446,574 first doses and 7,805,785 second shots have been provided to children aged 12 to 17. Since erupting in Vietnam in early 2020, the coronavirus pandemic has caused 2,304,095 infections, with 2,093,947 recoveries and 38,063 fatalities, the health ministry said. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! New United States Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper has celebrated Vietnams Lunar New Year with the art of calligraphy. In a 40-second video released by the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi on Thursday, Knapper wrote 'Xin Chao Viet Nam' (Hello Vietnam) and hung his calligraphy picture on a wall. Our new #AmbassadorKnapper, [who] arrived just in time to celebrate the Lunar New Year, is trying his hand at traditional calligraphy," the embassy addressed the video on its verified Facebook page. "What is your favorite message to mark the start of the spring?" The clip quickly drew the attention of netizens, with more than 1,400 people hitting the buttons to express their interest in the video. Early this month, the new United States ambassador also sent a wish to people in Vietnam for a healthy, happy, and prosperous new year. Knapper and his family arrived in Hanoi on January 27 after swearing-in as the new United States ambassador to Vietnam on December 30 in Washington D.C. My family and I arrived safely last night and are now starting quarantine, the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi quoted Knapper in a Facebook post on January 28. We cant wait to meet with our Vietnamese friends and partners soon! He had served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Korea and Japan from August 2018 to July 2021 before taking on his position in Vietnam. According to the U.S. Department of State, Knapper is a recipient of the Secretary of States Distinguished Service Award, Washingtons highest diplomatic honor. He also received a Presidential Meritorious Service Award and the Department of States Linguist of the Year Award. Knapper speaks Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese. He is the eight U.S. ambassador to Vietnam since the two countries restored diplomatic relations in 1995. A supplied video captures U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper trying his hand at calligraphy, writing 'Xin Chao Vietnam' (Hello Vietnam). Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Police in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum on Friday said they had issued an arrest warrant and initiated legal proceedings against Nguyen Van Kien, 33, for an investigation into the murder of a Vietnamese priest last week. Kien, from Saloong Commune in Ngoc Hoi District, was subject to the arrest for allegedly killing priest Tran Ngoc Thanh on January 29. He arrived at a religious event in Giang Lo 2 Village, Saloong Commune in Kon Tum at around 7:00 pm with a knife around 40cm in length, according to local police. Priest Thanh was chairing the event at the time. Kien waited for around 30 minutes for a large group of people there to leave before he attacked the priest. Around 20 people were still staying at the venue when Kien assaulted the priest. He then continued to attempt to knife a man who was sitting at a piano at the venue with his knife. However, the victim used a wooden chair to shield himself and managed to escape. People put Kien the attacker under control and rushed the priest to the hospital but he could not make it. Informed of the knifing, local authorities examined the scene as well as took testimonies from witnesses, before initiating legal proceedings against the suspect. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! An over-four-meter-high gate formed from two yellow apricot blossom trees in An Giang Province, southern Vietnam has recently become a sensation as people have come to take pictures with it on the Lunar New Year (Tet) occasion. The trees have been grown by Vo Van Banh at his house in Dinh My Commune, Thoai Son District for the past 31 years. An aerial view of Vo Van Banhs house gate grown from two yellow apricot blossom trees in An Giang Province, Vietnam on February 3, 2022. Video: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre During this years Tet holiday, the 70-year-old farmer is no longer surprised to see people stopping by his house and asking to take photos with his impressive gate. The trees have been blooming in recent days so a lot of people stopped over for a few pictures, Banh said. Im happy that people enjoy it. Many of them, especially young people, were very polite. People take pictures with a four-meter-high gate formed from two yellow apricot blossom trees in An Giang Province, Vietnam on February 3, 2022. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre In southern Vietnam, yellow apricot blossoms are considered a Tet symbol, with growners taking care of the trees in order to keep flowers in full bloom in time to celebrate the holiday. Le Thi Mang, 64, from the provincial capital of Long Xuyen was so fascinated with the beauty of the gate that she had to stop while going by it on her way to visit her mothers hometown in Dinh My Commune. I have never seen a gate like this before, she said. Le Thi Mang (left) and her younger sister Le Thi Le pose for a photo in front of Vo Van Banhs house gate grown from two yellow apricot blossom trees in An Giang Province, Vietnam on February 3, 2022. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre Banh said it took him more than ten years to shape the yellow apricot trees into the gate. The trees were the size of a chopstick when I started planting them, and now they have grown up into a gate of over four meters in height, Banh said. The gate has witnessed a lot of my memories. I am old now, so besides working in the field, I take care of ornamental flowers as a hobby. Banh said people offered to buy his trees, but the septuagenarian turned them down and decided to keep the gate for his enjoyment. Vo Van Banh smiles for a photo while taking care of his yellow apricot blossom tree at his house in An Giang Province, Vietnam on February 3, 2022. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre Vo Van Banh poses for a photo with his four-meter-high gate shaped from two yellow apricot blossom trees in An Giang Province, Vietnam on February 3, 2022. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre Vo Van Banh looks at his four-meter-high gate shaped from two yellow apricot blossom trees in An Giang Province, Vietnam on February 3, 2022. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre An aerial photo of Vo Van Banh's four-meter-high gate grown from two yellow apricot blossom trees in An Giang Province, Vietnam, February 3, 2022. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! For foreigners who have lived in Vietnam for years and have become well known on social media, Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) is an exciting time. Each year, Tet brings unforgettable emotions and interesting discoveries that only bolster their love for Vietnamese culture. Akari Nakatani and her Vietnamese family Japanese national Akari Nakatani has not missed a single Tet holiday during her six years in Vietnam. When Nakatani first came to Vietnam, she lived with the family of her Vietnamese best friend, and every year she celebrates Tet with that special group of people. Last year, she was chosen to be the first person to enter the house on Lunar New Year's Day, a tradition that is believed to help bring good luck to the family for the whole year. She also received lucky money from her friend's mother, whom Nakatani also calls 'mom.' A YouTuber with 161,000 subscribers, Nakatani shared her 2021 Tet experience on her channel with her excited audience. Akari Nakatani (right) smiles while receiving lucky money during the Tet holiday in 2021 in a screenshot captured from a video she posted on YouTube. We dont have these traditions in Japan, 28-year-old Nakatani told Tuoi Tre News. All the things that Vietnamese do for Tet are very cultural and meaningful. It's always interesting to learn and experience more about Vietnamese culture. For this years Tet holiday, she will, once again, stay with her Vietnamese family and spend time relaxing with her Vietnamese mom. My favorite thing about Tet is seeing family members, she said. On the holiday, I have so many opportunities to talk to different generations, which is very special for me as a foreigner living here in Vietnam, Nakatani, a fluent Vietnamese speaker, added. From having no knowledge of Tet when she first arrived in Vietnam, Nakatani now understands how important it is to Vietnamese people. The connection between Nakatani and Vietnam is unbreakable thanks to her best friend, a Vietnamese student she met in Japan. I have a lot of international friends, but she is the one who has most impacted my perspective on life, Nakatani admitted. The more I learned from her, the more I was interested in her home country, Vietnam. So, I decided to come to Vietnam after graduation for my new journey in life. Akari Nakatani is seen wearing 'ao dai' (Vietnam's traditional long gown) in this supplied photo. Special culture shock After 13 years of living in Vietnam, Nigerian national Nnadozie Uzor Nadis typically goes by his Vietnamese name, Nam. Nadis, a YouTuber with 73,000 followers, shared that his understanding of Tet is what keeps him in the country during this time of year. He no longer uses the extended holiday to travel abroad, but he always arranges to make sure he is around to celebrate the occasion. This year, he plans to welcome the first days of the year in Ho Chi Minh City, make some videos to introduce the holiday to friends and family abroad, and then travel to neighboring provinces to visit his friends and their families. Many friends have invited me to visit their house and I am very happy to be part of their families during Tet, Nam said. But the holiday was not so easy for Nam when he first arrived in Vietnam. Back then, Tet was a 'culture shock' for him as all the shops and restaurants stayed closed during the week-long holiday. I did not have many friends then so I was bored and chose to travel to other countries when Tet came, he recalled. But everything has changed since I began to understand the meaning of Tet. Now, Nams family and relatives in Nigeria and the U.S. even turned to call Tet his New Year or his holiday, and even did bank transfers to give him lucky money. For Nam, Tet is a time to visit spring flower markets and watch people carrying yellow apricot trees and peach trees to their homes. Tet is also a time when he can look back on the past, spend time with loved ones, put aside work, and gather with friends over a happy Tet meal. This year I will wear ao dai to celebrate Tet, Nam said. One special thing about Vietnamese ao dai is that it is quite similar to the traditional dress in Nigeria, so it is very familiar. Wearing Vietnamese ao dai reminds me a lot of my homeland." Nnadozie Uzor Nadis is seen wearing 'ao dai' in this supplied photo. The TikTokers who marry Vietnamese partners Valentin Constantinescu, a Romanian, also considers Tet to be a very special time. The 38-year-old, known for his stunning grasp of the Vietnamese language, still remembers the first day when he arrived in Vietnam, on October 1, 2004. Since then, he has not missed a single Tet holiday. Seeing people eager to go shopping for Tet makes me feel happy, the TikToker with more than 251,000 followers said. I like the peace and quietness of Hanoi when Tet comes. It feels like the whole city is closed to rest, relax, and have a good time after a long year of hard work. Currently, Constantinescu and his Vietnamese wife live in Ho Chi Minh City and the pandemic has stopped them from seeing their family during this Tet holiday season. My wife is a Hanoian, since the day we moved to Ho Chi Minh City, every Tet, if we don't fly to Hanoi, my wife's parents will come here, Constantinescu said. This year, due to the epidemic, all our plans failed, so I guess we will have a simple celebration for Tet. Although the Romanian cannot spend the holiday with his in-laws, the last three Tet holidays have been very special for him. Since getting married, I have had the most complete and meaningful Tet holidays, because I have a family to 'come home to celebrate with, I have been able to 'gather and reunite, and Ive also been able to shop for Tet with friends and family, Constantinescu said in Vietnamese. Valentin Constantinescu and his Vietnamese wife are seen in this supplied photo. Constantinescu approached the decision to move to Vietnam following a recommendation from his uncle, who was a diplomat working in the Southeast Asian country, when he was about to graduate from high school. Initially, I was reluctant to study in Vietnam in the Vietnamese language because even though I knew a lot about Vietnam and its history, I was under the impression that the language would use a pictographic alphabet, like Japanese, Korean, or Chinese, Constantinescu recalled. I am not comfortable learning a new language if it uses a different alphabet, so when my uncle told me that they use the Latin alphabet in Vietnam, I was super excited! During the first week of living in Hanoi, I had already decided that I was going to never leave Vietnam. I couldn't see any reason to do so and, over 17 years later, I still don't! When asked why he loves Vietnam, Constantinescu said he has no reason for not loving the country, mentioning its rapid development, improving life quality, friendly people, super good foods, amazing language, and low criminal rate. From a man who had no idea what language is used in Vietnam, Constantinescu now devotes himself to teaching Vietnamese and English for free in the country. Valentin Constantinescu is seen teaching English to foreigners in Vietnam in this supplied photo. I really hope that by next year's Tet, the epidemic will have been gone because everyone has suffered a lot, he said. Hopefully we will be able to see the fireworks again on New Year's Eve, and will be able to go shopping for apricots and peaches comfortably without having to worry about bringing the disease home." Meanwhile, Sofiia Phan spent four years studying Vietnamese and English philology in Ukraines Kiev National University before coming to Vietnam for another two years of pursuing her master's degree. After finishing her college life in Vietnam, the Ukrainian woman decided to stay and married a Vietnamese man she met at university in Kiev. She is now living her sixth year in Vietnam. Actually, I knew a lot by that time, because I studied about Vietnamese culture and history at the university, she said. I also knew about Tet before I moved to Vietnam. It is the most important holiday for Vietnamese people when they are coming back home seeing all the people closest to them. It's a really nice and warm atmosphere. Since the couple welcomed a baby nine months ago, Phan has spent most of her time on taking care of the baby and developing the familys social networks on Instagram, YouTube, and a Tiktok channel of 273,000 followers where she posts short videos about her international family. A peach blossom tree was bought, nem [fried spring rolls] will be cooked and we will celebrate the holiday with our friends and family, she shared about the couples plan for Tet this year. Sofiia Phan and her Vietnamese husband are seen in this supplied photo. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Former Chase host Andrew OKeefe will return to court next week with reports new charges are to be brought against him. OKeefe was due to appear at Central Local Court this morning but the matter was adjourned for a week after police charged him with allegedly being in possession of 1.5 grams of cannabis. Police said they intend to file further charges and a detention application would be made for another matter. A matter relating to an AVO breach will be addressed separately. Police have alleged in court the January 25 incident took place at a Kent Street apartment in Sydney, with OKeefe accused of grabbing a 38-year-old woman by the throat, pushing her to the ground and punching her. Magistrate Robert Williams adjourned proceedings today while awaiting information pertaining to the new charges. OKeefe did not apply for bail today and will remain bars until at least Friday Feb 11 when the matter returns to court. Source: news.com.au, Daily Mail The Judicial Commission of Victoria has dismissed complaints made about the conduct of a magistrate during the trial of Craig McLachlan. In late 2020 Belinda Wallington dismissed all 13 charges against McLachlan, who had been accused of assaulting four female co-stars during a run of the Rocky Horror Show musical. During the reasons for her decision she stated the 4 women were brave and honest witnesses throughout and rejected suggestions they had colluded. A number of complaints were later made to Victorias Judicial Commission about Ms Wallingtons conduct, the delivery and content of her final reasons. The investigation found Ms Wallingtons tone and demeanour were courteous and found was no evidence she was biased or behaved unprofessionally. There were some robust exchanges with counsel, but at no time was the officers conduct inappropriate, the commission said in a statement. Craig McLachlan is proceeding with a defamation action against ABC, Nine (formerly Fairfax newspapers) and actor Christie Whelan Browne, expected in April, over 4 years since allegations first surfaced. Source: Daily Telegraph , AAP Tyler, TX (75702) Today Thunderstorms likely this morning. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High 86F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening. Thunderstorms likely late. Low 67F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%. By Meagan Pant Joseph Flipper has traveled to Chile to study Catholic social thought as a Fulbright scholar, delved into the life of a man who led a spiritual resistance against the Nazi regime, and witnessed the religious nature of protests that followed the shooting death of Breonna Taylor by police in Louisville, Kentucky. The common thread in my research, Flipper said, is ecclesiology, or understanding the Church, and how that is shifting through different cultural contexts. A nationally recognized scholar of Black Catholicism in America, race and religion, and 20th-century Catholic theology; Flipper joined the University of Dayton faculty in fall 2021. He is the Mary Ann Spearin Endowed Chair in Catholic Theology, an important position at the University for a professor making significant contributions to the religious studies field. Flipper brings his scholarship to bear on some of the most pressing issues of contemporary life, particularly those concerning race and racism in its global context, said Sandra Yocum, religious studies professor and chair of the Spearin chair search committee. To be able to work with and learn from Dr. Flipper highlights the exciting opportunities offered to students, faculty and staff in religious and theological studies at the University of Dayton, Yocum said. We truly are a lively learning community engaged at the intersections of Catholic theological traditions and contemporary life. In other words, Dr. Flipper's scholarship, teaching and service is at the very heart of UD's commitment to enlarging and integrating our understanding of Catholic intellectual traditions in responding to the signs of the times. The breadth and depth of his theological perspective and interest is evident in his current projects, said Yocum, the University Professor of Faith and Culture. Those include his forthcoming book, Theological Terrain: Geography and Ecclesiology in Twentieth-Century Catholicism, which demonstrates his global focus. Flipper also has a deep commitment to engaged learning in the classroom and community involvement. In his new role, he will mentor doctoral and masters students. I was drawn to the University of Dayton for the opportunity to connect with the graduate and Ph.D. programs, where I can make an impact, he said. I was also drawn to the faculty, especially Neomi DeAnda and Cecilia Moore, who are doing amazing work. I have looked up to them as models for doing teaching and research with a passion for the community in which they work. Flipper, who was previously at Bellarmine University, holds a doctorate in religious studies from Marquette University; a masters of theology from the University of Dallas; and a bachelors in philosophy from Franciscan University. He is author of Between Apocalypse and Eschaton: History and Eternity in Henri de Lubac; was awarded a Ford fellowship for his study in Chile; and serves on the Committee for Underrepresented Ethnic and Racial Groups at the Catholic Theological Society of America. He holds a joint appointment with the Department of Religious Studies and Race and Ethnic Studies program. Photo: College of Arts and Sciences Dean Jason Pierce (left) with Dr. Joseph Flipper. Sherrian Howe, 22, was last seen by her family on Dec. 21. (Courtesy of Anthea Howe-Denize) Family and friends of a missing Manchester woman plan to search for her Sunday around a Bloomfield restaurant, the last known place that her debit card was used after she was reported missing more than a month ago. Volunteers are welcome to help in the search for Sherrian Howe, 22, who was last seen by her family on Dec. 21, her sister-in-law, Nyesha Howe, said Friday. The search is set to start at 1 p.m. at the Copaco Shopping Center, 335 Cottage Grove Road. Advertisement Manchester police verified there was activity on a financial account belonging to Sherrian Howe after she was reported missing. The last known date and place that her TD Bank debit card was used was Dec. 31 at the iHop restaurant, 339 Cottage Grove Road, Nyesha Howe said. A pharmacy technician at a Walgreens in Manchester, Sherrian Howe was attending college in Hartford with the goal of becoming a pharmacist. She was living with her brother in Manchester, close to her job, family members said. Advertisement Howes brother was supposed to drop her off along with his son at the home of her sister, Anthea Howe-Denize, in Springfield on Dec. 21 for a holiday visit, but she was nowhere to be found and did not answer phone calls or emails. The 2008 Nissan Versa that Howe-Denize said she bought for her sister was found on Dec. 28 in a parking lot off Main Street in Windsor Locks, police said. Howes laptop and other belongings were found at a nearby hotel in Windsor Locks, Howe-Denize said. Breaking News As it happens Get the latest updates on Coronavirus and other breaking news events happening across Connecticut > Manchester police say there is no record that Howe took a flight out of Bradley International Airport. Her sister-in-law said Howes drivers license and credit cards were left with her other belongings at the hotel and her passport was at home in Manchester. The only thing missing from her belongings at the hotel, Nyesha Howe said Friday, was the debit card. The account held about $6,800 when Sherrian Howe went missing, she said. Howe had worsening depression and was not eating well, family members said. Police boosted the case to a silver alert on Dec. 29, Manchester police spokesman Lt. Ryan Shea has said, after information was recovered which led investigators to believe she may have had suicidal ideations at some point prior to her disappearance. Howe was described as 5 feet 1, weighing about 105 pounds. She also is very timid, Howe-Denize said. Howe-Denize said she prays every day for her sisters safe return and still calls Howes phone at least once each day to leave a voice mail. Im so used to talking to her every day its part of my routine, she said. Im just hoping that shes somewhere and listening to it. Anyone with information about Sherrian Howes whereabouts is urged to call Manchester police at 860-645-5500. Advertisement Jesse Leavenworth can be reached at jleavenworth@courant.com Hove MP Peter Kyle says the resignation of Paul Givan as First Minister of Northern Ireland is hard to take PETER Kyle says the resignation of Paul Givan as First Minister of Northern Ireland is hard to take. Mr Givans resignation is part of the Democratic Unionist Party's (DUP) protest against the Northern Ireland Protocol in Boris Johnsons Brexit deal. It also means Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill, of Sinn Fein, also loses her position. Sinn Fein has called for an early assembly election as a result. READ MORE: Hunt for pedestrian nearly hit by car which mounted pavement during police chase Last year, MP for Hove and Portslade Peter Kyle was appointed the new shadow Northern Ireland secretary in a Labour cabinet reshuffle. He was promoted from his former role as shadow minister for schools. In a statement, he said: The resignation of the First Minister is hard to take, and I urge the DUP to retake their place in the Executive for the last few weeks of the current mandate. No one doubts that the Prime Ministers protocol is causing challenges in Northern Ireland. But these can only be solved through further negotiation, not by walking away. The coming days and weeks will be crucial for Northern Ireland, whose communities and businesses deserve a peaceful and prosperous future. Residents are facing critical challenges with the cost of living and public services, which can only be solved by a functioning political system and all parties must do everything they can to make a reality. The UK government must also play its part, accept responsibility, and step up to resolving the issues with the Northern Ireland protocol which they were warned about. Peter Kyle has been a Member of Parliament since 2015. A former charity sector executive, he previously served as a shadow justice minister from 2020 to 2021 and a shadow education minister in 2021. Queen Elizabeth, prince phillip Smith Archive / Alamy Stock Photo Queen Elizabeth arriving in the UK from Kenya after the death of King George VI In almost 70 years of her reign, Queen Elizabeth has managed to avoid a single style mishap but that very nearly wasn't the case. After the sudden death of her father King George VI on February 6, 1952, while the then-Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip were on a break from their Commonwealth tour in Kenya, the new Queen had to rush back to the U.K. The hasty return meant that she boarded the plane in the summer clothes that she had been wearing (reportedly a beige dress with white shoes) rather than the black mourning outfit she would have been expected to wear when she arrived in England. According to Lady Pamela Hicks, Philip's cousin and a lady-in-waiting to the Queen, the situation was rectified within moments of touching back down in the U.K. "A black dress was quickly smuggled on board, because we didn't have a black dress. So she quickly had to change," Lady Pamela recalled during a chat with her daughter India on The India Hicks Podcast. Elizabeth Returns From Kenya Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Queen Elizabeth arriving back in the UK on Feb 7, 1952 Bethan Holt, author of The Queen: 70 Years of Majestic Style (to be released on April 19), says the Queen would have been very anxious to get the right outfit for the somber occasion. RELATED: Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee Commemorative Coin Unveiled and It Features Her Favorite Pastime! "She is very serious about wanting to look impeccable and get it right," Holt tells PEOPLE. "There's a reason she has a team of dressers and milliners at her beck and call to make sure that every outfit is perfect. It's no mistake that two of the women who she's been closest to during her reign are a woman called Bobo MacDonald and Angela Kelly and both of them were her dressers." Princess Elizabeth , who left England last week with the Duke of Edinburgh on their Commonwealth Tour , returned to London Airport Alamy Stock Photo Princess Elizabeth returning to the UK as Queen after the death of King George VI Story continues Before she stepped off the plane to be greeted by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the waiting press, the Queen suddenly noticed they had not sent her car. "Having got dressed, she passes by me and looks out of my window, looks over my head and said, 'Ahhh.' She was looking for her car and she said, 'Oh they've sent the hearses,' " recalled Lady Pamela. "I realized she meant that the big royal limousines were all stacked up. I suddenly looked and thought, 'Here's this young woman of 25 with two small children, having just been leading virtually a normal Naval officer's life in Malta, and now never going to be private again." Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! The Queen managed a weak smile and waved as she departed the airport for Clarence House. The following day, she read an official proclamation declaring her reign as Queen Elizabeth II. Flames burn blue from a natural gas-powered kitchen stove in Berlin, Germany (Getty Images) EU member states are to take legal action against the European Commission after it decided to count natural gas and nuclear power as green energy. The European Union's executive controversially included the two fuels in its "taxonomy" this week opening the door to more investment in them. The rules spell out what can be classed as "environmentally friendly" for the purposes of investing, an increasingly valuable category when it comes to attracting capital. Critics accused the Commission of "greenwashing" the fuels, which emit carbon and produce long-life radioactive waste respectively. But Commission officials say the two fuels are only included in the plans subject strict conditions: a CO2 emissions limit for gas and for nuclear, a requirement to have a plan and funding for dealing with waste. Now two member states, Austria and Luxembourg, have said they will challenge the policy proposal in the courts. Austrian minister for climate protection Leonore Gewessler, a Green, said the Commission was satisfying the wishes of the nuclear power lobby" and said his government will bring a lawsuit to the European Court of Justice". Meanwhile Luxembourgs minister for energy Claude Turmes said: Luxembourg strongly reaffirms its opposition to the inclusion of nuclear and fossil gas in the decision on EU Taxonomy for sustainable finance of the EU Commission. We will consider further legal steps together with Austria. The European Council and Parliament could yet object to the Commission's move, but blocking it would require the agreement of 20 of the 27 national leaders or a majority in the parliament. The decision highlights the different approaches to green energy in different member states. Germany, which has significant political heft at EU level, relies heavily on gas, while France produces most of it electricity from nuclear energy. Some of the blocs eastern states including Poland still rely heavily on coal power. Other countries, like Spain which is also against the decision have invested heavily in renewable energy. Energy commissioner Mairead McGuinness said the inclusion of gas and nuclear was important because "we need to use all the tools at our disposal" to reach the climate-neutral target. She said private investment was key. Guinea-Bissau on Wednesday launched a major investigation into a foiled attempt to overthrow President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, who survived a gun attack in the uprising that claimed 11 lives, according to the government of the poor West African nation. Heavily armed men on Tuesday afternoon surrounded government buildings in the capital Bissau where Embalo and his prime minister were believed to be attending a cabinet meeting. Embalo, 49, later told reporters he had been unharmed during a five-hour gun battle, which he described as a plot to wipe out the government in Guinea-Bissau, one of Africa's most unstable countries. AFP journalists reported hearing sustained gunfire, and the president said several people were killed. A military source on Wednesday told AFP that six soldiers had died, but did not specify whether they had been attacking or defending the president. On Wednesday, life was slowly returning to the streets of Bissau as shops and banks reopened, according to AFP correspondents. Soldiers were patrolling the streets, however, and also blocked access to the Palace of Government complex where the attack took place. The military source said a commission of enquiry had launched a vast dragnet, adding that military intelligence agents were gathering information at government headquarters. 'Cocktail of divergences' Guinea-Bissau, a coastal state of around two million people lying south of Senegal, has suffered four military coups since independence from Portugal in 1974, its most recent in 2012. In 2014, the country vowed to return to democracy, but it has enjoyed little stability since and the armed forces wield substantial clout. At a news conference on Tuesday, President Embalo said that assailants had tried to "kill the president of the republic and the entire cabinet". "The attackers could have spoken to me before these bloody events that have seriously injured many and claimed lives," he added, appearing calm. Story continues The identity and motives of the assailants remain unclear. But Embalo said the attack was linked to decisions he had taken "to fight drug trafficking and corruption". Guinea-Bissau suffers from endemic corruption, and is known as a hub for cocaine trafficking between Latin America and Europe. Vincent Foucher of France's CNRS research centre said Embalo, a former general, may have sparked anger with moves to assert greater authority over the army. But Senegalese analyst Babacar Justin Ndiaye spoke of a "cocktail of divergences" at the top of the leadership, notably between the president and his prime minister, Nuno Gomes Nabiam. Ndiaye also said President Embalo was at odds with parliament over the sharing of oil resources at the border with Senegal. Wave of coups Both the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), of which Guinea-Bissau is a member, on Tuesday condemned what they termed an "attempted coup". They were joined on Wednesday by France, which lashed "the coup attempt" in Bissau and voiced "respect for the constitutional order and... support for the democratic institutions". The events sparked fear that the country would join the ranks of other West African governments that have fallen to military coups recently. >> Good coup, bad coup? Mali defies France as Burkina Faso calls for understanding In Mali, the army seized power in 2020. Guinea's military followed suit in September last year, ousting elected president Alpha Conde. Then on January 24, Burkina Faso's army also announced it had deposed President Roch Marc Christian Kabore and taken control of the country. (AFP) The state Department of Consumer Protection Liquor Control Commission Thursday denied a request to renew the cafe liquor permit for The Grand Cafe in New Haven. The decision means the Grand Avenue establishment may no longer serve alcoholic liquor., according to the agency. Advertisement This written decision followed a public hearing that included public testimony from the assigned liquor control agent, New Haven public officials and members of the New Haven community on Nov. 4. and Dec. 16, 2021, the agency said in a statement. The public hearing was prompted by the filing of a remonstrance petition, a formal document filed by at least 10 New Haven residents objecting to the renewal of the existing liquor permit. A beer (Canva/Stacker) The commission found substantial evidence to deny the liquor permits renewal, and found that the location and permittee to be unsuitable for a liquor permit, the agency said in the statement. Advertisement The opportunity to share concerns about a businesss effect on its surrounding community is an important part of the remonstrance process, Consumer Protection Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull said, also in the statement. The Liquor Control Commission takes these decisions very seriously and I appreciate their thoughtful deliberation. Id also like to thank those who attended the hearing, and the members of the New Haven community and New Haven officials who participated in this process. The owner of the cafe could not be reached for comment late Thursday. For more on remonstrances, visit ct.gov/dcp. Complaints or referrals relating to a liquor permit holder in the State of Connecticut may contact the Liquor Control Division by emailing dcp.liquorcontrol@ct.gov or by calling (860) 713-6210. Two very different housing projects, one for families of varying sizes and another targeting college students living alone, could come to South New Road and South Fifth Street respectively. An informal report to the Waco City Council on Tuesday mistakenly stated the first development, a proposed 132-unit complex with affordable one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments would be built in the 700 block of South Fifth Street. Instead, the proposed affordable housing would actually be located at 3200 S. New Road. Wacos Interim Community Services Director Raynesha Hudnell said she is unsure sure why the address was wrong in the informal report, which covered three potential affordable housing developments. A Tribune-Herald article covering the meeting also repeated the incorrect address, and the online version has been corrected. Haresh Jethani, a buyer for Global Student Housing, said the developer has plans to build student housing on the Fifth Street lot. The complex would be 400,000 square feet and eight stories tall, with retail space on the ground floor, two floors of parking and five floors of roughly 400 studio apartments. He said each apartment will be around 450 square feet, and if all goes according to plan, the complex could open as early as fall 2024. Its a single-living kind of concept, Jethani said. None of the units would be bigger than that. Jethani said the project will cost somewhere between $45 million and $55 million. The property is owned by Krishna Ram Inc., according to the McLennan County Appraisal District. Global Student Housing has similar properties in Houston and plans to expand in Houston, San Antonio and Ruston, Louisiana. He said the company is also considering College Station. Jethani said the developer plans to request a zoning change from C-2 to C-4. Meanwhile, developers of the project at 3200 S. New Road will apply for low income housing tax credits through the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Avis Chaisson, director of real estate development for Palladium USA, said the developer has properties in the Dallas Fort-Worth Metroplex and is excited to break into the Waco market. We really love the location because its right across the street from University High School, theres new retail, and Topgolf just came online, Chaisson said. Its not far from employment, such as Amazon and the newly announced Hello Bello [plant]. She said 63% of the units would be at an affordable rate, and 37% would be at market rate. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. One can only sympathize with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Vladimir Putin has a dagger aimed at the heart of Ukraine. For months he has mobilized troops along the Ukrainian border. The recent deployment of troops to Ukraines almost undefended border with Belarus raises the possibility of a blitzkrieg strike against Kyiv, the capital. Zelenskyy has every reason to lose his cool. And yet, he seems to be the only player in this crisis keeping his eye on the ball. In response to President Bidens gaffe about how a minor incursion into Ukraine would probably elicit a more restrained response from America and NATO, Zelenskyy tweeted: We want to remind the great powers that there are no minor incursions and small nations. Just as there are no minor casualties and little grief from the loss of loved ones. On Friday, he chastised Western powers, including the U.S., for fomenting panic by talking about how a devastating war is now imminent and perhaps inevitable. These signals have come even from respected world leaders, who speak openly and with undiplomatic language. They say simply tomorrow there will be war. This is panic, he said. Zelenskyy reportedly delivered this message to Biden directly. Sure, Russian officials insist war is the furthest thing from their minds. Putin and his subalterns claim this is defensive deployment. At the U.N. on Monday, Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused America of whipping up tensions and provoking escalation, repeating that the last thing Russia wants is war. You are almost pulling for this, he said to the American ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield. You want it to happen. Youre waiting for it to happen, as if you want to make your words become a reality. Contrary to a growing chorus of commentators in the U.S., mostly on the right, who have rallied to Putin, this is balderdash. In affairs of state, yes, words matter. But you know what speaks even louder? Massing battalions of tanks, artillery and 100,000 troops at your border, almost surrounding a neighboring nation. Even if that didnt send a clear message, Russias claim that an invasion of Ukraine is unthinkable shouldnt pass the laugh test. Remember, its Putin who invaded Ukraine in 2014 and who has actively supported insurgents in eastern Ukraine ever since. Zelenskyy correctly argues that the U.S. should have implemented sanctions against Russia already, both to signal that Putins de facto threat of war is itself unacceptable and to give Putin a taste of how bad things could be if he keeps up his aggression. Of course, Zelenskyy has a very real incentive to solve the challenge at hand. The problem is that everyone else wants to talk about the problem they want to have rather than the problem we face. France, per usual, wants to prove it is a great power unto itself and demonstrate its independence by following an independent diplomatic track. Germany is going its own way too, but not because it wants to preen. Its still hobbled by guilt over World War II and entangled with Russia culturally and economically, especially because of its dependence on Russian natural gas. The Biden administration at times seems more interested in proving the glories of diplomacy in all things, the solidity of the NATO alliance, and Joe Bidens own foreign policy expertise. Given his low approval ratings, which never recovered from the Afghanistan fiasco that arguably helped invite this crisis, the administration would also like Biden not to look weak. These are all understandable priorities, but one can see why they are not Zelenskyys top concerns. Still, the administration can be commended for at least understanding the stakes. Meanwhile, responsible Republicans like Sen. Rob Portman are quietly trying to play a constructive role. Sen. Mitch McConnell recently said that the Biden administration is moving in the right direction. The problem is theyre too quiet, drowned out by much louder voices on the right that are increasingly taking a pro-Putin stance and imposing their domestic culture war agenda on the crisis. Tucker Carlson of Fox News bizarrely insists that NATO exists primarily to torment Vladimir Putin, as if Putins propaganda and paranoia are the voice of reason. Carlson asserts that America is pushing Ukraine to join NATO. It isnt. Some on the right have even convinced themselves that the West is hostile to Putin because he opposes the Wests pro-gay agenda. Others are simply letting partisanship cloud their judgment. Nikki Haley, who was the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. under President Trump, offers the not-so-helpful advice that Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris should resign (which would make Nancy Pelosi president). One can only hope that its Zelenskyys voice that prevails amid the din. Jonah Goldberg is editor-in-chief of The Dispatch and the host of The Remnant podcast. Farmington Gov. Ned Lamont announced Thursday hes appointed a Cromwell manufacturer as the states chief manufacturing officer to promote the more than 4,000 businesses in Connecticut that make submarines, jet engines, helicopters, medical and aerospace equipment and other high-value products. Paul Lavoie, general manager of Carey Manufacturing, a manufacturer of catches, latches, handles and electronic hardware, cited his work bringing manufacturing back from China. He succeeds Colin Cooper, an aerospace manufacturing executive who pledged to serve two years when Lamont appointed him Connecticuts first manufacturing chief in 2019. Advertisement Lavoie spoke out three years ago against the paid family and medical leave program and $15-hourly minimum wage, which were both signed into law by Lamont, but said he now looks at the issues differently. Businesses once criticized the program for undermining the flexibility required to run a small business. Lavoie said the state will now relieve small companies of the cost of time off for an employee on maternity leave Advertisement I think sometimes you have to look at these things from both sides, he said at an announcement ceremony at Mott Corp., a Farmington manufacturer of filtration and flow control equipment. Does it give me a challenge on how to do business when your costs are increasing? We fight that every day in manufacturing. News @3 Daily Catch up on the days top headlines sent directly to your inbox weekdays at 3 p.m > Connecticuts manufacturers did not shut down during the pandemic, but still lost workers as the economy weakened and demand fell. The sector has added jobs as the labor force overall recovered from widespread business closings two years ago to slow the spread of COVID-19. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (left) speaks with Boris Levin, president and CEO of the Mott Corporation. Lamont was at Mott for a press conference to announce Paul Lavoie as Connecticut's chief manufacturing officer. Photograph by Mark Mirko | mmirko@courant.com (Mark Mirko/The Hartford Courant) The state posted 156,200 manufacturing jobs in December, up more than 5% since it hit bottom in April 2020, but still down 4,700 since the pre-pandemic peak. The challenge now is that although manufacturers have plenty of work they must find workers. General Dynamics Electric Boat, for example, announced last week it plans to hire more than 3,000 workers this year to build submarines for the U.S. Navy. State officials, businesses, community colleges, technical schools and others have established workforce development programs, but COVID-19 scrambled economic and workforce policies. Cooper said the number of open jobs in manufacturing is 40% greater than before the pandemic. The manufacturers have done their jobs, he said. Youve gone out, youve created demand for your goods and services. And now we need the people trained to fill the positions to make those goods and provide those services. The chief manufacturing officers job, which pays $145,314 a year, was established two years ago under circumstances not much different from now, though COVID-19 worsened workforce problems. Business owners and managers said then that despite efforts by the state to train new workers in vocational schools and community colleges, not enough qualified job candidates are available. Stephen Singer can be reached at ssinger@courant.com. The Army Corps of Engineers said this past week it will recommend that Congress approve $144 million in projects to reduce flood damage along creeks in the Omaha metro area. Included are two dams, construction of a levee/flood wall along the Little Papillion Creek in central Omaha, elevating or flood-proofing some homes and businesses, and erecting floodgates at several creek crossings. The corps decision is the latest chapter in battles over flood control in the metro area dating to the 1970s. The plan has been promoted by the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District, local governments including the Omaha City Council, and some businesses whose property is at risk along creeks, notably the Nebraska Furniture Mart. Those opposed include the Washington County Board and landowners who would lose homes and see their property values drop because of one of the dams. John Winkler, general manager of the NRD, said there is an urgent need for better flood protection in the area. The Corps of Engineers has estimated the cost-benefit ratio of the plan at 1.7 to 1, he said. In other words, the value of property protected is 70% higher than the cost, thus about $240 million worth of property would be better protected. The flood risks in the Papillion Creek Watershed are significant, Winkler said. Winkler said about 12,000 residents and 2,500 structures would see a reduced risk of flooding because of these projects. Those structures include homes and businesses, schools and emergency services, along with utility lines, he said. But a study funded by the Washington County Board and the Papio Valley Preservation Association found that the Corps of Engineers is significantly overstating the benefits. The study was conducted by Steven Shultz, a professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha who specializes in real estate and land use economics. Shultz said in his analysis that the cost-benefit ratio and other figures in the corps report were incorrect, misleading or inflated and that some were improperly included. Washington County Board member Lisa Kramer said the study buttresses the boards contention that the dam proposed near the Douglas/Washington County line would do little to protect Omaha from flooding. Additionally, the dam would require removing or relocating nine homes and would devalue adjacent land. The biggest reason for flooding in midtown (Omaha) is the concrete, Kramer said. And thats due to poor planning and zoning in the City of Omaha. Theyre trying to solve a problem in Omaha by imposing eminent domain on rural landowners. The next step is for the corps to submit the plan to Congress. It will be up to Congress to decide whether to approve and fund the projects. The decision would pit rural landowners and Washington County against urban Omaha interests. None of these projects are included in the hundreds of millions of federal infrastructure dollars flowing into Nebraska. Here are the projects proposed in the plan: A small reservoir on the South Papillion Creek near Gretna. Known as Dam Site 19, the 74-acre lake would be about half the size of Standing Bear Lake. The park around the lake would include a 2.5-mile walking trail, restrooms, a picnic shelter and boat ramp. Winkler said the lake has widespread support. A larger dry dam on Thomas Creek in northwest Douglas County. A dry dam has a lake behind it only during periods of heavy runoff. Known as Dam Site 10, the lake would have a 345-acre footprint that would extend into Washington County. Its flooded size would be somewhat smaller than Cunningham Lake. The dam would place nine homes and adjacent farmland underwater in periods of heavy runoff. A new levee/flood wall along the Little Papillion Creek and Keystone Trail. The levee/wall would run several miles from Cole Creek to Saddle Creek on one side of the Little Papio and from Charles Street to Spring Street on the other, protecting parts of central Omaha, including the Nebraska Furniture Mart and Aksarben Village. Construction of floodgates where Mercy Road and Pacific, Dodge, Cass and 72nd streets cross the Little Papio. Gates would also be placed at several pedestrian bridges. The gates would tie into levee improvements. Filling in 71 basements, elevating 59 residential buildings, and floodproofing 256 commercial, industrial and municipal structures. The federal government would shoulder $91.5 million in costs. The local cost would be $52.2 million. Not included in this plan are a handful of other dams proposed by the Papio NRD or any projects to reduce flooding downtown, which is outside the Papillion Creek watershed. WATERLOO A man who was shot and wounded by Waterloo police in April is asking the court to dismiss his lawsuit against the city. But attorneys for the city are saying not so fast. They, too, want the court to dismiss the suit. Marcelino Alvarez-Victoriano, 44, took the city of Waterloo to court after authorities said he chased sheriffs deputies, aimed what turned out to be a BB gun at them and was shot by Waterloo police officer C.J. Nichols, who pulled up to the scene. The resulting gunshot wound left Alvarez paralyzed from the waist down. The lawsuit alleges the use of force violated Alvarezs rights under the Iowa Constitution and alleges the city, sheriffs office and county attorneys office refused to turn over reports and video of the incident. It seeks compensation for the injuries and punitive damages. In December, attorneys for the city asked the court to throw out the case, saying the suit failed to give specifics about how the officers actions broke the law, which should result in complete dismissal of the suit under recently enacted qualified immunity statutes that enhanced protections for law enforcement and government. Alvarezs attorney, Molly Hamilton of Storm Lake, fought the citys request, countering that the qualified immunity statutes were signed into law after the shooting and arent retroactive. About a week later, Alvarezs attorney asked the court to dismiss the case without prejudice, meaning the suit could be re-instated at a later date. In response, the citys attorney, Bruce Gettman Jr. of Cedar Falls, asked the court to decline Alvarezs dismissal request because the court hadnt ruled on its own dismissal request the one alleging qualified immunity which would dismiss it with prejudice, meaning it couldnt be brought back. The city argued that granting the plaintiffs dismissal would open the door for the plaintiff to simply refile the suit with the needed specific details that werent in the original suit. Agents with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation filed misdemeanor assault charges against Alvarez in the incident. But he hasnt been arrested on the charges, likely because of his medical situation. The Black Hawk County Attorneys Office concluded Nichols acted reasonably and declined to press charges against the officer in an October report. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. DES MOINES Eight Iowa school districts including Waterloo and Denver are violating a judicial order by not reinstating face mask requirements, the American Civil Liberties Unions state chapter asserted in a letter sent Friday to those districts. The eight districts Ankeny, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Decorah, Denver, Johnston, Linn-Mar and Waterloo should have mask requirements to protect the students with disabilities who filed a lawsuit challenging a state law that prohibited face mask requirements in schools, the ACLU said. On Jan. 25, a federal appeals court ruled the plaintiffs families whose children have disabilities from across 10 Iowa school districts should receive immediate relief from the new state law because those students health would be placed in danger in a school without a face mask requirement. The appeals ruling agreed with a lower court order that the parents deserved an injunction against the law being enforced since it violates the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and Rehabilitation Act, but said the injunction should not have automatically been made to apply to every district in the state. Since the initial ruling, only Des Moines and Iowa City, who also are plaintiffs in the lawsuit, have implemented face mask requirements, the ACLU said. The eight districts that received letters Friday have not, the ACLU said. Based on the legal force of the Eighth Circuits opinion, we are asking these eight schools to restore their mask mandates immediately because they are still necessary for our clients children to go to school safely during this time, ACLU of Iowa legal director Rita Bettis Austen said in a statement. Failing to require masking when it is necessary as a reasonable accommodation forces our clients to choose between their childrens health and their education. The Waterloo school district did not respond to requests seeking comment. The ACLUs letters ask the districts to respond within a week and states that if districts do not respond, the plaintiffs will consider further legal action. Bettis Austen during a news conference Friday said that the ACLU does not forecast litigation strategy. Its really a misreading of the 8th Circuit (appeals court) decision to view it as a green light to lift those masking requirements when theyre required in order for kids with disabilities to be able to go to school safely on equal terms with their peers, Bettis Austen said. This is about enforcing existing anti-discrimination protections for kids to go to school and that they have a right to go to school on the same basis of their peers without discrimination, Bettis Austen added. One of the functions of discrimination protections is to ensure that individuals who are part of a minority have their rights protected when a majority may be interested in violating those rights. We wouldnt have these anti-discrimination protections if they werent necessary. The letters address only districts to which a plaintiff in the lawsuit attends. The ACLU said its interpretation of the Jan. 25 ruling is that any district must make similar accommodations for students with disabilities. And Bettis Austen said the ACLU may take action against other schools in the future. The rights of those children are also important to us, Bettis Austen said. A mask requirement remains for students, staff and visitors in the Iowa City Community School District. Because the district is continuing to require masks, it did not receive a letter from the ACLU. Love 2 Funny 2 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 15 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. LA PORTE CITY Iowas secretary of agriculture paid a visit to an agriculture museum and met with city representatives Thursday morning in a stop he said was just part of his job, not a campaign visit ahead of the November election. Mike Naig, a Republican from Urbandale who has been in the position since 2018, announced he was seeking a second four-year term as the head of the states Department of Agriculture in December. He took a tour of the FFA Historical and Ag Museum with museum director Max Kutilek and members of the museum board, Silos and Smokestacks and La Porte City councilors, marveling at farm equipment and other technology from the last 150 years. Certainly, it was the FFA part of this museum that I really was interested in, but oh my, did I find out there was a whole lot more to this, Naig said. He then spoke with three members of city government about housing, child care and workforce issues, the latter of which he said was the No. 1 issue Im hearing about. Its the No. 1 issue of the ag economy is workforce. It also happens to be, I believe, Iowas No. 1 issue from an economic standpoint, Naig said. He noted his departments work on a task force helping small- and mid-sized meat processors, which led to the Legislature last year implementing a Butchery Innovation and Revitalization Fund that gives out grants to processors around the state. And though workforce issues have certainly been exacerbated by the pandemic, Naig chalked most of it up to an old-fashioned problem plaguing Iowa: Stagnant growth. We need more Iowans, he said. We need more people moving to the state and moving to our communities, and more awareness around the types of jobs that are available. He pointed to a wall at the museum showing the different career possibilities in agriculture as a good starting point for young people. Maybe somebodys thinking ag is just about farming, and it certainly is that, but its so much more than that, he said, noting apprenticeships and other work-based learning was really the future here. Naig originally was appointed to replace the popular Republican Bill Northey, who was confirmed as undersecretary of agriculture for the USDA in March 2018. Naig then won a five-way Republican primary and was elected in November 2018. Though Republicans hold majority power in the state, Naig was elected with 50.4% of the vote, compared with Northeys 62.2% just four years earlier. But he insisted after the visit it was simply an effort to visit all 99 counties as part of his role in the department. I think its an important part of being secretary to go out, do visits, to hear what folks are focused on, he said. There will be time for campaign-related activities later in the year. This is very much related to my work. Naig served as Iowas deputy agriculture secretary from 2013 to 2018. He holds two bachelors degrees in biology and political science from Buena Vista University. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 DES MOINES Iowa lawmakers addressed law enforcement discipline in a wide-ranging bill a year ago but now say theres no consistency in how police officers are dismissed, suspended, demoted or decertified when their credibility is in question. Its the wild, wild west out there, Rep. Steve Holt, R-Denison, said after hearing an update on the Brady-Giglio List Thursday. He was referring to a list maintained by county attorneys of law enforcement officers who may have impeached themselves as witnesses and officers who may have violated the pretrial discovery rule requiring them to turn over any evidence that might be used to exonerate a defendant. The list is a bit of a mess at the moment, Jancy Nielson told the House Public Safety Committee on Thursday. In some cases, county attorneys have an actual list, the Drake University law student said. Other county attorneys keep the list in their heads, which means its unlikely to be shared with their successors. Bad or unwritten lists can result in litigation if a defendant or an officer claims their rights were violated, added Jacob Schrader of the House Republican caucus staff. If there are no policies or procedures in place to determine how an officer gets placed on the list, what reason they can be placed on the list, the due process rights to notice and appeal, how officers can get off the list, its currently 100 percent up to the discretion of the prosecutor, Schrader said. More than 100 current and former Iowa officer are included in an independent database of information about police misconduct, public complaints and use-of-force reports. It is maintained by Level Playing Field Solutions, which describes itself as a group of technologists, industry professionals and futurists that believe in improving the average citizens experience while interacting with government, justice and law enforcement. As part of Senate File 342, which was approved 46-0 by the Senate and 63-30 in 2021, the Legislature formed an interim study committee to look at the issue. Lawmakers approved a prohibition on firing and disciplining officers simply for the determination that a disclosure for exculpatory evidence exists, Schrader said, but that section of the law sunsets in July unless legislators take action. Theres no legislation to address the issues Schrader and Nielson presented, but Holt, a former police officer who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, said legislators are working on a proposal. It is such a complex issue I dont know if we will get there, but we are trying, he said after the meeting. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The friends were out catfishing when they came across the vehicle. They fear the man could have gotten hypothermia, or perished if his vehicle had reached the well-known Sans Souci Island wing dam. LOGAN A fatal hit-and-run that stemmed from a fight between friends over mayonnaise has ended with a western Iowa man being sentenced to life in prison. Kristofer Erlbacher, 29, of Woodbine, was sentenced Monday to a mandatory life sentence after being convicted in December of first-degree murder in the 2020 killing of 30-year-old Caleb Solberg, of Moorhead, the Des Moines Register reported. Investigators have said the men were eating and drinking at a Moorhead bar the night of Dec. 17, 2020, when Erlbacher put mayonnaise on Solbergs food. A fist fight between the two men ensued, and Erlbacher left in his truck, making threats to hurt Solberg and others. The threats included calls to Solbergs half-brother, Craig Pryor, whom he later confronted and whose vehicle he rammed with his truck. Prosecutors say later that night, Erlbacher spotted Solberg outside a cafe in nearby Pisgah and ran him down with his truck. He doubled back and ran over Solberg twice more to make sure Solberg was dead, officials said, and called Pryor to say he had just killed his brother. Erlbacher unsuccessfully sought to reduce the charge to second-degree murder, arguing he acted recklessly because he was drunk and didnt intend to kill Solberg. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Why Finland as like Russian? Each tour in Finland opens up a new country Suomi face more and more dipping into its leisurely way of life, courteous, polite, but at the same time serious and clear Finnish mentality, showing the variety of shades and colors of their culture and art. This country can be compared with the modest girl who does not seek to cast a spell at first sight, gradually opening up to each new meeting its mysterious and very interesting soul. Not surprisingly, more and more Russians are buying real estate in Suomi! They want peace, tranquility, to live in a clean state, which dominates law. Finland - a magical and beautiful country. To read more click here: Nora Roberts. She beckons for its crystal clear blue lakes, spectacular northern lights, white fluffy snow and clear starry skies. Finns are proud of the purity and virginity their nature, their quality of life, their culture, unique landscapes and unique atmosphere that can be felt, just having gone on tour to our mysterious western neighbor. Tours in Finland give you the opportunity to plunge into the mysterious and eternal peace Suomi. Read additional details here: Peter Arnell. What you can see? Without the slightest exaggeration, a trip to Finland can be called a journey into the magical world. Here were all the stories, and in the present tense - Valley Museum and Mumm Troll mysterious Lapland, Santa Claus, many legends, stories, were amazing lakes, mountains and rivers. Even some of the names of stores and those that came into our world of fairy tales - Kaleva, Sampo, Vaynemeynen. Here is good in both winter and summer! For recreation during the summer tour to Finland - simply a paradise. Pleasant climate, swimming in crystal clear and warm lakes, walking in the historic towns, northern calm and good nature of the Finnish people, friendly hospitality along with their delicious cuisine - a godsend for the summer tour. Winter - a journey into a fairy tale. Nyaryadny white snow, dazzling northern lights, riding on reindeer rides, spectacular ski resorts, shopping discounts - it's just a few reasons that make the winter tour to Finland from St. Petersburg will leave unforgettable impressions for the entire year. Rest here pleasure in any season. Despite the fact that Swami - one of the most northern gosudartsv summer here can be quite hot. So many tourists and locals enjoying a swim with gusto. Due to the developed infrastructure, things to do in Finland and are perfect for children of all ages. Suomi captivates everyone who comes into it, and leaves a lot of impressions for a long time. To find himself in this tale, you only need to make visa and choose where going to go. Homeland of the Snow Queen and Santa Claus will meet all the hospitality and talk about yourself. Weather Alert ...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...West winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 55 mph expected. Locally stronger gusts in wind prone locations. Sierra ridge wind gusts near 100 mph. Waves 2 to 4 feet on Pyramid Lake and Lake Tahoe. * WHERE...Greater Lake Tahoe Area, Greater Reno-Carson City- Minden Area and Western Nevada Basin and Range including Pyramid Lake. * WHEN...From 11 AM this morning to 8 PM PDT this evening. * IMPACTS...Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Choppy conditions for Lake Tahoe and Pyramid Lake with waves 2 to 4 feet expected. Travel restrictions for high profile vehicles are possible. Check with CalTrans and NDOT for the latest on road conditions. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Now is the time to secure loose outdoor items such as patio furniture, holiday decorations, and trash cans before winds increase which could blow these items away. The best thing to do is prepare ahead of time by making sure you have extra food and water on hand, flashlights with spare batteries and/or candles in the event of a power outage. && Luis Whalen holds a photo of his mother, Lorraine Whalen, after a memorial commemoration outside of Hartford City Hall Thursday, March 25, 2021, in Hartford. Lorraine Whalen, 93, was the first Hartford resident to die of complications due to the coronavirus. Luis was the caregiver of his mother for 35 years. "[Luis] dedicated his life to her," Lorraine Roman said of her brother. "When we lost her, it was harder on him than all of us. There are times when he's lost; that was his purpose." The family called on the community, state, nation, and world to do their part and wear a mask, get vaccinated and do it to honor and keep safe those that they love. (Kassi Jackson/Kassi Jackson) Nearly two years into the pandemic, more than 10,000 people in Connecticut have died of COVID-19, and experts say the virus will continue to claim lives until vaccination rates further increase. One hundred and seventy-five of those deaths were reported in the last week, for a total of 10,083 since March 2020, according to state data. Advertisement We are going to continue to see additional deaths this year, Dr. Ulysses Wu, the chief epidemiologist of Hartford HealthCare, said. Our job is to reiterate that this is a preventable disease. Advertisement Medical experts attribute the continued death toll of the pandemic to gaps in Connecticuts overall vaccination rate, coupled with the heightened transmissibility of the omicron variant. The states COVID-19 deaths remain concentrated among those who are not fully protected against COVID-19 or who have underlying conditions that make them vulnerable to the virus. Dr. Ulysses Wu talks Jan. 6 with a group of area teens before they received a COVID-19 vaccine booster at Hartford Hospital. Photograph by Mark Mirko | mmirko@courant.com (Mark Mirko / Hartford Courant) Deaths are a lagging indicator of the pandemic, occurring a few weeks behind increases in COVID-19 cases and spikes in hospitalizations. Many of the people dying now are patients who had been hospitalized for several weeks with severe complications from COVID-19, according to Dr. David Banach, an epidemiologist at UConn Health. At this point, the mortalities are a mix of unvaccinated and high-risk folks who are either partially-vaccinated or vaccinated and didnt receive a booster, he said. In the past month, Connecticuts weekly COVID-19 death toll climbed to as high as it was a year ago before the widespread availability of vaccines. The states current mortality rate remains far lower than it was in the early months of the pandemic: in April 2020, nearly 800 Connecticut residents were dying of COVID-19 per week. But the weekly death toll is still higher now than it was for most of the previous year, particularly over the summer, when the state recorded single-digit weekly deaths. Daily Coronavirus Deaths Hover over or touch chart for a detailed view. Total Coronavirus Deaths Hover over or touch chart for a detailed view. SOURCE: CT Department of Public Health Connecticuts high death toll reflects the transmissibility of omicron within a population that is not entirely vaccinated and boosted, according to Wu. When large numbers of people become infected with COVID-19 as occurred this past winter, with record-high test positivity rates the virus gains more opportunities to attack vulnerable or under-vaccinated people. If you only have a 70% vaccination rate, and a lot of [people] are not boosted at this point, youre going to get infected and those sheer numbers are still going to result in morbidity and mortality, he said. As of Thursday, 76.7% of all residents in Connecticut were fully vaccinated, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But only 51.1% of fully-vaccinated residents 18 or older had received a booster dose, which state officials have described as a critical layer of protection against the waning immunity of a vaccine. Advertisement Deaths due to COVID-19 are likely to subside in Connecticut in the coming weeks, clinicians say, as the most recent surge recedes. Banach said he is optimistic that declining infection rates will result in fewer hospitalizations and deaths. Breaking News As it happens Get the latest updates on Coronavirus and other breaking news events happening across Connecticut > But longer term, as COVID-19 shifts from a pandemic into a seasonal virus, experts say the death toll will continue to mount, just as influenza kills tens of thousands of Americans every year. One thing Im certain of is that we wont eradicate COVID, Dr. Tom Balcezak, the chief clinical officer at Yale New Haven Health, said Thursday. Balcezak also has said there is an expectation of additional surges of the virus. He noted that this is likely to be seen at least for the next 12 to 24 months. Maybe not as large or as impactful as this last surge, but well see another one, Balcezak has said. Even so, he said, blunting the impact of COVID-19 is possible, by increasing the global vaccination rate and expanding access to oral therapeutics. Similarly, Wu emphasized that vaccination remains the greatest tool against severe disease and mortality. Advertisement COVID is a preventable death, so any death is a large number to me, he said. This is something that we can certainly stop. Eliza Fawcett can be reached at elfawcett@courant.com. Did you eat yet? The words, a neon scrawl across Good Good Culture Clubs back wall, arent a question. To anyone whos ever had a mother or a father or a grandparent whos struggled to say I love you, they are an expression of love. So, too, is this sophomore effort from chef Ravi Kapur, whose lauded culinary gymnastics at Liholiho Yacht Club continues to hold San Francisco in its grip. Good Culture Club partners Jeff Hanak (left) and chef Ravi Kapur. (Marc Fiorito, Gamma Nine Photography) Good Good Culture Club is the culmination of a herculean, pandemic-defying effort from Kapur, his wife April Storm, and their partner Jeff Hanak, as well as a diverse family of dedicated chefs, servers, and managers. Its not just food inspired by the heritage of South Asia and the Pacific and cocktails laced with guava and passionfruit, Good Good is a genuine effort to redefine restaurant culture. There is an overwhelming sense of joy radiating from the restaurants open front door when I arrive for dinner. The dining room, painted in bright blues and pinks, hung with a shapely bamboo chandelier thats six feet long if its an inch, is humming with staff and diners and playful music. On the roof, a warm tropical oasis blooms in the cold San Francisco sky. We are seated against a wall of windows through which natural light will pour as the days stretch from winter to summer. Our server glows as she explains what makes Good Good so good (good). The first is the restaurants equity fee. At nearly every other restaurant in the country, servers and bartenders live and die by the tips they earn while chefs and line cooks and bussers are left with no monetary reward for their labor, a two-tiered caste system that has left those behind the scenes struggling to survive. Good Good Culture Club has done away with it all. Instead, they automatically charge every visitor a 20 percent equity fee which is then distributed among the entire staff. The second is their use of a QR code and web-based ordering system. Instead of ordering through our server, we request our food and drinks directly via phone. This frees the staff up to show genuine hospitality to their guests, explaining the details of the dishes and checking in regularly, instead of laboriously writing down our orders and ferrying our food and drinks back and forth. Given the times were living in (Im looking at you, Covid) this is not the first Ive seen of this system and I absolutely love it. If I never have to wait for a server to order my next drink again, itll be too soon. Even before shes done welcoming us, our first cocktails arrive, a Home by the Sea for me, a gin drink made with bright shiso leaf and gently soured preserved lemons, an As You Wish with cocoa nib-infused bourbon and black sesame syrup for my dining companion. I suggest a celebratory cheekiemixed shots in combos like cacao, honey, and fernet or cardamaro and tequilabut am roundly rebuked by my partner who reminds me that some of us have to work in the morning. So, its on to dinner. I struggle to choose a starter, waffling between the shaved Brussels sprouts with Monterey squid and crispy tripe, and the local cured halibut with kombu cure, salsa macha, and ponzu. The latter wins and I dont regret it. The halibut is tender and fresh, savory and spicy. There are a whole host of interesting larger dishesMoms Lao sausage; cross-cut short ribs marinated in chili misoyaki with a sesame-date glaze; pork belly marinated in aromatic oyster sauce with achiote pineapple, coriander, and fermented mustard seedsbut to me, the most eye-catching is the whole fried petrale sole with a turmeric-coconut brine. It arrives with a delicately spiced breading and a blissful cilantro ginger sauce that makes an ideal companion to the palapa-herb salad on the side. The next morning Ill wonder why my fingertips are yellow before remembering how I devoured my meal, pulling flakes of tender flesh from bone in ecstatic indulgence. Its dessert though, specifically the pandan bibingka, something Ive read about but never tasted, that Ive most been looking forward to. The semi-spongy coconut rice cake, which Good Good serves with a rich miso Anglaise, is sweetly savory, melt-in-your-mouth fantastic. When were fully satiated, once again theres no need to wait for our server, whos bopping around checking in on her other guests. The bill, including the equity fee thats automatically added to our total for distribution to every member of the Good Good family who played a role in our meal, is paid before she even has the chance to notice. // Good Good Culture Club is open 5pm to 9pm Tuesday through Saturday; 3560 18th St (Mission), goodgoodcultureclub.com. Getty Images En espanol Blame it on omicron. Thats what Lori Gladstone has been doing this year in deciding how to socialize while the variants virulent transmissibility looms. Gladstone, of Plainview, New York, went to a late-January bridal shower for her soon-to-be daughter-in-law, but her sister didnt attend because of omicron. Yet Gladstone, 62, and her husband had declined an invitation to a 60th-birthday party in Atlanta on March 12. Traveling that close to the March 26 wedding was a risk they didnt want to take. Such decisions seemed more straightforward last year, when COVID-19 cases ebbed and Gladstone traveled on planes, ate inside restaurants and felt comfortable in crowds when wearing a mask. But omicrons arrival made her realize that no matter what she does, theres always a risk. I do feel like at some point were all going to get omicron, says Gladstone, a paralegal. She says she knows many people who, despite precautions, have been infected. Its not like theyve been doing anything reckless. Gladstone isnt alone in altering the way she socializes and makes decisions about socializing amid the omicron surge. For some, particularly the vaccinated and boosted, a bit of fatalism has entered the social space, and they may be willing to be out and about in ways they werent earlier in the pandemic. For others, after a respite over the summer, omicron has sent them back into hunker down mode. In our constantly changing pandemic dynamic, omicron is shifting the way we socialize in five big ways. 1. Testing before social gatherings is becoming the norm Milestone birthdays and anniversaries celebrated with family and friends were often virtual in 2020, with in-person gatherings gaining ground last year as vaccines and boosters allayed fears. This year, with omicron dominant, social psychologist Beverley Fehr, of the University of Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada, says that at some social gatherings, the host will require that people take rapid tests. Theyre gathering in person but trying to do it in a safer manner, Fehr explains. At-home tests are becoming easier to get, especially since the government is mailing free tests to those who sign up for them. 2. Social distancing and masking are back for some people A Gallup survey conducted in January reflects behavioral changes because of omicron. Of 1,569 adults surveyed about behavior during the previous week, more than one-third (34 percent) avoided small gatherings, up from previous surveys; 56 percent avoided large crowds; and 41 percent avoid public places, including stores and restaurants. The survey notes that the impact of omicron means many have reverted to social distancing behaviors last employed when the pandemic was at its worst. With the variant spreading widely, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on January 14 updated its guidance, saying N95 and KN95 masks offer the highest protection against COVID-19. Another survey of 1,161 adults released in late January by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research reflects similar behavioral changes due to omicron. More respondents reported avoiding other people as much as possible, staying away from large groups and wearing masks around others than they did in December. 3. Hugs might be on hold Some felt safe about hugging last year, but omicron dashed that sign of warmth and support. Now, experts say, you should ask before embracing anyone and wait for an answer. There are distinctly different types of reactions in terms of peoples assessment of risk and consequent behavior according to how much risk they feel, says psychologist David Cates, director of behavioral health for Omaha-based Nebraska Medicine. The less concerned are pretty much behaving and feeling its life as usual, he says. But if your risk tolerance is low and you tend to have concerns about your health or are a more risk-averse individual, you may even be more fearful because [omicron] is so transmissible. Farmington-based Metro Realty Group is wants to develop 146 apartments on a stretch of Route 4 that has become a medical and technology jobs corridor. Neighbors have gone to court to block the project. Photograph by Mark Mirko | mmirko@courant.com (Mark Mirko/Mark Mirko) The controversial plan to build a 131-unit apartment building across Route 4 from UConn Health in Farmington is stalled with court appeals by several neighbors who argue town officials made a mistake in approving it. In two separate cases, Prattling Pond homeowners are challenging the wetlands permit as well as the zoning approval for the project. Advertisement Douglas and Kimberly Zeytoonjian contend the project will damage a quiet neighborhood that was never intended for large-scale multifamily housing. The developer and some business leaders counter that Route 4 in that area has long been a target for high-value development in the health and technology fields, and that convenient, modern housing would boost that effort. Advertisement The state government as well as the town for years have worked to draw major health sciences employers to the area near I-84s Exit 39. Currently the American Red Cross, the Carrier Corp., Otis Elevator and Stanley Black & Decker all have large facilities nearby. The UConn Health Center and Jackson Laboratory are within a couple of minutes drive of the development site. After more than a half-year of review, town officials concluded last summer that developer Geoffrey Sagers proposal for a three-story apartment complex meets all of the towns requirements. They had balked in the spring at his initial proposal for a four-story, 146-unit building, and ultimately approved only three floors. But the Zeytoonjians are asking a Superior Court to overturn that decision altogether. Their home shares a border with the site, and they contend the project is still vastly too big to fit in with the neighborhoods low-key character. Despite being so close to Route 4 and UConn Health, Prattling Pond Road is a narrow, nearly rural-looking road bounded by widely space, upscale houses. Adding 131 apartments would destroy their peaceful enjoyment of their home by light and noise by its excessive density, according to a lawsuit filed in August by Marjorie Shansky, the Zeytoonjians attorney. Five Things You Need To Know Daily We're providing the latest coronavirus coverage in Connecticut each weekday morning. > They claim the wetlands commission as well as the plan and zoning commission made errors when approving the project. Sagers 402 Farmington Ave. LLC nevertheless has begun clearing the 18.5-acre property, which is mostly scrub, brush and woodlands just west of Farmington Avenue. Over the objection of neighbors, the plan and zoning commission in September granted a blasting permit for the developer. Scores of neighbors fought Sagers original four-story proposal, which would have created a 46-foot-high building. But after that was scaled down to three floors, there has been less sign of widespread opposition. Advertisement When the town approved the project last summer, officials stipulated that he could build only three stories. Timothy Hollister, Sagers attorney, said his client then redesigned the building by enclosing it on all four sides around an inner courtyard. That created enough additional space so that he could still have space for 131 apartments without expanding the buildings footprint. The court conducted a hearing on the wetlands appeal this week, and the plan and zoning commission appeal is expected to be heard later in the winter. If that stays on schedule, decisions are likely in both cases before midsummer. Sager has projected that most of his tenants would be young workers from the nearby medical sciences corridor. He envisions a market of mostly people in their 30s who want the convenience of walking, biking or taking a short circulator bus ride to commute to work. Some manufacturers that rely on semiconductors are down to less than five days' worth of inventory, according to a report released by the Commerce Department, in the latest indication of the extent of the computer chip shortage. Southwest Airlines is bringing back booze on planes. Southwest suspended alcohol sales on its planes in March 2020. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE With New Mexico awash in a budget bonanza, the House voted decisively Thursday to approve a nearly $8.5 billion spending plan that includes money for teacher pay raises, road repairs and college scholarship programs. The bipartisan 56-13 vote sends the budget plan to the Senate with just two weeks left in the 30-day legislative session. Backers hailed the spending bill, which would also leave about $400 million available for tax reductions, as a unique opportunity to pump more money into programs aimed at fixing a statewide shortages of nurses and teachers. Were building a pipeline of talented teachers that will help our state for generations to come, said Rep. Candie Sweetser, D-Deming, during a news conference before Wednesdays vote. Passing a budget for the fiscal year that starts in July is arguably lawmakers top task during the legislative session and has been made easier this year due to record-high revenue levels. With increased oil and natural gas production and an uptick in consumer spending fueling the revenue surge, the budget bill would increase state spending by roughly $1 billion or 13.8% for the coming year. That proposed spending growth it would mean a 50% growth in state spending over the past 10 years has prompted unease among some lawmakers, even though the spending plan would set aside about $2.6 billion in cash reserves in case projected revenue levels do not materialize. During Wednesdays floor debate that lasted for three hours, Rep. Jason Harper, R-Rio Rancho, proposed an alternative budget plan featuring a smaller overall spending increase and a larger tax reduction. I see lots of risk in the future when it comes to state revenue levels, Harper said. Rep. Larry Scott, R-Hobbs, said the states cash-flush position was being used by majority Democrats to fund programs that stray from core government functions. Specifically, he cited a proposed $50 million appropriation for a venture capital fund thats included in the budget bill. Thats not something we would be doing if we were not floating on an ocean of money, Scott said during Wednesdays debate. However, several GOP-backed amendments to the spending plan were rejected by House Democrats, including one sponsored by Rep. Rebecca Dow, R-Truth or Consequences, that sought to bar the state Public Education Department from approving budget allotments for school districts that teach raced-based curriculum. After the lengthy debate, 11 House Republicans ended up joining Democrats in voting in favor of the budget bill, as did the chambers lone independent Rep. Phelps Anderson of Roswell. A total of 13 Republican lawmakers voted against it. Boost to starting educator pay Much of the proposed spending growth under the bill approved Wednesday would go toward higher pay for teachers and state workers. Specifically, about $130 million would help raise starting teacher pay in New Mexico to $50,000 annually minimum pay levels for more experienced educators would also be raised and establishing a $15-per-hour minimum wage for all school employees. Meanwhile, school districts that agree to extend their school year by 10 additional days would get even larger salary increases. But the extended learning option would not be made mandatory under the bill. State workers would also get pay raises under the spending plan, after proposed salary increases were pared back last year. The compensation increases would average 7% for state employees, but some employees would be in line for even larger raises. For instance, State Police officers would get nearly 16% salary raises in an attempt to retain veteran officers. Rep. Antonio Moe Maestas, D-Albuquerque, cited increased spending on public safety programs, including a violence prevention initiative, as a key feature of the spending plan. This is the strongest crime-fighting bill Ive probably seen up here, Maestas said. Rural hospital fund excluded The budget bill could still undergo changes over the next two weeks, as Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams office has expressed misgivings about some of the governors initiatives being underfunded or not funded at all under the House plan. Rep. Patricia Lundstrom, D-Gallup, the chairwoman of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee, said such changes are part of the process. One of the governors proposals that is not included in the budget plan is $150 million for a new rural hospital fund. In addition, the spending plan in its current form would appropriate $5 million for law enforcement officer retention bonuses. The governor has called for creation of a $100 million fund to recruit and retain law enforcement officers around New Mexico. Meanwhile, the budget plan approved Thursday primarily appropriates state dollars, but would also earmark the states unspent share of funds more than $700 million received under the federal American Rescue Plan Act Those funds would be targeted at road repairs and construction around New Mexico, eliminating a waiting list of roughly 4,000 people for a developmental disabilities program and expanding two college scholarship programs aimed at making it easier for New Mexico residents to afford higher education costs. Some lawmakers urge caution New Mexico has seen big revenue swings in recent years, due to the volatility of oil prices and impact of the COVID-19 impact. While the state has enacted budget mechanisms intended to absorb some of those revenue drops, some lawmakers cautioned the proposed spending growth could put the state on course for future budget cuts. I am concerned the level of spending is not sustainable, said House Minority Leader James Townsend, R-Artesia. However, Lundstrom also defended the sustainability of the budget, describing it as far-reaching but still fiscally prudent. Ive been talking to constituents and they would rather see that money put to work than sit in a reserve account, Lundstrom told reporters. She also pointed out New Mexico residents could be in line for tax relief, as the budget plan moving forward would allow for up to $400 million in tax reductions to be absorbed. A separate measure being crafted in the House could include rebates for some New Mexico residents and a cut in the states gross receipts tax rate, among other provisions. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE As New Mexico prepares to allow the commercial sale of marijuana, lawmakers are weighing a proposal that would sharply increase the number of plants that can be grown by a small cannabis-production business. The proposal, Senate Bill 100, cleared the Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee on a 7-3 vote Thursday. It must pass one more committee to reach the full Senate for consideration. House approval would also be required. The bill makes a host of changes to the cannabis legalization law passed last year, including an increase in the limit on plants that a cannabis producer microbusiness can possess from 200 to 1,000. Emily Kaltenbach of the Drug Policy Alliance, an advocacy group, said the change is necessary to help the smaller businesses that will ensure ordinary New Mexicans can enter the cannabis industry and keep it from being dominated by out-of-state corporations. This is an issue of ensuring equity in the industry, she said. Linda Trujillo, superintendent of the state Regulation and Licensing Department, said the increase is necessary to make the finances work for the small producers. It adds flexibility to their business plans, making them more akin to a small brewery that isnt subject to any limits on how much beer it can make. We think the 1,000 plant count is a much more realistic number, Trujillo said. Three Republican senators opposed the bill. Senate Minority Whip Craig Brandt, R-Rio Rancho, said it was too soon to make such a substantial change. This was supposed to be a microbusiness, not a full-fledged business, he said before voting against the legislation. Legalized cannabis sales to adults outside of participants in the medical program havent started yet. Commercial sales to adults 21 and over are set to begin by April 1. The proposal makes technical changes to cannabis taxation, prohibits the sale of cannabis and alcohol on the same premises and establishes training requirements for employees. Senate Bill 100 is sponsored by Senate Majority Whip Linda Lopez, D-Albuquerque, and Rep. Andrea Romero, D-Santa Fe. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal A former commander of the Albuquerque Police Departments academy alleges in a lawsuit she was fired in 2020 in retaliation for reporting concerns directly to then-chief of police Michael Geier. Angela Byrd alleges in the 2nd Judicial District Court suit that her actions were protected under the states Whistleblower Protection Act. Byrd was hired as commander in July 2018 and fired in October 2020 by then-interim Police Chief Harold Medina, who was subsequently named chief of police. APD spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said Wednesday that the city will respond to the lawsuit in court. Byrd alleges that, in her first two years with APD, she worked to address the deficiencies with the cultural and historical issues to bring the academy into compliance with APDs settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice. Independent monitor James Ginger had identified training as a key reason APD had failed to obtain compliance with APDs Court-Approved Settlement Agreement with the Department of Justice, the suit contends. Byrd alleges that Medina, then deputy chief of police and Byrds supervisor, did not agree with Byrds proposed changes. Byrd expressed her concerns in a meeting with former chief Geier, who responded by making Byrd a member of his executive staff and having her report directly to Geier instead of Medina. The move angered Medina, who often tried to undermine Ms. Byrds authority, and made disparaging comments about her to APD staff, the suit alleges. Geier stepped down as chief in September 2020. Then-interim chief Medina fired Byrd on Oct. 20, 2020. Medina said at the time that Byrd was fired after a lengthy external investigation found that she had retaliated against academy staff and threatened cadets who had filed a formal complaint against her. Conflicts at the APD academy have led to at least one prior lawsuit and several settlement agreements with the city. John Sullivan, a former APD commander and Byrds predecessor at the academy, reached a $550,000 settlement with the city in September 2021. Sullivan alleged in a lawsuit that he was forced to resign in 2018 after he highlighted problems at the academy. The city also reached pre-litigation settlements in March 2021 with two academy instructors who claimed Geier transferred them out of their jobs as punishment for filing complaints against Byrd. Each officer received a $175,000 settlement and was reinstated to their academy posts. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal A $15,000 community impact grant awarded to the Childrens Grief Center of New Mexico will allow the organization to add more programs and help more people through the pain of grief, said executive director Jade Richardson Bock. The grant, from New York Life insurance company, is given to local nonprofits that are championed by its agents and employees. Since the inception of the impact grants in 2008, the company has awarded 750 grants to organizations around the country totaling more than $10 million. The grant money, Richardson Bock said, is important to our mission because we dont charge for our services, so every contribution and grant allows us to provide support for people who grieve the death of loved ones. The support groups and programs offered at the grief center serve about 700 people a year 50% of them children with the other half caregivers and adults, Richardson Bock said. The organization has an annual operating budget of just over $600,000. Nic Baker, an agent with New York Lifes general office in New Mexico, said, Im proud to work for a company that encourages its agents and employees to devote their time, energy and talents to support the needs and priorities of their local community. We are pleased that our partnership will have a long-lasting impact on the Childrens Grief Center of New Mexico and the population they serve. The Childrens Grief Center of New Mexico was founded 21 years ago by a group of people who had experienced deaths in their families. Unable to find grief support services for their children, they formed their own organization. For information on donating money or volunteering time, go to childrensgrief.org, or call 505-323-0478. New Mexico State University is celebrating half a century of stewarding a treasure trove of historical documents that chronicle life on the border. Although the university has served as keeper of the massive Rio Grande Historical Collections for decades, it remains something of a hidden gem, according to Dennis Daily, head of the NMSU archives and special collections. The collection was formally chartered on Jan. 29, 1972, and contains 2 million photographs alongside letters, audio files, historical interviews, maps, film and more. If you took all these boxes and lined them up side by side, they would stretch about 15,000 feet, Daily said. Thats nearly 3 miles. Most of the items were donated from families, organizations and businesses in the community. The collection is on the top three floors of NMSUs Branson Library. The collection is open to the public Monday through Friday and one does not need to be a student to access it. The school had planned a celebration on the anniversary but has postponed it until spring because of high COVID-19 numbers. There will be an exhibition and a panel discussing the importance of the materials theyve acquired. One collection that has always knocked me out is the Amador family, Daily said. Martin Amador arrived from Paso del Norte (in the late 1850s), which is now Juarez He really operated in both Anglo-American and Mexican cultures. Amador was a merchant, a trader, inventor and local politician, and he built the Amador Hotel that is still standing in Las Cruces today. When his daughter Clotilde passed away in 1960, family members went to clean out the Amador home and were greeted with boxes of records, newspapers and other historical documents. Instead of destroying them, they offered the collection and some contents of the home to the university. The Amador house was razed two years later but Daily said the records and items rescued from the dwelling are invaluable. Records like the Amadors are one of the reasons researchers from around the world come to Las Cruces to use the archive. These are unique collections, Daily said. For most of what we have, there is only one copy in existence. These primary source materials are what researchers use to write history. One of those drawn to the state by the collection was Katherine Massoth, who is currently an assistant professor of history at the University of New Mexico. She attended college in California and Iowa and worked as an assistant professor in Kentucky. Before relocating here, Massoth would fly into New Mexico for the summer to conduct research. The collection changed the focus of my whole project, she said. Historians have tended to focus on Santa Fe and Albuquerque as the center of history here. But people in the southern part of the state had a different experience, especially after annexation. Massoth researches the New Mexico borderland with a focus on the role women played. Her soon-to-be-released book Keeping House will explore how women in the southern part of the state were able to maintain an identity tied to Mexico, while those in the north had to adopt a more Anglo identity after America annexed New Mexico in the 1840s. She has used letters written by women in the Amador family to their relatives in Mexico to demonstrate how cross-border relationships and identity were maintained. The Journal continues The Good News File, a series of uplifting stories in partnership with KOAT-TV and KKOB Radio. The Journal will publish a Good News feature the first Friday of the month, KOAT-TV will present its feature each second Friday and KKOB each third Friday. Editors note: This article was updated to clarify where Katherine Massoth attended college. NEW YORK Running through a grim tally of recent gun deaths, President Joe Biden pledged to New Yorkers and the nation on Thursday that the federal government would step up its fight against gun violence by working more closely with police and communities to stop the surging bloodshed. Its enough. Enough is enough, Biden told police, law enforcement officials and lawmakers gathered at the citys police headquarters. We can do something about this. But Bidens crimefighting strategy relies heavily on buy-in from state and local officials as he suggests ways to spend federal dollars and expands on initiatives already under way. The modest initiatives demonstrate the limits to what he can do when there is no appetite in Congress to pass gun legislation. Biden came to New York a day after the funeral for the second of two New York City cops shot and killed during a domestic violence call on Jan. 21. Officials wrapped up the event to get to the hospital, where another officer was being released after an injury in yet another shooting. The visit gave the president a chance to push back against Republicans who claim hes soft on crime, and to distance himself from those in the left flank of his Democratic Party who want to shift funding away from police departments to social spending programs. The answer is not to defund the police, Biden said. It is to give you the tools, the training, the funding to be partners, to be protectors and know the community. Biden ticked through how 316 people are shot every day and 106 killed, including 26 children who died in gun violence so far this year. In New York last month, an 11-month-old girl was wounded by a stray bullet and a teenage fast-food cashier was shot to death. Thirty-two officers have been shot in the line of duty so far this year nationwide, seven of them killed. Biden is navigating complex politics: Hes working to find ways to combat crime while also pushing for greater accountability after high-profile killings of Black people by police. The answer is not to abandon our streets, Biden said. The answer is to come together, policing communities, building trust and making us all safer. Most of the talk Thursday was centered on better policing. Efforts to take stronger legislative action in recent years have failed, even after 20 children and six adults were killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. Like Democratic presidents before him, Biden called on Congress to pass a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. But he also spoke of the powerful gun lobby that has been effective at curbing any effort to rein in guns and that points to the Second Amendment right to bear arms. Theres no amendment thats absolute, Biden insisted. When the amendment was passed, it didnt say anybody can own a gun any kind of gun and any kind of weapon. The president was joined by New York lawmakers, Attorney General Merrick Garland, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams, a former police captain. Adams portrayed himself during his campaign as someone who could bridge the divide between the New York Police Department and activists. Northeast residents were urged to stay off the roads with temperatures beginning to drop Friday evening as a major winter storm turned already slippery roads and sidewalks into ice-covered hazards. The storm spread misery from the Deep South, where tree limbs snapped and a tornado claimed a life, to the nations northeastern tip where snow and ice made travel treacherous Friday. Massachusetts State Police responded to more than 200 crashes with property damage or injuries, including one fatal crash, starting Thursday evening, officials said. New Hampshire State Police reported at least 70 crashes Friday morning. This number is most definitely low because reports are still being written and entered, state police in Massachusetts tweeted. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul warned residents as the snow blows out to sea late Friday and Saturday to stay home if possible to avoid ice-coated roadways and the threat of falling tree limbs in the Hudson Valley and Capital regions. Were not out of the danger zone yet, Hochul said. The weather is wildly unpredictable. More than a foot (30 centimeters) of snow fell in parts of Pennsylvania, New York and New England. Utility crews were making progress in an area stretching from Texas to Ohio after about 350,000 homes and businesses were in the dark at one point. One of the hardest-hit places was Memphis, where more than 100,000 customers remained without power Friday night in Shelby County alone, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks utility reports. Memphis resident Michael LaRosa described cracking and banging as the tree limbs fell, and the dull hum and pop of transformers blowing out in his tree-lined Midtown neighborhood. A fire started at the end of his street, caused by a live wire on Thursday. It was pretty surreal for a little while, LaRosa, a professor at Rhodes College and a book editor, said Friday. There were people walking in the streets, and I was worried that limbs were going to fall on them. The neighborhood sort of collapsed pretty quickly and pretty spectacularly. Crews worked to remove trees and downed power lines from city streets, while those who lost electricity spent a cold night at home, or sought refuge at hotels or homes of friends and family. Utility officials said it could take days for power to be restored. Its also going to take days to clear 225 downed trees on city streets, and crews were working 16-hour shifts to get it done, Robert Knecht, Memphis public works director, said Thursday night. In Oklahoma, police in the Tulsa suburb of Broken Arrow said they were investigating a hit-and-run crash that killed a 12-year-old boy who was struck while sledding. Tragedy also struck western Alabama, where a tornado on Thursday killed one person and critically injured three others, Hale County Emergency Management Director Russell Weeden told local news outlets. The storm represented a highly energized system with waves of low pressure riding along like a train from Texas, where there was snowfall and subfreezing temperatures, to Maine and the Canadian Maritimes, said Hunter Tubbs, meteorologist from the National Weather Service in Maine. Airlines scrubbed about 3,400 flights by midday Friday, with the highest numbers of cancellations at Dallas-Fort Worth and airports in the New York City area and Boston, according to tracking service FlightAware. Slippery roads caused scores of vehicles to slide off roads, even before anticipated deteriorating conditions during the evening rush hour. In Tennessee, a man was killed when his truck crashed into a tree that had fallen on a highway, causing the vehicle to spin into a ditch Thursday night in Haywood County, the highway patrol said. In the Pittsburgh area, commuter rail service was halted when a power line went down, trapping cars at a Port Authority of Allegheny County rail yard. In New Yorks Hudson Valley, the Catskill Animal Sanctuary was relying on generators for power Friday after the overnight ice storm. We had trees down all over the property and trees down on our road, said Kathy Stevens, founder of the refuge for rescued farm animals. But the roughly 250 animals in Saugerties were OK, she said. Large animals took shelter in barns and smaller animals were taken to offices, the infirmary and other places to keep safe from falling trees. In Texas, the return of subfreezing weather brought heightened anxiety nearly a year after February 2021s catastrophic freeze that buckled the states power grid for days, leading to hundreds of deaths in one of the worst blackouts in U.S. history. But Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursdays power outages were due to high winds or downed power lines, not grid failures. About 13,000 homes and businesses in Texas remained without power Friday afternoon. In New England, some places welcomed the winter weather, which was a boon for skiers and snowmobilers. In Vermont, no one was complaining at the Stowe Mountain Resort where skiers and snowboarders reported some of the best conditions of the season, with more than 10 inches (25 centimeters) of snow overnight, and snow continuing to fall. Were just having a blast, the sauce is flowing, said Jared Marshall, of Denmark, Maine, a member of the ski team of New Hampshires Colby Sawyer College in town for a ski meet. ___ Sharp reported from Portland, Maine; Foody reported from Chicago; and Bleed reported from Little Rock, Arkansas. Associated Press writers Adrian Sainz in Memphis, Tennessee; Wilson Ring in Stowe, Vermont; Marina Villeneuve and Michael Hill in Albany, New York; Ken Miller in Oklahoma City; Paul J. Weber in Austin, Texas; David Koenig, Jake Bleiberg and Terry Wallace in Dallas; Paul Davenport in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Seth Borenstein in Kensington, Maryland; Rick Callahan in Indianapolis and Jay Reeves in Alabaster, Alabama, contributed to this report. Big Brother Pablo Figueroa and his Little Brother, Nyzaya, both of Hartford. (Big Brothers Big Sisters of Connecticut) Connecticuts Big Brothers Big Sisters programs have merged, and leaders of the new organization seek to surpass the number of boys and girls served before the coronavirus pandemic curbed referrals. Completed Monday, the joining of Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Connecticut created Big Brothers Big Sisters of Connecticut, which now serves the entire state. Advertisement Organization leaders say they are working to create more matches than ever between adult volunteers (Bigs) and children (Littles), ages 5 through young adulthood, in communities across the state. The president and CEO of the new organization is Andy Fleischmann of West Hartford, CEO at Nutmeg since 2011. The married father of two daughters was a 12-term state representative and has served as a Big Brother himself. He said in an interview Thursday that the benefits of matches are not one-sided. Advertisement Most of the Bigs I talk to say, I feel like I get even more out of this than my Little, Fleischmann said. The stated mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters is to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. In Connecticut, about 80% of Littles are from low-income households, about 80% are kids of color and the same percentage are from single-parent or no-parent homes, Fleischmann said. The numbers are about evenly split between boys and girls. Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters has served about 1,000 kids each year since the pandemic began and about 1,400 before, Fleischmann said. The southwestern Connecticut program served roughly half those numbers. Big Sister Lorrie Adeyemi of Wethersfield and her Little Sister, Kacy, of Bloomfield (Sean Flynn/Big Brothers Big Sisters of Connecticut) The pandemic curtailed referrals from schools, agencies and families, Fleischmann said, but the goal now is to use the newly combined strength to create more matches throughout the state. Five Things You Need To Know Daily We're providing the latest coronavirus coverage in Connecticut each weekday morning. > Were excited to strengthen existing relationships with supporters and partners while also seeking out new partnerships that help us enroll more children, volunteers and families, he said. The newly formed organization has a central office at 30 Laurel St. in Hartford and satellite offices at 2470 Fairfield Ave., Bridgeport, and 66 Franklin St. in Norwich. Economies of scale and access to new talent pools are often cited as key benefits of mergers, said Peter Lovell, president of the board of directors of the former Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Connecticut. I agree. But, for me, the most important impact of this merger is that it increases the possibility that even more underserved children and families will now be able to benefit from supported mentoring relationships that have been the hallmark of Big Brothers Big Sisters since its founding in 1904. The new organization has about 30 employees, including case managers who check in monthly with adult mentors, kids and their families. The organization asks new adult volunteers for a yearlong commitment to start. The most important attribute for volunteers, Fleischmann said, is a heartfelt concern for and commitment to a young person. Advertisement Potential Bigs are interviewed and undergo background checks and then an initial two-hour training session. Enrollment coordinators make the matches, and the average length of the relationships is three years, Fleischmann said. For more information, visit bigsofct.org. Jesse Leavenworth can be reached at jleavenworth@courant.com Propelled in part by the wildly contagious omicron variant, the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 hit 900,000 on Friday, less than two months after eclipsing 800,000. The two-year total, as compiled by Johns Hopkins University, is greater than the population of Indianapolis, San Francisco, or Charlotte, North Carolina. The milestone comes more than 13 months into a vaccination drive that has been beset by misinformation and political and legal strife, though the shots have proved safe and highly effective at preventing serious illness and death. It is an astronomically high number. If you had told most Americans two years ago as this pandemic was getting going that 900,000 Americans would die over the next few years, I think most people would not have believed it, said Dr. Ashish K. Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. He lamented that most of the deaths happened after the vaccine gained authorization. We got the medical science right. We failed on the social science. We failed on how to help people get vaccinated, to combat disinformation, to not politicize this, Jha said. Those are the places where we have failed as America. President Joe Biden lamented the milestone in a statement Friday night, saying, After nearly two years, I know that the emotional, physical, and psychological weight of this pandemic has been incredibly difficult to bear. He again urged Americans to get vaccinations and booster shots. Two hundred and fifty million Americans have stepped up to protect themselves, their families, and their communities by getting at least one shot and we have saved more than one million American lives as a result, Biden said. Just 64% of the population is fully vaccinated, or about 212 million Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nor is COVID-19 finished with the United States: Jha said the U.S. could reach 1 million deaths by April. Among the dead is Susan Glister-Berg, 53, of Sterling Heights, Michigan, whose children had to take her off a ventilator just before Thanksgiving after COVID-19 ravaged her lungs and kidneys. Shes always cared more about people than she did herself. She always took care of everyone, said a daughter, Hali Fortuna. Thats how we all describe her: She cared for everyone. Very selfless. Glister-Berg, a smoker, was in poor health, and was apparently unvaccinated, according to her daughter. Fortuna just got the booster herself. We all want it to go away. I personally dont see it going away anytime soon, she said. I guess its about learning to live with it and hoping we all learn to take care of each other better. The latest bleak milestone came as omicron is loosening its grip on the country. New cases per day have plunged by almost a half-million since mid-January, when they hit a record-shattering peak of more than 800,000. Cases have been declining in 49 states in the last two weeks, by Johns Hopkins count, and the 50th, Maine, reported that confirmed infections are falling there, too, dropping sharply over the past week. Also, the number of Americans in the hospital with COVID-19 has declined 15% since mid-January to about 124,000. Deaths are still running high at more than 2,400 per day on average, the most since last winter. And they are on the rise in at least 35 states, reflecting the lag between when victims become infected and when they succumb. Still, public health officials have expressed hope that the worst of omicron is coming to an end. While they caution that things could still go bad again and dangerous new variants could emerge, some places are already talking about easing precautions. Los Angeles County may end outdoor mask requirements in a few weeks, Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said Thursday. Post-surge does not imply that the pandemic is over or that transmission is low, or that there will not be unpredictable waves of surges in the future, she warned. Despite its wealth and its world-class medical institutions, the U.S. has the highest reported toll of any country, and even then, the real number of lives lost directly or indirectly to the coronavirus is thought to be significantly higher. Experts believe some COVID-19 deaths have been misattributed to other conditions. And some Americans are thought to have died of chronic illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes because they were unable or unwilling to obtain treatment during the crisis. The Rev. Gina Anderson-Cloud, senior pastor of Fredericksburg United Methodist Church in Virginia, lost her dementia-stricken father after he was hospitalized for cancer surgery and then isolated in a COVID-19 ward. He went into cardiac arrest, was revived, but died about a week later. She had planned to be by his bedside, but the rules barred her from going to the hospital. I think its important for us not to be numbed. Each one of those numbers is someone, she said of the death toll. Those are mothers, fathers, children, our elders. When the vaccine was rolled out in mid-December 2020, the death toll stood at about 300,000. It hit 600,000 in mid-June 2021 and 700,000 on Oct. 1. On Dec. 14, it reached 800,000. It took just 51 more days to get to 900,000, the fastest 100,000 jump since last winter. We have underestimated our enemy here, and we have under-prepared to protect ourselves, said Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, a public health professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Weve learned a tremendous amount of humility in the face of a lethal and contagious respiratory virus. The latest 100,000 deaths encompass those caused by both the delta variant and omicron, which began spreading rapidly in December and became the predominant version in the U.S. before the month was out. While omicron has proved less likely to cause severe illness than delta, the sheer number of people who became infected with it contributed to the high number of deaths. Ja said he and other medical professionals are frustrated that policymakers are seemingly running out of ideas for getting people to roll up their sleeves. There arent a whole lot of tools left. We need to double down and come up with new ones, he said. COVID-19 has become one of the top three causes of death in America, behind the big two heart disease and cancer. We have been fighting among ourselves about tools that actually do save lives. Just the sheer amount of politics and misinformation around vaccines, which are remarkably effective and safe, is staggering, Sharfstein said. He added: This is the consequence. ____ Associated Press writers Robert Jablon in Los Angeles and Patrick Whittle in Portland, Maine, contributed to this report. Instagram Celebrity The New York rapper, born Tahjay Dobson, died after being shot twice in a drive-by shooting in Brooklyn shortly after signing his first record deal with indie label Million Dollar Music. Feb 4, 2022 AceShowbiz - A young music star has sadly lost his life right when he seemed to have a promising career. New York rapper TDott Woo, born Tahjay Dobson, was shot dead in Brooklyn shortly after signing his first record deal. TDott was fatally shot in the neighborhood where he grew up on Tuesday afternoon, February 1. He was struck in the head and left knee in a drive-by shooting on Avenue L near East 98th Street in Canarsie at about 2:20 P.M., police and sources said. TDott, who was friends with the late rapper Pop Smoke, was transported to Brookdale Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. He was only 22 years old. Just hours before the shooting, indie label Million Dollar Music announced on their Instagram account it had welcomed TDott to their label. In the since-deleted post, the label introduced the up-and-coming rapper as "official artist of MDM." The label went on to describe TDott as a "young rapper and dancer" and a "rising star," who "rose to prominence for his 'Woo Walk' from a community whose drill music has and continues to electrify the world." The label also paid tribute to the young rapper after his death. "It's an honor to remain your friend until your last moments. Your memories will always stay with us no matter where we go & what we do. Sleep in peace. #LongLiveTdott," the label posted on Instagram. "Just know his legacy will always live, from his laugh to the dance everyone across the world does, some of us know him a friend, brother, cousin or just a fan but we all come together to tell you FLY HIGH." Also mourning his death were fellow hip-hop stars Lil Tjay and Fivio Foreign. "U Iconic gang !! Energy unmatched we gon miss u forever rest eazy guyza @tdott_woo," Tjay wrote along with a video of Tdott performing onstage. He also shared a snap of him with the up-and-coming rapper. Meanwhile, Fivio posted on his own page, "Imma miss you forever baby boy You was the prince of this city. Long Live Prince T Dot. I love you gang. Like forever watch over me like you always do." Instagram Celebrity After returning to Peacock's 'The Real Housewives of Miami', the reality TV star has sparked chatter among fans with how much she resembles the 'Real Housewives of New Jersey' cast member. Feb 4, 2022 AceShowbiz - Fans have been comparing Alexia Echevarria to Teresa Giudice ever since she returned to the Bravo-Peacock universe in 2021. As many fans took to social media to weigh in on the matter, "The Real Housewives of Miami" star has now responded to the comparison. Speaking with Page Six, Alexia shared that her husband Todd Nepola alerted her to the comparisons. In response to that, Alexia shared that she told her husband, "Babe, they don't mean physically." She went on to explain, "They mean, like, my character, and all the adversity that we've gone through, and that we're such strong women, and we're good moms. We have a lot of similarities." "But not that we physically look alike, because we don't," she added. "If we did, that's fine, too, but [Nepola] didn't get that." Of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" star, Alexia said, "She's a very strong woman. She's had to overcome so much, but she still gets back up on her feet, she keeps on going, and I'm very happy for her that she found love again." Alexia, however, claimed that she never met Teresa in person just yet. Despite that, she only has praises for "The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip" star. Talking about the way Teresa handled recent reports about her fiance Luis Ruelas' past, Alexia said, "This is what we signed up to do. It's her narrative, it's her story. She should be able to say how it really happened because nobody knows her life more than she does, which is the same thing I say about my life." Reports stated that Luis is a "sex-obsessed" Lothario who has a trail of ex-lovers who complain that his libido is virtually insatiable. It was also alleged that he got upset with one gal pal if they didn't have sex as much as four times a day, while his ex-fiancee Vanessa Reiser claimed in her lawsuit that he would "punish" her if she refused his constant sexual demands. Vanessa alleged in the 2020 legal action, "He demanded that I be available for sex whenever he wanted. If I objected to his demands, Luis Ruelas would punish me. He would be nasty, withdraw from me, and blame me for what happened." The lawsuit was eventually settled outside of court for undisclosed terms. Music The cinematic nine-minute music video, which is directed by Benny Boom, features appearances from Cory Hardrict and Joseph Sikora, who star as a criminal and agent respectively. Feb 4, 2022 AceShowbiz - Nicki Minaj and Lil Baby's new collaboration "Do We Have a Problem?" and its visuals are finally out. The cinematic nine-minute video, which was dropped on Friday, February 4, sees the femcee and the 4PF founder successfully completing their mission. The Benny Boom-directed clip begins with Minaj interrogating Cory Hardrict, who stars as a criminal. Hardrict tells the "Anaconda" femcee about a meeting of top criminal organizations, saying, "You can acquire rare items that money can't even buy." The "Power" star also informs Minaj that there's a double agent in her team. Once he says the mole is her, the female rapper scoffs. She later goes to the auction with her agent partner played by Joseph Sikora. At the secret auction, Minaj meets Baby who is also bidding on prized items. However, instead of capturing the "Drip Too Hard" spitter, the "Bang Bang" hitmaker escapes with him to Cuba. The footage ends with a preview of their collaboration called "Bussin". "Do We Have a Problem?" was released ahead of Minaj's long-awaited fifth album, which will introduce a new alter ego. Before releasing the single, Minaj praised her collaborator Baby for his impressive delivery on the track. "First of all, I want to just say shout out to Lil Baby," the Trinidadian-born raptress gushed during an Instagram Live. "Y'all know I always keep it real about verses and all of that. Lil Baby, he might have he might have got me! ... But listen, the point is: Lil Baby went super-duper hard-pause-and it's so refreshing to see people still care about that type of stuff. I still care about it." "I don't think people didn't know Lil Baby was nice, but I will say that he pleasantly surprises me all the time," Minaj continued raving. "This particular record was just another moment when you could just tell the difference when somebody knows they're here for a long time." WENN/Joseph Marzullo Celebrity The 'Thelma and Louise' actress, who has been an outspoken critic of police brutality, is slammed by law enforcement and other Twitter users over her anti-cop post. Feb 4, 2022 AceShowbiz - Susan Sarandon's eyebrow-raising social media post has landed her in hot water. The acting veteran has received backlash after sharing a tweet which compared police at a funeral to "fascists." The tweet in question was originally posted by podcaster Danny Haiphong. It featured an image of thousands of NYPD cops gathering at Manhattan's 5th Avenue last week to honor slain NYPD Detective Jason Rivera. The original tweet came with a caption that read, "I'm gonna tell my kids this is what fascism looks like." Susan reposted the tweet on Tuesday, February 1, adding over it, "So, if all these cops weren't needed for CRIME that day, doesn't that mean they aren't needed ANY day?" Susan Sarandon suggested we didn't need cops in anti-police tweet. Susan, who has been an outspoken critic of police brutality, has since been slammed over her anti-cop tweet. The Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York tweeted on Thursday, "This is what privilege looks like: a wealthy actress, safe in her bubble, mocking heroes & making light of the crisis that cops are battling alongside our communities. NYC is uniting to stop the violence - @SusanSarandon is living on a different planet." Retired Los Angeles homicide detective Sal LaBarbera reprimanded the 75-year-old actress, "You seriously need help. Let's hope you never need us." Retired NYPD Detective Angel L Maysonet chimed in, "There are 35K #NYPD cops in NYC. This is 3 hours. Many off duty, other agencies, representing over 850K sworn LEOs in this country. Shame on you @SusanSarandon 2 young Dominican cops were killed & you spread anti police rhetoric. You're a disgusting person." The National Fraternal Order of Police called Susan a "D-list actor" as it tweeted, "Of all the days for @SusanSarandon to share her true feelings towards police, she picks the day we bury our fallen brother to make such inflammatory & brainless comments. When you spend more time hating on cops than you do your own career, it's no wonder why you're a D-list actor." New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin also weighed in, writing, "Congratulations, Susan Sarandon! You're now the poster child of an angry, woke, liberal, pro-criminal, anti-law and order jerk. There are other more fitting titles, but it only gets more vulgar from here." "So totally offensive in SO many ways. PLEASE feel free to NEVER call 911---EVER," another Twitter user commented. One other said, "Unfortunately, most of us cannot afford gated communities or hilltop mansions with state of the art security in Stamford like you Susan. We need and appreciate the officers that keep us safe." Someone else added, "OMG are you serious? This is a funeral for a fallen Police Officer who was killed in the line of duty. His brothers and sisters on their day off came to pay their respects. My God you have some serious issues, please seek professional help." Susan has not responded to the criticism. She has previously taken part in Black Lives Matter protests and criticized the NYPD over its handle of protesters during the George Floyd protests in 2020. The CW TV In addition to the 'Supernatural' prequel, the network gives pilot orders for 'Walker' prequel series 'Walker: Independence', new DC series 'Gotham Knights' as well as 'Zorro'. Feb 4, 2022 AceShowbiz - The Winchesters are back. On Thursday, February 3, The CW announced that it has officially ordered pilots for "The Winchesters", a prequel series of "Supernatural" which is about Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean's (Jensen Ackles) parents John and Mary. "The Winchesters" is set to follow John and Mary Winchester before they became parents to Sam and Dean. The one-hour drama will treat fans to the epic love story of how John met Mary as well as how the two decide to put it all on the line to not only save their love, but the entire world. It remains to be seen who will be playing the iconic roles. Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Samantha Smith portrayed John and Mary respectively over the course "Supernatural" 's entire run, with Matt Cohen and Amy Gumenick playing younger versions in flashbacks. In addition to re reprising his role of Dean to narrate, Jensen will serve as executive producer alongside Robbie Thompson and Danneel Ackles. "The Winchesters" isn't the only show who gets a pilot order from The CW. The network also orders pilot for "Walker" prequel series "Walker: Independence". Set in the late 1800s, the one-hour series hails from executive producers Seamus Fahey, Anna Fricke, Padalecki, Dan Lin, Lindsey Liberatore and Laura Terry. "Walker: Independence" is set to Abby Walker, an affluent Bostonian whose husband is murdered before her eyes while on their journey out West. On her quest for revenge, Abby crosses paths with Hoyt Rawlins, a lovable rogue in search of purpose. Abby and Hoyt's journey takes them to Independence, Texas, where they encounter diverse, eclectic residents running from their own troubled pasts and chasing their dreams. The newfound family will struggle with the changing world around them, while becoming agents of change themselves in a town where nothing is what it seems. New DC series "Gotham Knights", which is based on the popular DC comics of the same name, has also been ordered to a pilot. While it will revolve around Batman characters, the one-hour drama is not a spin-off of "Batwoman", which is currently airing its third season. The official logline reads, "In the wake of Bruce Wayne's murder, his rebellious adopted son forges an unlikely alliance with the children of Batman's enemies when they are all framed for killing the Caped Crusader. And as the city's most wanted criminals, this renegade band of misfits must fight to clear their names. But in a Gotham with no Dark Knight to protect it, the city descends into the most dangerous it's ever been. However, hope comes from the most unexpected of places as this team of mismatched fugitives will become its next generation of saviors known as the Gotham Knights." The last series to get a pilot order is "Zorro". It is set to follow a young Latinx woman seeking vengeance for her father's murder as she joins a secret society and adopts the outlaw persona of Zorro. Sean Tretta, Robert Rodriguez, Rebecca Rodriguez, Ben Silverman, Rodney Ferrell, Howard T. Owens, Geoff Clark, Eric Bromberg, John Gertz and Jay Weisleder executive produce the pilot. Movie In addition to teasing the return of the British actor as Detective Benoit Blanc, Netflix gives a glimpse of horned Jason Momoa in 'Slumberland' as well as Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling's spy film 'The Gray Man'. Feb 4, 2022 AceShowbiz - Netflix is teasing the return of Daniel Craig in "Knives Out 2". As it gives a preview of its bunch of offerings in 2022, the streaming giant has unleashed the first footage of the Rian Johnson-directed movie as part of a new trailer highlighting its upcoming film slate. The short glimpse of the "Knives Out" sequel comes the last in the approximately 3-minute video. It shows a scenic view of a city harbor before offering a look at the cast, including Craig who is back as Detective Benoit Blanc Looking pensive and stylish with brown shades, he stands with ocean in the background. Meanwhile, a brand new group of flamboyant characters, portrayed by Dave Bautista and Leslie Odom Jr. among others, are seen getting ready to be onboard a boat trip. Also starring in the upcoming whodunit murder mystery movie are Janelle Monae, Ethan Hawke, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, Edward Norton, Jessica Henwick and Madelyne Cline. The plotline is still kept under wraps, but Craig previously gushed about the film. "We've just finished the second one, literally weeks ago," he told Empire magazine last year. "They've just wrapped up in Serbia. Dare I say it's better? We'll see. I don't want to tempt fate. It's different, and that's the amazing thing. It's still a Benoit Blanc mystery, but it's very different. I'm very excited about it." The teaser montage also includes a look at a horned Jason Momoa in "Slumberland", the Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling-starring spy film "The Gray Man" from Joe and Anthony Russo, "Enola Holmes 2", Ryan Reynolds' "The Adam Project" as well as "The School for Good and Evil" starring Charlize Theron and Kerry Washington. There's also a look at "Spiderhead" from director Joseph Kosinski starring Chris Hemsworth, but interestingly his other Netflix film, "Extraction 2", isn't included in the lineup of 2022 films. Instagram Celebrity The former 'Counting On' stars sell five acres of their 97 acres of Arkansas property after seemingly losing a huge amount of money following their hit family show's cancellation. Feb 4, 2022 AceShowbiz - Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar have seemingly lost a huge amount of money after their family show "Counting On" was canceled following Josh Duggar's arrest last year. It's now reported that the couple has sold a piece of their Arkansas property. According to property records obtained by The Sun on Thursday, February 3, Jim and Michelle sold their 5.8 acres of the sprawling ninety-seven-acre compound in Tontitown, Arkansas for $46,400. The records noted that they officially said goodbye for good to the small portion of their compound on January 28. The Duggar family home consists of several twenty-acre plots of land. Other than the Duggar parents' private household, the massive farmland is also home to their daughter Jana Duggar's greenhouse, a log cabin where their son Joseph and his wife's three children live, as well as a warehouse where daughter-in-law Anna Duggar and her seven children currently reside. The sale came less than a year after the popular family show was canceled when Josh was taken into police custody on charges of possessing and receiving child pornography. "TLC feels it is important to give the Duggar family the opportunity to address their situation privately," the network said in a statement at the time. It has since been estimated that the Duggars may lose up to $850,000 per year without their steady income from the reality show. "The family was roughly paid $80k for each chunk of filming," a source spilled last July. "And some seasons were longer than others, but they were picking up on average $850k a season," the so-called inside source further explained. "I think a lot of people will be shocked to learn they were earning that much, and it all went to Jim Bob who invested some of it for the family, and handed the rest out." The insider noted, "But there were often arguments about payments, who deserved what and whether people were being paid correctly for their time on-air, that was a major issue over the years." The source also said, "Some family members are glad TLC pulled the plug so they can go off on their own and manage their own money, but Jim Bob is undoubtedly pissed because it was a huge income." Instagram Celebrity The Scottish actor, who first met Lisa in 2016 on the set of the psychological horror thriller film 'Split', also reveals in a new interview that her hometown of Philadelphia is 'like a second home' for him. Feb 4, 2022 AceShowbiz - James McAvoy is officially a married man. Two years after sparking marriage rumors with Lisa Liberati, the "Split" leading man confirmed that they tied the knot "recently." The 42-year-old Scottish native broke the news in an interview with The Guardian, which was published on Thursday, February 3. The actor, however, refused to offer more details about their private life "for fear of creating tabloid fodder." James and Lisa first met in 2016 on the set of the psychological horror thriller film "Split". At that time, Lisa was working as a personal assistant of director M. Night Shyamalan. The movie itself was filmed in Lisa's hometown of Philadelphia. In an interview with The Guardian, the BAFTA Rising Star Award winner said that the city is "like a second home for me." James and Lisa were first rumored to have gotten married back in October 2019. At that time, Lisa was spotted wearing what appears to be a wedding ring. As for James, he was overheard speaking with pals at a party hosted by actor David Suchet, where he referred to Lisa as James' "wife" and said they married "recently." Days later, the "Glass" star shared on Instagram a photo of him and Lisa wearing colorful wigs with matching hoodies on Halloween. "Happiest of Halloweens!hope yours was as Fantatastic as ours," he wrote in the accompaniment of the post, tagging the soda brand Fanta. The "It Chapter Two" actor was previously married to his "Shameless" co-star Anne-Marie Duff. However, they called it quits in 2016 after nine years of marriage. The former couple shares 11-year-old son Brendan. James has been known for keeping his personal life quite private. When speaking to Mr Porter in 2017, he said that his life "has changed massively" following his divorce. However, "one of the things that's stayed the same is that [he] still [doesn't] talk about [his] personal life." Asianet News Network has recently appointed Saurabh Sharma as head of operations. Saurabh joins Asianet from Ventes Avenues, a mobile media company specializing in mobile performance & mobile audiences where he worked as head of operations for around two years. Saurabh is a digital media enthusiast with career span of more than 15 years with cross functional roles in digital advertising ops, sales & business development, creative strategy & ideation, customer success, client solutions, programmatic media buying & operations and client solutions. In the past, he has also worked with Conde Nast India, Truecaller, Zirca DIgital Solutions as head of ad operations, Star India as manager ad operations - digital. He has also worked with BBC, Yahoo and NDTV. Pic story of college student Tenzin Drolma's winter vacation in Tibet Xinhua) 17:38, February 04, 2022 Tenzin Drolma (C) stands with her mother (R) and a neighbor girl while herding cattle in Gyaga Village of Damxung County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Jan. 18, 2022. Tenzin Drolma, 21, was born on the grassland near Lake Namtso in Tibet. In 2020, she was admitted to Jiangsu Food and Pharmaceutical Science College in east China's Jiangsu Province as a Chinese pharmacy major student. The college life in the outside world is fresh to Drolma. She met many new classmates and made many friends. When winter vacation came, Drolma returned to her beloved home. "I leave my hometown in order to come back being a better person," she said. "I hope that when I graduate from college, I can help my family live a better life and I can be a useful person to my hometown and people here." (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) Thutop (R) looks at his daughter Tenzin Drolma in Gyaga Village of Damxung County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Jan. 18, 2022. Tenzin Drolma, 21, was born on the grassland near Lake Namtso in Tibet. In 2020, she was admitted to Jiangsu Food and Pharmaceutical Science College in east China's Jiangsu Province as a Chinese pharmacy major student. The college life in the outside world is fresh to Drolma. She met many new classmates and made many friends. When winter vacation came, Drolma returned to her beloved home. "I leave my hometown in order to come back being a better person," she said. "I hope that when I graduate from college, I can help my family live a better life and I can be a useful person to my hometown and people here." (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) Tenzin Drolma drinks fresh milk in Gyaga Village of Damxung County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Jan. 18, 2022. Tenzin Drolma, 21, was born on the grassland near Lake Namtso in Tibet. In 2020, she was admitted to Jiangsu Food and Pharmaceutical Science College in east China's Jiangsu Province as a Chinese pharmacy major student. The college life in the outside world is fresh to Drolma. She met many new classmates and made many friends. When winter vacation came, Drolma returned to her beloved home. "I leave my hometown in order to come back being a better person," she said. "I hope that when I graduate from college, I can help my family live a better life and I can be a useful person to my hometown and people here." (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) Tenzin Drolma (2nd L) whispers with her mother in Gyaga Village of Damxung County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Jan. 18, 2022. Tenzin Drolma, 21, was born on the grassland near Lake Namtso in Tibet. In 2020, she was admitted to Jiangsu Food and Pharmaceutical Science College in east China's Jiangsu Province as a Chinese pharmacy major student. The college life in the outside world is fresh to Drolma. She met many new classmates and made many friends. When winter vacation came, Drolma returned to her beloved home. "I leave my hometown in order to come back being a better person," she said. "I hope that when I graduate from college, I can help my family live a better life and I can be a useful person to my hometown and people here." (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) Tenzin Drolma (R) assists her grandmother into their house in Gyaga Village of Damxung County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Jan. 18, 2022. Tenzin Drolma, 21, was born on the grassland near Lake Namtso in Tibet. In 2020, she was admitted to Jiangsu Food and Pharmaceutical Science College in east China's Jiangsu Province as a Chinese pharmacy major student. The college life in the outside world is fresh to Drolma. She met many new classmates and made many friends. When winter vacation came, Drolma returned to her beloved home. "I leave my hometown in order to come back being a better person," she said. "I hope that when I graduate from college, I can help my family live a better life and I can be a useful person to my hometown and people here." (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) Tenzin Drolma (2nd R) poses for pictures with her family in Gyaga Village of Damxung County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Jan. 18, 2022. Tenzin Drolma, 21, was born on the grassland near Lake Namtso in Tibet. In 2020, she was admitted to Jiangsu Food and Pharmaceutical Science College in east China's Jiangsu Province as a Chinese pharmacy major student. The college life in the outside world is fresh to Drolma. She met many new classmates and made many friends. When winter vacation came, Drolma returned to her beloved home. "I leave my hometown in order to come back being a better person," she said. "I hope that when I graduate from college, I can help my family live a better life and I can be a useful person to my hometown and people here." (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) Tenzin Drolma plays with a calf in Gyaga Village of Damxung County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Jan. 18, 2022. Tenzin Drolma, 21, was born on the grassland near Lake Namtso in Tibet. In 2020, she was admitted to Jiangsu Food and Pharmaceutical Science College in east China's Jiangsu Province as a Chinese pharmacy major student. The college life in the outside world is fresh to Drolma. She met many new classmates and made many friends. When winter vacation came, Drolma returned to her beloved home. "I leave my hometown in order to come back being a better person," she said. "I hope that when I graduate from college, I can help my family live a better life and I can be a useful person to my hometown and people here." (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) Tenzin Drolma herds cattle in Gyaga Village of Damxung County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Jan. 18, 2022. Tenzin Drolma, 21, was born on the grassland near Lake Namtso in Tibet. In 2020, she was admitted to Jiangsu Food and Pharmaceutical Science College in east China's Jiangsu Province as a Chinese pharmacy major student. The college life in the outside world is fresh to Drolma. She met many new classmates and made many friends. When winter vacation came, Drolma returned to her beloved home. "I leave my hometown in order to come back being a better person," she said. "I hope that when I graduate from college, I can help my family live a better life and I can be a useful person to my hometown and people here." (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) Tenzin Drolma (C) enjoys lunch with her parents in Gyaga Village of Damxung County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Jan. 18, 2022. Tenzin Drolma, 21, was born on the grassland near Lake Namtso in Tibet. In 2020, she was admitted to Jiangsu Food and Pharmaceutical Science College in east China's Jiangsu Province as a Chinese pharmacy major student. The college life in the outside world is fresh to Drolma. She met many new classmates and made many friends. When winter vacation came, Drolma returned to her beloved home. "I leave my hometown in order to come back being a better person," she said. "I hope that when I graduate from college, I can help my family live a better life and I can be a useful person to my hometown and people here." (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) Tenzin Drolma (L) greets her grandmother in Gyaga Village of Damxung County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Jan. 18, 2022. Tenzin Drolma, 21, was born on the grassland near Lake Namtso in Tibet. In 2020, she was admitted to Jiangsu Food and Pharmaceutical Science College in east China's Jiangsu Province as a Chinese pharmacy major student. The college life in the outside world is fresh to Drolma. She met many new classmates and made many friends. When winter vacation came, Drolma returned to her beloved home. "I leave my hometown in order to come back being a better person," she said. "I hope that when I graduate from college, I can help my family live a better life and I can be a useful person to my hometown and people here." (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) Tenzin Drolma stands inside a pen in Gyaga Village of Damxung County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Jan. 18, 2022. Tenzin Drolma, 21, was born on the grassland near Lake Namtso in Tibet. In 2020, she was admitted to Jiangsu Food and Pharmaceutical Science College in east China's Jiangsu Province as a Chinese pharmacy major student. The college life in the outside world is fresh to Drolma. She met many new classmates and made many friends. When winter vacation came, Drolma returned to her beloved home. "I leave my hometown in order to come back being a better person," she said. "I hope that when I graduate from college, I can help my family live a better life and I can be a useful person to my hometown and people here." (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) Tenzin Drolma's family welcomes her home in Gyaga Village of Damxung County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Jan. 18, 2022. Tenzin Drolma, 21, was born on the grassland near Lake Namtso in Tibet. In 2020, she was admitted to Jiangsu Food and Pharmaceutical Science College in east China's Jiangsu Province as a Chinese pharmacy major student. The college life in the outside world is fresh to Drolma. She met many new classmates and made many friends. When winter vacation came, Drolma returned to her beloved home. "I leave my hometown in order to come back being a better person," she said. "I hope that when I graduate from college, I can help my family live a better life and I can be a useful person to my hometown and people here." (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) Democratic lawmakers are calling on the Darien Board of Education to reconsider its decision Tuesday to reject a plan to participate in a pilot Open Choice program that would have admitted 16 kindergarten students from Norwalk into four Darien elementary schools. Open Choice, a program designed to bring more diversity and equity to Connecticuts racially segregated schools, emerged in recent weeks as a controversial issue within the affluent, mostly white suburb. Advertisement The board voted 5-4 to reject the plan, with some members citing concerns over cost, class sizes and timing as the district recovers from COVID-related learning loss. On Thursday, state Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, of Norwalk, issued a joint statement with state Sens. Pat Billie Miller, of Stamford, and Will Haskell, of Westport, asking the board to reconsider. Advertisement Last legislative session we were proud to expand the successful Open Choice program to include Norwalk, opening the door for students to attend public schools in surrounding towns, including Darien, they wrote. Open Choice is a win-win, allowing both urban and suburban students to gain exposure to new communities and experiences, the statement continues. Strengthening the understandings of diversity and inclusion among our young people cannot be done with just a mission statement. Diversity and inclusion are lived, not just promised. State Sen. Matt Lesser, a Democrat from Middletown, took to Twitter to share his disappointment. This would have been a win-win for both communities and the state as a whole, he wrote. David Dineen, Darien board chair and elected as a Republican, joined the boards three Democrats in voting in favor. The boards other five Republican members voted against. Darien is far from the only suburban community to express reluctance toward Open Choice. Danbury, which hoped to send some students to neighboring districts in the fall, is delaying because not enough surrounding towns stepped up. New Canaan also said no to taking a small number of Norwalk students. Westport and Weston, which already educate some students from Bridgeport through Open Choice, will welcome some Norwalk students instead. Jamilah Prince-Stewart, executive director of FaithActs for Education, a faith-based nonprofit, said Dariens vote was no surprise. We see countless communities vote against educating Black and Brown children, she wrote in a statement. Superintendent Dr. Alan Addley, a spirited Open Choice advocate with more than 20 years of experience with the program, told the Courant that he was disappointed with the boards vote but certainly respects its decision. That is the governance role of the board and the system of checks and balances, he said. Advertisement Open Choice remains one of the most cost-effective ways to meet the goals outlined in Dariens board-approved strategic plan for diversity, equity and inclusion, Addley said. Under the proposal championed by Addley, the district would have admitted 16 kindergarten-aged Norwalk students across four Darien elementary schools. The students likely would have been predominantly Black or Hispanic, in line with Norwalk Public Schools minority-majority demographics. By and large, Open Choice programs provide some students of color from Connecticuts urban centers with the option of receiving an education in the predominantly white, well-funded and typically high-performing suburbs. The program is reciprocal, but few suburban students generally participate. Program advocates, like the aforementioned lawmakers, routinely describe this as a positive for both city and suburban students. Growing up in a diverse classroom prepares our students to succeed when they go on to college and when they go on to adult life, Addley told the Courant. But even if the Darien school board were to give in to pressure from lawmakers, other advocacy groups question whether Open Choice is the best way forward particularly as school boards show reticence to participate in the voluntary, decades-old program. Advertisement Open Choice isnt the only solution. Closing the racial funding gap is, Prince-Stewart said. We hear the cries from communities like Danbury and Norwalk, Prince-Stewart said. But when state leaders had the opportunity to fund charter schools with proven records for students of color in those communities, they passed the buck to neighboring districts who dont even want to take in our children. Jennifer D. Barahona, executive director of Norwalk ACTS, acknowledged the benefits of Open Choice, but only if implemented with care and consideration. Barahona, who grew up in Darien, said there is extensive support within the town to take steps toward fostering a more diverse community. Five Things You Need To Know Daily We're providing the latest coronavirus coverage in Connecticut each weekday morning. > But she also emphasized the need for predominantly white districts to be adequately prepared to receive and care for the needs of Brown and Black students. Districts like Darien need to make sure they have the lens for racial bias and culturally responsive teaching, and the support necessary to tend to the learning needs of those students, Barahona said. Advertisement Dariens plan would have included an Open Choice liaison, paid for by the district, to work with school staff and community members, and help the Norwalk students acclimate to Darien schools. Cooperative Educational Services, which coordinates Open Choice in the region, also provides a liaison to participating districts. Like Prince-Stewart, Barahona thinks there are other ways to reduce the achievement gaps that currently divide Connecticut children namely, when it comes to funding. Darien schools receive about $4,000 more per student per year than Norwalk schools, she said. We would much rather have a state that has an equitable school funding formula that supports the needs of all students, and not just the 16 that [would have gone] from Norwalk to Darien, Barahona said. Seamus McAvoy may be reached at smcavoy@courant.com Bain & Company is a global consultancy that helps the worlds most ambitious change makers define the future. Continuing its rapid growth in India, Bain & Company announces the hire of the entire team at Arete Advisors, a boutique consulting firm. These hires are part of the firms strategy to strengthen its operations in India and further enhance its specialized offerings to augment client results delivery. Team Arete brings in strong expertise in healthcare, social impact and private equity, which will complement Bain & Companys integrated suite of offerings. Monika Sood, co-founder and partner at Arete Advisors, has joined Bain & Company as a partner in the Delhi office and will focus on healthcare and private equity, while Shradha Vaid, co-founder, has joined as an associate partner in the Bangalore office in the firms advanced manufacturing and sustainability practices. Additionally, a team of 30 professionals from Arete have joined across various consulting groups and specialised practices at Bain & Company, and share similar academic and professional backgrounds and experience including excellent outcomes in consulting assignments. We remain bullish about market growth and expect to benefit from structural shifts of premiumization and flight to quality. The future of consulting will bring together the best of strategy consulting and specialist sector knowledge., said Karan Singh, India Managing Partner at Bain & Company. Arete is a great strategic fit as we prepare for the future and will support our plans to scale our business. We have in the past worked with the Arete team on a few projects and are confident of a successful integration given the cultural fit and shared focus on delivering significant client impact. We are thrilled to welcome Monika and the team to Bain & Company. Monika Sood, erstwhile co-founder, Arete Advisors and partner at Bain & Company, said, We are very excited to be a part of Bain & Company with its deep expertise and unparalleled client commitment. The company provides us a great platform for growth and client value creation, and we look forward to accomplishing great things together. The upcoming Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh brings about major changes in the way voters make use of their social media accounts. According to a recent study, out of 1,094 participants surveyed, 35% of the respondents said that they use Facebook to read about state politics, which is the highest among other social media platforms, including Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter with 14%, 17% and 6%, respectively. The rest 28% of the respondents preferred all of the above platforms to know whats happening around the four corners of the state. Among this share, 42% of the respondents consume political news in Hindi, 34% in English and 24% preferred both languages. The upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh is a big event for India as over 250 million people are hooked onto their TV sets and mobile phones to follow every update regularly. Our survey has shown interesting trends in this space, and going ahead we believe more and more voters will switch to different social media platforms to keep track of the political parties, leaders and their social media campaigns, said Sahil Chopra, Founder & CEO, iCubesWire. On the question of whether or not the social media strategy by political parties impact voting preferences of the voters in UP, 61% of social media users said that the different social media strategies by political parties impact their voting preferences while 19% denied it. Amidst pandemic, political parties have shifted their focus to digital campaigns and virtual rallies which have led to this gradual change among voters in their voting preferences pattern. The elections are also a major discussion point among Indian voters on social media. 68% of respondents said they engage with politicians on social media platforms. 85% of respondents see advertisements related to political leaders as well while indicating a solid following of the popular politicians. 31% of respondents watch news on social media while 27% read it. The rest 42% consume the news in both videos as well as in writing format. When asked on what basis these voters assess a political candidate, 26% said they watch it on TV, 15% read articles in newspapers, 26% preferred research on all social media platforms while 33% consider all of the above before making a choice. 82% of the respondents said they keep an eye on political candidates social media once the election gets over. Among them, 79% also check the number of followers, likes, subscribers on a politicians social media account. Surprisingly, 80% of the voters think political advertising on social media platforms is a good way to keep the voters engaged and inclined towards a political party whereas the other 18% think that its not the case. This survey, commissioned by iCubesWire, was conducted in the month of January 2022 to understand the social media sentiments of Indian voters and was done over three weeks across Uttar Pradesh. World Cancer Day is used internationally to raise awareness and encourage prevention of cancer. Companies, from Tata to Aditya Birla Capital, have tried to raise social awareness with their creatives and campaigns. They have urged people for timely tests because early detection can cure this diesease. Let's have a look at some of the campaigns: Tata: Tata's Digital Nerve Centre (DiNC) is leveraging technology and a bridigital framework to help India deliver comprehensive cancer care to the last mile. Our Digital Nerve Centre (DiNC) is leveraging technology and a bridigital framework to help India deliver comprehensive cancer care to the last mile. #WorldCancerDay #ThisIsTata . . .@tatatrusts @TCS pic.twitter.com/PaUNDLO9YV Tata Group (@TataCompanies) February 4, 2022 Mankind: Mankind best advice to prevent cancer is to be aware and to keep a check on regular discomforts. In prolonged cases seek medical advise as soon as possible. The best way to prevent cancer is to be aware and to keep a check on regular discomforts. In prolonged cases seek medical advise as soon as possible.#MankindPharma #ServingLife #WorldCancerDay #Cancer #CancerAwareness #CancerWarrior pic.twitter.com/Z4fxEIshZd Mankind Pharma (@Pharma_Mankind) February 4, 2022 Dabur: On World Cancer Day, Dabur Amla and Lisa Ray come together to support the cancer survivors Cipla: Cipla appeals that together, we can make real progress in reducing the global impact of cancer. The theme for this years World Cancer Day is closing the care gap. Cancer can be cured if detected early and treated effectively. Together, we can make real progress in reducing the global impact of cancer. #WorldCancerDay #Closethecaregap pic.twitter.com/9pSA4TBfwJ Cipla South Africa (@CiplaRSA) February 4, 2022 HDFC: On the occasion of World Cancer Day, HDFC Mutual Fund recognizes and appreciates the contribution and efforts of all involved in the cause of cancer care. Saregama: This World Cancer day Saregama supports the fighters and admire the survivors LIC: LIC says Support the fighters. Admire the survivors. Honor the taken. Never give up! Aditya Birla capital: On occasion of World Cancer day, Aditya Birla Capital protects you from financial stress by providing cancer secure plan Apollo hospital: apollo hospital says that its time to bring the change Max life insurance: This World Cancer day Max Life Insurance celebrates everyones spirit of being different Indian oil Indian oil seeks to raise awarness about creating healthier world Droom: On World Cancer day, Droom says "Fighters need to be supported, survivors need to be honoured and mass awareness needs tobe created". Sleepyhead, the D2C lifestyle brand has announced the appointment of Arha Padman as its Head of Brand Marketing. She will be responsible for leading brand and marketing strategy for Sleepyhead to bolster their aggressive growth plans. Throughout her career, Arha has established herself as an expert brand marketer with more than 12years of experience. Before joining Sleepyhead she worked with Duroflex where she was instrumental in growing the brand 4x to debut in the 1000 Cr club through innovative marketing campaigns, winning partnerships, national retail expansion, and driving digital transformation. She also worked with Group M, a WPP network company where it was leading business strategy for brands like Tanishq, Titan, Fastrack and Sonata and won multiple metals for her work. On this exuberant occasion, Padman said, I am very excited to join Sleepyhead and work alongside individuals who are determined to build a lifestyle brand for the digital native Indian millennial and Gen Z customer. I am looking forward to working with the team to bridge the gap in the industry and create high quality, design focussed products at affordable prices. Our focus will remain on leveraging the booming D2C ecosystem to stay nimble-footed and fostering a unique brand identity for our growth play. When Arha is not busy developing marketing strategies, she writes poems and short stories. She is a published poet and a professor of Brand Management and Media Planning at COMMITS Management Institute in Bangalore. Speeding bikes, bustling lanes of Mumbai and a young man in unkempt, disheveled hair crooning Koi Na Koi Chahiye Pyar Karne Wala; thats how Shah Rukh Khan steered into Hindi Cinema with Deewana and captured our hearts eventually. Despite starring as a second lead alongside leading faces like Rishi Kapoor and Divya Bharti, Shah Rukh Khan managed to charm his way out and convince the audiences that a new superstar was in the making. This month, Sony MAX2 celebrates the marvel with Deewana as the film clocks 30 years in the industry. As the film turns 30, here are few reasons why Deewana remains a favourite: King Khans Debut The year was 1992 and the Indian audience was about to witness a phenomenon. Deewana marked the debut film of Shah Rukh Khan and changed the course of Bollywood forever. The man who started off as a nobody with average looks and no godfather, eventually became the king of romance, commanding a sea of fans worldwide. Three decades later, SRKs vibrant presence in Deewana as a fiery young man, ready to give it his all for love is a performance that still calls for a watch. Recipe for a blockbuster It is said that a good film needs three things, a strong storyline, a great cast and a seasoned director. Riding on this master combination, this Raj Kanwar directorial debut opened to great reviews from critics and audiences alike, making their music the most loved album of the year. Magic of the Ensemble Deewana, like a lot of other films in the 90s boasted off a talented ensemble cast who breathed life into the characters to make it a success. Not only were SRK - Divya Bharti adored as an on-screen pair, his equation with Rishi Kapoor, despite few scenes in the film, created a strong lasting impression. However, a Bollywood hit is incomplete without a deadly villain and the veteran Amrish Puri along with Mohnish Bahl added the much needed punch into the otherwise romantic storyline in Deewana. Soul stirring music Music is food for the soul and in this case Deewana truly encapsulated that emotion with the most melodious soundtrack that worked like a glove with the storyline. From Aisi Deewangi to Teri Umeed Tera Intezar, to Payaliya and more, the magic of these songs not only made Deewana the most loved music album of 1992 but worked wonders for the musicians and singers who were associated with the film. So, celebrate love, friendship and SRK with Deewana on its 30 years on 6th February at 7PM only on Sony MAX2 Grab a tub of popcorn and hop on the thriller bandwagon as Netflix takes you on a thriller spree with nail-biting stories from around the world. While you wait for Netflixs upcoming thrillers, The Fame Game (on Feb 25) and Looop Lapeta (Feb 4), here are some of thrillers, which you can enjoy with subtitles and dubs of your choice- only on Netflix. Money Heist is considered as one of the best series ever. This Spanish hit will immerse you in the twisted world of a robbery gone wild with characters that youll love. Its final installment is out, and if you havent seen it yet, you must! A military doctor embarks on a journey to track down his former fiance's kidnapped niece, and how a twist in the tale leads him to an even larger mission. Directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, with a host to mesmerizing music and excellent artists, this intriguing Tamil film and entertaining thriller Doctor must be added to your watchlist! In Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein, in this pulpy Hindi thriller, a romantic simpleton, Vikrant (Tahir Raj Bhasin) becomes an object of desire for Purva (Anchal Singh), a powerful politicians daughter who will go to any lengths to get him. Pushing him down a dark and risky path to reclaim his life and love Shikha (Shweta Tripathi Sharma). Good news, Season 2 is on the way! All of Us Are Dead is about high school which becomes the epicentre of a zombie virus outbreak. Students who are trapped must fight their way out or risk becoming one of the rabid infected. This Korean thriller has it all: brave characters, a frightening zombie-like virus, and crazy cliffhangers that will keep you wanting for more! Ozark is a masterfully crafted crime thriller that strikes all the right notes and refuses to dial down the tension for even a single second. Financial planner Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman) is on the move with his wife Wendy (Laura Linneyand) and their two children after a money-laundering scheme goes wrong, forcing him to take unusual steps to keep his family safe. The Byrdes' fate is in jeopardy, and the dire circumstances force the fractured family to come together. Watch the latest installment of the series, out on Netflix. If you are in the mood for a solid, suspenseful film that will keep you guessing, watch this Malayalam film Kurup. Based on a true story, starring Dulquer Salmaan, who plays the role of Sukumara Kurup, a criminal on the run after committing a heinous crime, this film is sure to keep you glued to your seat. Also catch Tovino Thomas of Minnal Murali fame make a cameo in this thriller! Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Bern, 04.02.2022 - From 7 to 9 February 2022, Ignazio Cassis will travel to the West African country of Niger, which experienced the first democratic transfer of power in its history in 2021. He will be accompanied by the president of the National Council, Irene Kalin, and the Swiss delegation will be joined in Niger by the president of the ICRC, Peter Maurer. In his presidential year, Mr Cassis is placing an emphasis on Switzerlands close cooperation with the ICRC. Countries of the Sahel region, a focus area of the Federal Council's sub-Saharan Africa strategy, face major challenges. Violent extremism is on the rise in the bordering regions and is adversely affecting the security situation in Niger. This is exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the country, where some 3.7 million people are dependent on humanitarian aid, and is increasing poverty. Young people lack job and educational opportunities. Niger is not only one of the most vulnerable countries in the world , but also the main transit country for migration flows from West Africa to Europe. Humanitarian aid, education and migration are also key focus areas of Mr Cassis' trip. - In a physical rehabilitation centre in Agadez, the Swiss delegation will meet people with disabilities who are living in fragile contexts and are particularly in need of protection and support. The ICRC centre provides them with technical aids such as wheelchairs and helps them integrate in society and professional life. As set out in the Foreign Policy Strategy 202023, through its partnership with the ICRC, Switzerland aims to protect people in need and ensure compliance with international humanitarian law. With this high-ranking delegation, President Cassis is underscoring Switzerland's humanitarian tradition throughout the continent. - In the city of Maradi, the delegation will visit an SDC project that aims to help reduce illiteracy. Around half of children in Niger do not attend school. - A visit to a migration centre is also scheduled. Migrants in need have the opportunity to receive training and psychological counselling here. The centre is supported by Switzerland. One goal of Swiss migration policy is to help people where they live and create prospects for them locally, in order to help reduce the pressures that lead to irregular migration. High-level contacts in Niamey In Niamey, the Swiss delegation will meet the president of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum. The focus will be on bilateral relations between Switzerland and Niger, international cooperation, regional issues, climate change and the humanitarian situation in the Sahel region. Mr Cassis will also meet the Nigerien prime minister, Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou, the foreign minister, Hassoumi Massoudou and other members of the government. For her part, Ms Kalin will exchange views with her counterpart, the president of the Nigerien National Assembly, Seyni Oumarou. Address for enquiries FDFA Communication Federal Palace West Wing CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland Tel. Communication service: +41 58 462 31 53 Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55 E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch Twitter: @SwissMFA Publisher Federal Department of Foreign Affairs https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html Alton, IL (62002) Today Cloudy skies with periods of rain this afternoon. High 69F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Rain. Thunderstorms possible...mainly overnight. Low near 60F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Locally heavy rainfall possible. We are at a perilous moment. The states top prosecutor allegedly is not credible in speaking about circumstances of a hiring in his office, an independent investigation concluded this week. The rule of law is imperiled in Connecticut. A jarring scandal festers at the heart of Gov. Ned Lamonts administration. It will grow worse as a federal grand jury probes state-financed projects. A report issued Wednesday by former U.S. Attorney Stanley Twardy to the governor revealed what was first reported in this column last October: Chief States Attorney Richard Colangelo hired Anastasia Diamantis, the daughter of deputy budget director Kostantinos Diamantis, at the same time Colangelo was making a crude bid to win raises for himself and 15 colleagues. Advertisement Kosta Diamantis Twardys 42-page report is accompanied by more than 400 pages of documents, many created as the scheme advanced. Colangelo spent months in increasingly frantic attempts to drive the raises through two agencies as the state continued to confront persistent budget deficits. Colangelo hired Ms. Diamantis for a $99,000 year job (he originally offered her more, according to the report) in June 2020. She had been making $60,000 a year at another state agency. A high ranking employee in the Division of Criminal Justice felt compelled to keep detailed notes of the appalling saga as it unfurled. Advertisement Colangelo and the two Diamantises were not able to provide a plausible explanation of when the three of them were first together, according to the Twardy report. Colangelo has insisted in interviews that he met Ms. Diamantis at a Greek dinner in Southington before he hired her. The Twardy report disputes him. Our conclusion that those individuals lack credibility concerning the straightforward question of how Mr. Colangelo and Anastasia first met casts doubt on the integrity of the circumstances surrounding Anastasias hiring with the Division [of Criminal Justice]. Thats a damning conclusion a former prosecutor would normally reach about someone else, not the chief states attorney. The grimy alleged hire-for-raises gambit collapsed when those involved learned this columns exposure of it was imminent. Suddenly, they claimed the raises were only intended for future hires, not Colangelo and his colleagues, the report says. They, the states two top budget officials and head prosecutor, started claiming they had not understood the request that had been pressed with growing urgency by Colangelo for more than a year, the Twardy report says. Opinion Weekly Perspective on the week's biggest stories from the Courant's Opinion page > Diamantis retired when the Lamont administration suspended him last October. His troubles, the report reveals, have not ended. A federal grand jury names him in a subpoena served on the administration seeking documents. Authorities appear to be investigating the states school construction grants program and expansion of the State Pier in New London, which the former Bristol Democratic legislator handled. State prosecutor Richard Colangelo speaks during a hearing at Connecticut Superior Court in Stamford, Conn., on March 3, 2020. An independent investigation is questioning the "integrity" of Colangelo hiring a state budget official's daughter in 2020 while lobbying for pay raises for staff. (Tyler Sizemore/AP) The governor, who on Thursday called for Colangelo to be fired, should have known that allowing budget secretary Melissa McCaw to appoint Diamantis as her deputy was a mistake. Permitting Diamantis to keep control of the school construction grants program he had headed in another state agency was a blunder. No one appears to have been supervising Diamantis as he controlled hundreds of millions of dollars in construction funds. In a prescient 2020 memorandum exposing the gathering storm, a construction industry association provided the administration alarming examples of what members believed were problems with Diamantis leading the school construction program. One was an alleged attempt by Diamantis to get Bristol officials to reject the lowest bidder in an asbestos removal project. The successful bidder thwarted the assault on the bidding process. The associations memorandum alerted the administration that in a no-bid, emergency school construction project in Tolland, the town hired a construction company that had allegedly never built a school. The Tolland project also included Construction Advocacy Professionals, a company that hired Anastasia Diamantis out of the blue, according to the Twardy report. Though Tolland had an accomplished employee who had overseen the construction of the towns high school 15 years before, it nevertheless hired CAP, originally based in Bristol, and paid it $530,000 over two years to monitor costs. Advertisement The cost of portable classrooms at the Tolland construction site exploded from an original $1 million estimate to $9 million. Tolland officials were in a bind and may have had no choice. In response to a few questions from me, the towns school superintendent, Walter Willet, sent an email to members of the local board of education, elected public officials, asking them not to speak to reporters. As the federal criminal investigation proceeds, silence will be a costly option for only a few. MT. CALVARY, Wisconsin Farming the same area of land for more than 140 years, Mark Loehr and his family know how important it is to keep the DES MOINES, Iowa As has so often been the case, the biofuels industry is facing some good news and some bad news from Washington, D.C., according to industry leaders gathered last week for the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit. We cannot focus on that frustration (with Washington, D.C.), said Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association. We have to focus on the future. That future could include items such as wider use of E15 blends for ethanol and B20 blends for biodiesel. It could include sustainable aviation fuel or renewable fuel for trains and ships. And at the present, the fact that people are driving again after doing very little driving in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic is good news. Still, there are challenges. The Biden administration, like others before, has presented a mixed bag on biofuel issues. The COVID relief bill provided dollars for renewables. In early December, the administration issued its proposal for the Renewable Fuels Standard and it included a 15 billion gallon figure for 2022, the first time any administration had proposed sticking to the RFS number. But it proposed a lower number for 2021, a minor disappointment. And it proposed lowering the 2020 figure which was already supposed to be final. The administration did make one very good move, biofuel supporters say, by denying small refinery waivers across the board. That was a departure from the Trump administration approach. But it also continually stressed electric vehicles, and the infrastructure bill didnt include money for renewables. The proposed Build Back Better bill did not originally include money for renewables, but farm state lawmakers pushed to include $1 billion for renewables in that bill. Lawmakers from Iowa and neighboring Midwestern states provided strong, bipartisan support, Shaw said. Shaw and other industry leaders said they think it is possible the Build Back Better Act is not dead and that there could be some compromise on it in 2022. That compromise likely would include the renewable money. It will be pared down, said Donnell Rehagen, chief executive officer of Clean Fuels Alliance America (formerly the National Biodiesel Board). Ideas such as carbon sequestration also hold some promise, according to Devin Mogler, president of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, who said the idea had huge potential. And the idea of sustainable aviation fuel also has potential. We cant do that today, said Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy. But to get there we need to have a strong industry today. CropWatch Weekly Update Get the Iowa and Illinois CropWatchers report delivered to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Livestock specialists say genetics combined with good nutrition and management can help keep cows in the herd longer. Jim Humphrey, a University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist based in Atchison County in northwest Missouri, says good genes are a starting point when it comes to cow longevity. Cows need a good foundation. Genetics comes into play, he says. Theres been a lot of emphasis put on feet and legs. Humphrey says producers can look over cattle and see which ones have good structure and potential to be productive for a long time. Dan Loy, director of Iowa State Universitys Iowa Beef Center, says structural soundness and good genetics provide the foundation. I think thats where you have to start, he says. They have to have the capability to have that longevity and stay in the herd. They have to have that structure. Humphrey says if cows can get through their first few calves without major issues, they can have long, productive lives on the farm. Once we get them past that second calf, if were doing most things right, we can keep her in the herd a long time, he says. Loy says once the cow has basic health and structure, nutrition allows them to meet their potential. With nutrition, we just dont want to mess anything up, he says. Producers can make sure they are meeting cows nutritional needs by making sure they are keeping them in good body condition score, particularly in their early years of calving. We sure want those young females to have plenty of body condition around calving time, Humphrey says. He adds producers dont want cattle to have a body condition score thats too high, as carrying too much fat around the udder can limit milk production for life. Loy says a BCS of 5 or 6 at calving time is a good target. A 5 or 6 at calving time, then they have a better chance of breeding back, he says. The last few weeks of gestation and the time immediately after calving are times of increased nutritional need. The last few weeks of gestation, she really starts to require more groceries, Loy says. Humphrey says in areas with sandier soils, some cows teeth can wear down, but most regions of Missouri and the Midwest dont have that issue. Another key to keeping cows productive for a lot of years is working with a veterinarian and keeping up with parasitic controls and vaccinations, Humphrey says. Loy says producers can work with an Extension specialist or nutritional specialist to talk about their nutritional plans. Even if they have a lot of experience feeding cattle, it can be good to have those discussions to keep up with changes and year-to-year variations in quality. Every years a little bit different, Loy says. Its important to monitor quality, test your forage. Keeping cattle in good health and meeting nutritional needs helps make sure they keep producing healthy calves, which sets them up for longevity. Ultimately the way a lot of these animals fall out is because theyre open, Humphrey says. Loy says breed associations are developing EPDs for stayability, and longevity is something cattle producers are looking for. He says it costs a lot and takes time to develop a heifer, so getting many productive years out of a cow is desirable. As long as a cow is productive and rebreeds every year, Loy says producers like to keep them around. Humphrey says each person has their own strategy on when to cull cows or how long to keep them, but he says ultimately a cow producing good offspring can remain part of the herd for a long time, adding that good record keeping helps track cow performance. I dont get real hung up on age, he says. I was talking with one producer, they had some cows that were 15 years old, and they were still producing calves. I dont get hung up on age if youre taking care of these cows. AgUpdate Daily Headlines Get the latest agriculture news delivered to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. After a virtual meeting last year, Missouris corn growers were back in person for their annual meeting in Jefferson City this year. Its been an interesting few years, Audrain County farmer Jay Schutte, president of the Missouri Corn Growers Association, said to open the meeting. On Jan. 26, members of the Missouri Corn Growers Association and Missouri Corn Merchandising Council gathered in Jefferson City for their annual meeting and legislative day. The meeting featured briefings on various issues, as well as a visit from Gov. Mike Parson. Schutte said in an interview before the meeting that corn growers are monitoring several issues relating to profitability, including trade, ethanol and fertilizer costs. As for state legislative issues, he said Missouri Corn is focused on getting an extension for Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development tax credits, in particular those relating to new generation cooperatives. We always try to maintain a rapport with the legislature, Schutte said. Like anything else you have to work at it. Schutte says Missouri Corn has that good standing with the legislature, as well as the governor. Parson, a farmer from southwest Missouri, spoke about his appreciation for people in agriculture. Im such a believer in who we are, not just the business side, but because of agriculture and who it represents, he said. Parson spoke about priorities for the state during this years legislative session and investments needed to support the agriculture industry in the state. He said workforce development is important for agriculture and the state as a whole. We put $10 million in the budget to help build the workforce in agriculture, he said. Parson said the state has been making investments expanding broadband Internet. He said it was a critical part of infrastructure efforts in the state. You have to have the infrastructure in place to be competitive, he said. Weve got to figure out how do we get broadband to every aspect in the state. Parson said the state has budgeted over $400 million for broadband development. He drew parallels to efforts to bring electricity to rural parts of the state generations ago. Also, the governor highlighted investments in rural roads as a way to support agriculture, including a recent allocation from the states General Revenue fund. We have $100 million in the budget out of General Revenue to be able to get these rural roads up and running, and get those products moved down the road, Parson said. The governor said these investments are about giving the states economy, agriculture included, the tools it needs to thrive. If you cant get the infrastructure right, if you cant get the workforce development right, youre kidding yourself if you think youre going to grow, Parson said. Toward the end of his remarks, the governor encouraged the farmers at the annual meeting to continue to engage with the legislature and voice their support for issues important to their industry. Work your magic over there at the capitol, Parson said. Make sure we get things across the finish line. Ill do what I can to help you. Schutte said during the meeting that the last couple years have brought unique obstacles, but he continues to be hopeful. Its been challenging with all the changes COVID has thrown at us, but we have persevered, he said. AgUpdate Daily Headlines Get the latest agriculture news delivered to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Because of the huge demand, steamship lines have put all their emphasis and all of their available space on the inbound side, and theyre not always paying attention to the export side. Homeless encampments in Austin, Texas, were legalized in 2021, but the people of this fast-growing tech mecca have had second and third thoughts about what looked like a good idea on paper but turned out to be an eyesore under bridges. Austin politicos have just finished removing virtually all remaining visible homeless camps. Other cities are taking notice. The journey to this current outcome was far from a straight path. Put bluntly, it was a dizzying display of waffling wokeness. In 2019, the city council of Austin had the bright idea to legalize homeless camps. Unfortunately, they took the vote in the middle of the night -- 2:00 am to be exact -- when virtually all citizen stakeholders were asleep. A year later, the same council voted to defund the citys police budget by more than a third. These decisions caused wholesale disaster and immediate negative consequences for public safety. Moreover, they led to even more chaos, violence, and, recently, a backlash from some grassroots groups actively rejecting the councils dangerous progressive agenda. Like other cities across the nation, Austin residents had the chance to move in favor of restoring order as they voted on Proposition A to re-fund and restaff the police. This ballot measure came a year after they voted on another referendum to curb the rampant homeless crises created by that first middle-of-the-night council vote. But unlike other cities, Austin voted down the measure in early November. After Decision No. 1 by the city council, homelessness in Austin exploded as homeless people from other cities migrated into the state capitol to live off the heavily-subsidized fat of the land. The situation quickly became deadly. A whopping 10 percent of homeless people died in 2020 alone -- with substance abuse being the leading killer. Regrettably, the gruesome run of deaths has gone on unabated. As a result, the city spent upwards of $70 million last fiscal year to deal with all related problems, and as if that wasnt enough, the federal government poured in another $200 million. It turns out its expensive to make everything free and legal. It was also a big hit for taxpayers at the state and federal levels. One study of public spending on the 250 most expensive homeless people in Travis County -- where Austin is located -- showed a combined annual cost of $223,000 per person. Thats far more than most hard-working Americans earn in a year. Then came Proposition B, a grassroots referendum to reinstate the citys camping ban that made it on the ballot. Again, city officials predicted it would be a close call. But it wasnt. Prop. B won a decisive 5842 percent victory in Spring of 2021. Then, as all of this played out, the Austin woke wannabes jumped on the Defund the Police bandwagon. And, you guessed it, yanking police resources made that bad public camping experiment even worse. As a result of the insane defunding movement, Austins fiscal 2020 police budget dropped from $434.5 million in 2019 to $292.2 million in 2020. On top of that, the city council also cut three cadet classes and 150 officers from the budget. Ouch. Proposition A. was meant to help turn things around. This was another referendum created by the same group behind Prop. B -- Save Austin Now -- that would have required the city to backtrack on those spending cuts and pay to maintain and train more police officers (two per every 1,000 residents). It would have doubled officer training and increased their presence in the community. But Austin voters rejected Proposition A due to a campaign against it that claimed funds would have been taken from funding parks and other city services. Its too bad. Austins 2021 murder tally is now the highest in its history, nearly tripling from 33 in 2019 to 89 murders in 2021. Austins looking a lot like Portland, Oregon, Chicago, and New York. Clearly, Defund the Police did not work. Neither did the idealistic notion of allowing the homeless to self-govern, even with subsidies of a quarter-million dollars apiece. Its unclear why Austin still backed these double-barrel bad ideas. Who wants to go to a park if its filled with homeless people and no police to fight crime? Based on the crime, homelessness, and general turmoil in the city, it seems like this deadly social experiment needed to end, and we can only hope Austin elected officials learned their lessons. Austin is a familiar story. The number of sworn officers has dropped by more than 300 over the past year. Yet, at the same time, the citys population has grown by nearly 40,000 since 2019. It currently stands at about one million. According to data collected for the Manhattan Institutes Metro Majority survey, more than half of Austin residents oppose defunding the police and support a more prominent police presence in their area. The first city council vote in the dead of night demonstrated the councils complete disregard for the well-being of its citizens. Adding insult to injury, the council voted again to defund the police, throwing the community into more chaos and danger at the hands of criminals. Throwing open the doors to all of the states homeless population while employing fewer officers was a recipe for disaster. Its now painfully apparent that its far easier to Defund the Police from a city relatively free of crime than it is to re-fund and remove criminals and stop the crime that has proliferated during the grand experiment. It wont be easy, but at least -- with more officers and training on the horizon -- there would have been more hope for the people of Austin now that politicians have somewhat awakened from their woke slumber. Michael Letts is the CEO and Founder of In-VestUSA, a national grassroots non-profit organization based in Columbia, South Carolina, helping hundreds of communities provide thousands of bulletproof vests for their police forces through educational, public relations, sponsorship, and fundraising programs. CONTACT: Jerry McGlothlin for Michael Letts 919-437-0001 jerry@specialguests.com Image: Pixabay Ben & Jerry's is circling the drain due to its decision to join the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. VINnews reports that Ben & Jerry's parent Unilever has lost $26 billion in value (down more than 20%, it seems to have recovered a bit since then) and has laid off 1500 workers partly due to backlash, including invocation of state anti-boycott laws, against Ben & Jerry's. BDS supporters believe prices must be paid by everybody but themselves, for the Cause. They will fight to the last Unilever stockholder, the last Unilever employee, the last Ben & Jerry's franchisee, the last tax-exempt professional organization such as the American Studies Association, and the last tax-exempt union to harm Israel and therefore, by necessity, advance the cause of Hamas. Form 13909 complaints have been filed with the IRS against some of the 501(c) organizations in question with reasons such as ultra vires (outside the organization's charter and mission as reported to the IRS on Form 990) and involvement in political campaigns when material was found on organizations' web sites that advocated the defeat of Donald Trump and others. This material would have probably gone unnoticed had the organizations not drawn the wrong kind of attention to themselves. The IRS understands that very few people or organizations get reported by people who like them; it's usually the disgruntled ex-spouse, disgruntled ex-employee or, in this case, those of us who view BDS as support for anti-Semitism and terrorism, who turn them in. It also came out that Ben & Jerry's "social responsibility" selling point is little more than an empty slogan due to the presence of sugar as a major ingredient in Doggie Desserts. Doggie Desserts are priced much higher per ounce than ordinary peanut butter, contain water as a major ingredient, and contain sugar as a major ingredient. Even in the absence of the sugar-related health issues, literally watering down one's product so the customer receives less value per ounce is not socially responsible. (Water may admittedly be a necessary ingredient of a frozen treat but I doubt any dog will turn down frozen peanuts-only peanut butter.) The inclusion of an ingredient that is harmful to dogs is even worse. Consumers should be educated to buy peanuts-only peanut butter instead; make sure it does not include, however, xylitol which is very dangerous to dogs. High salt content also should be avoided. If in doubt, ask your veterinarian. This issue would have probably gone overlooked for quite some time had Ben & Jerry's not drawn the attention of the pro-Israel movement and, more generally, pro-freedom movement that includes support for all the world's free nations including Taiwan against terrorists such as Hamas and dictatorships like Communist China. People don't normally go to websites to investigate the ingredients of products they don't buy, but involvement in BDS draws the wrong kind of attention. Now the Ben & Jerry's Foundation and Anuradha Mittal's Oakland Foundation find themselves under scrutiny for exactly that reason. The New York Post reports that the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) filed a complaint with the IRS that contends, "It is our contention that this a possible violation of self-dealing as [Anuradha] Mittal is considered a disqualified person under IRS rules." Regardless of the propriety of Ben & Jerry's Foundation's grants to the Oakland Institute, however, the decision by Anuradha Mittal and other Ben & Jerry's Board members (as Mittal could not have acted alone) to involve the company in BDS has brought nothing good to the business interests of Unilever and its shareholders, the jobs of Unilever employees, Ben & Jerry's franchisees, and the reputation of Ben & Jerry's. There is meanwhile speculation that Unilever might want to sell off Ben & Jerry's as part of its new ice cream division, although I cannot see why they would want to part with Breyers or Klondike. Anybody who is thinking of buying Ben & Jerry's for goodwill, which includes reputation and customer relationships, or opening a Ben & Jerry's franchise, needs to realize that Ben & Jerry's is now damaged goods due to its involvement in BDS. Alan Dershowitz has meanwhile raised the possibility of "a stockholder derivative suit against Unilever" and mentioned the issue of fiduciary duties. Pursuit of controversial political agendas not related to the business does not appear to be consistent, from where I sit, with a fiduciary duty to investors, employees, and other stakeholders. Michael Ashner of Winthrop Capital Partners, which owns a stake in Unilever, has also taken exception to Ben & Jerry's actions. I would meanwhile encourage mutual funds and pension funds to consider divestment from Unilever not over the BDS issue -- if Unilever is a good investment then the fund managers have a fiduciary duty to stick with it regardless of what they, I, or others think of BDS -- but rather because BDS has made Ben & Jerry's into damaged goods and is dragging the rest of Unilever down with it. This is what happens when an organization tolerates governing members who bring personal political agendas under the organization's roof. What is happening to Unilever should be an object lesson to every other organization that has involved itself in BDS and, for that matter, other political controversies. Civis Americanus is the pen name of a contributor who remembers the lessons of history, and wants to ensure that our country never needs to learn those lessons again the hard way. He or she is remaining anonymous due to the likely prospect of being subjected to "cancel culture" for exposing the Big Lie behind Black Lives Matter. President Biden ignited a political firestorm last month when he announced that he would fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by Justice Stephen Breyers resignation with a Black woman. This was reportedly the result of a deal (political quid pro quo) that candidate Biden struck with Representative James Clyburn (D-South Carolina) in return for delivering the Black vote in the South Carolina primary. President Biden did a huge disservice to both the integrity of the selection process in nominating justices to the high court and to the candidate that is ultimately chosen. The fact that Biden would enter into such a pact with Clyburn strongly suggests that these vacancies are for sale. It is worth noting that a former governor of Illinois (Rod Blagojevich) was impeached, convicted, and removed from office by a unanimous vote of the Illinois Senate (59 0) and spent considerable time in federal prison for selling the Senate seat that was vacated when Barack Obama was elected president. It matters not whether the bribe is denominated in dollars or votes. The disservice to the potential nominee is that regardless of her qualifications and subsequent performance on the court she will have great difficulty shaking the less-than-complimentary label of the affirmative-action justice. The necessary implication is that but for being a Black woman she would never have been nominated to serve on the court. This fact alone can be expected to endogenously and adversely affect the quality of the candidates that are willing to accept the nomination. President Biden could have avoided the entire controversy by simply allowing the selection process to move forward in a comprehensive and objective manner without preordaining the outcome. He may have ultimately chosen a Black woman as the nominee, at which time he could have explained to the American people his reasoning for doing so. The consensus view may well be that the nominee was likely to be a Black woman, the qualifications of the other candidates notwithstanding, but preserving the integrity of the process (or at least the appearance thereof) is paramount. What is more, the fact that both the race and gender of the nominee were determined by the pact with Clyburn does not attest to Bidens unwavering commitment to diversity, but to his unbridled (and unprincipled) ambition to be elected president. Virtually every decision involves tradeoffs of one kind or another and nominees for the high court are no exception. As an example, suppose that there are both objective qualifications and another attribute deemed desirable for Supreme Court justices. The objective qualifications likely include the reputation of the law school from which the nominee graduated, class ranking, quality of judicial decisions, the infrequency of decisions being overturned, deference to the Constitution, legal scholarship reflected in law review articles and other writings, and American Bar Association ratings. The other attribute may be whether the nominee contributes to diversity on the court, broadly defined. The diversity attribute is multidimensional in the sense that it may transcend race, gender, and sexual orientation to include diversity of thought, socio-economic background, and various life experiences. Assume for the sake of argument that President Bidens nominee ranks first in the pool of candidates in terms of objective qualifications. The overwhelming majority of the American people would likely concur that placing a Black woman on the high court would add an important dimension to the courts deliberations that it does not have at the present time. In this particular case, there is no trade-off between objective qualifications and diversity so the choice is seemingly without controversy, at least among fair-minded individuals. Suppose now that Bidens nominee ranks second in terms of objective qualifications and the individual that ranks first is a White (heterosexual) male. The majority of the American people would likely still concur with the presidents choice even though it entails a tradeoff between objective qualifications and diversity. This tradeoff (opportunity cost) represents the price that the American people would be willing to pay for increased diversity in terms of objective qualifications foregone. It is conceivable, although less likely, that the same sentiment would prevail if the Presidents nominee ranked third in terms of objective qualifications. The real controversy arises when the Presidents nominee is ranked further down the list because the price that is being paid for diversity in terms of objective qualifications foregone is significantly higher. But note that the president has gone even further. His statement that he would nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court full stop means that the President is willing to pay any price for increased diversity -- a choice that only 23% of those surveyed in a recent ABC New-Ipsos poll agree with. If we stipulate that diversity among the justices on the Supreme Court is an important consideration, then it necessarily follows that we must also be willing to recognize that the optimal nominee for the high court may not be independent of the current composition of the court, ceteris paribus. That is to say, putting a Black woman on the high court would be desirable provided that the price of doing so (as measured in terms of objective qualifications foregone) is not inordinately high. This suggests that the American people value diversity, but unlike the president they are not willing to pay any price, no matter how high, to achieve it. Image: PxHere The same media types who were horrified at the thought of the Gulf War, even though it was ostensibly to increase America's security, are all in for the Biden administration's frantic effort to get America involved in a winter land war against Russia that will confer no benefit whatsoever on America. That's why it was strange and wonderful to watch the Associated Press's Matt Lee nail Ned Price, the State Department's spokesman, as he insisted that the media must trust the State Department when it comes to claims about Putin's sneaky doings. The clip that's making the rounds comes in the middle of a longer back and forth, so a little context is necessary. Ned Price announced that Putin was engaged in "false flag" operations so he could justify Russia's imminent invasion of Ukraine. Here's a little more context: Russia has been hungry for Ukraine forever. The Crimea offers a warm water port that opens into the Mediterranean. Also, as Anony Mee mentioned to me when we talked (she's a personal friend), it's very likely that Putin, who is not a brain-dead climatista, recognizes that the world is about to get very cold. Although Russia's population is shrinking, even a shrinking population needs food, and Putin may be thinking of Ukraine's golden grain. In that context, the real false flag pretext is probably Putin's claim that Ukraine joining NATO is a threat. In fact, it appears that the Europeans don't want NATO in Ukraine. More than that, as Putin's separate negotiations with the Europeans show, the Europeans are entirely dependent on Russia for their energy and have no intention of going to war against it. Germany has shut down its nuclear plants, and Biden not only ended America as a net energy exporter, but also gave the seal of approval to Russia's pipeline into Europe. Ukraine, too, is not anxious for war, and Ukraine's president had to walk back Biden's hysteria forcing Biden to walk it back as well. Image: The State Departments Ned Price. Twitter screen grab. All of this leaves one thinking that if there's any national leader out there putting out disinformation to justify an attack, it's Joe Biden. And truly, this is the kind of war that leftists love because, as I said, it confers no benefit whatsoever on America. If America benefits, leftists automatically impute evil, colonialist, racist motives to the war. However, if America goes to war for a corrupt faraway nation that doesn't want to go to war at all, what could be better? And again, the media are all on board. Except, it seems, for the Associated Press's Matt Lee, who basically said to Ned Price, the State Department spokesman, I think you're lying. Until you put actual proof on the table, there's no reason for me, a seasoned foreign policy reporter, to take you at your word: Reporter: Its an action that you say they have taken, but you have shown no evidence to confirm that. [...] This is like - crisis actors? Really? This is like Alex Jones territory youre getting into now. Must-watch exchange between @APDiploWriter Matt Lee and @StateDeptSpox. pic.twitter.com/RPIPb2zwf5 The Hill (@thehill) February 3, 2022 Lee is direct: just because Ned Price says something, that is not evidence. And what's amazing is how Price either cannot or will not understand the principle of actual evidence versus "trust us, we're the State Department." What Lee is almost, although not quite, explicitly saying is "I don't trust you." And neither should anyone else. Even at the best of times, the State Department is unreliable, but in a Biden administration, the unreliable factor has gone into the stratosphere. As of this writing, Lee's attack on the State Department's probity has been viewed almost 3 million times. Lincoln, NE (68508) Today Rain. High 46F. Winds NE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low 39F. Winds N at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. Higher wind gusts possible. The RCP average has Governor Abbott up 8.2 points on Beto O'Rourke. So what is Beto doing these days? The answer is that he can't stop reminding Texas that the lights went out a year ago. This is from The Austin Statesman: Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke will travel to 20 cities and towns across Texas over 12 days to mark the anniversary of the deadly February winter storms and widespread power outages, his campaign announced Monday. The trip dubbed the "Keeping the Lights On" tour will start in El Paso on Friday and end in Houston Feb. 15, the anniversary of the first day of the deadly freeze. O'Rourke will stop in Abilene, Wichita Falls, Austin, Corpus Christi and at least six other cities to speak about the outages and unveil his plan for improving the reliability of the state's power grid. Since launching his campaign for governor, O'Rourke has been a vocal critic of the state's response to the nearly catastrophic failure of the state's power grid, arguing that Gov. Greg Abbott and other state leaders have failed to take steps to secure the grid and prevent future widespread outages. Still, he has yet to release a detailed plan for how to shore up the grid. Yes, we are waiting for the plan. According to the website, Mr. O'Rourke wants to keep Texas as the energy capital of the U.S. How? We are waiting for specifics. Image: Beto O'Rourke (edited in befunky). YouTube screen grab. A year ago, we had a disaster in Texas. Unfortunately, our power grid collapsed under the weight of unusually cold temperatures and snow. I've lived in Texas since 1984 and have seen many tornadoes, heat waves of 100-plus temperatures, freak winter storms, and a few other crazy things. However, nothing like what happened a year ago, when Texas resembled the North Pole for a weekend. So why is Beto reminding people of that terrible situation a year ago? He's got nothing else, and the campaign looks more and more desperate every day. PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk). Currently, the single most important thing separating America from most of the world's other so-called free countries is our Second Amendment. Most countries pay lip service to the rights of free speech or free assembly; none acknowledges an inherent, Creator-given right to bear arms. Joe Biden would like us to be more like them. And as part of that effort, he appeared in New York on Thursday and gave something resembling a speech (he stumbled through words in a binder, interrupting his text with bizarre statements) that was a rare mixture of nonsense and lies about the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment is the single most important part of the Constitution because without it, none of the other rights matters. As we've seen across the world, in country after country with a charter or constitution that ostensibly gives the citizens the right to bodily integrity, free speech, assembly, etc., those countries have no compunction about ignoring such rights. (I'm looking at you, Australia, Canada, Austria, Italy, etc., etc.) The governments know that their citizens have no recourse whatsoever. They are helpless. Please understand that I am most emphatically not advocating an armed rebellion. What I am pointing out is that there is always in the back of our government's collective mind the tiny frisson of fear that, with a lawfully armed populace, if the government goes too far, bad things might happen. It's that fear that restrains the government from going too far. The Second Amendment also encourages independence from the government. People who can protect themselves against enemies foreign and domestic, ward off criminals, and hunt for food are freer people than those who must look to the government to protect them in all matters. Joe Biden and his handlers hate these facts. They hate that they can push the American people only so far, and they hate that, outside Democrat cities that have so much gun control that only criminals have guns, the American people can live somewhat independently of the grotesquely large American government. On Thursday, Joe Biden went to New York and argued aggressively to limit the Second Amendment. Well, he didn't really argue. He lied through his teeth, making up all sorts of fantastical things and regurgitating old lies that even leftist outlets had rebutted. Here are some excerpts and as you watch and listen to Biden, please take note of the fact that he's not even pretending to do anything other than reading his speech, except when he erupts with nonsense from his own addled mind: BIDEN: A Glock with a 40 round magazine is a "weapon of war." pic.twitter.com/gwixWnMhlS Townhall.com (@townhallcom) February 3, 2022 First, a Glock is a semi-automatic, not a full automatic. Every shot requires pulling the trigger. Second, whether I have some huge circular magazine or several prepped seven- or ten-round magazines really doesn't matter. BIDEN: Gun manufacturers are "the only industry in America that is exempted from being sued, and I find it to be outrageous." pic.twitter.com/T9LU7hQLP0 Townhall.com (@townhallcom) February 3, 2022 Whats outrageous is how dishonest this is. What leftists have been unable to do is sue gun manufacturers for a product that a customer misuses just as you cannot sue a car manufacturer if the purchaser drives drunk and causes an accident. However, gun manufacturers can be sued for a defective product, the same as any other manufacturer. The only absolute liability exemption I know of is that given to vaccine manufacturers... Quick edit: ...should* be able to buy... Townhall.com (@townhallcom) February 3, 2022 First, there's no such thing as an "assault weapon." Just sayin'. Second, Biden keeps telling this lie even though even the Washington Post rebutted it less than eight months ago: "Everything in that statement is wrong," said David Kopel, the research director and Second Amendment project director at the Independence Institute. After 1791, "there were no federal laws about the type of gun you could own, and no states limited the kind of gun you could own." A little history: The first shots in the Revolutionary War were fired because the British were heading to Boston to seize weapons. Until this moment, the colonists believed that the 1689 English Bill of Rights gave them the right to "have arms for their defence suitable to their conditions and as allowed by law." After the Revolution, the Founders decided to make it perfectly clear that keeping and bearing arms is not a government-granted privilege, but an inherent right. After all, it was the colonists' arms that won the Revolution. But Biden doesn't care about history, and he doesn't care about facts. He's a classic demagogue who says whatever he needs to say to enhance his power. And in New York, a city in which violent crime keeps increasing, there are enough leftists who will listen and agree to this claptrap without regard for the fact that, as John Lott has shown, more guns in law-abiding hands mean less crime. Image: Joe Biden lying about guns and gun rights (edited in befunky). Twitter screen grab. President Reagan used to say "trust, but verify." Joe Biden has shortened that to everyone just trust. This authoritarian Biden "rule" was made evident in the course of the Feb. 3 briefing at the Department of State. "It's an action that you say they have taken, but you have shown no evidence to confirm that," [Associated Press diplomatic writer Matt Lee] said. "This is like crisis actors, really, this is like Alex Jones territory you're getting into now. What evidence do you have to support the idea that there's some propaganda film in the making?" [State Department spokesman Ned] Price answered that there was "information known to the U.S. government," but Lee again interrupted, asking, "Where is it?" ...and... "I'm sorry you're doubting the information that's in the possession of the U.S. government," Price said. That exchange happened when State Department propagandist Ned Price refused to provide AP reporter Matt Lee evidence for Price's assertion that Russia was readying a "false flag" operation to provoke hostilities in Ukraine. Price brushed off Lee by suggesting that the veteran correspondent will believe Russia over the U.S. administration's and its allies' statements. Lee did not back down, pointing out that past administration statements, on Iraq possessing weapons of mass destruction, and on rosy prospects for withdrawing from Afghanistan, turned out to be false. The Daily Caller's account noted that Lee continued to press Price for details and Price just ignored his good journalistic efforts to pin the Bidenites down. Unfortunately, Lee is an exception these days when it comes to a dishonest, controlled media. What the Feb. 3 incident at the State Department briefing room makes clear is that whereas, six years ago, the left only accused, falsely and maliciously, Donald Trump of being a Putin asset, under Biden, anyone who refuses to accept administration declarations at face value will be accused of being a Putin asset. In the 1950s, this approach was called McCarthyism. Two simple questions come to mind to indicate how repressive the media atmosphere is with Biden in the White House. First, is it Russia that has been expanding into western Europe the past three decades or has it been NATO that has moved into eastern Europe? Second, hasn't the Biden family made big bucks by meddling in Ukraine's internal affairs? There can be no doubt as to the answers to these questions, can there? But where are media reporters as courageous as AP's Matt Lee to ask these two simple questions? They will not be found at media outlets strictly observing Biden's Transcendent First (and Only) Rule: trust me; just don't ask for verification. This Biden rule, operative in controlled countries, not free democracies, serves to keep the American people in the dark and as the Washington Post's new slogan declares: "Democracy dies in darkness" thereby stifling the open debate that separates a free country from a totalitarian state. Alas, there are no indications (so far) that congressional Republicans will demand evidence to support administration propaganda. Also, news in February included reports that Biden is deploying 3,000 U.S. troops to escalate tensions with Russia, no doubt. One hears, as yet, only silence from Congress. One further question comes to mind: where an authoritarian regime can get away with accusing, without evidence, another government of provoking an international incident, isn't war more likely to be the result war resulting from the actions of the accusing government? Image: Screen shot from Fox News video via YouTube. With a voter recall four months away, things aren't going too well for San Francisco's far-left district attorney, Chesa Boudin, whose office appears to now be a dumpster fire of controversies. Thursday, the news got out through court transcripts that a shouting match broke out in a courthouse, between Chesa's staff and the lawyers of a witness, Magen Hayashi, who testified that Chesa's D.A. office told her to withhold critical evidence that could have exculpated an officer in a police brutality case. The D.A.'s investigation of the matter neglected to mention that the cop in question was answering a domestic violence call and didn't just start beating the suspect for no good reason. The officer's defense team thought that relevant, and apparently, Chesa's staff were intimidating the witness. According to the San Francisco Examiner: "After the court exited the courtroom," [defense attorney Nicole] Pifari told the judge, attorneys for the DA's office "started yelling at ... began to yell at counsel for Ms. [Magen] Hayashi telling him to do his job." Pifari told the judge that one of the attorneys for the DA's office "pointed at the witness and told her she was being accused of a crime. It's intimidating a witness, it's unprofessional, it's very problematic that they're trying to affect the testimony of this witness off the record. I have a real problem with what just happened. They were yelling at her attorney in open court." It's not clear what crime the attorney allegedly referred to. "OK. Let's not yell, OK? Thank you," judge Teresa Caffese said, according to the transcript of the testimony. "Will the court please instruct attorneys for the DA's office to not address the witness, talk to her, point at her and tell her she's you know, off-the-record having discussions with the witness, it's totally inappropriate," Pifari said. An attorney for the DA's office responded, "For the record, (the attorney for the investigator) was yelling too." Obviously, her testimony was bothering them, despite the fact that the leftist judge seemed to think it was as irrelevant to the case as Chesa did. It got the defense lawyer barking, and even more significantly, it got the San Francisco police chief furious. Chief Bill Scott yanked all cooperation with the D.A.'s office on investigations of police brutality cases as a result of this sneaky bid to stack the deck against the accused cop. That's rather a heavy blow to Chesa, who goes at these cases with a gusto that's wholly lacking in his prosecution of violent crime. The chief could have done this quietly, as the Examiner notes, but he went loud and public instead: The chief could have reached out privately to Boudin about the testimony, and what it meant in relation to their memo of understanding, the agreement Scott abruptly terminated on how they handle investigations into police misconduct. Instead, Scott issued a press release a highly public statement saying the testimony "convincingly established that the San Francisco District Attorney's Office has not adhered to the MOU's provisions." In a letter to Boudin linked in the press release, Scott said "confidence has been eroded" in how the two departments work together on investigations into misuse of force. Headlines on the press release cited "court revelations that prosecutors withheld evidence in investigations" and "evidence that DA's office systematically concealed information and evidence." That is damning language in a press release about a district attorney who is facing a recall election in June. Chesa and his team did a press conference on Thursday, attempting to claim that Chesa was as outraged as anyone about Hayaski's testimony, among other things, but it didn't go well. This was perhaps the most surreal moment. She literally said parents could now feel safe letting kids walk on the streets because Chesa was protecting them from being killed by holding cops accountable. https://t.co/3Fm1T3dpRe The Marina Times (@TheMarinaTimes) February 4, 2022 He pointed the finger at the police chief, and got blowback like this: Cops must be held accountable. So must the DAs office. When an employee feels like they will lose their job for being truthful, something is wrong. https://t.co/fyxdmaBR9t The Truth about Chesa Boudin (@TruthAboutChesa) February 4, 2022 On top of that, Boudin seems to have enraged the local press: You guys dont respond thats the problem.@chesaboudin and his office called out by reporter. Dont tell the media they can email if youre not actually going to use it as a means of communication or you pick and choose who you respond to. https://t.co/6WWZiz2wby Maria Cid Medina (@Maria_MedinaTV) February 3, 2022 This comes as at least 59 attorneys have left the D.A.'s office during Chesa's tenure, 37 of whom simply quit, 11 of whom retired, and 11 of whom were fired, as the San Francisco Chronicle reported. On top of this, victims are loudly accusing him of dereliction of duty, with some trying to sue him, and word has gotten out that the Union Square looters, who trashed tony shops in San Francisco's premier shopping district ahead of the Black Friday weekend, got let out on minor misdemeanors, following Chesa's announcement that he would charge these organized criminals with felonies. Chesa gonna Chesa. But the public knows about it this time. He's got the cops mad at him. He's got the people in his office mad at him, he's got the press mad at him, and he's certainly got the voters mad at him. That's all by pointing fingers at others instead of himself as San Francisco circles the drain, blaming cops, engaging in sneaky pete against cops, engaging in even more of it against D.A. office employees with standards, lying, and losing his prized right to investigate cops for brutality based on his dishonorable behavior. The hypocrisy is obvious to many: Cops must be held accountable. So must the DAs office. When an employee feels like they will lose their job for being truthful, something is wrong. https://t.co/fyxdmaBR9t The Truth about Chesa Boudin (@TruthAboutChesa) February 4, 2022 Apparently, the police chief isn't even speaking to him anymore, based on the press accounts. That's bad in a city that's inundated with violent crime, which Chesa keeps saying is either down or else nonexistent. He's dropped himself into this because he's essentially a gaslighter a liar, a misrepresenter, and a blamer. His lies are catching up to him. Now he's running out of gas. As one minion of Twitter noted, he's falling to pieces. "You can see it in his eyes." Not exactly a guy who's up to his job. It's chaotic enough now to make one wonder if he will actually make it to the recall. Image: Twitter screen shot. Michael Knowles irritates me a bit. Although quite young, he's incredibly intelligent, knowledgeable, and quick-witted, and his values are all in the right place. Add to that the fact that he's also good-looking, and you can see why someone who has been slogging through the decades trying to get it right might resent him a bit. However, I don't let that resentment get in the way of listening to his podcast, along with Matt Walsh's, whenever I get the chance. Earlier this week, I heard him throw out a suggestion: when the Republicans take Congress, as we hope they will, Knowles said their first order of business should be to subpoena Anthony Fauci to appear before Congress and answer for all his lies. The second order of business is the one that's genius. Knowles recognizes that Congress cannot fire Fauci, no matter how much he deserves it. However, Congress does have a unique power, and that's the power of the purse. A Republican-controlled House should immediately vote to reduce Fauci's salary to zero. Knowles suggested that congressional candidates take a pledge promising to do those two things. As I said, it was sort of a throwaway idea with Knowles thinking aloud about what he would do if he had the power. But then something wonderful happened: Bo Hines, who is running for Congress in North Carolina, heard the podcast. He and his staff decided to do something about it, so they created a formal pledge: Yesterday, @michaeljknowles created a Public Health Protection Pledge for candidates to confirm theyll investigate Dr. Fauci for his deceit & vote to adjust his salary to $0. I am proud to be the 1st to sign this pledge & encourage other #AmericaFirst candidates to sign too! pic.twitter.com/f6qirqSrRh Bo Hines (@BoHines) February 1, 2022 Not only did Hines tag a number of people, but Michael Knowles, who has over a half-million Twitter followers, also tweeted out the idea: I will not vote for any federal candidate in 2022 who does not promise to investigate and defund Dr. Fauci. And you shouldn't either. Tag your congressmen, senators, and candidates, and tell them to sign the Public Health Protection Pledge! pic.twitter.com/g24E4UKHG3 Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) February 1, 2022 And that's when something wonderful happened. Things took off: Proud to be the second candidate to sign this pledge and join you in this effort, @BoHines ! FIRE FAUCI! cc: @michaeljknowles https://t.co/GBdImgMpd4 pic.twitter.com/rRO1DP9ez3 Patrick Witt (@patrickjwitt) February 1, 2022 PROUD to join fellow conservative candidates in signing the @michaeljknowles Public Health Protection Pledge! Fauci should spend the rest of his life rotting away in a federal prisonthis pledge is a great 1st step toward that noble goal Thank you @BoHines for leading on this pic.twitter.com/ZNQwUhGtvg Rep. Anthony Sabatini (@AnthonySabatini) February 2, 2022 I am proud to sign @michaeljknowles new Public Health Protection Pledge as my friend @BoHines did earlier today. Dr. Fauci is corrupt to the core, and when I am elected to Congress, I will do everything in my power to fire Fauci! https://t.co/qbdTbMmDqB pic.twitter.com/JWbMG5ikEW Christian Collins (@CollinsforTX) February 2, 2022 Today Ive signed @michaeljknowles new Public Health Protection Pledge just like @BoHines did earlier today. This pledge confirms well investigate Dr. Fauci for his lies + corruption and change his salary to $0. Im proud to be the 2nd candidate to sign this critical pledge! pic.twitter.com/DB2KsrpQoZ Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) February 1, 2022 Sign me up. Lets hold him in contempt for lying under oath & prosecute too. https://t.co/XtOJ0WPsr4 Joe Kent for WA-3 (@joekent16jan19) February 1, 2022 The leftists got involved, too: Its apparently a death threat to pledge to investigate Fauci pic.twitter.com/J9GjhObNhE Libs of Tik Tok (@libsoftiktok) February 1, 2022 I predict that we'll soon learn definitively that the early use of therapeutics, which Fauci led the charge against, could have saved hundreds of thousands of lives, and that vaccines did not materially save lives and, instead, caused endless harm. At that moment, Fauci will go down in history as one of the most evil men ever to hold power in America. And as you contemplate what Fauci has done to us, remind yourself that he was never elected. All this power came through his longevity in the oversized, non-constitutional American bureaucracy. In any event, if you would like to see your congressional candidate take the pledge, send them this post, or just tweet them one of the above tweets. This is the kind of thing that can make a big difference in a congressional race. Image: Making a pledge by stockking. Freepik license. With increasing frequency, we're encountering news stories regarding the allegedly unfair suspicion that Chinese visitors to the United States, be they students or business people, are engaged in espionage. The narrative underlying these stories is that this suspicion is grounded in racism. At the same time, we are treated to reports about myriad students, business people, and government employees pleading guilty to charges of espionage against the United States. It turns out that there's less racism and more reality to the charges than one might think. For those of us who genuinely like and respect Asians, whether those born here or those visiting from China, this is a most unhappy state of affairs. We don't want Asians to be the victims of mindless prejudice and we hate to see people falsely charged (especially if they're victims of sloppy and even unethical work by the FBI). But facts are facts, and here are two: (1) No Chinese citizen departs that country and comes to America except with the express permission of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). (2) All Chinese citizens are subject to article seven of the Chinese National Intelligence Law (go ahead; DuckDuckGo it; multiple hits will come right up), by which every Chinese citizen is legally obligated to "support national intelligence work." |Image: Asian man taking a photograph by pressfoto. Freepik license. The practical effect of this law means that bright-eyed students in the back row and businessmen across the table are "statutory spies." Perhaps they're not spying at the moment, but, at least theoretically, they are obliged to spy should the CCP request it. Moreover, in the event that a Chinese citizen is reluctant to cooperate against the American host, you can be sure that CCP operatives know where that person's spouse, parents, grandparents, and other family members reside in China. The CCP operatives don't even need to say, "Nice family you have in China." Chinese citizens know that, so it goes without saying. None of this is meant to say each and every Chinese visitor is a spy. But it is to say the CCP has the means to press each and every Chinese visitor into espionage. Exceptionally organized large groups of illegal aliens are entering the United States through Kinney County, Texas, according to InVest USA CEO Michael Letts. One of the first to decry the FBIs initial outrageous characterization of the January 2022 hostage crisis at a Texas Synagogue as not specifically related to the Jewish community, Letts reminds Americans that we have a clear and present danger on our border. Stated Letts, Members of drug cartels and Islamicist terrorists frequently blend in with other illegal aliens in their northward march into the land of milk and honey, a.k.a. taxpayer-funded welfare to newly-minted Democrats. Yet, tragically, our Marxist-minded Leftist leaders look the other way -- to the 2024 elections, pushing for new ways for these illegals to get away with voting to keep in these unholy leaders. This treasonous alliance needs to halt now. Police officer Letts is now standing in solidarity with Kinney County Sheriff Brad Coe to sound the alarm that our southern border needs to be secured. As reported by the Epoch Times, authorities in Texas do not see this illegal immigration slowing down, and they are greatly concerned about drug smugglers embedded within this migration train. Michael Letts and other representatives of InVest USA recently visited the border of Texas with Mexico to talk with frustrated U.S. ranchers who are tired of illegals marching across their land to wreak havoc in the United States. Said Letts, We saw deputies and officers without Active Shooter vests to protect themselves against well-armed cartels, thus lacking the ability to stop this assault and invasion on America effectively. InVest recently donated five Active Shooter Vests to Sheriffs Departments and multiple municipal police departments to, as he said, to protect those who protect us. Kinney County, Texas sheriff Brad Coe reports large groups of Illegal immigrants crossing in his county recently that Letts says pose a clear and present danger to U.S. citizens. We at InVestUSA know all too well the danger Sheriff Brad Coes Department is facing. However, we applaud the heroic actions taken by Sheriff Coe and his deputies and staff in their effort to keep America safe. They are true American heroes, who defend our liberties, mitigating the carnage caused by the drug and trafficking cartels that are assaulting our country. InVest USA reports that Drug and Human trafficking in this area of Texas are up 1,379% from last year, as 2022 begins. Said Letts, The threat is real and of the highest priority as these Drug and Human trafficking cartels launch an assault and war on innocent civilians and young people. According to Letts, one tactic drug cartels employ is to use small groups to distract and divert law enforcement. While U.S. border agents are spread thin, the cartel networks traffic drugs that destroy Americas citizens. Come to think of it, isnt this the same tactic the Left uses to continually keep the Right on the defensive so that they have virtually no time left to advance anything that is good or decent or edifying? Sadly, the Left continues to call good evil and evil good. For now, they are getting away with it. Jerry Bruce is a freelance writer whose interests include showcasing issues that make a moral difference in a world going to heck in a handbasket, encouraging courageous souls to stand up for what is right. CONTACT: To schedule an interview, contact Gerald McGlothlin at Special Guests PR Agency at jerry.specialguests@gmail.com Image: Robert Thomson Back in France, before the pandemic began, there were mass protests against government malfeasance. Rather than the usual street rabble, these folks were mostly middle-class and upset with artificially increased fuel prices due to a ridiculous public policy intended to influence the weather. Yellow vests were, by law, required to be kept in motor vehicles as a safety measure, so they were already easily available. Prior to this, the U.S. experienced the rise of the Tea Party. "Taxed Enough Already" was the ostensible meaning of the acronym. Both movements subsided, partly due to the achievement of their goals: the Yellow Vests got Macron to lower the fuel tax, and the Tea Party helped get Trump elected. Nowadays, Canadian truck drivers have rolled into the spotlight. They have gotten much attention, largely because of their significant numbers and also because of their message in support of personal freedom. The common thread in all of this is resistance to authoritarian oppression on behalf of supposedly democratic governments. As the Tea Party and Yellow Vests showed, this rebelliousness among the middle class was already happening prior to the pandemic. It's just that the virus stimulated even greater efforts by petty tyrants to at least try to get away with pissing off their subjects and then transfer the blame to imaginary villains such as "Big Meat" or "Big Energy." The pissed-off subjects were already familiar with such devious tactics and the established template for organized peaceful protest. And, speaking of "peaceful" protests, the Yellow Vest demonstrations in France eventually did devolve into a smattering of violence and injury...mostly resulting from police firing "non-lethal" projectiles into the crowd. The "deadly insurrection" in Washington on January 6, 2021, is described as such because a policeman shot dead an unarmed female proteste0r. In addition to government predation, ordinary folks are also being seriously provoked by at least one kind of non-government organization (NGO), AKA the teachers' unions. Perhaps due to the much-discussed parental ire generated by CRT and other indoctrination schemes, student enrollments are shrinking. Here, in deep blue Oakland, CA, so many students have left the public school system that the Board of Education wants to close about a dozen local schools. The teachers' union is having a cow. But wait...they've got a solution. The union is encouraging its members to go on a hunger strike. Not only could this pare down the ranks of their membership, but it may well solve some of the food-related supply chain problems. On a serious note, such an idea seems profoundly infantile, as would be holding one's breath until turning blue, and may be considered typical of the prevailing mentality of the teachers' union activists. If only the political leadership of the Western world had a modicum of competence, there wouldn't be such an overflowing of discontent. But, alas, ideology is dominating the "official" message and is being amplified by the corrupt media. Defections from established dogma are increasing as are avenues for expressing dissent. Trucker caravans are the latest version, largely enabled due to enhanced means of communication. Were this not happening, and the two-bit demagogues were to have a much freer hand in spreading misery, it would be a lot easier to predict the onset of a new Dark Age. Since history is not completely forgotten, we know that there have already been dark ages. They weren't much fun, either. Image via Pxhere. Is the Biden administration quietly importing large numbers of illegal aliens through midnight flights? That would be a reasonable conclusion based on recent reports about the Biden administration's resettlement process. The White House is being accused of chartering flights for hundreds of "mostly minor-age" illegal aliens to Pennsylvania, according to a report. The "ghost flights" allegedly took place over the course of three weeks during the month of September and concluded shortly after the Christmas holiday. Flight-tracking websites showed at least one flight from El Paso, Texas to Scranton, Pennsylvania on Dec. 17. That flight was chartered by iAero Airways, which contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Jim Gallagher, president of Aviation Technologies Inc., the Scranton airport's fixed-base operator, claimed that he observed mostly young, non-English-speaking people exiting planes and leaving on buses at the Scranton airport. The allegations garnered the attention of two of Pennsylvania's top Republicans, Rep. Dan Meuser and former rep. Lou Barletta, a candidate in the state's upcoming gubernatorial election. Both Meuser and Barletta wrote letters to ICE director Tae Johnson and Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas ripping the administration's handling of the border crisis and demanding answers over the flights. "This mismanagement is now directly impacting the people I represent, and I expect you will provide me the answers I need to address my constituents' concerns," Meuser wrote. "Now we see evidence of more flights on Christmas night, and people want to know if illegal immigrants are being transported to our community, whether they've undergone background checks and health screenings, and why no one was notified that this was happening," Barletta wrote. Barletta later shared photos of what he claimed showed a flight full of illegal aliens at Lehigh Valley Airport in Allentown, Pennsylvania, while suggesting that the Biden administration shifted the flights from Scranton to Allentown following the initial backlash. Meuser has also accused the Biden administration of using funds intended to fight the COVID-19 pandemic to resettle illegal aliens into the U.S. Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf denied that migrants were being resettled into his state. Wolf, a Democrat, claims that the migrants were simply passing through the state en route to their final destination and accused Republicans of engaging in a "political P.R. stunt." However, this is not the first time the Biden administration has been accused of resettling illegal aliens into the U.S. through secretive, midnight flights. Just last month, Republican Florida governor Ron DeSantis accused the Biden administration of effectively running a "human smuggling operation" by sending planes full of illegal aliens into his state. DeSantis accused the administration of having sent 70 such flights to the state over a six-month period. DeSantis has earmarked $8 million in his proposed budget to ship illegal aliens coming into his state to Joe Biden's home state of Delaware. The Biden administration has not addressed any of the accusations emanating from elected officials in Florida and Pennsylvania, likely because their allies in the corporate media have not bothered to cover the accusations. However, White House press secretary Jen Psaki previously acknowledged that the administration was flying planes full of illegal aliens to New York under cover of darkness. It seems likely, based on the White House's pattern of behavior, that the accounts from officials in Florida and Pennsylvania are true. The Biden administration has an established pattern of secrecy when it comes to its immigration policies, and it's not just about the ghost flights. This month, it was reported that the Biden administration had been hiding the arrest records and terrorist ties of new arrivals. The White House has also withheld an annual report on the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportations. It was the first time in more than a decade that ICE failed to release an annual report, ending an era of bipartisan transparency on this subject. Given Biden's horrific approval ratings, it's no surprise that his administration is dispersing illegal aliens throughout the U.S. in secret. But we should all be grateful to local and state officials who work to bring the consequences of the administration's anti-borders agenda into the light. William J. Davis is a communications associate for the Immigration Reform Law Institute, a public interest law firm working to defend the rights and interests of the American people from the negative effects of mass migration. Image: Screen shot from Fox News video via YouTube. (Image source from: gulte.com) Balakrishna stages a protest for Hindupur:- Nandamuri Balakrishna scored his career's biggest hit with Akhanda and the film ran for 50 days in 103 centres which is rare in these days. The actor is also focused on politics and he frequently visits his constituency Hindupur. After the AP government announced 13 news districts, Balakrishna had a request to announce Hindupur as the capital of the district. Balakrishna planned a silent protest for a day and it commenced today in Hindupur. With thousands of followers, he started a padayatra in the constituency. Large number of supporters of TDP and Balakrishna participated in the protest. Some of the YSRCP Councillors and leaders too came out to extend their support for Balakrishna. From the other side, the people of Penugonda too have been demanding their region to be made as the headquarters. Sri Sathya Sai district has been announced recently and the response has been mixed. The people and the leaders came out to support the demand of Balakrishna. The rally has been completed and Balakrishna staged a silent protest that will continue till evening. TDP has a strong hold in the constituency and this is the second time Balakrishna has been elected as the MLA after which the constituency witnessed various development activities. (Video Source: NTV Telugu) (Image source from: indiatoday.in) Megastar to join the sets of God Father:- Megastar Chiranjeevi recently got contracted with coronavirus and the top actor is in home isolation. He said that he had mild symptoms and is recovering well. The veteran actor is shooting for Bhola Shankar directed by Meher Ramesh and the schedule in Ramoji Film City is kept on hold after Chiranjeevi was tested positive for coronavirus. The actor will take up the test again and he would make an official statement about the same after he recovers. Chiranjeevi will join the sets of God Father and the pending portions will be completed in this schedule. The shoot of God Father will resume from February 8th and the schedule will be completed in a week. Bollywood Superstar Salman Khan will be seen in a crucial role and the portions of Salman Khan and Chiranjeevi will be completed in a single schedule with which the entire shoot will be called off. Nayanthara is the leading lady in God Father and the film is the remake of Malayalam movie Lucifer. NV Prasad and Ram Charan are the producers of God Father and the film may release for Dasara this year. Mohan Raja is the director of God Father. PLEASE NOTE: ALL ONLINE PURCHASES ARE AUTOMATIC RENEWALS UNLESS YOU EMAIL JPAYNE@ANNISTONSTAR.COM OR CONTACT CUSTOMER SERVICE @ 256-235-9253.... Purchase an online subscription to our website for $7.99 a month with automatic renewal. Each online subscription gives you full access to all of our newspaper websites and mobile applications. To cancel you may contact Customer Service @ 256-235-9253 or email JPAYNE@ANNISTONSTAR.COM *NEW SUBSCRIBERS ONLY join with a NEW ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION is just $59.99 for the first year. Existing customers do not qualify for the specials! AMEX is not accepted through this site. After the first year, well automatically renew your subscription to continue your access at the regular price of $69.99 per year. Please note *Your Subscription will Automatically Renew unless you contact Customer Service To Cancel* Talladega, AL (35160) Today Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 86F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A few clouds. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable. (ANSA) - ROME, FEB 4 - Marche turned orange from Monday due to a higher COVID risk, while the rest of Italy stayed the same colour with a majority of regions low risk white zones. Health Minister Roberto Speranza signed the relevant decree Friday. (ANSA). Putin to host EU ally Orban amid Ukraine crisis Budapest has taken a softer line with Moscow (ANSA-AFP) - MOSCOW, FEB 1 - Russian President Vladimir Putin will host talks Tuesday with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has taken a softer line on the Ukraine crisis than fellow NATO and EU members. The Kremlin said ahead of the meeting that the leaders would discuss bilateral ties as well as "security issues on the European continent and regional conflicts," an allusion to the standoff between Russia and the West over Ukraine. Orban has said he will seek an agreement to increase Hungary's gas imports from Russia at a time when some in Europe accuse Russia of orchestrating an energy crisis to pressure European countries. Hungary's opposition parties released a joint statement calling on Orban to cancel his trip, describing it as "contrary" to national interests. The opposition said that, by meeting with Putin, Orban "indirectly encourages the Russian president to further escalate the current tense situation." US President Joe Biden has accused Russia of plans to invade Ukraine imminently with its troops massed on the border and warned of severe economic sanctions if it does. Orban's visit is also likely to sit uncomfortably with Hungary's closest European Union allies, most notably Poland. (ANSA-AFP). Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved NAPLES - The Museum of the Future in Dubai is opening on February, one of the new cultural sites that are most highly anticipated in the Emirati capital and "the most beautiful building on earth", the vice president of Dubai Mohammed bin Rashid said, announcing the date of the inauguration. The museum, the online newspaper The National explained, is opening in downtown Dubai and has been named one of the 14 most beautiful museums on the planet in a list compiled by the National Geographic magazine in July, together with the Shanghai Museum of Astronomy in China, the National Museum of African American History and Culture in the US capital, Washington, and the Guggenheim Bilbao Museum in Spain. The new building of contemporary art in Dubai stretches over 30,000 square meters and the structure is 77-meters-high. The vast space will be home to a research center with labs and classrooms, as well as space for museum-goers to experience new technologies, The National reported. Two bridges link the city to the building, the first starts from Jumeirah Emirates Towers, with a length of 69 meters, while the second measures 212 meters in length and links it to the subway station. The Museum of the Future in Dubai will be powered by 4,000 megawatts of solar energy produced by a photovoltaic station connected to the building, which is also surrounded by a park. The museum means to be an incubator of art, attracting the brightest inventors and entrepreneurs opening the window to the future for the general public. Rome to name public space after Monica Vitti Screen legend was beloved by city, 'Romanissima' says mayor (ANSA) - ROME, FEB 4 - Rome is to name a public space after Monica Vitti, the Roman-born Italian screen legend who died Wednesday at the age of 90, Mayor Roberto Gualtieri said at her lying in state at the Campidoglio (Capitol) Friday. "Monica Vitti was an extraordinary actress who is rightly being remembered and celebrated all over the world," Gualtieri said. "We want to honour her. The Casa del Cinema is organizing a showing of her films today and tomorrow and we will also try to remember her properly, naming a place in our city after her". The husky voiced Vitti, who moved seamlessly from being companion Michelangelo Antonioni's 'incommunicability muse' in a trio of cult films in the 60s to a star of commedia all'italiana light comedies with the likes of Alberto Sordi beside her, was a "very much loved figure, and the city mourns her, she was a Roman, Romanissima," said Gualtieri. Countless Romans and others filed past Vitti's coffin to pay their last respects to the queen of Italian cinema on Friday, many leaving cards saying "Grazie Monica". Her widower and long-time caregiver, filmmaker Roberto Russo, oversaw the ceremony with Gualtieri. Vitti's funeral will take place Saturday in the 'Artists' Church', Santa Maria in Montesanto, in Piazza del Popolo. (ANSA). Two new exhibitions, 'FloodZone' and 'Waters Rising', at Norfolk's Chrysler Museum are centered around the reality of climate change, flooding and their impact on our daily lives. As seen Tuesday, January 25, 2022. (Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot) The Chrysler Museum of Art is no stranger to flooding. On any given day with a high tide or following a storm, staff and visitors can expect to see water pooling around the building, which sits across from the Hague, or blocking streets that lead to it. Advertisement With a pair of new exhibitions, the museum is putting the issue even further at the forefront. The FloodZone exhibit features the absorbing work of a Florida photographer capturing the relationship between rising waters and urban development. The other, Waters Rising, focuses on Hampton Roads, using research out of Old Dominion Universitys Institute for Coastal Adaptation and Resilience. Both are on display through May 29. Advertisement Together theyre intended to inform the observer as well as provide a glimpse of whats to come. Focusing on climate adaptation, and sea level rise in particular, is actually part of our strategic plan, said Seth Feman, Chryslers curator of photography and deputy director for art and interpretation. We know that we are in a unique position to think about how art and the environment can come together because of where were located. Feman started thinking about such an exhibit several years ago after coming across the work of Anastasia Samoylova. FloodZone features a hallway full of photographs by Samoylova, who grew up in the Soviet Union before arriving in Miami in 2016. Curator Seth Feman discusses "FloodZone," one of the two new exhibitions at Norfolk's Chrysler Museum of Art. The bodies of work are centered on the reality of climate change, flooding and their impact on our daily lives. (Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot) After living through Hurricane Irma shortly after her arrival, she captured a moment in which her young son was wading through floodwaters in a garage. Thats the moment that sparked her larger project, according to Feman. Through daily walks I began to realize how the citys seductive tropical palette and quality of light concealed the growing dissonance between its booming real-estate market and the oceans encroachment on its shoreline, Samoylava wrote on her website. Ocean views are prized in the real-estate world, with little regard for building projects locations in high-risk flood zones. Investors seem to turn a blind eye to the reality that Miami is steadily slipping underwater. Living in Miami looks like paradise, she wrote, but the only secure roots belong to mangrove trees. Advertisement Her work often asks the viewer to figure out whats real. A self-portrait included in the collection, for example, includes a window reflection with overlapping images of a sunset, plants and a gecko. Several pieces feature images of construction privacy screens that display utopian visions of a modern-looking development or tropical scene. Look closer, however, and youll see overgrown plants creeping up from the bottom or abandoned equipment in the corners. Some of the images are really hard to parse, Feman said. Others are more straightforward, such as an image of a pool with leaves scattered on top after a hurricane. There are even a couple of local scenes from the Chesapeake Bays Tangier Island depicting minor flooding and the islands famous crab trade. Though the concept started with Samoylovas work, Feman said the Chrysler wanted to include a companion exhibit that was more locally focused. A 2016 exhibit had featured aerial photography by Edward Burtynsky of landscapes impacted by either too much water or not enough. The museum received feedback from visitors who wanted to know more about the issue locally and how they could make a difference. Advertisement An ODU analysis underlying the Waters Rising exhibit includes flood predictions first initiated a few years ago by state officials working to develop a Coastal Resilience Master Plan. The ODU team used federal data to model flood risk in coastal Virginia across three markers of time: 2040, 2060 and 2080. [ The future of flooding in your neighborhood: Heres what state and local analysis shows ] Zoom into the maps of Hampton Roads and the Chrysler is smack dab in the red, representing the highest risk from rising tides. The interactive maps are displayed in the exhibit via lenticular prints. Think of those paintings where the eyes of the subject seem to follow you. In the lenticular map version, as you pass by, the colors shift to show flooding risk over coming decades. Other parts of the exhibit aim to inform, including descriptions of how sea level rise is happening and why people should avoid playing in floodwaters, as well as first-person accounts of the emotional impact of flooding threats. "Waters Rising" includes interactive maps that incorporate flood-risk predictions; information about how sea level rise is happening; and ways people can get involved and act. (Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot) The final section outlines ways people can get involved and take action, such as switching to energy-efficient light bulbs and avoiding single-use plastics. A lot of people who are aware of the issue also feel helpless against it, Feman said. Advertisement It often seems as if residents are waiting for massive, Hail Mary solutions that only governments can do, he said, such as building an enormous floodwall. While I think advocating for those things is important, and certainly we put that forward here as something that you should do, if you feel strongly about this, you should get engaged, he said. There is a lot that people can do individually and personally in their lives. And we wanted to at least alert people to that kind of information, so we can reach some more people and get them excited about what they can do. Daywatch Weekdays Start your morning with today's local news > Katherine Hafner, 757-222-5208, katherine.hafner@pilotonline.com ___ If you go When: Through May 29. Several programming events are being offered, including a curator series event called Capturing the Land: The Environment in Photographs from the Chrysler Collection on March 27 and a two-day symposium on sea level rise on April 9 and 10. Advertisement Where: Chrysler Museum of Art, 1 Memorial Place, Norfolk Details: All free. Registration required for symposium. Visit chrysler.org/art/exhibitions; 757-664-6200. MADRID - Spain on Tuesday will scrap mandatory facemasks outdoors, which was reintroduced in December as a measure to fight the Covid-19 pandemic after a new rise in cases due to the Omicron variant, Spanish Health Minister Carolina Darias said. The Spanish government is expected to approve at the next council of ministers scheduled on Tuesday, February 8 a decree to eliminate the obligation to wear facemasks outdoors, confirmed the Health Minister Carolina Darias, in an interview to radio Cadena Ser in which she explained that epidemiological indexes "are improving". Mandatory facemasks outdoors were reintroduced in Spain before Christmas, while Covid cases were surging due to the Omicron variant. The government presented the measure as "temporary". On Tuesday the directive, introduced by the government with a decree, was approved by the Congress of Deputies. ANSAmed - Weekly diary from February 7 to February 13 (ANSAmed) - ROME, FEBRUARY 4 - Following are the main events scheduled in the Euro-Mediterranean area from February 7 to February 13: MONDAY FEBRUARY 7 TUNIS - Audition of 18 politicians including former presidential candidates suspected of election-related crimes. STRASBOURG - Informal meeting of EU agriculture ministers. CASABLANCA - Appeals trial against journalist Soulaimane Raissouni on "sexual violence" charges resumes. TUESDAY FEBRUARY 8 BENGHAZI (Libya) - Parliament gathers to choose the new interim prime minister. RABAT - EU, visit of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 9 LYON (France) - Meeting of EU foreign affairs and health ministers. THURSDAY FEBRUARY 10 DUBAI - Visit of Prince William. CASABLANCA - New hearing in the trial against journalist Omar Radi, who is accused of "rape" and "espionage". FRIDAY FEBRUARY 11 ATHENS - Trial of Dimitris Lignadis, former artistic director of the National Theater, who is accused of sexual violence against minors. SATURDAY FEBRUARY 12 No major events scheduled SUNDAY FEBRUARY 13 No major events scheduled (ANSAmed). BRUSSELS - Mandatory solidarity in the reallocation of migrants in the EU and strict controls on the registration of foreigners entering European territory are key issues for France, holding the EU rotating presidency, to confront a stalemate on the European pact on migration and asylum, proposed by the Commission in September 2020. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmain defined it as "an equivalence between responsibility and solidarity" during a press conference at the end of an informal council held on Friday in Tourcoing, which unanimously adopted the French proposal for a step-by-step approach in the approval of the European pact. "The idea - explained the minister - is to change the method because the strategy of 'everything or nothing' has led to nothing so far". It is not about "lowering the level of ambition" but "giving new impulse" to the pact on immigration, he added. There will be "three steps" at the end of which "an evaluation will be made" to see if the pledges made "have been reached in order to move on to the next phase". The objectives of the first phase will be on the one hand "the adoption of the regulation on screening, Eurodac, and the interoperability of the dossiers" to guarantee better control of external borders, on the other the development of a "mechanism of solidarity" which provides for member States to choose to welcome migrants or, if not, to give financial support. "There is also another, external dimension, on which we must be strong", continued Darmanin, stressing the need to intensify talks with countries of origin, preventing departures and adopting a common repatriation policy. The French minister finally wished for the EU Agency for Asylum to examine the "differences in legislation on asylum policies between member States". Flydubai to open flights to Al-Ula in Saudi Arabia as of March 2 Starting end of February company will fly again also to Yanbu (ANSAmed)- NAPLES, FEBRUARY 4 - Flydubai will launch flights to the Saudi city of Al-Ula as of March 2, becoming the first UAE air carrier to connect Dubai to the northwestern city of the neighboring country. Flights to Al-Ula's Prince Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz airport will run twice a week from Dubai international airport. Fares are from 850 euros for business class and 250 euros for economy. "We are looking forward to the start of our twice-weekly service to Al-Ula from March", Sudhir Sreedharan, the vice president of Flydubai, told the online edition of The National newspaper. "This route will be popular for our passengers from the UAE, as well as for travellers from the GCC, Russia and Central Asia. Al-Ula offers passengers great options for seeking immersive cultural and historical experiences as well as outdoor adventure activities, especially in the cooler winter season". Flydubai is also resuming, starting February 24, flights to Yanbu, a Saudi city on the Red Sea, expanding operations to six destinations in Saudi Arabia. Flights to Yanbu will be operated three times a week, on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Hamad Obaidalla, chief commercial officer for Flydubai, was quoted as saying by The National: "We are also looking forward to the resumption of our operations to Yanbu in the Al Madinah Province". The carrier, he said, is "dedicated to further strengthening the cultural, trade and tourism ties between our two countries". (ANSAmed). Andrew Garfield is to become an honouree at the 24th annual Costume Designer Guild awards. The actor will be given the Spotlight award at the ceremony, due to take place on March 9. Garfield currently stars in Netflixs biographical film Tick, Tick Boom! about the life of US composer Jonathan Larson. Andrew Garfields history with costume design has transcended genre, Salvador Perez, president of the CDG. https://twitter.com/CostumeAwards/status/1489292600267853826/photo/1 A tech giant, a decorated soldier, a superhero, and now, with his performances in The Eyes of Tammy Faye and Tick, TickBoom!, he has proven that he can do, and wear, just about anything. Garfield has already been recognised for his role in Tick, TickBoom!, winning best actor in a musical/ comedy film at this years Golden Globes. The film, which is Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Mirandas directorial debut, tells the story of Rent creator Larsons attempt to enter the industry by writing a new musical. Also to be honoured at the CDG awards are Spider-Man producers Amy Pascal and Rachel OConnor who will receive the Distinguished Collaborators award. Oscar nominated costume designer Sharen Davis will become the 24th CDGA Career Achievement honouree. A High Court judge has issued an interim order suspending a decision by Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots to direct a stop to Brexit agri-food checks at Northern Ireland ports. Mr Justice Colton said he was making the temporary direction until a judicial review against the DUP ministers decision can be heard in full. DUP minister Mr Poots acted unilaterally this week to order a halt to port checks that are required under the Northern Ireland Protocol. Northern Ireland Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots acted unilaterally to halt port checks (Niall Carson/PA) Civil servants have yet to implement the instruction, pending legal clarity on their obligations, and checks are continuing. Mr Poots actions were challenged in two separate applications in the High Court in Belfast. Mr Justice Colton granted leave for applications for judicial reviews against the ministers decision. He said: There shouldnt be any confusion hanging over those in the Civil Service, so I am persuaded this is a case where there should be interim relief. I therefore make the order to suspend the instruction given by the minister for agriculture until further order of this court or completion of these proceedings. The judge pointed out that the checks had been ongoing for more than a year and that the order to halt them had been brought at short notice. A barrister for one of the complainants raised concerns that recent rulings in the High Court, concerning the attendance of DUP Ministers at cross-border meetings, had not been complied with. Mr Justice Colton said: Maybe I am naive but this court works on the premise that ministers obey the rule of law and accept the judgments of courts. A barrister for the Department of Agriculture told the court that their position was that the direction by Mr Poots was entirely lawful. The full judicial review is expected to be heard next month. Meanwhile, the leaders of four of the main Stormont parties have met following the political crisis sparked by the resignation of DUP First Minister Paul Givan. The meeting included DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, Sinn Fein Stormont leader Michelle ONeill, Alliance Party leader Naomi Long and Colum Eastwood, leader of the SDLP. They discussed how to expedite current outstanding legislation and agreed party whips would meet on the matter next week. Party leaders met this morning to plan ways to get bills through in a quick step way. Chief whips will now meet to progress this work 2/2 Michelle ONeill (@moneillsf) February 4, 2022 Ms ONeill tweeted: Party leaders met this morning to plan ways to get bills through in a quick step way. Sexual offences and trafficking, organ donation, welfare mitigation, integrated education, autism and climate legislation are just some of the bills to be got over the line before the end of this mandate. The DUP would have difficulty reforming a Stormont executive after the upcoming Assembly election if issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol are not resolved, its party leader has warned. DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP (Peter Morrison/PA) Sir Jeffrey Donaldson expressed doubts about the prospect of a short-term return to a fully-functioning devolved administration in the wake of the resignation of his partys First Minister Mr Givan. Sir Jeffreys decision to pull Mr Givan out of office is part of the DUPs escalating protest strategy against the post-Brexit trading arrangements that have created economic barriers between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. Mr Givans resignation, which came into effect at midnight, automatically removed Sinn Fein deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill from her position. Other Stormont ministers can remain in post but the Executive can no longer meet and is unable to take significant policy decisions. An Assembly election is already scheduled for May. Mr Givans departure raises the prospect of that poll being brought forward several weeks. A fully functioning administration could only be formed following the election if the positions of first and deputy first ministers are filled by the largest unionist and largest nationalist parties. Sir Jeffrey suggested the DUP would only return to an executive if its concerns around the post-Brexit trading arrangements are addressed. Ive withdrawn the First Minister on the basis that the protocol issues have not been addressed despite clear commitments and promises given by the Prime Minister that they would be addressed, and clearly if the protocol issues are not resolved by the time of the election then, of course, it is difficult for us to form a government because of the instability that the protocol creates, he told BBC Radio Ulster. I have made my position clear I think there is now an opportunity for the Government and the EU to step up. The EU said consistently that the purpose of the protocol was to protect the political institutions, political stability and the Good Friday Agreement. Well, we know that isnt happening because unionists do not consent to the protocol. There is no consensus for the protocol. There is now an opportunity for the UK Government and the EU to step up to the mark and to deliver an agreement that resolves these issues that can be done quickly. First Minister of Northern Ireland Paul Givan resigned from his position on Thursday (Peter Morrison/PA) Sir Jeffrey insisted there is still a point in having an Assembly poll. I think the time has come for the people of Northern Ireland to have their say, he added. Announcing his resignation on Thursday, Mr Givan said the protocol had undermined a cornerstone of powersharing in the region, governance with the consent of both nationalists and unionists. Lady Gaga says it has been an absolute dream come true to be nominated for her second leading actress Bafta award but that she still has a long way to go in the space of film making. The pop star was given the nod alongside Joanna Scanlan, Emilia Jones, Renate Reinsve, Tessa Thompson and musician Alana Haim, all of whom are first-time nominees in the top female category. Multi-award winning British actress Olivia Colman was notably absent from the list with her starring role in The Lost Daughter. It comes as Bafta chair Krishnendu Majumdar said he wanted to level the playing field at this years awards nominations by shining a spotlight on a range of British films. A total of 19 out of the 24 performance categories are first-time Bafta nominees, according to Bafta co-chair Sara Putt. Thanking the organisation for her nod, given for her role as Patrizia Reggiani in Ridley Scotts House Of Gucci, Gaga paid tribute to her fellow nominees and her production team. I cant believe I was nominated for a @bafta alongside such INCREDIBLE actors, she wrote on Instagram. I have a long way to go in the space of film making and I cherish the ability to hone my craft with such support and love. This is an unexpected and absolute dream come true. Thank you to all Bafta voters and people all over the world for embracing the opera of a REAL life story. Thank you for celebrating womens stories and thank you Ridley and Giannina Scott for supporting us in telling them, I love you alland I love you ITALY. Haim, who made her big screen debut in Paul Thomas Andersons Licorice Pizza, said she was freaking out at the news. This is such an honor and Im so excited to be nominated alongside such amazing women, the singer wrote online. The UK has embraced me and my siblings from the beginning so I cant explain how much this means to me. Freaking out over here! Haim performs alongside her two sisters Este and Danielle in the US rock band, Haim. Scanlan said she was jumping for joy following her nomination for her performance in Aleem Khans feature-length debut, After Love. When you are 60-years-old it feels like that horizon has moved. The horizon has gone a little bit further into the distance and I am hoping that I am going to get a new lease of life, she told the PA news agency. Nominated in the Leading Actress category LADY GAGA ALANA HAIM EMILIA JONES RENATE REINSVE JOANNA SCANLAN TESSA THOMPSON#EEBAFTAs pic.twitter.com/1INfRuG9Nl BAFTA (@BAFTA) February 3, 2022 Jones, who played the leading role in film Coda, said she was grateful for the recognition after working so hard on the film. The 19-year-old, who trained for nine months with American Sign Language, told the PA news agency she was asleep during the live announcement because never in a million years did she think she would be considered against such talented nominees. Thompson and Reinsve also thanked Bafta for their nods on social media, with the latter admitting, like Haim, that she was freaking out. In other categories, sci-fi epic Dune, The Power Of The Dog and Belfast led nominations for awards. (PA Graphics) Dune, directed by Denis Villeneuve and based on Frank Herberts 1965 novel, featured a star-studded ensemble cast including Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson and Oscar Isaac, and received the most nominations overall with 11, including original score, casting, cinematography and best film. New Zealand director Jane Campions dark western, The Power Of The Dog, received eight nominations, among them best director for her, best film, and three nominations across the acting categories. Sir Kenneth Branaghs semi-autobiographical film Belfast, starring Jude Hill, Jamie Dornan and Caitriona Balfe and which focuses on the Troubles in Northern Ireland, has six nominations, among them best film. Majumdar has said you couldnt get three more different films leading the pack of nominations. Tom Allen and AJ Odudu announce the nominations for the 2022 EE British Academy Film Awards (PA) Speaking to the PA news agency, he said: I think that shows a real appetite for different types of stories. I think the key thing we were trying to do as an academy was to make sure our members watched as many films as possible, trying to level the playing field, that different films had the opportunity to be seen and therefore the chance to be nominated. The Bafta film nominations were announced on Thursday by AJ Odudu and Tom Allen from Baftas London headquarters. This year the annual film awards celebrates their 75th anniversary and will see Australian actress and comedian Rebel Wilson host the ceremony being held at Londons Royal Albert Hall on March 13. Facebooks parent company Meta has been fined for a second time by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for breaching an initial enforcement order from the watchdog. The CMA said it had fined Meta 1.5 million after it failed to alert the regulator in advance of key staff leaving the company while an investigation into a merger is taking place. The CMA launched an investigation into Metas proposed purchase of GIF-sharing platform Giphy in June 2020. The technology giant said it was disappointed by the decision and called the fine problematic because it said it related to the voluntary departure of US-based employees. It is standard practice for the CMA to issue an initial enforcement order at the start of an investigation into a completed merger as they are designed to make sure the companies involved continue to compete with one another as they would have before the deal took place, and also prevents the companies from integrating further while a merger review is under way. It is the second time Meta has been fined for breaching an initial enforcement order in October 2021, the tech giant was fined more than 50 million by the CMA for significantly limiting the scope of compliance reports which were a part of the watchdogs investigation into the Giphy purchase. The CMA has since ruled that Metas purchase of Giphy could harm social media users and UK advertisers, and has told Meta to sell Giphy in its entirety. Explaining the latest fine, Joel Bamford, senior director of mergers at the CMA, said: Meta failed to alert us in advance to important changes in their staff, despite knowing they were legally required to do so. This is not the first time this has happened. Initial enforcement orders are an integral part of our mergers toolkit and ensure the CMA is able to take effective action if we find competition concerns. Breaches like this one threaten our ability to maintain the benefits of competition for people using these products and services. In response, a Meta spokesperson said: We are disappointed by the CMAs decision to fine us because of the voluntary departure of US-based employees. We intend to pay the fine, but it is problematic that the CMA can take decisions that could directly impact the rights of our US employees protected under US law. Virginia Del. A.C. Cordoza, R-Hampton, delivers a speech during the House session at the Capitol Thursday Feb. 3, 2022, in Richmond. Cordoza said that he was not voted into the Black Legislative Caucus. (Steve Helber/AP) RICHMOND The only Black Republican in the Virginia House took to the chamber floor Thursday to criticize the legislative Black caucus for rejecting his application for membership. A.C. Cordozas speech prompted a sharp rebuke from Democratic members of the caucus, whose chairman confirmed that the group had voted against accepting the freshman member but questioned his intentions for seeking to join. Advertisement Cordoza said when he reached out to the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus about membership, he was given a policy questionnaire about whether he supported a wide range of liberal priorities. I asked myself what any of those things mentioned have to do with being Black? The answer is, it has nothing to do with being Black. Its about being leftist, he said. Advertisement He called the rejection disheartening, but not shocking. Del. Luke Torian, a caucus member, responded on the floor pointedly: Sometimes people can speak prematurely and not have all the facts. Del. Lamont Bagby, the caucus chair, told reporters later that Cordoza went through the same application process as anyone seeking to join. Hes not the first individual that did not receive enough votes to be a member. Hes the first one to use it for political gain, said Bagby, who declined to name the other individual he said had been rejected. Bagby said he had questions about whether Cordozas application had been in good faith. Daywatch Weekdays Start your morning with today's local news > I dont know whether he really wanted to be a Black caucus member or not, or if members of his leadership on the other side have encouraged him to be a member so that they can have some intel, Bagby said. Cordoza couldnt immediately be reached for further comment. A political newcomer, he defeated Democratic incumbent Martha Mugler last year to win election to the 91st House District, which encompasses Hampton, Poquoson and York County. Advertisement The Black caucus does not currently have any Republican members, but it has had at least one in the past, current Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. Earle-Sears joined the group after becoming the first Black Republican woman elected to the chamber in 2001. She would later say she had been excluded from some caucus meetings because of her political affiliation and eventually resigned, citing her difference of opinion with other members over the treatment of a circuit court judge. Earle-Sears, who presides over the state Senate as part of her role, is not currently a member. A mother has pleaded not guilty to murdering her five-year-old son. Angharad Williamson, 30, is charged with killing Logan Mwangi, also known as Logan Williamson, at their home in Sarn, Bridgend. Logan was discovered in the Ogmore River in Bridgend, South Wales, on July 31 after Williamson reported him missing at 5.45am that day. Locals released balloons near Pandy Park following the boys death (PA) He was taken to the Princess of Wales Hospital, where his death was confirmed. Logan suffered a number of injuries before his death, including a torn liver, an internal injury to the back of his head and a broken collarbone, medical evidence allegedly showed. He was killed between July 28 and August 1, the charges allege. At a hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday, Williamson also denied another charge of causing or allowing the death of a child. She has previously pleaded not guilty to perverting the course of justice, an offence which allegedly includes moving Logans body to an area of the river near Pandy Park, removing his clothing, washing blood-stained bed linen, and making a false missing person report to police. Tributes were left to the youngster (PA) John Cole, 39, of Sarn, also appeared in court and denied causing or allowing the death of a child. Cole has already pleaded not guilty to murder and guilty to perverting the course of justice. A 14-year-old boy, who cannot legally be identified because of his age, has previously denied murder and perverting the course of justice. The teenager appeared at court via video link. The trial is due to begin on February 14 2022 and is expected to last for six weeks. A Royal Navy aircraft carrier has returned to its home base as it remains on high alert to respond to the Ukraine crisis. Well-wishers lined the harbour walls to welcome HMS Prince of Wales as it sailed into Portsmouth Naval Base having completed a period of at-sea exercises. The 65,000-tonne warship was appointed the command ship of Natos Maritime High Readiness Force in January. Weve got our #FridayMotivation on after spending the last few weeks re energising our teams for our @NATO duties. Day flying Night flying EmergenciesRefuelling Quick pit stop @HMNBPortsmouthThen off to #FeelGoodFriday #WeAreNato #IServe pic.twitter.com/4rxQXbh9WY HMS Prince of Wales (@HMSPWLS) February 4, 2022 Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced earlier this week that the carrier was on alert to be deployed in response to the ongoing crisis in eastern Europe as part of a wider UK military contribution to support Ukraine. He said in a statement released by Downing Street: It is on standby to move within hours should tensions rise further. The UK has taken over from France to run the Nato task force which is formed to deal with major global incidents. The task force will be run for the next 12 months by Commander UK Strike Force the most senior sea-going staff of the Royal Navy headed by Rear Admiral Mike Utley. HMS Prince of Wales is scheduled to spend a period at its home base in Portsmouth before departing again next month to take part in an international exercise off Norway. The Health Secretary will get the power to delay the introduction of new junk food advertising curbs, amid Tory backbench opposition to the policy. Conservative whip Baroness Penn said changes to the Health and Care Bill have been made to give the Government flexibility on the implementation date should emerging challenges make January 1 2023 unworkable. But she insisted ministers currently have no plans to delay the restrictions, despite several colleagues urging a timetable change to give manufacturers and advertisers more time to prepare for them. A 9pm television watershed and heavier online restrictions for advertising products high in fat, sugar and salt are to be introduced. The regulations will allow exemptions for the healthiest foods within each category, such as honey, olive oil, avocados and yeast extract. Lady Penn said the Government recognised the measures are not a silver bullet to tackle childhood obesity but are part of a wider approach, which includes working with manufacturers to tweak their products. Speaking for the Government, Lady Penn told the House of Lords: Amendments 249, 252 and 254 separately introduce the ability to delay that implementation date via secondary legislation should this be deemed necessary after the Bill receives royal assent. We have taken this decision to provide flexibility should emerging challenges mean the implementation from January 1 2023 proves unworkable. However, I should emphasise that we currently have no plans to delay the introduction of these restrictions. Earlier, Conservative peer Lord Vaizey of Didcot said the measures will have zero impact on obesity and noted he did fight them when a culture minister. He said: I think these proposals are wrongheaded and extremely damaging for our public service broadcasters. I gather that the Governments own impact report assesses that it would reduce calorie intake in children by 1.7 calories that is either a Tic Tac or half a Smartie, depending on your predilections. But it will, it is estimated, cost broadcasters some 200 million a year. Lord Vaizey said advertising bans have comprehensively failed elsewhere, adding: At the risk of being trolled both in French and Canadian on Twitter, I gather that in Quebec which has had a ban now for 40 years the Quebecois have got fatter faster than the rest of Canada. Conservative Lord Grade of Yarmouth, who has held senior roles at the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, described it as a shocking piece of bodged legislation that needs to be made more sensible and fair. Lord Black of Brentwood, a Conservative peer who is a deputy chairman of the Telegraph Media Group, said he supports the aims to tackle childhood obesity but added he is wholly opposed to the advertising ban. He said: Even now at the 11th hour they should think again because it is disproportionate based on scant, frankly implausible, evidence, itll damage the creative economy, which is already under such stress, and itll have unintended consequences like so much legislation that impacts on the media. Lord Black also warned it sets a hugely dangerous precedent for Government interference in advertising freedoms. Conservative Baroness Stowell of Beeston, former leader of the Lords, reiterated the need to deal with childhood obesity but said there is a case for a delay to the measures. But Lord Bethell, a Conservative former health minister, said it was absolutely crucial to continue with the plans to help reach the ambition of halving childhood obesity in England by 2030. He also backed reformulation measures, saying of the risk of inaction: More children will grow ill, more will have shorter lives. Crossbench peer Lord Stevens of Birmingham, a former NHS England chief executive, said obesity is the new smoking and noted the Bill makes a start in delivering action. He said opponents of the measures were adopting tactics of deny, dilute and delay. The U.S. nursing industry, already strained by the ongoing pandemic, is struggling with staffing as the country continues to deal with a wave of hospitalizations and deaths caused by the Omicron version of the coronavirus. I still think we have critical nursing shortages across the country, Dr. Elizabeth Clayborne, an emergency physician at the University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center, said on Yahoo Finance Live (video above). And that is something that needs to be addressed not just in Maryland, but in several states. And I see that being a problem for several months to come. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan implemented drive-through COVID testing, which helped lessen the number of patients going to emergency departments to get tested. But actions like these can only do so much for an industry that still doesn't have enough nurses to go around. The main issue that were battling in my facility and several hospitals across the country is just a staffing shortage, Clayborne said. My family and I actually just recently recovered from COVID. So its not an uncommon story that a lot of our facilities that are trying to take care of COVID patients are struggling because they do not have the staff to deal with the numbers that are still coming in. And while hospitalizations related to COVID-19 are ebbing nationally, states especially those with lower-than-average vaccination rates saw major surges in hospitalizations during the winter. ICUs are currently at 30% or less capacity in all but five states. For hospitals lacking the staff and ICU capacity to treat the influx of patients, the labor crunch can have dire consequences for all kinds of patients. "For every additional patient a nurse cares for, a patient's risk of dying increases by as much as 7%," a New Jersey-based nurse, who requested anonymity to speak candidly, told Yahoo Finance. "The average person may not think this is important, but when you have an unexpected emergency and end up in the ER, how many other patients do you want your nurse to have? 2 or 6?" In September 2021, the American Nurses Association penned a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra calling on the administration to "declare a national nurse staffing crisis and take immediate steps to develop and implement both short- and long-term solutions." A study by the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences noted that "1.2 million new registered nurses (RNs) will be needed by 2030 to address the current shortage." The shortage, which was brewing prior to the pandemic, involved factors including rising demand driven by aging Baby Boomers, retirement among nurses, lack of staff in certain areas of the country, hospital conditions, burnout, and more. This isnt the first time weve had a nursing shortage in the U.S., Donna Havens, Connelly Endowed dean and professor at the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing at Villanova University, told Yahoo Finance. It seems to be cyclical, maybe every 8-10 years. So yet again, were facing a major nursing shortage but a real issue I believe might be COVID because the nurses are getting sick. Theyre retiring anyhow, but theyre sick. They dont want to do this anymore. Theyre feeling theyre too old to do this. The number of registered nurses available by state as of May 2021. (Map: University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences) 'Shortage of nurses willing to work in unsafe conditions' Zenei Cortez, a nurse based out of California and president of National Nurses United, described the situation as a staffing crisis and placed the responsibility on hospitals. There is not a shortage crisis but there is a staffing crisis, Cortez told Yahoo Finance. There was no real serious nursing staffing crisis before COVID-19, but as a hospital industry, it unfortunately created a staffing crisis, which isnt new and it has existed for many decades. I would say what they call a shortage of nurses is a shortage of nurses willing to work in unsafe working conditions. Recent guidance from the CDC has only worsened the problem. According to new guidelines, health care workers who are fully vaccinated and test positive can return to the workplace if theyre asymptomatic or have had mild/moderate symptoms for 5 days with or without a negative test. Though the likely intention was to help with staffing issues, it was met with poor reception from health care workers worried about working in potentially dangerous environments. The NJ-based nurse lambasted the CDC policy as "very unwise." CDC guidelines for health care workers returning to work. (Chart: CDC) "Infection control policies will not even let nurses drink water at their desk during their 12-hour shift, but it's okay for a co-worker to be COVID-positive and eat next to me in the break room?" the nurse said. "There is no separate break room for those who are COVID-positive. Should these nurses be not allowed to eat or drink on their 12-hour shift? I find it extremely dangerous and, frankly, offensive that the Center for Disease Control cares so little about controlling the spread of COVID in health care workers." Cortez described the current circumstances with the Omicron variant as similar to when the pandemic first hit the U.S. in early 2020 when hospitals were short on PPE and staff found that there weren't enough of them to go around to help their patients. We were fighting for staffing," she said. "We were fighting for a lot just to stay alive in the workplace and keep our patients safe. So its somewhat like the same thing is happening again." During the first wave of the virus, health care workers across the country found themselves in less than desired work settings. PPE was in short supply, meaning that some hospital workers had to come up with their own solutions, like using trash bags as makeshift protective wear. I hate to use the word danger, but its like reliving what it was like at the beginning of the pandemic, Cortez said. Unfortunately, the hospital industry did not prepare. They were just using I would say bandaid solutions, not really planning ahead. So its really distressing that they would do this and not really prepare for whats coming up ahead. Theresa Ogunjimi, a registered nurse, rests for a moment inside a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) unit at United Memorial Medical Center, as the United States nears 300,000 COVID-19 deaths, in Houston, Texas, U.S., December 12, 2020. REUTERS/Callaghan O'Hare Staffing ratios aren't federally mandated, but National Nurses United has lobbied for that to change. The union has proposed legislation that would keep the ratio at one nurse for every two patients in an ICU and one nurse for every three patients in an emergency room. "Hospitals are unwilling to give raises to nurses to retain them and instead hire travel nurses to fill short-term contracts," the NJ-based nurse said. "However, a travel nurse will never be able to provide the same level of care that a staff nurse that knows the hospital and providers can. As a staff nurse, it is extremely disheartening to work next to someone who is doing the exact same job as you but making 3 to 4 times as much as you. And you as the staff nurse have to train the travel nurse and orient them to the facility, as well as help them on a day-to-day basis because they do not know the facility as well as you do. Hospital administrators are putting profits before patient safety, and patients will suffer as a result." The nurse added that "the only thing keeping most staff nurses at their jobs is that they are close to retirement or they do not yet have enough experience to become a travel nurse. This means that the hospital spends thousands of dollars training new graduate nurses just to lose them to travel contracts as soon as that nurse has enough experience to leave. It makes no fiscal sense, and it is a huge burden on the staff nurses to constantly be training new nurses just to have them leave, whether they be new grads or travelers." Amy Downer, an operating room nurse at Maine Medical Center joins fellow nurses to demand increased protections in their work environments. (Photo by Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images) 'You've got an aging nursing workforce' Demographics of the workforce are also an important factor. As many nurses age out of the industry, some become the patients themselves, meaning they are even more people that need to be taken care of. Nurses are getting older, Havens, the nursing professor at Villanova, told Yahoo Finance. I think the stats tell us that the average nurse taking care of patients in a hospital is about 50 years of age. And you think about the work that they do the lifting, the pulling the weekends, the nights, the triple shifts. Youve got an aging nursing workforce, many of whom had planned on retiring now when COVID hit. According to the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, "between 2000 and 2018, the average age of employed registered nurses increased from 42.7 to 47.9 years old. And nearly half (47.5%) of all RNs are now over the age of 50." There are reasons for optimism in addressing the shortage: Havens said that in her program that she oversees, theres overwhelming interest in entering nursing. We are seeing more applicants than we ever have in the history of the College of Nursing at Villanova, she said. We had 1,800 applicants last year for 100 spots. Were seeing people really want to be nurses not just those right out of high school but those who already hold a degree in another field are coming back to become nurses. Sauk Valley Community College nursing students work on a mannequin patient as SVCC Dean of Health Christy Vincent talks about the school's nursing program with First Lady Jill Biden during a tour of the school in Dixon, Illinois, on April 19, 2021. (Photo by Susan Walsh / POOL / AFP) Unfortunately, though, there is also a shortage of nursing faculty to teach this growing field of prospective nurses as many are aging out as well. Last year, I believe the number was 80,000 qualified applicants who wanted to be nurses were turned away because universities across the country didnt have enough faculty to admit them and teach them, Havens said. The faculty are getting older. She stressed that the government needs to step in to help programs incentivize more people entering the educational field of nursing, like paying faculty more, helping to cover the cost of education, enhance laboratories, and even pay professors to teach in the clinical setting. What research has told us all over the years is the way you organize nurses in an organization to deliver care is really important, Havens said. Adriana Belmonte is a reporter and editor covering politics and health care policy for Yahoo Finance. You can follow her on Twitter @adrianambells and reach her at adriana@yahoofinance.com. Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Flipboard, and LinkedIn Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald has called for an early Stormont election, insisting her party will not facilitate Northern Ireland staggering on without a functioning Executive. She was speaking alongside ministers Michelle ONeill and Conor Murphy as First Minister Paul Givan announced his resignation as part of a protest at the Northern Ireland Protocol. Ms McDonald said in the absence of a functioning executive, an early election must be called and the people must have their say. This ruse by the DUP to ratchet up tension and pressure in an ill-conceived attempt to get rid of the Protocol will not succeed, the Protocol is necessary, the changes or adaptations that are required to it, that work will be done through the Joint Committee, but for us ultimately, the people will finally be the arbiters and the decision makers in all of these regards, she said. First Minister of Northern Ireland Paul Givan speaking to the media at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Belfast, following his announcement that he will resign his post (Peter Morrison/PA) Ms ONeill said she spoke to Mr Givan very briefly on the phone on Thursday. She said her message to him in private was the same as Sinn Feins in public that the DUPs actions are a deliberate act of harm against wider society. Ms McDonald said: This is one of those defining moments. We can do so much better than this chaotic theatre. Powersharing can work, but it can only work if parties involved are committed to it. Good government can deliver, of that there is no doubt. And that is what we, and we believe the other parties, wants to see happening. So if todays behaviour and decisions of the DUP show anything, it is again demonstrable evidence that we live in a time for real change, and this includes the prospect of constitutional change, as set out in the Good Friday Agreement. It had been hoped to be pass a number of major pieces of legislation, including a three-year Stormont budget, a Climate Change Bill and a Bill on organ donation, before the Assembly was due to be dissolved at the end of March. Early election must be called in absence of functioning Executive @MaryLouMcDonald https://t.co/MzTwXt218D pic.twitter.com/n47tpGW5vs Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) February 3, 2022 Ms McDonald said the situation is a disgrace when crucial legislation needs to be passed. The DUP actions have consequences, real consequences, for people struggling with the cost of living, consequences for businesses trying to rebuild after Covid, consequences for our health service, for waiting lists, she said. And it is a matter of disgrace that the budget now wont be passed and that investment in services such as cancer care and mental health are now in serious jeopardy. Ms ONeill said she has been in contact with other party leaders to meet to discuss the outstanding legislation. Its very clear there are catastrophic impacts in terms of the DUPs action today and there are many many casualties as a result of their political opportunism, she said. I have approached other party leaders, we need to work at pace to deliver on the rest of the legislation, things like the organ donation Bill that we want to see delivered upon. Abuse victim and campaigner Jon McCourt of Survivors (North West) (Liam McBurney/PA) She also expressed anger that a planned public apology to survivors of historical institutional abuse cannot now be delivered by the First and deputy First Ministers. There are many many casualties to what the DUP has done today, I got an email this afternoon from a victim of historical institutional abuse and feel that this is catastrophic, this is the impact for them. I am angry on that persons behalf because the DUP are hell-bent on pursuing a strategy that is just about their own selfish interests, thats not good enough, the public expect better. Mr Murphy said it had been the first three year Budget in almost a decade at Stormont. (l-r) Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy, party president Mary-Lou McDonald and MLA Michelle ONeill (Rebecca Black/PA) It gives us the opportunity, even though its not enough resource, to plan ahead, to put the focus on dealing with the big issues in health including cancer treatments and waiting lists, and all of that is put in jeopardy because of a decision will not be able to be taken in relation to the Budget, he said. It has to be concluded and in place for the end of this financial year in law which means it is just a carry over Budget that will be delivered with no prioritisation, no strategy attached to it, and that has very real consequences for people who are relying on the health service. Mr Murphy said ministers were also looking forward to an Executive meeting next Thursday to make significant changes in terms of the remaining coronavirus restrictions. We now stay in limbo with restrictions that possibly are no longer necessary until such times as that situation can end. A Game of Thrones studio tour has launched in Northern Ireland. From script to screen: your journey through the making of Game of Thrones begins at the Wall in the vast and frozen north and all that lies in the darkness beyond, promises the ticket website for the attraction. The 110,000-sq-ft studio tour, which is located at Linen Mill, where much of the hit HBO series was shot, opened its doors to Westeros fans on Friday. Game of Throne viewers can trace the footsteps of the shows stars including Kit Harrington, Peter Dinklage and Sean Bean and even sit in a replica iron throne made famous in the long-running series, which ended in 2019. Among the exhibits are visual development sketches, props, costumes and sets, including the original The Great Hall of Winterfell and Castle Black sets, which have remained in place since the show wrapped in 2018. There will also be sneak peeks at the prosthetics and visual effects used in the show. Highlights on display include Jon Snows Longclaw sword and Sansas wedding dress. These are the actual sets that we walked on, actor Ian Beattie, who played Meryn Trant, reportedly told Reuters. These are the actual costumes we wore, the swords we swung. And unlike the show, where you dont always see it, you will get to see the incredible detail that went into every aspect of the making of this show. There also two cafes in the venue, albeit not themed. Game of Thrones ran for 8 seasons on HBO. A prequel, called House of the Dragon, is in production. The studio tour will no doubt hope to emulate the success of the Harry Potter studio tour at Warner Bros Leavesden Studios outside London, which continue to be a huge draw for fans of the magical franchise. Subscribe to Variety Newsletters and Email Alerts! A logo of German power supplier EnBW Energie Baden-Wuertemberg AG is pictured at the companies headquarters in Karlsruhe FRANKFURT/DUESSELDORF (Reuters) - German utility EnBW is considering spending 1.5 billion euros ($1.7 billion) on a planned expansion of gas-fired power plants in its home country, which the current government has said is needed to help in the transition towards renewables. Current plans envisage the installation of 1.5 gigawatts (GW) of additional gas-fired power plant capacity, provided the regulatory framework under EU taxonomy rules makes such a move possible. "We are convinced that these power plants are absolutely necessary for energy supply. Somebody has to build them," Georg Stamatelopoulos, EnBW's board member in charge of operation, told Reuters. This, he said, would include retrofits of legacy coal-fired power plants to convert them to gas plants and entail total investments of around 1.5 billion euros, adding the company was already developing plans for its sites. Stamatelopoulos said EnBW was open to partners in this push, which could include a further 600 megawatt in the 2030s. Including reserve capacity, EnBW - which plans to double its onshore and offshore and triple its solar by 2025 - has around 1.2 GW worth of gas-plants today. Gas-fired power plants will be the main technology to help Europe's largest economy manage a transition to renewable energy sources at a time when two key baseload sources - nuclear and coal - are being phased out. Estimates over how many gas-fired power plants are needed in Germany by the end of the decade range from anywhere between 10 GW and 40 GW. He said recent proposed changes to EU taxonomy rules, under which gas and nuclear power will likely get a 'green' label to provide better access to funding, went into the right direction. "It's an important step to mobilise private investment to achieve the EU climate protection targets," Stamatelopoulos said. ($1 = 0.8715 euros) (Reporting by Christoph Steitz and Tom Kaeckenhoff; Editing by Miranda Murray) Alzheimer's-like changes found in COVID patients' brains; flu shot, mRNA booster safe together Relatives wait to receive the body of a man after he died from the COVID-19, outside a mortuary of a COVID-19 hospital in Ahmedabad By Nancy Lapid (Reuters) - The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review. Alzheimer's-like changes seen in COVID-19 patients' brains People who die of severe COVID-19 have brain abnormalities that resemble changes seen in Alzheimer's disease - accumulation of a protein called tau inside brain cells, and abnormal amounts of the protein beta-amyloid that accumulates into amyloid plaques - small studies have found. At Columbia University, Dr. Andrew Marks and colleagues studied the brains of 10 COVID-19 patients and found defects in proteins called ryanodine receptors that control the passage of calcium into cells. In Alzheimer's disease, defective ryanodine receptors are linked to accumulation of tau into so-called neurofibrillary tangles. These tangles were present in high levels in the COVID-19 patients' brains, the Columbia team reported on Thursday in Alzheimer's & Dementia. Other research teams have looked for - and found - abnormal amyloid levels in brains of COVID-19 patients, according to reports posted online ahead of peer review on bioRxiv and on The Lancet's preprint server. In all the studies, patients had experienced the most severe forms of COVID-19. If similar changes are occurring in the brains of patients with milder illness, that might help explain the "brain fog" associated with long COVID, Marks said. Patients with severe COVID-19 might be at higher risk for dementia later in life, but it is too soon to know, he added. His advice: Get a booster vaccine and avoid the virus. "If you get COVID-19, you probably won't die, but we still don't know a lot about the long-term effects." Seniors can get flu shot, mRNA COVID-19 booster together Seniors can safely get the high-dose flu vaccine and an mRNA COVID-19 booster dose at the same time, a new study confirms. The study's 306 participants, all older than 65, were randomly assigned either to receive Sanofi's Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent influenza vaccine and a third shot of Moderna's mRNA vaccine at the same time, or either of the vaccines alone. Blood samples obtained before and 21 days after vaccination showed that giving the two vaccines together did not affect the resulting immune response, with similar antibody levels generated in participants in each of the three groups, according to a report published on Tuesday in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. A spokesperson for Sanofi said combined administration of the COVID-19 and influenza vaccines "did not raise any safety concerns and the study team is continuing to follow study participants through 6 months after vaccination." Fluid in some rapid COVID tests could be deadly for kids In some COVID-19 rapid test kits, the small bottle of "reagent" fluid contains sodium azide, a powerful poison that is particularly dangerous for small children, experts warn. In adults, small amounts can quickly cause dangerously low blood pressure, dizziness, fainting, or even heart attacks or strokes, said Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor, Co-Medical Director of the National Capital Poison Center in Washington, D.C. Higher doses can be fatal, she and her colleagues wrote in The American Journal of Emergency Medicine. Sodium azide levels in COVID-19 rapid test kits are not always high enough to cause low blood pressure in adults, and the iHealth kits being sent out by the U.S. government do not contain any sodium azide at all, Johnson-Arbor said. "However... since children are typically much smaller than adults, they are at a higher risk of experiencing poisonous effects after swallowing any amount," she said. Poison control hotlines have been getting reports of accidental exposures to the reagent fluid. "Some people have swallowed the solution, some have spilled it onto their skin, and others have put it in their eyes," mistaking the bottle for eye drops, Johnson-Arbor said. "If you or a loved one swallows the reagent fluid or gets the fluid in their eyes or on the skin, contact Poison Control right away." (In the U.S., at www.poison.org or 1-800-222-1222; in the UK at https://www.npis.org/). Click for a Reuters graphic on vaccines in development. (Reporting by Nancy Lapid; Editing by Bill Berkrot) Locating the lost ship of renowned polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton would be groundbreaking for maritime archaeology, TV historian Dan Snow has said. An imminent expedition aims to find, survey and film the wreck of Endurance, which sank during Sir Ernests quest to Antarctica in 1915, and now lies somewhere at the bottom of the Weddell Sea. The Endurance22 Expedition, expected to set off for Antarctica from Cape Town, South Africa, on Saturday marks one month after the 100th anniversary of Sir Ernests death. Dan Snow said a discovery would be groundbreaking for maritime archaeology (Ian West/PA) Snow, who is joining the expedition, told the PA news agency on Friday: Locating Endurance would be a massive success for us. I think engaging the world with one of the great stories of history is incredibly exciting. As a historian and someone with a great passion for this, finally locating the site of the shipwreck really is what I live for. Sir Ernests trip gained notoriety due to icy conditions which caused the boat and crew to be trapped in sea ice for more than 10 months, before they successfully escaped in lifeboats and on foot. 24 hours until #Endurance22 departure to Antarctica. Helicopters Underwater search vehicles Cake Please join us aboard for a livestream at 1700 GMT on our YouTube:https://t.co/XZUXy2xR3Y pic.twitter.com/9FOD59DPBr Dan Snow (@thehistoryguy) February 4, 2022 Snow added: Well be vulnerable to bad weather, ice, storms and very cold climates, holding on like ants to the big plates of Arctic ice around us. This is very significant, its a modern and ambitious search for the shipwreck. If we do find Endurance, it will be groundbreaking for maritime archaeology. Operating from the South African-registered research ship, the Agulhas II, the expedition will be at sea for at least 35 days. Underwater search vehicles will be used to locate, survey and film the wreck, which could be up to 3,000m down, without touching or disturbing it. Donald Lamont, chairman of the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust, said: The preparation has been comprehensive, although not without its challenge, including Covid. He said the team has remained nimble and determined with the plan to locate and survey Endurance. Dr John Shears, expedition leader, said: I would like to thank the entire team, both those heading to Antarctica and the many in important support functions, for their outstanding work across the past month during the final preparations, which have been suitably thorough, and we leave Cape Town on the S.A. Agulhas II knowing that we have the very best people and technology available to us. We are excited to keep the world up to date with progress on this remarkable Antarctic mission. Mensun Bound, director of exploration, said: Embarking on this expedition to locate the wreck of Endurance is incredibly exciting for all who are involved. We are very grateful to everyone who has made this possible, and we will do everything in our power to shine further light on this inspiring story. We very much hope we can do justice to this magnificent chapter in polar exploration, by capturing images of Shackletons iconic Endurance to share with the world. A lorry driver has been jailed for smuggling 480,000 worth of cocaine while delivering frozen potatoes. Bryan Anthony Hughes, 30, from Ballymena, County Antrim, was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court to seven years and six months on Friday, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said. The NCA said it started an investigation into Hughes after his lorry was stopped at the UK Inbound border in Coquelles, France, on October 16 last year. Bryan Anthony Hughes (NCA/PA) Hughes told Border Force officers he had been to Tilburg in the Netherlands. His cab was then searched by officers and eight kilos of cocaine was found inside baggage and in a locker, the NCA said. NCA officers estimate the drugs would be worth 480,000 at street level. The investigation found that Hughes had travelled from the Netherlands, having collected a legitimate cargo of frozen potatoes for delivery in the north west of England. Hughes made no comment when interviewed by officers, but the NCA said he later pleaded guilty to importing a Class A drug at Canterbury Crown Court on December 2. Drugs found on the lorry (NCA/PA) The NCA said he was sentenced at the same court on Friday. Mark Howes, NCA branch commander, said: This quantity of cocaine would generate significant revenue on UK streets, so this seizure will cause a dent in the profits of the organised crime group it was destined for. Criminal groups use smugglers like Hughes to bring their drugs into the UK and our message to anyone tempted to try and make what they may consider easy money through smuggling is that you will be caught. We work closely with our partners, including Border Force, to stop the flow of illicit drugs into the UK and will continue to prosecute those involved. Hampton The father of a missing 4-year-old Hampton boy was arraigned Friday on seven charges of felony child neglect, none of which were related to his sons disappearance. Court documents filed in Hampton Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court say Cory Jamar Bigsby Sr., 43, admitted to leaving his four boys, between the ages of 2 and 5, home alone for hours at a time on several occasions. Advertisement Bigsby, arrested Thursday night, told a Hampton police detective that the children were too much of a burden to take out with him when he leaves his home, a criminal complaint said. The children include Codi Bigsby, the 4-year-old boy whom the father reported missing Monday morning. Advertisement Authorities have undertaken a massive search in the Buckroe neighborhood where Codi lives with his father and three siblings, but sweeps of the area have not turned up any sign of the boy this week. Meanwhile, police have been openly skeptical of the fathers account. We will not stop here with this arrest, Hampton Police Chief Mark Talbot said at a news conference Friday. In fact, he said, in some ways our investigation is going to start, and become more intense now. We have many interviews to conduct, he said. We still have areas to search, and we have many leads to follow. Shortly after Cory Bigsby reported his child missing Monday from the neighborhood off Old Buckroe Road, he was taken to Hampton police headquarters for questioning. He remained there continuously and police say voluntarily until his arrest more than three days later. Talbot declined to say with whom the other boys, twin 2-year-olds and a 5-year-old, were staying, except to indicate they are safe and thriving. Cory Bigsby (Courtesy of Hampton Police Division) The biggest question hounding investigators is when and where Codi Bigsby was last seen. We are still investigating the last time that Codi was seen alive and well by anyone, Talbot said. So if theres anybody out there that might be able to help us with that, we would like to know. The FBI appealed to the public in a message Thursday morning, asking people to come forward if they have knowledge of either Codi or his fathers whereabouts since the holidays. Have you seen Codi, his father Cory or his siblings since Christmas? the FBI message asked. Advertisement Bigsby told police he last saw Codi sleeping in his bed at 2 a.m. Monday, but when he went to check on the boy about 9 a.m., he was nowhere to be found. But police say that evidence in the case doesnt match the fathers story and Talbot reiterated Friday that he doesnt believe Codi was either abducted or walked out of the apartment in the middle of the night on his own. I will say that Ive known a few 4-year-olds in my life, the chief said. I dont know any who decide at any hour of the morning, when its dark, to leave their home. I dont know any that do that. I dont believe thats what happened this time, either. Codi Bigsby, 4, was reported missing Monday morning from a Hampton residence in the Buckroe Beach neighborhood. He's seen here in two different images. (Hampton Police Division) Investigators are still trying to determine the fathers comings and goings in recent weeks. The FBI has provided assistance with forensics, which typically includes gathering and deciphering cell phone tracking data, and turned that information over to police. Were working on a timeline, but it still needs some work, Talbot said. Its a work in progress. Charging documents say that while he was at the police headquarters over the past three days, Bigsby confessed to leaving his three youngest children Codi and his 2-year-old twin brothers at home alone for three hours Dec. 13 so he could go buy a vehicle in Norfolk. Advertisement The documents also say Bigsby admitted to leaving all four boys alone for two hours in the early evening of Jan. 25. The children were left without a means or ability to communicate emergency services, the complaint said. [ Hours before arrest of Codi Bigsbys father, FBI raises speculation about when Hampton boy disappeared ] Theres no indication in the documents that the children were injured while left unsupervised. Bigsby, wearing a mask and orange jail-issued shirt, appeared at a brief court hearing Friday by way of a remote video hookup from the nearby Hampton City Jail. Hampton JDR Judge Gregory Bane informed Bigsby of the charges and set a bond hearing for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. Cory Bigsbys sister, Tandaleyia Butler, called the charges bogus and said her brother is a good father to his four sons. My brother has always been a great dad, she said. Hes a great person ... He may look like this big guy, but hes got a soft heart. These charges have absolutely nothing to do with the disappearance of his son, Bigsbys attorney, Jeffrey Ambrose, said after the arraignment, adding that the family thanked the community volunteers looking to find Codi. Advertisement Caution tape blocks a grassy area in Buckroe Pointe Apartment Townhomes on Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, in Hampton, Va. (Kaitlin McKeown/The Virginian-Pilot) Ambrose, hired by the family Thursday, said that when he learned Bigsby had been at police headquarters for more than three days, he, Bigsbys sister and another lawyer went to the police building to try to talk with him. Ambrose said he wanted to confirm with Bigsby that he was OK and that he was talking with police voluntarily. But after they waited in the lobby for more than an hour, officers told them they couldnt see or speak with Bigsby. Ambrose said police then referred the matter to Hampton Commonwealths Attorney Anton Bell, whom the lawyer said he couldnt reach. Ambrose contended it was improper that police wouldnt let him speak with his client. Not to let anybody check is problematic, he said. At least two community members pressed Talbot about that issue at Fridays news conference, with the Hampton chief responding that Bigsby did not ask for a lawyer during the time at police headquarters. Police have previously said he was there voluntarily until his arrest Thursday. Mr. Bigsby is a 43-year-old man whos had a full career in the Army, Talbot said. He retired from a position of authority. He seems to be quite intelligent. He seems to be quite capable, and part of his capabilities seems to be understanding his rights. Advertisement Bigsby was absolutely made aware of his rights, including his right to talk to an attorney, Talbot said. Had he made such a request, we would have honored it. While at police headquarters, Bigsby was given a cot, a blanket and a pillow and had access to food, water and a shower, a local law enforcement source said. But Ambrose said he spoke to Bigsby Friday afternoon at the Hampton City Jail, with Bigsby telling him that police wouldnt let him talk to a lawyer. He advised me that he requested an attorney, that he requested not to answer any further questions, and that those requests were not honored, Ambrose said. He told me he was asking, Can I go? Id like to go home, and they were telling him no. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > Ambrose said he will be requesting the video footage of the interrogations. Cory Bigsby criminal complaint Also at Fridays press conference, Talbot was also asked about Codi Bigsbys mother and whether she was helping with the search for her son in Hampton. Advertisement The chief would not answer that directly, noting that police have spoken to her, know where she is and that she is answering investigators questions. A relative of Cory Bigsby told the Daily Press the mother lives in the Washington area. Talbot declined to say when the mother said she last spoke with Codi. More than four days into the search, Talbot said police are committed to doing what it takes to find Codi, though he didnt sound optimistic the boy would be found alive. I will tell you that we are continuing to search and hope that we can bring Codi safely home, Talbot said. With each day that passes, we become more and more concerned, and we lose a little bit more hope. Obviously, the longer it goes, the more tragic it feels. Peter Dujardin, 757-247-4749, pdujardin@dailypress.com A day after the International Olympic Committee tried to claim these Games should be free of politics, the Chinese Communist Party staged an Opening Ceremony draped in dual-track political messaging for audiences both inside China and out that was as loud and clear as the fireworks that lit up the Beijing sky. It was a sign of both Chinese strength in its ability to use the Olympics to spread its narrative and its hidden terror at the truth actually seeping out. It ended with an affront to the sensibilities and a middle finger to much of the world, whose prominent governments including the United States, India, Great Britain, Australia and Canada refused to send diplomats to grant this absurdity any measure of legitimacy. The Olympic cauldron was lit a symbolic moment of prominence on Friday in Beijing by two Chinese athletes, including Dinigeer Yilamujiang, a cross country skier, who, according to the state-run media, has Uyghur heritage. That choice, a female Uyghur, was a direct shot at outside groups and governments who have condemned China for its treatment against Muslim ethic minorities who mostly reside in the far northwest part of the country. Numerous governments, including the United States, and numerous human rights organizations Amnesty International and United Nations experts, among them have concluded China is waging genocide against the Uyghurs after some members of the ethnic group began demanding a measure of cultural independence in 2014. China has denied the allegation and its response was, perhaps, even more direct than imaginable. In a signature moment of the Olympics, with massive audiences both inside the country and around the globe, it sent a Uyghur woman to essentially declare all is good and what youve heard isnt true. Well, thats the Chinese story, at least. BEIJING, CHINA FEBRUARY 4, 2022: Chinese athletes Dinigeer Yilamujiang and Zhao Jiawen light the snowflake-shaped Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at the National Stadium (also known as the Bird's Nest). Sergei Bobylev/TASS (Photo by Sergei Bobylev\TASS via Getty Images) But if the CCP is going to use Dinigeer Yilamujiang as a prop for its story, then let her also serve as a chance for the rest of the world to learn about her people. There is universal consensus among governments, independent groups and international journalists about what is happening in the Xinjiang province. It was reached despite the enormous risks politically, economically or even for security reasons in taking on China. Slavery. Forced sterilization. The imprisonment of perhaps 1 million Uyghurs. Re-education camps. The erasing of culture. Rapes, beatings, mandated abortions, starvations and every other form of torture imaginable. The evidence is overwhelming, Williams Nee of the Chinese Human Rights Defenders and a former analyst for Amnesty International told Yahoo Sports. China denies it, but it has also denied the United Nations own high commissioner for human rights access to the area. No matter, there are satellite images of the camps, testimony from Uyghurs who escaped as refugees, and reports from independent groups and journalists who snuck in. Everything is geared to making the Uyghurs comply with the Chinese central government and Han culture, even if that means ensuring fewer Uyghurs exist, both now and in the future. The racism is appalling. Any objectors can be used to work the cotton fields so the government can profit off their instance on basic human dignity. The Uyghurs, among others in the region, face systematic, state-organized mass imprisonment, torture and persecution amounting to crimes against humanity, Amnesty International stated in 2021. It should shock the conscience of humanity that massive numbers of people have been subjected to brainwashing, torture and other degrading treatment in internment camps, while millions more live in fear amid a vast surveillance apparatus, the report stated. If Chinese president Xi Jinping wants an Olympic torch to say there is nothing to see here, well, let the rest of the world that lives outside of his state-controlled media and internet firewalls take the time to look longer and harder and consider what, in even the smallest of ways, they can do to help. Let this backfire. Let this draw attention to this state-run terrorism. Let this become a global movement. Let this grow so loud that it drowns out the IOCs pathetic willingness to be used as a propaganda prop this month an effort complete with a pathetic, humiliating, all but written-by-Beijing-speech from IOC President Thomas Bach, for whom history will forever condemn. They wanted the IOC to send the message that this wasnt about politics and then make it all about politics, Nee said. They want to show to their own people and the world, especially the Muslim world, an image of ethic unity. But you cant say everything is fine and not let the United Nations, or anyone else, in to investigate. Let it extend to other global businesses, organizations and prominent people. Let this be the tipping point. This is why the United States and others engaged in a diplomatic boycott of these Games. No U.S. government officials were there to witness, and thus lend credence to, this mass brainwashing. The athletes, who want to be there, will be able to compete. Its an individual choice, not a government mandate. The fact Dinigeer Yilamujiang lit the cauldron, however, shows that China was stung by the boycott and was angry about the lack of American, British and other dignitaries in Beijing on Friday. It also showed it is concerned about the narrative, its fear about the truth leaking out. A hit dog will bark and China was howling on Friday. It needed, in the biggest way possible, to try to message its own people and those around the world that if they happen to have heard about any trouble with the Uyghurs if they heard about the rapes and the imprisonments and the torture and the slavery, if the growing noise about these atrocities had reached them well, it isnt true. Just look at the happy, healthy, smiling face of Dinigeer Yilamujiang as she fired up that cauldron. Well, the cauldron is lit. Now let the rest of the world follow its glow toward the truth. Kerry Mulvihill, a science teacher at Gerald Huesken Middle School poses for a portrait in Lancaster, Pa., Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022. Mulvihill said only five people applied for an 8th-grade science position this fall and none of them made it to the interview stage. Two special education teachers recently resigned in the middle of the year, a formerly rare occurrence during her 25 years as a teacher, she said. We really have a crisis, Mulvihill said. Now, Im like, oh my golly. Im begging people, hold in, hold in, we need quality people, for sure. We cant all retire at the same time. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) As schools scramble to find enough substitute teachers to keep classrooms running through the latest surge of the coronavirus, some experts warn there are longer-term problems with the teacher pipeline that cannot be solved with emergency substitutes, bonuses and loosened qualifications. For years, some states have been issuing fewer teaching licenses, and many districts have had trouble filling vacancies, particularly in poorer areas. Shortages are being felt much more widely due to absences during a pandemic that is testing educators like no other stretch of their careers, raising fears of many more leaving the profession. To address the problem, states are raising salaries, seeking more teachers outside formal training programs, and pursuing other strategies to develop more educators. School administrators hope it will be enough. I see a very large concern, its like impending doom almost, when you look out a few years at what this may turn into, said Randal Lutz, superintendent of the Baldwin-Whitehall School District near Pittsburgh, where German classes had to go fully online last year when none of the handful of applicants was qualified for a vacancy. Based on declining enrollment at teaching colleges and surveys of teachers about their future plans, shortages are likely to become more widespread, affecting regions and subject areas that traditionally have not been affected, said Jacqueline King, a researcher with the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. What we seem to be seeing now is more widespread shortages in areas like elementary education and secondary English, King said. These werent fields that previously we thought, Oh, theres a big shortage there. In Pennsylvania, the number of new teacher certifications fell by two-thirds in the 2010s. Although many of the states public universities began as teachers colleges, the number of education majors studying in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education has fallen from about 30,000 a decade ago to nearly 17,000 last year. The trend worries Tanya Garcia, Pennsylvanias deputy secretary for post-secondary and higher education. We used to be a prime exporter of educators, and now were not holding on to the people, Garcia said. Not every measure has been grim. Floridas American Rescue Plan application said projected day 1 teacher vacancies for the coming year dipped between 2019 and 2020. And Californias Commission on Teacher Credentialing said initial teaching certificates increased from 15,400 in 2015-16 to 18,000 in 2019-20. Still, both are grappling with teacher shortages in particular specialties. Bellwether Education Partners, a nonprofit education group, argued in a January 2019 report that shortages were clearly a problem in some areas but generic teacher shortages that had been warned about in recent decades have not materialized. The misalignment between teacher supply and demand is where the teacher shortage crisis is born and lives, the report said. To get through the omicron-drive surge, which hit school staffing hard, schools have adopted an-all-hands-on-deck approach with administrators, parents and even National Guard soldiers filling in as substitutes. Credential requirements have been loosened temporarily. And bonuses backed by federal relief money have been offered to make working in schools more appealing amid a labor shortage. For the longer term, states have identified needs to invest in strategies to bolster the teacher pipeline. State officials outlined plans to improve teacher recruitment and retention in applications last year for federal COVID-19 relief money. They include fostering teacher aides to qualify them for classroom teaching vacancies and subsidizing college tuition. Kansas has been working on expanding pathways to the classroom to greater diversify its teachers, requires mentorship for new teachers and is developing new programs for math teachers. Michigans education agency has encouraged districts to give particular focus to raising salaries for teachers at lower levels and to help keep them by advancing them more quickly through the salary schedule. Michigan has also hosted virtual job fairs for educators. In its application, Nevada warned that its teacher pipeline has continued to shrink over time. Michigan reported its annual certification of new teachers is not keeping pace with demand. Kansas said the work of its commission to address educator retention and recruitment was disrupted by the pandemic and the number of new teachers could not keep pace with vacancies. Concerns about teacher shortages that have arisen in the past, sometimes during wartime, have prompted stopgap measures similar to what are currently being developed, said Diana DAmico Pawlewicz, a University of North Dakota education professor. The results, she said, can be ineffective and even counterproductive, with poorly prepared instructors who are more likely to leave the job within a few years of starting. We may be solving one problem theres no teacher, theres no adult in the room at this moment but we are creating a ripple effect of problems that are going to reverberate for years, she said. Factors blamed for the current shortages include a drop-off in hiring during the Great Recession, the availability of better paying options, the politicization of curriculum, frustrations over standardized tests, less generous pensions and concerns about class size, a lack of autonomy and inadequate resources. The stresses of working through the pandemic threaten to further thin the ranks of educators. A survey of National Education Association members conducted in January released this week found 55% planned to leave education sooner than planned because of the pandemic, up from 37% in August. There are literally not enough staff to keep schools open, NEA President Becky Pringle said. This is the tragic consequence of decades spent chronically underfunding education and shortchanging students. Kerry Mulvihill, a science teacher at Gerald Huesken Middle School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, said only five people applied for an 8th-grade science position this fall and none of them made it to the interview stage. Two special education teachers recently resigned in the middle of the year, a formerly rare occurrence during her 25 years as a teacher, she said. We really have a crisis, Mulvihill said. Now, Im like, oh my golly. Im begging people, hold in, hold in, we need quality people, for sure. We cant all retire at the same time. ___ Associated Press researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York and AP writer Collin Binkley in Boston contributed to this report. ___ Follow APs coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic. BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) The man convicted of murder for shooting Ahmaud Arbery withdrew his guilty plea on a federal hate crime charge Friday, electing to stand trial for a second time in the 2020 killing of a Black man that became part of a larger national reckoning over racial injustice. Travis McMichael reversed his plan to plead guilty in the federal case days after a U.S. District Court judge rejected terms of a plea deal between defense attorneys and prosecutors that was met with passionate objections by Arberys parents. Asked by U.S. District Judge Lisa Godbey Wood for his decision, McMichael said: I withdraw the plea. That means all three white men convicted of Arbery's murder will return to court for the federal trial next week, after plea deals for McMichael and his father fell apart. Greg McMichael backed down from a plan to plead guilty in a legal filing late Thursday. Wood has scheduled jury selection in the hate crimes trial will begin Monday. The Friday plea hearing for Travis McMichael was so brief that Arbery's father missed it. He was standing by the elevators downstairs as reporters were leaving the courthouse. All we want is 100% justice for the Arbery family," Marcus Arbery Sr. said. "Thats all were looking for. The McMichaels and a neighbor, William Roddie Bryan, were convicted of murder in a Georgia state court last fall and sentenced to life in prison. Georgia lacked a hate crimes law at the time of the killing. The U.S. Department of Justice had them indicted on charges that the three white men violated Arberys civil rights and targeted him because he was Black. The McMichaels armed themselves and chased Arbery in a pickup truck after spotting the 25-year-old man running past their home just outside the port city of Brunswick on Feb. 23, 2020. Bryan joined the pursuit in his own truck and recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael blasting Arbery with a shotgun. The father and son had planned to plead guilty to a hate crime charge after prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed to propose a 30-year sentence that would include a request to transfer the McMichaels from Georgias state prison system to federal custody. The deal would have required the McMichaels to admit to racist motives and forfeit the right to appeal their federal sentence. Wood rejected the deal Monday after Arberys parents argued that conditions in federal prison wouldnt be as harsh. Wood said she ultimately denied the deal because it would have locked her into a specific sentence. Prosecutors asked the judge to approve the plea deals despite the objections from Arbery's family. Prosecutor Tara Lyons said that attorneys for Arbery's parents had told the U.S. Justice Department that the family wouldn't object. But Lee Merritt, an attorney for Arbery's mother, said the slain man's family had previously rejected the same terms and no longer wanted to engage with prosecutors, who "took that as a deferral. During the murder trial in state court, defense attorneys argued the McMichaels were justified in pursuing Arbery because they had a reasonable suspicion that he had committed crimes in their neighborhood. Travis McMichael testified that he opened fire with his shotgun after Arbery attacked him with fists and tried to grab the weapon. Jeff Zucker, from left, Tom Brokaw and Allison Gollust attend the 2016 Freedom of the Press Awards at the Pierre hotel on May 17, 2016, in New York City. (Jared Siskin / Patrick McMullan via Getty Images) The sudden resignation of Jeff Zucker as president of CNN has shaken up the troops at the cable news network. Jason Kilar, chief executive of the cable news channel's parent firm, WarnerMedia, heard it firsthand during a meeting at CNN's Washington bureau hours after the Wednesday announcement that Zucker was gone. Many expressed fear for the outlet's future and frustration and anger that Zucker who over nine years led the network to its most successful business years and gave it a more aggressive personality was abruptly removed. Zucker stepped down after he acknowledged that he failed to disclose that he was having a romantic relationship with Allison Gollust, a longtime aide and CNN's chief marketing officer. Zucker and Gollust said their friendship "evolved" into an intimate relationship during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. He was questioned about the matter by attorneys investigating the WarnerMedia unit's handling of Chris Cuomo, the prime-time anchor fired in December over his involvement in his brother Andrew's sexual misconduct scandal that forced him to resign as New York governor. During the 90-minute meeting, Kilar was repeatedly pummeled with questions by the network's Washington journalists who felt a deep affinity for Zucker, according to an audio recording of the meeting obtained by The Times. Three of Zucker's deputies Amy Entelis, Michael Bass and Ken Jautz are running CNN on an interim basis. During the last five years, CNN bore the brunt of former President Trump's attacks on the media, which became so intense that some journalists at the network felt unsafe in public settings. Zucker never relented to the ongoing pressure, keeping the network's aggressive stance in its coverage while making sure his staff was protected. Veteran Washington correspondent Jim Acosta, who at one point had his White House press credentials revoked, expressed concern that a manager without Zucker's toughness might have relented to the pressure. "If we had not had Jeff here during the Trump administration, we would have probably been taken out and you would have something like Fox News lite on the air right now," Acosta said. "It's a rather delicate time, not just for this country but this business." Washington anchor Jake Tapper said the network would have become "benign, vanilla gruel" if not for Zucker's leadership. Tapper was particularly confrontational to Kilar during the meeting, suggesting that WarnerMedia was caving to Cuomo, who is said to have vowed to retaliate against Zucker for firing him without pay. Cuomo is expected to file a lawsuit over his compensation, said to be $6 million annually. "He threatened," Tapper said. "Jeff said we don't negotiate with terrorists. Chris blew the place up. How do we get past that perception that this is the bad guy winning?" A representative for Chris Cuomo declined to comment. Kilar avoided giving details of his personnel decisions beyond saying the company's values were more important than the business considerations of Zucker's departure. The company is on the verge of launching a new streaming service, CNN+, which Kilar himself said will be the predominant platform for CNN in 10 years. Kilar said the work being done by the CNN journalists, which he repeatedly lauded, would get the public past the Cuomo scandal and any collateral damage related to it. The executive repeatedly praised Zucker's achievements, adding that the network's strategy or approach will not be altered under his watch. Kilar assured the staff that Zuckers departure would not alter CNNs journalistic values. The remarks didn't satisfy Washington correspondent Jamie Gangel, whose association with Zucker dates to her early years at NBC when she was an up-and-coming 26-year-old producer. "I think we've heard a lot of corporate double talk," she said. "I think the company has made a terrible mistake by doing this." Gangel said she received calls from four members of the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol "who felt devastated for our democracy" now that Zucker has exited CNN. "I do not think you have any appreciation for what you've done to this organization," she said. While CNN's top stars are unhappy about Zucker's departure, the revelation about his involvement with Gollust is drawing further scrutiny. New York gossip outlets have chased rumors about the nature of the Zucker-Gollust connection for years and are now reporting that former employees and some insiders at the company are skeptical about the timeline presented in Gollust's statement. "I find the 'it started during COVID' claim pretty amusing," said journalist Soledad O'Brien in a tweet. O'Brien worked for Zucker at NBC and CNN. A spokesperson for Zucker and Gollust said the couple stands by the timeline presented in their statements issued Wednesday. While Gollust remains employed by CNN, several people familiar with her status who were not authorized to discuss it publicly said she will likely not stay with the company once Discovery's merger with WarnerMedia is completed in a few months. Zucker and Gollust first worked together at NBC when he was executive producer of "Today" and she was publicity executive for the morning program. She handled his communications when Zucker ascended to president of NBC and exited several months after he left the company in 2010. Gollust joined CNN after Zucker was named president of the network, after her short stint as communications director in Andrew Cuomo's office. Gollust and Zucker were frequently seen together on the New York media party circuit, although it's not unusual for communications executives to spend seemingly exhaustive amounts of time around their high-profile bosses. They also lived in the same cooperative apartment building in Manhattan when they were both still living with their spouses. Both are now divorced. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. FILE - This undated file photo provided by the Illinois Department of Corrections shows former Bolingbrook, Ill., police officer Drew Peterson. Peterson is getting another chance to ask a judge to vacate his 2012 conviction in the murder of his third wife. A hearing Monday, Feb. 7, 2022, will be before the same judge who sentenced Peterson to 38 years in prison for the 2004 slaying of Kathleen Savio. (Illinois Department of Corrections via AP, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) CHICAGO (AP) As Drew Peterson's appeals against his murder conviction repeatedly failed, it seemed the former suburban Chicago police sergeant might fade from the news. But a decade after a jury convicted him in the slaying of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, Peterson has been given something from the judge who sentenced him to 38 years in prison: Another day in court. Will County Judge Edward Burmila is scheduled Monday to consider Peterson's hand-printed motion sent from an Indiana prison to vacate his conviction after determining he had presented a gist of a constitutional claim. WHAT ARE PETERSON'S ARGUMENTS? Peterson says his attorney, Joel Brodsky, was ineffective. He argues that Brodsky gave bad advice, such as urging him not to testify and threatening to quit if he did. He paints Brodsky as a publicity hound. He also says Will County States Attorney James Glasgow was an overzealous and unethical prosecutor who intimidated witnesses. Peterson also blames Hollywood, arguing that a movie starring Rob Lowe portrayed him in a very negative light" in the eyes of the jury. Finally, Peterson says he was the victim of hearsay evidence that should never have been presented to jurors. Peterson was the first criminal defendant in Illinois history to be tried after Glasgow helped push through a law dubbed Drew's Law. It allowed Savio and Peterson's fourth wife, Stacy, who disappeared in 2007, to speak from their graves" via people who testified that both women told them things that implicated Peterson in the killing. COULD ANY OF IT HELP PETERSON? Much of what Peterson argues has already been shot down by judges and courts. They have dispatched the argument that Brodsky was ineffective. And the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that the use of hearsay testimony by Savio and Stacy Peterson whom Drew Peterson is suspected of killing though he has not been charged in her death did not violate his constitutional right to confront his accusers. The court found there was evidence that Peterson killed them to prevent their testimony. Attorneys say that means Peterson must have something new to say. Anything hes already raised, he cant raise that post-conviction unless hes found something new or there is something he didnt know or couldnt have known before, said Terry Ekl, a prominent Chicago-area defense attorney who is not involved in the case. Legal experts and one former member of Peterson's legal team said the argument that Glasgow intimidated witnesses is new and if evidence shows it happened something Glasgow's office denies it might help the former Bolingbrook police sergeant. But attorney Joe Lopez, who was on the legal team, said Peterson will have to produce evidence. While the U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear Peterson's appeal once, Phil Turner, a former federal prosecutor who isn't involved with the case, said there's a chance the high court might want to hear his arguments concerning the prosecutor. "That issue has some substance, Turner said. If they frame that right, they might have a shot. WHAT'S NEXT? When Burmila agreed to hear more from Peterson, he appointed an attorney and an investigator from the local public defender's office to assist him. The attorney could ask for more time to investigate when the case returns to court Monday a request that Lopez and Ekl expect the judge to grant. Burmila could then agree to an evidentiary hearing, meaning people who Peterson contends were threatened or Glasgow himself could take the witness stand, Ekl said. Brodsky and Peterson could also be called to testify, which might be problematic for Peterson. Brodksy would almost certainly be asked if he threatened to quit the case if Peterson testified at trial. Brodsky was careful with his words when he told The Associated Press that he would be forced to explain why he didn't want Peterson to testify. Does Drew really want to do that?" he asked. Peterson would also be confronted with his own statement to Burmila at trial that the decision not to testify was his. Ekl suggested that Peterson, a veteran police officer, would have a tough time selling that argument. He's not a 16-year-old kid, Ekl said. He could also be confronted with his own actions. If Brodsky wanted publicity, so, it appeared, did Peterson. Through all the publicity stunts, beginning with a Win a Date with Drew contest the two floated, Peterson seemed like a willing and even gleeful participant. COULD PETERSON WALK FREE SOON? Nope. Such appeals are long shots. Besides, Peterson provided no proof in his motion, which he wrote by himself from prison. Even if he's successful, there is this: A few years after Peterson was convicted of murder he was found guilty of plotting to kill Glasgow. The sentence in that case was 40 years in prison two more than he got for killing his ex-wife to begin on the completion of his current sentence. For Christmas two years ago, Jessica Harvey Galloway was gifted a home DNA test kit by her parents, mom Jeanine Harvey and her dad, John Harvey, who goes by Mike. They never expected that the test they used from Ancestry.com would indicate that Jessica was not at all related to Mike, who is of Italian descent. We got the results and logged on. There's Irish, English, German, Welsh, French all these things. And there's no Italian Sicilian. I mean nothing, Jessica recalled on Good Morning America. PHOTO: Jessica Harvey Galloway and her parents are suing a hospital and doctor after learning Galloway is not biologically related to her father. (Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise Law Firm) Nearly 30 years ago, the Harveys turned to Dr. Nicholas J. Spirtos, a doctor at Summa Health Systems Akron Campus in Ohio to help them on their journey to becoming parents. With the help of IVF, the couple conceived a daughter. But according to the family, the DNA test showed Jessicas biological father was someone else entirely -- a complete stranger to the family. It revealed a trauma that I never could have imagined. Its taken every ounce of my power to remain strong for myself and my family as we try to move forward, Jeanine Harvey told GMA. PHOTO: Jessica Harvey Galloway and her parents are suing a hospital and doctor after learning Galloway is not biologically related to her father. (Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise Law Firm) Learning that your entire reality isnt what you believed it to be is hard to explain," Mike Harvey added. "Its like waking up in someone elses life." Now, the Harveys are suing Summa Health and Dr. Spirtos, alleging they were the victims of medical malpractice, negligence and a breach of contract, among other claims, according to a copy of the lawsuit obtained by GMA. The Harveys are being represented by Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise, LLP of Cleveland. One of their lawyers, Adam Wolf, told GMA, You can't go back in time and change things. All we can do at this point is demand accountability and demand regulation and oversight so that we don't have more people in the Harvey situation. PHOTO: Jessica Harvey Galloway and her parents are suing a hospital and doctor after learning Galloway is not biologically related to her father. (Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise Law Firm) "We are aware of an allegation that has been made claiming in 1991 a patient was artificially inseminated with the semen from a person who is not her husband," Summa Health said in a statement to GMA." "We take this allegation seriously and understand the impact this has on the family. At this point, we have not met with the family or conducted testing of our own. Given the very limited information that we have and the amount of time that has passed, it remains our hope that the attorneys representing the family will work with us to make that next step a priority. As for Jessica, who said she has always been passionate about her genealogy and fathers Italian heritage, she hopes to move past the shocking news. My priority going forward is focusing on my family, regardless of DNA or blood," she said. Family sues hospital after they say DNA test indicates daughter isn't related to dad originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com Thirty-three states from Texas to Maine are on alert for snow, ice, bitter cold and flooding as a massive winter storm continues its push east. The monster storm brought more than 1 foot of snow from Missouri to western New York over the last two days, bringing roads to a standstill. MORE: Winter storms: How to prepare and everything else you need to know With 5,210 flights canceled Thursday nationwide, including over 1,400 in Dallas, the day marked the highest number of weather-related cancellations since March 14, 2017. Over 310,000 customers were without power Friday morning across Tennessee, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Texas and Kentucky. Watch the snow in Dallas fall in slo-mo. Dare we say, this video is pretty .... cool. (: Chance Horner) Latest: https://t.co/BdVmBfO7bdpic.twitter.com/uZlcYRg4V3 WFAA (@wfaa) February 4, 2022 PHOTO: A motorist cleans his vehicle of snow, Feb. 3, 2022, in Indianapolis. (Darron Cummings/AP) The latest On Friday the heavy snow and ice are pummeling the inland Northeast from New York state to Maine. An additional 6 inches of snow is possible in New England. PHOTO: Here is how much ice and snow will fall in the Northeast through today, Feb. 4. An additional half a foot of snow is possible in New England with Maine getting more than a half a foot. (ABC News ) As temperatures drop Friday, icy conditions will develop along the Interstate-95 corridor from New Jersey to New York City to Boston. And temperatures will continue to plummet in the Northeast Friday night, so whatever rain or freezing rain falls will freeze on any untreated roads. PHOTO: Here's a look at the wind chills this morning, Friday, Feb. 4, around the country. (ABC News ) The storm moves out of the Northeast Friday night. But those in the Northeast will wake up to freezing temperatures Saturday, with the wind chill forecast to plunge to 4 degrees in Boston, 6 degrees in New York City and 12 degrees in Washington, D.C. PHOTO: Temperatures tomorrow morning, Saturday, Feb. 5. will be in the single digits and teens in the Northeast with wind chills near zero. (ABC News ) Texas faces a freeze The storm dumped 1.7 inches of snow in Dallas -- more than the city usually sees in an entire year. PHOTO: Misty Huckabey ventures out with her dog, Buddha, to play fetch at The Shops at Park Lane, Feb. 3, 2022, in Dallas. (Brandon Wade/AP) PHOTO: Cars drive through downtown after a winter storm on Feb. 3, 2022 in Dallas. (Emil Lippe/Getty Images) The storm even brought freezing rain down to Texas' Gulf Coast. Police in Houston are urging drivers to stay off the roads due to ice, and Houston schools are closed Friday. MORE: Texas winter storm shutters Dallas-Fort Worth airport, knocks out power This storm comes one year after Texas' power grid disaster, when back-to-back winter storms left more than 4 million people without heat and safe water. It took days for power to be restored, and more than 100 people died because of subsequent blackouts. Months later, Abbott signed a bill to reform the state's power grid. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott assured residents Friday, "The power grid continues to perform well at peak demand during this winter storm. The Texas electric grid is more reliable and more resilient than has ever been." MORE: How to stay safe in cold as frigid temperatures hit But Texans are still feeling the freeze with the wind chill -- what temperature it feels like -- hitting about 8 degrees in Dallas, 7 degrees in Austin and 1 degree in Lubbock on Friday morning. Heading into Friday night, Abbott warned, "It is anticipated that the entire state will be in a freezing or below freezing temperature situation." ABC News' Sam Sweeney contributed to this report. Massive winter storm takes aim at I-95 corridor as temperatures plunge in Texas: Latest forecast originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) of the House panel investigating the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) The nine-member select congressional committee created in July to investigate last years Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has interviewed hundreds of witnesses and issued dozens of subpoenas. Led by Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), the committee inched even deeper into President Trumps inner circle as it seeks to determine what role the ex-commander in chief played in the deadly insurrection. The panel requested information on Jan. 20 from his daughter, Ivanka, who served as an advisor during the Trump administration. But it's not just her the committee wants to hear from. Here are nine of the biggest names the panel has sought to interview and why: Ivanka Trump, daughter of and advisor to former President Trump, has not responded to a request for an interview from the Jan. 6 committee. (Saul Loeb / AFP/Getty Images) Who: Ivanka Trump, the former presidents daughter and advisor Committee's interest: The committee wants to know what she observed while in the Oval Office as President Trump was talking to Vice President Mike Pence on the morning of Jan. 6. Former national security advisor Keith Kellogg suggested to the panel that Ivanka was the only person who could get her father to speak out to stop the violence. The committee said it's particularly interested in finding out why White House staff didn't ask the president to appear in the briefing room to call for an end to the violence in a live address. The panel said it has evidence that several allies Donald Trump Jr., Fox News personalities Laura Ingraham, Brian Kilmeade and Sean Hannity, members of Congress and the press and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie contacted the White House hoping to urge the president to go on the air and tell the rioters to stand down Nature of request: Voluntary interview. Response: None so far. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) has said he will not cooperate with the committee's investigation. (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press) Who: Rep.Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield), the House Republican leader Committees interest: The committee wants to know about his conversations with President Trump before, during and after Jan. 6. The committee also wants to question McCarthy on any communications with Trump, his legal team, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and others on continued objections to electoral votes from multiple states after the insurrection. In a phone call with Trump while the attack was occurring, McCarthy asked the president to help disperse the mob. The Republican leader also met with Trump three weeks later his Mar-a-Lago estate, after which, the panel said, his public comments "changed markedly." In a floor speech a week after the insurrection, McCarthy blamed Trump for the attack and said Biden won the election. The committee also suggested McCarthy may have spoken to Trump about the possibility of facing a censure resolution, impeachment, removal under the 25th Amendment or an immediate resignation from office. The panel said its particularly interested in understanding Trumps state of mind around the time of the insurrection. Nature of request: Voluntary interview. Response: McCarthy said he would not cooperate. The Jan. 6 committee has asked Fox News host Sean Hannity to submit to a voluntary interview. (Frank Franklin II / Associated Press) Who: Sean Hannity, Fox News host Committees interest: The committee wants to know more about Hannitys communications with President Trump, White House staff and Trumps legal team between Dec. 31, 2020, and Jan. 20, 2021. The panel has a text message Hannity sent to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows that said: We can't lose the entire WH counsels office. I do NOT see January 6 happening the way he is being told. After the 6 th. He should announce will lead the nationwide effort to reform voting integrity. Nature of request: Voluntary interview. Response: Hannitys lawyer told Axios any such request would raise serious constitutional issues, including 1st Amendment concerns regarding freedom of the press. Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows turned over thousands of pages of records subpoenaed by the committee but then stopped cooperating. (Patrick Semansky / Associated Press) Who: Mark Meadows, former White House chief of staff and North Carolina congressman Committees interest: The committee wants to know more about Meadows role in a January phone call between Trump and Georgia election officials, as well as the ex-chief of staffs interactions with Justice Department officials and a member of Congress regarding the presidents desire to replace his acting attorney general. The panel said Meadows refused to answer basic questions, such as whether he used a private cellphone to communicate on Jan. 6, and where his text messages from that day are. Nature of request: Meadows was subpoenaed. Response: Meadows turned over about 9,000 pages of records he said couldnt be covered by any claim of privilege but stopped cooperating with the committee ahead of a scheduled deposition last month. Former White House strategist Stephen K. Bannon faces trial on charges of contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a subpoena from the committee. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) Who: Stephen K. Bannon, former White House chief strategist and senior counselor to the president Committees interest: The committee has said Bannon was deeply involved in the stop the steal campaign, including a war room meeting a day before the insurrection and an effort to push Trump into trying to stop the counting of Electoral College ballots. He warned shortly before the attack that "all hell is going to break loose," and the committee believes his public statements prove he knew what was going to happen before it played out, increasing the likelihood that he was aware if not involved in the planning of what transpired that day. The panel has described Bannon as an important witness who could help inform the committee how the riot came together and what the intent behind it was. Nature of request: Bannon was subpoenaed. Response: After refusing to cooperate, Bannon will be on trial this summer over contempt of Congress charges, which face a maximum sentence of a year in jail and a $100,000 fine for each count. He pleaded not guilty and said he's shielded from testifying by Trump's claim of executive privilege. Former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany has appeared virtually and turned over text messages to the committee. (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press) Who: Kayleigh McEnany, former White House press secretary Committees interest: The committee has shown interest in McEnanys public statements spreading misinformation about fraud in the 2020 election. She also traveled with Trump to the Ellipse, where she and the president spoke at a rally before the attack. McEnany reportedly "popped in and out" as Trump watched the insurrection later that day. Nature of request: McEnany was subpoenaed in November. Response: McEnany appeared virtually before the committee on Jan. 12 and has turned over text messages to the panel. Former Atty. Gen. William Barr has already spoken to the Jan. 6 committee, Chairman Bennie Thompson said. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Who: William Barr, former attorney general Committees interest: The committee has information about a plan involving the Justice Department to potentially use the military to seize voting machines. Nature of request: Voluntary interview. Response: Thompson, the committees chairman, told CBS Face the Nation on Jan. 23 that the panel has already spoken to Barr. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), a Trump ally, has refused to cooperate with the committee. (Michael Reynolds / Associated Press) Who: Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) Committees interest: The committee wants to know in detail what Jordan discussed in his communications with Trump on Jan. 6, in addition to any communications with the war room, Trump's legal team, White House staff or anyone involved in organizing or planning actions and strategies for Jan. 6. The committee also believes Jordan has information about strategy meetings with White House officials and Trump in November 2020, December 2020 and early January 2021 to overturn the election results, as well as discussions about potential presidential pardons for individuals involved in Jan. 6 or the planning around it. Nature of request: Voluntary interview. Response: Jordan has refused to cooperate. Infowars host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones said he invoked his 5th Amendment rights when questioned by the Jan. 6 committee. (Jose Luis Magana / Associated Press) Who: Alex Jones, conservative conspiracy theorist and founder of Infowars Committees interest: The committee believes Jones helped organize and fund a rally at the Ellipse before the Capitol attack. According to the panel, Jones has said the White House told him to lead a march on Jan. 6 from the Ellipse to the Capitol. The committee said Jones and others on his Infowars platform repeatedly spread Trump's disinformation about voter fraud and urged people to come to Washington, D.C., for the Jan. 6 rally, which Trump promoted on Twitter. The same day of Trump's tweet, Jones said on Infowars: "This is the most important call to action on domestic soil since Paul Revere and his ride in 1776. The time for games is over. The time for action is now." In remarks recorded by the committee, Jones repeatedly called for action, at one point warning of a "living hell" if supporters allow "this multinational consortium to steal our election." Nature of request: Jones was subpoenaed in November. Response: Jones testified virtually Jan. 24. He announced to listeners on his radio show after that he pleaded the Fifth a reference to the 5th Amendment right to refuse to answer questions to avoid self-incrimination almost 100 times. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. WASHINGTON (AP) The military investigation into the deadly attack during the Afghanistan evacuation has concluded that a suicide bomber, carrying 20 pounds of explosives packed with ball bearings, acted alone, and that the deaths of more than 170 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members were not preventable. The blast at Abbey Gate outside the Kabul airport on Aug. 26 killed 11 U.S. Marines, a sailor and a soldier, who were screening the thousands of Afghans frantically trying to get onto one of the crowded flights leaving the country after the Taliban takeover. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack. At the Pentagon on Friday, military officials laid out a detailed and graphic minute-by-minute account of the bombing. The bottom line, they said, was that those who died had wounds that were "so catastrophic that they couldn't be overcome. And they said that earlier thoughts that it was a complex attack involving gunfire turned out to be unfounded. A single, explosive device killed at least 170 Afghan civilians and 13 U.S. servicemembers by explosively directing ball bearings through a packed crowd and into our men and women at Abbey gate, said Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command. The disturbing lethality of this device was confirmed by the 58 U.S. servicemembers who were killed and wounded despite the universal wear of body armor and helmets that did stop ball bearings that impacted them, but could not prevent catastrophic injuries to areas not covered. Investigators said the bomber likely got near the gate by bypassing Taliban and other security checkpoints. They said it appears the Taliban didn't know of the attack, that security precautions were being taken and that intelligence about potential threats that was circulating that day was not specific. Based upon our investigation, at the tactical level this was not preventable, said Brig. Gen. Lance Curtis, who led the investigation. He added that military leaders on the ground in Kabul followed proper security measures, at times closing the gate or pausing the processing of evacuees. Military officials said that gunfire after the blast was found to be warning shots fired by U.S. and British troops, and that no one was killed or wounded by gunshots. McKenzie said the investigation revealed that the five-millimeter ball bearings in the bomb caused wounds that looked like gunshots. He said some troops in the area fired a number of warning shots, and that led others to believe that the attack also included gunmen. Friday's briefing lasted more than an hour and resembled the detailed explanations military officials gave to the families of the troops killed that day. It included several videos of the chaos at the gate at the time of the bombing. One is very brief and shows two Marines in the foreground, and deep in the background between them is a glimpse of a single person, dressed all in black. And then there is the sound of an explosion, and a cloud of black smoke rises from that area. Investigators said the bomber was likely standing on the far side of a sewage canal and was a a bit elevated when detonating the bomb. Pieces of a backpack were found. Three service members who were standing on a short wall looking over the crowd to identify potential evacuees were just 10 feet from the blast and were killed. Longer videos shot from overhead show Marines and others rushing to treat and evacuate the wounded, providing first aid and carrying people over their shoulders as they ran, while civilians scrambled to flee the area. Marines cut holes in the adjacent fence so they could get to triage areas more quickly, while also struggling through a fog of tear gas that enveloped the area when the bomb fragments punctured the cannisters troops carry. The blast, said investigators, created instant chaos and sensory overload. But within 20 minutes all of the killed and wounded had been moved to triage sites. The nearly 20 pages of briefing documents included photos showing the crush of Afghans and others trying to get cleared into the airport, many waving documents and slogging through the sewage trench to get closer to the troops processing evacuees. Investigators said that as the Taliban made it more difficult to get through checkpoints, Afghans and others began using side roads and back alleys to get closer to the outer gate. The investigation also concluded that there was enough medical staff and blood at several sites around the airport, including nine surgical teams and a hospital. And it quoted a trauma surgeon who told investigators that We had all we needed. Did we need more people? No, we had a lot of experience on the team and plenty of people." The number of service members wounded in the bombing grew to 45 in the following days as they were examined and some were found to have traumatic brain injuries from the blast. U.S. military officials have said all along that the U.S. forces at the gates were doing a dangerous job. Overall the U.S.-led coalition evacuated about 126,000 people in about three weeks, and the U.S. left Afghanistan for the last time at about midnight on Aug. 30. Early on, McKenzie said troops at the gates had to get close to the people they were screening. This is close up work. The breath of the person you are searching is upon you, McKenzie said in August soon after the attack. The Times is committed to reviewing theatrical film releases during the COVID-19 pandemic . Because moviegoing carries risks during this time, we remind readers to follow health and safety guidelines as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health officials . It may not be so quixotic as to suggest the Middle East conflict could be resolved over a plate of creamy hummus, but the vibrant culinary documentary Breaking Bread nevertheless makes a mouthwatering case for dinner table diplomacy. With personable microbiologist-turned-celebrity chef Nof Atamna-Ismaeel serving as exuberant tour guide (she was the first Palestinian Muslim Arab to win Israels "MasterChef" competition), the films centerpiece is her three-day A-Sham festival, an annual gathering of paired Jewish and Arab Israeli chefs who collaborate on special menu items served at 35 Haifa eateries. Among them: Shlomi Meir, whose 60-year-old Eastern European restaurant was founded by his late grandfather, and Ali Khattib, whose specialties honor his grandmothers Syrian heritage, with both sharing a passionate appetite for discovering new flavors and techniques as well as the firm belief that theres no room for politics in the kitchen. Given those cramped prep spaces, its enough of a challenge to turn out the sheer variety of items on display, but Los Angeles-based Beth Elise Hawk, making her directorial debut, ensures cinematographer Ofer Ben Yehuda is poised to capture every delectable entree, from mussakhan (Palestinian roasted sumac chicken atop a bed of caramelized onions) to Atamna-Ismaeels manti (delicate lamb dumplings), with alluring, food porn precision. And thats not counting the various manifestations of hummus, which proves as versatile as Bubba Gump shrimp. Although the indefatigable Atamna-Ismaeel concedes that there are places in Israel that are not as culturally enlightened as cosmopolitan Haifa, she has adopted the late Anthony Bourdains contention that food may not be the answer to world peace, but its a start as her lifes mission, one dish at a time. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Wesley Hadsell, stepfather of Anjelica "AJ" Hadsell, gives an interview from Norfolk City Jail on Wednesday, March 25, 2015. (Steve Earley) A judge dismissed a lesser murder charge against Wesley Hadsell at the conclusion of his retrial Friday, leaving him to face charges of first-degree murder and concealing a dead body in the 2015 death of his adopted daughter. Southampton Circuit Judge L. Wayne Farmer dismissed a second-degree felony murder charge, which is an unintentional killing committed during the commission of another crime, and carries a maximum penalty of up to 40 years in prison. In this case, the crime Hadsell was accused of committing during the commission of the murder of 18-year-old Anjelica A.J. Hadsell was administering drugs to her, defense attorney James Ellenson said. Advertisement Commonwealths Attorney Eric Cooke conceded at the end of his case that the state hadnt presented enough evidence to win a conviction on that charge and agreed to dismiss it, Ellenson said. A.J. Hadsell disappeared March 2, 2015, while spending her college spring break at home in Norfolk. The Longwood University freshmans body wasnt found until five weeks later, behind an abandoned house in Southampton County near the North Carolina border. Advertisement The Medical Examiners Office determined she died from homicidal violence and acute heroin poisoning. Three times the lethal amount of the drug was found in her system. Friends and family have said she was not a drug user. GPS data found in Wesley Hadsells work van showed it had traveled to the site where her body was found from Norfolk two days after A.J. went missing. Police have said Hadsell told them he was the only one who had access to the van. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > The defense rested its case Thursday without hearing directly from Hadsell, who declined to testify. Prosecutors finished rebuttal evidence Friday with two brief witnesses who offered evidence suggesting that a defense witness was wrong about seeing A.J. Hadsell on the day she went missing. Closing arguments are scheduled to begin Monday morning and the case will go to the jury after that. Wesley Hadsell wasnt charged in the case until 2018, and his first trial ended in a mistrial in 2020 over a disagreement about what evidence the jury should be allowed to hear. His latest trial began last week in Southampton County Circuit Court. The first-degree murder charge Hadsell still faces carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, while concealment of a dead body is punishable by up to five years. Prosecutors have alleged that Hadsell wanted a sexual relationship with A.J. Hadsell. A.J. was 14 when her mother married Hadsell and he adopted her a couple of years later. A.J.s mother had two other daughters at the time of the marriage and she and Hadsell had another daughter together. The defense, however, has argued that A.J. Hadsell was depressed and suicidal after breaking up with her boyfriend and had been taking a prescription drug for migraines that can cause suicidal thoughts. Advertisement Jane Harper, 757-222-5097, jane.harper@pilotonline.com A member of Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces, a volunteer military unit, trains close to Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. (Efrem Lukatsky / Associated Press) Tens of thousands of Russian troops stand battle-ready just a few hundred miles away. The U.S. repeats warnings of a horrific invasion that could come at any hour. Friendly nations speed up weapons shipments to help Ukraines work-in-progress army fend off an attack. None of that fazes Vasily, a 26-year-old street performer in an oversize bear suit in Kyivs central square. Only eight years ago, the Maidan was thronged with tens of thousands of protesters who succeeded in ousting their pro-Russian president, a seismic event that spurred Moscow to seize Ukraines Crimean peninsula. These days, the plaza is empty of demonstrators, with Vasily and his colleagues one of them dressed as Tony the Tiger taking selfies with the occasional tourist. War? Theres absolutely no war here. Look around you, he said, sweeping a furry arm across the snow-speckled tiles of the square. Just come here and have fun. The blase attitude is not uncommon in Kyiv, where many residents appear to be confronting the prospect of an enemy at the gates with a mix of stoicism and resignation, if not outright bewilderment at the presence of so many foreigners asking darkly about imminent conflict. Thats perhaps of little surprise, given the ongoing war between Ukrainian security forces and Russia-backed separatists in the countrys east, a grinding conflict now entering its ninth year. Although almost 14,000 people have been killed, 34,000 wounded and millions displaced, in many ways the war has hardened into routine. And since the nearest point of conflict is a 14-hour drive from Kyiv, its easy to feel far away, said Max Ivanov, a 28-year-old graphic designer from the coastal city of Odessa as he strolled with his girlfriend in a park on a cold recent morning. I dont listen to news. I dont watch TV. In Kyiv, in Odessa, we just cant feel it, he said of the mounting tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Its the usual situation for us. Weve become used to it. Elsewhere, theres little sign that this elegant capital perched on the Dnieper River is on borrowed time. Despite subfreezing temperatures, Kyiv residents spill out onto the street in front of wine bars like the PYana Vishnya, form chattering hubs around Turkish kebab joints and try to beat the weekend rush at a local shopping mall. For those who believe otherwise, the most telling proof is that a number of foreign embassies have sent nonessential staff packing. That includes the Canadian and British missions, as well as the U.S. Embassy, which on Wednesday instructed American citizens in Ukraine looking for flights out to get in touch for financial or booking assistance. Hyuna Ki, a 34-year-old medical student studying in Kyiv for the last three years, said the South Korean Embassy has also urged citizens to leave. Shes considering it, she said, but so far its only the media spreading the news that something will happen. Those living here dont consider it like that, she said, adding that she was waiting for the university to switch to online learning as a sign of impending threat. In the meantime, she was checking the South Korean Embassys website every day. Her classmate Brasin-Tamarapre Odushu, 20, was equally unruffled when discussing the chance of hostilities. We dont react because we havent seen anything. Its just tensions Im used to it back home, and this is the same thing here, he said, adding with a slight smile that his parents back home in Abuja, Nigeria, were also unconcerned. Rally-goers in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, hold posters decrying Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Efrem Lukatsky / Associated Press) Our embassy here isnt telling us to evacuate. So far, theyve distributed a list of emergency contacts, but thats it. Elsewhere, preparations for a bruising fight are underway. On Thursday, with a blizzard and winds blowing the snow sideways, a Western Global cargo jet landed in a corner of Boryspil International Airport, 18 miles outside Kyiv, and rolled to a stop near a row of 10 olive-green MAZ army trucks. Inside the plane, instead of tired-looking rows of economy class seats, lay a jigsaw of rails, plates and rollers that a Belgian technician who gave only his first name, Mike, used to unload pallets bearing 85 tons of 40-millimeter MK-19 grenade cartridges. It was the seventh delivery of U.S. military aid allocated in a $200-million assistance package aimed at bolstering Ukraines army. As a forklift positioned the cartridges into the back of a MAZ truck, a 20-year-old Ukrainian soldier watched approvingly from a distance. If this helps avoid conflict, if its just for protection, then Im happy its here, said the soldier, who declined to give his name because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Of course I dont want war to come. Besides the army, the government is also preparing a reserve force comprising more than 100,000 citizen-soldiers. In Kyivs parks on weekends, out-of-shape computer software engineers and housewives, among others, run through military drills with wooden machine-gun mock-ups. One person who appreciates the increase in readiness among his fellow Kyiv residents is Leonid Ostaltsev, a bearded 34-year-old with the look of a no-nonsense bodybuilder. A veteran of the war in eastern Ukraine, he opened Pizza Veterano, a military-themed restaurant that employs other former soldiers and is famous for giving free pizzas to anyone who fought. The tables are topped with glass display cases full of bullets. A sign on the door now offers a free pie to anyone who has legally purchased a firearm in January with the intention of defending the country. Its important to show that we as veterans support peoples decision to buy a weapon, to also become a defender, not just to be defended by someone, he says. Surveys show that more than one-third of Ukrainians are willing to take up arms if Russia invades. Before, people here dont want to think about the war. ... But after Russia brought more troops, people here started to understand its not just propaganda, not theory. Its real and they want to protect their homes, Ostaltsev said. That shift in thinking is a measure of the changing attitude toward Russia since 2014, he added. Although Russian President Vladimir Putin often waxes on about Russians and Ukrainians being one people as he did in a recent 7,000-word essay there is a growing sense among Ukrainians that Russia is a dangerous neighbor, one ready to revisit the worst of the Soviet crimes upon them. On a verdant slice of the Pechersk Hills overlooking the Dnieper, the National Holodomor Museum recounts the story of the Great Famine (holodomor means death by hunger), when in 1932-33 almost 4 million Ukrainians starved to death as a result of Soviet agricultural policies. For Iryna Kurhanska, the 26-year-old deputy director of the museums exhibition department, the rise in hostilities makes the museum more relevant than ever. The Russians committed genocide. They wanted these people to die and take their land. This is what we see now again, she said. The imperial ideas of Russia are still very powerful today. Nothing has changed. The Soviet Union collapsed, but we see that the policies havent changed. Ukrainian civilians in Kyiv, the capital, train in self-defense in case of a Russian invasion. (Efrem Lukatsky / Associated Press) Kurhanska and her friends have been making plans in case of an invasion: packing suitcases, arranging how to communicate with family members, figuring out how to secure their homes if they have to leave. Outside the museum, the sun was shining, and children used plastic trays to slide down a snowbank. Katya Kiriyeva, a university lecturer, kept an occasional eye on her 7-year-old son, Sasha, as he tumbled down the hill. Were ready. Weve made plans to go to a shelter when I was in school we studied where to go in the metro to hide from bombs, she said. Sashas school, fresh from COVID-19 closures, is ready to return to distance learning if hostilities break out. Were ready to run away, Kiriyeva said. But were here now because nothing has happened. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The Sept. 18, 1996, edition of the Crier newspaper shared the news of Dick Williams purchase of the newspaper. The headline read New owners for Crier newspapers: Susan Courtemanche to step aside after 18 years. Susan Courtemanche, outgoing owner, and new owner Dick Williams each shared their thoughts as the newspaper changed hands. Courtemanche felt comfortable handing the reins to Williams. It sure helps to know the new owner, Dick Williams, has all the knowledge, expertise, and enthusiasm to make the Crier the best local paper in the state of Georgia, she said. Dick has been with the Atlanta Journal and Constitution for 17 years. You also know him as host of The Georgia Gang on WAGA-TV. The new owner expressed his gratitude. What a rare opportunity you and Susan Courtemanche have afforded me and my family, Williams said. In front of us now is the chance to serve the community in which weve built a foundation. Our home is here, our church is here, and our business interests are here. Dick Williams and wife Rebecca Chase Williams were living inside the Perimeter in Brookhaven close to the cluster of hospitals along Peachtree Dunwoody Road and where the cities of Sandy Springs, Dunwoody and Brookhaven meet. Of course, none of these were cities in 1996. The Crier delivery route included the Williams neighborhood. My wife and I (those of you who have read me in another newspaper for years may know her as the woman who occasionally share my name) would like to invite you to be our partners, Williams said. Dunwoody, whatever it is, deserves a newspaper of record. It deserves a newspaper that shares our joys and sorrows. It deserves a newspaper that keeps count of those who do good for others, who work hard to build something for their family. We would ask you to help us chronicle those stories. Tell us how best to serve you, inform you, and yes, entertain you. Susan Courtemanches labor of love has spotlighted all thats good in Dunwoody for the last 20 years. She has decided to hand that duty off to someone else. We accept that challenge. But we cant do it without your help. Journalists know a lot, but they learn it from people who know more. About Dunwoody, you are the best source. Williams followed through with his commitment to the community for 22 years, until his retirement in 2019. Appen Media acquired the Dunwoody Crier, and his legacy lives on with the continued publication of the newspaper. Archives of the Dunwoody Crier are held by The Atlanta History Center, DeKalb History Center and Dunwoody Preservation Trust. Online Access for Print Subscribers. Do you have a print subscription with the Argus-Press? If yes, then click here to enjoy complimentary access to our Online Content! YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Vahan Hunanyan answered the questions of ARMENPRESS State News Agency on the statements of the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov. ARMENPRESS: Referring to the delimitation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan once again stated that the Armenian side puts forward "preconditions", claiming that Armenia has no legal, political or moral right to impose any conditions on the issue of delimitation of the borders. How would you comment on that? Vahan Hunanyan: On November 26, 2021, the Prime Minister of Armenia, the President of Russia and the President of Azerbaijan signed a statement in Sochi, which is public and available on the internet. It is clearly underlined in the statement that the leaders of the three countries agreed to undertake steps towards increasing the level of security and stability in the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, and to lead the process to the formation of a bilateral commission on delimitation and demarcation. It derives from the statement signed by the leaders of the three countries that the activities of the commission on delimitation and demarcation should be preceded by the agreements on steps towards increasing the level of security on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and the implementation of those agreements. It is also logical amid the fact that it is difficult to imagine the implementation of delimitation in the borders where ceasefire violations are observed every day. The Republic of Armenia, being really interested in the full implementation of the agreements, has formulated its notions for their implementation. The Azerbaijani side did not give any substantive response and rejected them, without offering any options for implementing the agreements reached by the leaders of the three countries. Naming Armenia's proposals "condition", "precondition" and then making moral, political and legal assessments on them has no logical link to the above-mentioned process. ARMENPRESS: The Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan also accused Armenia in undermining the activities of the trilateral working group. What would you comment on this? Vahan Hunanyan: If it is referred to the trilateral working group on unblocking regional communications, ironically, on the same morning Prime Minister Pashinyan announced at the Cabinet meeting that Armenia is in the stage of undertaking practical steps towards restoring the Yeraskh-Julfa-Ordubad-Meghri-Horadiz railway, and that the Armenian Co-Chair of the working group, Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan had a substantive discussion on this topic with his Russian counterpart, Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk, and Director General of Russian Railways Oleg Belozyorov on February 2 in Yerevan. Assessing the situation, Prime Minister Pashinyan stated that the first results of the work of the Trilateral Working Group seem very close. In this context, the statements of the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan are at least paradoxical, and we hope that they do not mean Azerbaijan's renunciation of the agreements on the reopening of the railway reached in Brussels. I would like to note that the Republic of Armenia reaffirms its commitment to the agreements, which the Prime Minister publicly stated several times. It should be noted that Armenia has also made proposals to the Azerbaijani side on the opening of the roads. We have not received any response from the Azerbaijani side to these proposals yet. Armenia is ready to start implementing these proposals as soon as possible. At its deepest, the gorge is around 25 feet, with sheer walls. Sian Wilkerson/staff (Virginia Gazette) Tucked away in the woodlands that border the William & Mary campus, mere yards from Humelsine Parkway, there lies a geological oddity years in the making. W&M professors are calling it the campus grand canyon one that could herald major problems down the line. Advertisement Just off of John Tyler Lane, which intersects the woods between Jamestown Road and Monticello Avenue, a chasm appears abruptly where extreme erosion has carved a massive hole into the gently sloping landscape through which Strawberry Creek, a tributary of Lake Matoaka, flows. At its deepest, the gorge is more than 25 feet and ever-widening, with nearly vertical walls. Fallen trees, which toppled one-by-one as the ground gave way beneath them, are strewn throughout the hole, new roots growing toward the sky as the living trees strain for water. At the bottom, loose, sandy sediment collects in muddy piles along the path where the creek winds its way to Lake Matoaka about 1,000 meters away. Advertisement The canyon occurs at the headwater reaches of Strawberry Creek, mere feet from John Tyler Lane. Passing cars can be seen from the edges of the canyon. Sian Wilkerson/staff (Virginia Gazette) Since the mid-2000s, faculty at W&M have been paying close attention to this unzipping of the landscape, professor Jim Kaste said. Now, theyre trying to get everyone elses attention. We want to get the community to realize that this is happening right underfoot, W&M professor Chuck Bailey said. Bailey found that the erosion in W&Ms canyon is occurring at a rate about 1,000 times faster than what occurred at the better-known Grand Canyon in Arizona, which formed over the course of the past 5 million years with an erosion rate of about an inch per decade. Here in Williamsburg, the canyon deepens about 1 foot per year on average. The canyons emergence has been hastened by too much runoff focused into a single point, where the nearby retention pond, constructed by the Virginia Department of Transportation when Route 199 was opened, releases its outflow into Strawberry Creek. VDOT, which maintains the pond, has reviewed this location and has hired a consultant to evaluate this location and design a plan for the repair and restoration work, assistant communications manager for VDOTs Hampton Roads district Brittany McBride Nichols said. Once VDOT has received and reviewed the report from the consultant, VDOT Central Office and Hampton Roads District staff will meet and determine a plan of action for this work. In a blog explaining his findings, Bailey described the excess runoff from this pond as tremendous, especially during big storm events. Its a problem especially for the nearby roadways, Bailey said, detailing how major rainfall could trigger erosion such that the canyon wall cuts back enough to cause a massive failure as the ground continues to wash away and compromise the structural integrity of the roads, causing a potential sinkhole. Advertisement According to Kaste and Bailey, the effects of this extreme erosion could be costly. Already trees in the surrounding area are suffering, with some falling over and others being slowly buried by sediment as it flows by. Invasive species such as hard-to-eradicate vines will thrive in a suddenly sunnier atmosphere as the tree canopy is slowly eliminated, putting centuries-old birch and oak trees in the College Woods at risk. As the creek gets further from the drainpipe where runoff from the retention pond flows through, the landscape gets smoother, though the excess sediment is still plain to see. Sian Wilkerson/staff (Virginia Gazette) More than that, the effects of the extreme erosion seen in Strawberry Creek could potentially be felt even as far as the Chesapeake Bay, which is fed by 10,000 streams like this, Kaste said. If its happening here, who knows where else its happening? Bailey said. But what, if anything, can be done to fix it? Bailey says that it might already be too late. Its not an easy fix, he emphasized, calling many mitigation efforts band-aids for a much bigger problem. It could be improved, maybe. Advertisement If its not, Bailey added, he would hate to imagine what the woods would look like in another 20 years. Sian Wilkerson, sian.wilkerson@pilotonline.com, 757-342-6616 YEREVAN, 4 FEBUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 4 February, USD exchange rate down by 0.67 drams to 481.63 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 7.91 drams to 552.19 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.04 drams to 6.34 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 0.38 drams to 653.52 drams. The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals. Gold price down by 208.41 drams to 27759.53 drams. Silver price down by 6.99 drams to 346.24 drams. Platinum price down by 192.67 drams to 15887.37 drams. YEREVAN, 4 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. A bipartisan group of over 50 U.S. Representatives joined Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Hellenic Caucus Co-Chair Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) in pressing the U.S. Departments of State and Defense to block the sale of next-generation U.S. F-16 fighter jets and upgrade kits to Turkey President Erdogans increasingly hostile regime, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Armenian National Committee of America. We strongly urge you to reject Turkeys request for new F-16s and modernization kits and take immediate action to hold the Erdogan regime accountable, states the February 4th Congressional letter addressed to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. The United States must not provide any further support to Turkeys military until President Erdogan takes tangible steps to halt his destabilizing actions and violations of international law at home and abroad. Precedent shows that he will not change his behavior until the United States uses all its diplomatic tools, including targeted economic sanctions. Since rumors of Turkeys request to purchase 40 F-16 fighters and 80 F-16 modernization kits surfaced in October 2021, a number of Congressional initiatives have called for clarification of the White House position on the sale and announced efforts to block the effort. In November, over 40 U.S. House members cosigned a letter led by Representatives Chris Pappas (D-NH), and Congressional Hellenic Caucus Co-Chairs Bilirakis and Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), concerned that such a sale would be in violation of CAATSA laws. We share your goal of a Turkey that is rooted to the West, but we will not achieve that goal if the Erdogan government escapes accountability for violating U.S. law and the standards of the NATO alliance, argued the Representatives. The House members requested a formal notification of any Turkish Letter of Request (LOR), the specifics of such an LOR, the Administrations position on such an LOR, and responses to our specific objections. A separate letter led by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) and cosigned by 10 House colleagues last October also urged President Biden and Secretary Blinken to refuse Turkeys request. As long as President Erdogan advances his expansionist project in the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey will continue to threaten our national security and the security of our closest allies in the region Greece, Israel, and Cyprus. We urge you to act in our national interest and for the sake of stability in the Eastern Mediterranean by refusing to reinforce Turkeys aging arsenal of fighter jets, and we look forward to receiving your response, stated the Malliotakis letter. YEREVAN, 4 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan hosted composer, conductor Loris Tjeknavorian, ARMENPRESS wa sinformed from the Office of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister assessed Mr. Tjeknavorians contribution to the art of music as invaluable. Nikol Pashinyan inquired about the current activities of the composer and expressed hope that he will continue to enrich Armenian music with new works. During the meeting, the opportunities and perspectives of presenting the maestro's new works in the homeland were discussed. Additional solicitor general SV Raju who appeared for the CBI however argued that Mr Mondal needs to be grilled in the case Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court has granted Trinamul Congress strongman Anubrata Mondal an interim cover of four weeks from arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a postpoll violence case of murder of a BJP worker in Birbhum of West Bengal. Justice Rajasekhar Mantha directed the CBI on Thursday not to take any coercive step against Mr Mondal without it's nod but ordered him to cooperate with the investigation. During the hearing Sandipan Ganguly, the counsel of the TMC Birbhum district chief, submitted that his client is not an FIR named accused in the case and is not keeping well which is why he cannot travel to Durgapur in Burdwan West amid Covid-19 pandemic to face questioning. He also pointed out why the notice was sent to Mr Mondal from the CBI office at Lucknow instead of Kolkata. Additional solicitor general SV Raju who appeared for the CBI however argued that Mr Mondal needs to be grilled in the case but made it clear of no plan to arrest him. The TMC district chief of Birbhum, who moved the HC on Wednesday seeking protection after the CBI summoned him for third time in the case to question him, said, "I respect law and will help in the probe." He later offered puja at Tarapith. Haryanas Additional Advocate General Jagbir Singh Malik said the state will file a Special Leave Petition against the order before the SC Chandigarh: In a relief for many private sector companies, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday granted an interim stay on a Haryana government law providing 75 per cent reservation in private sector jobs for residents of the state. A bench of justices Ajay Tewari and Pankaj Jain passed the order on pleas filed by various industry associations from Faridabad and other bodies from Haryana including Gurgaon. Haryanas Additional Advocate General Jagbir Singh Malik said the state will be filing a Special Leave Petition (SLP) against the order before the Supreme Court. The court has granted an interim stay and we are filing SLP against this order, Malik said over the phone. The court admitted multiple petitions against implementation of the law Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Act, 2020, counsel of one of the petitioners said. The interim order has come as a relief for companies in the state which feel that the Act would have a bearing on their future business operations and investment. The Act provides 75 per cent reservation in the private sector to job seekers from the state and came into force from January 15 after being notified in November last year. It applies to jobs offering a maximum gross monthly salary or wages of Rs 30,000. PTI Ranging from Amit Shah, Akhilesh Yadav, Jayant Chaudhury, Mayawati and Priyanka Gandhi paradropped to woo the Western UP electorate New Delhi: It was an action-packed Thursday in western Uttar Pradesh. With only a week to go for the first round of the battle royale, all the big guns thronged the region. On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a virtual rally in Aligarh, Noida, Meerut, Ghaziabad and Hapur. His virtual outreach will cover 23 Assembly constituencies. Western UP, one of the most politically sensitive and highly polarised regions, will go to the polls in the first of seven phases on February 10. Ranging from home minister Amit Shah, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, his ally RLD chief Jayant Chaudhury, BSP supremo Mayawati and Congress scion Priyanka Gandhi Vadra paradropped to woo the Western UP electorate. While the home minister covered Anupshahr, Dibai and Loni, Akhilesh Yadav and Jayant Chaudhary reached out to voters in Bulandshahr. AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra zipped across Anupshahr and Siana. BSP chief Mayawati made her presence felt at Kavinagar, Ghaziabad. UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath held a press conference to highlight the achievements of his government. It may be mentioned here that western UP, with the domination of Jats and Muslims, has emerged as a tricky terrain for the BJP. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is on record as saying that the first phase in UP is a farmers election and will set the tone for the remaining phases. While the SP-RLD alliance is trying to unite Jats and Muslims against the BJP, the saffron brigade is relentlessly wooing the Jat community with its Hindutva push. As a BJP leader puts it: In Western UP, the fight is between the SPs OBC outreach and the BJPs Hindutva push. Jats comprise around 17 per cent in Western UP and have a significant influence in nearly 40 Assembly seats and around 10 Lok Sabha berths. In the first phase, 58 seats in Jat-dominated Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Shamli, Hapur, Baghpat, Gautam Budh Nagar, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura and Agra will go to the polls. In a bid to counter the BJPs Hindutva agenda, the SP is trying hard to get back the formidable combination of 17 per cent Jats and 26 per cent Muslims back on track following its alliance with the RLD. However, in 2017, while the SP won 21 seats, the RLD managed only one seat in the region. Also, in the last two decades, the RLD seemed to have weakened significantly in western UP. Hit by Mayawatis social engineering, a huge chunk of the RLD vote bank had shifted to the BSP. In 2014, Jat votes began to gravitate towards the BJP. Some of the BJPs spin doctors observed that the SP-RLD alliance just might work in their favour. They argued that while the SPs Muslim vote will move to the RLD, Jat votes might not shift to the SPs Muslim candidates. For these BJP leaders, Jat votes would also split between the BJP and the RLD. However, the socialists claimed that Western UP is all set to witness the return of the MAJGAR alliances (Muslim, Ahir, Jat, Gujjar and Rajput, including farmers) formed by the late Chaudhary Charan Singh. In 2017, of the 136 seats in Western UP, while the BJP won 109 seats, getting nearly 43 per cent of the vote, the SP managed to bag 21, the BSP three, the Congress two and the RLD only one. Bengaluru-based photographer Arjun Kamath tries to capture the unspoken fears and anxiety issues through his photo essay The Anxiety Series. The Coronavirus pandemic has stirred death, destruction and upheaval across the world. Not to forget the emotional and mental mayhem Covid-19 has caused to millions of people, especially those living with an anxiety disorder. A lot of people brush it off saying anxiety is nothing but just a phase or overthinking. As a result many people continue to suffer silently without any help. How does one explain the pain, misery, uncertainty, fear or feeling of helplessness and hopelessness that one is going through in these testing times? The Big Picture They say a picture is worth a thousand words! And Bengaluru-based photographer-cum filmmaker Arjun Kamath has done just that. He has tried to capture the unspoken fears and anxiety issues of people from all walks of life through his photo essay, The Anxiety Series. In India people avoid talking about anxiety and depression. The series coincides with the bleak state of our current world. Under lockdown, there has been a rise in unemployment along with a grave disruption in the normal lives of people across the country. Naturally, these factors have caused a spike in mental illnesses like anxiety and depression, says Arjun. For someone, who has been through the turmoil himself, Arjun has tried to weave in eight photo stories to show the viewer what anxiety looks like through his lens. These photographs were shot before the Coronavirus pandemic but I firmly believe that right now, this subject needs to be discussed openly more than ever, he adds. Mental Health It may be mentioned here that one in every seven persons in India is affected by mental disorder, according to a paper published by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in Lancet Psychiatry in December 2019. The burden of mental disorders across the states of India: the Global Burden of Disease Study 1990-2017. The study was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and ICMR. Among the mental disorders that manifest during adulthood, the highest was caused by depressive and anxiety disorders, followed by schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. According to the Indian Psychiatry Society, the number of mental health cases including anxiety and depression has risen 20 percent since the lockdown was first announced. Many doctors and counsellors feel that the Central and State government should treat mental health as a public health crisis. Perfect Frames The Anxiety Series is a painterly still photography series coalescing a vibrant and poignant fusion of art, poetry, and a social message on mental illness. Shot in Bengaluru, the photo narrative revolves around the lives of eight male and female fictional characters. Both young and old, these characters are drawn from different social classes and are shown to be afflicted with anxiety caused due to several conditions like work loneliness, isolation, exhaustion, bullying, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and more. You may wonder, If anxiety were tangible, what would it look like? These pictures reveal the answer to that question, aptly dragging the viewer inside the labyrinths of the victims minds. During our telephonic conversation, Arjun mentions that many people were eager to be associated with the anxiety series. Actor Shweta Tripathi flew down from Mumbai to Bengaluru, especially for the shoot, he recalls. According to Arjun, who has 11 years of experience in photography and filmmaking, the series is an attempt to create awareness about anxiety and depression. We need to empathise with those going through anxiety issues and help them as a society, he says. On the eve of the Lunar New Year Fr Tran Ngoc Thanh was stabbed while administering the sacrament of Reconciliation. Doubts about a motive linked to mental problems: the local Christian community is calling for justice in a case that has been almost completely ignored in the country. The murder took place in a mission area, where several ethnic groups live together. Ho Chi Minh City (AsiaNews) - After the killing of the Dominican priest Fr Tran Ngoc Thanh, the local Vietnamese community is demanding truth about the reasons for the murder, expressing sadness at the scant media coverage given to such a serious event in Vietnam. On 31st January, the eve of the Lunar New Year, Fr Thanh was administering the sacrament of confession shortly after evening mass in Dak Mot parish, when an armed man entered and stabbed him to death with a knife. According to local police, the attacker was a mentally ill person called Kien Nguyen. More details, reported by VietCatholic News, have emerged in recent days. While the few faithful still present in the church were running away, the choir director, Dominican Brother Phan Van Giao, who was on the opposite side of the chapel, managed to stop the assailant and pin him to the ground with the help of other parishioners before he could commit a massacre. Brother Giao then arranged for Fr Thanh to be taken to hospital, but the priest died of head injuries around 11.30pm that evening. The region where this tragic event took place is a mission area where the Church still has a loosely structured presence. Fr Thanh had been assigned in 2018 to the parish of Dak Mot in the diocese of Kon Tum, which is located in the central region of Vietnam. The chapel itself, where Eucharistic celebrations are also held, is very small and can only accommodate a small number of faithful. The confessional (see photo) is located to the side of a tiny room. Most of the local religious community is of the Sedang ethnic group, while the attacker, Kien Nguyen, belongs to the Kinh, the majority ethnic group in Vietnam. Kien said he was Catholic, but rarely came to Mass, local sources said. According to VietCatholic News, the murder was premeditated. However, lawyer Le Quoc Quan wrote that in-depth investigations would be needed to determine whether Kien was really suffering from mental disorders or whether he had other motives in carrying out the murder. "The local media," he said, "are caught up in a frenzy of reporting on minor events, such as the death of Tran Thanh's cat, a famous Vietnamese comedian, but it is worrying that such a serious murder has not found a place in official news channels. He concludes: "The conscience of the faithful is asking and demanding that a voice be raised, that the truth be told so that people understand the seriousness of the matter and that justice be done in this case". The Pontiff has released a video message for the 2nd UN International Day of Human Fraternity, which is being celebrated on the anniversary of the signing of the Abu Dhabi Declaration. He urges people to build a barrier "against hatred, violence and injustice". The imam of al-Azhar addresses Francis, calling him a "courageous companion" on the path "of fraternity and peace". Biden's letter: problems cannot be solved "by one single nation, or one single group". Dubai (AsiaNews) - The path of fraternity is "long and difficult", but it is "the anchor of salvation for humanity"; "before the many threatening signs, the dark times, the logic of conflict we counterpoise the sign of fraternity" that "welcoming the other" respects "their identity". "Not equal, no, brothers". This is what Pope Francis affirms in the video message released today, to coincide with the Second International Day of Human Fratermity promoted by the UN and three years after the signing of the document with the Imam of al-Azhar Ahmad Muhammad Al-Tayeb on the occasion of the apostolic journey to the Emirates. The Pontiff strongly emphasised that we are "all different and yet equal" and this "pandemic period" of Covid-19 "has shown us that we cannot be saved by ourselves! The theme of brotherhood is central to ExpoDubai 2020, the international exhibition being held in the commercial and financial metropolis of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A meeting is being held today in the Sustainability Pavilion, organised by the Emirati Ministry for Tolerance and Coexistence and the High Committee for Human Brotherhood, with the support of the Holy See and Al-Azhar University in Cairo. On the occasion of the Second Day of the United Nations on the theme "Under the same sky", the Pope and the Imam of Al-Azhar broadcast a video message, while US President Joe Biden sent a personal letter to those present. Returning to the video message - the text of which was also released by the Vatican press office with an "unofficial" translation in Hebrew - the pope stressed that it is no longer time "for indifference: either we are brothers or everything collapses. And this is not a merely literary expression of tragedy, no, it is the truth!". The confirmation emerges "in the small wars, in this third world war in bits and pieces, how peoples are destroyed, how children have no food, how education declines... It is a destruction," warns the Pontiff, who adds that it is no longer the time for "forgetfulness. Every day we must remember what God said to Abraham: that when he looked up at the stars in the sky he would see the promise of his descendants, that is, us". Fraternity is one of the "fundamental and universal" values underlying "relations between peoples" to ensure that those who suffer or are disadvantaged "do not feel excluded and forgotten, but welcomed". In these years, he recalled, "we have walked as brothers in the knowledge that, respecting our respective cultures and traditions, we are called to build fraternity as a barrier against hatred, violence and injustice". As believers of different religions, Pope Francis concludes, we must "make ourselves promoters of a culture of peace, which encourages sustainable development, tolerance, inclusion, mutual understanding and solidarity". The Grand Imam of al-Azhar addresses a greeting to "dear brother Francis" whom he describes as a "ceaselessly courageous companion on the path of fraternity and peace". In the video message, al-Tayeb recalls the document signed three years ago which embraces "believers of all religions, but does not exclude non-believers" and which aims to counter "erroneous judgments and conflicts that often lead to bloodshed and wars", particularly between "followers of the same religion and believers in a single faith". In a world still marked by violence and pandemics, the imam concluded, "we have embarked on the path of hope for a new world free of wars and conflicts". Finally, US President Biden joined those celebrating the UN Day of Brotherhood in stressing that the problems of today's world and societies - from Covid to the climate emergency - cannot be solved by one nation, or one group. The challenges of modernity, warns the White House tenant, must be met "with a frank dialogue that promotes tolerance, inclusion and understanding. And most of all, they require an open, collaborative and empathetic mind," he concluded, "ensuring that all people are treated with dignity and enjoy full participation in society. Four articles in Ta Kung Pao slam the cardinal for the 2019 protest movement and the pro-democracy movement, which was recently muzzled by the authorities under the security law. The move could herald a crackdown against religious activities in Hong Kong with Catholic and Protestant schools as the first targets. Hong Kong (AsiaNews) The Chinese-language press has started to target 90-year-old Card Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, bishop emeritus of Hong Kong and a well-known supporter of the local pro-democracy movement, this according to Nina Shea, director of the Hudson Institutes Center for Religious Freedom, writing in The Epoch Times. In the last week of January, four articles appeared in Ta Kung Pao, a government-owned newspaper, accusing the cardinal of inciting students to go against a series of government measures in 2019. Card Zen is disliked by Beijing for his criticism of the control exercised by the Communist Party of China (CPC) over religious communities. He slammed the removal of external crosses from churches in mainland China and regularly celebrated memorial Masses for the martyrs of Beijings Tiananmen Square, i.e., the young people massacred by the authorities on 4 June 1989 for demanding freedom and democracy. The cardinal is also opposed to the agreement between the Vatican and China over episcopal appointments. Card Zen has openly defended civil rights in Hong Kong and mainland China, and has often attended the trials of political prisoners and pro-democracy activists jailed on charges of breaking the draconian security law imposed by Beijing on Hong Kong in 2020. One article in Ta Kung Pao is titled Card Zen uses his status as a clergyman to disrupt Hong Kong. For the pro-establishment newspaper, the prelate is also to blame for links with media tycoon Jimmy Lai and former Legislative Council Member Martin Lee, one of the founders of the Democratic Party. Both Catholic, Lai and Lee were handed down prison sentences for taking part in pro-democracy rallies banned by the authorities. The articles against the Chinese cardinal note that many of the detained pro-democracy activists were educated in Christian schools. According to Ta Kung Pao, individual churches have instigated students to rise up and then given them refuge. The pro-Beijing publication calls for Hong Kong's religious institutions to be placed under government control. At present, they are not required to follow the Party line and its programme of sinicisation of religions pursued by Xi Jinping, as they are in mainland China. The request for restrictions on the Church represents a qualitative leap in the relationship between the CPC and Catholic authorities. Anticipating the moves of the Chinese government with articles and comments in the pro-government press is a classic Party trick. In Hong Kong such writings have often preceded the arrest of pro-democracy figures or the closure of pro-democracy newspapers and organisations. The impression is that Card Zen is being targeted in order to send messages to Hong Kongs Catholic hierarchy. Some observers point out that after Beijing's crackdown of the pro-democracy movement, the Catholic Church remains the only organised group in Hong Kong with a certain degree of autonomy. In this sense, the articles against Card Zen could herald a crackdown on religious activities in the former British colony. This first move, Nina Shea points out, could see the government take control of Christian schools, both Catholic and Protestant. Lubbock, TX (79409) Today Mainly sunny. High 91F. Winds WSW at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Clear skies. Low around 45F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph. by Marta Ottaviani The US operation that took out al-Baghdadi's successor relied on local intelligence, Turkish assistance, as well as the support of other jihadi groups who had an interest in his elimination. For Syrian journalist, a Salafi group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, might be behind it but will never admit it. Civilians are paying the price for the violence. Milan (AsiaNews) A war between groups in Northern Syria, a US president trying to regain lost political ground, and an unreliable ally that was finally willing to collaborate are the main factors behind the death of Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi. According to the latest information from the US administration, the successor of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi at the helm of what is left of the Islamic State (IS) group blew himself up with his wife and two children before US special operation forces got inside hiding place, which he never left. The terrorist is blamed for the Yazidi genocide in 2014, as well as the attack against the Kurdish-run Ghwayran prison in Hasakah (Heseke), which freed IS militants. Unlike al-Baghdadi, al-Qurayshi kept a very low profile. Reserved, he never appeared in public and did not leave his hideout except on the roof, not far from Atmeh, a town wedged between the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib, just a few kilometres from the Turkish border. Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said that the US operation tried to avoid as many civilian casualties as possible and did not involve any airstrikes. Some 50 US special operation forces reportedly evacuated 12 people from the building before the IS leader blew himself up. The Biden administration quickly too credit for the success, which it actually needed. The US president is still in the eye of the storm after pulling out of Afghanistan, but it remains to be seen how the latest action will play out. The Idlib area is mainly controlled by the Free Syrian Army (FSA), a group protected by Turkey; however, according to some international observers, some Islamist groups take advantage of Ankaras protection as well. Outside Idlib, various groups are war with each other. One of them is al-Qaida with its many bases; another is Atmel. Several other equally dangerous jihadi groups are also present but opposed to IS. One of these might have tipped off the Americans. And Turkey probably played a role as well, if for no other reason than logistical coordination. It is still hard to figure out who passed the information to the Americans, said Sultan Alkani, a Syrian journalist expert of the area, speaking to AsiaNews. We must keep in mind that the United States had very detailed information that could only come from the Idlib region, he explained. Although there is no definitive proof, fingers point to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham[*], a Salafi military organisation. We cannot be sure that they were behind it, said Alkani, but there is no doubt that ISs elimination would be in Hayat Tahrir al-Shams interest, and that they are among the very few to have a thorough knowledge of that territory. However, if they did it, it will be difficult to know, he added. Passing intelligence to the coalition would be seriously embarrassing vis-a-vis their followers. Turkey too benefits from Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshis demise because it took place outside the areas under its immediate control, but the tensions between the various groups in the area are putting a strain on the Turkish-backed FSA. Civilians are paying the price for this situation. Not only are they caught in the crossfire but they are feeling the effects of increasingly difficult living conditions as well as the devaluation of the Turkish lira, which has been used locally as a parallel currency for the past two years. [*] Organisation for the Liberation of the Levant or Levant Liberation Committee. On Pope Francis and Imam al-Tayeb issue another plead, Bishop Hinder looks at the tensions that still inflame the region. Ending conflicts remains a long journey amid an emerging feeling of vulnerability. The Document on Human Fraternity is an important reference point" for people in power. Abu Dhabi (AsiaNews) The war in Yemen and other Mideast tensions remind us of the long journey still ahead to reach a lasting peace, this according to Bishop Paul Hinder, vicar of southern Arabia[*] and apostolic administrator sede vacante of northern Arabia[]. At the same time, we are at great risk of forgetting the highest principles when the logic of economic and political power prevails, he said, speaking on the occasion of the second United Nations International Day of Human Fraternity, which is celebrated today. Unable to hide the feeling of extreme vulnerability that pervades even the most important cities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), threatened by Houthi rockets and drones, the prelate believes that it is essential to find a way out of the vicious circle of attacks and counterattacks. From this perspective, the Document on Human Fraternity[] offers some valid guidelines. However, it is clear that any sign of vulnerability and real dangers has its effects on the economy and tourism. Fortunately, people have so far reacted in a stoic way, convinced that the UAE will be able to protect its residents. Noting that the Gospel itself does not exclude the possibility of conflicts, even among Christians, the prelate is cognizant that the document signed by the pope and the imam alone cannot stop the violence. Nevertheless, it remains an important point of reference for political decision-makers and those who hold power. Today marks the third anniversary of the signing of the historic document that opened new channels of dialogue and exchange with Muslims, in particular Sunnis. The event is also being celebrated at Expo 2020. Currently underway in Dubai, the world fait was originally scheduled for October 2020-April 2021, but was later postponed because of the pandemic. Today its agenda includes a meeting The Human Fraternity and the Global Tolerance Alliance Roundtable with a video message from Pope Francis and Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb of al-Azhar, part of a four-day series promoted by UAE leaders in favour of the values of tolerance and fraternity at the local and global levels. "The visit of Pope Francis and the signing of the document on Human Fraternity together with the imam of al-Azhar are mentioned in almost every speech about relations between people of different faiths, explained Bishop Hinder. This said, while interest in knowing more about others beliefs and life has grown, in practice, it is more about monitoring what happens inside our churches (especially during the pandemic) than really knowing what is at the centre of our rites. Because of COVID-19, many activities are still online; for this reason, events like Expo 2020 are important since they provide a forum to keep alive the spirit of the historic visit of the pope in 2019. For the Church of Arabia, the signing of the document is remembered with a Catholic heart. Most notably, the highlight of the apostolic journey was the Eucharistic celebration at the stadium whose memory is even more vivid than the signing of the document. The document itself retains all its importance. In fact, it has been included in the school curriculum for students of different faiths" and has inspired the creation of the Abrahamic Family House and the continuation of interfaith dialogue. Yesterday's inauguration of the new apostolic nunciature in Abu Dhabi is also the result of the pope's visit, but contacts and face-to-face meetings with Muslims have been reduced in the last two years because of the pandemic. [*] United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yemen. [] Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain. [] Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Xi stresses China-Russia back-to-back strategic coordination Xinhua) 18:13, February 04, 2022 BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday stressed commitment between China and Russia to deepening back-to-back strategic coordination and upholding international equity and justice side by side in the face of profound and complex changes in the international situation. Xi made the statement while holding talks with visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing. The strategic choice, which has far-reaching impacts on both countries and the world at large, has never been and will never be shaken, said Xi. Xi called on both sides to continue to maintain close high-level exchanges, give strong support to each other in safeguarding sovereignty, security and development interests, effectively respond to external interference and regional security threats, and maintain international strategic stability. Both sides should step up coordination and cooperation in international affairs, and shoulder major-country responsibilities in global issues of pressing concern, such as fighting COVID-19, boosting the economy and tackling climate change, said Xi. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) Chennai: To discuss the next course of action in the wake of the Governor returning the Bill seeking exemption for the State from NEET, the State government has called for a meeting of all parties having representation in the Assembly on Saturday, February 5, at the Secretariat. The government would make all efforts to pass the Bill again in the Assembly and send it for Presidential accent after studying the remarks made by the Governor against the earlier Bill and also to explain the truth behind NEET, an official press release on Thursday said. Representatives of all parties would meet at 11 am to look into the Governors contention that the Bill passed by the Assembly went against the interest of poor and rural students and that the findings of the A K Rajan committee were wrong, which were unacceptable to the people of the State. The file relating to the Governor returning the Bill was signed on February 1 and received by the Government on February 2 evening, the release said, adding that it had been sent to the Speaker. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Hi! We notice you're using an ad blocker. Please consider allowing Autoblog. We get it. Ads can be annoying. But ads are also how we keep the garage doors open and the lights on here at Autoblog - and keep our stories free for you and for everyone. And free is good, right? If you'd be so kind as to allow our site, we promise to keep bringing you great content. Thanks for that. And thanks for reading Autoblog. Allow Us! EV China is a global leader when it comes to renewable energy production. The Asian giant is currently the world's largest solar and wind energy producer. It is also the biggest outbound and domestic investor in renewable energy.Audi pledged to make its production network carbon-neutral by 2025. Both its Belgium and Hungary plants already have a net-zero footprint, Bloomberg reported.Volkswagen AG's top earner is not the only automaker moving to green energy. Chinese automotive company Zhejiang Geely announced a two-year plan to install solar photovoltaic cells on all its plants' roofs to reduce its carbon footprint.China pledged to be carbon neutral by 2060, encouraging businesses in all sectors to look for green power generation sources. Geely's plans fall in line with these goals. Audi's plants in China produce 600,000 units out of the 1.8 million cars it makes in a year globally. Europe is fast tightening its regulations on new automobiles' green credentials, forcing manufacturers to step up and shift to electric platforms.The German luxury car automaker is right in thegame after launching the executive Audi e-tron GT that shares the same J1 platform as the Porsche Taycan, and the Q4 e-tron compact luxury crossover that rivals Tesla's Model Y.According to Audi's chief financial officer, Juergen Rittersberg, China is a difficult market to predict when shifting to EVs slightly due to the availablity of renewable energy sources in its regions. He added that Audi might invest in green energy in some of those locations.The automaker seems focused on the shift to electric vehicles, and betting on China's renewable energy sources is a strategic advantage over its rivals in a volatile market. Last June, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced on Twitter that he was living in a rented Casita from Boxabl, instantly sending the companys reputation into the stratosphere and its possible revenue past the $1 billion mark , based on paid reservations and pre-orders. Casita is a prefabricated unit that folds down and can be transported to the owner, where its assembled on site by a small crew within days.This type of prefabs have become more common in recent years because affordable housing is still far from a reality. Before the Boxabl Casita, though, there was the Seelenkiste, also known as the Soul Box or the Spirit Shelter. It never made it past the production of just one demo unit, but it served to show not just that affordable housing was possible but that it could also satisfy the demand for increased mobility. For that reason alone, it deserves another five minutes in the spotlight.Seelenkiste was a project by a small design studio from Germany called Allergutendinge , which focuses on sustainable building practices. Comprised of Matthias Pruger, Manuel Rauwolf, and Ulrike Wetzel of the Bauhaus University Weimar, the studio developed the project for this tiny movable house and implemented the construction a while later, in the spring of 2012. It was displayed locally as an emotional hideaway, a place that could help man reconnect with nature and himself.Due to the speed of todays digitized world, the dream for a new Arcadia is getting stronger, Allergutendinge said at the time. In other words, cut off from his natural environment, man yearned to be reconnected with it and, at the same time, live an uncomplicated but happy life. This is what Seelenkiste promised: the very basics for a simple lifestyle, alongside the possibility to enjoy it wherever you wanted , for as long as you wanted.Seelenkiste was basically a folding prefab house that could be set up on any level ground, using only some support and no foundation. Because it was lightweight, it could easily be moved from place to place when the two residents wanted to, though it clearly lacked the high degree of mobility of an RV or even todays ever-so-popular tiny houses With a wooden frame clad in fiberglass-reinforced plastic panels, the Seelenkiste was all wood inside, down to the fold-away furniture. It offered a footprint of 8 square meters (86 square feet) and was barely spacious for two residents who did not require much by means of leading a comfortable life.To minimize its impact on the environment, it was designed as a three-story(-ish) structure a most surprising twist for a foldable prefab. The ground floor was the dining and kitchenette area, with the front wall folding all the way out to create a porch. The kitchenette was spartan even by the most generous definition: even the designers said you could only make a cup of tea or coffee in there, so the small table with the two seats was probably reserved for dining on cold cuts.The bedroom area was mid-height between the ground and upper section and served as the first stepping stair toward it. By using the integrated storage as steps, the Seelenkiste eliminated the need for a staircase. The upper story held the office area, cantilevered over the porch, and it too had a fold-away wall that opened it up completely to the elements, so you could sit at the desk and look out on the surrounding environment.Of course, the Seelenkiste was not without flaws, even as a concept and only prototype. The biggest one is obviously the lack of a bathroom, as well as the designers failure to mention anything of running water or electricity. After all, if youre going to work in this prefab and preferably do it with a cup of something hot on the desk, where are you to get the power and the water for it? Then, theres the issue of ventilation on wet or colder days, when neither of the fold-away walls could be well, folded away. Would you not be living in a slightly-taller, dark wooden box then?That said, the Seelenkiste never aimed to be an all-encompassing solution, a permanent residence , but rather a small research station, [...] a place to sleep, a niche for sitting, and an emotional hideaway that will encourage residents to live harmoniously with nature and themselves. A dream. EV As seen in the video, the vehicle weighs 2,530 kilograms (5,577 lbs.) including driver and its width is 1.9 meters (c. 74.8 inches). Both values are high, and they reflect a wide and heavy vehicle.While the gates made of cones are adapted accordingly for the width of the vehicle, the distance between them is never changed, so wider and longer vehicles tend to have less impressive results in this kind of test. The tested example was a 2022 BMW iX xDrive40 with Pirelli PZero Elect 255/50 R21 109Y tires.For this test, the Spaniards at km77 drove the BMW iX at 80 kph (49.7 mph) for its first attempt, which was faster than the regular 77 kph (47.8 mph) employed by them.The first attempt was failed from the start, as the vehicle touched a cone, and then understeer ensued in such a way that there was no point in continuing the test.While the reactions of the vehicle were never dangerous or concerning, the driver could not manage to keep the vehicle between the cones at the normal test speed. On the contrary, as the Spaniards noted, the iX is a vehicle with a good stability, little body roll, and the intervention of the electronic stability control is described as "barely noticeable."The situation is similar to that of many other EVs, although many models passed with ease, while others struggled in this test. As the Spaniards underline, managing the resulting inertia of weight like this is not easy, and the tires have to work the most. When it does not come together, the effect is understeer, and it gets worse as the speed increases.It is worth noting that an increase in aggression when maneuvering the steering wheel can lead to an increase in understeer, so watch out for input like that in any vehicle, not just in the BMW iX. Watch the video below and see how the Germanhandles itself between the cones. Made in 2020, and currently resting in a garage somewhere in Minneapolis, Minnesota, it has 14,018 miles (22,560 km) under its belt and was involved in a serious accident.The Copart listing reveals that it rolled over at one point, and since it is advertised under their Recovered Thefts category, we are going to assume that it was stolen, and retrieved in this condition.Speaking about the way it looks , its face was basically ripped off. Significant damages can be seen on the right side, where everything needs to be changed. The front and rear windscreens were broken in the impact, which also left deep marks on the axles, as the wheels do not align anymore.It is likely that the structure was affected too, and moving on to the cockpit, we can see other damages, including deployed airbags. This is definitely a long-term rebuild, assuming that it is possible to breathe new life into it, so anyone interested in the wreckage should definitely inspect it in person to know what to expect.The ad doesnt say anything about the condition of the powertrain, but it doesnt seem to have been affected. This is the icing on the cake, as far as the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is concerned, as it produces 707 hp and 645 lb-ft (875 Nm) of torque. The supercharged 6.2-liter V8 enables a 0 to 62 mph (0-100 kph) sprint in just 3.5 seconds, a 180 mph (290 kph) top speed, and makes it a 10-second car down the quarter-mile, on a good day. The decision to grant 'Z' category security to the chief of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) came a day after his car was allegedly fired upon in Hapur while he was returning to Delhi after attending election-related events in western Uttar Pradesh. (PTI Image) The government on Friday decided to provide 'Z' category security by commandos of the CRPF to prominent Muslim leader and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi. Official sources said the CRPF commandos will be deployed for the security of Owaisi round-the-clock. The decision to grant 'Z' category security to the chief of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) came a day after his car was allegedly fired upon in Hapur while he was returning to Delhi after attending election-related events in western Uttar Pradesh. No one was injured in the incident, Owaisi had said while urging the Election Commission to ensure an independent probe into the incident. "Two persons have been arrested for firing on AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi's convoy while he was returning to Delhi after campaigning in Uttar Pradesh. The investigation is underway," Superintendent of Police Hapur, Deepak Bhuker said. Bhuker informed that the accused were hurt by Owaisi's "anti-Hindu" statements. Owaisi will raise the issue of a security breach and attack on his convoy in Parliament on Friday, said sources. According to sources, Owaisi will meet Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla to discuss the issue. Meanwhile, Akbaruddin Owaisi, brother of Asaduddin, also reached Delhi late Thursday night. The legendary French manufacturer is ready to dominate the business jet game. Visitors at the Singapore Air Show will be able to admire the Falcon 8X long-range trijet, as well as the Falcon 2000LXS. The 8X started operating in the Asia/Pacific region five years ago and proved to be successful. Boasting a range of 6,450 nautical miles (7,420 miles/11,945 km), it can conduct non-stop flights over long distances, while also being able to land at challenging airports. The 2000LXS offers a smaller range, but is equally successful in the region, with over 40 aircraft currently in service here.The Falcon 6X will be present only as a full-scale mockup, but those attending the Show will still be able to appreciate the extra-widebody twins impressive cabin, designed to provide unprecedented comfort. This is meant to become not only the tallest and widest, but also the quietest cabin of current purpose-built business jets. The Falcon 6X is set to enter into service by the end of 2022, with the three flight test aircraft having already accumulated almost 600 flight hours.A production Falcon 6X, with a full interior, will be the star of a round-the-world campaign in just a few months, which will include several stops in the Asia Pacific region. The future extra-widebody twin will be powered by a new engine developed by Pratt & Whitney Canada the PW812D received the Canadian certification in 2021, and will soon be certified by EASA (the European Union Aviation Safety Agency) and FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) as well.Last, but definitely not least, the Falcon 10X is gearing up to revolutionize the ultra-long range sector, with its spacious cabin, thats comparable to or even larger than a regional jet cabin and a powerful engine the latest version of Rolls Royces Pearl engine. Engine test runs will be conducted this year, with the Falcon 10X set to enter into service in 2025. In the heat of things, countries were spying constantly on each other and were trying to find those weak spots that could be exploited to turn the tides. The U.S., being one of the largest forces in this war, had to find more creative ways than one of camouflaging its war chest or, at least, some part of it.Enter Boeing and its almost insane idea to develop an entire neighborhood for the solely purpose of hiding an airfield. They didn`t become realtors. Planes were being evaluated or repaired there alongside other vital military equipment and the enemies had to be pointed in other directions.What was once an airfield used by the Army become over the span of a fortnight a friendly, innocent neighborhood. To cover their tracks, the U.S. Air Force used chicken wire, canvas, and burlap. These transformed the strip in land that looked like it belongs in a small, remote village. The view from spy planes was not interesting at all for enemies of freedom. The trees were made from chicken feathers and spun glass, while buildings were only four feet tall and made entirely of wood. Standing on ground level would have made it seem like bad video game graphics.The fake Boeing neighborhood covered only 26 acres but was at that time proof that creativity could save lives. It also gave that important and much-needed advantage in combat.Related stories were reported in other parts of the world, but nothing similar has been started by an aeronautical company. The designer of this whole thing was G.W. Dennis - a genius. The new production line will be dedicated to the Gemera and will make the building footprint increase to 30,000 square meters (322,917 square feet). That includes the 11,000 m (118,403 ft) of the second production line Koenigsegg created in 2021. Sadly, the company did not release how significant the new expansion will be. What we know is that this is the first place where the Quark electric motor , David and Terrier will be put to work.Koenigsegg calls the production line a factory on its own, possibly because it may work independently from the other production lines. Like the carmaker did when it established itself at this site, it will use buildings that used to be hangars to produce these vehicles. The Gemera factory uses four of them.The production line is just part of Koenigseggs expansion. It will also have an 800-m experience center that will present past and current models from the company to anyone that visits Valhall park as Koenigsegg named its production site. Solar panels in all roofs where they can be installed will help the company become carbon neutral.The Swedish carmaker also wants to create an on-site track that will accommodate on-location pre-delivery testing and prototyping trials. In other words, buyers will get to drive their vehicles around before taking them home and see the development of new hypercars in the process. We would not doubt if some ordered their future machines that way.Since Koenigsegg moved to this airfield, it has been placing a ghost in the vehicles made there. This symbol of the squadron which called that place home is now a lucky charm that the company ensures will continue to be seen in new products. EV kWh FWD AWD SUV Lexus released new images of its future electric car after talking about its 2021 global sales. It was used as an example of the companys focus on electric vehicles. The plan is to have a full lineup of BEVs (battery electric vehicles) by 2030 so that all Lexuss sales will be for electric cars in China, Europe, and the U.S. By 2035, the brand wants to be fully electric globally. Koji Sato Lexus CEO said that the RZ 450e would spearhead that process in spring 2022.Just have a look at these new pictures of Lexuss futureand try to find anything that reminds you of the bZ4X. Perhaps the A-pillar, and were not even sure about that. The proportions resemble the Toyota EV, but thats pretty much all that seems to connect them. Underneath the new sheet metal, everything must be quite the same.Now have a look at the Subaru Solterra . Youll struggle to tell it is a Subaru without looking at its badges and some other minor differences in plastic components. Dynamic behavior may be tuned to something we would expect a Subaru to present. However, that is a difference only people that get behind the wheel of both the Solterra and the bZ4X will be able to tell if they have this kind of nuanced and properly calibrated perception.Expect the Lexus to present the same impressive battery pack warranty of 90% after ten years or 240,000 km (150,000 mi), whichever comes first. Offering a more extensive warranty just because the RZ 450e will be a premium car would not make sense, especially considering the 71.4-battery pack will be pretty much the same.Although Lexus did not release the RZ 450es technical specifications, they should be pretty similar to those of the bZ4X (or Solterra, whatever). The electric Toyota is 4.69 meters (184.7 inches) long, 1.86 m (73.2 in) wide, 1.65 m (65 in) tall (counting its antenna), and has a wheelbase of 2.86 m (112.6 in), with a trunk of 452 liters (16 cubic feet).The main difference between them should relate to weight. Being a premium car, the RZ 450e should be heavier. In an electric vehicle, thats a disadvantage, and the bZ4X did pretty well in that regard: it weighs 1,920 kilograms (4,233 pounds) for theand 2,005 kg (4,420 lb) for the, which makes it a surprisingly light electric The fact that Rotterdam may have to dismantle a vintage bridge to let Jeff Bezoss gigantic yacht pass sparked major outrage all over the world. But Rotterdam's mayor claims no request has been made just yet, although publications claim that the city is already making plans for the dismantling of the structure. 8 photos EV We know of at least two situations involving paint issues. One of them led the customer to sell his Model 3 after only 3,000 miles (4,828 kilometers), but he asked us for more time before going public about it. The second one did not have to wait. His story involves a Tesla Model Y Long Range made in China and sold in Luxembourg.Sacha F. took delivery of his electric crossover on September 30, 2021. He chose a Tesla because he loves the way they drive and also due to the Supercharging network, but his first contact with his car was already controversial. That was also the first time he heard Teslas most famous excuse for defects.The whole paint was dirty and full of scratches when we took delivery of the car. We mentioned that to them, and they said: Its within Teslas internal margins. Wow.Sacha was already aware of paint issues in Tesla vehicles and how to avoid them: with PPF (Paint Protection Film). Tesla applies it in some countries, so he tried to understand why his vehicle did not get it.I told them about PPF on these specific parts of the car being applied in countries such as Germany, Norway, and some others as well as mudflaps. They told me it wasnt for all countries, so we kind of had to take the car either way. They didnt say it was recommended to have this on the car either.After using his car for some months, Sacha is not happy about how his brand new car now looks.Now, four months later and with 9,000 km (5,592 mi) driven, the paint damage is quite obvious! I just reached out to the Tesla Service Center to clarify this situation and reminded them that this was a known issue by Tesla since they pre-applied PPF in other countries.The Luxembourgish customer is now trying to see how Tesla will handle his case. If it insists that his car is "within specs," he'll make use all options on the table.I plan to make my point and, if needed, take legal action against them. I will also report them to our Chamber of Commerce for professional malpractice.Affected customers in Canada have already sued Tesla for the defects, and their class action is waiting to be judged. What makes Sachas case remarkable is that his car is produced in a modern factory, one in which Tesla did not have to adapt anything like it had to do to turn NUMMI into its factory in California. There are no tents at Giga Shanghai that could explain the paint issues. Yet, here we are. Again.As we said, there is at least one more Tesla made in China that also presents paint defects. Well tell this other owner story as soon as we get clearance from him. If you also have a Chinese Tesla with paint issues, let us tell other readers what happened to you. That may make themaker finally sort this out.Remember that Tesla has two more factories that should start operation in 2022: Giga Grunheide, in Germany, and Giga Austin. Theres a significant risk that they will do exactly what Fremont and Giga Shanghai have presented so far in terms of paint quality. The Ford Motor Company will further idle the Chicago Assembly Plant in the state of Illinois where the Ford Explorer, Police Interceptor Utility, and Lincoln Aviator mid-size utility vehicles are produced. FoMoCo isnt alone according to Detroit News . Stellantis, the cross-border merger between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Groupe PSA, has also stopped Chrysler Pacifica production at Windsor Assembly in Ontario. Worse still, the Canadian plant will cut one of two shifts in April due to the ongoing microchip shortage. Infineon Technologies AG , a German semiconductor manufacturer and the leading chipmaker for the automotive industry, has bad news too. Chief executive officer Reinhard Ploss made it clear the crisis will continue well into 2022. Given these circumstances, Ford and Stellantis are certain to make a few more downtime announcements over the course of this year.Last month, the Ford Motor Company sold no fewer than 8,101 units of the body-on-frame Bronco compared to 9,168 units in December 2021. The unibody Explorer is facing a slight drop as well, and so does the Lincoln Aviator. As for the Chrysler Pacifica, does anyone care? Minivan sales are in a slump since eons ago, and the Pacifica isnt exactly the best people hauler available given FCAs substandard quality and reliability records.Ignoring which nameplate is hot or not, the takeaway is that fewer chips translate to fewer deliveries. Fords North American production, for example, is estimated to have lost just over 694,000 vehicles last year. Its an infuriating scenario for would-be owners, and its even worse for automakers who are bleeding millions - if not billions - in lost revenue. You might have heard of Netflix s latest documentary, The Tinder Swindler. The true-crime documentary shows the struggle of a group of women trying to hunt down a man theyve met through Tinder, and conned them for thousands of dollars.The documentary is based on Israeli man Simon Leviev (on his real name Shimon Hayut), who flaunts his lavish lifestyle on Instagram. He drives a Lamborghini, poses in a private jet and enjoys himself on a yacht. But all of these werent paid with his hard-earned money, but with the funds he stole from his victims.The 31-year-old man has over 200,000 followers on his Instagram account, where he acts like a billionaire. According to his Tinder profile, the man claimed he was a diamond merchant who traveled the globe. He does travel around the world, but he is not a diamond merchant.In total, he reportedly has swindled 7.4 million (over $10 million) from a string of women. Which allows him to fake a lavish lifestyle.His most recent Instagram post shows a red Lamborghini Aventador Spyder, and he proudly sits behind the wheel. He also shared several pictures from private jets, giving us glimpses of the luxurious lifestyle onboard several Gulfstreams, including a G650ER, showing beige leather seats with a lot of space in the cabin, or flying in a private Bell 206B JetRanger III helicopter.He also flaunted the good life in the backseat of a Rolls-Royce and showed pictures of himself driving a Bentley Continental GT and a Ferrari 458 Spider.In 2019, Simon Leviev was arrested in Israel, but he only served five months in prison and continued flaunting his lifestyle on social media. It's unclear whether he continued conning women, though, but, according to several sources , his current net worth is estimated between $500,000 and $1 million.This story gives me the same vibe as the Lee Prince III case. The man from Texas used health crisis relief funds to buy himself a Lamborghini Urus , a Ford F-350, and a Rolex watch. Hopefully, both men learned that you shouldnt buy things you cannot afford, as cool as they look on social media. As part of our coverage of military assets over the past few years, we got to talk about visual camouflage a bit in the past and how, when it comes to airplanes, its probably far less important than the technological stealth capabilities of flying the machine.Sure, camouflage on aircraft does matter, but it mostly does so when the planes are parked on the runways and need to be shielded from prying enemy eyes. And since America is not usually within striking distance of enemy forces, most of the machines do not wear complicated camo, despite the fact they serve in visually diverse areas of the world.Not all air forces think the same, and this is why we do get from time to time fighter jets painted in all the colors of the world. In this case, shades of green, brown and white slapped onto the sleek bodies of F-16 Fighting Falcons flown by the Israeli Air Force.Two of them are seen in this pic, out and about during the Desert Falcon exercise in Israel earlier in January. The two fly a wing-to-wing formation with a grey American F-16, one that sticks out like a sore thumb over the reddish-brown desert floor.According to the U.S. Air Force ( USAF ), the joint, international exercise allowed for Israeli and U.S. aircrews to fly wing-to-wing and train together for various aerial scenarios and strikes. The Israeli unit taking part was the 119th Squadron, while the Americans threw into the simulated fight the 55th Fighter Squadron, based at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina. Just recently, Toyota Motor Thailand has revealed a special edition version of the Fortuner that comes with a unique body kit, gloss black exterior highlights, upgraded interior, and additional safety features. Its called the Commander, and boy is it a looker. If theres one thing that were envious of with our neighbor Thailand, its the number of special edition models thats available over there. Unlike your regular Fortuner, the Commander gets a special front and rear bumper decoration kit. It also more aggressive look courtesy of a gloss black-painted front grille, side mirror caps, side steps, and headlight accents. Last but not least, the vehicle features a black-painted roof, larger 20-inch alloy wheels, and tailgate trim pieces finished in black. Inside, the special-edition SUV gets red and black tones that give it a sportier look and feel. All of the seats are upholstered in leather and come with red contrast stitching. While its no GR Sport, the red highlights combined with the black interior give the Fortuner Commander a more discerning finish. Aside from the spruced-up cabin, Toyota put intelligent safety features for extra peace of mind. These include a 360-degree camera system, rear-cross traffic alert, and a blind-spot monitoring system. Under the hood, the Fortuner Commander is only available with a 2.4-liter turbo-diesel engine. It makes 150 PS along with 400 Nm of torque. Power is then sent to the wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission. While the engine remains stock, the Commander comes with different shock absorbers. Toyota says that these have been tuned to deliver a more stable and refined ride over the standard dampers. It also has red coil springs to match the Commanders more aggressive exterior. Only 1,000 examples of the Fortuner Commander will be sold for the Thai market. Were hoping that Toyota Motor Philippines also make a limited edition version of the Fortuner thats similar to the Commander. It could even serve as a special model that fills the gap between the LTD and the Q model. What do you think of the Fortuner Commander? Share your comments below. HYDERABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a six-hour tour to Hyderabad on Saturday. He will spend three hours in Chinna Jeeyar Swamy Ashram at Muchintal on the city outskirts and take part in the Ramanujacharya Sahasrabdi Samaroham. He will visit the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat) campus in Patancheru to launch its 50th anniversary celebrations. Later, he will dedicate to the nation the Statue of Equality at a ceremony to be held at Chinna Jeeyar Ashram at Muchintal. The 216-foot statue commemorates the 11th century Bhakti saint Sri Ramanujacharya. Modi will arrive at Shamshabad international airport at 2.10 pm. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao will receive the Prime Minister at the airport. The Prime Minister will reach Icrisat by helicopter at 2.45 pm. The Chief Minister will accompany the Prime Minister to the venue. They will take part in the golden jubilee celebrations from 2.45 to 4.15 pm. They will leave Icrisat at 4.25 pm and reach the ashram in Muchintal at 5 pm. The Prime Minister and the Chief Minister will take part in the Ramanuja Sahasrabdi Samkaroham for three hours from 5 pm, where Modi will unveil the statue. Modi will reach Shamshabad airport by road at 8.20 pm and leave for Delhi at 8.40 pm. As per protocol, the minister-in-waiting should be nominated to receive and see off the Prime Minister at the airport during his visit. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao has approved the nomination of minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav as minister-in-waiting. The last time Modi had visited Hyderabad was on November 28, 2020, when he went to Bharat Biotech, the pharma company that developed India's first Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin. The state government had made unprecedented and tight security arrangements for the Prime Minister's visit by deploying over 8,000 police personnel. Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and DGP M. Mahendar Reddy visited Muchintal ashram on Friday and reviewed the security arrangements for the second consecutive day. A special police command control centre has been set up at the ashram to monitor the security measures. Tesla grabbed the headlines for the wrong reasons yet again after the world's leading electric car maker issued a recall for 817,143 vehicles in the United States because of a flaw in seat belt chime functionality. (Photo : HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images) Tesla grabbed the headlines for the wrong reasons yet again after the world's leading electric car maker issued a recall for 817,143 vehicles in the United States because of a flaw in seat belt chime functionality. Tesla ordered the recall after finding out that seat belt reminder chimes in its vehicles may not sound when the cars are started, and the driver has not buckled up. Federal motor vehicle safety laws require the seat belt reminder chimes to sound when vehicles are started, and that sound will only stop when the front belts are buckled. According to the recall documents posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the problem only occurs when the driver leaves the vehicle in the previous drive cycle while the chime is sounding. Among the Tesla vehicles affected by the recall are the 2017 through 2022 Model 3 sedan, 2020 through 2022 Model Y SUV, and the 2021 and 2022 Model S sedan and Model X SUV. The scope of the U.S. recall is massive, with this being the largest in the history of Tesla. South Korean research body discovers seat belt chime problem South Korea's Automobile Testing and Research Institute first discovered the seat belt reminder chime problem on January 6. According to the documents, Tesla investigated the South Korean body's findings and determined on January 25 that a recall was needed for its vehicles. Tesla insists, however, that the chime still sounds if the cars go over 13.7 miles per hour (22 kilometers per hour) and the driver's belt is not buckled. Tesla is sending out an over-the-air software update to the affected vehicles early this month to fix the problem. Safety regulators say that the risk of injury during a crash increases without the chime as the driver may not know that their seat belt is unbuckled. Related Article: Rare 1955 Mercedes-Benz Gullwing Sold for Record $6.825 Million at RM Sotheby's Scottsdale Auction Software problems mount for Tesla According to the recall documents posted, Tesla said that it is not aware of any crashes or injuries related to the problem. The company also said that a visual seat belt reminder is still displayed to warn the driver if their seat belt is unbuckled. The timing of this recall couldn't be much worse for the world's most valuable carmaker as it comes just a few days after Tesla recalled around 54,000 of its vehicles due to a bug in its Full Self-Driving software. The said bug allows Tesla vehicles to roll through stop signs without coming to a complete halt. Tesla decided to disable the "rolling stop" feature, allowing vehicles to go through intersections with all-way stop signs at up to 5.6 miles (9 kilometers) per hour. The "Full Self-Driving" software is being tested by selected Tesla owners on public roads with the company stern on its warning that drivers must be ready to intervene at any time. READ MORE ON AWN: 1971 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Once Owned by Hollywood Great Sydney Pollack Goes up for Auction Electric Car Sales Surge in 2021: COVID-19 Pandemic Accelerates EV Revolution Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Democrats have drawn themselves aggressive maps in Illinois and New York as part of their efforts to overcome perceived Republican redistricting strengths this midterm year. They've also been in position to veto some GOP maps and win court challenges to Republican districts. Why it matters: The wins are adding up, with Democrats now set to potentially gain two to three seats through redistricting. That would be the first time they've been projected to gain over Republicans, according to a new analysis by Cook Political Report's Dave Wasserman. With Democrats holding such slim margins in Congress, and Republicans gunning to flip dozens of House seats, every map matters for congressional power not just next year but the next decade. What we're watching: Proposed maps released for New York last Sunday would knock out half of the state's House Republicans, while giving Democrats as many as three more seats. The newly enacted Illinois maps create two more blue seats, eliminating two Republican-leaning districts. Both states will lose one seat this decade because of their relatively slow population growth. Democrats also managed to draw favorable lines in New Mexico and Oregon, giving themselves a chance to pick up two additional seats from those states. Gubernatorial power: Democratic governors are also flexing their veto muscles in key states, with the potential to ward off Republican gerrymandering efforts in states like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Kansas. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper used his own veto powers to block efforts by Republican state lawmakers to delay primary elections while the state Supreme Court considers the new GOP-enacted maps. In Louisiana, the official redistricting process is just getting started, but Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards could block any Republican plan that fails to add a second Black majority district. That would inevitably benefit Democrats. In the courts: Key court decisions have also bolstered the party. Democrats had an important victory in Alabama last week, when a federal court blocked new congressional maps and told lawmakers to draw a second Black majority district "or something quite close to it." The Ohio Supreme Court invalidated Republican-passed maps last month, which would have given Republicans up to 13 of the state's 15 House seats. On Wednesday, the Democratic-majority Pennsylvania Supreme Court decided to take over the state's redistricting process. Otherwise, the initial decision on the new map would have been left to a lower pro-Trump judge. The North Carolina Supreme Court also is more favorable to Democrats now and could ultimately throw out Republican maps recently upheld by a lower court. What they're saying: "We've been, for years, running this comprehensive plan and really pushing to think about redistricting in this holistic way. And what you are seeing are the receipts of that strategy," Kelly Ward Burton, president of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, told Axios. Burton acknowledged redistricting isn't over yet, and Republicans maintain advantages in key states like Texas, Florida and Georgia. The other side: "I think it's ironic that Democrats complain about Republican gerrymandering and then you can't look at the map in New York State and say they're not gerrymandered to death," Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.) told Axios. The two sides announced the date and venue of the meeting in identical statements issued late on Thursday. They said nothing about its agenda. The Turkish daily Sabah reported last month that Ankara would like the talks to be held in Turkey or Armenia. The first meeting between Serdar Kilic, a veteran Turkish diplomat, and Ruben Rubinian, a deputy speaker of the Armenian parliament, took place in Moscow on January 14. The foreign ministries of the two neighboring nations described the talks as positive and constructive. They said the special envoys agreed to continue the dialogue without preconditions. Armenias Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on Wednesday voiced cautious optimism over the success of the process welcomed by Russia, the United States and the European Union. Earlier, the Turkish government invited Mirzoyan and Rubinian to an international conference that will be held in Turkey in March. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian signaled last week that Yerevan will likely accept the invitation. Ankara has for decades linked the establishment of diplomatic relations with Yerevan and the opening of the Turkish-Armenian border to a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict acceptable to Azerbaijan. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has repeatedly made clear that his government will coordinate the Turkish-Armenian normalization talks with Baku. We will naturally continue to advance the course and all stages of these meetings through a dialogue with our Azerbaijani brothers, Cavusoglus deputy, Yavuz Selim Kiran, said on Thursday. Speaking at an event in Ankara marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Turkish-Azerbaijani diplomatic relations, Kiran noted the resumption this week of charter flights between Istanbul and Yerevan. The video conference came about two months after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinians two face-to-face meetings with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev which were separately hosted by Macron and Michel in Brussels. They took stock of progress achieved since the [December] meetings held in the sidelines of the Eastern Partnership Summit, in particular recent releases of detainees, ongoing joint efforts to search for missing persons, as well as the upcoming restoration of railways tracks, Macron and Michel said in a joint statement on the video conference. The heads of State and Government agreed that this meeting offered a valuable opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues, added the statement. Pashinians office reported that the four leaders discussed efforts to reduce tensions along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and open transport links between the two South Caucasus states as well as international organizations access to Karabakh. Prime Minister Pashinian stressed the need for a long-term settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the signing of a peace treaty under the aegis of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, it said. Neither statement mentioned any concrete agreements reached by Aliyev and Pashinian. The two leaders pledged to de-escalate border tensions and restore Armenian-Azerbaijani rail links at their December 14 trilateral meeting with Michel. But they failed to patch up their differences on the status of a highway that would also connect Azerbaijan to its Nakhichevan exclave via Armenias southeastern Syunik province. Aliyev said ahead of the Brussels talks that people and cargo passing through that Zangezur corridor must be exempt from Armenian border controls. Pashinian rejected the demand. The Armenian Foreign Ministry said late on Thursday that Yerevan has presented Baku with new proposals regarding the opening of the roads. The ministry spokesman, Vahan Hunanian, did not disclose them. We have not received any response from the Azerbaijani side to these proposals yet, Hunanian said in written comments. Armenia is ready to start implementing these proposals as soon as possible. The comments came in response to Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramovs claims that Yerevan is obstructing the launch of the cross-border transport links. Hunanian said the claims are paradoxical in light of what Pashinian stated earlier on Thursday. Pashinian announced further progress towards the planned construction of the 45-kilometer Syunik railway. He said senior Armenian and Russian officials discussed practical details of the project on Wednesday. Chennai: The penultimate day of filing nominations for the urban local body elections saw a mad rush of candidates presenting their papers, raising allegations of non-adherence to Covid protocols at various places, though not all parties could finalise their complete list of nominees for the February 19 polls. Haggling for seats continued in the DMK-led alliance and the party was unable to release its final list for Chennai till about 9 pm though it had come out with half a score of lists for various local bodies in the past few days after the seat-sharing talks started at the district level. Rebellion over non-allotment of seats for the allies in what they believed as their pocket boroughs was reported from many places leading to many local leaders of alliance parties filing nominations as independents, hoping that they would be named as official candidates. Such incidents happened with leaders of Congress not willing to give up wards that they had nurtured over the years in places like Kanyakumari districts and those of IUML and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi in some Muslim dominated areas. Since the AIADMK, which does not have too many allies, has finalized the lists, most of the nominees filed their papers with the returning officers, causing chaos in many local body offices as they went in big groups, giving a go by to norms issued by the State Election Commission (SEC). Candidates of the BJP, which is plowing a lonely furrow, also lined up to file their papers for the polls and so did most of the other aspirants, including independents, in all the 12,838 wards in 21 Corporations, 138 Municipalities and 490 Town Panchayats. A similar rush is expected on the last day on Friday as many aspirants of party tickets were eagerly waiting for the official lists. In many places, media persons were getting regular calls to know if the list for the particular town or city had been released by the parties as the aspirants were preparing themselves to file the nominations even at short notice. But the delay in the release of the DMKs final list for Chennai Corporation, considered to be the most prestigious among the 490 local bodies going to the polls, was causing more anxiety to many party cadre and functionaries. Two candidates in Chennai drew the attention of many, one a 94-year-old social activist from Besant Nagar who is contesting as an independent to take up the local issues, which she has been doing any way for quite some time, and 21-year-old Priyadarshini, a member of the DYFI, who has been fielded by the CPM from 98th ward. In the smaller Corporations like Trichy, Madurai, too, the Mayoral candidates for the main parties, the DMK and AIADMK, have not been made known though speculations were ripe on who could possibly be given the opportunity by going through the list of candidates for the wards. Among the complaints that emanated from Madurai was one that State Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajans personal assistant has been given a seat to contest from a ward and that some supporters of former Union Minister M K Alagiri have filed nominations and might take away the votes of the official DMK candidates. Many candidates kick started their campaigns just as they emerged from the returning officers chambers heading straight to their constituencies, accompanied by two persons. The SEC has mandated that not more than 3 persons can go for door-to-door canvassing. Top leaders like AIADMK head honchos, O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami are expected to tour the State and hold hall meetings at select places and Chief Minister M K Stalin, too, would address a few meeting personally though the bulk of his campaign would be through video conference. Meanwhile, the State Election Commission geared up for the D-day, identifying trouble-prone booths and arranging for the fixing of extra CCTV cameras there. As of now 600 of the total 5794 booths in Chennai Corporation have been declared as trouble-prone. Besides the installation of over 6000 CCTV cameras at the booths, web cameras would also be fixed to enable the officials of SEC to keep a tab on the voting. Besides cameras have also been put up in the 54 centres where the EVMs would be kept in safe custody till they are taken out for counting on February 22. New Delhi: Under immense pressure from the state unit, the Congress high command is expected to soon name its chief ministerial candidate in Punjab. Rahul Gandhi is set to announce the name when he addresses a rally virtually in Punjab on February 6. Several leaders from the state have been demanding that the high command officially declare a CM face for the polls. During Mr Gandhis recent visit to Punjab on January 27, he had confirmed that the party will fight the elections with a CM face and a decision would be taken soon, after consulting party workers. The party is seeking responses from Congress leaders and workers through its Shakti app. The party has also sought the opinion of common people on the issue via televoting. Meanwhile, campaigning in the state for the party remains hampered as infighting and factionalism have ensured that there is no joint campaigning by state unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi. Insiders claim that most of the senior leaders and star campaigners from the state are restricted to their own constituencies or to those of their close relatives. There is no concerted campaign program that has been put in place yet. Campaign committee chief of the party, Sunil Jakhar, put the party in a corner when he said that after the exit of the then chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, majority of the MLAs wanted him as the CM. Mr Navjot Singh Sidhu visited the Vaishno Devi shrine on Wednesday in Jammu as the party started seeking public opinion on the chief ministerial candidate. The IVR call from Congress plays a recorded message in Punjabi prompting listeners to press a key to vote among three options. Mr Charanjit Singh Channi's name has been placed at number one, followed by Mr Navjot Sidhu's. The third option asks whether the Congress should go without a chief minister face. Taking a dig at the choosing process of the Congress, AAP convenor and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said, Congress is asking the people of Punjab to choose between Mr Channi and Mr Sidhu. Why arent they including the name of Mr Jakhar? Seventeen days are left for Punjab to go to polls. The party hopes that the announcement of the CM candidate on February 6 will douse the flames of infighting, else it could face major drubbing in the elections. 'It was just heartbreaking': Woman, 19, dies after police say her vehicle was hit by car involved in street race Stay up to date on COVID-19 Get Breaking News Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. The cabinet sub-committee renewed its dialogue with the employee leaders following advice from Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy to explore possibilities of enhancing the financial benefits to the government staff. (Photo: Twitter) VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh government on Friday came up with a few changes in the implementation of the 11th Pay Revision Commission (PRC) in a bid to avert the proposed indefinite strike by states employees and teachers from Monday, February 7. The government got a shot in its arm with the high court making it clear that the former was at liberty to act as per the statute in the event of the employees proceeding with the strike plan. The HC also expressed serious concern over employees gathering in Vijayawada in large numbers in defiance of the Covid norms. By evening, the cabinet sub-committee renewed its dialogue with the employee leaders following advice from Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy to explore possibilities of enhancing the financial benefits to the government staff. According to sources, the sub-committee comprising Ministers Rajendranath Reddy and Botsa Satyanarayana and chief secretary Sameer Sarma expressed a readiness to change the HRA slabs and provide more benefit to the pensioners aged above 70. The employees leaders sought some time to discuss the fresh offers from the government side. The HC bench comprising Justices Praveen Kumar and Manmadha Rao, which was hearing a PIL filed against the strike, observed that employees should keep in mind the existing Covid situation. They must realise that their actions like street shows would pose a threat not only to themselves but others as well. When advocate general Sriram informed the court that the government had not permitted large gatherings, the court observed that the government should take all steps to curb any illegal activity and ensure the smooth functioning of the government. Act as per law, the court asked the government. The court, thereon, adjourned the matter to Feb 10. Meanwhile, the chief minister held a series of discussions with officials and cabinet colleagues on the impact of the proposed strike. Sources said a proposal for invoking the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) was discussed, to ensure that the people do not suffer during the pandemic. The CM said the government would bring under ESMA the services of doctors, medical staff, as also sanitation work, electricity supply and public transport etc if the employees went ahead with their agitation. He asked the sub-committee to hold fresh negotiations with the employees. Earlier, DGP Gautam Sawang briefed the CM on the Chalo Vijayawada protest in the streets, which witnessed a large gathering of agitating employees. The two discussed the steps to be taken in advance to prevent such mass congregations as these could add to the spread of the pandemic. The DGP informed Jagan that large numbers of employees reached Vijayawada well ahead of Thursday, which could not be controlled. However, he said the police did try to prevent those arriving in the city on the day of the agitation. The police strictly adhered to the CMs instructions not to use any force against the employees, the DGP told Jagan. The chief secretary held a video conference with the collectors of all 13 districts and discussed alternative measures to ensure emergency services are maintained even if the employees struck work. TPC Group has signed a forbearance agreement just over two years after its plants explosion in Port Neches. The Houston-based chemical company has faced a number of challenges over the past few years including from the explosion, the coronavirus pandemic, a winter freeze and outages at the Houston plant site that have affected the companys financial stability and rating. Following these challenges, the TPC Group announced on Thursday that it has entered into the agreement and that its board members and advisors are having conversations about the companys future. TPC Group is working closely with key economic stakeholders to strengthen our financial structure - to ensure that it matches our operational strength - and to position the company for long-term success, a company spokesperson told The Enterprise. Related: TPC starts terminal operations at Port Neches site The announcement documents two positive steps toward achieving this goal, the spokesperson said. First, the agreement provides additional time to make an interest payment that was due on Feb. 1. The companys spokesperson said the agreement allows TPC Group to keep its near-term focus on liquidity and business operations. Secondly, the spokesperson said noteholders have provided a bridge loan commitment to enable at least $52 million in additional funding if needed, the spokesperson said. On Tuesday, FitchRating reported that the company has roughly $50 million due in February 2022. The forbearance agreement is effective until March 18 and may be extended by the ad hoc group, according to a TPC news release. The ad hoc group has also agreed to provide the Company with approximately $52 million of additional liquidity, the release said. The Company expects to use proceeds from the new notes to support ongoing operations, and to pay fees and expenses associated with the transaction, the release said. The Companys ability to draw on the commitment will be subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions precedent, including an amendment to the Companys ABL facility. We will continue delivering for our customers, suppliers and employees, TPC Group President and CEO Ed Dineen said. As always, we will uphold our commitment to operate in a safe and environmentally responsible manner protective of our people and our local communities. The blast from the from the TPC Groups Port Neches plant explosion in 2019, which began at butadiene processing unit, damaged several homes and businesses. Ongoing lawsuits, settlements and a demolition of damaged equipment followed the incident for the company, which was insured. After chemical production was disrupted, the company started to transition the Port Neches site with its most valuable hydrocarbon products such as butadiene and synthetic rubber products to a distribution terminal and switched operations to the Houston plant where it has also dealt with outage issues. After the pandemic interrupted global travel and shipping, business had come soaring back before the company was hit by the outages. The company now pumps and stores chemicals from the Lake Charles facility at the Port Neches location and moves it down the ship channel. These challenges and changes have resulted in the company making less income. The Company has faced and overcome many challenges, including the pandemic, the February 2021 freeze and steam system issues at our Houston plant in the second half of 2021, the companys spokesperson told The Enterprise. However, our operations are running strong with good environmental health and safety performance. The Port Neches Terminal is running well. We continue to move raffinate to our largest customer in the area and have butadiene receipts and deliveries to our major customers in the area, along with terminalling crude C4 deliveries by rail and marine, the spokesperson continued. meagan.ellsworth@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/megzmagpie By RON MORGAN Bulletin Staff Writer While most folks continue to struggle from COVID fatigue, the nations older population appears to be the most vulnerable, both physically and mentally, reports Brent Smith, caseworker with the Bedford-Somerset Developmental Behavioral Health Services. Smith, a Saxton resident with over 25 years of experience with the former MH-MR program, attended the bi-monthly meeting of the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) Citizens Advisory Council Friday morning in the Hopewell Area Senior Center during which he updated the council on the impact the pandemic was having on the senior population. The session, conducted by council president Prudence Harclerode of Bedford, included advisory council members throughout Huntingdon, Bedford and Fulton counties. Older people are suffering in many ways from COVID fatigue, not only in terms of their health but their emotional well-being, observed Smith who was invited by tri-county AAA executive director Connie Brode to speak at the council meeting. Smith went on to explain that many seniors are adversely impacted by the pandemic due to prolong closures of social related activities and changes in scheduling at their local senior centers. Combined with the often-confusing status of the pandemic and treatment, older Americans fear leaving their homes to socialize with friends and relatives. The isolation is not good for the older population, and it often impacts their mental health, said Smith who went on to say that developmental and behavior health services crisis intervention and hospital emergency rooms are feeling the blunt of the pandemic and its impact on the elderly. The prolonged in-home stays often lead to depression and anxiety among older Americans which directly and indirectly affects their health. Weve seen a significant increase in cases involving older persons who find themselves isolated in their homes due to the pandemic; it is important that they remain alert and get out as much as possible and socialize, Smith advised. Some of the ways older folks can combat isolation and its negative bearing on them is to get out and stay active, attend activities at their local senior center, all in a safe manner of course. Smith also encouraged family members and friends to check in on elderly people and make sure they are doing well. Agency executive director Brode said that the AAA is also keeping tabs on the state of affairs and is open to suggestions. The control COVID is having on senior centers was also a concern for Bobbi Manges who oversees the agencys center operations. We are struggling to maintain center attendance because of the pandemic. Many seniors are afraid to leave their homes, she reported. Although most centers are open on a limited basis, many members are not venturing out to take part in center activities including patrons of the congregate meal program choosing instead to pick up their meals. On an average, between 10 and 15 seniors turnouts for center activities, Manges said. Turning to other matters agency transportation director Tony Molinari reported that improvements to the popular CART transportation system continues including the arrival of several new vehicles. The upgrades include modernized four-wheel drive vans with a host of other helpful equipment. The agency is looking at more improvements this year including the purchase of additional vehicles. The council members listened to the results of a satisfaction survey conducted for 2021 which looked at patrons thoughts about the AAAs transportation, in-home services and congregate meal programs with a broad section of those surveyed responding, very satisfied with the services. Brode reminded advisory council members that renewal of their representation on the board will be acted on soon. The council members represent various senior centers in the three-county area. Robert A. George writes editorials on education and other policy issues for Bloomberg Opinion. He was previously a member of the editorial boards of the New York Daily News and New York Post. I am pretty certain Shiv Senas firebrand MP Sanjay Raut is a closet romantic. I am willing to bet he is a secret fan of Omar Khayyams Rubaiyyat. I can visualise Rautji lounging on comfy gaddas after a hard days work in Parliament, once he has finished hollering at minions and tweeting against his political allies using language that is anything but parliamentary. It is in such a mellow frame of mind that Sanjay may pick up a copy of the Rubaiyyat (Marathi translation) and read: A book of verses underneath the bough, a jug of wine, a loaf of bread and thou beside me, singing in the wilderness, Oh, wilderness were paradise now. Omar Bhau (not Bhai) perfectly encapsulates the heady, giddy emotions generated by a glass (or several) of wine. Rautji, perhaps to demonstrate how deeply he understands and appreciates the poetry of Khayyam, has made us wine drinkers feel a whole lot less guilty about enjoying our favourite beverage, when he declared that wine is not alcoholic! Yayyyyyy! I instantly ordered a carton of my favourite white (from Mendonza in Argentina, not Baramati in Maharashtra), picked up a straw and started sipping. If a learned, erudite neta says that wine is not alcohol, it must be true. Who am I to disagree? Next, we will hear cigarettes are not tobacco. And ganja is not an opiate. Encouraged by his liberal-progressive and highly original thinking, I went to the nearest kiranawala and grandly ordered a Merlot. The kiranawala was a little flustered, and then clarified his tiny dukaan didnt make the wine seller cut since it was smaller than the stipulated size. This is outrageous! Wine can be stored aaram se in much smaller spaces, as we all know! He can borrow my wine cabinet and get into business it stores plenty! But some really unsporting types in the state of Maharashtra have okayed just 600 stores eligible to sell wine, since the size criterion stands at 100 square metres. Which means a lousy eight per cent of walk-in shops will be able to sell our favourite Whites, Reds and Roses. Not fair! Till then, Rautji can also ruminate on these immortal lines from the Rubaiyyat: The wine of life keeps oozing drop by drop the leaves of life keep falling one by one Frankly, I dont care a jot about the politics of this move to make wine more easily accessible its a sensible move. Whether Sanjay Rauts daughters are directors of wine companies, distribute wine, or own vineyards is incidental. Remember, Raut is doing it for the farmers. He wants to double the farmers income. No other motive. So sweet, na? Sharad Pawar has declared he will not object if the decision is revoked, pointing out that it was taken by the MVA government. Considering Sharad Bhau has always been the shrewdest leader from Maharashtra, he is playing his cards deftly. But hello it is the same Sharad Bhau who had introduced the idea of wine tourism in his constituency in Baramati, way back in 2008, with plans to start wine tasting clubs and guided tours, in partnership with Booze Baron (at the time) Vijay Mallya. Baramati is considered Indias wine country, and 30 km from Baramati town, a chateau shimmers and beckons wine lovers, offering a memorable experience, with spicy Kolhapuri mutton teasing the palate as much as the Four Seasons wines at the long, tasting table. The Four Seasons vineyard attracts the young and adventurous, who receive a fine initiation into the art of appreciating wine. I gotta go! I think its a brilliant idea to make wine more easily available. More importantly, we need to shed our antiquated attitude towards alcohol. Prohibition has failed spectacularly over the years, and successive moralists have been forced to eat crow. People will always find a way to drink alcohol, the restrictive laws be damned. Getting high cannot be state-monitored, but responsible drinking can and must be enforced across the board. Consuming wine and spirits is a personal choice you no like, you no drink. But why bully others by preventing them from enjoying their favourite tipple? India is the largest whisky market in the world, reports claim. And yet, five states in the country are dry (Gujarat, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Bihar). Are the people of those states better behaved? More disciplined? Highly productive? You know the answer. So, why this goody-goody, moralistic nonsense and hypocrisy? Bihar is one of the most lawless states in the country, and illicit alcohol is freely available. People in Gujarat are obsessed with alcohol and go to any lengths to drink it clandestinely. The affluent drive for miles to cross the border and binge drink. My problem is not with wine being made available in supermarkets, it is with wine being described as a non-alcoholic drink. If it is non-alcoholic, what exactly is it, Sanjay Raut? Just grape juice? As harmless as ganney-ka-ras? Be upfront and say it like it is, nobody will laugh or object. Some of us remember the excitement of enjoying a really, really mediocre wine produced by an Italian (Luigi Bosca), who was invited by the Indian ministry of agriculture to figure out what to do our surplus grapes. Make wine, the Italian promptly replied, and started the Baramati Grape Industries. It tanked subsequently, but for a few heady years, it was exciting to drink Indian wine. Today, the wine business in the country has grown to a staggering $150 million, with 30 per cent forming the import of wines. It is expected to grow at 25 per cent to reach $274 million between 2021 and 2026. I am definitely investing in cartons of straws, as we welcome the new frisky young wines that are crowding the shelves and getting paired with desi khaana by enterprising chefs who have figured the potential just like Raut obviously has. Why not go with the flow, literally and financially? In the old days, daaru was daaru one broad description for any alcoholic drink. It was also considered evil, as Bollywood never failed to remind us only bad guys like actor Pran drank and killed people wantonly. Only scantily-dressed vamps like dancer-icon Helen forced innocent heroes to consume booze and behave abominably under the influence. Darlings, this is 2022 Grow up! Read the Rubaiyyat. Wine is nice! Cin Cin and may the best Rose win! In this screenshot of an undated photo posted on the Instagram channel of the Indonesian NGO World Human Care, volunteers from the group distribute aid to children at a refugee camp in Latakia, Syria. The United States has placed World Human Care under sanctions connected to allegations of terror financing that the NGO denies. An Indonesian charity sanctioned by the United States this week for alleged terrorism financing is rejecting accusations that it had provided funds to militants in Syria under the guise of humanitarian aid. World Human Care (WHC) has no ties to terrorism and involves itself strictly in humanitarian work in Syria to help child-victims of war, said Luki Abdul Hayyi, secretary general of the NGO. [W]e have never funded terrorists. Indeed, we have sent volunteers to Syria, but for humanitarian missions, not for jihad or military training, he told BenarNews on Friday. A day earlier, the U.S. government announced it was placing World Human Care under sanctions framed through an executive order on terrorism financing. The U.S. Treasury Department alleged that the group was linked to the Indonesian Mujahidin Council (MMI), a conservative Muslim group which the United States had proscribed as a terrorist organization in 2017. [W]e were surprised by the report, which is based on old information, because WHC is not affiliated with MMI, Luki said. The U.S. action against World Human Care came on the same day President Joe Biden announced that the top leader of the Islamic State terror group was killed during an overnight raid by American special forces in northwestern Syria. The death of global IS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi followed soon after the end of a bloody 10-day battle between international coalition forces and IS fighters who had blasted into a Syrian prison to free hundreds of their incarcerated comrades. More than 500 people were killed during the battle to break the prison siege, news reports said. During a press briefing at the White House before Biden went in front of the cameras on Thursday to announce the IS leaders death, a senior administration official warned that the terrorist threat was more ideologically diverse and geographically dispersed than 20 years ago. Groups such as ISIS and al-Qaeda have expanded across Africa and Southeast Asia. These global networks and affiliates still aspire to attack the United States, the official told reporters. Years of sustained counterterrorism operations, pressure has forced them to shift their operating models and constrain their capabilities, but the threat remains serious. The wreckage of an American military helicopter is seen in the Afrin region of Syria, Feb. 3, 2022, after an overnight raid. [AP] Meanwhile, in announcing the sanctions on World Human Care, U.S. Treasury officials described the NGO as MMIs charitable organization and said it had been involved in some legitimate humanitarian activities. But the main objective of the organization was to serve as a cover to raise funds for MMI sympathizers in Syria. In early 2016, World Human Care transferred money to Syria not only for humanitarian needs but also for weapons and fighters there, the statement said. World Human Care had held fundraisers near Jakarta but transferred money raised from them to al-Qaeda-linked elements in Syria, Treasury officials said. Within hours after BenarNews published a report on the U.S. announcement, officials from World Human Care posted a comment on the news services Bahasa Indonesia-language Facebook page describing the allegations as inaccurate. We have never funded terrorism or fighters there [in Syria]; we only supported orphans and the poor abandoned in tents as war victims. Our assistance was received by the orphans there, and they confirmed it, and we even conducted direct video calls for that, according to an excerpt from the comment. On Friday, Luki acknowledged that Majelis Mujahidin had founded WHC. But, in its current form, Majelis Mujahidin is a peace-loving organization that has renounced the radical ideology espoused by its founder, Abu Bakar Bashir, who no longer is associated with the group, Luki said. Authorities said Bashir also founded the Jemaah Islamiyah militant group, a Southeast Asian al-Qaeda affiliate blamed for the 2002 Bali bombings and other terrorist attacks targeting Indonesian cities in the 2000s. Majelis Mujahidin opposes militant groups including Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), and the Islamic State (IS), Luki told BenarNews. The organizations principles and mission have changed, [and are] not the same as those of Bashirs, Luki said. Majelis Mujahidin is anti-ISIS. Our volunteers went to Syria to help orphans and needy victims of war, he said, adding that its charity program had cared for about 1,000 children, all of them Syrian nationals. According to Luki, the U.S. government had been misinformed. We have asked our leadership to correct this misunderstanding, he said. Officials at the National Counter-Terrorism Agency (BNPT) in Jakarta could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday. A senior researcher at the Center for Radicalism and Deradicalization Studies (PAKAR), Muh Taufiqurrohman, said MMI was founded as a militant group and later transformed into an organization focusing on humanitarian work. Some MMI activists are also WHC administrators. In my opinion, WHC is like the humanitarian wing of MMI, Taufiqurrohman said. WHC volunteers who went to Syria allegedly also worked with al-Qaeda and Tahrir al-Sham, another extremist Islamic group, Taufiqurrohman said. He said financial sanctions would not have a significant impact on the WHC domestically because the Indonesian government had not tied it to terrorism-related activities. Indonesia, unlike the United States, has not banned MMI. The U.S. government needs to approach the Indonesian government for evidence that MMI is a terrorist group, he said. The problem is that the government cant just make a designation. It has to find a legal basis and evidence of MMIs involvement in terrorist activities at home and abroad, he said. Updated at 5:28 p.m. ET on 2022-02-03 The United States announced Thursday that it was sanctioning an Indonesian charity under an executive order on terrorism financing for allegedly providing funds to militants in Syria under the guise of humanitarian aid. The U.S. government took the action against World Human Care, an NGO, on the same day President Joe Biden announced that the top leader of the Islamic State terror group was killed during an overnight raid by American special forces in northwestern Syria. The death of global IS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, who, according to Biden, blew himself up as U.S. personnel were closing in, followed soon after the end of a bloody 10-day battle between international coalition forces and IS fighters who had blasted their into a Syrian prison to free hundreds of their incarcerated comrades. This sanctions action is taken under Executive Order 13224, as amended, which targets terrorists, leaders, and officials of terrorist groups, and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism, State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement on the U.S. action taken against World Human Care. The Indonesian NGO was created by the Indonesia-based Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia (MMI), which is also known as the Indonesian Mujahidin Council and which Washington proscribed as a global terrorist group in 2017, the U.S. Treasury Department said. The Treasury Department said the NGO focused on funding militants in Syria. Actions by entities such as World Human Care are deplorable not only for their support for terrorist organizations but also because they do so by abusing the work and reputation of genuine humanitarian aid providers worldwide, the department said in a news release announcing the measures against the Indonesian NGO. US takes out IS leader Meanwhile on Thursday morning (local time), President Biden announced that the top IS leader, also known as Hajji Abdullah, had been killed during a counterterrorist operation the night before. He was responsible for the recent brutal attack on a prison in northeast Syria holding ISIS fighters, which was swiftly addressed by our brave partners in the Syrian Democratic Forces, the president said, using another acronym for the Islamic State extremist group. This operation is testament to Americas reach and capability to take out terrorist threats no matter where they try to hide anywhere in the world, Biden went on to say, according to a transcript from the White House. The siege of the prison by IS had ended only days earlier. The battle began on Jan. 20, when Islamic State fighters set off a truck-bomb that to break into the prison, reports said. The bombing ignited a battle that spilled into the nearby streets, the Washington Post reported, and it drew in American and British combat forces who were backing up their Syrian Kurdish forces who were trying to end the siege. Warplanes and military helicopters were also brought in to help break it. More than 500 people were killed during the fighting that ended on Jan. 29 and scores of prisoners escaped, according to a report by the Post. The brazen assault on the prison by IS and the scale and intensity of the response that it provoked energized global supporters of the Islamic State like little else since its so-called caliphate in Syria and Iraq was defeated three years ago, according to the Post. Sanctioning an NGO In Washington on Thursday, U.S. Treasury officials described World Human Care as MMIs charitable organization and said the NGO had been involved in some legitimate humanitarian activities. But the main objective of the organization was to serve as a cover to raise funds for MMI sympathizers in Syria. In early 2016, World Human Care transferred money to Syria not only for humanitarian needs but also for weapons and fighters there, the statement said. World Human Care had held fundraisers near Jakarta only to transfer money that was raised from them to al-Qaeda-linked elements in Syria, Treasury officials said. In an advertisement on World Human Cares website soliciting donations for a humanitarian project in Syria, donors were advised to send money to a bank account in the care of an MMI official, the department said. Discussing the sanctions against World Human Care, the department said regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons. In 2017, a leader of the 500-member MMI based in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, rejected the U.S. terror designation against his organization. I do not know how MMI can become a global terrorist [organization], MMI Secretary-General Shabbarin Syakur told BenarNews at the time. We have not even conducted any activities for years and MMI is anti-ISIS. The State Department has said MMI was formed in 2000 by Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, the leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, which the U.S. has also proscribed as a foreign terrorist organization. Indonesian authorities have blamed Jemaah Islamiyah, a Southeast Asian affiliate of al-Qaeda, for the 2002 Bali bombings and other terrorist attacks targeting Indonesian cities in the 2000s. The 2017 designation surprised Sidney Jones, a terrorism analyst who is now a senior adviser after serving as director of the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict, a Jakarta think-tank. It makes no sense and its outrageous [that MMI] is labeled a terrorist organization, while it has never committed any violence, Jones told BenarNews at the time. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte receives his first COVID-19 vaccine produced by Chinas Sinopharm, May 3, 2021. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, whose health has been a focus of concern, is in isolation after he was exposed to a staff member infected by the coronavirus, his spokesman said Thursday. The 76-year-old president, who is due to leave office after a general election in May, has been cavalier about COVID-19 and previously advised the public to disinfect face masks with gasoline. A former spokesman tried to play down that comment as a joke, but Duterte has insisted he was being serious. The palace confirms that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte was recently exposed to household staff who tested positive for COVID-19, his spokesman, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, said in a statement. While Dutertes initial coronavirus tests were negative, he is currently observing mandatory quarantine protocols. Duterte, who received two doses and a booster of the Chinese vaccine Sinopharm, continues to work while in quarantine, Nograles said, adding the president is monitoring the implementation of his directives, particularly with regard to the governments COVID-19 responses. Concerns about Dutertes health have trailed him since he took office in mid-2016. Last July, Duterte appeared to lose his balance when he appeared before a joint session of Congress to deliver his final State of the Nation address. His aides later said the president had lost his balance on a slippery carpet. Theres no problem with the presidents health. He merely slipped, then-presidential spokesman Harry Roque said at the time. In 2019, Duterte disclosed he has a chronic autoimmune disease that leads to skeletal muscle weakness. The president underwent an endoscopy and colonoscopy in 2018 and disclosed that he had Barrets esophagus, a condition associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease in some patients. Duterte also suffers from Buergers disease which leads to constricted and inflamed blood vessels in his arms and legs. On Thursday, the Philippine Department of Health recorded 8,702 new COVID-19 infections and 71 deaths, pushing the totals to more than 3.58 million infections and more than 54,000 deaths since the pandemic began. Myanmar and nine other previous observer countries have not been invited to participate in a scaled-down Cobra Gold military exercise in Thailand later this month because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a Thai general said Friday. The 41st iteration of the worlds longest-running international military training program is scheduled for Feb. 20 to March 4 in several provinces near the Gulf of Thailand, Thai and U.S. officials announced jointly in Bangkok on Friday. The annual exercise is a mix of combat training and humanitarian missions. This year, seven countries are scheduled to participate in the combat exercises, while 13 others, including China, India and Australia, will participate in humanitarian assistance exercises, officials said. Typically, we invite 10 nations to participate as observers, Lt. Gen. Chitchanok Nujjaya, director of Joint Operations of the Thai Armed Forces, said during a joint press conference. But this year, due to the COVID situation, the participation of observers will not take place at all. In past years, Myanmar forces sent representatives to participate as observers, Chitchanok said, adding that the decision on participants is a joint one by the United States and Thailand. Thai and U.S. authorities did not mention the February 2021 military coup in Myanmar as a reason for excluding the country, which first participated in Cobra Gold in 2013, according to media reports from that year. In 2020, Myanmar participated as an observer as COVID-19 was starting to spread across the globe. Nearly 10,000 troops from 29 countries joined in the two-week exercise in the largest Cobra Gold to date. It is not clear whether Myanmar and other observers participated in the 2021 hybrid, virtual and in-person exercises that occurred on a smaller scale in August after being postponed several times because of the pandemic. In 2018, an invitation to Myanmar to observe the exercises drew criticism from U.S. congressional leaders and others after the Burmese military launched a brutal offensive the previous August against the Rohingya minority in Rakhine state. The crackdown led to thousands fleeing to refugee camps in nearby southeastern Bangladesh. 3,500 troops This years exercises will include no live-fire demonstrations, amphibious landings or disaster evacuation drills, Chitchanok said, adding that the number of participating troops would be less than 3,500 and those participating in each drill would be capped at 500. As a precaution, troops will be isolated for seven days and undergo two RT-PCR tests. They also will be required to take ATK tests every five days during their stay in Thailand. Thailand, with 1,953 troops, and the U.S., with 1,296, will be joined for combat exercises by 50 troops from Singapore, 16 from Indonesia, 35 from Japan, 41 from South Korea and 36 from Malaysia. Participants from China, India and Australia will build five schools while those from Bangladesh, Canada, France, England, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, the Philippines, Fiji and Vietnam will be involved in a different humanitarian exercise. For 41 years, Cobra Gold has set the standard for multilateral security exercises, Michael Heath, the Charge dAffaires at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, said during the joint press conference. Over last 15 years, the nations represented at Cobra Gold have worked together for the common good after nearly every major tragedy in the region such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2011 triple disaster in Japan, and the 2018 Wild Boars cave rescue here in Thailand to name a few. Bennington, VT (05201) Today Light rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers in the afternoon. High around 55F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Overcast with rain showers at times. Low 46F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. THE FOUNDRY Not into roses and candy on Valentine's Day? Celebrate with a 'Gothic Valentines Cabaret' BENNINGTON, Vt. An attorney representing a former Pine Cobble School teacher accused of sexually assaulting a former student argued Thursday that the multi-year relationship was an isolated episode, so he posed no risk of reoffending. But the prosecution countered that the teacher, Peter Hirzel, should remain held without bail because of the seriousness of the charge against him repeated aggravated sexual assault of a former student under the age of 16. Hirzel stands accused of sexually assaulting a student whom he had taught in math class at the private school in Williamstown. He is being held at the Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility in Rutland, Vt., and appeared virtually for a Bennington Superior Court hearing held to determine whether a judge will release him from pretrial custody. The two sides stipulated to the weight of the evidence, then defense lawyer David Silver called two witnesses Hirzels sister Susanne Digby and ex-wife, Francis Moore. Both Digby and Moore, who said she was married to Hirzel for 22 years and still co-parents their two adult children with him, testified that they had never heard of allegations of Hirzel being inappropriate with students before the present case, and is not violent. Digby testified that she had spent time together with both the victim and Hirzel together. She said she stopped communicating with the victim after the girls mother texted her to say the relationship between Hirzel and her daughter was sexual. The girls therapist had contacted the girls mother to tell her about the sexual nature of the relationship. The victim made a series of visits to Hirzels Pownal home from April 2021 to January, police said in a report. It had been a tough period in the students life, and her mother viewed Hirzel as a positive figure at the time. But the girl told police that Hirzel began touching her sexually, and that eventually the two began having sex regularly. They communicated online, with Hirzel allegedly urging her against talking because he didnt want to get in trouble. After the girl did disclose the relationship, Hirzel reached out to her on Instagram, which Silver on Thursday described as an isolated incident. Arguing for his clients release, Silver said theres no allegations in the evidence before this court that any force was used to against the victim. Assuming that the allegations in the information are true, as this court must do at this stage of the proceedings, the evidence before this court strongly supports the view that this alleged offense is an isolated episode in Peter Hirzels life, a life where he worked with teenagers as a teacher in public school and private schools for nearly 20 years, without any allegations of inappropriate conduct. This situation was unique and Mr. Hirzels life, and it was a long-standing, three- or four-year relationship, he said. Its not one that couldnt possibly be repeated upon his release. But the prosecutor, Alexander Burke, said the the presumption for an aggravated sexual assault case involving repeated offenses against a child, given the possible sentence of 25 years to life, is to hold the defendant without bail. A former architect, Hirzel received his masters degree and became a teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School System, Moore said. He then worked at a private school in California before starting at Pine Cobble, where his LinkedIn indicated he started in 2018. Digby said he resigned around April of last year. Burke noted that Hirzel has ties to California, where he used to teach in the Los Angeles Unified School District, and his ex-wife still lives. Silver said Hirzel would scrupulously follow a number of possible conditions of release, saying his client is willing remain at the home he owns in Pownal under a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week curfew, have no contact with the victim or her mother, have no contact with minors other than family members and stay off the internet. He proposed $100,000 bail and another $50,000 Hirzel would forfeit if he contacts the victim or any other minor. Digby said that after the victim made the disclosure, she invited her brother to visit her at her home in Pennsylvania to be around family. He was emotional, she said, but never expressed a desire to flee, and returned home to Vermont after three days so he could be present for any forthcoming legal proceedings. But Burke said the stakes are higher now that Hirzel has been criminally charged. He was in a position of trust over the victim in this matter as a teacher, and chose to abuse that trust, Burke said. While he did leave the state and come back to allegedly face these charges, theres no indication he knew the serious nature of the charges, or what specifically he would be facing if he came back. The matter remains under advisement by Judge Cortland Corsones. The Rourke Bridge over the Merrimack River in Lowell was intended as a temporary span when it was installed almost 40 years ago. U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan remembers driving cautiously over it in her dads pickup truck when she first got her license, and said that, as an adult training for road races, she would sprint across the bridge because I looked up at the chain link-covered pedestrian lane and it just instantly felt like a death trap. The two-lane bridge is crucial to major regional employers like the University of Massachusetts and Lowell General Hospital, UMass President Marty Meehan said, but crossing it is tough for ambulances headed to the emergency room. The Rourke Bridge, Gov. Charlie Baker said Thursday, is in some ways the perfect project and the perfect place to kick off what we expect and anticipate will be an enormous amount of activity over the next 10 or 12 months. At a UMass-Lowell building not far from the bridge in question, Baker said a $170 million project to replace the existing temporary link with an expanded and permanent bridge is one piece of a plan to invest $3 billion in bridges across Massachusetts over the next five years. These include a slew of bridges across the Berkshires, including three in Great Barrington that long are overdue for a rehab and two whose shutdowns in this South County hub over the past few years have upended travel and even harmed businesses. The Cottage Street bridge will receive about $3.85 million; the Division Street bridge, $13.96 million. And the bright red bridge it formerly was known as the Brown Bridge, at the gateway at Routes 7 and 23 will get $10.1 million for an overhaul. Two bridges in Pittsfield will be replaced and one repaired, as well as others in towns across the county. In North Adams, the bridge that spans the Hoosic River on Route 2 will be replaced with about $17.8 million, the most for any Berkshire County bridge. The Baker administration published an initial list of 146 bridge-repair projects, involving 181 individual structures, eyed for that $3 billion program, which will use a combination of money from the infrastructure law President Joe Biden signed in November and $1.25 billion from a next-generation bridge program in last years transportation bonding bill. The bridges of Berkshire County to receive funding Adams: Quality St. over Hoosic River, $4,584,860 Alford: West Rd. over Scribner Brook, $1,742,308 Becket: Quarry Rd. over Cushman Brook, $2,015,750 Cheshire: Sand Mill Rd. over Dry Brook, $1,920,760 Great Barrington: Division St. over Housatonic River, $13,959,767 Great Barrington: Cottage St. over Housatonic River, $3,850,010 Great Barrington: State Rd. over the Housatonic River, $10,109,566 Lanesborough: Bridge St. over Town Brook, $2,005,593 Lee: Meadow St. over Powder Mill Brook, $1,357,733 Lee: Mill St. over Washington Mountain Brook, $1,140,700 Monterey: Curtis Rd. over Konkapot River, $992,508 New Marlborough: Keyes Hill Rd. over Umpachene River, $2,082,079 North Adams: Route 2 over the Hoosic River, $17,769,440 North Adams: Brown St. over the Hoosic River, $945,192 Pittsfield: Wahconah St. over West Branch Housatonic River, $4,956,034 Pittsfield: Pontoosuc Ave. over West Branch Housatonic River, $2,392,286 Pittsfield: Holmes Road over Housatonic Railroad, $2,616,077 Sheffield: Kelsey Rd. over Schnob Brook, $3,552,995 Tyringham: Jerusalem Rd. over Hop Brook, $2,313,250 Williamstown: Main St. over Hemlock Brook, $1,888,123 The largest expenditures are for bridges in Lowell, Haverhill, New Bedford, Marion, Springfield and Chicopee. Transportation Secretary Jamey Tesler said the administration will file a new transportation bond bill in the coming weeks. Counting new and reauthorized money, Baker said Massachusetts expects to receive about $9.5 billion through the federal law over the next five years a time period that will extend far beyond Bakers final term and deep into his successors administration. That pool of money, according to Bakers office, includes $5.4 billion in highway formula money, $2.2 billion in Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority formula money, $591 million in Regional Transit Authority formula money, and $1.4 billion in formula-based and discretionary money for environmental work. For those of us in the infrastructure business, today is like Christmas, highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said. Weve been waiting for this for a very long time, and whether its a bridge replacement, a clean water project or a brownfield remediation, this law will touch every corner of the commonwealth over the next five years. The Construction Industries of Massachusetts said Wednesday that it had sent a letter to Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ronald Mariano, calling for the state to prioritize bridge repairs. CIM Executive Director John Pourbaix said in the letter that Massachusetts has substantial infrastructure funding available through the federal law, last sessions $16 billion bond bill and federal coronavirus pandemic relief programs. An aggressive bridge program like the Accelerated Bridge Program several years ago must be prioritized, he wrote. Every community across the Commonwealth has bridges in need of repair and/or reconstruction. Addressing a handful of bridges across the state in piecemeal fashion will not get us out of the federal penalty nor will it ensure the safety of the public. Our bridges must be a priority. Thursdays event in Lowell was punctuated by expressions of gratitude for city, state and federal officials for their efforts on the Rourke Bridge, including plaudits for Trahan, a Westford Democrat who called her vote in favor of the infrastructure package the easiest vote she has cast since she was elected in 2018. Trahan, who ran unopposed in 2020, has a challenger this cycle in Fitchburg Republican Dean Tran, a former state senator. Tran, who launched his campaign with a Wednesday evening event, said he is running to give the voters an alternative to the status quo, to big government and the broken promises and fiscal policies of the Washington Democrats. Drawing laughs and applause, Baker described Trahan as lets just say, aggressive, and not just on this process, but on many other issues that involve her congressional district as well. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, who, like Baker is a Republican, said Trahan is obviously a very effective voice in Washington. What I love about Congresswoman Trahan is, shes grounded in her community, and shes effective in Washington because she understands what the priorities and needs are for the people here at home, Polito said. Eagle staff reporter Heather Bellow contributed to this report. Donald Morrison is an Eagle columnist and co-chairman of the advisory board. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of The Berkshire Eagle. Emporia, KS (66801) Today Rain and thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. High 61F. Winds E at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Thunderstorms early, then cloudy skies after midnight. Low near 45F. Winds NNW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Higher wind gusts possible. A bill under consideration in the state Senate would cap the cost of insulin at $25 a month, among other cost controls for pharmaceuticals. Spearfish, SD (57783) Today Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy this afternoon. High 54F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Mostly clear. Low 36F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. When the month of February arrives, so many singles are just about emotionally worn out after the three previous holidays. Family and friends continue asking, So is there anyone new in your life? There never ceases to be an extra chair next to you at the dinner table. Or maybe you went to another winter wedding and did your walk to the center of the dance floor during the bouquet toss as an added reminder that you are not married. Valentines Day can be really challenging for singles. Whether you have never been in a dating relationship, never been married, are divorced, or widowed; here is a message for you this Valentines Day. The simple fact is that God is the definition of love. He lives out His character by loving us. A relationship status does not determine your worth this day, or any day for that matter. When you wake up in the morning, remind yourself that you are loved by God, the One who is better than any person on this earth. He loves fuller and more that anyone ever could. In this place of resting in His love, we find our confidence. Whether single or not, everyone has to make a choice whether to idolize others or put Christ first in their lives. His love is perfect love. Celebrate that this Valentines Day and every day. Not only do we have the love of God, but we have the love of family and friends. This is such a sweet gift that often gets overlooked. During a holiday that celebrates love, we often box ourselves in to solely romantic love, however there are many different forms of love in the world. When we think about our family members, think of who we could bless in unique ways such as service, flowers, or cards. Their love is still something worth celebrating. We might have a great group of friends and want to acknowledge our gratitude for their love and support. I know in college, I would host Galantines Day every year and it was an absolute blast! Instead of moping in my dorm room or apartment, I enjoyed the wonderful relationships that the Lord did provide in my life. This did not negate the desire to have a boyfriend or husband, but instead of focusing on what I did not have, I practiced celebrating what I did have in life. We would have an amazing dinner, play games, and watch a chick flick! It was the best! Although I am married now, I still love celebrating my single friends around Valentines Day because love is more than just romantic love. As believers in Christ, we are called to love others. This whole holiday dedicated to love can be full of heartache, rejection, and loneliness to some. However, as Christ-followers, we are called to share the love that Jesus has for people. This is an opportune moment to look outside of our own personal desires and see the needs of others. Whether you write valentines cards to the elderly, throw a valentines party for people who might not have plans, or recognize those who have lost loved ones in sweet ways, get creative and keep your eyes open. Photo credit: Getty Images/Shutter2U If we never looked around at other peoples lives, but focused on Christ and His call for our own lives, we would be so much more joyful. Comparison is just one tool the enemy uses to distract us from what God is doing in our lives. The Lord has a purpose for us. We are here in this season, in this moment, for a reason. If we get swept up, like many of us myself included then we miss the moment. God has called us to confidence in Him, He knows us and our desires, He holds our tears in a bottle, He empathizes with our disappointments. But ultimately, He is sovereign and His ways are higher and better. We have to trust Him. There is an abundance of freedom and peace when we are confident in who we are in Christ and His purpose for this season of our lives. No matter what season of life, people are always looking ahead and wanting what is next. What if we just slowed down and thanked God for all that is in our lives today? We would be much more joyful and peace-filled individuals, living on purpose in Jesus name. Whether you are celebrating this holiday or not, I know the frustration and the exhaustion of seeing posts and ads about romantic love. You are worth so much more than a relationship status or a ring. You were bought with a price by Jesus blood, you were given so many forms of love through friendship and family, and you are invited to love others who are overlooked and need encouragement. Instead of this Valentines Day being a day that you want to skip or fast forward through, let it be a day that motivates you to look outside of yourself and love others. They can see Jesus love through your words and actions. People are most open to hear the gospel during crisis and change. For some people, Valentines Day is a small crisis. Ask God to use this time to share His perfect love with others. Remember, you are loved by God, loved by family and friends, you are called to love others, and you have a meaning and a purpose for this season. More from this author 4 Bible Verses to Get You through a Long Winter How 3 Biblical Trees Reveal the Wonder of Salvation How Does God Call Me to Be a Comforter? Photo credit: Getty Images/monkeybusinessimages Emma Danzeys mission in life stems from Ephesians 3:20-21, inspiring young women to embrace the extraordinary. One of her greatest joys is to journey with the Lord in His Scriptures. She is wife to Drew and they have been married for over a year. Drew and Emma serve with Upstate CRU college ministry in South Carolina. Emma is an avid writer for Salem Web Network and provides articles on the Bible, life questions, and on the Christian lifestyle. Her article on Interracial Marriage was the number 1 viewed article on Crosswalk for the year 2021. All the glory to the Lord! She has the joy of being the host of Her Many Hats podcast where she explores the many roles that women play while serving One God. BOISE - We really dont know what shape our school buildings are in. Or if were spending enough on upkeep. A new and damning state report is a tale of neglect. Because state officials have long treated school construction and maintenance as a local responsibility, they havent bothered with basic oversight and process. Theyve gotten careless with 46 million square feet of school buildings, carrying a replacement cost well into the billions of dollars. And if lawmakers didnt know the problem theyve created, they do now. The states Office of Performance Evaluations made it all painfully obvious. Ten senators the entire Senate Education Committee, and Senate Pro Tem Chuck Winder came at the issue with a good question. Is Idahos tried-and-true method of bankrolling schools with local money becoming obsolete? The ability to fund school facilities through bonds may be breaking down, the senators wrote in a March 5, 2011 letter, requesting an OPE report. Some communities are growing so fast that they are faced with the challenge of repeatedly going back to the taxpayers for more bonding authority. Other, often rural communities with no or slow growth have very aged school facilities. Fair enough. And no neglect of a serious matter here. But as the OPE report reveals, the overall condition of Idahos schools is an unanswerable question. For one thing, lawmakers havent asked for a statewide assessment of school buildings since 1993. Not a single current legislator was in office at the time. That report found $1.3 billion in unmet needs. Nearly three decades later, this number is at best a frame of reference, but more likely, its an irrelevant factoid. So OPE set out to get a more current picture, surveying local district officials. Seventy-seven of the states 115 districts responded and described nearly two-thirds of their building space as being in fair or poor condition. OPE estimated that it would cost $847 million to get these schools to good condition. But in a presentation to lawmakers Monday, OPE senior evaluator Casey Petti cautioned against basing any policy on the reports rough estimates. Technically, state law requires districts to file a 10-year building maintenance plan, and a five-year update. But as OPE learned, only 33 districts filed any paperwork between 2016 and 2020. Some districts filed short memos; others filed detailed reports. And somehow, it gets worse. The districts have no financial incentive to file a report, and they can blow off this legal requirement without any penalty. And when districts actually do email a report to the state Office of School Safety and Security, nothing happens. They just sit there, Petti told the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee Monday. Lawmakers were dumbfounded. Rep. Caroline Nilsson Troy, R-Genesee Wow, this is really disconcerting, said Rep. Caroline Nilsson Troy, R-Genesee. OPE did have some recommendations for the Legislature and given the current mess, none of them are earthshaking: Lawmakers should consider commissioning a new statewide buildings assessment. Lawmakers should either scrap the required 10-year district building plans, or come up with a way to actually put them to use. OPE also suggested the reports shouldnt go to the Office of School Safety and Security an agency in charge of school security training and safety inspections, not building maintenance. OPE also couldnt answer another basic question the senators posed 11 months ago: Is it tougher for districts to pass the bond issues they need to build and repair schools, when most of them also go to voters for supplemental property tax levies? The numbers suggest its easier for a school district to pass a bond issue when it doesnt have a supplemental levy on the books. But Petti cautioned against drawing conclusions from a small sample size; over the past decade. Schools have run 120 bond issues, and only nine of these elections took place in districts without a supplemental levy. And heres the bottom line: only 49 of those 120 bond issues received the two-thirds supermajority needed to pass. All of this leads to an inevitable and old policy question. Should Idaho do more, at the state level, to build new schools and keep aging schools in good repair? Rep. Steve Berch, D-Boise At the end of Mondays JLOC meeting, Rep. Steve Berch, D-Boise, did not hide years of impatience. He said state leaders have never taken seriously a 2005 Supreme Court ruling, which deemed Idahos school funding plan unconstitutional. They have lulled themselves into thinking that evergreen supplemental school levies should be the norm. And, Berch said, the 2022 Legislature made matters worse by passing a $600 million income tax cut, taking money off the table that could have been spent on schools. Now, Berch said, its time for Gov. Brad Little to step up and set the tone for the Legislature. Its going to take leadership from a central location in government to drive this. I just dont see 105 people figuring out how to solve this problem. Littles formal, three-paragraph response to the 77-page OPE report was shy on details, but not short on political positioning. The record investments we are making in education, including committing a significant amount of funding toward deferred maintenance in our schools, will go a long way to address the need. This reads like a talking point from a re-election campaign speech, but ultimately, Little is only defending the status quo. That significant amount of funding comes to $31.6 million from the lottery and $1.1 million from the states general fund, to help districts meet some of their building maintenance requirements. (Since 2006, districts have been required to spend 2% of their building replacement costs on maintenance, using local and state money to do the job. OPE questioned whether this 2% maintenance plan was adequate.) Little acknowledged the need for a firm understanding of the state of Idahos school buildings. But his response didnt address the OPEs most stinging findings: the unread district maintenance plans, the 29-year (and counting) lapse since Idahos last statewide building assessment. Those basic signs of neglect are years in the making. MOSCOW - On Thursday, February 3, 2022, the Seaside Police Department in Seaside, CA arrested a 29-year-old male for the possession of child pornography and communicating with a juvenile with the intent to commit possession of child pornography. The case originally began with an investigation by the Moscow Police Department and Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children unit in late 2020 after concerned parents reported suspicious internet activity to the MPD. Through an extensive investigation, Johnson was identified and later located in California. The Moscow Police Department would like to extend their gratitude to the Seaside Police Department and Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for their assistance in the investigation. Chinese FM meets visiting Thai Princess Sirindhorn Xinhua) 18:15, February 04, 2022 BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday met with Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. Wang extended welcome to Princess Sirindhorn for coming to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, saying that China highly appreciates the Thai royal family's consistent adherence to a friendly policy, and is willing to work with Thailand to enhance and deepen China-Thailand relations. Princess Sirindhorn expressed gratitude for China's strong support for Thailand's fight against COVID-19, and spoke highly of the exchanges and cooperation between Thailand and China in various fields. Sirindhorn said she had visited China nearly 50 times and told Wang about her plan to publish books in Thailand on the history and achievements of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and to visit more places across China. "In the face of the pandemic, China and Thailand have stood together to overcome difficulties," Wang said, noting that China was the first country to provide vaccines to Thailand and is also the largest source of vaccines for Thailand. He said that China is committed to making vaccines a global public good and has already provided over 2.1 billion doses to other countries, especially developing countries. "One out of every two doses of the vaccines currently used worldwide comes from China," he added. China will continue to provide support to Thailand in line with its needs until the pandemic is defeated, Wang said. Wang appreciated the princess' intention to compile and publish books on the CPC and China's new development achievements. The two sides agreed to continue to strengthen practical cooperation on education and culture, youth exchanges, traditional medicine, scientific and technological innovation, and other fields, continuously injecting impetus into bilateral relations. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) BOISE - On Friday, Idaho Governor Brad Little signed the first bill of the 2022 legislative session, his Leading Idaho income tax cut bill. House Bill 436 will provide Idahoans with one-time and ongoing income tax relief. Never in my life did I think we would achieve the TRIFECTA historic tax relief, historic education investments, and historic investments in transportation in one year," said Governor Little. "Some say, You cant have your cake and eat it, too, but clearly we are proving them wrong here in Idaho. Taxes should be fair, simple, competitive, and predictable, and the passage of my Leading Idaho income tax relief bill is a step in that direction. We are making Idaho even more business friendly and competitive. House Bill 436 will provide $350 million of tax relief through a one-time tax rebate this spring and $251 million in ongoing tax relief beginning in July by lowering income tax brackets. The cooperation that exists between my office and my partners in the Legislature is very important to me, and it is part of the reason we are here today," Little said. "I appreciate the Idaho Legislature for making tax relief a priority." The 'Leading Idaho' plan will also make investments in education, transportation, water, broadband and many other areas. Since Governor Little took office three years ago, Idaho has cut nearly $1 billion in taxes. After signing House Bill 436, Governor Little projects that over the next five years the state will return more than $1 billion in income tax relief to Idaho taxpayers. Governor Little said getting more money back into the pockets of Idahoans as soon as possible is especially important. Our country reached a grim milestone this week the national debt, for the first time in history, exceeds $30 trillion. Meanwhile, here in Idaho, we have a record budget surplus of $1.9 billion, which represents a whopping 40-percent of our General Fund, Governor Little said. LEWISTON - Travel website matadornetwork.com says Lewiston is 15th on it's list of "The 22 places you need to travel in 2022." "No, you wont find kitschy memorials or national-park-level crowds here. Instead, Lewiston is defined by the river trips that depart from it each year, thousands of explorations of the Salmon, the Snake, and the Clearwater west to the Columbia originate from here," says the website. Lewiston ranked above destinations like Costa Rica (19th) and Portugal (22nd) in the site's ranking of the best places to travel in 2022. Below is the full text about Lewiston as it reads in the website's article. "Ask for directions in Lewiston, Idaho, and the answer will be provided relative to your position along either the Clearwater or Snake River. Shes from an hour upriver is a point of pride here in Americas most exemplary definition of the classic runaway river town. On Idahos border with Washington, Lewiston isnt big just over 60,000 people call the area home, a quarter of whom live across the state line in the sister city of Clarkston. Yes, these names are a direct tribute to legendary river explorers Lewis and Clark, and no, you wont find kitschy memorials or national-park-level crowds here. Instead, Lewiston is defined by the river trips that depart from it each year, thousands of explorations of the Salmon, the Snake, and the Clearwater west to the Columbia originate from here. The town is surrounded by a fertile wine region and enough hiking and biking routes to occupy one for a lifetime. Whats more, the traveling masses havent yet drifted south from Coeur dAlene to clog them up. Hit the river with OARS and toast your adventure with a pint at the Gray Gruit the best beer bar this side of the Middle Fork." Today Cloudy with showers. High 58F. E winds shifting to NW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Tonight Overcast. Low 43F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow Intervals of clouds and sunshine. High 59F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. The Pentagon deploys thousands of troops to Europe, American companies slash jobs in January, a report ranks the dirtiest cities in the USA, CNNs Jeff Zucker resigns. Plus, Bill's Message of the Day, did Trump and Putin have a "deal?" Since the COVID-19 immunisation started almost a year ago in January 2021, 60.2 per cent of the world population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and only 9.4 per cent of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose (source: our world in data). While there are many challenges to do so, the repeated argument being pharma companies should forego Intellectual Property (IP) to expedite universal immunisation. Should pharma companies waive IP during the pandemic? Will this ensure universal immunisation and equal distribution of therapies? Lets find out. The coronavirus crisis which has enraged the world has also opened up debates around IP and public health. The general debate is that waiving IP rights increases access to medicines and vaccines. The pharmaceutical industry, on the other hand, feels IP is not a hindrance but a help to contain and end COVID-19 and actually spurs innovation. Proposals to temporarily waive IP protections for COVID-19 vaccines and suspend IP enforcement have met with opposition at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) because such waivers could undermine the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement, which requires WTO member countries to recognise basic protections for IP rights, and potentially return to a time when over 50 countries did not recognise patent protection for pharmaceutical products, said Delphine Knight Brown, Partner, Intellectual Property Practice Group, Freeborn & Peters LLP, USA. Should Biopharma firms waive IP? Theres a large persuasive literature regarding different licensing models, pricing, subsidisation of production/consumption, technology transfer or waiver of patents for essential medicines during pandemics. Waivers have attracted public attention but are not the only or necessarily best way of facilitating access. It is important to recognise that proposals deal with specific essential medicines, in particular vaccine patents, rather than patents and trademarks for all proprietary medicines. Theres little discussion of waiving all IP. Waiving all IP as distinct from patents for specific essential medicines is not feasible under international law and wont be supported by countries such as India with a large generics sector, said Dr Bruce Baer Arnold, Associate Professor, CELTS Fellow , Canberra Law School, Australia. Biopharma companies should not be mandated to waive IP for proprietary medicines during a pandemic, feels Jaci McDole, Senior Policy Analyst, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, USA. She said, Incentivising innovation is vital for ending current and future pandemics, eradicating diseases, and ensuring long and healthy lives for all people. IP protection provides incentives and the means for companies--including many startups helping to end this pandemic--to simply exist, much less produce the vaccines, treatments, PPD, and equipment we and those in the healthcare industry rely upon. Mandatorily waiving IP would kill many of these vital startups and discourage costly but necessary risk-taking (such as that which led to mRNA vaccines). It also opens the door for subpar or counterfeit products that could harm users and reduce confidence in legitimate products. Protection of IP rights for the benefit of current and future innovation versus the potential of satisfying an unmet need in fighting a global pandemic seems the classic Hobsons Choice. One key factor in obtaining agreement beyond voluntarily sharing to actually waiving IP protection is whether biopharma companies can and should be required to disclose trade secrets. Trade secrets are considered highly confidential, proprietary information by biopharma companies and also often relate to ongoing research and development processes and pipelines, not merely single products. For example, the mRNA vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna employed technology that had been previously utilised in biomedical research but the specific manufacturing processes used to produce the COVID-19 vaccines likely could not be easily replicated. Therefore, in order for other companies to also produce the vaccines, biopharma companies might need to disclose know-how, including training, technical assistance, materials and company documents, all of which are typically considered protected trade secrets, said Delphine. Experts agree that the sharing of know-how is critical to scaling up COVID-19 vaccine production and developing second generation vaccines to address variants. However, there is no precedent for forcing biopharma companies to involuntarily disclose trade secrets. To date, no vaccine company has voluntarily shared its know-how through the World Health Organisations COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP). Compulsory licenses were issued in the past for patents to boost production of AIDS and HIV drugs, but even those licenses did not require disclosure of trade secrets. Similarly, IP waivers for production of Pfizers recently approved antiviral drug product might not require the disclosure of trade secrets. However, IP waivers involving Mercks biologic product would likely include the sharing of know-how and related, protected trade secrets. In the absence of voluntary licensing, compulsory licenses authorised on public health grounds may be the solution again to avoid companies reluctance to waive IP, said Delphine. IP waiver ensures universal immunisation? When the IP waiver concept was first proposed, Moderna agreed not to enforce its COVID-19 vaccine related patents during the pandemic. But despite Modernas voluntary waiver of its IP rights, no other company has stepped up to manufacture the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. The most significant obstacle to COVID-19 vaccine supply is not just the IP rights that companies have obtained or are pursuing but rather the lack of raw materials and manufacturing facilities to produce the vaccines and biotherapeutics. The COVID-19 pandemic has proven IP, including patents, are not the primary barrier to access for most countries. Supply chain issues, shortages of raw materials, inadequate manufacturing facilities and know-how, and poor infrastructure and distribution systems are the primary causes of delayed universal immunisation, said Jaci. Technology transfer, scaling up manufacturing, government and private partnerships etc. could help in achieving vaccine equality. IP rights have also facilitated a great deal of voluntary technology transfer, resulting in partnerships and bolstering the manufacturing of vaccines. For example, UKs Astra Zenecas vaccine was developed in collaboration with Oxford University and is produced in India by the Serum Institute under a licensing agreement. Government and private sector partnerships could be forged much more expeditiously and still result in the desired rapid ramp up of COVID-19 vaccine production. For example, Moderna and Samsung Biologics announced an agreement for fill-and-finish manufacturing of Modernas COVID-19 vaccine. Investment in manufacturing is an important piece of the solution. Whether existing companies can retool facilities and jump start manufacturing or facilities need to be created through investment will be an important factor in accomplishing the desired scale up of vaccine production. Scaling up COVID-19 vaccine production is clearly the first step to ensure universal immunisation. Ensuring equitable availability and delivery will also be necessary. Coordination and collaboration will be required within a complex network of investing in technology transfer, contracting existing and creating new manufacturing facilities, sourcing materials and pooling procurement facilities, said Delphine. Patents are just one part of a complicated equation. We need universal access (i.e. supply), affordability and government action regarding vaccine hesitancy. In all countries we need strengthening of the public health system: the COVID variants are demonstrating that immunisation is a key part of the equation but not the only part, said Dr Arnold. This is a tricky situation to be in. Its unlikely that the pharma industry will change its IP regime overnight, and the onus to vaccinate the entire world is not on the pharma industry alone. Universal immunisation will require a coordinated approach in which the governments, pharma firms, and the entire ecosystem will need to come forward and do their part. Ayesha Siddiqui #LunchtimeMarketing: Changing the way of doing business with African luxury brands Africa is rich and abundant with incredible authentically African luxury brands and goods, yet the world struggles to find and connect with them. This raises the question - How do we do this? Launched on Tuesday, 1 February, the Property Practitioners Act 2019 (PPA) effectively repeals the old Estate Agency Affairs Act 1976 (EAA Act), aims to protect the interests of consumers, provides for the transformation of the property market and aims to facilitate property ownership to more South Africans through structured interventions. Kagiso Mahlangu, real estate lawyer and conveyancer at CMS South Africa Monitoring estate agency matters Range of professionals subject to the Act Nomaswazi Nkabinde, candidate attorney at CMS South Africa Additional regulatory measures brought about by the PPA On property practitioners Property owners and disclosures Code of Conduct The Act, for example, directs the Property Sector Transformation Fund to allocate and make available no more than 75% of the grants received annually towards the development, promotion, and support of historically disadvantaged property practitioners. The fund is also tasked, among other things, with the responsibility to facilitate ownership in property investment by historically disadvantaged individuals.The Act is geared to address the deficiencies in monitoring estate agency matters. It, therefore, makes it unlawful for a property practitioner to obligate or encourage a consumer to use a particular service provider, such as a specified attorney or conveyancer.There are some exemptions, however, which affect particular areas of the industry. This is according to Kagiso Mahlangu, real estate lawyer and conveyancer at CMS South Africa, who says: For example, any person may apply to the Board of Authority to be exempted from any provision of the PPA by submitting an explanation of the reasons for the application accompanied by the supporting documents.In examining such applications, the board may consider whether the granting of an exemption is likely to negatively impact the general public, consumers rights, competition in the property sector, or the objects of the Act, amongst other things, adds Mahlangu.Some of the differences between the PPA and the EAA Act include the fact that the PPA is regulated by the Board of Authority, unlike the EAA which was regulated by the Estate Agency Affairs Board of South Africa.Nomaswazi Nkabinde, candidate attorney at CMS South Africa, adds that the new law expands the range of professionals subject to the Act: This now includes candidate property practitioners, property practitioners, principal property practitioners, sales and rental agents, auctioneers, business brokers, property managers, providers of bridging finance, bond brokers (excluding financial institutions), and property developers.The PPA covers trusts that perform the work of property practitioners and, for the purposes of certain sections of the Act, the definition includes a director of a company or member of a close corporation in the business of property practitioners, etc. It is important also to note that the Act does not apply to persons selling their own properties, the Sheriff of the Court, and attorneys and candidate attorneys who are allowed to perform property practitioner activities without registering with the authority if operating in the name of, from the premises of and in the course of the law firm only, e.g., the sale of property as part of a deceased estate or during litigation, says Nkabinde.The PPA tightens the regulations around Fidelity Fund Certificates beyond the current requirements. Conveyancers are therefore prohibited from paying any commission to a property practitioner without receiving a certified copy of a Fidelity Fund Certificate valid during the period or on the date of the transaction to which such payment relates and on the date of such payment.The Act further provides that the government must use the services of property practitioners who comply with broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) and the employment equity legislation.The Act further details that property practitioners receiving funds from property transactions will be required to utilise a trust account and keep the accounting records separately (which must be audited) for a period of five years. A property practitioner whose turnover is below R2.5m will be exempted but should still employ the services of a registered accountant to independently review the account.Unlike the old Act, which did not mandate disclosures on the side of property owners, the new Act requires owners to complete the property defects disclosure form prior to the property practitioner accepting a mandate, which shall form part of the property sale/lease agreement and thus be signed by all relevant parties when concluding such an agreement. Both the owners and the potential buyers of the property may obtain professional advice/inspection of the property.Lastly, the PPA declares that every property practitioner must comply with the prescribed Code of Conduct published at the time by the minister of human settlements. A property practitioner must, on request, provide a consumer with a copy of the Code of Conduct. And, any person found to be in contravention of the PPA may be fined, required to repay any fees received for a property transaction, or face imprisonment for a period not exceeding 10 years.The PPA is significantly stricter and more comprehensive than the EAA Act. In light of the serious consequences of non-compliance with the Act, any person who may fall within the ambit of the definition of property practitioner would be advised to seek guidance from a legal practitioner and ensure strict compliance with the provisions of the Act, Mahlangu concludes. 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. Microsoft's Activision Blizzard deal can possibly be blocked by the "stricter" regulators at the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC). But that's not how current Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella sees it. In a report by Eurogamer, Nadella claimed that the massive $68.7 billion acquisition of the embattled studio/publisher doesn't even turn his company into a gaming monopoly, as some analysts fear it will. Instead, the deal is poised only to make Microsoft a "big" player in a so-called "fragmented market." Nadella argues that his company isn't even a big player in the gaming industry as of this moment, despite how Xbox is basically the bitter rival to PlayStation. He then further says that even if the deal closes, his company would still be placed third behind far more valuable gaming industry titans: Sony and the Chinese conglomerate Tencent. Despite the Microsoft head honcho's statements, however, some analysts still believe that the Activision Blizzard deal will indeed make the former a gaming monopoly. According to GGRecon, the answer lies in how the US FTC has already blocked another Big Tech giant, NVIDIA, from pushing through with its $40 billion acquisition of the British chipmaker Arm. Furthermore, there's the reputation of current FTC chair Lina Khan, a well-known, outspoken critic of Big Tech. For now, the deal is expected to close by 2023. And when it does, it definitely will bring Microsoft and the Xbox brand right up there with Sony and Tencent in terms of overall market value. Not to mention, they'll also own a lot of big gaming franchises which may or may not be exclusive to Xbox in the foreseeable future. Some of these titles are even notable former PlayStation IPs, like the "Crash Bandicoot" series-the main character of which used to be an iconic PlayStation icon from back in the day. Read also: Nintendo Will Not Join Microsoft, Sony Bandwagon in Buying Gaming Companies Microsoft's Activision Blizzard Deal Have The Former Tip-Toeing Around Regulators If Microsoft is to ensure that the massive merger won't be blocked, they'll have to play their cards the right way. And much of their recent comments regarding the potential exclusivity of numerous ActiBlizz IPs prove they are trying to tip-toe around regulators. One of the IPs is "Call of Duty." A lot of fans of the franchise were understandably concerned about the Microsoft and Activision Blizzard deal, assuming that COD will potentially become an Xbox and PC exclusive in the near future. But according to Xbox head Phil Spencer, they are working to "honor any existing agreements" to keep the popular shooter franchise on PlayStation consoles, as reported by the BBC. But whether he and Microsoft aim to keep other existing cross-platform ActiBlizz IPs is still up in the air. It remains a possibility, considering how they made Bethesda's future games already exclusive to Xbox for the foreseeable future. The iconic "Skyrim" maker's new IP, "Starfield," is a perfect example. The deal is now in the US FTC's hands no matter what happens. Related: Blizzard Announces Planned Survival Game Set in 'a New World' Story posted on GameNGuide Written by RJ Pierce Below is my column on the campaign to cancel Joe Rogan and his podcast. Various celebrities and artists have joined the movement for censoring Joe Rogan, including Mary Trump. The White House has called for even greater action from Spotify to limit or remove content. We have also heard the same false narrative that, since the First Amendment only covers government action, this is not by definition of free speech issue. The argument is entirely divorced from any understanding of free speech. As we have previously discussed, the First Amendment is not the full or exclusive embodiment of free speech. It addresses just one of the dangers to free speech posed by government regulation. Many of us view free speech as a human right. Corporate censorship of social media clearly impacts free speech, and replacing Big Brother with a cadre of Little Brothers actually allows for far greater control of free expression. When it comes to media, information or social media platforms, corporate censorship can have a devastating impact on free speech. Here is the column: They can have Rogan or Young. Not both. That ultimatum from singing legend Neil Young to Spotify had a justifiable sense of certainty about the choice. After all, it is a variation of the type of threats used successfully against a host of companies to cancel speakers, writers and performers. Young was soon joined by Joni Mitchell and others in the if-you-listen-to-him-you-cant listen-to-me demand. They are the latest to join a growing number of journalists, academics and artists in favor of censorship. Then something happened or, more accurately, something did not happen. Spotify told Young to take the freedom train off Spotify. It was sticking with Rogan and, perhaps secondarily, free speech. For Spotify, the choice between Rogans 11 million listeners or an aging rocker was economically clear, even with other artists threatening to pull their music from the platform. The music side of Spotify is reportedly not making much revenue, but Rogan and podcasts are a cash machine. Spotify now has 365 million subscribers and its advertising revenues have doubled with the help of the podcast market. Revenue from podcasts is up a staggering 627 percent on Spotify. However, even if the company was not motivated by its better angels, that may actually be better news for free speech. The free-fall of free speech has largely been due to greed. Companies see no profit in defending dissenting viewpoints. Now, for the first time, the economics may have actually worked against censorship and for free speech. At least in this instance, to paraphrase Wall Streets Gordon Gekko, Greed is good for free speech. The famous economist Arthur Cecil Pigou once explained that corporations are not social but market creatures moved by profits, not principles. No matter how woke many companies may appear, there is an economic calculation behind corporate action. Most companies yield to demands because it is wealth-maximizing. There was a calculation that woke statements or censorship policies would protect a company from protests while opposing customers would still want its product. That calculation has been a disaster for free speech. The First Amendment only addresses the primary threat that existed in the 18th century against free speech: the government. It does not limit private companies, which have free speech rights like individuals. Activists and politicians used that blind spot to do indirectly what they could not do directly in censoring opposing viewpoints. Democratic leaders, including President Biden, have encouraged companies to expand what they euphemistically call content modification to block dissenting views on vaccines, election integrity, global warming, gender identity and a range of other issues. Even the World Health Organization has embraced censorship campaigns to fight not the pandemic but the infodemic. Censorship is in vogue. Prince Harry (who called the First Amendment bonkers) has supported Young in his quest to silence Rogan on Spotify. Ones commitment to a cause today is measured by ones intolerance for opposing viewpoints. As a result, social media companies and other corporations now regulate speech in the United States to a degree that an actual state media would struggle to replicate. Faced with a growing cancel culture, companies are scrubbing their platforms of dissenting viewpoints and converting forums into echo chambers. In the use of private companies, the left has achieved an ignoble distinction. While liberal writers and artists were blacklisted and investigated in the 1950s, liberal activists have succeeded in censoring opposing views to a degree that would have made Sen. Joe McCarthy (R-Wis.) blush. Rather than burn books, they have simply gotten stores to ban them or blacklist the authors. For these companies, there is no value to protecting the speech rights of dissenting voices with powerful politicians, academics, and even some in the media demanding more censorship. But then they went after Rogan. Rogans popularity is precisely due to the fact that he is uncensored in what he says. As many networks and newspapers have become more of an echo chamber, viewers and readers have fled en masse. Trust in the media has fallen to just 46 percent and as low as 40 percent in recent polling. Where are people going for information? It seems many have gone to podcasts and specifically to Joe Rogan, at least 11 million of them. While Young reportedly relies on Spotify for 60 percent of his royalty income, Spotify does not rely on Young or other rock stars for its primary profits. It is the reverse of market conditions from just a couple years ago. The problem with controlling speech is that it has to be complete; it doesnt work if there are alternatives to echo-chambered media. Rogans podcast is one of the biggest. With 11 million listeners, he surpassed cable and network audiences as well as the readership of the largest papers. His program allows people across the political spectrum to speak freely, including those who question official positions on vaccines and treatments. While Rogan has promised to be more careful in how information is presented on his show (and Spotify will add advisories on podcasts), his podcast survived the celebrity onslaught. As various investors seek to create free speech alternatives to Twitter and YouTube, there may be an emerging market for free speech products. This is not the first failed effort to eliminate alternatives to mainstream media. Democratic Reps. Anna Eshoo and Jerry McNerney of California were widely criticized for a letter to cable carriers like AT&T asking why they are still allowing people to watch Fox News. (For the record, I appear as a Fox legal analyst). The two members of Congress stressed that not all TV news sources are the same and called the companies to account for their role in allowing such dissemination. Fox News has remained the most watched cable channel, topping even ESPN. That includes more primetime Democratic viewers of Fox than CNN. Likewise, the effort of politicians like Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) to protect readers from what she considers to be poor book choices has failed. Warren wants companies like Amazon to change algorithms to steer readers away from books that she deems unhealthy or untrue. The problem is that people are still finding sources for uncensored authors. Former New York Times author Alex Berenson hit the top of Amazons Kindle Store with his recent book critical of COVID science and policies. This does not mean that Joe Rogan is the new Thomas Paine or that this small skirmish is a turning point in the war over free speech. Indeed, the campaign continues against Spotify. However, with the explosion of corporate censorship, free speech advocates have begun to look at figures like Rogan as super survivors, people who seem to have natural immunities protecting them from an otherwise lethal threat. If we can replicate those economic antibodies, we just might be able to develop a protection against censorship and the cancel culture. Too long, didnt watch? The basic premise is that two-spirit non-binary indigiqueers enjoy privileged spiritual access to nature by mere virtue of their sexual confusion. Accordingly, they have earned special consideration and leadership roles in environmental movements. If you understandably have no idea what an indigiqueer is, given that the term was fabricated approximately a week ago, let Xtra explain: Homophobia and transphobia are not part of traditional Indigenous cultures or religions on Turtle Island (also known as North America). A wide range of evidence shows that prior to colonization, many Indigenous cultures viewed gender and sexual diversity as customary and honourable * the settler ** LGBTQ+ movement so rarely sees Indigenous self-determination as the pathway to sexual and gender liberation. * A note on cultural appropriation: what the Xtra people did here is an example of the common practice of cultural appropriation that they often accuse their opponents of. They dig up an artifact of a bygone culture, sanctify it, isolate it from its context, and then use it as the raw materials to mold, like a clay pot, into neoliberal ideology. ** Settler here is a pejorative term used in leftist academic circles to mean white people the idea being that their existence in North America is illegitimate because some ancestor, no matter how distant, originated from Europe. They conveniently disregard the fact that the ancestors of so-called indigenous Americans crossed into North America from Asia via the Bering Strait 16,000 years ago or so.) VICE documents the indigiqueers theoretical struggle to protect old-growth forests. But somehow they cant seem to stop talking about their gender fluidity instead. The indigiqueers primary identity is that of the aggrieved, oppressed victim, one they relish. They bathe in their perceived persecution. Being weak victims is their identity, and they exude that energy even while naming themselves Many-Spirit Warrior like this guy: Tami Starlight, AKA Many-Spirit Warrior Its almost like the tree-saving cause is a moral flex to grab the spotlight and transition it onto their true passion their status as a precious, under-appreciated, discriminated-upon gender minority. Two-spirit, like most SJW terms, was coined relatively recently (1990) by an academic, based on a translation from the Ojibwe language spoken almost exclusively in the US upper Midwest and Canada. It is in no way a universal Native American concept. Self-described journalist and Ojibwe woman, Mary Annette Pember, explains: As often happens, the complex work and research of anthropologists has been used to paint an overly wide brush of Native culture, conveniently overlooking distinct cultural and language differences that Native peoples hold crucial to their identity. The United States alone has 574 federally recognized tribes all of them theoretically independent nations. Discussing two-spirit stuff as a part of Native American culture writ large is obviously reductionist. A monolithic Native American culture does not exist. What do Florida Seminoles have in common with New Mexico Pueblos? Not a common tongue, nor common mythology, nor a common culture. At the 10:15 mark in the VICE documentary, the narrator claims that single-gender identity is a construction of Western colonizers, the delusional insinuation being that native transgenderism proliferated from coast to coast until the white man came and ruined the party. The Main Problem With All of This is not the gender or the Native American stuff itself. Not many people truly care about the definitional nuances of Native American culture or its disparate archaic traditions. Even fewer care about what sexual fantasies indigiqueers act out in their personal lives in a desperate search for meaning. The problem is that they delegitimize worthwhile environmental movements. Normal people who otherwise would agree with protecting old-growth forests dont want to hitch their political wagons to degenerate, clinically psychologically diseased, opportunistic, self-obsessed activists. And especially not when those commitments to the cause are dubious in the first place. I actually agree along with, I would presume, a large percentage of the North American public that those old-growth forests should be protected. I respect nature, and I believe we should preserve its bounty from the ravages of industrial expansionism. The epitome of human hubris is to tear apart nature and rebuild it better than before. To adopt that destructive paradigm is to become the spiritual sibling of the likes of Bill Gates and the Monsanto board, who aim to genetically modify the whole planet for profit and social control. But, again the problem is, who wants to join a movement with this? Could you imagine sharing a camp with these things? The entitlement, the humorless self-pity, the self-righteous social dogma (The rigidity of the indigiqueers social dogma is noteworthy for its supreme irony. The two-spirits theoretically just want to free themselves from an oppressive, rigid, unnatural social regime but ultimately end up enforcing their own.) In effect, these people serve to undermine the genuine value of environmental conservationism by turning into a narcissistic clown show. What on Gods green Earth does indigenous gender queerness or whatever have to do with keeping nature intact? They arent effective leaders dedicated to a cause but rather vapid narcissists roleplaying heroes for their own ego gratification and social points. They camouflage themselves in the persecution of a past cultural identity that has very little relevance to the modern world one which, at any rate, they have perverted to suit their own ends. Call It the Greta Thunberg Syndrome The indigiqueer phenomenon is a microcosm of the affliction the wider arena of social activism suffers. This affliction is embodied most prominently by Greta Thunberg, whose handlers have successfully marketed her as the definitive moral authority on the subject of environmentalism. One might want to preserve the environment. But to join any social movement to do so, one is forced to venerate as the champion of that cause an autistic half-elf slay-queen screeching into ones ear about the patriarchy or whatever. Its enough to make you throw up your hands and go baby-seal clubbing. Ben Bartee is a Bangkok-based American journalist with opposable thumbs. Follow his stuff via his blog, Armageddon Prose, Substack, Patreon, Gab, and Twitter. A proposed law in California would require school officials to collect gun ownership information from the parents of students attending public schools. The law would require parents to respond to the requests and answer whether the guns are secured in a way that their children are unable to access them. The law was drafted by Democratic state Sen. Anthony Portantino, who said that he decided to take action after a school shooting in a Michigan high school where four people died and seven others were injured by an armed student. The law would also allow officials to search through backpacks and lockers if there was a credible threat of gun violence made at their school. We saw what inaction does in Michigan, Portantino said, according to the Los Angeles Times. Inaction leads to a tragedy," he added. "By empowering school districts with information and the mandate to investigate, were taking that inaction off the table. The draft bill said parents would be required to answer questions about their gun ownership at student registration beginning in the 2023 school year, including questions about the ownership, storage, and accessibility by the pupil of the firearms." If there is a credible threat of gun violence at the school, officials could use the information to search the lockers, backpacks, and cars of students whose parents owned guns. Go find those weapons before they get used to kill a kid, Portantino explained. California is one of the worst states when it comes to the rights of gun owners. Last month, the city of San Jose voted to be the first city in the U.S. to require gun owners to pay a fee in order to own a gun and to purchase liability insurance. Gun rights groups have vowed to sue to fight the new restriction. The Hershey Co. has begun firing office workers who have declined to be vaccinated against COVID-19. On the way out the door, the candy manufacturer is asking the fired employees to sign a nine-page confidentiality and release agreement that would remove their rights to sue the company or talk about their experience. While their signature comes with a special separation payment, many havent signed the agreement and wont get the money. Employees say the payment was determined by an algorithm, and for some, amounted to just over two months pay. By most accounts, working at Hershey was a great job. Employees at the companys headquarters in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and at offices in other states report higher than average wages and bowls of candy placed around the offices for snacking. For holidays, employees would get a big bag of treats to take home, although that practice stopped after Easter 2021. Theres a sample room for trying new products, colorful graphics decorating the walls, and the products are more fun than selling insurance. But it stopped being fun after months of human resources department meetings that employees say included education about the vaccines, asking if the employee had changed their mind about getting the shots, as well as uncomfortably invasive questions. I really thought Id be OK, Kim Durham, a former payment analyst and sourcing buyer, told The Epoch Times. I thought, you cannot question my faith. Nobody can question that. Durham asked for a religious accommodation in August and assumed she would get it. I thought this was behind me until September, when I met with an HR representative. It was an interrogation on your religious beliefs. They twisted your words and tried to put words in your mouth. It was terrible. I was asked such personal questions that had nothing to do with religion. She was shocked when, in November, she received word that her request for religious accommodation had been denied. The Epoch Times interviewed two other Hershey employees who are in their final days with the company and didnt want their names used until they are fully separated, for fear of losing certain benefits. All who were interviewed mentioned being troubled by similar questions during the meetings, usually held with an immediate supervisor and someone from HR, such as: Have you ever been vaccinated? Are your children vaccinated? How do you protect yourself when you leave your home? How often do you go to church? Do you take Tylenol, ibuprofen, Tums, or Midol? If so, how can you say that youre truly a religious person, because a lot of those medicines also have the same ingredients as the vaccine? Meanwhile, several people were told that the pope is vaccinated, and that he says the greatest gift you can give your community is to be vaccinated as well. One new parent submitted their babys birth certificate and other papers to set up insurance coverage, and was asked why the baby had received vaccinations if the parent wouldnt get the COVID shots. What does that have to do with me keeping a job? From the time we started this ordeal, we have had seven meetings about my vaccination status, one employee said. It was like harassment. I felt like I wanted to crawl under a rock when I was done. While office workers must be vaccinated or face dismissal, employees working in food production and Chocolate World, the companys retail outlet stores, are encouraged but not required to get the vaccination. Durham had been working from home since March 2020, except for once every two weeks when her tasks required her to be in the office. But even when she was there, it was just a skeleton crew of in-person coworkers, everyone had a temperature check before entering the building, and masking was mandatory. Hershey required employees to be vaccinated by Oct. 4, 2021, and when she was still unvaccinated on Oct. 5, Durham was told she was no longer allowed in the building, but she continued working until January. Following her last day, the company sent an empty box to her home so she could ship her work equipment back to them. We are losing our jobs over this vaccine policy, Durham said. Its just wrong that a company can terminate you, and you lose your livelihood. This should not be forced. Some employees trained their replacements, only to find their replacements would continue working remotely. Hersheys separation agreement prohibits those who sign it from disclosing the existence, terms, and conditions of the agreement, including the details of their separation from employment. The agreement contains a broad non-disparagement clause and also releases Hershey from liability for all legally waivable claims. Hershey didnt respond by press time to requests for comment or to provide information about how many people have been fired. Employees estimate that 1,400 workers applied for a religious exemption. Its unknown if any were granted. I know people who got the vaccine just to keep their job. It wasnt something they wanted to do, but they needed the job, Durham said. I need a job too. But Im not going to do something I dont feel comfortable doing, just keeping my job. In November 2020, Minneapolis made a highly welcomed announcement noting that they were going to curb the use of no-knock warrants by placing heavy restrictions on their use. Under those guidelines, no-knock warrants are only acceptable in high-risk circumstances such as a hostage situation. Outside of limited, exigent circumstances, like a hostage situation, MPD officers will be required to announce their presence and purpose prior to entry, the departments press release stated. In the following instance, police did announce themselves, but only after they broke into a mans apartment without knocking. The man inside the apartment was Amir Locke and he was not the man for whom police were looking. As the video shows, police did not knock prior to entering Lockes apartment and only shouted police search warrant after they were inside. This is the very definition of a no-knock raid. As they broke into his home, Locke was wrapped in a blanket, sleeping on the couch. As one of the cops kicks the couch, officers yell get on the ground and show me your hands. Clearly startled as armed intruders woke him up in the middle of his sleep, Locke begins to move around and at some point grabs a gun to defend himself. He would never get the chance to defend himself, however, for as soon as he picked up the gun, police began dumping rounds into him executing Locke while he slept on the couch. This video raises about as many questions as it answers, Mayor Jacob Frey told reporters following the release of the footage late Thursday, according to Michigan Public Radio. We intend to get answers as quickly as possible. As MPR reports, the search warrant was tied to a St. Paul homicide investigation. Locke was not named in the search warrant and its not clear if he figures into the St. Paul case, Amelia Huffman, the interim Minneapolis police chief, said after the videos release. Before body camera footage was released, the original police report claimed Locke pointed his gun at officers. However, that is not apparent in the newly released footage. Whats more, when TFTP slowed down the footage, we found that Lockes finger wasnt on the trigger and he was practicing gun safety by keeping his finger straight and off the trigger. Despite claiming to limit the use of no-knock warrants, Huffman told reporters that officers had obtained a no-knock warrant for the apartment. A man sleeping on the sofa is not the same as a hostage situation and hardly meets the criteria for a high risk circumstance. Had police simply knocked at a reasonable hour, Locke would be alive. As he was innocent, he likely would have just opened the door and talked to police. Instead, they broke in and executed him. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating the shooting, and the department will review to see if its policies and procedures were violated, Huffman said, according to MPR. We all know these events happen very rapidly, and as theres a gun emerging in your direction youre forced to make a split-second decision about when its a threat, she said. But the community disagrees. Activists at the press conference on Thursday pointed out that police never even told Locke to put down the gun before executing him. What we are seeing is business as usual, said civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong. If (police) knew that the kid had a gun as he started waking up, say Drop your weapon. They didnt do that. Indeed. They did not. Ben Crump, who also represented Floyds estate, said in a press conference on Thursday that Locke had no criminal record and his gun was legally owned. Disgustingly enough, this is the second video in just a week in which police are seen serving a warrant on the wrong person and executing them on their own sofa as they slept. Last week, we brought you the story of Isaiah Tyree Williams, a teenager who was also asleep on his sofa in Las Vegas before police broke in and executed him. President Joe Biden stated Thursday that Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, the commander of the Islamic State, was killed in an overnight US military assault in Syria. As US special operations soldiers approached intending to arrest him, Al-Qurayshi detonated a device that killed himself and numerous others, including his wife and children, according to Biden. ISIS leader killed in US military raid Thirteen individuals, including six children and four women, were slain, according to first responders. According to senior administration officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity, those statistics don't match their estimates of casualties. Witnesses claimed US soldiers arrived in helicopters and attacked a home in a rebel-held area of northwest Syria, battling with gunmen for two hours. Helicopter gunships, armed Reaper drones, and assault aircraft supported the commandos. On the third story of a residence where he resided, Al-Qurayshi, also known as Hajji Abdullah Qardash, was slain. One of his lieutenants locked himself and his family on the second story during the attack. According to authorities, he and his wife were slain in the battle after firing on US forces. After the gunshots, some youngsters on the second level were able to flee safely, according to USA Today. Al-Qurayshi's death was verified through fingerprint and DNA tests, according to Pentagon spokesman John Kirby. According to the person, the operation took months to prepare. Biden was kept up to speed throughout the process, including a comprehensive briefing in December that set out where al-Qurayshi was hiding and the difficulties of carrying out the operation given the people residing in the house. President Biden, together with Vice President Kamala Harris and members of his national security staff, gave the final go-ahead for the two-hour operation on Tuesday morning and watched proceedings in real-time in the Situation Room Wednesday night until the team of US special forces had departed the scene. Due to intelligence that suggested people were also residing in the structure, US forces chose to undertake a raid, placing US troops in greater danger rather than an airstrike. Biden said the operation was aimed to avoid civilian losses. One family was evacuated before the raid, and four children were evacuated after the raid, NBC News reported. Read Also: Nigel Farage Shreds Joe Biden Called First Year Unsatisfactory, Leaving an Opening for a Red Wave Civilian deaths reported in US operation in Syria US Special Forces carried out the two-hour mission in the rebel-held Idlib province's tiny town of Atmeh. "There was blood everywhere," a local resident told Reuters. Al-Qurayshi exploded a massive bomb that murdered members of his family, according to the president, causing civilian deaths. Residents told the Associated Press that the US operation that targeted a two-story house surrounded by olive trees resulted in a swarm of helicopters, explosions, and machine-gun fire. The upper level of the home was severely damaged in the battle, according to footage from Syrian TV networks. Blood and body parts were seen splattered on the floor in the parts of the structure that were still intact, and two children's bodies were seen in footage examined by Reuters. Children were spotted in photos from the demolished house, which suggested they were in the area. One of the demolished bedrooms had a wooden crib on the floor, a plastic swing was still hanging on one of the walls that had survived the shelling, and shattered dolls were found on the ground. At 1:10 am, Omar Saleh, a village resident, told the Associated Press, his windows began to shake. When helicopters hovered over his house at night, a loudspeaker blared out an order to vacate the area for ladies. For the next 45 minutes, this continued. There was no one to speak to. Then came the machine-gun fire, which lasted for two hours, according to Saleh. It was the largest US operation in Syria's Idlib region since the assassination of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a strike ordered by then-President Donald Trump in 2019, as per The Daily Beast. Related Article: Joe Biden Proves Weak in Rallying EU Members Against Russia; Vladimir Putin Runs Rings Around US @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. American voters in a poll called Joe Biden as the US president who has not fulfilled the expectations of a leader who represents the free world. The worst has been a label that conservatives have given him due to what his first year has turned out to be. Democrats are scrambling to minimize what would be a massacre in the midterms, but the poll numbers show the pulse of the Americans. Biden is the least performing president The 46th US president was dubbed the least successful president in governance by 54 percent of probable voters in a recent survey, reported the Express UK. Results were taken from a survey by the Rasmussen Reports and the National Pulse, which found the POTUS getting poor results that were very low. Historically this will translate to the least liked president who has taken office, noted USA Today. Biden's predecessors, Donald Trump and Barrack Obama, were judged far better, and with good poll results, for Biden, he'll be last ranked if a list of US presidents would be lined up. Respondents were gathered via telephone calls and an online survey, and the question was whether the 79-year old president Biden would be the least effective leader who occupied the Oval Office, cited the Times-News Express. A small number of 15 percent answered that he is considered among the best American presidents based on the results. Of those who answered the poll, about 25 percent say his administration was average. At this point of the year, many events have shaped the concerns of even the most ardent Democrat supporters how Joe Biden performed. Read Also: Nigel Farage Shreds Joe Biden Called First Year Unsatisfactory, Leaving an Opening for a Red Wave Interestingly a result of 41 percent that Donald Trump had a significant impact that was felt, being one of the best presidents to sit in the Oval Office. But there is a segment that is 43 percent and anti-Trump, saying he's the worst despite his achievements. As for Obama, who had 34 percent saying he's one of the best, with 33 percent thinking he's one of the worst. It was an even number that was for and against him, which was just as close as a result for Trump. One more finding from the poll revealed that Mr. Obama impacted voters under 40 who thought of him as a competent president. This survey was done on Sunday and Monday that included an adjustment for mistakes for all the results. Biden's poll results Around 74 percent of Republicans and 62 percent who have no party responded that Biden would be the lowest-ranked US leader. Although 27 percent would say that the current president is the best, it would be seen in the survey. Democrats gave 28 percent, which is not the best, but the opposite, about 39 percent called him average. It is no surprise that many Democrats are 68 percent saying Trump did badly and are convinced the ex-TV host cannot be seen as the best US leader. But the Republicans will swear with 68 percent that their former president would outclass Mr. Biden any day. These polls show that Joe Biden could be the most ineffective president to sit in the White House, even his party has issues if the president can deliver in the midterms. Related Article: Donald Trump Says Joe Biden Is Not Putting the American People First, Places the World on the Brink of War @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Washington state counties disproportionately rejected voting ballots from people of color, men, and younger voters during the 2020 elections. During an investigation, auditors found that the votes of Black residents were rejected roughly four times as often as those from White voters. It was found that officials rejected the ballots due to problematic signatures. They disqualified roughly one of every 40 mail-in votes from Black people. Disproportionately Rejected Voting Ballots The finding causes heightened concerns amid the national debate over voter access and secure balloting. Washington state already has broad experience in mail-in balloting and found that rejection rates were also higher for Native American, Hispanic, Asian, and Pacific Islander voters. Officials from Washington said that there was no evidence suggesting that ballots cast by Black or other minority voters were knowingly singled out by poll workers. They added that none of the ballots were deliberately falsified. The primary reason for throwing out the ballots was that the signatures were missing or that they did not match the ones on file. Officials argued that the result was probably due to voter inexperience, language problems, or other issues, as per the New York Times. Read Also: Nigel Farage Shreds Joe Biden Called First Year Unsatisfactory, Leaving an Opening for a Red Wave State lawmakers requested the audit which later showed that officials rejected less than 1% of votes cast in the 2020 general election. Director of Performance and IT audit for the office, Scott Frank, said that in order for auditors to determine race and ethnicity, they used a predictive algorithm from RAND Corporation. The method is one that combines demographic data from the census with information such as surnames that are more likely to be associated with particular racial and ethnic groups. According to The Hill, Frank said that when it comes to large data sets, combining the two factors results in a very accurate prediction. Highest Percentage Among counties in Washington state, Franklin County had the highest percentage of rejected voting ballots during the 2020 election. The audit report, which was 69 pages long, showed that the chances of officials rejecting ballots were based on where the ballot was cast more than any other factor. In an interview, state auditor Pat McCarthy said that the differences between countries were something that lawmakers raised concerns about while arguing that a person's place of living and who they are should not matter in voting. Franklin County alone rejected 538 ballots out of the roughly 42,000 ballots cast during the 2020 elections. While the statewide number of rejected ballots was roughly 0.72%, Franklin County had more than double that at 1.5%. In a statement, Franklin County Auditor Matt Beaton said that while a statewide report indicated his region as having the highest rejection rate in 2020, the distinction usually changes every year. The officials that monitored the voting ballots were people who underwent specialized training to compare a signature on the ballot to the signature on file with the voter's registration. If they found any discrepancies with the voting ballots, they would then send them over to their supervisors, according to Tri-City Herald. Related Article: Trump's Massive $122 Million 'War Chest' Could Be Used To Influence 2022 Midterm Elections @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Help Our Community Please help local businesses by taking an online survey to help us navigate through these unprecedented times. None of the responses will be shared or used for any other purpose except to better serve our community. The survey is at: www.pulsepoll.com $1,000 is being awarded. Everyone completing the survey will be able to enter a contest to Win as our way of saying, "Thank You" for your time. Thank You! Take The Survey Unlimited website access 24/7 Unlimited e-Edition access 24/7 The best local, regional and national news in sports, politics, business and more! With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. The average Manitoba family will save 30 per cent on their out-of-pocket child-care expenses as part of an expansion of subsidies in the province, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Heather Stefanson jointly announced Thursday. Advertisement Advertise With Us The average Manitoba family will save 30 per cent on their out-of-pocket child-care expenses as part of an expansion of subsidies in the province, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Heather Stefanson jointly announced Thursday. That means approximately half of Manitobas child-care spaces are now subsidized, and the plan is to increase the cost reduction to families to 50 per cent by the end of the year. "Up to 12,000 additional children will receive support, particularly in low- and middle-income families," Trudeau said remotely via Zoom. The household income threshold to qualify for subsidies has been raised from $23,883 to $37,116 for a full subsidy and from $37,542 to $82,877 for partial subsidies. These announcements represent a continuation of the agreement signed between both levels of government to provide $10-a-day child care in Manitoba by March 2023. Neither Stefanson nor Trudeau directly answered a question asking if the $10-a-day figure would have been reached by now if the pandemic hadnt happened, but they took time to talk about how the pandemic has shown how important child care and cutting down on household expenses are. They stated this announcement will help Manitobans who benefit from the subsidy to pay for the added cost of living due to the pandemic. They also argued that this program is vital to help keep women in the workforce. Trudeau and Stefanson were pressed on assistance to address staffing shortages and poor working conditions in the sector alongside the additional funding for child-care spaces. They said negotiations are ongoing to extend the current general funding agreement for the Canada-Manitoba Early Learning and Care Agreement, and this will include one-time funding to "support the retention and recruitment of the early learning and child-care workforce," according to a media release. "This will offer a one-time investment to initiate longer-term planning and supports for the workforce and we look forward to making that announcement soon," Education Minister Wayne Ewasko explained further during the announcement. He also promised more news about the child-care sector in the coming months. "It was a core piece of the agreements we signed across the country," Trudeau said. "Yes, bringing the price down to $10 a day, yes to creating new spaces for families that need them but also investing in early childhood educators, because we know they are core and key to having a quality system that is doing right by families." Speaking to the Sun after the announcement, local daycare executive director Lorraine McConnell of Childrens Den Inc. said it was great news for Manitoba families, but it doesnt change anything for the sector itself. "This announcement hasnt done anything to address a couple of problems that are connected and probably need to be addressed soon," McConnell said. "Accessibility and quality. We know there arent enough spaces in the province. Quality is actually diminishing and thats because the workforce is not fairly compensated." According to McConnell, Childrens Den has lost early childhood educators to the Brandon School Division during the pandemic because the BSD is able to pay better. She said she believes Thursdays announcement will make it easier for the people who currently have child care to afford it, but it wont do anything for the people who dont have access to child care at all. The chairperson for Childrens Den, Erika Lesage, is a parent of a child who attends the facility and a former early childhood educator. She said she doesnt believe there was anything in Thursdays announcement that would draw people to the field and doesnt think a one-time investment to attract new workers will be enough for the long term. "I dont want to scoff; any help is help," she said. "But at the same time, this has been an ongoing problem for a very long time, and unless the government does something to increase child-care centres revenues and pay staff a living wage, I dont know what the future holds. Its kinda scary." Also making things difficult, according to McConnell and Lesage, is the fact that the operating grants for child-care centres have not increased since 2016. Since the operating grants have been frozen, Lesage said Childrens Den has seen increases in the price of rent, operating expenses and staffing. "Lots of child-care centres rely on fundraising to even be able to make ends meet, and lots of them end up in a deficit anyway," Lesage said. With the operating grants stagnant and centres limited to how much they can charge per student by the provincial government, its difficult for centres to meet rising costs of goods let alone the staffing challenges placed on them by COVID-19. For instance, Childrens Den apparently had to completely close for one day last week because there were not enough staff available. Ewasko was asked if he was concerned by the frozen operating grants. He referenced his governments desire to balance the books when taking power in 2016, and moving forward they want to listen to what the sector needs. In a statement, Manitoba NDP MLA Adrien Sala said the announcement was welcome news but not enough. "After all the disrespect and hardship the [Progressive Conservatives] have put Manitoba child care centres through, this federal announcement is welcome news," he stated. "But its disappointing to see the province commit to 20 per cent fewer child care spaces than any other province in this agreement. Instead, the PCs are going to take money meant for helping families to backfill their own cuts. This funding should be used to build as many affordable, public spaces as possible and increase wages for all child care workers, not just a few of them." cslark@brandonsun.com Twitter: @ColinSlark The UK has provided arms for Turkey that were used in the country's incursions in Syria with these weapons. Many have called these military expeditions reckless and won't do anything positive. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has given reasons why Ankara decided to invade Syria. UK Exports Arms After a hiatus from exporting weapons to Ankara, which is a NATO ally, at some point, Britain voiced its dissatisfaction two years back, reported the Express UK. Great Britain stopped allowing defense sales and export licenses to the Turkish nation, but PM Boris Johnson allowed regular licensing for the arms to Turkiye in December last year. Dominic Raab, the ex-Foreign Secretary, expressed concern about how Erdogan would be using all the military hardware in Syria, cited the BBC. He was not for the Syrian invasion as it was unexpected that a UK ally would take such action, something he called recklessly. One of the reasons it was a wrong move is that Russian benefited from it, especially the Assad regime. Erdogan prepares for invasion The Turkish president explained why moving militarily into Syria is vital, saying that the target is the Kurds supposed to be terrorists. It contradicted that the Kurds are allies of London who are engaging the Islamic State. One-point Raab would make it clear that the UK wants Turkey to practice maximum restraint and stress the incursion against the Kurds is detrimental to defeating the IS. Read Also: Turkey Sells Mini-Submarine STM500 After the Commercial Success of Bayraktar Combat Drones; These Cheaper Weapon Systems Are More Affordable Britain's government remarked the licenses would be given if there is enough proof that the military equipment will not be utilized in Syria's northeastern provinces. It is a dilemma how British trade officials can be sure that Turkish forces will not be dropping their arms on the Kurds. According to Declassified UK that invoked the Freedom of Information request addressed to the Foreign Office, the government would not release it, saying that it would impact the relations with its NATO ally. A 2021 defense review reaffirmed that Ankara is indeed an important NATO ally. Turkish Arms Deal President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has authorized his government to purchase about a billion pounds of Military Hardware; with the production of laser targeting systems intended for the F-16 multi-role fighter with other equipment for the fighter. Turkish defense industries have localized manufacturing for the guidance components and bomb racks for its bestselling Bayraktar-2 drones. Two weeks ago, a siege on a prison in North Syria was reported, IS members were active in complex attacks after the terror group folded in 2019. It is suspected that Ankara handiwork in the attack; to free IS fighters from the prison with more UAV attacks. Other than Islamic State involvement, the Turks bombed the Yazidi last Tuesday night, a persecuted minority. On December 25, 2021, a UAV attack killed civilians despite a peace treaty. The assault left Foreign Secretary Liz Truss to explain and defuse the problems caused by the unwarranted attack. Ankara is facing an inquiry into what has happened in areas controlled by Turkish forces in Syria. Comparisons to the IS have been implied to the NATO member, including several countries like France, Germany, and Finland are not selling arms to the Turks. It is mounting that the UK supports Turkey despite its atrocities as claimed by sources, but its geopolitical influence is important to London and other NATO members. Related Article: Turkey Changes to Turkiye Due to the English Connotation of How the Word is Perceived Internationally @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. In the heart of a town with only 500 residents lies a sense of community spirit richer than the eye can see. FACEBOOK The Elkhorn Elks have maintained a membership of around 50 members over many years. In the heart of a town with only 500 residents lies a sense of community spirit richer than the eye can see. It can be found at Elkhorns Elks Lodge #381. Dating back to 1954, the lodge is one of many found across Canada where people come together to host events within their community. "Ive been a member for right around 20 years," said Kevin Tutthill, resident of Elkhorn. "My dad was a charter member of the Elks, here in Elkhorn, back in 54. Funny thing, his membership number is two in Elkhorn and mine is 102. Its a good family connection and a family event so to speak." The Elks look after the villages community hall, a place that has hosted many weddings, socials, anniversaries and fairs before the pandemic. Over the last two years, Tutthill and his fellow lodge members have tried to move events to virtual platforms while keeping the community involved on a weekly basis. Since November 2020, the Elkhorn lodge has hosted meat draws through Facebook every Saturday and a monthly 50/50 draw. The proceeds go back into the community and the hall. "Its about keeping it going," Tutthill said. "Six months into the pandemic, we said our community misses this event and lets get things fired up again. The night of our first meat draw was huge, it really took off, and weve been doing it every month ever since." The lodge tries to get involved with every facet of the community possible through various donations and events put on by its members. Tutthill said the lodge will make an annual donation to the towns skating rink, curling club, and help fundraise for a high school students band instrument, for example. During the pandemic, the lodge has organized a Halloween costume parade, a solo Santa parade touring every street in town, and arranged for seniors in the community to receive anonymous Christmas cards to spread some holiday cheer. A person can become an Elk when they turn 16. The Elkhorn chapter has members from 19 to 90. Tutthill has found the people that join are all there for the same reason: to support the community. "Weve had this discussion a lot of times and I think what it says is, were active, were relatively young and we try to have a lot of fun. "Every time we do a fundraiser, we try to have a little bit of fun mixed in. At the end of the day, after a meat draw, well sit down and have a beer and catch up. Thats huge for our community." Tawna McLean, another resident of Elkhorn, is a third-generation member of the lodge. Before it amalgamated with the Elks lodge, McLean had three generations of family serve as members of the Royal Purple Lodge of Elkhorn, which was for women exclusively. When numbers of the Royal Purple declined from people passing on, the Elks welcomed the remaining 18 women to join, and the two clubs became one around 12 years ago. McLean, who joined originally in 2003, was excited to see the next generation carry on. "My son joined the Elks when he hit 16, and weve got a picture with my grandmother she was 92 at the time and was still a member," McLean said. "We had a four-generation picture of Elks members." After 20 years of involvement, Tutthill recalled a memory that has stuck with him after all this time. It was following one of the lodges provincial walkathons. The money raised from the event would go to the organizations Fund for Children, which serves as part of its national mandate to help children deal with medical issues. "I was in Killarney that year, and we had a mom there with two children that were deaf and received their hearing aids and then their cochlear implants through money raised through the fund for children," Tutthill said. "It ripped your heart out to hear this mom and what shed gone through, and it was a real eye-opener for me." Elks lodges across Canada try to do as much fundraising as they can for children, Tutthill said. The fund is administered out of the head office in Regina, where lodges can then apply for funding for their local children who may be impacted by disabilities. Furthermore, the fund covers every child involved in a house fire, where children are automatically granted $500 each to help their families get back on their feet. Tutthill said the national fund for children sponsors half a dozen programs for kids going into audiology programs for speech. "Its being able to help, thats our mandate," McLean said. "I think it speaks to our desire for community involvement, making sure everyone is looked after. To be able to help a child is above and beyond." Tutthill said he has been fortunate enough to attend several of the organizations national conventions across Canada. For McLean, much like Tutthill, the lodge has been a place for her to help prop up the town and keep it thriving. "My favourite aspect is the camaraderie between us all," McLean said. "Its a real sense of community within our community." jbernacki@brandonsun.com Twitter: @JosephBernacki The pandemic has finally hit Australias lucrative offshore LNG industry with workers on Santos Bayu Undan gas platform in isolation after returning positive rapid antigen tests. The platform 500 kilometres north of Darwin is in Timor Leste waters but its gas supplies the Darwin LNG plant. The Bayu-Undan gas field, Timor Sea. Credit: A Santos spokeswoman said on Friday afternoon that a small number of workers returned positive rapid antigen tests in the past 24 hours and were currently asymptomatic. As has been the case across all our assets, our COVID-19 health and safety protocols have been implemented to protect everyone on the facility, she said. Jessica Au concedes that she is a slow writer. Her first novel, Cargo, was published nearly 11 years ago when she was 25, so its not surprising that despite conceding light links between the two, her prize-winning novella, Cold Enough for Snow, is a different kind of book. Cargo was probably a work where I hadnt found my voice yet. It does take you a while to do that. At that time of my life I hadnt read as widely, I was quite young, and it has a slightly more imitatory style. Jessica Au says she likes prose that leaves the reader to work it out as they go along. Credit:Paul Jeffers She has certainly found a distinctive voice if Cold Enough for Snow is anything to go by. It is the inaugural winner of the Novel Prize, an international award that guarantees the winner simultaneous publication in Australia, the US and Britain. The biennial prize was set up by Giramondo here, Fitzcarraldo Editions in Britain and New Directions in the US. Giramondo associate publisher Nick Tapper says it is designed to honour fiction in English that does similar aesthetic adventuring to that often seen in fiction in translation. It received more than 1500 entries and Aus novella was chosen from a six-book shortlist. Although Tapper had anticipated potential disputes during the judging, he said the process had proved harmonious and the choice of Cold Enough for Snow was unanimous. Aus book has this week received an enthusiastic review in The New York Times and by novelist Claire Messud in Harpers. Ukraine has now directly appealed to Australia to help counter Russian military threats, as more Russian forces menace its borders and US troops deploy in neighbouring countries. What does international law say about Russias military threats against Ukraine, and what can Australia and the world do about them? Before war was first outlawed in 1928, countries could lawfully attack others, to plunder their resources, seize their territory, install puppet regimes, colonise or punish them. The Second World War convinced even powerful states that a more stable order would benefit everyone, and that all peoples have a right to maintain their political independence. The United Nations Charter of 1945 now bans the use of military force against other countries, except in self-defence or if the Security Council authorises it. A Russian invasion would violate this most fundamental rule of the post-war order, adding to Russias existing illegal aggression in Ukraines Crimea and Donbas, and in Georgias South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Civilian Ukrainians have been called up for combat training using toy weapons in case Russian troops invade. Credit:Getty International law also bans acquiring sovereignty over territory by force. For this reason, Russias annexation of Crimea has no legal effect. The same is true, for example, of Moroccos annexation of Western Sahara, or Israels claim to Palestines East Jerusalem and Syrias Golan Heights. Other countries are required not to recognise such illegal situations, and to cooperate to bring them to an end, for instance through diplomacy and sanctions. Housing has emerged as a bigger issue for Sydneysiders than for people in New York and London, as a poll reveals overwhelming fears in Australias largest city about the cost of living and housing affordability. With inflation rising, 85 per cent of those polled in Sydney in early January were concerned about the cost of living, an Ipsos survey for urban policy think-tank Committee for Sydney shows. Concern is highest among women, those aged 35 to 49, and the unemployed. New York City, London and Sydney. Credit:Getty, Leonid Andronov, www.sydneyimages.com.au While people in Sydney are largely satisfied with their quality of life, the number who are dissatisfied has grown slightly over the past year to 10 per cent. Sydneys quality of life is regarded as on par with other global cities such as New York, London and Toronto. In a worrying sign, 27 per cent of people say they frequently or always choose to go without essential goods and services because of the high cost of living. The 46th NSW premier believes the state must make wholesale changes to the way it approaches Aboriginal affairs, or it will fail to meet the outcomes at the centre of its commitment to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians by 2031. Successive premiers have made commitments to improve outcomes for Indigenous Australians, while Aboriginal incarceration and suicide rates continue to climb, which Perrottet acknowledges. The history in this space is people talk things up, but then do very little in terms of the execution or the outcome, Perrottet says. Bureaucracies in Sydney are not going to reach these outcomes. Its not for us to be going in and saying, heres how its done, its about listening and understanding and empowering, he said. He concedes state and federal governments have failed generations of Aboriginal communities, although there are glimmers of hope in towns like Coonamble in the states Central West, which he visited on Thursday. The town of about 3000 people two hours north of Dubbo has one of the highest Indigenous vaccination rates in the state. COVID-19 has exposed state and federal failures in regional healthcare systems. However, the pandemic may also provide the new Premier with more direct communication to local communities, according to Brendon Cutmore, the Western NSW health districts executive director of Aboriginal health and wellbeing. A lot of the layers of bureaucracy have been thrown out the door when it comes to this kind of pandemic response. Theres a real advantage in that, Cutmore says outside the Coonamble Hospital where he waits for Perrottet to finish his brief tour of the facility. Brendon Cutmore in Coonamble on Thursday. Credit:Louise Kennerley Cutmore says local emergency management committees were set up across regional NSW during the pandemic made up of community leaders, healthcare workers and other emergency responders. This is the first time in probably a long time or ever that communities have had to take responsibility for the response to a pandemic, Cutmore says. Before we dissolve a lot of those committees, we need to work out in the event of another health emergency, how we ensure that the appropriate agencies are empowered to enforce those types of conversations. The towns Aboriginal health service has enduring ties to the community, Cutmore says, with much of the staff made up of Indigenous locals. Steven JJ Smith at the banks of The Castlereagh River, Coonamble. Credit:Louise Kennerley Steven JJ Smith is one of the trusted voices within the Coonamble Aboriginal Health Service who met the premier on the banks of the Castlereagh River on Thursday. JJs mother grew up in a mission upriver, while his father, a tracker, hails from near Peak Hill. Born and raised in Coonamble, JJ, 61, began working at the health centre more than a decade ago. When we first heard about [the coronavirus vaccine], heaps of them and myself, we were a bit scared. But I spoke to our doctor and she said I think you should have it, he said. Booster uptake in the wider local health district sits at about 37 per cent, below the state average, and is even less for Indigenous locals, who have 23 per cent coverage. However, Coonamble bucks that trend, local health district chief executive Mark Spittal says. The rate among the Indigenous population in Coonamble is the same as for the non-Indigenous population and its really, sad to say, unusual, he says. Its because the Aboriginal medical service is trusted in the community, so theyre not just like the provider, but theyre the trusted provider. While intent on achieving practical outcomes for Indigenous Australians, Perrottet acknowledges that his government must also respect the importance symbolic gestures play in reconciliation, something his predecessors have been reluctant to commit to. Loading Symbolism is important to bring the community with you, but symbolism is easier to achieve than the practical outcomes that need to be achieved, Perrottet says as he outlines his plan to install a third flag pole on the Harbour Bridge flying the Aboriginal flag. From my perspective, its about doing both, its not one at the expense of the other. Practical and symbolic reconciliation needs to work together in harmony. Perrottet says he becomes frustrated with the level of debate about reconciliation in Australia, and its tendency to flare-up for one week in late January each year. These reforms cater for a very small minority. Recording accurately a persons gender on their birth certificate is of paramount importance and must be held in its integrity, their submission reads. Years before Mulheran tried to have college students recognise only biological sex, not gender identity, he was insistent that birth certificates were sacrosanct. ... the current wording of the Bill gives license to individuals who elect to have sexual reassignment operations due to preference. Potentially disastrous repercussions could occur from this situation. For example an individual of one gender who, without knowledge, marries another person who has changed their gender via a sexual reassignment operation and the altering of their birth certificate could feel totally defrauded. As ludicrous as this sounds, why would legislation not also be instigated for people to opt for a change of parent, or place of birth, or date of birth, because of preference, if proposed change for gender is granted? Citipointe Christian Outreach Centres submission on the Discrimination Law Amendment Bill in 2002. The Queensland government recently moved to allow further changes to birth certificates, in support of transgender people, and has made similar changes to other legal documents. In 1996, Mulheran told a discrimination inquiry that while every single one of us has sinned in one form or another, homosexuality was one sin that is outlawed. Adultery is another sin that was also, and bestiality all of these kinds of things, he said. It is not just the churches, but it is the people in the church, the businesses in the church, the people out there in the community, people who run childcare centres. Do they have to employ homosexuals? It is not just a legislation against the church: it is about the moral behaviour of people. Citipointe Christian College, the Brisbane school at the centre of a national storm over gender discrimination. Credit:Internet Mulheran did not respond to a request from Brisbane Times for an interview. In his statement on Friday night, he said he was grateful to those who had supported the college and students, but was devastated talking to our students who have suffered hurtful and hate-filled verbal assaults simply because of their beliefs or for attending the college. He linked his decision to stand aside to the need to protect students. Our college community needs time to heal after the events of this week, Mulheran wrote. Just as importantly, Citipointe needs to be ready to welcome students on Monday with a positive outlook to start the new school year. While Citipointe Christian College is a recent high-profile example of friction when religious and LGBTIQ+ communities intersect, it might not be the last. The proposed religious discrimination bill, if passed, could override state anti-discrimination laws, meaning church schools could have the right to discriminate against gay and transgender students. However, following national condemnation towards the colleges case, Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed on Friday there would be an amendment to the religious discrimination bill package to protect LGBTIQ students from discrimination. Timing might be an issue. When asked on Friday whether LGBTIQ students would be protected before the election, Assistant Minister to the Attorney-General, Amanda Stoker a Queensland Christian conservative said,we are trying to make it happen and I expect we will make it happen but Im not going to sign it in blood for you. LNP MP Angie Bell earlier this week said: Discriminating on the basis of gender identity, sexuality, relationship status or pregnancy only serves to make the most vulnerable in our society feel more small and more excluded - particularly when this is done by a school. Credit:SMH Liam Elphick, an associate lecturer of law at Monash University, said the only way to protect students and teachers was to remove both the outdated Sex Discrimination Act exemptions and the harmful provisions in the Religious Discrimination Bill that hand religious schools a right to discriminate. Fixing one and not the other is like spotting two holes in a sinking boat and only plugging one, he said. Whether the amendment will do much to rectify the issue at the heart of many religious schools remains to be seen. Former Citipointe student Felicity Myers, who graduated in 2020, said while she did not have to sign a contract as far-reaching as the one Mulheran put forward last week, the culture within the school was damaging, particularly to younger students being exposed to religious preaching in assemblies. The school and its governing body, the International Network of Churches, have repeatedly declined to be interviewed, but the college has since withdrawn its contract and Mulheran apologised. They claimed the college did not discriminate. Families that changed schools a week before term 1 resumed reported disruption and even loss of funding to certificate courses they were completing. Loading Jane Hopkins, of support group PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), said the federal bill wasnt needed, adding it was far-reaching and dangerous. Never needed it [the bill] before ... but there are a bunch of people there that are hell-bent on pushing it through so that theyve got the right to hurt and discriminate against people. We dont need to be fighting to protect our children. Its just a given they go to school, and its safe and people cant treat them this way. Independent Education Union Queensland secretary Terry Burke said the passing of the bill would be concerning, adding the provision was quite obnoxious that you actually give people the right to discriminate. But Citipointes case would be under close watch. They spoke about [how] the college will enter into a respectful dialogue with the college community regarding any further amendments to the enrolment contract pertaining to our Christian ethos, so they havent let go, they clearly are still of a mind they want to go down a particular pathway, he said. They then went on to say the college will take appropriate steps to ensure that we remain compliant without discrimination obligations. The school has a responsibility that goes beyond discrimination obligations ... to ensure student welfare and student wellbeing. Authorities saved three fishermen from sinking vessel amid freezing waters of Massachusetts Coast, thanks to the sharp-eyed woman who immediately phoned 911 to report the incident. On Tuesday afternoon, the 55-foot (16.75-meter) Bing Bing went down so quickly about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from shore that the crew didn't have time to put on their survival gear or even make a distress call. According to officials, they were hanging to a piece of hose for almost 45 minutes in the water, which was 42 degrees (5.5 degrees Celsius). Woman sees, reports boat sinking off Massachusetts coast Even though the boat was so far away, Pam Harght was at her computer on a work-related video chat in her Marshfield home and witnessed it sink. It was a clear day, and her home is high. It turned out she was the first and only one to phone 911 despite the fact that she assumed other people had previously called for help. Officials informed Harght that the guys only had around 5 minutes to live before they were rescued, according to Fox News. After their huge boat sank off the coast of Massachusetts, three fishermen were abandoned in the water without life jackets and "battling severe sea conditions," according to authorities. According to the Scituate Police Department, they were "clinging" to the boat's fishing gear for their life while submerged in diesel fuel and freezing water until rescuers came and hauled them out. On Feb. 1, police said, the men suffered "serious hypothermia" when a witness claimed that their 40-50-foot fishing boat fell over and soon went beneath about one mile from Humarock Beach in Scituate. As the guys were seen floating in the dark, murky water, part of which was perhaps dyed a deep crimson by the diesel fuel; police drone footage showed repeated attempts tossing rescue rings to them as they were seen drifting in the dark, muddy water. Scituate Fire Chief John Murphy remarked, "They were helpless." Due to their extreme cold, the guys were unable to assist themselves into the boat. While speaking with the source, Murphy stated, "We probably would've discovered them on the beach tomorrow realistically." According to authorities, the males were transferred to a local hospital after being saved, as per Miami Herald. Read Also: NASA Plans To Crash the ISS Into Point Nemo of the Pacific Ocean in 2031 Fishermen illegally sell 2.6 million lbs. of Atlantic herring According to federal investigators in Maine, a group of fishermen and a business are suspected of unlawfully selling more than 2.6 million pounds of Atlantic herring to fish dealers and "unpermitted purchasers." According to an indictment, the captains and crew of the F/V Western Sea ship, owned by Western Sea Inc., "sold much more" of their catch than what was reported to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In a press statement issued on Jan. 28, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Maine said the five fishermen from Maine and one from New Hampshire are charged with conspiracy, mail fraud, and obstruction of justice. Falsifying fishing records is another charge leveled against them. According to court filings, between June 2016 and September 2019, they "were paid directly by fish merchants and lobster vessel owners for the unreported herring." Glenn Robbins, a 75-year-old Maine resident who owns Western Sea Inc., and was designated skipper of the F/V Western Sea ship in the indictment, is one of the accused fishermen. Other fishermen, such as Ethan Chase (44), Neil Herrick (46), Andrew Banow (35), Stephen Little (56), and Jason Parent (49), have been charged as well. The attorney representing both Robbins and Chase has been contacted by McClatchy News for comment. According to the news release, the government agency "relies on accurate information to create rules aimed to guarantee sustainable fisheries." According to the indictment, the crew of the F/V Western Sea embarked on approximately 80 voyages to fish for Atlantic herring in the Gulf of Maine region between June 2016 and September 2019, The Charlotte Observer reported. Related Article: Brazil Ravaged by Destructive Floods Amid Heavy Rains; 20 People Dead, Thousands Displaced @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Nick Christelis, president of the Neuromodulation Society of Australia, says the devices come with only minor risks. Nowadays with the new technology, we can expect up to 80 per cent pain control or more, Dr Christelis said. Studies showing higher rates of complications were based on older devices, and anaesthesiologists were better at installing them now, he said. The complication rate is about one in 10 over the lifespan of the device, which could be anything from a little bit of discomfort to where the battery lies, to full-blown infection requiring removal. Adam Young received a stimulator to treat back pain caused by two prolapsed discs in his spine. The $40,000 device now lives in his cupboard. Its just a big waste of time, and an absolute money grab, he told The Age and Herald. The scar on Adam Youngs back Credit:Paul Harris It was supposed to help me in all regards. And yet I couldnt walk with it on. I couldnt walk for 20 minutes. It felt like it was setting off other nerves as well. I tried to go to bed with it and Id just toss and turn. No matter what setting I had it on. So I had to turn it off. Dont do it. Exhaust every other avenue thats possibly out there first. Michael Johnson, president of the Spine Society of Australia between 2018 and 2020, told The Age and Herald he was calling for the development of a spinal stimulation registry in Australia to monitor how well the devices were actually working, and how much harm they were causing. I think there are a moderate number of stimulators being put in inappropriately, he said. In the last year, I have operated on three people and taken out a stimulator and thrown it in the bin. Thats a pretty substantial investment to just throw in the bin. And none of these people had received an opinion from a spinal surgeon. Lauren Iacobucci did receive good relief from her stimulator at first. But then, after a fall, she felt the electrodes come out of her spine. I had surgery to fix the leads, and then they became displaced again. A month after that surgery, I had another surgery to fix them again. And then the wound just wouldnt heal. It just kept opening up and the leads would just pop through my skin. Mrs Iacobucci had six surgeries in total before she gave up and demanded the device be removed. It was horrendous. I cant describe it. It is only recently Ive started processing what I went through. But dont let my story put you off. I think its a rare occurrence. It could work really well for them, and be a really good option. But go into it, do your research because its not just a simple fix. Dont do it. Exhaust every other avenue thats possibly out there first. Adam Young Mrs Iacobuccis story is not uncommon, according to data obtained by The Age and Herald in response to a Freedom of Information application. In America, spinal cord stimulators have the third-highest number of medical device injury reports made to the US Food and Drug Administration. In Australia, device manufacturers are required to notify the TGA when serious adverse events occur and when it is suspected but not certain - the injury was caused by the medical device or the operation to insert it. Some events may simply be random chance a patient having a stroke during an operation, for example. However, the true number of events may be much higher. A 2019 analysis by the TGAs own medical device staff suggest just 0.5 per cent of all problems may end up being reported. Among the complaints to the TGA, two patients lost use of their legs until the stimulator was removed and even then they only regained partial movement. Another lost feeling in their pelvis. Another had arm weakness; an MRI showed spinal damage. Anothers knees gave way; they fell, hit their head, and ended up in an induced coma. An x-ray showing Lauren Iacobuccis spinal cord stimulator in situ. Some patients suffered from incontinence for long periods of time. Others suffered tears and punctures to their spinal cord. Another suffered cerebrospinal fluid leakage. Another suffered a spinal cord tear which caused incontinence. One patient developed infection at the surgery site, which caused multiple organ failure or sepsis, killing them. Another suffered a stroke due to spending a long time in the operating theatre, and died. In addition, there were more-common side effects. These include overstimulation, constantly being shocked, the stimulation not working, device malfunction, headaches, infection, pain at the surgical site, or the leads detaching from the spine and moving around in the body or protruding through the skin. Of the reported events, 296 were for device malfunctions, with movement of the electrode wires the most common problem; 83 per cent of problems required further surgery to fix. For every 10 stimulators implanted in Australia, four are removed. Some patients chose to write directly to the TGA about their experiences. It shocked me painfully and uncontrollably until I struggled to reach my remote control to turn it off, one patient wrote in a complaint to the TGA. If he had not been home with the remote, the device would have continued to cause him torturous pain. The stimulator was removed by his surgeon, but the pain did not go away. A later X-ray showed the surgeon had left a lead in, which was now growing through his skin. The fact that the [device manufacturer] people showed no concern and made me feel like a worthless guinea pig leaves me with a feeling of hopelessness and helplessness as to my future and quality of life, he wrote in the complaint. Please help ASAP. Since I have had it in, I have had six revisions, another patient wrote. Surely this cant be right All these procedures, the trauma and the pain. What am I to do? I dont know who to talk to or get advice. Do I need legal advice? The Age and Herald supplied the database of TGA reports to Professor Christopher Maher, director of the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health and one of the worlds leading experts on back pain. Professor Maher and a team of researchers, led by Ms Jones, published an analysis of the dataset in the Journal of Patient Safety this month. Of the 520 events in the database, the team classified 93 per cent as serious or life-threatening. More than half were caused by the stimulator itself malfunctioning. For every 100 stimulators inserted, 31 are later removed, the researchers noted. Adam Youngs stimulator now lives in a cupboard. Credit:Paul Harris How well they work or whether they work at all remains deeply controversial. A 2021 Cochrane review generally considered gold-standard evidence concluded a stimulator probably did not provide clinically important improvements in pain compared to a placebo, although the overall evidence was of very-low-quality. Stimulators are often implanted to help patients wean off opioids, but a study of more than half a million patients published in Anesthesiology in January found a negligible difference in opioid use over 12 months. People considering this procedure should be aware that while some people who receive a stimulator seem to experience substantial pain relief. We are currently very uncertain how much of that relief, if any, is provided by the specific technology and how much is the result of placebo effects, said Dr Neil OConnell, the Brunel University London researcher who led the Cochrane review. A 2011 industry-funded study put the complication rate at 34 per cent. One patient in every 10 will have a lead move or fracture, typically requiring surgery to fix, the study found. Thirty per cent, for a reasonable human being, seems really high, says Dr Chris Hayes, director of the Hunter Integrated Pain Service and a former dean of the Australian Faculty of Pain Medicine. Early in his career, Dr Hayes regularly implanted spinal cord stimulators. He no longer performs the procedure. We decided the outcomes were not good. We were getting quite a few take-backs to theatre. Patient harm. With stimulators, its not that uncommon for the lead to move then you have to take the patient back to theatre and put the lead back to where its meant to be. And these devices can be get infected. We found a reasonably high complication rate, even trying to be very careful. Maybe there is a place for stimulators, in very select patients. But were saying given the current evidence were not offering that treatment at this point in time. A spokeswoman for the TGA said that the reports of incidents associated with use of medical devices does not necessarily mean that the device was at fault and the cause of the incident. Spinal cord stimulators, used quite widely both in Australia and worldwide, are high-risk devices and are known to have complications associated with their use, the spokeswoman said. Loading The current information indicates that the safety and performance of these devices are acceptable. The TGA continues to monitor adverse event reports associated with these types of devices. After a class action in 2019, Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay millions of dollars in compensation to Australian women affected by its defective pelvic mesh implants. The TGA received 95 pelvic mesh failure complaints before that issue turned into a medical device regulation scandal, said Danny Vadasz, chief executive of the Health Issues Centre. Five hundred and twenty is a heck of a lot, he said. Thats enough for a class action. Person 14, who served eight tours in Afghanistan, was giving evidence in Sydney on Friday in Mr Roberts-Smiths long-running defamation action against The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Canberra Times. In other evidence, Person 14 said he witnessed Mr Roberts-Smith on a mission in 2012 tell an interpreter, Person 13, to direct a member of the Afghan Partner Force to shoot an Afghan man they had been questioning, or I will. He said the interpreter stumbled verbally and didnt relay the order at first, before saying something in an Afghan dialect. A member of the partner force then shot the Afghan man dead, he said. I was perplexed but didnt say anything, Person 14 said. The SAS soldier said he witnessed a separate incident in 2009 in which an Australian soldier shot an Afghan man who had a prosthetic leg at close range with a distinctive machine gun that he later saw in the possession of Mr Roberts-Smith. Person 14 said he was involved in a mission with his patrol on Easter Sunday, 2009, which involved clearing buildings in a compound known as Whiskey 108. Loading He said he saw three Australian soldiers who appeared to be from two different patrols with a black object which was ... similar to a human. The object was thrown to the ground, he said, before a soldier raised a machine gun known as an F89 Para Minimi and fired an extended burst. He could not recognise who fired the gun, he said, but they were carrying the distinctive Para Minimi weapon that was not carried by many soldiers. From my angle ... it wasnt favourable conditions to identify [the soldiers] ... given that we all dress similar and wear similar items. However, the things that did stand out was the Minimi and the choice of campaint [camouflage paint], he said. Person 14 said two of the soldiers he witnessed in the group had highly illuminated grey-brown campaint on their faces, which he recognised as a style used by a troop led by a commander known as Person 5, while the third soldier was definitely wearing the same, or similar, campaint style as Ben Roberts-Smith. Loading He told the court he saw who had the Minimi after the mission was completed, and it was Ben Roberts-Smith. Person 14 said that on closer inspection the black object was an Afghan man with a prosthetic leg. He said he did not see a weapon on the dead mans body. He subsequently saw the prosthetic leg used by soldiers as a drinking vessel at the SAS headquarters in Afghanistan as well as in Australia, he said, and admitted that he was among the soldiers who drank from it. Asked if Mr Roberts-Smith ever drank from it, Person 14 said: Not that Im aware of. Under cross-examination by Mr Roberts-Smiths barrister, Arthur Moses, SC, Person 14 said he had some doubts about the awarding of the Victoria Cross to his comrade in 2011, but he did not express those doubts to others. Earlier this week, a serving SAS soldier known as Person 41 gave evidence that he saw Mr Roberts-Smith during the Easter Sunday mission in 2009 frog-marching an Afghan man, throwing him to the ground and firing three to five rounds into his back. He said he became aware after the alleged killing that the man had a prosthetic leg. Person 41 told the court he was not in Person 5s patrol. Giving evidence earlier on Friday, Person 14 said he heard Person 5 say in front of troops at their Tarin Kowt base before the Whiskey 108 mission that he was going to blood the rookie. Asked what he understood that to mean, Person 14 said it referred to a new member of the troop getting a kill. He believed the rookie was Person 4. Counsel for the media outlets, Nicholas Owens SC, asked: Was Mr Roberts-Smith present on that occasion? Yes, Person 14 replied. He said he heard Person 5 say after the mission: I finally blooded the rookie. Person 41 told the court on Wednesday that Mr Roberts-Smith told Person 4, the rookie identified on Friday, to kill a different Afghan detainee during the Easter Sunday mission. Mr Roberts-Smith has denied giving any such direction and insisted that a man he killed with a prosthetic leg on that day was an armed Taliban insurgent who posed a threat. I know exactly what its like to attend a school where homosexuality is frowned upon, and in which petrified, vulnerable, secretly gay students as I was are viewed as shameful and sinful. And I know the lifelong effects of indoctrinating such prejudice into childrens minds. When society convinces you that youre wrong at that formative age, the shame lives within you like asbestos. Parents are challenging Citipointe Christian Colleges contract demanding families reject homosexuality and transgender rights. Credit:Citipointe Christian College The cancer that comes later is the behaviour born from that shame. All the ways you try to escape it: disco, drink, drugs, promiscuity. All the ways you try to convince yourself that youre not, in fact, unloveable. What I hadnt expected, in the twists and turns of life, is Id be sitting across the world in Australia, a quarter of a century later, in a supposedly modern country, watching in horror at the disturbing arrival of the conditions for this to happen all over again. This week we learned that Citipointe Christian College in Brisbane had demanded parents denounce homosexuality and that students subscribe to traditional gender roles. Barnaby Joyce described Scott Morrison as a hypocrite and a liar in a text message sent on to Brittany Higgins a month after the former staffers rape claims exploded into the public arena. The message to Ms Higgins was sent by Mr Joyce, who was then on the backbench, on March 22, 2021, at 8.30pm (which was 9.30pm in NSW, Victoria and the ACT) through a third party, because the MP did not have her phone number. Mr Joyce has since returned to the deputy prime ministership and the leaking of the text message will stoke tensions between the two highest political offices in the land, ahead of an election due in a matter of months in which the Coalition is facing a difficult fight. The third party is known to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, but the person will not be identified at the request of Ms Higgins. The text message sent by Barnaby Joyce in March, 2021. Credit:Fairfax Media Mr Joyce said as soon as he became aware the text message could become public, he called the Prime Minister. He tried to douse any suggestion there would be awkwardness between him and Mr Morrison, but it is now an open question as to how the pair can work together given the Deputy Prime Ministers scathing assessment of the Prime Ministers character. Mr Joyces decision to pull out of the Insiders appearance, in which he would have faced a forensic grilling from host David Speers, also underscores just how damaging his free ranging assessment of the Prime Minister is. Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews will instead appear on the show. The texts were sent on to Brittany Higgins a month after the former staffers rape claims exploded into the public arena. The message to Ms Higgins was sent by Mr Joyce, who was then on the backbench, on March 22, 2021, at 8.30pm (which was 9.30pm in NSW, Victoria and the ACT) through a third party, because the MP did not have her phone number. Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and Prime Minister Scott Morrison during Question Time at Parliament House on October 27 last year. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Since the texts, Mr Joyce has returned to the deputy prime ministership. The third party is known to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, but the person will not be identified at the request of Ms Higgins. Ms Higgins shared the message from Mr Joyce with the Herald and The Age after he called on Wednesday for an anonymous minister who made derogatory comments about Mr Morrison in a text message conversation with former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian to identify themselves. The message to Ms Higgins from Mr Joyce stated: Tell BH [Brittany Higgins] I and Scott, he is Scott to me until I have to recognise his office, dont get along. He is a hypocrite and a liar from my observations and that is over a long time. I have never trusted him and I dislike how he earnestly rearranges the truth to a lie. Loading In a statement on Friday night, Mr Joyce said he unreservedly apologised and that in the last 24 hours I have become aware that a screenshot of a text message has been circulating among third parties that contains comments I made in March 2021 when I was a backbencher. While the text message was supposed to be private, what I said in that message was wrong; and I have unreservedly apologised to the Prime Minister for my comments, he said. It is common knowledge that in the past the Prime Minister and I had not always seen eye to eye. But I have worked extremely closely with the Prime Minister over the last seven months since I returned to the role of Deputy Prime Minister; and the Prime Minister is a person of high integrity and honesty in what is possibly the most difficult job in the nation. In a separate statement on Friday night, Mr Morrison said that Barnaby approached me this week to inform me of these text messages. He sincerely apologised, and I immediately accepted his apology in good faith. I understand Barnaby was in a different headspace last year, both professionally and personally, and so I know he genuinely no longer feels this way. Relationships change over time. Politicians are human beings too. We all have our frailties and none of us are perfect, the Prime Minister said. Since coming to the role of DPM [Deputy Prime Minister], it is fair to say that we both positively surprised each other. We were never close before this and never pretended to be. But in these roles we have really found our rhythm, as we have concluded AUKUS, settled our climate change policy and continued to fight the pandemic. Opposition leader Anthony Albanese said it was untenable for Mr Joyce to continue as Deputy Prime Minister and that the government was a shambles. He also argued that Mr Joyces claim that he had become better acquainted with Mr Morrison since becoming Deputy Prime Minister made no sense, given the pair had served in cabinet together for more than half a decade. The idea that this was just a flippant remark is simply untenable, he said. If Barnaby Joyce does not trust Scott Morrison, Australia should not trust Scott Morrison. He has shown himself time and time again to be interested in the marketing and the spin and the photo ops, not interested in telling the truth and not interested in transparency. Mr Joyce has since returned to the deputy prime ministership and the leak will stoke tensions between the two highest political offices in the land. Credit:Simon Schluter The revelation of the explosive text message to Ms Higgins comes just days after Network 10 political editor Peter van Onselen claimed to have a copy of a text message exchange between Ms Berejiklian and an unnamed federal cabinet member. In those text messages, the former premier called the Prime Minister a horrible, horrible man and the unnamed minister said he was a complete psycho. Loading Earlier on Friday, Mr Joyce criticised the motivations of the Liberal cabinet minister alleged to have leaked the text message criticising Mr Morrison. You are doing this for the purpose of malice, for the purpose of vindictiveness and for your own personal grudge and therefore, it is to be disregarded, he told the ABC. The message to Ms Higgins was sent by Mr Joyce on the same evening the ABCs Four Corners program went to air with new details, provided by Parliament House security guard Nikola Anderson, about the night Ms Higgins was allegedly raped in Parliament House. It is not clear if the program prompted Mr Joyce to send the message but in the preceding weeks, Mr Morrison had been heavily criticised for his initial response to Ms Higgins claims. At the time, then-Defence Minster Linda Reynolds was also under fire for calling Ms Higgins a lying cow. Ms Higgins is due to appear at the National Press Club next Wednesday, alongside former Australian of the Year Grace Tame, to discuss the Jenkins review of Parliament Houses workplace culture. Ms Higgins rape allegations, which are due to return to court in June, eventually triggered a series of reviews into the culture of Parliament House and a national conversation about the treatment of women in Australia. Bruce Lehrmann, the accused, has pleaded not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent at Parliament House in March 2019. Labor is considering expelling councillor Milad El-Halabi from the party after he was charged with conspiracy to cheat and defraud over alleged tampering with postal votes in the most recent Moreland City Council election. Cr El-Halabi, who has hired prominent barrister Robert Richter, QC, was among three people charged on summons on Thursday for allegedly tampering with the election in the councils north-west ward, which covers Pascoe Vale, Glenroy and Hadfield in Melbournes northern suburbs. Milad El-Halabi. Credit:Facebook Police have been investigating since the October 2020 postal vote after an unusual number of people complained they had not received a ballot pack, prompting concerns they could have been stolen from mailboxes and fraudulently filled in. Eighty-three suspicious ballot packs were not counted towards the election and were handed to police unopened. Detectives have been conducting forensic tests on saliva, fingerprints and handwriting samples from the seized ballots. They also brought in IT experts as part of the investigation. A US appeals court on Friday threw out a jury verdict ordering Inc and Inc to pay $1.1 billion to the California Institute of Technology for infringing its Wi-Fi technology patents, and ordered a new trial on damages. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said the January 2020 award by the federal jury in Los Angeles, one of the largest ever in patent cases, was "legally unsupportable." It also upheld the jury's findings that and infringed two Caltech patents, and ordered a new trial on whether they infringed a third patent. Caltech had sued and in May 2016, alleging that millions of iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches and other devices using Broadcom chips infringed its data-transmission patents. The jury had ordered Apple to pay Caltech $837.8 million and Broadcom to pay an additional $270.2 million. Caltech spokeswoman Shayna Chabner said the Pasadena, California-based school was confident that the value of its patents would be "fully recognized" at a new damages trial. Neither Apple nor Broadcom immediately responded to requests for comment. Apple is a major purchaser of Broadcom chips, and in January 2020 reached a $15 billion supply agreement that ends in 2023. Broadcom has estimated that 20% of its revenue comes from Apple. Caltech's damages model had been based on an argument that the school could have simultaneously negotiated a license with Apple for devices containing Broadcom chips, and a license with Broadcom for chips used elsewhere. Writing for the appeals court, Circuit Judge Richard Linn rejected that theory. "The mere fact that Broadcom and Apple are separate infringers alone does not support treating the same chips differently at different stages in the supply chain," Linn wrote. "Caltech's two-tier damages theory is legally unsupportable on this record." Caltech has also sued Microsoft Corp, Samsung Electronics Co, Dell Technologies Inc and HP Inc for alleged infringement of the same patents. Those cases are pending. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ltd, the world's largest coal miner, plans to directly export output to neighbouring countries, according to sources and documents seen by Reuters, after decades of exclusively supplying domestic consumers. The state-run company plans to export to Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan, according to a draft policy sent to the secretary of India's coal ministry and reviewed by Reuters, as a part of India's "neighbourhood first" policy, which seeks to counter China's growing economic influence in South Asia. The proposal was presented at an internal board meeting on corporate strategy in October 2020 and was confirmed by Coal India's chairman to Reuters this week, although a critical coal shortage in India now means the first such shipments would be unlikely until the end of this year. "We would have ideally wanted to start exporting this financial year (ending March 2022), if not for the energy crisis," Chairman Pramod Agrawal told Reuters, noting the current priority was to address domestic demand. Under the proposal "3% of Coal India's annual production will be earmarked separately for exports" with the main focus on encouraging bulk trade for the long-term. The export push is seen as a longer-term pivot that would help diversify its revenue streams and boost New Delhi's push to firm up ties with strategically important neighbours. However, the proposal has more recently been overshadowed by India's own coal shortage at home, which means the first shipments would be unlikely until the end of 2022, according to Agrawal. India - which relies on coal for nearly three quarters of its electricity supply - is yet to fully recover from the crunch that forced power cuts, which lasted up to 14 hours a day in some northern states. Compounding those woes, international coal prices have soared due to a surprise temporary export ban by top exporter Indonesia and large purchases from European buyers concerned that any invasion of Ukraine by Russia could sever gas flows to Europe. Though domestic coal supplies have improved, inventories at nearly half the fully operational utilities in India are under 25% of federally mandated levels. "I don't expect the energy crisis in India to be fully resolved until at least October," Agrawal said. Coal India, which produces 80% of India's coal, aims to ramp up output to 1 billion tonnes by 2024. India is the second largest producer, consumer and importer of coal. Coal India has previously exported small quantities to neighbouring countries on an ad-hoc basis, but never in commercial bulk. Last year, Coal India also allowed domestic customers to export coal bought from the miner through e-auctions for the first time. OVERHAUL At Coal India's October 2020 board meeting, it was suggested that the miner should overhaul its marketing department and sell coal at lower-than-current prices to make its output attractive for foreign buyers. In the draft proposal sent to the coal secretary, Coal India suggested offering coal to its neighbouring countries at prices it offers to non-power sector consumers in India. India's coal ministry did not immediately respond to request for comment. The policy recommended the miner export 15-20 million tonnes by 2024-25. While coal offered by Coal India to non-power sector users is typically priced higher than it is for domestic utilities, it is still much cheaper than that currently offered out of major exporters such as Indonesia and South Africa. Indian coal, however, is generally considered to be of lower quality. The company held discussions with government officials and industry officials from Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan, according to the documents, estimating combined annual demand for Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh be up to 17 million tonnes annually. (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.) Lenders to troubled retail chain will meet on Saturday to discuss next steps, including legal options, after the company sought 10 days time from the Supreme Court to work out a settlement. While senior bank executives have been reviewing the case on a regular basis, Saturdays meeting assumes significance in light of the Supreme Court hearing, banking sources said. Executives of the Bank of India said in the media interaction after the December quarter results that the account was already being treated as a non-performing asset (NPA). The bank has proactively made 47 per cent provisioning, which is higher than requirement of 40 per cent. Its exposure is about Rs 1,047 crore. BoI executives explained the options available before lenders, include invoking provisions of the bankruptcy law. The other option available is to invoke the personal guarantees provided for loans, the banks executives said. Lenders will consider the companys proposal if it comes up with a clear plan for repayment and not proceed with legal recourse till clarity emerges on proceedings in the Supreme Court. On Thursday, the consortium of 27 banks told the Supreme Court that the money lent to belonged to the depositors. And to safeguard the public interest, the entire assets of FRL can be subjected to open bids by Amazon and Reliance with a reserve price of Rs 17,000 crore. A Bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana is hearing FRLs plea. The court adjourned the hearing at the request of the company. Four men have been accused of killing 'The Wire' actor Michael K. Williams. On September 6, Williams died unexpectedly in Brooklyn, New York. From 2002 until 2008, the actor was most known for his role as Omar Little in the HBO series 'The Wire,' in which he initially appeared. From 2010 through 2014, Williams appeared in the film Boardwalk Empire as Albert "Chalky" White. Medical examiners declared Williams' death an accident at the time, but four individuals have been detained following an investigation by the New York City police department. In a press release, Damian Williams claimed, "Michael K Williams, a well-known actor, and producer, tragically overdosed on fentanyl-laced heroin in his New York City residence." Suspects in connection to Michal K. Williams' death are arrested After the suspects had been under observation since before Williams' overdose in September, federal prosecutors in Manhattan pushed the accusations forward. According to court filings, a hired informant for the NYPD had been making controlled purchases of heroin near Williams' residence while an undercover police officer had also made a purchase a few days before the actor's own dosage. Detectives in Brooklyn "lived this case, never relenting in their investigation until they could deliver a measure of justice to Michael K Williams and his family," said New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell. The four men, identified as Irvin Cartagena, Hector Robles, Luis Cruz, and Carlos Macci, face a minimum of five years in jail and a maximum of 40 years in prison if convicted, according to NME. Investigations suggest the guy accused of supplying a lethal quantity of fentanyl-laced heroin to actor Michael K. Williams was a serial offender who was released under the state's bail changes. In August 2020, Irvin Cartegena was arrested on a drug sale and firearm possession charge; and in February of next year, he was detained again for possession of a controlled substance, according to authorities. Under New York's bail reform legislation, he has been released without bond on both occasions. Cartegena avoided jail time by pleading guilty to disorderly conduct when the narcotics charges were merged in August. Cartagena, 39, and three co-conspirators were arrested on Wednesday in connection with the 54-year-old actor's accidental fentanyl poisoning. In Puerto Rico, Cartagena was detained, as per Mail Online. Read Also: Jeff Zuckler Resigns as CNN Boss Amid Secret Affair; Allison Gollust Gets Major Backlash Inside Michael K. Williams' strange behavior prior to death Michael K. Williams, on the other hand, was noticed acting oddly in the last hours before his overdose on September 6. After purchasing narcotics, the actor was observed grabbing a water bottle. In a video, NYPD police watched Williams pull in behind several other automobiles outside a tenement entry with a sign stating Williams on it. "PICK UP AND DROP OFF ONLY." As he came into the building with a liter-sized water bottle in his right hand, the actor could be seen getting out of his automobile with the keys still in the ignition. According to other people in the area, Williams' behavior was out of the norm. In the lobby, Williams met the concierge and proceeded to the elevator, where he pressed a button and walked in, resting against a wall and holding the bottle while waiting. For 84 seconds, he pushed a button with his knuckles and traveled upstairs. At Penthouse 3, he walked out in his final recorded image. The actor then skipped an appointment the next morning, prompting his nephew to call shortly before 2 p.m. to check on him. Williams was later found unconscious on the floor of the living room. Williams was wearing the same black tracksuit that he was wearing when he was found dead during the drug trade, according to police, The Sun reported. Related Article: Who Was Cheslie Kryst? Former Miss USA Dies by Suicide After Jumping From 60-Story High-Rise @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Agri-business company on Friday reported an 8.37 per cent decline in consolidated net profit at Rs 62.39 crore for the quarter ended December 2021. Godrej Agrovet's net profit stood at Rs 68.09 crore during the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal, the company said in an exchange filing. Total income increased by 35.71 per cent to Rs 2,088 crore compared to Rs 1,539.23 crore in the year-ago quarter. The company also said its board of directors has appointed Burjis Godrej as an executive director for a period of 5 years, to be effective from November 1, 2022 up to October 31, 2027, subject to shareholders' approval. Shares of the company on Friday closed at Rs 520.20, down 1.35 per cent on BSE. (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.) Real estate firm Properties on Friday said it has decided not to go ahead with DB Realty investment. The company said the decision was taken after receiving shareholders' feedback. On Friday, the company's scrip fell nearly 10% on BSE. "After prolonged discussions and taking into consideration the feedback from the stakeholders and minority investors, the Board has decided not to proceed with any further evaluation of potential investment in the equity capital of the DB Realty and the Platform. "The Company may however continue to explore the possibility of evaluating projects with DB Realty on a case to case basis," said Properties in a stock exchange filing. On Thursday, Properties said it will invest Rs 400 crore to acquire around 10 per cent stake in DB Realty and another Rs 300 crore to set up a joint platform for undertaking slum redevelopment projects. The total size of the joint platform of Godrej Properties and DB Realty would have been Rs 600 crore, with each party contributing Rs 300 crore. Mumbai-based Godrej Properties Ltd, one of the leading developers in the country, had said it will invest a total of Rs 700 crore. According to a regulatory filing, GPL's board on Thursday granted its approval to evaluate a potential investment in DB Realty Ltd in the form of warrants convertible into equity shares and the setting up of a special purpose vehicle as a joint venture to undertake slum rehabilitation and MHADA redevelopment projects. In a statement, Godrej Properties said the equity platform will act as a strategic special purpose vehicle providing the company with right of first refusal for all slum rehabilitation and MHADA ( Housing and Area Development Authority) redevelopment projects to be identified by DB Realty across Mumbai. Godrej Properties on Thursday said its consolidated net profit in December quarter nearly tripled to Rs 38.95 crore. Its net profit stood at Rs 14.35 crore in the same period of 2020-21. Total income increased to Rs 466.91 crore in the quarter from Rs 311.12 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year, according to a regulatory filing. Net profit jumped multi-fold to Rs 91.68 crore during the first nine months of 2021-22 from Rs 2.19 crore in the year-ago period. Total income rose to Rs 1,063.12 crore during April-December period of this fiscal year from Rs 757.01 crore a year ago. Godrej Properties is one of the leading real estate developers in India. It has a major presence in Mumbai region, Pune, Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru. CHENNAI (Reuters) - India's top power producer Ltd could build new coal-fired if needed, the state-run company's Chairman Gurdeep Singh said on Friday. "We should not be shying away. If there is a requirement, we may have to go for new coal-based power plants," Singh said. Singh also said that the company was considering building nuclear power plants, but discussions were preliminary. (Reporting by Sudarshan Varadhan; Editing by Christian Schmollinger) (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.) Akasa, a new Indian airline backed by billionaire Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, plans to offer stock options to attract staff, using a lure more often deployed by technology startups in its bid to gain a foothold in one of the worlds most competitive air-travel markets. The carrier, which is preparing to start flying in late May, is taking the unusual approach of granting company shares to a bigger pool of top employees, rather than a select group of senior executives, as the aviation industry globally suffers from a talent shortfall. Airlines have retrenched thousands of workers because of the pandemic and many pilots have quit, either taking early retirement or switching careers. We want to have an organization thats very tight knit in values, but diverse in experiences, genders, locations within India, Chief Executive Officer Vinay Dube said in an interview. We were saddened by the plight of employees through the pandemic, some of the bankruptcies that have taken place in Indian aviation, and we wanted to create homes for them where they are happy. The degree to which Akasa plans to grant stock options for staff will be far greater than most airlines in India and hopefully reminiscent of maybe some of the tech startups where they go fairly deep in the way they provide employee stock ownership plans, Dube said. There isnt a suggestion stock options would be given to air crew or regular pilots, however. ALSO READ: Akasa Air take off likely in late May or early June: CEO Vinay Dube Putting employee satisfaction so squarely front and center is an interesting strategy in a market thats historically gone after customers by offering cut-throat prices. Rock-bottom air fares have long been a feature in India, which has a suite of no-frills carriers targeting the nations huge flying public. Akasa, backed by some impressive aviation veterans, has hired around 50 employees for back office functions and is now recruiting pilots, flight attendants and airport staff, said Dube, who is also Akasas founder and managing director. The careers page of Akasas website, decked out in the airlines orange and purple brand identity with a tagline of Its Your Sky, states that new applications have been paused after an unprecedented number of inquiries were received. Its flattering, overwhelming, but theres also a hint of sadness because I dont want so many people to be either unemployed or unhappy, said Dube, who says 95% of staff call him by his first name. If we dont treat our employees well, if we dont take care of them, then its very hard for them to take care of customers, which we want them to do. Customer service alone isnt going to alleviate the pain wrought by Covid, however. Airlines in India are expected to take an $8 billion hit from the pandemic and even before the virus decimated air travel, the landscape was littered with failures. Former billionaires like liquor baron Vijay Mallya with Kingfisher Airlines and travel agent-turned-entrepreneur Naresh Goyal with Jet Airways India Ltd. couldnt crack the market, both venturing into cheap, on-time budget business to augment their more premium offerings. Tough business Kingfisher folded in 2012 after failing to clear its dues to banks, staff, lessors and airports, while Jet Airways has new owners following a court-monitored, insolvency-resolution process. Even those still in business find it tough. SpiceJet Ltd. almost collapsed before its founders returned to gain control and revive the company in 2015. Air India Ltd. survived on taxpayer bailouts worth billions of dollars before the government sold it to Tata Sons and the local ventures of Singapore Airlines Ltd. and Malaysian tycoon Tony Fernandess AirAsia Bhd., both of which teamed up with Tata Sons, have never made money. Coupled with high taxes on aviation fuel, the sector is so riddled with brutal price wars that dont leave carriers any fat to cover costs its chronically ill, IndiGos Chief Executive Officer Ronojoy Dutta said recently. Startups have a particularly difficult road ahead, said Robert Mann, the New York-based head of aviation consulting firm R.W. Mann & Co. The challenges before airline upstarts like Akasa include availability of sufficient capital and the need to stimulate flyer appetite with cheap fares upon launch, which generates good word of mouth leading to positive cash flow and eventual profit, he said. Dube is optimistic his airline, with secure financing and a low cost-structure, can succeed where others have failed. ALSO READ: Jhunjhunwala the biggest draw as investors line up to board Akasa What gives us confidence is the way in which we have purchased our aircraft, established our long-term engine maintenance deals, the way in which we have started leasing our aircraft with the lessors, he said. The leadership team Akasa has attracted is also hyper-focused on the hundreds of elements that make up an airlines cost structure. Indeed Akasas founding team has a long history running airlines. Dube is a former Delta Air Lines Inc. veteran who also ran Jet Airways until it went belly up in 2019. He briefly led Wadia Groups no-frills carrier Go Airlines India Ltd. and laid the groundwork for the budget carrier to file for an initial share sale. Akasa, operated by SNV Aviation Pvt., is also backed by Aditya Ghosh, who spearheaded IndiGo for nearly a decade and propelled the once little-known startup to the nations top spot, eventually capturing more than 50% of the market. Under Ghosh, IndiGo placed record aircraft orders worth tens of billions of dollars, had a blockbuster IPO and catapulted itself ahead of AirAsia Group Bhd. and Spring Airlines Co. to become the biggest budget airline in Asia by market value. Lower costs Akasa plans to follow a similar playbook of growing at a breakneck pace, adding 18 aircraft during the year ending March 2023 -- the first deliveries from a November order for 72 Boeing Co. 737 Max jets, worth $9 billion at sticker prices. A deal for the 737 Max, which was grounded globally after fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, probably helped Akasa secure bigger discounts than usual considering it was one of the Maxs first new customers after the models recertification. Akasa would also have taken advantage of the pandemic to get its aircraft and engine contracts right, which should help it achieve lower costs in the initial years, according to Kapil Kaul, South Asia chief executive officer for Sydney-based CAPA Centre for Aviation. Akasa is on track to be well-capitalized with a potential ability to raise $500 million through sale and leaseback of its aircraft over five years, he said. Jhunjhunwala initially pumped $35 million into the airline. The carrier will begin flying internationally by the summer of 2023 when it inducts 20 aircraft, the minimum fleet requirement to serve overseas routes according to local regulations, Dube said. Akasa will have an option of flying to the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, all within the range of a 737 Max. Akasa also plans to cut down queues at airports and reduce the amount of time passengers spend waiting to board by using technology, Dube said, without elaborating. If you look at the next 20 years, is going to continue to grow by leaps and bounds, Dube said. India is geographically a very large country and aviation is under penetrated, there are many people today who still havent flown relative to most Western economies. All said and done, we are extremely bullish about the future. 100% -- Akasa will be profitable. Tata Steel, the countrys oldest steel producer, reported a consolidated profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 9,598 crore in the December quarter (Q3), up 139 per cent from the corresponding period last year. It reported a profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 4,011 crore in the year-ago period. Consolidated Ebitda (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) at Rs 15,853 crore was higher by 64 per cent year-on-year (YoY). Taking advantage of strong cash flows, the company made debt repayment of Rs 17,376 crore in the first nine months of the financial year, bringing gross debt down to Rs 72,603 crore and net debt to Rs 62,869 crore. Consolidated turnover was Rs 60,783 crore in the quarter, compared with Rs 41,935 crore a year back. Sequentially, the turnover was almost flat, while net profit dipped as steel prices moderated. Turnover in the previous quarter was Rs 60,387 crore and PAT was Rs 12,548 crore. said consolidated revenues were broadly stable on a quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) basis as improvement in net realisations more than offset the drop in volumes. Consolidated deliveries in Q3FY22 stood at 7.01 million tonnes (MT), compared with 7.41 MT a year back and 7.39 MT in the previous quarter. Revenues from European operations increased 7 per cent QoQ and 56 per cent YoY to 2,246 million in Q3FY22; Ebitda was at 290 million, which translates to an Ebitda per tonne of 134. T V Narendran, chief executive officer and managing director, said the European operations continued to perform, underpinned by strong improvement in realisations. On India, he said, steel demand has begun to improve on the back of continued economic recovery. Our steel deliveries in India expanded by 4 per cent in the first nine months of the financial year along with an improvement in product mix, he added. Koushik Chatterjee, executive director and chief financial officer, Tata Steel, said the firm generated strong free cash flow of Rs 6,338 crore for the quarter, which was used to reduce the debt. Long Products, a subsidiary, was recently declared the winning bidder for acquisition of Neelachal Ispat Nigam. The acquisition, Chatterjee said, would be financed by largely through a combination of internal accruals and bridge funding. However, he also said the company would remain focused on its enterprise strategy to deleverage its balance sheet while it pursues its growth priorities. The Friday said a consent decree cannot be modified unless the mistake is patent or obvious, otherwise there would be a danger of every such decree being sought to be altered on this ground or misunderstanding by a party. The apex court dismissed an appeal against the 2019 judgement of the Delhi High Court which had rejected an application filed under the relevant sections of the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC) seeking modification of its earlier order. The high court, in its earlier verdict, had decreed a suit in terms of the settlement agreement between the parties. A bench of Justices L N Rao and B R Gavai said that a judgment by consent is intended to stop litigation between the parties just as much as a verdict resulting from a decision of the court at the end of a long drawn-out fight. The top court said it is unable to agree with the contention of the appellant's counsel that there was a mistake committed while entering into a settlement agreement due to misunderstanding. The bench said correspondence between the advocates for the parties would show that there is no ambiguity or lack of clarity giving rise to any misunderstanding. Even assuming there is a mistake, a consent decree cannot be modified/ altered unless the mistake is a patent or obvious mistake. Or else, there is a danger of every consent decree being sought to be altered on the ground of mistake/misunderstanding by a party to the consent decree, the bench said in its verdict. For the foregoing reasons, we uphold the judgment of the high court and dismiss the appeal, it said. The bench noted that a consent decree would not serve as an estoppel, where the compromise was vitiated by fraud, misrepresentation or mistake. The court in exercise of its inherent power may rectify the consent decree to ensure that it is free from clerical or arithmetical errors so as to bring it in conformity with the terms of the compromise, it said. The apex court said a court can entertain an application under section 151 of the CPC for alterations or modification of the consent decree if the same is vitiated by fraud, misrepresentation or misunderstanding. The bench noted that when the suit was filed in the matter before the high court, it had passed an ex-parte ad-interim order of stay in November 2018 and thereafter the parties were referred to mediation. It further noted that after a detailed correspondence and exchange of e-mails between the counsel appearing for the parties, a settlement was arrived at and the high court had decreed the suit in July 2019 in terms of the settlement agreement. The apex court said that subsequently, an application was filed in the high court by the appellant for modification of the July 2019 verdict. The bench said a close scrutiny of the correspondence between the parties would show that the settlement agreement was arrived at after detailed consultation and deliberations. (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 Friday registered a further decline in daily infections, as the state reported 14,950 new cases and 53 fatalities, taking the tally to 38,75,724 and toll to 39,250. The state on Thursday had reported 16,436 fresh infections. There were 40,599 discharges today, taking the total number of recoveries to 37,13,343, a health bulletin said. Of the new cases, 6,039 were from Urban that saw 25,904 people being discharged and 15 virus-related deaths. The total number of active cases across the state is now 1,23,098. While the positivity rate for the day stood at 10.93 per cent, the case fatality rate (CFR) was 0.35 per cent. Of the 53 deaths, 15 are from Urban; Mysuru (10), Dakshina Kannada (4), Belagavi and Shivamogga (3), Chikkaballapura, Kalaburagi, Koppal, Ramanagara and Udupi (2), followed by others. After Urban, Belagavi recorded the second highest number of cases with 1,018, Mysuru 944, Tumakuru 656, Hassan 560 and Shivamogga 543. Bengaluru Urban district now has a total of 17,49,104 cases, Mysuru 2,25,606 and Tumakuru 1,57,132. According to the bulletin, Bengaluru Urban tops the list among discharges with 16,80,814, followed by Mysuru 2,17,360 and Tumakuru 1,49,729. Cumulatively, a total of 6,24,41,513 samples have been tested, of which 1,36,777 were on Friday alone. (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.) Former Union Minister and BJP member Ram Kripal Yadav on Friday sought intervention of Chemical and Fertilizers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya for ensuring adequate availability of in Bihar, saying farmers are facing problems due to the shortages. In a communication to the fertilisers minister, Yadav said that farmers in his parliamentary constituency Pataliputra are facing the problem of inadequate availability of . "I request the minister for adequate supply of to the state as per their demands," he said. The shortage is not there only in Pataliputra, but at all places in the state, he added. Domestic fertiliser production reached 28.5 million tonnes during the April-December period of 2021-22. Out of the total fertiliser production, urea output was at 18.7 million tonnes, Di Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) at 3 million tonnes and complex fertilisers at 6.8 million tonnes. The government is making available fertilisers, namely urea and different grades of P&K fertilisers to farmers at subsidised prices through manufacturers/ importers. (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.) reported 6,097 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the tally to 11,91,634, while the toll increased by 35 to touch 10,614, a health department official said on Friday. The discharge of 12,105 persons from hospitals during this period took the recovery count to 11,23,499, which is 94.28 per cent of the caseload, he added. The active tally in the state now stands at 57,521, with 248 patients requiring ventilator support, the official said. Ahmedabad city led with 1,985 cases, followed by 1,215 in Vadodara city, 297 cases in Vadodara district, 237 in Rajkot city and 204 in Surat city, he said. A government release said 9.92 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the state so far, including 2.34 lakh during the day. In adjoining Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, four new cases in the last 24 hours took the tally to 11,362, while the recovery count increased by 19 to touch 11,306. So far, the Union Territory has seen four deaths from the infection, leaving it with an active caseload of 52, a local official informed. COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 11,91,634 new cases 6,097, deaths 10,614 discharged 11,23,499 active cases 57,521 and 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.) leader on Friday targeted the Modi government over the issue of jobs, charging that 'Make in India' is turning into 'Buy from China'. He alleged that the imports from are at an all-time high under the Modi government as it has "destroyed" the medium and small industries and unorganised sector that creates jobs. "JUMLA for India, JOBS for China! Modi Government has destroyed the Unorganised Sector and MSMEs that create the most jobs. Result: 'Make In India' is now 'Buy from China'," he said on Twitter. The former chief also shared a 1.30 minute video where it is alleged that the Modi government promised 'Make in India', yet it only "buys from China" and there has been a record 46 percent increase in imports from in 2021, which is the highest ever. In the short video, he also shared excerpts of his speech in Parliament on the issue, where he attacked the government on . Gandhi and his party have been critical of the government's response and handling of the border dispute with China and have been demanding strong action on the matter. (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.) South Africa: Southern Africa urged to fight for economic development President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged the Southern African region to continue its efforts to tackle widespread poverty and insecurity to certify economic development. He said that the region must continue strengthening its economic relations by enhancing cooperation among people and increasing trade and investment between countries. President Ramaphosa was delivering remarks on the occasion of the 53rd commemoration of the assassination of the founding President of Mozambican Liberation Front (FRELIMO), Dr Eduardo Chivambo Mondlane. The ceremony was held on Thursday in Mueda, Cabo Delgado Province. We must strengthen our partnership to pursue our common objectives, which are the promotion of peace and security, sustainable economic development as well as regional and continental integration. We must intensify our efforts to silence the guns on our continent, because there can be no economic development or social progress where there is conflict, he said. The region must draw inspiration from the life of Dr Mondlane to confront the challenges of underdevelopment, lack of diversity in economies, slow industrialisation, widespread poverty, youth unemployment, insecurity, climate change and the current COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking about Dr Mondlane as a leader, President Ramaphosa said that he was a giant of the Mozambican liberation struggle, a revolutionary Pan-Africanist and an unquestionable internationalist who paid the ultimate price for the freedom of his people. Dr Mondlane stood for human dignity, equality, freedom and social justice and fiercely fought against the racial inequality and oppression upon which colonialism was founded. We therefore have a revolutionary duty, in his honour, to continue the fight against racial discrimination, oppression and inequality wherever they occur and whatever form they take. A revered scholar and academic, Dr Mondlane chose the difficult path of a revolutionary, to fight for national liberation, justice, equality and the restoration of the dignity of the oppressed. President Ramaphosa credited Dr Mondlane with the ability to unite the broadest sections of the oppressed masses behind a common vision. He added that the unity of the people of Mozambique against colonialism was best expressed in the unity of FRELIMO and became the basis for the defeat of the colonisers. President Mondlane believed in the importance of a conscious and empowered citizenry. He understood that the education of young people is one of the most important instruments that any nation has to liberate itself from suffering and want. President Ramaphosa emphasised that the education of the youth must continue and that they must be provided with opportunities not only to fight poverty and unemployment, but also to become conscious, active and responsible citizens. SA-Mozambique relations He said that South Africa and Mozambique share a special relationship, which was forged over decades of their protracted struggle against colonialism and apartheid. Our relationship is a reflection of the personal sacrifices made by the people of Mozambique in their support for South African freedom fighters. The people of Mozambique understood that without the liberation of South Africa there could never be freedom in Southern Africa. South Africa will always be grateful for this profound gesture from the people of Mozambique, who risked life and limb for the freedom of their neighbours, the President said. In his capacity as Chair of the South African Development Community (SADC) Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, President Ramaphosa also visited military troops that are part of the SADC Mission in Mozambique to commend their efforts towards the restoration of peace and stability in the northern province of Cabo Delgado. South Africa has deployed some 1,500 troops to help Mozambican forces in the northern region, where Islamists last year seized large parts of Cabo Delgado province. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-02-04. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Giant Panda Tian Bao to remain in Belgian zoo in 2022 Xinhua) 19:26, February 04, 2022 BRUSSELS, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- Tian Bao, the very first giant panda born in 2016 in Belgium, will be able to stay at the Pairi Daiza zoo in Belgium in 2022, according to a press release published by the zoo on Thursday. "Pairi Daiza has reached an agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) allowing the eldest of the giant pandas born in Belgium to stay in 2022 in the zoo, " said the statement. The two sides will also initiate the necessary arrangements for transporting Tian Bao to China this year, the statement continued. Panda twins Bao Di and Bao Mei, born in 2019 to Hao Hao and Xing Hui, the parents of Tian Bao, will settle together in a new territory that will be expressly built for them. The separation of the twins and the panda mother should make it possible to relaunch procreation attempts as part of the conservation program for this vulnerable species, according to the same source. Xing Hui and Hao Hao arrived in Belgium in 2014 on loan from China. The convention that governs the presence of pandas in Belgium provides that all the couple's children must be sent back to China at the age of four in order to better safeguard the species of giant pandas. The process of returning Tian Bao to China has been delayed by the COVID-19 restrictions. Pairi Daiza has thus become one of the rare animal zoos outside of China that has five giant pandas at the same time. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) As President Joe Biden's convoy passed by, police in New York apprehended a guy whom they believe was attempting to set an American flag on fire. A report from Breaking 4 News claims that the event occurred at 4 p.m., on Thursday. Several New York Police Department (NYPD) uniformed police surrounded the anonymous man, who was clothed in a bright neon jacket, according to the site. Man sets fire to American flag A photograph of the flag that he allegedly tried to light on fire as the presidential entourage passed him on their way to the NYPD headquarters was also presented. The man allegedly attempted to burn the banner, which had a hole and a torch mark in it. President Biden, who was in New York City to speak with Mayor Eric Adams about lowering gun crime in the city, looked to be the target of the incident. As the president made his way through the streets of New York, a handful of protestors were observed along the route. The individual who set fire to the flag has yet to be charged. Burning an American flag is not a crime in and of itself. In the landmark 1989 decision of Texas v. Johnson, the US Supreme Court ruled that flag burning was a form of free speech protected by the First Amendment. Even though there have been several attempts by Congress to alter this decision through suggested amendments, flag burning has remained unquestionably allowed ever since, according to Newsweek. On Thursday, as the presidential vehicle arrived in Lower Manhattan to carry President Joe Biden to NYPD Headquarters for a roundtable with elected officials, protesters met it with scathing chants and insults. On Pearl Street near the Brooklyn Bridge, a group of protesters gathered behind a police roadblock to give the president a hard time. "Let's go, Brandon, let's go, Brandon," one protester chanted as the police motorcycle-led motorcade came off the FDR Drive, which has become a popular, strange anti-Biden slogan on the right. As the president's armored Cadillac limousine passed by, another demonstrator screamed, "You are not my president, Joe Biden" via a microphone and made an incoherent comment about a pedophile. Mayor Eric Adams, Gov. Kathy Hochul, and Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell met with Biden, US Attorney General Merrick Garland, and members of Congress at One Police Plaza to discuss illicit guns and crime in the city, as per Fox5 New York. Read Also: New York Actress Jacquelin Guzman Fired from Theater Company Following TikTok Rant Over Street Closures for Slain Cop's Funeral Biden visits New York to discuss combating gun violence The visit of President Joe Biden comes at a time when there is a growing national concern about public safety and police brutality. In addition to other additional steps, Mayor Eric Adams of New York and other municipal leaders are requesting federal aid in reducing the flow of weapons into the state. According to a senior administration source, Biden chose New York not just because the city has suffered a rise in gun violence, but also because it has implemented gun-crime prevention techniques that the president supports. Biden's visit was accompanied by a number of new efforts by the Justice Department, including a National Ghost Gun Enforcement Initiative that will teach a limited group of attorneys on how to prosecute laws regarding untraceable guns with no serial numbers. Earlier this year, the first police fatalities in New York City occurred, and there are worries that killings are on the rise across the country. After being dispatched to a domestic disturbance in Harlem last month, police officers Wilbert Mora and Jason Rivera were shot and killed. The night of the shooting, Rivera, 22, died. Last week, Mora, a 27-year-old man, was taken off life support. In total, five officers from the New York Police Department were shot in January, USA Today reported. Related Article: 9 Nashville Police Fatally Shoot Pedestrian Armed With Box Cutter After Standoff @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has directed the Khaperkheda Station (KTPS) in district to stop dumping ash slurry into a water body in Nandgaon village amid complaints by local residents that it is causing pollution. MPCB's regional officer A M Kare has issued a letter to the KTPS earlier this week, in which he warned that if it fails to follow the direction, then the board will initiate "appropriate legal action". Residents of Nandgaon had earlier filed complaints with the Maharashtra government alleging that due to increased air and water pollution as a result of dumping of ash slurry by the plant, they were suffering from health issues. "The has received various complaints regarding disposal of ash slurry into Nandgaon ash pond without permission or without providing any precautionary measures, which results in water and air pollution in the vicinity. Accordingly, boards official had inspected the Nandgaon ash pond and verified the disposal of ash slurry there without providing any pollution control arrangements," the board's letter to the KTPS said. In November 2021, a report titled 'Polluted Power: How Koradi And Khaperkheda Stations are Impacting The Environment' was released by Manthan Adhyayan Kendra, Centre for Sustainable Development (CFSD) and Asar, an environmental advocacy organisation that mapped out the water contamination in areas around the Maharashtra State Power Generation Company's (Mahagenco) 2,400 MW Koradi and 1,340 MW Khaperkheda thermal power plants. Researchers found that almost every water sample collected across 25 locations (surface and groundwater across rivers Kanhan and Kolar) near 21 villages failed to meet national drinking water standards and identified toxic elements like mercury, arsenic, lithium, aluminum, and other elements exceeded safe limits by 10-15 times. (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.) There is no in administration of COVID-19 vaccines, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar informed the Lok Sabha on Friday. Also, as on January 31, 2022, 70 per cent of the total vaccine doses have been administered at COVID-19 vaccination centres located in rural areas, the minister said. As on January 31, 2022, around 48.8 per cent of the total COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered to women which approximates to the estimated proportion of women in the country's population which is 48.5 per cent according to Census 2011, Pawar said in a written reply. "Hence, there is no in administration of COVID-19 vaccines," she said. Pawar further informed that as on January 31, 2022, a total of 20,73,71,863 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in tribal districts across the country, out of which 11,88,71,511 are first dose, 8,69,71,913 are second dose and 15,28,439 are precaution doses. The Government of is regularly reviewing the pace of COVID-19 vaccination and has issued multiple advisories to states and UTs to cover eligible beneficiaries with both doses of COVID-19 vaccine, the minister said in the reply. All efforts have been made to maximise the convenience of the beneficiaries for availing COVD-19 vaccination, including tribal communities and those without access to digital technology, e.g., walk-in registration, facilitated cohort onsite registration and vaccination, assisted registration through Common Service Centers (CSCs) or 1075 Helpline/State's Call Centre, special sessions for people who don't have any of the specified identity cards etc. The Government of has also initiated 'Har Ghar Dastak' campaign wherein missed beneficiaries for the first dose and due beneficiaries for the second dose are identified and vaccinated through house-to-house activity, Pawar 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.) India has "no plan", at present, to change the definition of "forest cover and very dense forest", Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, has said in the . The definition of forest cover in ISFR represents true picture as described, he added. The minister was responding to MP Vandana Chavan's question: "If the government is aware that the current definition of 'forest cover' in the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) does not differentiate between natural and plantations, thereby providing an incomplete picture of the status of forests, whether the ISFR used ancillary field datasets to define 'very dense' and also, whether the government planned to change the definition of forest cover and very dense to better reflect country's actual forest cover." India's definition of forest has been taken on the basis of three criteria as per the decision under Kyoto Protocol and very well accepted by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for their reporting or communications, the was told. The forest can be defined by any country depending upon the capacities and capabilities of the country. The three criteria based on which the forests are defined, comprises, crown cover percentage, minimum area of stand and minimum height of trees. "The forest cover is defined as 'all land, more than one hectare in area, with a tree canopy density of more than 10 per cent irrespective of ownership and legal status. Such land may not necessarily be a recorded forest area. It also includes orchards, bamboo and palm'," the minister elaborated. Further the minister said: "In ISFR-2021 published by the Ministry on January 13, 2022, the forest cover figures are divided as 'Inside Recorded Forest Area' and 'Outside Recorded Forest Area'. Those 'Inside Recorded Forest Area' are basically natural forests and plantations of the Forest Department. The forest cover 'Outside Recorded Forest Area' are mango orchards, coconut plantations, block plantations of agro-forestry." "Thus, data of mango plantations etc is automatically getting separated out as the Forest Survey of India is reporting the figures of 'Outside Recorded Forest Area' separately," he added. The interpretation of satellite data for classifying 'Very Dense Forest' (VDF) is also supported by the ancillary data such as field inventory data of FSI, ground truthing data and high-resolution satellite imagery wherever required, he added. --IANS niv/shs (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.) There was mild tension around the historic Mecca Masjid here on Friday as some people tried to take out a rally to condemn the attack on AIMIM President and Hyderabad MP in . After Friday prayers at the mosque, some people, especially youth, raised slogans condemning the attack and denouncing the BJP and UP Police. They tried to take out a rally but dispersed peacefully after advice from community elders. Police had made elaborate security arrangements around the mosque and historic Charminar to prevent any untoward incident. Additional police personnel, including Rapid Action Force (RAF) in riot gear, were deployed in the sensitive area as a precautionary measure. Security was also beefed up at other places in the old city of Hyderabad and other towns in Telangana to maintain law and order. Meanwhile, traders in the old city voluntarily observed a shutdown as a mark of protest over the attack on Owaisi. The usually busy markets around Charminar wore a deserted look. Traders put up black flags to condemn the attack. Some shopkeepers had downed shutters since Thursday evening when the word spread about two assailants opening fire on Owaisi's vehicle when he was returning to Delhi after an election rally in . Some people had also staged a protest near Charminar on Thursday night. Meanwhile, special dua (supplication) was made for Owaisi's safety and long life during Friday prayers at Mecca Masjid and at other mosques in Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana. At Mecca Masjid, AIMIM MLAs Ahmed Pasha Quadri, Mumtaz Ahmed Khan and other leaders prayed for Owaisi. Asaduddin Owaisi's younger brother and AIMIM leader in Telangana Assembly Akbaruddin Owaisi rushed to New Delhi on Thursday night. Owaisi escaped unhurt when two men opened fire at his car when he was returning to Delhi after campaigning in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut. The MP's SUV came under attack at a toll plaza in Hapur in western . He left for Delhi in another vehicle. Police arrested both the assailants. Owaisi has demanded the Election Commission to order an independent inquiry into the attack. He also sought an inquiry by the governments in UP and at the Centre. The AIMIM chief has been campaigning aggressively in UP for the last few weeks. His party has already announced that it will contest 100 seats in the state. --IANS ms/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.) Defence Minister hit out at Congress leader on Friday for his recent statement in Parliament, blaming the BJP-led government's foreign policy to bring China and Pakistan together, and also accused him of trying to distort history. Addressing a rally in Punjab's Dasuya ahead of the February 20 state Assembly polls, Singh urged people to bring the BJP-PLC-SAD (Sanyukt) alliance to power, assuring them that the state will see fast development under the new regime. In an apparent reference to Gandhi, he said there are some forces that speak whatever comes to their mind. "Whatever Rahul Gandhiji said in Parliament, it hurt a lot. Rahulji tried to distort history in Parliament and alleged that because of our wrong foreign policies, Pakistan and China became friends," Singh said. He wondered if the Congress leader was not aware of history and said when the Shaksgam valley was handed over by Pakistan to China, Jawaharlal Nehru was the prime minister of India. "When the Karakoram highway was built in PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir), Indira Gandhi was the prime minister. "You (Rahul Gandhi) are blaming the BJP government's policies for the friendship between China and Pakistan. It is a baseless allegation," Singh said. Referring to a violent clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers in Ladakh's Galwan valley, he said the Indian soldiers displayed exemplary courage and valour in the line of duty and even sacrificed their lives. "Our soldiers made sacrifices but never allowed an inch of land to go to China," the defence minister said. Taking a jibe at Gandhi over the number of casualties on the Chinese side, he said, "It means you will accept whatever Chinese mouthpiece Global Times says." Singh referred to a report published in Australian newspaper "The Klaxon", which stated the possibility of 38-50 Chinese casualties. The senior BJP leader said he never raised a question over the valour of the Indian Army irrespective of which political party was in power. The BJP is contesting the Punjab polls in an alliance with the Punjab Lok Congress (PLC), led by former chief minister Amarinder Singh, and the Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt). "You voted the NDA government to power in Delhi (Centre) and now, there should be an NDA government in Punjab too under the BJP's leadership. Progress will be fast in Punjab," Singh told the gathering. He also took on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for announcing freebies as its election promises. "A new party has come and it is the AAP. Punjab needs Punjabis, not the AAP," Singh said while attacking the Arvind- Kejriwal-led party for making "false claims" in its advertisements. "People do not need alms. They want India's head to be held high," he added. Recalling the sacrifices made by the Sikh community for the country, the defence minister said, "We can never forget the sacrifices of the Sikh community. We have a Sikh regiment (in the Indian Army) and when I see their courage, I feel proud." Countering the political rivals of the BJP over the issue of a minimum support price for crops, Singh said in the Union Budget, a provision of Rs 2.37 lakh crore has been made for procurement of crops. The 117-member Punjab Assembly is scheduled to go to polls on February 20 and the counting of cotes will be taken up on March 10. (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 said that homebuyers, who had paid for flats in Supertech's 40-storey twin tower in Noida to be demolished on court's order, have to be refunded on or before February 28. A bench comprising Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and Surya Kant accepted the computation for refund made to the homebuyers by the amicus curiae advocate Gaurav Agarwal in the matter. Senior advocate S. Ganesh, representing Supertech, submitted that there are 38 impleadment applications have been filed seeking refund of the amount. "We had a meeting with the amicus and the amount agreed will be paid to them. It will be paid on or before February 28," said Ganesh. Agarwal submitted that there are 38 homebuyers and if there is a home loan which the purchaser has taken, then the developer can settle the home loan account by March 31. Counsel for some homebuyers urged the court to re-look at settlements reached between their clients and the developer. "We have to observe some fairness to developers also. If there are settlements then how can we intervene in this?" the bench queried. Justice Kant emphasized that this controversy has to come to an end, otherwise this matter will just go on. Ganesh also urged the court to not r-open the settlements reached between the homebuyers and his client. The bench refused to reopen the settlements between some homebuyers and the developer. "The payment due to homebuyers have to be made on or before February 28." said the top court. The bench also added that in cases where homebuyers had paid for the flats after availing home loans from the banks, then it has to be settled by the developer before March 3 and an NOC from the financial institution has to be obtained before April 10. "Homebuyers who have settled and received their duesathe terms of settlement will not be disturbed," said the bench, refusing to reopen the settlement. In its August 31. 2021 judgment, the had ordered the demolition of the twin towers and also directed to refund the money to the homebuyers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Massive arrangements will be in place for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to on Saturday in view of the recent breach in Punjab. At least 7,000 police personnel, including Central teams, will be deployed as part of the for the Prime Minister's half-day visit to attend two programmes, both on the outskirts of the city. Director General of Police M. Mahender Reddy along with other top officials were busy ensuing fool-proof arrangements at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGAI) and at both the venues. Unlike in Punjab where the protest by farmers had left the Prime Minister's convoy stranded on a flyover last month, there are no protests planned by any group during his visit to but the authorities are not taking any chances. As a matter of abundant precaution, police personnel are being deployed along the road routes to both the venues although Modi is scheduled to fly in a chopper. After landing at RGAI at Shamshabad on the city outskirts, the Prime Minister will be flying to Patancheru in neighbouring Sangareddy district to visit the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) campus at Patancheru near . After inaugurating the 50th anniversary celebrations of ICRISAT, Modi will fly back to the airport and then leave by road for Muchintal in Rangareddy district near the airport to unveil the 'Statue of Equality' at Ramanujacharya Asharam. He will then fly back to RGIA to return to Delhi. Both the venues have already been taken over by Modi's security personnel. The officials from the Prime Minister Office (PMO) have worked out route maps and other security details in coordination with the state police. The security officials conducted a trial run of choppers and vehicle convoys from the airport to both the venues. Telangana Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and DGP on Friday reviewed the arrangements for the visit. For the second day in a row, the top officials held a meeting with officials of various departments to take stock of the arrangements made. The Chief Secretary directed the officials of concerned departments to work in coordination to make the arrangements in the most perfect way. He asked the police department to make adequate security arrangements, law and order, traffic as per Blue Book. The Medical and Health Department has also been asked to position specialist medical teams along with equipment at the venues. Somesh Kumar directed the Medical and Health Department Secretary to ensure Covid-19 protocols during the visit. Pass holders will undergo RT-PCR tests before the scheduled programs. Officials of Roads and Buildings Department were asked to undertake road repair works and provide sufficient lighting arrangements on the used by Modi's convoy. He directed Energy Department officials to ensure uninterrupted power supply at all the places of VIP visit. He directed Collectors of Rangareddy and Sangareddy districts to co-ordinate the arrangements at Shamshabad Airport and other venues with the organizers of the events. --IANS ms/ksk/ (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 prominent American lawmakers wrote to President Joe Biden to ensure global supply and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, a move seen as a result of the outreach by India's Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu. Global health experts have identified an array of needs where the United States leadership can have a real and immediate impact to save lives and slow the spread of COVID-19. Most important is to continue to help countries manage and deliver the vaccines, especially given the generous investment by the United States in purchasing the doses, four top American lawmakers wrote in the letter. The letter was written by Barbara Lee; Judy Chu, chair of the influential Congressional Asian American Pacific Caucus; Raul Ruiz, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus; and Joyce Beatty, chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus. In the letter dated January 23, these powerful Congressional caucuses urged the Biden administration to invest in the global supply and manufacture of vaccines as well as therapeutics and medical equipment to fight the pandemic. The development follows focused outreach by India's Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, and the embassy to these important caucuses which represent over 170 members of the US Congress and include several members of the Senate. During these outreach programmes, Indian diplomats have been emphasising on strong healthcare partnership between India and the US, and the potential for India-US collaborations to provide affordable vaccines/medicines, including to the developing, especially Africa and Latin America. Notably, Sandhu has spoken to all the chairs of the three caucuses, and they expressed strong support for the collaboration with India for global good. Other important members of the caucus have also expressed their support for India. Earlier, the Black Caucus had separately written to the ambassador on vaccine cooperation and delivery of vaccines to Africa in 2021. In the letter, the lawmakers also wrote that the American leadership is needed on expanding access to diagnostic, therapeutic and other health needs like oxygen and personal protective equipment. Not least, as the pandemic stretches into its third year, assistance is needed to address related harms such as hunger, school closure, growing strains on health system and other related health efforts, the letter 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.) Petrol and diesel prices in India have come under pressure with Brent crude oil trading at $92.97 a barrel on Friday. Brent is the most popular marker for crude oil trade and is used as a benchmark for two-thirds of the world's internationally traded crude oil. This has translated to a rise in the price of petrol and diesel in the international market as well. Responding to a query in Lok Sabha on Thursday, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri said that the Indian Basket of Crude oil (an assessment of the average price at which Indian refineries buy crude oil) has seen a rise of $17 a barrel from $71.32 a barrel on December 1, 2021 to $88.83 a barrel on January 27, 2021. The Indian basket closed at $89.12 a barrel on February 3, 2022 and will rise more if Brent hardens. chart According to Puri, the retail selling price of Petrol and Diesel in India are linked to their respective international product prices. The international prices of Petrol considered in pricing in the country have risen from $79.55 a barrel on December 1, 2021 to $101.44 a barrel on January 27, 2022. The international prices of Diesel considered in pricing in the country have risen from $78.48 a barrel on December 1, 2021 to $102.70 a barrel on January 27, 2022, Puri said. But Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have kept the sale price of auto fuels in the country unchanged since. This puts pressure on the margins of oil companies that are selling auto fuels are prices lower than they desire to. This politically unpopular move is kept in abeyance in light of looming assembly elections in five states. Commenting on the reasons for higher crude oil prices, Puri said, There have been major fluctuations in international prices of Crude Oil in recent few months due to various global events including lower than expected restorations of production by OPEC nations, increase in demand as the world economy recovers from disruption caused due to Covid-19 and its variants, geo-political tensions, lower than usual inventory levels in major consuming nations, and effects of reduced investments in Crude Oil production facilities over the past few years. While India has been reaching out to oil producing nations to raise crude oil and temper the runaway prices, but these efforts have largely been unfruitful. In January, Puri had a telecall with the Sultan Al Jaber, the Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), the national oil company of oil rich United Arab Emirates (UAE). In a tweet, Puri said that that the two deliberated on various issues relating to the bilateral energy partnership. He also condemned the terror attack on the UAE in which two Indians had lost their lives. Russia has sent additional troops and military equipment to Belarus, according to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, and the military personnel concentration in Belarus is higher than it has ever been in the previous 30 years. "We have observed a considerable deployment of Russian military forces into Belarus during the last few days. According to the Associated News, NATO commander Stoltenberg told reporters during a press conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels on February 3, "This is the largest Russian deployment there since the Cold War." NATO urges de-escalation of Russia military buildup An additional 30,000 soldiers will join the Russian special forces and advanced fighter jets in Belarus as well as S-400 ground-to-air missile defense systems. NATO chief warned of a Russian military invasion into Ukraine as Russia has separately concentrated more than 125,000 troops on the border with the country's border with Ukraine. In line with Minsk's suggestion, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka decided to hold the "Allied Resolve 2022 Exercise" in February, sending a strong message of deterrence to NATO. In one of the largest combined military exercises between the two countries to date, at least 200,000 Russian troops took part in the week-long Zapad-2021 military exercise in Belarus, western Russia, and the Baltic Sea, according to Republic World. With Russian forces stationed near Ukraine's border, the US stated on Wednesday that it will send roughly 3,000 more troops to Poland and Romania to safeguard the region's eastern borders from the Russians. As of now, 1,200 soldiers from Germany's 2nd Cavalry Regiment have been dispatched to Romania to support 900 US forces. Given that more than 100,000 Kremlin forces have collected along Ukraine's eastern border, Kirby stated that more troops are needed. According to information, senior Biden administration officials believe Russia has been creating a phony, violent video as an excuse to attack Ukraine on Thursday. The propaganda movie features graphic scenarios such as a "manufactured fake explosion with bodies, actors portraying mourning, and photos of wrecked areas and military equipment," Metro reported. Read Also: What Are the Consequences If Putin Gets Fed Up, Cuts Russian Gas Supply to Europe? NATO alarmed by Russian deployment in Belarus The Russian military minister arrived in Belarus on Thursday and spoke with the president ahead of the joint drills. A video showing nuclear-capable aircraft refueling over the Atlantic was published by Russia's military ministry. There are already significant Russian military forces in Ukraine, where escalating tensions and concerns of an invasion spurred the U.S. last week, in a decision Stoltenberg hailed, to send American soldiers to Polish and Romanian partners to support NATO allies. Moscow denies that it intends to attack Ukraine, and Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted this week that the United States was trying to provoke a crisis in his country. The Kremlin accused the U.S. of inflaming tensions by sending soldiers to Eastern Europe on Thursday. Even while conversations have generated little so far, the Pentagon said it is still confident that Russia and the US can find a diplomatic approach to address tensions. The previous NATO Supreme Allied Commander in Europe is retired U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove. According to Reuters, the moves of American troops have communicated to Putin that saber-rattling might be counter-productive. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said during a visit to Kyiv on Thursday that he was prepared to organize more peace talks in Istanbul, which Ukraine's defense minister welcomed, but he added that Russia had to agree, as per Reuters via Yahoo. Related Article: Russia Rolls Out the S-500 Missile System for Defense of the Border Should NATO, the US Attempt Aggression @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The government is expecting an investment of Rs 34,090 crore under the for large-scale electronics manufacturing, mainly mobile phones and electronic components, by 2025, Parliament was informed on Friday. The government has approved proposals of 20 companies under the Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors (SPECS), including that of Tata Electronics, till January 27. Around Rs 20,000 crore is expected to come from electronic components and semiconductor companies and Rs 14,090 crore from 32 proposals approved under the production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for large scale electronics manufacturing, Minister of state for electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha. "Under the SPECS Scheme, investment to the tune of Rs 20,000 crore is expected. The total employment potential (both direct and indirect) of the scheme is approximately 6 lakh," the minister said. Leading contract manufacturers of Apple -- Foxconn, Pegatron and Wistron, South Korean electronics major Samsung, Indian companies Lava, Jio's Neolync, Optiemus Electronics etc -- have participated in PLI for large scale electronics manufacturing. "In the aforementioned PLI schemes for large scale electronics manufacturing and IT hardware, the amount of investment expected to be brought in by the approved applicants is Rs 14,090 crore. The total employment (both direct and indirect) expected to be generated during the tenure of the schemes is about 8.57 lakh," Chandrasekhar said. The Ministry of Electronics and IT has approved 16 proposals under the second round of PLI for large scale electronics manufacturing for electronic components which includes Vishay Components, Deki Electronics, Continental Device India, Salcomp Technologies etc. Meity has approved 14 proposals under PLI for IT hardware which includes Dell, Foxconn subsidiary Rising Stars, Flextronics, Dixon Technologies, Panache Digilife, Netweb Technologies, Smile Electronics etc. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India will not rush into selling the countrys second-biggest state refiner if it ends up with a lone suitor, according to the top bureaucrat overseeing asset sales. We need competitive bids, we cant do it with a single bid, Tuhin Kanta Pandey, secretary in the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management, said in an interview on the sale of Bharat Petroleum Corp. In the expressions of interest, we have listed the people, multiple people. They must come in. On Friday, shares in Mumbai closed trading 0.2% lower, paring earlier losses of as much as 0.8%. So far three suitors -- the Vedanta group, Apollo Global Management Inc. and I Squared Capital Advisors -- have expressed interest in buying the governments 53% stake in . But with a couple of them failing to rope in global investors amid waning interest in fossil fuels, only Vedanta appears to be left in the race with commodities tycoon Anil Agarwal showing willingness to spend about $12 billion for the deal. ALSO READ: SCI, BPCL among CPSEs to be privatised in FY23; 3 IPOs lined up: DIPAM Secy The other suitors have not yet indicated that they are walking out, Secretary Pandey said. So we have to hold on and let our transaction adviser keep persuading them, he said. While the government is keen to complete the sale, it doesnt want to rush through with the process and prefers to hand it over to a consortium with stronger technical and financial prowess. The more time it takes to sell state assets such as BPCL, the longer the governments fiscal deficit will stay wide open -- indications of which appeared by way of a lower-than-usual disinvestment target in the annual budget. The process hasnt moved beyond due diligence that started in April last year. None of the bidders visited premises during the December quarter, Finance Director V.R.K. Gupta told analysts on Feb. 2, adding the privatization might not happen before March. BPCL is not off the table, Pandey said. The bidder response has weakened in terms of coming forward for bidding given the large ticket size. Meanwhile, the government is planning to invite bids for IDBI Bank Ltd. by March and the sale process could take as long as 12 months, Pandey said. He added that the government has discussed eligibility conditions with Indias central bank so that the bidders have some certainty on a banking license. Chief Minister offered prayers at Mata Baglamukhi Temple in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday. CM performed 'havan' which started around midnight and ended at 1:30 AM. Acharya Dinesh said that Channi often visits the Baglamukhi temple. "This is his third visit after becoming the Chief Minister. He has been visiting the Baglamukhi temple for the last 18-20 years. Gupt Navratri is going on and on this occasion, he came here with his family to offer his prayers," said the priest. "He prayed for the peace, prosperity and betterment of . He kept on whispering in front of god to do what's best for and Punjabiyat," he added. Channi's visit comes ahead of Punjab polls where Congress is soon going to announce CM face of the party. Punjab will go to the polls on February 20. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. (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 has released its list of star campaigners for the February 20 with the surprise omission of the partys lone non-Sikh Lok Sabha MP from the state, Manish Tewari, who represents Anandpur Sahib in the Lower House. The list of 30 star campaigners includes Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Harish Chaudhary, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Charanjit Singh Channi, Ambika Soni, Meira Kumar, Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel, Sunil Jakhar, Partap Singh Bajwa, Ajay Maken and Bhupindra Singh Hooda, and Anand Sharma, among others. Tewari, a former Union minister, is a prominent face in the party who was one of the signatories in the letter written by the G-23 leaders to Sonia Gandhi. Sources said that with having 40 per cent Hindu population and a significant number migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, Tewari would have been an ideal pick as he not only represents the Hindu community, but also strikes a chord with the migrants because of his roots in Uttar Pradesh. Anandpur Sahib has always been a stronghold of the Sikh faith and Tewari had won the seat in 2019 after senior party leader Ambika Soni unsuccessfully contested the seat in 2014. His supporters are miffed with his omission from the star campaigners' list, saying that he being the only Hindu leader to get elected to the Lol Sabha from the state, what kind of a message is the party trying to send across by ignoring Tewari. When IANS contacted him, Tewari said, "Ask those who prepared the list." However, the party has included the names of several non-Sikh leaders in the list such as Anand Sharma, who was also a member of the G-23, and others like Ambika Soni, Sunil Jakhar, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Ashok Gehlot, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Rajeev Shukla, Sachin Pilot and Kumari Seilja. His supporters are upset that even the names of Amrita Dhawan, Netta Dzousa and others are there in the list, alleging that Tewari has been deliberately left out. Sources said that Tewari is perceived to be close to former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, which could be a reason for not naming him in the star campaigners' list. The controversy erupted just ahead of leader Rahul Gandhi's visit to Ludhiana on February 6, where he is likely to announce the party's CM face in the run-up to the in . The 117-member Punjab Assembly will go to the polls on February 20, while the counting of votes will be taken up on March 10. --IANS miz/arm (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.) Defence Minister will address public meetings today in Dasuya, Sujanpur and Gurdaspur districts of poll-bound . As per information from Defence Minister's office, he will address a public meeting in Dasuya at 11.55 am, Sujanpur at 2.15 pm, and Gurdaspur at 3.45 pm. The is fighting the polls in alliance with the Lok Congress of Capt Amarinder Singh and SAD (Sanyukt) of Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa. It is the bigger party in the alliance. Punjab will go to the polls on February 20. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. Election Commission has given some relaxation on public meetings in view of the decline in COVID-19 cases. It has allowed public meetings with 1,000 people. (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.) Bahujan Samaj Party Supremo on Friday attacked the SP and the BJP for their anti-Dalit policies, saying the former changed names of all the institutions named after Dalit luminaries under its tenure. She said the Samajwadi Party insulted Dalit intellectuals and saints. She alleged that districts, medical colleges, parks and other places and institutions, named after Dalit saints were changed by Mulayam Singh and Ahilesh Yadav under their governments. She also alleged all scholarships and benefits meant for Dalit class were also finished by their government. The leader warned Dalit leaders who joined the SP that they will be taught a lesson by the people in the coming election. She also criticised the ruling BJP government for its anti-Dalit policies. She urged people to vote and support the BSP to teach these parties a lesson for their "treatment of Dalit, backwards, and Muslims". (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.) There are no criminal cases against Chief Minister . In his affidavit filed with his nomination for the Gorakhpur Assembly seat on Friday, the chief minister has said that there is not a single criminal case against him. It is noteworthy that the opposition has been repeatedly accusing the chief minister of having criminal antecedents. Meanwhile, the assets of Yogi Adityanath, have increased by about Rs 59 lakh in the last four years. At the time of being elected as MLC in 2017, his assets were Rs 95.98 lakh, which have now increased to Rs 1,54,94,000. He has Rs one lakh cash in hand. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, his assets were worth Rs 72,17,000. According to the affidavit, the chief minister owns no vehicle though he had three luxury vehicles till 2014. He owns a mobile phone worth Rs 12,000. has two arms, including a revolver worth Rs one lakh and a rifle worth Rs 80,000. His deposits include Rs 35.24 lakhs in an account in Delhi. He has bank accounts in Gorakhpur and Lucknow also. Yogi Adityanath's ear rings are made of 20-gram gold and he has a gold chain with Rudraksha, worth Rs 12,000. The Chief Minister does not have any immovable property. He does not have any immovable property in his name. (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.) is planning to list more shares in Aramco and is targeting a stake sale of as much as $50 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the oil giants strategy. The state-owned company has held talks with outside advisers about selling more shares on the Riyadh stock exchange as well as a secondary listing, possibly in London, Singapore or other exchanges, the report said, adding that it was still in the planning stage. Aramco, which listed in Riyadh in December 2019 and currently has a market value of $1.97 trillion, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. When the initial public offering was first floated by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2016 with an ambition to raise as much as $100 billion, the share sale was touted as part of a blueprint for life after oil. would raise funds off its biggest asset, and use them to develop new industries. But Aramco offered just 1.5 per cent of its shares and opted for a local listing, relying almost entirely on Saudi and regional investors. It mopped up proceeds of $25.6 billion, exceeding the 2014 IPO of Chinese internet giant Alibaba Group Holding. The sale was the first major disposal of state assets under a plan to empower the private sector and attract foreign direct investment, which has tumbled since oil prices crashed in 2014. The proceeds were to be transferred to the Public Investment Fund, which made a number of bold investments, plowing $45 billion into SoftBank Groups Vision Fund, and taking a $3.5 billion stake in Uber. The is launching a new major initiative to reduce gun violence in the country, President said on Thursday. "Today, the Department [of Justice] is launching intensified National Ghost Gun Enforcement Initiative to deter criminals from using weapons," Biden said in New York City at a meeting with federal and state officials. He noted that Attorney General Merrick Garland directed all attorneys in the country to prioritise combating gun trafficking within the country. The White House explained in a separate statement that the federal government will cooperate with state and local law enforcement to address the most significant sources of violence in each area. The administration expressed commitment to deploy additional personnel and resources to strengthen the ability to crack down on the so-called Iron Pipeline - the illegal flow of guns circulating across the country, along with other firearms trafficking. In addition, US authorities are going to pursue illegal gun sellers by prioritizing federal prosecutions of those who criminally sell or transfer firearms that are used in violent crimes, the White House 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.) U.S. President will sign an executive order on Friday requiring "project labor agreements" in federal construction projects over $35 million, a potential boost to workers and unions that negotiate these deals, and a shift the administration says will speed up building times. The order will apply to $262 billion in federal construction contracting and impact nearly 200,000 workers, the White House said late on Thursday, confirming news first reported by Reuters. Project labor agreements are collective bargaining agreements between building trade unions and contractors, which set wages, employment conditions, and dispute resolution on specific projects. Democratic presidents in the past have typically supported applying such agreements to the massive U.S. federal contracting budget, while Republican presidents have rescinded them. The order, which will go into effect immediately, comes on the heels of a $1 trillion infrastructure bill signed into law by Biden that invests in the country's roads, ports and bridges. Much of that money will flow through federal agencies to states and local governments. The new executive order excludes projects funded by grants to non-federal agencies, a senior administration official said, adding that will make up for a bulk of the projects under the bill. But it will apply to billions of other federal spending on waterways, military bases and other areas. The White House said Biden would visit Ironworkers Local 5 in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Friday to sign the new executive order, joined by Vice President Kamala Harris and Labor Secretary Marty Walsh. The U.S. construction industry - including workers, owners, developers, contractors - has been one of the hardest hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, due to a slowdown of available goods and labor and the termination of entire projects. Biden has vowed to strengthen unions and increase membership in the United States after years of steady decline, and to increase salaries for hourly workers in construction, health care and other jobs. "Contractors who offer lower wages or hire less qualified workers will need to raise their standards to compete with other high-wage, high-quality companies," the order says, according to a draft viewed by Reuters. Earlier executive action by Biden requires federal contractors in new or extended contracts to pay a $15 per hour minimum wage. Biden's move won praise from some contractors. "This streamlines the negotiation process and gives employers access to a highly skilled pool of craftworkers," Daniel Hogan, chief executive of the Association of Union Constructors, that represents 1800 contractor companies, told Reuters. (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 iconic photo of Prince Andrew with his accuser in Ghislaine Maxwell's home, according to his former lover, is a hoax. During her brief relationship with the Duke of York in 1999, Lady Victoria Hervey posted a bizarre thought on Instagram, bringing fresh light to the prince's sexual assault charges. Prince Andrew's ex-girlfriend questions Giuffre photo proof Hervey tries to disprove the legitimacy of the photo of the prince with his arm around Virginia Giuffre's accuser in a series of posts. In the backdrop, Maxwell is standing. The photo was included in Giuffre's complaint against the Duke, stating that it was shot when she was 17 years old and forced to have intercourse with him for the first time. After being trafficked by Maxwell and wealthy pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, she claims she was forced to have sex with him four times. Because Giuffre wore the same attire at an event in the south of France, Hervey claims in her Instagram story that the photograph of her with the prince could not have been shot at Maxwell's mansion in London. Giuffre's photograph was then placed to a photo of the prince's body duplicate with his head edited onto it, according to her. In his official answer to Giuffre's lawsuit, issued last week, the Duke refuses to believe the image is authentic. On Newsnight, Prince Andrew stated that while he couldn't prove the photo was fake, he had reason to suspect it was, as per Independent. Prince Andrew's legal answer to the complaint implies that he would "seek an expert's opinion" on the photo's legitimacy, according to US lawyer Rachel Fiset. Giuffre, 38, is suing Andrew, 61, for undisclosed damages, which, according to US attorneys, could potentially exceed $19 million if she prevails. At Epstein's house in New York and the US Virgin Islands, the mother of three claims she was forced to have sex with the Prince at Epstein's home in New York and in the US Virgin Islands, according to Mirror. Read Also: Meghan Markle Wins 1 Pound Token in Damages After Privacy Case; Sussexes Face Pressure Over 2020 Archewell Figures Judge seeks statement from Prince Andrew's former assistant After a formal request from a New York judge, Prince Andrew's former aide might deliver a sworn testimony as part of the civil sexual assault action against the duke. Robert Olney's evidence had been solicited by lawyers for Virginia Giuffre, Prince Andrew's accuser in the case. Olney had previously worked as the prince's equerry for the prince. Olney's name and phone number were in Epstein's contacts book, according to Giuffre's attorneys, and the former assistant would be aware of Prince Andrew's relationship with him. On Monday evening, US judge Lewis Kaplan released his letter to London's High Court, formally seeking aid in Giuffre's civil lawsuit. Because of the request, the British court must now determine whether or not to join Prince Andrew's case under the terms of an international legal treaty between cooperating courts. Any evidence collected from Olney would be used in Giuffre's civil damages suit against the prince, according to Judge Kaplan's letter to Senior Master Elizbeth Fontaine, the officer in charge of handling requests for help from foreign courts. Judge Kaplan said Olney, as Prince Andrew's former equerry, was likely to have "important knowledge" concerning the duke's relationship with Epstein and his travel to and from Epstein's homes. Given that Prince Andrew says he has never met or sexually assaulted Ms. Giuffre, the court stated that if his motion is granted, Olney should be questioned about any conversations that include her. He has also asked for testimony from Shukri Walker, who claims to have seen Prince Andrew with a young lady who may or may not have been Giuffre at London's Tramps nightclub in March 2001, according to BBC News. Related Article: Ghislaine Maxwell Set To Call More Witnesses in Sex Trafficking Trial But "Little Black Book" of High-Profile Contacts Won't Be Released @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Another aide of UK Prime Minister quit on Friday, taking the total number of resignations at Downing Street to five as the embattled British premier was attempting to reset his government following the 'Partygate' scandal that has put his position in peril. The string of resignations continued on Friday with the ruling Conservative Party's website reporting that Elena Narozanski has become the second adviser to quit the No 10 Downing Street policy unit. Johnson's longstanding policy chief Munira Mirza, chief of staff Dan Rosenfield, principal private secretary Martin Reynolds, and communications director Jack Doyle all left their posts within hours of each other on Thursday, days after a damning investigation revealed that multiple parties took place at Downing Street while the rest of the United Kingdom was living under strict COVID-19 lockdown rules. Former Downing Street aide Nikki da Costa said Narozanski is one of the most principled women I know. Another big loss to the policy unit, da Costa said. Meanwhile, Business and Energy Secretary Greg Hands on Friday said that Prime Minister Johnson is taking charge of his Downing Street team by making changes after a row over lockdown parties. Asked what was going on in Downing Street, Hands told the British broadcaster Sky, resignations have been made, resignations have been accepted. Senior Tory member of Parliament Huw Merriman, who chairs the Commons Transport Committee, said he was deeply troubled by the situation, and told Johnson to improve or leave Downing Street for good. Doyle confirmed his exit shortly after the departure of Pakistani-origin Mirza. They were followed by Rosenfield and Reynolds, the BBC reported on Friday. The top aides' resignations come as Johnson, 57, faces increasing questions over his leadership from within his party. Doyle told staff that "recent weeks have taken a terrible toll on my family life", but that he had always intended to leave after two years. A statement from a No 10 spokeswoman said Rosenfield had offered his resignation to the prime minister earlier on Thursday but would stay on while his successor was found. Reynolds - the prime minister's principal private secretary - will do the same, but then return to a role at the Foreign Office, the report said. However, Mirza quit over the Prime Minister's false claim that opposition Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile when he was director of public prosecutions, and his refusal to apologise. Mirza was the first to go, using a stinging resignation letter to accuse the prime minister of scurrilous behaviour when he falsely linked Starmer to the failure to bring paedophile Jimmy Savile to justice. Mirza's exit is the most consequential. She was one of Johnson's long-standing allies and a key political player who helped shape the prime minister's platform - some of which made her unpopular with other members of his ruling Conservative Party. Chancellor Rishi Sunak publicly distanced himself from Johnson's original comment, saying: "Being honest, I wouldn't have said it." And asked if Johnson should apologise, the Indian-origin leader said: "That's for the prime minister to decide." Sunak has previously declined to criticise Johnson directly throughout the weeks of revelations about lockdown-busting parties in Downing Street, though he has acknowledged that mistakes were made. The flurry of resignations came at the end of an important day for the government as the chancellor sought to explain how he hopes to avert a cost of living crisis for millions of people affected by rising fuel bills and mortgage payments. The pressure for Johnson to step down has been increasing among members of his Conservative party after a series of missteps and allegations he and his team held rule-breaking parties during the pandemic. Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said: "No amount of reorganising Downing Street can clean up the sleaze that comes straight from the top. "With (Johnson's) senior advisers and aides quitting, perhaps it is finally time for him to look in the mirror and consider if he might just be the problem," Rayner said. Johnson's former adviser Dominic Cummings claimed Mirza's departure was an unmistakable signal the bunker is collapsing and this PM is finished. He urged ministers to show a similar flicker of moral courage and resign. A number of MPs supportive of the prime minister have been tweeting praise, suggesting Johnson was responsible for making necessary staff changes following the damning report by civil servant Sue Gray into rule-breaking parties at Downing Street during the pandemic. The report, released Monday, uncovered multiple parties and a culture of excessive drinking at Downing Street. Gray said there had been a "failure of leadership" in Johnson's government. Three Conservative MPs went public on Wednesday with their intention to submit letters of no confidence in the prime minister. One senior Tory MP said the departure of Mirza smacked of the last days of Rome, suggesting the number of no confidence letters may now be approaching the threshold of 54 that would trigger a no-confidence vote, The Guardian newspaper reported. If Johnson lost such a vote, which could be held within days, his premiership would be over. Johnson told a journalist from Britain's Channel 5 News that he's "sorry to lose" Mirza, who had worked with the prime minister for 14 years. Johnson said he did not agree with Mirza's assertion that his comments on Starmer were inappropriate. Mirza, often seen as a proponent of Downing Street's war on woke, had worked with Johnson for more than a decade, including at City Hall when he was mayor of London. He previously identified her as one of the five most inspiring women in his life. (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.) Prime Minister on Friday was fighting for his premiership following an exodus of senior aides and calls from within his own party for him to step down. On Friday morning, Elena Narozanski, Boris Johnsons special advisor on women and equalities, became the fifth adviser to walk out the door within 24 hours, according to British media reports. She followed other top aides who quit Downing Street on Thursday as the fallout from a scandal dubbed Partygate continues to engulf the UK government and raise questions about the PMs leadership. Munira Mirza, his head of policy who had worked with him for 14 years, resigned on Thursday over Johnsons claim that Labour leader Keir Starmer failed to prosecute paedophile Jimmy Savile during his time as director of public prosecutions (DPP). Johnsons finance minister, Rishi Sunak, said pointedly that he would not have made such a remark. On Thursday night, Johnsons communications director, chief of staff, and private secretary all announced their resignations. Those revelations raised questions about Johnsons often chaotic style of leadership and have led to the greatest threat to him since he took office. Johnson admitted that problems needed to be fixed at the heart of Downing Street, which serves as both his home and the nerve centre of the British state. While opposition parties and some of Johnson's own lawmakers have called on him to quit, there is concern that toppling a British leader at this juncture would leave the West weakened as it faces a potential military crisis in Ukraine. French President will head to and Kyiv next week as part of his push to try to deter Russian President from launching an invasion of and find a diplomatic way out of the growing tensions. The visit Monday and Tuesday comes after the U.S. accused the Kremlin on Thursday of an elaborate plot to fabricate an attack by Ukrainian forces that could use as a pretext to take military action. The U.S. has not provided detailed information backing up the claims. While France is a major player in NATO and is moving troops to Romania as part of the alliance's preparation for possible Russian action, Macron has also been actively pushing for dialogue with Putin and has spoken to him several times in recent weeks. The two will hold a one-on-one meeting Monday, Macron's office said Friday. Macron is following a French tradition of striking a separate path from the United States in geopolitics, as well as trying to make his own mark on this crisis and defend Europe's interests. But after weeks of talks in various diplomatic formats have led to no major concessions by and the U.S., it's unclear how much impact his trip will have. In a call Wednesday with U.S. President Joe Biden, Macron filled him in on his diplomatic efforts. In talks with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders Thursday night, Macron's office said they discussed ways to identify elements that could lead to de-escalation, and conditions for strategic balance in Europe, which should allow for the reduction of risks on the ground and guarantee security on the continent. has amassed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine's northern and eastern borders, raising concern that might invade again, as it did in 2014. The troop presence and uncertainty have unnerved Ukrainians and hurt the country's economy. Russian officials deny that an invasion is planned. Putin, who is meeting with Chinese President Xi Jingping in Beijing on Friday as the Winter Olympics open, has been signaling an apparent readiness for more talks with Washington and NATO in recent days. Some experts say that as long as Russia and the West keep talking, that's a reason for cautious optimism. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also offered to mediate talks between Russia and . Meanwhile, in Washington, U.S. officials said a plan for a fake attack on Russian territory or Russian-speaking people was described in declassified intelligence shared with Ukrainian officials and European allies in recent days. It was the latest example of the Biden administration divulging intelligence findings as a tactic to stop Russian disinformation efforts and foil what it says is Putin's attempt to lay the groundwork for military action. In recent weeks, the White House has said that U.S. intelligence shows Russia has launched a malign social media disinformation campaign against and has dispatched operatives trained in explosives to carry out acts of sabotage against Russia's own proxy forces. Britain has divulged intelligence findings that it says show Russia plotting to install a pro-Russian puppet government in Ukraine. (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.) An overnight raid conducted by U. S. special forces in Syria has resulted in the death of the leader of the terrorist Islamic State group. Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi was killed as he exploded a bomb at his compound in the countrys northwestern Idlib province. The blast also caused the death of members of his family, including children, U. S. officials said. This isnt the first time that American forces have targeted the head of terrorist organizations, nor the first time they have been successful. The Conversation asked Amira Jadoon, a terrorism expert at the U. S. Military Academy, and Haroro J. Ingram and Andrew Mines, research fellows at the George Washington Universitys Program on Extremism, to explain how this raid fits the U. S.s counterterrorism strategy, and where it leaves the Islamic State. Who was Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi? Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi is the alias adopted by Amir Muhammad Said Abdal-Rahman al-Mawla, who became leader of the Islamic State in 2019 following the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a U. S. raid. He was born in 1976 in Mosul, northern Iraq. But very little was known about al-Qurayshi until September 2020, when it emerged that he had been detained and interrogated by U. S. forces in Iraq in early 2008. Declassified tactical interrogation reports from that period depict al-Qurayshi as a recently graduated scholar who experienced a meteoric rise through the Islamic State groups ranks. Al-Qurayshi claimed that he joined the group in 2007, having finished a masters degree in Quranic studies from Mosul University. Soon after joining, al-Qurayshi became the groups Shariah adviser, a major religious figure, in Mosul and later the deputy wali, or shadow governor, of the city before his capture in early 2008. The interrogation reports show that al-Qurayshi revealed the names of at least 20 alleged members of the Islamic State of Iraq, as the group was known at the time. His betrayal came at a time when group members were being killed or captured in large numbers by U. S. and coalition forces. Relatively little is known about al-Qurayshis activities for the next decade after he was released. But he reportedly oversaw the Islamic State groups attempted genocide of Iraqs minority Yazidis and had served as deputy to al-Baghdadi since at least 2018. His rise to caliph was controversial in jihadist circles, not helped by the release of his interrogation records after becoming leader. Where does his death leave Islamic State operationally? The operation against al-Qurayshi arrives at a precarious time for the Islamic State group. The organizations transition from an Iraq-centric movement to a global insurgency with affiliates dotted across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia is still relatively fresh. Recent Islamic State attacks on Hasakah prison in northeast Syria and elsewhere across Iraq have hinted that the group is more advanced in rebuilding its capabilities across traditional heartlands than perhaps expected. But the death of al-Qurayshi just two years after that of his predecessor raises uncertainty over who will succeed him. The fact that the Islamic State group couldnt protect its top leader shows the continued pressure the group faces from U. S. and allied forces. Al-Qurayshis rapid demise his predecessor led for almost a decade may also indicate internal rifts. After he took over as leader, al-Qurayshi was mockingly described by dissenters within the terrorist group as an unknown nobody while others questioned his suitability as leader, especially after the release of his interrogation reports in September 2020. It may be that al-Qurayshi was himself betrayed, ultimately contributing to the circumstances that led to the U. S. raid. If so, it could indicate a split within the group between al-Qurayshi and those who wanted him gone. Now, the Islamic State is likely to appoint al-Qurayshis successor based on the deliberation of its shura council, its senior leadership panel, as it has done previously. If it happens as it has in the past, al-Qurayshis successor could be appointed in the next few days or weeks. Hell be given an alias to conceal his identity. Group members and leaders of Islamic State global affiliates will be asked to pledge allegiance to him, but he may not make a public appearance for months or years if ever. What effect has killing the heads of terrorist groups had in the past? Leadership decapitation or the targeted killing of militant groups top leaders is a key component of counterterrorism and counterinsurgency. It is widely used by many nations, including the United States. But terrorism experts dont agree on how effective killing top leaders is. Some have argued that taking out a terrorist leader constrains the operational capacity of groups and disrupts their organizational routines, making it harder for them to carry out attacks. It may, it has been argued, also contribute to organizational collapse. Research shows that under the right circumstances, the targeting of top leaders can result in fewer violent attacks by a militant group and increase the chances of defeating an insurgency. Yet other counterterrorism experts highlight problems with targeted killings. They argue that they can result in decentralization of the group and increase indiscriminate violence by targeted groups. The tactic is also generally considered to be less effective against groups like the Islamic State and al-Qaida that have well-managed leadership structures and succession protocols. The Islamic State group has survived multiple deaths within its leadership precisely because of its bureaucratic approach to succession, and because it still enjoys pockets of strong local support. In the short term, the death of al-Qurayshi may cause the Islamic State group to lie low. But this will not indicate the demise of the organization. The loss of al-Qurayshi could also trigger retaliation attacks as a signal of resolve among members and to stay relevant in the global jihadist landscape. How much of a global and regional threat is Islamic State group? Back in early 2019, the U. S. and allied forces successfully beat back the Islamic State group from its height in 2014-16, when it controlled larges parts of Iraq and Syria. The group has recently shifted attention to prominent affiliates, like those in sub-Saharan Africa and Afghanistan. This shift highlights how the Islamic State has maintained its relevance: If it experiences decline in its strongholds of Iraq and Syria, affiliates elsewhere are able to keep the vision of the global caliphate alive. The recent terrorist attacks in Syria and Iraq suggest that the Islamic States resurgence strategy is much further along than many observers may have expected. Elsewhere, affiliates are engaged in intense insurgencies against local governments and rival militant groups. This includes persistent threats from IS-West Africa Province in the Lake Chad region, and IS-Central Africa Province in the Congo and Mozambique. Indeed, Africa is poised to be a key Islamic State battleground going forward. Meanwhile in Afghanistan, ISIS-K has pursued a relatively successful strategy to rally after years of losses at the hands of the U. S.-led coalition, challenging the new Taliban government and competing for control of provinces in the countrys northeast. The death of al-Qurayshi is unlikely to affect the operations of Islamic State groups affiliates in any meaningful way. Many have strategies that draw heavily on local resources and alliances with other groups. While the latest U. S. raid may result in temporary uncertainty for the broader movement, history suggests the Islamic State movement will be able to push forward with regional attacks and reestablish the support of affiliates around the world. [Like what youve read? Want more? Sign up for The Conversations daily newsletter.] Haroro J. Ingram, Senior Research Fellow at the Program on Extremism, George Washington University; Amira Jadoon, Assistant Professor at the Combating Terrorism Center, United States Military Academy West Point, and Andrew Mines, Research Fellow at the Program on Extremism, George Washington University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Japan, a key importer of liquefied natural gas (LNG), will consider ways it can help the community in the event of the Ukraine crisis disrupting supplies, Industry Minister Koichi Hagiuda said on Friday. He declined to confirm media reports that the United States had asked if it could divert some of its imports to Europe if Russia were to cut supplies, saying: "We can't comment on our diplomatic exchange." But Hagiuda told a news conference had been a "driving force in the development of the market" for years, adding: "We would like to consider how we can contribute to the community." But he also said Japan, a resource-poor country, would first needed to secure sufficient energy to avoid any shortage in electricity as more cold weather was forecast. "We will see if there is anything that can be done after ensuring that the people's lives are not affected," he said. The Ukraine situation had a significant impact on the stable supply of energy to Japan, so would closely monitor the situation, he said. Russia and the West have been at loggerheads over Ukraine, fanning fears that energy supplies to Europe could be disrupted. Last week, the United States, the world's top producer of natural gas, asked Qatar and other major energy producers to examine whether they could supply Europe if flows from Russia were disrupted as a result of the Ukraine crisis. A source told Reuters last week that Qatar would need U.S. help persuading its buyers to divert gas to Europe, where some 30%-40% of gas needs are met by Russia. Jiji news agency reported on Thursday that the U.S. government asked Japan if it could divert some to Europe in the event of any disruption in gas supply from Russia to Europe and that Japan was considering such measures. (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.) Pakistani lawmakers are mulling a proposed amendment to the civil service rules that will bar top government officials from holding dual nationality and could affect over 20,000 bureaucrats, according to a media report on Friday. The Citizenship Act 1951 explicitly allows a citizen of to hold dual nationality. Pakistanis with dual citizenship are currently forbidden to run for public office, sit in parliament, contest elections or join the army. In a ruling in September 2012, the country's top court disqualified eleven lawmakers for failing to disclose their dual nationalities upon taking office. The amendment to the civil service rules came up before the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat on Thursday during a discussion on the The Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2021' moved by Senator Afnan Ullah Khan in the sitting held on Jan 17, 2022. The proposed amendment bars civil servants from holding dual nationality and suggests a timeline for dual national civil servants to relinquish their foreign nationality, the Dawn newspaper reported. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohammad Khan was of the view that government servants should not hold dual nationality during service, arguing that one person cannot be loyal to two countries at the same time. A recent report submitted to the Supreme Court on dual nationality revealed that more than 22,000 top government officers are dual nationals. According to the report,11,000 officers belong to police and bureaucracy, the media report said. Dual nationality holding officers are currently working in interior division, power division, aviation division, finance division, petroleum, commerce ministry, establishment division, information ministry, railway and others, it said. Establishment Secretary Afzal Latif pointed out that this bar would affect a large number of civil servants, but maintained that it was essential to obtain the Ministry of Interior's point of view on the amendment. Committee Chairman Rana Maqbool Ahmad directed the cabinet division and interior secretaries to ensure their presence in the next meeting whenever held to convey their perspective on the amendment under discussion, the report said. recently decided to offer a permanent residency scheme for wealthy foreign nationals, including Sikhs living in the US and Canada, Afghans and Chinese, to attract investment and boost its flagging economy and national growth. Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry announced that the scheme was in line with the new National Security Policy, which was formally launched by Prime Minister last month. (Reporting by Sajjad Hussain) Russian President and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, discussed the situation in and Moscow's proposals on security guarantees during a phone conversation on Thursday, the Kremlin said. "A substantive dialogue continued on the situation around and issues related to the Russian initiative to develop long-term legal guarantees for the security of Russia," the Kremlin said in a statement. Putin drew Macron's attention to Kyiv "provocative statements and actions", Kremlin added in the statement. The leaders also exchanged views on issues "in the context of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union. (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.) America's relationship with India stands on its own merit and has not been impacted by the ongoing tension with Russia, the Biden administration said. We have a relationship with India that stands on its own merits, State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference on Thursday. He was responding to a question if the US ties with India have been impacted due to the tension with Russia over Ukraine crisis. For the second time this week, the State Department spokesperson refrained from responding to questions related to India's position on Ukraine in the United Nations Security Council. I will leave it to our Indian partners to discuss their stance in the UN Security on this particular issue, Price said. We have been in touch with literally dozens of countries around the world, including our Indian partners, on our concerns regarding Russia's military buildup and its unprovoked potential aggression against Ukraine, he maintained. These are conversations that the is having at different levels, he said. As I was saying in a different context earlier, Russian aggression against Ukraine and a Russian invasion of Ukraine would have implications for the security environment well beyond that neighbourhood. Whether it is the PRC or India or countries around the world, the implications would be far-reaching. And I think there is a broad understanding of that, 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.) On a consolidated basis, the company's net profit rose 39.83% to Rs 66 crore on 64.71% increase in net revenue to Rs 624.40 crore in Q3 December 2021 over Q3 December 2020. Devyani International (DIL) recorded its highest-ever quarterly results in Q3 FY22. The performance surpassed pre-pandemic levels and was driven by new store openings coupled with solid momentum in demand. DIL reported improved profitability during the quarter on the back of several initiatives towards cost-optimization and improving store economics. Gross margins expanded by 270 basis points YoY to 71.4% in Q3 FY22. EBITDA improved by 67.38% to Rs 147.80 crore in Q3 FY22 from Rs 88.30 crore in Q3 FY21. EBITDA margin stood at 23.7% in Q3 FY22 as against 23.3% in Q3 FY21. Profit before tax in the third quarter stood at Rs 66.90 crore, up by 41.14% from Rs 47.40 crore reported in the same period last year. Raw material cost jumped 50.42% to Rs 178.70 crore in Q3 FY22 over Q3 FY21. The core brand portfolio reported an encouraging all-round performance in Q3 FY22. KFC and Pizza Hut registered a revenue growth of 64% YoY each, primarily led by store additions and higher demand. Same-store sales growth (SSSG) across both brands remained robust with KFC at 24% and Pizza Hut at 25%. Revenue from Costa Coffee grew 88% YoY to Rs 14.3 crore. The company has opened 81 net new stores in Q3, which is the highest store openings recorded by the company in a quarter. All store expansion plans are being undertaken through internal accruals. As on 31 December 2021, DIL operated 339 KFC stores, 391 Pizza Hut stores and 50 Costa Coffee stores in India. The total system store count stands at 884 across its entire brand portfolio. DIL is the largest franchisee of Yum Brands in India and are among the largest operators of chain quick service restaurants (QSR) in India, on a non-exclusive basis, and operate 884 stores across more than 200 cities in India, Nigeria and Nepal, as of 31 December 2021. In addition, DIL is a franchisee for the Costa Coffee brand and stores in India. Yum! Brands Inc. operates brands such as KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell brands and has presence globally with more than 50,000 restaurants in over 150 countries, as of 31 December 2020. Founded in London by Italian brothers Sergio and Bruno Costa in 1971, Costa Coffee is present in 41 countries around the world, with over 2,800+ coffee shops in the UK&I and 1,100+ globally. Shares of DIL were down 2.12% at Rs 180.25 on the BSE. The stock entered the bourses on 16 August 2021 at Rs 141 per share, at a premium of 56.67% to the initial public offer (IPO) price of Rs 90 per share. The IPO of DIL was subscribed 116.71 times. The issue opened for bidding on 4 August 2021 and closed on 6 August 2021. The price band of the IPO was fixed at Rs 86-90 per share. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) GAIL (India) advanced 2.31% to Rs 150.30 after the company's consolidated net profit soared 100.31% to Rs 380 crore on a 66.98% surge in revenue from operations to Rs 2,617.56 crore in Q3 December 2021 over Q3 December 2020. Consolidated profit before tax (PBT) surged 105.46% to Rs 481.98 crore in Q3 FY22 from Rs 234.58 crore in Q3 FY21. GAIL (India) has recorded a good financial performance in the third quarter of FY2021-22 on account of improved gas marketing spread, better product prices and improved operating efficiency in petrochemicals and liquid hydrocarbons. Manoj Jain, the chairman and managing director (MD) of GAIL, informed that this is the highest ever quarterly revenue from operations, PBT and PAT of the company. In fact, during the 9 month period ended on 31 December 2021, GAIL has already surpassed the highest ever PAT achieved in any of the previous financial years. GAIL has incurred a capex of Rs 5,034 crore mainly on pipelines, petrochemicals, equity to JVs, etc. Mr Jain further stated that GAIL has acquired 26% stake from ILF&S in ONGC Tripura Power Company. The acquisition would be synergetic and enable GAIL to stronghold its presence in North East region of the country. He further added that GAIL has commissioned India's first-of-its-kind pilot project for mixing hydrogen into City Gas Distribution network of AGL at Indore, Madhya Pradesh, this project marks the stepping stone of India's journey towards a hydrogen based and carbon-neutral future. GAIL (India) is an integrated energy company in the hydrocarbon sector and is engaged in gas marketing. The Government of India held 51.80% stake in the company as of 31 December 2021. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) United States President Joe Biden recently announced that the U.S. Special Operations forces have killed an Islamic State leader on Thursday during a raid in Syria. The individual, identified as Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, was believed to have been working undercover in an attempt to rebuild the terrorist group. Authorities acknowledged that the man carried a firearm wherever he went. Nearly 15 years ago, American forces detained the man in Iraq. BREAKING: President Biden announces the killing of ISIS chief Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi in a special forces raid. He took over a ISIS chief in October 2019 after Baghdadi was whacked. pic.twitter.com/zIhNsDGAfN Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) February 3, 2022 ISIS Leader Killed The first thing to know about Al-Qurayshi is that he assumed control of the militant group back in October 2019 after a U.S. military raid killed former leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Second, in writing about the militant leader last year, BBC correspondent Feras Kilani said that several Iraqi intelligence officials noted al-Baghdadi was trying to keep al-Qurayshi away from the battlefield. The effort was done with the intent of protecting him so that he could lead ISIS in the future after al-Baghdadi. Third, the terrorist leader reportedly detonated a large number of explosives during the raid to avoid capture by the U.S. forces. The fourth thing to note about Al-Qurayshi is he is believed to have been chosen as a successor due to his academic study of Islam and his two-decade history as part of jihadist groups. Lastly, the ISIS leader had detailed, firsthand knowledge of the organization's inner structure, as per Fox News. The raid that ultimately led to the ISIS leader's death was set in motion months prior after a tip that the top terrorist was in hiding on the top floor of a house located in northwest Syria. President Biden, in brief remarks at the White House, said that his decision to send roughly two dozen helicopter-borne commandos was made to minimize civilian casualties. Read Also: Joe Biden Confirms ISIS Leader Blew Himself Up During US Military Raid in Syria; But Civilian Deaths Raise Major Concern In a statement, military officials said that attacking the area with a bomb or a missile would have been safer for the troops. However, they noted that these types of actions would have endangered more than a dozen civilians inside the house, including children. Months-Long Operation Biden's aides said that the Democratic president approved the attack on Tuesday morning after dozens of rehearsals, including an exercise that involved a tabletop model of the building. The president, on Thursday, called the operation a warning to all terrorist groups. He warned that it was a testament to the capability of the United States military to address threats worldwide, the New York Times reported. The U.S. president addressed the bravery of the American troops that were part of the operation, saying "this horrible terrorist leader is no more." In a statement released on Wednesday night, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby that the U.S. Central Command, which controls military operations and activities in the Middle East, led the operation. On Thursday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that al-Qurayshi's death dealt a devastating blow to the terrorist group. The official added that the incident underscores the U.S. federal government's commitment to removing terrorist threats. During a briefing on Thursday, Kirby noted, however, that four civilians and five combatants were killed during the operation. The fatalities come as the U.S. special forces were reportedly able to evacuate 10 people inside the building that the ISIS leader was using as a hideout, according to CNN. Related Article: Cyber Security Warning 2022: FBI Wants Olympic Athletes To Use Burner Phones in Beijing Amid Threats of Cyber Attack @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Godrej Properties slumped 7.68% to Rs 1541.05 after a foreign brokerage reportedly maintained a "sell" rating on the stock and cut its target price to Rs 1,424 from Rs 1,563. The brokerage reportedly stated that Godrej Properties (GPL)'s deal with DB Realty (DBR) lacks merit due to the direct purchase of a stake in the company. The brokerage is concerned over convoluted deal structure and risk-prone slum rehab projects of GPL. Both the deal with DBR and the foray into slum rehab project was unwarranted, it added. The board of GPL on 3 February 2022 approved a potential investment in DBR and also the setting up of a special purpose vehicle along with DBR to jointly undertake slum rehabilitation and MHADA redevelopment projects. Following the news, shares of D B Realty hit an upper circuit limit of 5% at Rs 100.90. GPL will subscribe to warrants convertible into equity shares aggregating to approximately 10% of the issued and paid-up capital of DBR for an aggregate amount of approximately Rs 400 crore. GPL and DBR will each contribute an additional 300 crore towards the equity platform focused on redevelopment opportunities in Mumbai. The equity platform will act as a strategic special purpose vehicle providing GPL with ROFR (Right of First Refusal) for all slum rehabilitation and MHADA redevelopment projects to be identified by DB across Mumbai under a 50:50 equity partnership with 10% development management fees to GPL. This will provide GPL access to a large number of slum rehabilitation and MHADA redevelopment projects in MMR. Mohit Malhotra, MD & CEO, Godrej Properties said, "We are pleased to announce a strategic partnership with DB Realty, which will give GPL a strong platform for growth in Mumbai. We believe this strategic partnership will allow each company to utilize its complementary strengths to boost the amount of successful slum rehabilitation and MHADA redevelopment projects in the city thereby benefiting economically weaker sections of the population while contributing to the growth of Mumbai as the country's financial capital." Meanwhile, on 3 February 2022 GPL said its consolidated net profit surged 171.43% to Rs 38.95 crore on 63.51% increase in net revenue to Rs 278.76 crore in Q3 December 2021 as compared with Q3 December 2020. Profit before tax surged 116.44% to Rs 67.94 crore in Q3 FY22 from Rs 31.39 crore in Q3 FY21. EBITDA jumped 42% year-on-year to Rs 115 crore in Q3 FY22. EBITDA margin stood at 28.8% in Q3 FY22 as against 26.6% in Q3 FY21. As on 31 December 2021, the company's net debt stood at Rs 313 crore, lower than Rs 3,077 crore as on 31 December 2020. Q3 FY22 witnessed a total booking value of Rs 1,541 crore and total booking volume of 2.22 million square feet (sq. ft.) compared with total booking value of Rs 1,488 and total booking volume of 2.40 million sq. ft. in Q3 FY21. The company added 3 new projects with saleable area of about 2.4 million sq. ft. in Q3 FY22. It delivered about 0.08 million sq. ft. in MMR in Q3 FY22. Construction worker strength stood at 143% of pre-Covid levels. Commenting on the performance of Q3 FY2022, Pirojsha Godrej, executive chairman, GPL, said: "It is encouraging to see that the real estate sector in India has continued to strengthen despite the challenges of the third wave. Our own sales were muted in the third quarter due to several planned launches seeing minor delays, but we believe the current quarter will be our best ever for residential sales. We are also focused on adding several exciting new projects to our portfolio, which will set us up well for a very strong FY23." In FY 2021, GPL emerged as the largest developer in India by the value and volume of residential sales achieved. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The offer received bids for 35.32 lakh shares as against 2.54 crore shares on offer. The initial public offer (IPO) of Vedant Fashions (Manyavar) received bids for 35,32,872 shares as against 2,54,55,388 shares on offer, according to stock exchange data at 17:00 IST on Friday (4 February 2022). The issue was subscribed 0.14 times. The issue opened for bidding on Friday (4 February 2022) and it will close on Tuesday (8 February 2022). The price band of the IPO is fixed at Rs 824-866 per share. An investor can bid for a minimum of 17 equity shares and in multiples thereof. The offer comprises an offer for sale by selling shareholders Rhine Holdings of up to 1,74,59,392 equity shares aggregating Rs 1,512 crore at upper price band; Ravi Modi Family Trust of up to 1,81,82,432 equity shares aggregating Rs 1,575 crore at upper price band and Kedaara Capital Alternative Investment Fund - Kedaara Capital AIF I of up to 7,23,014 equity shares aggregating Rs 63 crore at upper price band. Ravi Modi Family Trust pre-issue shareholding stood at 74.67% stake, which shall decrease to 67.1%, Rhine Holdings pre-issue shareholding was at 7.2%, which shall become nil and Kedaara AIF pre-issue shareholding stood at 0.3% stake, which shall become nil. Ahead of the IPO, Vedant Fashions (Manyavar) on Thursday, 3 February 2022, finalized allocation of 1,09,09,450 equity shares to anchor investors at an allocation price of Rs 866 per share, aggregating to Rs 9,44,75,83,700. Vedant Fashions is engaged in retailing of ethnic wear. Its Manyavar brand is a category leader in the branded Indian wedding and celebration wear market with a pan India presence. Its other brands include Twamev, Manthan, Mohey and Mebaz. The Manyavar brand accounts for about 80% of the company's revenues. The company's portfolio of products includes a diverse range of attires and accessories, each conceptualized by its designers who have experience in serving the distinct regional preferences of the Indian customer. Its products are manufactured by artisans having an abundance of expertise in the Indian wedding and celebration wear market, supplemented by its own ingrained knowledge of the demands of Indian festivals and weddings. Its wedding portfolio also includes different ranges of creations for different members of the wedding entourage, besides unique personalization for the bride and the groom. Over the years, the company has built longstanding relationships with vendors and artisans, which have been critical towards it being able to command a dominant position in a market that was conventionally an unorganized market. As of 30 September 2021, the company had a retail footprint of 1.2 million square feet covering 535 exclusive brand outlets (EBOs), including 58 shop-in shop, spanning across 212 cities and towns in India and 11 EBOs overseas across United States, Canada and the UAE. The company reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 98.40 crore and sales of Rs 359.80 crore for the twelve months ended September 2021. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hours after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Bhupinder Singh alias Honey, nephew of Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, in a money laundering case, rival parties launched an attack on the government saying it cannot escape answerability. Honey was arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in a case linked to alleged illegal sand mining late Thursday night after several hours of questioning at the agency's office in Jalandhar. Aam Aadmi Party leader Raghav Chadha on Friday referred to the huge sums of cash seized from the premises linked to Channi's nephew and alleged that Honey had swindled the money during the 111 days of the Channi government. If one relative of Channi accumulated so much ill-gotten wealth in his 111 days of tenure as the chief minister, imagine how much his other relatives would accumulate in five years, Chadha alleged. He said Channi may have distanced himself from his nephew's alleged misdeeds, but he cannot escape answerability. Claiming that Honey has made some startling revelations before the ED, Chadha sought to know, Will the chief minister answer how Honey was provided with security, commandos and an escort vehicle. The people will punish the in the February 20 polls, he said. Targeting Channi, Chadha said the man who was repeatedly trying to project himself as an aam aadmi (common man) must explain how his relative was able to own such huge sums of money. Shiromani Akali Dal leader and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia said he has been maintaining that the money was first seized, then Honey was arrested. How can Channi escape from the issue. He is answerable, and the chief minister and his party must tell in what capacity was Honey given the security. The money seized is ill-gotten wealth, Majithia said. Honey is the son of Channi's sister-in-law. After the raids last months, ED sources had claimed that the agency had recovered over Rs 10 crore in cash and several "incriminating" documents, of which Rs 8 crore and most of the papers allegedly belonged to Honey alone. Honey's arrest comes days before leader Rahul Gandhi is slated to announce the party's chief ministerial candidate in the poll-bound state. Gandhi is expected to make this announcement during his virtual rally in Ludhiana on Sunday and Channi is stated to be the front runner. Channi, for his part, had earlier said that just as relatives of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee were raided during the Assembly polls in that state, the ED had followed the same pattern in Punjab to pressure him, his ministers and the Congress party members. The ED had filed a criminal case under PMLA last November. The case is based on a 2018 FIR at the Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar police station that pressed charges under the Indian Penal Code and Mines and Minerals (Regulation of Development) Act, 1957. Punjab will go to polls on February 20. (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.) is known for its camera-centric innovations in . There, however, is one more thing this Chinese smartphone maker does not always get enough credit for, and that is its smartphones' design language. Look at its newly launched flagship smartphone in the Reno series, the Reno 7 Pro . It is touted by the company as a camera-centric smartphone, but there is more to it than meets the eyes. It has a fresh new design, feature-rich operating system with tons of options for customisation and personalisation, and several value-added features for improved everyday experience. Design The Reno 7 Pro looks different from most other smartphones, and for better. It has a flat frame made of aluminium, holding together the 2.5D curved glass of the front and back. The smartphone looks mesmerising in its starlight black colour variant (review unit). Its glass back looks like OnePlus sandstone cover from a distance, but it is smooth and shiny, and not grainy and dull. An interesting add-on here is breathing notification and charging light. It adds zing to the otherwise dud looking protruding rear camera module. Dominating the front is the phones 6.5-inch screen, which covers the entire front and leaves only negligible bezels around. Complementing the design language is the phones thin waistline (7.45mm) and lightweight build (180g). Overall, the OPPO Reno 7 Pro is a design marvel that is pleasing to look at and comfortable to hold and operate. Display The OPPO Reno 7 Pro 5G has the same display used in its predecessor, the Reno 6 Pro (review). However, OPPO incorporated a flat panel this time and ditched the two-side curved screen in lieu of a flat frame. It is a 6.5-inch fullHD+ AMOLED screen of a 90Hz refresh rate with support for HDR10 and HDR10+ high dynamic range formats. The screen's 90Hz refresh rate may seem underwhelming compared to peers with a screen of 120Hz, but in experience, there is barely any perceptible difference between the two. The AMOLED screen of 90Hz on the OPPO Reno 7 Pro 5G feels responsive and smooth. As for the quality, the display is bright, vivid and responsive. It is set to render natural colours by default; you can tune it from display settings to use vivid colours. Camera The OPPO Reno 7 Pro 5G brings incremental but meaningful upgrades. The smartphone features a triple camera set-up on the back, featuring a 50-megapixel primary sensor (Sony IMX766), an 8MP ultra-wide-angle sensor, and a 2MP macro lens. There is one more sensor here, but it does not have an independent utility and is there merely to sense colour temperature. On the front, the smartphone debuts a 32MP Sony IMX709 sensor. Details aside, the OPPO Reno 7 Pro 5G brings significant imaging improvements over the predecessor. Yet, the phones camera performance is not on par with the best camera in its segment. The primary sensor works well across light conditions. It captures frames with a good detail, and without any visible noise or distortion. The ultra-wide-angle sensor is a good performer, too. Though not as capable as a primary sensor, it is a decent one to capture frames that require a wide field-of-view (FoV). The sensor straightens the barrel effect and the images it takes look uniform and free from visible distortion. The macro sensor is there for novelty and its performance is nothing to write home about. Like the Reno6 Pro 5G, the Reno 7 Pro 5G boasts the OPPOs camera-centric value added features such as portrait video with the flare bokeh effect, focus-tracking, and AI Highlight video. Starting with the portrait video feature with flare bokeh effect, it works only with human subjects but delivers good results irrespective of lighting conditions. Shutterbugs might not like the quality of the video recording but this specific feature is likely to impress social media enthusiasts. Besides the portrait video feature with flare bokeh, there is an AI highlight video feature. It is touted to improve the dynamic range, colour depth and range, and contrast, to deliver an enhanced video experience irrespective of light conditions. In real life, the feature improves video recording, but not always. In lowlight conditions, the feature brightens the scene if there is some light source, however dim. In daylight condition, the feature enables HDR, based on the scene requirement, to capture details that otherwise go missing. Overall, it is a good value-added feature. Rounding up the package is the dual-view video, AI colour portrait, monochrome video, and ultra-steady video features. The dual-view video feature lets you use both the front and rear cameras simultaneously to record videos. The AI colour portrait applies a monochrome filter on the frame background while keeping the colours intact on the subject. The ultra-steady video uses electronic image stabilisation technology to record videos free from motion blur and shakes. Complementing the value-added features for video recording is the OPPOs SOLOOP video editing app, which comes pre-installed in the Reno 7 Pro. It is easy to use and has many templates to quickly process the recorded video for use on social media platforms. Coming on to the front camera, it is good for selfies but still not best suited for group selfies because of the sensor's narrow field-of-view (FoV). This is despite OPPOs effort to have a new feature where the sensor uses its best FoV if it identifies more than one person in the frame. Nevertheless, the front camera also supports the night mode for lowlight selfies, but it requires stable hands to capture decent images free from motion blur. Both the portrait video with flare bokeh effect and AI Highlight feature are supported by the front camera too. Performance The OPPO Reno 7 Pro 5G is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 1200-Max system-on-chip, paired with 12GB RAM and 256GB on-board storage. The phones performance is top-notch. It delivers consistent performance without any visible lag or throttling, even after extended usage. Speaking of performance throttling, the phone keeps thermals in control and does not heat up unnecessarily. It warms up a bit at times but not to a point where it becomes uncomfortable to hold and use. Complementing the phones performance is the ColorOS 12 user interface. Based on Android 12 operating system, this custom user interface from OPPO is full of customisation options for personalised experience. Unfortunately, there is bloatware installed in the phone. Some of it is part of the package and cannot be uninstalled. These things hamper the overall experience and set back the OPPO Reno 7 Pro 5G by some notches. Battery The OPPO Reno 7 Pro 5G packs a 4,500mAh battery and ships with the companys 65W USB-C fast charger. The phone sails through a day even if the screen is set to 90Hz refresh rate. Charging time is quick and it takes about an hour to charge the battery fully from zero per cent. Verdict Priced at Rs 39,999, the OPPO Reno 7 Pro 5G is an expensive smartphone for the package it offers. But, it is certainly more than the sum of its specifications. The phone is not about the regulars but value-added features. That said, it makes a good smartphone despite bringing just incremental upgrades over the predecessor. One thing is sure though, the overall feel of the Reno 7 Pro is positive but not premium or flagship kind. Spend a little more and you get the much better OnePlus 9RT (review). Even if you care for the OPPOs value-added features, most of them are part of the OnePlus smartphone. Other than OPPO and OnePlus smartphones, there is Xiaomi 11T Pro (review). This Xiaomi smartphone is a solid all-round package, with several industry-first features. Importantly, unlike the OPPOs niche features, the Xiaomis are for all and make a perceptible difference in everyday use. They will be treated in the same way as betting on horse racing or any other speculative transaction. In first such case, Pune Police on Wednesday arrested a constable and six of his accomplices for allegedly kidnapping a trader and demanding Bitcoin ransom worth $40 million. Find out more about cryptocurrency, how it works and what challenges it is posing before the government today. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor A recent Deloitte report shows that the scale of cross-border wealth management in Hong Kong has grown strongly over the past decade due to its proximity to the mainland and importance as an offshore yuan center. Family office / In Depth: Singapore, Hong Kong vie for billionaires bucks Hong Kong and Singapore are both known as wealth management centers in Asia. For years, they have been rivals to be the first choice for Chinas new rich to set up overseas family offices. The battle is heating up. And the big prize will be lucrative clients from the rapidly growing generation of the tech rich. Dai Le, a 29-year-old financier who started a family office business in Singapore amid the pandemic, said the new wave is coming from Chinese tech giants such as Alibaba Group, Tencent Holdings and ByteDance that have quickly grown into the worlds most valuable companies. Tutoring / Caixin Explains: China adds harsher penalties for illegal private tutoring Local governments in China have rolled out various new measures to stamp out illegal student tutoring, including offering a more than $1,500 reward for those who report such activities, as they step up the crackdown on private after-school learning to prevent a possible rise in demand during the winter break. The country has banned for-profit tutoring for core curriculum subjects as well as on weekends and holidays since last July, yet many tutoring companies and individuals have continued to offer classes covering these subjects over the past few months despite the risk of being penalized. FINANCE & ECONOMY The IMF cut its 2022 growth forecast for China to 4.8% from a previous projection of 5.7%. Economy / China should step up support to the economy, IMF says The International Monetary Fund called on Beijing to step up fiscal support to bolster an economy that has been slowed by weakening consumption amid the Covid-19 pandemic and a property market plunge. The policy recommendation came as the fund cut its 2022 growth forecast for China to 4.8% from a previous projection of 5.7%. The economy expanded 8.1% last year. China's recovery is well advanced, but it lacks balance, and momentum has slowed, the IMF said in a report issued Friday following a consultation with China. China-Russia / China and Russia to give special attention to business ties at Olympic talks, Putin says Russian President Vladimir Putin said he will discuss his nations developing business ties with China when he meets his counterpart President Xi Jinping at the Beijing Winter Olympics Friday. Writing in a commentary for Chinas state-run Xinhua News Agency, Putin said that he and the Chinese leader will thoroughly discuss key issues on the bilateral, regional, and global agendas, noting that the development of business ties will certainly be given special attention. Property / Chinas property market off to bleak start in 2022 Chinas real estate market continued its downward spiral in the first month of 2022, as total sales of Chinas top 100 property developers fell 39.6% year-on-year by value. China Real Estate Information Corp. (CRIC), the consultancy that compiled the data, said sales could shrink further in February. Most of the top 100 property companies recorded lower January sales than last year, and the value of monthly sales was lower than the 2021 average by 43%, according to a CRIC report published Monday. Quick hits / Amundis cash-rich gulf clients look beyond U.S. to China, India Invesco to hire dozens in China as assets sail past $100 billion Ex-Goldman rainmakers Primavera files for Hong Kong SPAC BUSINESS & TECH Weng Lin Chan Gambling / Macao junket dragnet catches another big fish Police in Macao, the worlds largest gambling hub, arrested the citys No. 2 junket boss amid a sweeping crackdown on the murky business that once played a vital role for the citys casinos. Weng Lin Chan, chief executive officer and controlling shareholder of casino operator Macau Legend Development Ltd., was arrested by police, Legend confirmed Sunday. Chan agreed to resign, and the company said it didnt expect the incident to have a material adverse impact on daily operations, according to a separate statement Monday. Legends Hong Kong-traded shares slumped 19% Monday, the biggest loss since 2015. Vaccines / Chinese Covid-vaccine makers predict strong profits for 2021 Major Chinese vaccine makers are expecting to report a major surge in profits last year on the back of the nationwide Covid-19 inoculation program that has seen more than 3 billion doses administered, the biggest such rollout in the world. Tianjin-based CanSino Biologics Inc., which makes a single-dose vaccine, estimated it would book 1.85 billion yuan ($290.6 million) to 2 billion yuan in net profits attributable to shareholders in 2021, a reversal from a net loss of 397 million yuan for the previous year, according to a Saturday company filing. Nickel / Analysis: Whats behind nickels sudden market volatility? The price of nickel futures in China has risen at a steady pace over the last year, as demand grew for the key ingredient used in electric vehicle (EV) batteries. EV sales, which jumped 160% in China last year, continue to set new monthly sales records, and are expected to maintain their growth in 2022. But this steady market suddenly turned volatile on Jan. 24, with the price of the nickel contract set to expire in February on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) jumping to a record of 182,180 yuan ($28,623) per ton in intraday trade, then falling nearly 7% in the night session. The next day, the price dropped 8% to close at about 165,000 yuan. Utility / Exclusive: Japans largest utility firm starts Chinese subsidiary, eyes LNG projects Japans largest power company JERA Co. Inc. will open a subsidiary in Beijing, as part of plans to expand its business in Asia and address the growing energy needs of the worlds second largest economy. A source close to JERA told Caixin that the company registered its subsidiary in Beijing under the name Beijing JERA Consulting Ltd. () in January and its slated to operate from the second quarter of 2022. Quick hits / Xiaomis smartphone chief resigns Railway trips jump 65% in Chinas holiday travel rush Troubled EV-maker Faraday Future punishes executives for releasing fake data before 2021 listing GALLERY Olympic torchs Beijing tour Recommended newsletter for you / China Green Bulletin Premium - Subscribe to join the Caixin green community and stay up to date with the most exclusive insights on ESG, energy and carbon. Sign up here. Thanks for reading. If you havent already, click here to subscribe. Commercial photographer Qin Xiao focuses his lens on the variety of overalls people have worn on the streets of Shanghai, as part of efforts to showcase the diverse dressing styles of city dwellers. For this series, his subjects are typically people in their work attire. The 34-year-old photographer has been engaged in street photography since 2011, and held several exhibitions on the theme of Senior Fashion Hub, a series on fashionable senior citizens. May 02, 2022 05:44 PM Chinese espionage has been suspected of hacking attacks that have gleaned sensitive stealth data from making an F-35, a US 5th generation fighter in service with several air forces. Supported by Beijing to acquire technology and shorten the development time for research and development. Things are changing since the PLA scientist seems to tweak stolen tech that may or not work. Copycat or improving the tech? Cyber espionage has been state-approved to acquire the technology of military-based info from the US. Though at some point, PLA reverse-engineered the carrier-based jets operating now on Soviet template, reported the EurAsian Times. Way back in 2018, on August 1, the People's Liberation Army's Founding Day had a special significance; photos of the J-20, which the Chinese 5th generation stealth fighter to Chinese media. In 2019 more photos of the plane underbelly were released, and a sensor array that had a similarity to the Lockheed Martin Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) in the front of the F-35 Lightning II. The photos splash on media is thought to be allegedly electronically by Chinese hackers, especially the top-secret radar cross-section. Other parts of the plane like the engine, gas cooling, and further top-secret details found their way to the J-20 Mighty Dragon, cited Military Embedded Systems. More surprising is the hackers' got data about the F-22 and B-2 and a slew of info about space lasers, missile guidance, and tracking systems. Also included were data for nuclear subs and air-to-air missiles seen in China's current weaponry. US officials called the Chinese espionage Byzantine Hades that started in 2006; to acquire hacked information about the sensitive stealth data of the F-35, noted the Threat Post. Read also: China's 'New' Stealth Fighter FC-31: Is It a Match for the F-35 Lightning II? One of the favored methods is spear-phishing to access the data via email and get the password to bypass the network. Reports of the Byzantine Hades breach that was traced to the PLA-sponsored hackers taken by Wikileaks and given to Reuters. Identified hackers are the People's Liberation Army Chengdu Province First Technical Reconnaissance Bureau (TRB), the site registered in Chengdu and organized by Chen Xingpeng. This is mentioned in a Reuters story. It only fuels speculation that the Mighty Dragon has its origins in the Joint Strike Fighter hack due to similar features they had in common. But the US does not think the J-20 is even 5th generation. Some contradictions are two canards that the JSF does not have, but PLA had another fighter in the works, the FC-31. It does look more like the Lightning II. Another cause of a copycat or more? The FC-31 or J-31 was revealed recently by Chinese media has shown more likeness than expected. Only the second to the J-20 Mighty Dragon, the Shenyang FC-31, is 5th gen and built in the country and designed as a fighter-bomber for even close air support (CAS), stationed as a carrier-based fighter. It has two Russian RD-93 turbofan engines capable of 2,200 km/h with a 2,000 km range that exceeds the F-35 JSF. It has advanced avionics and a system but has a gun which the Mighty Dragon lacks. For Chinese espionage that scored in getting the sensitive stealth data of the F-35 and building its own, it cannot be a discount that PLA engineers would learn and improve, not just copy off the bat. Related Article: Top Secret Chinese Stealth Fighter Jet Flies for the First Time Confirming its Flight Capabilities; Shows West That China's Catching Up @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. United States President Joe Biden argued that providing tools and funding to support law enforcement officials was crucial in combating surging gun violence in the country. The Democratic leader spoke at an event at the New York Police Department on Thursday where he argued that defunding the police was not the answer. He argued that the support would allow law enforcement personnel to become partners and protectors in the community. Biden on Gun Violence Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland met with New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday. The officials got together at the NYPD headquarters to discuss ways on how federal, state, and local law enforcement officials can coordinate with each other to remove shooters from the streets and prevent rising gun violence. Fox News reported that, in his remarks at the event, the U.S. president thanked the NYPD personnel for their service as well as their spouses. Biden said that, every time they carried their shield and walked out the door, they were worried that they would get that phone call about gun violence. Read Also: NYPD Arrests Man After Setting Fire to US Flag During Joe Biden's Motorcade; Act Appears To Be a Protest Against the President The situation comes as Democrats are struggling to address the issue as Republicans are using the defunding of the police narrative to lay blame on the left. Furthermore, gun violence is a topic that is shaping up to be a crucial part of the upcoming 2022 midterm elections. Biden's trip to New York also comes amid the rise of high-profile shootings in several major cities. It was also less than two weeks after two NYPD officers were fatally shot while serving their department. Data also showed that homicides and shootings were rising, with 2020 having the largest year-to-year spikes on record on homicides. Eric Adams' Support The U.S. president noted that, since the beginning of the year, every day in the United States, 316 people are shot, 106 are killed, and six NYPD officers become victims of gun violence. Additionally, Biden said that 64 children have been injured by shootings, 26 of whom have been killed, CNN reported. Biden said he agreed with Adams in his pledge not to abandon the streets of the United States in keeping the people safe. The event came after the U.S. president asked Congress to provide $300 million to fund local police departments and $200 million to support community-based violence intervention programs. The Democrat said that the money, which is equal to half a billion dollars, will be used for proven strategies and could help reduce crime. Biden said that Congress needed to do its job and pass the budget to support law enforcement in the country. Since taking his post as the mayor of New York in reversing the rising surge in violent crime, he has committed a plan that involves bringing back a controversial NYPD anti-gun unit. He also planned to roll back some of the city's bail and criminal justice reforms. The NYPD also released statistics that showed major crime in the city rose by 38.5% in January, which was Adams' first month in office, as per Politico. Related Article: Joe Biden Might Be the Least Performing US President in Modern Times, Recent Polls Result Reveals @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. FILE - South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem speaks at a news conference in Sioux Falls, Idaho, on Nov. 1, 2021. A South Dakota government accountability board has set an April deadline for Gov. Noem to respond to a pair of ethics complaints. (AP Photo/Stephen Groves, File) N.C. Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores sea turtle specialist Michelle Lamping tends to a green sea turtle brought to the aquarium for rehabilitation after being cold-stunned. (Shannon Kemp photo) Bank of Korea (BOK) Governor Lee Ju-yeol, left, and Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) Governor Jeong Eun-bo / Courtesy of BOK and FSS By Anna J. Park As the Bank of Korea (BOK) decides to cut off its annual payments of some 10 billion won ($8.3 million) to the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) this year, the financial authority faces difficulty securing its resources. The BOK confirmed its budget plan for this year last December, which did not include its usual annual payment to the FSS. Since the FSS was launched in the late 1990s, the BOK had so far been partially financing the activities of the agency, according to a related domestic law that stipulates the BOK's obligation to support the FSS' activities to help it take firm root. The amount was set at 10 billion won per year in 2006. The central bank's rationale behind the suspension of the annual payments was that the FSS no longer needs the financing for its operation. Unlike the early days of the FSS, the central bank said the financial authority now can operate fully and stably without the BOK's support. While the central bank's payment accounted for over 30 percent of the FSS' annual budget in 1999, it has accounted for only about 2.7 percent of the financial authority's spending during the past five years. However, the FSS argues that the BOK's payment should be continued. It submitted its statement regarding the issue recently to the office of the main opposition party lawmaker Kim Hee-gon, in which it claimed that "the sudden suspension of the BOK's payments would increase the burden on financial companies for the FSS' operation." The statement continued that "it is necessary to share the costs on joint activities between the central bank and the FSS." The FSS also estimated that around 490 financial companies will face increased payments of some 20 million won, on average, to compensate for the 10 billion won coming previously from the BOK. Five major financial giants' burdens are particularly expected to increase, if the BOK's suspension of the payments is confirmed. The Financial Services Commission (FSC), which is a superior institution of the FSS, is discussing the matter with the BOK. Carroll, IA (51401) Today Showers this morning, becoming a steady rain during the afternoon hours. High 47F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Occasional rain. Low 38F. Winds NNE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. These were all created beginning in the late 1950s at Jay Ward Productions, run by the eponymous producer, and appeared in various series throughout the Sixties. Since Wards death in 1989, his company has stayed in the family: it is now run by his daughter Tiffany Ward (president) and granddaughter Amber Ward (vice president). Tiffany previously worked with Eric Ellenbogen, now Wildbrains CEO, to launch Bullwinkle Studios, a joint venture between Jay Ward Productions and Classic Media (now part of Dreamworks). Bullwinkle Studios produced 52 episodes of a George of the Jungle reboot that launched on Cartoon Network on 2007. It was also credited on the 2014 feature Mr. Peabody & Sherman. Other recent reboots of Ward titles include Amazon Prime Videos The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (201819) and Netflixs The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show (201517), both produced by Dreamworks. Everything old is new again, said Ellenbogen. Im delighted to be reunited with Tiffany to bring new audiences the hilarious characters and shows created by her father, which are part of the canon of the worlds greatest animation. Never has there been a better time to refresh classic branded IP like this, just as we are doing with so many of our evergreen Wildbrain brands. Im thrilled to be teaming up with Eric again, said Tiffany Ward. Our past partnership with Bullwinkle Studios was prolific and successful, and now that Eric is at the helm of a creative powerhouse like Wildbrain, Im excited to work with him and his fantastic team to broaden the legacy of my fathers work to new generations of kids and families. Halifax-headquartered Wildbrain is no stranger to rebooting classic properties: its Vancouver animation studio has lately worked on several Peanuts productions, including Snoopy in Space and The Snoopy Show, as part of a deal with Apple TV+. The studio is also behind Carmen Sandiego, Go, Dog. Go!, Chip and Potato, and Cartoon Saloon co-production Dork Van Dango, among other shows. Wildbrains library runs to around 13,000 half-hours and includes properties such as Strawberry Shortcake, Caillou, Yo Gabba Gabba!, Inspector Gadget, and Johnny Test. Photo: Contributed Kelowna-Lake Country MP Tracy Gray Now that we're back in Ottawa, MPs have returned to work on our committees, where we will dedicate much of our time over the coming weeks and months. The work of committees doesn't often get much exposure, so I thought I'd take the time to highlight the important work they do. As a member of the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology, I work with my colleagues to ensure that many of the engines of our economy continue to operate as they should, whether it be manufacturing, scientific research, telecommunications or small business and tourism. For example, our committee will bring forth a completed study on the potential Rogers-Shaw merger. While perhaps a story like this would most often be found on the business pages, it could have potential impacts here in Kelowna-Lake Country. This proposed deal will create a $50 billion company with $20 billion in revenue, 33,000 workers and almost 13 million wireless subscribers. Anyone who's looked to find a cellphone, internet or TV plan will understand the limited number of options we have in Canada which leads to less competition and higher prices. However, Rogers and Shaw have said this merger will allow them to make significant investments in the telecommunications sector. In 2022, millions of Canadians still cannot access high-speed internet to connect with their families, take online courses or run their businesses. We've seen how high-speed access has become a necessity during the pandemic. The federal government does spectrum auctions, which is an auction system to sell the right to transmit signals over specific bands of the electromagnetic spectrum. Weve heard at the Industry Committee through various studies, how spectrum is often bought by the large telecom companies but then not fully developed, especially in smaller and rural communities. This past December, the government launched consultations on a spectrum auction policy and licensing framework. Some say the risk of less telecommunications options will not bring down prices, while Rogers and Shaw say they are looking to spur more significant investment in our wireless, cellular and broadband capabilities. The Competition Bureau is reviewing the potential merger and will produce a report once it has completed its work. Also at the Industry Committee, we recently had two meetings on the purchase of Canadian mining company Neo-Lithium by a Chinese state-owned enterprise. The government has lithium classified as a critical mineral for Canada and one of its primary uses is in the production of batteries. Committee members had a chance to question the Minister of Industry about this purchase and what rationale was used to allow it. Unfortunately, the minister did not answer basic questions on the potential risks of this sale within our strategic natural resources sector, such as when he first learned of the transaction and who he consulted prior to making a decision. The committee is now starting a broader study on critical minerals. Many of these minerals are used in green technologies and I look forward to digging into this study and hearing from experts. While this work may not be as flashy or drama-filled as the political stories that are most shared online, this is some of the most important work I get to do to represent our riding. I encourage all residents to follow the work being done on any parliamentary committee, as it is integral to federal policy development that affect many aspects of our everyday lives. If you need any assistance with programs or have any thoughts to share, feel free to reach out. 250-470-5075 or [email protected] This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet. Photo: The Canadian Press FILE - An Amazon logo appears on a delivery van, Oct. 1, 2020, in Boston. Amazon is reporting, Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, strong fourth-quarter sales and profits even as the online behemoth continues to contend with surging costs tied to a snarled supply chain and labor shortages. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File) Amazon is reporting strong fourth-quarter sales and profits even as the online behemoth continues to contend with surging costs tied to a snarled supply chain and labour shortages. The company, based in Seattle, also raised its annual Prime membership fee to US$139 per year from US$119. This is the first time Amazon has raised the price of Prime membership since 2018. Amazon Canada representative Andrew Gouveia said the price increase announced for Prime only applies to U.S. customers. The company reported a profit of US$14.32 billion, or $27.75 per share, for the three-month period ended Dec. 31. That compared with a profit of US$7.22 billion, or US$14.09 per share during the year-ago period. Revenue rose nine per cent to US$137.41 billion, the companys fifth consecutive quarter of revenue topping US$100 billion. Analysts surveyed by FactSet, however, on average expected US$137.68 billion in quarterly revenue and per-share earnings of US$3.61 per share. The company said that sales are expected to be between US$112 billion and US$117 billion for the current fiscal quarter. Analysts were expecting US$120.93 billion, according to FactSet estimates. Amazon was one of the few retailers that has prospered during the COVID-19 outbreak. As physical stores selling non-essential goods temporarily or permanently closed, homebound people turned to Amazon for everything from groceries to cleaning supplies. But growth has slowed as newly vaccinated Americans feel comfortable going out. And the company, like many others, are dealing with global supply chain issues and shortages of workers. Shares rose more than 13 per cent in after-hour trading when Amazon released its results. Photo: The Canadian Press A transport truck crosses the border at Coutts, Alta., after passing through a anti-COVID-19 vaccine mandate demonstrator road block on the highway in Milk River, Alta., Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022. The government has issued an order in council clarifying that truckers are not exempt from the vaccine mandate after bureaucrats were confused by their own policy. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh The government has issued an order-in-council clarifying that truckers are not exempt from a vaccine mandate after bureaucrats were confused by their own policy. The Canada Border Services Agency created widespread confusion last month after it issued a statement to media saying that unvaccinated truckers would remain exempt from quarantine and testing requirements after entering the country at the Canada-U.S. border. The federal government said the next day the statement had been sent in error, but not before some unvaccinated big-riggers had already been dispatched across the border. The Canadian Press later revealed the confusion stemmed from bureaucrats misinterpreting policy at both the border services agency and the Public Health Agency of Canada, including whether an order-in-council, which sets out decisions made by cabinet, covered truckers or not. The government this week issued another order-in-council to "clarify" that unvaccinated and partially vaccinated truckers are not exempt from the COVID-19 vaccine mandate when entering Canada, except if they are delivering medically necessary supplies and equipment. The order also says residents of the French territory of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, which are islands south of Newfoundland and Labrador, will be exempt from vaccine mandates if travelling to Canada for medical care within four days of arrival. The Public Health Agency said the government had extended most of its border measures and made updates to some others. It said they would be in effect until at least the end of February. Photo: CTV News A retired navy commander has been sentenced to two years in prison, less a day, after pleading guilty to nine sexual offences which date back to the early 2000s. CTV News Vancouver Island is reporting that retired navy Lt.-Cmdr. Kit Wong was also sentenced to three years probation and a 10-year ban from owning firearms after admitting to nine of the 11 charges he was facing. Wong was arrested in August of 2018 after a lengthy investigation by the Victoria police. After initial charges were laid VicPD put out a call to see if there were more victims. Seven more charges were laid as a result of more victims coming forward. One of the assault charges was alleged to have occurred just 11 days before Wong's arrest on the charges from the early 2000s. Some of the charges stem from Wong's work as an acupuncturist and practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine. -with files from CTV News Vancouver Island Photo: presidentschoice.ca PC brand soda being recalled due to possible presence of glass Loblaw Companies Ltd. is recalling PC brand Lemon & Ginger Sicilian Soda due to the possible presence of glass. On Thursday evening the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said the four packs of soda sold in-stores nationally are being recalled due to the possible presence of glass. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said the recalled product should not be consumed and should either be thrown out or returned to the store. The full recall notice can be found here. The presidential candidate pose before their first joint TV debate at broadcaster KBS' studio on Yeouido, Seoul, Thursday. From left are Sim Sang-jung of the minor Justice Party, Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party and Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor People's Party. Joint Press Corps Lee focuses on renewable energies; Yoon prioritizes data technology, AI By Yi Whan-woo The presidential candidates showed the differences in their strategies for economic growth in their first joint TV debate last Thursday, setting the scene for the lead-up to the March 9 election. During the two-hour televised debate, the two main parties' rival candidates Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) threw jabs at each other over what should be viewed as the next major growth engines to help achieve toughened climate goals and accelerate the digital transformation. The two minor party candidates Sim Sang-jung of the Justice Party and Ahn Cheol-soo of the People's Party intervened between Lee and Yoon in turn, either downplaying the effectiveness of the policies for inclusive growth proposed by the major candidates or highlighting their own respective strategies as the better ones. The four candidates were nevertheless on the same page over the need for sweeping reforms of the real estate market possibly what interests the voters most after the Moon Jae-in administration's devastating failure to stabilize housing prices. DPK candidate Lee Jae-myung was deeply interested in renewable energies when it comes to the country's next growth engines, saying that they are "at the core of the industries of the future." In particular, he prioritizes hydrogen energy, which can be mainly divided into green, blue and grey categories, depending on the methods of production, and in a corresponding manner, asked his PPP rival to share his vision on blue hydrogen during the TV debate. Yoon downplayed Lee's policy interest, saying that renewable energy is "merely a small part" of a broader group of industries for the future. He argued that data technology, artificial intelligence and biotechnology will be the "centerpiece" instead. "Of course, renewable energy is needed to reach the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, but it is not a top priority," Yoon told Lee. Photo: The Canadian Press The man who initiated the deadly chase that ended in the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery wont plead guilty to a federal hate crime in the 2020 killing of the unarmed Black man, according to a legal filing late Thursday. Greg McMichael reversed his plan to plead guilty in the federal case days after a U.S. District Court j udge rejected terms of a plea deal that was met with passionate objections by Arberys parents. McMichael's defense attorney said in a legal notice filed jointly with prosecutors that McMichael plans to stand trial for a second time in Arbery's death. McMichael along with his son, Travis McMichael, and a neighbor, William Roddie Bryan, were convicted of murder in a Georgia state court last fall and sentenced to life in prison. Separate from that case, the three white men were also indicted in U.S. District Court on charges that they violated Arberys civil rights and targeted him because he was Black. Travis McMichael was scheduled for a plea hearing Friday morning to announce whether he would move forward with a guilty plea in the federal case. The McMichaels had been warned by the judge that she would not guarantee their sentence if they chose to plead guilty. Jury selection in the federal case is set to begin Monday. Both men had planned to plead guilty to a hate crime charge earlier this week after prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed on a 30-year sentence that would include a request to transfer the McMichaels from Georgias state prison system to federal custody. The deal would have required the McMichaels to admit to racist motives and forfeit the right to appeal their federal sentence. U.S. District Judge Lisa Godbey Wood rejected the deal Monday after hearing passionate objections from Arberys parents, who argued conditions in federal prison wouldnt be as harsh. Wood said she ultimately denied the deal because it would have locked her into a specific sentence. The McMichaels armed themselves and chased Arbery in a pickup truck after spotting the 25-year-old man running past their home just outside the port city of Brunswick on Feb. 23, 2020. Bryan joined the pursuit in his own truck and recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael blasting Arbery with a shotgun. Prosecutors asked the judge to approve the plea deals despite the objections from Arberys family. Prosecutor Tara Lyons said that attorneys for Arberys parents told the U.S. Justice Department that the family wouldnt object to the plea deals. Lee Merritt, an attorney for Arberys mother, said the slain mans family had previously rejected the same terms and no longer wanted to engage prosecutors, who took that as a deferral. During the murder trial in state court, defense attorneys argued the McMichaels were justified in pursuing Arbery because they had a reasonable suspicion that he had committed crimes in their neighborhood. Travis McMichael testified that he opened fire with his shotgun after Arbery attacked him with fists and tried to grab the weapon. Photo: The Canadian Press Premier Jason Kenney says his government will announce next week a date to end Alberta's COVID-19 vaccine passport, with the actual cancellation coming soon after that. Kenney said he will also announce next week a phased approach to end almost all COVID-19 health restrictions by the end of the month provided the pressure on hospitals continues to decline. Kenney said Albertas high vaccination rate coupled with stabilizing hospital patient numbers make it feasible to end the vaccine passport soon. As COVID changes, our response to it must change as well, Kenney told citizens in a live townhall on his Facebook page Thursday night. That is why early next week Alberta will announce a firm date to end the (vaccine passport) and to do so in the very near future. The passport -- known in Alberta as a restriction exemption -- mandates anyone using non-essential services such as bars and restaurants show proof of vaccination. Alberta's program is voluntary, but businesses that do not participate are subject to restrictions, including severely reduced customer capacity. Since being introduced last September, the passport has come to symbolize the clash within Alberta -- and within Kenneys own United Conservative caucus and party -- on balancing public health orders with individual rights and freedoms. A week ago, Kenney said the passport could be eliminated by the end of March. But since then he has come under increasing pressure from members of his own caucus to end the passport immediately. Add to that, he has been dealing with vaccine mandate protests by truckers and supporters who continue to create chaos and traffic tie-ups at Alberta's main U.S. border checkpoint at Coutts on the Montana border. Opponents say the passport has served its purpose, unfairly infringes on individual rights, and must be cancelled. Earlier Thursday, Kenneys own right-hand man, government house leader and Environment Minister Jason Nixon, publicly demanded action. It is clear now that mandates like the restrictions exemption program are not as effective against the current COVID-19 situation as much as health officials expected, Nixon said in a statement. My position on vaccine mandates is that they need to end. Not all political leaders agree. Earlier Thursday, Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi urged the province to listen to the medical experts and not be too hasty in lifting health restrictions. We must look out for our most vulnerable. We must protect our children under the age of five who still dont have the opportunity to get vaccinated, said Sohi. I certainly hope that we dont have to implement our own (health) measures, but we will explore options that are within our authority if we have to. Kenney questioned such actions, noting that municipalities dont have access to the same COVID-19 data as the province. This is not their normal field of responsibility, said Kenney. (If) we have municipal politicians improvising their own local policies, I think that would be a matter of great concern. Alberta has 1,584 people in hospital with COVID-19, with 112 in intensive care. The Omicron variant of COVID-19 has not swamped intensive care units to the breaking point, as was seen in the last wave. And while the patient numbers remain daunting, the province says testing suggests Omicron has peaked and that hospitalizations should soon reflect that. The Opposition NDP said Kenney continues to act rashly, making decisions on COVID-19 not for health reasons but to reverse worrisome political fortunes with an election looming in 16 months. Kenney is facing low poll numbers, a restive caucus, a looming leadership review and lagging fundraising compared with the NDP. It certainly appears that (Kenney and his cabinet) are surrendering to those who are illegally holding border crossing hostage at Coutts, said NDP health critic David Shepherd. The premier must address Albertans to present the data and advice from public health officials his cabinet is using to make critical decisions on public health orders. The last time Kenney cancelled almost all health restrictions was last summer. He did it despite warnings of the rising Delta variant. By the fall, hospitals were pushed to the edge of collapse and the Armed Forces were called in to help keep the health system running. That near-collapse prompted Kenney to bring in the vaccine passport, something he had publicly promised he would never do. The passport led to a sharp rise in vaccination rates, helping pull the health system back from the brink. Photo: UBC Data tracking concentrations of COVID-19 in wastewater from sewage plants across the Lower Mainland confirm the Omicron surge is declining. Wastewater samples at four sewage plants show virus concentrations peaked on Jan. 5. (One in Langley showed a peak on Jan. 17.) Since then, COVID-19 concentrations have been gradually decreasing across the region. While concentrations of the virus markers remain high compared to earlier waves of the pandemic, "it's certainly on the downward trend," said Natalie Prystajecky, a microbiologist who heads the wastewater testing program at B.C.'s Centre for Disease Control. "And each week, the load of virus is decreasing." Thats good news, because with only a small fraction of suspected COVID-19 cases being tested and reported in official case numbers, Its one of the only signals we have thats what happening in the community, said Ryan Ziels, an assistant professor in the University of British Columbia's department of civil engineering, who has also been among the researchers studying the wastewater trends. I do think its one of the better indicators right now. We can essentially test one and a half million people in a big pooled sample. Prystajecky said research over the past two years of the pandemic has shown a high correlation between virus particles detected in wastewater and the number of COVID infections in the community. At the Lions Gate Wastewater Treatment Plan, concentrations of viral particles per litre of wastewater peaked in the first week of January, with 333,000 parts per litre. In mid-January, levels hovered around 200,000. On Jan. 24, the last time figures were available, concentrations were down to about 40,000 parts per litre, according to data made available by Metro Vancouvers wastewater tracking site. The pattern was similar at other sewage treatment plants, although concentrations of the virus marker were higher there. The Lulu Island sewage plant, for instance, showed a high of 695,000 parts per litre on Jan. 5. By Jan. 24, the concentration measured 340,000. According to Metro Vancouver, samples are collected three times a week from untreated wastewater as it runs into the sewage treatment plants. Results are posted once a week, after testing and analysis by the BCCDC. An even better overall sense of community infection can be found in the daily load tallies, which multiply concentrations of virus particles by the total amount of wastewater flowing through each sewage plant, said Prystajecky. Data is reported on the BCCDCs surveillance report. So far, that data also indicates virus levels have peaked and are going down, said Prystajecky. Ziels and his team of researchers have also used wastewater samples to extract information about which variants of COVID-19 are appearing in local populations. Early mid-December, for instance, the Omicron variant first appeared in wastewater samples from both the Lions Gate and Lulu Island wastewater plants, serving the North Shore and Richmond, at a time when infection rates on the North Shore were suddenly spiking and genomic sequencing was also picking up increasing cases of the variant. Soon, Omincron was picked up in all wastewater from the Lower Mainland. So far, it's not clear how well wastewater samples will be at picking up the new "sub-variant" of Omnicron, dubbed BA.2. "That's something we are interested in exploring," said Prystajecky. One of the issues is BA.2 is much more similar to Omicron that Delta was, and therefore more difficult to detect, said Prystajecky. Small changes are also harder to see when there are large amounts of COVID-19 showing up in wastewater samples. Photo: The Canadian Press Housing and Diversity and Inclusion Minister Ahmed Hussen rises during Question Period, in Ottawa, Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld Diversity Minister Ahmed Hussen says the government is preparing to press ahead with a law to combat racial and religious hatred, including online hate. In an interview, the minister condemned the flying of Nazi and confederate flags by protesters outside Parliament, saying they have no place in Canadian society. He says the government is poised to reintroduce a previous bill, which died when the election was called, though critics claim measures to curb hate speech could hamper freedom of speech or be difficult to enforce. But Hussen says too many people in Canada are victimized by hate crimes and hate speech and more needs to be done to protect them both off-line and online. He says the government must tackle head on the upsurge in antisemitism, anti-Asian hatred, Islamophobia and racism toward Black people. The minister also said funds would be available to help victims of racism through a victims-of-hate support fund. It would provide financial help and other supports to victims of hate-motivated violence, including covering uninsured costs of damage to property or medical supplies. It appears its time for Canada to establish a force similar to the U.S. National Guard. The Canada of today is not what it used to be. There are too many who are not true Canadians, and they are wreaking havoc across the country. These anarchists do not believe in a civilized society or the rule of law. They are self-serving thugs only interested in their own agenda. In many ways they emulate the Jan. 6 rioters at the U.S. capitol. Our inept national leaders are reluctant to send in the military to clean up the mess (in Ottawa) because they do not have a domestic mission. A National Guard force could go in, with heavy equipment, and start impounding vehicles. A mass migration back home would soon start. Gord Marshall, Kelowna Photo: The Canadian Press FILE - Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., and Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., listen as the House select committee tasked with investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol meets on Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 19, 2021. Republican Party officials have voted to punish Cheney and Kinzinger and advanced a rule change that would prohibit candidates from participating in presidential debates organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates. GOP officials took a voice vote to approve both measures at the Republican National Committees winter meeting in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) Republican Party officials on Friday voted to punish GOP Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for their work on the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection and advanced a rule change that would prohibit candidates from participating in debates organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates. GOP officials took a voice vote to approve censuring Cheney and Kinzinger at the Republican National Committee's winter meeting in Salt Lake City. On Thursday, members of an RNC subcommittee decided to advance the censure resolution against the pair instead of calling for their expulsion from the party. The censure resolution accuses Kinzinger and Cheney of participating in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse a striking description of the violent attack on the Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump. It also calls on the party to no longer support Cheney and Kinzinger as Republicans. Cheney, of Wyoming, and Kinzinger, of Illinois, are the only two Republicans on the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Trump and other GOP members were incensed when Kinzinger and Cheney agreed to House Speaker Nancy Pelosis invitation to join the Democratic-led House committee, giving the Jan. 6 panel a veneer of bipartisan credibility. The move to withhold support for Cheney could benefit her primary opponent, Harriet Hageman, who has been endorsed by Trump. Wyoming's primary is in August. Kinzinger is not running for reelection. RNC members also voted in favor of a rule change that would prohibit their candidates from participating in debates organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates. The institution has been a staple of presidential elections for three decades, but Republicans have decried the format as biased. Restoring faith in our elections means making sure our candidate can compete on a level playing field, RNC chair Ronna McDaniel said in a speech on Friday. We are not walking away from debates, we are walking away from the commission on presidential debates because its a biased monopoly that does not serve the best interests of the American people," she added. Photo: The Canadian Press Conservative Party interim Leader Candice Bergen smiles as she rises for the first time since assuming the position during Question Period, in Ottawa, Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld A convoy of protesters against COVID-19 restrictions that has settled into downtown Ottawa has provided a test for the Conservative party as it rolls into a leadership race. "I spent the week undergoing the siege of Ottawa," Quebec Tory MP Pierre Paul-Hus said Friday on Twitter. "If the motivation of truckers could be understood, the current situation is quite different," he added. "I ask that we clear the streets and that we stop this occupation controlled by radicals and anarchist groups." Ontario Conservative MP Dean Allison replied that while he respects his colleague, he would "strongly have to disagree with him" on this issue. Ginny Roth, a vice-president at the public relations firm Crestview Strategy and conservative activist, sees the protest as an expression of the populist sentiment that the Conservatives must contend with as they seek a new direction after the abrupt ouster of Erin O'Toole as leader. "I think that will be a big matter of debate," she said Friday. "I don't think that the question is whether we should be more right-wing or left-wing. It's how do we try to listen to people who feel completely like their lives have been turned upside down these last couple of years and who aren't sure what their role is in society." O'Toole did not mention the truck convoy when he issued a statement late Monday night after news broke that he was facing an imminent threat to his job. But he did say the party was at a crossroads and that one direction to take would be "angry, negative and extreme," instead of what he described as a "winning message," "one of inclusion, optimism, ideas and hope." Candice Bergen, the party's new interim leader, now faces the challenge of addressing the truckloads of protesters that are refusing to leave Parliament Hill and have been honking their horns and blocking street access for a week. The protest has shuttered businesses and subjected residents to downtown streets gridlocked by idling trucks, blaring air horns and harassment. Nazi symbols and Confederate flags have been spotted in the crowds and monuments were desecrated. Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson has joined city councillors and others in referring to the protest as an "occupation" of the capital city. Many Conservatives, including Bergen, have thrown their full support behind the protesters and their cause, which include demanding an end to all COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Sen. Dennis Patterson, who left the Conservative caucus on Friday to sit with the Canadian Senators Group, made it clear he was not one of them. "I wholeheartedly and unreservedly deplore and denounce what is happening in Ottawa with the so-called Freedom Convoy right now," he said in a post on Facebook, which did not mention his decision to leave the Conservative caucus. He condemned anyone who waved a Nazi or Confederate flag or was involved in desecrating the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the National War Memorial. "Nothing a person like that has to say is anything I'm interested in hearing and nothing I respect," he added. "And if you are parking illegally and blockading a public road, interfering with ordinary citizens' right to live their lives and peacefully go about their business on Parliament Hill and downtown, you are showing contempt for the law, which is also intolerable." On Friday, when police were preparing for more trucks and other protesters to descend upon the city, Bergen issued a statement urging a peaceful way out of the impasse. "To the truck drivers in Ottawa: please remain peaceful. Call out and denounce any acts of hate, racism, intolerance or violence," she said in the statement. "Canadians and Conservatives have heard you loud and clear. Regardless of political stripe, we all want an end to the demonstrations, and we all want an end to the restrictions." An email from Monday, obtained by The Canadian Press, showed that Bergen, who was then deputy party leader, told fellow senior Conservative MPs: "I don't think we should be asking them to go home." She added: "I understand the mood may shift soon. So we need to turn this into the (prime minister's) problem. What will he take (as) the first step to working towards ending this?" Neither Bergen or the Opposition Leader's Office has responded to a request for comment about her message. The Canadian Press has not viewed the rest of the email chain. Pierre Poilievre, the party's high-profile finance critic who is considered a strong potential leadership contender, has fully endorsed the truck convoy. In a recent tweet he said that those on Parliament Hill are "championing freedom over fear." Leslyn Lewis, the Ontario MP who was heavily backed by the party's social conservative and Western members in the last race, has also pledged support for the protesters. What direction leadership candidates pitch to party members will be watched closely after O'Toole's approach as leader. When he was vying for the job in the 2020 race, he painted himself as a "true blue" conservative. But as leader, he said he wanted to grow support by putting a more moderate stamp on the Conservative brand, which included his embrace of carbon pricing. Although there were Conservatives that welcomed O'Toole's introduction of a carbon price, many other MPs and party members, particularly in Western Canada, saw it as a betrayal to the party's stand against the Liberal government's program, which O'Toole had pledged to scrap. The backlash in caucus and the grassroots grew stronger when O'Toole's strategy did not pay off in the 2021 election. The party failed to bring in more seats in key regions such as the Greater Toronto Area. I enjoy reading the letters (on Castanet) because they make me think of other points of view and helps me define and clarify my own beliefs. The tone of the letters lately (however) has been so disrespectful, rude and nasty. Everyone is tired and over Covid-19 (or desperately wants to be) but to find a collective and attempt to make demands based on your will is inappropriate. We live in one of the best spots on the globe and have many, many freedoms that others around the world envy and covet. It behooves us to remember this and stop whining about perceptions of tyranny. We live in a democracy and the majority sets the rules. We have elected people to make decisions and impose rules on our behalf. You may or may not like (Prime Minister Justin) Trudeau or (U.S. President Joe) Biden or (French President Emmanuel) Macron. You need not agree with them, but at least have some respect. We chose them and they put themselves out there in ways few of us ever will. They did not create this Covid-19 mess but theyre trying to get us through it. Of course some decisions were made on the fly and adjusted, this is a novel virus. At least Canadas leaders believe in science and take the advice of health officials. My only point really is just that we vote. We have this privilege. If you dont like the players, choose different ones. I suppose protesters forfeit the right to complain (especially violently and selfishly) if they dont vote. I wonder how many are voters? D. Gaetz Photo: The Canadian Press Fresh nuts, bolts and fittings are ready to be added to the east leg of the pipeline near St. Ignace as Enbridge prepares to test the east and west sides of the Line 5 pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac in Mackinaw City, Mich., on June 8, 2017. The federal government has officially weighed in on the latest legal fray over the cross-border Line 5 pipeline. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Detroit News - Dale G Young The federal government is once again urging a Michigan judge to keep Line 5 operating while it works with the United States on negotiating an end to the impasse over the controversial cross-border pipeline. Gordon Giffin, the former U.S. ambassador to Canada who is serving as Ottawa's counsel of record, filed a fresh amicus brief this week spelling out the stakes for both countries if the pipeline, owned and operated by Calgary-based Enbridge Inc., is shut down. The newest brief is significantly more compact than the version Canada filed in an identical case last year, but reiterates the original argument, with one significant difference: the first brief was filed in May, before the two countries sat down in hopes of ending the standoff. Since then, officials from both Canada and the U.S. have met once already, sitting down in mid-December under the terms of a 1977 treaty designed to prevent interruptions to the cross-border flow of oil and gas, and will gather again some time in "early 2022," the documents note. The treaty requires both countries "not to shut down or otherwise impede the operations of international hydrocarbon transit pipelines that transport hydrocarbon products from somewhere in Canada to somewhere else in Canada via the United States, or vice versa," they argue. That clause "applies to Line 5, which has transported hydrocarbons since 1953 from Western Canada to Central Canada via Wisconsin and Michigan," the brief continues, and applies "to any measures instituted by a 'public authority in the territory of either party' which includes the state of Michigan and its officials." Until those talks reach an agreement or head to arbitration, it's vital that the court not grant Michigan's request that the line which crosses the Great Lakes beneath the environmentally sensitive Straits of Mackinac be unilaterally shut down, the brief argues. Unless a solution were to emerge through other means, the documents note, "giving full effect to the 1977 treaty would entail ensuring that no compelled shutdown occurs" before the treaty talks have a chance to end the dispute. "In the context of this case, that would mean entering injunctive relief prohibiting Michigan from proceeding to shut down Line 5 while the process is ongoing. Canada respectfully submits that that would be an appropriate order in this case." Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat and close ally of President Joe Biden whose political fortunes depend on the support of environmental groups in the state, ordered the shutdown of Line 5 back in November 2020, fearing an ecological disaster in the straits. Enbridge pushed back hard, arguing that Whitmer and state Attorney General Dana Nessel had overstepped their jurisdiction and that the case needed to be heard in federal court. Late last year, District Court Judge Janet Neff agreed with Enbridge on the issue of jurisdiction. That's when Whitmer and Nessel abruptly withdrew their complaint, opting instead to concentrate on a separate but similar circuit court case dormant since 2019. Enbridge is now making the same arguments in that case that they did throughout last year that it needs to be heard by a federal judge. Nessel is hoping to head off that argument on a technicality: under federal law, cases can only be removed to federal jurisdiction within 30 days of a complaint being filed. The Line 5 pipeline ferries upwards of 540,000 barrels per day of crude oil and natural gas liquids across the Canada-U.S. border and the Great Lakes by way of a twin line that runs along the lake bed beneath the straits linking Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Critics want the line shut down, arguing it's only a matter of time before an anchor strike or technical failure triggers a catastrophe in one of the area's most important watersheds. Proponents call Line 5 a vital and indispensable source of energy, especially propane, for several Midwestern states, including Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. It is also a key source of feedstock for critical refineries on the northern side of the border, including those that supply jet fuel to some of Canada's busiest airports. In a separate amicus brief also filed this week, lawyers for several prominent international unions and labour groups, including the United Steelworkers and the North American Building Trades Unions, spelled out the potential economic impact of a Line 5 closure. "Enbridge estimates that if Line 5 ceases operation, the refineries in Michigan, Ohio, Ontario, Quebec and Pennsylvania will lose 40 per cent of their crude supply and, with that reduction in product, will either close completely or become significantly less competitive," the brief says. "In either case, the impact on workers who depend on Line 5 for their employment would be dramatic." A third brief filed by an array of state and national energy associations further makes the point that allowing Michigan to shut down Line 5 would create a striking precedent. "It would not only terminate operation of a vital interstate pipeline, but also significantly undermine the exclusive federal regulatory authority over interstate pipeline safety," they argue. "Such a novel ruling would open the door to a spate of similar claims from other states for other interstate pipelines that could create the patchwork of varying and potentially conflicting pipeline safety regulations and closures that Congress expressly precluded." In the basement of a newly built building in Victoria sits a unique piece of equipment that doesn't exist anywhere else in British Columbiaradiation technology for pets that have been diagnosed with cancer. Dr. Genevieve Hammond is proud to the point of almost being giddy to explain the state-of-the-art machine. "This the vault. It really is a vault," she says. "It's a room with very, very thick walls so that no radiation escapes from the room, and behind me is our linear accelerator." Before the VCA Canada Central Victoria Veterinary Hospital opened its new building, people would have to travel far distances to receive radiation therapy for their animals. "We built this facility specifically so we could open a cancer centre here in Victoria," says Hammond. "There is tons and tons of needs for people to have cancer therapy for their pets locally, and before this, people were having to travel either down to Washington or out to Calgary." The launch wasn't an easy feat. The room had to meet high safety standards so no radiation could escape the facility, and construction was lengthy and expensive. "The equipment is also very specialized to buy and maintain, and then the amount of training and the size of the team it takes to run the facility is not really possible to have everywhere," says Hammond, noting a clinic needs to have a board-certified radiation oncologist on staff to offer the therapy. There are only two board-certified radiation oncologists in all of B.C.Hammond and Dr. Sarah Charney at Boundary Bay Veterinary in Langley, which does not have radiation oncology technology to offer treatment on-site. "Radiation oncology is something that is further behind in the veterinarian field than it is in the human field, but is certainly something that is used commonly," says Hammond. Charney believes there is a need for the facility in Vancouver, but finding the appropriate space and funding can be challenging. "The construction costs on the vault are generally over a million dollars, and the machine itself is between a quarter of a million and a half a million," she says. Radiation oncology is used in conjunction with surgery, or when a tumour cannot be removed through other methods, and lastly, for pain relief. "Masses that can't be removed or that are prohibiting them from playing or eating or being their happy selves we can make a huge, huge difference to how they feel and very, very quickly," says Hammond. The primary goal of the treatment is to improve the quality of life of their clients, say both specialists. "In veterinarian oncology, we don't tend to aim for a cure. Really what we are trying to do for all of our patients is to improve their quality of life," says Charney. "We know that if we improve their quality of life, they will ultimately live longer." About 50 per cent of animals that live over the age of 10 will die of cancer, according to Charney. "Yes, we want to buy as much time as we can, but we want to make sure it is a good time," says Hammond. "With radiation therapy, we can often buy animals good quality time." Animals are assessed on medical urgency, which means some pets will find themselves on a waitlist. Each day they see anywhere from three to 10 patients a day. Various pet insurance companies will cover the treatment if the owner has the right policy. If an owner does not have pet insurance, the treatment can range from $5,000 to $13,000. "That's been very, very helpful for a lot of families," says Hammond. Hammond says people will travel from the United States, Yukon and all over B.C. to have the treatment at their facility, which has only been open for a year. "There is not a lot of healing that happens after this, so it is really rewarding to be able to help them and help them quickly," she says. People can self refer or have a referral from a veterinary facility, and Charney says people should consider their options to make an informed decision. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang, Dec. 1, in this photo provided by the North Korean government. AP-Yonhap North Korea is set to convene a key meeting of its rubber-stamp legislature this weekend following a barrage of missile tests, a potential opportunity for the outside world to get a clue to the reclusive Kim Jong-un regime's intentions. The North has often used such an event to deliver messages, either direct or veiled, to South Korea and the United States. The 6th session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) will be held in Pyongyang, Sunday, to discuss issues such as national tasks and the state budget for this year, according to the North's state media. The SPA is the highest organ of power under the North's Constitution, though it rubber-stamps decisions by the ruling party. It usually holds a plenary session in March or April to deal mainly with budget and cabinet reshuffles. But the North held two SPA sessions in January and September last year. During the September gathering, Kim announced a decision to restore communication lines with South Korea as part of efforts to improve inter-Korean relations and achieve "solid peace" on the peninsula. The upcoming session comes a week after the North's launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) into the East Sea, marking the country's seventh such show of force this year and its longest-range missile test since the test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in November 2017. It is unclear if Kim will attend in person. He participated in eight out of 14 SPA sessions held after he took the helm of the country in late 2011, and delivered policy speeches at two of those events in April 2019 and September 2021. "The government will ... continue monitoring related moves, focusing on leader Kim Jong-un's possible attendance and follow-up measures on decisions made at its recent party plenary," Cha Duck-chul, deputy spokesman for Seoul's unification ministry, told a regular press briefing Friday. The North held a five-day plenary meeting of the ruling Workers' Party in December and vowed to bolster the country's military capabilities. The North has been ratcheting up tensions on the Korean Peninsula, with a series of missile tests and a threat apparently to suspend its years-long moratorium on nuclear weapons and ICBM tests amid a deadlock in denuclearization talks with the U.S. On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned the North's recent missile launches as a violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions and reaffirmed that Washington remains open to dialogue. (Yonhap) Re. Truckers and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms I saw on (Global) News this morning a lawyer from some (group) who will be advising/providing legal advice to the Truckers Freedom Convoy. I suppose thats what happens when you accumulate some $10 Million in funding. You can always find a lawyer who will provide legal advice that supports your point of view. It would seem the Canadian Charter gives the Truckers the right to protest. They have the right to block streets (and highways apparently in Alberta). They have the right to disrupt traffic and peoples lives as they park and sound their horns incessantly. They also have the right to ignore and protest health officer mandates and guidelines regarding Covid-19 and the right to desecrate monuments and heroic statues. Now, I always thought Canada was a democratic country, where everyone has rights. So I am just wondering how the rights of Ottawa residents, the rights of travellers who want to use the streets, the rights of business owners who have had to shut up shop, the rights of other Canadians who actually want to follow health mandates and guidelines are being met by our Charter? The charter does not give anyone the right to speak for me, and if I want to remove the government, then that is my right to (attempt) by way of my vote at an election. Maybe it is time for the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to get up-dated and revised. Yes, you have the right to do certain things but those rights should not, cannot and will not infringe upon the rights of others. That's just my input. I have no quarrel with the Freedom Convoy. I really want to see an end to Covid-19 restrictions. I would love to see (Prime Minister Justin) Trudeaus Liberal government replaced but no one should be able to cause so much disruption and be able to use Canadas Charter to get away with it. Malcolm Roberts, Kelowna Photo: Plugin BC Vancouver has highest ZEV market penetration in Canada, according to IHS Markit. Despite the challenges of getting delivery of a new car of any kind, due to the legacy of supply chain problems, the market share of zero emission vehicles in Canada ticked up in 2021 to 5.6%, with B.C. leading the country at 13%. When hybrids are included, the number is 11.8% Canada-wide. According IHS Markit, the market share of zero emission vehicles (ZEV) in Canada, based on new vehicles registrations, increased from 3.8% in 2020 to 5.6% in 2021. British Columbia leads the way with adoption of electrification, and ZEVs account for 13% of all new light vehicles for 2021 in the province, IHS Markits latest Automotive Insights reports. Thats up from a 9.4% market share in 2020 and 8.6% in 2019. B.C. volume represents 28% of all ZEV registrations in Canada and volume grew 57%. The market share of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in Canada, based on new vehicles registrations, fell from 94% in 2019 to 88% in 2021, while ZEV registrations increased from 4% in 2019 to 11.8% in 2021. Among ZEVs, hybrid electric vehicles dominate in Canada at a 6.2% market share, followed by full battery electric at 3.8% and plug-in hybrid electrics at 1.8%. The market share for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles increased from zero in 2019 and 2020 to 0.01% in 2021. Hybrid electric vehicles are generally classed as a zero emission vehicles, even though they do burn gasoline to generate electricity, albeit a lot less than an ICE vehicle, since electricity is also produced with regenerative braking. Plug-in hybrid electrics use even less gasoline, running mostly on electricity. The B.C. government offers a $3,000 rebate for pure battery electric vehicles or long range plug-in hybrid electric, but only $1,500 for shorter range plug-in hybrid electrics. Vancouver has the highest market share of ZEVs in Canada, at 15%, followed by Montreal at 10.7% and Toronto at 4.3%. As for brands, according to Automotive Insights, Toyota dominates the ZEV space in Canada, though Tesla dominates the pure battery electric space. There are 45,401 Toyota hybrid electrics registered in Canada, 9,317 Toyota plug-in hybrid electrics, 126 Toyota fuel cell vehicles, and 32,262 Tesla pure battery electric vehicles. Operator: Thank you for standing by. At this time, all participants are in a listening mode until the question and answer session of todays conference. At that time, you may press star one on your phone to ask a question. I would like to inform all parties that todays conference is being recorded. If you have any objections, you may disconnect at this time. I will now turn todays call over to Benjamin Haynes. Thank you. You may begin. Benjamin Haynes: Thank you Denise. Good morning and thank you all for joining us for todays briefing on wastewater surveillance. We are joined by Dr. Amy Kirby, team lead for the National Wastewater Surveillance System. Following Dr. Kirbys opening remarks, we will open it up for your questions. Id now like to turn the call over to Dr. Kirby. Dr. Amy Kirby: Thank you, Ben. Im here today to discuss the latest public health tool thats providing critical information on COVID-19 trends, as well as giving us a glimpse into a new frontier of infectious disease surveillance in the U.S. Estimates suggests between 40 and 80% of people with COVID-19 shed viral RNA in their feces, making wastewater and sewage an important opportunity for monitoring the spread of infection. Seeing the value of collecting this type of data during the COVID-19 pandemic, CDC initiated the National Wastewater Surveillance System. Or NEWS for short, in September of 2020. What started as a grassroots effort by academic researchers and wastewater utilities has quickly become a nationwide surveillance system with more than 34,000 samples collected representing approximately 53 million Americans. Currently, CDC is supporting 37 states, four cities and two territories to help develop wastewater surveillance systems in their communities. More than 400 testing sites around the country have already begun their wastewater surveillance efforts. Dr. Amy Kirby: But the real power of this program will be more evident in the coming weeks when hundreds more testing sites will begin submitting data. The information generated by wastewater surveillance offers public health officials with better understanding COVID-19 trends in communities. Because increases in wastewater generally occur before corresponding increases in clinical cases, wastewater surveillance serves as an early warning system for the emergence of COVID-19 in a community. These data are uniquely powerful because they capture the presence of infections from people with and without symptoms. And theyre not affected by access to healthcare or availability of clinical testing. These built-in advantages can inform important public health decisions, such as where to allocate mobile testing and vaccination sites. Public health agencies have also used wastewater data to forecast changes in hospital utilization, providing additional time to mobilize resources and preparation for increasing cases. Now, wastewater data are available for the first time on CDCs COVID Data Tracker. Visitors to the site will be able to see changes in virus levels in wastewater over the previous 15 days for each participating community, as well as the percentage of tests from the past 15 days that are positive. Dr. Amy Kirby: Updated daily, the wastewater sampling locations, which are also called sewer sheds, are color coded based on the rate that SARS CO-V 2 levels are increasing or decreasing. You can also see information on the county served and the size of the population for each sewer shed. While data from wastewater surveillance can reveal new insights about COVID-19 prevalence, at both the community and national levels, there are some things that cant tell us. Interpretation of data is limited in communities with minimal or no sewer infrastructure and in communities with transient populations, such as areas with high tourism. Additionally, wastewater surveillance cannot be used to determine whether a community is free from infections. For these reasons, wastewater surveillance is best used in combination with case based surveillance to maximize its value. Weve already seen examples of cities and counties using their wastewater testing to better understand the trajectory of a surge of infections. Now more communities will have the opportunity to use this tool to help guide their public health decision making. Benjamin Haynes: Thank you, Dr. Kirby. Denise, we are now ready for questions. Operator: Thank you. The first question is from Erin Billups with Spectrum News Network. Your line is open. Erin Billups: Hi. Just wondering, one, what, if anything, can be done to maybe get more communities on board with this and plugged into this system and also what role this early warning system will help play moving forward. Is this one way that the country can move sort of out of a pandemic stage into a new normal by using the wastewater treatment samples that are collected? Dr. Amy Kirby: Sure. So let me touch on the first question. First about getting more communities onboard. So, we have developed a suite of resources to help our health departments build this capacity. And we have additional states building their systems now, and we expect the expect those to be available through COVID data tracker in the next few months. In addition, we have a commercial testing contract that will provide twice weekly testing to an additional 500 sites nationwide as those states build their systems. The second question about how this can be integrated into surveillance overall surveillance plans is a very good one and something that we are working closely with the rest of the COVID response here at CDC to find ways that wastewater surveillance can help provide situational awareness for whats going on in a community. As well as serving as that early warning system that a new increase may be coming in a community. Benjamin Haynes: Next question, please. Operator: Next question comes from Tom Howell with The Washington Times. Tom Howell: Hey, thanks for doing the call. Can you explain whether this wastewater surveillance has been done for previous pathogens or diseases and what did you learn from that experience? Thanks. Dr. Amy Kirby: Wastewater surveillance has been used for many decades actually to track polio in communities, not in the U.S., but definitely overseas as part of the polio eradication efforts. And they use it essentially the same way we do so to look for communities for polio is circulating and then use that as a trigger for additional clinical surveillance in those communities. Benjamin Haynes: Next question, please. Operator: That is from Fran Fritz with Very Well Health. Your line is open. Fran Kritz: Thank you. Im sorry. Can you explain what is new today? What is it new that youre announcing? There has been surveillance, so what is happening that you are announcing today? Dr. Amy Kirby: So the big news today is that the CDC data from the National Wastewater Surveillance System is available on COVID Data Tracker for the first time. And the advantage of this CDC supported dashboard is that it allows you to compare data across states directly. The data thats available on different state level dashboards doesnt have the same analyses behind it and so its not directly comparable the way it is on the CDC dashboard. Fran Kritz: Thank you. Benjamin Haynes: Denise, I think we have one more question pending. Operator: Thank you. That is from Lena Sun. Your line is open. Lena Sun: Okay. Thank you for doing this, Dr. Kirby. Could you explain again, how many sites are currently feeding into the data thats on the dashboard now and how many more will you be having to come online in the future. You know, and that, that future is that in a weeks, or is that gonna be in a few months that you will be expanding the system? And when you get to that point, how much coverage will you have in the country? Will we have half the country, three-fourths, you know, something in every state? If you could just sort of put that in context, please. Thank you. Dr. Amy Kirby: We currently have over 400 sites that are providing data to CDC and that data will be shared on COVID data tracker. In the next few weeks, we expect to add at least an additional 250 sites to that total. And then over the next few months, as we see our additional state systems getting fully implemented, we expect additional sites coming on board from that as well. Lena Sun: So when you to the 250 extra sites, what kind of coverage will we have in the United States then? Will you have a look into every state? Dr. Amy Kirby: We will not have a look into every state, but we will have a look into most states, as well as territories and tribal communities. I will have to get back to you as an exact number. I dont have that available right now. Benjamin Haynes: Next question, please. Operator: That is from Denise Chow with NBC News. Denise Chow: Hi, thank you very much for doing this. You mentioned that this could function as kind of an early warning system. I was wondering if you could explain a little bit about what we know about when after infection people, or we might start to see viral particles show up in wastewater. Is it fairly shortly after? Do people still shed viral particles long after theyre infectious? Just kind of that timeline. Thank you. Dr. Amy Kirby: Yeah, thats a great question. So what we see is shedding in feces starts very early after someone is infected. Its in fact, one of the first signs that we see of infectionwhich is really important for this early warning capability for wastewater. We see those rates go up very, very high. So lots of virus shed into feces very early in the infection and then it tails off. People do continue shedding excuse me, shedding virus in their feces for up to a couple of weeks after infection, but at very low rates and that is not contributing significantly to the signal that we see in wastewater. Benjamin Haynes: Next question, please. Operator: Next question is from Alice Parks with TIME. Alice Parks: Thank you, Dr. Kirby. I was wondering if you could address a bit, the system has, you know, been up for a while. Can you talk a little bit about the data that supports it and you know, why it took to this point to add the data to a COVID data tracker? Was it a matter of being reassured about that signal and making sure that correlation, that association was scientifically valid? Dr. Amy Kirby: So weve seen from very early days in the pandemic that rates of detection in wastewater correlate very well with other their clinical indicators, like pace rates and hospitalization and test positivity. That data continues to come in and it continues to be a very solid indicator of whats going on in the community. We have been building the system with our states again since September of 2020 and our state partners have had this data available to use since then. We have been building the capacity to get this data into CDC and share it and we think that now is the point where theres enough data in our system that it is a good time to make it available to the public. Benjamin Haynes: Next question, please. Operator: Next question is Lisa Kreiger, with San Jose Mercury News your line is open. Lisa Krieger: Yes. Thank you. There was an interesting paper yesterday in Nature Communications about the detection of genetic lineages in some of the sewer sheds that were unfamiliar. You know, they hadnt been captured by sequencing of patients viruses. And, you know, theres a suggestion that maybe the lineages are coming from virus infected animals. Do you happen to know what percent of these wastewater samples are sequenced? And whos monitoring that from a federal perspective? Dr. Amy Kirby: So we do have many of our states are sequencing their wastewater samples and that data will be coming into CDC within the next few weeks. So, we will have that available to monitor, as well. That is a very powerful method for tracking variants of concern in wastewater and were either to use that to be able to monitor, you know, again, seeing that early warning of new variants of concern entering our communities, Lisa Krieger: Just to follow up, have you seen anything, are you currently tracking that and have you seen anything thats I guess cryptic, is the phrase they use, thats interesting. Dr. Amy Kirby: We are not tracking cryptic lineages through NEWS but we are in contact with the researchers that publish that paper and are watching that work very closely. Benjamin Haynes: Next question, please. Operator: That is from Julie Steenhuysen with Reuters. Your line is open. Julie Steenhuysen: Thank you. Can you tell me is this going to be strictly for COVID or will this be part of future surveillance for other pathogens of pandemic significance? Dr. Amy Kirby: Yeah, so this system was stood up for COVID as part of the COVID response, but wastewater surveillance can be applicable to a wide variety of health concerns. And so we are right nowworking to expand the National Wastewater Surveillance platform to use this to gather data on other pathogens and we expect that work to commence by the end of this year. And our targets include antibiotic resistance, foodborne infections, like E. Coli, salmonella, norovirus influenza and the emerging fungal pathogen, Candia Auris. Julie Steenhuysen: Thank you. Benjamin Haynes: Next question, please. Operator: That comes from Dennis Thompson with Health Day. Your line is open. Dennis Thompson: Is there some place online where we can see a comprehensive list of the cities and sites that are doing this tracking for you right now? You know, will that list be updated so that we can see whos added in the future? Dr. Amy Kirby: Yeah, the best way to see that is through the data download feature on COVID data tracker. And so that will give you a line list of all of the sites and communities that are providing data. Benjamin Haynes: Next question, please. Operator: That comes from Dana McIntyre with the Augusta Press. Your line is open. Dana McIntyre: Thank you. How are the samples tested? Whats the mechanism, whats the process for the testing and have communities, or will communities need to get additional equipment or additional testing supplies in order to participate? Dr. Amy Kirby: The wastewater sample is collected by utility operators at the site. The best way to do that is through a piece of equipment called an auto sampler. Many utilities already have that. Were working with the Water Environment Federation to provide that piece of equipment to utilities that dontbut they can also just take whats called a grab sample. So, basically dipping a bottle into the wastewater flow to get a sample in time. That sample has been shipped to a laboratory. The laboratory will use methods to concentrate the viruses out of that wastewater sample. And then it looks very similar to clinical testing. They extract the genetic material from the viruses and use a quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay to measure how much of that RNA is present in the sample. All of that data, along with a suite of quality controlled variables, is submitted to CDC. We then do the analysis and report the final results back to our state partners through our internal data system and make that available on COVID data tracker. Dana McIntyre: Thank you. Benjamin Haynes: Next question please. Operator: Next question is from Dan Vergano with Buzzfeed News. Your line is open. Dan Vergano: Hi, thanks very much. Dan Vergano, Buzzfeed News. Im wondering how easy or hard would it be to use this system for a new emerging infectious disease? Like could CDC tell members of this network to like, Hey, look out for this new virus if something else props up for future pandemic awareness? And sort of related, could this be used at all in the overdose crisis where theres, you know, been studies that have looked at fentanyl and heroin and so forth opioids in the sewage stream. Thanks very much. Dr. Amy Kirby: One of the strengths of wastewater surveillance is that it is very flexible. So once we have built this infrastructure to collect the samples, get them to a laboratory, get the data to CDC. We can add tests for new pathogens fairly quickly. So you are correct that should there be a new pathogen of interest, we could ramp up this system within a few weeks to start gathering community level data on that new pathogen. There is also interest in using this for non-infectious diseases as you allude to like substances of abuse. That approach needs moretechnical analysis and technical development. So we dont see that being an immediate use, but it is something we are considering down the road for our system. Benjamin Haynes: Next question, please, Operator: That comes from Kyle Jones with NBC Connecticut. Your line is open. Kyle Jones: Hi. Im just wondering, how does this play into the future of the pandemic? There are some communities, as youve mentioned, theres one here in Connecticut that has been doing wastewater monitoring for the last year and a half or so. So is this sort of set up more as a national way to just monitor COVID and give I guess, give the warning when there might be some spikes, but it seems like COVID will be here for, for quite some time. So is this just sort of an early warning system just to keep things monitored? And then the second question is for those communities that do have them already set up, it sounds like theyre going be folded into this. So is there going to be financial support to kind of bring them on board and maybe bolster what already exists in those communities? Dr. Amy Kirby: Yes. So the role of wastewater surveillance will largely be around that early warning system to detect increased cases as soon as we can so that we can have those extra days for communities to prepare their hospital systems for the pending cases. However, its also really useful for situational awareness. So as cases are increasing to see when weve passed the peak of a surge wastewater data can also be very useful for that and we saw that happen with the Omicron surge just these past few weeks. Its also very important as our testing strategies change. So as more people use at home tests instead of reported clinical tests wastewater surveillance will continue to be a robust surveillance approach for understanding whats going on in the communities. As far as funding for our states we fund wastewater surveillance on an annual basis and the system has enough funding to continue funding our states and expansion through 2025. And we are hope that we will be able to expand our funded states in this years funding round. Benjamin Haynes: Next question, please. Operator: Next question is from Hadas Kuznits with KYW News Radio. Hadas Kuznits: Hi, Hadas Kuznits. Thank you for taking my call, my question, what some specific real life uses for wastewater surveillance and what are some of the like new uses communities can make with this data to make decisions about the COVID pandemic. Also, can you speak to data collected from targeted areas, in particular Philadelphia in the suburbs? Dr. Amy Kirby: Sure. So our public health partners are finding new ways to use wastewater data all the time. The thing we hear most commonly from our public health partners is that they use wastewater data because it gives them confidence that they understand whats going on in their communities. Theyre looking at a lot of data coming in and wastewater provides a really strong signalof again, increases and decreases in their communities. They have used that information to make decisions about resources where are they going to send mobile testing sites, where do they need to send additional hospital supplies. We have also seen them use this information to look for variants of concern in their communities and we have an MMWR out on that that was published January 21st. So lots of uses available there. Im sorry, I dont have information available at my fingertips about the Philadelphia area but we can follow up with you about that. Benjamin Haynes: Next question, please. Operator: Next question is from Maryn McKenna with WIRED, your line is open. Maryn McKenna: Thanks for doing this briefing. Dr. Kirby, at the start of your remarks, you mentioned that this effort began with academic researchers and Im wondering if you can say anything about how youve brought those sources of data at universities into this national system. Dr. Amy Kirby: Yeah, Im really glad you asked that question because our academic partners and utility partners were really critical for the foundation of what has become the National Wastewater Surveillance System. We had many academic researchers that started doing wastewater surveillance in their communities. They partnered with utilities and health departments to generate this data even before there was really anywhere for it to go in public health system. We have also seen academic partners do wastewater surveillance to support their universities during their academic years to keep their campuses safe. Those partners many of them, are continuing to work with their public health agencies and they are part of the NEWS network and that data is coming to us. And we are looking forward to continuing to work with them. I will note, however that academic researchers are not built to do long term surveillance, they are built to do research and thats what we need them to do to continue developing this field. So one of our goals for the next couple of years is to transition the routine testing into public health and environmental health labs so that we can free up those academic researchers to continue moving the field forward. Benjamin Haynes: Denise, we have time for two more questions. Operator: Thank you. The next is from Liz Bonis with St. Claire Broadcast Company. Your line is open. Liz Bonis: Thank you very much. Its Liz from WKRC-TV in Cincinnati, the CBS affiliate here. And Im curious if someone has this information in our community and our public health providers say, Hey, for example, youre getting the next strain of COVID 19 in your wastewater. What would you recommend people do? I mean, I know you wanna listen to your public health providers, but is there some action that we can take? Dr. Amy Kirby: Yeah, so it would be the same as if you see cases rising. Youre just going to do it earlier, right? So if you see that a new strain is coming into your community or that the rates and wastewater are starting to go up, you want to take all the same actions masking, distancing getting vaccinated if youre not testing if youre feeling sick. But with wastewater, you can start doing those a few days earlier and those extra days really make a difference on the ultimate trajectory of that surge in your community. Liz Bonis: Thank you. Benjamin Haynes: And our last question, please. Operator: That is from Eugene Daniel with 13 News Now. Your line is open. Eugene Daniel: Hey, thank you very much for this briefing. Quick question, Im in Virginia and Im looking at the tracker and there are a bunch of sites that are listed in the Commonwealth, but they dont have data available. My question is, are we waiting for information to come from Virginia or do we expect that to be coming from the state? Dr. Amy Kirby: So we do expect that data to be coming from the state on data tracker. We are only showing data thats within the last 15 days because we want it to be again, comparable between sites so that everybody is looking at the most recent data. And so if we dont have any data for a site within the past 15 days we gray out that spot. So you know that the community is participating but we dont have any recent data and thats the case there. We do expect that data to be updated soon on data tracker. Benjamin Haynes: Thank you, Dr. Kirby. Thank you all for joining us today. If you have further questions, please contact the main media office at 404-639-3286. Or you can email media@cdc.gov. This will conclude todays briefing. Thank you. Operator: Thank you for participating with todays conference and you may disconnect. COVID-19 vaccination coverage and vaccine confidence were higher among gay or lesbian adults than among heterosexual adults and higher among gay men than gay or lesbian women. There were no significant differences in vaccination coverage among persons based on gender identity. Vaccination coverage was lowest among non-Hispanic Black LGBT persons across all categories of sexual orientation and gender identity. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) populations have higher prevalences of health conditions associated with severe COVID-19 illness compared with non-LGBT populations (1). The potential for low vaccine confidence and coverage among LGBT populations is of concern because these persons historically experience challenges accessing, trusting, and receiving health care services (2). Data on COVID-19 vaccination among LGBT persons are limited, in part because of the lack of routine data collection on sexual orientation and gender identity at the national and state levels. During August 29October 30, 2021, data from the National Immunization Survey Adult COVID Module (NIS-ACM) were analyzed to assess COVID-19 vaccination coverage and confidence in COVID-19 vaccines among LGBT adults aged 18 years. By sexual orientation, gay or lesbian adults reported higher vaccination coverage overall (85.4%) than did heterosexual adults (76.3%). By race/ethnicity, adult gay or lesbian non-Hispanic White men (94.1%) and women (88.5%), and Hispanic men (82.5%) reported higher vaccination coverage than that reported by non-Hispanic White heterosexual men (74.2%) and women (78. 6%). Among non-Hispanic Black adults, vaccination coverage was lower among gay or lesbian women (57.9%) and bisexual women (62.1%) than among heterosexual women (75.6%). Vaccination coverage was lowest among non-Hispanic Black LGBT persons across all categories of sexual orientation and gender identity. Among gay or lesbian adults and bisexual adults, vaccination coverage was lower among women (80.5% and 74.2%, respectively) than among men (88.9% and 81.7%, respectively). By gender identity, similar percentages of adults who identified as transgender or nonbinary and those who did not identify as transgender or nonbinary were vaccinated. Gay or lesbian adults and bisexual adults were more confident than were heterosexual adults in COVID-19 vaccine safety and protection; transgender or nonbinary adults were more confident in COVID-19 vaccine protection, but not safety, than were adults who did not identify as transgender or nonbinary. To prevent serious illness and death, it is important that all persons in the United States, including those in the LGBT community, stay up to date with recommended COVID-19 vaccinations. NIS-ACM collects data from adults aged 18 years using a random-digitdialed sample of cellular telephone numbers (3). Data collected during August 29October 30, 2021 from 153,062 respondents were weighted to represent the noninstitutionalized U.S. adult population and to match the number of adults who received 1 dose* of COVID-19 vaccine as reported by jurisdictions to CDC. The response rate was 20.9% in both September and October. Sexual orientation was assessed with the question, What best describes your sexual orientation? Is it heterosexual or straight; lesbian or gay; bisexual; or something else? Gender identity was assessed with the question, Would you consider yourself as transgender or nonbinary? Adults who answered dont know or refused to the sexual orientation (9,586, 6.3%) or gender identity (10,539, 6.9%) questions were excluded from the analysis. Self-reported data on COVID-19 vaccination coverage by sociodemographic characteristics, and behavioral and social drivers of vaccination were analyzed by sexual orientation and gender identity. Assessed drivers of vaccination were concerns about COVID-19, and importance of and confidence in COVID-19 vaccines. Data were stratified by male or female sex for heterosexual, gay or lesbian, and bisexual respondents. Because persons who describe themselves as nonbinary do not identify as male or female, gender identity was not stratified by male or female sex. Analyses used t-tests and 95% CIs to detect differences in percentages between groups, using a threshold of = 0.05 for statistical significance. Analyses were performed using SAS (version 9.4; SAS Institute) and SUDAAN (version 11.0.3; RTI International). This activity was reviewed by CDC and was conducted consistent with applicable federal law and CDC policy.** Among 143,476 survey respondents with nonmissing responses to the sexual orientation question, 3,941 (2.7%) identified as gay or lesbian and 4,395 (3.1%) as bisexual; of the 142,523 survey respondents with nonmissing responses to the gender identity question, 5,594 (3.9%) identified as transgender or nonbinary. Receipt of 1 dose of a COVID-19 vaccine was higher among gay or lesbian adults (85.4%) than among heterosexual (76.3%; p<0.05) or bisexual (76.3%) adults (Table 1). Among gay or lesbian adults and bisexual adults, a higher percentage of men (88.9% and 81.7%, respectively) than women (80.5% and 74.2%, respectively) reported receiving 1 COVID-19 vaccine dose (Table 2). The percentage of transgender or nonbinary adults who reported receiving 1 dose of COVID-19 vaccine (75.7%) was statistically similar to that among adults who did not identify as transgender or nonbinary (76.7%). Among non-Hispanic White adults, the percentage who reported receiving 1 COVID-19 vaccine dose was higher among gay or lesbian adults (91.7%) than among heterosexual adults (76.5%), higher among gay men (94.1%) and bisexual men (81.4%) than among heterosexual men (74.2%), and higher among gay or lesbian women (88.5%) than among heterosexual women (78.6%) (all p<0.05). The percentage of non-Hispanic White bisexual women who reported receiving 1 COVID-19 vaccine dose (74.6%) was lower than that among heterosexual women (p<0.05). Among Hispanic adults, the percentage who reported receiving 1 COVID-19 vaccine dose was higher among gay men (82.9%) than among heterosexual men (72.0%; p<0.05). Among non-Hispanic Black adults, coverage was lower among gay or lesbian women (57.9%) and bisexual women (62.1%) than among heterosexual women (75.6%) (p<0.05). Receipt of 1 COVID-19 vaccine dose was highest among non-Hispanic White gay men (94.1%) and lowest among non-Hispanic Black gay or lesbian women (57.9%). There were no statistically significant differences by race/ethnicity among adults who identified as transgender or nonbinary compared with those who did not identify as transgender or nonbinary. By urbanicity, among adults residing in a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) principal city, 1-dose vaccination coverage was higher among gay men (92.2%) and bisexual men (88.3%) than among heterosexual men (76.6%); a lower percentage of persons who identified as transgender or nonbinary (73.9%) reported receiving 1 dose compared with persons who did not identify as transgender or nonbinary (79.0%) (all p<0.05). Among adults residing in an MSA nonprincipal city, the percentage of gay men who reported receiving 1 dose (87.9%) was higher than that among heterosexual men (74.9%); among bisexual women, 1-dose coverage (76.2%) was lower than that among heterosexual women (80.6%) (all p<0.05). For adults living in a non-MSA, coverage was higher among gay or lesbian women (84.2%) and lower among bisexual women (58.1%) than among heterosexual women (69.9%) (all p<0.05). Among both vaccinated and unvaccinated respondents, a higher percentage of gay or lesbian adults and bisexual adults reported they were very or moderately concerned about COVID-19 (56.8% and 51.3%, respectively) than were heterosexual adults (48.1%) (all p<0.05) (Table 3). Higher percentages of gay and bisexual men reported they were completely confident or very confident in vaccine safety (82.4% and 76.3%, respectively) than were heterosexual men (63.2%), as were bisexual women (68.1%) compared with heterosexual women (64.5%) (all p<0.05). Higher percentages of gay or lesbian adults and bisexual adults reported that they thought COVID-19 vaccine was very or somewhat important to protect oneself (90.8% and 86.8%, respectively) compared with heterosexual adults (80.4%), and higher percentages of adults who identified as transgender or nonbinary reported they thought COVID-19 vaccine was very or somewhat important to protect oneself (83.2%) compared with those who did not identify as transgender or nonbinary (80.7%) (all p<0.05). Medical workers carry out rapid antigen tests at a COVID-19 testing station in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap By Bahk Eun-ji Concerns are growing over whether rapid antigen tests will deal with the Omicron-fueled COVID-19 pandemic effectively, as they are feared to yield false-negative or false-positive results. Since Thursday, the country has allowed only hospitals and medical clinics to conduct rapid antigen testing. Under the new system, only those who only test positive in a rapid test are able to receive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. Prioritized for PCR tests are the elderly aged over 60, people who have come in close contact with a COVID-19 patient and those with a doctor's recommendation citing the need for the laboratory-processed test. According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, Friday, a total of 84,000 rapid antigen tests were conducted using at-home test kits at testing centers in four local jurisdictions South Jeolla Province, Gwangju and the Gyeonggi Province cities of Pyeongtaek and Anseong. Of them, in 687 rapid tests that came out positive, 164 of those, or 23.9 percent, came out negative in further PCR tests. Experts say these false positives indicate the reduced accuracy of the rapid antigen tests. These tests use a method of collecting a specimen from a place not deep inside the nose and putting it in a diagnostic kit to confirm whether or not the virus is detected within 30 minutes, taking much less time than a PCR test. A more accurate PCR test is determined by amplifying the viral gene in a collected sample. This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact The Chanute Tribune office at 620-431-4100 if you have any questions Millions of people saw local school teacher get MAJOR honor; Owners exploring possible solar facility; Danville Area Humane Society hopes reward money will solve animal cruelty case; And Martinsville is NOT throwing in the towel on reversion. The Chattanooga area benefits from Southern Adventist Universitys presence by at least $152 million a year, according to a recent economic impact study looking at the 2020-2021 school year.The study, conducted by a private consultant, focused on three major areas of the universitys economic impact: local business volume generated by university expenditures ($76 million); local full-time jobs created and sustained by Southerns presence (5,338 jobs, including the universitys own 475 full-time-equivalent jobs, counted over the same period); and individual income generated by university expenditures (at least $77 million).The Chattanooga Metropolitan Statistical Area is the region most economically benefited by Southerns operations.It is estimated that approximately 57 percent of the universitys expenditures are made in that geographic area, representing $54 million in local spending. The analysis was based on the Caffrey model, which was developed in 1968 and is considered a standard by the American Council on Education.Southern is blessed to be part of this thriving community, and we are proud to contribute to the areas economic wellbeing as well, said Ken Shaw, EdD, president of Southern Adventist University. In addition to the data included in the report, you cant forget the intrinsic value that Southern brings. Increased education results in improved productivity and quality of life, and our high caliber graduates are a huge asset to local businesses and organizations. We provide many opportunities for personal growth, plus numerous services and facilities to the community, and that indirect economic impact makes a significant difference."Founded in 1892, Southern is dedicated to providing a quality, Christian education, with approximately 2,700 students currently earning degrees ranging from associate to doctoral. Located on 1,300 acres in Collegedale, Tennessee, Southern welcomes community members to enjoy the universitys wellness center, vegetarian health food store and nearly 40 miles of wooded trails," officials said. The City Beer Board, operating as the Chattanooga Wrecker Board, have had many meetings with wrecker owners during the last several months to establish new regulations for the wrecker industry operating in the city. Mark Shackleford, representing the wrecker companies, told the board that he has organized a group of leaders from the various wrecker companies to help make the changes they would like to see in the future. Board Chairman Bill Glascock said a meeting has been scheduled for Feb. 16 at 9 a.m. with the wrecker board representatives and one representative from each wrecker district in the city. Among other things, items that will be discussed include accepting credit cards, storage and towing rates, response times and the expansion of some districts over the years that affects response times. Saudi Digital Academy signs deal with Huawei to develop local talents Xinhua) 19:37, February 04, 2022 Photo taken on Feb. 2, 2022 shows the outside view of Chinese tech giant Huawei's largest overseas store on its opening day in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Xinhua/Wang Haizhou) Saudi Digital Academy and Chinese tech giant Huawei signed a deal for promoting the digital transformation of Saudi Arabia to meet the Saudi vision 2030 through jointly developing Saudi tech talents. RIYADH, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Digital Academy has signed a deal with China's telecom giant Huawei on developing local technological talents, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday. The deal, signed by Saudi Digital Academy's CEO Mohammed Al-Suhaim and Deputy CEO of Huawei Tech Investment in Saudi Arabia Steven Liu on the sidelines of the international technological Conference LEAP, aims to promote the digital transformation of the Kingdom to meet the Saudi vision 2030. Saudi Kids try smart products at Huawei's largest overseas store on its opening day in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 2, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Haizhou) Under the deal, the two sides will cooperate in launching several projects relying on the Huawei Academy for Information Technology and Communications. About 8,000 Saudi talents are expected to be developed through the Huawei-accredited program of certificates about information technology and communications. A Saudi kid visits Huawei's largest overseas store on its opening day in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 2, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Haizhou) In the coming years, they will also make joint efforts to organize the annual Huawei competition for information technology and communication in the Middle East, which was held in 2021 coordinated by the Saudi Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. Some other activities are going to be held to exchange knowledge, where Huawei will provide accredited certificates for 100 Saudi trainers through the academy's training program. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) Minister of Gender Equality and Family Chung Young-ai speaks during a briefing on support measures for students from multicultural backgrounds, held at the Government Complex Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of Ministry of Gender Equality and Family By Lee Hyo-jin Korea will strengthen support for students from multicultural backgrounds, in order to establish an environment where all children are provided with equitable access to education and career development. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced a set of measures on Friday to increase educational support for students from multicultural backgrounds, as well as to create a learning environment that embraces diversity and inclusion. The measures come as the number of multicultural students has been increasing steadily, despite the overall declining student population due to the nation's low birth rate. In 2021, about 5.32 million students were enrolled at elementary, middle and high schools across the country, down 21 percent from 6.72 million in 2012. During the same period, however, the number of multicultural students surged by 240 percent to surpass 160,000 in 2021, up from around 47,000 in 2012. This tally included children born to a Korean national and a foreign national (82 percent), as well as children born to two foreign national parents (18 percent). However, government policies are currently focused on supporting multicultural children only at the preschool level, leaving older students deprived of opportunities to access quality education and career planning. Data showed that only 49 percent of these students had entered university in 2018, lower than the 67.6 percent of the total student population doing so. Against this backdrop, the family ministry, which oversees the country's multicultural youth policies, will implement new measures centered on supporting students at schools to help them explore various career paths. Beginning next month, the government will provide career counseling programs at 78 multicultural family support centers across the country and enhance existing government programs supporting the students' bilingual skills. In addition, starting next month, children between ages 6 and 10 will be offered educational programs on basic reading and writing skills at the lower elementary level. The courses, available at 90 multicultural family support centers across the country, should reach some 1,800 children of the age group, said the ministry. The family ministry will also make revisions to the Multicultural Family Support Act, so as to expand the legal definition of "members of multicultural families" to include children who are currently in welfare blind spots due to their or their parents' legal status. The authorities will also increase efforts to eradicate racial and cultural discrimination at schools. A triennial survey among multicultural families conducted in 2018 found that children from multicultural backgrounds face difficulties adapting to school life due to multiple reasons, including language barriers, academic struggles and discrimination from peers as well as teachers. The ministry will continue to develop cultural diversity education programs at schools. Since 2015, schools have been recommended to include at least two hours of multicultural education per year. In cooperation with the education ministry, school teachers will be offered the possibility to participate in workshops and online training programs about multicultural education. "We have come up with these measures to support multicultural youth adapting to school life and developing their global talents, so that they can grow up as future talented members of our society," Gender Equality and Family Minister Chung Young-ai said during a briefing. An employee at the Comfort Inn, 2420 Williams St., called police. The employee and a guest were in the lobby. The guest told police he had been approached by a female knocking on his hotel room asking for money to pay for a pizza. The guest said he handed the woman $26 and followed her as she was leaving, since he was heading to his vehicle. The guest said he then noticed a silver vehicle, tag and state unknown, was waiting for the female. When the guest confronted him, the driver said he did not know the woman and drove off; the woman also denied knowing the man. The guest then asked the money be returned to him. The woman handed the money back to the guest and left. The employee said she saw the incident occur and recognized the woman, who she identified to police as someone who had been trespassed from other properties in the area and was known as the "Pizza Lady." The employee of the hotel wanted the Pizza Lady trespassed from the property. Police were unable to locate the woman, as she had left prior to their arrival. Police told the employee to call back in if she returned. * * * A woman on Shepherd View Drive told police that she saw and heard four loud bangs and flashes coming from her neighbor's house. She then saw a blue Ford Taurus with blue headlights leave the address. Police spoke to a woman at the house she indicated, who said that her boyfriend had just left to go to the store and that nothing happened inside their house. The woman let police into her house to check for any evidence of a firearm being discharged. Police were unable to find any evidence that a firearm had been discharged. * * * Police observed a disorder at the Greyhound bus station, 740 East 12th St. The officer heard a Walden Security Guard yell, asking for "backup." Police observed a homeless man walking away from the station. According to the security guard, after he assisted the man, he ordered him to leave the property and the man refused to do so. Police spoke with the manager of the Greyhound bus station, who said he wanted the homeless man trespassed. Police informed the man that he was trespassed from the Greyhound bus station. * * * A suspicious vehicle was reported at Signal Mobile Courts, 930 Signal Mountain Road. Police found a 2007 Hyundai Elantra in the rear of the parking area. When checking the vehicle, the officer noticed a considerable amount of damage to the steering column and dash, as well as to the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was unoccupied and the doors were locked. When checking the VIN, police discovered that the vehicle was not currently listed as registered and did not return as stolen. Records did indicate that it had been reported stolen and recovered in 2020. After checking the vehicle, police contacted the property manager and informed him that it was not currently listed as a stolen vehicle and would need to be removed by the property owner. The owner said that he understood. * * * A disorder was reported at a residence on Jenkins Road. Police spoke to a woman who said she got into a argument with a man there over his alcohol consumption and aggressive driving. The man had left the scene and had given the woman his debit card. The man's father was aware the woman had the debit card. She said if the man didn't return she would use the debit card to get a Greyhound bus ticket to return to Nashville. * * * A suspicious vehicle was reported on Maple Hills Way. The vehicle was backed in with a drive-out tag from Georgia and was last registered to an address from south of Atlanta. Due to the area and way the vehicle was parked, it did not seem to fit in. The vehicle has not been reported stolen at this time. * * * A person on Cleveland Avenue told police that people had knocked on the doors/windows of several homes and called them names when they were asked to leave. Police were not able to locate anyone in order to trespass them from the properties. * * * A woman told police she lost her express payment card. She said she believes she dropped it somewhere in the parking lot of the Shell station at 3131 Broad St. * * * An employee of the Century 21 Hotel, 100 West 21st St., told police that a white male wearing a beanie and a camo jacket walked into the lobby and demanded a room. He said the man was intoxicated and appeared to be homeless. When the man was informed he could not get a room for free, he began to yell and kick items in the lobby. The man kicked the lobby sliding door off its track as he exited the building. The employee said he does not want to press charges at this time. * * * A man told police that someone broke into his vehicle while it was parked at the Cravens House, 1060 Cravens Terrace, overnight. He said they broke the front passenger door window and took clothing and a few other items. He told police he just needed a report to get the window fixed. * * * A suspicious man was reported on Jenkins Road. Police spoke with the man and he said he was in a car with his wife when they got into a verbal argument. He told police the argument became physical and his wife ordered him to get out of the vehicle. After he got out, his wife drove away and left him on the side of the road. The man was transported to his mother's house by police without incident. * * * A man on East 11th Street called police and said there was a female in his apartment and she was refusing to leave. He said he and the woman got into an argument and he asked her to leave his apartment, but she refused. He told police that he did not know her name. While he was speaking to police, the woman left the scene. The man did not want any further police assistance. Senator Bill Hagerty today announced several changes to his staff in Washington and at offices in Tennessee.Im pleased to welcome several new individuals to my staff, as well as announce promotions for others, Senator Hagerty said. These talented men and women, along with the rest of my staff, will continue to help me best serve the needs of and represent all Tennesseans on Capitol Hill.Promotions:Natalie McIntyre, who has served as deputy legislative director since January of 2021, will now be Senator Hagertys legislative director.Ms. McIntyre was formerly deputy to the associate director for Legislative Affairs at the Office of Management and Budget, where she handled the Senate portfolio and was the primary contact to Senate offices and OMB components. Before that, she was a senior policy advisor and White House liaison at the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Prior to her time in the administration, Ms. McIntyre was a legislative assistant for U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell and handled the healthcare, transportation and the budget portfolios. She holds a M.P.P from the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University and a B.S in financial economics from Centre College.Clark Milner, Senator Hagertys chief counsel, will now add the duties of senior advisor, working to advance the senators policy and strategic goals. Mr. Milner was previously deputy counsel to Governor Bill Lee, a role in which he advised the governor regarding legal, legislative, ethical and other matters and helped coordinate the legal affairs of the executive branch of state government. He previously served as associate deputy counsel to Governor Bill Haslam, as an associate with Bass, Berry and Sims PLC in Nashville, and as a law clerk to Judge Thomas A. Varlan of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Mr. Milner received his law degree from the University of Tennessee and his undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia. He is from Knoxville.Lucas Da Pieve will serve as deputy legislative director and continue to supervise all appropriations requests. Mr. Da Pieve most recently served as the deputy legislative director and projects manager, supervising all appropriations requests for former U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander. Previously he was the director of digital response in the Office of Presidential Correspondence at the White House. He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and has worked in government and politics since 2013. Mr. Da Pieve is originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina. His family has lived in Blount County since 2008.Audrey Traynor, who has been Senator Hagertys digital assistant, will now serve as deputy press secretary and digital director. Ms. Traynor recently served as communications assistant for former U.S. Senator David Perdues 2020 re-election campaign. Prior to joining the Senator Perdue campaign, Ms. Traynor worked in communications for the Georgia Department of Labor. She is originally from Atlanta, and holds a B.A. in advertising from the University of Georgia.Stan Settles is now a field representative in the Nashville office. Mr. Settles spent 2021 as the field representative in the Chattanooga office. During the 2020 campaign, he served as Senator Hagertys Chattanooga regional field director. Previously, he was a field organizer for Congressman Chuck Fleischmann. He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, where he was the student body president. Mr. Settles, who grew up in Erin, Tn., now lives in Nashville.Additions:Luke Pettit will serve as senior policy advisor. Mr. Pettit joins from the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, where he was the Committee economist. Prior to the Senate, he worked at Bridgewater Associates and the Federal Reserve. He holds a B.A from the University of Pennsylvania, and graduate degrees from the London School of Economics and Johns Hopkins University. He is a native of Bellingham, Wa.Sara Brooks Adams is a staff assistant in the Washington, D.C. office. A Jackson, Ms. native, Ms. Adams will soon complete her B.A. in political science and broadcast journalism from the University of Mississippi. Ms. Adams previously served as an intern for Senator Hagerty in the summer of 2021.Laken Shattuck has been named field representative in the Chattanooga office. She is a Tennessee native originally from Waverly. Ms. Shattuck attended Tennessee Tech University, where she obtained dual degrees in political science and English. Prior to moving to the Chattanooga area, she spent time serving as a legislative aide in the State Senate at the Tennessee General Assembly, while also earning a masters degree in public administration and public policy.Valon Brown joined Senator Hagertys staff as a constituent services representative in the Nashville office after previously working for Calvert Street Group and the Tennessee Republican Party. Ms. Brown also serves as Senator Hagertys personal aid. Ms. Brown graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 2019 with a B.S. in international relations and minors in both economics and history. He is a native of Nashville. Red Bank Commissioner Ruth Jeno announced she is seeking the redrawn District 6 seat on the Hamilton County Commission. Her experience in government and planning makes her the most qualified candidate for this position, her campaign said. As the first female to have served as mayor of Red Bank, she has also served as vice mayor, and has been elected to the Red Bank Commission three times. Her campaign said, "Having served nine years on the Red Bank Planning Commission and completing many hours of training, she understands the importance of economic development and how future development will play a crucial role in Hamilton Countys future. Commissioner Jeno will focus on education, economic development, and safety for our families in all neighborhoods." Commissioner Jeno said, Education is the key to accomplish these goals. Our children are our future; it is our responsibility to ensure they are ready for college or a career when they leave the Hamilton County School System. Our children deserve a quality learning environment, whether it be in a traditional classroom or a quality trade school. Her campaign said Ms. Jeno "has an extensive background in community service; she has served on many boards and committees for Hamilton County Schools and the city of Red Bank. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Red Bank Food Pantry and Red Bank Seniors on the Go, a senior citizens program she implemented 12 years ago. The senior group meetings are held at the Joe Glasscock Community Center. Ruth and former Mayor Joe Glasscock secured private funding to build the community center offering senior citizens and other citizen groups a place to meet year round. "Ruth is an artist and a seamstress. As a 22-year member of Riverbend Smocking Guild, she uses her talent to make preemie baby gowns for hospitals and dresses for children in poverty-stricken areas of the world." Commissioner Jeno was born and raised in North Chattanooga and has a rich history in District 6, it was stated. She and her husband Mike have been married 52 years and have two children, Michelle Jeno Johnson and Michael Jeno, and nine grandchildren. She and her husband 28 years ago bought a beautiful acreage tract in Red Bank where they built their forever home. They attend Stuart Heights Baptist Church where she volunteered in the Awana Club Ministry. She said, I pledge to work with fellow county commissioners, government officials, our school board, school principals and citizen groups to make Hamilton County the best county in the state of Tennessee. I humbly ask for your trust and vote in electing me for your next District 6 County Commissioner. Joe LeRoy Holder, 83, of Birchwood, Tennessee, went to be with the Lord on Wednesday, February 2, 2022. LeRoy was born on Sept. 25, 1938 in Chattanooga, to Herbert C. Holder, Sr. and wife Mildred, the second of four children. LeRoy was a man who loved the Lord. A member of Bayside Baptist Church in Harrison since its founding in 1973, he was head of the finance committee and one of the first deacons elected to serve. He was also a Sunday School teacher and a member of the choir. He was called to mission work, which allowed him to share the word of God with hundreds of people around the world. Always a hard-worker, LeRoy grew up farming near Georgetown. After graduating high school, he was employed at Combustion Engineering where he worked as a welder until he began Holder Construction in 1970. Over the years, he built hundreds of houses and several commercial buildings in the Chattanooga area. He cherished his family, especially his devoted wife who cared for him tirelessly following a devastating wreck involving a concrete truck in 1977. He loved his children deeply, and took even greater pride in being Papaw to his grandchildren. They were his pride and joy. LeRoy was preceded in death by his parents, and his sister, Gail (Ed) Reed. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Louise Holder, and their two children, Kim (Billy) Childress and Greg (Regina) Holder; four grandchildren, Lauren Dukes, Rachel Holder, Jonathan Martin, and Joseph (Chloe) Martin, and two brothers, Charlie (Glenda) Holder and Tommy (Jean) Holder. Visitation will be at Bayside Baptist Church, 6100 Highway 58 in Harrison on Tuesday, Feb. 8, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. followed immediately by the funeral service. Pastor Jason King and former pastor Eric Stitts will be officiating, with graveside service by Grady Cooper. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Bayside Building Fund, Bayside Mission Partnership, or the Senior Adult Meals ministry, or to Gideons International. Please share your memories and express condolences at www.turnerfamilyfuneralhome. com . Arrangements are by Turner Funeral Home, Highway 58 Chapel, 423 622-3171. On the Feb 4 episode of 90 Day: The Single Life, Natalie Mordovtsevas estranged husband, Mike Youngquist, reveals some shocking information that even Natalie had no idea about. Now the question is will Natalie be deported back to Ukraine? Natalie Mordovtseva | discovery+ Mike reveals that he never filed for Natalies green card During the Fab 4th finale of 90 Day: The Single Life Season 2, Tania Maduro asks Mike about Natalies immigration status. She asks him, Did you all file the papers for the green card already? Mike shocks fans when he says, Nope. Natalie says, We did file. Co-star Debbie Johnson chimes in, Its a change of status. Tania says, He said you didnt do that. Thats when Natalie starts to panic. She asks Mike, What do you mean we didnt do it? Mike reveals, She doesnt have a status. She doesnt have anything. Natalie continues to claim that they did. She says, We did. I dont know why hes saying no. Mike tells her, [We] never have gotten to that stage where we adjust for her status. So, yeah, literally, she has no paperwork right now. Since Mike is the United States citizen that brought Natalie from Ukraine to the US on a K-1 (fiance) visa, he is the one who is in control of adjusting her status. Since they have separated and are in the process of divorce, theres nothing Natalie can do about her illegal status. Natalie storms off the set of The Single Life crying After finding out that shes been illegally staying in the US, Natalie says, What can I do? It is his choice, not mine. She continues, Im not a toy. He cannot bring me to another country, make me to survive here, and have to send me back. Im not a toy. She tells Mike, You cant do this to me. Mike tells her, Thats it. You know? I hope you find someone, Natalie, who makes you happy. You have a great family and everything else. Natalie tells Mike, Im 37. It hurts. I gave you four years of my life. And I left you without even taking my clothes. Mike says, We got married, and you were gone in six months, Natalie. He tells her, You made your bed. Now you got to lay in it. As she begins to cry, he says, It didnt work out. You live in a completely different state. We are not together no more. Im terribly sorry, but its time. Its been a whole year since youve been home. Natalie begins crying and leaves the set. Will Natalie be deported? While its not impossible to apply for an adjustment of status after getting a divorce after moving to the US on a K-1 visa, it is complicated. So will Natalie be subjected to getting deported back to Ukraine? Heres what we know. According to VisaNation.com, If a divorce happens at any point before the application is approved, then the green card process for the derivative beneficiary will end. The divorce means the relationship that made her eligible has been dissolved. As of right now, if Mike isnt willing to file for Natalies adjustment of status, she may be subject to being deported. As of now, its unclear if Natalie is still in the US or if she has gone back to Ukraine. 90 Day Fiance fans will have to wait and see whats next in Natalies journey. RELATED: 90 Day Fiance: A Look Back at Natalie Mordovtseva and Mike Youngquists Toxic Relationship Ahead of The Single Life Premiere Forget Tom Cruise. Theres a new Jack Reacher in town. Prime Videos Reacher dropped on Feb. 4. The eight-episode first season stars Alan Ritchson as the title character, a tough-as-nails ex-military police offer who rolls into a small Georgia town and gets caught up in a criminal conspiracy. Ritchson takes on the Reacher role a decade after Cruise played the character in the 2012 movie Jack Reacher. That adaptation disappointed many fans of the character created by author Lee Child, in part because they didnt think the actor was tall enough to play a man described as being well over 6 feet tall in Childs books. So, does Ritchson measure up (literally) when it comes to stepping into Jack Reachers very big shoes? Tom Cruise played the title role in Jack Reacher Malcolm Goodwin and Alan Richtson in Reacher | Shane Mahood/Amazon Studios RELATED: Why Dwayne Johnson Is Grateful He Didnt Get to Play Jack Reacher Jack Reacher made his debut in Childs 1997 book The Killing Floor. The character is 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighs about 250 pounds, the author notes in an introduction to his debut novel. So when Cruise landed the lead in Jack Reacher, fans were skeptical. After all, the Top Gun star stands 5 feet 7 inches nearly a foot shorter than the character he was playing. At the time, Cruise addressed the criticism of his physique. Im very sensitive to it, he told Empire (via E! News). This is Lees book and Lees character. Him giving me his blessing is what made me do it. If he hadnt then I wouldnt have done it. Child pointed out that finding an actor who matched Reachers description and had the talent to bring him to life on screen was a nearly impossible challenge. [T]here arent any such actors, so its much more a question of which actor has the talent and screen presence to create what Reacher does, he told the BBC in 2011. [T]hat really comes down to finding the actor with the most talent. Reacher star Alan Ritchson is 6 feet 4 inches tall Not a slow burn. Watch REACHER on @amazonprimevideo February 4. pic.twitter.com/uN2AeaMR4U Alan Ritchson (@alanritchson) January 16, 2022 Now, theres another actor playing Reacher, and the characters creator thinks he has exactly what it takes to bring the vagabond with a taste for vigilante justice to life. If you loved Reacher, Alan nails it and he just gets better and better, Child told the Toronto Sun. One major point in Ritchsons favor? His size. The actor is 6 feet 4 inches tall and 235 pounds, according to Deadline, much closer to the height and weight of the character in the books. But the Titans alum still worried that he didnt quite fit the Reacher mold. Its funny, I actually didnt get the role at first, he told Collider. Im not exactly six foot five and Im not exactly 250, and I had heard that they were being very specific with their physical demands. How Alan Ritchson prepared for his Reacher role Once he was cast, Ritchson got serious about transforming himself into Jack Reacher. Reacher is a bit of a unicorn; he is so highly intelligent, but he also has this brutish physique, he told Parade. We were trying to get that right. I usually walk around a little lighter. I spent about eight months putting on a little size naturally and eating a lot of food. Ritchson also drew on his background as the child of Air Force chief master sergeant for his performance. Growing up and being around soldiers and enlisted military men, theres a formality to the way that they greet each other, the way that they stand, the salute, the handshake, he said. There is a posture that my father carried that was an easy translation into Reachers body language. It is something that I only see in military men and women. I wanted to honor that. All episodes of Reacher are now streaming on Prime Video. Check out Showbiz Cheat Sheet on Facebook! RELATED: Jack Ryan: Everything We Know So Far About Season 3 of the John Krasinski Series RuPauls Drag Race UK vs The World brings queens from the U.S., U.K., Holland, and Thailand to compete for the title of Queen of the Mothertucking World. However, theres always sure to be plenty of drama, twists, and turns. Lemons supposed fans sent Pangina Heals racist remarks and death threats. Lemon isnt standing for it. [Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers from RuPauls Drag Race UK vs the World Season 1 Episode 1.] Lemon and Pangina Heals bring lip-sync and dancing to the RuPauls Drag Race UK vs The World talent show Lemon | World of Wonder RuPauls Drag Race UK vs The World Season 1 Episode 1 features a talent show. Canadas Drag Race star Lemon performed an original music number with plenty of choreography. Meanwhile, Drag Race Thailand host Pangina also delivered a performance to a song. Unfortunately, Lemon ended up in the bottom alongside Janey Jacke. Pangina and Jimbo earned the top placements. Pangina turned it out in a gag-worthy lip-sync and earned the power to send a bottom queen home. She ultimately chose to send home Lemon after developing a close friendship with Janey. However, Pangina explained that she sent Lemon home partly because that performance isnt anything that she hasnt seen before. Lemon fans are sending racist remarks and death threats to Pangina Heals its never deep enough to send hate to my friend yall!! i love pan and she had to pick someone!! if you disagree just send me a dollar and stfu https://t.co/cMFojDD8iC lemon (@thatbitchlemon) February 2, 2022 Pangina took to Twitter to explain how the RuPauls Drag Race UK vs The World fandom attacked her following Lemons elimination. Okay now its racist remarks and death threats , Pangina tweeted. Please be kind to other humans. You may not agree with my decision and I can respect that BUT violence or threats are not okay. Lemon quickly jumped to Panginas defense in two tweets. Its never deep enough to send hate to my friend yall!!, Lemon tweeted. I love Pan and she had to pick someone!! If you disagree just send me a dollar and stfu. Next, Lemon posted, YOURE NOT MY FAN IF YOURE DOING THIS S***!!!!!!!!!!! Pangina responded thanking Lemon for her support. RuPauls Drag Race UK vs The World isnt the first season in the franchise to have fans take to social media to personally attack queens over reality television show placements and drama. However, its always great to see queens come to each others defense. Other RuPauls Drag Race queens stand against racism and hatred Not this. Its a tv show. https://t.co/zM9YJlZ2ap Divina De Campo stream DECODED (@Divinadecampo) February 2, 2022 Lemon wasnt the only RuPauls Drag Race UK vs The World queen to come forward in support of Pangina. Baga Chipz and Janey Jacke both expressed their love for Pangina and disgust with the fandoms hate over a reality television show competition. RuPauls Drag Race UK queens Divina de Campo and Choriza May also came to express their disapproval of the fandoms behavior toward Pangina. Unfortunately, this wont be the last time that fans attack a queen based on All Stars rules. When a queen leaves the show, its important to show support instead of sending hate to the queens who stayed in the competition. RuPauls Drag Race UK vs The World premieres new episodes on WOW Presents Plus every Tuesday. RELATED: RuPauls Drag Race Season 14: Maddy Morphosis Breaks Her Silence on Fan Backlash Over Being the First Straight Cisgender Contestant The Cherokee Nation Johnson OMalley program, funded through the Johnson-OMalley Act of 1934, provides academic and cultural education to provide more opportunities for Native students in the public school setting. An editorial from Hearst Connecticut Media: Its about time. Everything involving the future of rail in Connecticut is about time: seconds, minutes, years, decades, even a century. Fueled by a planned $30 billion investment in the Northeast rail corridor, Connecticuts leaders these days talk about railroads as though its 1922, not 2022. I believe in rail. I believe that it is transformational for our economy and our quality of life literally. Environmentally and economically rail is our present and our future, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said at a news conference in New Haven last week. There is no reason that we cant build a rail system that will move passengers from this station to New York City in one hour. At the same news conference, Gov. Ned Lamont compared future rail possibilities to President Dwight Eisenhowers overhaul of Americas road system in the 1950s, which was probably the last time we heard a Democrat laud a Republican like this. This is a region that is custom-made for rail. This is a region, and a state, thats very dense; this is a state thats part of a greater metropolis, from Boston all the way to New York, Lamont said. Of course, a state with a shoreline would also seem to present opportunities to travel by sea as well as land, but thats about as likely as flying cars. Participants at the news conference, which introduced new Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner, spoke with so much enthusiasm they sounded like they were unveiling Star Trek transporter tech (which is so 1966). They outlined plans to slice 25 minutes of travel time off the journey from New Haven to Grand Central over the next 13 years. U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy went so far as to suggest the primary difference between Stamfords successes and Bridgeports struggles is the time it takes to get to NYC. That, of course, ignores that commutes from both Connecticut cities change simultaneously. The eagerness to promote rail is understandable. It pumps money into the state on a fragile revenue stream. Cars, on the other hand, dont deliver the same cash since there arent those pesky tolls. Gardner declared himself the luckiest CEO in Amtraks history, an understandable boast given he recently testified that the $58 billion designated for intercity passenger rail is about the same as all of the federal funding Amtrak received since it was founded in 1971. Replacing obsolete equipment and trimming travel times is potentially great news for Connecticut. But rail officials (Metro-North President Catherine Rinaldis absence at the event was glaring) need to address how COVID has transformed work habits, in some cases permanently. We need efficient rail, but there are still fewer than 40% of daily riders on our trains than there were pre-pandemic. Expecting all of them to return is like ignoring the boom of streaming services such as Netflix and investing in the construction of massive movie theaters. Planning needs to be appropriate to customer scale. Yes, its about time. But times are changing. When genetic testing revealed she carried the breast cancer gene, Avner underwent a double mastectomy with reconstruction, becoming, at 23, one of the youngest patients to undergo such surgery. The crowd at a National Association of Women Business Owners luncheon giggled recently when Lindsay Avner told them that doctors "need to touch your breasts." The nervous laughter didn't faze the bubbly founder of Bright Pink, a nonprofit that promotes prevention and early detection of breast and ovarian cancer. "It does sound funny," she admits, "but it's something women don't usually realize. They've been going to doctors who aren't always doing a good job explaining what being breast self-aware actually means." By the time Avner was in her early 20s, 10 family members had died of the disease. When genetic testing revealed she carried the breast cancer gene, the Columbus, Ohio, native underwent a double mastectomy with reconstruction, becoming, at 23, one of the youngest patients to undergo such surgery. She first developed the Bright Pink website while working in brand management at Unilever in Chicago. In 2008, she began running the charity full time; it now has a $3 million annual budget and employs 15. Bright Pink regularly teams up with big companies and organizationsincluding eBay, Westfield, Churchill Downs and Chicago Bulls Charitiesto promote breast and ovarian health education. "They're committed to supporting people in underserved neighborhoods," Bulls Charities President Nancy Reinsdorf says. "She brings energy to the cause." Bonus Points Up next: By 2019, Bright Pink plans to be part of 240 residency programs to help train OB-GYNs on working with young female patients. Motto: "Be bold and fail fast." How I unwind: "I watch documentary movies. I always feel like I've learned a ton about a new random topic." Shia Kapos gettyimagesbank A recent spate of cat abuse videos, such as setting one homeless feline afire or banging another repeatedly against the ground until it dies, have sparked outrage among pet owners amid concern that such abuse could spread unless punished aggressively. Late last month, a public petition was posted on the Cheong Wa Dae website to call for the abolishment of the stray cat-themed bulletin board on DC Inside, a popular online community similar to Reddit in the United States. The petition, signed by more than 49,000 supporters as of late Friday morning, came after an anonymous user uploaded a video Jan. 28 of a cat being set on fire, and called for a criminal investigation into the crime and other suspicious activities on the board. The video in question has apparently been pulled from DC Inside but not before copies were shared to other websites, stoking reactions of disgust and outrage, especially among pet owner groups and communities of stray animal caregivers. The footage seen by Yonhap News Agency showed a gray cat inside a small cage writhing in pain after being doused with apparently some type of oil then being set on fire. "The online board has had members who made fun of a bludgeoned cat confined in a cage and even carried a video of feeding crushed rat poison to a cat. Can we really assume (the victimized cats) are still alive since we have yet to see their dead bodies?" the petitioner wrote. The case was just the latest in a series of mindless cruelty incidents against mostly homeless or adopted cats in the past year, many of which were reportedly shared and viewed among members of seedy online forums and chat groups as some form of mentally twisted spectator sport, animal rights protection group KARA told Yonhap News Agency. Last week, police opened a probe into the brutal killing of Dooboo, a cat adopted by a small restaurant in Changwon, about 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul, Jan. 26. According to a witness, a man who appeared either in his 20s or 30s violently threw the cat several times on the floor for no apparent reason and fled the scene after the witness told him to stop. An animal rights advocacy group in the southeastern port city of Busan reported in December that around 20 bodies of dead cats were discovered from August to October in a residential area in Sasang District and claimed many were believed to have been tortured by means such as skinning and later killed. gettyimagesbank In November, a cat with a severely disfigured face, apparently due to burns from a fire, was discovered and rescued in Wando County, where another cat with burn marks on the ear and the back was discovered six months previously. One of the more extreme cases was that of the so-called animal Nth room nicknamed after the horrendous case of cybersex trafficking via the messaging app Telegram between 2018 and 2020 in which videos of mutilating cats and other wild animals were shared in an anonymous group chat room dubbed "gore expert room" on the messaging app Kakao Talk presumably from late 2020 until April of last year. While the reported cases may be isolated incidents in and of themselves, animal protection experts are concerned by the increase in frequency and the level of violence inflicted on the feline creatures as a whole. They also believe that many perpetrators are also seeking thoughtless, guilt-free satisfaction by showing off their actions online and stirring up a sense of horror among the cat caregiver community. An alleged perpetrator has recently gone as far as actually threatening a caregiver of a stray cat with murder. According to KARA, the person has sent several letters to a cat mom since August of last year, threatening to kill her with a weapon. KARA filed a criminal complaint on behalf of the woman with police Monday. "Members of such online groups refuse to use the word 'cat' but instead refer to the creatures as 'fur cockroaches.' They have created among themselves a clannish culture of inflicting cruelty towards cats and competing in constant one-upmanship in terms of displaying cruelty," Choi Min-kyung, deputy head of policy at KARA, said. While noting the lack of empirical evidence to suggest a link between the two trends, Kang said she, among others, also senses an underlying element of anti-feminism in the series of cat-related abuses, as the broader cat mom community are often associated with women. Such interpretations can also be easily found in social media. Ok Soo-chul, who has operated a YouTube channel themed around rescuing abandoned cats since 2019, agreed that he has seen an alarming growth of such gruesome cases in recent years, especially among young males. Ok said he was especially concerned that an increase in exposure to such cruelty could desensitize people, harm their sense of morality and lead to more serious crimes. "Older people who disliked stray cats hated them for reasons such as pooping near their homes or ruining their farm crops. Cruelty cases shared online nowadays definitely have an element of showing off, such as bragging about your new weapon in a virtual game world," Ok said. Under current animal protection laws, those who kill or abuse animals can face up to a maximum three-year prison sentence or a fine of up to 30 million won ($25,000). (Yonhap) Last month, Egypts Coptic Orthodox Church lost one of its most recognized and charismatic priests. Abouna (Father) Makary Younan (19342022), a well-known figure on Arabic Christian satellite television, died on January 11 of complications from COVID-19. Just a few miles from where his funeral services were held at the historic St. Marks Cathedral, Abouna Makarys good friend and Christian television megastar Sameh Maurice convened a heartfelt commemoration at downtown Cairos Kasr el-Dobara Church, where he pastors the Arab worlds largest evangelical congregation. Together, these two ceremonies affirmed that the late priests legacy of praise, miracles, and ecumenism will endure among Egypts Orthodox and Protestant Christians alike. Abouna Makary influenced the lives of millions in this generation, said Maurice. I know of no other person who touched so many people. For nearly two decades, Arabic Christian television introduced both Abouna Makary and Pastor Sameh to wider audiences, educating viewers in novel ways about Coptic Orthodoxy and Protestantism. At times both sides have been wary of the medium, especially the Orthodox hierarchy. Representing the overwhelming majority of Christians in Egypt, in recent years Coptic Orthodox leaders have taken contradictory positions on evangelicals. Some are open to dialogue and friendship, while others lead campaigns not only against popular evangelical leaders like Pastor Sameh but also charismatic priests like Abouna Makary. Stylizing themselves as protectors of indigenous church heritage and of the Copts place as the Middle Easts largest Christian sect, they doled out their polemics in newspapers, social media, and on satellite channels. In this unpredictable environment, Abouna Makary stood firm, insisting on developing a Cairo-based ministry rich in traditional dogmas and teachings but also focused on commonalities, bridge-building, and the power of the Holy Spirit to unify Egypts Christian believers. Sabry Younan Abd al-Malik was born in the Upper Egyptian town of El Maragha, about 300 miles south of Cairo. After completing his studies and working as a government civil servant, he turned to devote his life to the church. In the 1970s, he served with Zakaria Botros, priest at St. Marks Coptic Orthodox Church in Heliopolis, Cairo. Zakariaa towering if controversial persona in his own rightorganized weekly meetings marked by exorcisms and exuberant singing, attended by hundreds. It is said that Sabry honed his talents for leading praise and worship during these sessions. In 1977, Sabry was ordained a priest, taking the name Makary from the fourth-century Egyptian saint and hermit. From his earliest years of service, he was accused by Orthodox leadership of Protestant-inflected teachings. Interpretations of Orthodox doctrines narrowed during the first decade of Pope Shenouda IIIs patriarchy (19712012), with less tolerance shown toward seemingly wayward practices. Still, Abouna Makary kept promoting a diverse Orthodoxy that embraced miraculous signs and joyous worship. Across Egypts Christian denominationsand religionshe gained fame for offering hope and health to the disabled, blind, deaf, and wheelchair-using. These rituals have long been embedded within his churchs teachings, but Orthodox leaders grew concerned with the spectacle as popular attention grew to what appeared to be a mimicry of Western charismatic Christianity. His ministry received further notoriety with the proliferation of Arabic Christian satellite television, which launched in the mid 1990s but flourished in the early 2000s. On Al-Shifaa (The Healing Channel), a now-defunct subsidiary of Paul Crouchs Southern California-based Trinity Broadcasting Network, his program was shown alongside Arabic-dubbed American fare like that of faith healer Benny Hinn and several charismatic Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical programs. He also regularly appeared on Cyprus-based SAT-7 Arabic and on Al-Karma, up till his recent illness and passing. Article continues below Television as a vessel for performing miracles was perfected by the likes of Oral Roberts (19182009) and by his Middle Eastern correlate, the Lebanese-American Pentecostal preacher Elias Malki (19312015), both of whom had invited audiences to play an active role in their own healing by touching their television screens. Like Roberts and Malki, Abouna Makary fully harnessed this medium, at times instructing viewers to place a container of water close to their television sets during live airings of his programs. That container, he told them, would become blessed, holy, and capable of the miraculous. But whatever one believes about the Western and Arab forerunners, the evangelical funeral service honored the priests humility. Abouna Makary never cared much for titles, nor status, nor popularity, said Pastor Sameh during his eulogy. He lived only to glorify God. Socially, Arabic Christian satellite television created a space for both new traditions and the expression of practices long concealed behind church walls. While Christian programming on Arab state channels had been limited to a few hours each year, satellite television generated opportunities for indigenous Christian voices. Inside the privacy of their homes, Arabic-speaking Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox now learned of each others creeds. Some found more commonalities than they had imagined. Others became more entrenched in their traditional ways. Pastors and non-clergy alike expanded their influence, their message reaching viewers across denominations and geographic boundaries. And while it often heightened tensions between Egypts Christian sects, television also facilitated profound moments of collaboration, such as between Abouna Makary and Pastor Sameh. With their common aspirations of Christian unity and revivalism, the two men became quick friends. In recent years, they often appeared together at televised major gatherings not just in Egypt but also in Iraq, Lebanon, and Jordan, the latter airing on the Maronite Catholic channel Noursat. Their joint, genuine belief in the power of collective worship, mass prayer, and public miracles won the admiration of millions. At his funeral service in Cairos Azbakiyya district, mourners honored Abouna Makary at the parish he served for 44 years. With live cameras rolling, Orthodox Bishop Raphael spoke somewhat impersonally about Coptic priesthood and its obligations. But at Kasr el-Dobara, just off Cairos iconic Tahrir Square, with the deceaseds family sitting in the front row, Pastor Sameh captivated the audience with touching stories delivered in his dynamic style. Drawing from Hebrews 13:7 to encourage and console the mourners, he affirmed Abouna Makarys remarkable legacyone that succeeded in inspiring faithfulness within two very diverse traditions. Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you, Pastor Sameh quoted. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Febe Armanios is a professor of history at Middlebury College and a distinguished visiting professor at Williams College. She is currently completing a book titled Satellite Ministries: The Rise of Christian Television in the Middle East. We cannot concoct holiness on our own, decide what it looks like without examples, or try to become holy without other people. The goal is to be remade into Gods likeness, and we do so by imitating models of holiness. When we read stories of holiness, we live vicariously through those stories, then we body them forth in our reality. The models become part of our imagination, our way of seeing how to live a holy life. For me, when I try to imagine how to be holy, I have a cloud of witnessesfrom Fyodor Dostoevskys Father Zosima to Walker Percys Father Smith to Willa Cathers Archbishop Latour to Toni Morrisons Baby Suggs. Youll notice in the novels that I have chosen to explore that these characters are not perfect; they are not goody-goodies, and their stories are not hagiographies. Rather, these figures exhibit the reality of our common sinfulness as they chase after holiness with greater and lesser diligence. Some characters encounter saints along their journey and share the experience with the reader, that we may long for such sanctity. Others attain holiness at the end of their long, wayward lives. But none of these figures are satisfied with their self as it is; all of them desire holiness. It is the story of a life lived in longing for the holy that I most want to emulate. In Dostoevskys last novel, The Brothers Karamazov, his rebellious nihilist Ivan Karamazov sets forth a convicting argument against God, complete with a host of newspaper accounts of suffering children as evidence against a good, omnipotent Creator and a narrative poem that illustrates Christs impotency. How is Dostoevsky to defeat such a robust intellectual attack against God? He does so by recounting the life of a saint, his fictional Father Zosima, whose life was as full of sin and suffering as Ivans, yet who chooses love over winning the argument. His story bears fruit in the soul of his novice Alyosha, who has patiently listened to his brothers account but finds his elders life more convicting. So many questions cannot be answered in life, yet Dostoevskys story asks, Which life do you want to live? Do you want to imitate Ivan, whose world becomes smaller, narrower, more confused, and despairing as the novel continues? Or do you want to imitate Zosima, whose life freed others to cry out in gratitude at the beauty of the stars, to embrace and kiss the earth, and to shout Hurrah! at the hope of resurrection? Worldviews, debates, and apologetics have their place in Christian faith. No one wants a church without the legacy of Thomas Aquinas or Karl Barth. But stories convert our desire for well-versed explanations. After we read Dostoevskys novel, we first hope to be like Zosima. Then we can think about why. When we read Lewiss Chronicles of Narnia, we love Aslan before we ever analyze what the lion reveals about God. In Dantes Paradiso, the pilgrim witnesses a dance of two circling groups of saints in the realm of wisdom, the sphere of the sun. The rings are made up of 12 saints each, intensely bright, crossing one another in a circling dance. One group represents those who reasoned through doctrines of the Trinity, the relationship between body and soul, and so on, epitomized by St. Dominic, a great doctor of church thought. The other group, whose prime example is St. Francis, loved through how they lived, with dramatized nativity scenes, stories of hermetic asceticism, and even the stigmata. In Dantes description, these rings of saints flash each others radiance like glass each turning but in opposite career, circling together as they cross and pass. Not only do they reflect one anothers light, but each group tells the story of the other: Aquinas (who is Dominican) uplifts not his Dominican father but instead Francis, while Bonaventure (who is Franciscan) praises Dominic. Article continues below Their dance shows the reciprocal relationship between imagination and intellect, how these parts move with one another, not separately. Dante commands his reader three times at the start of canto 13 to imagine what he himself feigns to witness. As a student of both Dominican and Franciscan education, Dante could portray both in his poem. Dante could not have penned this work of imagination without having studied both the disputations of Aquinas and the life of St. Francis. Because of Dantes poem, I understand this relationship between intellect and imagination better than I might have through reason alone. When I consider the roles of these spheres, I imagine those bright dancing saints from Paradiso. As we try to imagine a life of holiness, we need more than a definition, philosophical argument, or to-do list. We need an image. We need the stories that will compel us to follow the saints, that we might become saints ourselves. When Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, was once seeking inspiration, she picked up two hagiographies and closed them both with horror. She records in her diary the sickening and false descriptions of the saints that she found and declares, No wonder no one wants to be a saint. But we are called to be saintswe are the sons of God! Great fiction will not sugarcoat the internal work within the saints soul, her struggles, the grit and grime of everyday reality. When we are allowed to see through these saints eyes, we experience their desires and thus practice holiness alongside them. Reading these literary accounts of sanctity provides an antidote to our preoccupation with our autonomous selves. We live through anothers eyes and experience their struggles and victories in following Jesus Christ. We fill our hearts with stories of holy exemplars with whom we relate, love, and make friends: Flannery OConnors crazy prophets, Eugene Vodolazkins holy fool in Laurus, Zora Neale Hurstons Moses, and Georges Bernanoss faithful country priest. These stories of holiness may not be real in the empirical sense of the word, but they are more true than some of our knowledge of history or science. Their holiness attracts us and trains our imagination. In the Eastern Orthodox liturgy, the priest prays for sinners but also for the publican and for the prodigal son from Jesuss parables. These characters from Jesus stories have become invested with an unexplainable reality in the prayers of the church. So, too, have the saints whom I have met in novels. I pray I can learn from their faithfulness and live out such holiness in my own life, that my story of becoming a saint might be true. This excerpt was taken from The Scandal of Holiness by Jessica Hooten Wilson, 2022. Used with permission from Baker Books. Mailboxes used to go empty on Sundays. Not anymore. Americas biggest retailer, Amazon, ships seven days a week, and as the site expands Sunday delivery across the country, more drivers are losing what would have been a steady day off. For many, the shift just means their break will fall during the week. But for some Christians on the job, the new delivery option conflicts with Sunday church services and their conviction not to work on the Sabbath. Amazons seven-days-a-week schedule has already led to two lawsuits from drivers who were fired for not working on Sundays. Both claimed religious discrimination under Title VII, alleging their employer had not provided reasonable accommodation for them to work other days. In a case in Florida, a Sabbatarian Christian lost his job working for a delivery service contracted by Amazon, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) launched a lawsuit on his behalf. Last week he secured a $50,000 settlement, and his former company, Tampa Bay Delivery Services, will undergo religious sensitivity training. For a postal worker in Pennsylvania, though, the case is making its way through the Third Circuit Court of Appeals after a district court ruled last year in favor of the US Postal Service. Gerald Groff is an evangelical Christian who began working as a rural mail carrier in 2012, a part-time role rotating through holiday and weekend routes based on demand. After the station he was working for began contracting with Amazon for Sunday delivery, he transferred to another rural station. When that one also started Sunday routes, he tried to adjust his schedule and swap days but ended up missing 24 Sundays of work in 2017 and 2018, before being let go in 2019. Last week, Groffs legal team issued oral arguments on his behalf, saying the postal service discriminated against him because of his faith. Howard Friedman, University of Toledo law professor emeritus, has seen reasonable-accommodation cases continue to rise on his blog Religion Clause. Seventh-day Adventists and Orthodox Jews had often come up in religious accommodation cases because their conviction to rest and worship on Saturdays put them in conflict with typical work schedules. Historically, work schedules and holidays tended to be in line with Christian (or at least mainline Protestant) religious and holiday schedules and practices, he said. More recently, as we have moved to a 24/7 economy, Sunday work schedules have become more common and pose conflicts for Christians that previously were felt mainly by minority religions. Christians have lamented the shift away from businesses observing Sunday sabbath for decades. In CTs early days, evangelical leaders complained about the uptick in Open on Sunday signs in grocery stores, theaters, and other businesses. Too largely the Sabbath day has been reduced from a holy day of spiritual replenishment, instruction, and correction, to a mere holiday for pleasure seeking or to just another day of merchandising, Charles W. Koller, president emeritus of Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, wrote in 1963, two years after the US Supreme Court ruled that blue laws restricting Sunday commerce were constitutional. Christ made allowance, within the spirit of the law, for works of mercy and of necessity, and for taking care of the occasional ox in the ditch, Koller said. But the moral responsibility of unnecessary Sabbath violation is not to be lightly regarded. Immeasurably greater is the moral responsibility of coaxing others away from Sabbath observance to the marts of trade. Still more serious is the policy of denying to employees the possibility of observing the Sabbath. In the late 20th century, states repealed blue laws with the backing of Christian and non-Christians. Up until the last several years, mail delivery remained one of the final holdouts of services that paused on Sundays. It grieves me that as a society, things just happen on Sunday as a matter of course, almost automatically. The mail comes on Sunday, the stores are open on Sunday, and everything happens like it does on Saturday, said David Strain, senior minister of First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, Mississippi. Im not offended by that. Im not angry at anyone about that. Im certainly saddened by it because I see how challenging that makes things for those Christians who are trying to be faithful in this area, but I also see the great loss for all people, the loss of that rest and the loss of a spiritual benefit. Sabbatarian Christians like Strain see the patterns of work and rest established in Creation as God-given and good for all. While there will always be professions that need to work on Sundays for the common good, like doctors and farmers, they believe most should reserve it as a day for worship and rest. After the Resurrection, Christians began adopting the first day of the week as the Lords Day, but it took hundreds of years to develop the kinds of formal church services we come to associate with weekly worship, historian Craig Harline wrote in his book Sunday. And it wasnt until the fourth century that Christians began calling it Sunday rather than the Lords Day. Before that, too many worried about the pagan connotations around the sun. Even among evangelicals, there are a range of views on whether Christians are commanded to spend the Lords Day in observance of the Sabbath, with some believing that rhythms of rest and worship can take place on other days of the week. But for Sabbatarians, Sundays are uniquely meant for worship, rest, and fellowship; they happily set aside job obligations as well as most housework, yardwork, and schoolwork. And its significant that all share the Sabbath on the same day. This notion that regular patterns common to society as a whole facilitate us not just having individual restmost employers still provide days offbut doing that on the same broad schedule so that everybody has the same days off so we could be together as a society, that is being eroded, I think, said Strain. Such Sabbath observance is becoming more countercultural in the busy, hyperproductive 21st century. Believers who avoid shopping or eating out on Sundays as a part of their Sabbath observance do so in the midst of an always-on economy where an Amazon package could land at their door while theyre at church. When Amazon started kind of out of the blue doing Sunday delivery, we got burned a couple of times, so Christians need to be very careful if they want to be serious about this and protect people like these [drivers], said Joseph A. Pipa Jr., president emeritus of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Were very careful to delay our order a day if it means they are going to deliver it on the Lords Day or pay attention to when its going to be delivered. Sabbatarian Protestantswhich fall in traditions ranging from Presbyterians to Pentecostalsschedule work, travel, and other activities around being at church on Sundays, avoiding what the Westminster Shorter Catechism calls recreations as are lawful on other days. While some fellow believers see such commitments as legalistic, Sabbatarians see it as a joyful chance to take advantage of a day set aside to draw near to God. In his book The Lords Day, Pipa cites Isaiah 58:1314, where if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lords holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way, and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord. As a pastor, Pipa has counseled Christians facing work conflicts around Sunday schedules, first asking them to consider whether their work is out of necessity or mercy and therefore permissible. In instances where employers cannot accommodate Sabbath observance, they might be advised to quit their jobs to look for other employment, with the support of the church in the meantime. He noted that with restaurants reducing hours due to pandemic staffing issues, servers who otherwise would have to work on Sundays are grateful for the day off. At his church, Strain said he sees some congregants with very limited economic choices in secular society. You should, as far as you are able, ask for and seek to order your week and your work life to give you freedom to be in church on the Lords Day and rest on the Lords Day, he said, but I recognize that they might not have that luxury. In the exceptional cases where conflicts with employers lead to legal action, its rarely the sincerity of the Sabbatarian employees belief at stake. Instead, courts consider whether a company could have easily accommodated the request or if doing so would represent an undue hardship and more than trivial cost. In Groffs lawsuit, currently before the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, counsel for the Postal Service brought up that his job was to be a relief carrier in these rural areas, and unlike career mail carriers, Saturday and Sunday shifts are part of the gig. There are also questions in Title VII cases of what constitutes a reasonable accommodation, Friedman of Religion Clause told CT. Does it have to be one that completely removes the conflict between religion and work? That is the main issue in the 3rd Circuit case. Groff is being represented by a team of lawyers from First Liberty, Baker Botts, the Church State Council, the Independence Law Center, and Cornerstone Law Firm. It is unlawful for employers to discriminate against employees on the basis of religion, said Hiram Sasser, executive general counsel at First Liberty, which specializes in First Amendment cases. The USPS should have recognized Geralds sincerely held belief that he must observe the Sunday Sabbath and granted him a religious exemption. We must protect the right of every American to engage in religious exercise without fear of getting fired from their jobs. Tennessee Down syndrome abortion ban reinstated by federal appeals court A federal appeals court has allowed a Tennessee law that bans abortions performed based on an unborn baby being diagnosed with Down syndrome to take effect, reversing an earlier court order blocking the law. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit issued an order Wednesday allowing the law passed in 2020 that bans abortions based on Down syndrome, race or gender to be reinstated. The ruling reversed a temporary injunction. The circuit court also refused to hear a challenge to the state law until after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision on Mississippis 15-week abortion ban after hearing arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization in December. While the courts order came without comment, a dissent was authored by Circuit Judge Karen Nelson Moore. The Clinton appointee argued the courts action amounts to stay-and-delay tactics that subvert the normal judicial process. For now, the majoritys decision to grant a partial stay of the district courts preliminary injunction while delaying our consideration of the case has the effect of reversing a thoughtful and thorough district court opinion indefinitely, wrote Moore. If the majority ultimately decides to apply a currently unknown and undecided standard to Tennessees previability banswithout the benefit of district court factfinding tailored to that standardsuch a decision would manifest reckless overconfidence and unprincipled disregard for the normal judicial process. The decision was praised by pro-life activists who advocate for laws limiting abortion. Abortions based on sex, race or disability diagnosis are a form of modern-day eugenics, permitted at any point in pregnancy even right up to birth in America thanks to the Supreme Courts extreme precedents, Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of the national pro-life lobbying organization Susan B. Anthony List, said in a statement. The devastating toll of abortion on minority communities, people with Down syndrome, and thousands of missing baby girls is well documented. Tennessees landmark pro-life laws reflect the overwhelming consensus of Americans who oppose lethal discrimination against unborn children and want far greater limits on abortion than our national status quo allows. Rabia Muqaddam, a staff attorney with the pro-choice advocacy group Center for Reproductive Rights, argued in a statement that the Tennessee law is "unconstitutional." "Pregnant people are the ones best suited to make decisions about their own pregnancies, and politicians should not get to interrogate a persons reasons for seeking an abortion, the activist said, according to The Associated Press. Signed into law by Gov. Bill Lee in 2020, and also known as the reasons ban, the law also banned most abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can be as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. But the heartbeat restriction has remained blocked by courts. This week's ruling comes after a 6th Circuit panel blocked the provision banning Down syndrome abortions last September and upheld an earlier block on the heartbeat abortion provision. The ruling comes as other states have also passed laws restricting abortion based on genetic abnormalities. Last September, a federal judge blocked a portion of an Arizona law that criminalizes an abortion "knowing that the abortion is sought because of a genetic abnormality of the child." John Piper answers why Eve was created from Adams rib John Piper, the founder of the popular theology website DesiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minnesota, provided his thoughts on why God created Eve from Adams rib. In an episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast posted Monday, an unnamed female listener asked the 76-year-old theologian about the Genesis account on the creation of Eve. I was just wondering why God chose to do surgery on Adam to remove one of his ribs to craft Eve when, as God, he could have just made Eve entirely from dust in the same way he made Adam, inquired the listener. I am very intrigued by this fact in Genesis and wonder if you have any thoughts to explain why it was done this way, and if it carries a particular meaning that He did it this way. Piper responded by saying the fact Eve was made from Adams rib and not from the ground is not an incidental part of the text. Instead, Piper contends, that fact contrasts Eve from the animals God created earlier. Why did God parade the animals before Adam in search of a helper fit for him since God knew he wouldnt find one? And my answer is that He did it precisely because He knew [Adam] wouldnt find one, Piper explained. She is the suitable helper. She fits, she corresponds. She is not an animal. Shes my unique kind. Shes human like me. Shes one flesh with me. Therefore, this concept of helper is not impersonal like an animal, like oxen can be helpers to farmers. Shes different. Piper, who served as pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church for over 33 years until 2013, added that Adam and Eve were each others perfect, God-designed complement. Together they are good, he said. Now its good creation is good that man and woman are now both created in the image of God, of the same human nature, bone of my bones, flesh of my flesh, and he could have said a lot more, I think. Piper said that Adam was said to be alone and thats not good. So, the text is designed to tell us how God makes His creation finally good namely, with Adam not being alone, he said. Piper spoke about how this teaching applies to the complementarian model of marriage. Piper quoted Genesis 2:24: Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. The marriage union takes the unity of male and female to its deepest physical, psychological, personal level, and that becomes a picture a drama, the New Testament says of Christ and the Church, he continued. I would say Gods aim in not making the woman from the ground, like the animals, but from Adams rib, his side, was to make clear to him and to us that she is radically, gloriously, profoundly human, like Adam, over against all the animals, who were utterly unsuited for man. The apologetics website GotQuestions.org also tackled the question. God used Adams rib to form Eve, the website states, to show that Adam and Eve were of the same substance; she was made from the same stuff and was a bearer of Gods image and likeness, just as Adam was. Interestingly, ribs have amazing regenerative powers. Portions of rib bone and cartilage removed in bone graft surgery will regrow in a few months time, as long as the rib perichondrium is left intact, GotQuestions.org concluded. This means that Adams loss of a rib was only temporary; he did not have to go through the rest of his life with an incomplete skeletal system. Venue Church struggles as Pastor Tavner Smith takes time off amid affair allegations Pastor Tavner Smiths Venue Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is seeking volunteers as several worshipers and employees have left the once-popular megachurch amid allegations Smith was intimately involved with a church staffer while in the process of divorcing his wife, Danielle. We have some exciting opportunities coming up and we want you to know all about them. If you want to take your next step here at Venue Church, then Connection Point is for you. Connection Point is your way to join our volunteer dream team, Venue Churchs Chattanooga Campus Pastor Michael Patterson II announced in a video message played during a livestream broadcast on YouTube Sunday. At Connection Point, youll learn more about Venue, the gifts Gods given you and how you can use your gifts to help serve right here at Venue Church. A week earlier, the same video was played during the 9 a.m. service at the Chattanooga location, where two-thirds of the roughly 150 cushioned chairs in the church were unfilled, The Chattanooga Times Free Press reported. A Facebook page critical of the church, called The Venue is NO Church, published evidence on Sunday showing that Venue Church is now only operating from the Chattanooga campus on Lee Highway. The church previously listed a campus in North Georgia. But that location is no longer listed on the churchs website. The call for volunteers comes after at least eight church employees quit last month as a video surfaced online allegedly showing Smith kissing a female church employee who is not his wife. The Daily Beast recently reported that Smith had also been caught last November half-naked with the same employee at his home by volunteers who had planned to cheer him up with a surprise visit. They allegedly found the employee dressed in a towel while Smith was in his boxers. The pastor claimed that they had been making chili and hot dogs and gotten food on their clothes, the publication recounted from an interview with an unidentified volunteer. I dont think none of us was that dumb, the volunteer told The Daily Beast. If she dropped chili on her clothes, why are you in your boxers? Was you all like, throwing chili at each other? The former members and volunteers are still struggling with the fallout from their discovery last fall. Everyone used to say, Venue is a cult, Venue is a cult, and I was like, No, its not, the volunteer who witnessed the chili incident said. And now as I look back, Im like, I dont think I was in a Godly place. Smith hasnt publicly addressed the allegations against him. But he announced earlier this month that he is taking time off to get counseling and spend time with God. In a Jan. 18 update on Smith, Patterson said: He is in great spirits. Hes prayed up. Hes diving into the word, the Chattanooga campus pastor said. Hes getting that fever to get back out here to us. In 2008, Smith was hired as executive student pastor at Redemption World Outreach in Greenville, South Carolina, a church led by Ron and Hope Carpenter. Smiths website lists Carpenter as his mentor. In 2012, the Smiths moved to Chattanooga and eventually launched Venue Church, which became one of the fastest-growing congregations in America. Those who have stayed at Venue Church have pushed back on those criticizing Smith, describing staff members attempts to get Smith to step down as an insurrection, according to The Chattanooga Free Press. Two staff members who spoke with the newspaper questioned the character and credibility of those who have criticized Smith and the church, suggesting that their accusations are untrue. The Supreme Court, equality, equity and the rule of law Associate Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer has announced his retirement effective at the commencement of the courts summer recess in late June or early July, thus ending his 28-year tenure on the highest court in the land. This gives President Biden an opportunity to nominate Breyers replacement. This is an important event that will have a long-term impact on American public policy. This guarantees a lively summer and early fall in the nations capital. In recent years, the nomination and confirmation of a Supreme Court justice generates tremendous controversy. Why? The Supreme Court sits at the apex of the Judicial Branch, one of the three supposedly co-equal branches of the Federal Government, alongside the Legislative and Executive Branches. The Marbury v. Madison Supreme Court decision in 1803, established judicial review, the legal principle that gives the Supreme Court the constitutional right to strike down laws passed by the Legislative Branch and signed by the Executive Branch, if a Supreme Court majority deems that legislation unconstitutional. Consequently, the Supreme Court is one of the most important institutions in American life and it is comprised of only nine Supreme Court justices, each of whom has a lifetime appointment. So, every time a Supreme Court vacancy occurs, the president has the opportunity to nominate, and the Senate to confirm, or reject, that individual appointment. Once confirmed, that newly-minted justice will usually serve on the Court for more than a quarter-century. By any meaningful measure, this reality makes a sitting Supreme Court justice potentially one of the most powerful and influential figures in American public life for a generation or more. It may not be quite on par with being President, Speaker of the House, or Senate Majority Leader, but it usually lasts a lot longer chronologically. The intensity of debate generated by Supreme Court judicial confirmations underscores the extent to which the Court and its unelected justices have usurped Americans right to govern themselves. Since the last half of the 20th and for the first quarter of the 21st centuries, contrary to what the founders intended, a majority of the Supreme Courts justices have gathered unto themselves an excess of power in relation to the Executive and Legislative Branches of the Federal Government. Judicial Review has degenerated into judicial imperialism. Contrary to what the Founding Fathers intended, the Supreme Court has become the sun in its own solar system, with the Congress and the Presidency reduced to the secondary role of orbiting planets. This decades-long overreach has been somewhat checked by the addition of President Trumps three Supreme Court nominees, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Barrett. President Bidens pending appointment, however, will in all likelihood, move the Court in a leftward direction by replacing the more pragmatic, consensus-seeking, left-leaning Breyer with a full-throated liberal if President Bidens nominees to the lower courts are any indication. This nomination process will be further complicated by the fact that President Biden, while running for president in 2020, promised that his first nominee to the Supreme Court would be a black woman. President Biden made this campaign promise as his support for the Democratic presidential nomination was flagging. Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., suggested such a pledge to shore up his popularity among African Americans, his most loyal constituency. Now, the time has come for the President to fulfill his campaign pledge and there is no doubt he will do so. The political problem for the president is that while his most loyal supporters will be delighted by such a nomination (and outraged if he went back on his promise), a significant majority of the general electorate is strongly opposed to such blatant identity politics being applied to a Supreme Court nomination. A recent ABC News/IPSOS poll found that 76% of the American electorate expressed the belief that we should not mandate a candidate be black or female to be eligible for nomination to the nations highest court. Given the extreme influence and impact a Supreme Court justice can exercise on our nation, it is encouraging that Americans want every Supreme Court justice to be the most qualified and capable person available, regardless of the immutable factors of ethnicity and gender. At this point, it is important to make it clear that the most qualified candidate for the Supreme Court may well be an African American woman. However, the odds are against finding that candidate if we exclude all other candidates who are not black women. Assuming that the nominees will be a lawyer, only 2% of the nations attorneys are black females. Severely restricting the pool of eligible candidates to be considered diminishes the odds of finding the most qualified candidate rather dramatically. And, restricting candidates to only black women, is profoundly unfair to the eventual nominee. Even if she is the most qualified person, it will be difficult for her to be accepted as such because all others were disqualified from the selection process. And it must be asked, is President Biden breaking the nations civil rights laws? I know that if the CEO of a business or a public university said they were going to select someone to be their next President or CEO only from those who are black females, they would face a myriad of lawsuits for violating the civil rights of those who were excluded from consideration based on race, ethnicity or gender. As constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley has observed, This type of exclusionary rule has been found unconstitutional or unlawful in schools or businesses. A brief survey of Supreme Court decisions helps to illustrate the line President Biden may have crossed by his pledge to only consider black female candidates for this Supreme Court seat. In Regents of theUniversity of California v. Bakke (1978), the Supreme Court ruled Preferring members of any one group for no reason other than race or ethnic origin is discrimination for its own sake and is forbidden by the Constitution. In the years following, some racial preferences in university admissions survived through appealing to 'diversity rationales, in which race was a factor but not the dominant one. In 2003, the Supreme Court clarified what was permissible and what was not in evaluating two University of Michigan admission initiatives. As constitutional scholar and George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley explained: In Grutter v. Bollinger, they upheld one that evaluated applicants based on individual merit, then used race as a plus factor. In Gratz v. Bollinger they rejected one that applied individual considerations after a threshold use of race. (Justice Breyer voted with the majority in both cases.) President Bidens expressed criteria would seem to fall into the latter category of Gratz v. Bollinger which the Court rejected as unconstitutional. The critical issue here is that President Biden is declaring not that diversity is a plus factor as he considers candidates of varying backgrounds and genders, but that he will only consider black females for the position. This goes farther than Presidents Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama ever went on judicial nominees. As a final note, if we are going to elevate diversity to such a lofty status as a criterion, I want to suggest that President Bidens nominee add to the diversity of the Supreme Court by picking someone who graduated from either a public university and/or a public law school since none of the current justices have done so. The eight remaining justices (after Breyers retirement) include six who graduated as undergraduates from Ivy League schools (Princeton, 3; Yale, 1; Harvard, 1; and Columbia, 1) and 7 who graduated either from Yale (4) or Harvard (3) Law Schools. That is a very narrow slice of the American societal pie. Surely we can find a highly qualified black woman candidate who graduated from one of the thousands of Americas public universities or law schools. Biden to allow trans-identified men in women's prisons, reversing Trump-era ban 'except in rare cases' The United States Department of Justice has unveiled new guidance allowing male inmates at federal prisons to be housed with female prisoners. The DOJs Federal Bureau of Prisons outlined changes to the "Transgender Offender Manual" in a 14-page document released Jan. 13. The stated purpose of the update is to ensure the Bureau of Prisons (Bureau) properly identifies, tracks, and provides services to the transgender population. Specifically, the changes remove language inserted into the "Transgender Offender Manual" by the Trump administration. The Trump administration required the Transgender Executive Council to use biological sex as the initial determination for designation of trans-identified inmates. According to the Trump administrations approach, implemented in 2018, the designation to a facility of the inmates identified gender would be appropriate only in rare cases. The aforementioned language has since been removed from the "Transgender Offender Manual." Additional language removed from the manual includes a statement declaring that training materials and current information on the management of transgender inmates will include information concerning best practices for maintaining the safety of transgender inmates, while also ensuring security and good order in Federal prisons and the safety of staff, inmates, and the public. In addition to removing the language added to the "Transgender Offender Manual" by the Trump administration, the Biden administration now requires prison personnel to address trans-identified inmates using their preferred pronouns. Under the Trump administration, prison staff had the option to decide whether to address trans-identified inmates using pronouns that matched their chosen gender identity. Now, prison officials will have to either refer to trans-identified prisoners by their last name or the pronouns associated with the inmates identified gender. Deliberately and repeatedly mis-gendering an inmate is not permitted, the guidance states. In the absence of the Trump administration guidance assigning biological sex as the primary determining factor for the placement of a trans-identified prisoner, the designation of such inmates to prisons that either match their biological sex or chosen gender identity will be done on a case-by-case basis. The manual stresses that a transgender or intersex inmates own views with respect to his/her own safety must be given serious consideration. The document also contains an entirely new section outlining the process trans-identified inmates must go through when seeking so-called "trans-affirming surgeries." Trans-identified inmates now have the option to submit a request for surgical intervention to their prisons warden. Additionally, the document defines gender as a construct used to classify a person as male, female, both, or neither, adding: Gender encompasses aspects of social identity, psychological identity, and human behavior. The definition makes no mention of the role human biology plays in determining gender. The definition, one of several included in the "Transgender Offender Manual," remains unchanged from the Trump administration. Female inmates in California have expressed opposition to a recently enacted law that allows the placement of male inmates who identify as female in womens prisons, citing concerns for the safety of the female inmates in light of the biological differences between men and women. One female prisoner recalled an interaction between a young female prisoner and a trans-identified man in the prison yard. He spoke of getting it on with the women and he had no intentions of getting rid of his penis, she reported. These guys have been overheard saying to one another, Stick to the plan. What exactly is the plan? she asked. We are not certain. I will not be surprised [when] the first female gets pregnant. Another female inmate, who has suffered sexual abuse, gang rape, rape by co-defendant, [and] domestic violence, wrote about the horror of having to wait for a possible sex offender with a penis to be housed in a cell with me. She also feared being the only one left alone in the cell with someone who [has] 25 percent more muscle than me. The Womens Liberation Front, a feminist group, publicly shared letters from these women expressing their concerns and fears as part of its effort to preserve single-sex prisons. Just before the Bureau of Prisons unveiled the document containing updated guidance on how to deal with trans-identified inmates, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., introduced the Preventing Violence Against Female Inmates Act. His legislation would forbid the Bureau of Prisons from using asserted gender identity to house inmates of one sex with inmates of the opposite sex and would withhold federal funding from state prisons that house prisoners based on their stated gender identity as opposed to their biological sex. President Bidens plan to house male and female prisoners together will put women in danger, Cotton said in a statement. Documented cases prove that placing men including ones who identify as female in womens prisons puts female inmates at increased risk of sexual assault. My bill will stop the presidents ill-conceived plan and keep men and women separated in federal prison. Park Kyung-yi By Bahk Eun-ji Driven by her life-time longing for study, Park Kyung-yi, 55, a social worker, chose to start a new life in her 50s. She is now a prospective nurse who finished the national examination in December. When she was in her 20s, Park aspired to become a social worker. But she didn't go to college because her parents couldn't afford to pay for her tuition. She gave up plans to go to college and got married. While raising children, she realized her passion for study stilled burned within her. At the age of 35, she enrolled to study social welfare at a community college. After graduating with top honors, she worked as a social worker in Busan. "While I was working as a social worker, I still wanted to study more to develop my career, so I enrolled at Silla University in Busan, and then graduated with a master's degree in social welfare. I studied so hard that I even made the dean's list and was awarded scholarships several times," Park said. But after pursuing a career as a social worker for more than a decade, Park decided that she wanted a new challenge, something that had been on her mind for a long time. The photo shows Park's notes she took during her classes. Yonhap Park said her desire to help patients through professional medical knowledge had always lingered in her mind since she passed the entrance exam for nursing studies many years ago. "I passed the nursing department entrance exam at a university a few years ago, but I gave up because I thought it was too much for me as a full-time social worker." "But I found I couldn't stop thinking about the nursing studies that I had given up on," she said. After much deliberation, Park eventually quit her job and decided to enroll in the nursing department of Silla University. But her college life as a junior student was far from easy. "The massive amount of homework from every class and the 1,000-hour practical hospital training were a daunting process for a 50-year-old woman to follow," Park said. Textbooks Park used in her classes. Yonhap Stand up, speak often: Christian leaders share ways to combat rising anti-Semitism Amid the rise of anti-Semitism worldwide, The Christian Post spoke with two Christian leaders to get their opinions on what churches can do in response. Last Thursday, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum held a virtual ceremony in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day held on the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. The event featured survivors who reflected on those targeted for extermination and others. On this annual day of commemoration, the U.N. urges every member state to honor the 6 million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and millions of other victims of Nazism and to develop educational programs to help prevent future genocides, stated the Museum. The observance came several days after British jihadist Malik Faisal Akram held four people hostage at a synagogue in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for around 10 hours before being killed by authorities. Akram entered the synagogue disguised as a homeless man before he took hostages, demanding the release of al Qaeda terrorist Aafia Sidiqqui. None of the hostages were harmed. North America, the United States, and Canada have seen the highest rates of violent antisemitic attacks in the last couple of years that have been recorded, wrote historian Bonnie K. Goodman for the Times of Israel. In addition to the recent hostage incident, Goodman cited as examples the 2018 Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh that resulted in 11 deaths and the 2019 shooting at the Chabad of Poway, California, which resulted in one death and three injuries. According to an Anti-Defamation League report published in 2021, there were over 2,000 incidents of anti-Semitic assaults, harassment, and vandalism in 2020, making it the third-highest year for such hateful activity since the group began keeping track in 1979. The Christian Post spoke to pro-Israel Christian leaders to get their opinions on the rise of anti-Semitism in the U.S. and what churches can do in response. Stand up Show up I think that the American Jewish community feels it, said Scott Phillips, executive director of Passages Israel, in an interview with CP on Friday. Synagogue shootings, hostage situations like we had a few weeks ago, and then just everyday anti-Semitic events happening more and more, particularly since 2018. Phillips believed that while anti-Semitism had always been around, recent technological advances such as the advent of social media had helped to strengthen the bigotry. Generally, for thousands of years, on and off, the Jewish community has experienced this anti-Semitism in one form or another. And so, I think its just another iteration, he noted. In addition to the foundational reasons why anti-Semitism happens, I think the rise in social media, in Twitter, all of these types of things, that groups and people that espouse these views have a platform. Phillips also believed that churches were not immune, pointing to such theological views as Replacement Theology as a likely source of Christian anti-Semitism. According to Replacement Theology, also known as Supersessionism, Christians have replaced Jews as the Chosen People, and thus God has no more future plans for Israel. To help combat the growing trend of anti-Semitism, Phillips explained to CP that he believed Christians needed to follow three steps: education, relationship, and action. One is just being aware that anti-Semitism exists and really educating ourselves on the history of anti-Semitism and the causes of anti-Semitism, said Phillips. I think once you have that basis, number two is relationships with the Jewish community. The local Jewish community. Reach out, have relationships that are unconditional and that are based on shared values and trust. Phillips stressed the importance of the third step, which is to stand up, to show up, explaining how his organization reacted to the hostage crisis in Colleyville, Texas. Passages put together with the help of local church pastors, a prayer vigil just down the street, while the hostage situation was happening. So weve got to stand up, weve got to show up, he added. Its really important to have tangible action. Speak loudly Speak often The Rev. Johnnie Moore, a religious liberty activist who received the Simon Wiesenthal Center Medal of Valor for his human rights work, told CP that anti-Semitism was the worlds oldest hate. It has always been with us, but we are definitely seeing an increase, said Moore. We are seeing a convergence of anti-Semitism from the Far Left and the Far Right enabled by social media and by powerful public figures, including members of Congress. Moore spoke about numerous recent incidents, including a viral video of a rabbi being attacked in a parking lot, Jewish diners being assaulted in Los Angeles, and nationwide vandalism of synagogues. Moore considered the Evangelical community in the U.S. and abroad as a global firewall against anti-Semitism, but also believed that we can do more by standing up first to anti-Semitism among Christians. For instance, the recent comments coming from the head of the PCUSA is absolutely anti-Semitism. We also should educate ourselves about Christian anti-Semitism in history, he asserted. As with Phillips, Moore told CP that an important way to combat anti-Semitism is to make sure our relationship with our Jewish neighbors isnt superficial. In my case, almost weekly, I study the Hebrew Bible for one hour with a Jewish friend in Israel, me as a proud Christian and he as a proud Jew, but we have so much to learn from one another, he said. When asked by CP as to what Christians should do to counter the rising trend of anti-Semitism in the United States, Moore responded, speak loudly, speak clearly, and speak often. Black history as American history Today, Americans of all stripes are constantly bombarded with an insidious propaganda campaign against our shared history. From critical race theory to ripping down historical statues, our national story is being rewritten as irredeemably sinful. These efforts have taken a particularly racialized characteristic by implying that Black history is somehow distinct from, or in opposition to, American history itself, rather than an integral part of it. Looking back to our past, we realize that this narrative of scorn isnt how the great heroes of American history saw their homeland. The American patriots we still honor today including African Americans did not see Black history as something apart from American history. In fact, they saw the principles of the American Founding, enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, as the key to their story of perseverance. Fredrick Douglass, in his 1852 address What To The Slave Is The Fourth Of July? called the principles of the Declaration of Independence saving principles, the Constitution a glorious liberty document, and Independence Day the very ringbolt in the chain of your yet undeveloped destiny. He knew that liberty and equality were the keys to the American Founding, and he knew that any nation founded on such revolutionary propositions could not remain a slaveholding nation forever. Rather than berate Americas founders, Douglass went on to call them brave men, statesmen, patriots, and heroes. He urged his audience to honor their memory because they seized upon eternal principles. According to Douglass, through these very principles fundamentally American principles liberty and humanity rather than slavery and oppression would be final. Just over 100 years later, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his I Have A Dream speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Kings vision, he emphasized, is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. Like Douglass, King mentioned with favor the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, calling them a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. To King, slavery, segregation, Jim Crow laws, and all other forms of racial inequality were ultimately a betrayal of American principles. Kings dream, he said to more than 200,000 people from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, was that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. Both Douglass and King saw the course of American history as the ironing out of Americas founding principles, even with all of the ugly bumps and bruises that came along the way. Equality, in their minds, was a promise baked into Americas very DNA. It was a promise that took far too long to fulfill, but a promise that America pursued nonetheless. This embrace of Americanism can be seen throughout the entirety of American history. It is in the blood of Crispus Attucks falling as a martyr to spark the American Revolution. It is in the steely resolve of the Massachusetts 54th regiment charging Fort Wagner to change the course of the Civil War. It is in the ingenuity of Elijah McCoy revolutionizing the locomotive industry with his automatic lubrication system. It is Jesse Owens humiliating Naziism on the world stage. It is at the tails of the Tuskegee airmen patrolling the skies of North Africa and the Mediterranean. These examples, and countless others like them, testify to the truth that Black history is an integral part of American history not set apart as something in contradiction to the story of American life, but a vital part of our national identity. We remember the past to lead us through the present, and we seek inspiration by looking back to the example these great figures left for us to follow. They realized that, as Americans, they were more similar than different. But we can only be genuinely united when we rediscover our shared American identity, rooted in our Founding principle: all men are created equal. Today, just like at the time of Douglass and King, these principles are our ring bolt. They are our promissory note. These truths inspired the words and deeds of heroes of the past, and these same principles guide us through the future. This Black History Month, lets remember that Black history is American history and come together to reunite under our American principles just like our forefathers did before us. Desperate Democrats hatch plan to eliminate their opponents The Democrats have their backs to the wall. A recent Rasmussen polling has shown Joe Biden as low as a 33 percent approval, with correspondingly historic low approval numbers for Democrats in Congress. Dozens of Congressional Democrats have announced they are not seeking reelection in the 2022 midterms. Fear is bringing desperation to the Left. They compare January 6 to Pearl Harbor and 9/11, and accuse GOP state legislatures of supporting "Jim Crow 2.0" with new election integrity laws. However, these tactics seem to have also backfired. Polls are still dismal. Independents, minorities, and even young people still seem to be leaving the party in alarming numbers. The situation has emboldened Donald Trump to consider running again. So, an even more desperate strategy is brewing: An attempt to eliminate Trump and his political allies through the "insurrection" provision of Article 3 of the 14th Amendment. This is something we have seen in failing third-world democracies, and something we cannot tolerate here. Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is the most recent example of a desperate leader resorting to this strategy. Before the 2010 Iraqi Parliamentary elections, Maliki was behind in public support so he sought to use the allegation of Baathist to take out political opponents in the same way the Democrats are using insurrectionist. According to retired U.K. Colonel Ben Barry, Maliki influenced the Iraqi de-Baathification committee to cancel the candidacy of over 500 allegedly Baathist electoral candidates, including some who already held public office. Maliki narrowly lost in the initial elections, but then won by inducing further candidate disqualifications by the de-Baathification Commission. He turned out to be a catastrophically poor leader, which led to ISIS seizing substantial parts of Iraq among other problems. The insurrection provision of the 14th Amendment does not apply now as its surrounding history makes clear. It was employed at the end of the Civil War in 1865 for a specific reason. Former Confederate politicians attempted to re-seat themselves in the US Congress where they had served prior to the war. The 14th Amendment was passed in 1868, and the intent of the insurrection provision was to prevent that dynamic. The 14th Amendment insurrection provision reads "no person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military" if they've "previously taken an oath to support the Constitution of the United States" and then "engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof." Current Republican members of Congress were not involved in insurrection or rebellion. Some legally challenged certain Biden electors on January 6, but Democrats had previously done the same against George Bush and Donald Trump electors. Neither politicians who spoke at the peaceful and legal rally before the Capitol Hill riots, nor those who had contacts with those who later rioted met 14th Amendment insurrection standards. Regardless, the Left has moved swiftly with the insurrection strategy. According to The Hill, Free Speech For People, has mounted a pressure campaign on top state elections officials to apply the 14th Amendment to Trump should he run again. This summer, the group sent letters to chief election officials for all 50 states and Washington, D.C., making the case that they have a constitutional duty to bar Trump from appearing on future state ballots. Democrats have already attempted to impeach Trump solely to keep him from running again. That act was quite controversial, as many legal scholars held that a former president could not be tried by the Senate. Trump is now leading in most 2024 rematch polls. Many media sources, like The Week, have picked up on the Democrat motivations. The appeal of this strategy is obvious. Trump's enduring and overwhelming popularity among Republican voters makes him the favorite for the 2024 nomination if he chooses to run. It's far too early to forecast his prospects in the general election. But negative partisanship is probably sufficient to give him a good chance of victory. The tactic will quite likely fail in the courts. Even if he doesnt run, this strategy poses a threat well beyond Trump to many Republicans seeking office. Congressman Madison Cawthorn, the youngest person elected to Congress in 2020, and a paraplegic, is facing an election challenge from a group of Democrats using the insurrection provision of the 14th Amendment. This comes due to Cawthorns alleged connections with some people involved with the Jan 6 riots. Attorney James Bopp, who represents Cawthorn, has warned this is a mass power play by Democrats to subvert Democracy: They have multiple targets. It just so happens that Madison Cawthorn is the tip of the spear. The United States should be above the antics we have seen with men like Maliki. The Constitution should not be subverted to keep one party in power against the will of the people. Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people (Proverbs 14:34). It is up to us to remain righteous and free. Pakistani pastor shot dead in ambush attack after Sunday service; mourners chant 'Long live Jesus Christ' In what police called a terrorist act, two unidentified men followed a pastor returning home in his car after a Sunday worship service and shot him to death in Pakistans northwestern city of Peshawar, which in 2013 was the scene of one of the deadliest attacks on Christians in the country. The pastor, identified as 75-year-old William Siraj of Shaheed-e-All Saints Church from the Church of Pakistan denomination comprising Methodist and Anglican churches, was shot twice in the abdomen as he and his colleague, identified as Pastor Patrick Naeem, were driving home from church on Sunday. The shooting occurred near Ring Road in the citys Gulbahar area, leaving Pastor Siraj dead and Pastor Naeem injured, Pakistans Dawn newspaper reported, adding that Naeem had been discharged from the hospital where he was treated for minor injuries. Pastor Sirajs body had been handed over to his family. News channels showed emergency services removing the pastor from the car as people chanted Long live Jesus Christ while carrying his body on a bed through the streets to a house, according to Reuters. We demand justice and protection of Christians from the Government of Pakistan, tweeted Bishop Azad Marshall from the Church of Pakistan. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby also responded to the news of the attack. We pray for the light of Christs justice, hope and peace for our sisters and brothers in the Church of Pakistan, he wrote on Twitter. Capital City Police Officer Abbas Ahsan called it a terror attack and said, We are determined to protect minorities. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces Chief Minister Mahmood Khan offered his condolences to the Christian community and the family of the deceased. On Saturday, Pakistans interior minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed warned of possible terrorist strikes across the country over the next two months as security agencies had learned about sleeper cells of militant outfits in that region, The Times of India reported. No one had claimed responsibility for the shooting as of Monday. The countrys northwestern areas bordering Afghanistan have seen a rise in militant attacks on security forces in recent days, many of them claimed by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, which is close to the Afghan Taliban, Reuters said. In 2013, at least 81 Christians were killed after two suicide bombers blew themselves up at a church belonging to the Church of Pakistan denomination in Peshawar as hundreds of worshipers were leaving Sunday mass. About 400 worshipers were exchanging greetings after the service at the 130-year-old All Saints Church when the two bombers, each carrying about 13 pounds of explosives, launched the attack. The walls were pockmarked with ball bearings that had been packed into the bombs to cause maximum carnage in the busy church. There are about 70,000 Christians in Peshawar. The community accounts for about 2% of the 180 million people in Pakistan. Muslim minorities, including Shias and Ahmaddiyas, also often face attacks by Sunni terror groups in Pakistan. Supporting living artists is one of the greatest privileges photographs from the collection of Ellen and Dan Shapiro As 44 of the Shapiros photographs come to auction in London, Ellen Shapiro shares a passionate collecting journey that began with the acquisition of a Cindy Sherman work in 1985 for around $100 Collecting photographs is a passion, an addiction, Ellen Shapiro tells Christies via Zoom from her Palm Beach residence. I dont think Im finished yet. The American collector, together with her late husband Dan, has spent more than three decades assembling an encyclopaedic archive of photographs for their homes on both sides of the Atlantic. Ive absolutely loved living every day with wonderful works of art, as well as learning from artists, gallerists and other collectors, she says. Ive definitely gained more than Ive given. Open a larger version of this image We moved into a beautiful flat in Eaton Place, but it had no pictures on the walls. So we started buying new contemporary works almost immediately Ellen and Dan Shapiro. Image courtesy of the family And Shapiro has given a lot. As well as serving on numerous museum committees, including the Tates Photography Acquisitions Committee, the Photography Council of MoMA and the Photography Committee of the Guggenheim, she has donated coveted photographs by artists close to her heart, among them Zanele Muholi, Nicholas Nixon, Laurie Simmons and Susan Derges. In addition, she has established The Ellen Daniel and Jon Shapiro Acquisition Fund at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. Shapiro now spends her winters in Florida, so the time has come to sell her London home. Its the end of a chapter, she says. But Im ready to move on, and the house and collection go hand in hand. Open a larger version of this image Candida Hofer (b. 1944), Narodni Knihovna Praha II, 2004. This work is number five from an edition of six. Colour coupler print. 60 x 46 in (153.2 x 119.1 cm). Sold for 60,480 on 9 March 2022, Online Forty-four photographs from her London residence will be offered in Christies First Open: Post-War and Contemporary Art Online sale, which runs from 23 February to 9 March, with highlights on show at Christies London from 9 to 16 February. The sale includes photographs by Andreas Gursky, Olafur Eliasson and William Eggleston, as well as standout works by leading female photographers including Candida Hofer, Annie Leibovitz and Cindy Sherman. Many of these were acquired in the early 2000s when the Shapiros relocated to London from New York. We left our Park Avenue apartment fully furnished, as we thought wed be going back after two or three years, Shapiro explains. In London, we moved into a beautiful flat on Eaton Place, but it had no pictures on the walls. So we started buying new contemporary works almost immediately. Before long, nearly every square inch of wall space was filled with pictures. Im not a big believer in storage, says Shapiro with a smile. If I buy something, I want to live with it. The living room, for instance, was crammed with large-scale landscapes by Hofer, Mosse, Edward Burtynsky and Elger Esser, while in the TV room hung portraits by Leibovitz, Viviane Sassen and Taryn Simon. These images worked well together, Shapiro says of the thematic displays. We were always conscious of how pictures would relate to one another. The burgeoning collection soon attracted the attention of visiting curators, lecturers, museum committees and VIP groups from around the world. I absolutely loved showing our collection to people who shared our interest in photography, she recalls. Wed sometimes have up to 25 people for a tour and lunch. For Shapiro, the collections unique selling point is its singular focus. It is a pure collection of photography, and that makes it stronger, she says. But I like variety and get excited by new things, so I will rarely buy more than one work by an artist. She cites Diane Arbus, Irving Penn, Zanele Muholi and Richard Mosse as exceptions. These are among my favourite artists, so I have bought them in depth, she says. Occasionally, I would buy two images to be hung together, for instance, Elad Lassry and Aleksandra Mir. Shapiro can trace back her love for the visual arts to her childhood. My parents collected seriously, she recalls, so I was always interested in having art around me. Fortunately, her husband shared her interest, and after marrying in 1964 they set about filling their home with art. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, we were somewhat serious about collecting lithographs, she says. But we fell out of love with them, partly because I was developing an interest in photography. Manhattan proved fertile ground for this budding passion. I went to weekly art gallery classes and started going to auctions, she recalls. The more I discovered, the more I wanted to learn. Shapiros first photographic purchase was a Cindy Sherman in 1985. I saw it in Metro Pictures in SoHo and bought it for around $100, she says. I still have it. Its value has possibly multiplied more than anything else I own. Then came a Robert Mapplethorpe and a slew of black-and-white Modernist pictures by the likes of Andre Kertesz, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Dorothea Lange and Ansel Adams. These works still adorn the walls of her grand, high-ceilinged Manhattan apartment. By the mid 1990s, however, the collection had changed direction. Vintage modern photographs by well-known artists were simply too expensive for us, Shapiro explains. And around that time the world of digital colour photography was opening up. It was so exciting to see these big, colourful, high-resolution images which were affordable and fun. The Shapiros soon acquired works by almost all of the Dusseldorf School, including Gursky, Hofer, Thomas Struth and Thomas Ruff. Also represented in the collection were emerging artists such as Gregory Crewdson and Vik Muniz, whom she bought after seeing his work at MoMA. Was investment always at the forefront of their minds? I have only ever bought what I love, but my husband did see collecting as an alternative asset, she says. The Shapiros developed their eye by attending exhibitions, gallery previews and art fairs all around the world, including Art Basel Miami Beach, Paris Photo and Photo London, of which Ellen is a founding advisor. A lot of my education came from being a constant fair-goer, she admits. If you spend enough time at them, you can learn so much about the artists, galleries and trends in the market. She cites the gallerists Howard Greenberg and Edwynn Houk as two big educators in the field. Internet platforms such as Artsy have also enabled her to self-educate, as she puts it, and find new talent. I feel that supporting living artists is one of the greatest privileges of being a collector, she says. Right now, Shapiro is drawn to the work of African artists who, she says, are approaching colour, pattern and overlay in exciting and innovative ways. They tend to exaggerate the reality of a situation. And I like that. She highlights the Moroccan artist Hassan Hajjaj as a prime example. When asked about her favourite works coming to auction, she immediately pinpoints Zanele Muholis 2011 portrait from the Faces and Phases series and Blow Up / Time After Time (2007) by Ori Gersht (above). Then theres Annie Leibovitzs portrait of Queen Elizabeth, acquired from Edwynn Houk Gallery at Paris Photo. I have been told that Annie was hired by an American funder who wanted to commemorate the Queens 80th birthday and her related tour of North America, she says of the widely exhibited image. The palace sittings are the result. Edwynn told us that only two in the edition of seven were available to private collectors. And this is one of them. Sign up today Christies Online Magazine delivers our best features, videos, and auction news to your inbox every week Subscribe The paintings of Will Alsop a mischievous breath of fresh air The exuberant architect viewed the canvas as both an escape from architecture and a route into it, a way of exploring ideas. Christies is offering six of his works online, with proceeds being directed by the Marco Goldschmied Foundation to support young architects The British architect Will Alsop (1947-2018) always considered himself different from others in his profession. Its surprising how many architects dress as though theyre accountants and behave like accountants, he once said. They manage to make something that should be thoroughly enjoyable into a rather dull grind. Alsop himself was a renowned bon viveur who loved fine wine and good food. He was also a keen smoker and wore his hair long. Its fair to say that Alsops buildings reflected his personality. They were, in a word, exuberant. Open a larger version of this image Alsops Sharp Centre for Design, Toronto. Photo: Alamy Stock Image One of his most famous was the Sharp Centre for Design (2004), part of the Ontario College of Art & Design University in Toronto. A black-and-white structure raised high above the ground on spindly stilts, it has been compared to a giant Dalmatian. Levitation plays a part in another of Alsops major buildings: Peckham Library (1999) in south London, which won him the prestigious Stirling Prize from the Royal Institute of British Architects. It comprises a cantilevered structure (containing the library itself) which hangs 12 feet above an open-air public plaza at ground level. When Alsop passed away in May 2018, his obituary in the Guardian referred to him to as a mischievous breath of fresh air in the world of architecture. The Daily Telegraph, meanwhile, claimed it was the artist in Alsop that [had] set him apart from his fellow practitioners. Where Will saw conventional architectural drawings as being rigid and closing down conversation, he saw paintings as a way of opening one up Matthew Goldschmied He certainly thought that buildings should be artistic as well as practical; they should be admired and enjoyed, not just lived in and worked in. As part of an unrealised plan for the transformation of the northern English town of Middlesbrough, Alsop designed a set of apartment blocks in the shape of Prada skirts and a hotel modelled on a champagne bottle. Open a larger version of this image South-east view of the Hotel du Departement des Bouches-du-Rhone in Marseille. Photo: Geoffrey Taunton / Alamy Stock Photo His love of art showed itself beyond the buildings he conceived, however. Alsop was an avid painter, citing Matisse and Goya among his favourite artists. From 23 February to 9 March, six of his canvases will be offered in the First Open: Post-War and Contemporary Art Online sale. Alsop painted throughout his career. A Royal Academician, he saw his painting practice as very much complementary to his architecture. He even set aside a month each summer for painting trips to the islands of Mallorca and Menorca with his friend, the artist Bruce McLean. Open a larger version of this image William Alsop (1947-2018), Untitled (Red Composition), 1990s. Acrylic and graphite on canvas. 44 x 66 in (112 x 167.5 cm). Estimate: 5,000-7,000. Offered in First Open: Post-War and Contemporary Art Online, 23 February-9 March 2022 As an architect who also produced art, Alsop might be regarded as a successor to the likes of Le Corbusier and Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Lets not forget that Renaissance artists such as Raphael and Michelangelo worked as architects, too. In Alsops case, he saw painting as having a twin purpose: both an escape from architecture and a route into it. Which is to say that, at times, he put brush to canvas simply for pleasure, as a means of switching off from his day job. One of the reasons for painting is that youre not really in control of what youre doing, he said, and that interests me a lot. Alsop saw this in marked contrast to architecture, where there is a specific starting point that leads through to a designed building. On countless other occasions, however, he used art as part of his professional practice. Alsop liked to draw or paint daily, believing that this was a key way of exploring ideas. Those ideas might relate to a building he was currently working on, or might only end up useful on a commission months or years down the line, says Matthew Goldschmied, managing trustee of the Marco Goldschmied Foundation. (Its the foundation set up by Matthews architect father, Marco, a long-time friend and occasional collaborator of Alsops that is offering the five lots for sale.) Where Will saw conventional architectural drawings as being rigid and closing down conversation, he saw paintings as a way of opening one up, adds Goldschmied. Paintings were about giving a general sense of atmosphere or place, which could easily be conveyed to colleagues and potential clients. Open a larger version of this image William Alsop (1947-2018), Hotel du Departement, 1990. Acrylic and metallic paint on canvas. 60 x 48 in (152.5 x 122.5 cm). Estimate: 5,000-7,000. Offered in First Open: Post-War and Contemporary Art Online, 23 February-9 March 2022 Interestingly, Alsop was also a fan of colour in his architecture. He told an interviewer in 1997 that a hundred years ago the palette was largely brick, timber and stone. Now, plastics, glass technology and powder-coated aluminium give us a huge colour range. Alsops paintings function rewardingly as works of art in their own right. However, those who know his buildings will also, perhaps inevitably, seek proto-versions of these on canvas. For example, in Untitled (Coloured Blobs on Amber Background), can we see an early hint of the multicoloured hanging pods that serve as bars and restaurants in Alsops Gao Yang cruise-ship terminal in Shanghai? Sign up today Christies Online Magazine delivers our best features, videos, and auction news to your inbox every week Subscribe Rising concerns over mounting inflationary pressure and the Feds signal that it will raise interest rates several times this year are expected to fuel market turbulence in the near term. So, we think it could be wise to bet on quality growth stocks KBR (KBR), AMN Healthcare (AMN), and ICU Medical (ICUI), which have been oversold of late. Read on. The stock market continues to be volatile, primarily on investors' concerns over record-high inflation, the Feds indication of multiple interest-rate hikes this year, and supply chain bottlenecks. Furthermore, the United Nations has warned that the global economic recovery is losing steam and is facing significant headwinds amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the decline in private payrolls in January and poor labor market data are further fueling stock market volatility. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) downgraded its 2022 global growth forecast to 4.4%. However, we believe growth stocks could be ideal bets now for investors looking to maximize their returns over the long run. Investors' interest in growth stocks is evident in the SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF's (SPYG) 14.4% gains over the past year. Quality growth stocks KBR, Inc. (KBR), AMN Healthcare Services, Inc. (AMN), and ICU Medical, Inc. (ICUI) have witnessed significant price declines recently because investors oversold these stocks on short-term concerns. However, given their upside potential, we think it could be wise to bet on these stocks now. KBR, Inc. (KBR) KBR in Houston, Tex., is a global provider of scientific, technical, and engineering solutions to governments and companies. Government Solutions; Technology Solutions; and Energy Solutions are the segments under which the company operates. KBR also provides commercial security, defense systems, program management, cybersecurity, and other solutions. Last month, KBR was selected as the primary provider of space medicine services for the European Space Agency's (ESA's) European Astronaut Centre (EAC) Space Medicine Office in Cologne, Germany. KBR will provide astronauts' medical care, engineering support, rehabilitation, fitness, project management, healthcare administration, psychology and behavioral health, nutrition, radiation, education coordination, and operational research. KBR's revenues increased 33.6% year-over-year to $1.84 billion for the third quarter, ended Sept. 30, 2021. The company's gross profit grew 12.2% from its year-ago value to $193 million. KBRs operating income rose 8.6% from the prior-year quarter to $101 million. Also, the company's adjusted EBITDA increased 29.6% year-over-year to $162 million. KBR's consensus revenue is expected to increase 28.47% year-over-year to $1.88 billion in its fiscal period ending March 31, 2022. The company has an impressive earnings surprise history; it beat the consensus EPS estimates in three of the trailing four quarters. In addition, its EPS is expected to increase 36.4% in the current year. The stock has gained 47.8% in price over the past year. However, the stock has declined 6.7% over the past month. KBR's strong fundamentals are reflected in its POWR Ratings. The stock has an overall B rating, which equates to a Buy in our proprietary rating system. The POWR Ratings assess stocks by 118 different factors, each with its own weighting. Also, the stock has an A grade for Growth. We've also graded KBR for Stability, Sentiment, Quality, Value, and Momentum. Click here to access all of KBR's ratings. KBR is ranked #29 of 93 stocks in the B-rated Industrial Services industry. AMN Healthcare Services, Inc. (AMN) AMN in San Diego, Calif., provides healthcare workforce solutions and staffing services in hospitals and other healthcare facilities throughout the United States. The company operates through three segments: Nurse and Allied Solutions; Physician and Leadership Solutions; and Technology and Workforce Solutions. Also, AMN offers managed services programs, language interpretation services, vendor management systems, workforce optimization, and other digital services. During the third quarter, ended September 30, 2021, AMN's revenue increased 59.1% year-over-year to $877.8 million. The company's gross profit grew 65.7% from the year-ago value to $305.87 million. Its income from operations rose 127.8% from the prior-year quarter to $105.83 million. Also, the company's net income increased 184% year-over-year to $74.02 million. AMN's consensus revenue is expected to increase 29.1% year-over-year to $1.14 billion for its fiscal period ending March 31, 2022. In addition, AMN has an impressive earnings surprise history; it beat the consensus EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters. Moreover, its EPS is expected to grow 116% in the current year. The stock has declined 13.3% in price year-to-date. However, it has increased by 30.4% over the past nine months. AMN's POWR Ratings reflect this promising outlook. The stock has an overall B rating, which equates to a Buy in our proprietary rating system. Also, the stock has an A grade for Growth and a B grade for Sentiment and Value. In addition to the POWR Rating grades I've just highlighted, one can see AMN's ratings for Quality, Stability, and Momentum here. AMN is ranked #10 of 88 stocks in the Medical Services industry. Click here to checkout our Healthcare Sector Report for 2022 ICU Medical, Inc. (ICUI) ICUI provides medical devices used in infusion therapy and critical care applications worldwide. The San Clemente, Calif.-based company's product portfolio includes IV solutions, IV smart pumps with pain management and safety software technology, dedicated and non-dedicated IV sets, and needle-free connectors designed to help meet clinical safety and workflow goals. ICUI sells its products to acute care hospitals, wholesalers, ambulatory clinics, and alternate site facilities. Last month, ICUI acquired Smiths Medical from Smiths Group plc. With this acquisition, both companies should represent an infusion therapy company with estimated pro forma combined revenues of approximately $2.5 billion. The addition of Smiths Medical could also create a scaled U.S.-based global competitor that increases the stability of the medical supply chain and can grow as clinical care models evolve. ICUI's total revenues increased 5.5% year-over-year to $336.06 million for the third quarter, ended Sept. 30, 2021. The company's gross profit grew 12.2% from its year-ago value to $127.79 million. Its income from operations rose 50.3% from the prior-year quarter to $38.38 million. Also, the company's net income increased 24.4% year-over-year to $31.08 million. For its fiscal year 2022, analysts expect ICUI's revenue to increase 4% year-over-year to $1.31 billion. It has surpassed the consensus EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters. In addition, the company's EPS is estimated to increase 1.1% in the current year. The stock has declined 12.3% in price over the past three months. However, it has gained 10.4% over the past six months. It's no surprise that ICUI has an overall A rating, which equates to a Strong Buy in our POWR Rating system. Also, the stock has an A grade for Growth and a B grade for Sentiment and Quality. Click here to see the additional POWR Ratings for ICUI (Value, Stability, and Momentum). It is ranked #2 of 167 stocks in the Medical Devices & Equipment industry. Click here to checkout our Healthcare Sector Report for 2022 What To Do Next? If youd like to see more top growth stocks, then you should check out our free special report: 9 "MUST OWN" Growth Stocks What makes them "MUST OWN"? All 9 picks have strong fundamentals and are experiencing tremendous momentum. They also contain a winning blend of growth and value attributes that generates a catalyst for serious outperformance. Even more important, each recently earned a Buy rating from our coveted POWR Ratings system where the A rated stocks have gained +31.10% a year. Click below now to see these top performing stocks with exciting growth prospects: 9 "MUST OWN" Growth Stocks KBR shares were trading at $44.33 per share on Friday morning, down $0.59 (-1.31%). Year-to-date, KBR has declined -6.91%, versus a -5.54% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period. About the Author: Priyanka Mandal Priyanka is a passionate investment analyst and financial journalist. After earning a master's degree in economics, her interest in financial markets motivated her to begin her career in investment research. More... The post 3 Oversold Growth Stocks That are Screaming Buys: ICU Medical, KBR, and AMN Healthcare Services appeared first on StockNews.com Copyright 2022 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved According to Federal Election Commission filings reviewed by SFGATE, San Francisco Giants principal owner Charles B. Johnson has once again broken his pledge to avoid donating to political candidates who engaged in the destructive efforts to interrupt the certification of the 2020 Presidential Election. In December 2021, Johnson and his wife Ann each donated $5,800 (the maximum allowed amount of $2,900 for the 2022 primary and general elections) to Adam Laxalt, a Donald Trump-endorsed conservative and former Nevada attorney general whos running for a U.S. Senate seat in the state. Laxalt, the favorite to be the Republican nominee for a 2022 Senate race against Democratic incumbent Catherine Cortez Masto, is also endorsed by Donald Trump Jr., Michael Flynn, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley and former Secretary of State and CIA Director Mike Pompeo. Laxalt oversaw President Trumps Nevada campaign in 2020 and has repeatedly claimed that there was widespread voter fraud there after President Joe Biden won the states six electoral votes and beat out Trump by a 33,596 vote margin. As chronicled by the Nevada Current, in July 2020, Laxalt was already complaining that Democrats were working to steal our election. On Nov. 5, 2020, Laxalt filed a lawsuit citing many irregularities during the tallying of Nevadas votes for president. It was one of multiple lawsuits he took part in none gained any traction, which he later blamed on the fact that they were filed late and in a short period of time. Theres still no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Nevada or anywhere else during the 2020 election, but when asked in October 2021, Laxalt reportedly would not confirm whether Biden is the legitimately elected president. Laxalts preferred rebuttal tactic, anecdotal evidence of voter fraud, has backfired. During a November 2020 news conference, he brought out a man named Donald Hartle, who claimed an impostor had cast a vote on behalf of his dead wife. That much was true: The imposter turned out to be Hartle himself. Another aggrieved Trump voter whom Laxalt pushed into the public eye eventually recanted her story of voter fraud. Laxalt hasnt backed down, though. Theres no question they rigged the election, he said during an August 2021 radio interview with a conservative host. In January 2022, he appeared on the radio show of prominent conservative Steve Bannon, who teed up Laxalt with a question about voter fraud. Laxalt answered, We were an epicenter of the left doing everything they can to transform an election. I have absolutely no doubt that if we had our normal election system in-person voting with absentee ballots, which is perfectly fine for COVID that President Trump wouldve won Nevada. (A Republican presidential candidate hasnt won Nevada since George W. Bush in 2004; the state currently has two Democratic Party senators, and three of its four House members are Democrats. It is unclear if Laxalt believes all of their elections were also rigged.) Johnson, the Giants 89-year-old billionaire owner, lives in Palm Beach, Florida. Hes long given to conservative candidates and conservative joint fundraising committees, which allow for larger donation sums that are then dispersed elsewhere. But his donations that have drawn public scrutiny involve candidates whove repeated unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud and, in some cases, used those unsubstantiated claims to object to the 2020 presidential election results. In January 2021, after SFGATE reported on Johnsons donations to Rep. Lauren Boebert, among others, Johnson released the following statement: I am appalled by the violence that erupted at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and the destructive efforts to interrupt the certification of the 2020 Presidential Election. My wife Ann and I reject and denounce any individuals, candidates or elected officials who do not honor our constitution or who espouse or assist in violence of any kind. I have contacted the office of Representative Lauren Boebert to request a full refund of our contribution. I will continue to follow the ongoing investigation closely and will request refunds from any other individuals who are found to have engaged in similar behavior. And I pledge to do my part in helping to heal our nation and restore peace and respect in our democratic system. Since then, FEC filings reviewed by SFGATE provided no evidence that Johnson got a refund on the Boebert donation. In fact, Johnson actually gave again to Boebert through a joint fundraising committee. Johnson also gave to a committee run by a politician turned conservative media figure who appeared to celebrate the Jan. 6 riots. And in October 2020, Johnson gave to another Stop the Steal advocate, Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker. The Laxalt donation is just the latest example of Johnson reneging on his word. He hasnt spoken publicly in more than a year. People watch the first TV debate among four of the presidential candidates on a screen in Seoul Station, Wednesday. The four candidates were Lee Jae-myung of the ruling liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition conservative People Power Party (PPP), Sim Sang-jung of the minor opposition progressive Justice Party and Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor opposition conservative People's Party. Yonhap By Jung Da-min The first TV debate among four of the presidential candidates was held Thursday evening, with a little more than a month to go until the March 9 election, but there was no one who left the arena having clearly impressed the viewers. The debate cohosted by the three local broadcasters KBS, MBC and SBS drew much attention as many voters said they would consider the content of the debate in making their decision on how to vote. But experts said there was no surefire winner due to several factors, adding that more TV debates are needed to help voters decide. Some said that the four candidates representing different parties have succeeded in presenting different policy directions as to how they would administer state affairs if elected as the next president, but others said most of the candidates failed to present their strengths in such a way that makes them stand out from their competitors. During the debate, the rival candidates of country's two major parties Lee Jae-myung of the ruling liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition conservative People Power Party (PPP) traded barbs over a controversial land development project in the Daejang-dong area of Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. The snowballing scandal surrounding the highly lucrative land development project has been a major issue during the election campaign. The PPP and Yoon have criticized Lee over the suspicion that he gave business "favors" to an asset management company and its trust account company while he was mayor of Seongnam. But Lee defended himself by saying that he had been trying to maximize the public interest through a public-private partnership, despite the opposition of PPP members of the city council who opposed Lee's original plan for a 100 percent public development. Cha Jae-won, a professor of special affairs at the Catholic University of Pusan, said that the TV debate offered more grounds for voters to make judgments concerning the Daejang-dong land development scandal, as they were able to listen to different statements on the issue from both Yoon and Lee. "Although the truth of the Daejang-dong land development scandal has yet to be clarified, those who watched the TV debate would have found some points they could sympathize with, either from Yoon's statements or Lee's," Cha said. 3 1 of 3 courtesy of the Montgomery County Police Reporter Show More Show Less 2 of 3 courtesy of the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office Show More Show Less 3 of 3 A teen boy and the man charged in his killing had an ongoing beef with the situation escalating to a shooting yesterday as the victim drove through a Willis neighborhood. Sherman Dewayne Griffin III, 24, of Willis, is charged in the murder of 17-year-old Willis resident Keimauri Rogers, according to the Willis Police Department and county jail records. Griffin is being held with no bond at the Montgomery County Jail, online records there show. courtesy of the Montgomery County Police Reporter Police reportedly have a person in custody after the shooting death of a teenage boy in Willis. Around 8:20 a.m., a 17-year-old male was shot while he was traveling south on Holland Street. His vehicle continued through the intersection of East Stewart where it crashed into the side of a building with metal siding, according to the Montgomery County Police Reporter. The Mid-Michigan Section of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) invites the public to a special virtual presentation. Annette Switzer, P.E., permit section manager, Air Quality Division of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), will give a presentation on "EGLE Air Quality Division and Our Role," 12-1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9. EGLE has many program areas that may interact with industry. During this presentation, guests will learn more about how the Air Quality Division (AQD) fits into the big picture of all EGLE does and how the AQD regulates. The AQD Permit Section employs engineers as new source review permit writers; of the 16 permit writers, six have a background in chemical engineering. Switzer will also discuss how the permit writers use their engineering background in their regulatory role. More TV debates needed to give people opportunities to judge candidates The major presidential candidates engaged in a heated discussion about various pending issues during the first TV debate, which took place at a KBS studio Thursday evening. They exchanged views on diverse matters such as real estate, foreign affairs, security, job creation and economic growth during the two-hour debate. The event drew special attention as it was the first debate they have had since being selected as the presidential candidates of their respective parties. It would not be appropriate to say who did the best in this debate. Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) attempted to highlight the alleged misdeeds of Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), relating to his supposed role in a massive land development project in Daejang-dong, Seongnam City, near Seoul. By doing so, Yoon also tried to emphasize his merits as the former prosecutor-general. In contrast, Lee refrained from any negative attacks while focusing on economic and future-oriented issues, such as housing supply and renewable energy. Ahn Cheol-soo of the People's Party concentrated on offering alternative policies for the national pension system, eliciting agreement from the other candidates for a reform pledge. Sim Sang-jung of the Justice Party criticized Yoon for proposing the additional deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in the Seoul metropolitan area, describing the choice as "security populism." As the debate was designed to deal with numerous pending issues in a limited time, the candidates were not able to engage in an in-depth discussion. However, it is fortunate that they stopped short of berating each other over issues involving the wives of Yoon and Lee. Instead, they tried to find faults with each other's campaign pledges. This effort deserves to be commended as the current presidential race has been dubbed a competition between "record disliked" contenders. It is also the result of the candidates' tacit agreement that they will fail to earn voter support with such negative campaigning. Nevertheless, this debate seems to have failed to satisfy fully the public's eagerness to get to know the candidates thoroughly. On the one hand, it appears to have provided voters with a chance to hear from them directly about many issues. A recent survey showed that around 30 percent of the people mostly swing voters replied that they will decide who to vote for after watching the TV debate. On the other, it is clear that an increasing number of voters want to see more debates, so the candidates should respond proactively to the people's calls toward that end. Three more TV debates are scheduled to take place from Feb. 21 under the auspices of the National Election Commission (NEC). Yet, three is not enough. The contenders should appear in as many broadcast debates as they can. Such appearances are all the more necessary in light of the problems with holding outdoor rallies amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The NEC and the political parties should start the discussion to find ways to increase the number of TV debates to provide voters with more opportunities to judge the candidates. TWO EMISSARIES FROM UK AND FRANCE TWIST THEIR PURPOSE OF VISIT TO SRI LANKA. Malin Abeyatunga Mr. Gordon Brown the UK PM sent his Foreign Minister Mr. David Milliband to Sri Lank with the message to Sri Lanka to call for a ceasefire. French Prime Minister Nicolas Sarkozy sent his FM Dr. Bernard Kouchner with the same mission asking GoSL for a ceasefire. In fact both Milliband & Bernard (Mills & Berns- like Mills & Boon fantasies) visited Sri Lanka expecting to raise the question of Ceasefire with the President and his Ministers. Even before Milliband stepped into Sri Lanka, he had been voicing his opinion from UK that GoSL should call for a cease fire immediately with the intention of giving breathing space for Prabhakaran to escape. Ditto with French FM Dr.Bernard Kouchner. However, after coming to Sri Lanka this is what Mills & Berns said at a press conference after meeting the President Rajapaksa and our FM Rohitha Bogallagama according to print media quote No one was here to call a ceasefire to save Prabhakaran but we are here to discuss the protection of civilians that was our absolute and paramount interest. The LTTE should stop fighting, UK Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Secretary of State David Miliband told at a press conference at the Foreign Affairs Ministry yesterday. What a great twist of the purpose of their visit by both within 14 hours of their departure from UK. If UK and France took this stand at the outset condemning LTTEs inhuman act of holding Tamil civilians as hostages and demand that LTTE releases the Tamil civilians in their captivity instead of using them as human shield immediately, I am sure that GoSL would have welcomed them many months back and not once but many times. Mr. Milliband very cunningly says Quote Our concern was about the civilians, held by the LTTE in the No Fire Zone and other civilians in the IDP camps, Miliband said.Unquote. Let us hope that both Mills & Berns stick to their words and take appropriate action in their own country against the LTTE apologists and activists ( just to remind Bernard that LTTE activist shot dead a French cop a couple of months back) who are marauding the streets in London and Paris and continue to raise funds for LTTE in front of their own eyes. The best that UK and France can do to help Sri Lanka is to adopt the ban of LTTE to its last word and bring the law breakers into justice in their countries. However, I could not stop laughing when I read that Mills & Berns mentioned that both are in agreement that the French and British Governments have stood with Sri Lanka during the 25 years of conflict and will continue to stand by Sri Lanka in the future. With all due respect for Milliband for twisting the interest and purpose of his visit, we cannot agree with that statement as be they Conservative or Labour Governments they still continue with their double standards one for the Muslims and One for The Tamil Terrorists. Whilst LTTE was a banned terrorist organization in UK, their ideologist late Anton Balasingham was treated like a VIP and not as a terrorist. His wife Adele Balasingham who was once the leader of the women suicide squad continues to live in UK with the generosity and hospitality of the UK governments. Whilst LTTE was a banned organization, UK allowed LTTE fronts to raise funds in schools, churches, allowed to commemorate Mahaveer day to propagate LTTE terrorism and other LTTE events without any objection from the UK politicians but patronage from some of them and without any obstruction from the British Law enforcement authorities for carrying out LTTE activities on UK soil. Millions of pounds were raised on UK soil to fuel the LTTE killing machine. So how can he say that he stood with us during the last 25 years? May be he is referring to mollycoddling the LTTE terrorists. Milliband would have been just an uninterested teen when illegal LTTE activities were happening on UK soil but, Sri Lankan majority has not forgotten the patronage given to LTTE terrorists and its supporters by the UK governments albeit Milliband playing a different tune now. Same goes with French Politicians too. Paris was the hub of LTTE international activities with their head office in Paris. All funds to procure illegal arms, drug trafficking, human cargo smuggling to and from Paris/London were operated through LTTEs international head quarters in Paris which was once administered by Lawrence Thilagar. It is alleged that this function has now been handed over to K.Pathamnathan (infamously known as KP) with so many aliases by Prabhakaran and KP is a wanted criminal by Interpol. France allowed LTTE to have their own satellite TVS, Radio Stations and other propaganda activities without any reservations, vigilance or surveillance. This is how the French Governments stood with us for 25 years in this conflict. Sri Lankan majority has not forgotten this either. The President, his Ministers of GoSL, various organizations both in Sri Lanka and overseas have been telling the western world including UK and France which have a strong LTTE supportive base that over the last four months that LTTE is holding Tamil civilians as hostage and using them as human shield. But none of the countries wanted to listen to the actual situation in the North. Both the western print and electronic media who may be receiving perks from filthily rich LTTE never highlighted LTTE atrocities committed to their own people by forcibly keeping in their captivity. Instead, they continued with barrage of unsubstantiated accusations against the GoSL and its armed forces for human rights violations. There were Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and alike INGOs and NGOs who thrive on trouble spots in the world who fed inaccurate information to the biased media. Until last week neither UN Secretary General nor the western countries with vested interests asked LTTE to release the civilians holding as human shield. Until last week, they did not want to believe that LTTE is holding thousands of Tamil civilians as hostage. After a spell of almost four months, only last week that the UN Secretary General Ban-ki-Moon has woken up from slumber and has requested (not demanded) LTTE to release the Tamil civilians held as hostage which LTTE never heeded to that cry. Even on the eve of Millibands departure to Sri Lanka, Gordon Brown was playing the song Calling GoSL a ceasefire. The UK politicians Simon Hughes, Kith Vaz and their gang acting like patrons for British Tamil Forum continue to request the GoSL to ceasefire in order to give oxygen to dying LTTE. However, as Milliband promised, we expect change of heart from Mr. Milliband , Mr. Gordon Brown and Dr. Bernard Kouchner to take necessary action against LTTE activities and activists in their respective countries once they get back home. We all are watching you very closely whether you all are acting as promised. We also acknowledge with gratitude the donations made by the UK government and the French Government (with a field hospital) to improve the conditions of the IDPs in the welfare centers. I am sure that Mills & Berns would have observed how skillfully the welfare centers are being handled while fighting a war at the same time. Some foreign humanitarian organizations in the west and some western countries expect five star comforts provided to them which is humanly impossible when you are dealing with not hundred but almost 200,000 IDPS. As the family of a young Houston mother killed during a Jan. 12 high-speed chase prepares to bury her this weekend, records obtained by Chron reveal the checkered disciplinary history of the deputy who was behind the wheel and survived the crash. Harris County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) deputy Dontre Thomas, the 24-year-old patrol cop who crashed while chasing a man suspected in a string of robberies that evening, was reprimanded six months prior for violating HCSO's policies during a pursuit on March 24, 2021, according to a copy of Thomas' personnel file. The violation was a relatively small infraction Thomas failed to put his patrol car in park at the end of a chase in the 13900 block of Ella Boulevard, which caused the cruiser to roll back into another car and pole as Thomas took the driver into custody. In a July 12 letter of reprimand, Thomas, who joined HCSO in October 2019, was ordered to take a two-day Driver Safety Course required for any deputy involved in an at-fault crash that causes at least $400 in damage. Thomas Gilliland, a deputy and spokesperson for the sheriff's office, said the reprimanded cop completed the refresher course on Aug. 5, a little less than five months before the deadly crash. That night, Thomas collided into 22-year-old Autrey Davis' Kia Borrego and smashed several other vehicles at the intersection of Laura Koppe Road and Lockwood Drive, killing Davis and severely injuring her 3-year-old son, Kyle Johnson. Six others were also injured after Thomas' cruiser careened into a nearby parking lot in a ball of flames. Thomas was in pursuit of a man later identified by police as 29-year-old DaVonte Williams, who is accused of holding up two stores immediately before the deputy spotted him around 10:40 p.m. at the intersection of U.S. 59 and Tidwell Road. Following the alleged robberies, Williams got into a Lincoln Town Car and sped away as Thomas tried to pull him over, police said. Thomas continued to chase the driver "at a high rate of speed," according to archived police radio traffic, for about a mile before winding up eastbound on Laura Koppe Road. At the same time, Davis was in her Kia heading northbound on Lockwood Drive with her two children in the back seat. A witness told police they saw the driver of the Lincoln narrowly miss hitting Davis in the intersection before the deputy slammed into her SUV, according to a crash report filed Friday morning by the Houston Police Department. Davis was ejected from her car as it flipped onto its side. She was pronounced dead on scene, while 3-year-old Kyle was rushed to Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital. The driver of the Lincoln sped away unscathed. OnScene.TV HPD's crash report detailing the wreck does not specify which driver, Thomas or Davis, had a green light at the intersection of Laura Koppe and Lockwood. A diagram of the crash and statements from witnesses suggest that Davis was already in the intersection when the pursuit blew through. Investigators in the report officially stated both drivers "disregarded a stop and go signal" while noting that Thomas was driving at an "unsafe speed." Investigators noted that Thomas' in-car dashboard camera was recording and captured the crash, which would likely indicate which light was showing at the time he entered the intersection. The Houston Police Department typically releases footage from critical incidents involving its own officers, including two recent cases where on-duty HPD officers crashed and killed civilians. Representatives for both HPD and HCSO said Friday that the footage they have of the Jan. 12 crash would only be shown if its release was ordered through a public information request requests that are typically denied when they involve open investigations. "I want to see that dashcam," said Andy Rubenstein, a Houston attorney hired to represent Davis' family. "It's not determinative, but I do want to know what the facts are." OnScene.TV Prosecutors with the Harris County District Attorney's Office plan to take the case against Thomas to a grand jury sometime soon but exactly when is unclear. Sean Teare, who heads the DA's vehicular crimes division, previously said the investigation will be lengthy and could last months. Two other cases, one from a Dec. 4 crash where HPD officer Orlando Hernandez crashed and killed 66-year-old pedestrian Michael Wayne Jackson and another from Dec. 26 where HPD officer Christopher Cabrera crashed into and killed 75-year-old motorist Charles Michael Payne, will likely be presented to a grand jury before Thomas' case, Teare said. Williams was only later identified through evidence recovered at the two robbery scenes as well as an anonymous tip, according to a federal criminal complaint. When comparing archived police radio traffic, information from HPD's crash report and details in the federal criminal charges filed against Williams, it appears Thomas misread and gave dispatchers the wrong license plate number for the Lincoln before initiating the pursuit. Rubenstein, who is calling for a change in HCSO's pursuit policy, said the policing method is archaic and puts police, those suspected of a crime and the public in grave danger. "They're operating like it's the year 1950 when they didn't have any other resources," Rubenstein said. "We're still chasing people around like Eliot Ness. It doesn't make any sense... In these situations, there's not a good reason to do it. There has to be a change in policy from up top. There wasn't an absolute need to capture this person right then and there. The window would have remained open, and it did remain open, and they did catch him without incident within a day. It shows it didn't have to happen." Courtesy Andy Rubenstein For Davis' family, the road to recovery is far from over on multiple fronts. Her surviving son Kyle continues to fight for his life, Rubenstein said. He suffered significant head trauma and is forced to use a feeding tube. In footage of the crash's aftermath shot by OnScene.TV, Kyle appeared unconscious as paramedics loaded him into an ambulance. He's currently at Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital but will be soon transferred to Texas Children's Hospital. Davis' 2-year-old daughter, who was also in the car at the time of the crash, was jostled but uninjured, Rubenstein said. "She does not appear to be injured physically in any way," Rubenstein said of the younger sibling. "She's talkative. She's being loved by all the family around her. Everyone's taking care of her." Davis' funeral will be held 10 a.m. Saturday morning at the Brookside Funeral Home at 13747 Eastex Freeway. Thomas remains on paid administrative leave. While Texans braced for a winter storm this week with looming fears of another potential collapse of the state's electrical grid, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had other concerns. The GOP leader took to Twitter to corroborate claims made in a video posted by the National Fraternal Order of Police that criticized Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo for where she chose to stand during a Tuesday memorial service for slain officer Corporal Charles Galloway. The Harris County Pct. 5 deputy was shot and killed during a traffic stop on Jan. 23. "This video is 100% accurate," Patrick said in a tweet Thursday sharing the video. "I was there. What youll see is a shocking display of disruptive and disgraceful behavior by @LinaHidalgoTX during the funeral of a peace officer killed in the line of duty. She is unfit for office. The people deserve better." Patrick's post has garnered hundreds of retweets in support. However, many users were quick to call Patrick a hypocrite, suggesting he was the one politicizing the officers funeral by using the video as a platform to make a "partisan attack" against Hidalgo. Former Houston Mayor Annise Parker also weighed in to defend Hidalgo, tweeting, "As the highest ranking Harris County official at the funeral of a slain Harris County public safety officer, Judge Hidalgo is expectedby long standing protocolto be at the front of the ceremony as the representative of the county he served. Same old Dannie Goeb." In the video, originally shared by Houston conservative radio talk show The Michael Berry Show, a sergeant identified by Fox 26 as Precinct 5 Sgt. Roy Guinn accuses Hidalgo of disrespect for refusing to take a seat at the ceremony, despite his multiple requests. The footage captures Hidalgo standing next to Patrick and other officers at the service in front of a tent where Galloway's family sat with other dignitaries. "It is not an exaggeration to say Judge Hidalgo was self-centered, arrogant, and focused on her personal desires over the honor of our slain deputy, or the reverence of his funeral service," Guinn stated in the seven minute clip. Guinn says Patrick was allowed to stand in the front as he would be presenting one of the flags but claims that where Hidalgo stood interfered with the ceremony. "Nothing in the service was about you, something you failed to understand," Guinn says in the video, directing criticism at Hidalgo. "You made the decision that it was more important for you to be seen front and center than it was for you to take your place with the other invited dignitaries." However, a Harris County official with knowledge of the incident is claiming that it was Patrick who was disrespectful during the funeral. According to the official, Patrick told Hidalgo to "sit down and shut up" two or three times at the funeral, which was not captured in the video. The official also said Patrick has a history of allegedly confronting Hidalgo for political reasons at previous funerals, including during a funeral for slain Deputy Kareem Atkins on Oct. 25, 2021, during which the official said Patrick confronted Hidalgo inside the service and accused her of trying to defund the police. The Harris County Commissioner's Court has actually steadily increased the budgets for every law enforcement agency in the county since Hidalgo took office in 2019. Patrick's office choose not to comment about claims regarding Deputy Atkins' funeral, but in response to Thursday's Twitter post, Patrick's press secretary Steven Aranyi noted that the posted video is not the Lt. Governors. "He simply shared it to corroborate that the video the constables office put out was 100% factual," Aranyi said, adding, "The only thing he said to the judge was to follow the directions of the sergeant and please take her seat and be quiet. Instead, she continued to be disruptive and ignored the wishes of the police and the family." In an exclusive statement shared Friday, Rafael Lemaitre, spokesperson for Judge Hidalgo, stated, "Out of respect for the family and for the civility our community deserves, Judge Hidalgo will not engage the same type of smear campaigns and cruel political games Dan Patrickor anyone elseare hoping to engage her in. "Furthermore, as this video so clearly shows, womenand particularly women of colorin workplaces across America are still living in a time where many still find it appropriate to tell them to 'stay in their place,' regardless of their duty or responsibilities," Lemaitre added. "That's just not something Judge Hidalgo has ever acquiesced to." We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Local Prosecutors rest case in home-invasion trial busterthompson / Buster Thompson Chronicle Reporter The Citrus County Courthouse in Inverness. Prosecutors rested their case against William John Olsen Jr. for his alleged role in a violent Inverness burglary that left the homeowner unconscious and with a cut finger and toe. Olsens trial will resume Friday, Feb. 4, before jurors hear closing arguments over the Daytona 31-year-olds charges of principal to armed kidnapping, robbery with a firearm, principal to a residential burglary involving a battery, and witness tampering. Citrus County Sheriff's Office Olsen Jr. Jessica Marie Hill testified Thursday as a witness for the State Attorneys Office about how she became a sudden part of Olsens plan to burglarize Garry Krauses home early Dec. 27, 2019. She said Olsen contacted her through social media to tell her he was coming into town to make money by selling drugs. Hill Hill said Olsen picked her up in Inverness driving a white pickup truck, and the pair went to a drug house before going to a nearby convenience store. Prosecutors on Thursday played surveillance footage to jurors of Olsen and Hill inside the store. While she and Olsen were traveling around Krauses neighborhood, Hill mentioned to Olsen that Krause had kicked her out of his house the day before. Thats when he was like, well, what house was that? Hill testified. When the couple got close to Krauses house off of East Quail Court, Hill said, Olsen masked his face with a bandana, put on gloves and brandished a pistol. Hill said Olsen then told her to knock on Krauses door, which she did. I told him, Im sorry to bother you, and asked him to close the door, Hill testified, recalling her brief encounter with Krause before Olsen tried to barge through. Krause was able to lock his front door but Olsen, Hill testified, still broke through Krauses kitchen-garage door before he began to strike and pistol whip Krause. He starts beating him, Hill said, attacking him. Hill said she followed Olsen into the house, where she also found Dorothy Jane Ball-McDuffie and her then-14-year-old daughter. Ball-McDuffie Hill testified to never meeting Ball-McDuffie before, but Ball-McDuffie told Hill she knew she had come from the drug house with Olsen. Olsen continued to strike Krause for roughly 20 minutes to get Krause to give up the code to his large safe, Hill said, and also used a knife to cut the homeowners finger and toe. I just heard the victim screaming in pain, Hill testified, adding Krause didnt surrender the code. Hill said Ball-McDuffie also asked Krause to give in to Olsens demand. Prosecutors say Ball-McDuffie worked with Olsen and Hill. Eventually, Hill kicked the safe off its hinges, she said, ending Olsens attack on Krause, who lost consciousness. Hill said she also noticed Ball-McDuffie rummaging through Krauses possessions. Hill said Olsen then told her to back the truck up to Krauses driveway. When she returned with the truck, Hill spotted Olsen wheeling out the safe on a dolly to load on the truck bed. Home-invasion trial starts with homeowner's testimony William John Olsen Jr.s trial for his alleged role in a violent Inverness home invasion began with a handful of witness testimonies, including the homeowner who said Olsen left him unconscious and with a partially severed finger and toe. Ball-McDuffie and her daughter went with Olsen to drive away in the truck Olsen and Hill arrived in. Hill said she got into Krauses car and backed into Krauses safe, which fell onto the driveway from Olsens truck as it drove off. Citrus County Sheriffs Office deputies testified Thursday to patrolling the area for a vague description Krause gave of a white pickup truck. Deputies stopped the truck Olsen was driving twice, but the skeptical authorities let the vehicle go after its driver told them he was lost getting back to Summerfield. Ball-McDuffie and her daughter also appeared uneasy to deputies. After getting more descriptive information from Krause about his home invaders, deputies realized the occupants of the truck they had pulled over were their suspects, leading to Olsen and Ball-McDuffies arrests at a third traffic stop. Ball-McDuffie and her daughter told sheriffs office investigators about their involvements with Olsen during the home invasion. Olsen denied the allegations, telling authorities he was going to Citrus Springs from Ocala to visit his mother, and he picked up Ball-McDuffie and her daughter from a roadside. I aint got nothing to hide, Olsen said in his recorded statement prosecutors played Thursday for jurors. I wasnt in any house ... I dont understand why you think I did all that. Inside the truck Olsen was driving, authorities found Krauses ID cards, Krauses medication, a loaded 9mm pistol, a bandana and a pair of blood-stained sweatpants with a folding knife in a pocket. An evidence analyst with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement testified Thursday to finding Olsens and Krauses DNA on the pants. Krauses DNA was also found on the pistol. In cross-examination with Dana Friedlander, one of Olsens lawyers, the analyst said Krauses blood wasnt on the pants, and, besides a pair of shoes, didnt get any other items to test. Ball-McDuffies daughters testimony on Thursday corroborated with Hills, and both the teenager and Hill identified Olsen in court as the man who attacked Krause. Hill said she was told to drive Krauses vehicle to Daytona, where Daytona Beach Police Department authorities arrested her the next day for driving a stolen car. Prosecutors charged Olsen, Ball-McDuffie and Hill with similar offenses. Hill pleaded no contest to her charges in exchange for six years in prison, and the Dunnellon 35-year-old also agreed to testify in her codefendants trials. Woman ordered to serve life sentence for role in Inverness home invasion Dorothy Jane Ball-McDuffie said she wouldve stopped the violent break-in of Garry Krauses Inverness home if she knew how to. A jury convicted Ball-McDuffie in December, and Circuit Court Judge Richard Howard sentenced the Summerfield 42-year-old to life in prison for four of her five felonies, which were enhanced after the judge designated Ball-McDuffie as a habitual felony offender, or HFO. If jurors find him guilty as charged, and if Howard designates him as both an HFO and a prison releasee reoffender, or PRR, Olsen must serve a life sentence for four of his five felonies. Florida, US (34429) Today A mix of clouds and sun. High 89F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 68F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Express Entry: Canada invites 1,070 PNP candidates, a new record Canada continues holding Express Entry draws for provincial nominees. Shelby Thevenot Alexandra Miekus Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Canada invited 1,070 Express Entry candidates to apply for Canadian immigration on February 2. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) only invited Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score requirement was 674. PNP candidates get an automatic 600 points added to their score when they receive their nomination, which is why the score is significantly higher than a typical all-program draw. Without the nomination, the lowest-scoring candidate would have needed just 74 base CRS points. The new draw takes the record for the biggest PNP-only draw, beating out the January 19 draw when 1,036 PNP candidates were invited. Invited candidates now have 60 days to apply for Canadian permanent residence. Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration Express Entry in 2022 Canada is expected to only hold PNP draws for the time being. While announcing measures to improve the immigration system, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser did not say when Canada would resume draws for Express Entry candidates who are eligible for other programs, such as the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). However, he assured reporters that the pause is temporary. Before the pandemic, most Express Entry invitations went to FSWP candidates. In 2021, Canada invited more CEC candidates to apply than any other program, until it paused CEC draws in September. As a result of pandemic closures, and IRCCs strategy to transition temporary residents to permanent residents, there is now a backlog of more than 1.8 million people waiting on immigration decisions. As of December, about 119,000 of these individuals were Express Entry candidates. Internal briefing notes from IRCC suggest that Canada will be able to hold Express Entry draws for FSWP and CEC candidates once half of the backlogged applications have been processed. The immigration department wants estimated processing times to return to the standard of six months. Although the IRCC website suggests estimated processing times are still six months, the memo said FSWP candidates could be waiting about 20 months, and CEC candidates eight months. Fraser said these inaccuracies on the IRCC website will be fixed in the coming months. For Express Entry candidates in Canada who may have to leave their jobs or leave Canada while IRCC holds off on draws for certain candidates, Fraser said they are looking at options to keep workers in Canada, but they do not yet have a solution. In a meeting with the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) Fraser explained that IRCC is exploring the possibility of holding occupation focused [Express Entry] draws responding to labour needs. The Canadian governments Budget 2021 also alluded to this possibility noting the governments desire to reform Express Entry to select those candidates who best meet Canadas labour market needs. Further, Frasers mandate letter calls for him to find pathways for students and temporary workers to immigrate to Canada through the Express Entry system. The November memo suggested Express Entry targets could be cut in half for the 2022-2024 multi-year immigration levels plan. Minister Fraser did not confirm or deny to reporters whether Canada would reduce Express Entry targets this year, ahead of tabling the levels plan in Parliament. Fraser will announce the new levels plan in February, likely before the next Express Entry draw. What is Express Entry? Express Entry is the application management system for three Canadian immigration programs: the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. PNP candidates in the Express Entry pool have already qualified for one of these programs. Express Entry uses a points-based system, the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), to rank candidates profiles. The top-scoring candidates receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA), and can then apply for permanent residency. After the candidate applies, an IRCC officer reviews the application and makes a decision. The officer will ask for biometrics and may set up an interview or request more documents. If the application is approved, IRCC issues a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR). Approved permanent residents can then complete the landing process. If they are outside Canada, they can access pre-arrival services to help them with the first steps for settling in Canada. Who was invited? The following is a hypothetical example of someone who may have received an ITA in the new Express Entry draw. Lan is 39, holds a bachelors degree and has been working as a construction manager for six years. Lan has an advanced English language proficiency and has never worked or studied in Canada. She entered the Express Entry pool with a CRS score of 386. She recently received a provincial nomination through Albertas Express Entry stream. Her new CRS score of 986 would have been high enough to get an ITA in the new Express Entry draw. Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 You will receive 5-day a week delivery of the Citizen Tribune newspaper to your home or business, plus full, ad-free access to CitizenTribune.com as well as full access to the Electronic Edition of the newspaper. ONLY $13.99 per month for the first 3 months! Only $16.00 per month after promotional period. Or ONLY $169.99 for a full year Only $192.00 per year after promotional period. Oklahoma City, OK (73106) Today Windy with thunderstorms, locally strong this afternoon. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. High 83F. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Thunderstorms, some strong this evening, then skies turning partly cloudy after midnight. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low near 45F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Last week, criticism of Spotify for hosting the Joe Rogan Experiencea popular podcast that has on multiple occasions aired misinformation about COVID-19, among other thingsaccelerated after music legend Neil Young chose to remove all of his work from the streaming service. I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccinespotentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them, Young wrote in a letter on his website. (The letter has since been removed.) A number of other artistsincluding fellow Canadian Joni Mitchell, Nils Lofgren, and the other former members of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Youngfollowed suit. Prince Harry, the Duke of York, and his wife Meghan Markle, also publicly shared their concerns about the service, which they have partnered with for a series of podcasts. Throughout this process, Spotifys position has remained steadfast, apologizing for any harm caused by Rogans podcast and pledging to add content warnings to episodes that discuss COVID-19, but also maintaining that it is a platform for content produced by figures such as Rogan and not a publisher that makes choices about what kinds of content to include in its service. Daniel Ek, co-founder and CEO of Spotify, wrote in a blog post that the company supports creator expression, and that there are plenty of artists and statements carried on the service that he disagrees with. We know we have a critical role to play in supporting creator expression while balancing it with the safety of our users, he said. In that role, it is important to me that we dont take on the position of being content censor. Media watchers have been quick to point out that Spotifys platform defenseat least as it pertains to Joe Roganis a real stretch. (Even some Spotify employees called it a dubious assertion according to the LA Times.) Rogans podcast isnt available through YouTube Music or Amazon Music or any other such service. He has an exclusive contract with Spotify, a relationship the company paid $100 million for. In that sense, Spotify is his publisher. As Elizabeth Spiers, former editor of the New York Observer, pointed out, Spotifys acquisition of the Joe Rogan Experience is a clear editorial choice the company has made, just as the New York Times or the Washington Post choose whom they give a column to. If a columnist decides to say something wrong or dangerous, responsibility for those statements lies with the paper. New from CJR: Getting personal about climate change made me a better reporter I honestly dont understand why Spotify is publicly twisting itself in knots over what to do about Joe Rogans habit of spreading covid disinformation, Spiers wrote. Spotify is paying Rogan to air his show on their platform exclusively [so] they are acting as a publisher. They cant argue that theyre not invested in the specific content hes producing, because they literally are. Ryan Broderick made a similar point in his newsletter, Garbage Day: Spotify doesnt get to just put a content warning on Rogans episodes and treat him like they would any other podcast because hes not any other podcast. Hes their podcast, Broderick wrote. This isnt content moderation. It isnt censorship. Its an editorial choice. They paid $100 million to be Joe Rogans publisher. Will Oremus, who covers technology for the Washington Post, wrote that talking about platform rules in response to the avalanche of criticism about Rogan is a category error. The Spotify/Rogan situation, he argued, is more analogous to the Atlantic hiring Kevin Williamson, the NYT publishing that Tom Cotton Send in the Troops op-ed, or the New Yorker Festival hosting Steve Bannon than it is to issues of moderating misinfo on user-generated content sitesin other words, nothing like Facebook or Twitter removing the accounts of Donald Trump or Alex Jones. Some might argue that Facebook helps sources of disinformation monetize their content through advertising, but it doesnt pay any of them for exclusive access to that content. (According to Bloomberg, some Facebook staffers were upset that Spotify compared itself to them.) Sign up for CJR 's daily email The social platform that comes closest to being in the same category as Spotify is Substack, which has come under fire for hosting newsletters that allegedly contain transphobic and other offensive views, and has previously used the same defense as Spotifythat it is a platform. But as Scott Nover, a writer for Quartz, pointed out, select newsletters are part of the companys Substack Pro program, where it gives writers advances and other forms of financial support. Advances are not only contracts, Nover writes, they are endorsements of the people deemed worthy enough to be offered one. In the same sense, he writes, Spotify is now responsible, in a moral sense, for what Rogan says and if listeners get physically hurt because of what he tells them. Heres more on platforms and publishers: Not a vacuum : Author Roxanne Gay has decided to take her podcast off Spotify because of its support for Rogan. Gay said she believes we should be exposed to a multitude of interesting ideas and perspectives, including those that challenge our most fiercely held beliefs, but that harmful misinformation is different. The platforms allowing this misinformation to flourish and intensify consistently abdicate their responsibility to curate effectively. Instead, they offer tepid, ambiguous, and ineffective policies, Gay wrote. : Author Roxanne Gay has decided to take her podcast off Spotify because of its support for Rogan. Gay said she believes we should be exposed to a multitude of interesting ideas and perspectives, including those that challenge our most fiercely held beliefs, but that harmful misinformation is different. The platforms allowing this misinformation to flourish and intensify consistently abdicate their responsibility to curate effectively. Instead, they offer tepid, ambiguous, and ineffective policies, Gay wrote. Platforming Doritos : Author Kat Rosenfield argued on Twitter that the Spotify/Rogan thing is a case of displaced aggressionits like if a bunch of nutritionists got mad at ShopRite for stocking Doritos because its platforming junk food. Youre not really mad at ShopRite, youre mad that you cant make people not like junk. Broderick, however, responded in his newsletter that this analogy would only work if a supermarket chain announced they were the exclusive provider of Doritos, put Doritos at the front of the store [and] allowed Doritos to put any non-FDA-approved ingredient they wanted in their bags. : Author Kat Rosenfield argued on Twitter that the Spotify/Rogan thing is a case of displaced aggressionits like if a bunch of nutritionists got mad at ShopRite for stocking Doritos because its platforming junk food. Youre not really mad at ShopRite, youre mad that you cant make people not like junk. Broderick, however, responded in his newsletter that this analogy would only work if a supermarket chain announced they were the exclusive provider of Doritos, put Doritos at the front of the store [and] allowed Doritos to put any non-FDA-approved ingredient they wanted in their bags. Suffering? Good : Alec Ross at the New Yorker says its good to see Spotify suffer, and that there are lots of other reasons to dislike the service apart from its platforming of Joe Rogan or medical misinformation. He says the company has fostered a music-distribution model that is singularly hostile to the interests of working musicians. It pays out, on average, an estimated four-tenths of a cent per stream, meaning that a thousand streams nets around four dollars. That arrangement has reaped huge profits for major labels and for superstars while decimating smaller-scale musical incomes. : Alec Ross at the says its good to see Spotify suffer, and that there are lots of other reasons to dislike the service apart from its platforming of Joe Rogan or medical misinformation. He says the company has fostered a music-distribution model that is singularly hostile to the interests of working musicians. It pays out, on average, an estimated four-tenths of a cent per stream, meaning that a thousand streams nets around four dollars. That arrangement has reaped huge profits for major labels and for superstars while decimating smaller-scale musical incomes. Another brick: The Joe Rogan controversy is what happens when you put podcasts behind a wall, writes Ashley Carman in The Verge. Spotify didnt discover Joe Rogan, and Joe Rogan didnt create Spotify, but their union portends the future of a closed podcasting ecosystem. When Rogans podcast appeared on multiple platforms and was available through RSS feeds, she argues, each platform could make its own decisions about which episodes to carry or not to carry, and fans could find it wherever they wished. But by owning him exclusively, Spotify has taken on all of the responsibility alone. Other notable stories: Departing CNN president Jeff Zucker said in a memo to staff that his relationship with Allison Gollust, a senior CNN colleague, began in the past two years, but a Rolling Stone article says this is off by more than two decades, and that both Zucker and Gollust repeatedly lied about their relationship. According to the magazines sources, Zucker became romantically entangled with Gollust back in 1996, when she was a trainee in NBCs corporate communications group and he was the married executive producer of The Today Show , Rolling Stone reports. One told the magazine, It was the worst-kept secret, but Jeff was seen as untouchable. Jon Allsop wrote about Zucker yesterday for CJR . A libel lawsuit launched by Sarah Palin, former governor of Alaska, against the New York Times opened in a New York courtroom on Thursday. What am I trying to accomplish? Justice, for people who expect the truth in the media, Palin reportedly told journalists as she entered the courthouse. The Washington Post noted that an attorney representing the Times tried to turn down the temperature of the debate in his opening statement by casting the matter as a simple error in presentation that the papers editors moved as quickly as possible to correct. On Thursday, Deutsche Welle, the German broadcaster, reported that the Russian government is closing down the Moscow bureau and revoking its employees accreditations in the country. The move appears to be in retaliation for a German regulators ban on programming by Russian state broadcaster RT. However, Bret Schafer, a senior fellow at the Alliance for Securing Democracy, said in an emailed statement sent to CJR that retaliatory measures against DW were not surprising, but that RTs German unit had far more influence in Germany than DW has in Russia, and therefore Moscow is likely to be on the losing end of this attempt at tit-for-tat diplomacy. A bill aimed at giving US news publishers the power to bargain with Google and Facebook and force them to pay for content, similar to legislation in Australia, has raised concerns that large publishers would be the ones to benefit, The Hill reports after a hearing on Wednesday . News giants with the greatest leverage would dominate the negotiations and small outlets with diverse or dissenting voices would be unheard if not hurt, a group of entities opposed to the bill wrote in a public letter . Signatories included the Wikimedia Foundation, Public Knowledge, Fight For the Future, and Free Press Action. Josh Benton, of the Nieman Journalism Lab, also argued Australias law is bad media policy. Sammy Roth, energy correspondent for the Los Angeles Times , writes for CJR about how getting personal about climate change made him a better reporter. After he included an opinion about the future of the climate crisis in a newsletter, he thought: There was a time when I would have worried about words like these undermining my credibility as a journalist. Here I was expressing my own fears, and my own desire for climate solutions. Wouldnt that make me look biased? After eight years of writing about energy, Roth says he has come to see my responsibilities in a different light. In media-jobs news, David Sirota, an author and journalist who now runs a newsletter publisher called The Daily Poster, said in a news release emailed to subscribers that the publication is changing its name to The Lever , and that he has hired Matthew Cunningham-Cook as a reporter and Aditi Ramaswami as an associate editor. Sirota said he plans to make a number of other hires, including a senior reporter, a podcast and event producer, and an audience engagement manager. The Austin American-Statesman has removed the monthly article limit for non-subscribers, Manny Garcia, the papers executive editor, announced in a statement published on the Statesmans website. Readers who hadnt signed up for a monthly subscription were previously limited to only a few articles in a thirty-day period. Garcia said the paper will rely on subscriber-only articles to convert readers into subscribers. Subscriber-only stories have led far more people to sign up as subscribers than the monthly limits on our other work, he said. ICYMI: A catastrophic year for the media in Myanmar Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Mathew Ingram is CJRs chief digital writer. Previously, he was a senior writer with Fortune magazine. He has written about the intersection between media and technology since the earliest days of the commercial internet. His writing has been published in the Washington Post and the Financial Times as well as by Reuters and Bloomberg. An energy company already charged with violating Pennsylvania environmental laws during construction of a multibillion-dollar pipeline system is facing more legal trouble after prosecutors on Wednesday filed a new criminal case alleging its negligence led to the explosion of a different pipeline near Pittsburgh. ETC Northeast Pipeline LLC, a subsidiary of Dallas-based Energy Transfer LP, botched construction of the Revolution pipeline, a 42-mile pipeline that runs from Butler County to a natural gas processing plant in Washington County, the attorney generals office alleged. The company was charged with nine misdemeanor counts under the states Clean Streams Law. A 2018 landslide along the pipelines route in Beaver County triggered a gas explosion and fire that destroyed a home, a barn and several cars, collapsed six high-voltage transmission towers, and prompted an evacuation. The family whose home was destroyed awakened to a loud roar and saw an orange glow bright as day but managed to escape, a grand jury wrote in a report issued Wednesday. The pipeline failed just two weeks after being placed into service. An investigation found the landslide was triggered by ETCs failure to install adequate erosion control equipment at the hillside site. The explosion happened because of Energy Transfers negligence as they built the Revolution pipeline, Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a written statement. Energy Transfer said it looks forward to resolving the case. A conviction could result in fines and restitution. The charges come as no surprise to us, as these are not new or additional claims, said a company spokesperson, Vicki Granado. She said Energy Transfer has been discussing the case with Shapiros office and will continue to work with them and look forward to getting these issues resolved. The state Department of Environmental Protection previously levied a $30 million civil fine on Energy Transfer after determining the company violated numerous regulations during construction of the Revolution pipeline. The financial penalty was part of a 2020 settlement agreement between the environmental agency and ETC in which the state agreed to lift a moratorium on construction permits it had imposed on Energy Transfer nearly a year earlier. That allowed the company to resume construction on its much larger Mariner East pipeline network, which takes natural gas liquids from the Marcellus Shale gas field in western Pennsylvania to an export terminal near Philadelphia. In October, Shapiro filed 48 criminal counts against Energy Transfer, accusing the company of illegally releasing industrial waste at 22 sites in 11 counties during construction of Mariner East. Shapiro said Energy Transfer ruined the drinking water of at least 150 families statewide. A spill of thousands of gallons of drilling fluid contaminated wetlands, a stream and part of a 535-acre lake at Marsh Creek State Park outside Philadelphia. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. WAUKEGAN, Ill. (AP) A fire at a suburban Chicago boat storage warehouse caused millions of dollars in damage to the building and yachts stored inside, fire officials said Thursday. The Waukegan Fire Department said the fire began about 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Bay Marine boat warehouse, which stored 60 to 70 yachts. About 100 firefighters from departments in Lake, McHenry, and Kenosha counties responded to the scene, and spent 61/2 hours battling the flames before bringing the blaze under control, WBBM-TV reported. Crews were hampered by the amount of smoke and flames, along with bitter cold temperatures. The crews did an exceptional job in very extreme conditions. The nature of the boat storage is difficult to navigate in smoke and fire conditions, Waukegan Fire Marshal Todd Zupec said in a statement. No injuries were reported, but fire officials estimated the fire caused several millions of dollars in damage to the warehouse and the boats inside. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Waukegan is located along Lake Michigan about 11 miles (18 kilometers) south of the Wisconsin border, and some 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of downtown Chicago. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Policyholder attorneys have had little success persuading most courts that commercial property insurers owe coverage for business interruptions caused by COVID-19 shutdowns. How about premium rebates instead? A panel of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday shut down a lawsuit in Missouri that sought to require commercial property insurers to refund a portion of premium payments, but that wont be the end of it. Two similar lawsuits were filed in California; one against State Farm and another against a unit of the Hartford Financial Services Group. Both have made more progress than the Missouri action. The 8th Circuit panel affirmed a trial court ruling that dismissed a lawsuit filed by a Missouri flower shop against State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. that sought to recover overpayments on behalf of itself and similarly situated businesses. The district court properly determined that Alissas Flowers was required to exhaust administrative remedies because the claims, in essence, constitute a challenge to State Farms rates, rating plan, rating system and underwriting rules,' the 8th Circuit opinion says, citing a district court order in another case. Attorneys for Alissas Flowers argued that virtually every major auto insurer reimbursed policyholders for a potion of their premiums after COVID-19 restrictions on non-essential businesses drastically reduced miles driven, and therefore auto accident claims. After all, commercial property owners faced a similar change of circumstances because of the same government orders. Alissas Flowers, based in Independence, said it lost $100,000 from in-store sales when Missouri shut down non-essential businesses from March 16 to May 11, 2020. The flower shops argument isnt as simple as whats good for the goose is good for the gander. The brief filed by its attorneys takes pains to assert that the business is not challenging the rate that State Farm charged which was approved by the Missouri Department of Insurance but the premiums it collected. Missouri law forbids excessive premiums, but explicitly and clearly does not reserve the Department of Insurances authority to review premiums paid for commercial insurance policies, the flower shops attorneys said in a brief filed with the court. Nonetheless, District Court Judge Brian C. Wimes, with the Western District of Missouri in Jefferson City, found that Alissas Flowers was required to exhaust all administrative remedies before taking its case to court. Wimes said rates and premiums are inextricably linked. Missouri provides an exclusive administrative remedy for rate complaints, the judges order states, citing a 2007 decision. The 8th Circuit panel said it agreed with Wimes that the flower shop, in essence, was challenging State Farms rates and was required to take its complaint to the Department of Insurance. Two Northern California coffee shops are hoping for better luck under Californias unfair competition law. Like Alissas, they assert that their insurers owe them refunds because government shut-down orders greatly reduced exposure under their insurance policies. The coffee shops may have had a little help from the states elected insurance regulator. Boobulis, which does business in the distant San Francisco Bay-area suburb of Walnut Creek, notes in its lawsuit against State Farm that California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara issued a bulletin on April 13, 2020 stating that the COVID-19 pandemic had curtailed activities and caused projected loss exposures to become overstated or misclassified. The commissioner directed insurers to make premium refunds for March and April to all adversely impacted California policyholders. Lara issued two bulletins later that extended and clarified that directive. District Court Judge William H. Orrick granted State Farms motion to dismiss Boobulis lawsuit last October because of a technical issue with the pleading, but he gave the coffee shop leave to amend its complaint. Boobulis did so. Orrick has scheduled a Zoom case-management conference for next Tuesday. The role of the state Department of Insurance is also an issue in Rejoice! Coffee Co.s lawsuit against The Hartfords Sentinel Insurance Co. The coffee shop, based in the Bay Area suburb of Danville, seeks class action status to include other businesses that did not receive adequate premium refunds and states that damages amount to at least $5 million. District Court Judge Edward M. Chen asked the Insurance Department to provide its view on whether the states ratemaking statutes provide immunity to insurers from civil actions seeking premium refunds. An attorney for the department said in September that the law provides no such protection except in the context of antitrust violations. Chen denied the insurers motion to dismiss Rejoices lawsuit on Dec. 9. He said in his order that California statutes do not allow legal challenges to insurance rates, but do allow policyholders to challenge how those rates are applied. Chen noted that the series of bulletins that Lara issued warning carriers that their loss exposures may be overstated and misclassified because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rejoice has relied on these bulletins in its amended complaint to show insurance carriers have been put on notice of the adverse effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on policyholders, the order says. Policyholder attorney K. James Sullivan, with the Calfee law firm in Cleveland, Ohio, said in an email that the Alissas Flowers lawsuit was based on sound logic. He noted that several insurance commissioners required auto insurers to refund a portion of premiums because of reduced exposure during COVID-19 lockdowns. Because insurance premiums are underwritten in relationship to the value of the risks being insured, coupled with the fact that states treat and regulate insurance as having the quasi-public functions of spreading, pooling, and mitigating risks, it stands to reason that insurance pricing is a special form of contracting that should be adjusted when the risks actually being insured are no longer the same as what was underwritten, he said. Sullivan said the flower shops attorneys took a unique and intriguing approach. The 8th Circuits ruling was somewhat underwhelming, he said, because the court did not rule on the substantive merits of the claim, only that Alissas took the wrong procedural approach. Sullivan said hes still holding out hopes that the outcome for COVID-19 business-interruption claims will take a different direction, despite numerous federal court appellate court decisions upholding the denials of such claims. The Ohio Supreme Court has not yet ruled in a case that asserts the presence of SARS-CoV-2 on a property constitutes a direct physical loss. Sullivan expects it to be the nations first state supreme court ruling on the subject. While some may say that the series of Sixth Circuit cases ruling against policyholders has sounded the death knell for Ohio policyholders, in fact the Sixth Circuit has merely been predicting what Ohio law would say about these claims, when in fact it will be the Ohio Supreme Court that has the power to say definitively what Ohio law actually is, he said. Put differently, the Ohio Supreme Court owes no deference to the Sixth Circuit on these matters of state insurance law. If anything, the opposite is true. About the photo: Eliene Blundell, owner of Alissas Flowers and daughter of the flower shops founder, is shown in this photo posted on the flower shops website. For many years, conventional wisdom among Oregon lawyers has been that bad faith damages are not generally available for an insurers breach of its duties to the insured, other than where an insurer has agreed to defend under a liability policy. So, the thinking went, an insured can recover only on a breach-of-contract claim or a quasi-contract claimbut tort claims were out. I say conventional wisdom because Oregons Supreme Court has never directly held that bad faith damages could never be awarded. But the law seemed settled enough that Oregons federal courts predicted that if the question were squarely presented, the Oregon state courts would reject all forms of tort claims brought by policyholders. See, e.g., Foraker v. USAA Casualty, No. 14-87-SI (July 26, 2017) (Simon, J.) (one of several decisions in the case regarding negligence per se and similar claims). On January 26, 2022, the Oregon Court of Appeals reduced the conventional wisdom to shreds. In Moody v. Federal Insurance Co., No. A172844 (Jan. 26, 2022), the Court of Appeals held that a policyholder may recover emotional distress damages (one variety of bad faith damages) on a claim for negligence per se based on the insurer violating the Oregon Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act, ORS 746.230. If not overturned on further appeal, this Court of Appeals decision will have opened the door for policyholders of all kindsincluding corporate policyholdersto seek extra-contractual damages when insurance companies fail to adhere to basic standards of reasonable conduct. Background to the Moody decision. The facts of Moody are straightforward: the policyholder sought to collect on a $3,000 life insurance policy after her husband died in a hunting accident. The policy excluded coverage for death caused by or resulting from the insureds use of intoxicants. The coroners report indicated that the deceased had marijuana in his system, and the insurer denied coverage. However, the insured pointed out that her husbands death was not caused by alleged intoxicationthe man was accidentally shot by someone else. So, along with suing the insurer for breach of contract, the insured alleged that the insurer violated a number of provisions of the Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act, ORS 756.230, including failure to conduct a reasonable investigation and failure to pay when liability had become clear. The insured alleged that the violations of these code provisions could form the basis for a claim of negligence per sethat is, that the code establishes a standard of care for insurers, which was violated. The insured alleged that she had suffered emotional distress as result of the insurers failure to investigate and failure to pay the claim, and claimed more than $45,000 as damages. The trial courts holding reversed by Court of Appeals. The trial court dismissed the claim for negligence per se, noting that the Oregon Legislature did not intend to create a private right of action for breach of the provisions of the statute and that Farris v. U.S. Fidelity & Guaranty Co., an Oregon Supreme Court decision from 1978, and subsequent cases, precluded reliance on the statute as the basis for any kind of tort claim. The Court of Appeals in Moody reversed, and adopted the position that policyholders have been arguing for years: that the portions of Farris that talked about negligence per se claims were dictathat is, not essential to the holding, and therefore not binding. The Moody court pointed to the many decisions since Farris on negligence per se in other contexts, noting that Oregon courts had allowed claims to proceed based on violations of other codes, including (most particularly) the Building Code in Abraham v. T. Henry Construction, Inc., decided in 2009. The potential impact of Moody. Although the Moody decision does not use the phrase bad faith, this decision has the potential to open up common-law bad faith claims across all kinds of insurance coverage. In order to state a claim for negligence per se, the policyholder must prove (1) that the insurer violated a statute; (2) that the policyholder was injured as a result of that violation; (3) that the policyholder is in the class of people that the statute was meant to protect; and (4) that the injury suffered is of a type that the statute was designed to protect. The Oregon Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act, ORS 746.230, contains many broad commandments about what insurers may and may not do, and applies to third-party liability and first-party policies alike. Some of the most notable prohibitions in the statute are: (1) misrepresenting facts or policy provisions; (2) failing to act promptly upon communications; (3) refusing to pay claims without a reasonable investigation; and (4) not attempting in good faith to promptly and equitably settle claims where liability has become reasonably clear. These requirements are broadand certainly broad enough to encompass a common situation: an insurer refusing to defend under a liability policy, based on an erroneous interpretation of the underlying lawsuit. In most states (including, in particular, Washington) insurers routinely pick up the defense of questionable lawsuits (as they should) because of the fear of bad faith liability. After Moody, insurers should be concerned that if the refusal to defend causes extra-contractual damages (including business failure, loss of customers, damage to reputation, breach of loan covenants, etc.) the insurer will be liable under a negligence per se theory. Moody is sure to be appealed to the Oregon Supreme Court. All eyes will now be on that court for guidance on this potentially seismic shift in Oregon insurance coverage law. In the meantime, Moody will certainly be used in both state and federal court to up the pressure on insurers to do the right thing. The old saying is that people who live in glass houses should not throw stones. I wonder if that is the same for beer cans? A super ugly incident occurred last weekend at Yankee Stadium when fans started throwing beer and other debris at Cleveland Guardians players following a walk-off afternoon win for New York April 23. Some of the best years of my life I miss those people. Good times and memories, but I have moved on. Not my best days, but I have made peace with them. Glad to be away from those people I dont miss the high school experience. Vote View Results When it comes to leaving their parents for extended periods of time, being homesick is inevitable for some kids. Summer camp staff members may encounter this from time to time and it is good for them to be prepared to comfort children when those types of situations present themselves. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 4) Vice President Leni Robredo has vowed to make government transparency a priority should she win the presidency in May. In a forum on Friday organized by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas, Robredo said she will certify as urgent measures requiring government agencies to follow such rule. These include bills on full disclosure and Freedom of Information (FOI). Ito yung mga ise-certify kong urgent. I-require yung full disclosure sa lahat ng government offices and instrumentalities kahit wala pa pong batas, Robredo said. Kasi kahit wala pang batas, pwede akong gumawa ng executive order (EO) para meron nang ganun na demand from all government, she added. [Translation: These will be the measures I will certify as urgent. We will require full disclosure from all government offices and instrumentalities even though there are no laws yet. Because even though there is no law yet, I can make an executive order so we can demand that from all government.] Robredo then a Camarines Sur Representative first filed the Full Disclosure bill in 2013 during her first day at the House of Representatives. Under the proposed measure, national and local government agencies are mandated to disclose documents including budget, accountability and accomplishment reports, procurement plan, and financial statements. An executive order on the FOI bill was meanwhile signed by President Rodrigo Duterte early in his presidency in a bid to also promote transparency among public leaders. Critics, however, have pushed for the passage of a more genuine and all-embracing FOI law that will reflect full accountability for employees. RELATED: Duterte touts passage of FOI bill, but his wealth report stays a secret Robredo said that while she has the option to issue EOs on the matter, it would be better if Congress passes such bills for the policy to carry over to the next generations. Mas maganda kung may batas dahil kahit hindi na ako pangulo, tuloy tuloy na i-instituionalize yung requirement na 'yun, pero habang wala pang batas, ay maggagawa na tayo ng executive order. The same with FOI, the poll hopeful said. [Translation: It would be better if there are laws so that when Im no longer president, that requirement will be institutionalised. But while there are now laws yet, we will craft executive orders. The same with FOI.] Many people suffer with chronic pain. Physical therapy can help address some of the issues involved. Chinese martial arts film "Shadow" screened in Pakistani capital Xinhua) 20:45, February 04, 2022 ISLAMABAD, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese film "Shadow" was screened for the public on Thursday evening in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad amid strict measures against COVID-19. Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan jointly hosted the film screening at a cinema in downtown Islamabad, which was attended by dozens of people from different walks of life. Pakistani Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib inaugurated the event, saying he hopes that such exchanges would help the peoples of the two countries understand each other's cultures. Assistant Director at the External Publicity Wing of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Sana Saif told Xinhua that the film is being screened as a goodwill gesture on the occasion of Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's visit to China. The film "Shadow," directed by Zhang Yimou, is a martial arts film set in China during the period of the Three Kingdoms (220-280) that tells the story of a "shadow" man -- a body double for royals and aristocrats. The film made its world premiere at the 75th Venice International Film Festival in 2018. In 2020, a Pakistani military action-romance film "Parwaaz Hai Junoon" (Soaring Is Passion) hit Chinese cinemas, getting attention and praise from many Chinese viewers. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) The Penn State Thespian Societys 20th anniversary MasquerAIDS benefit concert is right around the corner, with this years theme aimed at showing the power of growth. But MasquerAIDS hasnt always been a staple performance for the Thespians. In 2001, the group formerly known as Penn State Thespians embarked on a new endeavor to commemorate and remember those living with HIV and AIDS in local communities. What has now become known as the annual MAIDS performance originally began as a black-tie ball and a separate musical event. With a goal to become more service-oriented, the Thespians collaborated with the now disbanded AIDS Project to organize a masquerade event on March 17, 2001, in the previous Atherton Hotel. Tickets, sold for $40 per person, included admittance, dinner, theatrical performances and dancing. Hosted by Sue Paterno, the inaugural event raised more than $3,500 and helped cement a growing tradition. In conjunction with this ball, the organization also hosted performances of Quilt, A Musical Celebration from March 22-23, 2001. Based on 19 stories from the AIDS Memorial Quilt project, the show portrays the narratives of those who survived the AIDS epidemic in the 80s and 90s. With fear the show may not be welcomed due to misconceptions about AIDS and the tirades of then-state Rep. John Lawless, who notoriously denounced several student-run events at Penn State, the organization persevered. The following year, the two separate events were merged into one on April 5, 2002. Following a dinner at the Days Inn on Pugh Street, a production of the student-written play AIDS and the Art of Living was shown. MORE LIFESTYLE CONTENT Written by Michael Walkup during his time studying abroad in Italy, the play was forwarded to his Thespian peers via email and later put together to form a cohesive production that contained elements from other musicals that highlighted the impacts of the AIDS epidemic. Since then, the MAIDS format may have changed from a dinner-theatre event to just a performance, but the purpose has remained just as strong, according to this years director, Jacob Malizio. All proceeds go to the Centre County AIDS Resource center, Malizio (sophomore-public relations and theatre) said. The AIDS epidemic was such a huge deal and it still affects many people today. The fact that it's located in Centre County and it's affecting people in our community really hits home. Malizio joined the MAIDS crew in October 2021, and he said rehearsals began shortly after the cast was announced in November. Since then, Malizio said the entire team has been working hard to produce an in-person concert something the Thespian Society was not able to do in 2021 due to the pandemic. Noel Guidetti and Kelly Bench, producers for this years MAIDS, decided on the theme Ready, Set, Grow after brainstorming ways to emphasize the concerts 20th anniversary while incorporating an element of time. Guidetti (sophomore-accounting) said the theme is an open door for audiences of all ages to interpret it however they want. The entire show is going to be about growth, growing up, getting older, reflecting on the past, Guidetti said. We kind of wanted a theme where we could look on the past and acknowledge 20 years of this cabaret. Guidetti said audiences should expect to see a range of choreography and vocals, ranging from solos to large group numbers. She said every featured song will have some sort of meaning of growth. This years MAIDS will be the first time Clara Bradley, the concerts choreographer, has participated in the event. Bradley (sophomore-political science and criminology) said being involved has been an important and impactful experience. Our generation, we didn't live during the AIDS and HIV epidemic we didn't know how awful it was, Bradley said. The fact that we, as just some college students who love the arts, are able to raise money for such an important and honestly, sometimes forgotten, cause is just really, really cool to me. MORE LIFESTYLE CONTENT +2 Penn State student Joseph Yonke exhibits creativity through painting Venturing into Joseph Yonkes apartment reveals his walls covered from head to toe in painti With a range of different music styles incorporated into the show, Bradley said the choreography will include traditional and modern dances that encapsulate the feeling of the music. She said at the end of the show, the cast will split into two groups and have a dance-off battle, and the audience will have the chance to decide who wins. The two-act benefit concert will take place at 7 p.m. on Sunday in Heritage Hall within the HUB-Robeson Center. Tickets will cost $5 at the door, with all proceeds going directly to AIDS Resource. In addition to all sales made at the door, the Thespians have also created a GoFundMe page where anyone is able to donate money to AIDS Resource. Last year, the organization raised over $3,200 via GoFundMe. Wes Chicko, practice manager and outreach specialist for AIDS Resource, said the Thespian Society is responsible for a majority of the organizing that goes into the concert, and the funds received from it help some critical aspects of care that state and federal funding do not cover. One of the main areas of guidance AIDS Resource provides for the Thespians is education, Chicko said. Beyond that, he said the Thespian Society takes it upon itself each year to produce a show that continues to raise awareness and educate people on the severity of HIV and AIDS. So much has been accomplished, particularly in the last decade, in the fight against HIV. And yet, HIV continues to impact queer communities disproportionately and people of color, Chicko said. There is still a lot of work to be done, but most people stopped talking about HIV when it went from a death sentence to a manageable chronic illness we want people to keep having those conversations, and this show supports that. MORE LIFESTYLE CONTENT For Evelyn and Jim Piazza, Feb. 4, 2022, marks five years since the death of their son, Timothy Piazza, a then-sophomore at Penn State who was going through Beta Theta Pis fraternity initiation process. Tim was a happy, goofy guy he had a big heart and would never let anything bad happen to anyone, Jim, Timothys father, said. Timothy died due to a fractured skull and lacerated spleen injuries he suffered during initiation night for the pledges of Penn States Beta Theta Pi fraternity chapter on Feb. 2, 2017. During the night, Timothy under pressure from the brothers consumed at least 18 drinks in 82 minutes and fell 15 feet head-first down the stairs to the fraternitys basement, according to The Daily Collegians timeline report of the incident. According to PennLive, Timothy and the other pledges took part in The Gauntlet as part of their initiation process which included having to collectively finish a bottle of vodka, as well as beer and bagged wine. PennLive cited a brother who told police The Gauntlet process took about two minutes. At 10:47 p.m. on Feb. 2, 2017, Timothy was carried up the steps by four brothers after the fall, He was limp with a bruise on his abdomen and unresponsive. Timothys blood alcohol content was between 0.27 and 0.35 at 12:17 a.m. on Feb. 3, 2017, according to the Collegian. Within the next 24 hours, Timothy fell at least twice more and was seen twitching and vomiting. Brothers had sat on Timothys legs, slapped him in the face and struck him in the abdomen, leaving him on the floor until he was found behind the fraternitys basement bar at approximately 10 a.m. on Feb. 3, 2017. It wasnt until 10:48 a.m. on Feb. 3, 2017, that someone called 911, which was made by Beta Theta Pi brother Ryan McCann who didnt tell the dispatcher Timothy had fallen down the stairs the previous night when describing the emergency at hand. Timothy was then pronounced dead at 1:23 a.m. on Feb. 4, 2017 at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. He had no idea how well he was thought of, Evelyn said, as there were around 2,500 people at Timothys wake. Since the death of their son, Evelyn and Jim have lobbied to change legislation and raise awareness of the dangers of hazing. Its been five years since Tim died, and there has been no letting up on [the Piazzas] pursuit of change, Tom Kline, the Piazza family attorney, said. [They] have made this what undoubtedly will be a lifelong pursuit. Of the fraternity brothers, 18 had charges originally filed against them in May 2017 for their individual alleged roles in the death of Timothy. Preliminary hearings then lasted throughout June, July and August in 2017. According to the Collegian, the list of brothers criminally charged in 2017 include Beta Theta Pi Chapter President Brendan Young, Pledge Master Daniel Casey, Jonah Neuman, Nick Kubera, Michael Bonatucci, Gary Dibileo, Luke Visser and Joe Sala. Michael Angelo Schiavone, Craig Heimer, Lars Kenyon, Parker Jax Yochim, Ed Gilmartin, McCann, Lucas Rockwell, Braxton Becker, Ryan Foster and Joseph Ems were also charged. The Penn State Alpha Upsilon chapter of the Beta Theta Pi national fraternity was also charged that May with involuntary manslaughter which was eventually dropped as well as for hazing and furnishing alcohol. On Sept. 1, 2017, Centre County Magisterial District Judge Allen Sinclair dropped the most severe charges, including involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and simple assault against various individuals. In March and September 2018, the Attorney Generals office refiled some of the charges initially filed by the Centre County District Attorneys Office but all major charges were then dismissed again. According to The Associated Press, prosecutors in one of the preliminary trials of the case in 2017 told the jury that fraternity brother Becker erased security footage of the hazing ritual because he knew the footage would be damaging. In November 2017, the deleted video coverage from the basement of the fraternity was recovered by the FBI, and charges were filed for at least nine new individuals who had not yet been charged, as well as additional charges to previously charged individuals. On May 30, 2019, Becker was found guilty of one count of hindering apprehension and was sentenced in August 2019 to a $5,000 fine, two-year probation and 100 hours of community service. These new charges brought the total to approximately 25 fraternity brothers with charges some unrelated to Timothys case but related to other pledge class members being initiated that night. William Brennan, Ems defense attorney, was involved with the case since Ems first preliminary hearing. It was a tremendous, unspeakable tragedy, but I argue that my client was not criminally liable, and that argument was successful, Brennan said. Of the fraternity brothers charged, 17 pled guilty from 2018-19. In April 2019, Visser, Kurczewski, Bonatucci and Sala who were a part of the 17 who pled guilty were all sentenced in the Centre County Courthouse, according to CNN. Visser was sentenced to two to six months in jail and a two-year probation. Kurczewski was sentenced to three to nine months in jail and a one-year probation. Bonatucci was sentenced to 30-60 days in jail and a one-year probation. Sala was sentenced to a three to six month house arrest and a two-year probation. Less than two weeks later, Kubera and Neuman were sentenced to 60 days and nine months of house arrest, respectively. The four brothers who had jail sentences were also given fines and time in community service, but all three jail sentences were later amended to house arrest by Centre County Court of Common Pleas Judge Brian Marshall. It was discouraging for Jim to see the jail sentences amended. A number of them got sentenced, some to jail, but nobody has seen the inside of the jail cell, Jim said. It was disappointing. Evelyn, Timothys mother, felt similar about the drop in the sentences severity, especially with the abundance of evidence provided in the case. Its not like were all for throwing people in jail, but we need people to see jail time in order for there to create a deterrent to future bad behavior, Evelyn said. Two brothers are currently awaiting hearings Young and Casey, as they both still face misdemeanor charges in trial. Kline said the hearings were held off because appeals were pending in both cases, and according to Evelyn, the court system became backed up partly due to the coronavirus pandemic. Young faces the following charges tampering with evidence, reckless endangerment, hazing and furnishing alcohol to minors, as well as unlawful acts relative to liquor. Casey also faces these charges, as well as consumption of alcohol by a minor. Brennan said he hopes Kline will be able to bring some good to the civil case when the two fraternity brothers are expected to go to trial later in 2022. The trial was supposed to take place in July 2022 but is being rescheduled. He is a very confident and talented lawyer, and Im sure that his clients family would like to see changes made, so perhaps tragedies in the future may be averted, Brennan said. Despite prior disappointments in court, Jim said he hopes a fair trial with all the evidence is allowed to be presented. Separate from the criminal lawsuit, the Piazza family brought a civil lawsuit to Judge Matthew Brann of the United States District Court in the Middle District of Pennsylvania in 2019 against each of the brothers individually, which have not been settled so far. The Piazza family had settled with Penn State in the form of monetary damages and safety reforms before the onset of the civil suit, according to Kline. Kline said the brothers are being civilly charged with negligence and conspiracy meaning all of the brothers involved acted in concert with one another. The civil lawsuits purposes are to seek individual responsibility and individual accountability of all of the brothers involved resulting in monetary damages, according to Kline. There are many steps left in the criminal and civil process, which will end up writing the more complete book on the subject of the measure of justice in which the Piazzas have obtained through both the criminal and civil justice system, Kline said. In the years following, Penn State implemented safety reforms to ensure a similar incident will never happen again within the universitys greek life. However, according to Jim, Penn States initial actions in response to the incident were not so good. Prior to the incident, [the university] had a task force that knew a lot of bad things were going on and did nothing about it, Jim said. After several meetings with [Penn State President Eric] Barron, he stepped up and became a national advocate. [Were] very appreciative of what President Barron did. The task force Jim referred to is a 25-member group that was appointed by Barron in September 2015 to study greek life at Penn State and evaluate how the university could improve it, a release said. Kline said Barron deserves a lot of credit for how the university responded after the incident. According to the Collegian, seven additional IFC fraternities were suspended or lost university recognition throughout 2017. I believe that Penn State has actually tried out of this terrible tragedy to become a leader nationally in fraternity responsibility and education, Kline said. In a letter to the public following the incident, Barron announced newly implemented policy changes, including: Students are required to complete at least 14 credit hours to participate in greek life. New social restrictions will include a strongly enforced prohibition against underage possession or consumption of alcohol in chapter houses and activities. Attendance at social events will be limited to the legal capacity of the chapter house. Failure by the greek-letter organizations to effectively prevent underage consumption and excessive drinking in their facilities and activities may lead the university to adopt further restrictions, including the possibility of declaring that the system must be completely dry. Greek life organizations are limited to 10 socials with alcohol per semester. There will be no tolerance for hazing in these organizations, as all hazing is a violation of Pennsylvania law. RELATED Barron stated in the letter there would be many empty houses and an end to greek life at Penn State if students continue to violate the universitys rules. Two years later, in January 2019, Penn State announced plans for the Timothy J. Piazza Center for Fraternity and Sorority Research and Reform to study greek life culture across the country, host conversations and sponsor research. Damon Sims, vice president of Penn State Student Affairs, said via email that the progress made since 2019 within the new center has been considerable. The partnerships already built with faculty researchers and various stakeholder groups are many and productive, Sims said. Im confident the center is on the right trajectory and will make a significant contribution to our understanding of fraternity and sorority life and the changes required for it to succeed. Changes were made within Penn States Interfraternity Council as well, including: Created the role of vice president of health and safety Voted to make all new member processes four weeks long New guidelines and structuring of the Standards of Excellence, setting minimum requirements for fraternity community service hours, philanthropy money raised and civic responsibility program attendance Penn State also established the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Compliance to improve safety through education and assessment, as well as a greek chapter scorecard, which, according to Student Affairs, shows key measures for each chapter in the IFC, as well as other greek life councils. In a statement, the IFC said it believes the greek life community has made progress since 2017, though it continues to place the health and safety of our current and prospective members at the forefront of our efforts. In the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf signed Timothy J. Piazzas Law in 2018 following efforts to change state law by Senator Jake Corman and the Piazza family. Kline said the Pennsylvania anti-hazing legislation already in place was weak, and he, his team of lawyers and the Piazzas saw an opportunity for change. The new law created tiers for hazing and stated that if hazing acts resulted in bodily harm, the charge could be raised to a third-degree felony with a maximum of seven years in prison. Along with this, universities and high schools must provide a public copy of anti-hazing policies and keep an updated report of violations, according to the law. [The Piazzas] are responsible in my view nearly singlehandedly for the advocacy, which resulted in the passage of stricter laws, which now hold people accountable for their actions, Kline said. Jim said the family was very happy with the legislation enacted in Pennsylvania. It got a lot of support throughout the state of Pennsylvania and a lot of it had to do with President Barron, Jim said. The law was recently changed in New Jersey, almost mirroring Pennsylvania law. Jim and Evelyn continue to lobby to promote laws on a national level and are going back to Washington, D.C. in March to lobby for the END ALL Hazing Act and the Report and Educate About Campus Hazing Act. We are trying to promote laws that will require and enhance transparency on a national level, Jim said. The REACH Act was first introduced to the Senate in June 2017 and then was reintroduced in March 2021. It would be ideal to have one national law that is serious and consequential, Kline said. Anything approaching what we have accomplished in Pennsylvania would be a significant advancement in the law. The REACH Act seeks to reduce hazing on college campuses and educate about its effects, requiring institutions of higher education to disclose hazing incidents in annual security reports, as well as redefining hazing, according to its summary on the U.S. Congress website. The system needs to go through change, and were working very hard to make that change happen, Evelyn said. We wont know who we helped Its kind of like its a no news is good news kind of thing. In addition to their law making efforts, Jim and Evelyn started the Timothy J. Piazza Memorial Foundation in 2017, which provides support to those who are in need of prosthetic devices in honor of their son, according to its website. The motivation for the foundation, Jim said, came from Timothys desire to develop prosthetics for children after college. In the midst of the finalizations of the Piazza familys case, the coronavirus pandemic hit in 2020 halting most in-person activity. There were zero reported hazing-related deaths in 2020 for the first time in 60 years nationwide. In 2021, our fear was once classes were going back in person that individuals would feel they were deprived of the experience and go full force, Evelyn said. In 2021, there were at least five hazing deaths nationwide that we know of. In December 2021, Penn State won the rights to buy the property that housed the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. According to the Associated Press, Judge Marshall gave the university and Beta Theta Pis national chapter six months to negotiate a deal. RELATED The university cited a 1928 deed as precedent to justify why the chapter had to sell the house, because its no longer used as a fraternity. Even though policy changes have been made, those impacted by the incident still feel theres more that needs to be done to prevent future hazing incidents. University communities must make clear the unacceptability of hazing in any context, particularly hazing that involves alcohol or drugs and physical harm, Sims said. Beyond that, its up to students to decide they are done with hazing. It will only end when they do. Evelyn said she wants students to know about all of the various forms hazing can take and how little hazing can escalate. Theres a psychology of hazing, Jim said. They should know that its illegal, and that in many states, its a felony if someone dies. Evelyn also said institutions need to push the amnesty policy to encourage bystanders to act and not fear their own consequences. According to Penn State Student Affairs, local guidelines including Penn States Responsible Action Protocol and Pennsylvanias Medical Amnesty Law protect students from prosecution for consumption or possession of alcohol when they seek help for a peer who has passed out, is unconscious or remains unresponsive as the result of overconsumption. I guess I would say to the Beta Theta Pi guys, Why didnt you call for help? Jim said. Dont play doctor just get the person help, you will not be penalized. Centre County Forensic Pathologist Harry Kamerow testified to the Collegian previously that with earlier intervention, Timothys chances of survival would have increased. If the guys at Beta Theta Pi would have called for help, we wouldnt be having this conversation, Jim said. Tims friends said that if he was one of the people at the party, he would have picked up the person himself and carried him to the hospital. RELATED Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday. The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form In Defence of Marxism is committed to safeguarding your privacy. At all times we aim to respect any personal data you share with us, or that we receive from other organisations, and keep it safe. This Privacy Policy (Policy) sets out our data collection and processing practices and your options regarding the ways in which your personal information is used. This Policy contains important information about your personal rights to privacy. Please read it carefully to understand how we use your personal data. We may update this Policy from time to time without notice to you, so please check it regularly. The provision of your personal data to us is voluntary. However, without providing us with your personal data, you will be unable to (as appropriate): contact us; subscribe to our mailing list; subscribe to any of our publications; or receive information about In Defence of Marxism. We collect information about you: (1) When you give it to us DIRECTLY You may give us your personal data in order to subscribe to a newsletter or publication, when you contact us by phone, email or post, when you sign a petition / statement, and/or when you donate money to us. (2) When you give it to us INDIRECTLY Your information will also be provided to us when you follow us or otherwise interact with on or via Twitter, when you like and/or join our page on Facebook or interact with us in other ways on or via Facebook. (3) When you give permission to OTHER ORGANISATIONS to share it or it is AVAILABLE PUBLICLY We may combine information you provide to us with information available from external publicly available sources. Depending on your privacy settings for social media services, we may also access information from those accounts or services. We use this information to gain a better understanding of you and to improve our communications and fundraising activities. (4) When you visit our WEBSITE We use cookies to identify you when you visit our website. Please refer to our Cookies Policy for details on the way our use of cookies affects your personal data. What information do we collect? We may collect, store and use the following kinds of personal data: (1) We will typically hold your name and contact details, including telephone number, location, and e-mail address. However, we may request other information where it is appropriate and relevant, for example: Your bank details or debit/credit card details (if making a donation). (2) any communication preferences you give; (3) information about your computer and about your visits to and use of this website including your IP address, geographical location, browser type, referral source, length of visit and number of page views; and/or (4) any other information shared with us as per clause 1. Do we process sensitive personal information? Applicable law recognises certain categories of personal information as sensitive and therefore requiring more protection, including political opinions and trade union membership. In limited cases, we may collect sensitive personal data about you. We would only collect sensitive personal data if there is a clear reason for doing so; and will only do so with your explicit consent. How and why will we use your personal data? Personal data, however provided to us, will be used for the purposes specified in this Policy or in relevant parts of the website. We may use your personal information to: (1) Enable you to subscribe to our hard copy publications; (2) Send you information about our work, campaigns, organisations and any other information, products or services that we provide (this will not be done without your consent); (3) Provide you with the services, products or information you have requested; (4) If you request, put you in touch with other supporters in your area (who have also provided such consent); (5) Handle the administration of any donation or other payment you make via credit/debit card, cheque, standing order or BACS transfer; (6) Collect payments from you and send statements and/or receipts to you; (7) Conduct research into the impact of our activity / campaigns; (8) Deal with enquiries and complaints made by you relating to the website or us in general; (9) Make petition submissions to third parties, where you have signed a petition and the third party is a target of the campaign to which the petition relates; and/or (10) Audit and/or administer our accounts. Supporter Analysis Google Analytics We may use some of your personal information to analyse our digital performance, for example to see how our website can be improved to help us achieve the purposes set out in section 9 below, to record how you are using our website or to assess the popularity of different articles / campaigns. For more information on how we use your personal information in relation to Google Analytics, please view our cookie policy by clicking this link cookies policy You can opt-out of the collection of information for such purposes here: http://www.aboutads.info/choices Communications, updates, fundraising Where you have provided appropriate consent, we will contact you by telephone and e-mail, with targeted communications to let you know about our events and/or activities that we consider may be of particular interest; about the work of In Defence of Marxism; and to ask for donations or other support. Donations and other payments All financial transactions carried out on our website are handled through either: PayPal (Europe) S.a r.l. (PayPal), a third party payment services provider. We recommend that you read PayPals privacy policy (available at https://www.paypal.com/uk/webapps/mpp/ua/privacy-full?locale.x=en_GB ) prior to effecting any transactions with us through PayPal; or GoCardless Ltd (GoCardless), a third party payment services provider. We recommend that you read GoCardlesss privacy policy (available at https://www.gocardless.com/legal/privacy) prior to effecting any transactions with us through GoCardless. We will provide your personal data to PayPal / GoCardless only to the extent necessary for the purposes of processing payments for transactions you enter into with us. We do not store your financial details. Childrens data We do not knowingly process data of any person under the age of 16. If we come to discover, or have reason to believe, that you are 15 and under and we are holding your personal information, we will delete that information within a reasonable period and withhold our services accordingly. Security of and access to your personal data We endeavour to ensure that there are appropriate and proportionate technical and organisational measures to prevent the loss, destruction, misuse, alteration, unauthorised disclosure or of access to your personal information. Your information is only accessible by appropriately trained staff and volunteers. We may also use agencies and/or suppliers to process data on our behalf. We may also merge or partner with other organisations and in so doing transfer and/or acquire personal data. Please note that some countries outside of the EEA have a lower standard of protection for personal data, including lower security requirements and fewer rights for individuals. We may transfer and/or store personal data collected from you to and/or at a destination outside the European Economic Area (EEA). Such personal data may be processed by agencies and/or suppliers operating outside the EEA. If we transfer and/or store your personal data outside the EEA we will take reasonable steps to ensure that the recipient implements appropriate measures to protect your personal data. Otherwise than as set out in this Privacy Policy, we will only ever share your data with your informed consent. Your rights Where we rely on your consent to use your personal information, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. This includes the right to ask us to stop using your personal information for direct marketing purposes or to be unsubscribed from our email list at any time. You also have the following rights: (1) Right to be informed you have the right to be told how your personal information will be used. This Policy and any other policies and statements used on our website and in our communications are intended to provide you with a clear and transparent description of how your personal information may be used. (2) Right of access you can write to us to ask for confirmation of what information we hold on you and to request a copy of that information. Provided we are satisfied that you are entitled to see the information requested and we have successfully confirmed your identity, we have 30 days to comply. (3) Right of erasure as from 25 May 2018, you can ask us for your personal information to be deleted from our records. (4) Right of rectification if you believe our records of your personal information are inaccurate, you have the right to ask for those records to be updated. (5) Right to restrict processing you have the right to ask for processing of your personal data to be restricted if there is disagreement about its accuracy or legitimate usage. (6) Right to data portability to the extent required by the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) where we are processing your personal information (i) under your consent, (ii) because such processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which you are party or to take steps at your request prior to entering into a contact or (iii) by automated means, you may ask us to provide it to you or another service provider in a machine-readable format. To exercise these rights, please send a description of the personal information in question using the contact details in section 15 below. You can also unsubscribe from our email list by sending a blank email to news-unsubscribe@marxist.com Where we consider that the information with which you have provided us does not enable us to identify the personal information in question, we reserve the right to ask for (i) personal identification and/or (ii) further information. Lawful processing We are required to have one or more lawful grounds to process your personal information. Only 4 of these are relevant to us: Personal information is processed on the basis of a persons consent Personal information is processed on the basis of a contractual relationship Personal information is processed on the basis of legal obligations Personal information is processed on the basis of legitimate interests (1) Consent We will ask for your consent to use your information to send you electronic communications such as newsletters and and fundraising emails, and if you ever share sensitive personal information with us. (2) Contractual relationships Most of our interactions with supporters are voluntary and not contractual. However, sometimes it will be necessary to process personal information so that we can enter contractual relationships with people. For example, if you subscribe to one of our publications, or purchase merchandise online. (3) Legal obligations Sometimes we will be obliged to process your personal information due to legal obligations which are binding on us. We will only ever do so when strictly necessary. (4) Legitimate interests Applicable law allows personal information to be collected and used if it is reasonably necessary for our legitimate activities (as long as its use is fair, balanced and does not unduly impact individuals rights). We will rely on this ground to process your personal data when it is not practical or appropriate to ask for consent. Achieving our purposes These include (but are not limited to) promoting socialist policies Governance Internal and external audit for financial or regulatory compliance purposes Statutory reporting Publicity and income generation Conventional direct marketing and other forms of marketing, publicity or advertisement Unsolicited messages, including campaigns, newsletters, and fundraising appeals Analysis, targeting and segmentation to develop and promote or strategy and improve communication efficiency Personalisation used to tailor and enhance your experience of our communications Operational Management Maintenance of suppression files Processing for historical, scientific or statistical purpose Purely administrative purposes Responding to enquiries Delivery of requested products or information Communications designed to administer existing services including subscriptions, administration of petitions and financial transactions Thank you communications and receipts Maintaining a supporter database and suppression lists Financial Management and control Processing financial transactions and maintaining financial controls Prevention of fraud, misuse of services, or money laundering Enforcement of legal claims Reporting criminal acts and compliance with law enforcement agencies When we use your personal information, we will consider if it is fair and balanced to do so and if it is within your reasonable expectations. We will balance your rights and our legitimate interests to ensure that we use your personal information in ways that are not unduly intrusive or unfair in other ways. Data retention The length of time each category of data will be retained will vary depending on how long we need to process it for, the reason it was collected, and in line with any statutory requirements. After this point the data will either be deleted, or we may retain a secure anonymised record for research and analytical purposes. In the event that you ask us to stop sending you direct marketing/fundraising/other electronic communications, we will keep your name on our internal suppression list to ensure that you are not contacted again. Policy amendments We keep this Privacy Policy under regular review and reserve the right to update from time-to-time by posting an updated version on our website, not least because of changes in applicable law. We recommend that you check this Privacy Policy occasionally to ensure you remain happy with it. We may also notify you of changes to our privacy policy by email. Third party websites We link our website directly to other sites. This Privacy Policy does not cover external websites and we are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any external websites you visit via links on our website. Updating information You can check the personal data we hold about you, and ask us to update it where necessary, by emailing us at webmaster@marxist.com Contact We are not required by law to have a Data Protection Officer however we have a Data Protection Manager. Please let us know if you have any queries or concerns whatsoever about the way in which your data is being processed by emailing the Data Protection Manager at webmaster@marxist.com What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 319-283-2144 or email circ@oelweindailyregister.com. For Jennie Ripps there is something almost mystical about tea. Theres this kind of magic alchemy, Ripps says of the ancient process by which hot water is transformed by herbs and minerals into a beverage rich with vitamins and antioxidants. Ripps first became enchanted with tea while looking for a healthy beverage for a family member who was ill. It was this kind of great moment in my life where I just couldnt believe that I could put something in water and change the flavor, change its health benefits, change the color, she says. The Cos Cob resident became a certified tea sommelier and started Brew Lab Tea with Maria Littlefield, who is from Litchfield. Ripps developed tea programs for top New York City restaurants such as Momofuko and Starr, and she was often asked to help incorporate tea into these restaurants cocktail programs. Theres just so many ways that you can complement alcohol through teas, Ripps says. Wanting to bring that tea cocktail experience to a wider audience, Ripps and Littlefield launched Owls Brew, a sparkling boozy tea brand, in early 2020. At the vanguard of a small but growing hard tea movement, Owls Brew has made a splash, earning a feature in Forbes and winning gold for its Darjeeling Tea & Hibiscus Flowers flavor in the New York International Beer Competitions brewed hard seltzer category in 2021. The spiked teas have an herb-flavor and champagne-like effervescence. Though light, they taste more like a cocktail than most hard seltzers on the market. While its currently billed as a hard tea seltzer the new packaging this year will read spiked sparkling tea. My favorite is the spiced chai and cranberry, a wonderful canned cocktail with cinnamon and ginger notes against the chai and cranberry backbone. The teas are contract-brewed outside of Connecticut. Finding a brewery for the brand was difficult because Ripps and Littlefield insisted that the product be made with real tea, and 19 breweries said they couldnt do that, suggesting tea flavorings instead. If you dont fresh-brew the tea, if you only add [tea] flavor, you dont get any of those health benefits, Ripps says. You also lose a lot in terms of the actual flavor. The states craft beer community has also begun experimenting with teas. The hard seltzer craze of the past few years has been so intense that Tyler Jones couldnt ignore it. However, the head brewer, aka Lord of the Liquid, at Black Hog Brewing Co. in Oxford, didnt want to produce just another run-of-the-mill seltzer. Im an artistic brewer at heart, Jones says. So I dont like to follow the trends or do what everyone else is doing. As the Black Hog team explored how they could make a unique mark on seltzer, Jones started thinking about adding tea. I played around with teas in beers in the past, and it always added a really nice kind of back note. Jones decided to use tea to power a new line of hard seltzer released as a separate brand from Black Hog called Hum Hard Tea Seltzer. The tea is giving you just a little touch of body, a touch of astringency, Jones says. The natural flavors that come off of those teas play off of the fruit were adding. The Earl Grey definitely has some dark cherry notes, so thats why thats in the black cherry one, and then green tea has really bright citrus thats why we did the tangerine-lemon-lime blend with that one. Jones adds, Im using the tea like I would hops in beer, using the tea for its flavor. Jones is proud to be at the forefront of doing something different with hard seltzer. We arent just fermenting out sugar water and adding extracts to it, he says. Ultimately, Jones expects the craze around hard tea seltzer to evolve. I think the seltzer market will correct itself a little bit where the people who are just jumping on the bandwagon and trying to make bubbly water with fake flavoring in it will go away eventually, he says. In the early 80s, when craft beer [became more popular], it didnt matter what it tasted like. It was like, Oh, this is craft beer. Its in a brown bottle, its better. Then peoples palates developed and people looked for more nuanced flavors. Im hoping that happens in the seltzer world too. Theyre lighter, easier, a lot less flavors going on, but theres some nuance between them and there is some complexity you can get out of it. Well get to more refined palates down the road and Hum will do well because of it. How to get them Owls Brew: Distributed throughout Connecticut and can be shipped to locations in Connecticut and 29 other states by ordering at theowlsbrew.com. Hum Hard Tea Seltzer: Available in the Black Hog taproom at 115 Hurley Road 9A in Oxford and distributed on a limited basis in the state. For more information, go to facebook.com/HumSeltzer or blackhogbrewing.com. This article appears in the February 2022 issue of Connecticut Magazine. You can subscribe to Connecticut Magazine here, or find the current issue on sale here. Sign up for our newsletter to get our latest and greatest content delivered right to your inbox. Have a question or comment? Email editor@connecticutmag.com. And follow us on Facebook and Instagram @connecticutmagazine and Twitter @connecticutmag. Corsicana, TX (75110) Today Becoming windy with scattered thunderstorms developing. High around 85F. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early followed by scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 71F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Corsicana, TX (75110) Today Cloudy and windy this morning with scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 86F. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening. Thunderstorms likely late. Low 72F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Treat your sweetheart to a romantic and unforgettable meal at one of the many Lehigh Valley restaurants offering Valentines Day menus and special offers. Here are some suggestions (check for hours and availability; reservations required or recommended at most dining spots): Specials are offered on Valentines Day, Feb. 14, unless otherwise noted. Advertisement 19th Grille at Woodstone Country Club, 3777 Dogwood Road, Danielsville: Specials, including lobster bisque, oyster trio, truffle risotto and garlic shrimp crostini, double cut pork chop, signature crab cake, chicken roulade and burrata ravioli for two and surf and turf for two (8-ounce, center-cut filet mignon and 8-ounce warm water lobster tail), Feb. 11-13. Prices vary. 610-760-2777 ext. 200. 5 Points Grill & Pub, 1001 Mount Bethel Highway, Upper Mount Bethel Township: Valentines specials, including shrimp bisque, mango and scallops ceviche, fresh oysters, grilled mahi-mahi, duck two ways, prime rib, rack of lamb dinner for two and more, Feb. 11 and 12. Prices vary. 610-588-1773. Advertisement Adagio, 530 Pembroke Road, Bethlehem: Sweetheart menu, including shrimp cocktail, sliced tuna, mini crab cakes, calamari, 8-ounce filet mignon, snow crab legs, two 4-ounce cold water lobster tails, Faroe Island salmon, chicken Marsala, surf and turf (8-ounce sirloin with 4-ounce lobster tail) and seafood combo (4-ounce crab cake, four shrimp, four scallops and 4-ounce cod filet broiled in scampi sauce), Feb. 9-12. Prices vary. 610-625-3777. Alcamo Italian Restaurant & Brick Oven Pizzeria, 546 Richlandtown Pike, Richlandtown: Specials, including fried bella mozzarella, prosciutto-wrapped shrimp, seafood gnocchi, Libbys homemade ravioli, eggplant rollatini a la Vinny, veal Italiano a la Tommy, 10-ounce Delmonico steak, chicken parmigiana or Marsala and veal parmigiana or Marsala, Feb. 11-13. Prices vary. 215-529-7011. Artisan Wine & Cheese Cellars, 55 W. Lehigh St., Bethlehem: Valentines brunch menu, including avocado toast, birdie in the nest (over-easy egg, white toast, watercress, Faroe Island salmon and lemon caper aioli), breakfast burger, red velvet pancakes, smoked trout eggs Benedict, huevos rancheros, French toast kebab, Greek frittata and more, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 13. Prices vary. Valentines Day features, including Cupids Catch (pan-seared sea scallops, brown sugar and Guinness reduction), St. Valentine (6-ounce filet mignon, garlic red skin mashed potatoes, sauteed broccolini and truffle butter), Secret Admirer (herb-crusted lamb racks, red skin mashed potatoes, shaved Brussels sprouts with bacon lardons and cherry balsamic gastrique) and Goodnight Kiss (chocolate ganache cake), 5-10 p.m. Feb. 14. Prices vary. 610-813-2851. Ashleys Signature Restaurant, 229 N. 11th St., Easton: Valentines Day menu, featuring beef Wellington bites, oysters Rockefeller, clams casino, 8-ounce filet mignon, Chilean sea bass, twin crab cakes, twin 5-ounce lobster tails, scallops and shrimp over lobster risotto and more, Feb. 12 and 14. Prices vary. 610-253-1971. Beam Yard at Steel Club, 700 Linden Ave., Lower Saucon Township: Valentines specials, including oysters, fig and apple crostini, baked brie, red snapper, duck confit, surf and turf (5-ounce filet and 6-ounce lobster tail with drawn butter), strawberry shortcake and chocolate creme brulee, 4-9 p.m. Feb. 11 and 12. Prices vary. 610-838-7018 ext. 1. Becks Land & Sea House, 997 Bushkill Center Road, Bushkill Township: Valentines Day menu, featuring colossal crab cocktail, flash-fried calamari, island coconut shrimp, mussels and chorizo, halibut, seared scallops solstice, crab mac and cheese, shrimp fra diavolo, 8-ounce filet mignon, twin Maryland crab cakes, 8-ounce lobster tail, broiled seafood combo and more, 4-9 p.m. Feb. 14. Prices vary. 610-746-7400. Berlinsville Hotel, 4588 Lehigh Drive, Lehigh Township: Valentines Day menu, featuring lobster bisque, cherry bourbon bacon-wrapped scallops, crab-stuffed mushrooms, chicken Francese, honey garlic pork loin chop, maple mustard Cornish hen, veal saltimbocca and more, Feb. 11-13. Prices vary. 610-767-6022. Best Station Hotel, 4425 Best Station Road, Washington Township, Lehigh County: Dinner for two, $99.99, includes ribeye steak, lobster tail, baked potato, Italian mixed vegetables, salad and Belgian chocolate mousse cake with a glass of wine or a drink of your choice and a rose. Seatings available at 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Reservations should be placed by Feb. 11. 610-767-1370. Advertisement Blue Grillhouse on Easton Avenue Bethlehem Township will offer Valentine's features Feb. 11-14. (MORNING CALL FILE PHOTO) Blue Grillhouse, 4431 Easton Ave., Bethlehem Township: Valentines features, including seared sea scallops, grilled herb-crusted lamb lollipops, seafood risotto, filet mignon Wellington, couples surf n turf (14-ounce ribeye and 6-ounce crab-stuffed South African lobster tail with drawn or brown butter) and strawberry white Bavarian mousse, Feb. 11-14. Full regular dinner menu also available. Prices vary. 610-691-8400. Boser Geist Brewing Co., 1250 Simon Blvd. K100, Easton: Valentines brunch, featuring chicken and waffles, frittata (bacon, spinach and tomato), Belgian waffle with fresh fruit, French toast casserole, everything bagel bake, breakfast potatoes, strawberry mimosas, BG bloody Marys and more, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 13. Prices vary. 484-293-8005. Braveheart Highland Pub, 430 Main St., Hellertown: Valentines specials, including New Zealand rack of lamb (with roasted carrots, parsnip, sweet potato and butternut squash with roasted garlic butter; $31), Moroccan spiced sea scallops (with olive tapenade, saffron roasted pepper sauce and toasted pine nut couscous; $28) and flourless chocolate torte (with fresh raspberry sauce; $7), beginning at 4:30 p.m. Feb. 12 and 14. 610-838-6555. Buckeye Tavern, 3741 Brookside Road, Lower Macungie Township: Valentines specials, including caprese salad, chimichurri beef tips, Chesapeake chicken, lemon dill salmon, seafood scampi, smoked prime rib and flourless chocolate torte with strawberry compote, Feb. 11-14. Prices vary. 610-966-4411. Clever Girl Winery, 15 Broadway, Bangor: Three-course wine pairing dinner, catered by Rustica Artisan Catering, includes mozzarella caprese salad, choice of grilled tenderloin and shrimp scampi or eggplant Napoleon rollatini, and Belgian ruby chocolate-dipped cheesecake, Feb. 11. $65 for tenderloin/scampi option; $55 for eggplant rollatini option. 484-484-8907. Coplay Eatery, 1214 Chestnut St., Coplay: Valentines menu, including 12-ounce prime rib, crab cake-stuffed 6-ounce lobster tail, double lobster tail, seafood lovers (lobster tail, scallops, haddock, crab cake and clams casino) and surf and turf (6-ounce lobster tail with filet mignon), Feb. 11-14. All main dishes include potato, vegetable, soup or salad and complimentary glass of wine. Prices vary. 610-440-0293. Advertisement Detzis Tavern, 570 Lehigh Ave., Wind Gap: Specials, including shrimp cocktail, lobster ravioli, chicken cordon bleu and beef short ribs, Feb. 12 and 14. Prices vary. 610-863-9882. Easton Wine Project, 1247 Simon Blvd. N103, Easton: Three-course dinner includes choice of appetizer (chopped salad, cheese board or French dip sliders), main course (shrimp scampi, braised short ribs or harvest bowl) and dessert (warm cookie sundae, chocolate bread pudding or flourless chocolate brownie), 4-9 p.m. Feb. 14. $60 without wine pairing; $75 with wine pairing. 610-438-2533. Fairgrounds Hotel, 448 N. 17th St., Allentown: Tails for Two, featuring two separate Maine lobster tails dinners (with soup or salad and two sides), available all February. $50 for 4-ounce Maine lobster tails for two; $75 for 8-ounce Maine lobster tails for two. 610-433-7630. Fiamma Italian Grill, 2118 Schoenersville Road, Hanover Township, Northampton County: Valentines features, including beef tip risotto, colossal crabtini, house-made lobster bisque, Menage a Trois (heart-shaped ravioli stuffed with four cheese sauteed in a pink vodka sauce with shrimp, scallops and crab meat), Nice Tail (colossal crab-stuffed lobster tail served with asparagus and roasted fingerling potatoes), It Takes Two to Tango (dinner for two: chateaubriand, dutchess potatoes, roasted vegetables and red wine demi-glaze) and more, Feb. 11-14. Prices vary. 610-419-6545. Gambinos, 1210 Knox Ave., Forks Township: Valentines specials, including fried mozzarella, bourbon shrimp, bourbon ravioli, seafood fra diavolo, land and sea (grilled tenderloin brushed with herb-infused oil served with two jumbo grilled shrimp, mashed potatoes and sesame green beans) and more, Feb. 12 and 13. Prices vary. 610-438-0599. Grille 3501, 3501 Broadway, South Whitehall Township: Valentines Day three-course menu includes choices of appetizer (seared sea scallops, chili and vanilla braised pork belly, duck confit dumplings, wasabi crusted rare tuna, roasted beet salad or lobster chablis soup), entree (grilled filet mignon, pan-seared king salmon, Maine lobster tails, roasted lamb rack or cast-iron venison medallions) and dessert (flourless chocolate brownie, coconut cream cheesecake or raspberry rose pound cake), 4-9 p.m. Feb. 14. $75 per person. Standard lunch menu available 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. 610-502-4491. Advertisement Grumpys Bar-B-Que Roadhouse, 3000 Mauch Chunk Road, South Whitehall Township: Valentines Day specials include roasted bone marrow, 6-ounce grilled filet mignon, locally made cheesecake and strawberry short cake. Prices vary. 610-769-4600. Karlton Cafe, 310 W. Broad St., Quakertown: Special menu, including coconut shrimp, filet crostini, bacon-wrapped scallops, crab cakes, Maine lobster with jumbo lump crab stuffing, vegetarian Mediterranean pasta, 10-ounce pan-seared strip (topped with roasted sweet and hot peppers, onions, mozzarella, basil, brown and tomato sauce), and Valentines Perfect Pair (Maine lobster with jumbo lump crab stuffing, served with brown butter, and paired with a filet and fresh asparagus). Prices vary. Seatings available 5-5:30 p. and 7-7:30 p.m. 215-538-8353. Kempton Hotel, 9910 Kistler Valley Road: Valentines menu, including shrimp cocktail, sriracha Brussels sprouts, steamed clams, filet Oscar with two sides, lump crab cakes with two sides, black diamond and shrimp scampi over pasta with salad, chicken parmigiana with pasta and salad, 4-ounce petite lobster tail and crab leg cluster add-ons, chocolate peanut butter pie and apple crisp with ice cream, Feb. 11-13. Prices vary. 610-756-6588. La Cabanita, 2720 South Pike Ave., Salisbury Township: Valentines Day dinner specials include ceviche sweetheart tail, New York heart steak with lobster, New York heart sopes, twin princess lobsters and more. To-go specials include heart-shaped tacos and land and sea for two people (lobster, calamari, scallops, crab legs, mussels, grilled chicken, pork, carne asada and chorizo). Prices vary. 484-274-6277. Liberty at Dryville, 110 Lyons Road, Rockland Township, Berks County: Three-course meal, $59 per person, includes choice of starter (wedge salad, Southwestern salmon bruschetta or heirloom tomato soup), entree (lemon chicken, rose shrimp ravioli alfredo or seared sirloin) and dessert (whiskey bread pudding, fried cheesecake or tipsy tiramisu). Seatings available at 5 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. 610-899-2863. Madelines, 1250 Turnstone Drive, Fogelsville: Valentines features, including burrata, oysters on the half shell, beef tartare, roasted red beets, pan-seared Chilean sea bass, chicken Francaise and surf and turf (8-ounce lobster tail and 8-ounce filet, served with roasted leek risotto and roasted fig balsamic cipollini onions; lobster finished with champagne-strawberry beurre blanc and steak finished with brandy-port demi-glace), Feb. 11-14. Prices vary. 484-277-2250. Advertisement Madeline's, at 1250 Turnstone Drive in Fogelsville, will offer Valentine's features Feb. 11-14. (RYAN KNELLER / The Morning Call) Matties Strudel House, 126 W. Main St., Bath: Valentines box, $38, includes your choice of four of the following 8-inch strudels: chicken pepperoni parmesan, cheesesteak, chicken bacon ranch, mac and cheese with shrimp and scallops, strawberry cheese brownie with chocolate ganache, apple caramel toffee and cherry cobbler. 610-810-7574. McCall Collective Brewing Co., 102 E. Susquehanna St., Allentown: Choose your own tasting experience (Make it a five-course meal, or make it two its up to you), featuring burrata, tuna tartare, charcuterie board for two, entrees (served rosemary roasted potatoes and asparagus) of crab cake and filet mignon, and chocolate brownie, Feb. 11-14. Full menu also available. Prices vary. 610-973-5403. McCarthys Red Stag Pub and Whiskey Bar, 534 Main St., Bethlehem: Valentines Day boxes, $20, include 12 heart-shaped shortbread cookies, six chocolate-covered strawberries and four cinful choclate truffles. Orders should be placed online at redstagpub.com/shop/mccarthys-valentines-day-box for pick up between Feb. 11 and 14. McCooles at the Historic Red Lion Inn, 4 S. Main St., Quakertown: Special menu, including tuna tartare, stuffed banana pepper, Louisiana crab dip, lobster bisque, apple bleu cheese salad, braised short ribs, crispy salmon, crab cakes, wild mushroom chicken and surf and turf (8-ounce filet grilled to your choosing with lobster tail and Bearnaise sauce), 4-9 p.m. Feb. 14. Prices vary. 215-538-1776. Mount Bethel Diner, 2600 N. Delaware Drive, Upper Mount Bethel Township: Specials, including prime rib, barbecue ribs, broiled salmon over rice with teriyaki sauce, Maryland crab cakes, pot roast, lobster and crab ravioli with pink sauce, shrimp and broccoli penne with garlic and olive oil and smoked pork chops, Feb. 11-14. Prices vary. 570-897-6409. The Melting Pot, 1 E. Broad St., Suite 100, Bethlehem: VIP Package, $299.95 per couple, includes two four-course meals, decorated table in Lovers Lane section of the restaurant, dozen roses in a vase, bottle of champagne, six chocolate-dipped strawberries and photo of the table in a commemorative frame. Main course includes cold water lobster tail, filet mignon Florentine, garlic and wine marinated chicken, mushroom ravioli and lemon garlic shrimp. Valentines reservations available Feb. 11-14. 484-241-4939. Advertisement Pearly Bakers Alehouse, 11 Centre Square, Easton: Valentines specials include a first-course option of lobster bisque; entree choices of duck ravioli, pan-seared halibut or 8-ounce filet; and a truffle trio dessert (three house-made truffles: red velvet, dark chocolate and champagne sponge). Specials available a la carte or as prix-fixe dinner for two ($90). 610-253-9949. Plaza Azteca Allentown, 2835 Lehigh St.: Valentines special of fajitas for two and two margaritas for $44.99, Feb. 13-14. 484-656-7277. Point Phillips Hotel, 943 Point Phillips Road, Moore Township: Valentines prix-fixe menu for two, $70 includes choice of appetizer (Bavarian soft pretzel sticks, loaded tots, fried three cheese ravioli, bang bang shrimp or chefs cheese board), two entrees (frutti de mare, hickory-smoked prime rib, 8-ounce filet mignon, grilled chicken Florentine, half rack of hickory-smoked baby back ribs or smokehouse three-sampler featuring smoked pulled pork, pulled chicken breast and three baby back ribs) and dessert (flourless chocolate truffle cake, local cheesecake, lemonberry mascarpone cake or molten lava cake), Feb. 11-14. 610-837-1544. Porters Pub, 700 Northampton St., Easton: Valentines specials, including savory crepes, shrimp and lobster fritters, winter squash pasta, crispy braised duck, rockfish amandine, surf and turf (grilled twin petite filet mignon over crab and roasted red pepper risotto cakes), creme brulee and dark chocolate mousse, Feb. 11-14. Prices vary. 610-250-6561. The Pub at Seipsville, 2912 Old Nazareth Road, Palmer Township: Valentines features, including surf and turf with ribeye and lobster tail, Feb. 11 and 12. Prices vary. 610-252-3620. Ringers Roost, 1801 W. Liberty St., Allentown: Valentines weekend specials include shrimp and crab cocktail, pistachio lamb, roasted chicken and cauliflower puree, shrimp scampi, lobster ravioli, strip steak, raspberry cheesecake. Prices vary. 610-437-4941. Advertisement Ritz Barbecue, 302 N. 17th St., Allentown: Valentines weekend specials include Delmonico steak, crab meat au gratin, corn pie, breaded shrimp and scallops, ranch-style black gold steak and coconut shrimp and poor mans lobster (monkfish, baked potato and vegetable of the day). Prices vary. 610-841-3870. River Grille, 243 Northampton St., Easton: Valentines dinner for two, $134.95, includes complimentary toast of prosecco; charcuterie board appetizer (prosciutto, sopressata, capicola, manchego, parmesan, burrata, fig jam, berries, grilled ciabatta and baby arugula with mandarins, mango, lemon and olive oil); twin surf n turf main course (pair of 6-ounce filet mignon, two 8-ounce lobster tails, mac and cheese, grilled asparagus and melted garlic butter); and Nutella crepes with strawberries and bananas for dessert. 610-923-5110. The Shelby, 707 N. Krocks Road, Suite 104, Lower Macungie Township: Valentines features include glazed carrots and burrata, bone-in pork chop-fritto misto, crawfish gnocchi etouffee and fried apple doughnuts a la mode. Prices vary. Shelbyrestaurant.com. Slate Belt Diner, 370 Blue Valley Drive, Washington Township, Northampton County: Specials, including New York strip steak with fried shrimp, shrimp scampi over pasta, chicken stuffed with crab meat and stuffed flounder with crab meat and shrimp scampi, Feb. 11-14. Prices vary. 610-452-9205. Slopeside Pub & Grill, 1660 Blue Mountain Drive, Lower Towamensing Township: Valentines specials, including Birds of a Feather (Slopesides twist on Nashville hot chicken with buttermilk fried quail, Nashville hot sauce and pickles on a baguette), airline chicken breast (with roasted potatoes, sauteed squash, love apples and cherry tomato sauce), surf n turf (Slopesides twist on beef Wellington with a lobster tail, roasted potatoes, asparagus and a raspberry demi), bruschetta pappardelle (with tomatoes, garlic, baby spinach, basil and fresh ricotta) and individual cheesecakes with chocolate-covered strawberry, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Feb. 11 and 12 and 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Feb. 13 and 14. Reservations are accepted on OpenTable.com for Friday and Monday; first come, first served on Saturday and Sunday. Social Still on Third Street in south Bethlehem will offer Valentine's specials Feb. 11 and 12. (MORNING CALL FILE PHOTO) Social Still, 530 E. Third St., Bethlehem: Valentines specials, offered Feb. 11 and 12, include half dozen grilled Gulf oysters with chorizo and cornbread stuffing and tequila lime cilantro butter; 5 onion soup with braised short rib and gruyere crouton; Poor Mans lobster roll with poached monkfish, Dukes mayo, celery, herbs, lobster butter, toasted brioche and hand-cut fries; pan-roasted local duck breast with sweet potato and andouille hash, Brussels and cranberry gastrique; and trio of tarts for two (white chocolate raspberry, lemon meringue and espresso bourbon truffle). Prices vary. Full regular menu also available. 610-625-4585. Advertisement Springtown Inn, 3258 Route 212, Springfield Township: Special menu, including chilled shrimp cocktail, baked brie, chicken roulade, scallops in casserole, crab imperial, filet Oscar, signature prime rib, twin sweetheart lobster tails and surf and turf (8-ounce filet and 4-ounce lobster tail), Feb. 11, 12 and 14. Prices vary. 610-346-7262. Turn In Diner, 162 N. Walnut St., Bath: Valentines specials, including homemade crab pierogies, broiled seafood trio, shrimp scampi, cranberry-glazed pork chops, rack of lamb, slow-roasted prime rib and more, Feb. 10-14. Valentines dinner entrees include complimentary glass of wine and slice of Mikes homemade chocolate cake with strawberry mousse. 610-837-7282. The View at Morgan Hill, 100 Clubhouse Drive, Williams Township: Three-course wine-tasting dinner, featuring choice of starter (mushroom bisque soup or beet salad; served with Toscana Rose), entree (citrus fennel steak or lobster ravioli; served with Tuscana Lgone) and dessert (New York cheesecake or molten chocolate lava cake; served with Lambrusco Grasparossa), 5 p.m. Feb. 12. $120 per couple; $65 per person. theviewatmorganhill.com. The West End, 750 N. West End Blvd., Richland Township: Valentines brunch, featuring challah French toast, avocado toast, steak and eggs, Southwest Benedict, Florentine Benedict, Belgian waffles, creamed chipped beef, breakfast wrap and build-your-own omelette, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 13. Prices vary. 267-347-4003. Widows Tavern & Grille, 200 Main St., Stockertown: Valentines specials, including lobster arancini, mussels casino, seafood fra diavolo, beef Wellington, pistachio-crusted rack of lamb, crab-stuffed jumbo shrimp and chocolate covered strawberries, Feb. 11 and 12. Prices vary. 610-365-8890. The Wooden Match, 61 W. Lehigh St., Bethlehem: Specials, including Cupids Catch (pan-seared sea scallops, brown sugar and Guinness reduction), St. Valentine (6-ounce filet mignon, garlic red skin mashed potatoes, sauteed broccolini and truffle butter), Secret Admirer (herb-crusted lamb racks, red skin mashed potatoes, shaved Brussels sprouts with bacon lardons and cherry balsamic gastrique) and Goodnight Kiss (chocolate ganache cake), Feb. 11-14. Prices vary. 610-865-1777. Advertisement Zest bar + grille, 306 S. New St., Bethlehem: Valentines Day three-course menu includes choice of appetizer (lobster bisque, Lyonnaise salad, shrimp and scallop pot pie, crispy chickpea fritter or twice-cooked pork ribs), entree (seared duck breast, grilled filet mignon, seared Tahitian bass, lobster tails or vegan polenta) and chocolate tahini cake, 4-10 p.m. Feb. 14. $75 per person. 610-419-4320. Other restaurants to consider include: The Aladdin Restaurant in Allentown, Amans Artisan Indian Cuisine in Easton; The Bayou in Bethlehem and Easton; Corked 2.0 in Bethlehem; The Dime in Allentown; Edge in Bethlehem; Gio Italian Grill in Lower Macungie Township; Kingfish American Bistro & Wine Bar in Bethlehem Township; Limeport Inn in Lower Milford Township; Marblehead Chowder House in Palmer Township; Melt in Center Valley; Morgans Local Flavor in South Whitehall Township; Notch Modern Kitchen & Bar in Lower Macungie Township; Ocean 235 in Easton; Prime Steak House in Hanover Township, Northampton County; Spinnerstown Hotel Restaurant & Tap Room in Milford Township; Tacos Y Tequila in Allentown and Palmer Township; Tapas on Main in Bethlehem; Tavern at the Sun Inn in Bethlehem; Union and Finch in Allentown; Vivo Italian Kitchen in South Whitehall Township; and Youells Oyster House in Allentown.. The Homestead Tower is the centerpiece of the Cumberland Homesteads community. The New Deal-era resettlement project brought hundreds of families to Cumberland County during the Great Depression as they worked to build a better future. I've already been to some live sporting events. Yes, I plan on attending several events. I may go to one or two. I like sports but I doubt it. I'm not into sports. Vote View Results HARRISBURG The Pennsylvania Legislative Reapportionment Commission on Friday gave approval to a final plan for state House and Senate maps redrawn to reflect 2020 census data. The vote was 4-1, with House Republican Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff of Centre County casting the sole negative vote. Advertisement It came just 11 days before candidates are allowed to start circulating nominating petitions to be elected in the districts drawn by the maps. But there is widespread speculation that State Department-set date may be pushed back because of disagreements over both legislative and Congressional maps. Reaction to the vote was immediate and mixed, with Democratic state Rep. Mike Schlossberg applauding the House map and Democratic Sen. Lisa Boscola calling the Senate map disgraceful. Advertisement View images of the Senate and House maps below, and click on the links to see interactive versions via Daves Redistricting. Senate map The final Pennsylvania Senate map released by the state Legislative Reapportionment Commission. [ View an interactive version of the final Pa. Senate map ] Municipalities that would be split between Senate precincts under the plan: Allentown, Lehigh County: Districts 14, 16 Districts 14, 16 South Whitehall Township, Lehigh County: Districts 14, 16 Districts 14, 16 Philadelphia: Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 Pittsburgh, Allegheny County: Districts 38, 42, 43 House map The final Pennsylvania House map released by the state Legislative Reapportionment Commission. [ View an interactive version of the final Pa. House map ] Allegheny County Pittsburgh: 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 27, 34, 36, 38 Hampton Township: 28, 30 Upper St. Clair Township: 40, 42 Plum: 25, 32 West Mifflin: 35, 38 Berks County Reading: 126, 127, 129 Cumru Township: 99, 127, 128 Exeter Township: 126, 128 Spring Township: 5, 99, 129 Bucks County Middletown Township: 140, 142 New Britain Township: 143, 144 Northampton Township: 142, 178 Centre County State College: 77, 82 Chester County Advertisement Caln Township: 74, 155 East Goshen Township: 156, 167 Cumberland County Lower Allen Township: 87, 88 South Middleton Township: 87, 199 Dauphin County Harrisburg: 103, 104 Lower Paxton Township: 105, 125 Lower Swatara Township: 104, 106 Delaware County Darby Township: 162, 163 Marple Township: 165, 166 Middletown Township: 161, 168 Ridley Township: 161, 162 Upper Darby Township: 163, 164 Erie County Erie: 1, 2 Lackawanna County Scranton: 113, 114 Lancaster County Advertisement Lancaster: 49, 96 Manheim Township: 96, 97 Manor Township: 41, 97 Salisbury Township: 99, 100 Lehigh County Allentown: 22, 132, 134 Salisbury Township: 22, 131, 134 Upper Macungie Township: 132, 187 Monroe County Middle Smithfield Township: 115, 189 Stroud Township: 115, 189 Last Call Daily Get top headlines from The Morning Call delivered weekday afternoons. > Montgomery County Abington Township: 152, 153 Franconia Township: 53, 147 Lower Merion Township: 148, 149 Montgomery Township: 53, 151 Upper Dublin Township: 151, 153 West Norriton Township: 70, 150 Whitpain Township: 61, 70 Northampton County Hanover Township: 135, 137 Lower Saucon Township: 131, 136 Moore Township: 138, 183 Palmer Township: 136, 137 Philadelphia: 10, 170, 172, 173, 174, 175, 177, 179, 180, 181, 182, 184, 185, 186, 188, 190, 191, 192, 194, 195, 197, 198, 200, 201, 202, 203 Washington County Advertisement Carroll Township: 39, 48 North Strabane Township: 46, 48 Westmoreland County Lower Burrell: 55, 60 Derry Township: 55, 59 Mount Pleasant Township: 58, 59 North Huntingdon Township: 56, 58 York County Dover Township: 92, 196 Springettsbury Township: 47, 94 Morning Call Capitol correspondent Ford Turner can be reached at fturner@mcall.com A state Department of Public Health report in November that indicated nearly 40 Connecticut overdoses were possibly linked to fentanyl-laced marijuana sparking widespread attention and concern turned out to be one confirmed case and was probably caused by accidental contamination, an investigation has revealed. In November, the state DPH said there were 39 recent overdose incidents that officials believed to be associated with fentanyl-laced marijuana. At the time, the state said the patients required naloxone revival and they denied any opioid use and claimed to have only smoked marijuana. The state also said police in Plymouth obtained a sample at one scene that tested positive for fentanyl believed at the time to be the first confirmed case of fentanyl-laced marijuana in the country, officials said. However, Chris Boyle, a spokesperson for DPH, said a full analysis has now revealed at least 30 of the 39 overdoses were among patients with histories of opioid use. Boyle said the Plymouth sample was the only one that has tested positive for fentanyl. The state reviewed all marijuana samples submitted to the state Division of Scientific Services Lab from July 1 to Nov. 30 and found no other cannabis submissions that contained fentanyl, Boyle said. Based on the information gathered since the positive confirmation of marijuana with fentanyl, the CT ORS [Connecticut Overdose Response Strategy] assesses that the positive confirmation of marijuana with fentanyl was likely accidental contamination and an isolated incident, Boyle wrote in an email to Hearst Connecticut Media. The contamination likely occurred when the dealer failed to clean their instruments before processing the marijuana and cross-contaminated it with fentanyl, Boyle said. Anything bought off the street, including cannabis, has the potential to contain other substances, one of those being fentanyl, Boyle added. CT DPH has documented evidence, from not just the State Police Forensics Lab, but from the DEA lab as verification of the seized drug sample, that cannabis was contaminated with fentanyl. Cannabis advocates have said claims of fentanyl-laced marijuana are often myths that fuel panic around drug use. Despite this claim receiving prominent headlines over the past several years, there exist few, if any, confirmed cases of these claims being substantiated, said Paul Armentano, deputy director at the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Armentano pointed to a recent Vermont case in which police reported two incidents of fentanyl-laced cannabis. Further testing showed no fentanyl in either case. We really dont want to be alarmist, Robert Lawlor, the drug intelligence officer for the Connecticut Overdose Response Strategy team, said in November. We are trying to inform the people of what we know. There are still a lot of questions. It is just the one case that tested positive, but maybe we need to start paying a little more attention to these cases. Millions of people in the United States have opioid-use disorders, and more than 70,000 died in 2019 alone as a result of an opioid overdose, according to information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Risks of consumers buying tainted or adulterated cannabis products illicitly is also an argument in favor of legalizing the marijuana sales, Armentano said. Products from a legalized market are regulated. Connecticut has rules for testing cannabis products, and is in the process of establishing its recreational market. The first application window for business licenses in the recreational market opens this week. Such licensing and regulations largely eliminate bad actors and poor manufacturing practices from the equation ensuring that consumers have access to products of known purity and potency, Armentano said. The Connecticut Overdose Response Strategy Team advises that anyone using substances obtained illicitly know the signs of an opioid overdose, not use alone and keep naloxone on hand, according to the November news release. Boyle said illicit cannabis always has potential to contain other substances. Whether it's unintentional or intentional contamination, the person using the illicit cannabis will be affected and at risk of an opioid overdose, he said. Staff writer Tara ONeill contributed reporting. One day after the release of a lengthy report from an independent investigator into the chief states attorneys hiring of a powerful state budget officials daughter, Gov. Ned Lamont said Thursday that if he had the authority, he would remove Richard Colangelo Jr. When it comes to Colangelo, I dont hire him, I dont fire him, but if I did, hed be gone, Lamont said after an unrelated press conference in Farmington. Lamont pointed to the swift hiring of former U.S. Attorney Stanley Twardy, now an attorney at Day Pitney, to conduct an independent investigation into the matter. Lamont said he told Twardy to leave no stone unturned. The findings in the report are quite startling and raise profoundly serious questions about whether the chief state's attorney can continue to discharge the duties of the constitutional office he holds, said Supreme Court Justice Andrew McDonald, who heads the commission that could remove Colangelo from his role. The investigation stemmed from Colangelos hiring of Anastasia Diamantis, the daughter of Konstantinos Kosta Diamantis, deputy secretary for the Office of Policy and Management who resigned after he was placed on leave by Lamonts administration in October for what was then described as unspecified misconduct. Diamantis, who is also under investigation by the FBI, has since retired. When asked if Colangelo has lost the confidence of the public following the report, Lamont said, I have zero tolerance for this kind of ethical malfeasance and the deputy of OPM was gone very soon. A spokesperson for Colangelo did not respond Thursday about whether he would resign. Colangelo was appointed chief states attorney in January 2020 to fill the remainder of then Chief States Attorney Kevin Kanes term. He was reappointed to a full five-year term in June of last year. He previously served as the Stamford states attorney, prosecuting high-profile cases, including those charged in the death and disappearance of Jennifer Dulos. I am appalled and outraged by what happened, the breach the public trust. And I want everyone of my commissioners to have the same feeling right now, Lamont said Thursday. I want to hear exactly what we do in terms of hiring and holding people accountable. While Twardys nepotism investigation found no direct evidence of collusion between Colangelo and Kosta Diamantis over the hiring of his daughter, Anastasia, it questioned the accounts of all three as to how the hiring process unfolded. In the report, Twardy also said Colangelo and Kosta and Anastasia Diamantis lack credibility in the statements they provided to investigators. Colangelo hired Anastasia Diamantis as an executive assistant with a $99,000 salary around the same time he was requesting Kosta Diamantis for pay increases for himself and his top deputies, documents show. With the benefit of hindsight, Mr. Colangelo should have been more sensitive to issues relating to the appearance of a conflict of interest when making hiring decisions. But the simple truth is Mr. Colangelo was motivated only by his interest in fixing an unbalanced pay scale for the benefit of his employees, the state, and the people of Connecticut; he did absolutely nothing improper when trying to right that past wrong, attorney James I. Glasser wrote in a statement on Colangelos behalf. Mr. Colangelo is a dedicated career prosecutor who is well-regarded by his colleagues, judges and the defense bar. It is truly unfortunate that his motives are now being impugned and his actions questioned. Unlike most major leaders of other state agencies, Colangelo is not appointed by the governors office. Colangelo, whose position is codified in the state Constitution, is appointed by the Criminal Justice Commission, which is comprised of four lawyers, two judges and the chief states attorney. The commission has the ultimate say over the future of his role leading the Division of Criminal Justice. Colangelo, however, cannot weigh in on CJC decisions related to the chief states attorney position. By Connecticut statute, the commission is unable to discipline a sitting chief states attorney, but could remove the person from office. A sitting chief states attorney has never been removed from office since it was created in the 1970s. According to the law, if the commission believes the chief states attorney is guilty of misconduct, material neglect of duty or incompetence in the conduct of his office, it shall make such investigation as it deems proper, and shall prepare a statement in writing of the charges against such official summoning him to appear before the commission at a date named and show cause why he should not be removed from office. Considering no chief states attorney has been removed from the role, McDonald, who heads the Criminal Justice Commission, said he has asked the Attorney General's Office to advise the commission on the full extent of the due process that would need to be observed in any removal hearing. He noted that if a hearing is held, Colangelo could be represented by counsel and call witnesses in his defense. Attorney General William Tongs office said they are still reviewing the report and could not comment further on Thursday. They are going to have to make a decision, and I urge them to make a decision soon, Lamont said, referencing the Criminal Justice Commissions role in the matter. McDonald said the Criminal Justice Commission was in the process of organizing a special meeting to receive the full extent of advice from the Attorney General. The top Democrats in the state Senate on Thursday said they are looking closely at the issues and personnel involved. "Given the preliminary information provided to us and the public, we are deeply concerned by a number of actions that have taken place, Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney, D-New Haven, and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, said in a joint statement. We fully support the investigation into any potential wrongdoing, Looney and Duff said. We are reviewing the documents and will be speaking with our Democratic caucus members about the recent findings. House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, said the broader issue of human resources in state government should be scrutinized. We all know that nepotism runs deep, Candelora said in a phone interview. Given this report, I would like to join hands with the Democrats and the governor for a broader review on the way people are hired. I think this is the beginning of a much bigger problem in this administration. Calling for resignation of one individual falls short of the comprehensive investigation that is required. While the statute limits how the Criminal Justice Commission can respond to issues involving a chief states attorney, members are given broader authority with other roles they appoint, including the 13 states attorneys and the three deputy chief states attorneys. The statute reads that the commission can hand down punishment ranging from reprimand, demotion or suspension with or without pay for 15 days after just cause and a hearing is held. However, the commission has seldom taken any punitive action against a deputy chief states attorney or states attorney. In June 2020, the commission approved a four-day suspension of then Hartford States Attorney Gail P. Hardy over her handling of outstanding investigations into deadly use of force by police officers. Google Streetview / Contributed NEW LONDON A fire on Thursday in a building slated for demolition has been deemed an arson, according to officials. Firefighters responded to an alarm in Building A of 48 Crystal Ave. and found a fire in a bathtub in a third-floor apartment and the nearby stairs, Fire Marshal Vernon Skau said. OLD SAYBROOK Fifteen winning essays were selected among entrants of the sixth annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Essay Challenge, which includes one written by an Old Saybrook student. The announcement was made in a press release from the officer of U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. This year, the lawmaker received more than 2,200 entries from elementary, middle, and high school students from across Connecticut reflecting on Dr. Kings dream and their own aspirations, the news release said. The 2nd Congressional District winners include Catherine Minegar, who attends Old Saybrook High School. We honor Dr. Kings legacy by continuing his fight for justice and equality. Every year, I am so impressed by the students across Connecticut who submit essays of their reflections on Dr. King and their own dreams for a more just future, Murphy said in a prepares statement. Young people have always been at the forefront of the great social change movements, and their hope and determination continue to inspire me. In her essay, Minegar wrote Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) once said, Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope (King). Throughout recent years, this country has gradually fragmented into tiny splinters of various atrocities. A mountain of offenses and brutality has built up. Violence has been the headline for decades. Humanity is returning to ancient instincts of savagery and cruelty, a hard place of the past that seems to have no place among 20th-century advancements and technology. When MLK was alive, he battled similar forces standing in the way of the eradication of segregation, she wrote. MLK worked and sacrificed so much to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and to ensure that his fellow Black brothers and sisters would never again experience discrimination, Minegar said. Her full essay can be read at bit.ly/331bWMC. Winning essays are on display in Murphys Hartford office. As temperatures drop into the weekend, Gov. Ned Lamont has activated the states cold weather protocol to help find shelter for vulnerable populations. Lamont said the protocol will be in effect from noon Saturday to noon Sunday and will allow state and municipal agencies to coordinate with United Way 211 to find shelter for vulnerable populations, including homeless people. Rain was expected to change to a wintry mix on Friday as a cold front moves into Connecticut. The National Weather Service warned of dangerous road conditions as the temperatures drop. A spokesperson for the state Department of Transportation, which has been hampered by a national shortage of workers with a commercial drivers license, said crews are out in force. The agency typically supplements its workforce with the use of contractors, however we do not anticipate using them for this storm, Josh Morgan, the agencys spokesperson, said in a statement. We have over 600 trucks out now monitoring and treating roads and highways where necessary, and we are ready for the inclement weather. If the conditions change, we will reassess and adjust accordingly. He asked motorists to use extreme caution on the roads and not to drive close to plows. Many school districts statewide opted to cancel classes on Friday or planned for an early dismissal. In Norwalk like in many school districts across the state officials said the latest forecast indicates temperatures will drop below freezing by midday, causing possible flash freezing, icy conditions and hazardous travel at both regular and early dismissal times prompted the closure of the citys public schools for the day. Rain, with a possible mix of freezing rain, will fall through the afternoon before switching over to rain and sleet. Up to a half an inch of sleet is possible. Temperatures will fall to around 15 degrees with winds making it feel even colder, the weather service said. After the rain, itll be partly sunny on Saturday with a high temperature near 25 degrees. Wind chill values will make it feel closer to 5 to 15 degrees. Saturday night brings mostly clear skies and a low around 5 degrees. Sunday brings a high temperature near 30 degrees and a calm wind in the afternoon. At night, the temperature drop to a low around 20 degrees. When temperatures drop this low, it can be incredibly dangerous to be outdoors for extended periods of time, Lamont said in a statement Friday afternoon. Shelters and warming centers are available across Connecticut. Anyone in need can call 211 to get connected to a nearby location, and they can even provide transportation if necessary. 99 cent introductory offer Includes everything we offer online for 24-7 news. This option allows you to read unlimited stories at ctnewsonline.com, and access our e-Edition (digital replicate of the daily newspaper). $7.99 per month after the introductory offer. This service comes with a complimentary CT Select Card allowing for local discounts. Rates are subject to change. 5 1 of 5 Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 5 of 5 BRIDGEPORT Demolition has begun at what was previously the University of Bridgeports largest dormitory, Bodine Hall. The former residence hall is one of the buildings that will be torn down to relocate the nearly 100-year-old Bassick High School to the South End a plan that was further expanded to include the Bridgeport Military Academy last year. Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media BRIDGEPORT A Florida man, who sexually assaulted a teenage girl who had gone to him to be consoled for a prior, unrelated sexual assault, was sentenced Friday to five years in prison. This is embarrassing, 51-year-old Jason Zafrin told Superior Court Judge Tracy Lee Dayton as he stood before her. I am getting therapy and trying to do the right thing and this will never happen again, guaranteed. Grace Duffield / Hearst Connecticut Media New Canaan lawmakers are going to host a bipartisan community forum on Thursday, Feb. 3, at 7 p.m., in the Saxe Middle School auditorium about executive orders affecting education. The event is open to New Canaan residents, and will be streamed, and recorded via Facebook, for people, who cannot attend in person. Photo taken on Jan. 22, 2022 shows a canal near Kamal Khan dam in Nimroz province, Afghanistan.(Photo by Mashal/Xinhua) ZARANJ, Afghanistan, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- "This is the first time I have used any water from the Kamal Khan to irrigate my fields," said Bismillah Khan. The 75-year-old farmer, who lives in the arid Nimroz in western Afghanistan, has unusually high hopes for this year's harvest. Water from the Kamal Khan dam is irrigating thousands of hectares in Nimroz, perhaps a sign of better things to come for the farmers, who like everyone else in the country, are suffering after 20 years of war compounded by persistent drought. Neighboring Farah and Herat provinces also benefit from the new water source. The dam began filling up 10 months ago and has just begun releasing water for irrigation in the past couple of weeks. Most people in Nimroz rely almost entirely on agriculture and water from the dam will obviously help to raise yields. Farmers have suffered greatly from a two-year drought in Farah, Herat and Nimroz. Around 120,000 people in more than 100 villages now receive the much welcome water from the project. Construction of the dam began in 1974. The project was paused for almost 40 years until work restarted in 2017. Holding nearly 54 million cubic meters of water, the dam has the potential to assist in irrigating 180,000 hectares while generating 9 megawatts of electricity. The Afghan government reportedly has plans to build 22 dams across the country to deal with almost perpetual drought. "Our thirst for water for our fields been completely quenched by the construction of Kamal Khan dam," said Mohammad Zahir, a farmer whose crops include corn, melons and wheat. "I am sure I will have plenty of surplus this year to export to other provinces." Photo taken on Jan. 22, 2022 shows a canal near Kamal Khan dam in Nimroz province, Afghanistan.(Photo by Mashal/Xinhua) Photo taken on Jan. 22, 2022 shows a view with Kamal Khan dam in distance in Nimroz province, Afghanistan.(Photo by Mashal/Xinhua) Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media BRIDGEPORT One person was charged after shooting a security guard at the State Street YMCA with a pepper spray gun late Thursday, according to officials. Police said they responded to the area of the YMCA around 11:30 p.m. for a report of a person assaulted with a weapon. Scott Appleby, the citys director of emergency communications and emergency management, said a security guard called 911 and reported an occupant at the YMCA shot him in the face. The last time I was in the Legislative Office Building was March 10, 2020. I testified against a bill on involuntary outpatient commitment. Two days later, I woke up with a fever. I thought Id be back to work in two weeks but didnt return for months. Meanwhile, the state shut down. Last week, I read with bewilderment an opinion piece on reopening the Legislative Office Building. Full disclosure: I am a registered lobbyist for the Connecticut Legal Rights Project. I have spent many hours at the LOB. There is an energy about the building when the General Assembly is in session, especially when controversial bills have public hearings. I will concede that testifying over Zoom is not quite the same. However, here is a list of things I do not miss. Circling the parking lot looking for a space to park. Standing in line to sign up for a hearing. Sitting around all day waiting to testify. People clamoring for the building to reopen without restriction and for all legislative business to return to the way it was prepandemic may not realize that if that were to happen, many Connecticut residents couldnt come into the building. People with disabilities who are at high risk of serious illness from COVID-19 could not participate in hearings if they were held only in person. Remote hearings provide a level of accessibility to disabled people that simply was not present before. Granted, not everyone has equal access to technology, and many need help with Zoom hearings. Advocacy groups like the Keep the Promise Coalition have helped people sign up for hearings. The efforts of legislative staff to accommodate people with disabilities so they can participate in the legislative process have been phenomenal. I am still recovering from my bout with COVID. Last session, I couldnt have gone the LOB even if it had been open. But I testified at many public hearings. Instead of driving to Hartford, finding a place to park and then finding a place to wait until it was my turn to testify, I needed only to log onto my computer. I could rest until it was my turn on the speaker list. I would sit up in my chair to testify, and when I was done, I would turn off the camera and go back to bed. Multiple hearings on the same day? Repeat the process. And yes, on more than one occasion I was logged into different Zoom meetings on different devices. Almost as much fun as running between hearing rooms! People should not have to be physically present and in legislators faces to have their voices heard; indeed, they do not have to be. Remote hearings have enabled many of us to connect to our legislators. In fact, people in inpatient psychiatric facilities operated by the state were able to testify remotely to the legislative Connecticut Valley Hospital-Whiting Task Force. I am hoping that, having seen it works, the legislature will ensure that people in state facilities are able to testify on proposals that will directly impact them. The disability community has a saying: Nothing about us without us. We need to keep civic participation accessible. Oregon recently enacted a law allowing people to participate in public hearings remotely. Connecticut should do the same. Kathy Flaherty is executive director at the Connecticut Legal Rights Project. Publishers Note: CUInsight is hosting our first Mini-Con of the year on Wednesday, February 16th titled, LEAD. We hope youll join us to hear more from our keynote speaker Hamza Khan! Register here. The short answer to the question of how can I become a better manager is to stop managing altogether and to start leading instead. For in the wise words of Admiral Grace Murray Hopper, you manage things; you lead people. Leading in 2022 (and beyond) requires operationalizing and maximizing four distinctly human values: servitude, innovation, diversity, and empathy. To create value-driven, change-friendly, self-disrupting, and future-proof organizations, modern leaders should consider implementing the following four tried-and-tested strategies: 1. Co-Create the Organization To get the best results out of your team, foster an environment where they think and feel like owners in the company. Think like an owner is a phrase used by leaders to get their employees to perform at an elite level. But its a cop-out if the leaders dont actually treat their employees as owners. Here are some practical ways to inspire owner-level contributions from your employees: Be transparent about how you make business and compensation decisions. When leaders share company goals, priorities, initiatives, and challenges, employees can make better choices regarding their priorities. When leaders share company goals, priorities, initiatives, and challenges, employees can make better choices regarding their priorities. Ask employees to set their own goals. The familiar Objectives and Key Results (OKR) method, which dates back to the 1980s, is particularly useful here. It removes misunderstandings and puts the responsibility on everyone to meet their commitments. The familiar Objectives and Key Results (OKR) method, which dates back to the 1980s, is particularly useful here. It removes misunderstandings and puts the responsibility on everyone to meet their commitments. Provide an upside. Give people a stake in the success of the organization. Traditionally, this could be stock options, a monthly bonus, or profit-sharing. Give people a stake in the success of the organization. Traditionally, this could be stock options, a monthly bonus, or profit-sharing. Give stretch goals. A stretch goal is a project that requires new expertise to complete. Research from the organizational consulting firm Korn Ferry found that stretch goals are better than action learning, mentoring, exposure to more senior leaders, and formal classroom training for building skills. A stretch goal is a project that requires new expertise to complete. Research from the organizational consulting firm Korn Ferry found that stretch goals are better than action learning, mentoring, exposure to more senior leaders, and formal classroom training for building skills. Encourage employee feedback. Regularly ask your employees these three questions: 1) What are we doing well? 2) What do we need to improve? 3) What else is on your mind? Regularly ask your employees these three questions: 1) What are we doing well? 2) What do we need to improve? 3) What else is on your mind? Take employee input seriously. Employees who feel like their opinions make a difference in their organization feel more invested in its success. Also, this practice sets a precedent for a feedback-driven environment, in which every person is growing and improving. Harvard Business School professor Francesco Gino suggests that empowering employees to think like owners is an antidote to disengagement. And the cost of disengaged employees is startling. In the United States alone, its estimated to be approximately $550 billion a year. And thats only the direct financial losses. What about the negative influences on culture? Poor customer service? Employee attrition? Lower productivity? All of these failings are directly linked to employee disengagement. In addition to investing in employees, Gino argues that fostering an ownership mentality increases the likelihood that employees will positively impact others around them. When you take the time to encourage employees to think like owners, theyll grow more productive and effective. As well, theyll feel more valued as members of the organization. 2. Assign the Time for Innovation Allocate time for your team to follow their own creativity wherever it leads. And allocate financial resources to support experimentation and creative events. For innovation to truly become a part of the culture, it must be reflected in the organizations budget. Not just its financial budget, but also in the budget which represents the organizations priorities most accurately: time. Broadly speaking, there are two approaches to this (and theyre not mutually exclusive): Structured time. One of Googles best-known innovation mechanisms was its policy of 20 percent time, allowing engineers to spend 20 percent of their work time on personal projects of their own choosing. The result? Gmail, AdSense, Google Talk, and other popular services. Several top companies, including those in the Fortune 50, use the 70-20-10 model: people spend 70 percent of their time focusing on their main roles, 20 percent on initiatives for the greater good, and 10 percent on learning. One of Googles best-known innovation mechanisms was its policy of 20 percent time, allowing engineers to spend 20 percent of their work time on personal projects of their own choosing. The result? Gmail, AdSense, Google Talk, and other popular services. Several top companies, including those in the Fortune 50, use the 70-20-10 model: people spend 70 percent of their time focusing on their main roles, 20 percent on initiatives for the greater good, and 10 percent on learning. Structured events. Microsoft, under Satya Nadella, hosts the annual Microsoft Hackathon, which the company calls the largest private hackathon in the world. Though only a handful of the projects pitched lead to mainstream products, any of them could be a game-changing idea one day. Nadella knows that tomorrow is just around the corner. Allocating an entire organizations time and other resources towards innovation can seem counterproductive. Why, after all, should leaders shift the status quo, especially if theres no revenue to be generated immediately? Innovation is about generating ideas that will prevent the company from failing in the future. Consider research by the BCG Henderson Institute which reveals that in recessions and downturns, 14 percent of companies outperform both historically and competitively, because they invest in new growth areas. If you can keep your teams imagination alive, especially under pressure, your organization can reap significant value. 3. Examine and Challenge Unconscious Bias Privilege is invisible to those who have it. Continually educate yourself and your organization about who might unintentionally be excluded from full participation. In a TED Talk about diversity, Yassmin Abdel-Magied explains, Unconscious bias is not the same as conscious discrimination. Theyre the filters through which we see the world. We rely on filters to speed up our decision-making. And when time is short and pressure is high, we can rely on them too much. The 2016 #OscarsSoWhite controversy effectively uncovered a systemic problem rooted in unconscious bias: the Oscar voting pool was biased to overlook Black talent, which in turn made studios less likely to support Black talent, thereby minimizing the chance for Black talent to stand out in the first place. A circular problem. This is the very same problem revealed by Harvards Implicit Association Test, which demonstrates that 75 percent of people have a preference for white people over Black people when it comes to hiring. When the decision-makers are homogeneous, their unconscious bias keeps diversity away. But this can be fixed. A Los Angeles-based HR consultancy, Peoplescape, produced a handy guide on how to fix unconscious bias. The solutions are all about coming to terms with reality: Face yourself. Raise your awareness about your own biases. A good place to start is to take the aforementioned Implicit Association Test, at the Project Implicit website. Its a brief and easy online test. Raise your awareness about your own biases. A good place to start is to take the aforementioned Implicit Association Test, at the Project Implicit website. Its a brief and easy online test. Face your board. Enabling diversity in an organization starts at the top. Your board members influence the decisions you make based on their own unconscious biases. And dont be afraid to challenge them. Identify any imbalance in what should be a holistic board comprised of diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences. Enabling diversity in an organization starts at the top. Your board members influence the decisions you make based on their own unconscious biases. And dont be afraid to challenge them. Identify any imbalance in what should be a holistic board comprised of diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences. Face your processes. Review your recruitment and promotion processes. Are they geared towards surrounding you with people who are different from you? Review your recruitment and promotion processes. Are they geared towards surrounding you with people who are different from you? Face your team. Seek out workshops that get at the unwritten cultural rules and how everyday stuff can enable behaviors that we dont want to encourage. Its not enough to state your commitment to diversity and your opposition to overt racism. To truly change, an organization must make unconscious bias education and training a priority. The result is to open up a new array of possibilities, giving rise to critical and commercial victories such as the Black Panther film and Roc Nations partnership with the NFL. By examining and challenging unconscious bias, by allocating time and money towards it, you make diversity a priority. And an investment in diversity is an investment in your organizations longevity. 4. Embark on a Listening Tour Learn vital information about your organization by intentionally listening to the people who compose it as well as those who interact with it. According to a recent study by employee engagement firm Sideways 6, more than 40 percent of workers state that they are afraid to bring ideas or concerns to upper management. This is to the detriment of any business because, without a complete picture of employee ideas and apprehensions, a leader risks missing the mark. As a modern leader, to truly understand your organization in a useful way you should work on understanding its internal and external environments. Begin this process as early as possible; if you cant do it during a probationary period, then do it within the first 100 days of your appointment. Starting as soon as you can will help you to identify issues and address them before they have a chance to manifest into problems that are impossible to untangle. As a leader, its imperative that you step into your leadership moment with optimal situational awareness, with your mind and heart wide open. Schedule meetings with a full spectrum of people across the organizations value chain, from executives to front-line workers, to investors, to customers, and everyone in-between (even competitors, if you can). Strive for a variety of perspectives from different functional areas of the operation, especially the organizations leadership. To get started, ask the following questions about the organization: Whats working? Whats not working? What are our strengths? What are our weaknesses? What are the opportunities for growth? What are the threats to our organization? Compile the answers, summarize them, and then use your findings to guide your first 100 days as a new leader. Evaluating the data against the organizational mission, vision, values, principles, and purpose. This diagnostic is critical to the organizations success, as it challenges your perception of the organization, potentially exposing blind spots. It works effectively early on, as well as throughout your leadership journey. Remember to never stop listening. Create or invest in mechanisms to ask these questions and obtain this data regularly. The more information you have, the more situational awareness (and even self-awareness) youll develop. As a leader, one of your responsibilities is to ensure that the rate of change inside the organization (beginning in the inner sanctum of a leaders heart and mind) exceeds the rate of change outside of the organization. And that must begin with a clear understanding of what exactly is on the inside and the outside. Avoidant, aggressive, and authoritarian leadership have caused the demise of many great organizations. Leave the old paradigms in our pre-COVID world. Instead, embrace new standardsespecially the values of servitude, innovation, diversity, and empathy. Those core values will allow you to anticipate and prepare for adversity long before it happens. Embracing them will grant you true resilience. And as a more resilient leader, you will create a more resilient organization. Stop managing, start leading. Publishers Note: CUInsight is hosting our first Mini-Con of the year on Wednesday, February 16th titled, LEAD. We hope youll join us to hear more from our keynote speaker Hamza Khan! Register here. Representatives from 16 Kenyan SACCOs participated in the two-day workshop. In January, World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) co-hosted a workshop in Kenya with Microsofts African Development Center and the Kenya Union of Saving and Credit Cooperatives (KUSCCO). This presented a momentous opportunity for professionals from 16 savings and credit cooperatives societies (SACCOs) to learn how to digitize and expand their small and medium enterprises (SME) lending processes. The two-day workshop in Mombasa marked the first event WOCCU has conducted with Microsofts African Development Center, through its 4Afrika initiative, since the two parties signed a 2021 memorandum of understanding (MoU) to help accelerate SACCOs digital transformation. WOCCUs Technology and Innovation for Financial Inclusion (TIFI) Project, funded by the USAID Cooperative Development Program (CDP), is increasing credit union lending to SMEs through digital solutions and the implementation of the WOCCU TIFI SME Lending Toolkit. How digitization can improve SME lending Participants from Microsoft demonstrated how digital transformation in SACCOs can build trust among members and improve loan repayments. For example, digitization can enable a SACCO to get more information about a member or client that will better enable informed decision making. The digitization of loan underwriting tools will also enable better credit scoring and timely decision making, thus enabling a SACCO to manage risks and improve their bottom line. SACCO attendees articulated some challenges they face in digital transformation, including: Technology vendors often lack capacity, so are reluctant to provide system support to SACCOs. Technology solutions & licenses can be cost prohibitive for some SACCOs. Many SACCOs lack the cybersecurity necessary to safeguard the software. Some face limited integration capabilities with third party solutions through Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Due to those concerns, WOCCU, KUSCCO and Microsoft are designing a strategic partnership program to address these challenges: TIFI lending methodology The workshop also allowed attendees to take a deep dive into the TIFI lending methodology. A TIFI pilot program is currently testing a loan underwriting tool with four SACCOs. The tool is part of a SME lending toolkit designed by TIFI that is meant to: Reduce lending risk by credit unions to SMEs, which often do not have formal or documented credit histories and may not be able to provide the same types of documentation and collateral that are required for more traditional loans. Streamline and simplify the SME lending process, thereby reducing costs. Increase the number and quality of financial products available to SMEs, thereby increasing SME financial inclusion. While attendees showed a general acceptance and excitement for SACCOs to invest their funds in SME lending, many noted the SME lending methodology marks a shift from their normal way of doing things, which means it must be reinforced through continual training and monitoring. They also voiced the opinion that the continuous refinement of the loan underwriting tool, including its eventual digitization, would be critical to its success. TIFI is in the process of designing a comprehensive digital strategy, digital business plans and financial models for innovative digital financial solutions. This will comprise a market research and feasibility study on the available digital platforms and marketplace models related to SACCO-SME lending. That work, along with continuous feedback from SACCOs, through additional workshops with Microsoft, will help WOCCU TIFI develop a demand-driven digital tool SACCOs can use to expand their SME lending portfolios moving forward. WOCCU TIFI conducts its work with SACCOs in Kenya through a partnership with the Kenya Union of Saving and Credit Cooperatives (KUSCCO). TIFI also works with partner institutions in Burkina Faso, Guatemala and Senegal to expand SME lending. These partner institutions represent and provide technical support to multi-million-member networks of credit unions. You can learn more about the WOCCU TIFI Project here. Welcome to the CUInsight Minute, sixty seconds from our Publisher & CEO Lauren Culp with our favorite reads from the week. Mentioned: *Register for the 2022 CUInsight Mini-Con Series here! Its time to take a two-pronged approach to payments growth by CO-OP FINANCIAL SERVICES Despite COVIDs continued, stubborn grip on the economy, banks are pursuing and capturing new credit cardholders with aggressive marketing strategies, more lenient underwriting criteria and rich rewards, while credit unions have largely remained on the sidelines. And credit union members are noticing. (read more) Financial well-being for all is people helping people by GIGI HYLAND, NATIONAL CREDIT UNION FOUNDATION (THE FOUNDATION) Lifes most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others? Those words from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as so many of us prepare to attend CUNAs Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC) in our nations capital feel especially apt. (read more) 4 ways to be a better manager in 2022 by HAMZA KHAN The short answer to the question of how can I become a better manager is to stop managing altogether and to start leading instead. For in the wise words of Admiral Grace Murray Hopper, you manage things; you lead people. Leading in 2022 (and beyond) requires operationalizing and maximizing four distinctly human values: servitude, innovation, diversity, and empathy. To create value-driven, change-friendly, self-disrupting, and future-proof organizations, modern leaders should consider implementing the following four tried-and-tested strategies. (read more) CUNA opened registration today for CUNA GAC On-Air, a limited-content, virtual option to attend the 2022 CUNA Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC). The 2022 CUNA GAC will take place Feb. 27 to March 3 in Washington, D.C. Wed love to see as many credit union leaders in person as possible, but we also felt it was important to give everyone a chance to sample a part of this years CUNA GAC, said CUNA Chief Products and Services Officer Todd Spiczenski. Our virtual option will be a taste of GAC, featuring a mix of live content and recorded sessions designed to capture the spirit of this years event. Virtual content will include CUNA President/CEO Jim Nussles speech, the ED (Filene) talk with Mick Ebeling, an economic update with CUNA Chief Economist Mike Schenk, and more. Funeral services for Hilda Jacqueline Smith, 91, of Cullman will be 2 p.m. Friday, April 29, 2022 at the Cullman Funeral Home Chapel. The family will receive friends from 12 a.m. to 2 p.m. prior to service. The interment will be in the Cullman City Cemetery. Reverend Randy Phillips & Rev Prisoners are released from Welikada prison in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Feb. 4, 2022. (Photo by Gayan Sameera/Xinhua) COLOMBO, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Friday granted amnesty to 197 prisoners on the country's 74th Independence Day, the government information department said. The prisoners were released at a ceremony held in Colombo's Welikada prison. The prison's spokesperson Chandana Ekanayake said those released were serving minor sentences and some of them had not been able to pay their fines. Prisoners over the age of 65 and those who had completed 50 percent of the jail term were also among those who were released under the presidential pardon. The amnesty did not apply to those convicted for murder, drug offences, rape and armed robbery, Ekanayake said. Sri Lanka got its independence from British rule on Feb. 4 of 1948, and a grand military parade was held to celebrate its 74th Independence Day. Prisoners are released from Welikada prison in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Feb. 4, 2022. (Photo by Gayan Sameera/Xinhua) Prisoners are released from Welikada prison in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Feb. 4, 2022. (Photo by Gayan Sameera/Xinhua) Instant unlimited access to all of our content on currypilot.com. The Curry Coastal Pilot's E-Edition Newsletter emailed to you each week, the night before the paper hits the street! This subscription is for NEW or RENEWING online subscribers. (The charge will appear as "Country Media Inc." on your credit card statement) ANKARA, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- Israeli President Isaac Herzog will visit Turkey in mid-March, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday, noting the two countries seek to restore bilateral ties. "With this visit, we will endeavor to put our bilateral relations on a very different ground for the future, in a positive direction," Erdogan told reporters at Ankara's Esenboga Airport before departing for Ukraine. On the fact that Israel had sent its special representatives to Turkey, Erdogan said Turkish special envoys would also travel to Israel before Herzog's visit. Turkey's relations with Israel have deteriorated since 2010, when a Turkish-led flotilla trying to break Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip clashed with Israeli forces, killing 10 Turks onboard. Before 2010, Turkey and Israel had long been in close relations, including military and intelligence cooperation. Reconciliation attempts did not yield full recovery of ties between the two countries because Erdogan is a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause. In a more recent spat in 2018 when the United States moved its embassy to Jerusalem, Turkey expelled the Israeli ambassador from Ankara. The two countries have been working on a rapprochement in recent months, with Erdogan holding phone talks with Herzog. On Jan. 16, the Turkish president said Ankara was interested in resuming talks with Israel over transporting Israeli natural gas to Europe through Turkey. His remarks came after the United States dropped support for the EastMed pipeline, a rival project involving Israel, Cyprus and Turkey's neighbor and rival Greece. In 2016, Turkey and Israel held a series of talks for the transport of Israeli gas through Turkey as part of reconciliation efforts, but the discussions were fruitless. Corinth, MS (38834) Today Mixed clouds and sun this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 86F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi (R) meets with Commissioner-General of the UNRWA Philippe Lazzarini in Amman, Jordan, on Feb. 3, 2022. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua) AMMAN, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- Jordan is intensifying its efforts to mobilize political and financial support for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said Thursday. Safadi made the remarks during a meeting with UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, where they discussed means to provide sustainable support to the agency and enable it to continue its vital services for some 5.7 million Palestinian refugees, Jordanian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Safadi renewed Jordan's unaltered stance that the agency must continue its operations until the Palestinian refugee issue is solved based on the two-state solution, it said. He also warned about the humanitarian, political and security repercussions that would have huge impact on the region's security and stability, if the agency is unable to offer its services. For his part, Lazzarini praised the continuous Jordanian efforts to mobilize international support for UNRWA and help it cover its financial deficit. Memphis, TN (38152) Today Isolated thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. High 81F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Overcast. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Carolyn Caudill Tipton, age 83, of Corbin, KY, passed away on Saturday April 30, 2022, in Corbin She was born in Ashland, KY, a daughter of the late Rexford & Mollie DeBord Caudill. Carolyn was a retired nursing home LPN. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her child BANGKOK, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- The first batch of diesel locomotives manufactured by China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) Qishuyan Co. Ltd was officially handed over to the Thai railway authorities on Friday, which would boost efforts of Thailand to improve its railway service. The delivery of the 20 diesel AC motor locomotives was the first batch of the 50 locomotives ordered by the State Railway of Thailand in its largest single locomotive order. Speaking at the handover ceremony at the Siracha railway station in Chon Buri Province, Governor of State Railway of Thailand Nirut Maneephan said that his agency is making great efforts to develop the country's railway infrastructure in a bid to achieve an even greater modernization of Thailand's railway system. The new diesel locomotives could help the State Railway of Thailand to provide faster and safer transportation of passengers and freight, thus improving the quality of service of the Thai railway, he said. According to CRRC Qishuyan, the latest locomotives were customized for the State Railway of Thailand with a maximum operating speed of 120 km per hour. Someone is diagnosed with cancer every 90 seconds in the UK. My dad was one of them. I lost him to this horrendous disease and know too well the pain and grief that comes with it. By the time he was diagnosed, the cancer had already spread and it was too late. I want to thank all the NHS staff who worked tirelessly to keep cancer services going for more than half a million cancer patients during the pandemic. Undoubtedly though, cancer care has taken a hit. While we are among the best in Europe for diagnosis of some cancers, compared to other countries, we sadly lag behind on many more. And as we learn to live with Covid-19, its my mission to change that. Thats why this World Cancer Day Im launching a call for evidence for a new Ten Year Cancer Plan for England to understand what lessons can be learned and how we can lead the world on cancer care. Work is already under way that is making a difference. Were launching 100 Community Diagnostic Centres one-stop shops for easier and faster access to cancer tests. Milton Keynes hospital is the first hospital in Europe to use state-of-the-art surgical robots for major gynaecological surgery. Pictured: Sajid Javid's father Abdul Ghani-Javid who passed away from cancer eight years ago The NHS is also piloting a device that can examine patients painlessly by swallowing a camera pill, avoiding the need for a colonoscopy. In addition, were investing record funding into the NHS an extra 2billion this year and 8billion over the next three years to cut waiting times. This includes by delivering millions of additional checks, scans and operations. But we need to go further and faster. There is so much we can do. I am determined to prevent as many people as possible from getting cancer in the first place. Smoking is one of the biggest risk factors, with six million smokers in England, and obesity also plays a major role in increasing your likelihood of getting cancer. I also want people to get earlier diagnosis so we save more lives. The sooner you are diagnosed, the faster you can be treated and the more likely you will survive. Screening for cancers needs to be open to more people. Finally, we must make the most of technology and new treatments. It is very possible new approaches could transform the way we detect cancer or develop vaccines like the HPV vaccine to stop it in its tracks. Tackling cancer is a top priority for me, and I want us to lead the way in Europe in treating all cancers. This is a national war on cancer and we need the nations help. I want to hear from all of you to shape our Ten Year Cancer Plan. Sajid Javid declares war on cancer: Health Secretary launches ten-year plan to improve dismal survival rate for the disease after Covid pandemic led to 50,000 fewer diagnoses By Shaun Wooller, Health Correspondent for the Daily Mail Sajid Javid will today declare a national war on cancer in a bid to improve Britains dismal survival rate for the disease. The Health Secretary will promise an ambitious Ten Year Cancer Plan that aims to make England the best place in the world to receive care. It will focus on diagnosing tumours earlier when they are easier to treat and encouraging people to adopt healthier lifestyles that reduce their odds of getting the disease. Mr Javid will also pledge to boost staff numbers and back research into cutting-edge mRNA cancer vaccines and drugs that will help save more lives. Cancer remains the biggest cause of death from disease in the UK, with survival rates lagging behind those of many other developed nations. The Covid pandemic has had a devastating impact on NHS cancer care and services, with treatment disrupted and tens of thousands fewer people coming forward for checks. Pictured: Health Secretary Sajid Javid will today declare a national war on cancer in a bid to improve Britains dismal survival rate for the disease after diagnoses dropped in the pandemic Mr Javid will set out his vision and call for experts and patients to contribute to the plan in a speech at the Francis Crick Institute, in central London, today World Cancer Day. He is expected to say: Let this be the day where we declare a national war on cancer. We have published the call for evidence for a new Ten Year Cancer Plan for England, a searching new vision for how we will lead the world in cancer care. This plan will show how we are learning the lessons from the pandemic, and apply them to improving cancer services over the next decade. It will take a far-reaching look at how we want cancer care to be in 2032 ten years from now looking at all stages, from prevention, to diagnosis, to treatment and vaccines. We want to hear views from far and wide to help us shape this work. Please join us in this effort, so fewer people face the heartache of losing a loved one to this wretched disease. There were nearly 50,000 fewer cancer diagnoses across the UK during the pandemic and NHS cancer treatments fell by 6 per cent. Mr Javid will set out his vision and call for experts and patients to contribute to the plan in a speech at the Francis Crick Institute (pictured), in central London, today World Cancer Day The latest figures published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) show there were 216 cancer deaths for every 100,000 people in the UK in 2019. This compares with an OECD average of 191, with 118 in Mexico, 178 in the US and 180 in Australia. The UK also has far fewer diagnostic CT, MRI and PET scanners, with just 16 per million people, compared with an average of 45 across the 38 OECD countries, according to the figures. A key part of the strategy will be building on the latest scientific advances and partnering with the countrys technology pioneers. The NHS is expected to make more use of artificial intelligence, which has the potential to identify tumours in scans and spot patients at increased risk of disease. Cally Palmer, national cancer director for the NHS, said: The NHS is committed to saving more lives from cancer by finding more cases at an earlier stage when they are easier to treat. The ambitious ten-point cancer plan will focus on diagnosing tumours earlier when they are easier to treat while encouraging healthier lifestyles to reduce the risk of catching cancer 'It is this action that will ultimately help us to save thousands of lives sadly lost to cancer every year. Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of the charity Cancer Research UK, said: For years, progress in cancer has been too slow and due to the disruption of the pandemic, we now face the prospect of that progress stalling. 'We should not be satisfied with the pace of change to date, or the fact that the burden of cancer weighs heaviest on the most deprived in the UK. The public consultation will run for eight weeks, with the Ten Year Cancer Plan expected to be published this summer. Every day across the country, police officers are asked to tackle on our behalf a complex mosaic of difficult, diverse and often extremely dangerous situations. In Greater London those challenges are at their most intense. Terrorism, armed robbery, violent protest, gangsterism, knife crime and drug-related murder sadly now afflict every corner of Britain. In the capital they occur almost as a matter of routine. Which makes it all the more remarkable that the vast majority of its 33,000 policemen and women fulfil the Office of Constable with such skill and fairness. But do these hard-pressed footsoldiers have the quality of leadership and supervision they deserve? As events of the past few days indeed the past few years vividly demonstrate, the answer to that question is, regrettably, no. This week the publication of the Operation Hotton report, an investigation into the conduct of officers at a central London police station between 2016 and 2018, provided yet more evidence of the malignant tumour gnawing at the heart of the Metropolitan Police. This week the publication of the Operation Hotton report, an investigation into the conduct of officers at a central London police station between 2016 and 2018, provided yet more evidence of the malignant tumour gnawing at the heart of the Metropolitan Police Though by no means incurable, it has been allowed to go untreated for far too long. Unless it's cut out with urgency and genuine resolve, it will continue to spread through the police corpus. History tells us how catastrophic that could be. For we've been here before indeed the disease in the early 1970s was much, much worse. Almost exactly 50 years ago, Robert Mark a steely Normandy veteran who brought a missionary zeal to his work took over as Met Commissioner. The once proud organisation had by then become a byword for institutional corruption. The Drugs Squad was involved in trafficking illegal narcotics; Flying Squad officers were in cahoots with thieves and robbers; the Obscene Publications Branch ran a Soho protection racket, and regional crime squad detectives would drop charges or arrange bail for the right price. As a young crime correspondent, I once interviewed an armed robber named Bobby King (a thoroughly charming man when he didn't have a shotgun in his hand) who said the best thing that could happen if he was arrested outside London was for Yard detectives to be called in. 'You knew you could always do business with them,' he said. So many officers had cosy criminal contacts that major inquiries such as that into the notorious Kray twins had to be taken out of the Yard to a secret location so the gang wouldn't be tipped off at every stage So many officers had cosy criminal contacts that major inquiries such as that into the notorious Kray twins had to be taken out of the Yard to a secret location so the gang wouldn't be tipped off at every stage. Indeed, the CID was so irredeemably bent that Commander Mark felt compelled to observe in his inaugural address that a good police force 'is one which catches more criminals than it employs'. Mark was determined to bring down the whole rotten edifice, manically hacking away at the dead and diseased wood. He vowed 'to make virtue fashionable again'. The commanders of the Flying Squad and Obscene Publications Branch were among some 20 detectives who eventually went to prison. Many more were sacked or retired on spurious health grounds. He stripped the CID of its authority and placed uniformed officers in key positions of command. A new independent complaints and discipline department (A10) was set up and a man whose main expertise had been in traffic policing was placed in overall charge of CID. Whistle-blowing was positively encouraged, as were informal contacts with the Press. Mark knew the main corruption scandals had been uncovered first by newspaper investigations and saw such journalistic endeavour as an important weapon for rooting out malpractice. Compare this open approach with the authoritarian mentality of Bernard Hogan-Howe, Met commissioner 2011-2017 and now seeking to be head of 'Britain's FBI', the National Criminal Agency Compare this open approach with the authoritarian mentality of Bernard Hogan-Howe, Met commissioner 2011-2017 and now seeking to be head of 'Britain's FBI', the National Criminal Agency. One of his first moves was to use the Official Secrets Act legislation intended to snare spies and insurrectionists to compel a Guardian journalist to reveal the source of a story although no issue of national security was involved. He also deployed up to 200 officers pursuing often flimsy charges against journalists, nearly all of which fell apart in court many before. Having cleaned out the Augean stables and laid the foundations of modern policing, Mark was followed by some other outstanding commissioners. Kenneth Newman, who had seen service in the bitter Palestine emergency in 1945 and later as head of the RUC, reorganised the force to make it more localised and responsive. The avuncular Peter Imbert, a former bomb squad officer, began to break the boozy, macho 'canteen culture'. His successor Paul Condon finished the job by converting the notorious 'Tank' bar, in the Yard basement, into a gymnasium. Policing today is of course infinitely more complicated and closely scrutinised than it was 50 years ago and the role of Met Commissioner is by far its toughest challenge. But the fundamentals are the same. We ignore the lessons of the past at our peril Like Mark, the overriding concern of these men was for the welfare and integrity of the front-line bobby, who is the force's most visible representative and often bears the brunt of society's ills. Policing today is of course infinitely more complicated and closely scrutinised than it was 50 years ago and the role of Met Commissioner is by far its toughest challenge. But the fundamentals are the same. We ignore the lessons of the past at our peril. Which brings us to today. The findings of Operation Hotton, conducted by the Independent Office for Police Conduct and published on Tuesday, was an appalling indictment of the 'toxic' culture at Charing Cross police station, one of the most centrally located and important in the Met. A trawl of mobile phone and laptop data revealed everyday sexism, racism and homophobia to be rife among junior officers. Some of the 'banter' they shared is utterly vile disgusting jokes about rape, violence against women, the fun of dressing as sex offenders and using African children as dog food. Officers expected to serve without prejudice had descended into a swamp of bigotry. They were showing contempt for the public and committing affronts to common decency for which the term 'gross misconduct' is hardly sufficient. And no one was stopping them! A trawl of mobile phone and laptop data revealed everyday sexism, racism and homophobia to be rife among junior officers. Some of the 'banter' they shared is utterly vile disgusting jokes about rape, violence against women, the fun of dressing as sex offenders and using African children as dog food One officer allegedly had sex with a drunken woman in the station, apparently without anyone suggesting this might be inappropriate behaviour. So, as well as an abject failure of supervision from the top, there was also a conspiracy of silence in the lower ranks. Commissioner Cressida Dick clung as ever to the 'few bad apples' defence and pledged a crackdown. But this was clearly a pattern of shocking behaviour on which she has manifestly failed to get any kind of grip. Although no longer based at Charing Cross, nine of the 14 officers investigated are still working for the Met, with just two dismissed. Is that really her idea of cracking down? It is easy to demand, as many are doing, that Dick should be fired. Heaven knows there are plenty of reasons why. How she survived the criminally bungled operation in 2005 which culminated in the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes to become Commissioner in the first place remains a mystery. It is easy to demand, as many are doing, that Dick should be fired. Heaven knows there are plenty of reasons why Dick was 'gold commander' that day, the one who gave the final order sanctioning lethal force against an innocent man. Yet she managed to escape blame. She was intimately involved in the grotesque Operation Midland, launched by her predecessor Hogan-Howe and one of the most disastrous and incompetent episodes in the Met's history during which the arrant lies of a deranged fantasist led to a hysterical witch hunt for a non-existent VIP paedophile ring. In the process, former home secretary Leon Brittan was hounded to his death, ex-MP Harvey Proctor was traduced and forced out of his job, and the home of nonagenarian war hero and former chief of defence staff Lord Bramall was ransacked, to the extreme distress of his wife who had dementia. But the most egregious horror to occur on Dick's watch was the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by serving Met policeman Wayne Couzens. How on earth could such a monster ever have made it through the recruitment vetting process then remain in the force despite a wealth of evidence that he was a dangerous pervert? Three times he had been accused of indecent exposure (including at a branch of McDonald's) and once of sexually assaulting a drag queen in a Kent pub. Female colleagues even nicknamed him 'the rapist' because they found him so creepy but were reluctant to report him for fear of being shunned or abused by other male colleagues. But the most egregious horror to occur on Dick's watch was the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by serving Met policeman Wayne Couzens That reticence, and the failure of any supervising officer to notice his deviant behaviour and have him thrown out, led directly to Sarah Everard's murder. The case has sinister echoes of the unlawful killing in 2009 of Ian Tomlinson by PC Simon Harwood, another policeman who managed to stay in the Met despite a catalogue of atrocious behaviour. Harwood struck Mr Tomlinson, an innocent bystander at a City of London demonstration, with his baton from behind without provocation and threw him to the ground. Mr Tomlinson suffered an abdominal haemorrhage and died. It later transpired that in his first 12 years at the Met, Harwood had faced no fewer than ten separate complaints, including one of road rage. Before the case could be heard by a disciplinary board, he retired on health grounds, only to be rehired three days later as a civilian employee. Two years later he was able to join Surrey police as a PC, transferring back to the Met in November 2004. Like Sarah Everard, Mr Tomlinson's death is on the Met's hands. So how did we get to this sorry place? And what must be done? Sacking Cressida Dick might give temporary catharsis but would not solve the problem. She is merely one representative of an aloof, over-politicised police leadership which has steadily been losing connection not only with its own rank and file but the needs and priorities of the public. The case has sinister echoes of the unlawful killing in 2009 of Ian Tomlinson by PC Simon Harwood, another policeman who managed to stay in the Met despite a catalogue of atrocious behaviour The rot began under her mentor Ian Blair, Met commissioner between 2005 and 2008. Blair hitched himself far too closely to New Labour's star, becoming known as 'the pc PC', damaging the force's reputation for political neutrality. For me it is telling that Robert Mark's autobiography was titled In The Office Of Constable, showing exactly where his heart lay. Police trainees were once schooled in the sacred nature of that phrase. It embodies the power that even the most junior officer has to intrude into people's lives and even deprive them of their liberty. Mark's potent message was that when that power is taken for granted, corruption will surely follow. In contrast Blair's autobiography was titled Policing Controversy and was rather more about his own travails than those of the men and women he led. The whole of the police top brass needs a radical reset just as much as those lower down the chain indeed more so. If they paid more attention to detecting and preventing crime and less to public relations and virtue-signalling, the country would be much safer. But the Met is the biggest and most influential force. Where it leads, others follow. In this hour of existential crisis, it needs a new Robert Mark or at least someone with the same reforming zeal The Met is by no means the only guilty force. Greater Manchester police was placed in 'special measures' a year ago after HM Inspectorate of Constabulary discovered they were failing to record one in five crimes, and that in a single year 80,000 offences, some extremely serious, had not been properly investigated. Cleveland police is now looking for its seventh chief constable in less than a decade with two having left amid allegations of misconduct and dishonesty. Hardly a shining example to the troops. But the Met is the biggest and most influential force. Where it leads, others follow. In this hour of existential crisis, it needs a new Robert Mark or at least someone with the same reforming zeal. Someone to take policing back to basics, ditch the vapid management jargon and prioritise fighting and preventing crime over political posturing. Someone who instructs his or her officers to control demonstrators bringing London to a halt, rather than kneeling before them or dancing with them on Westminster Bridge. Someone who can maintain neutrality in the culture wars and keep nebulous concepts such as hate crime in their proper perspective.Someone who puts the concerns and anxieties of the public before careerism and personal vanity. Someone who treats burglary and criminal damage with the seriousness they deserve. In his original Nine Principles of Policing, the founder of the Met, Sir Robert Peel, wrote: 'The police are the public and the public are the police.' The power of the police depends on openness, honesty and public consent. Recent commissioners seem temporarily to have forgotten these sacred words. But they are as true today as they were in 1829. For some Westminster watchers it was a masterclass in ruthless tactical politics. For the less cynical, just an unfortunate coincidence. But intentional or not, the pincer movement executed on the Prime Minister by the woman who had been his closest ally and his Chancellor Rishi Sunak was a body blow. At 3.26pm on Thursday, Boris Johnsons policy chief Munira Mirza quit in fury after the PM refused to apologise for his Jimmy Savile jibe at the Labour leader earlier in the week. An incendiary resignation letter followed. The shock exit of Miss Mirza, head of the No10 policy unit and a highly respected figure who had worked with Boris for 14 years, was a seismic enough event in itself. However, another earthquake was to follow. Boris Johnsons policy chief Munira Mirza (pictured) quit in fury after the PM refused to apologise for his Jimmy Savile jibe Mr Johnson was hit by the shock resignation of one his closest allies, policy chief Munira Mirza (left). Shortly afterwards it emerged the PM's communications chief, Jack Doyle (right), was also departing Just 90 minutes later at a press conference in Downing Street, Sunak deviated from his script on the Governments efforts to tackle the cost of living crisis and sought to distance himself from the PMs Savile comments too. Being honest, I wouldnt have said it, the Chancellor told journalists, becoming the first Cabinet minister to be openly critical of Boris Johnson over the Savile row. Boriss aides watched the performance in stunned silence. The PM, who was on a tour of the North West, had had to be alerted first about Miss Mirza and now his Chancellor appeared to have spectacularly gone off message. I am told that Sunak, a consummate media performer, had expected the question and carefully rehearsed the answer with his team of advisers before the televised press conference. That the Chancellor was now on open manoeuvres was confirmed for some observers when he refused to rule out running for the leadership three times. Asked later by the BBC about backbench MPs wanting him to take over from Boris, he replied: Well, thats very kind for them to suggest that, but what I think people want from me is to focus on my job. He insisted that the Prime Minister has my full support but his words rang hollow for many. There are widespread suspicions that Miss Mirza had timed her resignation to give the Chancellor the chance to further twist the knife. One senior Tory source said: Who leaves a boss they have worked with for 14 years over one throwaway remark in the Commons? Boris clarified the remarks but still she resigned and with a brutal resignation letter. Munira was the key figure in the Government over the legislation to protect freedom of speech on university campuses. So why would she resign over what Boris said about Savile? She believes in freedom of expression. Something else is going on. Has she thrown her lot in with the Chancellor? It certainly feels like it. The Sunak-on-manoeuvres conspiracy theorists point to the fact that Miss Mirzas resignation was revealed by James Forsyth, the political editor of The Spectator. In a dramatic move, No 10 said the Prime Minister's chief of staff Dan Rosenfield (left) and private secretary Martin Reynolds (right) will leave in the wake of the Partygate scandal Forsyth is close to Miss Mirza and to the Chancellor, who was best man at Forsyths wedding in 2011 to Allegra Stratton. Indeed, Miss Stratton, the former Downing Street press secretary who resigned from Government last year after the leak of video footage of her laughing about a lockdown party, used to work for Rishi Sunak. She was widely credited with creating his successful media profile which led to her being poached much to the Chancellors fury by Boris. Meanwhile, Miss Mirza is married to Dougie Smith, who it is claimed persuaded Sunak a former Goldman Sachs banker to enter politics in the first place. Rishi Sunak launched as attack on the Prime Minister from the lectern at Downing Street press conference Rishi owes Dougie Smith, says one leading Tory aide. Its why hes known as the Chancellor maker by some in the Treasury. Smith is a key Boris adviser, who is based in Tory party headquarters but has been a regular visitor to Downing Street where he is renowned as a backroom fixer. A colourful figure prior to his rise in Tory political circles, he co-founded Fever Parties, running swingers events for couples in upmarket parts of London. And all the while, watching from the wings and, according to some, involved in the plotting rather than being a loose cannon, is Dominic Cummings. Cummings, who was ousted as chief adviser from Downing Street in 2020 after losing a power struggle with Boriss wife Carrie, wants to see Sunak replace Boris. Cummings is especially close to Liam Booth-Smith, the Chancellors leather jacket-sporting chief of staff. Mr Sunak publicly rebuked Boris Johnson over his claim that Keir Starmer failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile (pictured) The links between such key players and the Chancellor are certainly fuelling the rumours that Boris may soon be facing a challenge. Yesterday, the Health Secretary Sajid Javid, who is also close to Sunak, became the second Cabinet minister to indirectly criticise the PM over the Savile row, telling Sky News that Sir Keir Starmer deserves absolute respect for the job he did as director of public prosecutions. As for No10, although dealings with No11 are superficially cordial, the relations between the PMs and the Chancellors teams are said to have soured in recent weeks in the fallout over Partygate. There has been palpable disappointment in the Chancellors limp support for Boris. No touring of TV studios to back the PM and hes been MIA [missing in action] on too many occasions in the Chamber, according to one senior source. One of the most skilled exponents of social media, Sunaks Twitter feed has been short of specific endorsements of Boris in recent days. To Tory MPs, already nervous about the prospect of a long and divisive leadership contest, the Chancellors actions this week amount to a statement of intent. Yes, he has wooed many of them with a charm offensive in recent weeks, but he has also irritated others in the party. He was even slapped down by his own deputy, Simon Clarke, who told Channel 4 this week that the Savile comment was a perfectly reasonable remark for the PM to have made. Not that the criticism will bother Rishi Sunak too much. By all accounts hes pleased with the way the week has gone. After that press conference that so incensed Team Boris, he was spotted leaving Downing Street laughing and joking. It looked like a case of job done, according to one bitter observer. Oh, to be a fly on the wall at the regular cosy kitchen suppers a deux that Boris and Rishi are partial to. And no, I am told, there are no plans to cancel... yet. Until this week, very few people outside the Westminster Bubble had heard of Munira Mirza. But as one of Boris Johnson's most trusted advisers, she worked with him for 14 years: first when he was London Mayor, then PM. Throughout, she kept out of the limelight, offering her wise counsel in private. Suddenly, though, this 43-year-old loyalist dramatically quit in high dudgeon. But rather than going quietly, the petite assassin released a venomous resignation letter which brutally spelt out why she felt she could no longer work for a man who'd made a 'scurrilous accusation' against Sir Keir Starmer. A party leader verbally attacking his rival in the bear pit of the Commons? Whatever next? True, the Labour leader wasn't personally responsible for 'failing to prosecute Jimmy Savile' when he ran the Crown Prosecution Service, as Boris had said in his jibe. But he had apologised for the mistakes that happened on his watch. Until this week, very few people outside the Westminster Bubble had heard of Munira Mirza Like Munira Mirza, I was once a trusted political adviser to William Hague when he was Opposition Leader. I knew there was a code of honour: I served and I was loyal. Mirza has scorned that code like that serial rat Dominic Cummings. She's a close friend of Rishi Sunak, and her bombshell resignation became public just an hour before the Chancellor appeared, bedecked by Union Flags, at a Downing Street press conference. For his part, Sunak stoked the flames, saying of the Savile taunt: 'I wouldn't have said that.' So, one knife planted into Boris's shoulder blades by Mirza. A second by Sunak. To me, this smacks of an amateurish plot to dethrone the country's elected Prime Minister. However, I believe Sunak and Mirza have badly miscalculated. Mirza has scorned that code like that serial rat Dominic Cummings. She's a close friend of Rishi Sunak, and her bombshell resignation became public just an hour before the Chancellor appeared, bedecked by Union Flags, at a Downing Street press conference Nothing unites even disgruntled Tory MPs more than seeing off naked ambition and disloyalty from others. Sunak versus Starmer at the next general election? It would be like two ironing boards fighting it out. Beleaguered Boris has one get-out-of-jail-free card left. It's to overrule his treacherous next-door neighbour and scrap the hated National Insurance rise. Pundits say the PM has a 50/50 chance of surviving. Me? I'm so confident Boris will win the next general election that I've laid a large bet the cost of a designer handbag on it. Sunak versus Starmer at the next general election? It would be like two ironing boards fighting it out As U.S. Special Forces approached the Syrian hideout of ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, he blew up himself and his entire family. What kind of man murders his own children? One who took great delight in murdering ours. Soft side of Ricky The German Shepherd that plays Brandy in Ricky Gervais's Netflix comedy After Life has her own fan base, thanks to her heart-warming bond with Gervais's character, widower Tony. I'm told by a friend that the actor, who adores animals, will never own a dog as he could never cope with the pain of the pet dying. What a lovely softie he turns out to be. The German Shepherd that plays Brandy in Ricky Gervais's Netflix comedy After Life has her own fan base, thanks to her heart-warming bond with Gervais's character, widower Tony Scrum off it Kate, they're girls The sin of envy consumed me for a moment when I saw the pictures of Kate hoisted aloft by rugby players until I realised the lifters were women. If I'd been the Duchess, I'd much have preferred to be grabbed by Twickenham gods Maro Itoje and George Ford. The sin of envy consumed me for a moment when I saw the pictures of Kate hoisted aloft by rugby players until I realised the lifters were women Sneer thee not at Team GB's curling stars, Bruce Mouat and Jenn Dodds. Wielding their brooms at the Winter Olympics, they've only lost one game. Three cheers for the Torvill and Dean of curling. Here's hoping they 'sweep' their way to a gold medal. BBC News has been running several interviews with families who say they have to choose between heating and eating to survive. This is a delicate issue but I would be more convinced if some of the interviewees did not seem to have a Body Mass Index of more than 30. Kirsten's cover-up fails While bleating about regretting baring her breasts for the 2006 film Marie Antoinette, Kirsten Dunst is overlooked again by the Baftas, this time for her role in The Power Of The Dog, in which she is fully clothed. With or without her kit, I'm guessing even the achingly pro-woman Bafta judges can tell the difference between an abundance of beauty and flimsy talent when they see it. While bleating about regretting baring her breasts for the 2006 film Marie Antoinette, Kirsten Dunst is overlooked again by the Baftas, this time for her role in The Power Of The Dog, in which she is fully clothed As the Sex And The City sequel sinks to a sorry conclusion, we fans of the original show are left wondering: 'Where was all the sex?' Carrie kisses a bloke twice. Miranda takes up with the butch, non-binary Che. The finale sees Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie in this hideous orange ballgown, standing on a Paris bridge and scattering Mr Big's ashes into the Seine. Was I the only one hoping she'd chuck herself in as well? Prince of Pretentiousness In his first public appearance for many months, Prince Harry burbles a load of psychobabble, telling the world he's being 'schooled by the universe' and declaring that a positive attitude is a 'superpower'. The only way to find peace, adds the Prince of Pretentiousness, is through 'inner work'. Just as well, as Harry isn't doing much work out there in the real world. In his first public appearance for many months, Prince Harry burbles a load of psychobabble, telling the world he's being 'schooled by the universe' and declaring that a positive attitude is a 'superpower' Westminster Wars Boris Johnson doesn't just need to sort out his Government: the man's wardrobe needs urgent attention. Alongside Ukraine's smartly dressed president this week, Bojo's shirt was barely tucked in and his tie was askew and as long as Trump's. Yes, he's got a lot to worry about, but is it too much to ask him to look in the mirror? Michael Gove sets out his '12 national missions' for levelling up: a checklist of flimsy promises with no new money to pay for them. Twelve missions? Moses only needed ten and one of those was: 'Thou shall not bear false witness.' Part of Gove's plan to fight obesity in poor regions is for doctors to prescribe vouchers for fruit and veg. Sadly, the only veg most overweight kids see is the gherkin they bin from their 540-calorie, 25g of fat Big Mac. Boris Johnson doesn't just need to sort out his Government: the man's wardrobe needs urgent attention The revolting 'beat bobbies' The most chilling WhatsApp message shared by several Met Police officers who were engaged in disgusting online behaviour was: 'You ever slapped your missus? Knock a bird about and she will love you . . . They are biologically programmed to like that s***.' God help any woman seeking help from such police after being beaten up or raped. We argued hard for Afghans who helped British soldiers to be given safe passage to Britain. But one former translator Bahawar Mayar is not satisfied. He, his wife and six children are living in a central London hotel, yet Mayar moans 'our lives are on hold' until they learn where the Government will settle them. 'We can't make plans, we can't build for the future,' he complains. If we'd left the Mayar family in Kabul, they wouldn't have a future. What's the Dari for 'ingrate'? Researchers have found that some men really are sex addicts. Apparently, it's down to an excess of the 'cuddle hormone' oxytocin. Don't make me laugh: if it was just cuddles that sex addicts strayed for, the divorce courts would be out of business. An Instacart worker has been hailed as a hero after recounting how she likely saved a customer's life by alerting his daughter to a propane leak in his house. Jessica Higgs, who delivers groceries for the delivery service, broke down in tears in her viral TikTok video as she opened up about how she followed her gut instinct and went against company policy to help the man. 'I just want to start this off by saying, if you see something, say something,' she said at the start of the clip. 'I did an Instacart order yesterday, and Im a little emotional right now... It was a daughter ordering for her older dad that couldn't shop for himself.' Instacart worker Jessica Higgs tearfully recounted how she likely saved a customer's life by alerting his daughter to a propane gas leak in his home in her viral TikTok video Higgs said she always goes the 'extra mile' for customers, but there was something about this particular order that made her want to go above and beyond her duty. The man's daughter advised her to leave the groceries on the porch, which is Instacart policy, but she felt in her gut that she couldn't do that. 'I get there and something was telling me: "No, youve got to help this man out,"' she recalled tearfully, explaining: 'You're not supposed to go inside someone's house, but I used my judgment and I brought the groceries inside. 'I put them down wherever he wanted me to put them you're not supposed to do that, but I did. And you're just supposed to take a picture and leave. And I could not just leave.' Higgs noted that it is company policy for employees to leave the groceries outside, take a picture, and leave, but her gut was telling her that something was wrong When Higgs helped the man bring the groceries inside, she got dizzy and realized there was likely a propane gas leak. She thought the man looked sick and reached out to his daughter Higgs said she messaged the woman because she was 'very concerned' that her father 'looked sick.' She noted that she didn't report that the order was complete because once she did, she would no longer be able to contact the customer. She admitted that she knew what she was doing was 'very unprofessional,' but she couldn't ignore the feeling that something was wrong. 'I never talk I always just put the groceries down and leave, but this time, for whatever [reason], my head was like, "You gotta say something,"' she explained. 'So I said, "He's not doing good. He's sick. There's a propane tank in there. I was in there, maybe five feet and I got dizzy.' Higgs told the customer that she believed there was a propane gas leak and that may be what was causing her father's condition. The woman said she would have her son check on her father, and she changed her tip for Higgs from $14 to $100 to show her gratitude. The woman not only changed her tip from $14 to $100, but she also gave Higgs a five-star review, saying she saved her father and her young son's lives 'That being said, I'm just an Instacart worker,' Higgs concluded. 'But if you see something, say something and I did. I'm so happy I did. And I'm so happy that he can live a better life' The TikTok has been viewed 11.6 million times and has received more than 137,000 comments from fans, including model Bella Hadid Higgs said that while she was thankful for the tip, she was crying because of the five-star review the customer had left her the next day. 'Thank you so much, once my son went to check on my dad it turned out it definitely was leaking, you definitely saved my dad and my younger sons life!!!' the woman wrote. Higgs shared a screenshot of the heartfelt message and wiped tears from her eyes after she read it out loud. 'That being said, I'm just an Instacart worker,' she concluded. 'But if you see something, say something and I did. I'm so happy I did. And I'm so happy that he can live a better life.' The TikTok has been viewed 11.6 million times and has received more than 137,000 comments from fans, including model Bella Hadid. Higgs later posted a celebratory video of herself dancing a few days after her video went viral Higgs was feeling great because she likely 'inspired millions of people to speak up' 'You are not "just an insta cart worker"!!!!!! U R helping people every single day in ways u probably dont even know,' Hadid wrote. 'Thank U for being U!!!!!!' 'You are a HERO! Trust your gut always! I am so proud of you! @Instacart give this queen a BONUS or a thank you at least!' added TikTok comedian Zachariah Porter. Gwenna Laithland, another social media star, commented: 'This is absolutely amazing. The world is still full of good people and you, my friend, are among the best.' Higgs later shared in the comments section that the CEO of Instacart had reached out to her after her story went viral, though she didn't elaborate. She also posted a celebratory video of herself dancing, writing: 'Mood because I could of inspired millions of people to SPEAK UP.' A trio of ladies searching for the perfect housemate with some 'masculine energy' have been branded 'marketing geniuses' after advertising a spare room for rent on Grindr. Cliodhna Heffernan, from Birmingham, West Midlands, said a room became available in their female-only house and wanting to 'change things up a bit' they set out to find a male housemate. Despite sharing ads on the usual platforms, including on SpareRoom, they couldn't find that special someone who would be 'the right fit'. The 27-year-old said that her gay best friend suggested they advertise the vacancy on Grindr, a dating app for gay, bi, trans, and queer people, which she did on Wednesday evening. But when the buying assistant woke up she was flooded with messages from prospective housemates and a tweet shared online of the ad has gone viral racking up more than 22,000 likes and retweets. A trio of ladies searching for the perfect housemate with some 'masculine energy' have been branded 'marketing geniuses' after advertising a spare room for rent on Grindr (pictured) Cliodhna Heffernan (pictured), from Birmingham, West Midlands, said a room became available in their female-only house and wanting to 'change things up a bit' they set out to find a male housemate Cliodhna said: 'We had a house with four girls and one of them was moving out. We weren't adamant that we wanted a male to move in, but we thought it would be a nice change to bring a bit of masculine energy into the house and change things up. 'It was never a discussion of "oh we want a gay man", it was just "oh we want a man". We had guys come to the house and it just wasn't the right fit. 'I had a discussion with my gay best friend and was just saying we hadn't found anybody yet and he was like "why don't you just make a profile and advertise on Grindr?" 'I'd never thought about taking that approach before. Obviously, we'd had it up on SpareRoom so I didn't really think anything of it and just made the profile.' Cliodhna said she moved into her current house in Birmingham in August before 28-year-old hairdresser Ellis Henry and 25-year-old sales operation manager Shannon Creen joined her a month later. The 27-year-old said her phone was buzzing 'non-stop' after she created the ad on Wednesday night and she woke up the following morning to hundreds of messages from budding housemates and admirers. The Grindr advert (pictured) read: 'Three girls in their mid to late 20s, young professionals, looking to fill a room in Moseley centre. Modern house, social and good vibes xx' Cliodhna (pictured centre) said she moved into her current house in Birmingham in August before 28-year-old hairdresser Ellis Henry and 25-year-old sales operation manager Shannon Creen joined her a month later Despite sharing ads on the usual platforms, including on SpareRoom, the group (pictured) couldn't find that special someone who would be 'the right fit' Cliodhna said: 'I've seen comments from people saying "oh, these girls are just looking for a gay best friend" and it wasn't like we'd sat around and been like "oh my God, how can we become friends with a gay man?" It wasn't like that at all. 'I suppose the whole process behind it was, a lot of my close friends over here are gay and we are very involved in the gay community so every weekend since I've come over from Ireland, we've gone out in the gay village in Birmingham. 'It just felt like exploring that option would be a good idea and a gay man would probably be a good fit. 'But in saying that, I did have guys message me on Grindr who said that they were straight or bisexual and asked "are you just looking for a gay man?" and I made that clear "no, we weren't specifically looking for a gay man, we were looking for anybody". 'Our main thing is that we are a very social house. There's always somebody there, a lot of us work from home most of the time and we just want somebody who's going to be that fit. Reaction: A screenshot of Cliodhna's Grindr profile, which shared a photo of her alongside Ellis and Shannon, was posted on Twitter and has received more than 20,700 likes 'I feel like I've gotten so lucky in the house that I've moved in at the minute that we all moved in and just clicked, and we're looking for that person that's outgoing, fun and going to fit in.' A screenshot of Cliodhna's Grindr profile, which shared a photo of her alongside Ellis and Shannon, was posted on Twitter and has received more than 20,700 likes. The advert read: 'Three girls in their mid to late 20s, young professionals, looking to fill a room in Moseley centre. Modern house, social and good vibes xx' One Twitter user wrote: 'Queens, I'd move in.' Another said: 'That's actually so cool especially considering how hard it can be for men and queer angels to find roommates sometimes. Marketing genius.' Another added: 'All I see is INTELLIGENCE.' While a fourth remarked: '10/10 would move there.' Grindr have been contacted for comment. Chinese FM meets Turkmen counterpart in Beijing Xinhua) 21:07, February 04, 2022 Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with Turkmen Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, who is in China to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 4, 2022. (Xinhua/Gao Jie) BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday met with visiting Turkmen Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, and they exchanged views on the preparations for the upcoming meeting between the two countries' heads of state. Noting that Chinese President Xi Jinping and Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov will have a face-to-face meeting on Saturday for the first time in four years, Wang said the meeting will play a vital leading role in bilateral relations and chart the course for the future development of relations between the two countries. China welcomes the Turkmen president to make a special visit to China to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics, Wang said. China will work with Turkmenistan to implement the important consensus reached by the two leaders and advance the long-term, stable and sustainable development of cooperation in energy and other key areas, Wang said. Meredov said Turkmenistan is a reliable strategic partner of China and the friendly relations between the two countries have enjoyed a strong momentum of development in recent years. Meredov thanked China for offering strong and effective support in fighting the pandemic, and expressed willingness to strengthen synergy with China and deepen cooperation in areas including energy and infrastructure to lift bilateral relations. The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in areas such as natural gas, medical and health, transportation, and culture. They also exchanged views on cooperation between China and five Central Asian countries, as well as the Afghanistan issue. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, who is in China to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 4, 2022. (Xinhua/Gao Jie) BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday met with Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. Wang extended welcome to Princess Sirindhorn for coming to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, saying that China highly appreciates the Thai royal family's consistent adherence to a friendly policy, and is willing to work with Thailand to enhance and deepen China-Thailand relations. Princess Sirindhorn expressed gratitude for China's strong support for Thailand's fight against COVID-19, and spoke highly of the exchanges and cooperation between Thailand and China in various fields. Sirindhorn said she had visited China nearly 50 times and told Wang about her plan to publish books in Thailand on the history and achievements of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and to visit more places across China. "In the face of the pandemic, China and Thailand have stood together to overcome difficulties," Wang said, noting that China was the first country to provide vaccines to Thailand and is also the largest source of vaccines for Thailand. He said that China is committed to making vaccines a global public good and has already provided over 2.1 billion doses to other countries, especially developing countries. "One out of every two doses of the vaccines currently used worldwide comes from China," he added. China will continue to provide support to Thailand in line with its needs until the pandemic is defeated, Wang said. Wang appreciated the princess' intention to compile and publish books on the CPC and China's new development achievements. The two sides agreed to continue to strengthen practical cooperation on education and culture, youth exchanges, traditional medicine, scientific and technological innovation, and other fields, continuously injecting impetus into bilateral relations. The Duchess of Cambridge has announced a whirlwind solo trip to Denmark later this month. Kate, 40, will travel to Copenhagen on Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 February to promote her work with the The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood. During the visit the Duchess will be received by Queen Margrethe II, 81, who is celebrating her Golden Jubilee this year, and will carry out an engagement with Australian-born Crown Princess Mary, 49. The Duchess of Cambridge announced the visit on Instagram today with a video showing her making the Danish flag out of Lego, a Danish export. She wrote: 'Looking forward to learning from experts, parents and practitioners about Denmarks approach to early childhood later this month. Kate, 40, will travel to Copenhagen on Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 February to promote her work with the The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood. During the visit she will carry out an engagement with Princess Mary of Denmark (pictured together at Royal Ascot in 2016) The Duchess of Cambridge announced the visit on Instagram today with a video showing her making the Danish flag out of Lego, which comes from Denmark 'Denmark is a beacon of best practice in its approach to the early years which values the roles of parents and results in both communities of support and government policies that underpin the best start in life.' She signed off the message in Danish, adding: 'See you soon.' The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood aims to drive awareness of and action on the impact of the early years in a child's development. During the visit, Kate will learn from Danish experts who are world leaders in the field. The trip will also pay tribute to the historic ties between Britain and Denmark and will celebrate the joint Jubilees taking place in each country this year: the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, marking 70 years on the British throne, and the Golden Jubilee of Margrethe II, making 50 years on the Danish throne. The Duchess of Cambridge previously met Crown Princess Mary on a royal visit to Copenhagen in 2011 The Duchess of Cambridge will receive an official welcome to Denmark from Queen Margrethe II on the second day of her trip. The Duchess will also join Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and visit a project supported by the Page 2 of 2 Mary Foundation, founded in 2007 by the Crown Princess, to protect vulnerable women and children from domestic violence. Kate and Mary have met on a number of previous occasions, including at Royal Ascot in 2016 and on William and Kate's joint visit to the Danish capital in 2011. The Duchess will also learn about how Denmark promotes infant mental wellbeing alongside physical health, and how it harnesses the power of nature, relationships and playful learning in the first five years of life. The Duchess of Cambridge will make a solo visit to Denmark later this month, it has been announced Her schedule will focus on innovative initiatives and projects which support children in their growth, particularly their social and emotional development, as well as their parents and the wider communities surrounding them. Throughout the visit, The Duchess will have the opportunity to meet with a broad range of people including children and families, leading researchers, representatives from academia, and those working in the early education sector. Denmark is a beacon of best practice with its approach to early childhood as well as consistently ranking near the top of countries with the happiest people in the world. The Duchess is looking forward to visiting the country, learning from the Danish people, and continuing to build on the already close friendship between the two countries. Advertisement The Queen paid a touching tribute to her late father, whose death began the start of her reign, when she viewed Jubilee memorabilia as she prepares to reach her historic 70 years on the throne. Photographs have been released of Her Majesty, 95, looking at her Platinum Jubilee cards and memorabilia from the Golden Jubilee in the Oak Room at Windsor Castle. The monarch opted to wear her aquamarine and diamond clip brooches, worn separately in a diagonal setting on her turquoise dress. The jewels were an 18th birthday present from her beloved 'Papa', George VI, in April 1944. In the snaps, the royal can be seen beaming as she views cards from well-wishers, before leaning down to stroke her pet dog Candy. Meanwhile there were a number of personal photographs propped against a table in the background of the image, including photographs of Kate Middleton with Prince William, the Duke with his brother Prince Harry, and a third showing Princess Beatrice and Eugenie. She is expected to spend Accession Day, on February 6, with her family during an extended break at Wood Farm cottage in Sandringham and will mark her Platinum Jubilee in private. The Queen, 95, paid a touching tribute to her late father, whose death began the start of her reign, when she viewed Jubilee memorabilia as she prepares to reach her historic 70 years on the throne One image of Prince William and Kate Middleton was taken during their engagement photoshoot in 2010. A second appeared to show Prince William alongside Prince Harry, although it is not clear when this image was taken. Meanwhile a third image shows two figures posing together, one of whom has red hair, while the other has brunette locks. It's unclear if this image shows Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. The Queen's two art deco-style pieces were made by Boucheron from baguette, oval and round diamonds and aquamarines. She also chose to wear the precious brooches when she addressed the nation on the 75th anniversary of VE Day in 2020 and for her Diamond Jubilee televised speech in 2012. The Queen was looking through a display of memorabilia from the golden and platinum jubilees as her pooch Candy trotted into the oak room at Windsor Castle. Photographs have been released of Her Majesty looking at her Platinum Jubilee cards and memorabilia from the Golden Jubilee in the Oak Room at Windsor Castle Her aquamarine and diamond clip brooches, worn separately in a diagonal setting on her turquoise dress, were an 18th birthday present from her beloved 'Papa', George VI, in April 1944 The Queen's personal treasures: How the royal has taken to wearing her 18th birthday present from her beloved parents Personal treasures: The Queen wore a pair of aquamarine brooches given to her by her parents for the State Opening of Parliament last year The art deco-style Boucheron clips have become a favourite of the Queen. The brooches are made of aquamarine and diamonds, and in a typical 1940s design combine baguette, oval and round stones. The distinctive style of the brooches - one often used by Cartier - led many jewellery experts to believe the clips were actually the work of the brand, which is why they are often incorrectly identified as the Cartier aquamarine clips. However, they were correctly identified as Boucheron ones in Leslie Fields The Queens Jewels. The clips can be worn in a number of different ways: as matching clips, on either shoulder or as a single brooch. The Queen usually wears them - as she did today - as separate clips, one above the other, on her left shoulder. Due to the translucent nature of the jewels, the Queen typically wears them with blue or pale purple fabrics that enhance the natural colour. She has worn the pieces on a host of occasions over the years, including the State Opening of Parliament last year. She also wore the jewels to deliver her televised message on the 75th anniversary of VE Day in May 2020. Favourite accessory: The Queen wore the brooches to deliver her VE Day anniversary message last year (left) Advertisement Candy is a dorgi - a cross between a corgi and a dachshund - and she made a lap of the room, inspecting a small group of media representatives capturing the viewing. The Queen said: 'And where did you come from? I know what you want,' likely to be a reference to a treat, and called Candy over and gave her a stroke. The monarch, who has owned more than 30 corgis during her reign, currently has three dogs - Candy now quite elderly, a young corgi called Muick, and another corgi puppy which replaced Fergus the dorgi puppy, who died unexpectedly in May last year. Candy was present when the Queen held a face-to-face audience with the outgoing armed forces chief General Sir Nick Carter in November, walking forward to greet the senior figure. One card celebrating the 2002 Golden Jubilee caught the Queen's eye - it was made from eight bottle tops including milk, Coca-Cola and Schweppes bottles, and had the handwritten words 'Ma'am You're The Tops'. 'That's good, simple but ingenious,' said the Queen to Dr Stella Panayotova, librarian and assistant keeper of the royal archives, who joined her for the viewing two weeks ago. The display included a Golden Jubilee letter from a nine-year-old boy called Chris, titled 'A Recipe For A Perfect Queen'. Its list of ingredients - which included '500ml of royal blood', a 'dab of jewels and posh gowns' and 'a dash of loyalty' - made the Queen laugh and she said: 'That's quite fun, isn't it.' Platinum Jubilee cards were also on display and the Queen praised the design of one featuring a picture of her as a young woman surrounded by flowers with the words '70 Glorious Years'. Recipes and pictures of entries to the Platinum Pudding competition were on display, showing the results of cooks who have risen to the challenge of creating a memorable dessert fit for the Queen and the nation. Another royal aide told the Queen: 'We've had a number of Platinum Pudding competition entries that have been coming in in recent weeks. People have been very creative.' The monarch browsed through the images of the entries and later said: 'Looks like they're all going to end with crowns on them.' She also studied a fan presented to Queen Victoria to mark her Golden Jubilee in 1887 by the then Prince and Princess of Wales, later Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. In the years after Victoria's jubilee it was signed by members of her family including her eldest child, the Princess Royal, known as Vicky to her relatives, and granddaughter Princess Alix, later the Tsarina of Russia, and the then prime minister the Marquess of Salisbury. The Queen opened the fan and remarked how easily it could have been damaged when being signed, adding: 'Extraordinary isn't it, and it still shuts.' Commenting on the signatures she said: 'Well that's very interesting to see, quite a gathering.' Elizabeth II came to the throne 70 years ago this Sunday when, on February 6 1952, the ailing king, who had lung cancer, died at Sandringham in the early hours. At the time, the monarch, now 95, was in Kenya on a Commonwealth tour with the Duke of Edinburgh. They had spent the previous night at the remote Treetops Hotel, accessible via a ladder, in Aberdare Forest, where they watched baboons in the jungle and took photographs of the sunrise. The Queen, who is staying on the Sandringham estate, usually spends each Accession Day privately, reflecting on the bittersweet anniversary of the loss of her father and the start of her reign. Close to her father as a child, Elizabeth is said to be similar to him in character, sharing the same dedicated professionalism. 'Bertie', as he was known to his family, became king in 1936 after the abdication crisis sparked by his brother Edward VIII, who gave up the throne over his love affair with divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson. Faced with the challenge of restoring the public's faith in the monarchy, George VI emerged as a steadfast figurehead for the nation during the Second World War. Elizabeth II is just two days away from her 70th anniversary on the throne on Sunday, when she will become the first British sovereign in history to reach such a milestone. Meanwhile there were a number of personal photographs propped against a table in the background of the image, including photographs of Kate Middleton with Prince William, the Duke with his brother Prince Harry, and a third showing Princess Beatrice and Eugenie This Jubilee will poignantly be the first the monarch has commemorated without Philip, who died in April. While the Queen's Accession Day falls on February 6, national celebrations are being held on a special four-day bank holiday weekend in June, with festivities including a pop concert at the Palace, a service of thanksgiving and a pageant on The Mall. The monarch is currently staying on the Sandringham estate, where she will remain for the anniversary, which simultaneously marks the death of her father George VI and the moment she became Queen in 1952. The Queen's jubilee celebrations have been tainted by her son Prince Andrew's controversy surrounding his friendship with late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and a court case being brought against him in the US. Andrew could lose his round-the-clock police protection as early as next month after he was exiled as a frontline royal. Birthday girl: The then Princess Elizabeth with her parents on her 18th birthday. She was given the aquamarine brooches as a gift, although she is not wearing them here Sources say a full review of his security is being carried out by Scotland Yard and the Home Office following last week's decision by the Queen to strip her son of his remaining military and charitable affiliations and stop him using his HRH title. A close associate of the Duke has now claimed he could have his royal patronages restored if he wins the civil case against him while The Queen is alive - but it would be 'less predictable' if Charles was the monarch. Andrew is currently facing a court battle in New York as a private citizen after being banned from using the styling 'HRH'. Judge Lewis Kaplan last month sensationally ruled that the Queen's second son can be tried over claims he sexually assaulted Ms Giuffre when she was 17 allegations which Andrew has categorically denied. Anna Duggar has broken her silence about her sex offender husband Josh Duggar's child porn conviction, defending him and appearing to insist that he is innocent. Anna, 33, shared a short message on Twitter and Instagram on Thursday, her first since announcing the birth of their seventh child in November. 'There is more to the story,' Anna wrote. Though she didn't elaborate, she included a link to her husband's motion for acquittal or a new trial. Anna had accompanied Josh to court every day of the trial in December, and appears to believe the defense's argument that someone else could have been behind the horrific trove of photos and videos of children being sexually abused that were found on Josh's computer. Yet she seems to be the only one steadfastly sticking by him: Several members of Josh's family had released statements in support of the conviction, and no one has liked Anna's post or tweet. Anna Duggar has broken her silence about her sex offender husband Josh Duggar's child porn conviction, defending him and appearing to insist that he is innocent Josh, 33, was convicted of receiving and possessing child porn in December and is in prison awaiting sentencing of up to 20 years On Thursday, Anna, 33, shared a short message on Twitter and Instagram on Thursday, her first since announcing the birth of their seventh child in November Anna has turned off comments on her Instagram posts, which has only got about 2,000 likes in 18 hours far less than her previous post on November 15, which announced the arrival of her daughter Madyson Lily and got over 96,000 likes. Though her sister Priscilla liked the post, not a single member of the Duggar family has. Many of the Duggars including Jill and Derick Dillard, Jessa and Ben Seewald, Joy Anna and Austin Forsyth, and Jinger and Jeremy Vuolo wrote statements following Josh's conviction in which they expressed approval of the outcome. Though none of the Duggars approved of her post about Josh, however, they don't seem to be shunning Anna, who was present at the family's ugly sweater party in December. While Anna managed to avoid critical comments on Instagram, they have flooded in on Twitter, with users calling her 'delusional' and 'brainwashed.' 'No dear just stop and save yourself. Have some self respect,' wrote one. 'There is more to the story,' Anna wrote. Though she didn't elaborate, she included a link to her husband's motion for acquittal or a new trial. Though her sister Priscilla liked the post about Josh, not a single member of the Duggar family has Several Josh's siblings had released statements in support of the conviction - including Jill and Jinger, two victims Josh had molested 'Its disgusting that you sat in the court room and saw the evidence and youre still defending him. Your poor, poor children,' wrote another. 'What more do you need to know? And how can you even stand to stay married to that man. Do you not have anyone that can help you out to get out of that marriage? I hope he gets gel time and a lot of it,' wrote one more. 'I know you want so bad to believe him. Im so sorry, but the sooner you realize that he actually did this, you will be able to begin to heal. There is much to much hard evidence dear,' said yet another. Several shared worries for Josh and Anna's children, and urged her to put their protection over her devotion to Josh. 'Honestly, how is child protective services not involved? You are clearly not able to protect them since you saw the truth and refuse to see it,' said one. 'Its getting harder and harder to sympathize with a woman who ignores all facts and reason. Putting her kids & other kids in danger by defending a man who is guilty beyond reasonable doubt. Even his siblings including some he abused & some he did not know hes guilty,' said another. While Anna managed to avoid critical comments on Instagram, they have flooded in on Twitter, with users calling her 'delusional' and 'brainwashed' Anna had given no indication that she believed the charges against Josh at any point since his arrest in April of 2021. While awaiting trial this year, Josh had been out on bail, but wasn't allowed to live at his own home. Instead, he was put on house arrest at the home of family friends LaCount and Maria Reber. This proved to be no obstacle for Josh and Anna's marriage, with The Sun reporting in August that Anna had 'pretty much moved in' to the Rebers' one-story house. According to two sources, she stayed in the 'mother-in-law suite.' It was unclear whether Josh was also staying in that room, though the stipulations of his bail did not bar him from sleeping with his wife. Though Anna, who was then pregnant with their seventh child, was able to stay there, Josh was barred from staying in the same house as their other six children: Mackynzie Renee, 12, Michael James, 10, Marcus Anthony, eight, Meredith Grace, six, Mason Garrett, four, and Maryella Hope, two. Faced with the choice to live with her kids or her husband, Anna prioritized her husband, relying on family members to care for their children. Anna, who has stuck buy him throughout, even moved into the family friend's home where Josh was held on house arrest Anna had given no indication that she believed the charges against Josh at any point since his arrest in April of 2021 Anna reportedly thinks he is innocent and has blamed his parents and President Biden for the arrest During that time insider said Anna believed Josh was innocent, and blamed both Josh's parents and President Joe Biden for his arrest. 'Jim Bob is telling people she is defending Josh and no longer speaking to most of the family,' a source told The Sun last year. 'Jim Bob said she blames him and wife Michelle for Josh's arrest. Anna feels it all stems from how they dealt with his previous molestation scandal after he assaulted his sisters. 'She also thinks that this case is a conspiracy theory against her husband set up by the Biden administration,' the source said. 'She believes that if Donald Trump was still in power this would not be happening, and refuses to believe he's done anything wrong.' After his conviction, Josh was taken to Washington County Detention Center in Arkansas, where he is awaiting sentencing. Anna is only able to communicate with him through video call or email because all in-person visits have been suspended due to COVID-19, The Sun reported. She won't be able to see Josh in person until his sentencing in court, which is expected to take place four months from the verdict but hasn't been scheduled. But she has been taking advantage of remote video visitation. Josh stated at the home of third party custodians LaCount and Maria Reber before and during the trial. Anna moved in, leaving their children with other family members Since the conviction, she has had frequent video visits with Josh. In-person visits at the prison are currently off-limits due to the pandemic A video visitation log accessed by Instagram user Katie Joy of Without a Crystal Ball shows that Anna had up to five video visits a day with Josh after he was taken into custody through December 27. The log shows that Anna had at least one video call with Josh on most of those days, maxing out at five on Christmas Eve. She and Josh had a six minute call on December 12, a 26 minute call on December 13, and a 12 minute call on December 19. While there were no video calls logged between the 13th and 19th, Josh and Anna had three calls on December 21, lasting a total of 42 minutes and 34 seconds. There were two more calls the following day, lasting a total of 48 minutes and 48 seconds. On Christmas Eve, Josh and Anna had five separate calls, though three were cut off prematurely by low funds and a lost connection. Starting at shortly after 3:30 p.m., the calls ran until nearly 4:45 p.m. and lasted a total of 47 and a half minutes. Anna also called Josh on Christmas morning at 10:28 a.m. for a nearly 27-minute video call. Anna, who married Josh in 2008, has stuck by him through sexually deviant behavior in the past 'In my heart, when I got married, I vowed to God first and then to Joshua, "For better or for worse, 'til death do we part,"' Anna has said Anna had remained by Josh's side through past scandals, including when, in 2015, In 2015, an unearthed police report revealed that Josh had sexually abused four of younger siblings, as well as a fifth minor, when he was a teenager. Months later, he was discovered to have had an account on the adultery website Ashley Madison. But while Josh sought faith-based treatment, Anna stuck by him. 'It was definitely hard, and I think it is such a betrayal for a spouse to go through what were walking through,' she in a 2015 episode of Counting On. 'It was hard to realize that it was such a public [ordeal].' 'Here we were as a Christian couple, everyone was able to see us get married and vow before God to be loyal to each other, and that loyalty was broken. For my heart it was just like, "How could this happen in our marriage?" Josh is my first love, my one and only,' she went on. Despite her heartbreak, she intended to keep her marriage vows. 'In my heart, when I got married, I vowed to God first and then to Joshua, "For better or for worse, 'til death do we part." I pray that through all of this that I would be an extension of God's love to Joshua, that I would love him and forgive him and wait patiently and allow God to work through our hearts. 'My prayer and my heart's desire is for our marriage to be restored,' she said. 'My prayer and my heart's desire is for our marriage to be restored,' she said after his scandals in 2015 Anna was praised by Josh's family for her steadfastness, with Josh's younger sister Joy Anna saying, 'I'm really amazed by the strength that God has given Anna and just how she's going through all of this and having a good attitude about it all even though it's so hard and you know it hurts really bad.' Her own parents, Mike and Suzette Keller, also urged her to stay, telling her 'divorce is not an option,' according to People. In fact, Mike reportedly defended Josh by pointing out that King David had an affair with Bathsheba in the Bible. While some viewers suggested Anna was 'trapped' she has no formal education, no work experience, and several children already by that point some of her own siblings encouraged her to leave. According to People, Anna's younger sister reportedly texted Anna saying, "Please let me buy you and the kids plane tickets, and you stay with us for a little while," but Anna refused to take her up on it. Her brother Daniel also reportedly offered to help her, and wrote on Facebook at the time: 'I wont stop trying to get that pig out of our family, he wrote on Monday.' In 2016, Anna wrote about moving forward in a blog post, saying: '2015 was the most difficult year of my life. Yet, amazingly Ive found that in my own life crisis God has drawn near to me ("Hes near to the brokenhearted Psalms 34:18) and my faith has been more precious to me than ever before.' For some time after, Anna refrained from posting pictures of Josh on Instagram, but with time, she was back to including him on social media. 'Redemption is a beautiful thing!' she told a fan who commented on Josh's presence in Instagram photos. Allison Gollust showed off her legs in a revealing mini-skirt while braving the rain in New York City on Thursday night - just one day after the news broke of her secret affair with CNN President Jeff Zucker. The 49-year-old was photographed entering her Manhattan apartment in the late evening, 24-hours after her 'open-secret affair' with Jeff was exposed - but she certainly didn't seem afraid to bare it all in her thigh-skimming black and white skirt, which left her long legs on full display. Jeff, 56, left his role at CNN in a controversial move on Wednesday, after bosses at CNN's parent company WarnerMedia were told of his secret romance with Allison by Chris Cuomo's lawyers. But if the public scrutiny over her relationship has caused any stress for Allison, who will keep her senior job at the company, she certainly didn't let it show, instead putting on a cool and confident display as she strutted into her apartment building while showing off her high-priced ensemble. The CNN executive left little to imagination in the tiny skirt, which she paired with a simple black shirt, a chic black coat, tights, a pricey pair of high-heeled Christian Louboutin booties, and a glamorous Goyard purse. Allison Gollust showed off her legs in a revealing mini-skirt while out in New York City - just one day after the news broke of her secret affair with CNN President Jeff Zucker The CNN executive was photographed entering her Manhattan apartment late Thursday night - while sporting a tiny black and white skirt that had her long legs on full display The CNN executive completed the look with a simple black long-sleeve shirt, a chic black coat, tights, a pair of $995 high-heeled booties, and a $2,000 Goyard purse Her Goyard purse, called the the Bellechasse Biaude PM, is worth upwards of $2,275 and is made from Goyardine canvas and Cervon calfskin. The same style can be found on resale sites for $3,253. It comes in 11 different colors, including red, orange, yellow, and green. As for Allison's shoes, they're made by luxury designer Christian Louboutin, and cost $995. Allison began working at CNN in 2013, after she was brought in by Jeff, and she now serves as the executive vice president and chief marketing officer. It's estimated that she is worth $5 million. Jeff confirmed that he would be stepping down as President of CNN after their relationship came to light on Wednesday. The news comes as Discovery prepares to take control of WarnerMedia later this year. The Goyard purse is worth upwards of $2,275 and is made from Goyardine canvas and Cervon calfskin. As for her shoes, they're made by luxury designer Christian Louboutin, and cost $995 Allison and Jeff's (pictured in 2016 with Tom Brokaw) years-long secret romance came to light on Wednesday as part of the network's investigation into former anchor Chris Cuomo Jeff, 56, confirmed that he was resigning as President after he failed to disclose his relationship with Allison, who is the chief marketing officer for CNN Despite Jeff reportedly hoping to keep his job until the $43 billion deal was completed, it's been said that WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar - with whom Jeff has had a frosty relationship before - said he must resign immediately after their relationship was brought to his attention. Allison (pictured in 2011) and Jeff's relationship dates back more than two decades - with the pair first meeting when they both worked at NBC in the early 2000s It was also reported that John Malone, the CEO of Liberty Media - Discovery's largest shareholder - also played a part in Jeff's departure. In November 2021, after news of the impending merger between Discovery and WarnerMedia was announced, John made it clear that he was not a fan of the direction CNN had gone in under Jeff, who took the helm in 2013. Now, Deadline has reported that John also insisted on Jeff's departure, after learning of the affair. Things may be rocky for her significant other, but Allison appeared to be unbothered as she exited her car and entered the building. She held an umbrella as she braved New York City's cold temperatures in the small skirt, which hardly covered her long legs. Jeff and Allison's relationship dates back more than two decades - with the pair first meeting when they both worked at NBC in the early 2000s. Despite Allison claiming that their romance didn't blossom until the COVID-19 pandemic, sources told DailyMail.com that it started years earlier, and was not a secret to their colleagues at CNN. Katie Couric - who worked with both of them at NBC - wrote in her 2021 memoir, Going There, that the pair were 'adjoined at the hip.' In a statement released yesterday, she also claimed many people in the industry 'turned a blind eye' to their 'inappropriate behavior.' Allison's leggy display came hours before it was reported that CEO of Liberty Media John Malone (left) was the one who insisted on Jeff's (right) departure after learning of the affair 'I worked with Jeff Zucker for many years at NBC and later on my talk show. He was a talented and energetic producer. His resignation took me by surprise,' she wrote. 'Ive also known Allison Gollust since my days at the Today show. Ive wondered about the nature of their relationship, but I do know, as I wrote in my memoir, Going There, that it made me uncomfortable. In a memo to CNN staff on Wednesday, Jeff confirmed that he was resigning and said he was 'wrong' for not disclosing their relationship when it started 'It seems their colleagues and the media at large turned a blind eye to inappropriate behavior.' After Jeff left NBC in 2010, he began producing Katie's self-titled daytime talk show, and the TV host said in her book that he 'pushed hard' to get Allison a job on the show. The two even lived in the same apartment building on the Upper East Side with their respective families for many years - with Jeff residing in #3W and Allison living just one floor above him, in #4W. In her book, Katie called Jeff and Allison's 'cozy' arrangement 'super strange,' and claimed it made her 'really uncomfortable,' especially since she was close friends with Jeff's then-wife, Caryn Nathanson. Jeff divorced Caryn in 2018 after they reportedly 'grew apart,' while Allison split from her husband Billy Hult 12 months later, according to RadarOnline. In a memo to CNN staff on Wednesday, Jeff confirmed that he was resigning and said he was 'wrong' for not disclosing their relationship when it started. He wrote: 'As part of the investigation into Chris Cuomo's tenure at CNN, I was asked about a consensual relationship with my closest colleague, someone I have worked with for more than 20 years. 'I acknowledged the relationship evolved in recent years. I was required to disclose it when it began but I didn't. I was wrong. As a result, I am resigning today.' The timing for Princess Diana could hardly have been worse. On television, Prince Charles was admitting adultery with Camilla Parker Bowles; and ex-cavalry officer James Hewitt was collaborating on a syrupy memoir of their love affair. Meanwhile, newspapers were full of eyebrow-raising stories of nuisance telephone calls she was said to have made to the home of a married man. No wonder Diana found the sunlit Chelsea studio of painter Nelson Shanks a sanctuary. Indeed, the visits she made throughout the summer of 1994 the most traumatic period of her post-separation life far exceeded those necessary for artist and sitter. 'Many times she came by were just social,' Shanks's widow Leona recalled yesterday. 'A true bond developed between us and our studio was like a haven for her. 'We felt honoured that she felt safe with us. She was in such turmoil that I think she truly did not know who to trust.' The story behind the remarkable attachment that developed between the American-born Shankses and the lonely princess was brought into focus this week following a series of Old Masters sales at Sotheby's in New York. After fierce bidding, it sold for $201,600 (149,000) more than 13 times its estimate. Pictured: Shanks painting Princess Diana in 1994 The story behind the remarkable attachment that developed between the American-born Shankses and the lonely princess was brought into focus this week following a series of Old Masters sales at Sotheby's in New York. For amid the collection of Baroque masterpieces that changed hands for more than 82 million was a surprise a portrait of the Princess of Wales that had never been seen before. In it, the princess, in a green halter-neck gown by the couturier Catherine Walker, is a study in melancholy, her eyes downcast. The picture one of five preliminary pieces Shanks did ahead of his near life-size portrait that Diana later proudly displayed over the main staircase at Kensington Palace was offered for sale at a guide price of $15,000 (11,000). I'd rather be painted at your place. I want to get out of here After fierce bidding, it sold for $201,600 (149,000) more than 13 times its estimate. Although Shanks was one of America's leading society painters, his works had previously never sold for more than $16,000. But of course, the price secured may mostly reflect the public's enduring fascination with Diana. Relatively few artists were commissioned to paint her and, besides, formal portraiture rarely captured the princess's essence and often drew strong criticism. A 1992 painting by David Hankinson was dismissed as a manque Mills & Boon cover, 'pure chocolate-box rubbish' better suited for 'the bargain-basement of Woolworths'. Another was denigrated as 'titillating fantasy', while Richard Foster's effort in the late 1980s managed to make her look positively ugly. When the Nelson Shanks portrait was unveiled in New York, it drew glowing reviews. One described how 'you can feel this woman's pain through the canvas' As for Bryan Organ's 1981 engagement painting, which hangs in the National Portrait Gallery, it was attacked physically as well as verbally. A student slashed it with a knife in a protest about Ireland. When the Nelson Shanks finished portrait was unveiled in New York, however, it drew glowing reviews. One described how 'you can feel this woman's pain through the canvas'. Another marvelled at its depth of expression and the challenge any artist faced painting the most photographed woman on the planet. Diana's more prosaic verdict was best summed up by the note she sent to the artist after he returned to his home in Philadelphia. 'I do miss you and Leona in London, as coming to the studio was a safe haven, so full of support and love.' While she adored the painting, telling me it was the one time she felt an artist had come close to 'getting me', her affection was largely due to her relationship with the fatherly figure of Shanks, who admitted he was 'flatly in love with her', and his wife. When Nelson admired her Chanel shoes, she said 'These? Yuk. I call these my Charles and Camilla shoes' Nelson and Leona were a reassuring counterpoise to the events that came close to overwhelming her that summer. There is little doubt it was the couple's warmth and kindness that helped her cope during those torrid months. The artist and his wife arrived in Britain in late spring 1994 after accepting one commission to paint Lady Thatcher when he received a second. A group of Bond Street art dealers asked if he would also paint the Princess of Wales. 'Nelson said it would be an honour,' his widow recalled. 'They then spoke to Diana and she said she wouldn't commit until she had met the artist. 'We had an appointment at Kensington Palace and spent an hour talking to her. That night the art dealers called and said, "It's on, she definitely wants to be painted by you."' The fee at that time Shanks commanded up to $200,000 (147,000) for a painting was met anonymously. Soon afterwards, the couple were back at the Palace to talk about what the princess would wear. Leona remembered how on this less formal visit, the princess wasn't wearing shoes. 'We could hear her running down the corridor and when she showed up, she was so fresh and natural. No stockings, no heels. Diana, the Princess Of Wales visits Washington Gala Dinner, left, and visiting the Royal Brompton Hospital to meet Cystic Fibrosis sufferers, right, both in 1997 'Nelson asked if she wanted to be painted at the palace or at our place. She said, "Your place. I want to get out of here."' A year and a half after separating from Charles, Diana was finding it difficult to navigate a single life. Although she had dispensed with her police protection, which she felt gave her more freedom, her so-called independence meant it was open season for the paparazzi. Within days of Diana beginning her sessions at the Edwardian red-brick studio on the site where another famous American artist, James McNeill Whistler, used to paint she was confronted by the first of that summer's crises. In a TV interview with Jonathan Dimbleby, Charles admitted he had been unfaithful. Famously, on the night of the broadcast, Diana seized the headlines herself by appearing at an official dinner in a daring cocktail outfit, showing off her figure in what was dubbed 'the revenge dress'. But the TV confession sucked the fight out of the princess, who was devastated. It also led to her tit-for-tat Panorama interview the following year. The Shankses knew little of the unhappy undercurrents in the failing royal marriage. 'My husband had huge admiration for Prince Charles,' Mrs Shanks says. 'I think Diana started posing for Nelson three days after Charles gave the TV interview but she never said anything disparaging. We just got this sense that they had been two very different people. She was with us when the Hewitt book came out. She felt betrayed 'She talked about the intensity of the photographers who followed her everywhere and how difficult it was to give her sons a normal life. 'Once she took us out to dinner and, afterwards, as Nelson walked her to her car, these photographers leapt out of the bushes and jumped on the car bonnet. It reduced her to tears. I could see why all the thrills of the palace didn't mean much to her.' The first time the princess had arrived at the studio, Mrs Shanks curtsied and called her 'Princess' to Diana's annoyance. 'I thought the protocol was mandatory but she said if you keep doing that we won't be friends, so it was Diana from then on. 'She didn't expect any special treatment. She would happily sit there with bare feet.' On one occasion, she turned up wearing Chanel shoes with their distinctive interlocked letter Cs. 'Nelson admired them and she went, "Yuk, I call them my Charles and Camilla shoes". They had a good time just laughing at that.' But it was not all laughter. 'There would be long 20-minute periods where she would just sit and he'd be painting and you could tell she was pondering things and that's there in the painting.' Over the next four months, Diana would sit for about 35 sessions when Shanks painted. But she was there far more often, possibly 50 times, according to Leona. 'I think there was something non-threatening, non-judgmental about our presence for her. Nelson described our studio as a sanctuary from the chattering world outside. 'She was so easy and natural and I worshipped her but my husband had a real bond with her. They saw something in each other.' Despite the princess's informality, there was a timetable: on the days Diana wasn't there, Margaret Thatcher was. 'My husband revered both women but they never once overlapped.' One day, Lady Thatcher arrived with a framed and signed photograph 'to Nelson and Leona, with love'. Diana saw it and the next time she came, she brought a signed photo of herself in a frame with a coronet on it, also signed 'to Nelson and Leona, love Diana'. But the princess's troubles were crowding in. That summer, Diana became agitated after learning that ex-Army officer James Hewitt was planning to cash in on a kiss-and-tell book about his four-year romance with her. 'You know, when that Hewitt book came out, she was with us,' Leona recalls. 'She felt completely betrayed that time after time, someone she thought she could trust would betray her. I think it was one of her biggest blows. 'She didn't say she had an affair with him and we never enquired, which is maybe why she trusted us. Painting can be like therapy.' Then came the hammer blow of the silent phone calls. A Sunday newspaper accused the princess of bombarding the home of Old Etonian art dealer Oliver Hoare with more than 300 anonymous calls after he had ended their affair. Sometimes Hoare answered, sometimes his wife Diane, but each time the caller said nothing and hung up. Police traced some of the calls to the princess's private line at Kensington Palace and to her mobile numbers, and others to phone boxes in the Kensington area. The princess later admitted to me that she had made some but not all of the calls. By then, the police inquiry had been dropped but the damage to Diana's reputation was huge. Hoare was married with three children. Two days after the story broke, Diana was in Shanks's Tite Street base, dressed in the white frilled blouse and emerald green taffeta skirt she had chosen to be painted in, ready for her next sitting. Did she say anything about it? 'I don't like to venture into her private life,' Shanks said at the time. 'But she did say it was nonsense.' As the storm over the phone calls rumbled on, Diana continued with her trips to the studio. In the finished painting, she stands with both her engagement and wedding rings exposed. Her head is tilted and she is gazing sideways, while in the background is the outline of an open door a metaphor for the changing direction of her life. Brian Sewell, the acerbic critic, was typically back-handed, describing it as 'glitzy, glossy and as remarkably competent as it is unfeeling'. But Diana loved it and asked if she could have it in her palace apartment, where it remained until her death. Today, it is in the triple-height saloon of her brother's house, Althorp, the Spencers' ancestral home. Nelson Shanks, whose commissions included Presidents Reagan and Clinton as well as Pope John Paul II, died from cancer in 2015. He never forgot his brush with the troubled princess and they kept in touch until the end. The relationship even survived a faux pas when Diana asked him who he would most like to paint 'present company excepted' and he replied 'Prince Charles'. 'She smiled and Nelson said, "Gosh, I hope I didn't say the wrong thing".' Advertisement Hospitalisations for opioid overdoses have soared by 50 percent in a decade with fears Britain is now in the grip of a prescription painkiller addiction crisis. Research by the London School of Economics found 16,091 people were admitted to hospital due to the harmful effects of powerful painkillers in 2018. This is up from just 10,805 admissions in 2008, with treatment for opioid overdoses now costing the NHS more than 10 million a year. The study analysed hospital admissions in England for harmful use of opioids including codeine, morphine, co-codamol, fentanyl and tramadol. They found the biggest increase was among middle-class Britons, with admissions up by 94 per cent in the most affluent areas of England. Admissions among over-55s have also soared by 160 per cent over the past decade, according to the study published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. The authors of the research labeled their findings a 'conservative' estimate of the burden of treating opioids admissions on the NHS. Experts have also warned the Covid pandemic is likely to have exacerbated the use of opioids , as millions of patients suffer in agony while trapped on record-high waiting lists for surgeries like hip replacements. There are fears of a growing opioid crisis in the UK that could mirror the heartbreaking prescription painkiller epidemic in the US as new research shows hospitalisations for opioid overdoses have soared by 50 percent in England within a decade Opioid hospitlisations in England (the black line) have grown to just over 16,000 cases in 2018 up from about 10,000 in 2008, a rise of about 50 per cent in a decade, this was driven primarily by a growth in the number of opioid poisonings which are considered more serious (the dotted blue line) than opioid abuse (the green dotted line) This graph shows the the number of opioid hospitlisations in England broken down by age. While the vast majority of admissions were in people between the age of 35 and 44 the researchers noted there has been a 160 per cent rise in the number of hospitlisations for opioids in the over 55s in the decade of the study This graph shows the relative change in opioid hospitlisation by number of health conditions over the decade of data included in the study. It shows an explosive growth in opioid cases among those with four or more health conditions (the solid blue, dotted green, and dotted black lines). The researchers said overall there was a 628 per cent increase in opioid hospitlisations among these patients The study also found the biggest increase in opioid admissions was among more affluent Britons, with admissions up by 94 per cent in England's least deprived areas (solid black line) between 2008 and 2018. This graph shows the relative growth by the deprivation level of patients' residence Researchers also found a six-fold increase in admissions for patients with four-or-more underlying health conditions, suggesting these patients may have misused the drugs after being prescribed opioids. The study said the findings were consistent with fears about adverse effects from long-term use of prescription opioids in patients combating cancer pain or chronic pain. Deaths from opioid overdoses rose by 20 per cent between 2011 and 2016, but have since stabilised to around 2,000 deaths per year. HOW AMERICA GOT HOOKED ON OPIOIDS AND IS THE SAME HAPPENING HERE? New research has shown hospital admissions for opioids has soared 50 per cent in the last decade in England adding to fears the UK could be facing a similar opioid crisis to the one in the US which has devastated thousands of families. In the early 2000s, the FDA and CDC started to notice a steady increase in cases of opioid addiction and overdose. In 2013, they issued guidelines to curb addiction. However, that same year - now regarded as the year the painkiller epidemic took hold - a CDC report revealed an unprecedented surge in rates of opioid addiction. Overdose deaths are now the leading cause of death among young Americans - killing more in a year than were ever killed annually by HIV, gun violence or car crashes. In 2019, the CDC revealed that nearly 71,000 Americans died from drug overdoses. This is up from about 59,000 just three years prior, in 2016, and more than double the death rate from a decade ago. It means that drug overdoses are currently the leading cause of death for Americans under 50 years old. The data lays bare the bleak state of America's opioid addiction crisis fueled by deadly manufactured drugs like fentanyl. Advertisement The researchers suggested this fall was due to efforts to reduce opioid deaths, such as increasing community access to the overdose reversal drug naloxone. Over the 10 years analysed in the study, the total cost to the NHS in England of treating these opioid cases was found to be 137 million. Opioids are painkilling drugs derived from the same chemicals found in the poppy plant and used in heroin. These chemicals attach to pain receptors on the surface of the brain cells providing relief. They are used to treat acute pain, and are also often prescribed for cancer patients, and for people after a surgery. But they have a sedative effect that can cause feelings of pleasure, and potentially lead to addition, long-term dependency and withdrawal symptoms. The surge in admissions found in the new study will add to fears the UK could be facing a similar opioid crisis to that seen in the US, where more than 600,000 have died from overdoses since 1999. Experts have also warned the Covid pandemic is likely to have exacerbated the use of opioids , as millions of patients suffer in agony while trapped on record-high waiting lists for surgeries like hip replacements. Lead author of the study, London's Dr Rocco Friebel, an expert in health policy, said the rise in opioid misuse was linked to a combination of factors, including cuts to welfare support and rising unemployment. He added it may reflect increased numbers of the medications being doled out by GPs and doctors, with opioid prescriptions more than doubling in the eight years to 2016. Dr Friebel said: Even though prescribing trends have flattened in the past five years, the strength of prescribed opiate drugs has increased successively. The growth of opioid admissions was not matched by similar rises in other substances, according to the study. Over the decade hospital admissions for other illegal drugs only rose by 11.6 per cent, and for alcohol only by 16.2 per cent. One limitation of the study that the authors acknowledged is that some opioid patients treated in A&E, but admitted as a patient, would not have been counted and therefore the study should be considered a 'conservative' estimate. Around 5 million people a year in England are given prescription opioids, and more than half-a-million taken them for at least three years, according to a 2019 Government report. Some experts have warned the Covid pandemic is likely to have exacerbated the opioid crisis, as millions of patients suffer in agony while trapped on record high waiting lists for surgeries like hip replacements. The Mail has been calling for greater recognition of the opioid addiction crisis since 2017 with our Save The Prescription Pill Victims campaign. Last year the NHS watchdog, the National Institute of Care and Excellence, said millions of patients suffering from chronic pain should no longer be prescribed painkillers. The guidelines stated opioids such as tramadol and codeine 'can cause harm, including possible addiction'. And new rules also mean patients who buy opioids such as codeine or co-codamol over-the-counter at pharmacies are given stronger warnings about addiction risk. A recent study showed that up to 53 per cent of opioids in England are unnecessary with the NHS wasting 288million a year on inappropriate opioid prescribing. And research published two years ago, by experts at Manchester University, found codeine use in the UK had risen five-fold in the previous decade. Analysis shows that 212 people died of drug poisoning from codeine in 2020, the highest since records began in 1993 and twice the number from ten years ago. Advertisement Dr Stefanos Kales (pictured), a professor of medicine at Harvard University, said that it was a mistake to allow infectious disease experts rather than public health experts to control the response to Covid. He also believes it is time for the nation to 'move on' from the pandemic. Calls for the United States to declare the COVID-19 pandemic over and return to 'normal life' are growing, as cases have dropped 40 percent nationwide and it seems that all 50 states are past the worst stages of the Omicron surge that started late last year. But despite the growing sentiment, federal health officials have been slow to lift mandates. The U.S. is averaging 361,072 cases per day, a far fall from the 800,000 cases per day at the peak of the Omicron surge in mid-January. Dr Stefanos Kales, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical school, told CNBC this week that the government made mistakes early on by choosing to value the opinions of infectious disease experts over all others during the early stages of the pandemic. 'I think what we saw is the danger of turning over public policy and public health recommendations to people who have had their careers exclusively focused on infectious diseases as opposed to public health in general,' he said. Last month, he published an article on LinkedIn calling for pandemic-related measures to be focused on the vulnerable instead the population as a whole. While some people with comorbidities that put them at risk of serious complications from the virus still do need some safeguards, the average healthy, vaccinated, person is totally OK, he said. 'We badly need to allow the general public, particularly the young, to get back to normal life,' he wrote. '... It is like trying to stop a snowstorm by catching each and every snowflake, rather than keeping the roads open by plowing.' Kales also noted that Omicron could potentially be the final stage of the virus's pandemic phase. Many experts are predicting that after the variant totally burns out across the population, which it may have done already, it will transition into an endemic phase, where humans can live alongside the virus with little disruption to every day life. 'Many reasoned, outspoken and honest scientists have been making the point that COVID-19 is moving rapidly from a 'pandemic' to an 'endemic' respiratory infection comparable to the common cold and flu,' he wrote. Daily Covid cases in the U.S. have plummeted in recent weeks after peaking in mid-January Iowa may soon join the growing list of states - mainly red states concentrated in the U.S. south and the Midwest - that are deciding to move past the pandemic themselves. Gov Kim Reynolds announced earlier this week that emergency orders related to the pandemic will expire February, and will not be renewed. As a result, Covid data trackers run by the state will be shut down and case and death data will be reported weekly rather than the current schedule. Effectively, the virus will be treated the same as the flu. Many states will have their emergency declarations end at some point this month or the next - which marks the two year anniversary of the pandemic - and each governor has a big decision to come that could be an inflection point for the future of Covid in America. Declining cases may be coming at the right time as well. Current data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that cases are now decreasing in 49 of 50 states - with Maine being the lone outlier, though the state likely reached its peak of the Omicron surge a few weeks ago. This means that this surge likely already peaked everywhere in America. Despite this, the federal regulators have been slow to lift restrictions at the national level. On Wednesday, Dr Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, mentioned that Americans are 'anxious' to return to 'normal', but hospitalization and death data prevented her from pulling the trigger just yet. 'We really do have look to our hospitalization rates, and our death rates, to look to when it's time to lift some of these mitigation efforts,' she said. Covid hospitalizations in America are down 18 percent over the past two weeks, with 130,000 virus positive Americans receiving treatment every day. The figure is misleading, though, since many people who are receiving treatment for another condition and test positive while present at the hospital are added to the tally. Last month, Massachusetts health officials revealed that around half of the state's Covid hospitalization total was made up by people who were receiving treatment for something else. Deaths, a metric that often lags a few weeks behind cases, have begun to stagnate as well. Daily deaths in the U.S. have steadied around 2,400 a day after peaking at the start of the month at over 2,500. The current average of 2,441 is a seven percent increase from the 2,280 total last week. European governments are only building pressure upon American officials by lifting measures in their own nations. Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson announced this weeks that her country would 'open' on February 9, with all pandemic related measures to be lifted soon. 'The pandemic is not over but has entered a totally new phase,' Andersson said during a news briefing Thursday morning. Both Denmark and the UK, both nations that were struck hard and fast by the Omicron variant and the end of last year have opted to lift all pandemic related measures as well and declare the countries 'open' once again. Norway and Switzerland have both laid out reopening plans as well. In the UK in particular, cases are down 14 percent over the past week, down to under 90,000 per day after peaking at over 180,000 per day in early January. English officials are even planning on scrapping daily data collecting all together in the near future, as the figures may no longer be necessary in the nation as cases and deaths are expected to fall to extremely low numbers. Daily Covid cases are finally starting to drop in the final cluster of northwestern states that were still experiencing the worst of the Omicron surge. Montana and Idaho are finally trending downwards, with cases down six percent and seven percent respectively. Minnesota, also one of the stragglers, is seeing cases start to fall off dramatically, with cases now down 27 percent over the past two weeks. Alaska (cases down seven percent over the past two weeks), Washington (19 percent) and North Dakota (40 percent) are reporting drops as well. Along the east coast, cases have drown dramatically. Maryland has experienced a 74 percent drop in cases over the past two weeks after experiencing a massive surge in December. In New York and New Jersey - the two hardest struck states by Omicron at the end of last year - are experiencing case declines of around 70 percent as well. A cluster of northeastern states that once were among those leading the nation in infection rate are now among those with the lowest daily rates as well. Maryland is averaging 32 new daily cases per every 100,000 residents, the lowest of any state. Connecticut (46 per every 100,000 residents testing positive daily), New York (49), New Jersey (50), Pennsylvania (66), Delaware (73), Massachusetts (73) and Maine (74) are all recording low rates. A cluster of Midwestern states who experienced Omicron surges after the east coast are finding themselves drop to the lowest rates in the nation as well. Ohio (59), Illinois (81) and Iowa (85) appear to each be turning the corner and putting the virus away after sharp declines in cases in recent weeks. Alaska is far and away the leader in Covid infection rate. The state 1,600 miles from the U.S mainland is recording 284 cases per every 100,000 residents every day, by far the most of any state. No other state is recording more than 200 cases per every 100,000 members of the population. Despite declining cases nationwide, deaths are still rising in some parts of the country, especially in southern states with low vaccination rates. Mississippi has by far the highest Covid mortality rate in America, recording 1.9 deaths per every 100,000 residents every day. Nearby South Carolina comes in second, with 1.56 per every 100,000 residents dying daily. Missouri (1.11 deaths per 100,000 residents) and Tennessee (1.1) are also among the nine states recording a high mortality rate. A father-of-five from Merseyside has become the first person in the UK to receive a 'vaccine' for head and neck cancer. Graham Booth, 54, received the potentially life-changing injection after a gruelling 11-year battle with the cancer that has returned four times. Each time the disease returned, Mr Booth has needed facial surgery to remove and repair tissue, as well as requiring ongoing radiotherapy. Graham Booth was first diagnosed with neck and head cancer in 2011 and the disease has since returned four times, twice in 2021 But the new 'vaccine' treatment will see Mr Booth receive a series of injections tailor-designed to match his DNA, as part of the Transgene clinical trial based at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in Wirral. It is called a 'vaccine' because it is designed to trigger the immune system to ward off cancer permanently, similar to the way vaccines train the immune system to resist disease. He will undergo immunotherapy treatment for a year and said he was full of hope from taking part in the trial, after facing a lack of options when his cancer returned last year. More than 12,000 Britons are diagnosed with head and neck cancer every year and around 4,000 die from the disease annually. Mr Booth said: 'When I had my first cancer treatment in 2011, I was under the impression that the cancer would not return. My biggest fear was realised in 2016 when it came back and then in 2019 and then two cases in 2021,' he said. 'Last year I had the feeling of the cancer progressing and there were not a lot of options left.' Mr Booth hopes his involvement in the trial will help 'open a doorway' for other cancer patients. Graham Booth a 54-year-old father of five, from Wirral receiving the first injection in a new immunotherapy trial aiming to prevent his long-running cancer from returning Mr Booth said: 'This clinical trial has opened new doorways and gives me a bit of hope that my cancer won't come back. And this could open doorways for other people. 'I'm hopefully looking at a brighter future. A bit of hope that it never returns again - which would mean the world to my family and everyone around me.' The treatment is part of a research project aiming to reduce deaths and recurrence in head and neck cancers, including those of the throat, neck, mouth and tongue. Professor Christian Ottensmeier, chief investigator of the trial and a medical oncologist at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre said: 'It is a really exciting day in this important and potentially game-changing research. What is immunotherapy and how does it work? Immunotherapy is a treatment which uses a patient's own immune system to fight cancer. It works by helping the immune system recognise and attack cancer cells. Advertisement 'To have reached the stage of a patient receiving this treatment that only a few years ago was thought of as science fiction, is truly amazing.' The immunotherapy injections are expected to produce fewer negative side effects compared to traditional cancer therapies, which can trigger nausea. 'It is unlikely that this treatment will cause meaningful side-effects in our patients but likely it will cause very meaningful benefits,' Professor Ottensmeier said. More patients will join the trial and the researchers hope to learn more about its potential to treat other cancers. The Transgene study also involves cancer researchers from Liverpool Head & Neck Centre, Liverpool University Hospitals and the University of Liverpool. According to charity Cancer UK about 12,500 people get diagnosed with head and neck cancers each year. Survival rates for this cancer vary widely depending on exactly where the cancer develops. In some cases more than half of people will survive longer than 10 years after their diagnosis but this can drop to less than one-in-five for people who have a deadlier type. Survival rates are highest for cancer in salivary glands and lowest in the hypopharyngeal, the bottom part of the throat. Some of the at-home Covid tests distributed by the Biden administration may be frozen by the time they arrive at people's homes, and may not work, an expert warns. The long awaited test distribution finally began last month, but experts warn that the test must be stored at a temperature of 35 degrees or lower. If a person has an outdoor mailbox and does not retrieve the test within a few hours of its arrival, a liquid cartridge inside the test could freeze and become unusable. A person who uses a frozen test could get a false negative result and potentially expose others to the virus thinking they are safe. It is yet another issue facing the test rollout by the federal government, which has already received criticism for how long it took to get the tests out, for four tests not being enough for some households and some people who live in a multi-unit building reporting that only one unit could receive the test. At-home Covid tests can freeze if they are left in an outdoor mailbox or sitting outside for too long after delivery, and could become unusable, experts warn (file photo) If the liquid cartridge inside the test freezes - which can happen if it is stored at under 35 degrees - the test could become unusable and provide a false-negative result, experts warn (file photo) 'Just as anything with liquid, if it's chilled or frozen, it changes. That's the same with these at-home tests,' Dr Geoffrey Baird, chair of laboratory medicine and pathology at the University of Washington told USA Today. 'At a time where temperatures are freezing in most places, it's safer to choose another test.' Baird recommends that people pick up the tests as soon as possible from outside. Some people may be at work when the test arrives, though, or just out of the house, meaning the test may freeze sitting out in the cold for a few hours. If the test is frozen after sitting outside for an extended period of time, it is likely unusable at that point, as the solution will have been damaged already. "When you freeze and thaw something, the solutions in it may not actually get back into solution as it once was before,' Baird said. 'That's where the inaccuracy in these at-home tests can come from.' Once inside, experts recommend to also make sure you do not put in front of a window, or another environment that will cause it to overheat. The liquid reaching 85 degrees or higher could be a problem as well. 'Your best bet is room temperature. Nothing colder or hotter because the test is sensitive to those temperatures,' Cindy Prins, an epidemiologist at the University of Florida said. The federal government chose to launch the long-sought after free test distribution in wake of the Omicron variant causing massive case surges nationwide at the end of 2021. Case surges often correspond with weather, with colder winter months and warmer summer months having been the worst of the pandemic through its first two years. The timing of these tests are partly an unfortunate coincidence, but also partly because of how long it took the U.S. to implement free testing distribution - a program peer nations have had in place for over a year. In December, the surge in demand for tests led to massive shortages and price gouging for at-home tests at some pharmacies. Then, once the federal government finally stepped up to quell the issue, it was revealed that each household in the U.S. will only receive four tests each. The average American family has just over three people, meaning that everyone in the house would only be able to test once - and they were out of luck if they had a larger family. For comparison, the UK allows for residents to regularly order packs of seven tests for free, while for the U.S. it is only four tests, one time. Many Americans also live with roommates or in other co-living situations, and often have more than four people in a single household. Once the tests did become available, many people who live in apartment buildings or other places where multiple units shared the same address reported that only one housing unit could requests tests out of an entire building - which could potentially have hundreds of different families. At-home tests are also popularly used for travel, but they may not be valid under some restrictions that require a person to take a rapid test in front of a health official for certification. This includes some domestic regulations, like traveling to Hawaii or Puerto Rico. Wearing a properly fitting, N95 or KN95 mask can a reduce a person's likelihood of being infected from Covid by 83 percent, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study reveals. The research team gathered data from over 2,000 people in California who were tested for Covid from Febraury to December 2021. Participants reported their mask usage in the time preceding the Covid test - whether it was negative or positive - and whether they had a known exposure to the virus. Researchers found that wearing any kind of mask reduced Covid risk, a surgical mask decreased risk 63 percent and cloth mask by around 50 percent, but the N95 and KN95 masks were by far the most effective. The masks have been deemed the gold standard, and the only ones effective enough to prevent transmission of the Omicron variant. They have been in short supply in recent weeks, though, and the federal government has moved to increase the supply available to Americans. The CDC found that wearing a KN95 and N95 mask could reduce risk of catching Covid 83%, the most effective of any mask. Cloth masks reduced risk of infection by 50% and surgical masks dropped it 63% The study was performed before the rise of the Omicron variant, which scientists believe only N95 masks are effective against. Pictured: A man in Seattle, Michigan takes off an N95 mask 'Using a face mask or respirator in indoor public settings was associated with lower odds of acquiring SARS-CoV-2 infection, with protection being highest among those who reported wearing a face mask or respirator all of the time,' researchers wrote. 'Although consistent use of any face mask or respirator indoors was protective, the adjusted odds of infection were lowest among persons who reported typically wearing an N95/KN95 respirator, followed by wearing a surgical mask.' Researchers, who published their findings Friday, randomly selected 652 Covid positive patients, and matched them with 1,176 who tested negative. Participants in the study were questioned on whether they frequently masked in public settings, and what kind of mask the generally used. The study was notably performed before the rise of the Omicron variant in early-to-mid December and largely contains the Delta variant's dominance in the U.S. They found that KN95 and N95 mask wearers only tested positive around 17 percent as often as those that report they did not wear masks at all, the best of any of the masks. 'These data from real-world settings reinforce the importance of consistently wearing face masks or respirators to reduce the risk of acquisition of SARS-CoV-2 infection among the general public in indoor community settings,' researchers wrote. Bill Taubner, president of Bona Fide Masks, one of 13 companies that produces Food and Drug Administration authorized masks in the U.S., explained why KN95 and N95 masks are so effective. He told DailyMail.com last month that a well fitting version of the masks has a filtration efficiency of around 95 percent - hence the name. The masks have been in short supply recently, though. Amid the rise of the Omicron variant, scientists found that cloth masks and even surgical masks were almost entirely ineffective at preventing transmission of the virus. A rush of KN95 and N95 masks ensued, causing then to fly off of shelves. In response, Taubner said his company was going to triple production of the masks, and even keep the factories based in China open through the Lunar New Year to help meet surging demand. The Biden administration also purchased 400 masks to be distributed freely in pharmacies around the country, though the number breaks down to only around one mask per-American, which some believe is not enough to prevent transmission long-term. It is mortar boards at dawn, with a Dragons Den success story in one corner, and in the other, a venerable London tailor that has made gowns for kings and queens. The firm backed by the BBC show has been accused of misleading university graduates by making fraudulent claims about their eco-friendly gowns. Claims of illegal conduct have been made in the bitter legal battle between Churchill Gowns and Ede & Ravenscroft. Backing: Dragons Den's Deborah Meaden (pictured) made a 60,000 investment in Churchill Gowns which was founded by Ruth Nicholls and Oliver Adkins The rival robe makers are at loggerheads in a dispute in which Churchill founded by Ruth Nicholls and Oliver Adkins has accused its long-established competitor of abusing its powerful market position. Ede & Ravenscroft has hit back, alleging Churchill made misleading claims that its garments are made from recycled plastic bottles when they are not. Tests on the robes did not find a single fibre from plastic bottles in the fabric, it said. In recently submitted court documents, Ede & Ravenscrofts lawyers said Churchills representations were not merely false but made fraudulently or at least with criminal negligence. Prominent: Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney says she wears Ede & Ravenscroft Ede & Ravenscroft told a tribunal it does not accept Churchills gowns were made from recycled plastic at all. It added that Churchill which benefitted from a 60,000 investment from Deborah Meaden on Dragons Den three years ago made prominent claims about their products that are completely unsupported and wrong. The dispute concerns claims that Ede & Ravenscroft abused its dominant position to try to drive Churchill whose gowns are significantly cheaper out of the market. Churchill claims students can hire or purchase graduation attire through its company for 34, whereas the average price to rent an Ede & Ravenscroft gown is 45. Established in 1689 in Londons Aldwych, Ede & Ravenscroft is thought to be the oldest firm of tailors in the world. Monarchs have worn its garments at 12 coronations and it supplies gowns for the church, academics, judges and barristers. Amal Clooney, the human rights lawyer and wife of actor George, once told reporters that she was not decked out in designer clothes, saying: Im wearing Ede & Ravenscroft. Churchill Gowns was set up in 2017 by Cambridge University graduates Nicholls and Adkins with the idea of selling cheaper, more environmentally friendly robes. During the Dragons Den pitch, which featured a pyramid of plastic bottles as props, Nicholls said: Each gown that we manufacture saves the equivalent of these 28 plastic bottles ending up in landfill, or polluting the ocean. Marketing material on Churchill Gowns website has been modified to scale back on the environmental claims it had made. An animated video has also been removed that displayed a turtle with a plastic bottle stuck on its head. KPMG is facing a 1.3billion lawsuit over its audit of Carillion. Liquidators for the outsourcing giant, which went bust in 2018, claimed the big four accountancy giant failed to spot multiple red flags that would have alerted them to misstatements in Carillions accounts. The legal claim, brought by the Official Receiver, part of the Governments Insolvency Service, also alleged that KPMG failed to maintain independence while conducting the audits, breaching professional and ethical obligations. High and dry: A Carillion construction project in Central London before the outsourcing giant plunged into administration in 2018 The claimants are seeking damages including around 210million in dividends paid by Carillion to investors between 2014 and 2017, as well as professional fees worth 31million. They are also chasing over 1billion in losses incurred as the group continued to trade despite the misstated accounts. KPMG said the claims were without merit and that it would robustly defend the case. The lawsuit came just days after it emerged KPMGs bosses scooped their biggest payday since 2014 last year, despite a string of scandals. The 571 UK partners average pay jumped 20 pc to 688,000 last year. But that was less than their counterparts at rival big four accounting firms, with Deloittes top brass getting an average of just over 1m. KPMG was Carillions auditor for 19 years, earning a total of 29million in the process. It had debts of around 7billion but just 29million in cash when it went bust. It also owed around 2billion to sub-contractors. Its insolvency put thousands of jobs at risk and left creditors and shareholders out of pocket. At the time of its collapse, Carillion held around 450 construction and service contracts with the Government, and employed more than 43,000 people 18,000 in Britain. The Government was forced to step in to ensure that public services such as school meal provision and hospital maintenance continued following the companys collapse. The saga prompted calls for an overhaul of the auditing industry. Eight of Carillions former directors are fighting a legal action that is attempting to bar them from running UK firms. City centres are roaring back to life as workers return to their desks, according to two leading companies. Upper Crust-owner SSP and West End landlord Shaftesbury said the ending of work-from-home guidance is boosting business and helping the economy to recover. In particular, the return of office workers has been a much needed boost for pubs, restaurants and shops devastated by the spread of Omicron. On the move: The ending of work-from-home guidance is boosting business and helping the economy to recover The Government's Plan B measures and work-from-home guidance turned city centres into ghost towns. On what should have been one of the busiest days in the run up to Christmas, footfall in city centres was a third below pre-pandemic levels. But Shaftesbury and SSP said footfall and commuter numbers are surging back following the guidance lifting. Shaftesbury, which owns 600 restaurants, cafes, pubs and shops in London's West End, said it is ready for an 'extended period of uninterrupted growth'. It said vacancy rates are falling back towards pre-pandemic levels, in a further sign the worst of the pandemic has passed. The business said the return of international travel would also support city centres bouncing back from Covid. SSP, whose brands include Camden Food Co and Ritazza, said the emergence of Omicron and extra restrictions was a blow to its recovery. The company is seen as a barometer for commuter traffic and international travel because of its stores in airports and train stations. It was hammered by the pandemic as railway stations and airports were emptied and it was forced to cut around 4,000 jobs. At one point, just ten of its 580 UK sites were open, eight of them in hospitals. Before the Omicron variant emerged, it was trading at 66 per cent of pre-pandemic levels as the number of passengers on trains picked up, driven by the ending of lockdown and staff returning to offices. This dropped to 57 per cent in December and January because of Plan B measures and the work-from-home guidance. But sales have since picked up, especially in the UK and in European countries where restrictions have been dropped. It said yesterday that sales are heading back to pre-pandemic levels driven by strong demand at train stations as workers get back to their desks. Around 1,950 of its 2,700 outlets are open and it said barring any further restrictions it is well placed for a strong summer. GlaxoSmithKline's full-year results on Wednesday will be another test for embattled chief executive Emma Walmsley as she continues to fend off attacks from activist investor Elliott Management. The company has been under increasing pressure over the planned de-merger of its consumer healthcare business, although an aborted 50billion swoop on the division by Unilever last month has helped push GSK's shares to their highest levels in nearly two years. The share price rise may have brought Walmsley some breathing space to pursue her strategy. However, the stock is still below pre-pandemic levels which is unlikely to appease Elliott or other shareholders. Meanwhile, investors will be keenly eyeing the firm's outlook in next week's results. GSK upgraded its full-year guidance in October. But it is still forecasting a year-on-year decline in earnings. Investors will be hoping this has been narrowed further or potentially turned positive. Sales for 2021 are also expected to be around 34billion, about flat year-on-year, so any alterations will be closely watched. Also in focus will be the total dividend for the year, which GSK has previously targeted at 80p per share. Meanwhile, GSK's medicine and vaccine pipeline will continue to attract investor attention with around 63 products in development. Key areas in focus will likely be infectious diseases, HIV and cancer drugs, particularly any updates on progress from ongoing clinical trials. In this series, we bust the jargon and explain a popular investing term or theme. Here it's ESG. What does ESG investing involve? The managers of an ESG fund pledge to pick firms that prioritise environmental, social and governance factors or results. The focus of governance is corporate behaviour: companies that break the law, or treat employees and other stakeholders badly should be excluded. ESG investing is also known as 'ethical impact', 'stakeholder', 'socially responsible' or 'sustainable' investing. ESG considerations are becoming core to how directors develop strategy. A sign of the times: ESG considerations are becoming core to how directors develop strategy Is it a big thing? Absolutely. By the end of this year, savers throughout the globe will have amassed 30.2trillion in ESG funds, according to a forecast from Bloomberg intelligence. Who is the biggest name in the sector? Larry Fink, boss of Blackrock, is credited with the recent ESG boom, arguing in 2020 that a fundamental shift in capitalism was underway to which companies and investors must respond if they wish to prosper. Fink argues that investing in this way is neither ideological or woke, but the best route to long-term returns. doing the right thing should mean greater profitability. Some find the pronouncements on social responsibility hypocritical coming from a Wall Street billionaire, but his is a voice that cannot be ignored. Why has ESG investing soared? Many younger investors do not want their money put into businesses that pollute the planet, or back 'Big Tobacco' or 'Big Oil'. Older generations are also thinking this way and fund managers are catering for them. The influence of David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg on investors' thinking should not be downplayed. How are ESG investments selected? There are at least 14 different frameworks used to assess the credential of a business, leading to confusion. The Financial Conduct authority is under pressure to introduce a consistent terminology to be adopted by all funds. In the meantime, the watchdog requires ESG assertions 'to be reasonable and substantiated'. Does ESG have its critics? Yes. Companies, including many fashion retailers, are frequently accused of 'greenwashing', misleading consumers into believing that a product is sustainable. Others are said to be failing to reveal the impact of climate change on their operations in their financial statements. Tariq Fancy, who led the ESG division at Blackrock, called ESG investing 'a dangerous placebo that harms the public interest'. He contends that the ESG managers can be subjective in their choices, or use unreliable data. Can I trust my fund manager to do the right thing? A company may amply fulfil certain criteria, but fail on others which is why there is a rumpus about the inclusion of Facebook in some US funds. In 2020 it emerged that some UK ethical funds had stakes in Boohoo, the much-criticised fast fashion retailer. The sustainability report of a company spells out its policies on ESG. A fund's monthly factsheet, available online, will detail the companies in which it has stakes. If you are unhappy, ask for an explanation. A young couple's dream of a new home has turned into a nightmare after they shelled out $260,000 only to be left with nothing but a wall and a concrete slab for the garage. Roxy, 27, and Lachlan Goss, 29, were supposed to have their 'forever home' finished by June 2021. But now steel, cinder blocks and timber are strewn across their property in Granton on the northern outskirts of Hobart after construction was delayed and their builders went bust in early January. Roxy, 27, and Lachlan Goss, 29 (pictured with their children), were supposed to have their 'forever home' finished by June 2021 The young couple shelled out $260,000 and have been left with a single wall (pictured) The Goss family's block of land on Hobart's northern outskirts contains nothing but an unfinished wall and a concrete slab The Master's student said she 'put my heart and soul into it and now we've basically lost everything and have to start over again from scratch'. This is what their dream home was supposed to look like THE KEY TIPS TO FOLLOW WHEN BUILDING A HOME Ms Goss urged anyone hoping to build their dream home to make sure they do their homework before signing up or handing any cash over. Here are her key tips: *Do not pay anything on top of the agreed stage payments. *Do not pay any more than five per cent before construction is started. *Check what the builder is saying to you is actually true during the project. 'They might say "the council is holding us up" or "we are having problems with suppliers" - in reality it might just be because they haven't paid their bills.' Advertisement Hotondo Homes Hobart was contracted to build the four-bedroom home but went bust on January 4 owing $1.3million with an additional debt of $1.2million to unsecured creditors, according to a report by liquidators. About 40 furious customers across Tasmania have been left out of pocket and with unfinished homes, and claim the company has not provided them with any support. Ms Goss told Daily Mail Australia she was 'completely blindsided' when she learned of the firm's impending collapse just two days before Christmas in a call from a liquidator. 'This was our first home and it was supposed to be our forever home,' the mother-of-two said. 'I worked alongside the design team of Hotondo to tailor it to how I wanted it. How I wanted it to be built and how I wanted it to look. 'I put my heart and soul into it and now we've basically lost everything and have to start over again from scratch.' They bought the block of land back in 2019 and later signed up with the builder on the promise of a pre-approved building plan that would take six months and be lodged with the local council. Ms Goss, who is at university undertaking a master's degree in teaching, said work started on the property just as the collapse of Hotondo Homes Hobart came to light. 'There is just a wall and one concrete slab for a garage. That's all that's there,' Ms Goss said. A concrete slab for the garage (pictured) was the only other thing completed before Hotondo Homes Hobart went bankrupt Ms Goss (pictured with her children) told Daily Mail Australia she was 'completely blindsided' learning of the firm's collapse just two days before Christmas when she got a call from a liquidator 'We've got all the bricks and materials to get us to the lock-up stage sitting on our block, so there's just a whole lot of timber and metal and a wall put up.' Going through the 'distressing' ordeal with their 15-month and three-year-old children by their side has taken a massive toll on the couple but they are both determined to get through it as a family. The couple were forced to move into Ms Goss's mother's cramped two-bedroom house for a time and are now renting a property while Mr Goss works two jobs to navigate through their financial hardship. 'Constantly moving around with two kids not knowing what is going to happen. It's been very distressing,' Ms Goss said. 'I worked alongside the design team of Hotondo to tailor it to how I wanted it (floor plan pictured). How I wanted it to be built and how I wanted it to look,' Ms Goss said The mother-of-two said: 'This was our first home (plans pictured) and it was supposed to be our forever home' Tasmania constructions, the company that owns the Hobart franchise of Hotondo Homes told the Australia Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) on January 5 that it was going into administration, and appointed Revive Financial as liquidator. 'The director advised that despite the company's contracts being profitable, delays to planning and construction stages, in particular due to difficulty sourcing building materials, meant projects couldn't progress as planned,' Jarvis Archer of Revive Financial said in a statement. 'Consequently, the company was slower to reach progress milestones and issue invoices, severely impacting cashflow and its ability to continue operating.' Hotondo Homes Australia said the collapse of the Hobart franchise was an 'isolated case' caused by supply and labour price increases and several other factors. The nationwide company claims high demand for government HomeBuilder grants coupled with delays in securing material were exacerbated in Hobart leading to the firm's downfall. 'As a franchise network, every Hotondo Homes builder operates independently of each other and as such, are not involved with the Hobart franchisee,' the company said. 'This is not a trend. Builders are navigating unprecedented spikes in the cost of materials and labour, widespread shortages in materials and trades, council delays and other ongoing impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and current industry environment.' Now piles of steel, concrete and timber lay strewn across their Granton property on the northern outskirts of Hobart (pictured) Ms Goss urged anyone hoping to build their dream home to make sure they do their homework before signing up or paying any money. 'Do not pay any more than the stage payments,' she warned. 'And do not pay any more than five per cent before the project is started. 'Also, check what the builder is saying to you is actually true. 'They might say "the council is holding us up" or "we are having problems with suppliers" - in reality it might just be because they haven't paid their bills.' A teenager has been sentenced to 100 years in prison after he suffocated two of his younger siblings to 'free them from Satan and hell'. Nickalas Kedrowitz, now 17, was 13 when he murdered his 23-month-old half-sister Desiree McCartney and his 11-month-old stepbrother Nathaniel Ritz. He was convicted in August last year on two counts of murder. The judge ordered 50-year prison terms for each death to be served one after the other. He killed Desiree in May 2017 and Nathaniel in July 2017 and both children were found unresponsive at the family's home in Osgood, about 60 miles southeast of Indianapolis. Nickalas Kedrowitz, now 17, was 13 when he murdered his 23-month-old half-sister Desiree McCartney (left) and his 11-month-old stepbrother Nathaniel Ritz (right) Ripley County Prosecutor Richard Hertel said Kedrowitz told detectives that he was 'freeing his siblings from hell.' 'This wasn't some sort of heat of passion, one killing and then minutes or hours or even days later, were talking months here, so we think that the consecutive part of the sentence was warranted and appropriate in this circumstance,' Hertel told reporters after the sentencing hearing. The judge ordered that Kedrowitz's case be handled in adult court despite his attorneys arguments that the teen has untreated mental health problems. He was convicted in August last year on two counts of murder. The judge ordered 50-year prison terms for each death to be served one after the other Desiree was found dead after Kedreowitz had been left to look after the toddler. He told his mother the little girl 'wasn't breathing right' according to Fox 19. On July 20 that year Kedrowitz was putting Nathaniel to bed and claimed the child stopped moving. He is also believed to have mutilated a kitten at a relative's home. Kedrowitz said he was 'freeing his siblings from Satan an hell' during a psychological evaluation, according to the New York Post. They feature photographs of The Queen at Trooping the Colour, walkabouts on home soil and worldwide tours Royal Mail have released a collection of eight new stamps to mark her reign with images from 1957 to 2020 Advertisement Eight new stamps celebrating the Queen's dedication to service have been issued by the Royal Mail to mark the monarch's Platinum Jubilee. The new set features photographs of the monarch throughout the decades of her reign, illustrating the different facets of her official duties, from Trooping the Colour and walkabouts on home soil to worldwide tours. The images range from 1957 to 2020, and the earliest, in black and white, appears on a 1st class stamp and shows the young Queen alongside the Duke of Edinburgh as the monarch smiles and waves during a tour to Washington DC in the US. Elizabeth II is just two days away from her 70th anniversary on the throne on Sunday, when she will become the first British sovereign in history to reach such a milestone. This Jubilee will poignantly be the first the monarch has commemorated without Philip, who died in April. The other 1st class stamps include the Queen smiling, in a burgundy outfit and hat, during a visit to the MI5 headquarters in February 2020; on a walkabout in Worcester in April 1980; and saluting in uniform and on horseback during the 1978 Trooping the Colour. Eight new stamps celebrating the Queen's dedication to service have been issued by the Royal Mail to mark the monarch's Platinum Jubilee, the first time in history a British sovereign has reached the milestone. Pictured: Queen Elizabeth II smiles in a burgundy outfit and hat during a visit to the MI5 headquarters in February 2020 The images range from 1957 to 2020, and the earliest, in black and white, appears on a 1st class stamp and shows the young Queen alongside the Duke of Edinburgh as the monarch smiles and waves during a tour to Washington DC in the US The monarch's changing fashion over the years is captured in a 1966 photograph on a 1.70 stamp, in which she wears a feathered 1960s style hat and a shift dress in Victoria Park, St Vincent, during a tour of the West Indies Among the other images chosen for the series of eight stamps includes a photo of The Queen meeting flag-waving wellwishers during a Silver Jubilee walkabout in Camberwell, south London in June 1977 The monarch's changing fashion over the years is captured in a 1966 photograph on a 1.70 stamp, in which she wears a feathered 1960s style hat and a shift dress in Victoria Park, St Vincent, during a tour of the West Indies. The further three 1.70 stamps are: the Queen after touring the Provincial Museum of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada in May 2005; the Queen meeting flag-waving wellwishers during a Silver Jubilee walkabout in Camberwell in June 1977; and in her Order of the Garter robes in 1999. Simon Thompson, chief executive of Royal Mail, said: 'These stamps are a celebration of the second Elizabethan Age and a tribute to a remarkable lifetime of duty and public service. 'We are honoured to be releasing them to mark the occasion of the first Platinum Jubilee in the UK's history, a momentous occasion.' The Queen's Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees were also marked with special stamp issues. Simon Thompson, chief executive of Royal Mail, said: 'These stamps are a celebration of the second Elizabethan Age and a tribute to a remarkable lifetime of duty and public service.' Pictured: A iconic image of Queen Elizabeth II saluting in uniform and on horseback during the 1978 Trooping the Colour None of the new set includes the silhouette of the Queen normally required on special stamps, but because the Queen's image is used in the actual design of the stamp, this removes the need for the silhouette, the Royal Mail said. Pictured: Her Majesty on a walkabout in Worcester in April 1980 This Jubilee will poignantly be the first the monarch has commemorated without Philip, who died in April. Pictured: Queen Elizabeth II in her Order of the Garter robes in 1999 While the Queen's Accession Day falls on February 6, national celebrations are being held on a special four-day bank holiday weekend in June, with festivities including a pop concert at Buckingham Palace. Pictured: The Queen after touring the Provincial Museum of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada in May 2005 None of the new set includes the silhouette of the Queen normally required on special stamps, but because the Queen's image is used in the actual design of the stamp, this removes the need for the silhouette, the Royal Mail said. While the Queen's Accession Day falls on February 6, national celebrations are being held on a special four-day bank holiday weekend in June, with festivities including a pop concert at the Palace, a service of thanksgiving and a pageant on The Mall. The monarch is currently staying on the Sandringham estate, where she will remain for the anniversary, which simultaneously marks the death of her father George VI and the moment she became Queen in 1952. The stamps, which can be bought separately, and a range of collectible products are available from Friday at 7,000 Post Office branches, via www.royalmail.com/platinumjubilee or by phone on +44 (0)3457 641 641. Richard Dean Anderson, TV's original MacGyver, was almost unrecognizable as he was seen out and about in his Malibu neighborhood for the first time in five and a half years. The 1980's heartthrob, who found fame as the ingenious crime-fighting hunk who opted for his Swiss Army Knife and duct tape over guns, has popped up at various overseas events in recent years but has not been snapped in Los Angeles since September 2016. The actor was spotted running errands solo in his adopted hometown on Monday, eight days after his 72nd birthday. Scroll down for video Richard Dean Anderson was spotted out and about in his Malibu neighborhood for the first time in over five years The former TV heartthrob, better known for his role as MacGyver, was spotted running errands solo in his adopted hometown on Monday, eight days after his 72nd birthday Anderson had not been snapped in Los Angeles since September 2016 and was almost unrecognizable during the outing Anderson rose to fame in the 80s as the original MacGyver (left) the crime-fighting hunk who favored his trusty Swiss Army Knife over a gun. He was last snapped in Malibu five and half years ago (right) looking chunkier during a trip to the grocery store He wore a pink checkered flannel shirt, green slacks, and black sneakers, and carried a canvas tote. He was also seen cutting a slimmer figure as well as longer locks from when he was last snapped. Anderson is currently believed to be single, following his divorce from actress Apryl A. Prose, the mother of his only child, Wylie Anderson, 23, in 2003 after seven years of marriage. The TV star, who has retreated from acting roles in the last decade, had spent much of his career traveling among his home state of Minnesota, Los Angeles, and Vancouver. He is now settled in Malibu, where he helped design and build his Midwest-style home, which was once featured in Architectural Digest. Anderson's big break came in the mid 80s while playing the leading role on the ABC adventure show MacGyver. He wore a pink checkered flannel shirt, green slacks, and black sneakers, and carried a canvas tote Anderson was also seen cutting a slimmer figure as well as longer locks from when he was last snapped Secret agent Angus MacGyver - for whom the term 'MacGyverism' has been coined - was known for 'jerry-rigging' objects by quickly recreating them in an innovative way in order to solve a problem or accomplish a task. Some of his skills included diffusing a bomb with a paper clip and building a weapon using the springs of a mattress. In fact when it came to defending himself, MacGyver famously refused to use a gun, always relying on his quick thinking and savvy tools. Anderson reprised his role as the sleuth in 2012 for a three episode run called MacGyver and The New Citan. After MacGyver ended in 1992, Anderson jumped into the world of sci-fi, playing the role of Lieutenant General Jack O'Neill (pictured) on the Stargate TV series Anderson is currently believed to be single, following his divorce from actress Apryl A. Prose, the mother of his only child, in 2003 after seven years of marriage. They are pictured together in 1999 A reboot of the iconic show starring Lucas Till as the titular role premiered in 2016. After MacGyver ended in 1992, Anderson jumped into the world of sci-fi, playing the role of Lieutenant General Jack O'Neill on the Stargate TV series. Taking a shot at things behind the camera, he served as executive producer of Stargate as well as two MacGyver movies - maintaining his leading roles. Many years on Stargate earned him a new fan base among the intergalactic fan community. The mayor of Minneapolis has released body camera footage showing police shoot and kill an armed man on a couch after executing a no-knock warrant - following outcry about the incident that is being compared to the deadly shooting of Breonna Taylor. Graphic bodycam footage shows Minneapolis police enter an apartment where 22-year-old Amir Locke was curled on the couch under a blanket while executing a search warrant in a homicide investigation without knocking or announcing themselves until they entered the unit. The 54-second clip shows a SWAT officer use a key to enter the apartment followed by at least four others in uniform and protective vests, time-stamped at about 6:48 a.m. in footage released Thursday. As they enter, they repeatedly shout, 'Police, search warrant!' They also shout 'Hands!' and 'Get on the ground!' The video shows an officer kick a sectional sofa, and Locke begins to emerge from under a blanket, holding a pistol. Three shots are heard, and the video ends. The footage was shown at slow speed and then at regular speed. The city also included a still from the video showing Locke holding the gun, his trigger finger laid aside the barrel. The top of Lockes head is barely visible. Scroll Down For Video: Bodycam footage shows an officer using a key to unlock the door and enter, followed by at least four officers in uniform and protective vests As they enter, they repeatedly shout, 'Police, search warrant!' They also shout 'Hands!' and 'Get on the ground!' Graphic bodycam footage shows Minneapolis police enter 22-year-old Amir Locke's (pictured) apartment while executing a search warrant in a homicide investigation The footage was released after more than 36 hours of unanswered questions and calls for transparency over the shooting. The Minneapolis Police Department said in a statement Wednesday that Locke pointed a loaded gun 'in the direction of officers.' An incident report said he had two wounds in the chest and one in the right wrist. Nekima Levy Armstrong, a civil rights attorney and prominent community activist said Locke's family told her Locke was a licensed gun owner with a concealed carry permit, that he didn't live in the apartment, that police had not been looking for him and that he wasn't one of three suspects named in the warrant. Lockes mother, Karen Locke has hired Ben Crump, the civil rights lawyer who has has won huge settlements for the families of several people killed by police, including $27 million for the family of George Floyd. In a statement, Crump compared Locke's shooting to the botched raid in which officers killed Breonna Taylor in her home in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2020, which led to calls for change nationwide. 'Like the case of Breonna Taylor, the tragic killing of Amir Locke shows a pattern of no-knock warrants having deadly consequences for Black Americans. This is yet another example of why we need to put an end to these kinds of search warrants so that one day, Black Americans will be able to sleep safely in their beds at night,' Crump said. Levy Armstrong posted a link to the video on social media 'for those who can stomach the murderous conduct of the Minneapolis Police Department,' adding: 'The mother in me is furious and sick to my stomach. Amir never had a chance to survive that encounter with police.' Interim Chief Amelia Huffman confirmed in a news conference after the video was released that Locke isn't named in the warrants. She said it isn't clear how or whether Locke is connected to the homicide investigation, which she said is under the control of the St. Paul Police Department. She said that the city had both knock and no-knock warrants. Locke was seen wrapped in a blanket on a couch when SWAT officers entered the apartment, and displayed a handgun as they shouted at him to show his hands and get on the ground Footage shows 22-year-old Amir Locke wrapped in a blanket on a couch holding a gun moments before he was fatally shot by Minneapolis police as they were executing a warrant That agency has released few details so far and the warrants weren't publicly available Thursday. But Mayor Jacob Frey said the video 'raises about as many questions as it does answers' and said the city was pursuing answers 'as quickly as possible and in transparent fashion' through investigations, including one by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The officer who shot Locke was identified as Mark Hanneman, who was hired by the department in 2015. Records released by the city showed three complaints, all closed without discipline, but gave no details. Data on the website of the citizen group Communities United Against Police Brutality showed a fourth complaint, in 2018, that remains open. No details were given. ADEN, Yemen, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- At least seven Houthi militants in Yemen were killed by the Saudi Arabia-led airstrikes in the southwestern province of Taiz on Thursday, a military official told Xinhua. The militants were killed during airstrikes launched by coalition warplanes at a Houthi site in Taiz, the local military source said on condition of anonymity. He said that the airstrikes also struck a weapons cache on the western side of Taiz, causing an explosion. Intense armed confrontations also occurred between the pro-government Yemeni forces and Houthi fighters in Taiz's countryside during the past days. Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the internationally-recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa. The Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict in March 2015 to support Hadi's government. A hi-tech security set-up at a public housing estate where the matriarch of the troubled Hamze crime family lives still hasn't been torn down by bureaucrats. That's despite officials assuring Daily Mail Australia they were investigating a huge CCTV system that was bizarrely seen set up out the front of a housing commission home in Auburn, in Sydney's west, eight months ago. In the hours after the shooting death of underworld figure Bilal Hamze last June, media noticed a giant telegraph pole loaded up with security cameras attached to the public housing property where Bilal Hamze's mother Maha lives. The pole - which has a 360-degree view of the area - and a large security gate led the property to be dubbed Fortress Hamze. The estimated cost of the security additions is around $20,000. The hi-tech security system appeared out the front of the housing commission townhouse in Auburn where Hamze matriarch Maha lives after her son Bilal was gunned down in Sydney The private telegraph pole carrying 360-degree view CCTV cameras led to the property being dubbed 'Fortress Hamze' Friends and family of Bilal Hamzy seen outside the Auburn home of his mother after he was gunned down in Sydney in June 2021 In June last year, the NSW Housing and Land Corporation told Daily Mail Australia the prominent CCTV pole was unauthorised and hadn't been installed by the agency. The devices likewise weren't installed by NSW Police. A state government spokesman said housing authorities would probe whether the pole and cameras should be ripped out of the ground. But in a quote provided to The Daily Telegraph this week, the NSW Land and Housing Corporation indicated it is still investigating the installation of the cameras, eight months after Daily Mail Australia's inquiry. However, the set-up is 'unapproved'. 'The NSW Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC), along with our tenancy management partners the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ), are investigating unapproved modifications that have been made to a property at Auburn Road, Auburn,' a spokesman said in a statement. The statement said the government bodies were working with the property's tenants to understand how the cameras came to be installed. 'Unapproved modifications will be removed at the cost of those responsible and the matter may be referred to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal at the completion of the investigation by LAHC and DCJ.' Daily Mail Australia has approached the LAHC for a statement on why a decision on removal of the cameras and the pole has taken so long if they were known to be unauthorised last year. Friends and family gathered at the Auburn home of Maha Hamze, mother of slain criminal Bilal, after his death in June 2021 The casket of Bilal Hamze is carried in to Lakemba Mosque after his execution-style killing Sydney's CBD in June 2021 Family, friends and associates of Mrs Hamze's son Bilal gathered at the public housing townhouse after his execution-style murder in Sydney last year. Mrs Hamze had previously been shot in the legs while living at the property in March 2013 after answering the front door. A man was later found guilty of her attempted murder, the court case revealing he had originally asked Mrs Hamze's nephew, notorious Supermax prison Bassam Hamzy, to help him collect a $20,000 debt. In February last year, the block Mrs Hamze lives in was fired on by two men who fired 'multiple rounds' into the townhouses. Police later said Mrs Hamze was not the target of the attack, instead an associate of her son Ibrahem who also lived in the complex was the likely target. A nurse at nearby Auburn Hospital was injured in the attack after she was hit by debris from a window shattered by a stray bullet. There is no suggestion Mrs Hamze is involved in any criminal activity. Brothers 4 Life gang boss Bassam Hamzy, who remains behind bars in Goulburn's supermax prison Bassam's brother Mejid Hamzy (pictured) was shot dead at Condell Park on October 19, 2020 An intense feud between the Hamzy and Alameddine clans has fuelled a series of tit-for-tat shootings in Sydney's west. The most hit recent saw Amoun, the brother of jailed Brothers 4 Life gang boss Bassam, shot dead in western Sydney in a brazen lunchtime hit as he sat in his BMW. That incident saw police raid dozens of homes and businesses, charging 115 people with a combined 292 crimes. Police seized 18 guns, 672 rounds of ammunition, nearly $100,000 cash, and drugs including meth, ecstasy, GHB and marijuana with a street value of more than $1.2 million in the raids. Bassam's brother Mejid Hamzy was shot dead at Condell Park on October 19, 2020, while extended family members Salim Hamze, 18, and his father Toufik were shot as they sat in the front of red ute outside their Guildford home in October last year. Whoopi Goldberg's suspension from The View this week is the pinnacle of a years-long habit of making off-color remarks about Jewish people that includes a recipe she wrote for a celebrity cookbook in the 1990s called 'Jewish American Princess Fried Chicken', DailyMail.com can reveal. In 1993, Goldberg - whose real name is Caryn Johnson - submitted the recipe to Cooking in The Litchfield Hills, a charity cookbook comprised of recipes from the well-heeled residents of the leafy Connecticut suburb. DailyMail.com exclusively obtained a copy of the long-forgotten cookbook, where Whoopi's recipe mocking Jewish-American women glaringly stands out amongst friendlier submissions like legend Diane Sawyer's 'roasted potato skins with scallion dip', the late Eartha Kitt's 'summer zucchini soup with nasturtium blossoms' and Oscar de la Renta's 'fresh pumpkin and crab soup'. Former US Senator Joe Lieberman's submission was for 'noodle pudding', while fashion designer Diane Von Furstenberg submitted 'sour cream stuffed chicken with new potatoes'. Whoopi's recipe reads: 'Send chauffeur to your favorite butcher shop for the chicken (save the brown paper bag). Have your cook 1) Melt equal parts oil and butter 3/4 deep in skillet over moderate heat. '2) Put flour, seasoned with remaining ingredients, into brown paper bag. 3) Rinse chicken parts and place in bag. 'Then you tightly close top of bag (watch your nails) and shake 10 times. 'Hand bag to Cook, go dress for dinner. While you dress, have Cook preheat oven to 350 degrees and brown chicken slowly in skillet. When evenly browned, have Cook place chicken in dish in oven. Have Cook prepare rest of meal while you touch up your makeup. 'In about half an hour, voila! Dinner is served! You must be exhausted.' Scroll down for video Whoopi Goldberg's 'Jewish American Princess Fried Chicken' recipe from 1993 that the ADL called 'insulting' and 'anti-Semitic' Whoopi Goldberg this week after being suspended from The View for saying the Holocaust 'was not based on race' At the time, the recipe was slammed by none other than The Anti-Defamation League, whose current CEO went on The View on Tuesday to tell Whoopi why she'd been so offensive earlier this week, before she was suspended. They called the recipe 'insulting' and 'anti-Semitic'. 'Its a lousy recipe with insensitive and anti-Semitic ingredients. Whoopi should know better. 'She needs some sensitivity training, unfortunately. The good people who published it need some sensitivity training too,' Abraham Foxman, the National Director of the ADL at the time, said. The 1993 cookbook gathered recipes from the well-heeled residents of Connecticut to raise money for charity In response to the outrage, Whoopi's agent at the time - Brad Cafarelli - offered a quick explanation: she is Jewish. 'Maybe (the critics) are not aware that Whoopi is Jewish, so she is certainly not anti-Semitic,' he said. It was one of many ambiguous statements about her faith. In 1997, four years later, she said in an interview with Playbill: 'My family is Jewish, Buddhist, Baptist and Catholic -- none of which I subscribe to, by the way, as I don't believe in man-made religions.' She said she took the name Goldberg, which is unavoidably Jewish, from a 'Jewish ancestor'. When she was talking about the Holocaust this week, claiming it was 'not about race', she made no mention of whether or not she belongs to the Jewish faith. Nor did she mention it when she was apologizing, or in subsequent statements. 'I stand with the Jewish people as they know I always have,' she said. She has also released a range of holiday sweaters in the past, including one that featured an Octopus on the front holding a Menorah. 'This is a clear pattern of anti-Semitism, it wasnt a one-off. Hard to see how ABC News tolerates this and claims they are changing their wretched culture with a straight face Cafarelli did not respond to DailyMail.com's inquiries about his comments in the 1990s regarding Whoopi's religion. TV industry insiders say it is high time Whoopi is held accountable what they described as a 'clear pattern of anti-Semitism.' 'This is a clear pattern of anti-Semitism, it wasnt a one-off. 'Hard to see how ABC News tolerates this and claims they are changing their wretched culture with a straight face. 'Just when you thought Whoopi should send Jeff Zucker a fruit basket, another ABC grenade hits,' one TV veteran told DailyMail.com. Noa Tishby, an Israeli activist, writer and actress, told DailyMail.com that Whoopi's recipe upholds a deeply-rooted desire to mock Jewish women and their families for being successful. Diane Sawyer's potato skins, DVF's stuffed chicken and Oscar de la Renta's pumpkin soup: The OTHER recipes from the waspy Connecticut cookbook Advertisement 'The term Jewish American Princess or JAP was created as a microaggression to bash and suppress Jewish upward mobility. That's what it was used for: to mock Jewish women for their families' success. 'In the world we live in today in which every minority can scream and complain about microaggressions, we need to be extra careful and acknowledge Jewish microaggressions, which exist everywhere. 'JAP is a term that needs to go away and never return. I hope Whoopi has not used it since the 90s and I sure hope that this is a matter of [having] a bad sense of humor, that is outdated, and not taken alongside her recent horrific remarks to indicate her belief system.' 'I am very confused by Whoopi Goldberg's position on her Jewishness I'm excited to hear her clear that up Isaraeli actress, writer and activist Noa Tishby Tishby added that Whoopi's ambiguity on whether or not she is Jewish is 'confusing'. 'I am very confused by Whoopi Goldberg's position on her Jewishness I'm excited to hear her clear that up.' She added that had anyone else made the remarks that Whoopi did about the Holocaust in reference to a different minority, they'd have been fired on the spot. 'If I or anyone else was to god forbid say that any other massacre - the Armenian genocide, Darfur, Tulsa - or any other.. 'If I was to say that any of those massacres were not based in race then I would have been fired by the commercial break. 'People have lost their jobs for way less.' Journalist and writer Eve Barlow, who recently penned a scathing Substack column on why Whoopi's comments were so harmful, told DailyMail.com that Whoopi's past comments on the subject and her flip-flopping on whether or not she is actually Jewish is 'disgustingly appropriated'. 'As for Whoopi Goldberg's genealogy, I don't have access to her 23 and Me - I don't know. 'But what I would cast suspicion on is whether or not this was the truth or if it was an extension of an established lie where she posits that she is Jewish. In 2017, Whoopi released a line of 'ugly holiday sweaters'. Some featured a black Santa Clause, others had a mixed-race couple kissing under mistletoe. This one depicted an Octopus as a Menora 'If it was someone else appropriating another culture, we would call it out immediately but Jews don't seem to count as much - that is what we are seeing here. 'It's absurd and it's a double standard.' 'If it was someone else appropriating another culture, we would call it out immediately. It's disgustingly appropriated, absurd and a double standard Eve Barlow, writer and journalist She poured cold water on Whoopi's agent's justification for the recipe that she is Jewish, calling it a 'bogus misnomer'. Whoopi has told in the past of choosing her stage name and Goldberg because her mother thought it would 'get it further in Hollywood'. Barlow says that also plays into the anti-Semitic trope that Jews 'run' Hollywood and only give jobs to each other. 'We know the story of the origin of Whoopi Goldberg's surname. She had ingested this very popular idea among people who come from the school of thought of Louis Farrakhan and the Black Hebrew Israelites that the Jews run Hollywood. 'She changed her name to Goldberg because she thought it would open more doors for her in Hollywood,' Barlow added. She does not believe Whoopi should be fired and does not subscribe to cancel culture, but is eager to see how The View fills its show over the next two weeks and once Whoopi returns, if she does. ABC declined to comment on Whoopi's remarks or the recipe. Whoopi, in her apology on The View on Tuesday, said she had 'always' been an ally to the Jewish community. Israeli actress and activist Noa Tishby (left) told DailyMail.com that Whoopi's recipe re-enforced a decades-old microaggression designed to mock Jewish women. Eve Barlow (right) , a writer and journalist, said the way Whoopi has posited herself through the years is 'disgustingly appropriated' and absurd A source close to her this week pointed out some of her past acts of alliance, like in 2018 when she disavowed the neo-Nazi responsible for the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting on The View. 'When did it become the norm for us to be afraid to go and worship?' she said at the time. In other episodes of The View has has moderated segments focused on Holocaust education and interviewed Holocaust survivors about their experiences. In 2017, she interviewed a reformed neo-Nazi who credited his Jewish boss with changing his views. Whoopi on Tuesday said she was wrong to have said that the Holocaust 'was not about race'. After Barbara [Walters] left it became a free for all and Whoopi and Joy could do and say whatever they wanted. This is now coming to an end Senior ABC News source She was placed on an unpaid, two-week suspension as punishment for the comments. DailyMail.com learned exclusively that new ABC boss Kim Godwin threw the book at Whoopi after Tuesday's show and was who decided that she would not be paid during her time off. 'ABC understands that this is an opinion based show, the facts will always be paramount. We want robust discussion but can't have the hosts saying things that are false and not based in fact. 'What Whoopi said was not based in fact and was highly inflammatory and offensive. Its a new day at ABC News. Kim [Godwin] wants her entire team to be held accountable for their words and actions. There has been a real power vacuum on The View since Barbara Walters retired, because she ran the show with an iron first. 'After Barbara it became a free for all and Whoopi and Joy could do and say whatever they wanted. This is now coming to an end. Kim is drawing a line in the sand for all staff across ABC News and is attempting to build a corporate culture based on truth, facts, accountability and kindness. If you do not operate within this prism, Kim will take action. Whoopis suspension highlights this. Disney is aware that there are huge cultural issues within ABC News and Kim has the backing of Mickey Mouse to fix up the news division and set it on a different course. Whoopi is welcome to return after her unpaid two week suspension. She took the news well and understood where the network was coming from. School curriculums across the country could soon be overhauled with major changes to history, English and maths lessons. State education ministers will meet on Friday to discuss proposed changes to a revised curriculum that would be adopted nationwide. The 'balanced literacy' method of teaching children to read will be replaced by an emphasis on phonics, while changes to maths lessons aim to improve the current standards expected of students. The history curriculum is set to undergo a massive overhaul with more focus on Western and Christian heritage, while reference to debates over the Anzac legend being 'contested' has been removed, Nine newspapers reported. Education ministers will meet to discuss proposed overhaul to the school curriculum with major changes to maths, English and history A briefing to ministers says students will have 'the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the importance of our Western and Christian heritage in the development of Australia as a prosperous and peaceful democracy, as well as learn more about our First Nations Australian histories and cultures'. Under the new secondary school history curriculum, students would study Indigenous history and ancient society in year 7, medieval Europe in year 8, World War I in year 9, and World War II and 'modern campaigns for rights and freedoms' in year 10. Sources say the revised the increased emphasis on Western heritage would not water down Indigenous content in the history curriculum. References to Christianity have been restored to the Civics and Citizenship curriculum following widespread backlash over the term' 'multi-faith'. Students would learn about World War I in year 9 and World War II in 10 under changes to the school curriculum (pictured students paying their respects at a Anzac Day service) The briefing also proposes massive changes to the maths curriculum, where a previous decision to push back the introduction of times tables until year 3 to 4 will be reversed. High school students would start learning Pythagoras 12 months earlier in year 8, where they were also be be introduced to inequalities. It's understood the changes to maths will be a major subject of debate between ministers The proposed English curriculum will remove references to 'balanced literacy', a popular method used in many states in teaching children how to read. NSW is one of the few states which has already adopted a focus on phonics approached in its literacy curriculum for years kindergarten to year 2. A revised national curriculum will be discussed on Friday (pictured NSW pupils returning to school this week) Education leaders have urged state and territory leaders to reach a consensus on as many areas as possible. The Australian, Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority is keen to have an approved draft to begin preparing schools for the changes 'Ministers should progress forward on what can be resolved, and agree to further negotiation on those without agreement. That way most educators can get more clarity on where curriculum will go moving forward,' Centre for Independent Studies research fellow Glenn Fahey told the publication. 'Where divisions remain - whether political or technical - those areas could be parked temporarily.' Two exasperated Biden administration officials appeared to accuse reporters of swallowing foreign propaganda Thursday, as they faced probing questions about the truth of intelligence claims. In one tense exchange, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki expressed indignation as she came under pressure to explain how officials knew the head of ISIS blew himself up as US commandos closed in. Soon after, State Department spokesman Ned Price suggested an Associated Press reporter might be seeking 'solace' in Russian intelligence after being quizzed on the proof behind U.S. claims that Moscow was planning to use crisis actors and fake corpses to support a false-flag operation in Ukraine. It comes after the Biden administration last year admitted botching a drone strike in Kabul, which it initially said had killed two terrorists who were planning an imminent attack. Instead it wiped out a family, including seven children. In Syria, first responders said 13 people, including six children and four women, died during the raid on the hideout of Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi in Syria. President Joe Biden said the terror leader killed himself by detonating a suicide vest, taking family members with him. During a briefing with reporters aboard Air Force One, Psaki was asked whether the White House would put out evidence to support the claim of a suicide detonation to counter public skepticism. Psaki responded: 'Skeptical of the U.S. militarys assessment when they went and took out ... the leader of ISIS?' 'Yes,' responded the questioner Ayesha Rascoe of NPR. 'That they are not providing accurate information,' continued Psaki, 'and ISIS is providing accurate information?' White House Press Secretary took issue with a reporter who wanted evidence that ISIS chief Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi had killed himself - and his family - with a suicide bomb The blast, during a raid by U.S. commandos on Thursday morning, largely destroyed the third floor of a three-story house in the Syrian village of Atmeh, near the Turkish Journalists defended the questions put to Psaki and said her answers were not good enough Dozens of journalists took to Twitter to criticize the administration, saying that it was not good enough for the White House to accuse journalists of believing ISIS propaganda. And shortly after, Pentagon spokesman Ned Price found himself in the same position as journalists quizzed him on the veracity of intelligence claims about Russian actions in Ukraine. It suggests the fallout from an intelligence failure in Kabul, during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal, includes an erosion of trust in the administration. Initially, officials claimed the Aug. 29 strike in Kabul killed two fighters in the ISIS-K terror group who were believed to be plotting an imminent attack on U.S. forces in the city. 'Significant secondary explosions from the vehicle indicated the presence of a substantial amount of explosive material,' said Capt. Bill Urban, U.S. Central Command spokesman But reporters on the scene quickly said that civilians, including seven children, had died. The driver turned out to be Zemari Ahmadi, who worked for the aid group Nutrition & Education International. And by December officials were forced to recant their initial defense of the operation and admit they simply got it wrong. The botched drone strike killed 10 civilians, including seven children, in the final hours of the chaotic American withdrawal from Afghanistan last year On Thursday, Psaki defended the initial description of the raid but said it would take time to know all the details. 'I just reconfirmed, and I think our national security colleague who did a briefing this morning also reiterated, that the individual who was the target detonated himself, killing his entire family,' she said. 'Given these events just happened less than 24 hours ago, were going to give them time to make a final assessment. And they'll provide every detail they can.' She spoke to reporters as the president flew to New York. But the same dynamic was playing out in Washington, D.C. During a State Department briefing Price accused a reporter of believing Moscow over Washington after he was quizzed about US claims that Russia was considering using crisis actors and fake corpses to fabricate video of a false-flag attack, giving them a pretext to attack Ukraine. Matt Lee, of the Associated Press, asked what Russia had done to merit that assessment. 'We told you a few weeks ago that we have information indicating Russia also has already pre-positioned a group of operatives to conduct a false flag operation in eastern Ukraine,' answered Price. 'So that, Matt, to your question is an action that Russia has already taken.' Lee asked what the evidence was. 'You say that they have taken but you have shown no evidence to confirm that and I'm gonna get to the next question here, which is, what is the evidence that they plan ... I mean, this is like crisis actors? Really? 'This is like Alex Jones territory you're getting into them,' he said referring to a well-known conspiracy theorist. 'What evidence do you have to support the idea that there is some propaganda film in the making?' Price said it was intelligence that had been declassified in order to share it publicly. With the State Department offering no further evidence and Lee continuing to probe, Price suggested he was siding with Russia. 'If you doubt, if you doubt the credibility of the US government, of the British government, of other governments and want to ... find solace in information that the Russians are putting out that is that is for you to do,' he said. Lee responded with a disbelieving laugh. A soldier who served with Ben Roberts-Smith is expected to detail before a court what he saw when the Australian war hero allegedly ordered the murder of a man under arrest. Mr Roberts-Smith, who denies any wrongdoing during his six tours of Afghanistan, is suing three newspapers in the Federal Court over reports of alleged war crimes. The newspapers, who have pleaded a truth defence, are on Friday to call their second Australian-based witness: an SAS soldier codenamed Person 14. A soldier who served with Ben Roberts-Smith is expected to detail before the Federal Court what he saw when the Australian war hero allegedly ordered the murder of a prisoner The newspapers are expected to call about two dozen witnesses during the defamation trial (pictured, Mr Roberts-Smith's barrister Arthur Moses) According to the newspapers' defence, Person 14, Mr Roberts-Smith, an interpreter and members of the Afghan Partner Force were on a mission in Khaz Oruzgan in October 2012 when an Afghan man was arrested. Whilst Mr Roberts-Smith questioned the man the newspapers alleged was exhibiting no threatening or violent signs, Person 14 found a nearby cache of warheads, the claim states. Mr Roberts-Smith then allegedly told the interpreter to relay an execution message to the Afghan soldiers. The trial has also heard allegations that another Afghan prisoner was killed at a Taliban compound dubbed Whiskey 108. The newspapers have suggested Person 14 told Mr Roberts-Smith in 2018 he wanted to tell the truth about what occurred at Whiskey 108, including the alleged machine-gunning of the Afghan with a prosthetic leg. 'What he told you made you panic,' Mr Owens put to Mr Roberts-Smith last year. Mr Roberts-Smith has been called Australia's most decorated solider and a defamation trial is underway over claims made about him (pictured, Mr Roberts-Smith and his ex-wife Emma) 'No I was surprised,' the VC recipient replied, later adding he was 'in shock' and believed that 'the whole thing was a stitch-up'. The newspapers are expected to call about two dozen witnesses. Lifeline 13 11 14 Open Arms 1800 011 046 A woman has died in a Bury hospital as police have arrested three men on suspicion of rape and murder. The woman, 36, was rushed in an ambulance to hospital on Wednesday evening. Three men aged 32, 52 and 61 were subsequently arrested after officers visited three addresses in Bury. A woman has died in a Bury hospital as police have arrested three men on suspicion of rape and murder The woman, 36, was rushed in an ambulance to hospital on Wednesday evening Detectives are still probing the circumstances behind her death and a post mortem has taken place. Detective Superintendent Kate Atton, from GMP's Bury CID, said: 'I have no doubt that the community are shocked and are worried to hear the news about this incident but I would like to reassure them that we have a dedicated team of detectives investigating and following up various lines of enquiry to establish the circumstances around this lady's death. 'High visibility patrols and local officers will be in the area and available to speak to anyone concerned and we will release more information as soon as we are able to. 'We want to give the lady's family the answers they deserve as they are understandably devastated at the loss and our thoughts remain with them. We'd ask anyone with information to come forward. Detectives are still probing the circumstances behind her death and a post mortem has taken place 'The team are following up enquiries and have been overnight since the report came into us but anyone who may have any information should contact us - even the smallest bit of information could prove vital.' Anyone with information can report it online at www.gmp.police.uk. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. The incident has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct in line with normal procedure due to previous police contact. Federal workers in Portland went off on city commissioners over the 'intolerable' and 'dangerous' conditions of the downtown area outside federal buildings, where they describe having to 'step over discarded needles and people sleeping in doorways to get to work.' On Wednesday, the City Council heard from two people who both live and work in downtown Portland who demanded that the situation be addressed, specifically, the massive homeless encampment outside federal buildings. 'Trash and human waste are everywhere,' Dar Crammond, director of the U.S. Geological Survey's Oregon Water Science Center, said at the meeting. 'Drug dealing is rife, and we often have to step over discarded needles and sleeping forms in our doorways to get to work,' he added. 'Employees have had many dangerous and threatening encounters with unhinged residents of these camps.' Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, who spearheaded the 'defund the police' movement in the crime-ravaged city, brushed back the concerns by saying the current housing crisis is part of the city's growth and 'changing systems.' The comments made during the virtual council meeting come just days after a new poll revealed that 88 percent of voters in Portland believe the quality of life in the city is getting worse up from 49 percent in 2017. A homeless camp in Portland, Oregon is covered with snow in December 2021. This week, a poll revealed that 88 percent of voters in Portland believe the quality of life is getting worse On Wednesday, the city council heard from two people who both live and work in downtown Portland, who are demanding that the situation be addressed, specifically, the massive homeless encampment outside federal buildings Alexandra Etheridge, a resident of Portland and the associate director at the U.S. Geological Survey, told commissioners that the homeless encampment outside the Oregon Water Science Center has 'deteriorated,' bringing 'targeted crime' Alexandra Etheridge, a resident of Portland and the associate director at the U.S. Geological Survey, told commissioners that the homeless encampment outside the Oregon Water Science Center has 'deteriorated,' bringing 'targeted crime' against work trucks and leaves colleagues feeling a sense of despair from 'simply not feeling safe.' 'Many of us are spending lots of time on Band-Aid measures, such as creating emergency contact cards, creating personal safety plan templates and documents or attending trainings with security professionals,' Etheridge told commissioners. 'Meanwhile, employees continue to feel that nothing will prevent an inevitable personal injury because of continued exposure to targeted crime.' Last year, the explosion of a propane heater at the encampment shattered office windows, and ever since, there has been cases of arson and an 'unplanned presence or uncontrolled use of a firearm,' she added. 'I'm saddened to see some of our lowest-paid employees have to make some of the biggest personal sacrifices to uphold our mission in the setting,' Etheridge said. Commissioner Hardesty acknowledged the 'pain' in Etheridge's voice, adding that 'there is not a corner of the city not suffering that same kind of pain.' 'Let's lean in together because Portland is going to come back better, and it's going to become more equitable. And it's going to be more fair,' Hardesty said. 'And you're right, when you're changing systems, there's going to be a lot of storming that happens, but we have to keep our eye on the prize of where we are headed and who we are going to be when we start rebuilding from this pandemic.' Pictured: A homeless encampment in Old Town Portland, Oregon in May 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic Pictured: A homeless encampment in Old Town Portland, Oregon in May 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic Pictured: A homeless encampment in Old Town Portland, Oregon in May 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic Crammond, who said employees are forced to begin a move to a safer location outside the city, added during the meeting that he does not blame the campers, but instead places the blame squarely on the city of Portland. 'I don't blame the campers,' he added. 'There are few other options for housing. There's a plague of meth and opiates and a world that offers them no hope and little assistance. In my view, where the blame squarely lies is with the city of Portland.' Crammond informed the commissioners that the agency had spent about $300,000 in security measures for the employees and work trucks, and instituted a buddy system to keep people safe outside the building. At the meeting on Wednesday, Portland city Commissioner Mingus Mapps promised his office has been working with U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer to address the safety concerns and that they were working on 'reforms.' 'I can pledge to you that I will be a partner to you as we seek solutions to public safety and livability challenges, and I ask you to please, please stick with Portland,' Mapps said. In 2021, Portland surpassed its all-time record for murders at 90 homicides, shattering the city's previous high of 66 set more than three decades ago. For a city of 650,000 residents, Portland had more homicides this year than larger cities on the west coast like San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle. Compounding the problem is that the number of sworn officers in the Portland Police Bureau is at its lowest since the 1980s despite the city experiencing surging population growth for the last 30 years. Compared to other American cities of similar population size, Portland has the fewest officers per thousand people. Portland lost 140 officers to retirement, transfers and resignations since rioting began in 2020. In exit interviews released to local journalists, officers who resigned in Portland often cited Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt as one of the reasons. Schmidt, an outspoken progressive and police critic, came into office during the height of the riots in the summer of 2020 and promptly enacted a policy decriminalizing most riot-related offenses. His successful 2020 campaign was supported by Real Justice, a political action committee co-founded by radical anti-police activist Shaun King. Over 90 percent of those arrested at the riots in Portland for crimes ranging from arson to assault had their cases effectively dropped. The truth of whether Captain James Cook's Endeavour has finally been found lies in the shipwreck's kitchen, a famous Australian author has revealed. Rob Mundle, who has written a collection of books about the famous navigator, told the ABC on Friday the unique bricks used in the ship's kitchen would unquestionably identify the found shipwreck. 'If someone came up with one those bricks, which you'd expect they would be able to, then I think that would be enough, I think, to confirm that it is Endeavour,' he said. Famous Australian author Rob Mundle (above) said the key detail that will identify the Newport Harbour, Rhode Island, shipwreck as the Endeavour is the ship's unique kitchen bricks However Mr Mundle said Aussies shouldn't get too excited by the discovery as if there was something significant to report both sides would be celebrating The discovery of the shipwreck was controversially announced by Australian National Maritime Museum on Thursday in a move called 'premature' by the project's American director. Mr Mungle said Australians shouldn't get too excited as if there was something significant to report both sides would be celebrating. 'I think that if both sides don't come out as one, then we ain't got anything to be too excited about at the moment,' Mr Mundle said. Australian National Maritime Museum controversially announced on Thursday the shipwreck has been identified as the Endeavour Why Australian Maritime Museum is so sure the shipwreck is the Endeavour *The structural details and shape of the remains closely match historic plans of Endeavour. *The construction of the keel along the bottom of the ship and the joinery used in its bow at the front are identical to those shown on 18th-century plans of the Endeavour. The placement of the vessel's fore and main mast are also identical to the plans. *Historical evidence indicates the ship was sunk in the United States just north of Goat Island in Newport Harbour, along with four other British ships. *The ship was the largest of the five scuttled ships in that area. *The length of the surviving hull is almost exactly the same as that recorded for Endeavour. Advertisement 'There are certain elements there that would suggest that it's Endeavour, and there's nothing really to say that it's not Endeavour.' The shipwreck's location is consistent with historical records that report the Endeavour was deliberately sunk in 1778 by British Forces attempting to block the harbour during the American War of Independence. Maritime archeologists have reportedly been searching shipwrecks in the area since 1999. Dr Kathy Abbass(above), executive director of Rhode Island Marine Archaeology, denounced the museum's statement as 'premature' Dr Kathy Abbass, executive director of Rhode Island Marine Archaeology, bluntly denounced the Australian Museum's claim, saying the 'jumped the gun.' 'The Australian National Maritime Museum announcement today is a breach of the contract... for the conduct of this research and how its results are to be shared with the public,' she said. 'What we see on the shipwreck site under study is consistent with what might be expected of the Endeavour, but there has been no indisputable data found to prove the site is that iconic vessel, and there are many unanswered questions that could overturn such an identification. Dr Abbass said testing on the shipwreck is still underway and the team's results would be 'driven by proper scientific process and not Australian emotions or politics' 'RIMAP is now and always has been the lead organization for the study in Newport harbor.' She also said the team's results would be 'driven by proper scientific process and not Australian emotions or politics'. The Museum followed Dr Abbass' statement with one of their own saying Ms Abbass 'can have her opinion and we've got ours'. Just 15 per cent of the shipwreck remains but from that archeologists have been able to confirm consistency between it and the design plans for the Endeavour. Now plans are be made to protect what is left. The location of the ship wreck is consistent with the expected location of the Endeavour after it was deliberately sunk during the American War of Independence 'It's arguably one of the most important vessels in Australia's maritime history,' Australian National Maritime Museum chief executive Kevin Sumption said. 'We will continue to investigate and look closely with maritime experts at Rhode Island about the future of this site and what should happen to this site but certainly protection is what we're working towards right now.' The Endeavour was originally launched in 1764 as the Earl of Pembroke before earning its famous name with Britain's Royal Navy in 1768. From 1768 to 1771 the newly-named Endeavour explore the South Pacific on a major scientific voyage. The Endeavour is most famous for its 768 to 1771 scientific voyage during which its Captain, James Cook (above), 'discovered' Australia in 1770 The crew's primary mission was to record the transit of Venus in Tahiti in 1769. It was during this expedition that the ship's Captain, James Cook, searched for 'the Great Southern Land' and charted the coast of New Zealand and Australia's eastern coastline. Captain Cook claimed the land he 'discovered' for Great Britain on August 22, 1770. After its famous voyage the Endeavour was sold to private owners and was renamed the Lord Sandwich before its purposed sinking in 1778. Captain Cook died the following year on February 14, 1779, when he was stabbed in the next by an Indigenous islander in Hawaii. Researchers are finalising their report on the believed Endeavour site, which will be peer-reviewed and published. Two California parents accused of decapitating their children and showing the bodies to their surviving brothers pled not guilty to murder and child abuse charges on Wednesday. Maurice J. Taylor Sr. and Natalie S. Brothwell pled not guilty to two counts of murder each for the deaths of their son Maurice Jr., 12, and daughter Maliaka, 13. The children were allegedly killed on November 29, 2020 in their home in Lancaster, about 70 mi northeast of Los Angeles. They were found in separate bedrooms with stab wounds and lacerations five days later, in a scene that Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris called 'brutal.' Prosecutors say the kids were decapitated and their bodies were shown to their younger brothers, aged 8 and 9 at the time. The surviving children were allegedly forced to stay in their rooms without food for several days. Taylor, 35, and Brothwell, 45, were also charged with two felony counts of child abuse each. The father faces 57 years in prison if convicted. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office hasn't confirmed if Brothwell faces the same amount of time, according to KTTV. Maurice J. Taylor Sr. and Natalie S. Brothwell pled not guilty on Wednesday to two counts of murder each for the deaths of their son Maurice Jr., 12, and daughter Maliaka, 13 Maliaka (left), 13, and Maurice Jr., 12, were found in separate bedrooms with stab wounds and lacerations in December 2020, five days after they were killed, prosecutors say Prosecutors confirmed that the children were decapitated. No motive has been established Authorities responded to the 45000 block of Century Circle in Lancaster, California after Taylor's fitness clients were concerned about his absence and reported a possible gas leak The parents remain in jail under $4.2 million bail. They're due back in Lancaster court on February 15. Taylor was arrested first in December 2020. He worked at a physical therapy center in Santa Monica before the murders, and had been conducting training sessions online during the coronavirus pandemic. Some of his clients contacted authorities after he failed to show up for scheduled appointments. Authorities found the childrens' bodies while responding to reports of a possible gas leak in the 45000 block of Century Circle in Lancaster. Both parents were inside the home at the time. At the time, Brothwell was questioned but not arrested. It is unknown what motivated the attack, but Taylor's personal training clients told the Los Angeles Times they had grown concerned over his well-being earlier in the week before the November murders. The fitness trainer, who was described as 'mellow' and 'reliable', had sparked concerns when he failed to show up for fitness sessions he had been running over Zoom. Taylor, described as 'mellow' and 'reliable,' was arrested first back in December 2020. Above, Taylor at a hearing at the Antelope Valley Courthouse on December 21, 2020 DailyMail.com obtained footage of the father who was handcuffed to a stretcher and wheeled away when authorities arrived at the house in December 2020 Attorney and writer Howard Kern, who saw Taylor for sessions for about seven years, called the Los Angeles County Fire Department at 7.34am on December 4. Other clients of Taylor had tried calling the Sheriffs Department. 'I said, "I'm concerned,"' Kern told the LA Times. '"We are concerned about a possible gas leak. There are four children and two adults - and we are concerned about their safety."' Another client said: 'I knew they werent out of town. They didn't have money to travel.' She said she called the Sheriffs Department earlier that week, and that the property management company running Taylors home was also reached. 'We were afraid of carbon monoxide poisoning, or they were all dead from falling asleep,' she said. Taylor was arrested and charged with two counts of murder and two counts of child abuse of the surviving sons, who were 8 and 9 years old at the time. In December 2020, LA District Attorney George Gascon said he declined to tack on special circumstance allegations that may have added more time to Taylor's eventual sentence due to the associated costs to taxpayers. Above, Gascon in Los Angeles on December 8, 2021 The children also were forced by Taylor to stay in their rooms without food for several days, prosecutors said. Taylor's case was momentarily paused as the court considered his mental health back in December 2020, according to the Antelope Valley Times. An evaluation was set for January 6, but the case has since gone forward. Back then, LA District Attorney George Gascon said he declined to tack on special circumstance allegations that may have added more time to Taylor's eventual sentence due to the associated costs. 'What would be the utility to take somebody that is probably going to spend the rest of his life in prison to continue to add years and waste taxpayers money on additional litigation?' he asked at a news conference in December. In September 2021, Brothwell was arrested at her home in Tucson, Arizona. She was taken into custody and was held at the Pima County Jail before she was extradited back to California. She was charged with the same counts as Taylor. Queensland's top doctor has urged anyone over 40 to get a Covid booster because of changes to a person's immune system after that age. At Friday's Covid update, Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard advised even otherwise healthy middle-aged people to come forward for a booster. 'Our immune systems probably change in our 40s and our response to viruses changes after the age of 40,' the infectious diseases specialist said. 'Even if you are perfectly well and older than 40 and 50, your response to the virus will be different. 'All I can think of is that those who haven't received their booster in the community, who are older, think they are otherwise well, they've had two doses [and] that is all they need, that is not the case.' 'We note that third dose makes a big difference to your immune response.' Dr Gerrard said he is worried that a 'disproportionate' number of people who are dying haven't received a third dose. 'It is very concerning.' Dr Gerrard made the comments after it was revealed that more than half of Queensland's deaths since the state reopened its border to interstate hotspots on December 13 had occurred in residential aged care. Of the 240 Covid-related deaths in Queensland, 127 deaths have been in aged care homes. Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard urged those over 40 to get a Covid booster jab because 'our immune systems probably change in our 40s and our response to viruses changes after the age of 40' Dr Gerrard said that while about 70 per cent of Queenslanders over 70 years of age had now received a booster, the disproportionate number of deaths among older people who had not received a booster was 'quite a considerable concern to us'. 'Even as we passed the peak, this virus is going to be with us for a long time and if you have not been exposed to it, you will be and this will be here for years,' he said. 'Please, go and get that booster, particularly if you are older.' A man receives his Covid-19 vaccination at Mount Gravatt in Brisbane Of the 240 Covid-related deaths in Queensland, 127 deaths have been in residential aged care Deputy Premier Steven Miles described the deaths in aged care as 'nothing short of a national disgrace' as he announced 6,857 new cases and 13 deaths in the state on Friday. The deaths included one person in their 60s, three in their 70s, five in their 80s and four aged in their 90s. Two were unvaccinated, eight had received two doses of vaccine and three had received a booster. There were 742 patients in public hospitals, including 15 in ICU and 57 patients in private hospitals with two in ICU. The double vaccination rate of the 16 years and over population in the state is now 89.78 per cent. There are now more than 1,000 aged care homes nationally that are dealing with Covid-19 outbreaks, with more than 500 aged care deaths due to the pandemic since the start of the year. 'They should have all been boosted and the Commonwealth Government should have ensured that there was sufficient PPE and rapid antigen tests,' Mr Miles said of the aged care deaths. 'If they were boosted, we wouldnt be experiencing the level of deaths in aged care that we are. 'I welcome [the Federal government's] decision finally today to make the Defence Force available to bolster the aged care workforce,' he said. Deputy Premier Steven Miles described the deaths in aged care as 'nothing short of a national disgrace' Defence Minister Peter Dutton on Friday morning said he would rather avoid sending in troops but admitted it was the option of last resort. 'The best thing that we can do at the moment is to provide those nurses and those additional shifts to be covered where people are sick. But if that's what is required, that's what we will do,' he told Channel Nine's Today program. 'If that is what is required to fix this problem and to provide dignity to these people, that is what we will do.' Italian aerobatic squad Frecce Tricolori performs during a ceremony to celebrate the inauguration of Italian President Sergio Mattarella in Rome, Italy, Feb. 3, 2022. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua) ROME, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- Italian President Sergio Mattarella was sworn in here on Thursday, inaugurating his second seven-year mandate. His re-election -- which the parliament voted with a broad majority on Jan. 29 -- came after the country's major political forces failed to find a deal on a possible successor. Although initially reluctant, Mattarella accepted to serve a second term citing a" sense of responsibility during the (current) health and economic emergency" linked to the pandemic. He stressed it again at the opening of his address on Thursday. "Parliament and regional representatives made their choice ... it has been a new and unexpected call of duty for me, which I cannot and I do not want to avoid," he said. His swearing-in speech before the parliament was welcomed with long minutes of applauses and a standing ovation. Addressing lawmakers, Mattarella stressed the country's need of unity in this delicate phase of recovery, and outlined some of the priorities to deal with in the short future, including a broad reform of the judiciary system. The president also spoke against "the forced compression of parliamentary debate," which occurred in the last two years -- thus affecting the parliament's role in favor of the cabinet -- because a swift decision-making process was needed in the COVID-19 emergency. "Within a necessary collaborative dialogue with the cabinet ...parliament should always be given adequate time to examine and evaluate crucial draft bills," Mattarella stressed. This is the second time a head of state is re-elected in Italy since 1948. Mattarella's predecessor Giorgio Napolitano served a second term, and only for less than two years. After the swearing-in ceremony in the parliament, an acrobatic flight team exhibited in a traditional aerial parade as the president and Prime Minister Mario Draghi were being driven from the lower house to the Quirinale presidential palace. In Italy, the president is traditionally a ceremonial figure that represents national unity. However, the role becomes crucial in the case of major political impasses. Italian aerobatic squad Frecce Tricolori performs during a ceremony to celebrate the inauguration of Italian President Sergio Mattarella in Rome, Italy, Feb. 3, 2022. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua) Policemen escort Italian President Sergio Mattarella to the Quirinale presidential palace in Rome, Italy, Feb. 3, 2022. (Xinhua/Jin Mamengni) Italian President Sergio Mattarella arrives at the Quirinale presidential palace in Rome, Italy, Feb. 3, 2022. (Xinhua/Jin Mamengni) A 21-gun salute is fired for the inauguration of Italian President Sergio Mattarella in Rome, Italy, Feb. 3, 2022. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua) Italian President Sergio Mattarella arrives at the Quirinale presidential palace in Rome, Italy, Feb. 3, 2022. (Xinhua/Jin Mamengni) Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Mario Draghi leafe the Lower House for the Quirinale presidential palace in Rome, Italy, Feb. 3, 2022. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua) Italian aerobatic squad Frecce Tricolori performs during a ceremony to celebrate the inauguration of Italian President Sergio Mattarella in Rome, Italy, Feb. 3, 2022. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua) When Boris Johnson was asked to name the five most influential women in his life, his list included one little known outside Westminster. Alongside his grandmother, Malala Yousafzai, Kate Bush and Boadicea, the Prime Minister spoke of the impact Munira Mirza had on him. The 44-year-old has been at his side as his most loyal aide since he was elected mayor of London in 2008. In the Grazia magazine interview to mark International Womens Day in 2020, Mr Johnson said she was capable of being hip, cool, groovy and generally on trend, but also that she was a powerful nonsense detector. Munira Mirza (pictured with Boris Johnson) as quit as the head of policy at No10, blaming the PMs explosive claim that Sir Keir Starmer failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile As No10s head of policy, Miss Mirza has been a crucial part of Mr Johnsons inner circle alongside her husband Dougie Smith, another key Downing Street aide. Yesterday she blamed the PMs explosive claim that Sir Keir Starmer failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile for her decision to quit. She had been genuinely upset by the remark, a friend said last night but they revealed that she has been uneasy with the whole direction of travel for some time. They told how she was not a great fan of [Downing Street chief-of-staff] Dan Rosenfield who also quit yesterday adding: The feeling is that this means Dougie has withdrawn his support. A minister who is close to her also said last night that the Savile row had been the final straw but not the first. Miss Mirzas rise to the top of government has not been a typical one. She is the youngest daughter of Pakistani immigrants her father was a factory worker and her mother a housewife and Urdu teacher. She grew up in Oldham and attended state schools before becoming the only student at her sixth form to win a place at Oxford. It was during her studies at Mansfield College that she joined the Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP), contributing to its magazine Living Marxism. She went on to study for a PhD in sociology at the University of Kent under Professor Frank Furedi who co-founded the RCP, which by then had dissolved. She had various jobs in the culture and charity sectors, including at the Royal Society of Arts, the Policy Exchange think-tank, and the Tate, before at the age of 30 being made arts adviser to Mr Johnson when he was elected London mayor. The 44-year-old has been at Mr Johnson's side as his most loyal aide since he was elected mayor of London in 2008 Once he became Prime Minister, she was brought in immediately as one of his inner circle. Miss Mirza has mainly stayed out of the limelight, until she was revealed as playing a major role in the setting up of the Prime Ministers commission on racial disparity in 2020, following the Black Lives Matter demonstrations. Critics said she was the wrong person for the job as she had previously questioned the existence of institutional racism and hit out at a culture of grievance among anti-racism campaigners. But Mr Johnson defended her in the Commons as a brilliant thinker about these issues. Until yesterday, Miss Mirza had always been one of his arch-defenders. When in 2018 he was criticised for an article suggesting burqa-wearing women resembled bank robbers or letterboxes, she launched a passionate defence of him, calling the reaction to his comments hysteria. Sajid Javid will today declare a national war on cancer in a bid to improve Britains dismal survival rate for the disease. The Health Secretary will promise an ambitious Ten Year Cancer Plan that aims to make England the best place in the world to receive care. It will focus on diagnosing tumours earlier when they are easier to treat and encouraging people to adopt healthier lifestyles that reduce their odds of getting the disease. Mr Javid will also pledge to boost staff numbers and back research into cutting-edge mRNA cancer vaccines and drugs that will help save more lives. Cancer remains the biggest cause of death from disease in the UK, with survival rates lagging behind those of many other developed nations. The Covid pandemic has had a devastating impact on NHS cancer care and services, with treatment disrupted and tens of thousands fewer people coming forward for checks. Pictured: Health Secretary Sajid Javid will today declare a national war on cancer in a bid to improve Britains dismal survival rate for the disease after diagnoses dropped in the pandemic Mr Javid will set out his vision and call for experts and patients to contribute to the plan in a speech at the Francis Crick Institute, in central London, today World Cancer Day. He is expected to say: Let this be the day where we declare a national war on cancer. We have published the call for evidence for a new Ten Year Cancer Plan for England, a searching new vision for how we will lead the world in cancer care. This plan will show how we are learning the lessons from the pandemic, and apply them to improving cancer services over the next decade. It will take a far-reaching look at how we want cancer care to be in 2032 ten years from now looking at all stages, from prevention, to diagnosis, to treatment and vaccines. We want to hear views from far and wide to help us shape this work. Please join us in this effort, so fewer people face the heartache of losing a loved one to this wretched disease. There were nearly 50,000 fewer cancer diagnoses across the UK during the pandemic and NHS cancer treatments fell by 6 per cent. Mr Javid will set out his vision and call for experts and patients to contribute to the plan in a speech at the Francis Crick Institute (pictured), in central London, today World Cancer Day The latest figures published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) show there were 216 cancer deaths for every 100,000 people in the UK in 2019. This compares with an OECD average of 191, with 118 in Mexico, 178 in the US and 180 in Australia. The UK also has far fewer diagnostic CT, MRI and PET scanners, with just 16 per million people, compared with an average of 45 across the 38 OECD countries, according to the figures. A key part of the strategy will be building on the latest scientific advances and partnering with the countrys technology pioneers. The NHS is expected to make more use of artificial intelligence, which has the potential to identify tumours in scans and spot patients at increased risk of disease. Cally Palmer, national cancer director for the NHS, said: The NHS is committed to saving more lives from cancer by finding more cases at an earlier stage when they are easier to treat. The ambitious ten-point cancer plan will focus on diagnosing tumours earlier when they are easier to treat while encouraging healthier lifestyles to reduce the risk of catching cancer 'It is this action that will ultimately help us to save thousands of lives sadly lost to cancer every year. Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of the charity Cancer Research UK, said: For years, progress in cancer has been too slow and due to the disruption of the pandemic, we now face the prospect of that progress stalling. 'We should not be satisfied with the pace of change to date, or the fact that the burden of cancer weighs heaviest on the most deprived in the UK. The public consultation will run for eight weeks, with the Ten Year Cancer Plan expected to be published this summer. SAJID JAVID: I have felt the agony of losing my dad to this disease... We need to understand what lessons can be learned and how we can lead the world on cancer care By Sajid Javid for the Daily Mail Someone is diagnosed with cancer every 90 seconds in the UK. My dad was one of them. I lost him to this horrendous disease and know too well the pain and grief that comes with it. By the time he was diagnosed, the cancer had already spread and it was too late. I want to thank all the NHS staff who worked tirelessly to keep cancer services going for more than half a million cancer patients during the pandemic. Undoubtedly though, cancer care has taken a hit. While we are among the best in Europe for diagnosis of some cancers, compared to other countries, we sadly lag behind on many more. And as we learn to live with Covid-19, its my mission to change that. Thats why this World Cancer Day Im launching a call for evidence for a new Ten Year Cancer Plan for England to understand what lessons can be learned and how we can lead the world on cancer care. Pictured: Sajid Javid's father Abdul Ghani-Javid who passed away from cancer eight years ago Work is already under way that is making a difference. Were launching 100 Community Diagnostic Centres one-stop shops for easier and faster access to cancer tests. Milton Keynes hospital is the first hospital in Europe to use state-of-the-art surgical robots for major gynaecological surgery. The NHS is also piloting a device that can examine patients painlessly by swallowing a camera pill, avoiding the need for a colonoscopy. In addition, were investing record funding into the NHS an extra 2billion this year and 8billion over the next three years to cut waiting times. This includes by delivering millions of additional checks, scans and operations. But we need to go further and faster. There is so much we can do. I am determined to prevent as many people as possible from getting cancer in the first place. Smoking is one of the biggest risk factors, with six million smokers in England, and obesity also plays a major role in increasing your likelihood of getting cancer. I also want people to get earlier diagnosis so we save more lives. The sooner you are diagnosed, the faster you can be treated and the more likely you will survive. Screening for cancers needs to be open to more people. Finally, we must make the most of technology and new treatments. It is very possible new approaches could transform the way we detect cancer or develop vaccines like the HPV vaccine to stop it in its tracks. Tackling cancer is a top priority for me, and I want us to lead the way in Europe in treating all cancers. This is a national war on cancer and we need the nations help. I want to hear from all of you to shape our Ten Year Cancer Plan. A illegal camp of protesters in Canberra is being moved on by police in a huge show of force. Around 250 vehicles have been parked around the National Library, with police telling the anti-vaccine mandate protesters on Wednesday they were camping illegally. Audio warnings were then given on Thursday before the move-on order was issued on Friday. Most cars are leaving the area voluntarily but at least one has been towed. Police officers assemble before remove camping equipment and ask protesters to move on at the protestors' makeshift camp next to the National Library in Canberra A protester is pushed to the ground by police as vehicles are moved on from the makeshift camp Police officers are seen removing camping equipment at the gathering of around 250 vehicles in Canberra ACT chief police officer Neil Gaughan said protestors were allowed to remain in the area and protest all they like but cannot camp illegally A family reacts after being asked to pack up and move on by local and Federal police in Canberra. Protestors had extended their stay in the nation's capital until Federal parliament resumed this week The action by local police and officers of the Australian Federal Police came after the National Capital Authority asked them yesterday to enforce legislation prohibiting illegal camping and parking at the Patrick White Lawns. Protestors had been gathered on the lawns for several days. Its believed members of the convoy had extended their stay in the nation's capital until Federal parliament resumed this week. A protester using a megaphone said the crowd would stand their ground but urged those who remained on foot to be peaceful. ACT chief police officer Neil Gaughan says people are allowed to remain in the area and protest all they like, but cannot camp illegally. 'This is disruptive to Canberrans. That site was going to be used for events over the weekend and an event tonight,' he told the ABC. 'The National Capital Authority has had to cancel that because of the fact that these people are illegally camping, so we are moving them on.' Items not moved may be seized by police. Officers had attended the camp on Wednesday, telling campers they were in breach of legislation. A protester packs up his truck after being asked to move on from the Patrick White Lawns in Canberra The anti-vaccination mandate campaign, known as the Convoy to Canberra, has included a march on Parliament House on Monday and a rally outside the National Press Club on Tuesday where Prime Minister Scott Morrison was speaking Officers had attended the camp on Wednesday, telling campers they were in breach of legislation and would be moved on Protesters sit as police officers remove camping equipment at the gathering of around 250 vehicles near the National Library The anti-vaccination mandate campaign, known as the Convoy to Canberra, has included a march on Parliament House on Monday and a rally outside the National Press Club on Tuesday where Prime Minister Scott Morrison was speaking. Police used capsicum spray and made three arrests on Wednesday at the camp. An ACT policing spokesman said one woman assaulted an officer and was arrested and charged. Two men also tried to interfere with the woman's arrest and were also arrested. Both men were charged with obstructing police. The head of Kamala Harris' speechwriting team is leaving the vice president's office, the eighth departure in recent months. Kate Childs Graham is expected to leave at the end of the month. It comes amid reports of a reset in the vice president's office as Harris battles low poll ratings and the Biden administration tries to step up its public engagement with more travel by the president and his vice president. Herbie Ziskend, deputy communications director to the vice president, paid tribute to his departing colleague on Twitter. 'Kate is committed, hard-working, hilarious a great colleague and friend,' he said. 'I'll miss working with her every day, but excited for her next adventure.' It follows a string of farewell messages as staffers leave the office, many of them vacating public facing roles in the press office. Kate Childs Graham is the latest official to leave the vice president's office. She is expected to leave her role as director of speechwriting around the end of February Last July, Vice President Kamala Harris sang 'Happy Birthday' to Childs Graham (l) and domestic policy adviser Rohini Kosoglu aboard Air Force Two Aides chafe at the idea of a reset, but reports suggest Harris is looking to rebuild her public image by doing more to promote her work at the White House Herbie Ziskend, deputy communications director to the vice president, gave his colleague a glowing review on Twitter The most high profile was chief spokesperson Symone Sanders who left at the end of December, and has since taken up a role with MSNBC. But it began after Harris's widely criticized visit to Central America in June - when she was mocked for delivering a simple message of, 'Do not come,' in her role as point person for tackling the root causes of migration from the area. That trip also featured a case of mistaken identity at a press conference. Harris called on 'Maria Fernanda of Univision' to ask a question, only it turned out to be a fan with the same name as a reporter based in Miami. The vice president's director of advance Karly Satkowiak and deputy director of advance Gabrielle DeFranceschi - responsible for planning travel and making arrangement with local officials and media outlets - left the office shortly after the trip. Next to leave was Rajan Kaur who was Harris' director of digital strategies but quit in July after opting not to relocate to Washington D.C. from Brooklyn. Communications director Ashley Etienne left in November. Sanders, one of the main public faces for Harris, left at the end of the year, at about the same time as director of press operations Peter Velz and Vince Evans, who said he was leaving to become executive director with the Congressional Black Caucus. Spokesperson Symone Sanders and Communications Director Ashley Etienne both left last year. In all, eight officials have left since Harris visited Central America last June The year began with a slew of reports that Harris was planning to meet negative coverage head on, with a busier media schedule and a campaign schedule that her supporters say will better suit her political skills. Her first year in office reached its lowest point in December, when she was branded a 'bully' who inflicted 'constant soul destroying criticism' on her staff by insiders quoted in the Washington Post. Former staffers said the vice president was exhibiting the same aggressive management style that had dogged much of her political career. At the same time she has been a lightning rod for Republican criticism. Conservatives have focused on her role trying to tackle the root causes of migration to the U.S. from Central America, which so far appears not to have stemmed the numbers arriving at the southern border. And her poll numbers remain mired below 40 percent. A Real Clear Politics rolling average shows 38.6 percent of respondents give her a favorable rating, while 53.7 percent have an unfavorable view of the vice president. The former head of the Metropolitan Police who oversaw the bungled probe into a fictitious Westminster paedophile ring wants to be the next director general of Britain's version of the FBI. Lord Hogan-Howe has applied for the 223,000-a-year role at the National Crime Agency (NCA) and appears to be one of the leading candidates, reports The Times. This is despite the ex-Metropolitan Police Commissioner being in charge when officers raided homes of leading Establishment figures as part of the force's disastrous VIP paedophile ring probe. If successful, Hogan-Howe will succeed Graeme Biggar, the interim director-general of the NCA after Dame Lynne Owens retired from the position on health grounds in September last year. During his time as head of Scotland Yard, Hogan-Howe was in charge of the forces VIP abuse inquiry, which ruined the reputations of several public figures including retired Armed Forces chief and D-Day hero Field Marshal Lord Bramall, ex-home secretary Leon Brittan and former Tory MP Harvey Proctor. They were smeared by fantasist Carl Beech, known as 'Nick', whose lies were swallowed whole by the Met. Lord Hogan-Howe has applied for the 223,000-a-year role at the National Crime Agency (NCA) and appears to be one of the leading candidates Boris Johnson, then mayor of London, with Met Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe in January 2012 in Shepherd's Bush, London Met Police led botched child sex abuse probe based on false allegations of serial liar Carl Nick Beech (pictured) Bramall's house near Farnham in Surrey was raided by police in 2015, when his wife was terminally ill and he was subjected to a humiliating 100-minute interview under caution. Bramall, who served his country in every major conflict until he retired in 1985, was never charged and died aged 95 in 2019, after Beech had been jailed for 18 years for perverting the course of justice and fraud. The former police chief, who now sits in the Lords as Baron Hogan-Howe of Sheffield, initially refused to apologise to victims of the investigations into alleged paedophile rings, but did so after a damning independent review uncovered serious failings. Hogan-Howe, who left the Met in 2016 with an estimated 5million pension pot, was made a life peer in 2017 and has since taken up a number of consultancy posts for various firms. He has now set his cap on leading the NCA, an organisation which focuses on tackling organised crime and national security threats. During his time as head of Scotland Yard, Hogan-Howe was in charge of the forces VIP abuse inquiry, which ruined the reputations of several public figures including retired Armed Forces chief and D-Day hero Field Marshal Lord Bramall (pictured), ex-home secretary Leon Brittan and former Tory MP Harvey Proctor The successful candidate will be selected by Home Secretary Priti Patel and they will report to her. A source told The Times: 'Hogan-Howe has put his hat in the ring but its an open competition. Its the home secretarys choice and there are some good candidates. Its certainly not nailed on and hes unlikely to be the strong favourite.' In February last year, Hogan-Howe was appointed by the Home Secretary to chair an external review of a major police database blunder. In January 2021, it emerged that the entire criminal records of more than 15,000 people were accidentally deleted from the Police National Computer. More than 200,000 offence details were lost, including fingerprints and DNA records, putting entire investigations at risk and creating 'huge dangers' for public safety, according to Labour politicians. Home Secretary Priti Patel and Policing Minister Kit Malthouse appointed Lord Hogan-Howe to conduct the external review. Qantas boss Alan Joyce has compared Western Australia's strict border closure to Kim Jong-un's brutal regime in North Korea. 'The fact you can get to London, but not to Perth we are supposed to all be Australian but you cant even travel in your own country,' he told 3AW Breakfast on Friday morning. 'And there isnt a plan in Western Australia. Its starting to look like North Korea,' he said. Under Jong-un's dictatorship, it's it's illegal for North Koreans to leave the country without the government's permission. In Western Australia, Premier Mark McGowan has locked his state away from the rest of the country. Qantas boss Alan Joyce says Western Australia is starting to look like North Korea Mark McGowan has come under fire after backflipping on a plan to reopen Western Australia's borders Mr McGowan has refused to say when the borders will reopen, having backflipped on a plan to reopen from February 5. Qantas chair Richard Goyder and Wesfarmers chief executive Rob Scott are among the local business heavyweights who have publicly criticised the premier, saying they will relocate to the eastern states to escape his policy settings. But Prime Minister Scott Morrison backed the decision to retain the border closures, which remain popular among many WA voters. 'That's the premier's call. He has to make that decision based on what he thinks his health system is ready to absorb,' Mr Morrison told Perth radio 6PR. Nicola Sturgeon has said British taxpayers will continue to foot the bill for Scottish pensions even if Scotland becomes independent. The First Minister insisted 'people will notice no difference' if Scotland separates from the UK as Scots who have made state pension contributions to the Treasury would still receive those payments. Her official spokesman went further and claimed that the UK government would be expected to contribute to the pensions. When asked about the issue in the Scottish Parliament, Sturgeon repeated comments from a former UK pensions minister even though he subsequently clarified them. Sturgeon quoted comments made by Steve Webb in 2014 before the Scottish Independence referendum where he said people who had 'accumulated rights would continue to receive the current levels of state pension'. However, Mr Webb quickly clarified his remarks within days, saying that it was for the independent Scottish government to pay its own state pensions. Nicola Sturgeon has said British taxpayers will continue to foot the bill for Scottish pensions after Scotland becomes Independence Sturgeon's comments come after SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford and Finance Secretary Kate Forces said pensions would not be affected by independence. The Scottish First Minister and SNP leader want to hold a re-run of the 2014 referendum by the end of 2023 but Boris Johnson has so far refused to grant permission for a vote to take place. Murdo Fraser, from the Scottish Conservative Party, said: 'Nicola Sturgeon was unable to fully endorse the stance of her colleagues because she knows their outrageous spin just isn't true. 'Instead, she resorted to quoting comments from then pensions minister Steve Webb in 2014 despite knowing full well that he subsequently corrected the record, and that the SNP White Paper was clear the Scottish Government would assume responsibility for paying pensions. 'The economic case for independence has never been weaker. Nicola Sturgeon and her fellow nationalists should stop trying to hoodwink the Scottish public and come clean about the harsh financial realities an independent Scotland would face.' The First Minister insisted 'people will notice no difference' if Scotland separates from the UK as Scots who have made state pension contributions to the Treasury would still receive those payments Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament: 'When Scotland votes for independence, as was the case in 2014, the distribution of existing UK liabilities and assets, including those related to pensions, will be subject to negotiation. 'But the key point is for those in receipt of pensions, and it is what the minister for pensions in the UK Government at the time, Steve Webb, confirmed: that people with accumulated rights would continue to receive the current levels of state pension.' But Mr Webb clarified his remarks just days later, saying: 'I would think the Scottish people would expect their Government to take on full responsibility for paying pensions. Similarly people in the rest of the UK would not expect to guarantee or underwrite the pensions of those living in what would then [be] a separate country.' A spokesman for Miss Sturgeon said: 'Pensions will be delivered in an independent Scotland by the Government of an independent Scotland but there will be historic contributions made into the UK pot that are owed from that UK side.' Pressed on why the First Minister referenced Mr Webb's comments when they were clarified one week later, he said: 'He is on record saying what he said.' Last week, Sturgeon was accused of overseeing an 'obscene waste of public money' after it emerged a team of 11 Holyrood civil servants are working on her new blueprint for Scottish independence. Nicola Sturgeon has been accused of an 'obscene waste of public money' after it emerged a team of 11 Holyrood civil servants are working on her new blueprint for Scottish independence Details of the team behind the independence prospectus were revealed by the Scottish Government in response to a Freedom of Information request. Analysis of the pay grades of the staff involved suggested the team would cost about 700,000 a year to operate, according to The Herald. The SNP has defended the move, insisting it is 'democracy in action', but pro-Union campaigners have criticised the use of public resources, arguing Ms Sturgeon should be fully focused on Scotland's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Ms Sturgeon said in her 'Programme for Government' last year that work would resume on drawing up a 'detailed prospectus' for independence. The Freedom of Information request asked how much budget had been allocated to the work, with the Scottish Government saying it was unable to provide an exact figure. The Government said the preparation work would be coordinated by a team consisting of 'one senior civil servant and 10 other officials' within the constitution directorate. Pamela Nash, chief executive of the Scotland in Union campaign group, said: 'This is an obscene waste of public money. The Scottish First Minister and SNP leader wants to hold a re-run of the 2014 referendum by the end of 2023 but Boris Johnson has so far refused to grant permission for a vote to take place 'While our NHS struggles with massive waiting lists and children sit in crowded classrooms, only the SNP could think it sensible to devote civil service time and taxpayers' money to this. 'Rather than focusing on how to divide Scotland once again, the Government's priority should be bringing communities together, giving our NHS and public services the resources they need.' Donald Cameron from the Scottish Conservatives echoed a similar sentiment, saying: 'It's outrageous that the SNP Government are devoting huge resources to their push for another divisive independence referendum, when all their focus should be on Scotland's pandemic recovery.' But Mike Russell, the president of the SNP, said: 'The people of Scotland have already decided they should have a choice over their future by electing a Scottish Parliament in May with a record majority of pro-independence MSPs. 'Now the preparatory work is underway to develop a blueprint for Scotland as an independent country. 'This is democracy in action: the Scottish Government delivering the manifesto promises on which they were so overwhelmingly elected. 'This detailed work will ensure that the people of Scotland can make an informed choice when voting in the referendum and are presented with the choice of a better and fairer future in an independent Scotland.' A Florida middle school teacher accused of kissing one of his students on the lips in class was hauled out of the building and handcuffed by police in an arrest captured on video. Carlos Aguirre Rendon, 29, a math teacher at Deltona Middle School, had reportedly been pursuing a relationship with the 15-year-old female student before he was arrested Wednesday. Bodycam footage of the arrest captured the moment Aguirre stepped outside the school where an officer immediately handcuffed the father of two young children and placed him inside a police vehicle. According to court documents, Aguirre asked two other students to leave and then 'stood up, wrapped his arms around (the victim) while she was facing him, pulled her mask down and kissed her on the lips,' despite her attempts to pull away, on January 7. Police began investigating Aguirre on January 11 after someone tipped them off to the disturbing incident, the sheriff's office said in a press release. Scroll Down For Video: Bodycam footage captured the moment Aguirre stepped outside the school where an officer immediately handcuffed On Wednesday, Volusia County Sheriff's Office arrested 29-year-old Carlos Aguirre Rendon, (pictured) of Longwood, at Deltona Middle School The teen's parents were aware of 'a close relations between their daughter and the teacher since the beginning of the school year but didn't think anything of it because she had been attached to teachers in the past,' according to a charging affidavit. However, the girl's parents became concerned when her mother said she saw Aguirre with his arm around her daughter at a local park. Aguirre, who lives in Longwood, would bring his two young children to Firefighters Memorial Park in Deltona - about 25 miles away - to meet her, the affidavit said. Surveillance video shows that when they met at the park in the Orlando suburbs, Aguirre would leave his two kids in their car seats while he talked with the victim. There, he would look through her phone and 'ask if (she) was talking to boys,' according to the affidavit. Police charged Aguirre with lewd or lascivious conduct and witness tampering Bodycam footage captured officers escorting a handcuffed Aguirre into a a police vehicle Witnesses told cops Aguirre often sought to be alone with the victim and appeared to be pursuing a relationship with her outside of normal teacher-student contact,' according to court records, which also said that he and the teen 'had discussed having a relationship once (the victim) turned 18. '(Aguirre) would regularly ask other students to leave the classroom so he could be alone with her. He would follow her around campus in between classes and even offered himself as a private English tutor when he noticed she was struggling with the subject,' the affidavit said. When school administrators learned of the allegations against the teacher, the victim was transferred out of his class and Aguirre was advised not to return to the school pending an ongoing investigation. On Tuesday, deputies learned that Aguirre had approached potential witnesses at a local park asking about the victim and telling at least one witness not to talk to the police. Police charged Aguirre with lewd or lascivious conduct and witness tampering. He was arrested and released after posting $12,500 bond. Scott Morrison has washed a woman's hair at a Melbourne salon in his latest - and perhaps most bizarre - photo opportunity of the unofficial election campaign. The Prime Minister wore an apron and a mask as he massaged first-year apprentice Courtnie Trotter and sprayed water on her head over a basin on Friday. The extraordinary moment came after Mr Morrison endured a horror week that started with a Newspoll which showed the Government trailing the Labor Opposition by a massive 12 points, which if replicated on election day would wipe out 25 seats. Then on Tuesday he was roasted by journalists at the National Press Club where he admitted making several errors during the pandemic but refused to apologise. Scott Morrison has washed a woman's head on a visit to Coco's salon in Melbourne The Prime Minister wore an apron and a mask as he massaged the customer and sprayed water on her head over a basin on Friday The extraordinary moment came after Mr Morrison endured a horror week Mr Morrison gave the massage on a visit to Cocos hair salon in Melbourne He failed to name the price of bread, petrol and rapid tests and also admitted he didn't know the cost of milk. He was later told about unearthed texts from 2019 in which Gladys Berejiklian allegedly called him a 'horrible, horrible person' and a mystery minister branded him a 'complete psycho'. The unveiling of the texts has been linked to an internal Liberal Party struggle in NSW where several key seats still don't have candidates for the May election. On Thursday the PM was slammed for backflipping to support Western Australia's hard border, with critics saying it proved he has no principles and can't be trusted. He is also being attacked over a 'crisis' in aged care homes with 1,000 facilities suffering Covid outbreaks as the army is prepared to replace isolating nurses and has refused Labor's calls to sack aged care services minister Richard Colbeck. Sunday's Newspoll showed Labor leader Anthony Albanese has narrowed the gap between his rival for preferred prime minister to just 43-41 in favour of Mr Morrison, from 45-36 at the last poll. But the PM's allies believe he can make a surprise comeback before election day. Bill Shorten was ahead in the polls too last time around but was beaten to the finish line. Former marketing guru Mr Morrison is renowned for his extravagant photo opportunities. In his first domestic tour since the end of Covid lockdowns in Victoria and NSW in November he made pasta, served breakfast to veterans, and opened an Indian community centre with a flower garland around his neck. Labor immediately slammed the salon appearance with MP Tim Watts writing: 'Why is this Prime Minister always play acting at doing other people's jobs instead of just doing the job that he was elected to do for the Australian people?' Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Liberal member for Higgins Katie Allen make gnocchi pasta during a visit to Sugo restaurant in Malvern, Melbourne in November Mr Morrison during the opening of the Australian Indian Community Centre in Melbourne in November During a speech at the National Press Club on Tuesday, Mr Morrison admitted three key Covid errors including unfairly raising people's hopes before this summer, not placing the vaccine rollout under military command from the start and poorly managing outbreaks in aged care. 'We could have communicated more clearly about the risks and challenges that we still face,' Mr Morrison said in reference to how he called for an end to restrictions including mask-wearing before the Omicron wave in December. 'In our communications, we have to be be clear about that. We can't lift people's hopes, then disappointment them. I think that's what happened over the break.' PM admits three mistakes in pandemic 1. Raising hopes before summer by calling for an end to restrictions 2. Not placing vaccine rollout under military command from the start 3. Poor management of aged care outbreaks Advertisement Mr Morrison had travelled the nation in December calling for state governments to get out of people's lives and demanding a return to normal after two years of Covid restrictions - but just weeks later it became clear that strict rules were still needed as Omicron spread. 'Secondly, on the vaccination program, if I had my time over, I would have put it under a military operation from the outset and not later in the year,' Mr Morrison said. The Prime Minister said the goal to offer a jab to everyone by October was achieved but admitted the rollout got off to a slow start, prompting him to install Lieutenant General John Frewen as boss of the programme. 'I took the decision to send in General Frewen and change the way we did it, and set up a change in the command structure, how logistics were managed, how it was planned. And it worked. But I wish we'd done that earlier. And that's a lesson,' Mr Morrison said. In mid 2021 the federal government copped heavy criticism for the slow vaccine rollout which was well behind comparable nations and meant Sydney and Melbourne had to be plunged into four-month lockdowns amid Delta outbreaks. The Prime Minster also admitted that aged care outbreaks should have been handled better, mentioning one incident at St Basil's home in Sydney when the staff had to isolate and the military had to be sent in. After months of railing against state borders and calling for a united country, Mr Morrison surprised even his political allies by supporting Mr McGowan's hard border. Asked on Thursday if the Premier did the right thing by deferring his opening date, the Prime Minister replied: 'Yeah I think he did.' Last month McGowan reneged on his plan to open the state's border on February 5, citing the number of Covid cases and hospitalisations in the east. He was widely criticised by Australians desperate to see family members as well as businesses like Qantas and even the Australian Medical Association which accused him of breaking a promise and causing uncertainty. Labor leader Anthony Albanese immediately backed Mr McGowan's decision - which is broadly popular in WA - but this is first time the Prime Minister has spoken in favour of the move. 'Omicron as we learned over the summer is a completely different virus,' he told Perth Radio 6PR on Thursday. 'The things we were doing before don't work the same way under the Omicron virus and as a result you've got to reset and rethink the things you were doing.' Mr McGowan's critics say the only reason he is keeping the border closed is because he is presiding over a struggling health system, with several hospitals at capacity even without Covid. Mr Morrison said the premier knows he will have to open at some stage but confirmed he is waiting until he is confident in the state's health system. 'When his health system he believes is ready to go, I'm sure he'll take that next step,' the Prime Minister said. Mr McGowan announced his decision to keep the border closed in a dramatic late-night press conference on January 20. He said he wanted to wait until more Western Australians including children had received booster doses but did not give a new date for re-opening. 'The aim is to get it [the third dose vaccination rate] up above at least 80 per cent, perhaps 90 per cent,' he said. 'But what we are going to do is review the situation over February and watch what is occurring over east and work out what the best approach is for Western Australia.' One of Britains top university bosses is refusing to step down despite a damning report finding she contributed to a culture of bullying. Imperial College London president Professor Alice Gast who earns 519,000 a year presides over a toxic workplace where staff are treated like naughty little children, witnesses told a secret bullying and harassment inquiry in 2020. The report was finally released yesterday after The Daily Mail won a lengthy Freedom of Information battle with Imperial. It criticised Professor Gast who was once the highest-paid vice-chancellor in the country for adverse, abrupt and unempathetic treatment of staff. Imperial College London president Professor Alice Gast who earns 519,000 a year presides over a toxic workplace where staff are treated like naughty little children, witnesses told a secret bullying and harassment inquiry in 2020 She had bullied one colleague by undermining her both personally and professionally, damaging the victims self-esteem and self-confidence and leading to lack of sleep and weight loss. The internal report also found apparent mockery of ethnic minorities. Professor Gasts close associate, college chief financial officer Muir Sanderson, made what appears to have been a racially-charged remark about someone [leaving] the plantation, independent investigator Jane McNeill, QC, wrote. He regarded a comment by a former senior employee about a one-armed black lesbian as a joke and had bullied two colleagues, calling one woman young lady and telling her to watch her tone. Some of his behaviour was abhorrent, the report said. Professor Gast was aware he was regarded as a bully, but tackling it was not high on her list of priorities. The report was finally released yesterday after The Daily Mail won a lengthy Freedom of Information battle with Imperial. A university building is pictured above While the investigation did not identify systemic bullying across the college, the pair created or contributed to a culture which involves and tolerates favouritism, exclusion, the making of disparaging comments about others and at times a lack of respect for others. Both issued grovelling apologies yesterday, with Professor Gast saying in an internal email she had found the process personally devastating. But there was no indication either were considering their positions, having already shrugged off a motion of no confidence passed by the University and College Union. Barry Jones, of the UCU, said: It is shameful that president Alice Gast and CFO Muir Sanderson still remain in post after being found to have bullied staff and treated them with such disrespect. One whistleblower said: I am appalled [they] continue to brazen this out. They have been found guilty of bullying, which the college says is gross misconduct. University watchdog the Office for Students is conducting its own probe over allegations of a vipers nest environment under Professor Gast, which first emerged last year. The Department for Education said it could not comment while that investigation was ongoing. ATHENS, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- A holistic, coherent, and fair European approach to migration is the only way forward and member states must agree on a Migration and Asylum pact, a senior official of the European Union (EU) said here Friday. "Greece today manages migration with a clear plan, tangible results and is a pioneer in the co-shaping of a coherent European policy... The challenges we face remain significant," said Margaritis Schinas, vice president of the European Commission. Greece is one of the countries at the forefront of the refugee and migrant crisis in recent years which has called for more proportionate burden-sharing among EU member states. More than a million people entered the country since 2015, mainly from Turkey, fleeing warzones and extreme poverty, according to migration authorities. Most continued the journey to other European countries until the closure of borders of the Balkan route to Central Europe in the winter of 2016. Following an EU-Turkey agreement on March 2016 aimed to stem the flows, the situation has improved. However, Greece still records thousands of new arrivals per year and dozens of lives lost in the Aegean Sea waters. A charming Beatrix Potter painting of a mouse in an apron has been rediscovered by book specialists. From 1891, the unpublished watercolour shows the creature depicted in extraordinary furry detail. Before she became one of the world's favourite children's authors and illustrators, Miss Potter fine-tuned her craft with this illustration for the rhyme Appley Dapply, about a mouse who searches for edible treats. The watercolour was discarded because only three images were used when Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes was published in 1917. Now the painting has been rediscovered by Peter Harrington Rare Books, an antiquarian specialist in London, and is up for sale for around 85,000. An unpublished Beatrix Potter watercolour from 1891 (pictured) shows a mouse in an apron depicted in extraordinary furry detail It coincides with a major exhibition, Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature, that opens at the Victoria and Albert Museum this month. Measuring 3in by 4in and signed by Miss Potter, the Appley Dapply watercolour was in an American collection, having been sold by descendants of her publisher in the US. Miss Potter went on to make her name with The Tale of Peter Rabbit and other humorous stories about animal characters, including Mrs Tiggy-Winkle and Jemima Puddle-Duck. Book expert Dr Philip W Errington said: 'The work she did in the 1890s is absolutely incredible... Nobody can do fur like Beatrix. 'She appears to have used one or two bristles on the brush to get the minute detail.' Beatrix Potter (pictured) went on to make her name with The Tale of Peter Rabbit and other humorous stories about animal characters, including Mrs Tiggy-Winkle and Jemima Puddle-Duck He added: 'It's phenomenal. How anyone could see to do this is beyond me - and we're talking Victorian lighting. 'Her eyesight had deteriorated by the 1920s. Before the book's publication, Potter realised that she had lost one of her original 1891 watercolours and therefore provided a new one. 'She herself said, 'I won't be able to come up with the same quality of watercolour'... She knew that her eyesight had gone. 'The second published illustration in Appley Dapply is one of the later drawings from around 1917. That shows the difference in quality in that it's far harsher and it's got a heavier line.' In the newly-discovered version, Appley Dapply clutches a key at a closed cupboard door. In the published illustration, the mouse is reaching for a plate in the open cupboard. Dr Errington said: 'That's what's so exciting about this piece. This is part of her working out what is aesthetically pleasing. In the flesh, it's one of those things that you can absolutely peer at for hours on end. 'You can see the way the floor hits the cupboard, a very deliberate placing of the mouse. You've got the depth of the fur and the mouse set against a bland background, which brings out that figure. He noted that the archives of the V&A, Frederick Warne and the Free Library of Philadelphia have got extraordinary Potter collections, but added: 'They're all in captivity, as it were. The number of times that an original piece of this quality comes on the open market is few and far between The Queen will on Sunday mark her accession to the throne in 1952 Supporters include PM Boris Johnson and wife Carrie, the Confederation of British Industry and the Scouts 'Thank Holiday' would honour the Queen's extraordinary 70 years of service Campaigners are calling for an extra permanent public holiday from 2023 A campaign for an extra permanent bank holiday to honour the Queen's extraordinary 70 years of service has the backing of Boris and Carrie Johnson, it has been reported. It is understood the Prime Minister and his wife are 'highly supportive' of a new 'Thank Holiday' starting in 2023. The plan would in effect make the extra public holiday introduced for this year's Platinum Jubilee celebrations permanent. Backers for the proposal already include the Confederation of British Industry, the Royal Voluntary Service and the Scouts. A campaign for an extra permanent bank holiday to honour the Queen's extraordinary 70 years of service has the backing of Boris and Carrie Johnson It is understood the Prime Minister and his wife are 'highly supportive of the idea' of a new 'Thank Holiday' starting in 2023 As well as enjoying the support of business and volunteering groups, an insider told The Telegraph that Mr and Mrs Johnson 'are highly supportive of the idea'. It would also be a recognition of the service of the millions who have stepped up to serve their communities during the pandemic. The campaign for the 'Thank holiday' is being launched today by the Together coalition ahead of the 70th anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne on Sunday. This year's additional bank holiday is on Friday June 3, as part of a four-day weekend of celebrations. No firm date is being proposed for the permanent extra holiday, but one option could be creating a Bank Holiday weekend around the Queen's official birthday, which is usually celebrated on the second Saturday in June. The campaign for the 'Thank holiday' is being launched today by the Together coalition ahead of the 70th anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne on Sunday. Pictured: The Queen on her Sandringham Estate Alternatives could include dates linked with Sir Winston Churchill's birthday on November 30, Trafalgar Day on October 21, or the foundation of the NHS on July 5. Proposals are set to be presented to ministers shortly. Tony Danker, the director general of the CBI, said proposed extra day: 'Business is keen to support and we will work with the campaign's supporters and employers to make it a real success.' Frances O'Grady, general secretary of the TUC, said an extra public holiday every year would be 'a great way to thank workers across the UK for getting us through these tough times'. Meanwhile Chief Scout Bear Grylls said: 'The Queen deserves our thanks for her incredible lifetime of service, and so do millions more across the country for their own daily acts of sacrifice, love and support.' A UK Government spokesman said: 'Her Majesty the Queen's Platinum Jubilee will be a unique national celebration to mark her remarkable, dedicated and continued service to the United Kingdom. Her Majesty is expected to spend Accession Day, on February 6, with her family during an extended break at Wood Farm cottage on Sandringham and will mark her Platinum Jubilee in private 'To mark this special occasion, the spring bank holiday in 2022 will move to Thursday 2 June 2022 and there will be an additional, UK-wide bank holiday on 3 June 2022.' This year in Scotland the late May Bank Holiday will be moved from Monday May 30 to Thursday June 2 and an additional bank holiday has been created on Friday June 3. A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'The First Minister has taken the necessary steps to ensure that the Queen's Platinum Jubilee is appropriately recognised with an extended bank holiday in 2022 in Scotland. 'The people of Scotland will have access to this long weekend in early June to enjoy community-led celebratory events.' England and Wales have eight bank holidays compared with the EU average of 12.8 days off. Scotland has 11 bank holidays while Northern Ireland has 10. Advertisement A private island in Connecticut is back on the market for $100 million six years after it was listed for $175 million. Great Island, a 63-acre estate located in Long Island Sound near Darien, was recently put back on the market at the hugely discounted price. The massive estate, which is its own private island with a main home, stables and several guest cottages, was first listed in 2016 for $175 million and then relisted at $120 million in 2018 before being taken off the market in 2019. Great Island, a 63-acre estate located on the Long Island Sound in Darien, Connecticut, about 50 miles from New York City, recently returned to the market The stone-and-tile main house was built in the early 1900s and was originally named Villa Juliette The massive 13,107-square-foot manor that comes with 10 bedrooms, eight full bathrooms and two half-baths. The compound also includes 19th-century farmhouse (pictured), seaside bungalow and a beach cottage The estate was first listed in 2016 for $175 million and then relisted at $120 million in 2018 before being taken off the market entirely on 2019 The massive estate has its own private island with a main home, stables and several guest cottages According to Listing agent Jennifer Leahy of Douglas Elliman, the new price for the sprawling estate is 'very realistic' 'Although I'd love to say there are many buyers that can buy a $100 million property, there aren't. This is for the 1 percent of the 1 percent,' she told the Wall Street Journal. Baking powder tycoon William Ziegler bought the island in 1902 and used it as a summer home. He died there in May of 1905. The Connecticut estate has stayed in his family ever since, but the current generation has moved to different parts of the country and no longer use the home. The property is currently owned by a trust controlled by the Steinkraus family, descendants of Ziegler's granddaughter Helen. Baking powder tycoon William Ziegler bought the island in 1902 and used it as a summer home. He died there in May of 190 One of the reasons for the new price is that several property lines were recently redrawn, including a neighboring waterfront parcel that was removed and is now owned by another branch of the family The property also includes a private beach and dock, as well as a boat house and features roughly a mile of coastline and is accessed by a man-made lang bridge The estate includes areas for horse jumping, exercising and dressage Philip Steinkraus, one of Helen's sons, said he and his brothers intend to bring the estate through the subdivision process Philip Steinkraus, one of Helen's sons, told the WSJ he and his brothers intend to bring the estate through the subdivision process. 'Given our druthers, I think we prefer the estate retains its character and stays a version of what it is,' he said. However, 'we've certainly had people look at it, but nobody's pursued it.' Steinkraus told WSJ that one of the reasons for the new price is that several property lines were recently redrawn, including a neighboring waterfront parcel that was removed and is now owned by another branch of the family. He added that the original $175 million asking price was set by family members who have since died. 'There were no comps to compare it to and we were flying blind,' he said. The stone-and-tile main house was built in 1905 and was originally named Villa Juliette For starters is 13,107-square-foot manor that comes with 10 bedrooms, eight full bathrooms and two half-baths. The compound also includes a a six bedroom home with views of the Long Island Sound, plus extra wings for staff and guest cottages. It also includes a 20-stall granite stable with an arched tile ceiling similar to the ones in Grand Central Terminal. There are also areas for horse jumping, exercising and dressage. The property also includes a private beach and dock, as well as a boathouse, and features roughly a mile of coastline that can be accessed by a manmade land bridge, Leahy said. Two of missing conwoman Melissa Caddick's luxury cars are being auctioned off as liquidators try to recoup some of the $30million the fraudster swindled from investors. Caddick's family was told late last year her exotic cars, luxury properties and jewellery would be sold off to help repay her victims, many of whom were friends and relatives. A blue 2016 Audi R8 coupe, worth an estimated $300,000, and a black 2016 Mercedes-Benz CLA45 wagon, worth at least $50,000, have been listed for auction by Pickles. Caddick's hairdresser husband Anthony Koletti has been pictured driving the Audi around Sydney and has posted images of himself with the striking vehicle on social media. Two of missing conwoman Melissa Caddick's luxury cars are to go under the hammer as liquidators try to recoup some of the $30million she swindled from investors. Caddick is pictured with her husband Anthony Koletti A blue 2016 Audi R8 coupe, worth an estimated $300,000 has been listed for auction by Pickles. Caddick's hairdresser husband Anthony Koletti has been pictured driving the Audi and has posted pictures of himself with the vehicle on social media (above) Both vehicles, which are described as the assets of Caddick's company Maliver Pty Ltd, will be sold by online auction at 6pm on February 21. Bruce Gleeson, principal at court-appointed liquidator Jones Partners, had instructed Pickles to sell the vehicles. 'This is an important step in commencing the asset realisation process in the liquidation and we are also advancing other efforts, including recovering potential tax refunds as part of the liquidation,' Mr Gleeson said. Formal notice of the sales was given to Caddick's parents, husband and brother on November 24 last year after the Federal Court declared her assets should be distributed to duped investors. Caddick vanished on November 12, 2020, after the financial watchdog uncovered the Ponzi scheme she had been operating and raided her home at Dover Heights in Sydney's eastern suburbs. The 49-year-old mother-of-one is likely dead after her foot washed up on a Bournda Beach, south of Tathra, last February - about 400km from her home. A Mercedes-Benz CLA45 wagon that belonged to Melissa Caddick has 32,883 on the clock and could fetch $50,000 The Audi R8, which is described as an asset of Caddick's company Maliver Pty Ltd, will be sold by online auction at 6pm on February 21 Justice Brigitte Markovic ruled on November 22 that Caddick had provided unlicensed financial advice between 2012 and 2020 under the Maliver banner. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has been trying to recover some of the live savings her 72 clients poured into the scam, which funded Caddick's lavish lifestyle. Investors were scammed out of about $30million before ASIC cottoned onto Caddick's racket. Justice Brigitte Markovic ordered Maliver should be wound down, with what is left of the company to be divvied up among those who are owed money. The ruling also meant Mr Koletti would be booted out of his missing wife's $6.2million home. Justice Markovic ruled Caddick bought the property with investors' money in 2014. Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting Mr Koletti is in any way responsible for Caddick's fraudulent conduct or had any knowledge of it. The family of conwoman Melissa Caddick (pictured) have been informed her exotic cars, luxury properties and expensive jewellery will be sold off, as liquidators try to recoup some the money for her victims Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting Mr Koletti is in any way responsible for Caddick's fraudulent conduct or had any knowledge of it. He is pictured with her Audi R8 The other property in Caddick's name is an Edgecliff penthouse snapped up in 2016. Her parents, who were also victims of the fraud, have lobbied the court to be given priority over other investors as they gave their daughter $1.1million for the purchase. Under the deal they would get to live in the home rent-free for the rest of their lives, owning a third of the property. Caddick handed over a $255,000 deposit in 2016, representing 10 per cent of the $2.55million home. Liquidators say the cash came from funds stolen from investors. As an ASIC investigation closed in on her $30million scam, Caddick left her luxury $6.2million Dover Heights home in Sydney's eastern suburbs (pictured) for a dawn run and vanished They argue that dirty money was also used for the settlement fee and the interest-only loan repayments. The court heard the $1.1 million given to their daughter came from the sale of their Connells Point home the following year in 2017. 'The Edgecliff property was purchased by Caddick before the Connells Point property was sold,' Mr Gleeson has said. 'Therefore, Ms Caddick's parents did not contribute to the purchase price for the Edgecliff property.' Caddick went missing the day after ASIC fraud investigators descended on her home office. Caddick is likely dead after her foot (pictured) washed up on a Bournda Beach, south of Tathra in in February -about 400km from her Sydney home where she was last seen Financial adviser Melissa Caddick is pictured with her husband Anthony Koletti in Aspen, Colorado, during a ski trip Most of her victims were family and friends who trusted her to invest their money. 'Instead, [the funds] were used to meet Ms Caddick's personal expenses and purchase assets in her name,' Justice Markovic said. Caddick's unsophisticated but elaborate scam used a bogus CommSec document to claim her investors were making remarkable returns. In reality the money was never being paid into any investment vehicles, with ASIC uncovering she spent the funds buying up luxury clothes, taking lavish getaways and even forking out thousands on protein shakes. On her American Express card alone, Caddick allegedly spent $229,277 at Dior, $187,000 at Canturi Jewellers, $48,000 at Chanel and $52,548 at Cosmopolitan shoes. Court documents also showed Caddick splurged on holidays to Fiji, New York and Aspen. Caddick is pictured during the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and Australian Federal Police raid on her Dover Heights home on November 11, 2020 Based on the liquidators' report, the court found investors were owed $23,554,921. That figure is subject to any potential 'unjust enrichment or uncommercial transaction' claims related to Caddick paying out returns that were fictitious or possibly inflated. Maliver, whose sole director was Caddick, traded on another person's Australian Financial Services Licence and neither the company nor Caddick ever held an AFSL while providing a financial service, the judge found. Mr Gleeson said 'significant work' had been done in recent months ahead of selling the Dover Heights and Edgecliff properties as well as a share portfolio. 'We are taking legal steps to expedite the sale of these assets to progress being in a position to return monies to investors,' Mr Gleeson said. Aussies are living under self-imposed lockdowns because they have been 'filled with fear' about Covid, a policy expert has warned. Australia has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world - with 93.5 per cent of those over the age of 16 having received at least two doses. But despite the nation having the 99th-highest death toll from the virus globally, a recent study found many are still living as if they're under official lockdown. From the week to January 5, spending rates in Sydney were the lowest they have been since the start of the pandemic, ANZ Bank data showed. University of Sydney health communications lecturer Professor Olaf Werder told Daily Mail Australia Australians would keep 'locking themselves down' until state and federal governments stopped giving mixed messages about the Covid threat. He added it was no longer fear of the virus - but fear of having to go into isolation and losing income - that was making Australians stay at home. 'People fear they could lose money because of influences they have no control over,' he said. 'It's cautioned people quite a bit from living their normal lives.' A policy expert has warned Australians are still locking themselves down because they have been 'filled with fear' about the virus. Pictured: A queue at a walk-in Covid-19 testing site in Melbourne in January Public policy expert Gideon Rozner said hardline Covid premiers and the mainstream media have 'filled people with fear'. 'All we have heard over the last two years is stay home and get tested and now they're scratching their head that people are still doing it,' Mr Rozner, the Director of Policy at the Institute of Public Affairs, said. 'They've changed people's habits for good and they don't want to go out... we've been filled with fear.' Mr Rozner claimed the constant flow of pandemic scaremongering from mainstream media such as the ABC had left even young, vaccinated and healthy Australians scared to go outside. 'I know people who are young who are not going out - they think this is the bubonic plague,' he said. 'It's politics and it's theatre and the same group of people who want to be miserable, while everyone else wants to get on with their lives.' His comments come after ABC journalist Norman Swan criticised Australian politicians for saying the Omicron strain is mild - calling that claim a 'myth'. Mr Rozner said it was in the interest of hardline premiers such as Victorian leader Daniel Andrews' to 'play up' how threatening Covid still is to Australians. 'Its the same feedback loop, all these public health research bodies need to come up with a reason to keep their funding and he needs support for his pandemic laws,' Mr Rozner said. Professor Werder said conflicting information from state and federal governments has left people unsure about whether to stay home or live their lives as they did before the pandemic. 'We are a Commonwealth, which causes issues,' he said. 'The states have taken their own measures - some towards opening up and some towards locking down. 'There's no national message and that is confusing people.' An empty Bourke Street Mall in Melbourne during the city's lockdown in October. Policy expert Gideon Rozner said it was in the interest of hardline premiers such as Victorian leader Daniel Andrews' interest to 'play up' how threatening Covid still is to Australians While the eastern states have opened their borders, Western Australia has kept its border shut indefinitely. Adding to the confusion, Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday backed WA Premier Mark McGowan after he reneged on his plan to open the border on February 5. University of Sydney health communications lecturer Professor Olaf Werder said the country would keep locking itself down until state and federal governments stopped giving mixed messages about Covid It marked the first time the Australian leader had supported Mr McGowan's hardline stance. 'There is definitely a desire to go back to a normal life. Aussies are for the most part an outdoors-loving, travelling lot. We like to be with our mates and see the world,' Professor Werder said. 'What it comes down to is "will there be a unison voice and government action that has a clear plan on the virus?" That's especially important coming up to a federal election.' Behavioural psychologist Professor Ron Borland said it could take 10 years for Australians to fully forget the virus and live as they did before the pandemic. 'There will be changes but I will be surprised if we're back at a normal situation by the end of 2022, it could take several years,' the University of Melbourne expert said. 'Even when the current restrictions [mask wearing and hospitality restrictions] end people will be less likely to kiss, there will be less hugging. 'The peck on the cheek to people you don't know so well could be gone.' Behavioural psychologist Professor Ron Borland said it could take 10 years for Australians to fully forget the virus and live as they did before the pandemic Pictured: Melbourne Demons players celebrate at Optus Stadium in Perth in September after winning the 2021 AFL Grand Final Causes of death in Australia - 2021 41,000 died from cancer 13,000 from dementia and alzheimers 11,600 from heart disease 7,000 from strokes and brain aneurisms 4,000 from diabetes 2,500 from suicide 1,800 from drug overdoses 2,000 from accidental falls 2,239 from Covid-19 Source: Australian Government Department of Health/2GB Advertisement Last month, 2GB host Ben Fordham called for an end to the 'alarmism' around Covid and said Australians 'can't hide under the doona forever'. He said the continual fear-mongering from parts of the community around the virus was unjustified when considering other causes of death in the country. He said prioritising the pandemic over other health issues could see people failing to get regular check-ups, leading to early diagnosis of severe conditions including cancer. 'On the same day 17 people died of coronavirus in NSW, an estimated 136 Australians died from cancer alone. There are serious health issues being neglected,' Fordham said. 'I'm not suggesting we don't take it seriously, but let's keep it in check, a disease with a death rate of 0.1 per cent. It is a challenging time, but it isn't the end of the world.' Fordham said dying with Covid makes up a tiny fraction of Australia's overall death rate and urged people to have a look at the full picture. But Dr Swan said the new variant was not as mild as it was being made out to be, and that natural infection from Omicron doesn't provide as much protection as vaccination - meaning people can easily catch the virus again and still get ill. Ben Fordham said dying with Covid makes up a tiny fraction of Australia's picture and urged people to have a look at the full picture of their health ABC journalist Norman Swan criticised Australian politicians for saying the Omicron strain is mild - calling that claim a 'myth' 'There is this myth that this is a mild virus. You hear it all the time from politicians. It is not a mild virus,' the doctor said. 'Now, Delta was a virulent virus, yes, it is less virulent than Delta, but if you compare it to the Wuhan virus, it is just as virulent as that. That's why we're seeing deaths.' He explained natural infection from Omicron 'does not seem to provide anything like what immunisation gives', and would give little protection against future variants. Britains cocaine epidemic was laid bare yesterday as figures showed a record 11 tons of the drug was seized last year. The amount intercepted by police and Border Force 11,148kg was up 161 per cent year-on-year. Seizures of controlled drugs jumped by a fifth to more than 223,000 in the year to April 2021, Home Office data for England and Wales showed. But deaths from illegal drugs hit a record high during lockdown in 2020, with 4,561 lives lost in England and Wales, according to the Office for National Statistics. The amount of cocaine intercepted by police and Border Force 11,148kg was up 161 per cent year-on-year Key to the rise was deaths among cocaine users, up 10 per cent to 777. The total stood at just 112 in 2011. The increase was a direct consequence of the increasing prevalence in cocaine use, said the ONS. The class A drug is fashionable among young people in cities, easily available and cheap, it added. Home Secretary Priti Patel said: I continue to back the police and Border Force to use all available law enforcement powers to stop drugs from coming into our country and go after the kingpins destroying communities. Policing and crime minister Kit Malthouse said: These seizures mean some nasty villains are nursing huge losses and probably cant pay their debts. Good. He added: Drug gangs ruin lives and dismantling their conspiracies for good means breaking their businesses and destroying their profits. Well done to the Border Force and the police for tackling this head on. Policing and crime minister Kit Malthouse congratulated Border Force and the police for tackling the issue around class A drugs 'head on' Deaths among cocaine users was up 10 per cent to 777. The total stood at just 112 in 2011, ONS figures showed (stock image) Yesterdays figures also included experimental statistics showing a total of 2.12million doses of nitrous oxide, known as laughing gas, were seized by police and Border Force officers - more than six times the amount recorded for the previous year. The Home Office report said the number and quantity of overall seizures should not be taken as an indicator of drug prevalence. It added: The coronavirus pandemic, and subsequent lockdowns in England and Wales, are likely to have affected indicators in this report, such as changes to the night-time economy and associated drug use, or changes in police and Border Force activity. A former Christian teacher has compared buying property under the flight path to sending a gay child to a Christian school and suggested LBGT students hide their sexuality. Greg Bondar, NSW director of FamilyVoice Australia, made the comparison when asked if a child should be 'excluded' from a Christian school if they realised they were gay after enrolling. 'No [but] the point is it's like me buying a house under the flight path, it's pointless me arguing two years late that there's too much noise, I chose to do that,' Mr Bondar told the ABC on Friday morning. He said students who realise they are gay should be shown 'every compassion' but need to 'abide by school rules'. Christian teacher Greg Bondar said gay students should hide their sexuality at school and denounced the Prime Minister (pictured) for opposing Citipointe Christian College's anti-LGBTIQ contract When Mr Bondar was questioned over the mental health impacts of young people being told to hide their sexuality and gender identity, he said the research was 'skewed'. 'That research is skewed and it's meant to give the results that they want,' he claimed. 'If a person is gay, fine, but don't start expressing your sexuality or gender identity that is in conflict with the school's ethos.' Following the Citipointe controversy Mr Morrison announced amendments would be made to his government's religious discrimination act to protect LGBTIQ+ students in the future Mr Bondar, a former teacher, said students need to be respected but they must also 'respect the school rules'. His comments came after Scott Morrison denounced a Brisbane Christian college's anti-LGBT 'contract' and vowed to ban schools from expelling queer students. Citipointe Christian College demanded parents sign a contract that denounced homosexuality and promised students would be banned from identifying as gay or transgender. 'No, I don't support that. My kids go to a Christian school here in Sydney, and I wouldn't want my school doing that either,' Mr Morrison told Brisbane's B105.3 radio. 'And the bill that we're going to be taking through the Parliament, we will have an amendment which will deal with that to ensure that the kids cannot be discriminated against on that basis.' Mr Bondar said FamilyVoice was angry with the Prime Minister over the comments adding that he has 'betrayed his Christian electorate' and broken an election promise. Jared Mifsud receiving an award during his days as a student at Citipointe Christian College at Carindale in Brisbane The Australian Christian Lobby and Christian Schools Australia have both also threatened to withdraw their support for the religious discrimination bill if amendments to protect LGBTIQ+ students are made A section of the contract which states that homosexual acts are 'sinful and offensive to God and is destructive to human relationships and society' Earlier a former Citipointe student Jared Mifsud, 30, posted an emotional video to Facebook in the wake of the scandal surrounding the college. In the video, Mifsud, who graduated from the college in 2009, said he knew he was gay from an early age but was repeatedly told while at school that homosexuality was a sin. 'When you are told by one of your teachers, "don't let them turn you", what else is a student supposed to do?' Mr Mifsud, now a dancer and performer, asked in the video. 'I went and got the girlfriend, I hid from who I was for so long because of that fear and trauma. 'The language used in this contract is abhorrent, it's disgusting, it's demeaning, it is going to destroy people's lives. 'When you compare homosexuality to bestiality and paedophilia, what kind of message are you trying to send, because it's not the message that Jesus was trying to preach.' Iran's nuclear program is on the verge of producing enough fuel for a nuclear bomb in just a matter of weeks and could have a device built in less than a year, US officials estimate. Iran's 'breakout time' - the time it would take to produce enough weapons-grade uranium for one nuclear weapon - has advanced greatly after Donald Trump withdrew the US from a deal with the country in 2018, officials claim. The breakout time is different from the time it would take Iran to build a nuclear weapon. Western officials believe Iran hasn't quite figured out how to build the core of a bomb and attach a warhead to a missile. But the reduced breakout time is significantly lower than the 12-month period that formed the basis of the nuclear deal signed by President Barack Obama in 2015. The breakout time was key to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Iran reached with the U.S. and other powers, although it isnt mentioned explicitly in the accord. The time frame was based on whether Iran violated the restraints imposed by the deal, giving the U.S. and its allies time to respond. The Trump administration pulled out of the pact in 2018 and re-imposed sweeping sanctions on Tehran, calling Obama's deal weak. Since then, Iran has accelerated its nuclear program, reducing its breakout time to a few weeks, the Wall Street Journal reported. The length of Iran's breakout time depends on the steps Iran agrees to take to dismantle, ship abroad, destroy or seal its stockpile of enriched uranium, along with its machines for producing nuclear fuel and its centrifuge manufacturing capacity. US officials believe a breakout period shorter than six months wouldn't give the US enough time to respond if Iran decided to ramp up its nuclear program. The State Department declined to comment on the breakout assessments, saying the administration is confident a deal 'would address our urgent nonproliferation concerns.' 'As we have said, we have only a few weeks to conclude an understanding, after which the pace of Irans nuclear advances will make return to the JCPOA impossible.' Iran's breakout time, or how long it can create fuel for one nuclear weapon, is down to just a few weeks, US officials estimate. Above, Iran launches a satellite carrier rocket in a photo released on December 30, 2021 Richard Nephew, deputy special envoy for Iran, and Ariane Tabatabai left the US's negotiating team in recent months The Biden administration is still pursuing indirect negotiations with Iran in Vienna, but two officials left the US's negotiating team in recent months. One of them thinks the US should pivot to a whole new deal, according to a recent report. The US believe a revised nuclear deal needs to be reached soon to give the US and its allies enough time to respond to a sudden buildup, according to the Wall Street Journal. American conservatives frequently expressed their opposition to the Iran nuclear deal. They said Iran frequently breached the spirit of the agreement, sowing unrest in the Middle East and continuing to develop rocket technology. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, said that negotiating with the enemy was not the same as surrendering in a video conference meeting from Tehran on January 9 President Barack Obama's administration penned a nuclear deal with Iran in 2015, in which Iran promised to curb its program in exchange for relief from economic sanctions They also expressed concerns about sunset clauses, which meant some nuclear restrictions expired after eight, 10 and 15 years. It meant Iran would eventually be able to build up its uranium enrichment capability and reduce the time needed to build nuclear weapons. As a result, Trump withdrew the US from the deal, re-imposing economic sanctions and freeing Iran to begin enhancing uranium production. Talks to reinstate the deal began in Vienna, Austria last year. Deputy US Iran envoy Richard Nephew Richard Nephew stepped down from the negotiations team in December. President Donald Trump, above on January 29 in Conroe, Texas, tore up the deal in 2018 In December, state TV broadcast images of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps firing missiles during military exercises in three provinces, including near its only nuclear power plant Sources told Laura Rozen, who writes the Diplomatic newsletter, that Nephew came to believe that instead of returning to the 2015 deal, the US should pivot to a different agreement. That put him at odds with Biden administration policy of seeking to restore the 2015 agreement. 'There was no personal difference,' a senior State Department official told her. 'If there was any difference, it was with US government policy. So the issue was not whatanyone on the team believes.' Ariane Tabatabai also stepped down from the Iran envoy team, but will continue to work on the rest of her portfolio in the office of the under secretary of state for arms control and international security, Rozen wrote. Iran has refused to negotiate directly with the US. Instead European diplomats are shutting between rooms, passing messages. Eight rounds of indirect talks have so far been conducted. But Iranian officials have begun to signal they might be ready for a new phase. The country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, said in January that negotiating with the enemy was not the same as surrendering. And Tehran's foreign minister floated the idea of direct talks. 'Reports saying that Iran and the US are directly negotiating with one another are untrue,' Hossein Amirabdollahian said during a news conference in the Iranian capital, Tehran, last month. 'However, if we get to a stage where reaching a good deal with strong guarantees necessitates direct talks with the US, we will consider it.' Last week, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warned that the current negotiations were not progressing quickly enough. 'This negotiation is urgent and progress has not been fast enough,' she told British lawmakers. 'We continue to work in close partnership with our allies but the negotiations are reaching a dangerous impasse.' New Zealand is on the verge of an unwanted daily Covid record, reporting 209 cases, as Kiwis respond to Jacinda Ardern's border reopening plan. Case counts are on the up, though it remains to be seen whether NZ will experience a massive Australia-style spike. In the 12 days since the prime minister announced the first recorded community transmission of the Omicron variant, case numbers have leapt from a rolling seven-day daily average of 25 to 128. New Zealand is on the verge of an unwanted daily Covid record, reporting 209 cases, 12 days after the first community transmission of Omicron was reported If case growth continues, NZ will top its current daily case high of 222 - recorded on November 16 last year during the Delta outbreak peak - this weekend. All of Friday's cases were found on North Island, including 99 in Auckland and 51 in the Waikato. While cases are growing, hospitalisations remain low, with nine infected Kiwis in hospital on Friday, and none in intensive care. NZ is taking precautions to flatten the curve and prevent out-of-control transmission, including capping gathering sizes, restrictions on indoor venues, and mandated mask use. NZ is taking precautions to flatten the curve and prevent out-of-control transmission, including capping gathering sizes, restrictions on indoor venues, and mandated mask use However, the government is also relenting on tight border controls, announcing on Thursday that it will begin to phase out hotel quarantine and border restrictions. From February 28, Kiwis in Australia will be able to enter NZ without securing a place in hotel quarantine, with further openings to follow. It is not throwing open the borders. All arrivals will need to spend at least seven days self isolating after landing, with arrivals only allowed into the community after testing negative twice. From February 28, Kiwis in Australia will be able to enter NZ without securing a place in hotel quarantine, with further openings to follow Experts still say the move will see more community infections, given there are dozens of cases caught in hotel quarantine each day. "Our current average of 50 border cases per day could easily turn into 500 cases a day if travel restrictions were removed completely and the number of arrivals sharply increased," modeller Michael Plank said. However, Dr Plank said the reopening would happen when it is "likely that daily case numbers will be in the thousands", meaning the border opening will have little impact on the overall outbreak. Opposition Leader Chris Luxon has hailed the end of hotel quarantine - known as MIQ - as "the right thing to do". Experts still say the move will see more community infections, given there are dozens of cases caught in hotel quarantine each day "National has been calling for the government to end the lottery of human misery that is MIQ and we are pleased that New Zealanders offshore now have some light at the end of the tunnel," he said. Also on Friday, medicines regulator Medsafe approved the Novavax vaccine for use in NZ clearing the way for the government to include it within its rollout, dominated by Pfizer. Last year, the government agreed a deal to purchase 10.7 million doses of the Nuvaxovid vaccine, though it may look to donate these to developing nations. Scott Morrison has denied backing Mark McGowan's hard border just to win votes after a poll put him on track to lose four seats in Western Australia. The Prime Minister was widely criticised on Thursday after he supported the hardline border closure in a surprising about-face after months of calling for free movement across the nation. His opponents branded him 'fickle' and claimed he made the move to win votes in WA because the border is broadly popular with locals who want to keep Covid out of their state. Prime Minister Scott Morrison washes a woman's hair during a visit to Coco's Salon in Mount Eliza, Victoria Liberal candidate for Dunkely Sharn Coombes (centre) and Prime Minister Scott Morrison (right) pat a dog during a visit to Coco's Salon in Mount Eliza But on Friday Mr Morrison turned up the heat on Mr McGowan and insisted he only backed the border because the premier has failed to prepare his hospital system to manage the spread of the omicron variant. 'I am backing that because the Premier believes that if he were to take that step at this point the Omicron variant would be of great risk of overwhelming the health system,' he said in a press conference on Friday. 'The Western Australian government is working to get themselves in a position where those borders can open and it is important to have a plan to do that because we want to see the country open again.' WA Premier Mark McGowan and wife Sarah Mr Morrison said he sympathised with families who have been split apart by the border policy which has prompted Qantas boss Alan Joyce to compare WA to North Korea. 'I feel for them. The border closures, whether whether they've been in Western Australia or elsewhere around the country, over the course of the pandemic, have caused terrible hardship. There's no doubt about that,' he said. 'And I'm looking forward to the time when the Western Australian border will be safely open again. 'But when the Western Australian government makes a decision not to reopen that border because of their concerns about how it will impact their hospital system and the state of readiness for that, I can understand the decision from the premier.' Mr Morrison is heading into a May election trailing Labor by a massive 12 points in the latest poll released on Sunday. His popularity has dipped in Western Australia where an Utting Research poll on January 5 put Labor ahead by 55 to 45 on a two-party preferred basis. The result represented a 10.55 per cent swing against the Coalition, which if replicated on election day would see it lose the Liberal seats of Swan (held on 3.2 per cent margin), Pearce (5.2 per cent), Hasluck (5.9 per cent) and Tangney (9.5 per cent). The Prime Minister's extraordinary border backflip fuelled long-standing criticism he has no firm ideology and simply adapts his views based on prevailing public opinion. Western Australia has closed its border to all other states in Australia in attempt to keep out Covid Labor identified Mr Morrison's apparent lack of conviction as a weak spot, with the Opposition's health spokesman Mark Butler telling Daily Mail Australia the about-face showed the PM is 'fickle' and cannot be trusted. On Friday Mr Morrison has washed a woman's hair at a Melbourne salon in his latest - and perhaps most bizarre - photo opportunity of the unofficial election campaign. The Prime Minister wore an apron and a mask as he massaged the customer and sprayed water on her head over a basin on Friday. The extraordinary moment came after Mr Morrison endured a horror week. On Tuesday he was roasted by journalists at the National Press Club where he admitted making several errors during the pandemic but refused to apologise. The Prime Minister wore an apron and a mask as he massaged the customer and sprayed water on her head over a basin on Friday He failed to name the price of bread, petrol and rapid tests and also admitted he didn't know the cost of milk. He was later told about unearthed texts from 2019 in which Gladys Berejiklian allegedly called him a 'horrible, horrible person' and a mystery minister branded him a 'complete psycho'. The unveiling of the texts has been linked to an internal Liberal Party struggle in NSW where several key seats still don't have candidates for the May election. On Thursday the PM was slammed for backflipping to support Western Australia's hard border, with critics saying it proved he has no principles and can't be trusted. He is also being attacked over a 'crisis' in aged care homes with 1,000 facilities suffering Covid outbreaks as the army is prepared to replace isolating nurses and has refused Labor's calls to sack aged care services minister Richard Colbeck. The newly formed Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has been equated to a useless infantile party by Acting President Constantino Chiwenga who also berated the countrys opposition for running down major cities and towns. The Acting President was speaking at Njovo wetland in Masvingo Central where he officially launched the National Wetlands Policy and the Wetlands Management Guidelines. Rallying Zimbabweans to continue voting the tried and tested Zanu PF party in the forthcoming March 26 municipal and parliamentary by-elections, the Acting President also took an indirect dig at CCC party leader Mr Nelson Chamisa for trying to name his new political outfit after himself. We (Zanu PF) are going to contest the by-election with a newly born small party, kanonzi chii zviye zita racho, Chete Chete (CCC), how can you (Mr Chamisa) say you are the only person, ndiwe munhu chete here hakuna zvakadaro, said the Acting President. He rapped the countrys opposition for running down the countrys once shining cities into dirty and filthy havens owing to incompetence and maladministration, while challenging voters to break with the past and reject the opposition at the polls. The Acting President has said only Zanu PF could restore the glorious old days in most local authorities that have been rendered completely malfunctional by the opposition. Services in most towns and cities are now completely non-existent and even workers (council) are not paid and this is because of maladministration. Is that what you want to vote for again in the coming by-elections? You have heard and seen for yourself that (opposition) people are useless, so let us make sure we vote them out and Zanu PF sweeps all the wards and seats that will be contested during the by-elections. Cde Chiwenga, who is also the Zanu PF second secretary said the ruling party should reclaim all the seats from the opposition and retain those it controlled. The Acting President extorted locals to follow President Mnangagwas rallying call that Zimbabwe will only be built by Zimbabweans. He strongly warned against violence ahead of and during the forthcoming polls saying peace should reign supreme in the country as Zimbabwe was peaceful. According to the Acting President, the opposition should be ashamed for always looking out to foreigners to solve the countrys problems. Zanu PF was aware of plots by the opposition to provoke violence in a futile attempt to draw foreign intervention. We want to build our country, those who think foreigners can build our country for us or want to ignite violence in the hope that there will be foreign intervention should know that such behaviour is unwelcome and not tolerated. Let us have peace ahead of March 26. We want peace so that we can thump them (opposition) like a snake, said Acting President Chiwenga. In Masvingo, nine wards will be up for grabs while two constituencies Mwenezi East and Chivi South will see new legislators being voted into office. Chivi South became vacant after the expulsion of Mr Killler Zivhu from Zanu PF while a by-election in Mwenezi East was necessitated by the death of Cde Joosbi Omar. Herald Hunter Biden's business dealings in Ukraine while his father was still vice president 'undercut' anti-corruption efforts in the country, warned a top U.S. diplomat stationed in Kiev in a classified email sent to the U.S. State Department in 2016. The email, obtained by Just the News, was published one day after the New York Times sued the State Department for allegedly withholding emails involving Hunter Biden that were sent or received by officials at the US Embassy in Romania between 2015 and 2019 that involve Hunter Biden. The email, dated November 22, 2016, was written by George Kent, who was at the time the deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine. The Harvard-educated diplomat detailed a discussion about a 'saga' surrounding the case against Mykola Zlochevsky, a former Ukrainian natural resources minister and founder of Burisma Holdings, which paid Hunter Biden $1 million a year to sit on its board, according to the email. Kent was one of the Democrats' key witnesses in their first successful attempt to impeach former President Donald Trump in 2019. However, his email said that the 'real issue to my mind was that someone in Washington needed to engage VP Biden quietly and say that his son Hunters presence on the Burisma board undercut the anti-corruption message the VP and we were advancing in Ukraine.' Kent went on to say that 'Ukrainians heard one message from us and then saw another set of behavior, with the family association with a known corrupt figure whose company was known for not playing by the rules in the oil/gas sector.' Kent had previously testified behind closed doors that he raised concerns about Hunter Biden's business dealings with Burisma in 2015, according to reports. Former U.S. diplomat George Kent (left) wrote in a classified email that Hunter Biden's 'presence on the Burisma board undercut the anti-corruption message the VP and we were advancing in Ukraine' In the email, Kent said that the 'real issue to my mind was that someone in Washington needed to engage VP Biden quietly and say that his son Hunters presence on the Burisma board undercut the anti-corruption message the VP and we were advancing in Ukraine' The classified email was sent to a former State Department official Jorgan Andrews and other people whose names are blacked out. It was not produced during impeachment proceedings in 2019, Just the News reported Kent had previously testified behind closed doors that he raised concerns about Hunter Biden's business dealings with Burisma in 2015, according to reports The email, labeled confidential, was sent to former State Department official Jorgan Andrews and others whose names are blacked out. It was not produced during impeachment proceedings, Just the News reported. On Monday, the New York Times sued the State Department for allegedly dragging its feet in handing over emails from Romanian embassy officials connected to Hunter Biden and his former business associate Tony Bobulinski The lawsuit, filed Monday in Manhattan federal court, seeks emails dating from 2015 to 2019. The Times alleges that the State Department is failing to address its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request in a timely manner. When the Times asked when the State Department would get around to the request, the paper was told to expect an answer on April 15, 2023, according to Politico. The Times appears to be looking into whether embassy personnel did any special favors on behalf of business officials, including the president's son and Bobulinski. Joe Biden was serving as vice president for two of the years the emails cover, 2015-2016. Emails on Hunter's abandoned laptop, obtained by DailyMail.com in 2021, reveal how Joe Biden's son and his colleagues leveraged their US government connections and plotted a propaganda campaign for grafting Romanian tycoon Gabriel Popoviciu. Under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), anyone advocating for foreign entities to US government officials, or acting as a publicist for a foreign entity in the US, must add themselves to a Department of Justice public register. However, an exception applies for attorneys representing a client in a foreign court case, who are not required to register under FARA. Emails show Hunter's colleagues, Christopher Boies and Michael Gottlieb - partners in the law firm Boies Schiller Flexner - were seeking to set up meetings with the US ambassador to Romania after discussing among themselves whether he would intervene in Popoviciu's case. Hunter brought in political heavyweight and family friend Louis Freeh, the former director of the FBI, to use his US law enforcement contacts for Popoviciu's advantage, and was offered a referral fee as a result. Hunter and his colleagues also discussed a media campaign, including to major U.S. publication the Wall Street Journal, to support their client who was later found guilty of bribery. None of them were required to register for this work under FARA, due to various exemptions including those for lawyers of foreign defendants. The FOIA also seeks information on Rudy Giuliani, who was dispatched by former President Trump to dig up dirt on Hunter Biden's business relationships with Ukraine. Giuliani tipped off the New York Post about the bombshell Hunter Biden laptop. In 2020, Senate Republicans investigated Hunter Biden's $50,000-a-month seat on the board of Ukrainian energy firm Burisma, then mired in corruption, while his father helped shape policy toward Kiev. The matter was at the center of Trump's first impeachment trial accusing the president of pressuring Ukrainian officials to investigate Hunter's business dealings. Giving the appearance of a conflict of interest, Hunter's board seat alarmed some State Department officials. The elder Biden leveraged $1 billion in aid to Ukraine to force the country to fire prosecutor Viktor Shokin, who was investigating Burisma at the time. But the then-vice president's office said the U.S. wanted Shokin gone because he was not investigating corruption among the country's politicians. But while the investigation found no evidence that Biden as vice president improperly manipulated policy in favor of his son. The Republicans' investigation also found that Hunter had received massive sums of money - some in the seven-figure range - from foreigners in China, Russia and elsewhere while his father was in office. Politico reports that the FOIA request threatens to revive an old feud between the Biden White House and the Times' money and influence reporter Ken Vogel, who has spearheaded coverage of the president's son. Then-deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield wrote to the Times' executive editor Dean Bacquet and accused Vogel of 'egregious journalistic malpractice.' Then-rapid response director Andrew Bates has also sparred with Vogel on Twitter. 'SCOOP from Philadelphia: KEN VOGEL (@kenvogel) is a COWARD,' Bates tweeted in Feb. 2020. Bates claimed that Vogel's report on Hunter Biden's Ukraine dealings in May 2019 'for the first time amplified this misinformation campaign into the mainstream.' Emails found on the laptop pointed to an effort by Hunter to set up a meeting in 2015 between Vadym Pozharskyi, an adviser at a Ukrainian energy firm. The FBI had since seized the laptop from the Delaware computer repair shop owner, who says Hunter dropped it off to him in 2019 and never came to retrieve it. The infamous shooting death of an Afghan man with a prosthetic leg by an Australian SAS soldier has been described in detail at Ben Roberts-Smith's defamation hearing. The death, which preceded the man's leg being taken back to base and used as a drinking vessel, occurred at a Taliban compound in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan, in April 2009. A still-serving SAS soldier, codenamed Person 14, told the Federal Court on Friday he had led the troop through poppy fields and drizzling rain up to the target area, before maintaining watch as assault teams cleared the compounds dubbed Whiskey 108 and Whiskey 109. The infamous shooting death of an Afghan man with a prosthetic leg by an Australian SAS soldier has been described in detail at Ben Roberts-Smith's defamation hearing The man's leg was taken back to base and used as a drinking vessel by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan, April 2009 Hearing a noise to his right, similar to stomping and heavy footsteps and people talking, he turned and saw three Australian soldiers and a black figure outside Whiskey 108. '(The figure) was thrown to the ground and a thud happened like when a person hits the ground - that kind of noise of expulsion of air when a person is winded,' Person 14 said. A soldier raised their Minimi and fired 'an extended burst' 'It was loud, like brrrrrrrrr and I was like 'OK' and (they) turned and walked back into Whiskey 108. Mr Roberts-Smith, who disputes the account and denies any wrongdoing in Afghanistan, is suing three newspapers over their reports identifying him as being involved in war crimes 'I turned to my 2IC and said 'What the hell was that?' 'Nonverbally, he shrugged his shoulders and nodded his head, alluding to 'he doesn't know'.' Person 14 recalled his whole patrol - numbering six - saw the incident but he couldn't recall any verbal acknowledgement of that. Due to distance, low light and the rain, he couldn't make out the shooter's identity but noticed two of the three soldiers had the distinctive camouflage paint worn by Mr Roberts-Smith's patrol. A still-serving SAS soldier told the Federal Court on Friday he noticed two of the three soldiers at the incident had the distinctive camouflage paint worn by Mr Roberts-Smith's patrol He said he later saw Mr Roberts-Smith carrying a Minimi, an automatic weapon usually carried by one or two, usually junior, soldiers in each patrol. Person 14 said he later inspected the body, noticing a white, prosthetic leg and injuries to the upper chest. Mr Roberts-Smith, who disputes the account and denies any wrongdoing in Afghanistan, is suing three newspapers over their reports identifying him as being involved in war crimes between 2006 and 2012. The war hero, who is among Australia's most highly decorated living soldiers, has testified he shot dead an insurgent at Whiskey 108 who he'd spotted with a bolt-action rifle. Mr Roberts-Smith testified he shot dead an insurgent who he'd spotted with a bolt-action rifle Person 14, who appeared in the newspapers' truth defence case, said a rookie soldier dubbed Person Four would also be one to carry a Minimi. That soldier had earlier been subject to a 'blood the rookie' comment at the Australian base by the commander of Mr Roberts-Smith's patrol. 'And what did you understand 'blooding' to refer to?' the newspapers' barrister, Nicholas Owens SC, asked. 'For a new member of the troop to get a kill in action,' Person 14 said. Another witness, who didn't hear the 'blood the rookie' comment, this week said he saw Person Four shoot an unarmed Afghan male at close range at Whiskey 108 under the direction of Mr Roberts-Smith. The hearing continues. Lifeline 13 11 14 Open Arms 1800 011 046 Advertisement GoFundMe CEO Tim Cadogan (pictured) has not publicly commented on the Freedom Convoy fundraiser, which was suspended for the second time Wednesday after GoFundMe said the company needed to ensure the account 'complies with its terms of service' Facebook removed a page used by American truckers to organize a convoy to Washington DC after GoFundMe began refunding the $8million in donations collected for a Freedom Convoy protesting Canada's COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Meta, the social media platform's parent company, told Fox News the Convoy to DC 2022 group was removed 'for repeatedly violating our policies around QAnon'. Trucker Jeremy Johnson, who established the group, claims his personal Facebook account was also removed, prompting him to contact a civil rights attorney about his options moving forward. 'It's censorship at its finest,' he said. 'They like to silence people that speak the truth.' Similarly, the crowdfunding account supporting the Canadian Freedom Convoy - which has raised $10million Canadian dollars ($8million USD) - was suspended for a second time Wednesday night after GoFundMe said the company needed to ensure the account 'complies with its terms of service'. The suspension has prompted fears about the company's motives as more than 200 trucks and other vehicles have blockaded the downtown roads in Canada's capital since last Friday. Political analysts allege the trucking protests - which have split the official opposition Conservative Party - stand to benefit Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's liberals, posing some to question if GoFundMe has sided with the Canadian leader. The crowdfunding site, however, maintains the suspension is 'to ensure the funds are going to the intended recipients,' although some donors reportedly received emails on Thursday that they were being refunded but were given no explanation as to why. GoFundMe CEO Tim Cadogan, who last year urged the US government to pass emergency COVID-19 aid, has not publicly commented on the Freedom Convoy fundraiser. Although he has previously argued the nonprofit has 'a responsibility to society' and so 'we prohibit the promotion of misinformation, or the promotion of hate or discrimination, or using a campaign to bully someone or discriminate, or to promote violence or terrorism.' Facebook removed a page used by American truckers to organize a convoy to Washington DC after GoFundMe began refunding the $8million in donations collected for a Freedom Convoy protesting Canada's COVID-19 vaccine mandates The Freedom Convoy, which has had thousands of protesters deliberately blocking traffic around Ottawa's Parliament Hill, aims to protest Canada's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for truckers Supporters argue the suspension of the Freedom Convoy fundraiser is suspicious given that other related trucking convoy campaigns are still up and running. Donors are also questioning why the company is issuing refunds if the fundraiser is currently under review. Brad Maier, who supported the convoy fundraiser, claims he received an email from GoFundMe on Wednesday alerting him that his donation would be refunded. 'The email looks legitimate, I just want to wait and see if it actually gets refunded to my credit card,' he told the Montreal Gazette. 'Then I will know if its legit.' Others social media users have also reported unexplained refunds from GoFundMe. Additionally, convoy supporters allege the timing of the fundraiser's second suspension is a bit unsettling, especially since earlier this week Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson called on the platform to dissociate itself with the Freedom Convoy. 'I think it's disgraceful that that any company would want to be associated with what kind of action we've seen here in Ottawa,' Watson told CBC News on Wednesday. 'And you know, my hope is that GoFundMe understands that this is a completely inappropriate use of dollars, to be coming into a city to create this kind of havoc in neighborhoods, to shut down businesses, to harass our residents on the streets of Ottawa.' The mayor also announced the city was considering legal action in an effort to recoup the more $800,000 a day in additional policing costs that the protests have cost Ottawa. 'I've asked our city solicitor if we have any recourse to GoFundMe, because obviously this money is coming into the country and into our city to maintain this activity that is frustrating everyone who lives here and who works here,' Watson said. Meta, the social media platform's parent company, claims the Convoy to DC 2022 group (left) was removed 'for repeatedly violating our policies around QAnon '. Trucker Jeremy Johnson (right), who established the group, claims his personal Facebook account was also removed, prompting him to contact a civil rights attorney about his options moving forward. Brad Maier, who supported the convoy fundraiser, claims he received an email from GoFundMe on Wednesday alerting him that his donation would be refunded Some supporters allege the crowdfunding platform is worried how it may be perceived if it continues to allow the fundraiser to collect donations. Organizer and participants - although many peaceful - have been accused of calling their political opponents Nazis, waving swastikas and Confederate flags, and threatening an insurrection against the Canadian government, the Conservation reported. The Canadian Trucking Alliance and the Ontario Trucking Association, among others, have also openly criticized the convoy, alleging that 90 percent of their members are vaccinated. Additionally, CEO Tim Cadogan has actively slammed the US government for its handling of the pandemic. Last year, during an interview with the New York Times Cadogan said: 'This is a war against a virus. If this were a war against another country at this scale, it would be no question what we would do, right? We would mobilize our society to defeat it.' He also argued that he would rather the federal government offer aid to Americans than his company. The CEO penned an open letter to Congress - which was published in USA Today - arguing lawmakers didn't to take action because many citizens were unable to afford rent, groceries, utilities and medical bills. He also argued the pandemic was making it nearly impossible for small businesses owners to stay afloat. Cadogan said that although GoFundMe aims to be 'the most helpful place in the world,' the platform cannot do the government's job for it. 'We are proud of the role that GoFundMe plays in connecting those in need with those who are ready to help,' he wrote. 'But our platform was never meant to be a source of support for basic needs, and it can never be a replacement for robust federal COVID-19 relief that is generous and targeted to help the millions of Americans who are struggling.' Political analysts allege the protests - which have split the official opposition Conservative Party - stand to benefit Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's liberals, posing some to question if GoFundMe has sided with the Canadian leader (Pictured: Trudeau on Jan. 31, 2022) Critics have also pointed out that GoFundMe has also repeatedly flip-flopped over whether to allow the Freedom Convoy fundraiser to continue. The account was first frozen last week, when it totaled $5million in donations, because GoFundMe wanted to determine exactly where the funds would go. It was provided with an explanation by the organizers and two days later, seemingly satisfied, the crowdfunding site unlocked the account allowing donations to continue and released $1million in donated funds. On Wednesday, it was frozen again, after days of political pressure from left-wing politicians who have blasted the truckers as 'mercenaries.' The company issued a statement saying: 'This fundraiser is currently paused and under review to ensure it complies with our terms of service and applicable laws and regulations. 'Our team is working 24/7 and doing all we can to protect both organizers and donors. Thank you for your patience.' GoFundMe later clarified the account met its terms and services at the time of its creation last month. 'We strictly prohibit user content that reflects or promotes behavior in support of violence - in this case, the organizer met our requirements and the fundraiser did not violate our Terms of Service at the time of creation.' A GoFundMe campaign that was organized to support the Canadian truckers demonstration and which has raised more than $10million CAD was suspended again on Wednesday night The company says that it has been monitoring the fundraiser to ensure the money - raised from more than 120,000 donations - goes to the intended recipients, and went on to detail the criteria on how it intends to discern the integrity and transparency of the organizers of the fundraiser. 'As the activity surrounding the protest evolves, we have been monitoring the fundraiser to ensure the funds are going to the intended recipients and that the fundraiser remains within our Terms of Service. 'Our monitoring includes maintaining close communication with the organizer as well as collaborating with local law enforcement,' GoFundMe said. 'This process takes time and may slow down the withdrawal process. If the fundraiser does violate our Terms of Service or does not directly benefit the intended beneficiary, we will remove it from the platform,' the site added. DailyMail.com reached out to GoFundMe Thursday morning to gain clarification as to what led to the company's sudden stance reversal and who made the call to suspend the campaign. The company responded with links to the statement that had been posted the previous day. Crowdfunding platforms, including GoFundMe, will ban campaigns that they allege violate their terms of service. GoFundMe, for example, does not allow fundraisers for the legal defense of people accused of hate, intolerance or violent crimes. It was also previously remove campaigns that it believes spread misinformation about COVID vaccine safety. Campaigns associated to sexual content or pornography are also prohibited. The platform's terms of service also give it the right to prohibit 'any other activity that GoFundMe may deem, in its sole discretion, to be unacceptable.' A first-year apprentice who had her hair washed by Scott Morrison has revealed he 'did a good job for a first go'. Courtney Trotter, 22, had her head massaged by the Prime Minister when he visited Coco's salon in Mount Eliza, south-east Melbourne on Friday after a horror week. But as footage of the bizarre stunt was shared widely online, the salon was brutally trolled for welcoming the Prime Minister in as a hairdresser for the day. Mr Morrison wore an apron and a mask as he massaged Ms Trotter and sprayed water on her head over a basin. 'It was very gentle. He did a good job for a first go,' the apprentice said after the encounter which hit headlines around the nation. Courtney Trotter, 22, had her head massaged by the Prime Minister when he visited Coco's salon in south-east Melbourne on Friday The extraordinary moment (pictured) came after Mr Morrison endured a horror week Salon manager Nick joked that Mr Morrison would be too expensive to hire full-time. 'Does he have a future in hairdressing? Unfortunately I don't think we could afford him,' he said. The salon posted a photo of its staff with the Prime Minister on its Facebook page but was immediately targeted by trolls who branded the photo-op 'creepy'. 'This was the weirdest, creepiest thing I've seen in a very long time,' one person wrote. 'Seriously why on earth would any business agree to let this man in after he destroyed us,' another added. Mr Morrison later posted a selfie with three salon apprentices after the outing alongside Liberal candidate for Dunkley, Sharn Coombes. Salon manager Nick joked that Mr Morrison (left with salon staff) would be too expensive to hire full-time 'It was very gentle. He did a good job for a first go,' Courtney (pictured) said after the encounter which hit headlines around the nation 'Thanks Courtney, Bella and Pip for showing me the ropes at Cocos Salon in Melbourne today,' he wrote. 'They're all apprentice hairdressers, and loving their work and training. Courtney was even brave enough to let me have a go learning how to wash her hair. Safe to say I won't be taking over their jobs any time soon. 'There are now over 220,000 people in trade training in Australia, more than at any time since records began in 1963. And with people like Courtney, Bella and Pip, the future is looking good!' The Prime Minister was also pictured patting a dog outside the salon and folding towels alongside staff members. His visit was blasted by Labor with MP Tim Watts writing: 'Why is this Prime Minister always play acting at doing other people's jobs instead of just doing the job that he was elected to do for the Australian people?' Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles similarly wrote: 'Maybe he could volunteer at one of the nursing homes unable to bathe residents because of a Covid outbreak?'. Mr Morrison's visit came after a horror week which started with a Newspoll which showed the Government trailing the Labor Opposition by a massive 12 points, which if replicated on election day would wipe out 25 seats. Liberal candidate for Dunkely Sharn Coombes (centre) and Prime Minister Scott Morrison (right) pat a dog during a visit to Coco's Salon in Mount Eliza Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Liberal Candidate for Dunkley Sharn Coombes (right) during a visit to Coco's Salon in Mount Eliza The salon posted a photo of its staff with the Prime Minister on its Facebook page but was immediately targeted by trolls who branded the photo-op 'creepy' Then on Tuesday he was roasted by journalists at the National Press Club where he admitted making several errors during the pandemic but refused to apologise. He failed to name the price of bread, petrol and rapid tests and also admitted he didn't know the cost of milk. He was later told about unearthed texts from 2019 in which Gladys Berejiklian allegedly called him a 'horrible, horrible person' and a mystery minister branded him a 'complete psycho'. The unveiling of the texts has been linked to an internal Liberal Party struggle in NSW where several key seats still don't have candidates for the May election. Scott Morrison has washed a woman's head on a visit to Coco's salon in Melbourne The Prime Minister wore an apron and a mask as he massaged the customer and sprayed water on her head over a basin on Friday On Thursday the PM was slammed for backflipping to support Western Australia's hard border, with critics saying it proved he has no principles and can't be trusted. He is also being attacked over a 'crisis' in aged care homes with 1,000 facilities suffering Covid outbreaks as the army is prepared to replace isolating nurses and has refused Labor's calls to sack aged care services minister Richard Colbeck. Sunday's Newspoll showed Labor leader Anthony Albanese has narrowed the gap between his rival for preferred prime minister to just 43-41 in favour of Mr Morrison, from 45-36 at the last poll. But the PM's allies believe he can make a surprise comeback before election day. Bill Shorten was ahead in the polls too last time around but was beaten to the finish line. Former marketing guru Mr Morrison is renowned for his extravagant photo opportunities. In his first domestic tour since the end of Covid lockdowns in Victoria and NSW in November he made pasta, served breakfast to veterans, and opened an Indian community centre with a flower garland around his neck. Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Liberal member for Higgins Katie Allen make gnocchi pasta during a visit to Sugo restaurant in Malvern, Melbourne in November Mr Morrison during the opening of the Australian Indian Community Centre in Melbourne in November During a speech at the National Press Club on Tuesday, Mr Morrison admitted three key Covid errors including unfairly raising people's hopes before this summer, not placing the vaccine rollout under military command from the start and poorly managing outbreaks in aged care. 'We could have communicated more clearly about the risks and challenges that we still face,' Mr Morrison said in reference to how he called for an end to restrictions including mask-wearing before the Omicron wave in December. 'In our communications, we have to be be clear about that. We can't lift people's hopes, then disappointment them. I think that's what happened over the break.' PM admits three mistakes in pandemic 1. Raising hopes before summer by calling for an end to restrictions 2. Not placing vaccine rollout under military command from the start 3. Poor management of aged care outbreaks Advertisement Mr Morrison had travelled the nation in December calling for state governments to get out of people's lives and demanding a return to normal after two years of Covid restrictions - but just weeks later it became clear that strict rules were still needed as Omicron spread. 'Secondly, on the vaccination program, if I had my time over, I would have put it under a military operation from the outset and not later in the year,' Mr Morrison said. The Prime Minister said the goal to offer a jab to everyone by October was achieved but admitted the rollout got off to a slow start, prompting him to install Lieutenant General John Frewen as boss of the programme. 'I took the decision to send in General Frewen and change the way we did it, and set up a change in the command structure, how logistics were managed, how it was planned. And it worked. But I wish we'd done that earlier. And that's a lesson,' Mr Morrison said. In mid 2021 the federal government copped heavy criticism for the slow vaccine rollout which was well behind comparable nations and meant Sydney and Melbourne had to be plunged into four-month lockdowns amid Delta outbreaks. The Prime Minster also admitted that aged care outbreaks should have been handled better, mentioning one incident at St Basil's home in Sydney when the staff had to isolate and the military had to be sent in. After months of railing against state borders and calling for a united country, Mr Morrison surprised even his political allies by supporting Mr McGowan's hard border. Asked on Thursday if the Premier did the right thing by deferring his opening date, the Prime Minister replied: 'Yeah I think he did.' Last month McGowan reneged on his plan to open the state's border on February 5, citing the number of Covid cases and hospitalisations in the east. He was widely criticised by Australians desperate to see family members as well as businesses like Qantas and even the Australian Medical Association which accused him of breaking a promise and causing uncertainty. Labor leader Anthony Albanese immediately backed Mr McGowan's decision - which is broadly popular in WA - but this is first time the Prime Minister has spoken in favour of the move. 'Omicron as we learned over the summer is a completely different virus,' he told Perth Radio 6PR on Thursday. 'The things we were doing before don't work the same way under the Omicron virus and as a result you've got to reset and rethink the things you were doing.' Mr McGowan's critics say the only reason he is keeping the border closed is because he is presiding over a struggling health system, with several hospitals at capacity even without Covid. Mr Morrison said the premier knows he will have to open at some stage but confirmed he is waiting until he is confident in the state's health system. 'When his health system he believes is ready to go, I'm sure he'll take that next step,' the Prime Minister said. Mr McGowan announced his decision to keep the border closed in a dramatic late-night press conference on January 20. He said he wanted to wait until more Western Australians including children had received booster doses but did not give a new date for re-opening. 'The aim is to get it [the third dose vaccination rate] up above at least 80 per cent, perhaps 90 per cent,' he said. 'But what we are going to do is review the situation over February and watch what is occurring over east and work out what the best approach is for Western Australia.' A 16-year-old aspiring rapper, who allegedly shot an NYPD cop in the Bronx last month, is back in custody just one week after posting bail with money he received from a record deal. Camrin Williams, 16, who goes by his rapper name C Blu, is back at the Crossroads Juvenile Center in Brooklyn Thursday on a probation violation. 'We're glad that a cop-shooter is back off the street, but this revolving door for a repeat gun offender makes no sense whatsoever,' Police Benevolent Association President Pat Lynch said. 'It should be clear to every New Yorker that our justice system is broken in many places,' he added. 'Our lawmakers need to prioritize fixing it above everything else.' Williams was out on probation from a 2020 gun possession case last month when he got into a scuffle with police in Belmont on January 18 and allegedly shot 27-year-old NYPD officer Kaseem Pennant in the leg. Sources told the New York Post that the gun Williams allegedly used to shoot the officer violated the terms of his probation from the earlier case. It is remains unclear why he wasnt jailed for the probation violation following the police shooting. Camrin Williams is accused of shooting an NYPD officer on January 18. He was released on bond, but is back in custody this week on a probation violation charge from an earlier case Williams was out on probation from a 2020 gun possession case last month when he allegedly got into a scuffle with police in Belmont on January 18 and shot 27-year-old NYPD officer Kaseem Pennant in the leg Sources told the New York Post that the gun Williams allegedly used to shoot the officer violated the terms of his probation from the earlier case Williams, seen here in the hospital, released on bail after his gun went off and hit both himself and an NYPD officer in a scuffle. A week later, he is back in custody on probation violation Following the shooting last month, the teen was immediately arrested and his bond was set at $250,000. It's unclear why he wasn't charged with probation violation during the arrest. On January 27, Williams posted bond with money he reportedly received from signing a recording contract with Interscope Records. His bail release caused an outrage among some city officials, including PBA president Pat Lynch. 'If anybody wants to know why we have a crisis of violence in this city, or why we're about to bury two hero police officers, look no further than this disgraceful bail release,' said Lynch, who noted that two NYPD officers were shot and killed last week - the first since July 2017. Five officers have been shot in New York City so far this year. 'This individual chose to carry illegal guns twice,' he said. 'He chose to fight with and shoot a New York City police officer. There's no reason to believe he won't do the exact same thing when he's out on the street tonight. 'Shame on Judge Denis Boyle for allowing this to happen. 'The people of the Bronx won't be safe as long as he's on the bench.' Williams fought with police officers last month when they responded to reports of unrest, and refused to comply with their orders to remove his hands from his pockets. He began fighting with one of the officers and during the tussle, the gun went off and a single bullet struck and wounded Pennant and hit Williams in the groin. Pennant was released from the hospital just hours later on January 19. Officer Kaseem Pennant left the hospital to the cheers of his fellow officers a day after the shooting Williams, identified as a member of a subset of the Crips, was also taken to hospital before being taken to juvenile detention. Boyle, an Acting Bronx Supreme Court Justice, who set Williams' bond, was previously was soft on a 16-year-old who went on to murder a 34-year-old father of two in May of 2021. Boyle has a reputation for being overly lenient on young offenders and set bail at $250,000 despite prosecutors call for Williams to be held without bail. Williams accepted the services of 'bail bondsman to the stars' Ira Judelson, who has in the past worked with the likes of DMX, Ja Rule, Harvey Weinstein and Dominique Strauss-Kahn. After Williams' release last week, his attorney, Dawn Florio touted his career to the judge. Florio, much like Judelson, has a history with famous clients, including fellow troubled rapper 6ix9ine, formerly Tekashi69. 'He has a very promising career,' Florio told Judge Boyle. 'Not only does he sing, rap, he writes his own music. 'One of his songs on YouTube has 8 million views.' During the hearing, Williams told Florio: 'Please tell the judge I'll come back to court every time.' Florio did not respond to the Post's request for comment. Williams' lawyer described his promising career: 'Not only does he sing, rap, he writes his own music. One of his songs on YouTube has 8 million views' NYC PBA President Pat Lynch blamed the rise in city crime on things like Williams' ability to walk free on bond A cleaner blew hundreds of dollars on the pokies minutes before murdering her elderly multi-millionaire client, a jury has been told. Hanny Papanicolaouo, 38, had just $11 left in her bank account after her one-hour $430 gambling spree at Canterbury Leagues Club in Sydney's west. But a court heard she knew Marjorie Welsh, 92, had recently come into $8million and went to the old lady's inner west home where she attacked her on January 2, 2019. After sounding her medical alarm, Ms Welsh told responders that 'Hanny' beat her with her own walking sticks, threw pottery at her and used a kitchen knife to repeatedly stab her in the chest and abdomen, the court heard. Ms Welsh died six weeks later in hospital, but told police it was 'Hanny the housekeeper' who had viciously attacked her, the court heard. Sydney cleaner Hanny Papanicolaouo (pictured) has pleaded not guilty to the 2019 murder of her former client, 92-year-old Marjorie Welsh In the NSW Supreme Court, psychiatrist Dr Adam Martin refuted claims Hanny Papanicolaou (pictured) was suffering from a mental disorder at the time of the murder Papanicolaouo has pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the basis of substantial impairment due to an abnormality of the mind, but this was rejected by the Crown. NSW Supreme Court was told Papanicolaouo didn't look deranged or mentally ill in CCTV footage taken just before her visit to Ms Welsh's home. And Papanicolaouo's later animated police interview didn't demonstrate signs of a mental disorder, psychiatrist Dr Adam Martin said on Friday. Dr Martin told the NSW Supreme Court jury Papanicolaou gave lengthy detailed answers to police in her interview 12 hours after the altercation. Papanicolaou denies murdering Ms Welsh and said the elderly woman turned violent, accusing her of stealing $50, and said she tried to defend herself when Ms Welsh hit her and thrust a knife at her. But in her June 2020 interview with Dr Martin, and in an interview with another psychiatrist, Papanicolaou said she had no recollection of what happened. In the lead up to her death on January 2 in 2019, Marjorie Welsh allegedly told police Ms Papanicolaou used to beat her on regular occasions The 'highly inconsistent' accounts were in 'stark contrast' and just didn't add up, Dr Martin said in court. During the police interview, Papanicolaou did not look classically depressed, was 'very animated', coherent and spontaneous, as she gave an exculpatory explanation of the violence. 'I think you can infer from that she was aware of right from wrong,' Dr Martin told the jury. 'She was expressing almost indignation at being falsely accused.' CCTV footage taken an hour before the altercation showed Papanicolaou driving into the Canterbury Leagues Club carpark , scanning her membership card, playing the poker machines and twice going to an ATM machine. The court heard Ms Papanicolaou was a regular pokies player and was aware her client had access to $8 million in savings 'She doesn't look deranged, she doesn't look mentally ill,' Dr Martin said. 'She looked well-kempt, was able to drive and play the machines, she wasn't gesticulating wildly and appeared to be operating at the required level.' Papanicolaou lost $430 in under an hour, and was left with just $11 in her bank account, while the Crown has alleged she knew Ms Walsh had come into $8 million. Dr Martin noted that in the lead-up to the alleged killing, she was described as being reliable, a good worker, personable and a good conversationalist, attributes which were not consistent with having 'major psychiatric pathology'. Someone with a major depressive disorder may appear dishevelled, hunched, have very little movement, a flat expression and not engaged in the person's normal activities, he told the court. Medical records showed she was screened for depression months before the altercation and her score was zero, while she was reported as having no mental health issues when taken into custody. Under cross-examination, Dr Martin accepted at the time he interviewed Papanacolaou in jail she did have a major depressive disorder. He also accepted that such a disorder can interfere with memory of past events. But he said it was 'unlikely' that this may have prevented Papanicolaou from remembering what happened on January 2, 2019. The trial continues. Prosecutors have asked a judge to put a stop to 'inappropriate' and 'disrespectful' displays of affection in the courtroom between James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of accused Michigan high school shooter Ethan Crumbley. James, 45, and Jennifer Crumbley, 43, have been blowing kisses and mouthing 'I love you' to each other during hearings - and the prosecution in the case and the families of the school shooting victims, have had enough, according to a court filing obtained by the Detroit Free Press. 'Mr. & Mrs. Crumbley's conduct in court makes a mockery of the crimes they are accused of committing,' Chief Assistant Prosecutor David Williams said in a statement Wednesday. 'The courtroom is not a place for blowing kisses and sending secret signals. This is a time for families to pursue justice.' The Crumbleys are charged with involuntary manslaughter for allegedly allowing their son access to the gun police said was used in the November shooting at Oxford High School. Ethan Crumbley, 15, is facing terrorism and murder charges for his alleged role in the shooting that killed four students and injured several others. Last week, the teen's attorney said he plans to plead insanity. 'These communications ... not only disparage the integrity of the judicial proceedings as a serious distraction, but are also traumatic for the families of the deceased victims,' Oakland County Assistant Prosecutor Markeisha Washington wrote in the filing. 'Their communication is far more distracting and offensive than a cell phone going off, which the court would not condone.' The prosecution's request filed on Wednesday for Ethan's parent to end their courtroom antics comes after several of the prosecutors were contacted by family members of the victims, asking why the parents are allowed to communicate in court. James, 45, and Jennifer Crumbley, 43, have been blowing kisses and mouthing 'I love you' to each other during hearings as they face involuntary manslaughter charges for allegedly allowing their son access to the gun police say was used in the Oxford High School shooting James Crumbley 'with his mask partially pulled down, mouthed what appeared to be 'I love you' to his wife, according to the filing During one hearing in December, James Crumbley 'with his mask partially pulled down, mouthed what appeared to be 'I love you' to his wife, according to the filing. At that same hearing, when Crumbley left the courtroom, it led to 'additional nonverbal communication' between the couple. At a January 7 court hearing on Zoom, when a breakout session with the attorneys and the judge was held, the Crumbleys 'remained on screen during this breakout session and ... Jennifer Crumbley signaled and mouthed to (her husband) what appeared to be 'I love you,' waved at him, and continued to signal and mouth words to him.' Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald wants a judge to prohibit the Crumbleys from any contact, physical, verbal or nonverbal contact, during proceedings. In the filing, they said the defense 'expressed a willingness' to get the Crumbleys to comply, the Detroit Free Press reported. Jennifer Crumbley signaled and mouthed to (her husband) what appeared to be 'I love you,' waved at him, and continued to signal and mouth words to him' 'The courtroom is not a place for blowing kisses and sending secret signals. This is a time for families to pursue justice,' Chief Assistant Prosecutor David Williams said in a statement Wednesday Jennifer (left) and James Crumbley (right) are seen on zoom mouthing words to each other James and Jennifer Crumbley were arrested on December 4 after they were found hiding in a Detroit art studio Hours before the school shooting begun, the Crumbleys were called to the school to discuss Ethan's disturbing behavior including drawings depicting a gun, a bullet, blood everywhere, a shooting victim and a laughing emoji. The note included the words: 'Thoughts won't stop, help me'; 'my life is useless' and 'the world is dead,' Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald said. After the meeting, the Crumbleys left their son to finish the day at school when he opened fire on his classmates and teachers. 'They did not intervene. They did not schedule therapy,' Assistant Oakland County Prosecutor Marc Keast previously said in court. 'Instead, they bought him what he desperately wanted, a 9mm Sig Sauer handgun.' An updated lawsuit filed against Oxford High School reveals more 'warning signs' related to Crumbley's behavior before he allegedly shot and killed four students on November 30 Crumbley allegedly opened fire at Oxford High School in Michigan on November 30 where four people were killed and several others were injured Madisyn Baldwin, 17, (left) and Hana St Juliana, 14, (right) died in the shooting rampage at Oxford High School in suburban Detroit Justin Shilling, 17, (left) died in the hospital after the shooting and Tate Myre (right) died in the school on November 30 James and Jennifer Crumbley were arrested on December 4 after they were found hiding in a Detroit art studio. The pair failed to show up for their arraignment and stopped communicating with their attorneys which sparked a manhunt search for them. They went on the lam for two days, December 3 and 4, and withdrew $3,000 from their son's bank account after his arrest as they planned to run away to Florida. Prosecutor Karen McDonald successfully argued in January that the bond should remain at $500,000 for each of them because of their lack of ties to the state of Michigan and their plans to flee the area just hours following their son's arrest. McDonald said James, who worked as a Doordash delivery driver and Jennifer, who had been terminated by her employer, both had families in Florida and started making plans to move there immediately after the shooting. 'On November 30, just hours after their son murdered children in a school, they started making plans.,' McDonald told the court. She added that they started making plans to sell horses once they were in Florida and bought four cellphones. They had also drained their son's bank account of $3,000, leaving only 99 cents. On December 1, the couple checked into a different hotel where they made contact with discussion of the sale of their horses and withdrew $2,000 from their bank. They then checked out of the hotel, leaving one of their cars behind but parked so that the license plate could not be easily seen. McDonald said they drove to the art studio in Detroit the same day where they were captured and taken into custody after leading authorities on a large-scale manhunt. Both Crumbleys have pleaded not guilty to all four charges of involuntary manslaughter - one for each student killed. Each count is punishable by up to 15 years in prison along with a $7,500 fine and mandatory DNA testing. Attorney Ven Johnson shows a blowup of Ethan Crumbley's test review paper with notes and drawings Attorney Ven Johnson shows a blowup of Ethan Crumbley's test review paper with notes and drawings Travis McMichael, convicted of murder for shooting Ahmaud Arbery, followed his father's example and withdrew his guilty plea on a federal hate crime charge on Friday, opting to stand trial for a second time in the 2020 killing. Travis, 36, reversed his plan to plead guilty in the federal case days after a US District Court judge rejected terms of a plea deal between defense attorneys and prosecutors that was met with strenuous objections by Arbery's parents. Asked by US District Judge Lisa Godbey Wood for his decision, McMichael said: 'I withdraw the plea.' In the text of the rejected plea agreement, McMichael admitted for the first time that racism played a part in his decision to grab his shotgun, jump in his pick-up truck with his father and chase Arbery. That means Travis McMichael, his father, Greg, 66, and their neighbor, William 'Roddie' Bryan, 52, convicted of Arbery's murder will return to court for the federal trial next week, after plea deals for the McMichaels fell apart. Travis McMichael (pictured in court on January 7) on Friday withdrew his guilty plea on a federal hate crime charge in the 2020 killing of black man Ahmaud Arbery, clearing the way for a trial next week Travis' father, Greg McMichael, on Thursday opted out of a plan to plead guilty to federal hate crime charges Travis and Greg McMichael, and a neighbor, were convicted of murder in a Georgia state court last fall and sentenced to life in prison Lisa Godbey Wood, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, rejected a proposed plea agreement that was slammed by Arbery's parents Greg McMichael backed down from a plan to plead guilty in a legal filing late Thursday. Wood has scheduled jury selection in the hate crimes trial for Monday. The Friday plea hearing for Travis was so brief that Arbery's father missed it. He was standing by the elevators downstairs as reporters were leaving the courthouse. 'All we want is 100 per cent justice for the Arbery family,' Marcus Arbery Sr. said. 'That's all were looking for.' The McMichaels and Bryan were convicted of murder in a Georgia state court last fall and sentenced to life in prison. Georgia lacked a hate crimes law at the time of the killing. The US Department of Justice had the three white men indicted on charges of violating Arbery's civil rights and targeting him because he was black. The McMichaels armed themselves and chased Arbery in a pickup truck after spotting the 25-year-old man running past their home just outside the port city of Brunswick on February 23, 2020. Bryan joined the pursuit in his own truck and recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael blasting Arbery with a shotgun. 'All we want is 100 per cent justice for the Arbery family,' Marcus Arbery Sr (center), Ahmaud's father, said outside the courthouse after Travis McMichael withdrew guilty plea Friday The McMichales father and son, and their neighbor, William 'Roddie' Bryanall (far right), are scheduled to go on trial in federal court next week Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, through her lawyer criticized the proposed plea deal, arguing that conditions in federal prison wouldn't be as harsh as in state prison for her son's killers, were they to be transferred to federal custody The father and son had planned to plead guilty to a hate crime charge after prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed to propose a 30-year sentence that would include a request to transfer the McMichaels from Georgia's state prison system to federal custody. The deal would have required the McMichaels to admit to racist motives and forfeit the right to appeal their federal sentence. Wood rejected the deal Monday after Arbery's parents slammed the proposed plea agreement as 'an unauthorized backroom deal', and argued that conditions in federal prison wouldn't be as harsh. 'Federal prison is a country club when compared to state prison. Federal prisons are less populated, better funded and generally more accommodating than state prisons. These men hurriedly entered this plea deal that would allow them to transfer out of custody from GA prison,' attorney Lee Merritt, who represents Arbery's mother, tweeted on Monday Wood said she ultimately denied the deal because it would have locked her into a specific sentence. She said she needed more information to know whether a 30-year sentence was just, and cited emotional testimony from Arbery's family. Travis McMichael killed Arbery with a shotgun blow after chasing him in Brunswick, Georgia, on February 23, 2020. Bryan joined the pursuit and recorded cellphone video of the killing Prosecutors asked the judge to approve the plea deals despite the objections from Arbery's family. Prosecutor Tara Lyons said that attorneys for Arbery's parents had told the Justice Department that the family wouldn't object. But Merritt said the slain man's family had previously rejected the same terms and 'no longer wanted to engage' with prosecutors, who 'took that as a deferral.' During the murder trial in state court, defense attorneys argued the McMichaels were justified in pursuing Arbery because they had a reasonable suspicion that he had committed break-ins in their neighborhood. Travis McMichael testified that he opened fire with his shotgun after Arbery attacked him with fists and tried to grab the weapon. Police have seized a loaded modified rifle during a COVID-19 protest as they moved anti-vaccination protesters on from the Patrick White Lawns in Canberra this morning. ACT Police said the operation was peaceful and no arrests were made in relation to crowd behaviour. But police did arrest a 44-year-old man after a search warrant was executed. 'A loaded modified rifle was located in his vehicle and he is expected to be charged with the possession of an illegal firearm,' the statement read. 'He will also face multiple traffic offences in relation to the roadworthiness of his vehicle.' Around 250 vehicles have been parked around the National Library and Patrick White Lawns, with police telling the anti-vaccine mandate protesters on Wednesday they were camping illegally. Audio warnings were then given on Thursday before the move-on order was issued on Friday. Most cars are leaving the area voluntarily but at least one has been towed. Police officers assemble before remove camping equipment and ask protesters to move on at the protestors' makeshift camp next to the National Library in Canberra A protester is pushed to the ground by police as vehicles are moved on from the makeshift camp Police officers are seen removing camping equipment at the gathering of around 250 vehicles in Canberra ACT chief police officer Neil Gaughan said protestors were allowed to remain in the area and protest all they like but cannot camp illegally A family reacts after being asked to pack up and move on by local and Federal police in Canberra. Protestors had extended their stay in the nation's capital until Federal parliament resumed this week The action by local police and officers of the Australian Federal Police came after the National Capital Authority asked them yesterday to enforce legislation prohibiting illegal camping and parking at the Patrick White Lawns. Protestors had been gathered on the lawns for several days. It is believed members of the convoy had extended their stay in the nation's capital until Federal parliament resumed this week. A protester using a megaphone said the crowd would stand their ground but urged those who remained on foot to be peaceful. ACT chief police officer Neil Gaughan says people are allowed to remain in the area and protest all they like, but cannot camp illegally. 'This is disruptive to Canberrans. That site was going to be used for events over the weekend and an event tonight,' he told the ABC. 'The National Capital Authority has had to cancel that because of the fact that these people are illegally camping, so we are moving them on.' Items not moved may be seized by police. Officers had attended the camp on Wednesday, telling campers they were in breach of legislation. A protester packs up his truck after being asked to move on from the Patrick White Lawns in Canberra The anti-vaccination mandate campaign, known as the Convoy to Canberra, has included a march on Parliament House on Monday and a rally outside the National Press Club on Tuesday where Prime Minister Scott Morrison was speaking Officers had attended the camp on Wednesday, telling campers they were in breach of legislation and would be moved on Protesters sit as police officers remove camping equipment at the gathering of around 250 vehicles near the National Library The anti-vaccination mandate campaign, known as the Convoy to Canberra, has included a march on Parliament House on Monday and a rally outside the National Press Club on Tuesday where Prime Minister Scott Morrison was speaking. Police used capsicum spray and made three arrests on Wednesday at the camp. An ACT policing spokesman said one woman assaulted an officer and was arrested and charged. Two men also tried to interfere with the woman's arrest and were also arrested. Both men were charged with obstructing police. A parking inspector allegedly used cable ties to strap a No Stopping sign onto a tree next to a parked car - and then issued its stunned driver with a penalty notice. The woman motorist claims she initially parked her car beside the tree outside a Storage King store in North Ryde, in Sydney's north-west, on Thursday. When she left the vehicle, she said it appeared to be in a free parking area with no warning signs. But when she returned, she saw she had been fined - and that the red sign was now suddenly alongside her car, kept in place with the cable ties. 'City of Ryde Council at their best... parked my car here earlier in the day, there was no sign... came back and found a ticket had been issued,' she fumed on Reddit. When a Sydney woman parked her car outside a Storage King on Thursday, there wasn't a visible No Parking street sign When she returned to her vehicle, a No Parking sign was propped up (pictured) with cable ties, resulting in the woman being fined (pictured left) The woman says a passer-by told her he spotted a parking ranger picking up a damaged sign 'out of nearby bushes' moments before the fine was slapped on her windscreen. Numerous people weighed into the discussion on social media, with one suggesting she obtain a 'signed statutory declaration from the eyewitness.' Google Street View images from December fail to show a No Parking sign next to the tree. A City of Ryde Council spokesman said the woman's infringement notice would be waived 'due to the technicalities involved in the matter', according to news.com.au. However, the Council went on to refute the suggestion the parking inspector was the individual who replaced the sign with the aid of cable ties. 'The vehicle in question had parked in a No Stopping zone. At the time, one of three No Stopping signs had been displaced,' a council spokesman said. 'A member of the public refitted the No Stopping sign that had been displaced. 'While acknowledging the vehicle was parked illegally, council considered all the circumstances and plans to waive the infringement notice.' According to the RTA, NSW drivers who stop or park in a restricted parking area can be fined $116. The remains of a Nyanga man who was recently exhumed from Granville Cemetery, popularly known as Kumbudzi, in Harare after Doves Funeral Services buried him in the same coffin with a pauper are yet to be reburied almost a year after his death as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) tests are being carried out on the two bodies, The Manica Post has learned. As the saga drags on, Mr Maxwell Chimwamurombes family has opened to The Manica Post in its quest for justice. They did not conduct body viewing before burying a coffin they believed contained his remains in Chief Katereres area last year. Last Friday, the coffin was exhumed in Nyanga and it was discovered that the funeral service provider had allegedly stuffed blankets, cloths and plastic bags in a coffin that was supposed to be carrying Mr Chimwamurombes remains. Mr Chimwamurombe drowned in a flooded Nyamombe River in Nyanga last year in March and his body could not be found for weeks. When it was discovered, it was at an advanced state of decomposition and some of his body parts were scattered on the riverbank. The remains were collected and sent to Harare for forensic tests and preparation for burial. However, in a major boob whose circumstances remain unclear, Doves Funeral Services delivered an empty coffin to Nyanga, while Mr Chimwamurombes remains were instead buried at Granville Cemetery in Harare, inside a coffin that had the body of a pauper whose funeral was paid for by Harare City Council. Police have since moved in to probe the case and exhumed the empty coffin in Nyanga as well as Mr Chimwamurombes body. Law enforcement agents have indicated that the company will likely be charged with two counts of fraud. Police said Doves Funeral Services was likely to be charged with defrauding the policyholder who was paying her premiums, Ms Memory Chimwamurombe, but failed to offer her the expected services. Harare City Council was also defrauded as two corpses were buried in one grave that had been paid for. In an interview with The Manica Post on Wednesday night, a sister to the deceased said events surrounding her brothers burial were now having a toll on her health. The bitter Ms Chimwamurombe did not mince her words, saying Doves should compensate her in her individual capacity as the policyholder before appeasing her brothers spirit. I am the last born in our family of five and was the one who was taking care of my late brother who was also a mental health patient. My brother never married and the desire to see him being accorded a decent burial upon his death prompted me to enlist him among the beneficiaries of my policy with Doves. I am a vendor, a mother of six and a widow following the death of my husband in 2006. To raise the money to pay for the funeral policy, I walk a long distance to Mutoko to sell my wares. I am paying US$11 every month to service my policy. When my brother died, I bought a blanket for US$45 for it to be used to cover his remains as I loved him so much. Despite my toil, little did I know that my brothers death would bring more agony to me. I am having sleepless nights thinking of what really happened to my brothers remains. Doves has to come out clean on what happened because we are not getting convincing answers on what caused this boob. We slaughtered a bull and goats during my late brothers funeral and memorial service; only to learn that we didnt even bury him. Who will compensate us for this loss and the pain? When this issue is finally resolved, who will meet the reburial costs? complained an emotional Ms Chimwamurombe. She claimed that in hindsight she has now realised that Doves employees acted suspiciously from the collection of the remains in Harare to the burial of the empty coffin in Katerere. After our brothers remains were released from Parirenyatwa mortuary into the custody of Doves, they did not take time to inform us that they were ready to travel to Nyanga. They did not ask any family member to witness whether we were taking the correct body for burial or not. Everything was hurriedly done. Along the way, my sister who was sitting in the Doves hearse even questioned the driver who was only identified as Chitsike why no foul smell was coming from the coffin considering that my brothers remains were in an advance state of decomposition. She was told that they had embalmed the body and decided to let it go. My brother was heavily built and pall-bearers questioned the weight of the coffin when we arrived in Katerere, but this was again brushed aside by the driver. The driver also insisted that no body viewing should be done, she said. Ms Chimwamurombe said Doves representatives only consulted her in November. Doves representatives drove here to look for me in November. When I had a meeting with them, they said they had discovered Maxwells remains on Shelf Number 3, three days after the perceived burial. How did the remains find their way onto the shelf when they were not supposed to spend time in their parlour? When I asked them the exact body parts that were on that shelf, they could not answer me. To add insult to injury, they continued deducting Maxwells premium from my policy for three months after his death. They should not act clever. Yes, they are a big corporate with muscle, but I know my brothers spirit will not rest until justice prevails, fumed Ms Chimwamurombe. Since the exhumation I havent slept and I can drop anytime due to hypertension, she said. In a separate interview from Harare, the Chimwamurombe family spokesperson, Mr Proud Chimwamurombe said the family wants to give its late patriarch a befitting send-off so that his soul can rest in peace. This issue has been dragging for almost a year now. My uncle died in March last year and it pains us that up to now his remains are yet to be buried. The police are doing their job, but we hope this will not further delay his burial. We are waiting for the DNA tests being done on his remains since they were two bodies in the coffin that was exhumed in Harare. Our legal team is also providing us with the necessary guidance so that there is closure on this whole case. We are also waiting for Doves to engage us on the best way forward, said Mr Chimwamurombe. When asked on what had caused the boob and how the family failed to dictate that they were burying an empty coffin, Mr Chimwamurombe said emotions could have gotten the better of them during the funeral. When my uncle drowned, his body could not be located for some time. When it was finally located, it was in an advanced state of decomposition. The remains were taken to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals mortuary. We managed to positively identify them before they were taken to Doves Funeral Service parlour. When we went to collect the remains in Harare, body viewing was not done as we were in the midst of a Covid-19 wave. During that time last year, the disease was wreaking havoc and we thought the service provider had done a proper job. We also did not conduct any body viewing in Nyanga. Admittedly, the coffin was lighter than expected but the pall-bearers thought that since the remains were in an advanced state of decomposition, this could have affected the weight, he explained. Asked on how they eventually discovered that they had buried an empty coffin, Mr Chimwamurombe said Doves dropped the bombshell on them. We were only informed by people from Doves that a mix-up on our fathers body had occurred. How they discovered that, we are not privy to that. What disturbed us the most is the time it took them to discover the error. Maybe the police will furnish us with more details on what really transpired when they finalise their investigations. Our doors are always open for formal engagement with the company, he said. Doves Funeral Services spokesperson, Mr Innocent Tshuma, could not be drawn to reveal more details on the issue as he said police investigations are still underway. However, The Manica Post understands that meetings have since been held between Doves Funeral Services and the Chimwamurombes in Nyanga and Harare. A statement prepared and signed by the Chimwamurombes attorney, Mr Tafara Chiturumani of Chiturumani Zvavanoda Law Chambers on November 6, 2021reads: Both parties have realised that there is need to scientifically establish the truth regarding the burial of the deceased, and correct any findings of impropriety arising out of the burial process. The agreed process will entail: (a) exhumation of the graves concerned, in compliance with the requirements of the law; (b) identification of any remains recovered, either through DNA tests or other means; and (c) reburial of the deceased, if necessary. However, traditional leaders have come out guns blazing as they say their land was defiled by the boob. A bitter Chief Katerere, whose land was reportedly defiled by Doves Funeral Services, witnessed the exhumation of the empty coffin last week on Friday. The traditional leader had no kind words for the company. It is unheard of to bury an empty coffin. Why did they fail to dictate this anomaly on time? How could they travel all the way from Harare to Katerere without doing due diligence? I was present when the coffin was exhumed and inside were white cloths, blankets, plastics and some bloodstains, said Chief Katerere in an interview with The Manica Post early this week. He said while the police are continuing with their investigations, he will summon the company to appear before his court for defiling his land. In cases of this nature, offenders are usually fined five cattle. We will ensure that justice prevails. The Chimwamurombes should also be compensated, he said. Zimbabwe Council of Chiefs Manicaland provincial chairman, Chief Makumbe chipped in saying the Doves Funeral Services have got a case to answer. They violated Hwesa traditions. Tampering with dead bodies is a criminal offence and as the custodians of our culture, we will not fold our arms and watch from a distance as this has a large bearing in the discharge of our duties. The Katereres now have an open grave in their community, what will happen to it? This is a mockery of our norms and values. When they transported the empty coffin from Harare, the weight of the coffin should have raised eyebrows. Where did the bloodstains that were found in the coffin that was exhumed in Nyanga came from? If it belonged to someone else, it means that the Chimwamurombes dedicated the spirit of a stranger to their ancestors, said Chief Makumbe. He added: Doves is a reputable company with many years of experience in handling dead bodies and should have properly handled this whole issue. The company should engage the Chimwamurombes and Chief Katerere to settle this issue once and for all. As traditional leaders in Manicaland, we also want to summon them to appear before our council to address all the grey areas regarding this issue. We want proper closure on the issue, he said. Manica Post Advertisement Russian state TV is claiming that Ukraine is about to launch a NATO-backed attack on pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country, in what is feared to be a Kremlin propaganda effort to justify an invasion. Three of Russia's largest state-owned media channels - Channel 1, Rossiya 1 and NTV - ran Thursday evening bulletins that spoke of 'hospitals and artillery' being deployed near rebel-held areas in the Donbass region, 120,000 Ukrainian troops armed with NATO weapons near the frontline, and an increase in shelling. Separately, US intelligence sources alleged that Russia is about to stage a 'false flag' operation involving faked drone attacks on the Donbass region or Russian territory - including footage of destroyed locations strewn with corpses and fake mourners - as a pre-text for invading in order to prevent a 'genocide'. Ukraine has already accused Belarus of trying to stage a so-called 'false flag' operation, by claiming to have shot down one of Kiev's spy drones near the border with Russia on Thursday. Belarusian state media circulated images of what it said was a downed Ukrainian drone, but Ukraine's foreign ministry 'categorically denied' it was genuine. 'The intensity with which Russian-state controlled media is spreading a false story about a fake UA drone allegedly 'violating Belarusian airspace' is a crystal clear example drawn straight from the pages of Russia's disinformation playbook. Do not be misled,' foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko tweeted. Contrary to Russian state media's claims, satellite images reveal it is Putin who has massed around 130,000 troops backed by tanks and artillery on Ukraine's borders - and is in the process of staging elaborate war games in Belarus that observers fear could be used as cover to stage an invasion. Belarusian tanks take part in live-fire drills on a training ground near Brest - part of huge joint war games with Russia which observers fear could be used to disguise an invasion Rocket artillery open fire during huge military drills taking place in Brest, Belarus, which began on Wednesday and are set to continue for at least another week A rocket explodes on a training ground in western Belarus, amid joint 'combat readiness' drills being carried out with Russia Mobile artillery units open fire during huge war games that are currently taking place in Belarus, amid tensions with Ukraine A Russian tank fires its main cannon during joint war games currently taking place in Belarus, near the border with Ukraine President Xi hosts Vladimir Putin in Beijing for start of the Winter Olympics China's President Xi Jinping today met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin for the first time in nearly two years, with the pair drawing closer as tensions grow with the West. Xi has not left China since January 2020, when the country was grappling with its initial Covid-19 outbreak and locked down the central city of Wuhan where the virus was first detected. He is now readying to meet more than 20 leaders as Beijing kicks off a Winter Olympics it hopes will be a soft-power triumph and shift focus away from a build-up blighted by a diplomatic boycott and Covid fears. Putin's jet touched down in the Chinese capital earlier today, state broadcaster CCTV reported, on the day of the Beijing Winter Olympics opening ceremony. The two leaders are set to share talks before their nations release a joint statement reflecting their 'common views' on security and other issues, a top Kremlin adviser said at a Wednesday press briefing. The two strongmen will then attend the Olympic opening ceremony in the evening. Putin remains the highest-profile guest at the event following the decision by the US, UK and others not to send officials in protest over China's human rights abuses and its treatment of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities. The Putin-Xi talks are expected to focus on coordinating their countries' foreign policies, with Mr Putin writing in an article published on Thursday by the Chinese news agency Xinhua that Moscow and Beijing play an 'important stabilising role' in global affairs and help make international affairs 'more equitable and inclusive'. The Russian president has criticised 'attempts by some countries to politicise sports to the benefit of their ambitions', an apparent reference to a US-led diplomatic boycott, which does not affect the participation of athletes in the Games. Advertisement Russia, which seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and backs separatists in the east of the country, is demanding security guarantees including a promise NATO will never admit Kiev as it has amassed some 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border. The United States has said there is little chance of Ukraine joining NATO soon but that the country should decide its own future as the powers clash over their spheres of influence in post-Cold War Europe. U.S. intelligence believes Russia could use a fabricated video showing the graphic aftermath of an explosion, including equipment appearing to belong to Ukraine or allied nations, to justify an incursion. It 'would involve actors playing mourners for people who are killed in an event that they (Russia) would have created themselves... (and) deployment of corpses to represent bodies purportedly killed,' U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor Jonathan Finer told MSNBC. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the reports, according to the TASS news agency, saying similar things had been said previously but amounted to nothing. Moscow has denied accusations in the past that it is trying to manufacture a conflict and says it is not planning an invasion but that it could take unspecified military action if its security demands are not met. The Kremlin accused Washington on Thursday of ignoring its calls to ease the standoff, a day after the United States announced it would send nearly 3,000 extra troops to Poland and Romania. 'It's obvious that these are not steps aimed at de-escalating tensions, but on the contrary they are actions that lead to increasing tension,' Peskov said on a conference call on Thursday. 'We constantly call on our American counterparts to stop aggravating tensions on the European continent. Unfortunately, the Americans continue to do so,' he said. Paratroopers with the U.S. Army boarded aircraft on Thursday to leave for Eastern Europe 'in support of assuring our NATO allies and our partners in deterring Russia,' U.S. Army spokesman Matthew Visser said. The soldiers were departing from Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Around 1,700 service members, mainly from the 82nd Airborne Division, were being deployed to Poland, while 300 others will move to Germany, he said. Washington and NATO have expresses a readiness to discuss arms control and confidence-building measures. Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier in the week that Moscow was still interested in dialogue. In Brussels, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said there had been a significant movement of Russian military forces into Ukraine's northern neighbor Belarus in recent days. The Russia-Belarus joint military drills, running until Feb. 20, have provided Moscow with cover to further increase forces near Ukraine. 'This is the biggest Russian deployment there since the Cold War,' said Stoltenberg, adding the expected deployment includes 30,000 combat troops, Spetsnaz special operations forces, SU-35 fighter jets, S-400 air defence systems and nuclear-capable Iskander missiles. The Kremlin has described the Allied Resolve exercises as a rehearsal for repelling external aggression and says its forces will withdraw after the drills. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu arrived in Belarus on Thursday to inspect the troops. Mil Mi-8 helicopters of the Belarusian Air Force take part in joint war games with Russia in Brest, Belarus, on Thursday Belarus Air Force Yak-130 trainer aircraft take part in military drills in the skies over Brest, Belarus, on Thursday Yakovlev Yak-130 aircraft of the Belarusian Air Force let off heat flares as they take part in training exercises in Brest, Belarus Paratroopers take part in a jump during training exercises meant to test the joint readiness of Belarusian and Russian troops A Mil Mi-24 helicopter of the Belarusian Air Force takes part in a joint training exercise with Russian troops on Thursday The Belarusian defence minister released images from the exercises showing troops parachuting to the ground, fighter jets in the sky, soldiers dismounting from a helicopter holding weapons, and tanks firing and manoeuvring. Belarus shares its western border with NATO members Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, while Ukraine lies to its south. Support for Russia came from China. Their two foreign ministers 'coordinated their positions' during a meeting in Beijing on Thursday, the Chinese foreign ministry said. China expressed understanding and support for Russia's position on security regarding Russia's relationship with the United States and NATO, it said. Ukrainian Special Forces showing off their IPI Malyuk assault rifles, amid tensions with Russia Putin was set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday before attending the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics. The U.S. State Department warned Russia that a closer relationship between Moscow and Beijing would not make up for the consequences of an invasion and only make the Russian economy 'more brittle.' Elsewhere, world leaders continued their efforts to resolve the crisis. In Kiev, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan held talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy and offered to host a meeting between Putin and Zelenskiy. In a move likely to grate with Moscow, Zelenskiy used the meeting to trumpet a deal enabling Ukrainian factories to produce Turkish drones that have already been deployed in Ukraine's war against Russia-backed rebels in its eastern Donbass region. In Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron said he and Polish President Andrzej Duda had discussed the possibility of a three-way meeting along with Germany's Olaf Scholz in coming days on the situation in Ukraine. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for Russia to return to a path of 'peace and dialogue' or face sanctions as the EU worked on a joint response to a letter many of its members received from Russia seeking security guarantees. Russia has also denied any intention of invading Ukraine, despite NATO warning of the biggest deployment of Moscow's forces in Belarus since Soviet times. 'Over the last days, we have seen a significant movement of Russian military forces into Belarus. This is the biggest Russian deployment there since the Cold War,' said Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. However, Ukraine also played down the threat of a Russian invasion. Defence minister Oleksii Reznikov said 'the threat exists, the risks exist, but they have existed since 2014, ever since Russia has become an aggressor.' Currently, 'there are no grounds for panic, fear, flight or the packing of bags', he said. MT-LB armoured personnel carriers take part in war games in Brest, Belarus, on Thursday as part of joint drills with Russia Tanks roll across a military firing range and open fire with their cannons during joint training exercises in Belarus Smoke from an explosion rises into the air as Belarusian and Russian militaries take part in joint training exercises in Belarus An explosion lights up a firing range in Brest, Belarus, during joint training exercises involving Moscow and Minsk's forces And the head of the armed forces in Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny denied any plans for offensives by his country in the Donbas or Crimea. 'No orders or discussions about a military operation in Crimea and Donbass have been held,' he said. UK foreign secretary Liz Truss said of the US false flag stunt claims: 'This is clear and shocking evidence of Russia's unprovoked aggression and underhand activity to destabilise Ukraine. 'This bellicose intent towards a sovereign, democratic country is completely unacceptable and we condemn it in the strongest possible terms.' Belarus has protested to Ukraine after an alleged spy drone was downed on its territory. New footage shows the drone for the first time. Minsk claimed the unmanned reconnaissance flyer was on an illegal mission to monitor massing Russian troops near Brest. 'An analysis of data from the drone systems shows that it was launched from Ukrainian territory to accomplish an illegal reconnaissance mission over the Brestsky range [one of the ranges to host the joint Russian-Belarusian exercise],' said the Belarus foreign ministry. Ukraine's foreign ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko denied launching the spy drone, claiming the story was 'mythical'. It was 'another provocation by the authorities in Belarus 'We urge Minsk not to play along with Russia's destabilising actions. 'Peace on the border between Belarus and Ukraine is in the interest of the entire region.' A Russian machine-gunner opens fire during war games to test the 'combat readiness' of Russian and Belarusian troops Advertisement London Underground passengers face major disruption next month after union bosses announced workers would go on strike, accusing the Government of having 'deliberately engineered' a financial crisis on the network. The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union revealed today that all Tube staff had been 'instructed to refuse to book on for any duty' which begins from midnight to midnight on both Tuesday, March 1 and Thursday, March 3. The union wants assurances over jobs, pay, pensions and working conditions amid fears of cuts in Transport for London (TfL) funding after a collapse in demand during the pandemic, and said about 10,000 members will strike. RMT boss Mick Lynch blamed the Government today for causing financial issues at TfL to 'drive a cuts agenda which would savage jobs, services, safety and threaten their working conditions and pensions'. The general secretary of the union added in a statement this morning that 'these are the very same transport staff praised as heroes for carrying London through Covid for nearly two years, often at serious personal risk'. The RMT said that the action was taking place because of the 'continuing refusal to give assurances on jobs, pensions and working conditions in the midst of an ongoing financial crisis driven by central Government'. The London-based union added that its announcement 'comes in the wake of a recent ballot of over 10,000 members across all grades of London Underground staff with 94 per cent of members voted to strike'. But TfL bosses hit back at the 'extremely disappointing' announcement today, saying the RMT's claims that 94 per cent of its members had voted to strike were 'incorrect', and that the figure was actually 'fewer than 50 per cent'. TfL's chief operating officer Andy Lord told MailOnline that 'no proposals have been tabled on pensions or terms and conditions, and nobody has or will lose their jobs as a result of the proposals we have set out'. Mr Lord also called on the union to 'do the right thing for London, talk to us and call off this unnecessary action'. The news will come as a blow to business leaders in London who desperately want to see workers back in the office to help the struggling city centre economy, with Tube usage still at just half of pre-pandemic levels. The newly-announced strikes are separate to the ongoing Night Tube industrial action, which is seeing RMT members on the Central and Victoria lines walking out for eight hours on Friday and Saturday evenings until June. Commuters get off a London Underground train in the capital on Monday after the last of the Plan B measures were dropped Passengers on board a London Underground Victoria line train travel through the capital on Monday Mr Lynch said today: 'Our members will be taking strike action next month because a financial crisis at LUL has been deliberately engineered by the Government to drive a cuts' agenda which would savage jobs, services, safety and threaten their working conditions and pensions. 'These are the very same transport staff praised as heroes for carrying London through Covid for nearly two years, often at serious personal risk, who now have no option but to strike to defend their livelihoods. The politicians need to wake up to the fact that transport staff will not pay the price for this cynically engineered crisis. Grant Shapps say train passengers will see 'big improvements' Transport Secretary Grant Shapps at No10 on Tuesday Train passengers frustrated by emergency timetables will see 'big improvements' in the next fortnight, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has pledged. Hundreds of daily services were axed in December and January in the wake of staff shortages caused by the Omicron coronavirus variant. It was estimated in early January that around 10 per cent of rail staff were absent from work. But despite cases of the virus falling, train timetables remain more than a fifth below pre-pandemic levels. In an interview with the PA news agency, Mr Shapps revealed he is speaking to train operators 'all the time' to ensure their timetables 'come back up to spec'. He said: 'In the next couple of weeks we should start to see big improvements. Of course, we're timing that alongside the fact that not everyone is back to work yet but we're starting to see big increases in the number of people travelling.' Latest provisional Department for Transport figures show the number of journeys made on Britain's railways on Monday was at 51 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. Train operators say they introduced the emergency timetables to provide a more reliable service following weeks of widespread short-notice cancellations. Mr Shapps was asked if the rail industry will need to make permanent cuts to its operations as taxpayer support which has kept services running during the virus crisis is reduced. The Cabinet minister replied: 'What I want to see is railways expand not shrink. I'm opening new lines to do that. There's a very bright long-term future. 'Obviously, with regards to how much people travel and at what speed they return to work, we need to make sure the timetables match that. But our commitment to the railways, I think, is second to none.' Advertisement 'In addition to the strike action RMT is coordinating a campaign of resistance with colleagues from other unions impacted by this threat. The union remains available for talks aimed at resolving the dispute.' But Mr Lord responded by saying: 'It is extremely disappointing that the RMT has today announced strike action, as no proposals have been tabled on pensions or terms and conditions, and nobody has or will lose their jobs as a result of the proposals we have set out. 'The devastating impact of the pandemic on TfL finances has made a programme of change urgently necessary and we need the RMT to work with us, rather than disrupting London's recovery. We're urging them to do the right thing for London, talk to us and call off this unnecessary action.' TfL sources added that they had not yet been officially notified by the RMT about the industrial action planned next month and said they remain 'open to talks'. A Department for Transport spokesman told MailOnline: 'The Government has already pledged over 4.5 billion to keep London's transport network running, enabling businesses to operate and key workers to continue their critical work in the capital. 'But the Mayor has a responsibility to get TfL back onto a sustainable financial footing in a way that is fair to taxpayers, rather than continuing to push for bailouts from the state. We will continue to discuss further funding requirements with TfL and the Mayor.' Government officials also feel that the Spending Review settlement for London of more than 1billion capital investment per year was in line with previous funding and with other regions of the UK - and that this is at time of significant pressure on national finances. It comes as Sir Brendan Barber, the former general secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), and pensions expert Joanne Segars are working on an independent review of TfL's pension arrangements, which is a condition of the Government funding agreement on June 1. All of TfL's recognised trade unions are being invited to take part in the review, and TfL has insisted that 'this is just a review and there are no plans for change'. Transport bosses say they are trying to 'bring staffing levels in line with customer need while protecting as many jobs as possible for the people who work for it today', and are proposing not recruiting into about 250 customer services vacancies that are currently unfilled. The bosses will also look at 'placing controls on future recruitment', with the aim of reducing posts by a further 250 to 350 as people retire or move on from TfL, which would mean an overall reduction of around 500 to 600 posts compared to pre-pandemic staffing levels. But TfL insists that the Underground will remain well staffed, with more than 4,500 employees available along with enforcement teams and police officers. As part of the most recent funding agreement between TfL and the Government, TfL is required to work towards achieving financial sustainability by April 2023. This means TfL is aiming for an overall target for recurring savings of just over 500million for London Underground, but bosses fear the latest industrial action will further impact TfL's finances as well as impeding London's recovery from the pandemic. It comes as TfL revealed earlier this week that it is facing a 1.5 billion gap in its finances by 2024/25 unless it receives additional funding, amid a threat that Tube lines could otherwise close for days. TfL has repeatedly called on the Government to provide a long-term financial package due to the reduction in fare revenue caused by the pandemic. The latest bailout expires today. Commuters with face coverings ride a London Underground train through the capital on Monday morning Passengers walk along the platform at a London Underground station during the morning rush hour on Monday The Department for Transport has previously insisted it has 'repeatedly shown its commitment' to supporting TfL during the pandemic by providing 'more than 4billion in emergency funding'. Railway cleaners vote for industrial action in pay dispute Workers who clean trains for a number of rail operators have voted for industrial action in a dispute over pay. The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said hundreds of its members employed by contractors across the South East have 'overwhelmingly' backed action. The cleaners are employed by Churchill on Thameslink, Southern, Great Northern, Southeastern, High Speed 1 and Eurostar trains and stations. The union's executive committee will meet to discuss the next move. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: 'Churchill and cleaning employers across the industry need to pay close attention to this result. 'Our members have put their lives on the line throughout the Covid pandemic, they've endured low pay and a total lack of respect, and they've watched their wages being eaten away by the growing cost of living crisis. 'Now they've sent a resounding signal that they're not taking it any longer.' Advertisement TfL also said this week that all 'uncommitted' Healthy Streets projects encouraging people to switch from cars to walking and cycling will be paused or cancelled as it revealed proposals to reduce the programme's budget by 473 million for the six years from 2019/20. The transport body is also considering suspending the second phase of its Direct Vision initiative to protect vulnerable road users from lorries. And TfL revealed it expects annual revenue from introducing a proposed emissions-based pricing charge for driving in London to reach 300 million by 2024/25. Mayor Sadiq Khan is proposing to launch a 'clean air charge' and/or expand the ultra-low emission zone. Hospitality bosses warn that the Night Tube strikes are affecting businesses, jobs and people's safety, saying that drivers walking out on weekends until June 'is the last thing the capital needs' as it recovers from the pandemic. They pointed out it will also be more dangerous for women and vulnerable people looking for a safe route home in the evening. The Night Tube strikes have been taking place every weekend since January 7. UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said: 'A strike would jeopardise hospitality businesses, jobs, livelihoods and peoples' safety. 'The Tube is crucial for safely transporting staff and customers - often women and vulnerable people late at night - to and from venues. 'Hospitality has suffered two disastrous years of closure and devastatingly low levels of trade, but will now be key to London's recovery. The last thing the capital needs is new setbacks like this.' Drivers have been striking amid arguments over rotas for the Night Tube, but Night Time Industries Association chief executive Michael Kill said: 'We have fought extremely hard to re-establish the Night Tube service last year. A graph from Transport for London shows how Tube usage fell off in December 2021 but is now recovering again this year This Transport for London graph shows how Underground usage has changed over the last two years, split by type of station But now further disruption through long term strike action is likely to have a devastating impact on the night time economy which is a fundamental part of the Capitals infrastructure. Are journeys recovering on TfL Tubes and buses? Transport for London said there were 2.04million Underground journeys made on Monday, which is up 9 per cent in a week, but still only 54 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. On the buses, there were 4.41million journeys on Monday, which is up 4 per cent in a week, and at 74 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. At Westminster Tube station specifically, there were 26,000 entries and exits on Monday, which was up 13.7 per cent in a week but still at just 44 per cent of pre-pandemic levels when compared to the 59,000 on Monday, February 3, 2020. At stations with close links to the City, such as Mansion House, Aldgate, Canary Wharf and Holborn, there were 359,000 entries and exits in total on Monday, which is up 14 per cent in a week, and 40 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. And at shopping and West End stations, such as Stratford, Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Circus, there were 470.9,000 entries and exits in total on Monday, which is up 7 per cent in a week, and 55 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. Weekday passenger numbers were at 50 per cent of pre-pandemic levels on the Tube and 70 per cent on buses in mid-January, with TfL expecting them both to reach 80 per cent this year. Advertisement 'This action will further limit the services on the night tube, against the backdrop of night time economy businesses facing an extremely challenging start to 2022, presenting considerable concerns over the safety of customers and staff traveling home at night.' And London Chamber of Commerce chief executive Richard Burge branded the RMT 'obstructive and selfish'. He called on the union to 'put their shoulder to the wheel and show solidarity with businesses and Londoners'. Latest provisional Department for Transport figures show the number of journeys made on Britain's railways on Monday was at 51 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. TfL said there were 2.04million Underground journeys made on Monday, which is up 9 per cent in a week, but still only 54 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. On the buses, there were 4.41million journeys on Monday, which is up 4 per cent in a week, and at 74 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. Weekday passenger numbers were at 50 per cent of pre-pandemic levels on the Tube and 70 per cent on buses in mid-January, with TfL expecting them both to reach 80 per cent this year. Earlier this week, Tory MPs accused Mr Khan of failing to take 'responsibility for his own shortcomings' as he threatened to shut the Underground for days and close bridges as transport bosses warned of a 1.5billion finance gap. Schemes promoting walking and cycling, which the Mayor has continually pushed, are also now facing cuts. Motorists also face paying an extra 300million a year - with Transport for London saying that bringing in a road tax, increasing council tax and extending the congestion charge would still be insufficient to balance the budget. The Mayor has launched a drive since the pandemic began to get people walking and cycling again through 'Healthy Streets' projects which have included installing cycle lanes and improving walking routes. In addition, the 'Streetspace' plan aimed at helping people maintain safe social distance had a budget of 80million. But amid a funding crisis, TfL has now said all 'uncommitted' Healthy Streets projects must be paused or cancelled as it revealed proposals to reduce the programme's budget by 473million for the six years from 2019/20. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan (pictured last Friday in Lewisham, South East London) is proposing to launch a 'clean air charge' RMT boss Mick Lynch (above, last October) blamed the Government for causing financial issues at TfL to 'drive a cuts agenda' The transport body is also considering suspending the second phase of its Direct Vision initiative to protect vulnerable road users from lorries, as well as a planned fast ferry service between Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf. TfL also faces a '435million reduction in major projects' meaning the Piccadilly line signalling upgrade and Jubilee line 'optimisation' are under threat, while there will also be cuts in the step-free access programme. And TfL said the Tube could go into 'managed decline', referring to: 'A declining network with ageing assets that will fail more regularly. The risk of major asset reliability issues on the Tube that could cause multi-day closures.' Its report said there are 45 TfL road network structures, bridges and tunnels with 'interim safety measures', and cited six examples that 'represent a high risk to operability' - including the Rotherhithe Tunnel fire and ventilation system renewal in South East London and the Croydon Flyover structural lighting renewal in South London. Others examples were the A40 Westway in West London where 12 key bridge joint renewals are required, as well as steel fatigue issues on Vauxhall Bridge in Central London and Gallows Corner Flyover in Romford, East London, as well as structural condition improvements needed at Brent Cross in North London. Reacting to the latest funding gap, Conservative MP for Wimbledon Stephen Hammond told MailOnline this week: 'Yet again this is the Mayor showing he is failing to take any responsibility for his own shortcomings. Clearly there are problems due to Covid, but the government have provided him with a new funding package.' The former transport minister added: 'Yet again he is failing to meet some of his commitments so that this black hole can be sorted out. This mayor needs to stand up and take responsibility and stop blaming everyone else.' Chilling dashcam footage has revealed a motorbike rider hailed for having 'ice in his veins' calmly dealing with a giant huntsman spider crawling all over him. The huge spider can be seen suddenly appearing from under the motorcyclist's seat before climbing up the man's bag onto his back, then his shoulder and arm. But as the fearless rider sits in traffic and the spider makes a beeline for his helmet, he nonchalantly flicks it onto the road with just a casual glance. The huntsman made its way from underneath the bike before crawling on the man's bag (pictured) Next the critter made its way up the rider's back before moving onto his arm (pictured right) The rider with 'ice in his veins' remained calm, casually flicking the spider to the road (pictured right) The terrifying video for those with a spider phobia - also known as Arachnophobia - was apparently shot in Western Australia and has been shared more than 1000 times, generating just under 4000 comments. 'That was an incredibly dignified response to a terrifying experience,' one wrote under the clip posted on Facebook page, The Bell Tower Times. Another joked 'Plot twist, it actually bit him and later that night he turned into Spider-Man.' A third stated 'this is truly the stuff of nightmares.' Despite their often large and hairy appearance, huntsman spiders are not considered dangerous to humans. As with most arachnids, they do possess venom, and a bite may cause a degree of pain. But their venom is not toxic to humans - and will usually try to run away, rather than be aggressive. They can also be an ally in the house, helping with pest-control by eating smaller insects. A 23-year-old transgender woman was killed by her brother in Iraqi Kurdistan, police have said. Doski Azad, who was a make-up artist, died in a so-called 'honour killing' when her long-lost brother Chakdar Azad shot her. Police heard about Ms Azad's death three days later, after receiving a call from a man who identified himself as another brother of the victim. Doski Azad (pictured), a 23-year-old transgender woman was killed by her brother in Iraqi Kurdistan, police have said Ms Azad had been promoting her transition on social media, she is pictured in one of her posts on Instagram Ms Azad, who had been promoting her transition on social media, was found dead in the village of Mangesh, around 12 miles north of the city centre of Duhok. No arrests have been made and the suspect fled the country, Ekurd Daily reported. Ms Azad, who left home more than five years ago, had received multiple threats from her family because of her identity despite establishing her own life as a woman and working in a salon. Speaking to Rudaw her uncle Dlovan Sadiq said: 'She left the house five to six years ago, I had not seen her ever since. Doski made a mistake.' A friend of hers also told the publication that Ms Azad's father had taken her ID and passport from her but that she 'seemed to have received it back because she spent New Years in Dubai'. Another source also told Rudaw that her brother fled the country on January 30, and drove north to Turkey to avoid tracking. The US Consulate General in Erbil, the Iraqi Kurdish capital, yesterday condemned the killing in a statement which read: 'We categorically condemn this violence and the discrimination that is undoubtedly at the root of this crime. Police heard about Ms Azad's death three days later, after receiving a call from a man who identified himself as another brother of the victim 'We ask the authorities to thoroughly investigate this murder and prosecute the perpetrator to the fullest extent of the law.' Duhok police have said it was Ms Azad's family who told them she was killed by her brother, and reported where her body was. Speaking to local media, district director Brendar Dosky had said that the motive behind the killing is likely Ms Azad's transgender identity but 'this is preliminary information and it needs a detailed investigation.' Ms Azad's body was last understood to have been examined by forensic teams. Her family called the police around 3pm on January 31. Ms Azad's brother is thought to have returned to Kurdistan in January. The US Consulate General in Erbil, the Iraqi Kurdish capital, yesterday condemned the killing in a statement An arrest warrant for the suspect, who allegedly lives in Germany, has been issued, VOA reported. Activists have said this killing in particular has been 'gravely concerning' for transgender people in the area, a woman's rights activist told the publication. Hafya Doski said: 'They already feel discriminated against in our society and attacks like this only exacerbate those fears.' Last April it was reported Kurdish security forces arrested at least eight gay men in the city of Sulaymaniyah. The government had said the operation was a crack down on prostitution and wasn't targeting the group, but members of the local LGBTQ community felt shaken by the events. Speaking to VOA, some said they were attempts to force the men to undergo physical examinations. Pictured here are the tragic teenage couple found dead in a Dorset nature reserve, in what is believed to be a suicide pact. The bodies of Jack Williams, 18, and Katherine Powell, 17, were discovered by a member of public at Bothenhampton Nature Reserve near Bridport, on the morning of January 25. An initial post mortem examination has revealed the provisional cause of death for both of them was hanging. The inquest opening heard that both Mr Williams and Miss Powell were known to police and identified by Dorset Police custody system images. The force has referred itself to the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), over the matter. The bodies of Jack Williams, 18, and Katherine Powell, 17, were discovered by a member of public at Bothenhampton Nature Reserve near Bridport, on the morning of January 25. The bodies of 17-year-old Katherine Powell and an 18-year-old Jack Williams were found at Bothenhampton Reservoir, near Bridport, Dorset, on the morning of January 25 According to the IOPC's website, one of the reasons a force should refer itself to them is 'if someone had direct or indirect contact with the police when, or shortly before, they were seriously injured or died' and where 'the contact may have caused or contributed to the death or injury.' Mr Williams, originally from Coventry, West Midlands, was single and unemployed. At the time of his death, he was living in West Bay, Dorset, the setting of the hit ITV crime drama Broadchurch. Miss Powell was also single and unemployed, and her home address was given as Kenilworth, Warwickshire. Ian Bark, the mayor of Bridport, said the community would be shocked by the double tragedy. 'My sympathies go out to the friends and families of these young people. It's very sad to hear that two people who are both so young have died.' Residents in the quiet neighbourhood of Wych Hill awoke on Tuesday to the sound of sirens. Paul Williams, who lives in one of the houses on the lane, said: 'It was a double hanging in the nature reserve. 'The whole road was taped off. A dog walker found them. A police community support officer came here yesterday looking for CCTV but there isn't any.' Officers are appealing for witnesses who may have seen the teenagers in the Bridport or West Bay area between Saturday January 22 and Tuesday January 25 Another man, who wished not to be named, added: 'I heard it was a suicide pact between two young people. It's dreadful. Certainly not something you expect to happen on your doorstep. 'Police and an ambulance were here from 10am until 5pm. The fire engine had difficulty getting access (to the reserve).' Another resident described the location where it happened as 'beautiful and quiet'. Coroner's officer Grace Monro said: 'Police and paramedics were called by a member of the public to Bothenhampton reservoir following the discovery of two unresponsive young persons, one male and one female. 'They were both confirmed deceased at the scene. 'The male was identified as Jack Williams who was known to the police and had had recent contact with them. 'The matter has been referred to the IOPC and an image from the Dorset Police custody system was used to identify him. 'The female's identity was established as Katherine Powell who was known to the police and had had recent contact with them. 'The matter has been referred to the IOPC and she was identified with a Dorset Police custody system image. Pictured: A police cordon tape at Bothenhampton Nature Reserve 'There are no evidence of third party involvement.' The post mortem examination was carried out by Dr Robert Blahut, at Holly Tree Lodge mortuary, Bournemouth. Both bodies have been released to the families for funerals. Dorset Senior Coroner Rachael Griffin adjourned the inquest at Bournemouth Town Hall until July 4 for a pre-inquest review. For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details. Up to 3.5million Covid vaccine doses are set to be binned after reaching their expiry date, it was revealed today. A leaked memo last month revealed that tens of millions of jabs sent to hospitals, GP surgeries and pharmacies in the run up to Christmas to fight Omicron had largely went unused. Now NHS sources say more than half of the doses sent to some clinics are still 'sitting in fridges' amid falling demand for the booster shots. One well-placed official estimated up to 3.5m doses are likely to be binned, based on stock counts in several English regions, the Health Service Journal reports. And they accused officials of sending out jabs 'way in excess of demand' in the race to boost the nation, leaving them struggling to fill appointments. Pfizer jabs which make up the bulk of booster shots had their shelf-life extended from 31 to 45 days last month to allow more time for them to reach patients. But even with this extension, sources say these are now set to pass their use-by date and be disposed of. Yesterday, the expiry date for thawed Moderna jabs also used in the roll out was extended from 30 to 60 days, but it is feared these too could expire. The above graph shows uptake of the booster jabs by age group, compared to whole population. All over-18s are eligible for the jabs from three months after their second dose The above graph shows the proportion of Covid booster jabs administered per 100 people in major European nations as well as the US. It reveals Britain had the highest booster uptake until late December when it was overtaken by Denmark Primary care sources have warned many jabs are set to expire because of slowing uptake Britain purchased another 114million Covid jabs when Omicron first hit in 2022 and 2023, which ministers said will help the country to 'buy time' against variants. The UK's booster roll out is one of the best in Europe, outpacing other nations including France and Germany. Eight in ten out of the 39million people eligible for boosters in England have already got their top up dose, figures show. Health chiefs extend shelf-life of Pfizer Covid vaccines by TWO WEEKS Health chiefs extended the shelf life of Pfizer's Covid jabs over fears millions of injections would have to be binned in mid-January. A slowdown in the booster drive prompted concerns that life-saving doses would end up being wasted. But NHS bosses were given permission to push back the expiry date of 20 batches of Pfizer's vaccines by two weeks. The batches which are transported and stored in ultra-cold freezers saw the time they could be kept in the fridge extended to 45 days after they are thawed. Previously, they were no longer usable after 31 days. Officials said the move, which was approved by both Pfizer and the UK's drug safety watchdog, would allow more patients to be vaccinated over the coming days. NHS England did not confirm how many doses were affected, but Pfizer confirmed only the specified batches now have a 45-day shelf life. But both the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and Pfizer said the extension does not affect the 'safety, quality or efficacy' of the jabs. Advertisement Uptake is close to 90 per cent among the over-75s, who are most at risk of falling seriously ill if they catch Covid. But among the youngest age groups it drops to as low as 30 per cent. All over-18s who got their second dose at least three months ago are eligible for the third jab. A primary care source who was not named told the HSJ their clinic was sent stocks 'way in excess of demand' over Christmas. 'We've been told we can extend (the vaccines expiry date) for two weeks but that's delaying the inevitable,' they said. 'The scale of the surplus exceeds several months of demand... the logistics pumped way too much stock into the system, double what was needed if we are representative.' Sources warned the extension on the expiry date of some of their stocks had already lapsed, with jabs now being disposed of. NHS England disputed that it had sent out too many doses, however, saying clinics were responsible for ordering in their own supply. A spokeswoman said: 'The NHS gave additional supply to sites based on their expected demand and doses requested. 'The NHS continues to encourage people to come forward particularly those who were unable to get their booster because they tested positive for Covid in line with JCVI advice.' Britain's booster drive opened to all over-50s that got their second dose at least six months ago in September. But amid mounting concern over the Omicron variant it was opened to all over-18s to ensure the nation was protected. Uptake sky-rocketed, averaging 850,000 doses a day in the middle of December. But at the turn of the year, and as evidence mounted that the Omicron variant was milder than first feared, demand began to fall away. Latest vaccination figures show an average of 44,880 booster jabs were dished out on February 2, down from 59,500 a week ago and 246,977 a month ago. February 2's figure was the lowest number of boosters given out in a single day since the drive began. Around eight in ten eligible over-18s have already got their booster jabs, official figures show, barely two months after they all became eligible. But uptake is lower in younger age groups where around 60 per cent have got their third jabs. Advertisement Rescuers inched closer Friday to reaching a five-year-old boy trapped for three days in a well in Morocco, in an operation hampered by concerns about ground stability that has captivated the North African country. The boy, identified as Rayan, fell into a 32-metre (105-feet) shaft, located outside his home in the village of Ighran in the northern province of Chefchaouen, on Tuesday evening. Search crews first used five bulldozers to dig vertically to a depth of more than 31 metres, according to Morocco's official MAP news agency. Then on Friday, they started excavating a horizontal tunnel to reach the trapped boy, MAP said, adding that experts in topographical engineering were called upon for help. Work had to be temporarily halted, but was later resumed. 'Digging has stopped momentarily out of concern that the ground surrounding the well could collapse,' rescue committee member Abdelhadi Temrani told local television 2M. Rescue workers used a rope to provide oxygen and water to the boy, but were unable to reach him via the hole where he is trapped due to its narrow diameter. 'I pray and beg God that he comes out of that well alive and safe,' his mother Wassima Kharchich told 2M. 'Please God, ease my pain and his, in that hole of dust.' Medical staff, including specialists in resuscitation, are on site to attend to the boy once he is pulled out, with a helicopter on standby to transport him to the nearest hospital. The Moroccan government said Thursday that all efforts are being made to help save the boy. Scores of townspeople and others gathered to help and watch the rescue efforts. Nationwide, Moroccans took to social media to offer their hopes for the boy's survival, using the hashtag #SaveRayan which has brought global attention to the rescue efforts. It comes after camera footage from a frantic rescue operation showed the boy lying at the bottom of the shaft with a rope which rescuers used to transport water and oxygen in a desperate attempt to keep him alive. The operation to save the young boy's life entered its third day today, with Moroccans still waiting anxiously on Friday after authorities and firefighters continued to dig a trench parallel to the well in an attempt to pull him out. Pictures have emerged of a five year old boy trapped at the bottom of a well shaft in Morocco after he miraculously survived a 100ft fall on Tuesday. Camera footage from a frantic rescue operation showed the boy lying at the bottom of the shaft with a rope which rescuers used to transport water and oxygen in a desperate attempt to keep him alive The five-year-old, named as Rayan, fell down the narrow 100-foot (32-metre) deep well on Tuesday evening in his home village of Ighran near Bab Berred in the rural northern province of Chefchaouen, local media said (camera footage shows a rope which was used to deliver supplies) Moroccan authorities and firefighters work to rescue five-year-old boy Rayan, who is trapped in a deep well for over two days, near Bab Berred in Morocco's rural northern province of Chefchaoue. Diggers continued working overnight in an attempt to free the boy Authorities said the mission was nearing its end overnight, with spokespeople reporting around 3am GMT that there was less than 20ft of earth left to dig to reach him. Pictures from the scene overnight showed multiple diggers delving deep into the earth from multiple directions in order to reach the boy, as small crowds gathered on the edge of the ever-growing pit Moroccan authorities and firefighters work to rescue five-year-old boy Rayan, who is trapped in a deep well for over two days, near Bab Berred in Morocco's rural northern province of Chefchaouen on February 3, 2022 Pictured: Moroccan authorities and firefighters work to get five-year-old child Rayan out of a well into which he fell on Tuesday, in the region of Chefchaouen near the city of Bab Berred Rescuers prepare part of a tunnel that will be used to access little Rayan as the search reached a critical stage on Friday night Residents watch civil defense workers and local authorities attempting to rescue Rayan as search entered third day Friday Authorities say the mission was entering its final stages tonight - with less than 20ft of earth left to dig to reach him but fears that the well could cave in before the delicate operation to reach him is complete. The five-year-old, named as Rayan, fell down the narrow 100-foot (32-metre) deep well on Tuesday evening in his home village of Ighran near Bab Berred in the rural northern province of Chefchaouen, local media said. Pictures from the scene overnight showed multiple diggers delving deep into the earth from multiple directions in order to reach the boy, as small crowds gathered on the edge of the ever-growing pit. Meanwhile, footage showed rescuers sending cameras down the well's shaft to monitor the boy's situation, as the rescuers turned on floodlights to continue their efforts overnight. The rescue effort has captivated the nation with the hashtag #SaveRayan trending across social media. 'The child's rescue is approaching,' government spokesman Mustapha Baitas said late last night. 'Our hearts are with the family, and we are praying that he will back with them as soon as possible.' On Thursday local media reported that he had taken food and water that was dropped down to him using a rope. According to reports by Morocco's official MAP news agency, rescue workers have used five bulldozers to dig a hole parallel to the well and will hope to break through into where the boy is to rescue him. The well's diameter narrows as it descends, from 18 inches (45 centimeters) at the top, preventing rescuers from going down themselves to bring him up, a lead rescuer told state TV Al Oul. The shaft was too narrow for rescuers to reach the bottom, so heavy diggers were dispatched to dig a hole alongside it. On Thursday afternoon, news website Le360 said that 'only nine metres' (30 foot) remained to be dug 'that will allow rescuers to reach the boy'. The MAP news agency said rescuers had been able to send him oxygen and water via pipes. Pictured: The hole of a well is seen in the foreground where the boy is said to have fallen 100ft, while in the background diggers work from multiple angles in an attempt to rescue him Residents watch in concern as civil defence and local authorities dig in a hill as they attempt to rescue a 5 year old boy who fell into a hole near the town of Bab Berred near Chefchaouen, Morocco, Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022 Pictured: Video showing rescue workers sending cables down into the well in an attempt to reach the boy Moroccans were still waiting anxiously on Thursday evening after authorities and firefighters launched the dramatic operation to save the boy from the deep well. Authorities tonight said the mission was nearing its end Pictures and video from the scene today showed multiple diggers delving deep into the earth from multiple directions in order to reach the boy, as small crowds gathered on the edge of the ever-growing pit The shaft that the boy fell down on Tuesday was too narrow for rescuers to reach the bottom, so heavy diggers were dispatched to dig a hole alongside it. It has been over 40 hours since the boy fell Rayan's father told Le360 he had been repairing the well when the boy fell into it. Lead rescuer Abdelhabi Temrani told Al Oula television that the diameter of the well was less than 45 centimetres. Baitas said the nature of the soil meant it was too dangerous to try to widen the hole, meaning major excavations around it were the only solution. The drama has sparked an outpouring of sympathy online, with the Arabic hashtag #SaveRayan going viral across the North African region, including in neighbouring Algeria. 'The heart of every Moroccan is with this angel,' one person wrote on Twitter. The boy's fate has also attracted crowds of people to the site of the operation, putting pressure on rescuers operating in 'difficult conditions', Baitas said. 'We call on citizens to let the rescuers do their job and save this child,' he said. Authorities have also prepared a helicopter to take the child to hospital once he is extracted, national news channel 2M said. Pictured: Video captured of a screen showing a camera's footage as it was lowered down into the well where the boy fell 100ft. The shaft was too narrow for rescuers to go down themselves, so they were forced to dig down the side of the well in an attempt to reach the boy On Thursday afternoon, news website Le360 said that 'only nine metres' (30 foot) remained to be dug 'that will allow rescuers to reach the boy' Residents watch in concern as civil defense and local authorities dig in a hill as they attempt to rescue a 5 year old boy who fell into a hole near the town of Bab Berred near Chefchaouen, Morocco, Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022 Rescue operations are underway by Moroccan authorities and firefighters to get five-year-old child Reyan out of a well into which he fell some two days earlier, in the region of Chefchaouen near the city of Bab Berred, Morocco, 03 February 2022 This is the shocking moment that a man appeared to pull a gun on a police officer in broad daylight during the morning rush hour in London before being arrested. Dramatic video footage filmed in Camden this morning shows the brave officer trying to pin the man onto the ground before the man manages to wriggle free. The officer then points a Taser towards the man who backs off, before a gun appears to fall from the man's clothing and onto the pavement, which he then picks up. The man is seen pointing the gun at the officer and walks towards him as the officer backs away but as the man approaches further, he is tackled to the ground again. The 15-second video then ends abruptly, with vehicles heard sounding their horns in the background as people are seen on the street watching the incident unfold. The Metropolitan Police said detectives now believe the man's gun was a replica, but added that the 'officer's actions in the circumstances are nothing short of incredible'. Stunned eyewitnesses told MailOnline how the officer pushed the burly gunman to the ground before disarming him after his Taser had failed to subdue him. The officer had been pursuing the man in a silver Volkswagen car before the man crashed into a bollard as he tried to drive the wrong way down a one-way street. The incident in Camden today in which a gun fell from the man's clothing and he picked it up Scotland Yard said a solo motorcycle officer had been in pursuit of a car at 7.38am this morning after it failed to stop, before the vehicle 'collided with street furniture'. Police said the officer discharged his Taser and the man was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm, then taken to hospital prior to going into police custody. A spokesman for the force said that the item was 'seized for examination - at this early stage it is thought to be a replica', adding that the officer was not injured. Police also said no other members of the public were thought to have been injured, and firearms officers responded 'due to the nature of the incident'. Chief Superintendent Roy Smith said: 'We are aware of a video circulating online and can assure the public we are taking care of the officer's welfare. 'His actions in the circumstances are nothing short of incredible. He had no idea if the item being pointed at him was a replica or a lethal weapon and yet he maintained his composure and detained the suspect. The man appears to pull the gun on the police officer in broad daylight in Camden this morning The police officer appears to back away as the man points the gun and walks towards him The police officer eventually tackles the man to the floor during the incident in Camden today 'Each day police officers put on the uniform and put themselves in danger to protect Londoners. This is a perfect example of the bravery and selflessness that they exhibit so often.' Engineer Harry Oates, who stood just feet away as the drama unfolded, told MailOnline: 'The officer was incredibly brave. I don't know how much a police officer's salary is but it's certainly not worth getting a gun pointed at your head for. 'He must have thought he was going to be shot dead but he was so calm about it all. He didn't seem particularly shaken up by it. It was like it was all part of his job.' Mr Oates, 27, from Harlow Essex, was walking to work with a colleague when he heard sirens wailing before the car smashed into the bollard as the driver turned off the main road in a bid to escape. He said: 'It was terrifying. It's just not something you expect to see walking to work on a Friday morning. I heard the siren as the police motorbike came over the bridge pursuing the driver. Police activity in Camden today after a man was arrested following the police chase 'Suddenly the car turned the wrong way into a one way street and crashed into a bollard. The officer approached the window with a taser and told the man to remain in his car. 'He was saying 'Hands where I can see them. Stay in your vehicle. Do not leave your vehicle.' but the bloke got out of his car. The officer Tasered him and he fell on the floor. The policeman took a step back. 'He looked like he was getting his handcuffs out. That's when the man stood up. As he was stumbling the gun fell out. It looked like he had tucked it into the back of his trousers. 'The policeman looked like he was reloading the taser. The man picked up the gun and pointed it at the officer. He was walking towards him aiming it at his head. 'I couldn't believe what I was seeing. We were just standing there looking at each other. I was thinking we're about to get shot here but it was the policeman who he had in his sights. 'The officer was taking steps backwards. He didn't use the taser at that point - he then tackled him to the ground. He must have already called for back up because the other officers were here in a couple of minutes. Forensics officers at the scene following the incident in Camden during the morning rush hour 'There was armed police. The officer kept the man on the floor. There was no real resistance from him. The driver appeared to be intoxicated, the way he was staggering around. He wasn't good on his feet.' The weapon turned out to be a replica but Mr Oates said he was convinced it was a deadly weapon. He said: 'The gun was definitely metal. It hit the ground with a thud when he dropped it. It looked like was going to kill the policeman who didn't have time to think whether the gun was loaded or not. He just acted instinctively. 'The area was cordoned off then the forensic people arrived. It all happened so quickly the whole incident was all over in a couple of minutes.' One man who posted the video online today told MailOnline that his colleague filmed the incident and that it happened just outside his work site. He said: 'Police officers chased the white car, Volkswagen, as it was speeding when the police officer on a motorbike chased it. Police activity in Camden today after a man was arrested following the police chase 'I knew something wasn't right and just heard the car skid and went up. Luckily my colleague was on his way to site and managed to record this.' The clip was filmed at the junction of Mornington Crescent and Hampstead Road and was also tweeted shortly before 9am today by the 'London & UK Crime' account. It comes after some Twitter users claimed the incident was staged, with one claiming that 'something seems a bit off' and another tweeting: 'Fake as it gets'. But a third said: 'Met Police keeping the public safe. Bravo that officer.' And another added: 'Very brave police officer risking his life to keep people safe.' The full Metropolitan Police statement said: 'A man was arrested this morning after a replica firearm was aimed at an officer in Camden. A solo motorcycle officer was in pursuit of a car at around 7.38am on Friday, February 4 after it failed to stop. Police officers in Camden today following the dramatic incident during the morning rush hour 'The vehicle collided with street furniture in Mornington Crescent, near the junction with Harrington Square, NW1. A man got out of the car and was challenged by the pursuing officer, who drew his Taser. 'The man reached for his waistband and retrieved what appears to be a black firearm. He dropped it before quickly picking it back up and aiming it directly at the officer. 'The officer detained the man. Taser was discharged and the man was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm. 'He has been taken to hospital prior to going into police custody. The item has been seized for examination - at this early stage it is thought to be a replica. The officer was uninjured. 'There were no reports of any injuries to any other members of the public. Firearms officers responded due to the nature of the incident and police remain at the scene.' An anti-vaxxer philosophy student was accused of 'talking nonsense' on Question Time last night after arguing with one of the world's top experts that the vaccine is more dangerous for young people than catching Covid. The unnamed man said that tens of millions of Britons had been given the jab even thought the country was 'operating with incomplete data', shuffling his notes and telling the panel: 'I have looked at the data myself'. When asked by host Fiona Bruce about why he didn't believe the experts he replied: 'I studied philosophy at university', claiming this had taught him to question authority. He then referred to Professor Robert Malone, a former vaccine scientist turned skeptic who went on the Joe Rogan Spotify podcast to slam the Covid-19 jab, claiming he had invented the mRNA vaccines being used to battle coronavirus globally. Fiona Bruce began pointing her pen at him and said: 'No I don't think that is the man who invented the vaccine'. And Professor Robin Shattock, head of the Mucosal Infection and Immunity at Imperial College London's Medicine department, then accused him of talking 'complete nonsense' and that it had been designed after research by teams at BioNTech and Moderna. The unvaccinated man claimed the jab had 'horrific side effects'. He then said that 'for young healthy people the potential side effects' of the vaccine are 'worse than the potential side effects from Covid'. Professor Shattock said: 'We have far more safety data on the current vaccines as they have been in the arms of billions of people,' he said, and encouraged him to check the data on risks and 'serious adverse events,' saying they are 'extremely rare'. He said the data on vaccine safety is 'indisputable'. The Daily Telegraph's Tim Stanley, who was on the panel, said 'To the gentleman with his degree in philosophy, which is a very good thing to have, by the way, of course it won't protect you from a virus, whereas degrees in medicine are probably much more useful in that regard.' The BBC has been facing criticism after it emerged that Question Time was planning to show an episode to air the views of vaccine sceptics. One woman appearing on the show said she felt she didn't need the vaccine - believing her body was best to beat it - but admitted her friends had advised her not to reveal she was unvaccinated because 'people are gonna look at you like you smell.' This philosophy graduate was torn down on Question Time after claiming the Covid jab is more dangerous than the virus for young people, referring to his notes (pictured) A smiling Professor Robin Shattock, head of the Mucosal Infection and Immunity at Imperial College London's Medicine department, then accused him of talking 'complete nonsense' When he credited the wrong person with designing the vaccine, host Fiona Bruce pointed her pen at him and said he was wrong This young woman said that she had declined the vaccine believing body is best, but her friends warned her not to reveal this because she may be ostracised Experts insist you SHOULD be more afraid of Covid-19 than a vaccine A renowned Australian academic said his research has found that the risk of dying from Covid is 22,000 times higher than suffering fatal side-effects from the vaccine. Dr Karl Kruszelnicki, 73, said all people need to know the numbers one, 40 and 22,000 when weighing up whether or not they should get vaccinated against the virus. 'One in a million is the odds of dying from the AstraZeneca vaccine,' the expert dubbed 'the people's scientist' said in an video shared on TikTok. The figure is taken from Therapeutic Goods Administration data, which shows there have only been nine deaths linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine from more than 9.6 million doses administered across Australia. The vaccine has been linked to extremely rare blood clotting incidents but Dr Karl said the risk of dying in a road accident is still much higher at 40 deaths in a million. He said the chance of dying from Covid-19 once infected is 22,000 in a million, 550 times higher than the risk of being killed on Australia's roads. '22,000 to one. Those are really good odds,' Dr Karl said. 'That's why I got vaccinated as soon as possible - and so should you.' Advertisement The exchange causing a flurry of critical tweets from viewers aimed at the philosophy student, branding him a 'f***ing idiot' who should 'put your incorrect notes away and listen to the world-renowned vaccine expert'. Another said: ''I studied philosophy'. Good for you sunshine, let me know when that usurps a scientific degree to do with vaccinations and I'll gladly* listen to your sh**ty musings from the internet'. At one point Victor Adebowale, chair of the NHS Confederation, looked uncomfortable and appeared to panic-drink some water. When asked by the unvaccinated philosophy graduate what 'rights individuals have' to choose whether or not to get the jab because of health concerns, Prof Shattock said there was 'overwhelming evidence' the vaccine was safe. He added later: 'I think the issue here is that it's not just about personal choice... You're not just getting vaccinated to ensure your own health, it's about ensuring everybody else's health.' Presenter Fiona Bruce previously called for people who have chosen not to have a Covid-19 jab to apply for the episode, which was broadcast from London. Thursday's panel included Conservative MP Crispin Blunt, Labour shadow mental health minister Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, Imperial College's Robin Shattock, Victor Adebowale, chair of the NHS Confederation and The Daily Telegraph's Tim Stanley. Another audience member questioned whether checks for natural immunity could be used as an alternative to the vaccine. Asked whether antibody tests should be prioritised higher in the Covid-19 response, Prof Shattock said: 'The issue is natural immunity is very variable. You can't in a mass population basis go around and measure everybody's antibody levels.' Other members of the panel criticised ministers for their approach towards mandatory vaccines for NHS workers. Lord Adebowale, a crossbench peer, accused the Government of causing 'incredible pain and anguish' to healthcare professionals by backtracking from the plans without warning. 'The Government has taken a step back. The way it did it has caused incredible pain and anguish,' he said. He added: 'They (NHS staff) find out that the Government's changed their mind, not through a message from the Secretary of State... but on the media'. 'The way the Government went about it... has really broken the faith of many of those frontline staff in leadership'. Lord Adebowale added that the majority of unvaccinated NHS staff were black and minority ethnic people who had 'very good reasons not to trust leadership'. He said people had rejected the jab for reasons unrelated to the anti-vaccination movement. A medical student echoed his comments by saying she had seen many pregnant women in hospital wards who had refused the jab because of health concerns. Mr Blunt defended the Government's approach to considering mandatory vaccinations for health workers. 'For my money I think given the evidence that was available to ministers making that decision I think they made the right decision about the care sector. They're now faced with the same decision about the NHS,' he said. The unnamed man said that tens of millions of Britons had been given the jab even thought the country was 'operating with incomplete data', shuffling his notes and telling the panel: 'I have looked at the data myself' At one point Victor Adebowale, chair of the NHS Confederation, looked uncomfortable during the exchange and drank some water. What are the risks of Covid and vaccines to young people? By Emily Craig Risk of dying from vaccine vs Covid The UKs medicines watchdog had received 1,996 reports of suspected deaths due to Covid vaccines by January 25, by which point 137.6million doses had been dished out. That would give a death rate of one in 69,000 vaccine doses, if all of the death's turn out to truly be caused by the vaccines. The 1,996 figure is the number of people who had a suspected adverse reaction that caused them to die shortly after being vaccinated - regardless of the cause of death. The Medicines Healthcare products and Regulations Authority (MHRA) has not released data on the age of those who died after being vaccinated. But it says that the 'majority of these reports were in much older people or people with underlying illness' - meaning there is a chance they died from something else, and by coincidence had their vaccine days earlier. For comparison, 136,000 Covid deaths within 28 days of testing positive were recorded by January 25 in England - out of 15.1million confirmed cases. Of them, 1,336 deaths were in people under 40. There has also been 8.2million confirmed cases in that age group, suggesting a death rate of one in 6,000. Although the rate of Covid deaths in under-40s will be much lower because not everyone who has had Covid has been officially diagnosed. Most of the reported deaths after being vaccinated were following the AstraZeneca jab (1,211), followed by the Pfizer jab (713), Moderna vaccines (35). A further 37 deaths were reported when the vaccine was not specified. A total of 78 deaths from blood clots and thrombocytopenia a low platelet count were registered among people recently vaccinated with AstraZeneca, but just 7 of these cases have been among 18 to 29-year-olds and 11 were among 30 to 39-year-olds. And eight people have died from myocarditis after having a Covid vaccine, with four of the fatalities among those jabbed with Pfizer and four among AstraZeneca recipients. The causes of the remaining deaths were not provided but the MHRA investigates the reports thoroughly. It says 'the pattern of reporting for all other fatal reports does not suggest the vaccines played a role in these deaths'. The jabs have prevented thousands of deaths, with two doses offering 59 per cent protection against dying from Omicron, while a booster offers 95 per cent protection. Risk of being hospitalised from vaccine vs Covid Data is not available on how many people have been hospitalised due to the Covid vaccine. But more than 700,000 Britons have been hospitalised with the virus. Of the 600,000 admissions in England, less than half (253,910) have been in the under-65s. Two doses of AstraZeneca or Pfizer offer 25 to 35 per cent protection against being hospitalised with Omicron after six months. A booster jab increases protection to 90 per cent, falling to 75 per cent after 2.5 to 3.5 months. Risk of becoming seriously unwell from vaccine vs Covid A few thousand people have suffered from serious symptoms after getting vaccinated, compared to 700,349 people hospitalised due to Covid. Overall, 1,833 have had myocarditis or pericarditis. A total of 58 under-18s have been diagnosed with myocarditis or pericarditis after getting a vaccine, while the condition has also affected 478 people aged 18 to 29 and 412 individuals aged 30 to 39. For those vaccinated with Pfizer, this equates to a 14 in a million risk for under-18s, 24 in a million for 18 to 29-year-olds and 20 in a million for 30 to 39-year-olds. Additionally, thousands of Britons have become unwell from anaphylaxis, Bells Palsy and neurological condition transverse myelitis, but the age of those affected has not been published by the medicines watchdog. Some 1,597 people have experienced anaphylaxis a severe allergic reaction after getting a Covid jab, that is also associated with most other vaccines. Most of the anaphylaxis cases were recorded after the AstraZeneca jab (869), while 642 were after a Pfizer injection and 86 were post-Moderna jab. Bells Palsy - temporary weakness or paralysis affecting one side of the face - has been reported as a very rare side effect post-vaccination. Most people recovered within a few months. But the reaction has also been recorded among people due to Covid and other infectious viruses as well. More than 100 cases of transverse myelitis a rare neurological disorder where parts of the spinal cord are inflamed have been recorded among people post-vaccination, but no deaths have been recorded. Risk of dying from Covid if vaccinated vs unvaccinated The majority of young people who died from Covid in January were unvaccinated. Data from the UK Health Security Agency shows 12 under-18s died within 28 days of testing positive for the virus and two-thirds of the group had not been jabbed. Among 18 to 29-year-olds, 31 Covid deaths were recorded, 16 of whom were not jabbed. In the 30 to 39 cohort, 76 Covid fatalities were registered and 30 were unvaccinated. Advertisement The BBC faced criticism after it emerged that Question Time was planning to show an episode to air the views of vaccine sceptics. Presenter Fiona Bruce had issued an invite for people who have declined to be vaccinated to take part in the programme, filmed in London yesterday. But there were concerns that 'deliberately inaccurate' information will be pushed by people on the show, while one MP suggested Question Time was creating controversy so people will tune in. In the message, which has been posted on social media, Miss Bruce said the programme was 'looking for people to come and be part of our audience who are unvaccinated'. She said: 'If you are someone who has made that decision, not to be vaccinated, we'd very much like to hear from you.' Miss Bruce added: 'I think it's an important debate.' On its Twitter account Question Time said it was seeking these people to 'share their views'. But this has reportedly sparked concerns among people in Government, who fear it could help spread anti-vax sentiment. Academics and MPs have also expressed concern about the planned programme. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said: 'My view is this is a fairly cynical way to create controversy so people will watch it, which may yet backfire in the programme by drawing attention to why people don't want to do it and making it attractive to others.' Dr Simon Clarke, associate professor in cellular microbiology at Reading University, said: 'My concern is that deliberately inaccurate and mistaken information will be pushed by this, and I'm not really sure how effective Question Time and your average Question Time panel will be at rebutting that.' Former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron wrote on Twitter: 'I'm a big defender of the BBC... but do we really need balance between facts and stupidity?' Tory MP Giles Watling, who sits on the digital, culture, media and sport committee, said: 'Everybody should have a voice. It's the old thing of 'I might not agree with what you say but I defend your right to say it'. 'But we have been in a crisis for two years with this pandemic and the vaccine has done frankly miracles. It's why we are able to stay open and we're getting better all the time. 'There is massive evidence that the vaccine has improved the lives of so many and kept the economy going in this country in ways that we could not imagine. 'Yes we have conspiracy theorists and we have anti-vaxxers and all the rest of it. They are allowed to have their voice, they are allowed to have a platform but the media should not give them huge weight. It is a question of balance.' One Government insider told The Times it would be 'odd' if the programme helped spread anti-vax views. They pointed out it had spent a lot of effort tackling 'misinformation' in this area. A BBC spokesman said: 'There are still substantial numbers of the British public who are not vaccinated, especially in particular areas and communities. 'We think this is an interesting part of the debate which is worthy of discussion. 'Question Time always strives to discuss each side of every argument. This is about listening to, and understanding, our audience members. The BBC has always made the scientific consensus on vaccination very clear.' They also addressed safety concerns about the programme as unvaccinated people would be sitting in the audience with people who have been jabbed. The spokesman said: 'The safety of our audience and panellists is paramount and nothing has changed in terms of our audience requirements. 'We ask all audience members to provide either proof of full vaccination, evidence of a negative LFT, or proof of recent recovery from Covid. 'The audience seating arrangements are socially distanced, we ensure there is good ventilation in our venues and we ask audience members to wear a mask when not speaking.' Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has offered a grovelling apology to Scott Morrison for calling the PM a 'hypocrite and a liar' in a leaked text. The National Party leader sent the message about Scott Morrison last March but apologised for it on Thursday - just days after another leaked text scandal involving former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and a Liberal cabinet minister. The message was sent to Brittany Higgins, the former Liberal staffer at the centre of rape allegations, while he was a backbencher after he was briefly unseated as party leader. The text was sent through a third party as Mr Joyce did not have Ms Higgins' number. 'Tell BH, I and Scott, he is Scott to me until I have to recognise his office, dont get along,' it read. 'He is a hypocrite and a liar from my observations, and that is over a long time. I have never trusted him and I dislike how he earnestly rearranges the truth to a lie.' Mr Joyce said on Friday that even though it was supposed to be private, he was 'wrong' to send the message. 'In the last 24 hours I have become aware that a screenshot of a text message has been circulating among third parties that contains comments I made in March 2021 when I was a backbencher,' he said. 'I have unreservedly apologised to the Prime Minister for my comments.' Barnaby Joyce (right) has offered a grovelling apology to the Prime Minister Scott Morrison (left) for calling him a 'hypocrite and a liar' in a leaked text The leader of the National Party sent the message about Scott Morrison in March last year and said he was sorry on Thursday Mr Joyce's scathing assessment of Mr Morrison's leadership began circulating after it was revealed on Tuesday that Ms Berejiklian had called the Prime Minister a 'horrible, horrible person' in texts, while the unnamed Liberal minister branded him a 'complete psycho'. The text message was sent to a 'third party' who asked Mr Joyce for his support improving legislation for victims of sexual assault. At the time, the government was being criticised over its handling of Ms Higgins' alleged rape by a colleague in Parliament House. The embarrassing revelations come as Mr Joyce was publicly calling for the unnamed cabinet minister to come forward and own up to sending the message. Network Ten political editor Peter van Onselen confronted Mr Morrison on live TV with the incendiary text messages on Tuesday. The following day Mr Joyce went on the war path, slamming the minister responsible for the leak as a 'flea' and 'clown'. Mr Joyce's (pictured) scathing assessment of Mr Morrison's leadership began circulating in recent days after it was revealed Ms Berejiklian called the Prime Minister a 'horrible, horrible person', while an unnamed Liberal minister branded him a 'complete psycho' In the text exchange Gladys Berejiklian allegedly called Mr Morrison a 'horrible, horrible person' 'They're really clever, they're a real Einstein,' Mr Joyce told 2GB breakfast host Ben Fordham. 'There are three people who know about this message, the former premier of NSW, themselves, and the media oh hang on, did I say three? I meant 3000. 'It's about one dinner and two bottles of red wine before the whole world knows about it. 'Then people are just going to look at you and say 'you clown'!' Now caught in his own text fiasco, Mr Joyce told The Australian it was 'common knowledge' that the two 'did not always see eye-to-eye' after he was forced to step down as Nationals leader following an affair with his staffer Vikki Campion in 2018 when Malcolm Turnbull was Prime Minister. 'But I have worked extremely closely with the Prime Minister (Scott Morrison) over the last seven months since I returned to the role of Deputy Prime Minister; and the Prime Minister is a person of high integrity and honesty in what is possibly the most difficult job in the nation,' he said. In an ironic twist, Ms Campion who is now engaged to Mr Joyce, wrote a column for the Daily Telegraph just hours before the story broke calling the government minister who leaked the text with Ms Berejiklian a 'coward' and urging them to publicly apologise or 'leave the cabinet'. Barnaby Joyce (pictured with fiance Vikki Campion and their sons) attacked the motivations of a Liberal cabinet minister who leaked text damaging messages criticising Scott Morrison Mr Joyce (pictured left with Scott Morrison, centre) and said even though it was supposed to be private, it he was 'wrong' to send the message Mr Morrison on Friday acknowledged the texts and said he accepted Mr Joyce's apology. 'He sincerely apologised and I immediately accepted his apology in good faith,' Mr Morrison said. 'I understand Barnaby was in a different headspace last year, both professionally and personally, and so I know he genuinely no longer feels this way. 'Relationships change over time. Politicians are humans beings too. We all have our frailties and none of us are perfect. Since coming to the role of DPM, it is fair to say that we both positively surprised each other. 'We were never close before this and never pretended to be. But in these roles we have really found our rhythm, as we have concluded AUKUS, settled our climate change policy and continued to fight the pandemic.' Grade 7 results from last years examinations are ready except for finalisation of a few administrative processes but the new Form Ones are likely to start school later than other classes with the Primary and Secondary Education Ministry expected to comment on the way forward today. If the results can be released very soon then it might be possible for Form One to start school on February 14, a week after other classes which start on Monday, it was being suggested yesterday but a lot will depend on when the remaining administrative processes can be completed. Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (Zimsec) spokesperson, Ms Nicky Dhlamini, said yesterday: The results are there but there are just some final processes which need to be done before we release them. They will be out soon. Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education spokesperson Mr Taungana Ndoro said Minister Ndlovu would give an update on the way forward for this years Form One classes today at 2pm. Turning to the level of preparedness ahead of schools opening on Monday, Mr Ndoro said: We are doing an assessment for schools just to ensure that everyone is following containment measures outlined by the Government and we are happy to announce that some schools have built more infrastructure in preparation for a safe opening. We are happy with the level of preparedness in schools and come Monday, it will be all systems in place. The Government is working on modalities of recruiting 10 000 teachers in a bid to alleviate shortages in schools and boost the countrys education sector. The process is ongoing but deployment of the employed personnel will be done once schools have opened and the staffing gaps identified. For now, we are still waiting for the opening of schools so that we can do an assessment to inform the deployment of the new personnel, said Mr Ndoro. This years school calendar has three terms, with the first starting on Monday ending on April 7. The second term begins on May 3, and learners will have 69 school days and a 30-day vacation, before schools open for the third term on September 5. They will then learn for 71 days before closing. Next year, schools are scheduled to start on January 9 for the first term. Herald An 'unwanted war baby' blamed by his mother for dashing her dreams of Hollywood stardom has won his part of a 2.4million family legacy after a lengthy court battle Colin Johnston, 80, successfully he needed the payout from his estranged father Sidney's will and sued his niece and goddaughter, Lady Natalie Wackett, 41, for a share. Sidney, who died aged 95 in 2017, had left everything to his 'adored' niece due to he and his wife's long-standing resentment towards Colin. But it was argued he had a 'moral obligation' to provide for his octogenarian son, given his 'precarious' finances. Branding the decision to cut him out 'inexplicable', a judge in 2019 awarded him 175,000 from the estate, but the case went back to court after Lady Natalie claimed his payout should be slashed due to six-figure debts he owed to his father. Colin insisted any cut in his payout could see him made homeless at the age of 80 and that he should be paid the full amount. Last week, a High Court judge handed him the final victory, ordering Lady Natalie to pay up. Colin Johnston outside London's High Court earlier in the court battle for his father's will Lady Natalie Wackett, 41, argued that Mr Johnston should not get the money but was defeated During the original trial, Mr Johnston told the court that his parents' resentment towards him dated back to World War Two, and that he was an 'unwanted war baby' born while his father was serving in the RAF. He said his mother Elsie had a grudge against him from infancy for getting in the way of her stage career, and told him: 'I would have been a Hollywood star if it wasn't for you.' His parents favoured his brother and the rest of his family over him, having bought manorial titles for all of them including Lady Natalie, while Colin was left without a handle to his name. But his niece, Lady Natalie, claimed Colin didn't deserve a penny because he had been an ungrateful son who turned his back on his parents. In evidence, Colin said he had preferred his father to his mother when growing up, but father and son ended up falling out badly after working alongside each other in the family business. Tempers ended up boiling over during a heated business meeting in 1991 which ended with Colin walking out after his father told him he could 'leave if he didn't like what was happening'. A court dispute kicked off the following year over the family business and its assets, and Colin never spoke to his father again due to their 'rift'. However, Lady Natalie claimed Colin alienated him with a consuming gambling habit which set in from the early 1980s onwards. The long-running court battle was finally settled at the High Court last week by a judge And she claimed Colin made no effort to reconcile with his father after their rift in 1991, even staying away from his funeral in 2017. Awarding him the 175,000 payout - including to cover his lawyers' bills - in 2019, Judge Edwin Johnson said Sidney had made a fixed decision back in the 1970s to exclude Colin from his will. And he had 'behaved unreasonably in making and maintaining his decision that Colin should inherit nothing'. 'It seems to me to have been symptomatic of a relationship with his parents - for which Colin was not ultimately responsible, which was always going to cause family strife, did cause family strife, and has now left Colin in...straitened financial circumstances,' he said. Following the ruling that she should pay, Lady Natalie took the case back to court, insisting that any payout to her uncle should be cut to reflect more than 100,000 owed by Colin to his father following an earlier legal dispute. Lady Natalie claimed she had discovered a 20-year-old lawyers' letter in a box of old family papers, proving that Colin still owed his dad cash due to their legal dispute in the 1990s. She only stumbled on the documents several months after her original case was rejected in December 2019, the court heard. But Colin's barrister, David Giles, said the pensioner is in acute need of cash to help him through his final years - particularly since he doesn't own his own home and lives in rented housing in Barnet. If ultimately forced to leave their current home, he and his wife are 'substantially at risk of ending up homeless,' said Mr Giles. In a judgment last week, Judge James Brightwell accepted Lady Natalie as an 'honest and truthful witness', although noting she felt a 'great deal of hostility towards Colin'. But he said the 2019 judgment in Colin's favour was made on the clear understanding that he owed nothing to his dad's estate. Given that fact, it would be unfair to force Colin now to pay Natalie money from his award, he said. 'I find, despite the tenacious and perspicuous submissions made on Natalie's behalf, that Colin is entitled to a declaration that his...award is payable without deduction,' the judge concluded. The court heard Lord Sidney Johnston made his money running a car and property business in north London called Johnston and Sons. His wife, Lady Elsie, died in 2013 and his son, Lady Natalie's father Lord Gary in 2016. In all, Lord Sidney left behind a 2.4million estate - with a net value after expenses of 1.4million. A rapist hotelier who held a woman captive at a riverside bed and breakfast and subjected her to 'harrowing' sexual abuse has had his sentence extended by more than three years. Hotel manager Paul Leonard Harris, 36, held his terrified victim against her will for four days at the Middle Aston House in Oxfordshire - where he worked in April 2019. During those four days he degraded his victim, forcing her to strip naked in front of a camera. Harris also forced her to perform sex acts on herself and tied a belt around her neck and ordered her to crawl across the floor 'like a dog'. He later raped his victim in the laundry cupboard on the site of the 55-bedroom countryside retreat. Paul Leonard Harris, 36, held his terrified victim against her will for four days at the Oxfordshire hotel where he worked in April 2019 He later raped his victim in the laundry cupboard of the Middle Aston Hotel (pictured) - a 55-bedroom countryside retreat where he worked in April 2019 What is the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme and how does it work? The Attorney General's Office (AGO) operates a scheme in which people can apply to have a sentence reviewed if they believe the sentence is 'unduly lenient'. The scheme is reserved for the most serious cases, including murder and rape. Other serious crimes including robbery, some child sex crimes and child cruelty cases, some serious frauds, some serious drug crimes and some terror-related offences are included. Anyone can recommend that a sentence be reviewed under the AGO's scheme - even if they aren't involved in the case - and only one person has to ask. The request must be made within 28 days of sentencing. Once the Attorney General's Office has reviewed the case, they may send it to the Court of Appeal who can decide if the sentence should stay the same, be increased if it is 'unduly lenient' or they can refuse to hear the case. Last year it was revealed that new statistics for 2019 show 63 offenders had their sentences increased under the scheme. In 2019, Law Officers received 577 applications for sentences to be reviewed which met the necessary criteria to be considered under the scheme. Of these, 93 were referred to the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal agreed that 64 sentences were too low, and as a result 63 offenders had their sentences increased. A total of 16 people were imprisoned after avoiding prison time at their original sentencing. Advertisement Harris' victim managed to escape her captivity, which she described as 'like being in a horror movie', by fleeing across fields and over barbed wire fences. After being arrested by the police Harris said he had 'turned into a devil' following an altercation with his victim. In December last year he was sentenced to almost nine years in prison after admitting false imprisonment and rape. But yesterday a judge at the Court of Appeal in London increased his jail term to 12 years, after finding the the original sentence to be unduly lenient. Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General, Alex Chalk QC MP, said: 'The victim in this case was subjected to a harrowing ordeal, mistreated and abused by Harris. 'I had no hesitation in referring his sentence to the Court of Appeal as I believed it to be unduly lenient when looking at the seriousness of his crimes in totality. 'I am glad that today the Court agreed and increased this man's sentence. A court previously heard how Harris, 36, held the woman against her will for four days at the hotel. Prosecutors told a court how he had become 'enraged' with his victim after learning of her sexual history from screenshots on her phone. He then dragged her into the staff flat where he was living at the hotel, located around 10 miles west of Bicester, where she 'scratched' his neck. Harris later told police this had made him lose his temper and he had 'turned into a devil'. He rang in sick the next day and remained in the flat, keeping his victim there captive. During that time he filmed her sobbing in fear as she was forced to perform sex acts on herself using a vibrator and the neck of a glass bottle. He filmed the abuse, prosecutors told a court. Harris also raped his victim in a laundry cupboard adjacent to the flat. In a bid to 'appease' Harris, the woman claimed her previous sexual encounters with other men were incidents of rape. Harris made his victim call the police to report the incidents to police, who agreed to meet her. She planned to tell the officers what was going on with Harris. But when they did not turn up at the agreed time, the victim instead attempted to flee, running across field and over barbed wire fences to get to safety. Yesterday a judge at the Court of Appeal increased his jail term to 12 years, after finding the the original sentence to be unduly lenient Harris eventually pleaded guilty and was convicted of false imprisonment, three counts of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent, and of rape. In Harris' original sentencing, Judge Ian Pringle QC said: 'She pleaded with you not to make her do these things and you insisted under threats to her that she did. 'It was utterly degrading and truly appalling behaviour by you.' Speaking after the sentencing, officer in the case Det Con Samantha Hunter told the Oxford Mail: 'I would like to pay tribute to the victim for having the courage to come forward and speaking out against her abuser as well as giving evidence that led to his conviction. 'We work tirelessly to bring offenders to justice and Harris will now serve time in prison as a result of his appalling crimes.' She added: 'If you have been a victim of any type of sexual abuse, please do report it. 'If you are in immediate danger please call 999, if you wish to make a report then you can call 101 or you can report online.' A British teenager on a gap-year in Zambia described 'fighting for her life' as she was attacked by a crocodile gripping her legs while a friend grabbed the shoulders of her life jacket to wrangle her away from danger. Amelie Osborn-Smith, 18, was enjoying a day of white water rafting on the Zambezi Rover, close to Victoria Falls, when a huge 10ft crocodile went for her foot and dragged her underwater. Speaking to Sky News today, Miss Osborn-Smith said she remembers the reptile wrap its tail over her legs before she was plummeted into the water. Amelie Osborn-Smith (pictured on Sky News), 18, described 'fighting for her life' as she was attacked by a crocodile She said: 'I felt it grab my right leg first and just straightaway drag me underwater.' Miss Osborn-Smith, who is from Andover in Hampshire, described feeling 'ridiculously grateful' for her friend, who was in the water and was able to get a grip on the shoulders of her life jacket. She added: 'I thought, "as long as he keeps hold of me and I keep kicking we will get out of this situation".' Since the incident on November 30, the British teenager had suffered nightmares and flashbacks to the horrific ordeal but now plans to return to Zambia, and started crowdfunding to build a school in the area. On a fundraising page, Miss Osborn-Smith wrote: 'In order to enable a huge amount of positivity to come out of the accident, I have decided to found the Zambezi School Project. 'I aim to build a preschool for 104 children living in Muke and Delevu Villages, both near Livingstone, Zambia. 'The children of Muke Village are currently taught by the most amazing teacher, Clare, on the floor of their village church, which obviously does not allow them to reach their full potential. Miss Osborn-Smith, from Andover in Hampshire, pictured in a hospital bed after suffering serious leg injuries and a dislocated hip when she was attacked by a crocodile 'Delevu Village is in a similar situation, with no school building existing in the village.' Guides told Miss Osborn-Smith that the river was safe to swim in and the teenager, due to start university in September, told Sky that she felt safe before the attack. The teen said she had to wait 45 minutes for a helicopter rescue, with no pain relief, as her friend held her hand and told her not to look at her legs. She added she believed she'd lose both of them, saying: 'It's okay, tell them to amputate both my legs.' The teenager has now had seven operations and is able to walk on crutches. On her fundraising page, she said: 'I did sustain some quite serious injuries but, due to my friends, was able to survive and will be able to near-fully recover. 'The chances of being attacked by a crocodile while in white water are extremely slim, and the chances of surviving such an attack are even slimmer. 'I however was extremely lucky to have friends around me who saved my life.' On a fundraising page, Miss Osborn-Smith wrote: 'The children of Muke Village are currently taught by the most amazing teacher, Clare (pictured), on the floor of their village church, which obviously does not allow them to reach their full potential' Speaking from her bed at the Medland Hospital in Zambia in December, Miss Osborn-Smith had said instinct took over and her mind went into 'overdrive' as she fought for her life. She said: 'You dont really think in that situation. People say you see your life flash before your eyes, but you dont. 'You just think, "How did I get out of this situation". 'Your mind just goes into overdrive and you just think about how to get out. I was just very, very lucky.' Despite suffering gruesome injuries, the teenager had at the time said she would return to Zambia once she made a full recovery and does not believe one incident should 'hold you back'. The teenager plans to return to Zambia once she has made a full recovery from her injuries She continued: 'I have seen that your life can be over so quickly. 'If you live thinking youre going to regret everything youre never going to have a fulfilled life. 'I always think dont let one incident hold you back.' She continued: 'When the accident happened I fully accepted the fact I was going to lose my foot. 'I said to all my friends, "Its fine, I have lost my foot, I am still alive." Victoria Falls, one of the world's largest waterfalls, is located on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe 'Then I was told that my foots gonna be fine, that I will be able to walk and its just such a relief.' The teen's grandmother, who had been sleeping at her bedside on a fold-up chair, also spoke to Dr Mohamed El Sahili in a video interview at the hospital. She said: 'I was so grateful that I was allowed to stay with her because she has had continued flashbacks and terrible dreams at night. 'Now it is better, but the first two or three days were bad.' Her father, former Army Major Brent Osborn-Smith, now an osteopath, said his daughter is suffering frequent flashbacks, but added she remained upbeat. She was expected to fly back to the UK on Saturday night following the 'chaos' of the attack that left 'blood and people thrashing everywhere' in the river. Miss Osborn-Smith's father added that she 'fought back with great courage and refused to be subdued or taken under' and resisted the crocodile before the group managed to free her. A map showing the location of the Victoria Falls on the Zambia and Zimbabwe border, where the shocking incident took place He said his daughter did not cry or lose consciousness during the attack despite serious injuries to her legs and a dislocated hip. A friend of Miss Osborn-Smith's said: 'As soon as it happened the male friend dived under the water and started punching the crocodile furiously. 'Then others jumped in to help. It was chaos. There was blood and people thrashing everywhere. 'She is lucky to be alive.' Guides and fellow rafters also leapt into the river in a bid to save her. 'Eventually the croc gave up and they pulled her back into the boat,' said the friend. 'She was in quite a bad way. They patched her up as best they could and arranged an emergency med-evac.' Miss Osborn-Smith, whose mother Veronika Osborn-Smith is a German Baroness, 52, was white water rafting with Bundu Rafting based in Livingstone, Zambia. A spokesman for the firm in December confirmed that the teenager was on a trip with them, but declined to give further details. On its website the company, based in Livingstone, said 'safety always comes first' on the 'adrenaline-filled and safe adventure activities'. The company has been operating in the Victoria Falls region since 1996. The rapids below Victoria Falls are considered to be the best white water rafting experience in the world with turbulent challenges interspersed with tranquil pools. Miss Osborn-Smith's fundraiser can be found here. A Brooklyn math teacher has been fired for saying she would boycott a fundraiser held for the families of two NYPD officers killed during an ambush attack. Laura Lynne Duffy, a teacher at Fontbonne Hall Academy in Brooklyn, wrote in a now deleted tweet: 'If anyone was wondering, I am intentionally dressing up today. #Abolition #BLM'. The Sisters of St. Joseph, Brentwood, New York, which supports Fontbonne Hall, posted an update to Facebook stating that as of Friday, Duffy is no longer employed at the school. 'The Sisters of Saint Joseph support the Administration of Fontbonne Hall Academy School which has determined that Laura Lynn Duffy is no longer in the employ of FHA effective Friday February 4, 2022,' the Facebook post said. Laura Lynne Duffy (pictured), a teacher at Fontbonne Hall Academy in Brooklyn, wrote in a now deleted tweet: 'If anyone was wondering, I am intentionally dressing up today. #Abolition #BLM' The Sisters of St. Joseph, Brentwood, New York, which supports Fontbonne Hall, posted an update to Facebook stating that as of Friday, Duffy is no longer employed at the school The school had arranged the fundraiser to raise money for the families of officers Jason Rivera, 22 and Wilbert Mora, 27, who were shot by career criminal Lashawn McNeil, 47, on January 21. The school announced the fundraiser on the morning of the event, in a tweet that read: 'Today we had a dress down day to honor NYPD Officers, Jason Rivera and Wilbert Mora for their service to NYC. All proceeds will be donated to the families of our fallen officers. Thank you to Sergeant Polanco, Sergeant Singh & Sergeant Oliveri for joining us.' She has since deleted her account following a huge backlash. The maths teacher at Fontbonne Hall Academy in Brooklyn wrote on Twitter that she would be 'intentionally dressing up' NYPD officers Wilbert Mora (left), 27, and Jason Rivera (right), 22 , were shot by career criminal Lashawn McNeil, 47, on January 21 Yesterday police officers arrived to St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York for the funeral of Wilbert Mora School officials have now launched a probe into the post and have said they 'do not endorse the personal comments of the faculty member'. On Wednesday Fontbonne Hall said in a statement: 'It has come to the attention of the administration of Fontbonne Hall that one of our teachers tweeted a politically charged statement in regard's to today's student led fundraiser in support of the fallen NYPD officers. 'Fontbonne Hall does not endorse the personal comments of this faculty member and we will continue to advance the mission of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of all inclusive love, unity and reconciliation and prayers are with the families of the fallen officers and we remain proud of our students for the compassion they showed today. 'We are conducting an internal investigation of the matter and will share an update when appropriate.' Yesterday New York City came to a standstill as thousands of police officers arrived to St. Patrick's Cathedral for the funeral of Mr Mora. The officer's funeral took place at the same Roman Catholic cathedral where officer Jason Rivera was eulogized and posthumously promoted to detective last Friday. In her emotional eulogy delivered in Spanish, Mr Mora's older sister, Karina Mora, described her younger brother as a man who was 'full of dream' and who 'lit up the room with his smile.' Mora argued that police officers had been left defenseless against the rising tide of violence in the city, and called on New York's lawmakers to crack down on soft-on-crime policies. Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell delivered a powerful speech, telling Mr Mora's family members and fellow officers filling the cavernous marble church: 'An ocean of officers shouldn't have to line streets for the second time in five days, to mourn the appalling loss of a 27-year-old son and brother.' Just like she did during Rivera's funeral, Sewell announced that Mr Mora has been posthumously promoted to detective first grade, drawing applause from the crowd. Fontbonne Hall in Brooklyn (pictured) is an independent Catholic high school for girls Fontbonne Hall Academy in Brooklyn said in a statement that they would be carrying out an investigation into the post This week the school said students had arranged the fundraiser to raise money for the families of the fallen officers Thousands of officers stand outside St Patrick's Cathedral in New York for the funeral of officer Wilbert Mora Cardinal Dolan exits the cathedral ahead of Officer Mora's casket being carried by his fellow officers Last week New York City's cops paid emotional tributes to Jason Rivera and Wilbert Mora as hundreds gathered to publicly mourn the passing of their Brothers in Blue. The officers were shot after being ambushed by career criminal Lashawn McNeil, 47, during a callout over a family dispute in Harlem on January 21. Medics battled to sav Mora who passed away from his injuries at NYU Langone four days later. Rivera, who had been with the force just over a year, died at the scene. Hundreds of mourners turned out at a makeshift vigil at the NYPD's 32nd precinct last Wednesday evening to pay their respects to the officers. NYPD Officer Sterling Medina, who spoke at the makeshift vigil, was overcome with emotion as he shared his own memories of his close friend Wilbert Mora. Police Benevolent Association President Pat Lynch also thanked the local Harlem community for stepping up for their police force. Last week hundreds of people took to the streets of New York to pay tribute to the fallen officers Police officers hold candles as they attend a vigil for the fallen officers in New York He told the assembled crowds: 'Lighting candles, placing flowers, bowing their heads, feeding our families, taking care of our police officers, not just here on this block, but every place that you see them. 'When we pray for our fallen heroes, we can't forget our third hero. His heroic actions saved lives but left him with a heavy burden to carry.' Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said: 'The murders of officers Jason Rivera and Wilbert Mora leave us with broken hearts, flags at half-staff, and black bands on our shields. 'They were great officers doing an important job work their fellow Finest continue in their honor. Pray for them. Support them. And never forget.' An Iowa man has been sentenced to life in prison after running his friend over with a truck three times and killing him, after a bar brawl broke out over mayonnaise. Kristofer Erlbacher, 29, hit and killed Caleb Solberg, 30, on December 17, 2020 outside a cafe in the small town of Pisgah, after the pair had been drinking and eating at a bar with a third person earlier in the night. Erlbacher, of Woodbine, was convicted of first-degree murder in a trial that concluded on December 10, 2021, and was sentenced on Monday. According to the Des Moines Register, reporting on the verdict, Erlbacher used his truck to ram his friend outside Dave's Old Home in Pisgah. Solberg, from Moorhead, survived the initial impact, but Erlbacher turned his vehicle around and drove back down the street, hitting his screaming friend twice more. Kristofer Erlbacher (left), 29, hit and killed Caleb Solberg (right), 30, on December 17, 2020 outside a cafe in the small town of Pisgah, after the pair had been drinking and eating at a bar with a third person earlier in the night The court heard the brutal attack stemmed from Erlbacher smearing mayonnaise on Solberg's food at a bar in Moorhead, with Solberg retaliating by punching Erlbacher, Harrison County Judge Greg Steensland wrote in his verdict. Erlbacher and the third person left the bar after the altercation and drove 10 minutes through the town of about 240 people to the cafe, where they continued to drink. During the drive, an angry Erlbacher twice phoned Solberg's half-brother Craig Pryor, threatening to kill Solberg with his shotgun and burn down his house. Sensing that tensions were building, Pryor decided to go to Dave's Old Home, supposedly to calm the situation down. Once he arrived at the cafe, he parked his own vehicle outside, but did not go inside. The third person - identified as Shaun Johnson by the Woodbine Twiner-Herald - went outside to talk to Pryor to warn him of Erlbacher's anger. While the pair were talking in Pryor's truck, Solberg also arrived at the cafe, and pulled Johnson out of Pryor's truck, apparently unhappy about what he had been saying about the incident at the bar earlier. The pair began to fight, but nobody that was present decided to intervene. It eventually calmed down and 'ended on its own accord,' the verdict said. However, Erlbacher - now outside the cafe at around 10 p.m. - reportedly told others outside 'I'll take care of this,' before ramming his truck into Pryor's vehicle twice. Pryor left the scene. Erlbacher then used his truck to run down Solberg, causing the frightened onlookers to run into the bar, where a bartender called 911. 'Erlbacher's first blow to Solberg did not kill him. He can be heard screaming for his brother, Craig Pryor,' the verdict said, according to The Herald. According to the Des Moines Register, reporting on the verdict, Erlbacher used his truck to ram his friend outside Dave's Old Home in Pisgah (pictured). Solberg, from Moorhead, survived the initial impact, but Erlbacher turned his vehicle around and drove back down the street, hitting his screaming friend twice more Erlbacher then drove down the street, turned his truck around, and drove back to hit Solberg again, who was thrown onto the sidewalk. The verdict said Erlbacher then rolled his trick over Solberg again 'to make sure he had completed the job'. The killer started to drive out of the town, but his truck broke down after it began leaking fluids. He then reportedly called Pryor and confirmed that he had just run his half-brother down and killed him. Erlbacher, of Woodbine, was convicted of the first-degree murder of his friend Solberg (pictured) in a trial that concluded on December 10, 2021, and was sentenced to life in prison on Monday 'We won't have to worry about his mouth anymore. I would have got you too, but I kind of like your kids,' he told Pryor, the verdict said. Later that night, Erlbacher was arrested and denied hitting Solberg. He entered a not guilty plea on December 31, 2020. 'It was just another bar fight in Harrison County, until it wasn't any longer,' Pryor said during the trial, according to the verdict. Erlbacher later claimed he had no intention to kill Solberg and said he was intoxicated, in an attempt to reduce the charge to second degree murder, which would result in a sentence of 50 years in prison, as opposed to life. 'Even if Erlbacher is under the influence of alcohol, he is responsible for his acts if he had sufficient mental capacity to form the specific intent necessary,' Steensland wrote in his verdict. 'Intoxication is a defense, only when it causes a mental disability which makes a person incapable of forming specific intent.' In response to Erlbacher's claim he was defending himself, the judge added: 'The evidence in this case shows that Erlbacher was in no imminent danger that necessitated the use of deadly force against Solberg. 'The evidence shows beyond a reasonable doubt that Erlbacher acted without justification.' Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney and the Department of Foreign Affairs' (DFA) most senior civil servant Joe Hackett have been called to answer questions over a lockdown-breaking champagne party. The pair will be quizzed by Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee next Tuesday afternoon on the events which took place in June 2020 when several DFA members enjoyed glasses of bubbly together when Ireland won a seat on the UN Security Council. The gathering took place at Iveagh House in Dublin, where the headquarters of the DFA are located. It comes after an 18-page internal report conducted by Hackett and released on Monday found a 'breach of guidance on social distancing occurred', but no action was taken other than to ask senior officials present at the party to donate money to a Covid-related charity. Hackett said in a statement: 'It was a mistake. It should not have happened and, on behalf of the department, I would like to say sorry.' Former secretary general of the DFA and current Irish ambassador to France Niall Burgess is expected to pay 2,000 to a Covid-related charity after Hackett's report found him 'largely responsible' for the lockdown-breaking event. Though the party is thought to have lasted mere minutes, Ireland was in phase two of its reopening plan in June 2020 with Covid regulations stipulating that people could only meet up to six others from outside their household in both indoor and outdoor settings. It comes as British PM Boris Johnson faces further pressure over the highly-publicised 'Partygate' scandal which has seen five of his closest aides resign in the past day. Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney (pictured) and the Department of Foreign Affairs' (DFA) most senior civil servant Joe Hackett have been called to answer questions over a lockdown-breaking champagne party Burgess, who was secretary general of the (DFA) at the time of the party on 17 June, 2020, tweeted a selfie showing a large group of officials in the department's Iveagh House headquarters celebrating Ireland's election to the UN Security Council. Ireland was in phase two of its reopening plan in June 2020 with Covid regulations stipulating that people could only meet up to six others from outside their household in both indoor and outdoor settings Burgess on 17 June, 2020 published a selfie on Twitter showing around 20 DFA workers gathered behind him toasting with Moet and Chandon accompanied by the words 'Now we're walking on air...'. The tweet was deleted shortly after. The internal DFA report into the event, led by Hackett and published on January 31, described the party at Iveagh House as having committed a 'serious breach' of social distancing rules which 'caused offence, inflicted reputational damage on the Department and undermined internal morale'. The report said that Burgess was 'largely responsible for facilitating the breach of social distance guidance that occurred', and recommended that he give 2,000 (1,670) to a charity providing assistance to Covid-affected families, and other senior officials visible in the photograph donate 1,000 (835). Hackett's report said that no further action would be taken on the matter after all parties agreed to pay the money to charity, and because the event was not 'pre-planned' and was an impromptu celebration of Ireland gaining a seat on the UN security council. 'Following the announcement of the result of the vote, the then Secretary General provided three bottles of sparkling wine from personal items he kept in his office for use as gifts and which he purchased at his own expense,' the report said. 'The alcohol was subsequently offered to those present. One other officer confirmed that they provided one bottle of sparkling wine which they had retrieved from their office. 'The Review Team is satisfied on the basis of accounts provided by officers that no other alcohol was supplied on that evening.' Coveney said in a statement earlier this week that the report was 'fair and balanced' and 'welcomed' the decision to request that Burgess and other officials donate money to charity. But Coveney has been criticised for appointing secretary general Hackett to conduct the investigation after Foreign Affairs Committee chair Charlie Flanagan said Committee members were concerned his appointment. The report said that Burgess (pictured) was 'largely responsible for facilitating the breach of social distance guidance that occurred', and recommended that he give 2,000 (1,670) to a charity providing assistance to Covid-affected families, and other senior officials visible in the photograph donate 1,000 (835) Coveney argued that Hackett, despite being an internal member of the department, was not at the June 2020 gathering and was not involved in the campaign to secure a UN security council seat, and could therefore lead an impartial review. 'He is the Accounting Officer for the Department and as this matter relates to a workplace incident that has caused reputational damage to the Department, it is correct and appropriate for the Secretary General to lead this review,' Coveney told Flanagan. It comes as Boris Johnson faces further pressure over the highly-publicised 'Partygate' scandal which has seen five of his closest aides resign in the past day. Elena Narozanski, a member of the Number 10 Policy Unit, resigned this morning, according to the Conservative Home website. It comes as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces further pressure over the highly-publicised 'Partygate' scandal which has seen five of his closest aides resign in the past day Mr Johnson was hit by the shock resignation of one his closest allies, policy chief Munira Mirza (left). Shortly afterwards it emerged the PM's communications chief, Jack Doyle (right), was also departing Some senior ministers believe 'it feels like the end' after yesterday's exodus amid mounting fears in Downing Street that more staff and even ministers could resign. Senior Tory MPs today issued a fresh warning to Johnson that he must 'shape up or ship out'. Number 10 was in meltdown last night as the PM ordered a brutal clearout in a desperate attempt to shore up his troubled premiership as Rishi Sunak primed himself for a leadership bid. Downing Street announced that the PM's chief of staff Dan Rosenfield and private secretary Martin Reynolds will be leaving. That announcement came after it emerged the PM's communications chief, Jack Doyle, was also departing. Mr Johnson had already been hit by the shock resignation of one of his closest allies, policy chief Munira Mirza, yesterday afternoon. A trial date has been set for a man accused of stabbing his 19-year-old girlfriend to death in a 'frenzied attack'. Jack Sepple, 23, is alleged to have killed Canadian teenager Ashley Wadsworth at his home in Chelmsford, Essex on Tuesday. Police and paramedics were called to the address shortly after 4pm after receiving desperate 999 calls from neighbours reporting a disturbance. Sepple was arrested at the scene after police found him in bed alongside Ms Wadsworth's dead body. One neighbour, who asked not to be named, said it seemed Ms Wadsworth had been 'the victim of a frenzied attack, but the medics couldn't save her'. Ms Wadsworth, who had never left Canada, had been due to fly home to see her family just days later. Sepple, dressed in a yellow and blue prison-issue tracksuit, today sat with his arms crossed across his chest and spoke only to confirm his identity via video link during a seven-minute hearing at Chelmsford Crown Court. He was remanded in custody and is due to enter a plea at the same court on March 7, ahead of a provisional trial date set for September 5. Jack Sepple, 23, is alleged to have killed Canadian teenager Ashley Wadsworth, 19, at his home in Chelmsford, Essex on Tuesday Ms Wadsworth (pictured with Sepple), originally from Vernon, British Colombia, converted to the Church of the Latter-day Saints at age 18 and was described by a fellow churchgoer as a 'woman of great faith' Ms Wadsworth, originally from Vernon, British Colombia, converted to the Church of the Latter-day Saints at age 18 and was described by a fellow churchgoer as a 'woman of great faith'. She met Sepple through an online dating app and moved to Chelmsford in November 2021, she had revealed on Facebook. Earlier this year, she posted photos online of her 'amazing trip to London', where she had been sightseeing. The pair enjoyed a tour around London landmarks and another one to Kent, both with Sepple's family. Ms Wadsworth had also posted comments about her happiness at being over in Britain. Her friends and family have taken to Facebook to pay tribute to the teenager who had been a regular churchgoer back in her home country. Paying tribute, Great aunt Tova Wadsworth said that Ashley was on the 'trip of a lifetime' after arriving in the UK from her home in Vernon, British Columbia in November last year. Ms Wadsworth (left) had been due to fly home to Vernon in British Columbia this week. Her boyfriend Sepple (right) has been charged with her murder Court artist sketch of Jack Sepple, of Chelmsford, appearing in the dock at Colchester Magistrates' Court She said: 'Ashley was a beautiful young lady and full of love and kindness for all in her life. 'This was a trip of a lifetime... Nothing of this makes any sense. Her family is heartbroken and struggles to understand.' Ms Wadsworth was described as a 'woman of great faith' as she joined the Church of the Latter-day Saints aged 18. Fellow churchgoer Daniel Seaman said: 'She was in England to live with her boyfriend, she was excited to live abroad and she always wanted to get out of the small town life in Vernon, BC.' Ms Wadsworth's sister Hailey said in a tribute: 'My beautiful sister, you are so amazing, your belief in God was so beautiful. 'You spoke three different languages, you graduated and were an honour roll student always travelling California, San Diego, Mexico, Quebec, England, and all over British Columbia and Alberta. 'You have done amazing things hunny, you cared so much for your family, you always put us first. 'You were always coming over everyday to be with your little niece, Paisley, who sure loves her auntie. 'I'm so happy we were so close and grew up together and spent almost every day of our lives together. I don't think I ever went a day without talking to you. ' I love you so much. I'll never stop missing you. I keep seeing you and I know you're here watching out for me. 'God gained another beautiful angel. I love you so much baby girl.' Friends have paid more heartbreaking tributes to Ashley on Facebook this week. Tianna Kowalchuk, who described Ms Wadsworth as her best friend, said: 'I'm sorry there wasn't more I or anyone else could do to help you. But God has you in his hands now, we have you in our hearts forever.' Another friend, Mackenzie Palm, wrote: 'Since grade 7, you were my best friend, my family and my rock. 'We went through so many phases together, we did so many silly things together. We made so many memories.' A third friend, Maleea Ames, said: 'Ashley Wadsworth, I remember first meeting you when we sat next together in the nail salon talking about life, summer and everything in between. 'You were so incredibly sweet, beautiful and a literal angel.' Nicola Sturgeon was branded a 'fantasist' today after claiming that UK taxpayers would continue to bankroll Scottish pensions even after independence. The First Minister was taken to task after insisting 'people will notice no difference' if Scotland separates from the UK as she continued her drive to split Britain. She said yesterday that Scots who have made state pension contributions to the Treasury would still receive those payments, and her official spokesman went further and claimed that the UK government would be expected to contribute to the pensions. However she was replying on a years-old comment from a former UK pensions minister, without pointing out he later ruled out UK taxpayers cash being used. Both the Scottish Conservatives and labour lashed out at her comments, with Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross saying: 'The SNP are once again spinning a fantasy in order to try to make their case for Scottish independence. 'The idea that pensions in an independent Scotland would be paid by UK taxpayers is completely absurd and Nicola Sturgeon's deflection and theatrics yesterday will have convinced no-one. Nicola Sturgeon has said British taxpayers will continue to foot the bill for Scottish pensions after Scotland becomes Independence Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross saying: 'The SNP are once again spinning a fantasy in order to try to make their case for Scottish independence'. Shadow Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said 'People are facing the biggest cost of living crisis in a generation and the SNP are busy playing fantasy economics' 'The SNP admitted in their 2014 White Paper that pensions would be the responsibility of an independent Scotland. But either they have become even more out of touch with reality in the past few years, or they are knowingly trying to dupe the Scottish public. 'The economic case for independence has never been weaker, and the SNP know it. Ms Sturgeon's comments come after SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford and Finance Secretary Kate Forces said pensions would not be affected by independence. When asked about the issue in the Scottish Parliament, Sturgeon repeated comments from a former UK pensions minister even though he subsequently clarified them. Sturgeon quoted comments made by Steve Webb in 2014 before the Scottish Independence referendum where he said people who had 'accumulated rights would continue to receive the current levels of state pension'. However, Mr Webb quickly clarified his remarks within days, saying that it was for the independent Scottish government to pay its own state pensions. Shadow Scottish Secretary Ian Murray MP said 'People are facing the biggest cost of living crisis in a generation and the SNP are busy playing fantasy economics. 'It is no wonder they are reeling off promises on pensions if they are planning to have another country pay for them. 'This new policy is a monumental u-turn with no grounding whatsoever in reality. 'The SNP's total economic illiteracy is not just embarrassing it is dangerous.' The Scottish First Minister and SNP leader want to hold a re-run of the 2014 referendum by the end of 2023 but Boris Johnson has so far refused to grant permission for a vote to take place. Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament: 'When Scotland votes for independence, as was the case in 2014, the distribution of existing UK liabilities and assets, including those related to pensions, will be subject to negotiation. 'But the key point is for those in receipt of pensions, and it is what the minister for pensions in the UK Government at the time, Steve Webb, confirmed: that people with accumulated rights would continue to receive the current levels of state pension.' But Mr Webb clarified his remarks just days later, saying: 'I would think the Scottish people would expect their Government to take on full responsibility for paying pensions. Similarly people in the rest of the UK would not expect to guarantee or underwrite the pensions of those living in what would then [be] a separate country.' Nicola Sturgeon has been accused of an 'obscene waste of public money' after it emerged a team of 11 Holyrood civil servants are working on her new blueprint for Scottish independence A spokesman for Miss Sturgeon said: 'Pensions will be delivered in an independent Scotland by the Government of an independent Scotland but there will be historic contributions made into the UK pot that are owed from that UK side.' Pressed on why the First Minister referenced Mr Webb's comments when they were clarified one week later, he said: 'He is on record saying what he said.' Last week, Sturgeon was accused of overseeing an 'obscene waste of public money' after it emerged a team of 11 Holyrood civil servants are working on her new blueprint for Scottish independence. Details of the team behind the independence prospectus were revealed by the Scottish Government in response to a Freedom of Information request. Analysis of the pay grades of the staff involved suggested the team would cost about 700,000 a year to operate, according to The Herald. The SNP has defended the move, insisting it is 'democracy in action', but pro-Union campaigners have criticised the use of public resources, arguing Ms Sturgeon should be fully focused on Scotland's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Ms Sturgeon said in her 'Programme for Government' last year that work would resume on drawing up a 'detailed prospectus' for independence. The Freedom of Information request asked how much budget had been allocated to the work, with the Scottish Government saying it was unable to provide an exact figure. The Government said the preparation work would be coordinated by a team consisting of 'one senior civil servant and 10 other officials' within the constitution directorate. Pamela Nash, chief executive of the Scotland in Union campaign group, said: 'This is an obscene waste of public money. The Scottish First Minister and SNP leader wants to hold a re-run of the 2014 referendum by the end of 2023 but Boris Johnson has so far refused to grant permission for a vote to take place 'While our NHS struggles with massive waiting lists and children sit in crowded classrooms, only the SNP could think it sensible to devote civil service time and taxpayers' money to this. 'Rather than focusing on how to divide Scotland once again, the Government's priority should be bringing communities together, giving our NHS and public services the resources they need.' Donald Cameron from the Scottish Conservatives echoed a similar sentiment, saying: 'It's outrageous that the SNP Government are devoting huge resources to their push for another divisive independence referendum, when all their focus should be on Scotland's pandemic recovery.' But Mike Russell, the president of the SNP, said: 'The people of Scotland have already decided they should have a choice over their future by electing a Scottish Parliament in May with a record majority of pro-independence MSPs. 'Now the preparatory work is underway to develop a blueprint for Scotland as an independent country. 'This is democracy in action: the Scottish Government delivering the manifesto promises on which they were so overwhelmingly elected. 'This detailed work will ensure that the people of Scotland can make an informed choice when voting in the referendum and are presented with the choice of a better and fairer future in an independent Scotland.' Civil war is brewing among staff at Channel Ten as TV stars taking sides in the bitter legal battle between The Project's Peter van Onselen and journalist Tegan George. Studio 10 host Narelda Jacobs and senior Ten reporter Lachlan Kennedy are among those who have chipped in to the $45,000 fighting fund for Ms Tegan's lawsuit against her bosses at the TV station. Other colleagues are also said to have donated to her fundraiser but chosen to remain anonymous. The press gallery journalist has launched legal action against the network alleging she was subjected to a toxic culture of bullying during her time under van Onselen at the Canberra bureau. A civil war is brewing among staff at Channel Ten with TV personalities taking sides in the bitter legal battle between The Project's Peter van Onselen (pictured) and journalist Tegan George Ten's political editor is one of several senior employees named in the lawsuit which claims the station failed to provide a safe working environment. Ms George joined the station in 2011 and started the new role in 2019 but has been on leave since June 2021 allegedly suffering 'personal injury' brought on by 'stress to the point of incapacity', the lawsuit alleged. Channel Ten and Van Onselen have denied the allegation but are yet to file a defence. Network Ten Federal political reporter Tegan George (pictured) has launched legal action in the Federal Court against her employer, accusing it of breaching the Fair Work Act Morning show host Jacobs has publicly backed George's fight against her own network with a donation of $50, while Ten journalist Lachlan Kennedy chipped in with $100. The Guardian reported that many other colleagues of George have also added to the war chest which climbed to $45,095 after just 48 hours. Tracey Spicer, a former Channel Ten newsreader, also offered her support on social media. 'It's incredibly difficult for one woman to stand up against a TV network. Scared the crap out of me when I did it back in 2006,' she posted on Twitter 'Again, without commenting on the particular allegations that's a matter for the court Tegan George is courageous.' George's fundraiser page says that '...like most individuals, Tegan doesn't have the means to participate in a legal process alone, so her friends and I have persuaded her to let me put a call out to the public for help.' 'Most people know that the legal system in Australia makes it almost impossible for someone of ordinary means to launch legal action and have a case fairly heard. Morning show host Jacobs (pictured) has publicly backed George's fight against her own network with a donation of $50, while Ten journalist Lachlan Kennedy chipped in with $100 Many other colleagues of George have also added to the war chest which climbed to $45,095 after just 48 hours. Pictured: Narelda Jacobs 'Unfortunately, taking a claim to the Federal Court comes with a significant price tag. This is a problem in and of itself that we believe should be fixed in the long term. 'While the problem remains, however, we think we can all agree that a person should not bankrupt themselves to access the legal system and seek justice via the courts.' The page says the money raised will help George with legal costs, including paying for her legal team at Maurice Blackburn, as well as the barrister and court fees. 'The fundraiser will also help to provide basic support for Tegan as she goes through the legal process, helping out with general necessities and support with medical treatment and psychological support,' the page says. Read Peter van Onselen's 'passive aggressive' group email, contained in court documents ALLEGED HUMILIATING EMAILS When Tegan George eventually broke down and could no longer go into work due to the alleged 'toxic' working environment at Ten's Canberra Bureau, she allegedly received even more 'humiliating' messages, her statement to the Federal Court claims. Van Onselen allegedly wrote in a 'passive aggressive' group email to colleagues that he was being forced to pick up the slack since her time away, the claim says. 'Tegan has extended her leave by another week,' an excerpt from the email allegedly said. 'As mentioned I'm covering this weekend anyway. It will be my 15th straight day working so Alex has very kindly offered to double check my work!!!' TOXIC CULTURE CLAIMS Before she took personal leave, when she allegedly complained to her bosses about the 'rude and hostile' environment, the lawsuit claims executive editor Anthony Murdoch told her: 'Peter is bats*** crazy but we just have to get used to it' and deal with the 'toxic' culture. Van Onselen is alleged to have rejected her complaint about feeling 'unsupported, disrespected and unwelcome' at the Canberra Bureau by saying he 'did not give a s***' how she was feeling'. CLAIMS OF HUMILIATION AND BELITTLING Worried about the workload her and another female colleague were under on another occasion, the lawsuit claims she raised the issue with a manager at the station who allegedly replied: 'What did you even do today? Painting your nails and drinking herbal tea?' Advertisement Inside 'bullied' reporter's explosive claims about The Project's Peter van Onselen - from making a 'star' out of another female reporter to make her jealous to refusing to invite her to COFFEE BY KEVIN AIRS FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA Ten's political editor Peter van Onselen sabotaged one woman reporter's career while trying to make a star out of another, court documents allege. The Project's political guru set up the two women reporters to be rivals as part of the bullying row accusations at the 'toxic' TV station, a bombshell lawsuit claims. The full explosive details of Canberra press gallery journalist Tegan George's legal action against Network Ten have been revealed in papers released by the Federal Court. The full explosive details of the legal action by Canberra press gallery journalist Tegan George (pictured) against Network Ten have been revealed in papers released by the Federal Court In the full statement of claim filed on Tuesday, obtained by Daily Mail Australia, Ms George alleges a number of grievances including: Being told to apologise to van Onselen for complaining about having to write his stories Van Onselen refusing to talk to her and communicating by text message Being made to move desks so van Onselen could prove he was the boss Accusing him of being 'rude, intemperate, condescending and patronising' And being snubbed for invites to van Onselen's coffee meetings with other staff. TV bosses allegedly 'pumped up tyres' of rival At one stage, the lawsuit alleges van Onselen and executive editor Anthony Murdoch set out to build up another reporter, Stela Todorovic, into a star ahead of Ms George. Murdoch allegedly told an ex-workmate of Ms George that 'PvO had issues with Tegan and so his agenda was to make Stela a star to 'get at' Ms George', the lawsuit claims. Van Onselen is said to have hailed the work of Ms Todorovic on staff-wide emails - but allegedly ignored Ms George's award nomination and social media success. The lawsuit alleges van Onselen and executive editor Anthony Murdoch set out to build up another reporter, Stela Todorovic, (pictured) into a star ahead Ms George But the move allegedly backfired when Murdoch allegedly confessed 'he and van Onselen had 'pumped up her tyres too much'.' The executive allegedly admitted he and Mr van Onselen had mistakenly given her too much confidence and were now 'addressing it'. At a performance review, Murdoch later allegedly told Ms George that 'Ms Todorovic's work required improvement', and that Ms George was 'one of the best journalists in the network'. Ms George joined Ten in 2011, and in November 2019 was appointed as a producer/journalist based in the Canberra bureau under van Onselen. Tensions allegedly rise at allegedly toxic bureau Tensions quickly arose when she complained about conflicting instructions and a lack of clear chain of command during her first eight weeks, the documents allege. TV executive Anthony Murdoch (pictured) allegedly told an ex-workmate of Ms George that 'PvO had issues with Tegan and so his agenda was to make Stela a star to 'get at' Ms George' The claim says she was expected to write many of the political editor's packages for him, but when she pushed back, she was told van Onselen was the TV station's 'number one whose brand they were expected to build'. The lawsuit alleges she was told by Murdoch 'the bureau had always been toxic' and she 'needed to learn to deal with it'. Peter van Onselen allegedly did not give a s*** how she was feeling... Ms George says in the lawsuit that she tried to resolve the problems directly with van Onselen, but he escalated it to senior management, and she was later allegedly told van Onselen 'did not give a s***' how she was feeling. Murdoch later allegedly said van Onselen expected an apology from Ms George for 'hurting his feelings', according to the court papers. The lawsuit says Murdoch added: 'Peter is bats*** crazy but we just have to get used to it'. Ten's political editor Peter van Onselen (pictured) allegedly tried to sabotage one woman reporter's career while trying to make a star out of another, court papers reveal Later that day, Ms George says she suffered a panic attack and couldn't work, and took the next day off. Work allegedly 'undermined and leaked' A few weeks later, the lawsuit alleges Murdoch told other Ten staff that Ms George was 'not doing herself any favours' and 'no-one even likes her'. The lawsuit says he then added '...words to the effect that if he had 'that many sick days and headache, I would be getting my f***ing head checked''. The legal action also alleges her script of a federal government scoop was sent to Minister Greg Hunt's office behind her back, prompting Hunt to demand changes and ruining her exclusive. It also claims The Project host 'publicly reprimanded' her for not sending him her script days prior to her interview with Scott Morrison, which later received half a million views online. Sexual harassment claim The lawsuit claims the stress became too much to bear after she reported a sexist remark she overheard in a conversation between an un-named Network Ten employee - who was not van Onselen - and a freelance camera operator. Tegan George (pictured) has worked as a political reporter in the press gallery for Ten since 2019 but has been on leave since June 2021 suffering a 'personal injury' brought on by 'stress to the point of incapacity' When executives repeatedly demanded she make a formal statement, she was threatened with disciplinary action, which pushed her over the edge, the lawsuit claims. It says she faced a two-hour showdown with bosses where she was told she would be in breach of her contract if she continued to refuse to make a statement. But Ms George says in the statement of claim that the process left her feeling violated and was not 'consent-based'. She claims she was left feeling physically ill, unable to sleep, and so stressed she was 'incapacitated' and in need of medical treatment and family support. Peter van Onselen (pictured) expected an apology from Ms George for 'hurting his feelings', according to the court papers Ms George was left 'anxious and distressed' to the point of 'vomiting' because of the stress, and has been on leave since June 2021, according to her lawsuit. Allegedly 'passive aggressive emails, tweets' While she was off work, George claims van Onselen allegedly wrote a 'passive aggressive' group email to colleagues that he was having to pick up her slack. 'Tegan has extended her leave by another week,' part of the email said, the lawsuit claims. 'As mentioned I'm covering this weekend anyway. 'It will be my 15th straight day working so Alex has very kindly offered to double check my work!!!' In her statement filed to the court, Ms George also claims Network Ten's Political Editor would 'background' against her to other journalists. George claims The Project host directed these tweets towards her - but didn't mention her by name It's alleged van Onselen then wrote a tweet she says was aimed at her on the topic of sexual harassment: 'There should also be obligations on employees who witness it to report it, not cover it up.' After an emotional meeting between Ten management and the media union in September, the lawsuit claims van Onselen again tweeted about her, quoting a poem about 'crying wolf' and 'looking for sympathy'. Alleged 'Bullying tore down reporter' Van Onselen is one of several senior employees named in the lawsuit, which claims the station failed to provide a safe working environment. The lawsuit alleges the 'toxic', 'bullying' culture at Ten's Canberra bureau 'reduced Ms George's standing and reputation as a journalist'. 'Ms George was subjected to workplace gossip, Ms George's standing in the workplace was reduced and Ms George was denied the quiet enjoyment of her profession,' adds the lawsuit. Channel 10 Political Editor Peter van Onselen found himself under attack after labelling Grace Tame 'ungracious, rude and childish' following her awkward encounter with Scott Morrison (pictured) at The Lodge last week The controversy for the veteran reporter comes just a week after van Onselen copped a fiery backlash for criticising 2021 Australian of the Year Grace Tame for refusing to smile when she greeted Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Australia Day at The Lodge. Van Onselen denies 'woman problem' Van Onselen declined to discuss the case on ABC Radio Melbourne on Wednesday but told host Virginia Trioli he denied accusations that it showed he had a 'woman problem'. 'There was an alleged witnessing of sexual harassment within the office, according to the complaint, which I wanted to be dealt with and handled...which would suggest the exact opposite,' he said. Ms George's lawyers refuted any suggestion she had not reported the sexual harassment. 'Any suggestion that Ms George refused or failed to report an incident of sexual harassment is false,' said Josh Bornstein, of Maurice Blackburn. '[When she] reported it to a manager, she was threatened with disciplinary action if she refused to make a formal written statement about it. 'Ms George was concerned about why Network 10 were taking such an approach to that matter, while failing to address much more serious issues in the workplace.' Network Ten will file a defence to the claims at a later date. A Sainsbury's call centre worker who was sacked for hanging up on dozens of angry customers has lost an unfair dismissal claim after saying she wouldn't have been fired if she was 'white and Scottish'. Muawana McCollin put the phone down on 62 of 129 callers who were 'unhappy' or 'upset' in a single month while working in Glasgow. The 49-year-old, who lived in Glasgow, claimed the hang ups were due to the phone system and that someone was 'setting her up' and 'trying to make her look bad', an employment tribunal heard. Ms McCollin began working as a customer service representative for Telecom Service Centres Ltd, which traded as Webhelp UK, in May 2018, the hearing was told. Bosses fired her for gross misconduct after describing her hanging up on customers as the most 'blatant and unreasonable' case they had ever seen. Ms McCollin, who is black and of Afro-Caribbean ethnicity, took her call centre employers to a tribunal claiming race and disability discrimination. At the hearing she said her dismissal would not have happened if she was 'white and Scottish'. But her claims were thrown out after the panel found she had a 'skewed perception of events' with an 'unrealistic view' of what happened to her. Muawana McCollin (pictured above), 49, from Glasgow, put the phone down on 62 of 129 callers who were 'unhappy' or 'upset' in a single month The hearing was told that Ms McCollin began working as a customer service representative for Telecom Service Centres Ltd - which traded as Webhelp UK - in Glasgow in May 2018. She was given responsibility for answering customer calls for supermarket giant Sainsbury's. The following year concerns were raised about her hanging up on customers 'early' and an investigation was launched. 'From a review of (her) calls...it was found that, in the month of June 2019, 62 of 129 calls were terminated early when customers were upset or unhappy,' the tribunal heard. The hearing was told that when confronted, she claimed a medical condition she suffered from - ovarian fibroids - affected her eyesight and that she would terminate calls 'in error' because she struggled to press the correct button. However, despite her denial she was doing it deliberately, Ms McCollin was sacked after being found guilty of gross misconduct little over a year after joining the company for 'deliberately and wilfully cutting the customer off calls'. Ms McCollin took her call centre employers to a tribunal claiming race and disability discrimination, saying her dismissal would not have happened if she was 'white and Scottish' Manager Paul Tausney, who listened to the calls, told the hearing they were 'amongst the most blatant unreasonable disconnects that he had ever heard'. He said he could not see any reason for her calls dropping off other than she was trying to avoid taking the full call. In a letter the company told Ms McCollin she was being dismissed for 'call avoidance... on the grounds that you released calls without reason or permission to do so.' She then appealed the decision claiming her poor performance was due to her health. She claimed she was being discriminated against because of her disability as well as other factors. Ms McCollin was given responsibility for answering customer calls for supermarket giant Sainsbury's. The following year concerns were raised about her hanging up on customers 'early' and an investigation was launched Ms McCollin said she was drowsy due to medication she was taking, and sometimes could not hear the customer down the phone and was sensitive to light, a panel was told. But bosses said they had never before had a call centre worker prematurely terminate a customer call due to drowsiness. After losing her appeal, Ms McCollin made a series of claims at the tribunal including race discrimination, disability discrimination, harassment and victimisation, but the panel dismissed them all. The tribunal - headed by employment judge Ian McPherson - concluded: 'Her evidence was an unrealistic view of what she believed had happened to her, and she did not understand why others could not see matters as she saw them. 'We are satisfied that (her employers) had good cause, with overwhelming evidence, to summarily dismiss (her) for gross misconduct, and as such dismissal was on grounds of her conduct, and not her disability, or race, it was not discriminatory.' ZANU PF members in Bulawayo, hired by the ruling party as polling officers for the recently held provincial elections are demanding payment of money for coordinating the internal elections which ushered in new executives in the 10 provinces. The former liberation movement conducted provincial elections on December 28, 2021 in the 10 provinces which birthed new provincial chairpersons. Youth and womens league provincial executive positions were also contested. This week, some polling officers in Bulawayo who spoke to the Zimbabwe Independent said they were owed money. Indications are that over 100 polling officers in Bulawayo have not been paid and have not been notified of how much they will be paid. Zanu PF member Sam Dhliwayo said the ruling party has failed to fulfil its promise of paying in three weeks after the polls. We conducted the elections and were asked to submit our bank account details. They promised to pay us within two to three weeks but its now more than a month and we are yet to be paid, Dhliwayo said. We have a feeling that the money might have been diverted by greedy top officials; this is unacceptable. He said the disgruntled officers were exposing the issue to attract the attention of President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Another Zanu PF member who spoke on condition of anonymity said the party was not sincere. We cannot be treated like this by our political party which is supposed to serve our interests, he said. A Zanu PF insider in Bulawayo who also requested anonymity for fear of victimisation said the payment of polling officers for provincial elections was being done at the party headquarters. The payment of polling officers is the responsibility of the national office because those people were deployed outside their provinces. The money was supposed to come from the national office, but we hear that some are yet to be paid. It is possible that the national office might have sent money to provinces for onward payments, said a Zanu PF official. Zanu PF national spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa was not reachable on his mobile phone. Party national commissar Mike Bimha referred the Zimbabwe Independent to the provincial leadership for comment. Please be advised that provincial elections are being directed from the provinces and its the provinces that can answer your questions, Bimha said. Bulawayo provincial chairman Jabulani Sibandas phone went unanswered. Provincial commissar Ruth Shelton declined to discuss the matter. I was a candidate during the provincial elections and whatever the arrangement was there, I have nothing to do with it. Maybe I will have to ask those who were the interim executive about this issue, Shelton said. Zimbabwe Independent A former BBC barrister who was representing the ex-MI6 agent behind the notorious 'Trump dossier' has been struck off for forging a judge's signature. Nicola Cain, 39, was acting for Christopher Steele, when he was being sued by Russian businessman, Aleksej Gubarev. Mr Steele had named him in the document about Russian leverage over the former president, which was disclosed by BuzzFeed in 2017. But the Russian's lawyers accused Mr Steele of failing to properly disclose documents to them at the hearing. When the documents, including a witness statement, were finally provided, Cain did not show it to Mr Steele - and signed for it on his behalf. She then gave Mr Steele a faked court order to cover up the fact his legal team had been ordered by a High Court judge to disclose the information within 14 days. Nicola Cain, 39, had been acting for ex-MI6 agent Christopher Steele at the time of forgery Gavin Millar, QC, had told the hearing Mr Steele (pictured) and his company, Orbis Business Intelligence, were the 'blameless victims of serious professional failure' by Nicola Cain Cain cut-and-pasted the judge's signature on the document, the Bar Tribunals and Adjudication Service heard. Gavin Millar, QC, had told the hearing Mr Steele and his company, Orbis Business Intelligence, were the 'blameless victims of serious professional failure' by Cain, who was then working for City firm RPC. Mr Gubarev's defamation claim against Mr Steele was dismissed in October 2020. James Counsell, QC, for Cain, said she was overwhelmed by her workload and found herself 'firefighting by just dealing with the matter which was most urgent.' Her health deteriorated to the point where she would sob at her desk. Ms Cain, a former Times 'lawyer of the week', reported herself to the Bar Standards Board on 13 May 2020 after she withdrew from the case. Ms Cain was defending him in defamation suit brought by Russian Aleksej Gubarev (pictured) Mr Steele is best known for notorious 'Trump dossier' about the US ex-president (pictured) The Trump Dossier: wildest claims are now widely discredited Central accusations made in the dossier, which was funded by the Democrats were been roundly rubbished and were largely thrown out by the Mueller report. It was published by the Buzzfeed news website in 2017 and contained outlandish claims of Trump hiring prostitutes in a Moscow hotel room as well as allegations of Russian collusion with the Republican candidate's campaign. In an interview at Oxford University, Mr Steele said he had been questioned for 'two whole days' but was disappointed with Mueller's final report. 'I was surprised that very little of what I had discussed with them appeared in the final report. He criticized the report for being 'too narrow' and failing to follow up on crucial evidence. 'There were many things about the report that were good but other (aspects) that were not so good,' he said. Mr Steele said the fact that 'a number of witnessesincluding for instance, Donald Trump Jr.' had avoided being interviewed 'wasn't great.' Dismissing longstanding allegations of political bias, he described himself as simply 'an opponent of President Putin.' Advertisement Tribunal chair Judge Alan Greenwood said: 'Everybody is entitled to expect that an order of the court is a genuine document, and not a fabricated one, and the extent of the fabrication is very real. 'To fabricate a court order, one can't imagine that a barrister would do that, or countenance that a barrister would do that. 'If a barrister does that, it is high dishonesty indeed. 'It wasn't fleeting, it was not momentary, it was a course of conduct.' 'This is a court order, the signature of a senior Master of the High Court, and that document was being fabricated in order to mislead the client.' Cain told the tribunal in a written statement: 'I wish to make absolutely clear, at the outset, that I accept, as I did in the self-report which I submitted to the SRA and to the BSB, that within a short space of time I made a series of very serious errors of judgment and, in doing so, I let down my client, my colleagues and fellow partners, the firm, the profession and myself. 'I am profoundly and sincerely sorry for my conduct, which I wish I could put right. 'I regret it every day and I acknowledge the severity of that conduct. 'Nothing I say in this statement is seeking to diminish the seriousness of my misconduct. 'I have publicly issued a profuse apology for my conduct, as well as apologising to the firm, and I wish to repeat that apology now.' Cain, called to the bar in July 2005, admitted failing to act in the best interests of a client, failing to act with honesty and integrity and failing to provide a competent standard of work to a client. She also admitted behaving in a way which is likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public places in a barrister or in the profession and failing to observe her duty to the court in the administration of justice. Cain worked as a barrister in the litigation department at the BBC before she moved to RPC's highly regarded media practice in 2017. She was disbarred and ordered to pay 5,900 costs. More than 3,900 people are 'interested' in a Facebook event calling for Rotterdam residents to throw rotten eggs Jeff Bezos's newly built-superyacht, for which a historic Dutch bridge could be dismantled. Report by local media said that the shipyard building the Amazon billionaire's 400million, 17ft yacht Y721 had asked for a historic bridge to be temporarily dismantled to get the boat to sea, with Bezos footing the bill. Y721 is currently being built at the Oceano shipyard in Alblasserdam in the west of the Netherlands, but in order to get out to sea the iconic Koningshavenbrug bridge in Rotterdam, known to locals as De Hef, will have to be dismantled. Normally new ships pass under the bridge with a clearance of 130ft before their masts are assembled. But the superstructure of Bezos's vessel is higher than the bridge and the shipyard says it is not practical to sail it out while partially constructed. However this week local politicians said no final decisions had been taken on whether to dismantle the bridge. A Facebook event to which more than 900 people have clicked 'going' has called for 'all Rotterdammers' to throw eggs at the yacht 'en masse' when it passes through De Hef in the summer. Organised for June 1 by Pablo Strormann, it reads: 'Take a box of (rotten) eggs with you and let's throw them en masse at Jeff's superyacht when it sails through De Hef in Rotterdam. 'Rotterdam was built from the rubble by the people of Rotterdam, and we don't just take that apart for the phallus symbol of a megalomaniac billionaire. Not without a fight!' The the iconic Koningshavenbrug bridge in Rotterdam, known to locals as De Hef will be dismantled to allow Jeff Bezos's newly-built superyacht to pass through, with the bill being footed by the Amazon billionaire Despite the bridge's iconic status, yacht builder Oceano and Bezos have successfully lobbied the local council in order for the bridge to be dismantled to allow his yacht to pass A Facebook event to which more than 900 people have clicked 'going' has called for 'all Rotterdammers' to throw eggs at the yacht 'en masse' when it passes through De Hef in the summer The 400million, 417ft Y721 will be the biggest sailing yacht in the world when it is completed this year in the Netherlands, overtaking the current largest ocean-going passenger ship Bezos's ownership of the yacht was confirmed in the book Amazon Unbound, which described the boat as 'one of the finest sailing yachts in existence'. Pictured: Bezos (left) with girlfriend Lauren Sanchez Mr Strormann has even linked to a video tutorial for making a 'cardboard egg-grenade launcher' on the page 'for the advanced egg throwers'. Comments on the event discussion board have ranged, with one calling for people to bring a 'paper bag filled with poop' and others denouncing the idea. The Amazon founder's secretive yacht - a glimpse of which was caught in October - will feature three enormous masts and three decks, and it will be unable to fit under the bridge, even with its full clearance of 130ft (40 metres). When the bridge was renovated in 2017, the local council pledged that it would never be dismantled again. However, according to Dutch broadcaster Rijnmond, that promise is set to be broken to accommodate Bezos's giant ship, with the Amazon founder promising to cover the costs needed for the work. However according to local media reports, Rotterdam hasn't received a request for a permit to temporarily dismantle the bridge to allow for Bezos's superyacht to pass and the city's mayor has denied that a decision has been made. Speaking to newspaper Algemeen Dagblad on Thursday, mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb said: 'I find the turmoil quite peculiar. No decision has yet been taken, not even an application for a permit'. He added a decision will be made by the municipality once a permit application is filed and the impact has been assessed. A local left-wing party called for an emergency council debate about the bridge, DutchNews.nl reported. GroenLinks councillor Stephan Leewis reportedly told Rijnmond: 'Now, we have to break apart our beautiful listed monument? This really is a bridge too far.' De Hef was first built over the Nieuwe Maas river in 1927 and has been a key feature throughout Rotterdam's history since its construction. In 1933, a Dutchman named Lou Vlasblom made a then-record breaking dive from the top of the bridge. Two weeks later, Jan Tabbernee died trying to match the stunt. The bridge, characterised by its two towers and the green tint to its steel, was heavily damaged in 1940 during the bombardment of Rotterdam, and is now officially protected as a landmark. Previous attempts to permanently demolish the bridge, such as one in 1993, were met with fierce resistance from locals, who succeeded in blocking the plan. And for a brief period between 2014 and 2017, the De Hef lost its footbridge between the two towers, with the council promising to not dismantle it again. Despite its iconic status, Oceano and Bezos have successfully lobbied the local council in order for the bridge to be dismantled to allow his yacht to pass. The Amazon founder's secretive yacht will feature three 'enormous' masts and several decks. It is being built by custom yacht builder Oceanco and is thought to be based on the company's Black Pearl ship Rijnmond reported that councillors agreed to the request despite facing opposition from local history experts and other residents. Ton Wesselink, a member of the local history society Historisch Genootschap Roterodamum, told the broadcaster: 'Jobs are important, but there are limits with what you can and should do with our industrial heritage.' But the leader of the project Marcel Walravens praised the council's decision, saying there was no other option, and hopes only have to remove the top section. 'This mainly concerns the passage of a ship with high masts through De Hef. At the Koninginnebrug we can press a button and it opens,' he said. 'That is not possible here, because De Hef has a maximum height. The only alternative is to take out the middle part.' Walravens said that he hopes that, if managed well, the middle section of the bridge should only be removed for a single day to allow the yacht to pass through. In October last year, the superyacht known as Y721 was rolled out of the Zwijndrecht shipyard, before being moved to Alblasserdam to be given its final fittings. It is being built by Oceanco and is thought to be based on the company's Black Pearl ship, one of the largest and most ecological yachts in the world. De Hef was first built over the Nieuwe Maas river in 1927 and has been a key feature throughout Rotterdam's history since its construction. The bridge was heavily damaged in 1940 during the bombardment of Rotterdam, and is now officially protected as a landmark Pictured: The Black Pearl, the largest DynaRig sailing yacht in the world, with three 230ft tall (70 metre) carbon masts, and was built in 2018 The Black Pearl is the largest DynaRig sailing yacht in the world, with three 230ft tall (70 metre) carbon masts, and was built in 2018. Bezos's ownership of it was confirmed in the book Amazon Unbound, which described the boat as 'one of the finest sailing yachts in existence'. Bezos lost his place as the richest man in the world last year to space tech rival Elon Musk. He currently has a net worth of $175billion (130billion). A poignant signed photo of the four grand duchesses who were executed during the Russian Revolution has emerged for sale for 45,000. Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia Romanov posed together around a table for the rare 1913 black and white image. It is dated 1916, suggesting Tsar Nicholas II's daughters autographed it three years later. The photograph which was taken in 1913, featured Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia Romanov posed together around a table. It was signed by the four duchesses in 1916 Tsar Nicholas II, pictured, was the first cousin of Britain's George V, and Russia's last royal leader. He was forced to abdicate in the first revolution of 1917 which saw him replaced by the Provisional Government. The Provisional Government were overthrown by the Bolsheviks in the October revolution Tsar Nicholas, pictured with his son Alexei, was considered weak, especially concerning the relationship his family had with the mystic monk Rasputin Rasputin was an important member of the Tsar's court because he was able to control Alexi Romanov's haemophilia Nicholas II abdicated in March 1917 ahead of the founding of the Provisional Government which lasted eight months until it was overthrown by the Bolsheviks in the October revolution and the Russian Revolution. The Romanov family were murdered in cold-blood by Bolshevik revolutionaries at Yekaterinburg on July 17, 1918. Although accounts vary, they are believed to have been lured into a basement, then shot at point-blank range and bayoneted. The sisters - the most famous princesses of their day - were aged between 17 and 22. The black and white 6.75ins by 6.5ins portrait is going under the hammer with RR Auction, of Boston, US. It has been consigned by a private collector. An RR Auction spokesperson said: 'Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia Romanova, the daughters of Emperor Nicholas II of Russia and his consort, Alexandra Feodorovna, were the most famous princesses of their day. 'Signed photographs are extremely rare, as they were all executed by Bolshevik revolutionaries at Yekaterinburg on July 17, 1918. 'This is a magnificent signed photograph and a true rarity of Russian royalty.' Nicholas II reigned over Russia from 1894 to 1917. The Romanov dynasty ruled Russia from 1613 to 1917. The timed sale ends on February 10. A Chinese acupuncturist accused of sexually assaulting a female patient on his treatment table told her it would make her feel better, a court has heard. Dr Hongwei Dong, of Charlton, south east London, made the woman strip naked before touching her intimately, telling her it would improve circulation to her feet, it is alleged. The woman, who is aged in her 30s and cannot be named for legal reasons, said she felt shocked and humiliated by the 'treatment' but believed it would help ease her chronic joint pain. After removing her clothes and lying on the bed in her underwear, she alleges Dr Dong exclaimed: 'Woo-hoo!' as he walked in and saw her. During their final session, the woman claims Dong groped her breasts before offering her a herbal bath and sex. Dong, 60, repeatedly assured her that the acupuncture and massage sessions were improving her health while taking the opportunity to sexually assault her, the court heard. When she questioned Dong's methods he allegedly told her she needed to 'focus on [her] uterus' in order to hone her ability to walk, a jury heard. He is charged with seven counts of sexual assault against the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, between October and December 2018. He denies the accusations. A Chinese acupuncturist accused of sexually assaulting a female patient on his treatment table allegedly told her it would make her feel better. Pictured: Hongwei Dong, 60, leaving Bournemouth Crown Court on Thursday In a recording of her evidence shown during his trial at Bournemouth Crown Court, Dorset, she said she had tried various natural remedies to manage her pain. She said she met Doctor David, a pseudonym Dong operated under, at the WeCare Remedy clinic in Bournemouth, which she had visited once before. She said: 'I had a massage session with him. He said he was offering me six sessions. He said I needed regular treatment and that the course would benefit me. 'On the first session he had me strip to my pants and bra. I remember I was lying on the bed waiting for him to come in and he opened the door and when he saw me he went 'Woo-hoo'. She said Dong explained she needed to 'activate' her 'down below' to make her feet warmer. She said he told her 'for your walking skills you need to focus on your uterus' before he allegedly sxually assaulted her. During the second session she said he began pulling her pants down and touching her. Dong, 60, repeatedly assured her that the acupuncture and massage sessions were improving her health while taking the opportunity to sexually assault her, the court heard The married woman said: 'It was shocking and humiliating but at the same time I was believing because he is a doctor and he is qualified. 'That's where I am very disappointed in myself. No matter who you are you can still be abusive.' In a later session, Dong allegedly told her his 'treatment' was improving her health. She said: 'He said my pulse was getting stronger, my eyes were shinier and my tongue was healthier. 'He said I was improving and I was feeling pleased to have this treatment but questioning if it is right that this is what he needs to do to me to get me better.' On their final session together the woman said Dong groped her breasts before offering her a herbal bath 'just for the two of them.' The alleged victim said she met Doctor David, a pseudonym Dong operated under, at the WeCare Remedy clinic in Bournemouth (pictured), which she had visited once before She said: 'It was the last session that he massaged my breasts. He was touching my armpit and my chest. 'I did not know this was not allowed - you are not allowed to touch the breasts. 'He told me he was going to get me a herbal bath. I was getting embarrassed. It was really shocking for me. 'He said he'd put me in the bath and then come back and have sex with me. 'I said, 'what?' and as soon as I said that he said, 'I just want you to walk. It is just for you but don't tell anyone'. 'He gave me a card for the session. I just wanted to come out of there.' The woman later confided in a relative about the alleged abuse and Dong was arrested. He denied sexually assaulting the woman and said she was 'making it up'. Dong, from Charlton, south east London, has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and the trial continues. A woman aged in her 30s was killed in a horror crash involving a London double-decker bus during the morning rush hour today. The pedestrian, who has not yet been named, was walking on Great Eastern Street in Shoreditch, East London, when she was hit by the bus shortly before 9am today. London Ambulance Service, Air Ambulance and Fire Brigade all attended along with the Metropolitan Police but she could not be saved and died at the scene. Officers are now urging witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage to come forward and are trying to inform the woman's next of kin. No one has been arrested. Paramedics, fire crews and police officers at the scene of the crash in Shoreditch this morning Ambulances and fire engines this morning on Great Eastern Street in Shoreditch, East London Police warned of 'extensive road closures' in the area around the road in Shoreditch today The incident happened on a road between Old Street and Shoreditch High Street rail stations The force also warned of 'extensive road closures' in the area around the main road, which runs between Old Street and Shoreditch High Street train stations. A police spokesman said: 'Officers investigating a fatal collision in Hackney are appealing for witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage to come forward. 'Police were called at 08:56hrs on Friday, 4 February to reports of a pedestrian having been in collision with a bus at Great Eastern Street, EC2. Police, London Ambulance Service, London's Air Ambulance and London Fire Brigade attended. 'At the scene a woman, aged 30s, had been injured in the collision. Sadly, she was pronounced dead at the scene. Enquiries are underway to notify next of kin. London Ambulance Service, London's Air Ambulance and London Fire Brigade all attended The road was closed by police following the crash which took place just before 9am today 'There have been no arrests. Extensive road closures are in place and road users are advised to avoid the area as long delays are expected.' And a London Ambulance Service spokesman said: 'We were called at 8.55am today to reports of a road traffic collision involving a vehicle and a pedestrian on Great Eastern Street, EC2A. 'We sent an ambulance crew, a medic in a car, an incident response officer, a command support vehicle, and members of our hazardous area response team. We also dispatched a London's Air Ambulance car. Sadly, a person died at the scene.' A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: 'Firefighters were called at 8.59am to a person trapped under a bus on Great Eastern Street. Firefighters released her from the vehicle and sadly she was pronounced dead at the scene.' Police said that anyone who witnessed the incident or has dashcam footage should call police on 101 or Tweet @MetCC quoting 1725/4FEB. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 Police were called to the house where a woman was allegedly raped and murdered just a day before her death, it has been revealed. Officers responded to a 'concern for welfare' call 24 hours before Charrissa Brown was rushed to hospital on Wednesday in Bury. Greater Manchester Police voluntarily referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct due to the previous police contact. In a statement the IOPC said: 'We have received a referral from Greater Manchester Police regarding the conduct of officers who responded to a report of concern for the welfare of a woman who has since sadly died. 'We are assessing the available information to determine if any further action is required from us.' Greater Manchester Police, who remain at the scene today, have arrested three men aged 32, 52 and 61, on suspicion of her rape and murder. It was earlier revealed that the mother-of-three once killed a stranger by pushing him under the wheels of a moving tram. Ms Brown, also known by the surname Brown-Wellington, had recently been released from prison after serving a five-year manslaughter sentence. Charrissa Brown, 36, was rushed to hospital on Wednesday evening after an incident at a property in Bury, Greater Manchester. Greater Manchester Police have arrested three men aged 32, 52 and 61, on suspicion of her rape and murder. She was handed the prison term for the killing of Philip Carter in June 2017. Then aged 31, she pushed 30-year-old Mr Cater, who was a stranger to her, between two carriages of a tram at Manchester Victoria Station. Mr Carter, from Blackley, was crushed by the tram as it pulled away and died at the scene of the incident, which a court later heard took place after the pair had a drunken row. After, Brown-Wellington was heard to say: 'I didn't mean it. He got in my face. We were just play fighting.' Brown was later charged with murder and ordered to face trial. But she pleaded guilty to manslaughter after being unexpectedly brought before a judge for a pre-trial hearing in October 2017. Then aged 31, she was arrested after pushing 30-year-old Mr Carter, who was a stranger to her, in front of a tram at Manchester Victoria Station. Mr Carter, from Blackley, was crushed by the tram and died at the scene of the incident, which a court later heard took place after the pair had a drunken row. Greater Manchester Police have arrested three men aged 32, 52 and 61, on suspicion of her rape and murder. Pictured: Police at the scene In the 2017 sentencing at Manchester Crown Court, judge Mr Justice William Davis told Brown that although her actions were not unprovoked they were 'completely unnecessary' and 'aggressive'. 'There was more than one victim in this case because the effect of what you did was so dreadful. 'It is merely yet another example of you reacting violently when faced with something you did not like very much,' he said. Senior officers at Greater Manchester Police described Ms Brown, who had a personality disorder which causes 'impulsive violence', as 'a ticking time bomb' prior to the attack. 'He (Mr Carter) suffered a brutal death all because she lost her temper,' the force said in a statement at the time. Mr Carter's family meanwhile said he was 'missed every minute of every day', adding in a statement: 'We can try to repair our heartache although no matter how long the sentence is, it will not bring Phil back or make our loss any easier.' On her release, Brown was made the subject to an extended licence period of three years as a 'dangerous offender'. According to court records released at the time of her sentencing, Ms Brown had a lengthy criminal record of 65 offences, many of which involved violence. In 2013, Brown was jailed for four months for criminal damage, assaulting three police officers and using racially aggravated threatening or abusive words or behaviour. On her release from her 2017 manslaughter jail sentence, Brown was made the subject to an extended licence period of three years as a 'dangerous offender' Senior officers at Greater Manchester Police described Ms Brown, who had a personality disorder which causes 'impulsive violence', as 'a ticking time bomb' prior to the attack on Mr Carter The tributes come as detectives continue to probe the circumstances behind Ms Brown's death. A post mortem has taken place. Pictured: A forensic team at the scene on Friday Police and forensic officers at a scene on Gorse Bank, Bury, on Friday. Police have arrested three men on suspicion of rape and murder In 2013, Ms Brown was jailed for four months for criminal damage, assaulting three police officers and using racially aggravated threatening or abusive words or behaviour. In April 2017 she was taken to court for fare-dodging on a tram. MailOnline understands Ms Brown had until recently maintained contact with the probation service having finished her manslaughter sentence in July last year. The revelations come as today tributes have been paid to Ms Brown, including by her mother Sue Brown. Today she wrote on Facebook: 'RIP my beautiful daughter'. She also urged friends to take flowers to the scene and lay them in memory of her daughter. Meanwhile, friend Leigh Kelly wrote: 'Rip Charrissa Brown absolutely heartbroken. 'Loads of memories with you.. one of the funniest girls I know.. one day we will have that catch up until then may u rest in peace and be given the best bed in heaven my girl xxx.' Another, Marie Joel Bowden-Birkhead, wrote: 'I'm going to fill Facebook full of pics of Charrissa Brown instead of sharing the horrible news that happened to her. 'She was a legend one in a million I hope ur causing chaos up there babe.' Faith Kiely added: 'Thinking of you all. Charrissa will always be a woman who I will remember from my teens she was a whirlwind. Made me giggle. Sorry for your loss.' The revelation comes as today tributes have been paid to Ms Brown, including by her mother Sue Brown. Today Ms Brown wrote on Facebook: 'RIP my beautiful daughter' Meanwhile, neighbours told MailOnline how they were aware of Ms Brown's troubled past. One said: 'Charrissa didn't talk about what happened but everybody knew about it. 'There's a lot of people in and out of there so I'm not sure who actually lived there but she was there a lot. 'It is a real party house and it could be really noisy at times.' She added: 'Her poor family.' Another said: 'It's such a shame. Everyone knew what she had done and that she had been in jail for killing the guy by shoving him under the tram.' Tonight around 40 people laid flowers and balloons in tribute to Ms Brown. Her parents Sue Brown and Dean Wellington hugged family and friends at the scene. Three fireworks were set off for Ms Brown, while the crowds chanted 'hip, hip, hurray!' In a short but poignant statement, Daughter Tanay Brown said: 'We will love you forever.' Another friend said: 'All the people here are family and friends. Today is a sad day. She is a legend.' One family member said: 'She was a brilliant girl. Everybody had the upmost rep spect for her. 'She wasn't an angel but she had a heart of gold.' The tributes come as detectives continue to probe the circumstances behind Ms Brown's death. A post-mortem has taken place. Tonight the force said the results were 'inclusive'. In an update released tonight, Greater Manchester Police said: 'A post-mortem was inconclusive, three people are still in custody, and further investigations ongoing.' Police have arrested three men on suspicion of rape and murder. Pictured: Officers at the scene on Thursday The woman, 36, was rushed in an ambulance to hospital on Wednesday evening Detectives are still probing the circumstances behind her death and a post mortem has taken place Detective Superintendent Kate Atton, from GMP's Bury CID, said: 'I have no doubt that the community are shocked and are worried to hear the news about this incident but I would like to reassure them that we have a dedicated team of detectives investigating and following up various lines of enquiry to establish the circumstances around this lady's death. 'High visibility patrols and local officers will be in the area and available to speak to anyone concerned and we will release more information as soon as we are able to. 'We want to give the lady's family the answers they deserve as they are understandably devastated at the loss and our thoughts remain with them. 'We'd ask anyone with information to come forward. 'The team are following up enquiries and have been overnight since the report came into us but anyone who may have any information should contact us - even the smallest bit of information could prove vital.' Neighbours have today described the property in which Ms Brown was found as being a 'refuge'-type home. Others claimed today the property was regularly used for 'parties'. It is not clear if Ms Brown lived at the property. Anyone with information can report it online at www.gmp.police.uk. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. The incident has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct in line with normal procedure due to previous police contact. He was found guilty of nine counts including rape, attempted rape and robbery A serial rapist who struck five times in just 11 days threatening women with a knife before he sexually assaulted them has been jailed for 20 years. Abdallah Baballah, 26, stalked his victims as they left Tube stations or got off night buses - and then told a jury they had all consented. He was found guilty of nine counts including rape, attempted rape and robbery following a trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court last May. Jurors were told Baballah had searched for articles about notorious serial rapist Joseph McCann - who was given 33 life sentences at the Old Bailey in 2019 for a string of horrific sex attacks on 11 women and children during a 15-day cocaine and vodka-fuelled rampage. Abdallah Baballah, 25, stalked his victims as they left Tube stations or got off night buses and then told a jury they had all consented The former Barking and Dagenham College student followed his first victim off the N15 night bus in Plaistow at around 2.30am on July 1, 2019. Sudanese Baballah told her: Give me your phone or Ill stab you before dragging the woman into a quiet street and raping her three times, jurors were told. He stole cash from her wallet but returned her phone and identity cards. Baballah targeted his second victim after she got off a train at Leyton underground station five days later on 6 July at around 3am. He grabbed hold of her and told her he had a knife as he snatched her phone from her. Baballah was found using CCTV pictures and was then recognised on the street by police Baballah told the terrified woman he would return her mobile if she performed a sex act on him, Snaresbrook Crown Court heard. But the victim managed to escape when a member of the public walked by. An hour later, just after 4am, Baballah attacked another woman in Leyton. He took her phone and ring, then raped her before punching her in the face, the court heard. The woman managed to run to a nearby house to get help. Baballah attacked his fourth victim on 8 July 2019 at around 3am after she got off a N15 bus in Dagenham. Baballah stalked his victims on the way home after they had exited public transport He demanded she hand over her phone and chased her down the street, the court heard. The victim started to scream but Baballah lashed out and struck her in the face before trying to cover her mouth. He eventually fled with the womans bag and phone. The final victim was attacked after she got off the N15 night bus in East Ham in the early hours of 11 July. Baballah dragged her into a side road before throwing her to the ground and attempting to keep her down with a punch. The woman managed to fight him off, breaking free to run to a member of the public who emerged from his home upon hearing her screams. Baballah again ran off with the womans bag and phone. Jurors were told Baballah had searched for articles about serial rapist Joseph McCann - who was given 33 life sentences at the Old Bailey in 2019 for a string of horrific sex attacks on 11 women and children during a 15-day cocaine and vodka-fuelled rampage Prosecutor Karen Phillips said: This violent and depraved man has at every turn tried to divert responsibility away from himself by callously claiming that many of these encounters were consensual. They were not. Baballah targeted women on their way home and in most cases threatened them with physical violence unless they carried out sexual acts. Despite suffering such terrifying experiences, I must pay tribute to these five immensely brave women. As a result of their courage a dangerous man is no longer on the streets. I hope that his conviction provides them with some sense of comfort and allows them to move on with their lives. Jurors heard Baballah looked up Man raped two women in east London, rape rule in Britain and viewed numerous pornographic videos. Baballah was arrested on 25 July after police officers spotted him around East Ham where he had attacked his last victim two weeks before. Baballah, of no fixed address, was jailed for 20 years with an extended licence period of five year. Detective Sergeant Sara Yems, of the Specialist Crime Command, said: Baballah is an extremely dangerous offender who targeted these women as they walked home alone in the dark. He waited for the most opportune of moments before making his attack and his actions have left these women traumatised by what happened to them. I would like to thank them for coming forward and supporting the police investigation, and for providing crucial evidence which led to this conviction and has ensured Baballah cannot subject anyone else to such horrific attacks. New York City Mayor Eric Adams tore into new Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, criticizing the woke prosecutor's soft-on-crime approach as violent crimes continue to plague the Big Apple. 'We need to now stop the domestic terror that we're living out every day in these cities,' Adams, 61, told radio anchor Rita Cosby on her late-night program The Rita Cosby Show on Thursday night, speaking on how he plans to address the city's massive crime surge since assuming office last month. During the interview, the former NYPD captain blamed the increase on sweeping policy changes Bragg made last month that lighten punishments for armed robbery and burglary suspects and allow career criminals and repeat offenders back on the streets after committing violent, felony offenses. 'Let's be clear. We are in a city, in a country, where consequences must go with inappropriate actions,' Adams asserted during the 17-minute exchange after being questioned about his opinion on Bragg's policies and the surge of crimes seen since the start of the pandemic. New York City Mayor Eric Adams criticized new Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg in a radio interview Thursday night, criticizing the prosecutor's soft-on-crime approach as violent incidents continue to plague the Big Apple Bragg has come under fire for polices that aim to eliminate prison sentences for all but the most serious crimes, downgrade felony charges in certain cases of armed robbery and burglary, and drop charges for many low-level offenses The mayor then declared that currently 'there is no appropriate response to [criminals'] bad behavior' thanks to Bragg's policies, which aim to eliminate prison sentences for all but the most serious crimes, downgrade felony charges in certain cases of armed robbery and burglary, and drop charges for many low-level offenses. 'The laws have shown that and it's troubling, when you could have a person that carries a gun repeatedly, and theyre treated in family court instead of criminal court,' Adams said. 'I think we need to tweak, tweak the law to reflect that that's unacceptable,' he added. Bragg, 48, also imposed further changes to the city's prosecuting policies regarding bail for criminals with violent offenses, following the elimination of cash bail in the city at the start of 2020, which spurred an alarming spike in violent crimes that year that was in turn exacerbated by the pandemic. 'New York City is a corporation, I'm the new CEO,' Adams told Cosby. 'And as in any new CEO, you have to put your plan and programs in place to turn around a failing company. And that's what we're experiencing right now.' According to the most recently available crime data of the week ending on January 30, crime is up across the board in the City That Never Sleeps compared to this time last year, with a 37 percent increase in overall crimes When questioned about Bragg's office letting out repeat violent offenders, the mayor offered the radio host another analogy, likening New York's current crime wave that has seen 6 NYPD officers shot in January alone to a coursing river, and his office to a dam that will hopefully halt the outpour of offenses. 'I say over and over again, that [there are] many rivers that flow into the sea of violence, and we need to dam every river,' Adams said. 'We're going to do our job in the city to dam the river of the guns that are on the street,' the mayor added, referring to an increase in shootings seen in recent years in the currently crime-ridden city. 'We also need to dam the rivers that allow people to come back out after committing crimes, and dam the river that allows the flow of guns in our city.' The former state senator proceeded to compare the crime crisis to a terrorist attack, calling the influx of incidents 'domestic terror.' 'I call it the same response we had with 9/11 to stop terrorism, international terrorism to come to our shores. And we need to now stop the domestic terror that we're living out every day in these cities,' he said. New York City is currently experiencing soaring crime rates and an increase in shooting incidents not seen since the mid-2000s Adams revealed that he's been in talks with the city's district attorneys about how to address the influx of incidents. 'Weve met with all of the district attorneys this week,' Adams told Cosby. 'We sat down and I believe we had a meeting of the minds, where we realized that we must be combined in our efforts to deal with this issue of violence.' The politician then revealed that he's been in talks with Bragg, and said that the two would work together to address the surge - specifically gun violence, although he fell short of saying exactly what was discussed. 'I've had conversations with Da Bragg. And, you know, I never reveal private conversations, but I believe we're going to work together specifically to deal with gun violence, and look at some of these other cases thats leading to this state of disorder in our city.' Adams - who also met with President Biden on Thursday in New York City to discuss strategies to quell gun violence by stopping the flow of illegal guns, strengthening law enforcement and increasing funding for police - did not reveal the specifics of the conversation. Criminals are extremely smart in how they stay in tune in new laws and procedures, more than we do,' Adams also told Cosby. 'I think its important that we send the right message. And I am encouraged, based on the meeting that we had, that we will be sending the right message to keep the city safe.' Pictured are the locations of the officer-involved shootings that took place in New York City before Tuesday's incident ALVIN BRAGG'S MEMO PROMISING NOT TO JAIL CRIMINALS AND ONLY USE PRISON AS A 'LAST RESORT' Advertisement According to the most recently available crime data of the week ending on January 30, crime is up across the board in New York City compared to this time last year, with a 37 percent increase in overall crimes. Meanwhile, individual crimes that have seen an increase seem to coincide with Braggs' policies - which include ditching felony armed robbery charges and instead charging suspects with petty larceny even when a weapon is involved so long as the firearm did not 'create a genuine risk of physical harm.' Felony assaults are up since Bragg assumed office at the start of the year, with 1,671 incidents recorded by the NYPD - nearly 200 more from last year. Shootings and robberies are also up, by more than 30 percent. City-wide reported rapes, meanwhile, increased by a staggering 26.5 percent. According to the data, the only crime that showed a reduction was murder, with six less killings occurring since the New Year when compared to the same span in 2021. The mayors words come as the head of a prominent police union asserted that criminals across the city were 'emboldened' by a memo released by Bragg after he assumed office last month that detailed his policies, mere weeks before the deadly shooting of NYPD Officers Jason Rivera, 22, and Wilbert Mora, 27, on January 21 in Harlem. 'His message was sent to the criminal element,' Paul DiGiacomo, president of New York City's Detectives' Endowment Association, told Fox News on Thursday. 'This is why these cops were shot,' he continued, 'because you're sending a message out there that there are no consequences for committing crimes and there are no consequences for resisting arrest.' 'Alvin Bragg thought he was doing what was popular to do, and it blew up in his face.' Since the start of the year, six NYPD officers - including Rivera and Mora - have been shot, with the other four officers narrowly escaping the attacks with their lives. Rivera and Mora were the first NYPD officers killed in the line of duty since 2017. River and Mora were ambushed when responding to a domestic violence call on January 21 Wilbert Mora (right) was taken off life support after being shot in the line of duty. Being an organ donor, the 27-year-old helped save five lives. Rivera, 22 (left), was a rookie cop who had been on the force in New York City for less than a year On Tuesday, hours before Moras funeral, a 22-year-old off-duty rookie cop was shot on his way into work in Queens during an attempted carjacking. The suspects, an 18-year-old and a 19-year-old, are currently being held without bail. 'I believe they feel 100 percent emboldened,' DiGiacomo said Thursday, speaking about criminals, who are often repeat offenders. 'Not only are the police in danger, but the public is in grave danger as well. 'There are children being shot by stray bullets, innocent people being shot all over the city, and members of the NYPD being shot.' Other high-profile violent incidents under Adams' one-month reign include an 11-month-old infant girl who was shot in the face by stray bullets in the Bronx and a woman shoved to her death in front of a subway train in Times Square by a mentally ill man, Simon Martial. Both incidents occurred in January. The city has also seen a rise in the number of crimes conducted by men who were arrested for violent or alarming crimes but then not held in prison while they waited for their court date. A 19-year-old Burger King worker was shot to death in Harlem by career criminal Winston Glynn on January 15 after he had been released without bail for menacing a man with a screwdriver one month before the murder. Glynn was out on the street following his arrest on November 30 because his crime was 'not bail eligible.' His criminal record had included at least four prior arrests. North Las Vegas police have released a dozen harrowing 911 calls from last week's deadly six-car pileup that killed nine people, including a family of seven with four children. 'There's bodies everywhere. Adults and children. Come fast,' one horrified onlooker told an emergency dispatcher shortly after the collision on Commerce Avenue in Las Vegas last Saturday. 'Oh my God. My God! Get down, its a kid, its a kid, Dont look!' another 911 caller said in Spanish. A third bystander witnessing the carnage cried out on the call: 'Oh, my God we need paramedics. Theres a baby. Its dead.' North Las Vegas police have released a dozen harrowing 911 calls reporting a deadly six-car pileup that took place on January 29 The crash claimed the lives of seven members of Erlinda Zacarias' (pictured in foreground) family, including (L to R) Bryan Axel Zacarias, 15 (pictured next to his dad); Lluvia Daylenn Zacarias, 13; Adrian Zacarias, 10, and Fernando Yeshua Mejia, 5 Also killed were the kids' two adult stepbrothers and an uncle, identified as Gabriel Mejia-Barrera, 23; David Mejia-Barrera, 25; and Jose Zacarias Caldera, 35 Police said the horror crash was caused by Gary Robinson, 59, a career criminal with a lengthy history of speeding charges, who blew through a red light at 100mph and smashed his Dodge Challenger into several vehicles. The driver of the Dodge Challenger that caused the crash, Gary Dean Robinson, 59, pictured, of North Las Vegas , was also pronounced dead at the scene Robinson and his passenger Tanaga Ravel Miller, 46, were pronounced dead at the scene. The chain-reaction pileup also killed a family of seven: Fernando Yeshua Mejia, 5; Adrian Zacarias, 10; Lluvia Daylenn Zacarias, 13; Bryan Axel Zacarias, 15; Gabriel Mejia-Barrera, 23; David Mejia-Barrera, 25; and Jose Zacarias Caldera, 35. The parents of the children who died were not in the van with them. The siblings were on their way to lunch with their adult stepbrothers and an uncle when the crash happened. In the moments after the accident, the local emergency dispatch center was flooded with more than a dozen 911 calls from witnesses describing the shocking scene and begging to send help. 'Its a lot of people dead,' one horrified caller told a dispatcher. 'Inside the car, outside the car.' The pileup took place at 3pm on Saturday at the intersection of Commerce and Cheyenne avenues in Las Vegas Six cars were involved in the accident, which, in addition to the fatalities, also left four people injured People calling 911 reported seeing 'a baby' dead on the ground, likely referring to the 5-year-old victim. A makeshift memorial of candles and teddy bears is seen at the scene of the crash A frantic woman said on a 911 call that there was a child at the scene, likely referring to the youngest member of the family of seven. 'Oh my God, is that a baby? Oh my God, is that a baby?' she exclaimed. The dispatcher asked: 'what? Whats going on?' She replied: 'we need paramedics! Theres a baby! Oh my God! The dispatcher inquired again: 'whats wrong with the baby?' The woman responded: 'I dont know... Its just an accident I cant explain it please! Hurry! When pressed about the condition of the child, the caller said: 'Its so many people flying out of the car there, out the car. Its four cars. Commerce and Cheyenne Avenue.' Another witness similarly reported when summoning help: 'Its a lot of people. Come on. Oh my god, oh my god. Theres a lot of people on the floor.' Tanaga Ravel Miller, 46, of North Las Vegas, seen above in in both pictures died while riding in a Dodge Challenger driven by Gary Dean Robinson, 59, The family of seven had just left Craig Ranch Regional Park and were heading to a buffet for a weekly lunch when their van was struck by Craig Robinson's speeding Dodge Challenger, with the devastating impact pushing the wreckage into four additional vehicles and leaving four people injured. 'We have not seen a mass casualty traffic collision like this before,' North Las Vegas Police spokesman Alexander Cuevas told reporters at a press briefing that night. Robinson had a history of speeding and reckless driving as well as a more violent past. ROBINSON'S RAP SHEET October 1998: Assault with a deadly weapon (felony) January 1999: Possession of cocaine (felony) February 2002: Disorderly conduct (misdemeanor) January 2004: Sale of cocaine (felony) March 2004: Battery, domestic violence (misdemeanor) June 2005: Drug possession (felony) November 2006: Resisting a public officer, battery, tampering with a vehicle (felony) October 2008: Open container in a vehicle, driving on a suspended/revoked license (misdemeanor) November 2008: Battery on a police officer with substantial bodily harm, battery on a police officer/school employee (felony) May 2017: Speeding, 11-20 mph over speed limit December 2021: Speeding violation, 1-10 mph over speed limit Advertisement Last December, Robinson was charged with speeding when he was traveling up to 10mph over the limit, according to court records. He was scheduled to be in Las Vegas Municipal Court on Monday for sentencing on the speeding ticket after pleading guilty. His past reveals the life of a career criminal, including charges of assault with a deadly weapon, domestic violence, drug offenses, battery - and several speeding tickets that resulted in his license having been suspended. Robinson had an extensive criminal history, according to court records dating to 1998, when he was cited for drug possession and assault. In 2004, Robinson was busted for selling cocaine to an undercover Las Vegas Metropolitan Police detective. Court documents show he pleaded guilty to possession, but violated the conditions of his probation and was sent to jail for 30 days in 2007. Robinson also pleaded guilty to battery in a domestic violence case in 2004. Four years later, in November 2008, Robinson got into a fight with bailiffs at drug court after Judge Joe Bonaventure ordered him to be sent to jail for two days. Robinson rushed towards the judge's bench with bailiffs Tazing him three times as he tried to flee the courtroom. In 2008, Robinson pleaded guilty to having an open container and driving with a revoked or suspended license on the Las Vegas Strip. And in 2017, he was charged with speeding when he had been going 20mph over the limit. Meanwhile, Erlinda Zacarias and Jesus Mejia Santan, were left to mourn their children, the youngest of whom, Fernando, was five years old. 'He and I have to live for each other, because we have nothing to live for. Our world has ended,' Erlinda said. Thousands of students and hundreds of teachers have caught Covid in their first week back in class, but worried parents have been told the situation is under control and schools will not close. The first term of 2022 started on Monday with Victoria and New South Wales implementing a 'safe schools program' offering teachers, staff and students free twice-weekly rapid antigen tests. Despite the measures, which also requires educators and high school students to wear face masks, Victorian schools saw 3,300 students and staff get infected while New South Wales was hit with 3,000 cases. Thousands of teachers and students in their first week back to class have recorded a positive Covid test, but state leaders have reassured parents the worrying situation is under control and that schools will not close. Pictured: Children undertake a RAT swab in Melbourne Victorian Department of Education shrugged off the rate of transmission that saw more than 2,900 school students and 410 teachers infected, dismissing it as an 'extremely low proportion overall'. A spokesperson said the number of Covid cases in a school system of 1.1 million Victorians only represents 0.3 per cent of the student population. 'These cases are an extremely low proportion of the overall case tally,' an education spokesman told the Herald Sun. 'The return to the classroom for 2022 has been enthusiastically embraced by the vast majority of Victorian students and families.' NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said they 'couldn't have wished for a better start to the school year' with 86 per cent attendance rates. The Victorian Department of Education said the number of Covid cases in a school system of 1.1 million Victorians only represents 0.3 per cent of the school cohort. Pictured: Port Melbourne Secondary College 'If we go back a few weeks ago, we sat in press conferences where people said bringing kids back to the classroom couldn't be done,' Mr Perrottet said. 'What I saw this week was smiles on so many kids' faces right across the state as they returned back to class. We had a plan, we've resourced that plan, we executed that plan.' Official figures showed 2,417 students came down with Covid in NSW along with 617 staff. But thanks to the surveillance testing program, those who tested positive were swiftly identified and instructed to isolate at home as classes continued as normal. Ms Mitchell said the high attendance rate shows parents are 'confident' about how the virus is being managed. 'It tells me that parents have confidence in the systems that we have in place in our schools and that they are working well,' she said. First term of 2022 started on Monday with Victoria and New South Wales implementing a 'safe schools program' offering teachers, staff and students free twice-weekly rapid antigen tests Independent Education Union Victoria Tasmania general secretary Deb James claimed some schools did not receive enough rapid tests for students, leaving parent feeling 'apprehensive'. 'Some schools didn't have enough for everyone to even do one test but I understand they continue to roll out,' she said. 'There is a fair bit of nervousness about how it's going to play out over the next few weeks if cases rise and plans are disrupted but we all know now that we need to take this one day at a time while being prepared for any eventuality.' Australia recorded about 32,000 cases nationwide on Friday. OPPOSITION Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) supporters claimed they were attacked by Zanu PF activists during a campaign in Kwekwe, Midlands province yesterday. Nelson Chamisa is the leader of CCC. According to reports, Zanu PF supporters assaulted the driver of Kwekwe Central CCC candidate, Judith Tobaiwa, and defaced campaign posters on Tobaiwas vehicle, which they later drove to the ruling partys district offices. CCC youth spokesperson Stephen Sarkozy Chuma confirmed the incident, adding that Tobaiwas vehicle had its windows smashed. The vehicle is currently at Zanu PF Kwekwe headquarters while Zanu PF misfits are removing campaign stickers and breaking screens, he said. There are fears that more violent incidents will rock the campaign period ahead of the March 26 by-elections. The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiCZ) expressed concern over the violence ahead of the March 26 by-elections, and warned that this points to bloody elections in 2023. We are disturbed that despite assurances of a new dispensation, Zanu PF has continued to use violence and cohesion during elections, the CiCZ said in a statement. CiCZ reiterates that peace and tolerance are the panacea to free, fair and credible elections and we implore the ruling party, Zanu PF, to desist from terror and shock tactics during elections. It is disturbing that the Zanu PF militia continues to act with impunity and this has been fuelling violence against opposition supporters over the years. Zanu PF Kwekwe provincial member in Kwekwe, Cornelius Mupereri, professed ignorance about the violence. I dont even know the person you are talking about and Im not aware of the report, he said. However, the CiCZ challenged the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) to investigate all cases that were violence related. The ZHRC must investigate all cases of politically-motivated violence ahead of the March 26 by-elections and proffer recommendations that would lead to peace during election time, CiCZ added. April 18, 1980 bequeathed a right to free and fair elections to all Zimbabweans. And it worries that the former liberation movement is now behaving worse than the apartheid supremacist Rhodesian government. The peoples choice, and not violence, must be supreme. Newsday The Republican National Committee passed a resolution Friday to censure GOP Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for their involvement in the January 6 select committee. The measure was adopted by voice vote by the committee's membership at the RNC's winter meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah. Several RNC members voted nay, but they were in the minority. 'Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger crossed a line. They chose to join Nancy Pelosi in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens who engaged in legitimate political discourse that had nothing to do with violence at the Capitol. That's why Republican National Committee members and myself overwhelmingly support this resolution,' RNC Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel said in a statement Friday. Cheney tweeted shortly after the vote: 'This was January 6th. This is not "legitimate political discourse,"' she said, sharing video of members of the MAGA mob attacking the U.S. Capitol. The resolution claims that Cheney and Kinzinger are helping the Democrats maintain their Congressional majority. 'The Conference must not be sabotaged by Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger who have demonstrated, with actions and words, that they support Democrat efforts to destroy President Trump more than they support winning back a Republican majority in 2022,' the resolution said. It said the RNC will 'immediately cease any and all support' of Cheney and Kinzinger, adding that the party denounces 'those who deliberately jeopardize victory in November.' Kinzinger isn't running for re-election, but Cheney has attracted a pro-Trump challenger. The Republican National Committee passed a resolution Friday to censure GOP Reps. Liz Cheney (left) and Adam Kinzinger (right) for their involvement in the January 6 select committe. A copy of the resolution passed Friday by the Republican National Committee to censure Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger and pull their party support RNC Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel sent out a statement saying she supported the membership's decision. She's pictured addressing the winter meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah, where the vote took place The initial draft, obtained by the AP, accused Cheney and Kinzinger of serving as 'pawns to parrot Democrat talking points' on the House select committee. It also chided them for 'pursuing what amounts to a third political impeachment of President Trump.' The RNC, the political arm of the Republican Party, can't compel the House GOP, under the leadership of Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, to punish Cheney and Kinzinger. On Thursday, the defiant duo vowed to fight former President Donald Trump's lies after the resolution passed out of committee. 'The leaders of the Republican Party have made themselves willing hostages to a man who admits he tried to overturn a presidential election and suggests he would pardon Jan. 6 defendants, some of whome have been charged with seditious conspiracy,' Cheney said. In a series of tweets, Rep. Liz Cheney said the leaders of the Republican Party 'have made themselves willing hostages' to former President Donald Trump Rep. Adam Kinzinger sang a similar tune saying members of the GOP 'allowed conspiracies and toxic tribalism hinder their ability to see clear-eyed' 'I'm a constitutional conservative and I do not recognize those in my party who have abandoned the Constitution to embrace Donald Trump,' the Wyoming lawmaker added. 'History will be their judge. I will never stop fighting for our constitutional republic. No matter what.' Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican who will retire at the end of this term in lieu of facing a MAGA-backed primary opponent, echoed the sentiment. 'I've been a member of the Repubilcan Party long before Donald Trump entered the field,' he said, adding that his 'core beliefs' have not changed. 'Rather than focus their efforts on how to help the American people, my fellow Republicans have chosen to censure to lifelong Members of their party for simply upholding their oaths of office,' Kinzinger continued. 'They've allowed conspiracies and toxic tribalism hinder their ability to see clear-eyed.' 'My efforts will continue to be focused on standing up for truth and working to fight the political matrix that's led us to this point,' Kinzinger added. The resolution that passed Thursday through an RNC subcommittee is a watered-down version, according to the Associated Press. The original version would have called on the House Republican Conference to oust Cheney and Kinzinger, the only two Republicans serving on the January 6 House select committee, which was formed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top House Democrat, after the Senate Republican Leader MitchMcConnell tanked a bill that formed a 9/11-style bipartisan commission to investigate the Capitol attack. The subcommittee debated the censure motion for hours. 'We want to send a message that we're disapproving of their conduct. Its a middle ground,' RNC member Harmeet Dhillon told the Associated Press, noting that the vote was unanimous. 'This is not about being anti-Trump. There are many anti-Trump Republicans that are not included in this resolution. These two took a specific action to defy party leadership,' she added. Sen. Mitt Romney, one of seven GOP senators who voted to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial, suggested the RNC's actions were shameful in a Friday tweet Sen. Bill Cassidy, who also voted to convict Trump, was dismayed at the RNC's decision to censure the two Republican lawmakers Two Republicans who voted to convict Trump during his second impeachment, over inciting the January 6 insurrection, lambasted the party for making the move. Sen. Mitt Romney tweeted, 'Shame falls on a party that would censure persons of conscience, who seek truth in the face of vitriol.' 'Honor attaches to Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for seeking truth even when doing so comes at great personal cost,' the Utah Republican said. Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy indicated he was perplexed by the committee's decision. 'The RNC is censuring Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger because they are trying to find out what happened on January 6th - HUH?' Cassidy tweeted. Additionally, Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw told The New York Times he thought the censure was 'dumb stuff.' The phrase 'legitimate political discourse' rattled Republican Sen. Ben Sasse. 'January 6th was not "legitimate political discourse" and I'll say it again: It was shameful mob violence to disrupt a constitutionally-mandated meeting of Congress to affirm the peaceful transfer of power,' he said, according to the National Review. McCarthy, the House's GOP leader, was asked about the decision Friday afternoon on Fox. 'Look, there is a reason why Adam is quitting. There's a reason why Liz Cheney is no longer in leadership and has very low poll rating in Wyoming,' McCarthy replied. He said the January 6 panel was a 'pure political committee,' bringing up how several Congressional Democrats who served on the committee were upset Jeff Zucker resigned from CNN. 'I think those two individuals would have a hard time ever coming back to Congress,' McCarthy again said of Kinzinger and Cheney. Advertisement This whopping beast gives a whole new meaning to catch of the day. A Mississippi hunter has caught and killed an 80-year-old, 905lb alligator that measures 13feet 4inches in length at a lake in southern Florida. But even this monster - an 80-year-old who was known to feast on livestock venturing too near to its lake - isn't the largest caught in Florida. The record for the longest alligator caught goes to a 14ft 3.5inch beast caught in Lake Washington in Brevard County and the heaviest was a 1,043lb one in Orange Lake in Alachua County Doug Borries, a seasoned hunter who owns Dynamic Outdoors TV, documented his prey on his Facebook page. He has racked up nine world records and 36 state ones for his efforts in both hunting and fishing. He began hunting for the alligator after a friend told him about a creature he said had been around since his childhood. The hunt for the massive alligator began for Borries after his friend told him about the creature which was reportedly around since his childhood. 'This guy said hed seen the gator since he was a child. It was time for the gator to go because some of the calves were disappearing,' Borries told WWXV25. 'So, he was down deer hunting with me, and he asked me if I wanted to come and hunt the gator. 'I said, "Absolutely." To me it was a once in a lifetime opportunity.' The gator's meat has since been used for processing and its head is currently mounted on Borries' wall Mississippi hunter Doug Borries caught the largest alligator by an out of state trapper in Florida which was found to be 13 feet and 4 inches in height as well as 905 pounds in weight Borries found the gator on a private lake in Okeechobee County about 500 yards away using the scope of his 7mm STW rifle. The creature was then shot at the top of its head after moving 180 yards closer to Borries. The hunter then pulled the 80-year-old creature out of the bottom of the lake and was taken aback by its enormous size. 'I had no idea the magnitude of how big his body was until we pulled him completely out of the lake,' Borries told McClatchy News. 'It had been suspected of eating some of the local livestock around the lake and was considered a threat.' Borries caught the creature last fall on a private lake in Florida after his friend told him about the 80-year-old gator The gator's meat has since been processed for eating and the gator's head was mounted on Borries' wall. His Facebook post showing the huge gator also received significant attention as it has racked up nearly 10,000 shares. Commenters, however, were polarized over the practice of hunting with some defending Borries for the impressive catch while others have criticized him for killing the creature. Borries counteracted the criticism after noting the threat of alligators to human life referring to when two-year-old Lane Graves had been snatched and killed by one at Walt Disney World in June 2016. Borries is a seasoned hunter who owns and operates Dynamic Outdoors TV which primarily focuses on hunting and fishing He has racked up nine world records and 36 state ones for his efforts in both hunting and fishing Advertisement A farmer who used a forklift tractor to move a car parked on his land was today cleared of dangerous driving and criminal damage after telling the jury, 'An Englishman's home is his castle and my castle starts at that front gate'. Fourth-generation hill farmer Robert Hooper, 57, insisted he had a lawful right to defend his property, with his barrister arguing on the basis of a 400-year-old precedent set by the legendary jurist Sir Edward Coke. In a ruling known as Semayne's case, Sir Edward established the Common Law principle that everyone has the right to use reasonable force defend their home against intruders, and - while issuing his ruling - uttered the famous phrase. Jurors today found themselves with the task of deciding whether the same principle applied to what happened one day in August last year. Mr Hooper told the court he had politely asked a group of men to leave because their car was blocking his front gate. He said one of the men, apprentice diamond driller Charlie Burns, punched him and he felt he had to act due to feeling 'frightened and threatened'. The 21-year-old, from Tyneside, then tried to stop Mr Hooper from flipping his friend's car by flinging himself at the cab of the vehicle and kicking its tyres. After police arrived at the scene, footage - seen by millions - shows Burns muttering 'f*****g farmers', before pulling down his trousers and exposing his backside to the camera. Today, Mr Hooper's supports cheered him outside Durham Crown Court after a jury cleared him of all charges following a four-day trial. After the case, his partner, Kate Henderson, read a statement which said: 'The overwhelming support of the local community and people from afar have kept him going during these last eight months of hell. We welcome the jury's verdict and are thankful for it.' Robert Hooper, 57, embracing his partner Kate Henderson outside Durham Crown Court after being cleared of dangerous driving and criminal damage Charlie Burns (left) and Elliot Johnson (right) had arrived on Mr Hooper's land after visiting a nearby waterfall Mr Hooper told the jury: 'An Englishman's home is his castle and my castle starts at that front gate' Video of the moment Mr Hooper tipped the car over a low wall onto the road Burns pulled down his shorts and mooned at police who were responding to the incident Historic case that led judge to utter immortal phrase 'an Englishman's home is his castle' In 1604, Sir Edward Coke - then Attorney General of England and sitting in the King's Bench - was asked to pass judgment in a case that became famous around the world. Richard Gresham and George Berisford were joint tenants of a house in Blackfriars, London. Berisford died while in debt to Peter Semayne. Semayne then secured a civil writ of attachment on Berisford's goods, which were located inside the house. After the Sheriff of London was denied entry by Gresham, the sheriff offered to break and enter into the house. Instead, Semayne sued, bringing an action on the case against Gresham for his losses. Sir Edward ruled that - due to it being a civil issue rather than a criminal one - the sheriff should have asked for permission to enter the house rather than breaking in. He also ruled that it was not a felony for a homeowner or tenant to injure someone trying to break into their home, saying: 'If theeves come to a mans house to rob him, or murder, and the owner or his servants kill any of the theeves in defence of himself and his house, it is no felony, and he shall lose nothing.' In the United States, this established the precedent for the so-called 'knock and announce rule', which requires police to announce their presence and provide residents with an opportunity to open the door prior to a search. Advertisement Mobile phone footage showed how Mr Hooper used a telehandler with forks to lift the 16,000 car from the lane outside his farm in Newbiggin-in-Teesdale, County Durham, flip it, and push in on to its side on the road outside. A shirtless Charlie Burns, who had been visiting the area that day and had drunk up to seven bottles of lager, was knocked to the floor by the vehicle's lifting forks. Mr Hooper had told the jury he was punched by Mr Burns when he first politely asked the men to leave as they were blocking access on what was a busy day on the farm. He told the court he was aware of an 'influx' of youths visiting the area that summer, causing anti-social behaviour, littering and damaging walls. The farmer claimed the younger man punched him twice in the farm buggy he was driving, bursting his lip. Mr Hooper told the court: 'I thought it is time to get out of there, and I said 'If you don't move it, I will'. 'My mind was racing. 'I thought we have a bit of a problem here, there's two of them, half my age, I didn't know what they had in terms of weapons, or what they were capable of doing. 'I thought if the car was off the property, that would be them off the property, out of the way.' Mr Hooper said he was defending his property and himself. He said: 'I felt threatened and an Englishman's home is his castle, and my castle starts at that front gate.' Asked by defence barrister Michael Rawlinson why he did not simply call the police, Hooper replied: 'I have had quite a number of burglaries at the farm over the years, about eight in total. 'We have not had the best response from the police and there was not time for anyone to be coming I did not think. 'There is an unmanned police station at Barnard Castle about 15 miles away and the next one is at Shildon and it would take an hour to get there from Shildon.' Mr Hooper, a fourth-generation hill farmer, defended his home and property by flipping the car off his land In his closing speech to the jury, Michael Rawlinson, defending, gave the origin of the saying, referring back to the judge Sir Edward Coke's comments which set legal precedents in 1604. Referring to arguments about how Mr Hooper could have acted differently that day, Mr Rawlinson also quoted the boxer Mike Tyson, saying: 'Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.' Mr Hooper, who has no previous convictions, had a busy day baling silage and had gone back to the farm for his tea, intending to go out again to carry on working. Mr Burns had been drinking with friends at Low Force waterfall, and having consumed up to seven bottles of lager he was intending to walk 52 miles back to South Tyneside. He told the jury he spotted his friend Elliott Johnson whose Corsa had suffered a double puncture, which was why they parked on the farmer's lane. In his closing remarks, David Ward, prosecuting, told the jury the Crown was not saying Mr Hooper was a 'thug', but that his actions were 'utterly irrational' on the day. Judge Ray Singh had outlined routes to verdict for the jury, explaining the law surrounding self-defence and a defendant protecting himself and his property. Video grab image dated June 2021 issued by the CPS from video played at Durham Crown Court showing Hooper using a farm vehicle to remove a Vauxhall Corsa from his land last June A serving Metropolitan Police officer has been spared jail after knocking down and killing a pedestrian as he chased a suspect at three times the speed limit with no blue lights or sirens. PC Daniel Francis, 33, crashed into 'talented' earth scientist Andrew MacIntyre Brown, 23, as he crossed the road. Francis had already admitted causing the death of Mr Brown and was sentenced at the Old Bailey today to 12 months suspended for two years. Prosecutor Michael Shaw said Francis had been working late with two colleagues in a marked incident response vehicle in west London when the crash happened early on November 1 2019. He said: 'Just after midnight on Whitton Road, Hounslow, the officers observed a firework being thrown from a dark-coloured vehicle towards a pedestrian. 'The black Nissan made away at speed having thrown the firework at the member of public.' The defendant's Peugeot car accelerated after the Nissan and attempted to close the gap and identify the registration number, the court heard. PC Daniel Francis (hooded), 33, was chasing car which had thrown a firework at someone PC Francis hit Andrew MacIntyre Brown, 23, on zebra crossing, who later died of injury The Nissan was going more than 40mph in the 20mph zone and Francis reached speeds of up to 61mph, the court heard. The officer made a decision not to activate his blue lights and sirens as he followed the suspect vehicle. Mr Brown, originally from Glasgow, and another man were on a marked illuminated pedestrian crossing, causing Francis to brake and swerve. Mr Shaw said: 'During the collision, Mr Brown had come into contact with the windscreen and he suffered a severe head injury.' Francis, from Tongham in Surrey, carried out chest compressions at the scene before Mr Brown was taken to St George's Hospital in south London where he died on November 5 2019. The second casualty was not seriously injured and has since made a full recovery, the court was told. In police interview, Francis said he did not want to alert the suspect vehicle by switching on his lights and siren and risk it speeding up. The victim's mother Isabel Brown, from Glasgow, said her son was a 'unique combination of clever, kind and artistic'. PC Francis sobbed in the dock during the sentencing when he learned he would be spared jail Having gained a degree in earth science at the University of Glasgow, Mr Brown, who had a particular interest in volcanos, had hoping to start a new job at the Ministry of Defence in London when he was killed. Speaking tearfully from behind a screen in court, she described receiving the devastating news he had been involved in a crash and spending days in hospital at his side before he died. She said: 'He had plans, he had a future and this has been taken away from him. He was 23 years of age. We will miss him forever. We will be heartbroken forever.' In mitigation, Edmund Gritt issued an apology to the family of Mr Brown on behalf of Francis. He said: 'Pc Francis became a police officer in order to protect the public. On November 1 2019 he followed the Nissan in accordance with his duties as a police officer to protect the public. 'That was what he was trying to achieve. But what he brought about in a matter of seconds was the complete opposite.' Francis had been a full-time officer since 2015 and received a Borough Commander's commendation in 2017. Sentencing, Mr Justice Hilliard said: 'Andrew had graduated in earth science ... and his ambition was to work in some capacity helping with natural disasters. 'He had his adult life ahead of him. It was a life of talent and promise in which he would I am sure have contributed much to others. 'We are all the poorer for his passing.' The senior judge said no sentence could 'undo or put right' what happened. In addition to the suspended sentence, Francis was ordered to do 240 hours of unpaid work, complete 20 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement and was disqualified from driving for 18 months. The court heard he would face conduct proceedings after the conclusion of the case. Francis wiped away tears as he walked from the dock. When? June 2021. By who? McGill University in Canada. What did scientists study? Genetic variants strongly associated with increased vitamin D levels in more than 4,000 people who were diagnosed with Covid and more than 1.2million uninfected people from 11 countries. What did they find? There was no evidence linking high vitamin D levels and a lower risk of contracting Covid. And among those who tested positive, there was no association between higher vitamin D and a lower likelihood of being hospitalised or becoming severely ill. What were the study's limitations? The study did not include individuals with vitamin D deficiency, so does not cover whether deficient patients could benefit. When? March 2021. By who? The University of Chicago. What did scientists study? The vitamin D levels for more than 3,000 people in Chicago and whether this increased their risk of catching Covid. What did they find? 30 ng/ml of vitamin D in the blood is usually considered sufficient. But Black people who had less than 40 ng/ml were 2.64 times more likely to test positive compared to those with levels more than 40 ng/ml. No statistically significant link was found between vitamin D levels and infection risk in white people. What were the study's limitations? It is unclear how vitamin D supports immune function and is only observational, so cannot determine that low vitamin D causes the increased risk of infection. When? December 2020. By who? King's College London. What did scientists study? 372,720 users of the Covid Symptom Study app in the UK, who had reported what supplements they were taking at the start of the pandemic. What did they find? Women taking vitamin D, multi-vitamins, omega-3 or probiotics appeared to be between nine and 14 per cent less likely to get Covid-19. This means that, if the average risk of getting Covid was one in 10, those taking supplements could see their risk fall to around one in 12. What were the study's limitations? Scientists were very unsure of the results and said the study did not prove that the pills actually protected women, but may have been a sign of generally healthier lifestyles. The expert who led the study said people shouldn't start trying to protect themselves with vitamins. When? October 2020. By who? University of Cantabria in Spain. What did the scientists study? 116 Covid patients at the Valdecilla Hospital What did they find? Eighty-two per cent were deficient in vitamin D, whereas just 18 per cent had adequate levels of the nutrient - a fourfold difference. This was compared to the 47 per cent of people who were deficient in a control group who did not have the infection. What were the study's limitations? The research does not prove that deficiency led to them falling ill enough to need hospital care. When? September 2020. By who? Cordoba University in Spain. What did scientists study? 50 Covid-19 hospital patients with Covid-19 were given vitamin D. Their health outcomes were compared with 26 volunteers in a control group who were not given the tablets. What did they find? Only one of the 50 patients needed intensive care and none died. Half of 26 virus sufferers who did not take vitamin D were later admitted to intensive care and two died. What were the study's limitations? Small pool of volunteers. Patients' vitamin D levels were not checked before admission. Comorbidities were not taken into consideration. When? September 2020. By Who? University of Chicago. What did scientists study? 500 Americans' vitamin D levels were tested. Researchers then compared volunteers' levels with how many caught coronavirus. What did they find? 60 per cent higher rates of Covid-19 among people with low levels of the 'sunshine vitamin'. What were the study's limitations? Researchers did not check for other compounding factors. Unclear whether or not volunteers were vitamin D deficient at the time of their coronavirus tests. People's age, job and where they lived - factors which greatly increase the chance of contracting the virus - were not considered. When? September 2020. By Who? Tehran University, in Iran, and Boston University. What did scientists study? Analysed data from 235 hospitalized patients with Covid-19. What did they find? Patients who had sufficient vitamin D - of at least 30 ng/mL were 51.5 per cent less likely to die from the disease. They also had a significantly lower risk of falling seriously ill or needing ventilation. Patients who had plenty of the nutrient also had less inflammation - often a deadly side effect of Covid-19. What were the study's limitations? Confounding factors, such as smoking, and social economic status were not recorded for all patients and could have an impact on illness severity. When? July 2020. By Who? Tel Aviv University, Israel. What did scientists study? 782 people who tested positive for coronavirus had their vitamin d levels prior to infection assessed retrospectively and compared to healthy people. What did they find? People with vitamin D levels below 30 ng/ml - optimal - were 45 per cent more likely to test positive and 95 per cent more likely to be hospitalised. What were the study's limitations? Did not look at underlying health conditions and did not check vitamin D levels at the time of infection. When? June 2020. By Who? Brussels Free University. What did scientists study? Compared vitamin D levels in almost 200 Covid-19 hospital patients with a control group of more than 2,000 healthy people. What did they find? Men who were hospitalised with the infection were significantly more likely to have a vitamin D deficiency than healthy men of the same age. Deficiency rates were 67 per cent in the COVID-19 patient group, and 49 per cent in the control group. The same was not found for women. What were the study's limitations? Independent scientists say blood vitamin D levels go down when people develop serious illness, which the study did not take into consideration. This suggests that it is the illness that is leading to lower blood vitamin D levels in this study, and not the other way around. When? June 2020. By who? Inha University in Incheon, South Korea. What did scientists study? 50 hospital patients with Covid-19 were checked for levels of all vital vitamins and compared to a control group. What did they find? 76 per cent of them were deficient in vitamin D, and a severe vitamin D deficiency (<10 ng/dl) was found in 24 per cent of Covid-19 patients and just 7 per cent in the control group. What were the study's limitations? Small sample size and researchers never accounted for vitamin levels dropping when they fall ill. When? June 2020. By Who? Independent scientists in Indonesia. What did scientists study? Checked vitamin D levels in 780 Covid-19 hospital patients. What did they find? Almost 99% of patients who died had vitamin D deficiency. Of patients with vitamin D levels higher than 30 ng/ml - considered optimal - only per cent died. What were the study's limitations? It was not peer-reviewed by fellow scientists, a process that often uncovers flaws in studies. When? May 2020. By Who? University of Glasgow. What did scientists study? Vitamin D levels in 449 people from the UK Biobank who had confirmed Covid-19 infection. What did they find? Vitamin D deficiency was associated with an increased risk in infection - but not after adjustment for con-founders such as ethnicity. It led to the team to conclude their 'findings do not support a potential link between vitamin D concentrations and risk of Covid-19 infection.' What were the study's limitations? Vitamin D levels were taken 10 to 14 years beforehand. When? May 2020. By Who? University of East Anglia. What did scientists study? Average levels of vitamin D in populations of 20 European countries were compared with Covid-19 infection and death rates at the time. What did they find? The mean level of vitamin D in each country was 'strongly associated' with higher levels of Covid-19 cases and deaths. The authors said at the time: 'The most vulnerable group of population for Covid-19 is also the one that has the most deficit in vitamin D.' What were the study's limitations? The number of cases in each country was affected by the number of tests performed, as well as the different measures taken by each country to prevent the spread of infection. And it only looked at correlation, not causation. When? May 2020. By Who? Northwestern University. What did scientists study? Crunched data from dozens of studies around the world that included vitamin D levels among Covid-19 patients. What did they find? Patients with a severe deficiency are twice as likely to experience major complications and die. What were the study's limitations? Cases and deaths in each country was affected by the number of tests performed. Advertisement CNN President Jeff Zucker and his girlfriend Allison Gollust advised former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on how to handle the COVID-19 crisis and even gave him 'talking points' on how to spar with President Donald Trump, according to new reports which suggest their secret affair was not the only reason Zucker was ousted from the network this week. According to sources cited by Rolling Stone on Thursday, the pair breached journalism ethics to help Cuomo behind the scenes in the same way that his younger brother Chris did. Chris was fired from CNN for helping Andrew through a sexual misconduct scandal and in the messy fallout from his departure, the affair between Zucker and Gollust has surfaced. An ongoing investigation at CNN that was focused on Chris's departure has now, according to Rolling Stone's sources, also found that Gollust - who worked for Andrew previously - and Zucker were actively consulting the Democratic Governor and advising him. It could help explain how Andrew Cuomo became an overnight, international sensation. He held daily, televised press briefings that CNN aired in full, often devoting over an hour of uninterrupted airtime to the updates, and appeared on his younger brother's evening show, reportedly at Gollust and Zucker's behest. He and Trump - Zucker's famous enemy - would trade insults in the press and according to the Rolling Stone article on Thursday, Zucker and Gollust gave the New York Governor some of the material to fight the then President. The stardom won Cuomo an Emmy and an army of fans who begged him to run for President. Jeff Zucker and Andrew Cuomo are pictured with actress Tina Fey in 2008. New reports suggest Zucker was advising Cuomo on how to handle the COVID-19 crisis in New York when it hit, and helped turn him into an international star Cuomo broke the mould with his daily, televised press briefings which CNN would air in full, often devoting more than an hour of uninterrupted airtime to the press conferences which millions around the world watched. He often insulted then President Donald Trump If true, Zucker and Gollust's breach of ethics and conduct far exceeds them not reporting their romance to company executives, as they were required to do. Is this the man who axed Jeff Zucker? Billionaire Trump donor who is the largest shareholder at Discovery and wanted to restore left-wing CNN to impartial journalism Billionaire John Malone, A billionaire Trump-donor who is the largest shareholder at Discovery and wanted to restore left-wing CNN to impartial journalism insisted on Jeff Zucker's resignation after learning of his affair with colleague Allison Gollust. One theory on why Zucker was pushed out centers around AT&T's deal to sell WarnerMedia - which owns CNN - to Discovery. The $43billion deal is almost done, after years of attempts by AT&T to spin the network off. Under the merger, WarnerMedia and Discovery will become one new media powerhouse - Warner Bros. Discovery. Zucker was meant to keep a key role in the new company. But Discovery's largest shareholder, billionaire John Malone, insisted he step down for breaching company standards by not disclosing his romance with Gollust. Malone is a supporter of Zucker's most emboldened enemy, Donald Trump. He donated $250,000 to Trump's inauguration in 2017 and has made no secret of the fact that he, like Trump and millions of others, think CNN has become too left-wing and biased. 'I would like to see CNN evolve back to the kind of journalism that it started with, and actually have journalists, which would be unique and refreshing,' he told CNBC in 2019. 'I do believe good journalism could have a role in this future portfolio that Discovery-TimeWarner's going to represent.' Deadline reported last night that it was Malone who insisted on Zucker's departure after learning of the affair. 'Discovery's largest shareholder, John Malone, a critic of CNN, made it known that corporate procedures had to be followed to the letter in regards to Zucker, we hear,' Deadline reported on Wednesday. 'Being that WarnerMedia's standards of business conduct require disclosure of relationships that develop with a boss and subordinate, Zucker's goose was officially cooked,' the report added. Advertisement Zucker's pro-Democrat, anti-Trump stance was well-known at the network but he never outwardly acknowledged that it steered the network's coverage. However Discovery CEO David Zaslav, who will ultimately take charge of CNN and its parent company WarnerMedia later this new, confirmed on Friday that the network leaned to the left. 'Were the leader in news to the left,' he told CNBC during an interview about the merger. He refused to talk about the scandal, but said: 'Jeff is a good friend of mine. I can't speak to this issue. We don't own the company yet. 'In terms of CNN+ we couldn't be more excited about the fact that they've been hiring great journalists.' Chris Cuomo is fighting Zucker for $18million that he claims he is owed from the remainder of his contract. He was fired in December for advising his brother on how to navigate the allegations of multiple women who claimed he had sexually harassed them. Now, the network is reportedly considering paying him half - $9million - to make the problems stop. The turmoil is ripping through the network, where top stars Kaitlan Collins, Jake Tapper, Dana Bash, Jim Acosta and Alisyn Camerota are all furious that their beloved leader has been cast out. DailyMail.com obtained a transcript of the morning editorial call that interim boss Michael Bass - one of Zucker's lieutenants - led on Thursday morning. 'I never thought I would start, but I just have to start with this and then well get to the rest of it, but I just want to say a couple words at the top if I could. 'In terms of Jeff, nobodys more shocked than me about all of this, but then I realized nobody is less shocked than me either. Ive talked to many of you already and many more to talk to, but I know were all in shock 'Ive heard Jeff described in the last day as our North Star, and as the captain of our ship, the ship that hes been building for the last 9 years. 'Hes been both our guide and our protector in the many storms that weve faced... Its been said over by a few people, but outside of Ted Turner, no one has had a bigger impact, or been more important to, or meant more to CNN, and I dont think anyone loved it more either. 'On top of all of those things about being our Captain, and our guide and our North Star, Jeff, as so, so many of you know, was also our friend. And we will miss him, so much. I know we will,' he said. He then admitted: 'I will tell you because I know people are worried and concerned, and Im just going to be honest, you cant replace Jeff. Its not possible... theres no one else like him. There really isnt.' At a meeting in DC on Wednesday night, they tore WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar to shreds, accusing him of bowing to 'terrorist' and 'bad guy' Chris Cuomo, who wants to 'burn the place down' in revenge for being fired. '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. Chris Cuomo and Andrew Cuomo on Chris's CNN show in May 2020. He was trashed for hosting his brother on the show then ignoring scandals that engulfed him, but his lawyers now say Allison Gollust and Jeff Zucker were equally responsible for Andrew going on the network April 2020: Chris Cuomo reports from his basement, where he quarantined with COVID. His brother was at the time dealing with one of the biggest COVID crisis in the world, when the virus hit New York City, but he frequently went on his nightly show March 2020: Even before the pandemic hit, the NY Governor was appearing on the show frequently Cuomo's star rose during the pandemic as a result of the daily briefings and frequent TV appearances. It even won him an Emmy Zucker and Gollust are shown at the 2019 Democratic Presidential Debate in Ohio. Their affair was an 'open secret' at CNN Jeff Zucker's girlfriend, Allison Gollust, is shown arriving home on Thursday night. She will keep her job at CNN Gollust was shown getting out of a chauffeur-driven SUV on Thursday night. She claims her romance with Zucker only began during COVID Chris Cuomo's legal team blew the whistle on the affair while negotiating his severance package from CNN, according to Politico's sources. Chris was arguing that he should not be penalized for a conflict of interest with his brother when Zucker, the boss, was guilty of fostering one of his own 'Chris Cuomo is a man scorned because he was fired for being held accountable for his actions, and Jeff is part of the result of this. It sounds like you did not consult any other executives on removing a critical part of the company, and I think that's the frustration here.' Chief Domestic Correspondent Jim Acosta also weighed in, alleging the network's core content and values will likely devolve in the wake of Zucker's resignation, forcing CNN to face 'pretty serious consequences.' Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins echoed Tapper's claims saying: 'I think the issue is that it's not a perception. What Jake just described is actually what happened here. Chris Cuomo is a man scorned because he was fired for being held accountable for his actions, and Jeff is part of the result of this' 'If we had not had Jeff Zucker here during the Trump administration, we probably would have been taken out,' he said. 'You would have something like "Fox News Light" on CNN right now, no offense. The scandal is also reverberating in the top ranks of AT&T and Discovery, CNN's overruling grandparents. AT&T owns WarnerMedia - CNN's parent company. It is selling WarnerMedia to Discovery for $43billion as part of a mega deal that will put Discovery CEO David Zaslav in charge. Discovery's largest shareholder, billionaire John Malone, is said to have insisted on Zucker's resignation this week. He is a Trump-donor who previously told of his desire to restore CNN to its former impartiality, and move away from the left-leaning bias it has become known for. Zaslav, however, seems to have no intention of that. In an interview on Friday, he said he considers the company to be the 'leader in news - to the left'. When asked about the scandal, he said: 'Jeff is a good friend of mine. I can't speak to this issue. 'We don't own the company yet. In terms of CNN+ we couldn't be more excited about the fact that they've been hiring great journalists.' Gollust and Zucker both claim they were always friends and that their relationship only turned romantic in the last two years. Insiders have scoffed at that claim and say they have been intimate for years, possibly even before they were both divorced. The pair lived in the same apartment building with their families and the doormen are said to have known they were having an affair. U.S. troops touched down in Poland on Friday, near the Ukrainian border, where they will take up positions amid fears of a Russian invasion. The 1,700 soldiers join roughly 4,000 that are already stationed in various parts of Poland, including hundreds of soldiers that are supporting a NATO mission, 50 miles from Russian-controlled Kaliningrad. According to Stars and Stripes, the soldiers are from the Fort Bragg-based 82nd Airborne Division, and have been deployed to reassure concerned allies. Russia has amassed around 130,000 troops near Ukraine's northern and eastern borders, raising concern that Moscow might invade again, as it did in 2014. Moscow's troop presence and resulting uncertainty have unnerved Ukrainians, hurt the country's economy and raised the alarm bells of its neighbours. News of the soldiers' arrival came hours after the United States said it had evidence of a plan by Moscow to film a fake Ukrainian attack on Russians to justify an attack on its neighbour. Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said the US had 'information that the Russians are likely to want to fabricate a pretext for an invasion', but did not provide evidence. Around 1,700 U.S. troops touched down in Poland on Friday, near the Ukrainian border, where they will take up positions amid fears of a Russian invasion. Pictured: Military personnel are seen next to a U.S. Air Force Lockheed C-130J-30 Hercules transport aircraft after landing at Jasionka Airport near Rzeszow, Poland Polish Defense Minster Mariusz Blaszczak announced the arrivals, saying: 'This is a strong signal of allied solidarity in response to the situation in Ukraine.' The official announcement did not say where they had landed, but Stars and Stripes reported said they arrived in Rzeszow, a southeastern Polish that is around 45 miles from the country's eastern border with Ukraine. The 82nd Airborne Division is a decision within the United States Army that specialises in parachute assaults into areas that are otherwise unreachable. It carries a U.S. Department of Defence requirement to be able to 'respond to crisis contingencies anywhere in the world within 18 hours,' its website says. Pictures today from an airfield in Rzeszow confirmed this, showing a U.S. Air Force Lockheed C-130J-30 Hercules transport aircraft on the tarmac as U.S. troops disembarked. Also in Poland, photographs showed more than 200 pieces of U.S. military hardware from the U.S. Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 185th Infantry Regiment and equipment for upload from the 3rd Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, being moved at the Port of Gdynia - found in the north of the country - on Friday. In addition to the 1,700 troops the US is deploying to Poland, another 300 will be sent to Germany from the 18th Airborne Corps to create a joint task force capable headquarters to provide mission command in Germany. Another 1,000 troops part of a Germany-based infantry Stryker squadron will reposition to Romania at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) closest flank to Russia. They will add to the 900 U.S. forces already in Romania The 1,700 soldiers join roughly 4,000 that are already stationed in various parts of Poland, including hundreds of soldiers that are supporting a NATO mission. Pictured: A U.S. Air Force Lockheed C-130J-30 Hercules transport aircraft lands at Jasionka Airport near Rzeszow Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine's northern and eastern borders, raising concern that Moscow might invade again, as it did in 2014 Also in Poland, photographs showed more than 200 pieces of U.S. military hardware from the U.S. Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 185th Infantry Regiment and equipment for upload from the 3rd Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, being moved at the Port of Gdynia - found in the north of the country - on Friday The Pentagon revealed Wednesday that US President Joe Biden approved deployment of 3,000 American troops to Eastern Europe 'in the coming days' Biden said his decision to deploy troops to Eastern Europe is 'totally consistent' with what he has communicated to Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'As long as he's acting aggressively, we are going to make sure we reassure our NATO allies in Eastern Europe that we're there and Article 5 is a sacred obligation,' he told reporters at the White House on Wednesday. But the Kremlin reacted angrily, with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko telling Russian news agency Interfax that the U.S. moves are 'not substantiated by anyone' and are 'destructive steps which increase military tension and reduce scope for political decisions.' Kirby assured reporters during his Wednesday briefing of the latest deployments: 'These are not permanent moves. They respond to current conditions. We will adjust our posture as those conditions evolve.' 'We do not believe conflict is inevitable,' he assured President Biden put 8,500 troops on heightened alert last month in preparation for movement to Eastern Europe to help bolster the region against threats from Russia should NATO activate its response force. The troop movements come as the west waits to see if Moscow will invade Ukraine after moving at least 130,000 troops to its border. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who today made an appearance in Beijing at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, has repeatedly claimed he does not intend to attack Ukraine. The US suggested in letters that Russian inspectors can gain access to NATO bases in Romania and Poland (pictured above) to guarantee that no Tomahawk missiles are being stationed there. Comes as Pentagon announces 2,000 troops in the U.S. will deploy to Poland and Germany and another 1,000 will head to Romania from their base in Germany Biden told reporters Wednesday that his decision to deploy troops to Eastern Europe amidst rising tensions is 'totally consistent' with what he has communicated to Russian President Vladimir Putin ever since they started building a troop presence at the border with Ukraine 2,000 troops from Fort Bragg, 1,000 in the Stryker squadron moving from Germany to Romania and thousands more ready: The U.S. troop plan for Eastern Europe Department of Defense Spokesperson John Kirby detailed on Wednesday the latest U.S. troop movements approved by President Joe Biden. He said that plan was laid out to the president in three parts: 1 1,000 U.S. troops part of the Germany-based infantry Stryker squadron will reposition to Romania 'in the coming days.' This mounted cavalry unit is designed to deploy in short order and move quickly once in place. The movement to Romania will add to the 900 U.S. forces already in that country to help deter aggression from Russia and enhance defensive capabilities in frontline NATO allied states. Kirby said Pentagon Secretary Lloyd Austin discussed reposition with Romania last week and the movement there is coming at the invitations of the Romanian government. France also intends to deploy to Romania under NATO command. 2 Approximately 2,000 troops stationed in Fort Bragg, North Carolina will deploy to Europe this week. The majority of those deployments, approximately 1,700, will comes from the 82nd Airborne Division's infantry brigade combat team, which will go to Poland. The 82nd specializes in parachute assault operations and is a rapid ready team prepared to response anywhere in the world within 18 hours. Another 300 or so are coming from the 18th Airborne Corps, which will create a joint task force capable headquarters in Germany. The corps provides mission command and is designed for rapid deployment anywhere in the world. Kirby said the Pentagon worked with Poland and Germany and have support for deployment. He assured: 'Again, these are not permanent moves. They respond to current conditions. We will adjust our posture as those conditions evolve.' 3 All of these troop movements and deployments are 'separate and in addition' to the 8,500 U.S. military personnel put on heightened alert posture last week. Kirby said: 'Those 8,500 are not currently being deployed but remain ready to move, if called, for the NATO Response Force (NRF) or as needed for other contingencies as directed by the Secretary of by President Biden.' Advertisement Russia won China's backing in its showdown with the West over Ukraine on Friday, as Beijing agreed with Moscow that the US-led NATO military alliance should not admit new members. The demand for NATO to stop expanding came after a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing that saw Putin hail the two countries' "dignified relationship". In a long strategy document, Moscow and Beijing hit out at what they said was Washington's destabilising role in global security. "The parties oppose the further expansion of NATO and call on the North Atlantic Alliance to abandon the ideological approaches of the Cold War era," the document read, urging respect for the "sovereignty, security and interests of other countries." The call echoes demands from Russia that have been at the centre of weeks of intensive negotiations between Moscow and the West, under the shadow of a potential conflict. It was announced Friday that the French president and the German chancellor will head to Moscow and Kyiv in the coming weeks. Their visits add to diplomatic efforts to try to deter Putin from launching an invasion of Ukraine and find a way out of the growing tensions. France's Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to visit Moscow on Monday and Kyiv on Tuesday, while Germany's Olaf Scholz will travel to Kyiv on February 14 and Moscow on February 15. The high-level visits come after the U.S. accused the Kremlin on Thursday of an elaborate plot to fabricate an attack by Ukrainian forces that Russia could use as a pretext to take military action. The U.S. has not provided detailed information backing up the claims, which Moscow has vehemently denied. While France is a major player in NATO and is moving troops to Romania as part of the alliance's preparation for possible Russian action, Macron has also been actively pushing for dialogue with Putin and has spoken to him several times in recent weeks. The two will hold a one-on-one meeting Monday, Macron's office said Friday. Macron is following a French tradition of striking a separate path from the United States in geopolitics, as well as trying to make his own mark on this crisis and defend Europe's interests. Germany has emphasized the importance of various diplomatic formats in tackling the tensions and has refused to send weapons to Ukraine, irking some allies. Scholz also has faced criticism at home lately for keeping a low public profile in the crisis. After weeks of talks in various diplomatic formats have led to no major concessions by Russia and the U.S., it's unclear how much impact the trips will have. But Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Friday that 'top-level visits seriously reduce challenges in the sphere of security and upset the Kremlin's plans.' In a call Wednesday with U.S. President Joe Biden, Macron filled him in on his diplomatic efforts. In this photo taken from video and released by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, Feb. 4, 2022, tanks fire during the Belarusian and Russian joint military drills at Brestsky firing range, Belarus Pictured: Russian tanks take part in a training exercise in Belarus on Friday In talks with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders Thursday night, Macron's office said they discussed ways to 'identify elements that could lead to de-escalation,' and 'conditions for strategic balance in Europe, which should allow for the reduction of risks on the ground and guarantee security on the continent.' Scholz has a previously planned meeting with Biden in Washington on Monday. Moscow has been signalling an apparent readiness for more talks with Washington and NATO in recent days. Some experts say that as long as Russia and the West keep talking, that's a reason for cautious optimism. Separately from Macron and Scholz, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has offered to mediate talks between Russia and Ukraine. Erdogan visited Kyiv this week and upon returning to Turkey charged that Western leaders have failed to make a positive contribution toward the resolution of tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Erdogan also said that Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy strongly supports a Turkish proposal for mediation to reduce tensions between the two nations. 'Unfortunately, the West has not contributed anything toward a solution of this issue,' Erdogan said. 'They are just creating obstacles.' Meanwhile in Washington, U.S. officials said a plan for a fake attack on Russian territory or Russian-speaking people was described in declassified intelligence shared with Ukrainian officials and European allies in recent days. Vladimir Putin had his eyes closed and hands folded as Ukraine's athletes arrived at the Winter Olympic Opening Ceremony in Beijing today, seemingly pretending to be asleep It was the latest example of the Biden administration divulging intelligence findings as a tactic to stop Russian disinformation efforts and foil what it says is Putin's attempt to lay the groundwork for military action. Russian officials have rejected the allegations. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday spoke about the 'absurdity' of the claims, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov recommended reporters 'not to take anyone's word for it, especially the (U.S.) State Department's, when it comes to these issues.' Ukraine's foreign minister said Friday that Washington shared the information with Kyiv and that it did not surprise Ukrainian authorities. 'Since 2014, we have seen many insidious actions by Russia. We have seen that nothing stops them from fabricating something and accusing Ukraine of something,' Kuleba told reporters. In recent weeks, the White House has said that U.S. intelligence shows Russia has launched a malign social media disinformation campaign against Ukraine and has dispatched operatives trained in explosives to carry out acts of sabotage against Russia's own proxy forces. Britain has divulged intelligence findings that it says show Russia plotting to install a pro-Russian puppet government in Ukraine. Capitol Hill staffers have been anonymously airing their frustrations about pay so low they sometimes qualify for public aid and members of Congress whose masks come off behind the scenes on the account 'Dear White Staffers.' The account, which brands itself as 'Congressional BIPOC s**tposters on Capitol Hill,' shares salacious stories of members who mistreat their staff, amid a campaign to unionize that has attracted the approval of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Asked about the account in her weekly news conference, Pelosi initially declined. Later asked again about staffers' push to unionize, the speaker said: 'Well, we just unionized at the [Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee], and I supported that.' To the account Instagram users who work on Capitol Hill submit stories of long hours, starting off on wages below $30,000 that prompt them to apply for food stamps, toxic environments and requests for personal favors from their bosses. Latino Rebels' Pablo Manriquez reported that members' offices are conducting meetings sternly warning their staff against submitting content to the account. One user said that Van Hollen's wife Katherine sat in on their interview for the job, another confirmed that Katherine was 'toxic' and said they'd been 'screamed at' by he One submission described Sen. Joe Manchin's office as notoriously 'toxic' and claimed that the West Virginia Democrat calls his female staffers 'babe' all the time. Another Instagram user went after Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, writing that a friend had worked for Sinema when she was in the House as a scheduler, and the Arizona Democrat would make her driver her to the grocery store after-hours, wait in the car while Sinema shopped and then drive her home. The scheduler allegedly had to get her car professionally cleaned out of her own pocket because she had a dog and Sinema did not want to get dog hair on her belongings. Another told a story of when Sinema's staffers returned home to Arizona at the start of the pandemic, in April 2020, she was furious. She threatened to fire them if they did not return to D.C. However, she she didn't want them to fly and risk infecting her with Covid-19 and forced them to make the 33+ hour drive. Another user confirmed the story and added that Sinema at the same time was flying back and forth constantly for votes. One submission claimed that as a low-level staffer Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand would have them by her $5-6 lattes every single day on her own dime. Another submission said that Gillibrand, D-N.Y., 'doesn't care about staff' and 'can't be bothered' to remember her own staffers' names unless they are senior-level. Another story told of Rep. Nancy Mace asking an unpaid intern to use his own personal vehicle after hours to go pick up alcohol for a party the South Carolina Republican was having that evening. The account has been posting a series of 'vibe checks' where users request reviews on the leadership of members from across the aisle. Multiple submissions confirmed that Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas is 'abusive, volatile and corrupt' and multiple others agreed that Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, was the 'worst member to work for.' Rep. Pramila Jayapal was a frequent target of criticism. One submission called the Washington Democrat's office 'famously a nightmare.' 'You couldn't pay me to work there!' the user added. 'Jayapal is notoriously one of the 5 worst offices on the dem side on the hill. She is a toxic terrible person who treats people like s**t,' wrote another user. There are a number of positive submissions as well - some described Rep. Dean Phillips D-Minn., as 'the man,' and Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., as 'a saint.' One person who submitted to the account described Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., as 'literally the best boss I have ever had.' Multiple users complained about the heavy hand Sen. Chris Van Hollen's wife plays in his office. One user said that the Maryland Democrat's wife Katherine sat in on their interview for the job, another confirmed that Katherine was 'toxic' and said they'd been 'screamed at' by her. 'Chris Van Hollen's wife is overly involved in his office and is volatile and abusive. Has a desk, weighs in on staffing, joins calls. Chris is nice, but knows full well how she treats people, so is complicit. There are absolutely no boundaries. Seems like he's content letting her get all her poison out at his staff rather than him. I've seen staff quit and seek therapy over the way she treats them. Everyone on the hill knows,' one user wrote. The allegations made on the account could not be independently verified as submissions are anonymous. Others simply told stories of how they got by on the meager salary. 'I lived in Section 8 housing all three years of working on the Hill for the same member,' one anonymous user wrote. 'I've lived in DC's affordable housing for a year and a half,' wrote another. But the account also calls out Congress's lack of diversity within its staffing ranks, and posts memes about the 'trauma bonding' that comes with working in the 'toxic workplaces' of the Hill. While discrimination is illegal under the Congressional Accountability Act, but many users say they face day-to-day micro-agressions from both colleagues and bosses, and don't feel that filing a formal complaint would change anything. And given the decentralized way the Capitol is run, lawmakers each have different hiring practices, paid leave and sick time, salary structures and human resources departments. Their processes are not compelled necessarily to be 'fair' by any uniform definition of the word. The work of the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress has focused on hearing the frustrations of these staffers, who despite working in the background have a major say in shaping U.S. policy. The committee has implemented a centralized HR hub, a House Office of Diversity and Inclusion and professional development training where top staffers have focused lessons on what they wish they knew when starting out. And now, at least a handful of Democrats have voiced support for staff unionizing, Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Ilhan Omar, Rep. Mark Pocan, Rep. Marie Newman, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Pelosi. 'Like all Americans, our tireless Congressional staff have the right to organize their workplace and join together in a union. If and when staffers choose to exercise that right, they would have Speaker Pelosi's full support,' Pelosi's deputy chief of staff, Drew Hammill, said, addressing the matter head-on in a statement. 'Congressional staff need unions now! Congress couldn't run without them and I'm committed to supporting their voice at work,' Rep. Andy Levin, D-Mich., wrote on Twitter Thursday night. Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., seconded the proposal. 'On Capitol Hill, interns are often unpaid, many staffers don't make a living wage, and lack of work protections can pave the way for unhealthy environments. @RepAndyLevin is right - sounds like a perfect place for a union.' On Friday, leaders of the movement unveiled the Congressional Workers' Union, which will continue its efforts to unionize offices and committees. 'After more than a year of organizing as a volunteer group of congressional staff, we are proud to publicly announce our efforts to unionize the personal offices and committees of Congress. 'While not all offices and staff face the same working conditions, we strongly believe that to better serve our constituents will require meaningful changes to improve retention, equity, diversity and inclusion on Capitol Hill,' the group wrote in a statement. A mother today pleaded not guilty to murdering her five-year-old son. Angharad Williamson, 30, is charged with killing Logan Mwangi, also known as Logan Williamson, at their home in Sarn, Bridgend. Logan was discovered in the Ogmore River in Bridgend, South Wales, on July 31 after Williamson reported him missing at 5.45am that day. He was taken to the Princess of Wales Hospital, where his death was confirmed. Logan Williamson, five, was found dead in the River Ogmore in Bridgend County after police were called to reports of a missing child on July 31 Logan's mother Angharad Williamson, 30, (left) and step-father John Cole, 39 Logan suffered a number of injuries before his death, including a torn liver, an internal injury to the back of his head and a broken collarbone, medical evidence allegedly showed. He was killed between July 28 and August 1, the charges allege. At a hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday, Williamson also denied another charge of causing or allowing the death of a child. She has previously pleaded not guilty to perverting the course of justice, an offence which allegedly includes moving Logan's body to an area of the river near Pandy Park, removing his clothing, washing blood-stained bed linen, and making a false missing person report to police. John Cole, 39, of Sarn, also appeared in court and denied causing or allowing the death of a child. A police diver surfaces in the bank of River Ogmore during the search for Logan's body Cole has already pleaded not guilty to murder and guilty to perverting the course of justice. A 14-year-old boy, who cannot legally be identified because of his age, has previously denied murder and perverting the course of justice. The teenager appeared at court via video link. The trial is due to begin on February 14 2022 and is expected to last for six weeks. Advertisement Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that a military response to the ongoing trucker protests against COVID-19 vaccine mandates is 'not in the cards right now.' Trudeau's remarks on Thursday followed Ottawa police Chief Peter Sloly saying earlier this week that 'all options' were on the table, including calling in the military, to end the ongoing demonstration that some on the city council are calling an 'occupation.' Since last weekend, hundreds of long-haul truckers have blockaded Parliament Hill in Ottawa as well as a key border crossing between Alberta and Montana, railing against vaccine mandates and other pandemic restrictions. Trudeau said the government must be 'very, very cautious' about deploying troops on Canadian soil, adding that there has been no such request to the federal government. But he said that any formal requests for assistance from the City of Ottawa or Ontario will be considered. Meanwhile, attorneys for the so-called 'Freedom Convoy' demonstrators are demanding that crowdfunding platform GoFundMe release the $10 million Canadian dollars ($8 million USD) raised to support the protests, after the company froze the campaign for reasons that are unclear. A demonstrator with Canadian flags stand on parliament Hill as truckers and supporters continue to protest vaccine mandates, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on Friday Trucks parked in downtown Ottawa continue to protest Covid-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions, on Friday in Ottawa, Canada. Hundreds of truckers drove their big rigs into the Canadian capital as part of a self-titled 'Freedom Convoy' People walk amongst trucks parked as truckers and supporters continue to protest vaccine mandates in Ottawa on Friday Truckers continue their rally against coronavirus (COVID-19) measures and vaccine mandate in Ottawa, where several hundred protesters have blockaded Parliament Hill since last weekend A truck convoy of anti-vaccine mandate demonstrators continue to block the highway at the busy U.S. border crossing in Coutts, Alberta on Wednesday Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that a military response to the ongoing trucker protests against COVID-19 vaccine mandates is 'not in the cards right now' The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, a Calgary-based nonprofit law firm, is now representing the demonstrators, saying in a statement that it is 'working on behalf of Convoy organizers to ensure all funds raised by GoFundMe are released to the truckers for their intended purpose.' GoFundMe drew outrage from the protesters earlier this week by freezing the campaign to raise funds on their behalf. GoFundMe CEO Jeff Cadogan (pictured) has not publicly commented on the Freedom Convoy fundraiser, which was suspended for the second time Wednesday The company said in a statement that 'This fundraiser is currently paused and under review to ensure it complies with our terms of service and applicable laws and regulations.' 'Our team is working 24/7 and doing all we can to protect both organizers and donors. Thank you for your patience,' the statement added. GoFundMe did not immediately reply to questions from DailyMail.com on Friday regarding its reasons for shutting down the campaign. Trudeau and some of his his Liberal Party allies have accused the convoy demonstrators of extremism and racism, a charge that Tamara Lich, one of the protest organizers, strongly denied on Thursday. 'We are here out of love for our families, our communities and our nation. These past two years, the covid mandates have divided us,' said Lich in a statement. 'This protest began because of the federal government's restrictions on truckers' freedoms. Our movement has grown in Canada and across the world because common people are tired of the mandates and restrictions in their own lives that now seem to be doing more harm than good,' she added. 'We are therefore calling on all levels of government in Canada to end all covid mandates and restrictions. We will continue our protest until we see a clear plan for their elimination,' she said. Trucks are seen blockading the border crossing in Coutts, Alberta earlier this week The Freedom Convoy, which has had thousands of protesters deliberately blocking traffic around Ottawa's Parliament Hill and at an Alberta border crossing (above), aims to protest Canada's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for truckers Lich noted that no government official from any level, federal, provincial, or municipal had taken steps to speak directly with the convoy organizers. 'As a woman with Metis heritage, a mother, and a grandmother, I am offended. The reality is that members of this freedom movement are average peace-loving and law-abiding citizens from all walks of life who are fed up with being disrespected and bullied by our government,' she added. 'The truck convoy is a representation of Canadians' frustrations with extreme government overreach, and unprecedented restrictions on their fundamental rights and freedoms,' said Keith Wilson, lead counsel for the Justice Centre. 'Contrary to positions taken by government leaders, the Convoy represents ordinary, hard working Canadians truckers, families, small business owners, Canadians who have lost jobs, income, missed holding the hand of a dying family member, been refused service in a store, or had their children miss months of school during lockdowns. The Convoy represents Canadians who are fed up with two weeks 'to flatten the curve' turning into two years of restrictions, mandates and decimation of democracy,' said Wilson. The convoy protest has attracted support from former U.S. President Donald Trump as well as truckers in the United States. American truckers are purportedly planning a convoy to Washington DC in solidarity, but no details have been announced. Facebook removed a page devoted to the US convoy this week, saying accusing the group of 'repeatedly violating our policies around QAnon'. A GoFundMe campaign that was organized to support the Canadian truckers demonstration and which has raised more than $10million CAD was suspended again on Wednesday night Ottawa's mayor, meanwhile, is calling on several opposition Conservative lawmakers to apologize for praising the protesters and posing with them. A photo posted by one of the lawmakers shows them some giving the thumbs-up - in front of one of the protest trucks, which have been barricading roads and honking horns in the city almost non-stop since Saturday. Mayor Jim Watson responded on Twitter by calling the action an 'absolute disgrace,' saying residents have been harassed by protesters and businesses have been forced to close. 'We have no intent to stay one day longer than necessary. Our departure will be based on the prime minister doing what is right, sending all mandates and restrictions on our freedoms,' Tamara Lich, one of the protest organizers, said in a statement. 'Our movement is growing in Canada and across the world because common people are tired of the mandates and restrictions in their lives that now seem to be doing more harm than good. ' Meta, the social media platform's parent company, claims the Convoy to DC 2022 group (left) was removed 'for repeatedly violating our policies around QAnon '. Trucker Jeremy Johnson (right), who established the group, claims his personal Facebook account was also removed, prompting him to contact a civil rights attorney about his options moving forward. Police barricades block trucks as truckers and supporters continue to protest coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine mandates, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on Friday Truckers continue their rally against coronavirus (COVID-19) measures and vaccine mandate in Ottawa, Canada The protesters are also calling for the removal of Trudeaus government, though it is responsible for few of the measures, most of which were put in place by provincial governments Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks virtually during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario on Tuesday The protesters are also calling for the removal of Trudeaus government, though it is responsible for few of the measures, most of which were put in place by provincial governments. A protest is planned in the provincial capital of Toronto on Saturday. The Ontario legislature is in close proximity to many along University Avenue. 'If you have trucks rolling in downtown Toronto and you have kids recovering from surgery in Sick Kids hospital in downtown Toronto and they cant recover from their cancer surgery because there are trucks blaring their horns outside, this movement, whatever support they had from the public will evaporate overnight,' former Conservative Cabinet minister James Moore told CTV news. In Parliament Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland condemned 'the desecration of national monuments and display of hateful symbols.' Many Canadians were outraged after some protesters reportedly urinated and parked on the National War Memorial. One danced on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. A number carried signs and flags with swastikas, drawing strong condemnation. Police in Alberta, meanwhile, said a second blockade on a highway leading to the main United States border crossing in Alberta has choked off traffic. 'Protesters have stopped traffic from going southbound on Highway 4,' Royal Canadian Mounted Police Cpl. Curtis Peters said. Protesters agreed Wednesday to open a lane on each side of the highway at the crossing in Coutts, Alberta., where there has been a blockade since Saturday. But since then, there has been no stream of vehicles crossing the border. The new blockade is about 12 miles north of Coutts and, although numbers have decreased since Wednesday night, there was still a large presence Thursday morning with semi-trailers, heavy equipment and trucks blocking access. China-made diesel locomotives handed over to Thailand Xinhua) 21:22, February 04, 2022 BANGKOK, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- The first batch of diesel locomotives manufactured by China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) Qishuyan Co. Ltd was officially handed over to the Thai railway authorities on Friday, which would boost efforts of Thailand to improve its railway service. The delivery of the 20 diesel AC motor locomotives was the first batch of the 50 locomotives ordered by the State Railway of Thailand in its largest single locomotive order. Speaking at the handover ceremony at the Siracha railway station in Chon Buri Province, Governor of State Railway of Thailand Nirut Maneephan said that his agency is making great efforts to develop the country's railway infrastructure in a bid to achieve an even greater modernization of Thailand's railway system. The new diesel locomotives could help the State Railway of Thailand to provide faster and safer transportation of passengers and freight, thus improving the quality of service of the Thai railway, he said. According to CRRC Qishuyan, the latest locomotives were customized for the State Railway of Thailand with a maximum operating speed of 120 km per hour. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) The regional director for the World Health Organizations European office said Thursday that the continent is now entering a plausible endgame for the pandemic, as fatalities across the region are starting to plateau. Speaking from Copenhagen in a live-streamed media briefing, Dr. Hans Kluge said that while the pandemic is not over, he now sees a singular opportunity to take control of the spread of COVID-19 for three reasons: high levels of immunization, warmer days ahead, as well as the lower severity of the omicron variant, now well established. Advertisement According to Kluge, a similar situation has never happened before, and it leaves us with the possibility for a long period of tranquillity. It also gives people a higher level of defense against future resurgences in transmission, even with a more virulent variant. Advertisement But I remain optimistic that if we use the circumstances before us, we have the opportunity to experience more stable days ahead a time when we will be able to not only manage #COVID19, but also have the capacity to address other urgent health priorities. @hans_kluge WHO/Europe (@WHO_Europe) February 3, 2022 This period of higher protection should be seen as a ceasefire that could bring us enduring peace, he said. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > His announcement follows news that Europe recorded 12 million new COVID-19 cases last week, the highest weekly case incidence since the start of the pandemic, which is largely being driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant. But even though hospitalizations in the continent continue to rise mainly in countries with lower vaccination rates admissions to intensive care have not significantly increased. And for now, the number of deaths across the region is starting to plateau, he said. From where we stand now, as we see cases surge across Europe and central Asia, we remain at a critical juncture, he continued. But I remain optimistic that if we use the circumstances before us, we have the opportunity to experience more stable days ahead a time when we will be able to not only manage COVID-19, but also have the capacity to address other urgent health priorities. Kluge, who was speaking on the eve of World Cancer Day also noted the catastrophic effect the COVID-19 pandemic had on cancer patients. Looking back over these past two years, cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment have suffered in an unprecedented way as health services have struggled to respond to COVID-19, he said. Delays in cancer treatment, as well as service backlogs, are a deadly interplay, he said, noting that 44% of countries around the world reported an increase in service backlogs for cancer screenings in the second half of 2021. As we go forward, maintenance of essential health services, including services along the continuum of cancer care from prevention to early detection, diagnosis, treatment and palliative care must be a component of emergency planning and response, Kluge added. Advertisement A Dutch reporter covering the Beijing Winter Olympics was captured being dragged away by Chinese security live on air, before the opening ceremony could even finish. Sjoerd den Daas, a correspondent for NOS Journaal, was covering the long-awaited opening of games in China when a man wearing a red armband entered the frame and grabbed the journalist by the shoulders. Mr den Daas attempted to continue his broadcast but was pulled away, in an example of one of China's latest tactics at intimidating foreign reporters. The interruption came from a man wearing a black jacket and a red band around the sleeve which appears to distinguish him a 'Public Security Volunteer', a citizen-led neighbourhood watch established to help police maintain order. It is unclear what Mr den Daas was doing prompt intervention, but NOS later tweeted that he was able to continue the report minutes later. However observers suspect that the media handlers stepped in because den Haas was filming in an unphotogenic location, on a badly lit street rather than the glamorous Bird's Nest stadium. The episode will only serve to add the tarnished image other the Chinese games, with many countries' leaders boycotting them over Beijing's alleged genocide of the Uyghur people in Xinjiang province. The games are also subject to strict restrictions under China's Zero Covid policy which is attempting to erdicate the disease with draconian lockdown measures. Sjoerd den Daas, a Dutch reporter covering the Beijing Winter Olympics was captured being dragged away by Chinese Communist security live on air The interruption came from a man wearing a black jacket and a red band around the sleeve which appears to distinguish him a 'Public Security Volunteer' The publication's post said: 'Our correspondent was pulled away from the camera by security guards at 12:00 pm live in the NOS Journaal' Fireworks explode over the Bird Nest stadium in Beijing as the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics comes to a close The publication's post said: 'Our correspondent was pulled away from the camera by security guards at 12:00 pm live in the NOS Journaal. 'Unfortunately, this is increasingly becoming a daily reality for journalists in China. He is fine and was able to finish his story a few minutes later.' According to the latest Media Freedoms report by the The Foreign Correspondents' Club of China (FCCC) from last month, foreign journalists are 'facing unprecedented hurdles' due to the 'governments efforts to block and discredit independent reporting'. 'State-backed' attacks on foreign journalists such as online trolling campaigns and spates of lawsuit threats are also outlined in the report. 'Such campaigns have fostered a growing feeling among the Chinese public that foreign media are the enemy and directly encourage offline violence and harassment of journalists in the field,' it added. At today's opening ceremony, Chinese president Xi Jinping received a standing ovation as he arrived to watch some 3,000 performers take part, which also featured People's Liberation Army soldiers hoisting the country's flag as the national anthem played. Earlier in the day, Xi had given his backing to Putin over Ukraine - signing a joint document that condemned America's influence in Europe, opposed the further expansion of NATO, while also criticising Washington's 'negative impact on peace and stability' in the Asia-Pacific region - meaning the South China Sea and Taiwan. It is unclear what Mr den Daas was doing prompt intervention, but NOS later tweeted that he was able to continue the report minutes later Mr den Daas attempted to continue his broadcast but was pulled by the man in what has been called China's latest tactic at intimidating foreign reporters Meanwhile, attendees have described 'dystopian' scenes from the Olympic village, include barmen in PPE mixing cocktails and robots spraying clouds of disinfectant into the air as China attempts to host a Covid-free Games. Video shot inside the Nanshanli Condotel on Thursday reveal journalists and Olympic personnel in light-touch masks mixing with hotel staff wearing hazmat suits due to fears the Games could become a super-spreader event. A Reuters reporter inside the hotel described the atmosphere as 'dystopian', saying the air smells like disinfectant due to the number of times surfaces are sprayed, while all food service arrives in hotel rooms plastic-wrapped. China has agreed to waive its typically-stringent border rules for around 11,000 guests and athletes attending the Olympics, allowing them into the country with no quarantine provided they are fully vaccinated. But throughout the event - which kicks off today and lasts until February 20 - they will be confined inside a Covid 'closed loop' which is designed to almost totally cut them off from the outside world to stop the virus spreading. A bartender inside a hotel in Zhangjiakou - one of three cities hosting the winter Olympics - mixes cocktails while dressed in full PPE A robot trundles through communal areas of one Beijing hotel, spraying the air with disinfectant which guests said left a noticeable smell Some 20,000 local volunteers helping to stage the games will also be isolated. The 'loop' system is spread across three competition zones located 110 miles apart - in Beijing, nearby Yanqing, and Zhangjiakou, which is slightly further afield. Athletes, their teams, and foreign journalists will stay in hotels and the Athlete's Village for the duration of the games - with only the PPE-clad staff allowed inside. Around 70 hotels are part of the system, with those in downtown Beijing literally fenced off and guarded by police to stop unauthorised people getting inside. In order to get between the hotels, conference centres and venues that will be used for the Olympic events, an elaborate transport system has been designed. High speed trains linking the three competition zones will be segregated to ensure athletes and the wider public don't mix, while 4,000 buses have been brought in for the sole purpose of carrying guests. These have been given specially dedicated lanes on the highways linking the competition zones - with locals facing fines if they stray into them. At the venues, Games participants will be physically separated from the wider public with dedicated entrances, exits, and viewing areas. A chef inside one of the 'closed loop' hotels prepares breakfast for guests while dressed in full PPE including gloves and a face shield Everyone inside the 'closed loop', including 11,000 foreigners and 20,000 locals, will need to be tested daily for Covid - with anyone who is infected removed Reception staff at one of the Beijing hotels dressed in a face shield and mask stands behind a plastic shield to protect against Covid Any athletes who arrived without first being vaccinated were forced to undergo 21-day isolation, while any who tested positive on arrival were also forced to isolate. The system was enough to break one Belgian athlete - skeleton racer Kim Meylemans - who was forced into isolation after a positive test. Three days of isolation in Beijing followed by two negative tests led her to believe she was being freed to join the other athletes, but she was instead shipped to another facility where she was told she would have to spend another seven days. Meylemans then put out a tearful plea on Instagram saying she was not sure how much more she could take, before the International Olympic Committee intervened. The 25-year-old is now back in the Olympic Village, albeit in an isolation wing. China has maintained a 'zero COVID' strategy throughout the global pandemic, aggressively isolating and tracing coronavirus cases to keep its official exposure low. Mainland China has reported 106,202 infections and 4,636 coronavirus-related deaths since the onset of the pandemic, though doubts have been raised about the reliability of that data. The strict quarantine system has already proved too much for Belgian skeleton racer Kim Meylemans, who broke down in tears after being isolated because of a positive test Olympics organisers said on Wednesday they had recorded 32 COVID-19 cases in the previous 24 hours, 15 of them new airport arrivals. Brian McCloskey, chair of the Beijing 2022 medical expert panel, said he expected the daily number to drop once the number of participants arriving falls. Covid is not the only problem that China is contending with as it gets the Olympics underway, with dozens of countries staging a diplomatic boycott of the event due to concerns about the country's human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims. India became the latest nation to announce it would not send officials to observe the event on Friday, because a Chinese soldier involved in clashes with its armed forces had taken part in the torch relay. Delhi said its top envoy in Beijing will not attend the opening ceremony after Beijing 'politicised' the events by featuring the solider. 'It is regrettable that the Chinese side has chosen to politicise an event like the Olympics,' Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said. India joins the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia in having announced a boycott. A guard is seen behind fences delineating the closed-loop bubble' set up by China as a preventative measure against Covid Passengers within the closed loop system on board the bullet train heading from Beijing's Qinghe railway station to Taizicheng Peoples Liberation Army soldiers march along the perimeter of the closed loop system at the Big Air Shougang stadium ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics Athletes from those countries will still compete in the Games, but officials will not attend any of the ceremonies. Meanwhile US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned American athletes attending the Games not to speak out over China's human rights record while in the country to avoid incurring Beijing's wrath. 'Do not risk incurring the anger of the Chinese government because they are ruthless,' Pelosi said. Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, said the athletes have been briefed - some of them multiple times - about laws and customs in China that could land them in hot water. She said they had been advised to 'make their own choices' when it comes to protesting or demonstrating on Chinese soil. 'We want to make sure that the athletes understand the IOC guidelines and the rules of the games that they're signing up for in that environment,' Hirshland said. A security personnel stands next to a fence at a checkpoint to enter the closed-loop bubble - created as a preventative measure against Covid Guests make their way inside Beijing's national sports stadium ahead of the Opening Ceremony, which will take place today President Xi Jinping received a minute-long standing ovation as he arrived in Beijing's Bird's Nest stadium to watch the Opening Ceremony on Friday Vladimir Putin had his eyes closed and hands folded as Ukraine's athletes arrived at the Winter Olympic Opening Ceremony in Beijing today, seemingly pretending to be asleep There are fears that Putin is about to invade Ukraine (athletes pictured entering the stadium), sparking a bloody war and the most-serious standoff between East and West since the Cold War Vladimir Putin snubbed Ukraine's athletes as he appeared to take a nap as they arrived at the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony in Beijing today, a moment of political drama as the threat of war hung heavy over the Games. The Russian strongman - who attended despite Russia being officially banned due to doping - sat with his arms folded and eyes closed for several seconds on TV feeds as Ukraine's athletes processed into the Bird's Nest stadium on Friday. It comes amid fears he is about to invade their home country, sparking the worst standoff with the West since the Cold War. Russia does have athletes at the Games, but they are forced to compete as the 'Russian Olympic Committee' and cannot use the country's flag on their uniforms or play the national anthem when they win. Separately, a Russian Olympic official was filmed arguing with a Ukrainian official shortly before the ceremony took place - appearing to brand him a 'loser' and a 'b*****d' despite Olympic organisers insisting the Games would symbolise peace and togetherness in an increasingly divided world. Meanwhile Xi Jinping received a standing ovation as he arrived to watch some 3,000 performers take part in the ceremony, which also featured frog-marching People's Liberation Army soldiers hoisting the country's flag as the national anthem played. Earlier in the day, Xi had given his backing to Putin over Ukraine - signing a joint document that condemned America's influence in Europe, opposed the further expansion of NATO, while also criticising Washington's 'negative impact on peace and stability' in the Asia-Pacific region - meaning the South China Sea and Taiwan. Another moment of tension came as Taiwan's athletes entered the stadium as 'Chinese Taipei'. Taiwan views itself as a self-governing nation, but Beijing views it as a breakaway province and has threatening to 'reunify' it by force. The team was set to boycott the games over their team name, but were told by organisers they had to attend. Putin was one of just a handful of foreign dignitaries to attend the events after most Western leaders boycotted over China's human rights record and persecutions of Uighur Muslims in eastern Xinjiang province. Olympic war games: Vladimir Putin appears to fall ASLEEP when the Ukrainian team walks out at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Beijing while Xi Jinping gets a one-minute ovation as most world leader stay away amid strict Zero Covid restrictions Winter Olympics 2022 officially got underway today with Opening Ceremony in Beijing's Bird Nest stadium Vladimir Putin appeared to be asleep as Ukraine entered the stadium, amid fears he is about to invade Xi Jinping watched Taiwan's athletes walk in under the flag of 'Chinese Taipei', a title forced on them by Olympic organisers to appease Beijing which views the island as part of its territory Most Western leaders boycotted the ceremony over China's persecution of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang region Vladimir Putin snubbed Ukraine's athletes as he appeared to take a nap as they arrived at the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony in Beijing today, a moment of political drama as the threat of war hung heavy over the Games. The Russian strongman - who attended despite Russia being officially banned due to doping - sat with his arms folded and eyes closed for several seconds on TV feeds as Ukraine's athletes processed into the Bird's Nest stadium on Friday. It comes amid fears he is about to invade their home country, sparking the worst standoff with the West since the Cold War. Russia does have athletes at the Games, but they are forced to compete as the 'Russian Olympic Committee' and cannot use the country's flag on their uniforms or play the national anthem when they win. Meanwhile Xi Jinping received a standing ovation as he arrived to watch some 3,000 performers take part in the ceremony, which also featured frog-marching People's Liberation Army soldiers hoisting the country's flag as the national anthem played. The Communist Chinese regime chose a Uyghur athlete to light the Olympic flame in a blatant propaganda attempt to deflect claims that it is guilty of genocide of the Muslim minority people in the north west Xinjiang region. Earlier in the day, Xi had given his backing to Putin over Ukraine - signing a joint document that condemned America's influence in Europe, opposed the further expansion of NATO, while also criticising Washington's 'negative impact on peace and stability' in the Asia-Pacific region - meaning the South China Sea and Taiwan. Another moment of tension came as Taiwan's athletes entered the stadium as 'Chinese Taipei'. Taiwan views itself as a self-governing nation, but Beijing views it as a breakaway province and has threatening to 'reunify' it by force. The team was set to boycott the games over their team name, but were told by organisers they had to attend. Putin was one of just a handful of foreign dignitaries to attend the events after most Western leaders boycotted over China's human rights record and persecutions of Uighur Muslims in eastern Xinjiang province. The world leaders were joined in the stands by just a handful of 'select' guests as the event takes place inside a Covid-secure bubble to comply with China's strict zero Covid policy. Vladimir Putin had his eyes closed and hands folded as Ukraine's athletes arrived at the Winter Olympic Opening Ceremony in Beijing today, seemingly pretending to be asleep There are fears that Putin is about to invade Ukraine (athletes pictured entering the stadium), sparking a bloody war and the most-serious standoff between East and West since the Cold War President Xi Jinping received a minute-long standing ovation as he arrived in Beijing's Bird's Nest stadium to watch the Opening Ceremony on Friday The Communist Chinese regime chose a Uyghur athlete to light the Olympic flame in a blatant propaganda attempt to deflect claims that it is guilty of genocide of the Muslim minority people in the north west Xinjiang region. Xi watched as Taiwan's athletes were forced to enter the stadium under the banner of 'Chinese Taipei'. Taiwan views itself as a separate country, while China views it as a province and is threatening to 'reunify' it by force. Taiwan was going to boycott the games over the name, but was forced by the IOC to attend Fireworks explode over the Bird Nest stadium in Beijing as the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics comes to a close Fireworks light up the night sky above the Beijing National Stadium at the Olympic Opening Ceremony on Friday The Chinese national flag flies in the Olympic Stadium as an Olympic Torch placed in the centre of a giant snowflake made up of individual flakes bearing the names of competing nations is hoisted in the background China takes part in the parade of athletes during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games Soldiers carried the Chinese flag across the stadium before hoisting it up a pole as the national anthem was sung Soldiers of the People's Liberation Army carried the Chinese flag to be hoisted up a pole during the ceremony China is aiming to put on a patriotic display, despite global tensions over Taiwan and Ukraine overshadowing the event Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon (left), Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (centre), and Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (right) were among world leaders at the event President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach salutes the crowd during the opening ceremony Performers take part in the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games Young performers display colourful cartoon strips as they take part in the Opening Ceremony, with most of the participants being young people 3,000 performers took part in the slimmed-down ceremony - compared to 15,000 at the 2008 Olympics - with most of them Dinigeer Yilamujiang, left, and Zhao Jiawen, both Chinese Olympians, light the final flame in the Brid Nest stadium in Beijing as the Games gets underway Performers take part in the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, at the National Stadium , "" "". ! . . , .#Beijing2022 pic.twitter.com/Bt5ExGQeWv tusks (@_A_Vit_) February 4, 2022 President Xi hosts Vladimir Putin in Beijing for start of the Winter Olympics China's President Xi Jinping today met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin for the first time in nearly two years, with the pair drawing closer as tensions grow with the West. Xi has not left China since January 2020, when the country was grappling with its initial Covid-19 outbreak and locked down the central city of Wuhan where the virus was first detected. He is now readying to meet more than 20 leaders as Beijing kicks off a Winter Olympics it hopes will be a soft-power triumph and shift focus away from a build-up blighted by a diplomatic boycott and Covid fears. Putin's jet touched down in the Chinese capital earlier today, state broadcaster CCTV reported, on the day of the Beijing Winter Olympics opening ceremony. The two leaders are set to share talks before their nations release a joint statement reflecting their 'common views' on security and other issues, a top Kremlin adviser said at a Wednesday press briefing. The two strongmen will then attend the Olympic opening ceremony in the evening. Putin remains the highest-profile guest at the event following the decision by the US, UK and others not to send officials in protest over China's human rights abuses and its treatment of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities. The Putin-Xi talks are expected to focus on coordinating their countries' foreign policies, with Mr Putin writing in an article published on Thursday by the Chinese news agency Xinhua that Moscow and Beijing play an 'important stabilising role' in global affairs and help make international affairs 'more equitable and inclusive'. The Russian president has criticised 'attempts by some countries to politicise sports to the benefit of their ambitions', an apparent reference to a US-led diplomatic boycott, which does not affect the participation of athletes in the Games. Advertisement Putin also defied his own hosts by appearing maskless at the Olympic Stadium, despite strict Chinese rules stating masks must be worn. Even Xi was masked, as was every other guest in the VIP box. Heavy fines and arrests are made on those in China who refuse to wear masks and the obedience is near 100 per cent. One observer said: Putin arrived as if he was the emperor. It was pretty rude of him. Separately, a Russian Olympic official was filmed arguing with a Ukrainian official shortly before the ceremony took place - appearing to brand him a 'loser' and a 'b*****d' despite Olympic organisers insisting the Games would symbolise peace and togetherness in an increasingly divided world. Chinese film director Zhang Yimou, the man behind the mind-blowing Beijing 2008 opening ceremony, which also took place in the Birds Nest stadium, masterminded today's event. Tickets for the opening ceremony as well as other Games events were not sold publicly with only those specially invited able to attend due to fears of the spread of Covid, leading to concerns that an absence of euphoric crowds may impact the atmosphere inside stadiums. No international fans are allowed at the Games. But also missing are government officials from Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, United States and India who are initiating a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics over China's human rights record, particularly over its treatment of the Uighurs. They are a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority group in the Xinjiang autonomous region of China, which the UN has claimed have been subject of severe human rights violations at the hands of the state. China has denied the allegations and warned nations taking part in the boycott that they will 'pay a price' for their 'mistake.' But athletes from those countries will be participating in the Games. High stakes international politics also featured behind the scenes of today's opening ceremony which was attended by guest of honour, Russia's President Vladimir Putin. He met his Chinese counterpart President Xi Jinping ahead of the event taking place to discuss the international crisis unfolding in Ukraine, which according to reports from both countries, has 'brought them together.' Putin is also using his visit to the Winter Games to meet the leaders of 20 other nations in what is being viewed as a diplomatic push to win them over as tensions in Ukraine continue to simmer. Despite the heated political backdrop to the Games, it is Covid that is causing the most concern. Around 60,000 people, including athletes, coaches, officials, federation delegates, volunteers and media personnel, are in China for the Games and are being made to take Covid tests every day of their stay. Competitions will take place within a 'closed loop' that will allow them to move between accommodation and venues on official transport. They are not allowed to move freely in public. British interest at the games is particularly high, despite the country's mediocre track record in winter sports. Team GB's 50-strong squad of athletes was led into the Bird's Nest stadium by Union Jack flag bearers, veteran skier Dave Ryding and curler Eve Muirhead. British athletes will be looking to build on the five medals it won at the previous Winter Olympics. Charlotte Banks is considered to be Britain's best hope of a gold in the snowboard cross. Other medal prospects include Brad Hall in the bobsleigh; Gus Kenworthy and Kirsty Muir in freestyle skiing; curlers Bruce Mouat and Jennifer Dodds and Dave Ryding in alpine skiing. The Olympics - and the opening ceremony - are always an exercise in performance for the host nation, a chance to showcase its culture, define its place in the world, flaunt its best side. That's something China in particular has been consumed with for decades. But at this year's Beijing Games, the gulf between performance and reality will be particularly jarring. A snowflake made up of the names of all participating nations and carrying the Olympic flame is hoisted in the Olympic Stadium in Beijing at the conclusion of the Opening Ceremony Children holding illuminated doves stand around a snowflake containing the final Olympic torch as it is hoisted above the stadium - marking the end of the Opening Ceremony Team USA athletes enter the Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing during the Opening Ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics Team GB takes part in the Athlete's Parade during the Opening Ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing France's flag bearers Kevin Rolland and Tessa Worley lead the delegation as they enter the stadium Russia, currently serving an official ban from the Olympics due to state-sponsored doping, is once again competing under the banner of the Russian Olympic Committee Flag bearers Francesco Friedrich and Claudia Pechstein of Team Germany lead the team during the Opening Ceremony Performers take part in a slimmed-down Olympic Opening Ceremony that made use of lighting effects projected on the floor of the arena in place of large numbers of performers Some 3,000 performers took part in the ceremony - mostly teenagers and young people - considerably reduced on the 15,000 which took part in the Beijing Opening Ceremony Dancers perform during the pre-show ahead of the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics Costumed performers carrying colourful wreaths take part in the Opening Ceremony in Beijing The ceremony emphasized themes of togetherness and peace, despite the overriding atmosphere being one of crisis and conflict thanks to threats of war overshadowing the event Performer's dance during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Jamaica's Olympic team enters the stadium, as the nation prepares to compete in the bobsleigh event American Samoa's flag bearer Nathan Crumpton parades during the opening ceremony China's final Olympic torch bearer enters the Olympic Stadium at the end of the Opening Ceremony Dancers perform during the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics Fireworks explode over the Olympic Stadium in Beijing as the Opening Ceremony comes to an end on Friday night Fireworks in the shape of the Olympic rings soar into the sky above Beijing's National Stadium Fourteen years ago, a Beijing opening ceremony that featured massive pyrotechnic displays and thousands of card-flipping performers set a new standard of extravagance to start an Olympics that no host since has matched. It was a fitting start to an event often billed as China's 'coming out.' Now, no matter how you view it, China has arrived - and the opening ceremony returns to the same now-familiar, lattice-encased National Stadium known as the Bird's Nest, built in consultation with Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei. But the hope for a more open China that accompanied those first Games has faded. For Beijing, these Olympics are a confirmation of its status as world player and power. But for many outside China, particularly in the West, they have become a confirmation of the country's increasingly authoritarian turn. Chinese authorities are crushing pro-democracy activism, tightening their control over Hong Kong, becoming more confrontational with Taiwan and interning Muslim Uyghurs in the far west - a crackdown the U.S. government and others have called genocide. The pandemic also weighs heavily on this year's Games, just as it did last summer in Tokyo. More than two years after the first COVID-19 cases were identified in China's Hubei province, nearly 6 million human beings have died and hundreds of millions more around the world have been sickened. The host country itself claims some of the lowest rates of death and illness from the virus, in part because of sweeping lockdowns imposed by the government that were instantly apparent to anyone arriving to compete in or attend the Winter Games. In the lead-up to the Olympics, China's suppression of dissent was also on display in the controversy surrounding Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai. She disappeared from public view last year after accusing a former Communist Party official of sexual assault. Her accusation was quickly scrubbed from the internet, and discussion of it remains heavily censored. Concerned for her safety, tennis greats and others outside China demanded on social media to know, 'Where is Peng Shuai?' A surreal cat-and-mouse game has since unfolded, with Peng making a brief appearance at a youth tennis event and speaking by video link with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach as part of efforts to allay concerns about her. While the political issues have overshadowed the run-up, as with any Olympics, attention will shift Saturday - at least partially - from the geopolitical issues of the day to the athletes themselves. All eyes turn now to whether Alpine skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin, who already owns three Olympic medals, can exceed sky-high expectations. How snowboard sensation Shaun White will cap off his Olympic career - and if the sport's current standard-bearer, Chloe Kim, will wow us again. And just how many medals Russia's figure skaters will run away with - though Nathan Chen and the rest of the Americans put a roadblock in their way Friday at the team competition. China, meanwhile, is pinning its hopes on Eileen Gu, the 18-year-old, American-born freestyle skier who has chosen to compete for her mother's native country and could win three gold medals. Artists perform during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games at the National Stadium Children sing during the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing on Friday evening Illuminated doves are carried by performers during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics Child performers dressed in traditional dragon costumes pose for the camera ahead of the start of the Opening Ceremony Children perform in the pre-show during the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics A Chinese performer carrying a colourful wreath takes part in the Opening Ceremony in Beijing today Young performers holding colourful pompoms take part in the Opening Ceremony at Beijing's Bird Nest stadium Fans take their seats inside the stadium prior to the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing, after a select number were invited Spectators gather for the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games Performers dance in formation during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Performers dance in formation during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics As they compete, the conditions imposed by Chinese authorities offer a stark contrast to the party atmosphere of the 2008 Games. Some flight attendants, immigration officials and hotel staff have been covered head-to-toe in hazmat gear, masks and goggles. There is a daily testing regimen for all attendees, followed by lengthy quarantines for all those testing positive. Even so, there is no passing from the Olympic venues through the ever-present cordons of chain-link fence - covered in cheery messages of a 'shared future together' - into the city itself, another point of divergence with the 2008 Games. China itself has also transformed in the years since. Then, it was an emerging global economic force making its biggest leap yet onto the global stage by hosting those Games. Now it is a fully realized superpower hosting these. Xi, who was the head of the 2008 Olympics, now runs the entire country and has encouraged a personality-driven campaign of adulation. Gone are the hopeful statements from organizers and Western governments that hosting the Olympics would pressure the ruling Communist Party to clean up what they called its problematic human rights record and to become a more responsible international citizen. Today, three decades after its troops crushed massive democracy demonstrations in Tiananmen Square, killing hundreds and perhaps thousands of Chinese, the government has locked up more than 1 million members of minority groups, mostly Muslim Uyghurs from its far-western Xinjiang region, in mass internment camps. The situation has led human rights groups to dub these the 'Genocide Games.' China says the camps are 'vocational training and education centers' that are part of an anti-terror campaign. It denies any human rights violations and says it has restored stability to Xinjiang, a region it insisted in the months after the 9/11 attacks was rife with extremism, often with little evidence. Such behavior was what led leaders of the United States, Britain, Australia and Canada, among others, to impose a diplomatic boycott on these Games, shunning appearances alongside Chinese leadership while allowing their athletes to compete. Right from the beginning, the IOC's choice of China was met with criticism from human rights groups, but Beijing was seen as a reliable option - after four European cities, including Oslo and Stockholm, pulled out for political or financial reasons. That left only Beijing and Almaty, Kazakhstan. Outside the Olympic 'bubble' that separates regular Beijingers from Olympians and their entourages, some expressed enthusiasm and pride at the world coming to their doorstep. Zhang Wenquan, a collector of Olympic memorabilia, showed off his wares Friday while standing next to a 2008 mascot. He was excited, but the excitement was tempered by the virus that has changed so much for so many. 'I think the effect of the fireworks is going to be much better than it in 2008,' he said. 'I really look forward to the opening ceremony. I actually wanted to go to the venue to watch it. I have been trying so hard to watch it at the scene. But because of the epidemic, there may be no chance.' Fireworks explode over the Olympic rings during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games Fireworks are seen exploding over the top of China's National Stadium, otherwise known as the Bird Nest, in Beijing A huge firework display lights up the night sky during the concluding stages of the Olympic Opening Ceremony in Beijing Fireworks in the shape of the Olympic rings rise into the sky above performers and a snowflake bearing the last Olympic torch in the concluding moments of the Opening Ceremony The Olympic flame is hoisted above performers taking part in the Opening Ceremony in Beijing A close-up view of children bearing light-up doves during the Opening Ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics Performer's dance during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at the Beijing National Stadium Performer's dance during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Winter Olympics guests describe 'dystopian' scenes inside the village after being greeted by bartenders in full hazmat suits and robots spraying disinfectant under Zero Covid policy 'Dystopian' scenes from inside Beijing Olympic village include barmen in full PPE mixing cocktails and robots spraying clouds of disinfectant into the air as China attempts to host a Covid-free Games. Video shot inside the Nanshanli Condotel on Thursday reveal journalists and Olympic personnel in light-touch masks mixing with hotel staff wearing full hazmat suits due to fears the Games could become a super-spreader event. A Reuters reporter inside the hotel described the atmosphere as 'dystopian', saying the air smells like disinfectant due to the number of times floors and walls are sprayed, while all food service arrives in hotel rooms plastic-wrapped. China has agreed to waive its typically-stringent border rules for around 11,000 guests and athletes attending the Olympics, allowing them into the country with no quarantine provided they are fully vaccinated. A bartender inside a hotel in Zhangjiakou - one of three cities hosting the winter Olympics - mixes cocktails while dressed in full PPE A robot trundles through communal areas of one Beijing hotel, spraying the air with disinfectant which guests said left a noticeable smell But throughout the event - which kicks off today and lasts until February 20 - they will be confined inside a Covid 'closed loop' which is designed to almost totally cut them off from the outside world to stop the virus spreading. Some 20,000 local volunteers helping to stage the games will also be isolated. The 'loop' system is spread across three competition zones located 110 miles apart - in Beijing, nearby Yanqing, and Zhangjiakou, which is slightly further afield. Athletes, their teams, and foreign journalists will stay in hotels and the Athlete's Village for the duration of the games - with only the PPE-clad staff allowed inside. Around 70 hotels are part of the system, with those in downtown Beijing literally fenced off and guarded by police to stop unauthorised people getting inside. In order to get between the hotels, conference centres and venues that will be used for the Olympic events, an elaborate transport system has been designed. High speed trains linking the three competition zones will be segregated to ensure athletes and the wider public don't mix, while 4,000 buses have been brought in for the sole purpose of carrying guests. A chef inside one of the 'closed loop' hotels prepares breakfast for guests while dressed in full PPE including gloves and a face shield Everyone inside the 'closed loop', including 11,000 foreigners and 20,000 locals, will need to be tested daily for Covid - with anyone who is infected removed Reception staff at one of the Beijing hotels dressed in a face shield and mask stands behind a plastic shield to protect against Covid These have been given specially dedicated lanes on the highways linking the competition zones - with locals facing fines if they stray into them. At the venues, Games participants will be physically separated from the wider public with dedicated entrances, exits, and viewing areas. Any athletes who arrived without first being vaccinated were forced to undergo 21-day isolation, while any who tested positive on arrival were also forced to isolate. The system was enough to break one Belgian athlete - skeleton racer Kim Meylemans - who was forced into isolation after a positive test. Three days of isolation in Beijing followed by two negative tests led her to believe she was being freed to join the other athletes, but she was instead shipped to another facility where she was told she would have to spend another seven days. Meylemans then put out a tearful plea on Instagram saying she was not sure how much more she could take, before the International Olympic Committee intervened. The 25-year-old is now back in the Olympic Village, albeit in an isolation wing. China has maintained a 'zero COVID' strategy throughout the global pandemic, aggressively isolating and tracing coronavirus cases to keep its official exposure low. Mainland China has reported 106,202 infections and 4,636 coronavirus-related deaths since the onset of the pandemic, though doubts have been raised about the reliability of that data. A guard is seen behind fences delineating the closed-loop bubble' set up by China as a preventative measure against Covid Five men and three teenagers have denied murdering a man who died from multiple stab wounds. Xhovan Pepaj, a 25-year-old Albanian, was found fatally injured inside a property in Caley Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, around 3.15am on Saturday, December 4 last year. The eight defendants, all from Essex and including a boy aged 17 who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Maidstone Crown Court today for a plea and trial preparation hearing. The 17-year-old, from Ilford, together with 18-year-olds Ciaran Stewart, of Curtis Road, Hornchurch, and Donte Simpson-Palmer, of Norfolk Road, Ilford, pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Pepaj. Xhovan Pepaj (pictured), a 25-year-old Albanian, was found fatally injured inside a property in Caley Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, around 3.15am on Saturday, December 4 last year Five men and three teenagers have denied murdering Mr Pepaj (above), who died from multiple stab wounds. The eight defendants, all from Essex and including a boy aged 17 who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Maidstone Crown Court today for a plea and trial preparation hearing Mohammed Miah, 25, of Highfield Road, Romford, Nathan Turner, 28, of Myrtle Road, Brentwood, Zach Cutting, 23, of Roundhills, Waltham Abbey, Ray Renda, 21, of Sandringham Road, Pilgrims Hatch, Brentwood, and Nathan Rainforth, 20, of Gloucester Road, Pilgrims Hatch, also denied murder. All eight defendants - of whom three appeared in the court dock and five via prison video links - also pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and conspiracy to steal cannabis plants. Also in the dock were Glen Hough, 51, of Kings Road, Brentwood, and Bartosz Malawski, 21, of Mitcham Road, Croydon, but the charges were not put to them. Judge David Griffith-Jones QC said the trial, to be heard by a High Court judge, is provisionally fixed to start on October 3 and expected to last eight to 10 weeks. Police at the scene in eary December last year. The 17-year-old, from Ilford, together with 18-year-olds Ciaran Stewart, of Hornchurch, and Donte Simpson-Palmer, of Ilford, pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Pepaj. Mohammed Miah, 25, of Romford, Nathan Turner, 28, of Brentwood, Zach Cutting, 23, of Waltham Abbey, Ray Renda, 21, of Brentwood, and Nathan Rainforth, 20, of Brentwood, also denied murder However, due to the number of defendants involved and Covid social distancing restrictions, he added the case may be transferred to one of two 'super' courts in Manchester or Loughborough. These have been revamped to create a space that is three times the size of a usual courtroom and allow for trials with up to 12 defendants. Judge Griffith-Jones remanded the seven men and three teenagers in custody. Pleas from Hough and Malawski, said to need a Polish interpreter for future legal proceedings, will be taken at a further hearing on February 14. Advertisement U.S. paratroopers, armored vehicles and jets arrived in Poland on Friday as part of the deployment of 3,000 troops into Eastern Europe in a major show of force to try to deter Vladimir Putin from invading Ukraine. Some of the lethal military equipment the U.S. is moving into Eastern Europe was on display, as the military positions the first troops meant to shore up NATO allies amid Russia's continuing troop buildup along the Ukrainian border. More than 200 pieces of equipment including wheeled Stryker combat vehicles from the Army National Guard 1st Battalion, 185th Infantry regiment could be seen being unloaded at the port of Gdyna in Poland Friday, while soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division began arriving. The U.S. is sending 2,000 troops from the U.S. to Poland and Germany, where military already maintains a substantial presence, while repositioning another 1,000 troops to Romania. The troops join roughly 4,000 that are already stationed in various parts of Poland, including hundreds of soldiers that are supporting a NATO mission, 50 miles from Russian-controlled Kaliningrad. Military transport aircraft carrying U.S. soldiers and equipment also were seen landing in Poland. ON GROUND! February 4, 2022XVIII Airborne Corps and soldiers assigned to the XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg arrive at Wiesbaden, Germany, February 4 The U.S. is moving heavy equipment into Poland as it brings 3,000 troops to shore up NATO allies amid Russia's troop buildup around Ukraine. An aerial view shows more than 200 pieces of equipment, including Strykers and wheeled vehicles from the U.S. Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 185th Infantry Regiment and equipment for upload from the 3rd Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, at the Port of Gdynia on February 04, 2022 in Gdynia, Poland The equipment is part of the U.S. effort to bolster NATO allies The administration has insisted the troops are not escalatory and are meant to reassure NATO allies the U.S. is sworn to defend under Article V of the NATO treaty, which President Biden calls a 'sacred obligation.' The Pentagon has also put 8,500 troops on alert in the U.S. for possible deployments. There are currently about 4,500 U.S. troops in Poland under a bilateral and NATO structure. Russia has called the new deployments 'destructive,' even while amassing more than 100,000 of its own troops around Ukraine. Russian forces carried out war games in Belarus, to Ukraine's north, on Friday, with an estimated 30,000 troops taking part in joint Russia-Belarus exercises this month. But there were still prospects for diplomacy, with Russian diplomats still engaged with U.S. and western negotiators over its security demands. The equipment comes as the U.S. is dispatching troops amid fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine NATO has enhanced its presence in the eastern part of the Alliance, with battlegroups in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland led by the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany and the United States respectively The XVIII Airborne Corps, which serves as America'sContingency Corps, will provide a Joint Task Force-capable headquarters in Germany, as 1,700 Paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division deploy to Poland Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Chinese President Xi Jinping Thursday, where they signed a joint statement calling on the west to 'abandon the ideologized approaches of the Cold War.' Xi also declared his opposition to NATO expansion in the joint statement. Putin has been seeking assurances that the U.S. would not bring in Ukraine as a member nation on its western border. 'The parties oppose the further expansion of NATO, call on the North Atlantic alliance to abandon the ideologized approaches of the cold war, respect the sovereignty, security and interests of other countries, the diversity of their civilizational and cultural-historical patterns, and treat the peaceful development of other states objectively and fairly,' according to the statement. China said it 'understands and supports the proposals put forward by the Russian Federation on the formation of long-term legally binding security guarantees in Europe. It also registered opposition to U.S. trade alliances in the region. If Putin is gearing up for war, he wasn't showing it during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, where he appeared to fall asleep. 'Friendship between the two States has no limits, there are no 'forbidden' areas of cooperation,' they said. Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the opening ceremonies for the Olympics in Beijing Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, China February 4, 2022. Russia and China issued joint statement opposing NATO expansion Sleepwalking towards war? Vladimir Putin had his eyes closed and hands folded as Ukraine's athletes arrived at the Winter Olympic Opening Ceremony in Beijing today In this photo taken from video and released by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, Feb. 4, 2022, a soldier takes part in the Belarusian and Russian joint military drills at Brestsky firing range, Belarus Russian exercises with Belarus are set to run through the month The Russian military exercises come as the U.S. hopes to head off an invasion through diplomatic talks An MT-LB multi-purpose fully amphibious armored tracked vehicle (L) and infantry fighting vehicles take part in an exercise to test response forces of the Union State of Russia and Belarus at Brestsky firing range. Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine's northern and eastern borders, raising concern that Moscow might invade again, as it did in 2014 The 1,700 soldiers join roughly 4,000 that are already stationed in various parts of Poland, including hundreds of soldiers that are supporting a NATO mission. Pictured: A U.S. Air Force Lockheed C-130J-30 Hercules transport aircraft lands at Jasionka Airport near Rzeszow Around 1,700 U.S. troops touched down in Poland on Friday, near the Ukrainian border, where they will take up positions amid fears of a Russian invasion. Pictured: Military personnel are seen next to a U.S. Air Force Lockheed C-130J-30 Hercules transport aircraft after landing at Jasionka Airport near Rzeszow, Poland A Mil Mi-24 helicopter of the Belarusian Air Force takes part in a joint training exercise with Russian troops on Thursday Yakovlev Yak-130 aircraft of the Belarusian Air Force let off heat flares as they take part in training exercises in Brest, Belarus Belarus Air Force Yak-130 trainer aircraft take part in military drills in the skies over Brest, Belarus, on Thursday Mil Mi-8 helicopters of the Belarusian Air Force take part in joint war games with Russia in Brest, Belarus, on Thursday A Russian tank fires its main cannon during joint war games currently taking place in Belarus, near the border with Ukraine Mobile artillery units open fire during huge war games that are currently taking place in Belarus, amid tensions with Ukraine A rocket explodes on a training ground in western Belarus, amid joint 'combat readiness' drills being carried out with Russia Rocket artillery open fire during huge military drills taking place in Brest, Belarus, which began on Wednesday and are set to continue for at least another week Belarusian tanks take part in live-fire drills on a training ground near Brest - part of huge joint war games with Russia which observers fear could be used to disguise an invasion 82nd Airborne Division: The storied history of the 100-year-old elite unit that can deploy anywhere in 18 hours President Bidens order to shore up NATO allies includes sending 1,700 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division to Poland. The storied division has a long military history. It was constituted in 1917 as an infantry division in Camp Gordon, Georgia, and its soldiers first fought in World War I. Its members took part in campaigns in Lorrraine, St. Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne. The 82nd Airborne has a distinctive 'All American' patch Its mission is to within 18 hours of notification, strategically deploy, conduct forcible entry parachute assault and secure key objectives for follow-on military operations in support of U.S. national interests. With soldiers specializing in parachute operations since World War II, presidents have dispatched the force all over the globe. It was redesignated after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, operating out of Camp Claiborne, Louisiana under Gen. Omar Bradley. It is now headquartered in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In World War II its soldiers took part in the Italian campaign, the Normandy invasion, and the Battle of the Bulge. Presidents have also called it into action in the Iraq wars, in Vietnam, and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Presidents have also called on the force to respond to domestic situations, including aiding the response to Hurricane Katrina2005 with search and rescue missions, and helping restore order following rioting after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968. About 700 members were sent to bases near Washington, DC amid George Floyd protests in the summer of 2020, but they were not called off their bases. According to the USO, its members take part in 10,000 training jumps on any particular month. It is known as the All American Division, with members joining from all the states during its early days, and the acronym is featured on its distinctive patch. Advertisement Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken gave lawmakers a closed briefing Thursday amid the ongoing tensions. 'This is the most significant threat in Europe since 1945. It's just that simple,' Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said afterward. He called a Russian invasion a 'near certainty,' The Hill reported. News of the soldiers' arrival came hours after the United States said it had evidence of a plan by Moscow to film a fake Ukrainian attack on Russians to justify an attack on its neighbor. Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said the US had 'information that the Russians are likely to want to fabricate a pretext for an invasion', but did not provide evidence. Polish Defense Minster Mariusz Blaszczak announced the arrivals, saying: 'This is a strong signal of allied solidarity in response to the situation in Ukraine.' The official announcement did not say where they had landed, but Stars and Stripes reported said they arrived in Rzeszow, a southeastern Polish that is around 45 miles from the country's eastern border with Ukraine. The troops come from the storied 82nd Airborne Division, which has a wide range of capabilities and specializes in parachute assaults into areas that are otherwise unreachable. It carries a U.S. Department of Defense requirement to be able to 'respond to crisis contingencies anywhere in the world within 18 hours,' its website says. Pictures today from an airfield in Rzeszow confirmed this, showing a U.S. Air Force Lockheed C-130J-30 Hercules transport aircraft on the tarmac as U.S. troops disembarked. Also in Poland, photographs showed more than 200 pieces of U.S. military hardware from the U.S. Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 185th Infantry Regiment and equipment for upload from the 3rd Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, being moved at the Port of Gdynia - found in the north of the country - on Friday. In addition to the 1,700 troops the US is deploying to Poland, another 300 will be sent to Germany from the 18th Airborne Corps to create a joint task force capable headquarters to provide mission command in Germany. Another 1,000 troops part of a Germany-based infantry Stryker squadron will reposition to Romania at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) closest flank to Russia. They will add to the 900 U.S. forces already in Romania. With all of the Russian shows of force in its regular war games, Ukrainian forces shot at abandoned buildings and launched mortars in urban combat drills in Pripyat, which was abandoned after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, Reuters reported. The drills involved special forces, police, and guard forces carrying out the exercises in abandoned snowy street. 'This was a battle with irregular militias in (an) urban environment,' a camouflaged soldier told the news service. It was a deliberate signal of what Russia might encounter even if it carries out a rapid invasion of Ukrainian territory. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Friday defended the U.S. commitment of military aid to Ukraine. 'We've provided hundreds of billions of dollars in aid security assistance over the course of not just the last year but long before that, and including a commitment the President made was announced around president [Volodymyr] Zelensky's visit,' she told reporters at the White House. A bipartisan team of lawmakers, Sens. Patty Murray and Richard Burr, want Congress to create a 9/11-style commission to investigate the origins of COVID-19 and how the Trump and Biden White Houses responded to the pandemic. The New York Times reported Friday that a draft proposal is being circulated around Capitol Hill for legislation that would create a 12-member body to 'get a full accounting of what went wrong during this pandemic,' Murray said. It comes as The Washington Post reported that pandemic funds could run out, as $265 billion from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund have already been allocated. A bipartisan team of lawmakers, Sens. Richard Burr (left) and Patty Murray (right), want Congress to create a 9/11-style commission to investigate the origins of COVID-19 and how the Trump and Biden White Houses responded to the pandemic. Burr and Murray, who are the leaders of the Senate Health Committee, are getting broad and bipartisan support for their proposal now that Democratic President Joe Biden's COVID response can be scrutinized as much as former Republican President Donald Trump's. Similar bills introduced last year, including one sponsored by the bipartisan team of Sens. Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, and Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, went nowhere. 'I'm all for it,' Sen. Roger Marshall, a Kansas Republican, told The Times this week. Marshall is working with New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on a similar piece of legislation. 'As a doctor, if a patient dies and we don't know why, we do an autopsy. In the military, when we have a major event we go back and figure out waht we did right and what we did wrong,' added Marshall, who is a medical doctor. Philip Zelikow, a lawyer who led the 9/11 Commission, and who has been laying the groundwork to create a similar commission on the pandemic called it 'shockingly polarizing.' 'This is the first signal that maybe leading Democrats and Republicans are now ready to come together,' he told The times. 'I think that's really heartening. A lot of people would not have predicted it.' Zelikow has already received financial backing from four foundations and has a paid staff. HIs group has already interviewed hundreds of people involved in the pandemic including public health officials, politicians, victims and their families, The Times reported. He told the paper that he would be willing to turn his work over to Congress if the bipartisan commission is formed. So far, Biden's White House has been noncommital. The administration wouldn't get to pick any members for the commission the way the draft stands, with Congressional Democrats and Republicans splitting those decisions. 'We tried to structure it in a way that would make a partisan approach difficult,' Burr told The Times. The UK's festival season is expected to make a triumphant return in 2022 with live music, screaming crowds with zero pandemic restrictions and a higher chance of catching Covid, Government scientists warn. In a report released today and submitted to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), experts said even outdoor festivals probably help spread the virus, after reviewing data from Britain and aboard. The report said evidence suggested that attending outdoor unseated events was linked with a 1.7-fold increased risk of Covid transmission, adding it would be 'sensible' to have mitigation measures in place for such events. But, the report, which was submitted to Government in December, does not include any information the highly transmissible Omicron Covid variant, meaning the 1.7 figure should be treated with caution. The authors have called for a campaign advising festival attendees about how to reduce the risk of spreading the virus, such as avoiding mixing with vulnerable friends and family for 10 days after the event. SAGE experts also added that controversial vaccine passports could be reintroduced at festivals. This could help boost uptake in jab hesitant younger people, they said. SAGE has warned people who go to 'outdoor unseated events' had a 1.7 higher risk of getting Covid than people who didn't the (blue bar), other SAGE studies (the red bars) have found an increased of catching Covid from a variety of more common activities Authors of a new report have said it would be 'sensible' to have a range of anti-Covid measures at festivals and how vaccine passports could encourage younger people to get fully jabbed The report was written by the Environmental Modelling Group Transmission Subgroup of SAGE. Overall, they had medium confidence that attending festivals was associated with an increased risk of Covid transmission. Who's playing at Glastonbury this year? Billie Eilish has been announced as the headline act at Glastonbury this year and will play on the Friday. Following the 20-year-old will be Diana Ross, who will be leading the 'legends' slot on the Sunday. No other acts have been revealed for this year's 'Glasto', taking place from June 22 to 26 - but the rumour mill suggests Aerosmith and Sir Paul McCartney could make an appearance. Aerosmith accidentally leaked an email last year which had their tour dates for the year, with Glastonbury Festival listed for June 25. Meanwhile Sir Paul was set to play at last year's event. Other big names are also touring the UK this summer - and many have a gap in the diary for the weekend of Glastonbury, fuelling the rumour mill, reports the Somerset County Gazette. Those who will be free to squeeze in a performance include Elton John, Pet Shop Boys (who were due to play in 2020), Celeste, The Weeknd, Sinead O'Connor, Fontaines DC, and Orbital, Deadmau5, Foals, Doves, Rag n Bone Man, Madness, Pearl Jam, The Orb, David Gray, Sam Fender, Manic Street Preachers, Stereophonics, Rage Against The Machine, Guns n Roses, Michael Buble, Dionne Warwick and more. Organiser Emily Eavis teased there will be more news 'soon' in an Instagram post this week. 'We can't wait to be back in June and will bring you festival news soon to kick off the build up,' she said. Advertisement But, they added the fact that by their very nature festivals had a number of known factors which aid Covid transmission, such a mixing with strangers and packed public transport to and from the venue. 'Festivals are large, highly social, often predominantly open air, events that bring people together for prolonged periods where physical distancing is difficult to maintain and where interacting closely with others (including strangers) is part of the attraction,' they said. These risk factors could also be multiplied or diminished by prevalence of the virus in the community, they added. While an analysis of NHS Track and Test data did suggest there was a higher Covid incidence among people who attended festivals compared to the general population, the SAGE scientists said this should be treated with caution. They noted that on a population level, only a tiny fraction of people attend festivals and therefore the events are unlikely to make significant contribution to overall cases if other, more popular, venues like pubs and restaurants are open. However, they added that as festivals bring together large numbers of people from a wide geographical range it was still 'sensible' to have a range of measures to reduce the potential Covid spread. Such measures could include encouraging wearing mask on public transport to and from the vent or asking festival goers to avoid mixing with vulnerable friends and family for 10 days after the event. One particular measure the report authors discussed was vaccine passports. The authors noted that festivals 'attract young adults with low personal risk of developing severe consequences of Covid'. By requiring attendees to be vaccinated in order to attend, they suggested this could encourage Covid jab uptake in younger groups. 'Given higher vaccine complacency in certain groups, such as youth who perceive lower risks of infection, this intervention could be an additional policy lever to increase vaccine uptake and population level immunity,' they said. While the report said many festivals already benefited from 'natural ventilation' which helps reduce chances of Covid transmission, organisers should ensure good ventilation is maintained in all areas, such as bathroom facilities. However, It should be noted that since the report was submitted to Government in December ministers have unveiled plans for the UK to 'live with Covid' Some of these, such as the lifting of working from guidance and wearing masks have already been introduced, while others like self isolation rules are due to be scrapped in March. Much like hospitality, the UK's event sector took an absolute battering during the pandemic as events were either outright banned or heavily restricted at various stages over the past two years. The UK's flagship festival Glastonbury lost more than 3.1million last year after it was cancelled for the second time in a row due to the pandemic. But the much-loved festival is due to make a triumphant return this June with Billie Eilish as its headline act. Scientists advising the Government have urged ministers not to abandon free lateral flow tests, warning it could leave them in the dark when another Covid wave hits. In meeting minutes published today, they called for community testing to continue for the 'next few years', which they warned will be 'highly uncertain'. The plea came from the Spi-M modelling group that feeds into SAGE in a meeting on January 26. This was just days after Boris Johnson revealed plans to scrap free lateral flow tests by July. Leaked plans suggested the swabs would only remain routine in care homes, the NHS and schools. Mr Johnson has also signalled he intends to scrap mandatory self-isolation and other basic measures that have been in place since early in the pandemic. The Prime Minister is moving the UK towards 'living with' the virus, now that Omicron has roughly the same kill rate as seasonal influenza. But Spi-M cautioned against the move, warning Covid might not settle down and become a seasonal illness for another decade. Ministers had planned to scale back the current testing regime earlier, but Omicron's emergence delayed this. The scheme for free lateral flow tests has already cost the UK more than 6billion alone, with about 900,000 being dished out every day. Several experts and the former chairman of Britain's vaccines taskforce have called for mass testing to be dumped in the coming months. The above is an extract from the SPI-M-O meeting. It took place on January 26, a week after plans emerged to dump free lateral flow tests Lateral flow use remains high in England, however, amid the return of schools. Pupils are required to swab themselves once a week for the virus PCR testing in England is already on the way down, with half as many swabs carried out now as at the height of January when cases were very high In the minutes, Spi-M said the lateral flow scheme had enabled 'early detection' of spikes in Covid infections, buying valuable time to prepare health services and impose restrictions. There has been no suggestion that free PCR swabs will go, although it is expected that they will be scaled back. Mr Johnson is keen to shift the country to 'living with' the virus, with the legal requirement for someone who tests positive to self-isolate set to lapse in March. Daily Covid stats to be ditched... but not until April Daily Covid statistics are set to be dropped in April under the Government's plan to live with the virus like the flu, it has been claimed. Boris Johnson has already laid out his intention to scrap all remaining Covid laws including the legal requirement for infected people to self-isolate by March 24. And a senior Whitehall source has claimed daily updates on cases, deaths and hospitalisations will be axed just weeks later. Experts hailed the rumoured move, arguing the Government should also push forward plans to end mass testing. Free lateral flows are not expected to be ditched until July. Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious disease expert at the University of East Anglia, told MailOnline 'we have to stop producing the daily stats' at some point. Advertisement Scientists at the Spi-M meeting, chaired by Professor Graham Medley from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, recommended mass testing should not be abandoned. They said: 'To enable preparation for and early identification of such a wave, monitoring and surveillance, such as community testing and the ONS (Office for National Statistics) Covid Infection Survey, need to be maintained to support future decision making.' In the minutes, the top scientists also warned the next few years would be 'highly uncertain' as Covid transitions to becoming endemic. Flare-ups are still likely they said, before the disease settles down into a 'predictable' pattern similar to that seen for flu. Some scientists believe Covid is now well on its way to becoming endemic, and say Omicron is a sign of this because it is milder than other variants. But others warn that the virus could still throw up some 'curved balls', arguing the disease still needs to be closely monitored. As well as the national testing regime, Britain also relies on surveillance studies to monitor Covid outbreaks. Chief among these is the ONS' weekly Covid infection study, which ministers see as the gold-standard because it does not rely on people coming forward to get tested and uses random sampling. When Omicron hit the UK, its publication was ramped up to twice a week to ensure officials could keep a close tab on the prevalence of the virus. Government plans to dump free lateral flow tests were first reported at the beginning of January when virus cases had only just started to drop. Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi quickly went on the record to pour cold water over the claims, however, saying he was 'puzzled' by the suggestion. But a week later Reuters reported on documents sent between UK health agencies suggesting free lateral flow tests could go by July. Documents sent between the Department of Health and UK Health Security Agency showed an online ordering system would be ready by the end of July, they said. Under the plans, Britons seeking the tests would instead be directed to private providers to buy their own swabs. But it acknowledged some of those who expected to get a free test would react 'negatively'. Scientists have backed the move, however, saying it should go around the same time that the UK stops publishing daily Covid statistics. Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious diseases expert at the University of East Anglia, previously told MailOnline it won't be worthwhile to keep testing asymptomatic people in the next few months. He said: 'We still need to be able to offer testing to people who are clearly ill and so a move more towards what we now do for influenza seems appropriate.' His comments were backed by Professor David Livermore, a medical microbiologist also at the UEA, who said April would be the right time to do away with both daily statistics and mass testing. He previously said: 'It is the right thing to do: Daily case statistics and mass testing both need to be wound down. 'The virus has mutated to a milder form, and there is substantial population immunity from recent infection and vaccination. 'Consequently, the infection-fatality rate is now little different from that of flu, and we don't obsess over daily case rates for that, even in a bad winter. Similarly, the former head of Britain's Covid vaccine taskforce has also called for an end to mass testing. Dr Clive Dix previously told Channel 4 News: 'Let's look at a couple of months' time. I think mass testing doesn't help anybody.' Instead of testing, he said the UK should get to a point where a young person who is unwell should be allowed to stay at home until they get better. Current rules state lateral flows should only be ordered by people not suffering from Covid symptoms or self-isolating, with those that are instead directed to PCRs. It is unclear whether PCR testing could also be scaled back. These swabs are technically only available to people who have Covid symptoms, but in practice those without symptoms can also secure them. From the beginning of January ministers dropped the requirement for anyone testing positive with a lateral flow to also get a PCR to relieve pressure on the system. England is currently carrying out about 910,000 lateral flow tests a day, barely a change from last week. But this is down a quarter from 1.2million a day in early January as schools returned and virus cases remained high. About 300,000 lateral flow tests are also being carried out every day, according to the latest figures to January 26. This is down 18 per cent on the previous seven-day spell, and half the 600,000 a day at the start of last month. A man on the FBI's list of 10 most wanted fugitives finally was arrested in Mexico after nearly 16 years on the run following a shooting at a park in Milwaukee. Octaviano Juarez-Corro was taken into custody Thursday night during a joint FBI, Interpol and Mexican police operation in Zapopan, a city in the western state of Jalisco. The 48-year-old suspect, who is a Mexican national, is accused of shooting five people, including Raymundo Munoz-Silva, 31, and Julio Diaz-Guillen, 17, both of whom died from head wounds at a park in Milwaukee on Memorial Day 2006. Juarez-Corro, an undocumented immigrant, showed up unannounced at a picnic in South Shore Park in Milwaukee on Lake Michigan May 29, 2006. He spoke with a friend of his estranged 23-year-old wife, according to the FBI. Octaviano Juarez-Corro, who was wanted in Milwaukee for killing two people and wounding three others, including his estranged wife, at a park on Memorial Day 2006, was arrested Thursday in Zapopan. Octaviano Juarez-Corro has been on the run since May 29, 2006 when he opened fire at a Milwaukee park after his estranged wife refused to allow him to see their daughter, who was three years old at the time Milwaukee police officials investigate the scene where Octaviano Juarez-Corro opened fire on five people, including two who were killed, on Memorial Day 2006 Then he approached his wife and requested to see their daughter, who was three years old at the time. The couple were in the process of divorcing after being married for less than a year; she had served him with court papers earlier in the month. Officials said Juarez-Corro unraveled after she told him that he could not see their child despite having made a child support payment of $545 four days earlier. He is accused of pulling out a gun and telling five people to get on their knees. According to the FBI, he opened fire, sending hundreds of picnickers running for safety. His wife was hit twice in the chest, but she survived. She has not been identified. A 34-year-old man and 21-year-old man each suffered gunshot wounds to the legs, and also survived. People hurry to leave South Shore Park after Octaviano Juarez-Corro opened fired and killed three people on May 29, 2006. Juarez-Corro was taken into custody in Mexico on Thursday Milwaukee police interview witnesses at South Shore Park in Milwaukee on Memorial Day 2006 after Octaviano Juarez-Corro opened fire on five people, including a teenage boy and an adult male who were killed Juarez-Corro is charged with two counts of intentional homicide in the first degree, and three counts of intentional homicide in the first degree. He also is being charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. The FBI added him to its ten most wanted fugitive list on September 28, 2021. It offered a reward of $100,000 for any information that would lead to his arrest. 'The fact that this individual would be so reckless in an area where families were gathered to celebrateand in front of his 3-year-old daughteris just utterly unacceptable,' Milwaukee Field Office Special Agent Steve Whitecotton said at the time Juarez-Corro was added to the agency's most wanted list. 'He needs to be held accountable and brought to justice.' Olena Bilozerska, 42, is credited with at least 10 confirmed kills in the trenches of Donbas Olena Bilozerska, 42, credited with at least 10 confirmed kills in the trenches of Donbas, told MailOnline she would be at the front lines again within hours to face the Russians. And this chilling video posted online of her picking off her targets through a thermal imaging night sight in 2017 shows the ruthless efficiency of her deadly craft. On the soundtrack, as a bird flutters above the silent enemy trench 200m away, she is surprised to see two men crawling out of their position. It was the night of Ukrainian Independence Day anniversary in August 2017, she recalled, and these Cossacks must have assumed we were lying drunk in our trenches celebrating. I felt something interesting was going to happen when they started getting out of a trench and passing weapons to each other. The sobering footage shows one man crawling out of the trench into the crosshairs of Olenas rifle. Unable to believe her eyes, she exclaims to her comrade Ah, he got out! Look, look, look, look -crawling! B*****d. Twenty seconds later, the image becomes more focused and her first shot rings out, targeted at the enemy soldiers torso, swiftly followed by two more rounds. After the screen clears following the guns muzzle flash, another soldier is seen leaning over his comrade and he is similarly dispatched. Shortly afterwards, another enemy combatant is seen emerging above the level of the trench and he is felled with a single shot, falling lifelessly backwards out of sight. I shot three of them that night, said Olena. Two of them were what we call cargo 200 [an old Soviet military term for dead, referring to the labels put on coffins] and the third was cargo 300 [wounded]. Five years on, Olena who was then a volunteer fighter, but later joined the Ukrainian Marine Corps, has no qualms about any of the men she has killed or wounded in battle. Olena who was then a volunteer fighter, but later joined the Ukrainian Marine Corps, has no qualms about any of the men she has killed or wounded in battle I felt excited, because that night, a unit of six people came out of their trenches for the two of us - it doesnt happen every day. Moral anguish about the "murder of a human" was invented by people far from the war. An armed enemy is not a person, but a target. You take up a weapon against my country - that's it, you're a target. If you dont take him out in time, he might kill you or one of your comrades. If I didn't shoot in time and the target hid, that's when I feel angry at myself for missing my chance. And if the target is hit, I feel the pleasure of a job well done. She said she spares no thoughts for those unfortunate enough to come into her line of fire. When the enemy crawls towards our position to kill me, does he think if I have a husband, parents, or kids? she said. Of course not. And I don't bother myself with stupid things either. That stuff is for books and movies. In real life, anyone who thinks along those lines in battle is already as good as dead. Bilzerska (pictured) says she spares no thoughts for those unfortunate enough to come into her line of fire. When the enemy crawls towards our position to kill me, does he think if I have a husband, parents, or kids? she said She came very close to being shot herself one night when a machine gun tracer bullet grazed her cheek, with the phosphorus chemical which allows the round to be seen at night, searing her flesh. I dont know if someone was looking after me that night, she said, but we all have our share of luck, I guess. She is scathing about Hollywoods depiction of snipers: In the movies, it looks as if a sniper sees the eyes of a living human. But you cannot see the eyes. It's hard to tell if the person is large or small. You just see a silhouette of an armed person and you fire at it. That's all if you miss, you will feel as if you've lost. After the Independence Day incident, her husband Valeriy Voronov, a regular soldier who was beside her in the trench, collected up the cartridge casings and, following an old sniper tradition from WWI, had one made into a ring for her. Olena, from Kyiv, is something of a celebrity in Ukraine, having written a best-selling book called Diary of an Illegal Soldier, referring to the fact that for the first few years of her service, volunteers like her were not technically allowed to fight on the front lines, but that law was changed in 2016. She was well-known even before the war as her oppositional journalism found her under threat of imprisonment by the old hardline regime of Viktor Yanukovych, deposed in the 2014 Maidan Revolution. She also writes poetry but finds no contradiction between that and fighting, saying: A creative nature requires perfectionism in everything, and this helps a lot in my work. Of course I dont write poetry now though. Olena, from Kyiv, is something of a celebrity in Ukraine, having written a best-selling book called Diary of an Illegal Soldier Although she was demobilised from the marines in 2020, she and her husband are both members of Ukraines Territorial Defence Services, and, along with thousands of other reservists, ready to deploy should the need arise. She believes that Putin will not order an invasion and his troop build-up is pressure and intimidation But along with many other Ukrainians, she is thankful for the support that Boris Johnson and the UK has given her nation, both with words and deeds, in the shape of at least 2,000 NLAW anti-tank weapons which have been sent. Ukrainians are now very grateful to Britain for military assistance, she said, and Ive seen lots of people writing on social networks "God save the Queen" She still keeps up her marksmanship with regular practice with Halia, the traditional Ukrainian girls name she christened her Zbroyar Z-10 rifle. A weapon is a living thing -- It has a soul, she said. There is a Ukrainian story about Spoilt Halia, which is why I chose that name the rifle is always being cleaned and adjusted and looked after like a spoilt child. But she does what I ask her to do, and if the Russians decide to come, Ill be only too happy to introduce them to Halia. Austria is set to become the first Western democracy to impose a Covid-19 vaccine mandate on its citizens after its president signed the measure into law on Friday. The law, which will come into power tomorrow, makes Covid vaccination mandatory for all adults except pregnant women and those with a medical exemption. Those who refuse to get the jab can face fines up to 3,600 euros (3,050) after mid-March following an 'introductory phase' that will see a staggered roll-out. President Alexander Van der Bellen's signature was the final step after the controversial bill that easily passed through Austria's parliament. While the sense of urgency in Austria has largely evaporated, officials say the mandate still makes sense. 'The vaccine mandate wont immediately help us break the omicron wave, but that wasnt the goal of this law,' Health Minister Wolfgang Mueckstein said Thursday before parliament's upper house approved the plan. 'The vaccine mandate should help protect us from the next waves, and above all from the next variants.' Austrian cities meanwhile have seen demonstrations in which tens of thousands have protested mandatory vaccination on an almost weekly basis ever since the measure was announced in November. Austria is set to become the first Western democracy to impose a Covid-19 vaccine mandate on its citizens after its president signed the measure into law on Friday. President Alexander Van der Bellen's signature was the final step after the controversial bill that easily passed through Austria's parliament (Van der Bellen pictured in October) 'The vaccine mandate wont immediately help us break the omicron wave, but that wasnt the goal of this law,' Health Minister Wolfgang Mueckstein said Thursday before parliament's upper house approved the plan (Mueckstein pictured 2021) People scream at the police officers as they stop the demonstration march against the country's coronavirus restrictions in Vienna, Austria, Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022 Other countries struggling with low-vaccine uptake will be observing Austria as a test case in the coming months, but very few other nations appear likely to follow suit with many turning their attention to loosening restrictions. The mandate has broad political support in Austria - with all parties except the far-right rallying behind it - in a bid to drive up the country's vaccination rate. It will be some time before Austria's 8.9 million people notice any practical change, and it is not clear when or even if the toughest part of the plan will take effect. Only in mid-March will police start checking people's vaccination status during traffic stops and checks on coronavirus restrictions. People who can't produce proof of vaccination will be asked in writing to do so and will be fined up to 600 euros ($680) if they don't. Fines could reach 3,600 euros if people contest their punishment. Authorities hope the measure will drive up a vaccination rate that is relatively low for Western Europe: 69 per cent of the population is considered fully vaccinated. In a third phase, officials will check the national vaccination register and send reminders to people who still aren't vaccinated, leading to potential fines. When and if those methodical checks start depends on whether authorities deem vaccination progress sufficient. 'I would like us not to need phase three at all,' Mueckstein said The mandate for people 18 and over takes effect on Saturday, two and a half months after the plan was first announced amid a surge of delta-variant cases that sent the country into a since-lifted lockdown. A man gets a dose of Comirnaty, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), less than a week before the start of compulsory vaccination in Austria during the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, at a vaccination centre in Salzburg, Austria, January 31, 2022 A police officer checks the vaccination status of a visitor during a patrol in a shopping mall in Vienna, Austria, Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022 It comes into force as nations across Europe and beyond have seen infections reach unprecedented levels because of the omicron variant, which is highly contagious but generally causes milder illness and already appears to be levelling off or dropping in some places. Dr. Susanne Drapalik, overseeing Vienna's biggest vaccination centre, said she still thinks more people will get their shots because of the mandate. The vaccination centre was running at half-capacity on Friday, with only one of its two floors in use. While there was an increase in November and December, demand for first shots lately has been 'like a few raindrops' rather than a big rush, she said. 'But we are still hopeful that people can be convinced.' Not everyone agrees the new rules are still worth having. Dr. Susanne Drapalik, overseeing Vienna's biggest vaccination centre, said she still thinks more people will get their shots because of the mandate. The vaccination centre was running at half-capacity on Friday, with only one of its two floors in use (man being vaccinated in Vienna, April 2021) 'I don't really see the added value of the vaccine mandate at this point,' said Gerald Gartlehner, an epidemiologist at the Danube University Krems. He argued that omicron's highly infectious nature and milder symptoms have changed things and that much of the population now has immunity, via either vaccination or infection. Elsewhere in Europe, some countries have vaccine mandates for specific professional or age groups, but only Germany is seriously considering a requirement for all adults. And its prospects are unclear, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz's own coalition divided on the issue and parliament left to design a mandate. Some other European countries have vaccine mandates for specific professional or age groups, but only Germany is seriously considering a requirement for all adults (Chancellor Olaf Scholz pictured on Wednesday) Germany does have a vaccine mandate for the military and has approved legislation that will require workers at hospitals and nursing homes to show that they are fully vaccinated or have recovered by mid-March. In Britain, vaccination is compulsory for nursing home staff, and the government had planned to expand that to front-line health care workers in April. It is now reconsidering that amid concern about staff shortages. Calls last fall for mandatory vaccines in Belgium have faded. Greece last month imposed a vaccination requirement for people 60 and older. Italy followed this week with a mandate under which people over 50 face a one-time 100-euro fine if they aren't vaccinated. Outside Europe, Ecuador announced in December that vaccination against the coronavirus will be mandatory for most citizens. Moves to loosen restrictions are garnering more attention in Europe and beyond amid increasing pandemic fatigue. England, France, Ireland, the Netherlands and several Nordic countries have taken steps to end or loosen their restrictions. Vaccine mandates have become highly polarizing in the U.S. since President Joe Biden (pictured Jan 2022) proposed requiring COVID-19 shots or regular testing at all workplaces with more than 100 employees. Republicans challenged the mandate, and the Supreme Court blocked it In some places, like Norway and Denmark, the easing comes even though case counts are still hovering near their highs. Austria itself is easing some measures. Vaccine mandates have become highly polarizing in the U.S. since President Joe Biden proposed requiring COVID-19 shots or regular testing at all workplaces with more than 100 employees. Republicans challenged the mandate, and the Supreme Court blocked it. A scaled-back federal measure requiring vaccines for hospital and nursing home workers survived. The U.S. military is also requiring vaccines, and the Army this week said 3,300 soldiers are at risk of being discharged for refusing to get their shots. Vaccine rules have set off raucous demonstrations in Canada in the past week, with protesters upset over a new requirement that truckers entering the country be fully immunized. Half a century after Frank Serpico bravely exposed pervasive corruption in the NYPD, he finally received his long overdue Medal of Honor certificate. Serpico, 85, on Thursday took to Twitter to show off his award, including a gilded frame containing his medal, an official certificate and an old black-and-white photo depicting him as a fresh-faced uniformed police officer. The honors arrived less than two months after the newly elected New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a former NYPD captain, publicly promised to make sure that Serpico gets his certificate, writing that the whistleblower's bravery inspired his own law enforcement career. Better late than never: NYPD whistleblower Frank Serpico on Thursday finally received his official Medal of Honor certificate 50 years late New York City Mayor Eric Adams (left) in December 2021 promised to have the certificate sent to the legendary anti-corruption advocate (right) Serpico thanked Adams and several others for making it possible for him to receive this 'long overdue honor' Serpico on Thursday thanked the mayor, and several others, 'for their efforts in facilitating my receipt of this long overdue honor awarded to me by the NYPD over 50 years ago.' Before unveiling his accolades, the retired cop and anti-corruption advocate shared a light-hearted video, in which he jokingly honored himself with a 21-gun salute using bubble wrap. Serpico exposed the rampant corruption within the New York Police Department to the press and testified before the Knapp Commission in 1970. In 1971, he was shot below the eye during a drug raid in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and he maintained that fellow officers, angered with Serpico's commitment to exposing graft within the department, failed to make an 'officer down' call to summon help. In 1972, Serpico was casually handed a medal for his heroism over a countertop, but the NYPD bitterly refused to give him the certificate and the ceremony that usually come with it. But in December, Adams vowed to make up for the snub and finally honor Serpico. '@SerpicoDets bravery inspired my law enforcement career. Frank were going to make sure you get your medal,' Adams tweeted on December 11, weeks before taking office Serpico exposed the rampant corruption within the New York Police Department to the press and testified before the Knapp Commission in 1970.Above, Serpico in 2017 delivering a speech in New York City in support of Colin Kaepernick's protest against police brutality In February 1971, Serpico and three other plain-clothes police colleagues went to an address in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, after being tipped off that a drug dealer was selling heroin there. As the only Spanish speaker, Serpico was assigned the hazardous task of pretending to be a junkie to persuade the Latino dealer and his cronies to let them in. As two other officers waited behind him, he knocked and said he'd come to buy. The door opened a few inches, the chain still on, and Serpico wedged himself into the gap, pushing as he shouted to his colleagues to help him. They didn't, instead watching on as Serpico was shot in the face with a pistol. The bullet, fired from about 18 inches away, entered under his eye and lodged in his jaw. As he lay bleeding on the floor, his partners arrested the suspects rather than try to save him. It fell instead to an elderly tenant in the building to dial the emergency services, kneeling beside Serpico and squeezing his hand as he reassured him he would live. The officer's fate, dramatized in the riveting 1973 film Serpico starring Al Pacino, may have been a consequence of his decision to expose the rampant corruption within the New York Police Department. Surrounded by officers either taking bribes from criminals or turning a blind eye to it, he was the archetypal lone voice, the courageous whistleblower who nearly lost his life exposing the truth. Serpico's fate was dramatized in the riveting 1973 film Serpico starring Al Pacino. In February 1971 he and three other plain-clothes police colleagues went to an address in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, after being tipped off that a drug dealer was selling heroin there As the only Spanish speaker, Serpico (Picuted: Al Pacino as Serpico) was assigned the hazardous task of pretending to be a junkie to persuade the Latino dealer and his cronies to let them in Born in Brooklyn to Italian immigrants, Francis the son of a Neapolitan shoemaker dreamed of joining the police as a child. He did so aged 23 in 1959, after a few years in the army. Serpico earned a reputation as a zealous and hardworking officer who was never off-duty. He was always unconventional, destined to work in plain clothes as he didn't look remotely like a cop. Short and muscular, he had long hair and sported a beard. He dressed flamboyantly: off duty he was a hippy, wearing beads, flares and earrings, while on duty he had a passion for elaborate disguises. He dressed as vagrants, rabbis and doctors, even posing as a London barrister called 'Llewellyn'. He had a bohemian lifestyle a hedonistic ladies' man, he had a passion for opera and ballet, and lived in New York's counterculture capital of Greenwich Village. Serpico was so unlike the average cop, his fellow officers were naturally suspicious. But what most alarmed them was his refusal to accept the culture of bribery. New York City police officer Frank Serpico sits with his attorney, former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark, during a press conference concerning his allegations of widespread corruption within the NYPD Frank Serpico, former New York City Police Officer, poses in front of the movie poster SERPICO starring Al Pacino at the Quad Cinema movie theatre on August 9, 2004 in New York City He rejected even the lowest level of corruption, the police tradition of accepting free meals in restaurants, and was gobsmacked when his patrol partner let a motorist pay $35 to overlook a traffic offence. However when he moved to a unit policing the lucrative industries of illegal gambling and prostitution, he discovered the graft amounted to serious money. One day, an officer passed him an envelope, saying simply it was from 'Jewish Max'. Inside was $300 (about $2,500 now). Jewish Max ran an illegal gambling operation and this was Serpico's share of his monthly payment to be left alone. A young NYPD Officer Frank Serpico Serpico could no longer keep quiet and, through a friend, contacted the Department of Investigation a secretive New York department that tackled fraud and corruption among city employees. When even a senior officer told him to forget it, Serpico began to realize even his supposedly 'honest' colleagues were willing to see corruption in the force persist. Serpico was transferred to the Bronx, assured his new colleagues there were scrupulously honest. In fact, they were even more corrupt. One officer blithely informed him he could make at least $800 a month from kickbacks from criminals paying for immunity. The payouts, he revealed, were routinely collected in a system known as the 'pad' because payers' names were efficiently recorded on a pad of paper. Serpico was sometimes partnered with a 'bag man' who collected the cash. The money-grubbing cops were so proficient at tracking down non-payers that Serpico concluded they could have cleaned the city up in a week had they devoted the same energy to fighting crime. In 1967, he started telling everything he knew to senior officials at police headquarters and City Hall. Frank Serpico (left) was portrayed by Al Pacino (right) who does bear a resemblance to the cop Daily News coverage of face two of the Knapp hearings. Above, Serpico (right) and his attorney Ramsey Clay pictured Although he had all they needed to prosecute, they dragged their feet. Serpico's position was becoming more dangerous by the day, as he rubbed shoulders with the colleagues he was implicating. There were other honest officers but they were never brave enough to come forward. Serpico refused to be cowed, arresting suspects off and ignoring angry colleagues. Word spread allegedly, senior officers leaked it that he was spilling the beans and Serpico became a pariah. Colleagues patted him down to ensure he wasn't wearing a recording device. One officer pulled a knife on him, snarling: 'I ought to cut your tongue out.' When Serpico arrested an illegal gambler who'd been protected, the suspect ominously pointed his finger at him as if he were pulling a trigger. Serpico's 'own kind' would 'do' him, he said. Eventually, Serpico gave up waiting for officialdom to do anything and went to the Press. In April 1970, the New York Times ran a front-page expose. The mayor was forced to set up an independent public inquiry, the Knapp Commission. Serpico was its star witness, ending his lonely crusade as he testified that 'the atmosphere does not yet exist in which an honest police officer can act without fear or ridicule or reprisal from fellow officers'. The police commissioner abruptly resigned, scores of senior officers were cleared out and investigators exposed a culture of wholesale corruption in which individual bribes were as high as $25,000 ($170,000 now) and annual backhanders in a single police department amounted to $4 million ($27 million now). Pictured Police ID of Detective Frank Serpico It emerged corrupt officers divided themselves into 'grass eaters' and 'meat eaters': the former simply turned a blind eye to illicit operations while the 'carnivores' strong-armed drug users, prostitutes and pimps into giving them money. Showing the mortal risk to police investigating bad apples within the force, Serpico himself became a target after he blew the whistle on NYPD corruption. After Serpico was shot in the face, it became clear some of his colleagues wouldn't be happy until he was dead. Among the first 'get well' cards he received in hospital were anonymous notes regretting that he'd survived. His superiors accepted the claims of his partners in the drugs raid that they'd done their best to help him and even decorated them. Serpico took the hint and retired aged 36. He moved to Switzerland and then to the Netherlands where he married a Dutch woman. When she died of cancer and her parents took custody of their two children, he returned to the U.S. and moved to a one-room cabin deep in the woods in upstate New York. There are still bullet fragments in his head, he remains deaf in one ear and he blames post-traumatic stress disorder for his fuse. The shooting left him lame in one leg but his antique English walking stick conceals a sword inside. Serpico remains bitter about his treatment, outspoken that police corruption remains a problem and paranoid about his safety. 'I protect myself,' he said last year. 'But if my time has come, there's no better way than taking out some crooked cops.' A media moguls son gets kidnapped from a Manhattan hotel. Surveillance footage from the hallway captures four people, disguised with masks of the British royal family, stuffing him into a trunk. Five British people, apparent strangers who happened to be staying in the hotel on the night in question, are fingered as suspects. In Suspicion, the first two episodes of which premiere Friday on Apple TV+, the five have a choice: fight or wait. Advertisement They fight. Regardless of if any of these characters have done this crime or not, all of them have something to hide, Kunal Nayyar, who plays one of the suspects, told the Daily News. Advertisement Its about how an everyday citizens life can turn upside down in an instant when you put a microscope on them. From left, Tom Rhys-Harries, Kunal Nayyar, Georgina Campbell and Elizabeth Henstridge star in Suspicion. (Apple TV+) Suspicion plays out in barely a week, from the moment of the kidnapping through the arrests to their global search for an explanation that will prove their innocence. The last part, which takes them from London back to New York, proves an almost impossible task. How do you prove a negative? asked Tom Rhys Harries, who plays another of the suspects. [ Promised Land lives the American Dream with a power-hungry Latino family in California wine country ] Theyre not under arrest, and U.S. and British cops, played by Noah Emmerich and Angel Coulby, tell them to stay away from each other. The kidnappers motive a scheme to force the media mogul, played by Uma Thurman, to reveal a big secret has to be the work of a syndicate, the cops think, and they dont want the plotters to keep plotting. But the suspects dont stay away from each other, hoping together they can prove their innocence. Advertisement Media mogul Katherine Newman (Uma Thurman) invokes agent Scott Anderson (Noah Emmerich) to track down her son. (Apple TV+) The dichotomous nature is that they need each other but they cant trust each other, Nayyar told The News. Everything is happening so fast that they dont really have the ability to be so creative with their lies. Are they controlling the narrative or is the narrative controlling them? [ The Righteous Gemstones returns for season 2 with more absurdity, but cast prefers to play it straight ] The more they run, the bigger it gets. Every move makes them look worse. Every defense makes them more guilty. When I get accused of something, I tend to tie myself in knots trying to explain, Elizabeth Henstridge, who plays one of the five suspects, told The News. And the more you explain, the more guilty you sound, even if you didnt do it. The kidnappers are caught on surveillance footage wearing masks of the British royal family. (Apple TV+) For the investigators on both sides of the pond, chasing the suspects is not just watching them on CCTV and tracking them in the backgrounds of selfies. There are two mysteries: who kidnapped Leo and what truth the kidnappers want revealed by the mogul. The first will have facts, names, locations. The second could be anything: A hidden family, buried bodies, a second life as a bank robber. At times, Thurmans character struggles to choose between her secret and her son. The five suspects dont get to choose. The second their names were splashed across the tabloids and Twitter, their lives were over. Advertisement An accusation carries so much weight and it ricochets around the world so quickly, the New York-born Emmerich told The News. We havent figured out how to navigate through this together as a society yet, how to restrain from rushing to judgment, how to restrain from piling on with the mob. Its like the whole world is the Coliseum and were just throwing sacrifices in the middle to entertain. But these are real people with real lives that are being destroyed, oftentimes completely unjustly. Neighbours have revealed the troubled final days of tragic 'Octomum' Mandy Allwood as she battled alcoholism and flooded her flat before her death from cancer. Mandy made headlines around the world 26 years ago when she fell pregnant with eight children aged 31 in 1996. Tragically at 24 weeks, Mandy gave birth to six boys and two girls over three days and three nights - but each of the babies died in a matter of hours. Mandy went on to have three children but neighbours and friends said she 'never recovered' from the trauma of losing her babies. Mandys former mother in law, Sybil Wheeler, who lives with her husband Clon in the West Midlands, said: It is sad to hear this news about Mandy. We have not seen her for a very long time, since our granddaughters were little. Sybils son Paul had three daughters with Mandy after she lost her eight babies. I dont think she ever really got over what happened to her with those babies she lost, said Sybli. She hit the bottle and stopped looking after herself and her children. Octomum Mandy Allwood, who stunned the world when she announced she was expecting octuplets before she lost them all at 24 weeks, has died after a cancer battle (pictured in 2018) Mandy Allwood's funeral was due to take place today at Redditch Crematorium (pictured) In the end Paul had to go to court to get custody of them. It was a very sad story and I am upset to hear that she has passed on at such a young age.' Sybil said her granddaughters were all now grown up with jobs having gone to University. Paul did his best, she said. According to the Sun, close family members did not attend her funeral but that undertaker Nigel Pearce brought the flowers to Mandy's favourite pub where friends Mark Beard and Samantha Moore raised a glass in her memory. Mr Beard, landlord at the Yard and Ale in Stratford upon Avon, told the newspaper: 'Unfortunately, we weren't allowed at the funeral. But a good group of us who knew her are here. 'We wanted to give Mandy a proper send-off - one that she deserved.' The pub plans to honour Mandy with a plaque to commemorate her favourite spot. Mandys former neighbour Gillian Biddle, who lived next to her in a flat in Stratford-upon-Avon, said: I am so sorry to hear about her death. I know she was very unhappy and life was a struggle for her. She had fallen out with some of her family and her flat had pictures of all her children, those she lost as well as those who lived, but she did not really see any of them. She had a drink problem but she also had a heart of gold. When I lost my own daughter she was very supportive to me and I will always appreciate that. I last met her about three years ago when we had a coffee together. She had lost a lot of weight and told me that she had cancer. She moved about five years ago to another part of town and when Covid came I just lost touch with her. It was reported that the tragic 56-year-old mother of 11 was due to have a pauper's funeral at the crematorium (The hearse, pictured, was not involved in the funeral) Mandy Allwood, who became pregnant with eight babies but lost them all, visited their grave with partner Paul Hudson on the first anniversary of their funeral at West Norwood cemetery Kypros, Adam, Martyn, Cassius, Nelson, Donald, Kitali and Layne all died within hours of being born. Pictured: The funeral held for the babies at West Norwood Cemetery in October 1996 Following her death from cancer aged 56, Mandy will be cremated today at a service with no friends or family present. Mandy lived in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, and her neighbours said the area would be a much quieter place without her. They revealed how she battled alcohol which led to her accidentally flooding her property on several occasions One neighbour, who would only give her name as Sue, said she often helped Mandy when she could as she felt sorry for her. Sue added: 'I didn't know her very well because she was a bit of a funny person, she was an alcoholic so she could be a bit in your face. 'I tried to give her what she needed and help. It was a shame, I felt sorry for her - but it was just too much to handle. It is a bit of a relief. 'She flooded the flat underneath her when she overfilled her bath. The guy in the flat below couldn't do anything to stop it. 'She denied it and wasn't very helpful - so she was a bit of a mixed character. He's now got to get his flat sorted because she did it three times. Mandy struggled to come to terms with the loss and spiralled into a haze of depression, suicide attempts and alcohol addiction. Pictured: the neglected grave of her eight babies in 1997 'It wasn't that she did it intentionally, she was just so drunk. 'With this virus too she was constantly coming over to my house and hugging me, and I had to be nice with her but I even had to lock my doors. 'Once she just came into the flat, she was just so drunk she never knew what she was doing. 'I know it sounds awful, but it's lovely around here and now she's gone it's a bit better.' Mandy's home could be seen today covered in elaborate, chaotic and colourful decorations with her front door labelling her flat 'the manor'. Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: 'She was certainly a character to say the least, but she never recovered from what happened to her. 'You can't even imagine the trauma she went through so its understandable I suppose but she did have her struggles with the bottle. 'It will certainly be quieter around here, she was rather eccentric. Despite her problems, she had a heart of gold.' She made global headlines when she announced she was expecting eight children in 1996 with Paul Hudson (pictured together) - but all eight of her children died at 24 weeks Mother-of-eight who never recovered from losing all her babies in the three days after giving birth to them In September 1996, she gave birth to six boys and two girls - just 24 weeks into her pregnancy. Within hours of being born, each had died. The years that followed saw Mrs Allwood descend into depression, suicide attempts and alcohol addiction. Mrs Allwood said recently that she had relieved the death of each of her children, who were born - and died - over the course of three days. In an interview with the Sunday People, Mrs Allwood said she has tried to kill herself twice, and battled an alcohol addiction. She said: 'Over three days and nights I miscarried eight times. 'I cradled each of them for two-and-a-half hours as they died in my arms. It was horrible. Truly horrible.' She said she prayed to God when she felt the last of her children being born that at least one of them would live, only for her eighth child to die too. The children are all buried in West Norwood Cemetery, South London. Advertisement Mandy previously told how she spiralled into depression and suffered with suicidal thoughts in the years after her babies died in her arms. But she revealed that secret meetings with Princess Diana, who personally comforted her, is what got her through her darkest days. Mandy said: 'She came to meet me when I was staying at the Ritz and the Dorchester in London. She was absolutely lovely. 'I never really got the chance to say thank you to her properly. 'She gave me a hug, showed me lots of support and told me she liked my dress. 'When we first met she said to me 'thank you for keeping me off the front pages for a change' 'It was a massive boost for me.' Mandy continued to mark the anniversaries of the death of her children - Kypros, Adam, Martyn, Cassius, Nelson, Donald, Kitali and Layne - by visiting their graves alone. She said: 'They are always in my mind and I think about them every single day. 'I have good days and bad days but I'm feeling a lot better. 'I feel happy and positive about the future.' Giving advice to other women who had lost babies, she added: 'You will never ever forget your babies, but don't be hard on yourself. 'You will never forget your little boy or girl but you can't change it. 'Stay positive and it will work out.' But she struggled to come to terms with her devastating loss and spiralled into a haze of depression, suicide attempts and alcohol addiction after splitting from Mr Hudson. She also lost custody of her three surviving children after being caught drink driving with them in the back in 2007 and became estranged from her family. She also continued to suffer from phantom pregnancy and said she could still feel babies kicking inside her every day. She hit a low in 2008, when she would drink wine from the minute she woke up, even ordering a taxi to take her to buy more after she lost her driving licence. She also attempted to take her own life on two occasions and lost custody of her children and became estranged from her family. Her friend, Mark Beard, 58, the landlord of the Yard of Ale pub, said: 'She had been struggling with cancer for a while and had an operation before Christmas but told us recently that it had come back. I don't know what sort of cancer it was.' Mark said Mandy would pop in to his pub twice a week and 'was a bit eccentric and nutty but thats why we loved her'. He said a dozen of her friends will raise a glass to her life to remember her life. Before the tragedy, Mrs Allwood had a son, Charlie, from her failed marriage. But after longing for children with new partner Paul and suffering repeated miscarriages, she took fertility drugs. Claims were made at the time that Mrs Allwood went against medical advice by having the fertility treatment in the first place; and that afterwards she cashed in on the tragedy. However, Mrs Allwood - who went on to have three daughters - always rejected the accusations and said she told her story because she wanted to help others who have experienced the horror of a miscarriage. She previously said she was 'angry' that some people judged her for her decision not to abort any of the eight foetuses to give the rest a chance of survival. The Tongan flag bearer whose oiled up shirtless chest won hearts all over the world at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics was not there physically at today's opening ceremony in Beijing. However it was there in spirit as bare-chested and greased up Nathan Crumpton, 36, of Team American Samoa carried the flag in 23F (-5C) temperatures at the Beijing National Stadium. Tonga Olympian Pita Taukatofua was missed but social media was just as impressed with Mr Crumpton; skeleton racer, Princeton graduate and model. Nathan Crumpton, 36, of Team American Samoa carried the flag in 23F (-5C) temperatures at the Beijing National Stadium today The Kenyan-born athlete began bob-sledding in 2011, after watching the 2010 Olympics Mr Crumpton's Team USA bio says he 'pays the bills with his modelling and talent work' and describes him as an 'avid skier, snowboarder, mountain biker and longboarder' Tonga Olympian Pita Taukatofua was missed but social media was just as impressed with Mr Crumpton; Skeleton racer, Princeton graduate and model Mr Crumpton is also an award-winning photographer and is 'represented in David Pfau's photo gallery in Breckenridge, Colorado' Mr Crumpton a few years ago. Social media praised the Kenyan-born athlete for his shirtless performance There have been more than 300 tweets for the term 'American Samoa flag bearer' just today, as snaps of the athlete flooded people's timelines during the opening ceremony. The Kenyan-born athlete began bob-sledding in 2011, after watching the 2010 Olympics. Mr Crumpton's Team USA bio says he 'pays the bills with his modelling and talent work' and describes him as an 'avid skier, snowboarder, mountain biker and longboarder'. He is also an award-winning photographer and is 'represented in David Pfau's photo gallery in Breckenridge, Colorado'. Mr Crumpton braved the freezing temperatures of Beijing in February as he walked out to the opening ceremony topless Twitter praised Mr Crumpton for baring the glacial temperatures as the athlete stepped out without much more than a layer of baby oil to protect his pecs from the cold There have been more than 300 tweets for the term 'American Samoa flag bearer' just today, as snaps of the athlete flooded people's timelines during the opening ceremony Other comments on Twitter called the athlete 'brave' and 'bold' for wearing not much more than a layer of baby oil to brave the cold Mr Crumpton training on the campus at the University of Hawaii. The athlete's Team USA bio says he 'pays the bills with his modelling and talent work' Twitter praised Mr Crumpton for baring the glacial temperatures as the athlete stepped out without much more than a layer of baby oil to protect his pecs from the cold. Journalist Cheryl Teh tweeted: 'Omg the American Samoa flag bearer is legit bare-chested in Beijing in February hard respect right there.' Another user said: 'Huge shoutout to Nathan Crumpton representing American Samoa for braving it 24F'. 'Pour one out for the flag bearer of American Samoa, who is definitely not dressed for the weather,' another comment added. Other comments called the athlete 'brave' and 'bold'. Southwest Airlines will resume selling alcoholic beverages on flights again in February after previously putting sales on hold for two years - prompted by a run of disruptive, drunken passengers. The airline paused alcohol service at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID on flights. The sale is now set to resume February 16 when it will begin selling beer, wine and liquor for flights of 176 miles or more. 'Customers have expressed a desire for more beverage options, so were delighted to restore additional on-board offerings as a part of the Southwest Hospitality that our Customers know and love,' Tony Roach, the vice president of Customer Experience and Customer Relations said. Despite the news, the union representing Southwest Airlines' flight attendants has deemed the move 'irresponsible.' 'TWU Local 556 is outraged at Southwest Airlines' resumption of alcohol sales,' Lyn Montgomery, president of Local 556 said in a statement to Reuters. 'We have adamantly and unequivocally informed management that resuming sales of alcohol while the mask mandate is in place has the great potential to increase customer non-compliance and misconduct issues.' US airlines reported a record number of disruptive and sometimes violent incidents in 2021, and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has pledged a 'zero-tolerance' approach toward unruly passengers. Southwest Airlines is set to resume alcohol sales on February 16 after a two-year hiatus caused by the COVID pandemic and a history of disruptive passengers The airline will be distributing beer, wine and liquor for flights of 176 miles or more As per federal requirement, passengers are required to wear masks for the duration of the flight unless briefly removing them to eat or drink. Between January to October 2021, about 72 percent of the 4,600 passenger incident reports were related to mask compliance issues. An order signed by FAA administrator Steve Dickson early last year said passengers could be fined up to $35,000, and possibly face imprisonment, for either threatening or physically assaulting flight attendants. In addition, the decision to extend the alcohol ban came after a passenger physically attacked an airline service worker on a Southwest flight from Sacramento to San Diego in May 2021. The attendant sustained facial injuries and lost two of her front teeth. 'The passenger repeatedly ignored standard inflight instructions and became verbally and physically abusive upon landing,' Southwest spokesperson Chris Mainz said in a statement to USA TODAY. 'Law enforcement officials were requested to meet the flight upon arrival, and the passenger was taken into custody. 'We do not condone or tolerate verbal or physical abuse of our flight crews, who are responsible for the safety of our passengers.' A London-bound flight from Miami was forced to turn around in January after a female passenger drunkenly refused to wear a mask and was reportedly aggressive towards staff The FAA then planned to propose a fine of up to $161,823 for passengers involved in alcohol-related incidents in November. Last month, a first-class female passenger on an American Airlines flight from Miami to London caused the plane to turn around after she and a friend drunkenly refused to wear masks. Passengers on the flight noted that the two were being aggressive toward staff; the plane turned around 90 minutes into the nine-hour trip. Flight attendants attempted to get the female passenger to put on the mask but she still refused. Despite being taken away by Miami-Dade police, the woman and her companion were not arrested. However, the woman was placed on the airline's no-fly list pending a further investigation. There were 129 passengers and 14 flight crew members on the flight at the time when the plane turned around 90 minutes into the nine hour trip New York City has seen a rise in the number of crimes conducted by men who were arrested for violent or alarming crimes but not held in prison while they waited for their court date. Winston Glynn, 30 Winston Glynn: 'Shot dead teen cashier at Burger King' Winston Glynn, 30, a career criminal, was free to kill after being released without bail for menacing another man with a screwdriver little more than a month before the murder. Glynn was out on the street following his arrest on November 30 because his crime was 'not bail eligible.' His criminal record includes at least four prior arrests, most recently in November 2021, when he was charged with menacing with a weapon. Xavier Israel, 25 Xavier Israel: 'Beat up Good Samaritans' Xavier Israel, 25, who previously assaulted three other people in the past two weeks, had attacked an unidentified 59-year-old man who tried giving the homeless man his coat amid freezing temperatures. He has been charged with assault, robbery and grand larceny. Israel had been arrested and released for his three previous attacks, one on January 2, when he allegedly beat up two 18-year-olds in Central Park, and then on Saturday when he attacked a 49-year-old woman who tried to offer him help. He had been released both times on desk appearance tickets - meaning he had to appear in court on another date - since he had no prior convictions, according to NYPD records. Craig Tamanaha, 49 Craig Tamanaha: 'Set fire to Fox News Christmas tree' Craig Tamanaha, 49, was arrested for setting fire to the Fox News Christmas tree on December 7. It was not a political attack - the homeless man targeted the tree at random, climbing it as Fox News staffers watched on then using a lighter to set it alight. Tamanaha has a lengthy criminal record spanning at least 20 years and two states, and he was arrested in November for exposing himself outside the Ghislaine Maxwell trial in the city. In 2002, the then-30-year-old Tamanaha was picked up in Abilene, Texas, on a public intoxication charge. Between 2017-2018, he was arrested on three separate occasions and charged with public intoxication, burglary and resisting arrest. Tamanaha, who is described as unhoused and 'emotionally disturbed', faces six misdemeanor charges, including arson, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief and criminal trespassing. Because all his charges are misdemeanors, bail could not be set for him and Tamanaha is back on the street without supervision or mental health support. Agustin Garcia, 63 Agustin Garcia: Arrested in crime spree that began in Bronx Agustin Garcia, 63, was arrested three times within 36 hours in a crime spree that began in the Bronx, where he allegedly stole a twelve-pack of Coors Light from a bodega on East 165th Street around 7.30 pm on November 21. He was charged with petty larceny and turned back onto the street - a few hours later, he was back in handcuffs, according to the New York Police Department. Garcia then robbed a subway rider at knifepoint at the Canal Street subway station around 3 am on November 22, telling her to 'stay back' when she pursued him, police said. He was arrested, charged with felony robbery, and released again. Just seven hours later, police arrested Garcia as he tried to climb up onto a platform from the tracks back at the West 145th Street/Lenox Avenue station. He fled into the tunnel after stealing another commuter's iPhone. After this third arrest he was charged with grand larceny and criminal trespass, and was sent to Bellevue Hospital for a 72-hour psychiatric evaluation. Serial offender Darrell Johnson, 28, Darrell Johnson: 'Beat up two women on Upper West Side' Darrell Johnson, 28, was arrested on December 2 for allegedly beating two women on Manhattan's Upper West Side just minutes apart, leaving one of the victims with a 'disfiguring' injury and sending both to the hospital. The career criminal was out in the streets despite facing additional assault, attempted assault and harassment charges stemming from an incident in August 2020 during which he allegedly punched and stomped on a man in Harlem. Johnson was charged with two misdemeanor counts of assault with intent to cause physical injury and multiple attempted assault and harassment charges for the December attacks. Despite the slew of new and old charges against him, and his lengthy rap sheet listing at least 15 prior arrests, a Manhattan judge agreed to free Johnson without bail pending trial. Johnson is due back in court on February 1, 2022. Anthonia Egegbara, 29 Anthonia Egegbara: 'Shoved innocent woman toward Times Square train tracks' Anthonia Egegbara, 29, of Queens, was charged with attempted murder on October 7, over surveillance footage which showed her shoving an innocent woman toward the tracks as a train hurtled into Times Square station. The unprovoked attack comes just three months after she was released without bail following an alleged assault on July 5 which left a 40-year-old woman suffering a black eye, broken nose and a knocked-out tooth. Egegbara, who's been diagnosed with schizophrenia, has a history of assault arrests, including at least seven times previously, according to NYPD records, The three most recent incidents involved her allegedly kicking or biting other women on public transport. Isus Thompson, 38 Isus Thompson: 'Randomly bashed cop in the head with backpack filled with metal safe' Isus Thompson, 38, randomly bashed Officer Kyo Sun Lee in the head with a backpack filled with a metal safe, a DVD player and a number of adult videos in the Bronx on November 14. Unprompted, Thompson approached Lee, 30, on East 194th Street in The Bronxs Fordham Manor neighborhood around 1.30am before assaulting him from behind. Thompson, who was also found in possession of a metal box-cutter at the time of his arrest, was given three separate assault charges, weapon possession, harassment and resisting arrest, court records show. One of his assault charges was listed as a felony, which grants judges discretion to set bail, but Thompson was instead set free on supervised release, meaning that he is just required to periodically check in with the court. Thomas had been previously arrested for stabbing officer Demitrios Raptis with a knife in 2008. Thompson pleaded guilty in 2008 to second-degree attempted murder for stabbing Raptis six times in the ride side of the stomach. Most of the blows were absorbed by Raptiss bulletproof vest, but he also suffered stab wounds and still has a scar. I could have died that night, Raptis told the New York Post. I think the guy should be locked up, shouldnt be let out. He could have killed this officer too. He should be behind bars.' After the stabbing, Thompson was sentenced to five years in prison beginning in 2010 and was released two years later on parole, which expired in 2015, corrections records show. It is not clear whether the prosecutor in Thompsons most recent offense was aware of his prior conviction. A former Met officer has come forward with new allegations of horrifying behaviour by officers at Charing Cross police station, including claims officers slept with female suspects and called black colleagues 'monkeys'. A 'toxic' culture existed at the station dating back to 2006, said the former constable, who asked to be referred to by her first name, Liz. The ex-officer said there was an 'awful' atmosphere at the station where men had sex with women in bathrooms, 'mercilessly bullied' a colleague and made 'cruel and sexual comments' about women in the street while senior leaders stayed silent. She said her male colleagues were like 'kids in a candy store' given the station's proximity to 'pubs, bars and party culture', with one sergeant bragging about seeing his favourite Russian escort at Spearmint Rhino. A 'toxic' culture existed at the Charing Cross Station dating back to 2006, said the former constable, who asked to be referred to by her first name, Liz The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) watchdog has said it will look into the shocking allegations. The revelation comes just days after a report by the watchdog exposed a cruel, toxic 'boys club' culture at the station. It found cops made rape jokes, boasted about domestic violence and made vile racist remarks in WhatsApp exchanges. Grim texts between officers about raping women, killing black children, pedophilia, Muslims, Auschwitz and disabled people were also published in the watchdog's report. 'Officer didn't even flinch when I opened the door to find him having sex with the suspect he'd just arrested' A female officer who worked at Charing Cross has described opening the door to find a detective having sex with a woman he had just arrested. '[I remember them] not even flinching when the door opened, it was just almost like this was a regular thing that happened,' she claimed to MyLondon. During the officer's time at the Central London station in the 2000s the building's toilets and cells were often used by some officers for sex, she said. 'It was a place to go and have sex before they went home to their girlfriends or wives,' she continued. 'Sometimes it would just be women they picked up, but there were a few instances [in addition to the one I saw] where colleagues said they knew of officers who made an arrest and then had sex with the prisoner.' Women brought back to the station were sometimes highly intoxicated and in vulnerable situations. Sex workers in the area were also exploited by some officers, the former officer alleged. 'They would often arrest the prostitutes and would take them back to the station [for sex],' she continued. 'It was a running joke that prostitutes knew the pin number to get into the cells better than the police officers. The security risk on that was appalling because the pin wouldn't be changed [that often] and this is a station where they take terrorist prisoners as well.' Advertisement Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has told Met boss Dame Cressida Dick she is 'on notice' and has 'days and weeks, not months' to fix what appears to be a broken culture at the under-fire force. The revelations follow a torrid year for the force after serving officer Wayne Couzens was convicted of the high profile murder of Sarah Everard, the force's handling of a vigil for the murdered woman was widely criticised and two officers were jailed for taking photos of murdered sisters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman. Liz - told LondonWorld she witnessed appalling behaviour by male cops after graduating from Hendon Police College in the mid-noughties. She moved to another station in a different borough after two years and is now a writer living in Perth, Australia. She says she saw officers having sex down the station, caught a male cop in the act with someone he had arrested and she was victim to 'countless propositioning from male colleagues.' As the only woman in her team, she had to endure a night out at the Spearmint Rhino strip club where a sergeant bragged about having 'his favourite Russian girl'. On one occasion, she was sat in a carrier vehicle in Whitehall when all the male officers made lewd sexual comments about every woman that walked past. Black officers were referred to as 'monkeys' and officers said 'they better smile at night or we won't see them'. An autistic police community support officer was mercilessly bullied and 'mindf***ed' until he thought it was all part of him being 'part of the team', she claimed. She said she knew the behaviour was wrong but did not know who to turn to, fearing bosses would turn a blind eye and she would be ostracised by colleagues. Liz said: 'It really was awful - toxic at worst. There is no exaggeration. 'I knew I should say something but to who? My reaction was that I would be unsupported by colleagues in a job that depends on others if you face difficulty on patrol. 'Senior leadership were silent - you never saw them. 'Inspectors were usually pretty absent* behaviour was overlooked.' She said the station's location at the heart of the capital contributed to the bad atmosphere. 'It was like kids in a candy store, surrounded by bars, pubs and party culture,' she said. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has told Met boss Dame Cressida Dick she is 'on notice' and has 'days and weeks, not months' to fix what appears to be a broken culture at the under-fire force While Liz said the IOPC report was 'no shock at all.' She added: 'It's just a shock that 14 years later the same behaviour is happening. 'I worked at other stations in London, but Charing Cross was by far and away the loosest, racist, sexist one by far. 'It totally affected how I felt about the police. 'At its worst, it puts uneducated and emotionally unintelligent people with a toolbox of weapons and powers that can change someone's life forever. 'It made me realise how entitled these people were.' A spokesperson for the IOPC said: 'We would encourage the former officer to contact us so that we can assess how these allegations could be progressed. 'Details of how to contact us and our report line for police officers and staff are available on our website. 'In line with procedure a decision on whether to investigate would first require a referral from the force.' These are MailOnline mock-ups of WhatsApp conversations that were published in the IOPC report. Warning: Graphic language Further mock-ups of messages sent by a male officer during another shocking conversation on WhatsApp Liz has confirmed she will be contacting the IOPC. Detective Chief Superintendent Owain Richards, responsible for local policing in central London, said: 'The Met has already taken considerable steps to improve leadership and standards which included a complete overhaul of our local policing service in 2018. 'Last year we further strengthened local leadership teams by introducing a new chief inspector who is based at Charing Cross police station and is charged with driving a step change in culture and professional standards. 'While this is not the same Met it was a decade ago, I recognise we still have a lot of work to do to gain back the trust and confidence of Londoners. 'That is why the Commissioner has asked Baroness Casey of Blackstock to carry out an independent review which I hope will lead to lasting change across the organisation.' A German cardinal whose archdiocese was implicated in a recent damning report into child sex abuse has said he is in favour of ending celibacy for priests. Reinhard Marx, who was accused in the report of failing to take action over allegations of abuse alongside Pope Emeritus Benedict, said it 'would be better' if some priests were allowed to marry. His comments came after a damning independent report last month found 497 victims of sexually abusive behaviour by 235 people - including 173 priests - in the Munich and Freising archdiocese between 1945 and 2019. Reinhard Marx, the archbishop of Munich and Freising, has called for the rules around celibacy for priests to be relaxed so that some of them can marry The report by law firm Westpfahl Spilker Wastl found that former Munich and Freising archbishop, ex-pope Benedict XVI, failed to take action to stop four priests accused of child sex abuse in Munich in the 1980s, before he became pontiff. It also accused Marx of failing to act in two cases of suspected abuse. After the report was released, Marx said he was 'shocked and ashamed'. Marx, a prominent reformist ally of Pope Francis, said last week that the church needs deep reform to overcome the 'disaster' of sexual abuse. 'For some priests, it would be better if they were married - not just for sexual reasons, but because it would be better for their life and they wouldn't be lonely,' he said in an interview with a prominent German newspaper today. 'We must hold this discussion.' 'I think that things as they are cannot continue like this,' he added. 'I always say this to young priests: living alone is not so easy. 'And if some say: without the obligation of celibacy, they will all get married! My answer is: so what! 'If they all marry, it would at least be a sign that things are not currently working.' He insisted that celibacy won't be scrapped altogether, but said he sees a 'question mark' over 'whether it should be taken as a basic precondition for every priest.' It comes weeks after Marx was implicated in a damning report alongside ex-Pope Benedict (file image) of failing to act on reports of sex abuse within the diocese In 2019, Marx expressed support for a call by bishops in the Amazon region for the ordination of married men as priests to address a clergy shortage there, but stopped short of calling for a global recognition of married priests. On Thursday, the latest session of a German reform process that was launched in response to the abuse crisis is due to open. The 'Synodal Path,' which brings together Catholic church and lay representatives, has sparked fierce resistance inside the church, primarily from conservatives opposed to opening any debate on issues such as priestly celibacy, women's role in the church and homosexuality. It is expected to look at several subjects viewed with suspicion by conservatives and the Vatican, such as allowing priests to marry and a greater role for women. Last year Marx offered Pope Francis his resignation over the church's 'institutional and systemic failure' in its handling of child sex abuse scandals. However Pope Francis rejected his offer, urging the cardinal known for his reforms to stay and help shape change in the church. Four years ago a report found that at least 3,677 children had been sexually abused in the Catholic Church in Germany since 1946. But its authors, who did not have access to the church's files, estimated that the true number was far higher. Whatsapp messages between Owen Paterson and then health secretary Matt Hancock have been released showing how the disgraced former MP lobbied for a firm that was paying him more than 8,000 a month. Mr Paterson resigned from the Commons in November last year, after he was found to have lobbied - against parliamentary rules - on behalf of Randox, a health firm for which he was a paid consultant. The saga prompted a sleaze scandal in Westminster after Boris Johnson's Government launched a defence of Mr Paterson and tried to save him from a 30-day suspension, only to back down when under considerable pressure. Mr Paterson, who had been the MP for North Shropshire since 1997, then resigned. His last entry in the register of financial interests showed Randox was paying him 8,333 a month for 16 hours of work. The newly-released documents, forced by Labour, show the extent to which Mr Paterson was in contact with the then health secretary over Randox's offers to provide coronavirus testing services. Mr Paterson resigned from the Commons in November last year, after he was found to have lobbied - against parliamentary rules - on behalf of Randox, a health firm for which he was a paid consultant. The newly-released documents, forced by Labour, show the extent to which Mr Paterson was in contact with the then health secretary over Randox's offers to provide coronavirus testing services. Randox was awarded nearly 600 million of Covid testing contracts while normal competition rules were bypassed due to the emergency situation. A Randox spokesperson said contracts were awarded in 'full compliance with government procedures and protocols in place at a time of the emerging pandemic'. The messages showed how Mr Paterson had given Mr Hancock the contact details of Randox boss Peter Fitzgerald on January 26, 2020, and said he had told Mr Fitzgerald to 'expect an email' from the Health Secretary. Mr Hancock contacted Mr Fitzgerald that night and then told Mr Paterson on February 5, 2020 that Public Health England would be in touch. But by February 25, Mr Paterson contacted Mr Hancock on Whatsapp to say no contact had been made for 19 days. He said: 'PHE's attitude looks incomprehensible given current developments. Are you voting today? Can we discuss briefly? Great announcement on pharmacies by the way!' Another communication from Mr Paterson, who Mr Hancock refers to as 'Owen Patz' details how the MP was finding the process 'exasperating' when Randox kits were being dispatched to China. In the message, he added: 'Nb I'm a consultant to Randox. PS Good news on the nurses!' After this message, Mr Hancock asked officials for 'chapter and verse' on the situation and said he was 'very worried about this', adding: 'If we are treating other companies like this we are failing.' Later, during discussions about Randox's long-term involvement in the testing programme, a senior official in then health minister Lord Bethell's office said on May 11, 2020 - ahead of a meeting - that 'Lord Bethell has indicated that he would like a 1:1 with Owen Patterson [sic] beforehand as well (who I understand is a consultant employed by Randox)'. In July 2020, it was found some Randox kits may not meet safety standards, and one email said: 'PM worried about swabs and the number of swabs that turned out not to be sterile when tested.' But in September 2020, Mr Paterson sent a Whatsapp message asking Mr Hancock to 'revisit even briefly and privately' the long term future of Randox's involvement in testing, he said he had visited the firm and was impressed but that there was 'widespread exasperation that Randox's achievements have not been promoted'. The next month, Mr Paterson noted in Whatsapp messages that The Guardian had run a story saying the Government 'only gave Randox the testing contract because I am a paid consultant'. He asked: 'If it comes up, can you kill this once and for all as I know absolutely nothing about the contact?' Two days later, Mr Paterson messaged again to promote Randox's achievements in testing. The documents also revealed that Lord Agnew, who dramatically resigned as the minister in charge of tackling fraud last month, warned that the Government was 'paying dramatically over the odds' for Randox's tests. Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said: 'It is now beyond any doubt that Owen Paterson was guilty as charged and the Prime Minister personally intervened to protect him regardless. No wonder standards in government have collapsed. 'We now know that the public are paying the price for these crony contracts. In the minister's own words, we were paying 'dramatically over the odds'. Yet nearly a year after their deadline to overhaul the process, the emergency procurement rules are still being used to hand out vast sums of public money in exactly the same way. 'These documents have blown apart months of denial, revealing a government that is awash with sleaze from the Prime Minister down, and simply incapable of governing in the public interest.' A Randox spokesperson said: 'The awarding of the contracts reflected Randox's extensive diagnostics capabilities within the UK and 40 years of experience in that field.' They said: 'It is clear from these papers that the company has delivered a vital and core part of the UK's testing capacity. 'Randox remains proud of its performance and delivery of Covid 19 testing throughout the pandemic. To date Randox has reported almost 24 million PCR results and has played a key role in both keeping people safe and sustaining vital national infrastructure.' In a written ministerial statement published alongside the documents, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: 'As the public would expect, at the start of the pandemic the Government took every possible step to rapidly build the largest testing industry in UK history from scratch - this has played an important role in stopping the spread of Covid-19 and saving lives, and the service Randox provided was integral to that response. 'There are robust rules and processes in place to ensure that all contracts are awarded in line with procurement regulations and transparency guidelines and that any potential conflicts of interest with respect to commercial matters are appropriately managed. Ministers are not involved in the assessment and evaluation process for contracts.' At least two people were injured, and three buildings will need to be demolished after a two-alarm fire caused by an explosion tore through an apartment, causing it to collapse in Brooklyn, according to the FDNY. Fire officials got a call at around 7am Friday to the Gravesend section of Brooklyn on Bay 35th Street near Benson Avenue. Two people suffered minor injuries. Three apartment buildings were involved, all are structurally compromised and will be demolished. No one was home at the time of the incident. Images from the scene showed windows in neighboring homes being blown out by the blast. Citizen App video showed flames coming from the roof of one home earlier Friday morning. A two-alarm fire and house explosion in Brooklyn is deemed major emergency Multiple trucks were on the scene to extinguish the flames and clear the wreckage The incident took place in Gravesend, Brooklyn Fire departments were on the scene in Brooklyn just after 7 a.m. Friday Fire marshals are still investigating the incident Windows were blown out of neighboring homes due to the explosion New York City's Office of Emergency Management, FDNY, NYPD and the Department of Buildings all assessed the damage. Mayor Eric Adams also was on the scene. 'It has been a busy month, but when you have the right professionals in place you're going to navigate these challenging times,' Adams said, referencing the Bronx fire that killed 17 in January. The DOB said inspectors were on the scene investigating the apparent explosion and collapse. Inspectors were conducting structural stability inspections on neighboring homes. Fire marshals also investigating. Adams said that based on a preliminary investigation, a gas explosion at an unoccupied building was the cause. Hajredin Lesevic, the superintendent for a nearby home, said people reported smelling gas and heard an explosion, Lesevic told ABC7NY. He added that nearby homeowners had smelled gas in the past and called the gas company. Another local resident said that last year, 311 had been dialed 'a thousand times' to try and solve the problem. This car parked out on the street was destroyed by the explosion The incident took place on Bay 35th Street in Brooklyn At least three homes will have to be destroyed because of the explosion The super of a neighboring building said people called complaining of smelling gas in the past but nothing had been found Over 100 firefighters were sent to the scene to fight the blaze Smoke could be seen flying overhead from blocks away Mayor Eric Adams was on the scene in the wake of the fire Crews were on site well into the afternoon trying to stabilize 'Someone said they smelled gas,' he said. 'A couple of times we called the gas company,' but nothing was ever found to be wrong. The FDNY is investigating neighboring buildings and the National Grid has shut off gas to the block. There were families in homes nearby that were heavily damaged, but all were able to evacuate themselves and are being assisted by the Red Cross, officials said. 'The families are on the bus with the Red Cross to get whatever assistance, housing, clothes, food, whatever assistance they need,' said Christina Farrell, Acting OEM Commissioner. 'We are bringing in the heavy equipment with the operational agencies to do the demolition,' she added. 'And also the school on the corner, we are working with them, so all the children when school is let out can be let out orderly. But we are here for the residents. Whatever they need through the Red Cross and other city agencies, we can assist them.' The killers of a 15-year-old schoolboy who was stabbed to death over a social media dispute can be named for the first time today after a judge lifted reported restrictions. Reece Tansey, 15, was stabbed six times on May 4, 2021, in a fight arranged on Snapchat. James White, 16, was found guilty of his murder and jailed for 15 years after a trial. Mark Nuttall, 15, was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to six years imprisonment. During a hearing at Leicester Crown Court today, Justice Farbey lifted an order, which previously prevented White and Nuttall's names from being reported due to their age following submissions by the media. A three-week trial heard that White and Nuttall had agreed to meet up in the early hours of May 4 in Walker Avenue, Bolton, because of an escalating dispute between Nuttall and a friend of the victim. But, when Reece arrived alone he was stabbed six times by White who had armed himself with a large kitchen knife. Pictured: James White (left) and Mark Nuttall (right) have been named for the first time as the teenagers who killed 15-year-old Reece Tansey after a dispute on social media escalated Fatally wounded, Reece desperately banged on the door of a nearby house pleading for help before falling to the ground. And, having been discovered by two men, he used his final breath to tell them the names of his killers - White, who was known as Boy A during the trial, and Nuttall, who was known as Boy B. Police arrived at the scene minutes later and Reece was rushed to Salford Royal Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 5.45am. A pathologist concluded his death was caused by 'multiple stab wounds', which 'were likely to have been inflicted by a knife with a 10-12cm blade'. After fleeing the scene, White sent a Snapchat video of himself carrying a knife covered in blood, accompanied by the word 'muppet'. He later sent a message to Nuttall, which read: 'I thought it only went through his coat so I kept doing it. He added: 'He's dead now.' Reece was stabbed six times by White after meeting for an arranged fight in Bolton last May. He banged on the doors of residents before he was rushed to hospital where he died that day Nuttall responded with a laughing emoji. The court was told there was a 'long-standing hate' between Nuttall and Reece, and White had been brought into the dispute as support. Jurors heard that the two boys had goaded Reece and his friend into meeting them, but he was initially reluctant. The court heard he had sent a message to his friend, which read: 'Getting brought into your s*** again. Ain't in no f****** mood'. All four boys eventually agreed to meet that night and Reece left home and headed to the rendezvous point near Great Lever Park. But as Reece was en route, his friend informed him that he had decided to stay in bed. Officers were called to Walker Avenue in Bolton at around 4.45am on Tuesday to reports of a knife attack A court heard how White and Nuttall 'pretended they were gangsters'. In the early hours of May 4 last year, White crept out of his home with two knives - one for him and another for Nuttall. Nuttall had got into a social media spat with a friend of Reece Tansey and things eventually escalated into serious threats on Snapchat. White told Reece that he would make him 'beg for his life' and told him 'u and ur boy will get it'. Reece turned up to the arranged meeting place alone where he was stabbed six times and fatally wounded. White would later throw the knife into a brook, afraid his mother might come across it at home. Pictured: Reece's friends paid tribute to him by letting off balloons in his memory shortly after the attack. In a victim statement read out in court, Reece's mother said: 'He made us smile' The last time she had seen him the previous night was at 10.30pm, when he was playing on his Xbox. Upon checking on him in the morning, he was back asleep in bed as if nothing had happened. It was later that same morning, that White went into the living room and told his mother what he had done. 'Last night I went out and got into an argument,' White said. 'I stabbed someone and I have just found out they have died.' His mother gathered the clothes he had been wearing, including a blood-stained glove matching Reece's DNA, and put them in a bin bag. White was bundled into the car and taken to Bolton police station, where he was arrested at 1.25pm. During a three-week trial, prosecution barrister Mark Ford QC described the two boys as having a 'swaggering determination to prove how tough they were' and killed Reece in order to 'teach him a lesson'. 'He died because White and Nuttall were determined to demonstrate to their peers how their rivals would be put in their place,' Mr Ford told jurors. But their 'macho bravado', as it was described in court, led to the tragic and utterly needless loss of a fellow teenager's life. Before the trial White admitted killing Reece but denied murder while Nuttall admitted he was there but denied killing Reece or knowing White had a knife. In a victim statement, his heartbroken mother Laura Tansey said: 'Reece was our 15-year-old son, he made us smile, he made us laugh, he made us tear our hair out at times, a typical teenage lad, but he was ours. 'Reece was fiercely protective of his mum and little brother, and saw himself as the man of the house. His dad saw him as his best friend. 'Reece was simply our world, and his death has devastated us beyond belief.' EE's Merthyr Tydfil Choir has reunited on Zoom for Welsh Language Music Day to sing a virtual performance of the iconic Welsh song 'Yma o Hyd'. A huge number of staff at the call centre jumped at the chance to record the song - which means 'still here' in English. They said joining the choir helped them to switch off from work and life pressures, particularly during the pandemic, and to have fun with colleagues. Elisabeth Williams, a sales advisor at the centre, said: 'I love to sing, and to be able to do that in work was an amazing opportunity. I couldn't miss the chance. 'I have suffered with mental health for all my adult life. Being in the choir gives me a sense of belonging and it really lifts my spirits and those around me. It makes me smile and laugh. I love the positivity around it and how nobody judges anyone else.' Many at the centre said it was also an opportunity to discover Welsh language music. EE's Merthyr Tydfil Choir has reunited on Zoom for Welsh Language Music Day to sing the iconic Welsh song 'Yma o Hyd' Despite many in the choir having some basic knowledge of Welsh from school or through family, some said it was an opportunity to re-connect with the language and discover Welsh language music for the first time. Sales advisor Ayesha Griffiths isn't a native Welsh speaker, but now plans to learn more. She said: 'Singing Yma o Hyd means a lot, especially after learning the history of the song. I plan on listening and learning more Welsh language songs in future.' Sales advisor Carwyn Minard said he has a basic understanding of the language, but has been learning more Welsh as his daughter attends a Welsh school. 'The Welsh language means a huge amount to me, and it frustrates me that I cannot speak it fluently as it's something we should all make the effort to learn. 'Our culture and heritage is a huge part of who we are and our language needs to thrive not just in us, but with future generations.' Thirty people at EE's centre joined the choir virtually to rehearse the song and record the video performance between shifts. It has been a busy time for the centre, with customer demand for connectivity and support reaching record levels. Customers' data usage on EE's network has increased by 79% since 2019 as customers rely on connectivity more than ever for things like working from home, education online and the growth in video streaming. Sales advisors Elisabeth Williams (left) and Carwyn Minard (right) are in EE's Merthyr choir Marc Allera, CEO, Consumer Division, BT, said: 'My colleagues in Merthyr continue to do great work and raise the bar for customer service. They are enthusiastic and passionate people, so I'm not surprised so many have played their part in this fantastic performance. 'The pandemic has been a really busy and challenging time for everyone here, but they have risen to it and done all they can to keep our customers connected. Now, it's great to see them getting back together, albeit virtually, and having a lot of fun with the choir. The words Yma o Hyd or 'still here' really struck a chord. And you can see what it means to be part of this amazing team.' EE's award-winning Merthyr Tydfil contact centre is known widely for its community work and charity fundraising. It is also home to EE's dedicated Welsh-speaking customer service team, the only UK mobile provider to offer dedicated help and support to thousands of Welsh-speaking customers. A woman on the jury deliberating whether Michael Avenatti is guilty of stealing from Stormy Daniels has her mind made up and refuses to hash it out with fellow jurors or review evidence. We have one juror who is refusing to look at evidence and is acting on a feeling. We need assistance on moving forward, read a note sent from the panel on Friday morning. Advertisement She does not believe she needs to prove her side using evidence and refuses to show us how she has come to her conclusion. The note added the possible holdout was acting on all emotions and does not understand the job of a jury. Advertisement It asked the court to please, underlined, advise the other jurors on how to proceed. This courtroom sketch shows 12 jurors in the Stormy Daniels' case against Michael Avenatti in Manhattan Federal Court, Friday Jan. 28, 2022. (Elizabeth Williams/AP) It was not clear from the note whether the woman is a lone holdout or whether shes sure of Avenattis guilt or innocence. Avenatti immediately requested a mistrial. It is obvious this jury is deadlocked. Any further instruction to this jury would constitute coercion and would be improper, argued Avenatti. We can also infer that this juror has deliberated for two days, and she has reached a conclusion she doesnt have to explain that conclusion to anyone. Manhattan Federal Court Judge Jesse Furman turned down the request, telling Avenatti, I dont think were there yet. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > Furman told jurors to keep going and repeated his instruction to base their verdict on the evidence, or lack of proof, rather than sympathy. Under your oath as jurors, you are not to be swayed by sympathy or emotion, said Furman. If you let sympathy or emotion interfere with your clear thinking, there is a (chance) you will not arrive at a just verdict. Advertisement The judge also warned jurors not to surrender their true feelings to peer pressure or let stubbornness or pride (affect) your view. Michael Avenatti arrives at Manhattan Federal Court in on Monday, Jan. 24, 2022. (John Minchillo/AP) A mistrial would be a second dodged felony conviction in two years for Avenatti, while representing himself in a criminal trial. He defended himself against embezzlement charges in a separate California case in 2020, which ended in a mistrial. A conviction would also be Avenattis second in two years. A federal jury in Manhattan found him guilty last year of trying to extort $25 million from Nike. He was given a 2 1/2-year sentence for that crime. If convicted on charges he stole from Daniels, Avenatti could face up to 22 years in prison if sentenced to the maximum. This story will be updated. Pentagon press secretary John Kirby warned that a new ISIS leader will 'step up' and could even launch attacks on the U.S. after terror group's head Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi blew himself and his family to bits. The press secretary also said The Pentagon had hoped to capture al-Qurayshi, also known as Abdullah Qardash, alive to take him in for interrogation, but new details show that the ISIS chief wired the entire third floor of his home so he could blow himself and his family up at a moment's notice if he were to be found by Western forces. 'We are going to assume that they are going to try to replace him,' Kirby said. Al-Qurayshi has no known successor. 'This is an organization that wants to reconstitute. They want to grow, they want to get back to the heyday that they had back in 2014.' 'They certainly have expressed indications that they would like to continue to attack the West, even our homeland. So this is a group that we are keeping an eye on and we have to assume that there will be another leader that will step up to try to lead the group,' he continued. ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi never left his three-story building outside the Syrian town of Atmeh As U.S. forces swooped in, al-Qurayshi detonated a suicide vest, and is now to have set off explosives throughout the floor of his home. The bombs killed al-Qurayshi, his wife and his two children. The explosion was so powerful that it blew bodies out of the house, including al-Qurayshi's. American forces left his body on the scene, unlike the 2011 raid to kill al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden. 'In a final act of desperate cowardice, with no regard to the lives of his own family or others in the building, he chose to blow himself upnot just the vest, but to blow up that third floorrather than face justice for the crimes he committed,' President Biden said after the early-morning raid. First responders told the Associated Press that 13 people had been killed, including six children and four women. The U.S. forces were able to do a DNA test to confirm al-Qurayshi's identity, and a White House official said that they 'took a lot of information' that could 'lead to other leads.' Biden said the U.S. chose the riskier on-the-ground raid rather than an air attack to minimize civilian casualties. 'We know that al-Qurayshi and others at his compound directly caused the deaths of women and children last night,' he said. 'But, given the complexity of this mission, we will take a look at the possibility our actions may also have resulted in harm to innocent people.' American intelligence officers had pinpointed the leader of ISIS to the top of a three-story house among the olive groves just outside Atmeh, a Syrian town near the border with Turkey. Al-Qurayshi was a stickler for security. He never left the building, running his terrorist group with messages sent through a lieutenant who lived on the floor below. American helicopters carrying 24 commandos arrived just after 1am. When they left two hours later ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi was dead An aerial image released by the Pentagon shows the compound where ISIS emir al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi lived. He ran his terror network through a lieutenant living on the second floor The top floor of the house was all but destroyed by the force of the suicide blast that killed al-Qurayshi. It was so powerful, said locals, that bodies were flung clear of the building Known as a 'hands-on' but secretive leader, he never gave a public speech and the only time he stepped outside was to bathe on his roof. Two hours later al-Qurayshi - also known as Hajji Abdullah - was dead and 24 elite U.S. commandos were on their way home. The first neighbors knew of the lethal operation was the sound of helicopters, rousing them from their sleep. Minutes later they heard a voice through a bullhorn telling the building's occupants to give themselves up. 'Those who want to take part in jihad, come out,' the voice said, according to a neighbor who spoke to the New York Times. 'Everyone will be safe if you surrender. Those who remain will die.' An aerial view of wreckage around the site after an operation carried out by US forces targeting a high ranking jihadist in northern Syria last night Pictures from inside the building show blood spattering the walls after the raid A doll lies among the debris inside the house. First responders told the Associated Press that 13 people had been killed, including six children and four women At about the same time, another neighbor heard banging on his own door. He opened it to find American commandos - early, unconfirmed reports suggested they were members of Delta Force - and an Arabic translator, who quickly told his family to leave their house and shelter behind another building. Al-Qurayshi's hideaway was already surrounded. American officials, in their account after the raid, said the commandos knew there was a civilian family living on the first floor potentially hindering an all-out assault. But as they repeated their warnings through a loudspeaker one man, one woman and an unspecified number of children fled the building. This 'tactical call-out' phase took about 45 minutes, according to one account. Video shared on social media captured the messages. 'The area is surrounded by land and air,' said one message. 'The children are without blame. If there are children, they should come to me.' Then they they took a more threatening turn with warnings that American forces were about to open fire. Ten people then left the building - a man and a woman from the first floor, who Kirby said were unlikely to even have known they shared a dwelling with the ISIS commander, and ten children, from both the first and second floor. Surrounded and outnumbered, with Black Hawks overhead, the ISIS leader on the third floor had only one way out. The detonation was the signal for the commandos to move in. But as they approached the building they came under fire from the second floor of the building. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby confirmed that the ISIS lieutenant opened fire - 'actually one of his lieutenants and the lieutenant's wife firing back at our forces,' he said. They were killed.' Officials said four children then left the building. A fifth had been killed on the second floor. Al-Quryashi's bomb was known to have killed four, the lieutenant and his wife and one other child were known to be killed. It's not clear who the other six who were killed were. U.S. officials have yet to address the total death toll. The site of the raid, in the Idlib province of Syria, was about 15 miles from where former ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi killed himself with a suicide vest during a U.S.-led raid in October 2019. U.S. officials attempted to kill al-Qurayshi back in 2015 in an attack that cost him his leg, U.S. officials said, according to the Wall Street Journal. The mission had been planned for months and President Biden was briefed about in December 2021. Pentagon officials planned out every detail on a tabletop model of al-Qurayshi's building, and even researched whether the building would collapse if he detonated an explosive vest. The mission had been delayed due to weather by several days, and Biden watched the action in real time from the situation room, along with Vice President Kamala Harris, national security adviser Jake Sullivan and other officials, according to a photo released by the White House. Kirby said that the Pentagon has yet to decide whether it will release footage from the attack, given some are questioning whether officials are being truthful that it was who was killed by U.S. forces and who was killed by the suicide bombs. 'We're working our way through that. And if we think that that's something that can be done and should be done, we'll certainly explore it,' he told NPR. President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and members of the president's national security team observe the operation from the White House Situation Room The fourth-oldest Cambridge college has sparked outrage after ditching the LGBTQ+ flag in favour of its own one. Gonville and Caius College Cambridge, also known as Keys College, was founded in 1348 and is one of the wealthiest at the revered university. The College said while it was committed to ending discrimination it felt just flying one flag would avoid having to fly a different standard for every good cause. It said its own flag was already 'a symbol which unites all in the Caius community'. Yet students hit out at the decision, saying it left them feeling 'betrayed' by the 673-year-old college. Gonville and Caius College Cambridge, also known as Keys College, announced this week it will no longer fly the LGBTQ+ flag and only raise its own standard (pictured at the College) above the 673-year-old college (File image) The college said its emblem (pictured) was already 'a symbol which unites all in the Caius community' and so other flags were not needed The LGBTQ+ flag (pictured), also known as the Progress Pride flag, is a symbol for the LGBTQ+ community (File image) The multicoloured LGBTQ+ flag had only just been raised at the start of February to mark LGBT History Month. Natasha Naidu, a Masters student at Gonville and Caius, said she was left 'feeling betrayed' by the decision. She added it was 'not the great start to LGBT History Month I anticipated at Caius'. Anthony Bridgen, a queer PhD student at Gonville and Caius, said he was 'bitterly disappointed' at the announcement. He added: 'This regressive decision is of huge detriment to work to improve access, diversity and equality at Caius over the past years. 'It is symbolic of an entrenched, majority cis male, majority white, majority fusty fellowship who neither know nor want to know about the injustices faced by minorities.' At the start of the month the College posted on social media: 'The Progress Pride Flag is flying above Caius to mark the first day of LGBT History Month'. After Thursday's announcement, Gonville and Caius PhD student Juliana Cudini replied: 'Not proud to be a Caian today.. 'I don't join the celebration in this post when it is so rife with hypocrisy and cowardly, thinly veiled prejudice.' Students were quick to voice their displeasure at the decision by the College. Masters student Natasha Naidu said it left her 'feeling betrayed' while PhD student Anthony Bridgen said he was 'bitterly disappointed' at the announcement The Master of the College, Professor Pippa Rogerson, said: 'Gonville and Caius College remains firmly committed to making College a place where everyone feels welcome, and where everyone can thrive. 'It is incumbent on us all to make changes to improve diversity and eradicate discrimination and we are working as a community at Caius to support and boost representation.' In a statement, the college said: 'Gonville and Caius College is committed to improving diversity and eradicating discrimination. 'The College flag is a symbol which unites all in the Caius community. 'Choosing to fly only the College flag avoids concerns regarding political neutrality and the difficulty of choosing between the plurality of good causes for which a flag could be flown.' Voters are deeply concerned about growing political divisions in the country, according to a new poll, and believe that things have got nastier since the pandemic began and since President Biden took office. The latest Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service Battleground Civility Poll paints a bleak picture about the direction of politics. It found that 43 percent of voters believe political relations have become less civil since Biden was sworn in last year, while only 29 percent say they have become more civil. Even more so, voters blame the COVID-19 crisis - with its rows about masking and mandates - and two-thirds said divisions had worsened since the start of the pandemic. Voters are concerned about growing political divisions in the country, according to a new poll, and believe that things have got nastier since the pandemic began and since Biden took office 43 percent of voters believe political relations have become less civil since Biden was sworn in last year, while only 29 percent say they have become more civil 'Politics and the pandemic are driving polarization, and voters continue to believe this is one of our countrys biggest challenges, said the institute's executive director Mo Elleithee. 'When looking to the future, the bad news is that voters believe things are going to get worse before they get better. 'The good news, however, is that they believe things will get better. And that optimism is driven by a belief that young people are committed to making the country a better place to live for everyone.' The pandemic response has at times been marked by politicians throwing furious allegations at public health officials that they were lying. Airlines have reported a surge in the number of disruptive passengers, spurred by federal mask mandates for passengers. And even music streaming services such as Spotify have triggered support and boycotts over whether or not they are propagating pandemic misinformation or supporting free speech. At the same time, last year's Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol is seen as a potentially pivotal moment. A majority of the 1000 voters polled said they believed there will be more violent political protests in the wake of the violence. Some 58 percent that it was more likely, compared with 23 percent who said it was less likely. There has been a small increase in the number of people who believe the nation is headed in the right direction since the last battleground poll in October - from 29 percent to 32 percent. Biden ran for election in 2020 with a message of appealing across partisan divides and restoring civility to public life. The poll suggests there is much more to be done. Ironically, the extent of the country's bitter divisions is one of the few things upon which Americans can agree. 'As has been the trend in the past several years of this poll, the numbers reveal that if there is one thing that unites America, it is the feeling that divisions in this country are running dangerously high,' said Celinda Lake of Lake Research Partners. 'Easily the most positive piece of news out of the whole survey is that when confronted with the statement, I am optimistic about the future because young people are committed to making this country a better place to live for everyone, over half of Americans (58 percent) agree.' New York City Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis fumed Friday morning on Fox & Friends over the Democrats' plan to change the boundaries of her district making it easy for their party to win back her seat. 'If we know anything from the Democrats it's if they can't win by the rules, they're going to change the rules,' Malliotakis told host Brian Kilmeade. She called the effort an 'attempt to silence those that I represent.' 'Because I am the only Republican voice in Washington from our city that serves as a counterbalance to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jerry Nadler,' Malliotakis added. New York City Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis fumed Friday morning on Fox & Friends over the Democrats' plan to change the boundaries of her district making it easy for their party to win back her seat She called the effort an 'attempt to silence those that I represent.' 'Because I am the only Republican voice in Washington from our city that serves as a counterbalance to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (left) and Jerry Nadler (right),' Malliotakis added Ocasio-Cortez is one of the most liberal members of Congress, whille Nadler chairs the powerful House Judiciary Committee, which spearheaded a number of investigations into former President Donald Trump. Malliotakis currently represents the more conservative area of Staten Island. The new district lines expand her district out to more liberal areas of Brooklyn, including Park Slope. That inclusion opened the door for former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio to enter the race, as he resides in Park Slope. The New York Post reported Wednesday that the ex-mayor was contimplating a bid. 'I'll tell you something, the last thing we need is Mayor de Blasio in Washington,' Malliotakis said Friday morning. Former Rep. Max Rose (left) already announced he would challenge Malliotakis for the seat, which she won from him in 2020. The New York Post reported Wednesday that former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is also thinking about jumping in the race She was de Blasio's Republican opponent for the mayor's office in 2017, losing to the Democrat in the blue city. Malliotakis pointed out, however, that she beat de Blasio in her now Staten Island Congressional district. 'He created such a mess in our city and we don't want to bring those policies to the federal level,' she continued, adding 'I need everyone's help to stop this guy from coming for Congress.' It's more likely that Malliotakis would face former Democratic Rep. Max Rose, who held the seat before her 2020 win. Rose has already said he's running again. Malliotakis was able to beat Rose by about six points in the last election - even with a Democratic win for the White House - but the much bluer 11th district should give Rose the edge. Overall, Democrats could pick up three additional seats in New York state due to redistricting this year. Five undocumented migrants, facing deportation have filed a lawsuit against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a Washington, D.C., court, alleging they were denied COVID-19 booster shots at the detention centers where they are being held. The lawsuit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and ACLU of the District of Columbia on Monday, requests that the at-risk plaintiffs be given booster shots to protect them from contracting the coronavirus. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is also named as a defendant. ICE informed DailyMail.com on Friday that it 'does not comment on pending litigation or cases connected to ongoing litigation.' The plaintiffs were identified as Aamir Shaikh, 49; Marvin Hernandez Villalobo, 29; Liliana Cardenas Solis; 34; and James Mayen Mayen; 41. The name of a fifth person, who is 24, is redacted from the court document. Mayen Mayen and the unnamed plaintiff have both tested positive in the last week. Each of the plaintiffs suffers from medical conditions that consist of diabetes, hypertension and tuberculosis. The lawsuit argues that the possibility of being infected with the virus could expose to them all to severe illnesses and death. The ACLU's National Prison Project senior staff attorney EuniceCho confirmed to DailyMail.com on Friday that at least one of the plaintiffs had since received their booster shot. Five undocumented migrants being held by ICE on deportation orders had a lawsuit filed on their behalf by the American Civil Liberties Union on Monday in Washington, D.C. The allege that ICE has denied them the chance to get COVID-19 booster shot. One of the plaintiffs, Aamir Shaikh, is being held at the Etowah County Detention Center in Gadsden, Alabama The Stewart Detention Center currently has 141 detainees awaiting deportation who have tested positive for the coronavirus. Four inmates have died from the virus at the facility since the start of the pandemic One of the five plaintiffs who in named in the lawsuit is a 24-year-old detainee being held at the Golden State Annex Detention Center in McFarland, California. He tested positive for COVID-19 on January 26 after a detainee in his unit got a positive test The ACLU said that ICE records show COVID-19 infections have rocketed by more than 940 percent throughout its detention facilities since January 3. Only 671 of the nearly 22,000 inmates who are being held by ICE have received their booster shots. Lawyers for the five immigrants called on ICE to follow the White House's stance that COVID-19 vaccine booster shots 'are a necessary measure to protect people's health.' At least 3,140 individuals in custody have tested positive for the virus, according to ICEs website updated Thursday. The ACLU fears a massive outbreak across ICE's detention facilities with more that 99 percent of the COVID-19 cases that have been reported as of January 22 have been caused by the Omicron strain. 'As the Omicron variant of COVID-19 spreads rapidly in ICE detention centers, immigrants detained in these facilities are increasingly afraid for their health and lives,' Cho said in a statement. 'ICE is well aware that people with underlying medical conditions are especially vulnerable to severe illness and death, and booster shots are a critically important protection for them against the virus. Failing to provide booster shots is not only irresponsible and cruel, it's also a violation of their constitutional rights.' Shaikh, who is detained at the Etowah County Detention Center in Gadsden, Alabama, received two doses of Moderna around February 2021 and has made several attempts to get the booster. The lawsuit claims the nursing staff has ignored his repeated requests and that he was told 'he would not receive a booster shot until the state of Alabama 'approved them' at an unspecified date in the future.' He is being held with detainees who have tested positive for the virus and who are still sick. The Aurora Contract Detention Facility in Aurora, Colorado, has 75 active coronavirus cases Clinton County Correctional Facility has five inmates awaiting deportation who have are being treated for COVID-19 Hernandez Villalobo, who has been held at the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia, dating back to summer 2020, has been fully vaccinated since March or April 2021. He suffers from obesity and schizophrenia, and has been unable to receive a booster shot. 'On at least two occasions in January 2022, he requested a booster shot from Stewart officials,' the lawsuit indicates. 'The first official, a unit manager, told Mr. Hernandez Villalobo that he did not have time to speak with him; the second official, a person in the medical unit, relayed that booster shots were not available.' Cadenas Solis, who has been diagnosed with anemia and depression, received her first two vaccine doses between February and May 2021 at the Aurora Contract Detention Facility in Aurora, Colorado, where she has been held since June 9, 2021. She requested a booster shot via a written medical request in December 2021 and was placed on a waiting list, but has not received a response. The 24-year-old asthmatic plaintiff who is being held at the Golden State Annex Detention Center in McFarland, California, tested positive for COVID-19 on January 26 after a detainee in his unit got a positive test. The plaintiff, who is fully vaccinated, has filed petitions for his booster shot on three occasions and was placed on a waiting list. Mayen Mayen, who is awaiting his deportation order at the Clinton County Correctional Facility in McElhattan, Pennsylvania, has been diagnosed with hepatitis B and tuberculosis. He has tested positive for COVID-19 on three occasions, the most recent coming January 24. He fell ill after receiving the Johnson & Johnson on or about May 10, 2021, at the York County Prison in York, Pennsylvania. The lawsuit indicates that Mayen Mayen has been advised not to take the Johnson & Johnson booster shooter. He has requested to receive the Pfizer or Moderna booster, but has not received the shot. ICE data shows that Stewart Detention Center has 141 detainees who are in isolation with COVID-19. Of the five facilities where the plaintiffs are being held, it's the only one to report coronavirus deaths, with four inmates dying from the virus since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. The Aurora Contract Detention Facility has 76 infected detainees and Golden State Annex Facility is next with 21 inmates being treated for COVID-19. Another five detainees are being treated for the virus while two others are also infected at the Clinton County Correctional Facility. Of the five defendants, Mayen Mayen was the only one who received information about the booster shot from detention facilities' staff. 'Booster shots are readily available everywhere in the country,' said Arthur B. Spitzer, senior counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union of the District of Columbia. 'ICE's failure to provide them to detainees reflects a truly callous disregard for the health and safety of the people in its care.' Diocese of Ely will rule over future of Jesus College's memorial to Tobias Rustat Efforts to remove a memorial to a man who invested in slave-trading companies from a Cambridge University college chapel have been likened to trying to 'get rid of an elderly and unpopular relative'. Moving the monument but retaining the financial benefits of the 17th century benefactor could be said to be 'money laundering on an industrial scale', an ecclesiastical court hearing was told. Tobias Rustat, who invested in the Royal African Company, became one of Jesus College's largest benefactors before the 20th century. The college last year submitted an application to the Diocese of Ely to relocate a memorial to Rustat from its chapel to a permanent exhibition space in the college. Efforts by Jesus College students to remove a memorial to Tobias Rustat, who invested in the Royal African Company, were likened to trying to 'get rid of an elderly and unpopular relative' Cambridge's Jesus College set up a Legacy of Slavery Working Party, which recommended Rustat should not be celebrated by the college A consistory court case, which concluded on Friday, is due to help decide the fate of the monument. Mark Hill QC, representing petitioners who want the memorial moved, said the case is not about cancelling Mr Rustat, but about placing the monument in a location where it can be 'interpreted, explained and fully dealt with'. He said 'we cannot hide' from the fact the memorial 'glorifying the benevolence of a man who was responsible for investing in and directing companies which traded in enslaved people is an abomination that causes offence'. Justin Gau, a lawyer acting for the Rustat Memorial Group of alumni which opposes the removal, argued that 'no clear, safe, final destination' for the memorial has been agreed, and described the petition to move it as 'a mess'. On the practicalities of a move, Mr Gau said the 3.5 tonnes of marble is 'not something you unscrew from a kitchen wall', and branded it a 'monument of national and international importance'. Tobias Rustat (pictured) was a major investor in the Royal African Company and had been a servant to King Charles II The Master of Jesus College, Sonita Alleyne, said that the proposal to relocate the monument to an educational exhibition space was 'part of a process of critical self-reflection on the long-term legacies of enslavement and colonial violence' University benefactor and slave trade investor: Life of Tobias Rustat - and his links to Edward Colston A statue of Tobias Rustat Tobias Rustat was a 17th century benefactor of the University of Cambridge, as well as a servant to King Charles II. He created the first fund for the purchase of books at the Cambridge University Library. Born circa 1606, he trained as an apprentice to a barber-surgeon in his youth before becoming a servant - first to the 2nd Duke of Buckingham and later to the monarch. He accumulated his wealth during his career as a courtier - but also invested in several trading companies, including the Company of Royal Adventurers of England Trading into Africa - commonly known as the Royal African Company (RAC). The Company had complete control of Britain's slave trade, as well as its gold and Ivory business, with Africa and the forts on the coast of west Africa. Later in life, Rustat became a benefactor to the university, focusing mainly on Jesus College, where his father had been a student. He died in 1694. A contemporary of Rustat was Edward Colston, who became Deputy Governor of the Royal African Company. During Colston's tenure, his ships transported around 80,000 slaves from Africa to the Caribbean and America. Around 20,000 of them, including around 3,000 or more children, died during the journeys. Colston's brother Thomas supplied the glass beads that were used to buy the slaves. Colston used a lot of his wealth, accrued from his extensive slave trading, to build schools and almshouses in his home city. A statue was erected in his honour as well as other buildings named after him, including Colston Hall. But after years of protests by campaigners and boycotts by artists the venue recently agreed to remove all reference of the trader. In the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 sparked by the death of George Floyd in the US, the statue of Colston overlooking the harbour in Bristol was torn down. Advertisement He told the hearing the best approach would be to 'contextualise' Mr Rustat's life with a plaque nearby. Mr Hill said Historic England had concluded that removing the memorial from the chapel would still leave it as 'a building of exceptional significance'. He said the memorial is 'readily moveable' and that this could be done 'without undue difficulty or without any risk to its integrity', noting that it had previously been moved from Mr Rustat's home in Chelsea to the chapel and then moved within the chapel 'on several occasions'. He said it is clear that 'the presence of the memorial and its prominent position in the chapel is undoubtedly compromising the work and mission of the Church of England.' But Mr Gau told the hearing, which was held in the college chapel: 'This is part of an unfortunate desire to, as it were, get rid of an elderly and unpopular relative, though one who has been hugely generous in the past.' He added: 'We say the best way to deal with a difficult relative is not to put them away but to live with them and learn from them.' Of the efforts by the petitioners, he said: 'In simple terms, they are keeping the benefits but hiding the sources. 'It might be said that this is money laundering on an industrial scale.' A 'bogus claim' had been allowed by petitioners to spread, Mr Gau said, that Mr Rustat had made his fortune from the slave trade. He said Mr Rustat 'made no financial gain from any investment' in the slave trade, adding that 'it might be of some pleasure that he lost money by doing it'. But Mr Hill said it is 'beyond dispute' that Mr Rustat had been an 'investor, lender and assistant' involved with the Royal African Company. He said moving the memorial would allow the 'historical nexus' of Mr Rustat's involvement 'in both the slave trade and the college to be properly understood'. He said Mr Rustat continues to be remembered 'as a generous benefactor of this college' and that the historical figure was not being 'cancelled or erased', adding that the chapel 'will always be his final resting place'. Mr Gau read extracts of emails he said were sent by students of Jesus College. One said 'deliberately inflammatory language' had been used in describing the memorial as celebrating slavery, while another spoke of the anxiety of some students to come forward in opposing the bid for relocation, Mr Gau said. The lawyer said: 'It is troubling that a college of such stature and such ability in terms of promoting equality, diversity and free speech should be accused of stifling free speech by some of these undergraduates.' His Honour Judge David Hodge QC said he would give his decision in writing 'as soon as I can'. He praised the 'humanity, consideration and good feeling' with which the three-day hearing had taken place. White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Friday insisted President Joe Biden's administration welcomes 'tough questions' from the press after she and another high-level official tore into journalists for their questions on U.S. intellience on the Syria raid and on Russia and the Urkaine. 'We welcome tough questions and good faith scrutiny, otherwise, I wouldn't come out here,' she said at Friday's press briefing. Psaki was on defense after she and State Department spokesman Ned Price tangled with reporters who questioned the raid in Syria that resulted in the death of the ISIS leader and an American claim that Russia was preparing to fake footage of an attack as a way to justify action in the Ukraine. Both spokespeople got snippy when reporters pressed them, insuinuating the journalists should trust them more instead of believing foreign governments. White House press secretary Jen Psaki insisted President Joe Biden's administration welcomes 'tough questions' from the press Psaki, in a gaggle with reporters on Air Force One on Thursday as the president headed to New York, bristled when NPR's Ayesha Rascoe asked her for proof of the American claim ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi used a suicide bomb, noting some might be 'skeptical of events.' 'Skeptical of the U.S. military's assessment when they went and took out the leader of ISIS? That they are not providing accurate information and ISIS is providing accurate information?,' Psaki responded. The U.S. government said ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi set off a bomb that killed himself as well as his wife and two children during a raid by U.S. commandos on a house in northwest Syria on Thursday. They also claimed that the civilian deaths in the raid were due to al-Qurayshi's actions. Psaki asked Rascoe why the military's account is considered as potentially 'not providing accurate information' while 'ISIS is [considered as] providing accurate information.' Rascoe noted: 'The U.S. has not always been straightforward about what happens with civilians. And I mean, that is a fact.' Six months earlier, the administration described a 'righteous strike' in Kabul - a drone attack on vehicle that American officials thought contained an ISIS bomb and posed a threat to U.S. troops at the airport. But a New York Times investigation showed there was no bomb and that the U.S. strike killed a longtime aide worker and his family. Psaki defended her response on Friday, arguing the U.S. was less than 48 hours from the Syria mission and was still working on its final assessment report. 'We are less than 48 hours from the end of the mission. So the Department of Defense is still conducting after action assessments that's a natural part of the process that occurs. I also conveyed in my answer to the question the president directed his Department of Defense to take every precaution to minimize civilian casualties and that we were released all of the information we could,' she said. Additionally on Thursday, at the State Department's press briefing, spokesperson Ned Price sparred with the Associated Press reporter Matthew Lee, who pressed him for evidence on the allegation that the Russians planned a false flag operation as a pretext for a Ukraine invasion. The Pentagon had said it had intelligence that Russia was planning to 'stage a fake attack' in order to justify any actions. Lee repeatedly asked Price for proof of this, saying the claim could be in 'Alex Jones territory.' 'I would like to see some proof that shows that the Russians are doing that,' Lee said. 'I'm sorry, you don't like the content,' Price responded. ' I'm sorry you are doubting the information that is in the possession of the U.S. government.' And he ended their testy five-minute exchange by telling Lee: 'If you doubt the credibility of the U.S. government, of the British government, of other governments, and want to find solace in information that the Russians are putting out that is for you to do.' Journalists took to Twitter to defend the reporters in both incidents, pointing to the first amendment and arguing it was a reporter's job to ask questions. Price later called Lee to apologize. 'The renowned @APDiploWriter and I have had our fair share of sparring sessions, and I have the scars to prove it. Clearly, he's no one's dupe, and I'd never want to suggest otherwise. Nothing but respect for him, which I underscored in a call to him after the briefing,' he wrote on Twitter. Jimmy Carr has been criticised for a 'truly disturbing' joke made about the travelling community and the Holocaust in Netflix special His Dark Material. The comedian, known for his stand-up and roles on shows like 8 Out Of 10 Cats, issued a 'trigger warning' to the audience at the beginning of his one-hour special, admitting his performance contained 'terrible things'. In a widely-shared clip from the show, Carr joked about the horror of the Holocaust and 'six million Jewish lives being lost'. Pictured: Comedian Jimmy Carr has been criticised for a 'truly disturbing' joke made about the travelling community and the Holocaust in his latest show the Netflix special His Dark Material As a punchline, the 49-year-old then made a disparaging remark about the deaths of thousands of Gypsies at the hands of the Nazis. He said: 'When people talk about the Holocaust' at which the audience gasped and he looked down at them, nodding. The 49-year-old continued: 'When people talk about the Holocaust, they talk about the tragedy and horror of six million Jewish lives being lost to the Nazi war machine. 'But they never mention the thousands of Gypsies that were killed by the Nazis. No one ever wants to talk about that, because no one ever wants to talk about the positives.' Carr then explained why he thought it was a 'good joke', saying that it was 'f**king funny', 'edgy as all hell' and because it had an 'educational quality'. It is estimated that between 200,000 and 500,000 Roma and Sinti people were murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust. As a punchline, Carr made disparagings remark about Gypsies deaths at the hands of the Nazis The joke sparked outrage from various traveller charities and anti-hate groups after a clip was shared on social media. In a tweet referencing the joke, The Traveller Movement - a charity supporting the traveller community in the UK, said: 'This is truly disturbing and goes way beyond humour. We need all your support in calling this out #StopTravellerHate @StopFundingHate.' The charity have now launched a petition to Netflix calling for the 'removal of the segments of His Dark Material which celebrates the Romani genocide'. Olivia Marks-Woldman OBE, Chief Executive of Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, added: 'We are absolutely appalled at Jimmy Carrs comment about persecution suffered by Roma and Sinti people under Nazi oppression, and horrified that gales of laughter followed his remarks. 'Hundreds of thousands of Roma and Sinti people suffered prejudice, slave labour, sterilisation and mass murder simply because of their identity these are not experiences for mockery. 'The widespread ignorance of this recent history needs to be addressed and we urge everyone to learn more about the past and the experiences of Roma people today. 'Roma and Sinti people still face dreadful prejudice as this incident shows. Please show your support by learning more, challenging hateful comments like these, and following accounts such as Roma Support Group, The Traveller Movement, and Friends, Families and Travellers.' In a tweet, Nadia Whittome, Labour MP for Nottingham East, has also urged Netflix to remove Carr's 'vile anti-GRT and antisemitic material'. In a synopsis of the programme, which aired on Christmas Day, it says the special features jokes which are 'career enders'. Similarly, not-for-profit organisation the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust shared a statement on Twitter from their CEO Olivia Marks-Woldman who was 'horrified' to hear 'gales of laughter' following Carr's remarks. Hope Not Hate, the anti-fascism and anti-racism campaigning group, also condemned the comedian's joke on Friday. In a tweet, they said: 'Comedy is an amazing tool for progressive change and it's such a shame that @jimmycarr decided to use his platform to celebrate the murder of one of the most marginalised groups in society.' The Auschwitz Memorial called for Carr to 'learn about the fate of some 23 thousand Roma & Sinti deported to Auschwitz' in a tweet to their 1.2 million followers. They added: 'It's sad to hear words that can fuel prejudice, hurt people & defile memory of their tragedy.' Anti-Islamophobia charity TellMAMA tweeted: 'It's deeply grotesque and dehumanising to make comedy from such immersible tragedy and the racist genocide of the Roma and Sinti by the Nazis. We stand with the GRT communities in full solidarity.' A representative for Carr has been contacted for comment. Advertisement ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi never left his three-story building outside the Syrian town of Atmeh The helicopters arrived low and fast out of the sky about an hour after midnight. American intelligence officers had pinpointed the leader of ISIS to the top of a three-story house among the olive groves just outside Atmeh, a Syrian town near the border with Turkey. Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi was a stickler for security. He never left the building, running his terrorist group with messages sent through a lieutenant who lived on the floor below. Two hours later al-Qurayshi - also known as Hajji Abdullah - was dead and 24 elite U.S. commandos were on their way home. The first neighbors knew of the lethal operation was the sound of helicopters, rousing them from their sleep. Minutes later they heard a voice through a bullhorn telling the building's occupants to give themselves up. 'Those who want to take part in jihad, come out,' the voice said, according to a neighbor who spoke to the New York Times. 'Everyone will be safe if you surrender. Those who remain will die.' At about the same time, another neighbor heard banging on his own door. American helicopters carrying 24 commandos arrived just after 1am. When they left two hours later ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi was dead An aerial image released by the Pentagon shows the compound where ISIS emir al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi lived. He ran his terror network through a lieutenant living on the second floor The top floor of the house was all but destroyed by the force of the suicide blast that killed al-Qurayshi. It was so powerful, said locals, that bodies were flung clear of the building He opened it to find American commandos - early, unconfirmed reports suggested they were members of Delta Force - and an Arabic translator, who quickly told his family to leave their house and shelter behind another building. In the age of social media, any secrecy was blown by now. Locals took to social media to report helicopter gunships and warplanes overhead. Flight tracking data showed drones monitoring the raid. 'The first moments were terrifying; no one knew what was happening,' Jamil el-Deddo, a resident of a nearby refugee camp, told the Associated Press. 'We were worried it could be Syrian aircraft, which brought back memories of barrel bombs that used to be dropped on us.' Al-Qurayshi's hideaway was already surrounded. American officials, in their account after the raid, said the commandos knew there was a civilian family living on the first floor potentially hindering an all-out assault. But as they repeated their warnings through a loudspeaker one man, one woman and an unspecified number of children fled the building. This 'tactical call-out' phase took about 45 minutes, according to one account. President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and members of the president's national security team observe the operation from the White House Situation Room The remains of a U.S. helicopter used in the raid on Thursday morning. Officials said it developed a mechanical problem and was later destroyed The raid was carried out close to Atmeh, a Syrian town close to the Turkish border. To complicate matters, it is territory held by feuding extremist groups Video shared on social media captured the messages. 'The area is surrounded by land and air,' said one message. 'The children are without blame. If there are children, they should come to me.' Then they they took a more threatening turn with warnings that American forces were about to open fire. Surrounded and outnumbered, with Black Hawks overhead, the ISIS leader on the third floor had only one way out. 'Unfortunately, ISIS once again revealed its barbarity,' said a senior administration official. 'In a final act of cowardice and disregard for human life, Hajji Abdullah detonated a blast - a significant blast - killing himself and several others, including his wife and children.' Any hope of capturing al-Qurayshi alive and interrogating him for his secrets was gone. The explosion ripped through the third floor of the building. It was so powerful, said the officials, that bodies were flung clear of the rubble. The detonation was the signal for the commandos to move in. But as they approached the building they came under fire from the second floor of the building. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby confirmed that the ISIS lieutenant opened fire - 'actually one of his lieutenants and the lieutenant's wife firing back at our forces,' he said. They were killed.' Officials said four children then left the building. A fifth had been killed on the second floor. During the operation one of the helicopters suffered what Kirby described as a 'drive train issue.' It was landed at another site where a rapid inspection suggested it could not be used during the rest of the operation, he added. Troops on the ground reportedly rigged it for demolition and it was then destroyed by one of US aircraft firing on it. Images from the site suggested it was a Nightstalker MH-60 Black Hawk, which in their basic form cost more than $5 million before being equipped for special forces use. An aerial view of wreckage around the site after an operation carried out by US forces targeting a high ranking jihadist in northern Syria last night Pictures from inside the building show blood spattering the walls after the raid A doll lies among the debris inside the house. First responders told the Associated Press that 13 people had been killed, including six children and four women The location of the house, in an area controlled by a former Al Qaeda affiliate, brought further complications. Before the team could leave one of the helicopters came under fire from hostile gunmen, said a senior administration official. Two enemy combatants died in the ensuing firefight. But from start to finish - or 'soup to nuts' as Kirby put it - the whole thing lasted two hours. That included time for the commandos to use fingerprints to confirm they had got their man and to collect a tissue sample for a more precise DNA analysis. And they would almost certainly have combed the wreckage of the second and third floors for phones, hard drives or any paper documents that might offer an insight into ISIS and its inner workings. But unlike the 2011 raid to kill al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden they left the body of al-Qurayshi behind. First responders told the Associated Press that 13 people had been killed, including six children and four women. And as the sun came up, photographs posted to social media showed garages some 100 yards away that had been strafed with what looked like 30mm cannon - leading analysts to suggest that US forces had acted to put escape vehicles out of action. Defense Secretary Austin Lloyd Austin said the raid was designed to minimize civilian casualties. 'We know that al-Qurayshi and others at his compound directly caused the deaths of women and children last night,' he said. 'But, given the complexity of this mission, we will take a look at the possibility our actions may also have resulted in harm to innocent people.' Critics had it out for radio host Adam Carolla after he suggested that people follow AOC because she is 'young' and 'beautiful.' 'Here's a quick thought experiment: If AOC was fat and in her 60s, would anyone listen to another thing she ever said?' Carolla asked Sean Hannity on Fox News. The Fox host shot back: 'Oh, boy. You're going to step in that one.' 'She's young, she's vibrant, she's beautiful and everyone's always putting a camera and a mic in her face,' the radio host said. 'But her opinions are idiotic 95% of the time. And I don't think if she was a middle-aged, heavy-set woman anyone would care what she had to say.' Even Hannity stepped in to defend the liberal firebrand. 'I'm not so sure I agree. Now, I will say this: You can criticize her ideas and I do, I think the Green New Deal is madness and insanity but she's got the whole Democratic Party following her.' 'Here's a quick thought experiment: If AOC was fat and in her 60s, would anyone listen to another thing she ever said?' Carolla asked Sean Hannity on Fox News 'If she and the squad decide Speaker Pelosi's out, I think she could probably be speaker,' Hannity continued. 'Look, I agree with you, I'm just saying if she was fat and old I don't think TMZ would be chasing her around with a camera,' said Carolla. 'If Adam Carolla were thin, good-looking and young, he would still be a flaming ahole,' one Twitter user remarked. Another described the exchange between Carolla and Hannity as 'a 57-year old man and a 60-year-old man discuss how irrelevant they would find a woman if she was their age.' 'She's young, she's vibrant, she's beautiful and everyone's always putting a camera and a mic in her face,' the radio host said 'But her opinions are idiotic 95% of the time. And I don't think if she was a middle-aged, heavy-set woman anyone would care what she had to say,' he added 'Meanwhile he is 57 and no one has listened to him in decades,' quipped one critic of Carolla. 'Women can't exist in public without offending misogynists like Adam Carolla,' wrote another. 'First AOC was too young, then she was 'just a bartender,' and now people only listen to her because she's cute?' Ocasio-Cortez could not be reached for comment on Carolla's claim. If AOC was fat and in her sixties, would anyone listen to another thing she ever said pic.twitter.com/jfK0v6VglV Acyn (@Acyn) February 4, 2022 Last month the New York Democrat was roasted for making a similar 'bizarrely anti-feminist' jeer. She was accused of 'frolicking in free Florida' while her home state enforced mask mandates, after her Miami lunch date with her boyfriend on December 30. Conservative media commentator Steve Cortes wrote on Twitter: 1. If leftists like AOC actually thought mask mandates, worked they wouldn't be frolicking in free FL. 2. Her guy is showing his gross pale man feet in public (not at a pool/beach with hideous sandals.' 'If Republicans are mad they can't date me they can just say that instead of projecting their sexual frustrations onto my boyfriend's feet. Ya creepy weirdos,' Ocasio-Cortez shot back. She continued: 'It's starting to get old ignoring the very obvious, strange, and deranged sexual frustrations that underpin the Republican fixation on me, women,& LGBT+ people in general. 'These people clearly need therapy, won't do it, and use politics as their outlet instead. It's really weird.' The suggestion drew a wide range of responses. 'I relate to AOC,' wrote CNN's Mary Katharine Ham. 'Literally every criticism of me boils down to people being disappointed they can't have sex with me. It is indeed a burden, but one we must bear.' She followed up the tweet with a meme from Mean Girls. 'This whole thing just seems bizarrely anti- feminist,' added Meghan McCain in a now-deleted tweet. 'So, anytime women's political choices are criticized we can just say it's because people want to sleep them? Can't we just disagree with your tax/climate/mask policies without being involved in this weird sex narrative?' Ian Haworth, editor of Daily Wire, tweeted: 'I definitely do not want to date you.' Ocasio-Cortez replied: 'I'm glad you felt the need to share that with the world. Don't worry, this is a totally normal thought to have and share as an editor of a right-wing website, and totally doesn't prove my point at all. 'I hear if you say it enough times you'll actually start to believe it.' She concluded with an attack on Haworth's conservative site. 'The fact that these people are so creepy/weird yet are also the ones responsible for shaping the NEWS HEADLINES we all see in media should be really concerning. 'I don't even want to know what knuckle-dragging thoughts these people have all day while covering women in politics.' Michael Avenatti has reached a new low: Guilty of stealing from the porn star client who made him famous. A Manhattan jury convicted the bulldog lawyer of stealing nearly $300,000 of book advance payments from Stormy Daniels marking his second conviction in two years. Advertisement Stormy Daniels, left, speaks as her lawyer Michael Avenatti listens outside federal court, Monday, April 16, 2018, in New York. (Mary Altaffer/AP) Evidence showed that in 2018, Avenatti forged Daniels signature and redirected advance payments for her tell-all, Full Disclosure, to an account he controlled badmouthing her behind her back while pretending to be an ally to her face. The disgraced California lawyer faces up to 22 years in prison when sentenced for wire fraud and identity theft. He is yet to begin serving 2 years in prison for trying to shakedown Nike for $25 million. Advertisement Rather than advise his clients in their best interests, Avenatti instead used his law degree as a license to steal. Michael Avenatti has once again been convicted by a unanimous jury for blatant abuse of his privilege to practice law and for betraying his solemn responsibility to his clients, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said. The verdict might be rock bottom for Avenatti, who must surrender to federal authorities on Monday. His trial in California on separate charges of defrauding clients and financial crimes ended in a mistrial. Prosecutors have not yet said whether theyll seek a retrial in that case. The Daniels case revolved around the client who made Avenatti a household name. Daniels hired Avenatti, 50, while trying to escape a nondisclosure agreement preventing her from speaking about her alleged tryst with President Donald Trump in 2006. Daniels had accepted a $130,000 hush money payment, delivered by Trumps then-personal attorney Michael Cohen, in exchange for her silence in the leadup to the 2016 presidential election. Avenatti agreed to represent her, though she didnt have much money to pay him. Instead, the lawyer planned to make big bucks off of a legal victory against Trump, Daniels testified. Avenatti became so famous through his relentless attacks against Trump on Daniels behalf that in 2018 he mulled running for the White House. The legal windfall never came but Avenatti needed money. He argued that he was entitled to the money he appropriated from Daniels because she owed him money for his legal work. Ladies and gentlemen, this was my money. This was the firms money. This wasnt Ms. Daniels money. We werent obligated to give Ms. Daniels money, he said. Advertisement Michael Avenatti speaks to members of the media after leaving federal court, Friday, Feb. 4, 2022, in New York. (John Minchillo/AP) Text messages introduced in court showed Avenatti praised Daniels to her face as an American hero throughout 2018 and early 2019, while she wondered why her book payments were months overdue. Behind her back, Avenatti told the book publisher Daniels was insane, dismissing her as a porn actress (who) doesnt understand the real world. He spent her money on payments for his Ferrari, as well as expenses for his law firm and coffee business. An attorney for Daniels, Clark Brewster, hailed the verdict. Michael Avenatti speaks to members of the media after leaving federal court, Friday, Feb. 4, 2022, in New York. (John Minchillo/AP) Stormy is relieved this nightmare is over, said Brewster. Still, Mr. Avenatti possessed the uncanny ability to steadfastly deny the crimes and persuade others he was entitled to the embezzled funds. Stormy is pleased that the justice system worked. Cohen, once one of Avenattis main adversaries, was also pleased. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > Justice has been served. Michael Avenatti has shown himself to be what I have always known him to be: a conman, a liar and a thief, Cohen told The News. Advertisement Avenatti dumped his defense team on the second day of trial. He cross-examined Daniels himself, seeking to portray her as delusional and holding a grudge against him. He grilled Daniels about her new gig as paranormal investigator on the online show Spooky Babes. On one occasion, according to you, you were standing in your kitchen and you remember feeling a womans presence, but more strongly than normal, correct? asked Avenatti. Correct, said Daniels. Avenatti chose not to testify in his own defense after the judge warned him that prosecutors would be able to grill him about his long history of alleged theft from clients. The verdict came shortly after the jury said it was deadlocked due to one juror who refused to participate. Verdict sheets released by the court showed a juror had checked not guilty, then scratched it out and checked guilty. Im very disappointed in the jurys verdict. I am looking forward to a full adjudication of all of the issues on appeal, Avenatti said outside the courtroom. A black doctor filed a lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase Bank after she said employees at a branch in Houston discriminated against her and denied her service because of her race. Dr. Malika Mitchell-Stewart, who had just started working with the Valley Oaks Medical Group in Houston, said she tried depositing her first paycheck for $16,000 last December at the bank. But she was met with skepticism as employees questioned the validity of her check and her job. According to the lawsuit filed Wednesday against the bank and two employees, the bank employees 'immediately treated her like a criminal' when Mitchell-Stewart walked into the First Colony Branch in Sugar Land, Texas. 'It was an unfortunate situation. They took my special moment away,' Mitchell-Stewart told ABC 13. 'I felt like a criminal. I've never done anything wrong.' Dr. Malika Mitchell-Stewart filed a lawsuit against JP Morgan Chase after employees at a Houston branch questioned her $16,000 paycheck and refused her service The company has apologized for the incident and said it would be investigating the branch Mitchell-Stewart said her elation at becoming a medical professional was crushed by the actions of the banking employees, who she said hounded her with questions about her age, job and even asked for contact information for people who would vouch for her identity. 'They didn't respect anything. I shouldn't have even been asked so many questions about my age, what I did for a living, just to open an account at Chase,' Mitchell-Stewart said. 'In order to get Texas medical license or a medical license at all, you have to have a clean record. You have to go to school for so many years, and they just didn't care.' Her attorney, Justin Moore added: 'Dr. Mitchell-Stewart showed proof of identification. She showed proof that she was a doctor by presenting a business card. She even called employees from her medical group to confirm who she was.' Mitchell-Stewart (left) said she hasn't done anything wrong and that her joy over her new job had been shattered by the incident. Her attorney, Justin Moore (right) condemned the bank for their alleged actions against the doctor In a following statement, Moore condemned the action of the Chase Bank employees but said the discrimination Mitchell-Stewart faced was nothing new. 'For a black female physician to be treated this way by Chase is a devastating reminder that no matter how hard we try and how far we climb, major corporations in this country still view us as if we are nothing.' JPMorgan Chase said in a statement that the company is 'investigating the situation' and apologized for what Mitchell-Stewart went through. 'We take this matter very seriously,' the company said. 'We have reached out to Dr. Mitchell-Stewart to better understand what happened and apologize for her experience.' The Pentagon said on Friday that a single Islamic State suicide bomber was responsible for the suicide attack that killed 13. U.S. troops and at least 170 Afghans at Kabul airport in August - and its investigation found it was not the result of a complex attack, involving a bomb and gunmen, as previously thought. The attack brought a tragic conclusion to the hurried U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and has cast a long shadow over the Biden administration ever since. Briefing reporters on their findings, investigators said the explosion sent 5mm ball bearings through a packed crowd and that the attack could not have been prevented. But they also said British, American and Taliban representatives had discussed closing the Abbey Gate - where the blast happened - just 36 minutes before the attack. They kept it open because there were still evacuees trying to get to the airport. And the investigators released never before seen footage of the moment the bomb exploded and drone video of the immediate aftermath. Marine General Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, said the investigation found no definitive proof of hostile shooting. 'I want to acknowledge that the investigation differs from what we initially believed on the day of the attack,' he told reporters. 'At the time, the best information we had in the immediate aftermath of the attack indicated that it was a complex attack by both a suicide bomber and ISIS-K [the local ISIS affiliate] gunmen.' The Pentagon released overhead images showing the location of the blast by Abbey Gate of Slides shown during Pentagon briefing show how the US dead and wounded were close to the canal where the bomber detonated his explosives, and had clustered together to search potential evacuees. The worst hit were standing on a wall overlooking the canal The worst hit were inside a 50-metre blast zone, close to a sniper tower Afghans trying to flee the Taliban were crowded into a canal, while a line of Marines held back the rest of the crowd. The worst of the casualties were packed into this area beneath the breeze-block sniper tower at the top of this picture, released on Friday by the DoD A U.S. Marine stands on the wall above the canal. Personnel on the wall suffered the worst of the casualties when a lone bomber detonated his explosives The bombing happened on Aug. 26 in the final days of a chaotic evacuation. The Taliban had already taken control of Kabul and American troops were helping American nationals and Afghans flee the country amid crowded conditions at the airport. It was the darkest chapter in the operation, and prompted questions about why the Biden administration had not been better prepared. Investigators laid out a detailed account of the how the bombing was carried out. A lone bomber, dressed in black, carrying about 20 pounds of explosives was responsible, they said. He was able to approach the airport's Abbey Gate without being stopped because Afghans had begun using a variety of different routes to avoid Taliban checkpoints. Investigators displayed photographs taken of the crush in the area just before the blast and explained that Marines were forming human barriers to prevent people getting through unchecked. They said the bomber detonated his explosives by a canal that formed part of the physical defenses of the airport - and likely raised the bomb in the air as he did so. The found the remains of a tattered backpack among the debris. The dead and wounded Americans were hit as shrapnel and ball bearings flew across the canal ditch, and the worst hit had been standing up on a wall to search potential refugees. U.S. personnel were clustered together at the base of a sniper tower. The attack happened during the chaotic evacuation, as Americans and Afghans made their way to the airport to beat President Biden's Aug. 31 deadline for the operation to end 'The reason so many service members were consolidated the base of the sniper tower was the necessity to hold back the crowd,' said Lt. Col. Bert Smith. 'And you continue to screen for potential evacuees for as long as possible to save as many lives as possible.' The blast radius was 50 metres, he said. McKenzie added: 'The disturbing lethality of this device was confirmed by the 58 U.S. servicemembers who were killed and wounded despite the universal wear of body armor and helmets that did stop ball bearings that impacted them, but could not prevent catastrophic injuries to areas not covered.' The moment the bomb detonated was captured in a short video shown during the briefing. Two Marines stand in the foreground before an explosion can be seen in the distance, sending flames and a plume of smoke shooting into the air. Longer videos shot from overhead people rushing to treat and evacuate the wounded. Another video, showed the crush a day before the attack, when a Marine was pulled into the crowd by the muzzle of his rifle. More troops rather than barriers were put in place to control the crowd, by The Taliban were responsible for an outer layer of security. But the investigation - which included interviews with 139 people - found that they were unaware of the attack in advance, that security precautions were being taken and that intelligence about potential threats that was circulating that day was not specific. 'Based upon our investigation, at the tactical level this was not preventable,' said Brig. Gen. Lance Curtis, who led the investigation. Military officials said that gunfire after the blast was found to be warning shots fired by U.S. and British troops, and that no one was killed or wounded by gunshots. A paedophile who sexually abused an award-winning Scottish actress was today convicted of offences against two other children after she gave evidence against him for a second time. Colin McKissock, now 70, was jailed for three years in 2017 for offences he committed against the star when she was aged just 11. After reading reports of that case on the internet, a man went to Hertfordshire Police to say he had been a victim of McKissock when he was aged between 11 and 13 and was living in Watford. A woman also told officers she had been touched by McKissock, who now lives in Northampton. McKissock, who was released on bail pending sentencing next month so he could receive cancer treatment, was warned by a judge that he would be returning to prison. Colin McKissock, now 70, has been convicted of further child sex abuse offences after more victims came forward following his first conviction in 2017 when an award-winning Scottish actress gave evidence in court and accused him of molesting her when she was 11 years old The star, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told a jury at St Albans Crown Court she had been groomed by McKissock who had 'blindsided her by sweets'. In the 2017 case, Ayr Sheriff's court heard he exposed himself to her, showed her pornographic films and magazines, performed a sex act in her presence, used a sex aid, persuaded her to expose herself and perform a sex act. He was also found guilty of indecent practises and behaviour towards a friend of hers. McKissock, a retired bank worker and finance manager, from Bellinge, Northampton, was convicted of 13 charges: eight charges of indecent assault on a male, three charges of indecency with a child and two of indecent assault on a female. The male victim from Watford said he was aged between 11 and 13 in the early 1990s when he went to McKissock's home after school where he found him in a dressing gown watching pornography on a television and masturbating. He said McKissock got him to engage in sexual activity saying he was 'giving him an education'. At St Albans Crown Court today (pictured) 70-year-old Colin McKissock was told by the judge to expect to return to prison when he is sentenced next month on Friday, March 18 The female victim said she was aged 12 and 13 when he touched her on two occasions. McKissock, who still denies the 1980s offences, said he never discussed sex with any of the children and did not have pornography on the television when they were present. He said he was not sexually interested in children. Judge Richard Foster said McKissock will be sentenced on Friday March 18. He granted McKissock bail as an 'act of mercy' so a treatment plan can be prepared for his diagnosis of cancer but he warned him: 'When you come back you will be going to prison so prepare yourself for that.' Caryn, 56, is believed to have come from New York back to her lavish five-bedroom, seven-bathroom home Advertisement Jeff Zucker's ex wife Caryn has been seen arriving at her $11million home in exclusive Palm Beach, Florida, as the storm continues over her ex husband's affair and resignation as CNN president. The mom-of-four looked pensive as she got out of a chauffeured white Mercedes SUV in her driveway carrying a bundle of newspapers cataloging the fallout of Zucker's affair with colleague Allison Gollust that cost him his $6million-a-year job. Caryn, 56, is believed to have come from New York back to her stunning five-bedroom, seven-bathroom home in a quiet palm tree-lined street just a few steps from the ocean. Wrapped in a black jacket over a white top and wearing Gucci loafers, she juggled her iPhone and a garment bag bulging with at least four outfits. DailyMail.com spotted Jeff Zucker's ex wife Caryn arriving at her $11million home in Palm Beach, Florida. Wrapped in a black jacket over a white top and wearing Gucci loafers, she juggled her iPhone and a garment bag bulging with at least four outfits A teenage boy wearing a UCLA sweatshirt, sweat pants, Nike sneakers and carrying two bags was with her The mom-of-four looked pensive as she got out of a chauffeured white Mercedes SUV in her driveway. She carried a bundle of newspapers cataloguing the fallout of Zucker's affair with colleague Allison Gollust Caryn, 56, is believed to have come from New York back to her lavish five-bedroom, seven-bathroom home A teenage boy wearing a UCLA sweatshirt, sweat pants, Nike sneakers and carrying two bags was with her. Caryn and Zucker split in 2018 during the former TV chief's long-running 'open secret' affair with Gollust, 49 DailyMail.com attempted to speak with her at the home but was refused permission. The previous day we were told by her father Carl Nathanson, a former high flying New York attorney: 'She's not going to say anything.' Caryn arrived back at noon Friday as the controversy over her 56-year-old ex-husband's sudden departure from one of television's top jobs showed no sign of dying down. Caryn and Zucker split in 2018 during the former TV chief's long-running 'open secret' affair with Gollust, 49. The couple lived in the same Manhattan apartment building as Gollust and her then husband Billy Hult and even the doormen knew of the illicit relationship and tried to keep Caryn and Allison from interacting. Zucker eventually ended the marriage at a Rosh Hashanah dinner for the Jewish New Year, it has been reported. His ex-wife bought her 7,000 sq. ft. mansion in November 2020, for $8.4million. It is in one of the most luxurious parts of Palm Beach and has risen in value by $2.7million in just two years. Zucker quit on Wednesday as part of the fallout from the firing of former anchor Chris Cuomo, who blew the whistle on his ex-boss's affair in his fight for $18million severance pay he says he is owed. Caryn arrived back at noon Friday as the controversy over her 56-year-old ex-husband's sudden departure from one of television's top jobs showed no sign of dying down Caryn bought her 7,000 sq. ft. mansion in November 2020, for $8.4million. It is in one of the most luxurious parts of Palm Beach and has risen in value by $2.7million in just two years Caryn, 56, is believed to have come from New York back to her magnificent five-bedroom, seven-bathroom home in a quiet palm tree-lined street just a few steps from the ocean Zucker with his ex-wife Caryn in 2011 (left) and Gollust with her ex-husband Billy Hult (right) in 2008. The pair have known each other and worked together for 20 years, starting at ABC, and media sources say their affair was an 'open secret' Chris was fired in December last year after an internal investigation found he had helped his brother Andrew, the former Governor of New York, navigate through a sexual misconduct scandal, while still working as a CNN host. He is still fighting for $18million - the remainder of his contract - but Zucker had refused to pay out, citing the conflict of interest between Chris's relationship with his brother and his on-air reporting for CNN. According to Politico's sources, Cuomo's team said it was hypocritical for Zucker to fire Chris for a conflict of interest when he has one of his own in his relationship with Gollust. 'Jeffs affair with Allison has been going on forever not since COVID!' one source told DailyMail.com. 'Everyone has known it but he still denied it. It was part of the reason for his divorce, but not the only reason. 'It was inevitable that it would come out he should have been up front sooner.' Another said: 'It was the worst kept secret inside the building. 'Jeffs office was right next to Allisons office at Hudson Yards and before that at the Time Warner Center on Columbus Circle. 'The joke was they werent only sharing a wall. No one believes that this only happened over pandemic. They have been close for years. 'The closest it ever came to being outed was when Page Six reported on their heavy exchange at the Hollywood Reporters 35 Most Powerful People in NY Media party. 'They had a very public fight at the party that didnt seem to have anything to do with work.' Zucker admits lying about when the romance began during the investigation into whether or not Chris Cuomo, formerly the network's most successful host, helped his brother, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, through his sexual harassment scandal. 'I acknowledged the relationship evolved in recent years. I was required to disclose it when it began but I didn't. I was wrong. 'As a result, I am resigning today,' he said. A New Jersey snowplow driver was fired after he allegedly blasted snow and ice on two Orthodox Jewish men who were walking to a religious service Saturday. The former Waste Management employee Donny Klarmann had posted video on social media of himself targeting the two men in Lakewood, New Jersey. Klarmann was with his coworker at the time and the pair can be heard laughing with one another from the snowplow. 'This one's for you JC,' the caption to the video on his Facebook page says. The post has since been removed. In addition to losing his job, Klarmann also is facing possible hate crime charges from the two men, who have not currently been named. Video footage captured the moment two Orthodox Jewish men were blasted by New Jersey snowplow driver Donny Klarmann as the pair were walking to a religious service on Saturday Klarmann posted the footage on his Facebook profile with the caption 'This ones for you JC' Klarmann and his coworker were heard laughing in the video as he was seen blasting the pair Klarmann (above) has since been fired from his position with New Jersey Waste Management and if facing possible hate crime charges New Jersey Waste Management has since issued a statement to apologize on behalf of the company. 'The hateful conduct depicted in this video is unacceptable and does not reflect the values of inclusion and diversity we hold as a company,' they wrote in a statement. 'The employee is suspended while we investigate the incident, but we can confirm that this behavior will not be tolerated from any WM employee and we will not employ those who act in this way.' The company also stated that Klarmann was off duty at the time and the vehicle he was using did not belong to either person inside. Lakewood Mayor Raymond Coles also noted that the two men could have suffered serious injuries from the flying snow and ice. 'I was appalled and shaken when I saw this video. Not only was it cruel but it was also incredibly stupid and dangerous,' Coles said in a statement. 'The plow could easily have thrown chunks of ice or rock and seriously injured or killed either of the victims. I am glad to know our police department is investigating all aspects of this incident.' New Jersey Waste Management released a statement apologizing for the incident Lakewood Mayor Raymond Coles also spoke and said the two men could have been seriously injured due to the flying snow and ice The Lakewood Police Department and the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office are investigating. 'This is an ugly, aggressive act of anti-Jewish bigotry. We are grateful to Waste Management for taking swift action that sends the right message to companies around the world that behavior like this will never be tolerated,' Roz Rothstein, the co-founder and the CEO of StandWithUs told Fox News. The video has spread through Twitter after being posted on several accounts including @StopAntiSemitism.org. Commenters helped to identify Klarmann as the perpetrator in the incident. The incident comes amid a flurry of anti-Semitic incidents in the past month. Malik Faisal Akram, 44, was killed on January 15 after he seized a Texas synagogue and kept four people hostage A law enforcement vehicle sits near the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue on January 16, 2022 in Colleyville, Texas One of the four hostages is seen being escorted from the building shortly after 5pm. The other three would remain inside for several hours more On January 15, British Pakistani Malik Faisal Akram took four people hostage at the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville, Texas. Faisal was angry over the imprisonment of Pakistani national Aafia Siddiqui, his sister, who was serving an 86-year prison sentence on charges of attempted murder for trying to kill US soldiers. Following a 10-hour standoff, all four hostages were released including the congregation's rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker. Akram was shot dead at the scene by the FBI's hostage rescue team. Incidents related to anti-Semitism were at a decade high in 2021 with 30 percent occurring in the US, according to a report from the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency for Israel. Her husband, Kashif Anwar, has appeared in court charged with her murder The family of a mother-to-be who fell to her death from Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh said the 'spark has gone out of our lives forever' as a vigil was held in her honour. Fawziyah Javed, 31, from Pudsey in Leeds, died in Holyrood Park in September. Her husband, Kashif Anwar, has appeared in court charged with her murder. On Friday, the date the lawyer's unborn son had been due, people gathered to remember a woman who 'would always take time out to help others'. 'Fawziyah has left a massive void in our lives. The spark has gone out of our lives forever. We miss you every single second of the day,' her family said in a statement read out at the short service outside the Scottish Parliament, in view of the hill where she died. Friends and relatives of Fawziyah Javed, 31, today gathered to hold a vigil near Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh where she fell to her death in September last year Fawziyah Javed, 31, was believed to be holidaying in Scotland with her husband Kashif Anwar, 27, when she plunged to her death on the famous cliffside overlooking the Scottish capital at around 9pm on September 2 The family, who were attending a similar vigil in Millennium Square next to Leeds Civic Hall, said in their tribute that when she died their lives 'were devastated and our world shattered forever'. Before laying flowers at the service, Adnan Hanif, her 29-year-old uncle who is studying in Edinburgh, said: 'It was a big, big tragedy. 'She was very caring and helpful. She considered that she had an honour to help other individuals. 'She was an only child and it is a big tragedy for us. All her family members are missing her a lot.' The family, who were attending a similar vigil in Millennium Square next to Leeds Civic Hall, said in their tribute that when she died their lives 'were devastated and our world shattered forever' The trainee solicitor, from Pudsey, West Yorkshire, was pregnant with her first child, a little boy, at the time of her passing A statement read out on behalf of Farah Siddiq (pictured) - from the Amina organisation, which supports Muslim women in Scotland - said: 'Fawziyah was well known for her kindness, generosity, big heart and selflessness' People from across Edinburgh and beyond attended the service in Scotland, where flowers were laid and candles were lit in her memory and speeches made by women's organisations from across the capital. A statement read out on behalf of Farah Siddiq - from the Amina organisation, which supports Muslim women in Scotland - said: 'Fawziyah was well known for her kindness, generosity, big heart and selflessness. 'Fawziyah would always take time out to help others, whether it was volunteering with a charity or helping a friend in need. Her husband Kashif Anwar, 27, has since been charged with murder in relation to her death 'Fawziyah would often go over and beyond the call of duty. Truly inspirational and a great role model to others. God gifted, so special in many ways.' A minute's silence was then held in her memory. Ms Javed's husband, Kashif Anwar, 27, made no plea when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in September. A prominent MP is having an affair with a dashing but married diplomat likened to James Bond. Dehenna Davison, who represents a former Red Wall Labour seat and was linked to the Pork Pie Plot against Boris Johnson, has previously been very public about her love life. And the Mail can now reveal the 28-year-old is in a relationship with Tony Kay, 49, a Middle East expert at the Foreign Office. Awarded an OBE for his work during the Arab Spring uprising, the father of two has been deputy ambassador to Israel and once threw a fancy-dress screening of a Bond film for hundreds of official guests. Dehenna Davison, 28, is in a relationship with Tony Kay, 49, a Middle East expert at the Foreign Office. Pictured: The couple walking hand in hand Dehenna Davison MP.Dehenna Davison MP embraces with Tony Kay at Waterloo Station waiting for the train to Ascot, where his marital home is His latest post is as head of the Arabian peninsula department at the Foreign Office. His affair with Miss Davison is potentially sensitive given his high-profile position. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Middle East minister James Cleverly have been informed about the relationship, a source said. On Wednesday Miss Davison and Mr Kay were seen walking hand in hand down a quiet street on the south side of the Thames in London. They then walked to Waterloo station where they embraced and kissed for several minutes before he caught a train. It is believed he was travelling to the million-pound house he and his 47-year-old wife bought three years ago in Ascot, Berkshire. Brought up on a Sheffield council estate, Miss Davison won a scholarship to private school and was just 13 when her father was killed in a fight at a pub. When she was 24 she married John Fareham, a Hull councillor 35 years her senior. In October Miss Davison used a television interview to announce she was bisexual. Pictured: Dehenna Davison with Boris Johnson. When Ms Davison was 24 she married John Fareham, a Hull councillor 35 years her senior (pictured on Bride and Prejudice) Miss Davison then starred in the Channel 4 documentary Bride and Prejudice, focusing on their 'taboo' age-gap relationship. After her shock win in the 2019 election for the Conservatives in the former coal mining area of Bishop Auckland, County Durham, she began divorcing Mr Fareham, 63. It is not clear whether that divorce is complete. Last May she informed parliamentary officials she was in a relationship with Ahzaz Chowdhury, 35, a parliamentary lobbyist. She later announced that the five-week relationship had ended. In October Miss Davison used a television interview to announce she was bisexual. 'I went on a few nice dates, dates with a few nice girls and a few nice guys,' she said. 'And it was just, you know, fun.' Ms Davison represents a former Red Wall Labour seat and was linked to the Pork Pie Plot against Boris Johnson (pictured with wife Carrie) It is believed that Mr Kay and Miss Davison met in July 2019 when she was in a small group of prospective parliamentary candidates on a Conservative Friends of Israel trip. The group visited Gaza and the West Bank. The pair have been growing closer ever since and he has moved into her expenses-funded home. A Whitehall source said: 'The relationship between Dehenna and Tony hasn't been going on since they met in 2019 it's six months. His wife has known for half a year, the kids know, the Foreign Secretary Liz Truss knows, James Cleverley knows, his line manager knows, the permanent secretary knows. 'He's done absolutely everything by the book, and kept his line manager informed throughout. He's going through a divorce process with his wife, he's still married. 'It's not entirely unreasonable for him still to be going to the family home, but his marriage is over. Dehenna's flat is her flat, and she's entitled to have whoever she wants in her flat.' As our man in Calgary, Canada, in 2015 Mr Kay hosted 400 bigwigs at a screening of the Bond film Spectre and the local paper reported: 'The British consul general in Calgary could easily be the next James Bond.' A female envoy who has worked with him said: 'Tony is charming, intelligent and discreet, the perfect diplomat.' Miss Davison declined to comment, as did Mr Kay. Former President Donald Trump lashed out at his vice president for saying he had 'no right' to overturn Biden's 2020 win, claiming he is 'right and everyone knows it.' Trump, 75, bashed Mike Pence, 62, in another political row over the 2020 election results, calling the former VP an 'automatic conveyor belt for the Old Crow Mitch McConnell.' 'Just saw Mike Pences statement on the fact that he had no right to do anything with respect to the Electoral Vote Count, other than being an automatic conveyor belt for the Old Crow Mitch McConnell to get Biden elected President as quickly as possible,' Trump wrote in a statement. McConnell has recently denounced Trump's plan to pardon or shorten the sentences of the January 6 rioters. The President continued: 'Well, the Vice Presidents position is not an automatic conveyor if obvious signs of voter fraud or irregularities exist. I was right and everyone knows it. If there is fraud or large-scale irregularities, it would have been appropriate to send those votes back to the legislatures to figure it out. 'A great opportunity lost, but not forever, in the meantime our Country is going to hell!' Former President Donald Trump, 75, attacked his former VP Mike Pence, 62, for saying he had 'no right' to overturn Biden's 2020 presidential win He claimed he was 'right and everyone knows it' in a statement on Friday and claimed Pence was a 'conveyor belt for the Old Crow Mitch McConnell' when he didn't intercept the electoral college vote Trump continues to insist that Pence could have overturned the election, despite the vice president's presiding over the certification of the vote is largely ceremonial. The Constitution does give the VP the power to overturn the results. Lawmakers are trying to change the Electoral Count Act to clarify the language, but Trump claimed in his statement 'thats why the Democrats and RINOs [Republicans in Name Only] are working feverishly together to change the very law that Mike Pence and his unwitting advisors used on January 6 to say he had no choice.' 'The reason they want it changed is because they now say they dont want the Vice President to have the right to ensure an honest vote,' he said. 'I had no right to overturn the election,' former Vice President Mike Pence said in a speech Friday, where he said former President Donald Trump was 'wrong' in his assessment Earlier, Pence delivered his most direct and public rebuke of Trump on Friday saying he had 'no right' to overturn the 2020 election as Trump demanded. Pence made the statement in a defiant speech to the Federalist Society in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. He directly took on Trump's claim which the president voiced in an extraordinary statement Sunday that Pence had the authority to 'overturn' the election. 'But there are those in our party who believe that as the presiding officer of the Joint Session of Congress, that I possessed unilateral authority to reject Electoral College votes,' Pence said, speaking to his own constitutional role overseeing the vote count on Jan. 6th, 2020. 'And I heard this week that President Trump said I had the right to overturn the election. President Trump is wrong,' Pence said. 'I had no right to overturn the election. The presidency belongs to the American people and the American people alone.' Pence was speaking in lay terms to make the same point he made on January 6th, 2020, when he put out a detailed letter to lawmakers explaining why he did not have the authority Trump claimed, and that any such 'unilateral' authority would be 'antithetical' to the balance of powers envisioned by the Founders. 'Old Crow' McConnell, 79, has recent announced that he did not agree with Trump's position on pardoning or lessening the sentences of the January 6 rioters It didn't stop Trump from tweeting that day that he lacked 'courage' and should have acted anyway. What followed was a mob who rampaged through the Capitol, with some chanting to 'hang' Pence for failing to refuse to send back electoral votes from states where Trump was claiming fraud. Pence went further on Friday, calling the idea 'unAmerican.' 'And frankly, there is no idea more unAmerican than the notion that any one person could choose the American president. Under the Constitution, I have no right to change the outcome of our election.' Then he added a crowd-pleasing rejoinder. 'And Kamala Harris will have no right to overturn the election when we beat them in 2024,' Pence said, to applause from the conservative legal group. 'Look, I understand the disappointment many feel about the last election. I was on the ballot,' he quipped. 'Whatever the future holds, I know we did our duty that day.' Former President Donald Trump discussed a blanket pardon for Jan. 6th rioters during his last weeks in office, according to a new report Pence spoke publicly after Trump said he could have 'overturned' the election, where Joe Biden got about 7 million more votes than Trump in the popular vote His rebuke follows Trump saying he might pardon Jan. 6th defendants Trump has long maintained that Pence could have ruled in a way that would have 'sent back' votes to states that had formally certified their electors for Joe Biden. Pence said Friday he had no such power Trump caused an uproar at his Saturday rally in Texas, when he dangled pardons for January 6 rioters. He promised to treat 'those people from January 6 fairly' if he runs and wins the White House. 'And if it requires pardons we will give them pardons because they are being treated so unfairly,' Trump said. The former president doubled down with another extraordinary statement on Sunday, where he said Pence could have 'overturned' the election seemingly confirming critics probing the events of Jan. 6th who said he was trying to do just that. Maryland Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin, who serves on the House January 6 Committee, on Friday in a Pacifica radio interview once again referred to what happened as an attempted coup d'etat organized by the president against Pence and the republic. In a series of tweets, Rep. Liz Cheney said the leaders of the Republican Party 'have made themselves willing hostages' to former President Donald Trump Trump spoke near the White House Jan. 6th and urged his supporters to 'fight,' in remarks that preceded the Capitol riot Wrote Trump: 'If the Vice President (Mike Pence) had "absolutely no right" to change the Presidential Election results in the Senate, despite fraud and many other irregularities, how come the Democrats and RINO Republicans, like [Senator] Wacky Susan Collins, are desperately trying to pass legislation that will not allow the Vice President to change the results of the election?' He continued: 'Actually, what they are saying, is that Mike Pence did have the right to change the outcome, and they now want to take that right away. Unfortunately, he didnt exercise that power, he could have overturned the Election!' Pence's statement, before a group that furnished names of many of the conservative judicial nominees Trump installed on the bench during his four years, was notable for a man who was a loyalist who refused repeated opportunities to rebuke Trump or his statements while in office. He even took guff for his frequent expressions about Trump's 'broad shoulders,' at a time when Trump organized cabinet meetings where top politicians would praise him. Both Pence and Trump are potential candidates for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. Pence's statement came on a day the Republican National Committee voted through a resolution condemning GOP Represenatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, who both serve on the House committee on Jan. 6. In yet another illustration of Trump's grip on the Republican Party, the resolution accused the pair of serving as 'pawns to parrot Democrat talking points' on the House select committee probing the events. It also chided them for 'pursuing what amounts to a third political impeachment of President Trump.' Pence's public break comes after it was revealed his former chief of staff, Marc Short, testified before the House select committee, whose probe has extended to Trump's efforts pressure state election officials, internal Justice Department maneuverings, the role of Oath Keepers and militias, and those who planned the rallies January 6. Pence on Friday spoke of raising his right hand to take the oath to the Constitution when he took office. "As constitutional conservatives, the American people must know that we will always keep our oath to the Constitution, even when it would be politically expedient to do otherwise,' he said. 'The American people must know, as the bible says, that we'll keep our oath, even when it hurts.' He called January 6, a 'dark day in the history of the United States Capitol. Lives were lost. Many were injured.' He noted that under the Constitution, election are conducted at the state level. 'The only role Congress has with respect to the Electoral College is to open and count the votes submitted and certified by the states. No more, no less.' He noted the Founders were 'deeply suspicious' of consolidated power, and bashed a Democratic voting rights bill he called an effort to 'nationalize' elections. Pence calling Trump's demand 'unAmerican' is a substantial escalation from his earlier comments. The way he put it in New Hampshire in June when describing January 6 was to say: 'You know, President Trump and I have spoken many times since we left office. And I dont know if well ever see eye to eye on that day.' Trump has not said he intends to run in 2024, but has been inching closer, issuing a flurry of endorsements and talking about things he would do if back in the White House. Pence, too, is a possible GOP contender, but lags far behind Trump in opinion polling. Recent weeks have seen political jockeying between Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, another potential 2024 contender. Rep. Jim Jordan spoke on the phone with the former president for 10 minutes on the morning of Jan. 6, before his supporters breached the Capitol and the Ohio Republican objected to the 2020 election results, according to the House committee investigating Jan. 6. The select committee is now in possession of records detailing the call, two sources told CNN. The new call records come as the committee weighs whether to subpoena Jordan after he refused to appear voluntarily before the committee. Jordan admitted last month that he spoke to Trump 'more than once' that fateful day. However, he has repeatedly said 'I don't know' when asked whether he spoke with Trump that morning before objecting to election results. 'I know I talked to him after we left the floor,' Jordan has said. The committee called on Jordan to discuss his communications with them, requests which he denied. A letter from committee chair Rep. Bennie Thompson notes that Jordan had 'one or possibly multiple' communications with Trump on Jan. 6, as the president resisted calls to give a televised address instructing rioters to go home. Rep. Jim Jordan spoke on the phone with the former president for 10 minutes on the morning of Jan. 6, new records reveal U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a 'Save America Rally,' just before his supporters breached the Capitol Jordan, a staunch ally of Trump, admitted last month that he spoke to Trump 'more than once' that fateful day Thompson said the committee wishes to discuss Jordan's communication with the president on Jan. 6 'in detail,' as well as any communication the congressman may have had with Trump's legal team, White House personnel and others involved in planning the rally for that day. Jordan rejected the request. Politico reported that both Jordan and Rep. Matt Gaetz, both staunch Trump allies, pled with the former president over the phone to go on TV and tell the rioters to go home. The call logs provided to the committee are part of the documents the National Archives turned over to the committee after Trump lost a bid before the Supreme Court claiming they should remain private. Jordan was also named as one of the people who communicated with former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows to propose a way for Mike Pence to overturn the election results. House congress members carry their gas masks as they were evacuated from the House Chamber due to rioters Jim Jordan speaks during a House debate over whether to ratify the 2020 election results Jordan was originally selected by GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy to be one of the five GOP members who would serve on the committee, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected him, choosing to include Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger instead. The Republican National Committee, meanwhile, approved a censure of Cheney and Kinzinger for their involvement in the committee. In a meeting Thursday, the committee reportedly debated slapping three lawmakers with a subpoena - Jordan, McCarthy and GOP Rep. Scott Perry. 'You know, you have to respect this institution,' Thomspon told CNN. 'You know, we have to see whether or not it's ever been done before. If it had, on what authorities. So, we just want to be right. And if we are not in good standing with it, then I mean, we probably won't do it.' The Jan. 6 committee so far has subpoenaed Mark Meadows, former White House chief of staff, Daniel Scavino, former White House deputy chief of staff for communications, Kashyap Patel, former Defense Department official, Stephen Bannon, former Trump adviser, and Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal attorney who was an ardent defender of Trump's claims that the 2020 election was 'rigged' against him. They've also subpoenaed Jeffrey Clark, a former DOJ official, former Trump advisors Stephen Miller and Max Miller, former White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, among others. Ophelie Meunier is a familiar face on French TV.Former frontwoman of the daytime and evening news on Canal+, she now presents Zone Interdite (Forbidden Zone), a popular documentary series similar to Channel 4's Dispatches. Today, Miss Meunier, 34, is under police protection after receiving death threats following her investigation into the growth of Islamist influence in the northern town of Roubaix, near Lille. Officers from the armed SDLP (Service de la Protection) police unit, which normally provides security for the country's president, ministers and visiting heads of state, have been assigned to her, after her revelations about Sharia-compliant faceless children's toys being on sale in Roubaix, as well as restaurant booths to 'shield' women from the male gaze. At one point, Miss Meunier is believed to have been separated from her husband and two children and placed in a 'safe house'. 'It's intolerable for Ophelie to find herself in this situation for having just done her job', a colleague told the Mail this week. A contributor to the programme (a Muslim lawyer, incidentally) was also threatened with decapitation. Today, Miss Meunier, 34, (pictured) is under police protection after receiving death threats following her investigation into the growth of Islamist influence in the northern town of Roubaix, near Lille In France, where state secularism is supposed to guarantee 'liberty, equality and fraternity' for everyone under the law, freedom of speech is being increasingly eroded. One can't help but think of parallels with today's Britain. For example, less than a year ago, there was the teacher from West Yorkshire who was suspended and forced into hiding after receiving death threats for showing his class a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad. An independent inquiry later found he had not meant to cause offence when the image was shown in his religious studies class. But the damage was done. The backlash against Miss Meunier following the Zone Interdite film, broadcast on the M6 channel on January 28 and watched by an audience of more than two million, has only just emerged. It has thrust Roubaix (pop; around 100,000) into the centre of the presidential election in which immigration is a key and increasingly toxic battleground. Roubaix, which is twinned with Bradford, West Yorkshire, has one of the largest Muslim populations (an estimated 20,000) of any town in a country which itself has the largest Muslim population in Western Europe (an estimated 5.7 million). A small minority of Muslims believe that depiction of distinct features on any children's toy is haram forbidden in the Hadith, a major source of religious law and moral guidance based on the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad. Pictured: Faceless dolls Down the years, the town has acquired a reputation, rightly or wrongly, for extremism. In 2008, the annulment of the marriage of a Muslim couple from Roubaix because the groom found out his bride was not a virgin caused anger across France. Medical personnel now face jail if they accept requests to issue young women with certificates of virginity before marriage under a battery of measures unveiled by the French government to quell the 'pernicious ideology of radical Islam' that President Macron says is undermining France. More recently, a radical preacher who believes women should be hidden from sight, regularly gave sermons at one of the biggest mosques in Roubaix. Currently, the mayor of Roubaix is also being prosecuted for approving funding for an association, billed as an organisation to help teach local poorer pupils, but which was later accused of offering Islamic education instead; public bodies are banned from subsidising religious charities. So it's not hard to understand why Zone Interdite producers chose to make a film about life in Roubaix. But how did the town react to the programme? In the nearby Boulevard Gambetta, is Le Familial (The Family) a restaurant which has curtain-drawn booths (pictured), not unlike the changing rooms in clothes stores, where Muslim women or anyone else, the management points out can eat, if they so wish, without being seen by men One response, at least, is spelled out in giant letters on a brick wall along the canal. The graffiti tag reads: 'M6depute', which roughly translates as 'M6 are whores.' Visiting Roubaix this week, we were struck by how much this industrial town and its twin city Bradford have in common. Both share history rooted in the highly successful 19th-century textile industry and both have suffered a long period of economic decline. Rue de Lannoy is the bustling main artery that stretches out for a mile from the centre of Roubaix to the banlieues or suburbs where, typically, the poor, the unemployed and the immigrant population live. It is home to many small businesses, including six halal butchers' shops. In the nearby Boulevard Gambetta, is Le Familial (The Family) a restaurant which has curtain-drawn booths, not unlike the changing rooms in clothes stores, where Muslim women or anyone else, the management points out can eat, if they so wish, without being seen by men. Le Familial was featured in the documentary. The waiter can be heard advising the reporter from Zone Interdite, who had a hidden camera and was posing as a customer, that female diners should come during the week, as weekends are very busy, so they can be sure of getting a cubicle. Pictured: A veiled woman walks past a soldier patroling in a street of Roubaix, northern France, on January 13, 2015, as France announced an unprecedented deployment of thousands of troops and police to bolster security at 'sensitive' sites (file image) The reporter then asks: 'It's good for women with headscarves?' The waiter replies: 'That's what it is for.' 'There is no law against the booths,' a relative of the owner Abdellaziz Ould Lazizi told the Mail this week. 'All sorts of people use them: men, women, families, Christians, Muslims and Jews.' Critics have suggested that opening up the booths to all customers when perhaps the real purpose is to cater for Muslim women as the waiter implies on camera is simply a way of getting round what is known in France as laicite (secularism), the aim of which is to keep religion out of public spaces. Overtly religious symbols, whether clothes, hats, jewellery, toys or food, are discouraged or even banned from public spaces. The relative, who asked to be named only as Tafik, denied this. Two days after the programme aired, the police commissioner, the most senior officer in Roubaix, visited the premises with health and safety officials and shut it down 'for hygiene reasons'. But Tafik believes Le Familial was shut for political, not hygiene, reasons. 'The timing is not a coincidence,' he said. 'The government is picking on our restaurant because we appeared in the documentary. They need to be seen to act. It has nothing to do with hygiene.' A woman wearing a niqab, a type of full veil, as she walks in a street in the center of Roubaix, northern France, on January 9, 2014 (pictured) Given Emmanuel Macron's determination to combat creeping Islamification 'separatism' is the word he actually uses which he says is dividing the nation, it's hard not to believe this was the case, particularly when far-Right populists like Eric Zemmour, a rival in the upcoming presidential election in April, has cited Roubaix as an example of Macron's failure to tackle the immigration 'problem.' We found a second restaurant with similar booths in the centre of Roubaix the Spicy Village curry house which was not part of the Zone Interdite investigation. It is still open. Back on Rue de Lannoy, a range of Islamic clothing and religious books are on sale in Tijara Shop. One is called 'Qui Est Allah?' (Who Is Allah?) which recounts the adventures of two little boys who set out to find Allah. The book only has a couple of lines of text on each page, in French and Arabic and lots of colourful pictures. It is no different, in this respect, from most Christian books for small children. Except the two boys, and everyone they encounter, have no faces. The shop also sells faceless teddy bears. A small minority of Muslims believe that depiction of distinct features on any children's toy is haram forbidden in the Hadith, a major source of religious law and moral guidance based on the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad. Back in Roubaix is a bookshop with the shutters pulled down, so it was not possible to go inside to establish whether it was the same bookshop, highlighted in the recent documentary, which sold inflammatory or 'sulfureux' Islamic publications (file image) In Afghanistan, for example, the Taliban recently declared shop mannequins to be haram and ordered that they be 'beheaded' to make them 'Sharia-compliant.' In 2014, a 25 'Sharia-compliant' faceless doll made headlines when it went on sale in Britain. And yes, you can still buy faceless toys at some shops in the UK. Back in Roubaix is a bookshop with the shutters pulled down, so it was not possible to go inside to establish whether it was the same bookshop, highlighted in the recent documentary, which sold inflammatory or 'sulfureux' Islamic publications. One of the most popular, the shop assistant says, is often given as a present before weddings and explains the duties and rights of wives and husbands. Among the 'duties' of wives, according to the voiceover on the documentary is not to anger their husbands or refuse them sex. A few minutes' walk from Rue de Lannoy is the Abou Bakr mosque, an old industrial building, without a minaret, where worshippers practise Salafism, an ultra-conservative, fundamentalist strand of Islam, who believe in a unified Islamic state. Salafism, it should be stressed, encompasses a wide range of beliefs including non-violent religious devotion. A few minutes' walk from Rue de Lannoy is the Abou Bakr mosque, an old industrial building, without a minaret, where worshippers practise Salafism, an ultra-conservative, fundamentalist strand of Islam, who believe in a unified Islamic state (stock image) The mosque has been the subject of controversy, however. Saudi preacher Mohammed Ramzan Al-Hajiri, who once told an audience 'that woman are like a sweet that must remain hidden to keep their value', addressed followers at the mosque in 2013, 2014, and 2015. In 2016, he spoke, on the telephone, to worshippers to mark the start of Ramadan. Al-Hajiri was given a 'TE' tag by the French authorities, meaning there is official opposition to him entering France until 2050. Officially, however, he is not legally banned from entering. When we tried to speak to someone at the Abou Bakr mosque we were ushered out of the building. Meanwhile, mosque representatives have denounced Isis in the French press. The mosque itself is situated on Rue Franklin, around the corner from where the charity called Association Ambitions et Initiatives pour la Reussite or AAIR (Association Ambitions and Initiatives for Success) used to be based an association now under investigation for illicit Islamic teaching at an after-school club. The allegation has echoes of Trojan Horse, the scandal that, in 2014, exposed attempts to impose a hardline Islamic ethos on secular schools in Birmingham. AAIR was founded in 2007 by Nordine Khabzaoui, who was a senior member of the Abou Bakr mosque, the focus of French media coverage in the past. It was AAIR that was given 64,640 (more than 50,000) by the local council. Mayor of Roubaix Guillaume Delbar, who approved the payment, has been charged with breaking the law 'by negligence' which prohibits public bodies from funding religious charities. He was due to appear in court in Roubaix on Wednesday, but was unable to attend because he had Covid; he has denied the charges, claiming he was tricked. Three members of AAIR, including Mr Khabzaoui, who are accused of a breach of trust, which they also deny saying they never offered religious lessons were present at the hearing. The court postponed proceedings to give defence lawyers more time to study key documents. A tip-off from lawyer Amine Elbahi led to the criminal investigation of AAIR. Mr Elbahi, 25, whose own sister became an Isis bride when she was 19 after converting to radical Salafist Islam in Roubaix denounced the spread of radical Islam in the Zone Interdite documentary. This is what happened next: first his mobile number was leaked on instant messaging app SnapChat. Then he received a barrage of insulting calls. 'The insults turned into threats, then death threats,' said his lawyer Jean Tamalet, who has represented the victims of terrorism for over a decade. 'The calls came every two minutes, some in Arabic, some in French. They said things like: 'We know where you are. I'm going to slice your throat. I'm going to cut your head off.' ' Mr Tamalet contacted a former Special Services officer to protect his client before being given police protection. 'It took just two days for the state to approve protection,' Mr Tamalet revealed. 'This is very rare. It proves how serious the threats were.' Mr Tamalet contacted a former Special Services officer to protect his client before being given police protection (stock image) His client, meanwhile, remains under police protection, like journalist Ophelie Meunier, while French investigators trawl through his messages to find the culprits. A number of groups in Roubaix, Mr Tamalet believes, are being used to groom young people. 'The men running these outfits are Islamists from Yemen and Pakistan who bring their extreme version of Salafist Islam to France,' he said. Radicalism in Roubaix, many believe, is being fuelled by poverty. Roubaix is consistently rated among the poorest towns in France. Around 43 per cent of the population was living in poverty in 2019, which is 30 per cent higher than the average French city, according to official data from the National Institute of Statistics and Economic studies. La Condition Publique is a state-funded cultural centre near the Abou Bakr mosque. 'I think the main problem in Roubaix is poverty and employment,' said Jean-Christophe Levassor, the director of Condition Publique. 'Radical Islam is mainly the consequence.' Prime Minister Jean Castex recently told Le Monde newspaper: 'The enemy of the republic is a political ideology called radical Islamism, which aims to divide the French among themselves.' Whatever the cause, for many in France, Roubaix epitomises a much wider problem.' The kingpin of a years-long MTA overtime fraud conspiracy who claimed to work 18 hours a day, seven days a week in 2018 was sentenced to eight months in prison Friday. Thomas Caputo, 57, is one of five Long Island Rail Road workers busted by federal prosecutors for filing astronomical amounts of overtime for no-show shifts. Caputo, a track worker from Islip, L.I., billed more than any of them, raking in $461,000 in 2018. That made him the Metropolitan Transportation Authoritys highest-paid employee that year, surpassing even the agencys chairman. Advertisement This was a quintessential type of public corruption, Manhattan Federal Judge Paul Engelmayer said, calling the scheme a feeding frenzy of overtime fraud. A man believed to be Thomas Caputo walks out of Manhattan Federal Court Friday, Feb. 4, 2022. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News) Caputo pleaded guilty to federal program fraud last year. The four other co-conspirators charged with bilking taxpayers through the scam have all pleaded guilty or been sentenced to time in prison. Advertisement Prosecutors wrote that overtime fraud was commonplace at the LIRR for years. Caputo was particularly brazen, taking advantage of poor oversight as he self-approved bogus time cards. An investigation revealed he was bowling in Long Island during some shifts he claimed to work. Caputo told one co-conspirator that he was going to f--- the LIRR and make as much money as he could before he retires, Engelmayer said, citing evidence from the case. Caputo was part of a crew of who agreed to cover for each others absences at work as they made easy money on the taxpayer dime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Monteleoni said Caputo filed for nearly 1,000 more hours of overtime in 2018 than any of his fellow scammers. The Long Island Rail Road is at Jamaica Station in Queens. (Frank Franklin II/AP) But Caputo was not the orchestrator of the scheme, Monteleoni added. Instead, the boondoggle was enabled by the MTA itself through poor oversight of mega-projects like the massive Hudson Yards housing development project on Manhattans West Side and the long-delayed East Side Access project that aims to bring LIRR trains into a new station beneath Grand Central Terminal. We do not believe he originated this scheme, said Monteleoni. Large construction projects provided an opportunity. People saw and exploited it. The accused fraudsters have argued sleeping on the job was commonplace and that there was even a bed on the jobsite for workers who had nothing to do while collecting OT. Prosecutors used phone records, credit card receipts and records from the bowling alley to prove Caputos crime. Advertisement If you commit overtime fraud, you will go to prison. The public expects that public employees will show up and receive honest pay for an honest days work, not line their pockets with double-time or time-and-a-half pay while out bowling, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said. Prosecutors said Thomas Caputo and others pulled off the brazen overtime scam thanks to lax LIRR oversight. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) The federal investigation was made more difficult because Caputo would often keep his cell phone in a special bag designed to block GPS signals, the convicted track worker admitted in court. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > Theres no excuse for what I did, Caputo told the judge. It was a huge mistake. Its not the way I was raised. Caputo was also sentenced to six months of home confinement, 200 hours of community service and will pay $109,641 in restitution. He retired in 2019 and will be able to collect a pension. Caputo is scheduled to report to prison on March 18. His attorney James Kousouros requested he serve his time in a facility thats safe from COVID-19 but also admitted that Caputo was not vaccinated against the virus. This abuse of trust was outrageous and justice has now been served, said MTA spokesman Tim Minton. The MTA has taken a range of steps to better control overtime and those efforts have already resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in savings. Advertisement Judge Paul Engelmayer described the scam as a "feeding frenzy of overtime fraud." (Frank Franklin II/AP) The sentence was harsher than two other LIRR workers already sentenced for the scheme. Co-conspirators John Nugent and Joseph Balestra have been sentenced to five and three months in prison, respectively. Kousouros said MTA officials were aware of the overtime fraud problems for years before prosecutors caught on. The LIRR knew that all of this was going on, he said. To the extent that they knew people werent showing up, they did nothing about it. Health officials are being told they need to be in the office just once a week, the Mail can reveal today. Despite No 10 trumpeting a huge back to work drive, Department of Health staff are obliged to do only 'a minimum of four days a month in the office'. The policy was revealed by a junior minister who said civil servants were moving to a 'new model of hybrid working'. Yet Cabinet Office enforcer Steve Barclay said last month that Whitehall staff would be expected to return full time following the easing of 'Plan B' curbs. And Boris Johnson has said officials needed to 'show a lead' to boost the nation's post-pandemic economy. This met fierce resistance from unions which said a 'headlong rush' back would be reckless. Boris Johnson (pictured) has said officials needed to 'show a lead' when it comes to returning to the office, to boost the nation's post-pandemic economy Health minister Edward Argar (pictured) said: 'The department is transitioning to a new model of hybrid working. Staff are expected to work partly in the office and partly from home, with a minimum of four days a month in the office unless there is a business or wellbeing reason not to do so.' A Mail audit at the end of last month found that only a tiny minority of civil servants were in the office full time. At some departments, the Mail counted just 3 per cent of staff at their desks. Numbers are thought to have improved only marginally since then even though, at health, officials are grappling with a treatment backlog and a waiting list of six million patients. Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said it was unfair for officials to keep working from home when frontline medics had to be in hospitals and surgeries. 'What about the nurses and doctors? They don't have a choice,' he said. 'Civil servants have got to understand that sometimes you have to lead from the front and they should be back at their desks. 'And where is the leadership from ministers? It's outrageous that this is being abused. 'We might accept the odd day a week working from home but four days a month is cocking a snook at the British public.' Conservative MP Peter Bone said: 'I just don't understand it how is the Department of Health, where you have to bounce ideas off each other and you've got to talk to people, only requiring people to come in less than a day a week? 'If people only are only deemed to need to come in four days a month, then you might be better off investing the money elsewhere. 'The minister should either rethink the four days a month requirement or get rid of the people he doesn't need to come into the office.' The arrangement at the Department of Health emerged this week following a question from Tory MP Christopher Chope. Health minister Edward Argar replied: 'The department is transitioning to a new model of hybrid working. Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said it was unfair for health department officials to keep working from home when frontline medics had to be in hospitals and surgeries. (Stock image) Only this week, an official report revealed that 8.7billion of the 12.1billion the Department of Health spent on personal protective equipment in the first year of the pandemic was wasted either on items that were not up to standard, or overpriced. (Pictured: Building which houses the Department of Health) 'Staff are expected to work partly in the office and partly from home, with a minimum of four days a month in the office unless there is a business or wellbeing reason not to do so.' Sir Christopher said this policy was appalling. He added: 'It's incredible that when everyone realises we need to get back to office work, the Department of Health and Social Care doesn't think that that's the case. Is this meant to be setting an example?' Only this week, an official report revealed that 8.7billion of the 12.1billion the Department of Health spent on personal protective equipment in the first year of the pandemic was wasted either on items that were not up to standard, or overpriced. The Government has so far refused to publish detailed figures on the number of civil servants who have returned to the workplace and departments have been tight-lipped about their policies on getting staff back, referring inquiries to the Cabinet Office. Whitehall has been criticised for its work from home culture during the pandemic. Sarah Healey, the permanent secretary at the Culture Department, famously boasted about how much she liked it because it allowed her to get on her Peloton exercise bicycle during the day. The work from home diktat was reimposed last year amid a rise in Covid cases triggered by the Omicron variant but lifted last month along with other Plan B curbs. Many MPs and business leaders believe staff must return to the office to boost productivity and career development and help beleaguered businesses in town centres. It is understood that the Department of Health does not have space for every member of staff because it expanded personnel numbers during the pandemic. A Whitehall spokesman declined to comment. Victoria will lift its ban on non-urgent elective surgery as COVID-19 hospital patient numbers fall short of Omicron forecasts. Elective surgery is ramping up to 50 per cent of normal levels from Monday in Victorian private hospitals and day procedure centres as part of a staged plan, Health Minister Martin Foley confirmed. Category two and three elective surgery was suspended in early January before a 'code brown' declaration was instituted in hospitals, as Victoria's health system prepared to manage up to 2500 COVID-19 patients in February. The number of COVID-19 hospitalisations in the state has instead fallen from an all-time high of 1229 on January 17 to a four-week low of 707. Mr Foley said health authorities expect numbers to either gradually continue to reduce or plateau, paving the way for elective procedures to resume. Non-elective surgery will ramp up in Victoria next week 'It's clear that Omicron has put a huge pressure on our healthcare system,' Mr Foley told reporters on Friday. 'Whilst we regret having to delay all non-urgent category one surgery, we are now in a position ... to cautiously and carefully turn that system back on next week.' The latest data shows Victoria's elective surgery waiting list blew out from 67,177 in late September to 80,826 by year's end, before the month-long pause. The staged restart is similar to that announced in NSW earlier this week, although does not immediately extend to public hospitals in regional and rural areas. Mr Foley flagged non-urgent surgery could return to 75 per cent of normal levels for regional public hospitals and 50 per cent in Melbourne-based public hospitals in coming weeks. He said further resumption of elective surgery would depend on updated health advice next week, taking into account seven-day rolling hospital case figures. The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation insisted elective surgery should not restart in the public system until hospitals ended surge staffing models. 'The private acute sector must step up and take up more of the public sector burden over the next few months,' ANMF Acting Victorian Secretary Paul Gilbert said. The state government has unveiled a $1.4 billion funding package for the health system, including $938 million for public hospitals, $161 million for its PPE stockpile and more than $30 million for critical medicines and equipment. Additionally, almost $35 million will fund extending Ambulance Victoria surge measures. Ambulance Victoria recorded the busiest three-month period in its history last year with 91,000 lights and sirens "code one" cases between October and December, up 16 per cent from the same quarter in 2020. Chief executive Tony Walker urged the community to avoid adding to the caseload for paramedics when possible, as one in five triple zero calls are not for emergencies. Opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier said the $1.4 billion funding injection was 'too little, too late'. Victoria recorded 11,240 new cases and another 36 COVID-related deaths on Friday, taking its fatality tally in the past week to 185. About 2900 school students and 410 staff tested positive for COVID-19 during the first week of term one. However, the Department of Education confirmed no schools had been closed due to COVID-19 outbreaks or staff shortages. 'All affected schools are managing their cases incredibly well - with clear emails to families alerting them to a positive case and the details of the exposure so parents can monitor their children for symptoms,' a department spokesman told AAP. 'With more than 1.1 million Victorians in schools every day, these cases are an extremely low proportion of the overall case tally.' A young nurse is facing serious jail time after two separate police raids uncovered bundles of cash, party drugs and a stun gun. Samantha Bidmade, 29, was arrested last year after a treasure trove of meth and GHB was found at her Geelong home and another apartment in Melbourne. Bidmade on Friday pleaded guilty to a swag of charges, including dealing the deadly drug ice, possessing counterfeit money and owning a stun gun. Her ice-dealing chum, Dion Negrea, 24, faces an even longer stint behind bars for his role in the drug operation. Samantha Bidmade, 29, (pictured) is facing serious drug trafficking charges after two separate police raids uncovered bundles of cash and party drugs Dion Negrea, 24, had already been given a chance in life after being caught alongside his uncle operating a 'one-stop super shop' drug racket. The Melbourne Magistrates' Court heard Negrea was the brains behind the drug-dealing Bonnie and Clyde, pleading guilty to trafficking 118 grams of meth and another 2.24 litres of GHB. He had already been serving a community corrections over another drug dealing escapade which at the time had been described as a 'one-stop super shop' drug racket. Upon his sentence for that crime, a County Court of Victoria judge had warned him he faced a lengthy jail sentence should he get caught dealing drugs while serving the community order - but he didn't listen. Bidmade was once a nurse at Geelong Hospital before her career was derailed in 2020 during the peak of the Covid-19 crisis in Victoria. A previous court hearing was told she had used at least five mobile phones fitted with encrypted messaging apps to run her illicit drug operation. Police had alleged the phones that were seized in the raids revealed detailed discussions about the movement of drugs and money. Police executed a search warrant in November that year, busting down the door of an apartment on Queens Road in Melbourne where she was the only person found inside. Prosecutor Senior Constable Jacki Davis said 135g of meth was found along with 2.5L of GHB and more than $57,000 in cash, the Geelong Advertiser reported. She was granted bail after agreeing to a $20,000 surety, a curfew and regular urine screenings. But the court heard she 'repeatedly breached' those conditions, landing back in police custody after the home she shared with her mother in St Albans Park, Geelong, was raided in February last year. Bidmade (pictured left and right) used at least five mobile phones fitted with encrypted messaging apps to run her illicit drug operation Melbourne Magistrates' Court heard Negrea was the brains behind the drug operation Police uncovered small quantities of meth and butanediol - a chemical compound which can be converted to GHB. The court heard police believed Bidmade was trafficking 'large quantities' of drugs to support her addiction and repay drug debts. Bidmade's career began to unravel after she suffered nerve damage opening a curtain in a bizarre workplace injury. Bidmade appeared in court via video link on Friday from her mother's home yet again after being granted bail despite her atrocious behaviour while on bail. In negotiating a plea deal with prosecutors, the court heard Bidmade accepted responsibility for just a fraction of the drugs found by police. Bidmade's (pictured) career began to unravel after she sustained nerve damage opening a curtain in a bizarre work-place injury However, she pleaded guilty to possessing the lion's share of the cash - believed to be the proceeds of crime. In sending the matter over to the County Court of Victoria, which is authorised to deal out far longer sentences than the magistrates' court, Magistrate Fiona Hayes ordered Bigmore not to use her mobile phone for anything other than calling her mum, cops, lawyer and drug counsellors. She must also handover another $20,000 as a surety. Negrea, who remains on bail for now at a drug rehabilitation facility, must also cough up $20,000 to remain free. Both crooks hope to escape a hefty jail sentence by having their matters dealt with in the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Court. The court is seen as a soft option for young criminals as it has a mandate to promote 'the rehabilitation of people through specialised, individually tailored treatment and supervision model'. Prosecutors have already indicated they will oppose such an application in the County Court of Victoria in the hope both feel the full force of the higher court's justice. When it comes to mosquitoes, the annoying buzzing and incessant biting can leave many people seeing red. But as it turns out, that's exactly what the insects themselves are picturing, and researchers say that's why they're drawn to human skin. A new study led by scientists at the University of Washington suggests that mosquitoes after detecting a telltale gas that we exhale fly toward specific colours, including red, orange, black and cyan. Conversely, they ignore green, purple, blue and white. The researchers believe this helps explain how mosquitoes find hosts, since human skin, regardless of overall pigmentation, emits a strong red-orange 'signal' to their eyes. Mosquitoes are drawn to specific colours including red, orange and black, a study has found WHAT IS YELLOW FEVER AND WHO IS AT RISK? Yellow fever is a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes in tropical regions and is still a major killer in Africa. It had largely been brought under control in the Americas. The first sign that the fever was back in Brazil was the death in 2017 of hundreds of monkeys in the Atlantic rain forest in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Espirito Santo and Sao Paulo. The World Health Organization said 777 human cases of yellow fever had been reported in eight Brazilian states since December 2016 and that 261 people had died from the virus. An estimated 200,000 cases of yellow fever are reported worldwide each year, including 30,000 deaths. Symptoms of the viral infection include fever, severe headache, muscle pain, nausea and vomiting, and fatigue. The disease can be combated with the yellow fever vaccines, a live-virus shot recommended for people 9 months through 59 years old who are traveling to or living in areas at risk for yellow fever virus transmission. Advertisement 'Mosquitoes appear to use odours to help them distinguish what is nearby, like a host to bite,' said senior author Jeffrey Riffell, a University of Washington professor of biology. 'When they smell specific compounds, like CO2 from our breath, that scent stimulates the eyes to scan for specific colors and other visual patterns, which are associated with a potential host, and head to them.' The findings reveal how a mosquito's sense of smell known as olfaction influences the way it responds to visual cues. Knowing which colours attract hungry mosquitoes, and which ones do not, can help design better repellants, traps and other methods to keep mosquitoes at bay, the researchers said. 'One of the most common questions I'm asked is, "What can I do to stop mosquitoes from biting me?"' said Riffell. 'I used to say there are three major cues that attract mosquitoes: your breath, your sweat and the temperature of your skin. 'In this study, we found a fourth cue: the colour red, which can not only be found on your clothes, but is also found in everyone's skin. 'The shade of your skin doesn't matter, we are all giving off a strong red signature. Filtering out those attractive colours in our skin, or wearing clothes that avoid those colours, could be another way to prevent a mosquito biting.' In their experiments, the team tracked the behaviour of female yellow fever mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti, when presented with different types of visual and scent cues. Like all mosquito species, only females drink blood, and bites from A. aegypti can transmit dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya and Zika. The researchers tracked individual mosquitoes in miniature test chambers, into which they sprayed specific odours and presented different types of visual patterns such as a coloured dot or a tasty human hand. Without any odour stimulus, mosquitoes largely ignored a dot at the bottom of the chamber, regardless of its colour. After a spritz of CO2 into the chamber, however, the mosquitoes continued to ignore the dot if it was green, blue or purple. But if the dot was red, orange, black or cyan, mosquitoes would fly toward it. In their experiments, the team tracked the behaviour of female yellow fever mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti (pictured), when presented with different types of visual and scent cues Humans can't smell CO2, which is the gas we and other animals exhale with each breath, whereas mosquitoes can. Previous research, including by Riffell's team, has shown that smelling CO2 boosts female mosquitoes' activity level searching the space around them, presumably for a host. The coloured-dot experiments revealed that after smelling CO2, these mosquitoes' eyes prefer certain wavelengths in the visual spectrum. It's similar to what might happen when humans smell something good. 'Imagine you're on a sidewalk and you smell pie crust and cinnamon,' said Riffell. 'That's probably a sign that there's a bakery nearby, and you might start looking around for it. Here, we started to learn what visual elements that mosquitoes are looking for after smelling their own version of a bakery.' Most humans have 'true colour' vision. We see different wavelengths of light as distinct colours: 650 nanometers shows up as red, while 450 nanometer wavelengths look blue, for example. The researchers do not know whether mosquitoes perceive colours the same way that our eyes do. But most of the colours the mosquitoes prefer after smelling CO2 orange, red and black correspond to longer wavelengths of light. Human skin, regardless of pigmentation, also gives off a long-wavelength signal in the red-orange range. When Riffell's team repeated the chamber experiments with human skintone pigmentation cards or a researcher's bare hand mosquitoes again flew toward the visual stimulus only after CO2 was sprayed into the chamber. If the scientists used filters to remove long-wavelength signals, or had the researcher wear a green-colored glove, then CO2-primed mosquitoes no longer flew toward the stimulus. 'These experiments lay out the first steps mosquitoes use to find hosts,' said Riffell. The experts said more research was now needed to determine how other visual and odour cues such as skin secretions help mosquitoes target potential hosts at close range. The study has been published in the journal Nature Communications. Greenland's ice sheet has lost a whopping 4,700 gigatons of ice over the last two decades, a study has warned enough to submerge the US under 1.5 feet of water. This finding comes from a Danish analysis of data from the Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites collected from April 2002August 2021. Ice loss on this scale, the researchers explained, has contributed some 0.47 inches (1.2 centimetres) to global sea level rise since just 2002. The study comes via the Danish Meteorological Institute, National Space Institute, and the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland's Polar Portal website. Greenland's ice sheet has lost a whopping 4,700 gigatons of ice over the last two decades, a study has warned enough to submerge the US under 1.5 feet of water. Pictured: mass gain and loss from the Greenland ice sheet in August 2021 relative to an April 2002 baseline This finding comes from a Danish analysis of data from the Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites collected from April 2002August 2021 Ice loss on this scale, the researchers explained, has contributed some 0.47 inches (1.2 centimetres) to global sea level rise since just 2002, as depicted In fact, a 2019 study published in the journal Nature calculated that under current levels of warming Greenland (pictured) will contribute around 35 inches (713 centimetres) to global sea level rise come the end of the century AMAZING GRACE The Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) was a joint mission of NASA and the German Aerospace Center. Two satellites GRACE-1 and -2, or 'Tom' and 'Jerry' took measurements of the Earth's gravitational field. By looking at how these readings changed over bodies like the Greenland ice sheet over time, scientists can determine how much mass the glacial ice has lost. Advertisement 'Data shows that most of the loss of ice occurs along the edge of the ice sheet,' the researchers wrote on their website. At the edges, they explained, 'independent observations also indicate that the ice is thinning, that the glacier fronts are retreating in fjords and on land, and that there is a greater degree of melting from the surface of the ice. 'High on the central region of the ice sheet, however, the GRACE satellites show that there is a small increase in the mass of the ice. Other measurements suggest that this is due to a small increase in precipitation/snowfall.' Ice loss is particularly severe along the West Greenland coast, where the warming of subsurface waters is accelerating glacial melt, according to NASA researchers. The loss of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are among the primary drivers of the sea-level rise being triggered by climate change, NASA have said. Together, these glacial masses are thought to contain around 99 per cent of the world's total freshwater reserves. Where the entire Antarctic ice sheet to melt, it would raise global sea levels by some 200 feet (60 metres), the US National Snow and Ice Data Center have said. Should Greenland's ice sheet vanish, meanwhile, it would release enough water to increase global sea levels by a whopping 24 feet (7.4 metres). In fact, a 2019 study published in the journal Nature calculated that under current levels of warming, Greenland will contribute around 35 inches (713 centimetres) to global sea level rise come the end of the century. The study comes via the Danish Meteorological Institute, National Space Institute, and the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland's Polar Portal website. Pictured: the 8 main drainage basin into which Greenland can be divided 'Data shows that most of the loss of ice occurs along the edge of the ice sheet,' the researchers wrote on their website. Pictured: ice is being lost at different rates from the different basins 'As a rule of thumb, for every centimetre rise in global sea level, another 6 million people are exposed to coastal flooding around the planet,' University of Leeds climate scientist and author of the 2019 paper, Andrew Shepherd, told NASA. 'On current trends, Greenland ice melting will cause 100 million people to be flooded each year by the end of the century, so 400 million in total.' The full findings of the current study were published on the website Polar Portal. The loss of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are among the primary drivers of the sea-level rise being triggered by climate change, NASA have said. Pictured: the change in the thickness of ice over Greenland between 20182020 Orcas might be known as killer whales, but they may have another crime in mind. This is the conclusion of Deakin University-led experts, who found that the marine mammals are teaching each other how to steal fish and their remains from fisheries. The researchers studied the feeding behaviours of orcas living off of the coast of the Crozet Islands in the southern Indian Ocean between 20102017. They found that the number of local orcas who feed by stealing Patagonian toothfish from fisheries has increased significantly over this period. Orcas (pictured) might be known as killer whales, but they may have another crime in mind. This is the conclusion of Deakin University-led experts, who found that the marine mammals are teaching each other how to steal fish and their remains from fisheries ORCA 'DEPREDATION' Scientists refer to the stealing of fish from the lines and nets of human fisheries as 'depredation'. The marine mammals will also eat the discarded remains of fish that have already been gutted. The team believe orcas may be increasingly relying on sourcing food via such raids because it is becoming more difficult for them to find prey. Advertisement The study was undertaken by fisheries engineer Morgane Amelot of Deakin University in Victoria, Australia and her colleagues. 'Fisheries can generate feeding opportunities for large marine predators in the form of discards or accessible catch,' the researchers explained in their paper. 'How the use of this anthropogenic food may spread as a new behaviour, across individuals within populations over time, is poorly understood.' Around the Crozet Islands, killer whales are known to favour Patagonian toothfish to eat. Past research by both fishers and scientists have indicated that raids by the mammals on fisheries have been on the increase. However, it has been unclear whether this is because more orcas have been moving into the area, or whether more of the killer whales already living around the archipelago have taken to life of toothfish-themed crime. To learn more, the researchers monitored the feeding behaviour of two subantarctic killer whale populations referred to as 'regular' and 'Type-D' off the Crozet Islands, based on photographs taken by fishermen, scientists and tourists. Because killer whales sport unique colour patterns, the team were able to identify the individuals in the photographs to see if new orcas had arrived in the area. Their investigation, however, found little evidence of this. Instead, it appears that the orcas who have already learnt to pull off raids on fisheries were inspiring others from the local population to follow suit for an easy meal. In 2010, the team identified 17 killer whales that had conducted raids of fisheries but come 2017 this group had increased in number to 43. The team also believe that not only are more orcas learning to steal food from fisheries, but also that they are doing so at an increasing rate. The full findings of the study were published in the journal Biology Letters. The researchers studied the feeding behaviours of orcas living off of the coast of the Crozet Islands in the southern Indian Ocean between 20102017 They are some of the most popular cartoon characters ever created and known the world over - but just what would the likes of Ned Flanders, Rapunzel and Moana look like in real life? Well, the images below offer a glimpse after being created by a digital artist who used artificial intelligence (AI) to help imagine what a host of characters from Disney films to The Simpsons might be like if they were 'human'. Hidreley Leli Diao, from Brazil, who grew up watching The Simpsons, Hanna-Barbera shows, and Disney animations, experimented with a piece of software that creates photo-realistic portraits of people who do not actually exist. A digital artist from Brazil has used artificial intelligence software to create photo-realistic portraits showing what popular cartoon characters might look like in real life. Pictured is Ned Flanders from The Simpsons Brought to life: This image (left) shows what Rapunzel (right) might look like if she was human WHAT IS FACEAPP? FaceApp is a photo-morphing app that uses what it calls artificial intelligence and neural face transformations to make alterations to faces. The app can use photos from your library or you can snap a photo within the app. The free service uses artificial intelligence to edit a picture in your phone gallery and transforms the image into someone double or triple your age. It can also change your hair colour, allow you to see what you look like with a beard and even look younger. Advertisement 'Since I discovered artificial intelligence, I've been challenging myself to do things I would never have imagined doing,' Diao told PetaPixel. 'With several studies and a lot of practice, I thought it was time to bring some Disney characters to human life.' Among the characters Diao created portraits for were Homer Simpson's well-meaning next-door neighbour, Ned Flanders, and owner of Springfield bar 'Moe's Tavern', Moe Szyslak. Diao has also published a human-like vision of Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, Aladdin and Princess Jasmine, Rapunzel, Pocahontas, Ariel from The Little Mermaid, Mulan and Moana. And there's even images of Joe Gardner from the Disney movie Soul, as well as grumpy old man Carl Frederickson from Up. 'When we watch some animation, it is natural to accept the cartoonish proportions of the characters without any problems, after all, we are quite used to this type of trait,' Diao wrote on Bored Panda, where he is a contributor. 'But what if, as in a spell, they became real, flesh and blood? I tried to bring them into our world through artificial intelligence.' To create lifelike portraits of some of his favourite characters, Diao used Photoshop and three mobile AI photo editing apps: FaceApp, Gradient, and Remini. FaceApp is a photo-morphing app that uses what it calls artificial intelligence and neural face transformations to make alterations to faces. The app can use photos from your library or you can snap a photo within the app. Gradient became the talk of the town after the Kardashians began posting their look-a-like selfies, with Kim being compared to Cher, while Remini is a photo restoration and enhancement app. Diao has also published a human-like vision of Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, Aladdin and Princess Jasmine, Rapunzel, Pocahontas (pictured), Ariel from The Little Mermaid, Mulan and Moana Diao's idea didn't materialise overnight, however. It was a meticulous process that involved searching the internet for different portraits of people with facial features to match the cartoon characters, before these were then put together to come up with the final image. 'I look for images in banks and overlay the image starting with the eyes,' Diao said. 'The hardest part is finding an image that matches the character I'm working on.' He added: 'I really liked how Moe Szyzlak, Ned Flanders and Milhouse Van Houten turned out because initially I thought that the Simpsons drawing style would be very hard to emulate on "real life" terms, but they are actually very easy to recognise.' You can see more of Diao's work on his Instagram account. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has captured its first photons of starlight, as it begins a three month 'alignment process' to be ready to observe the universe. The infrared observatory launched on Christmas Day last year, taking off from the European Space Agency spaceport in French Guiana, on an Ariane 5 rocket. After travelling a million miles, it finally reached its destination, where it has begun the process of cooling down, and calibrating its mirror and instruments. 'First Light' is an important milestone for any telescope, as it is the point where starlight is detected by the observatory, and its various instruments. The particles of light travelled through the entire telescope, and were detected by the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) instrument. A milestone that marks the first of many steps to capture unfocused images used to fine-tune the telescope. 'This is the very beginning of the process, but so far the initial results match expectations and simulations,' NASA explained. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has captured its first photons of starlight, as it begins a three month 'alignment process' to be ready to observe the universe Scientists from Ball Aerospace, Space Telescope Science Institute, and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center are using the data from NIRCam to align the telescope. This is a process that will happen in seven phases over the next three months, finally culminating in an aligned telescope ready for the instruments to come online. The images taken during the alignment process 'will not be pretty', NASA warned. They are there purely to serve the purpose of preparing the telescope for science, and for taking stunning images of the universe later in the summer. To work together as a single mirror, the telescope's 18 primary segments need to match each other to a fraction of a wavelength of light. 'To put this in perspective, if the Webb primary mirror were the size of the United States, each segment would be the size of Texas, and the team would need to line the height of those Texas-sized segments up with each other to an accuracy of about 1.5 inches,' NASA explained. The seven steps to prepare for science are: Segment Image Identification, Segment Alignment, Image Stacking, Coarse Phasing, Fine Phasing, Telescope Alignment Over Instrument Fields of View and Iterate Alignment for Final Correction. The infrared observatory launched on Christmas Day last year, taking off from the European Space Agency spaceport in French Guiana, on an Ariane 5 rocket NASA's $10 billion James Webb space telescope Operator: NASA Launched: December 25, 2021 Full operation begins: Summer 2022 Location: SunEarth L2 point Orbit type: Halo orbit Mission duration: 20 years (expected) Telescope diameter: 21 feet (6.5 m) Focal length: 431 feet (131.4 m) Wavelengths: 0.628.3 m Advertisement 'The telescope commissioning process will take much longer than previous space telescopes because Webb's primary mirror consists of 18 individual mirror segments that need to work together as a single high-precision optical surface,' the team said. One of the first tasks will be to move the spacecraft, to put it in alignment with the first calibration target - a bright star called HD 88406. Engineers will take 18 separate, out-of-focus images of HD 84406 using each of the mirrors, from which a computer will determine exactly how each must be oriented to bring the telescope into focus. Each mirror's direction can be adjusted in the very tiniest of increments each equal to a ten-thousandth of the width of a human hair. According to NASA, the initial alignment process is expected to take three months to complete. When the telescope is up and running, the mirrors will also need to be checked and, if necessary, realigned every few days. Astrophysicist Eric Mamajek, from NASA JPL, said on Twitter that the star was slightly cooler, but much larger and more luminous than the sun. It has a surface temperature of about 5,000 K, he said, which is 8,540 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to the sun's 5,778 K, or 9,940 F. It is about 4.4 times the size of the sun and 11 times more luminous, and may actually be part of a binary pair, according to data from the ESA Gaia telescope. After travelling a million miles, it finally reached its destination, where it has begun the process of cooling down, and calibrating its mirror and instruments HD 84406: THE FIRST STAR TO BE OBSERVED BY THE WEBB TELESCOPE HD 84406 is a sun-like star near the Big Dipper about 260 light years away. It will be too bright to study with Webb once the telescope starts to come into focus, but is a good calibration target. It has a surface temperature of about 5,000 K, which is 8,540 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to the sun's 5,778 K, or 9,940 F. It is about 4.4 times the size of the sun and 11 times more luminous, and may actually be part of a binary pair, according to data from the ESA Gaia telescope. If it is a binary pairing then the smaller star is likely a red dwarf about half the size of the Sun, with the main about 3 billion years old - slightly younger than the sun. Advertisement If it is a binary pairing then the smaller star is likely a red dwarf about half the size of the Sun, with the main about 3 billion years old - slightly younger than the sun. Taking images of this star will allow engineers to create a picture of that part of the sky, gradually shifting each of the eight individual mirror segments until they see the same picture. 'One by one, we will move the 18 mirror segments to determine which segment creates which segment image. After matching the mirror segments to their respective images, we can tilt the mirrors to bring all the images near a common point for further analysis. We call this arrangement an image array",' they said. Once they've got the array, the team will start defocusing the segment images by moving the secondary mirror slightly, and applying a process called 'Phase Retrieval' to determine precise positioning. This is still not enough to get the 18 segments to work as a single mirror , so they then put all of the light in a single place, stacking the images on top of one another. Towards the end of the process they will have a fully aligned telescope, with each of the 18 segments working together, after which they begin preparing the instruments. These devices within the telescope allow it to process different wavelengths of light and produce images in different ways. The first true images, and first science from Webb is expected to happen in May, with the first images released to the public about a month later. It isn't clear what these first observations will be, but some of the first projects to use Webb will explore planets orbiting distant stars. Advertisement There arent many canal holidays where you feel tempted to take a plunge over the side then do. Not only is this canal a mile wide in parts but you can also swim in much of it since its perfectly clean (if not very warm). There is just one underwater hazard worth looking out for, though it failed to appear all week when we were there. Perhaps Nessie was on holiday, too. Now celebrating its 200th anniversary, the Caledonian Canal is an astonishing feat of Georgian engineering. It was in 1822 that the waterway opened to save ships a long and often perilous voyage around the top of Great Britain. Instead, Thomas Telford built a series of waterways linking the lochs between Inverness in the east and Fort William to the west, creating a safe, 60-mile shortcut between the North Sea and the Atlantic, via the most dramatic scenery. Robert Hardman's voyage through Scotland's Caledonian Canal begins at Laggan Locks, pictured above All aboard: Robert and his daughter navigating the Caledonian Canal aboard 'Magnifique' Modern shipping is far too big for the locks between the lochs. But it is perfect for a holiday in one of the comfortable, idiot-proof motor cruisers available from canal holiday specialists, Le Boat. Because these channels are big enough for a small ship, Le Boats vessels are roomy just as well when you are a party like ours three adults, four children (aged between nine and 14) and a dog. Called Magnifique, our cruiser had four double cabins, three bathrooms, showers and a saloon seating up to ten next to a kitchen with two fridges. There was also central heating, a TV and DVD player. You can drive the boat from inside or out and the controls are dead simple. With a top speed of 6mph, the pace is sedate. Loch Oich, pictured above, is the highest stretch of the canal route from Laggan Locks We picked up Magnifique at Laggan Locks. Since it is in the middle of the canal system, you can go off in either direction. We decided to head towards Loch Ness and, in no time, found ourselves on Loch Oich, the highest stretch of the route. We tied up at a jetty near Invergarry and the children were straight over the side. We had brought our own inflatable canoe and off they paddled to inspect a nearby island. Very Swallows And Amazons. For our first evening, we walked into the village for supper at the Invergarry Hotel, a family-friendly joint with a well-run bistro and a kids menu for 6.95. Fort Augustus, pictured, is the handsome town at the western end of Loch Ness - and a good spot for stocking up on supplies Urquhart Castle facing out towards Loch Ness. 'This is your classic Scottish castle, a fabulous relic of clan warfare and marauding between the 13th and 17th centuries,' says Robert The Caledonian Canal is an astonishing feat of Georgian engineering, says Robert The next day, we reached Fort Augustus, the handsome town at the western end of Loch Ness (and a good spot for stocking up on supplies). Here the canal descends via five locks through the town. All the locks and swing bridges on the Caledonian Canal are operated by full-time lock-keepers. So all you have to do is throw them a couple of ropes and then make sure you have one person at the front and one at the back either letting the rope out or pulling it in, as the boat rises or falls. Emerging into Loch Ness felt like sailing out to sea. It is Britains biggest stretch of inland water and you cannot see from one end to the other. Even in high season, it was gloriously empty and we had a delightful three-hour voyage to the little harbour at Urquhart Bay, just beyond the ruins of Urquhart Castle. Now run by Historic Scotland, this is your classic Scottish castle, a fabulous relic of clan warfare and marauding between the 13th and 17th centuries. On the day we turned up, a re-enactor took us through his terrifying array of Highland warrior weaponry which had the children gripped, especially when it turned out that the average soldier would have to cook his porridge in his helmet before going into battle. We had a four-ring hob. After cruising through Loch Ness, Robert and his family turn towards Fort William and Ben Nevis (pictured) According to Robert, outdoor adventure outfit Active Highs organises trips down the rapids cascading from Loch Garry, pictured above TRAVEL FACTS A seven-night self-catered cruise starting and finishing at Laggan in the Highlands is from 789 per boat (leboat.co.uk). Tickets to Urquhart Castle (historicenviroment.scot) 9.60 for adults, 5.80 children. White water rafting with Active Highs from 65 pp (activehighs.co.uk). For reservations at The Whispering Pine, visit blacksheephotels.com. Advertisement This is the heart of Nessie country, with many sightings of the monster reported in this part of the loch. In the joyously named village of Drumnadrochit, half an hours walk from the harbour, there are places to eat and, rather amusingly, two rival Loch Ness Monster visitor centres. One was closed for flood repairs but we had a jolly hour in Nessieland, an endearingly homespun exhibition with somewhat dated exhibits well worth a look. Just beyond the top end of Loch Ness we tied up in Dochgarroch, from where its a short bus or taxi ride into Inverness. Now cruising the other way, towards Fort William and Ben Nevis, we stopped off for an afternoons white water rafting with Active Highs, the main outdoor adventure outfit in these parts. They organise trips down the rapids cascading from Loch Garry, using ten-man rubber boats steered by a pro. It is a mix of paddling like mad and just clinging on. Its not for the nervous but my lot all loved it. On the shores of Loch Lochy, we had our best meal of the trip at the Whispering Pine Hotel and Spa. Renovated by the India-based Mars group, it combines Scottish and Indian cuisine, with neeps, tatties, biryanis and Mulmuly kebabs (chicken and cheese) plus 35 malt whiskies. Finally, we reached the outskirts of Fort William with the Atlantic in the distance. But without a spare day to descend Neptunes Staircase, the eight locks which take you down to sea level, we had an ice cream and headed back to Laggan. We had cruised 120 miles and gone to bed (and woken up) in some of the most magical settings I can recall. We never did see Nessie. Nor, Im glad to say, did we encounter that other local monster the midge. Terri Irwin paid tribute to her late husband Steve on Thursday as she marked their engagement anniversary. The Irwin matriarch, 57, shared a never-before-seen image of the pair sitting on a lounge together on Twitter, and revealed it has been 30 years since he proposed. Steve tragically died in September 2006 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming a documentary on the Batt Reef in Queensland. Heartfelt tribute: Terri Irwin paid tribute to her late husband Steve on Thursday as she marked their engagement anniversary. The Irwin matriarch, 57, shared a never-before-seen image of the pair sitting on a lounge together on Twitter, and revealed it has been 30 years since he proposed 'It was 30 years ago today that Steve proposed,' Terri began. 'One word - Yes! - began our journey of love, adventure, travel, and filming in all the "glamorous" locations! Most of all, we had fun.' 'It was 30 years ago today that Steve proposed,' Terri began. 'One word - Yes! - began our journey of love, adventure, travel, and filming in all the "glamorous" locations! Most of all, we had fun' Underneath the photos, Terri's followers said just how much they loved the couple together and how much they admired the late Wildlife Warrior. 'Greatest human to ever live,' one wrote. Another added: 'Happy engagement anniversary! What an amazing legacy your pairing created.' Cute: Underneath the photos, Terri's followers said just how much they loved the couple together and how much they admired the late Wildlife Warrior Their story: Terri and Steve first met in Australia in 1991, and a year later they were engaged and married. Steve tragically died in 2006 while filming a documentary on the Batt Reef Terri and Steve first met in Australia in 1991, and a year later they were engaged and married. They tied the knot in 1991 in her home state of Oregon and went on to live in Australia and welcome children, Bindi and Robert. Steve tragically died in 2006 while filming a documentary on the Batt Reef. Since then, his family have vowed to carry on his legacy and conservation efforts at Australia Zoo. Bindi meanwhile welcomed daughter Grace Warrior Irwin Powell on March 25, with husband Chandler Powell. The baby was born on their first wedding anniversary. Grace's middle names are a tribute to Bindi's late father, Wildlife Warrior Steve. Terri recently shared her joy at becoming a grandmother on Twitter, and said that her late husband Steve would have been 'beyond proud'. A new generation of graffiti crews are blanketing New York subway trains in spray paint a trend that some transit workers say resembles the bad old days of the 1970s and 1980s. Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials reported 120 incidents of graffiti on the subway last month, up 21% from the 99 reported in January 2021 and an 8% bump from the 111 reported during the same month of 2020, when ridership was about double what it is today. Advertisement A train covered in graffiti was removed from service to be cleaned in Jamaica Yard this week. (Obtained by Daily News) Its coming back strong, said a veteran transit worker who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation. The speed of these kids is unbelievable. I cant believe how fast they do a whole train. Included in the rising number of hits are elaborate murals that cover the entire exteriors of trains. Advertisement One of those trains rolled into the MTAs subway yard in Jamaica, Queens Monday night to be cleaned, according to video obtained by the Daily News. An entire side of the eight car train was covered in paint and featured towering tags like MAD LOVE and SLEAZY, the video shows. The train was spotted at the Metropolitan Ave. station on the M line around 5 p.m. the same day, according to a straphanger who shared a video on Twitter. got home and was treated to an entire subway train all painted up. havent seen that since I was a little kid! pic.twitter.com/CWIYEs9t09 Clubhouse Cancer Cabinet (@scratchbomb) January 31, 2022 The increasing number of graffiti hits worries transit officials as well as crews tasked with scrubbing down the trains when theyre tagged. Vandalism is a crime that hurts regular New Yorkers trying to get where they need to go, said MTA spokesman Mike Cortez. It senselessly slows down commutes when trains need to be removed for cleaning, costs taxpayers money that otherwise could be used to improve service, and forces cleaners to work around the clock to undo damage to train cars. The MTA during the 1980s launched an aggressive anti-graffiti campaign. Under the direction of then-NYC Transit president David Gunn, any train found with any graffiti was removed from service to be cleaned, which took away the street cred crews gained from having their work publicly displayed across the city. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > Gunn declared victory over subway graffiti in 1989. A train covered in graffiti was removed from service to be cleaned in Jamaica Yard this week. (Obtained by Daily News) Some workers fear its making a comeback and fighting a new wave of graffiti vandals may be harder. One reason is that todays graffiti crews dont need to see their murals on trains in service when they can just post them to social media, said another MTA employee who also requested anonymity. Advertisement We get at least one alert every day, the transit worker said. Its a lot in Queens and its a lot of kids walking into tunnels to get access to trains. Keeping people off the tracks whether theyre graffiti vandals or emotionally unstable people is also a growing challenge for the MTA. Unauthorized people made their way onto subway tracks at least 163 times in December, agency data show. Thats more than double the 81 incidents the MTA reported in July. The problem has grown so bad that MTA chairman Janno Lieber last year convened a task force to find ways to crack down on people who run onto the tracks. The group is scheduled to release its findings later this month. She has been sporting a cropped brunette hairstyle for the last few years. But Rosie Jacobs, the ex wife of Weatherman Steve Jacobs, unveiled a new look on Thursday evening. The 42-year-old showed off her longer locks as she hosted the NSW Tourism Awards in Wagga Wagga. Red hot: Rosie Jacobs, the ex wife of Weatherman Steve Jacobs, unveiled a new look on Thursday evening Rosie sported a chest-length wig with fringe for the occasion, and the weft totally transformed her look. The mother-of-two also dressed to the nines, showing off her yoga-honed figure in a strapless red gown. She completed her glamorous attire with bejewelled earrings and bracelet and a slick of red lipstick to match her dress. Rosie often sport wigs and rocked another gorgeous hairpiece when she was filming for the NSW Tourism Board last year. Transformation: The 42-year-old showed off her longer locks as she hosted the NSW Tourism Awards in Wagga Wagga. Rosie sported a chest-length wig with fringe for the occasion, and the weft totally transformed her look Rosie told News.com.au that she decided to trim her brunette locks after she contracted dengue fever while living in Vanuatu with her family. 'When I was living in Vanuatu, I unfortunately contracted dengue fever, which is something that is similar to malaria. It's a mosquito-born virus that's really common in tropical environments,' she began. The long and short of it: Rosie often sport wigs and rocked another gorgeous hairpiece when she was filming for the NSW Tourism Board last year 'The reason I cut my hair initially was that I actually had a health situation which most people don't know about,' the mother-of-two explained. Rosie explained it was much easier to maintain shorter locks and feel comfortable amid Vanuatu's soaring temperatures. 'I was extremely unwell for a period of time,' she said. Health scare: Rosie told News.com.au that she decided to trim her brunette locks after she contracted dengue fever while living in Vanuatu with her family Rosie started her career as a television producer, but is perhaps best known for hosting a variety of shows on Nine, 10, Foxtel and The Weather Channel. She married Steve, 54, in 2010, but they divorced nine years later in 2019. Blonde ambition: She later dyed her hair blonde Ex factor: Rosie married former Today weatherman Steve Jacobs (right) in 2010, but they divorced nine years later in 2019. Pictured together at a charity gala in Sydney in December 2015 The former couple share daughters Isabella, 10, and Francesca, eight. Steve and Rosie married three years after meeting on the set of the Today show, where he was a star weather presenter and she was a behind-the-scenes producer. They separated in late 2017, just a few months after relocating to Vanuatu in what friends described as a 'last-ditch attempt' to save their seven-year marriage. The Spice Girls have reportedly shelved plans for more future gigs and an animated movie after their sold out Spice World 2019 Tour, with the band going their separate ways once again. Hints had been dropped by the girls - Geri Horner, 49, Melanie Chisholm, 48, Melanie Brown, 46, and Emma Bunton, 46 - that they were set to take to the stage once again with a world tour in the near future. But the pandemic is said to have put the brakes on the proposals, with an insider telling The Sun: 'It was going brilliant but Covid killed the momentum. End of the road? The Spice Girls have reportedly shelved plans for more future gigs and an animated movie, with the band going their separate ways once again 'Now its done again. Theres nothing on the agenda and theyre focusing on their own things.' They added: 'A few years of lockdown and everyones back has turned on the group in favour of other projects. 'Geri is talking about new TV things, Emma has TV and radio work and the two Mels are focusing on their own stuff. Pop juggernaut: Hints had been dropped by the girls - Geri Horner, 49, Melanie Chisholm, 48, Melanie Brown, 46, and Emma Bunton, 46 - that they were set to take to the stage once again (pictured 1996) 'Victoria certainly isnt going to be the one to bring it back to life so it has fizzled out. Theyre done.' MailOnline has contacted a representative for the Spice Girls for comment. Ginger Spice Geri and Scary Mel B were the driving force behind any future plans, with the girls keen on performing in Australia. Reunion: The Wannabe hitmakers famously toured the UK as a four-piece in 2019, after Victoria decided not to partake (L-R, Mel B, Emma, Geri and Melanie C pictured in 2019) They also hoped to make an animated film to include Victoria Beckham, 47, with the girls voicing Girl Power superhero characters after their hugely successful 1997 Spice World flick. The girls played without Victoria in 2019 across 13 dates on a stadium tour to 700,000 fans, raking in an estimated 80million. Last year they starred in an advertising campaign for mobile game Coin Master. Superstars: They also hoped to make an animated film to include Victoria Beckham, 47, with the girls voicing Girl Power superhero characters In November last year, Mel B, Geri and Emma met at the the swanky Mandeville Hotel in London, while Mel C called in via Zoom amid rumours they were planning a 2023 world tour. An insider told The Sun at the time: 'The four girls have been discussing a world tour for a while, and this very confidential meeting was put in the diary so they could iron out the final details. 'The current plan is the tour will begin in Australia and go from there. 'They are all very excited that the wheels are now in motion, and are hoping to give their fans a 2023 tour bigger and better than 2019.' The source went on to claim that 'superfan' Adele would 'definitely' be in the audience after telling Mel B that attending their most recent show at Wembley Stadium 'made her year'. The Wannabe hitmakers famously toured the UK two years ago without the fashion designer after she decided not to partake - and raked in a cool 4million between them. Posh Spice was the only member of the band not to take part. She told Vogue Germany at the time: 'It took me a lot of courage not to go on tour with the Spice Girls again, but to be the one who says, "You know, I'm not doing it because things feel different now than they used to." 'I'd rather concentrate on my family and my company.' It may be winter but Emily Ratajkowski is ready for bikini season. The influencer, 30, exhibited her assets as she showcased the latest designs from her Inamorata bikini range on Thursday. She put on a cheeky display in a patterned thong bikini bottom and a matching, long-sleeve top. Bikini babe! Emily Ratajkowski exhibited her assets as she showcased the latest designs from her Inamorata bikini range on Thursday The beauty crossed her arms across her body and gazed contemplatively towards the distance as her brunette hair swept across her head in a dramatic side part. In a second shot, Emily continued putting her backside on show as she modeled the spring wears for the camera. Emily wore the same thong bottoms and appeared to have rolled-up her long sleeve covering to showcase her string bikini top. She posed beside a laptop showcasing the newest Inamorata designs as a rack of colorful clothing sat in the corner of the room. New angle: Emily wore the same thong bottoms and appeared to have rolled-up her long sleeve covering to showcase her string bikini top Emily teased the new additions on her Instagram Stories, where she re-posted the original slideshow shared by Inamorata and wrote in cursive font, 'Soon.' Outside of her fashion career, Emily shares son Sylvester Apollo Bear with her husband Sebastian Bear-McClard. The San Diego native began her career at just 14, shooting catalogue campaigns for Kohl's and Nordstrom as well as having small acting roles. After appearing on the cover of erotic magazine treats! in 2012, she went on to bag a part in two high-profile music videos, most notably Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines, which catapulted her to worldwide fame. Baby joy! She and her husband, film producer and occasional actor Sebastian Bear-McClard, married in 2018 and welcomed their first child together in 2021 But despite her career highs, Emily has admitted that there had been many times when she 'felt like a failure' as she detailed her journey to success as part of Harper Bazaar UK's 'How I Got Here' series. Opening up to the publication, the beauty revealed that there's been many times in which she's been 'hard on myself' as she focused on carving out her career, with Emily also telling how she almost 'gave up' modelling for good. Emily explained how after years of giving herself a tough time and feeling like she'd 'failed' she now feels in control of her career as she's able to easily brush aside criticism and self-doubt. Candid: But despite her career highs, Emily has admitted that there had been many times when she 'felt like a failure' as she detailed her journey to success as part of Harper Bazaar UK's 'How I Got Here' series She explained: 'There are so many times when I felt like a failure. I am very hard on myself in general. Early on that would be not getting an audition or getting close to booking a job and missing it and it felt like everything was collapsing. 'What I like now is that, in my career, things are more in my hands and in my control. Failures feel more like road bumps than huge losses and I feel less impacted by other people saying no.' And despite reaching a level of success in her vocation, the star said at one point, she almost left modelling altogether and considered being an artist after studying fine art at the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture. She said: 'There have been so many times in my career where I have thought about changing career paths or giving up. I stopped totally modelling when I went to college and I thought I was going to become an artist and then I left and started modelling full time and then I sort of dabbled in acting.' Emily added that she feels like she's 'constantly evolving', emphasising that she's 'not giving up' but is 'refocusing.' Kellan Lutz took to Instagram on Thursday to share that he's going to be a dad for the second time. The 36-year-old Twilight actor posted a sweet video where his TV host and model wife Brittany, 33, surprises him with the good news and catches his shocked reaction on camera. The couple welcomed their first daughter, Ashtyn Lilly, last February, after suffering a stillbirth the year prior. Thrilled! Kellan Lutz took to Instagram on Thursday to share that he's going to be a dad for the second time '2 under 2 in 2022,' the star - born Kellan Christopher Lutz - wrote, adding, 'God is good!' The North Dakota born model went on to say, 'Babies are the Best! Love you forever and always @brittanylutz.' Brittany shared the same video on her Instagram page, writing, '2 UNDER 2 IN 2022!!!! Some might say we're crazy, we say we're crazy BLESSED.' Surprise: The 36-year-old Twilight actor posted a sweet video where his TV host and model wife Brittany, 33, surprises him with the good news Positive: The sweet video - which was also shared on his wife's profile - starts off with a loading pregnancy test, which turns to read 'Pregnant' The sweet video starts off with a loading pregnancy test, which turns to read 'Pregnant.' Brittany then films her husband as he's relaxing on the couch with his phone in his hand. She sends him a calendar invite for an event titled 'Baby #2 Due Date!!!' Happy shock: Brittany then films her husband as she sends him a calendar invite for an event titled 'Baby #2 Due Date!!!' which makes him turn his head in shock and smile Cute: 'We're pregnant? Oh my gosh, what!?' he says in an excited tone as he turns to hug his wife When the actor realizes what's happening, he raises his head and turns to his wife with a smile. 'We're pregnant? Oh my gosh, what!?' he says in an excited tone. 'I couldn't wait to tell you,' she says through tears as the two hug. 'Did I surprise you?' she asks, to which the actor replies, 'Yeah.' Big sister: The happy family are then seen celebrating with their 1-year-old daughter Ashtyn Lilly, in the backyard Happy family: The couple welcomed their first daughter last February, after suffering a stillbirth the year prior The happy family are then seen celebrating with their daughter in the backyard. The actor also recently shared a beautiful family photo with Brittany, their daughter, and their adorable pooch. 'Happy 2022 everyone! With love from the Lutzs,' he captioned the post of them sitting together on a bench. Sweet: The actor also recently shared a beautiful family photo with Brittany, their daughter, and their adorable pooch Friends and fans were thrilled for the star, with actor Spencer Locke writing, 'So so so happy for you two!' Kimberly Van Der Beek - wife of actor James Van Der Beek - added, 'Awwww biggest smile for you two!!!!' Kellan and Brittany got engaged in October of 2017 and were married in November of that year. They welcomed their daughter on February 22, 2021. The year prior, the couple revealed Brittany had suffered a stillbirth, six months into her pregnancy. Lutz became a household name thanks to his role as Emmett Cullen in The Twilight Saga films released between 2008 and 2012. Jeopardy! champ Amy Schneider says travel and a new home are among her top plans for the $1,382,800 in money she won on the show. Schneider, a 42-year-old software engineer, amassed the fortune over a 40-game winning streak that concluded January 26. The Oakland, California native told the New York Post Thursday that 'travel is definitely a part of the plan' in her near future with her partner, Genevieve Davis. The latest: Jeopardy! champ Amy Schneider, 42, says travel and a new home are among her top plans for the $1,382,800 in money she won on the show 'I mentioned on the show that we wanted to go to Ireland, and while were still finalizing it, its looking like well be there for St. Patricks Day,' she told the paper. Schneider, who is a trans woman, said she and Davis are also earmarking her winnings 'for a potential down payment on a house' and 'doing some fun shopping in the meantime.' She said that she's been refreshing her wardrobe but hasn't purchased any 'big ticket items.' Schneider said she's also looking into penning a book in the wake of her newfound celebrity as result of her success on the show. Schneider, a software engineer, amassed the winnings over a 40-game winning streak that concluded January 26 Schneider said she's looking into penning a book in the wake of her newfound celebrity as result of her success on the show 'There has definitely been a lot of interest in my writing a book, and its something Id love to do,' she told the paper. 'My main focus right now is figuring out what exactly that book might look like; there are a lot of things Im passionate about so its a matter of narrowing all my ideas down into a coherent book. 'So, nothing concrete yet, but its something I hope to make happen.' Schneider chat with the New York Times on Twitter Spaces Wednesday about a getaway she and her partner had in Half Moon Bay, California Saturday. 'We went to this really fancy, boutique hotel ... specifically for its giant bathtubs,' Schneider said. Schneider has inked a contract to be represented by Creative Arts Agency (CAA) and is exploring different opportunities in her career Schneider, who's taken a leave of absence from her job, said in the Twitter Spaces chat that she might be pivoting careers. 'I thought I was going to be more excited to get back to my day job than it turns out I have been,' she said. Schneider, who has inked a contract to be represented by Creative Arts Agency (CAA), said she's exploring different opportunities. 'I also am having a lot of meetings with my agents, which is such a weird thing to hear myself say, but its true,' she said. 'I signed with CAA and theyre, you know, excited about all kinds of different things.' Schneider said she's 'had some people express interest' in her appearing on a different trivia show, but she's 'already done the best one.' 'There is this, like, part of me thats like, "Ah, it wont be as good,"' she said. Schneider is slated to appear on the show's Tournament of Champions. Former Olympic skier Bode Miller and his wife Morgan may have finally landed on a name for their baby girl nine weeks after the birth. Morgan dished on her Insta Stories this Tuesday that she and her husband have taken to calling the baby 'Nona for "no name"' - which is 'kind of sticking.' They have been publicly struggling for weeks to arrive at a suitable name, even asking their Instagram fans to vote for an answer. Mother and child: Former Olympic skier Bode Miller and his wife Morgan may have finally landed on a name for their baby girl nine weeks after the birth Near the end of last month they had gone on the Today show with the baby and revealed that they still had not settled on a name. The couple welcomed their daughter on November 26, at their home in California, with the help of a midwife. As the eighth child in their family, they had taken to calling her Ocho which is Spanish for 'eight' while trying to choose her name. 'Its hard because her personality is different, and I think were all trying to get used to it,' Bode, 44, told Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie while joining the show via live video feed from their home in Montana. 'Shes stumped us on names so far. We have a lot that we like, but she hasnt smiled or high-fived or anything when we say them to her, and we say them to her all the time.' Bode and Morgan appeared on the Today show with their seven-week-old daughter on Wednesday after welcoming the newborn on November 26, at their home in California The newborn is the eighth child in their family, and they have been calling her Ocho, which is Spanish for 'eight,' while trying to choose her name Morgan, 34, a former pro volleyball player, previously shared that they were toying with the idea of incorporating a part of their late daughter Emmy's name Emeline Grier Miller into their newborn daughter's moniker. 'Our three front-runners are Skyler, Scarlett, and calling her Lettie, or Olivia, and calling her Liv,' she said while cradling their newborn. 'All kind of have a special meaning to it. So we may have to reach out to our social media followers and ask for some assistance because she has not really been giving us many answers.' Morgan, a former pro volleyball player, shared that their 'three front-runners are Skyler, Scarlett, and calling her Lettie, or Olivia, and calling her Liv' Bode explained that they are having a hard time picking out a name 'because her personality is so different' and they are still getting used to it Bode, who is running a ski academy in Colorado, explained that he has a personal favorite, but he is concerned it's too popular. 'Im a huge fan of Liv, Olivia,' he said. 'Its a little bit frustrating that its one of the most popular names this year because most of the names of our children arent terribly popular, but were not going to let that stand in the way, obviously.' In addition to their newborn, they are parents to sons Nash, six, Easton, three, and twins Asher and Aksel, two, and late daughter Emmy. Emmy was 19 months old when she drowned in a neighbor's swimming pool in June 2018. She was rescued from the water, but paramedics were unable to revive her, and she later died in hospital. Bode said their family's newest addition 'just fits right in' with her big brothers Bode and Morgan are parents to sons Nash, Easton, and twins Asher and Aksel (pictured) and late daughter Emmy. He also has two older children from a previous relationship The couple's late daughter Emmy was 19 months old when she died in the hospital after drowning in a neighbor's swimming pool in June 2018 Since her death, the parents have dedicated themselves to raising awareness of infant drownings and advocating for all moms and dads to get their own children into swimming classes as early as possible. Morgan shared in June that she wanted to honor her late daughter Emmy by incorporating her name into her new baby's moniker Bode also has a daughter Dace, 13, and son Nate, eight, from a previous relationship. The proud dad shared that his newborn baby girl is 'so similar' to her big sister Emmy but is also 'really unique as well.' He added that 'she just fits right in' with her big brothers. 'Emmy was such a great balance because she was such a powerhouse and then when she passed, it was shocking because you really felt this energetic shift in the house,' he recalled. 'Obviously, we were all suffering and everything, too, but there was this gap there for all the boys. And now they have this little girl. It just makes them gentle. You'd be blown away.' After their Today show appearance, Morgan took to her Instagram Stories to share their name choices with her 165,000 followers and ask them to vote on their baby girl's first and middle names. After their Today show appearance, Morgan took to Instagram Stories to share their name choices with her 165,000 followers and ask them to vote for one Bode and Morgan are considering having Grier be their daughter's second middle name in honor of her late sister, whose full name was Emeline Grier Miller The four possible combinations are Scarlet Olivia Khione, Skyler Olivia Khione, Scarlet Olivia Grier, or Skylar Olivia Grier As she explained earlier in the morning, they like either Scarlet or Skylar for a first name, and they are also considering calling her 'Liv' if she goes by her middle name, which will be Olivia. For her second middle name, they are between Khione, the Greek goddess of snow, or Grier, her late sister's middle name. The four possible combinations are Scarlet Olivia Khione, Skyler Olivia Khione, Scarlet Olivia Grier, or Skylar Olivia Grier. Bode and Morgan have both insisted that this child would be their last, and they were overcome with emotion when they learned last May they were expecting a baby girl. 'She's perfect and bringing her into this world was a perfect way to close this chapter of growing our family,' they told People when they announced their daughter's birth last month Bode and Morgan (pictured pregnant) have both insisted that this child would be their last, and they were overcome with emotion when they learned they were expecting a baby girl They broke down in tears of joy when they popped pink confetti cannons with their friends and family during a celebratory gender reveal party They threw the fiesta-themed gender reveal at their California home days after announcing to the world that they were expecting another child following the birth of their twins in 2019. They broke down in tears of joy when they popped pink confetti cannons with their friends and family during a celebratory gender reveal party. 'She's perfect and bringing her into this world was a perfect way to close this chapter of growing our family. Our hearts are so full,' they told People when they announced their daughter's birth last month. 'Bode told me the day after she was born that this is the happiest he thinks he's ever been in his whole life,' Morgan added. He was brutally mocked on his own show on Thursday when his infamous Ubergate scandal was brought up on air. But Today host Karl Stefanovic got his revenge on co-anchor Allison Langdon on Friday by reminding her of one of her most embarrassing on-camera moments. The 47-year-old presented his colleague with a Barbie-themed cake to mark the one-year anniversary of her hydrofoiling incident on the Gold Coast in February 2021. Cheeky! Today host Karl Stefanovic (left) got his revenge on co-anchor Allison Langdon (centre right) on Friday by reminding her of one of her most embarrassing on-camera moments. Pictured with Brooke Boney (centre left) and Alex Cullen (right) Karl said that Allison, 42, who severely injured her knee in the accident and had to take several weeks off work, had been to 'hell and back', but her ability to move past the injury proved what a 'force of nature' she is. 'I just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge what has been a traumatic and difficult experience for everyone here on the Today show,' he began rather seriously. 'One of our team members, who is quite dear to us and special, has been to hell and back. 'One year ago today, a moment when all of us, our world changed. The normally graceful and serene Allison Langdon took a fall so bad it would make you choke on your Corn Flakes. But she is a force of nature.' Tribute: Karl said that Allison, 42, who severely injured her knee in the accident and had to take several weeks off work, had been to 'hell and back', but her ability to move past the injury proved what a 'force of nature' she is Footage then aired of Allison riding on the hydrofoil before she fell and injured herself. Karl then made his way over to Allison and entertainment reporter Brooke Boney, and the team all laughed at the Barbie cake, which was topped with a doll wearing a knee brace. 'Happy anniversary, bunged knee!' he declared. Karl added: 'You've been exceptional through it, you never faltered. Your strength to come in every morning and the strength of your family.' Allison, who is still wearing a knee brace 12 months after the incident, said she loved the cake but thought the bandage should be bigger. She added: 'I've never done anything mean to either of you, but that's about to change!' Funny: Karl then made his way over to Allison and entertainment reporter Brooke Boney (left), and the team all laughed at the Barbie cake, which was topped with a doll wearing a knee brace Shocking: Allison injured herself while filming a segment for Today on February 4 last year. She was hydrofoiling on the Gold Coast when she lost her balance and seriously hurt her knee, and was then flown to Sydney for surgery Allison injured herself while filming a segment for Today on February 4 last year. She was hydrofoiling on the Gold Coast when she lost her balance and seriously hurt her knee, and was then flown to Sydney for surgery. The TV presenter made her return to the Today show in March, sporting a large brace over her knee and using a wheelchair and crutches to get around. Months later, she spoke to Nova FM's Fitzy and Wippa about the extent of her injuries, saying she shattered her knee cap and injured the meniscus. 'I snapped the leg, I did the kneecap, I did the ligaments. I shattered the knee cap, snapped the leg, did the PCL, the meniscus... The tibia snapped,' she explained. 'It was pretty horrible,' she added, noting that her knee had hit the hydrofoil when she fell over during the watersports segment. She's a trooper: Months later, she spoke to Nova FM's Fitzy and Wippa about the extent of her injuries, saying she shattered her knee cap and injured the meniscus It comes a day after Karl's Ubergate scandal come back to haunt him while discussing Australia's latest political scandal. He waded into Gladys Berejiklian's leaked-texts saga on Thursday's Today show, describing it as a low act and branding the person who leaked the texts as a coward. The comments prompted co-host Allison to remind him that he too was embroiled up in a similar scandal almost four years ago when a private conversation with his brother Peter in the back of a Uber was leaked to the media. Bad memories: It comes a day after Karl's Ubergate scandal come back to haunt him while discussing Australia's latest political scandal. Pictured with his brother Peter (right) 'Can we have a moment to....I need to say this,' Karl began. 'For whoever it was who sent that message, no matter how much you hate someone, it is a pretty low act and, you know, whoever did that is a complete and utter coward. 'I think not coming forward makes it even worse. I mean, bagging your work colleagues like that.' Allison interrupted: 'Hang on, hang on, hang on. What would you prefer to do? To say something about people in the back of an Uber or something?' The remark stunned Karl and producers off-camera, along with federal Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie and 2GB radio host Chris Smith who were appearing on the program at the time. 'Well... yes,' Karl stammered as he turned to Jacqui to bring things back on track. Sex And The City star John Corbett has come under fire for 'lying' about an appearance on the show spin-off And Just Like That... In April, the star, 60, who played Aidan Shaw in the series and in 2010's second movie, claimed to Page Six that he would be 'doing the show' and appearing in 'quite a few episodes' - something that has not come to fruition. Writer Julie Rottenberg and executive producer Michael Patrick King both detailed their confusion about the lie, with the former telling Deadline: 'John Corbett should be writing personal apology notes. We didn't say anything.' Shock: Sex And The City star John Corbett has come under fire for 'lying' about an appearance on the show spin-off And Just Like That... (pictured with his on-screen love Carrie Bradshaw) The show follows Sarah Jessica Parker's character Carrie's grief after losing her husband John Preston - who was a point of contention during her relationship with John's character Aidan. Michael explained this was one reason for Aidan's absence. Michael, 67, added: 'The fact of the matter is, we never said anything about Aidan. We always try to be very restrained and look at the reality of what people are experiencing and it has nothing to do with Aidan coming or not coming... 'It really just felt like this was a lot for Carrie. This season was a lot. We wanted to get her through this and into the light - the last episode is called, "Seeing the Light"... 'We wanted to get her out. [Aidan's return] is a big storyline that everybody at home wrote that we had never intended.' Bizarre: In April, the star, 60, who played Aidan Shaw in the series and in 2010's second movie, claimed to Page Six that he would be 'doing the show' and appearing in 'quite a few episodes' - something that has not come to fruition (John pictured in 2020) 'Don't mock the clothes': John famously portrayed Carrie's passive-aggressive furniture-designing fiance who appears in seasons three, four, and six of the original HBO series John famously portrayed Carrie's passive-aggressive furniture-designing fiance who appears in seasons three, four, and six of the original HBO series. But there were always undertones of control and distrust plaguing Carrie and Aidan, who clashed over her smoking, cheating, abortion, fashion, and commitment as well as his chattiness and rustic Suffern, NY cabin. In Sex And The City 2, Shaw cheated on his furniture-designing wife Kathy - with whom he had sons Tate, Homer, and Wyatt - to share a nostalgic kiss with Bradshaw, who was married to Mr. Big at the time, in Abu Dhabi. Not too happy: Writer Julie Rottenberg (R) told Deadline on Thursday: 'John Corbett should be writing personal apology notes. We didn't say anything' Shocker: Executive producer Michael Patrick King was also mystified by the his white lie, saying: 'The fact of the matter is, we never said anything about Aidan' The To All the Boys actor last portrayed Annie Bello's (Katey Sagal) estranged third husband Grady Bello in Krista Vernoff's Erin Brockovich-inspired legal dramedy Rebel, which was canceled by ABC on May 14. As for the prospect of a season two of AJLT, SJP is 'definitely' down for more and HBO Max CCO Casey Bloys 'couldn't be happier with' the reception and 'phenomenal viewership.' 'Michael and I spoke two weeks ago, and said: "Okay, when are we going to talk about this?"' the 56-year-old Emmy winner told Variety on Thursday. Yikes! In Sex and the City 2, Shaw cheated on his furniture-designing wife Kathy - with whom he had sons Tate, Homer, and Wyatt - to share a nostalgic kiss with Bradshaw (who was married to Mr. Big) in Abu Dhabi 'There's a calendar and you don't want to let too much time pass. There feels like there's momentum.' As well as discussion of Aidan's return, the hot topic was Samantha Jones' appearance in the final episode, which aired on Thursday. The episode hinted the character could be making a comeback in some capacity, after Samantha (formerly played by Kim Cattrall) sent a text agreeing to meet up with Carrie. After Kim refused to join the reboot Samantha was written out of the show in a storyline that involved her moving to London after a row with Carrie and only featured in episodes through the medium of text. Kim refused to join the reboot following a fall out with Sarah - with bad blood between the two said to have been an issue during filming the original series and subsequent two films. Could it be? As well as discussion of Aidan's return, the hot topic was Samantha Jones' appearance in the final episode, which aired on Thursday (pictured in 2020) Iconic: The Sex And The City reboot has been lambasted by critics during it's 10-episode run over the absence of fourth musketeer, Samantha While a second season of AJLT has yet to be confirmed, creator Michael said he no longer has any realistic expectation' of Kim reprising her role if they get the green light. While discussing how he incorporated the star's beloved character in the reboot through text, he opened up to Variety about overcoming the 'obstacle' of not having Kim on the series. And Just Like That currently holds a 60% critic approval rating (out of 65 reviews) and a dismal 30% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Fans can now stream all 10 episodes of the limited series on HBO Max. Reaction: And Just Like That currently holds a 60% critic approval rating (out of 65 reviews) and a dismal 30% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes She's totally transformed her figure after quitting alcohol in 2020 and focusing on fitness. And Chrissie Swan showed off her extraordinary weight loss in activewear on Thursday after going for a 10km walk. The radio host, 48, shared a full-length photo of herself posing in a skin-tight long sleeve top and three-quarter length leggings. Check out those trim pins! Chrissie Swan looked unrecognisable as she showed off her extraordinary weight loss in sexy skin-tight activewear after going on a 10km walk on Thursday She drew attention to her slender midsection by tying a pink sweater around her waist and monitored her walking distance with a FitBit. Sporting a tan, Chrissie accentuated her glowing complexion by wearing bronzer and slick of lipstick which matched her exercise ensemble. Chrissie also looked slimmer than ever as she stepped out with her good pal and fellow comedian Ash Williams, 39, in Melbourne last month. The twosome were spotted enjoying a lively conversation as they strolled down a suburban road with take-away coffees in hand. Glowing: Sporting a tan, Chrissie accentuated her glowing complexion by wearing bronzer and slick of lipstick which matched her exercise ensemble Chrissie looked fit as a fiddle, showcasing her whittled new frame in black leggings and a top. The media personality gave up alcohol over a year ago and turned to meditation and walking during Melbourne's gruelling 112-day lockdown. In March last year, Chrissie said she was feeling better than ever following a booze-free night of karaoke with a girlfriend. Chrissie's year of health! Chrissie also looked slimmer than ever as she stepped out with her good pal and fellow comedian Ash Williams, 39, in Melbourne last month. 'Booze-free activity degree of difficulty: 10 = karaoke. UNLOCKED! I can't quite believe it but it IS POSSIBLE. Fresh as a daisy this morning and I still have my voice!' she captioned a photo. A month later, the mother-of-three revealed that her sleep had also improved since giving up alcohol. 'I stopped drinking booze of any kind (alcohol is diabolical for sleep and anxiety too),' she explained, as she detailed a sleep study she was taking part in. Last month, Chrissie shared an empowering message with fans alongside an image of herself in a white swimsuit at the beach. 'I posted this yesterday to my stories and I was amazed by how many of you a) wanted to wear a white pair of bathers but haven't and b) haven't swum in the ocean for years,' she explained. She then went on to tell fans to let go of their inhibitions, adding: 'Now is your chance to do both omg just do it!' 'Don't worry about jiggly bits and saggy bits and whatever. Do it - trust me - you'll feel alive and bold and invincible!' Bella Hadid is all about health and wellness. In a new TikTok video the supermodel, 25, showed fans her extensive multi-step recovery routine after working out. She captioned it, 'Day off, getting ready to go to the airport and fly ta my next job! You guys like this sh--? Health is wealth!!!!!' Staying fit: The content kicked off with Bella doing a workout on an elliptical machine wearing navy blue track pants with white stripes The content kicked off with Bella doing a workout on an elliptical machine wearing navy blue track pants with white stripes. Bella paired it with a cropped white tank top that showed off her flat abs. She wore a white hat with palm trees on the front as her brunette hair bounced behind her head in a long ponytail. The Kin Euphorics investor then sipped a cup of tea before relaxing in a sauna wearing a white robe. Treating herself! The Kin Euphorics investor then sipped a cup of tea before relaxing in a sauna wearing a white robe Efficient! Hadid multitasked as she simultaneously rested in NormaTec recovery boots that massaged her long legs and wore a colorful breathing mask Next on her list of healthy recovery steps was a session with a liquid IV. The stunner had the substance injected straight to her blood stream via a vein in her left arm. The public figure interacted with a fan who commented on the post noting that IV infusions aren't accessible to everyone. 'I can make a video with vitamins&IVS that are affordable&easy!!' she said. '[E]verything in this IV bag you can get from CVS and take orally!' Taking recovery seriously: She showed herself wearing the red, green, and blue apparatus from multiple angles Hadid multitasked as she simultaneously rested in NormaTec recovery boots that massaged her long legs and wore a colorful breathing mask. She showed herself wearing the red, green, and blue apparatus from multiple angles. Wearing a black crop top, Bella held up a peace sign as she sat through the thorough process. Waiting patiently: Wearing a black crop top, Bella kept busy with her phone as she sat through the thorough process The short TikTok clip was soundtracked by the song Crave You (feat. Giselle) by Flight Facilities. Still not done, the entrepreneur gave fans a look at a what she consumed after her exercise to fuel up. She had a detox shot, a green juice, hummus, and a vegetable-filled wrap. The day-off recover routine came between a Michael Kors shoot in Miami and a job in London. Replenishing: Bella showed herself sipping from a cup of tea post-workout Bella recently spoke out about keeping up a healthy lifestyle while appearing as a guest on Victoria's Secret's VS Voices podcast. She named therapy, meditation, and exercise as practices that keep her grounded. 'It's a cliche for a reason because it's a fact that it works,' she noted. She's also been vocal about living a sober life. 'I don't feel the need [to drink alcohol] because I know how it will affect me at 3 in the morning when I wake up with horrible anxiety thinking about that one thing I said five years ago when I graduated high school,' she said. Nutritional intake: Still not done, the entrepreneur gave fans a look at a what she consumed after her exercise to fuel up Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, one week after he was called out as soft on crime by the widow of a slain city cop, issued a Friday statement clarifying his offices handling of certain criminal investigations. Bragg, who proposed dialing back prosecutions of minor crimes in a Jan. 3 memo, sent out a staff-wide directive specifically stating commercial robberies with a gun or at knifepoint will be charged as felonies. And in a year where six police officers have already been shot, with two killed, he vowed a zero-tolerance policy in attacks on the NYPD. Advertisement Violence against police officers will not be tolerated, he wrote. We will prosecute any person who harms or attempts to harm a police officer. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (Craig Ruttle/AP) His change of heart received a tepid reception from skeptical law enforcement officials, with NYPD police union head Patrick Lynch noting that actions will speak louder to the rank-and-file that any public statements. Advertisement We hope this updated memo filters down to the streets the way the first one did, because gun-toting criminals definitely believe they have a safe haven in Manhattan, said Lynch. DA Bragg needs to keep sending the message that they wont get a pass, and his staff needs to back that message up in the courtroom. Paul DiGiacomo, president of the Detectives Endowment Association, issued a scathing statement saying the prosecutors tougher talk was insufficient. Actions speak louder than words, he said. The fact that a district attorney had to send out a new memo stating that armed robbery will NOW be charged as a felony is almost as scary as the crime crisis hes supposed to be fighting. The fact is, detectives and law abiding New Yorkers have no confidence in DA Bragg. The criminals seem to love him. The New York Daily News front page on Jan. 5, 2022. (New York Daily News) But veteran activist Robert Gangi of the Police Reform Organizing Project expressed disappointment at Braggs backpedaling. The attacks on Bragg that started practically on the third day (as DA) were unwarranted, in part because there wasnt enough time to in any way meaningfully address what the effects of the practices were going to be, he said. ... Theres no question that racism is a function of these attacks. Dominique Luzuriaga, the widow of slain NYPD Officer Jason Rivera, brought the crowd of police officers at her husbands Jan. 27 funeral to their feet in applause with her criticism of the policies announced by Bragg and denounced by critics as too easy on criminals. The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > The system continues to fail us, the widow said, addressing her late spouse. Were not safe anymore. I know you were tired of these laws, especially the ones from the new DA. I hope hes watching you speak through me right now.' Law enforcement unions were quick to question Braggs initial call to ignore many cases of fare-beating, resisting arrest and other nonviolent crimes like sex work and marijuana possession, although those provisions were a continuation of his Manhattan DA predecessor Cy Vances policies. Advertisement Bragg, a former federal prosecutor who campaigned on a promise of criminal justice reform, issued his original memo shortly after taking office, declaring that line prosecutors should not bring armed robbery charges in commercial settings as long as the offender didnt create a genuine risk of physical harm. Instead, the memo stated, prosecutors should pursue petty larceny charges. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg at the National Action Network headquarters in Harlem Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News) Mayor Adams has pledged his support for Bragg despite their differing views on handling a city spike in violent crimes. Bragg, the first Black Manhattan DA, took over this year and quickly received a firestorm of criticism with some police union leaders calling for his ouster. NYPD public information spokesperson Jessica McRorie provided a statement noting the department was, aware of the clarification and (we) look forward to working together to ensure safety in our city. A sci-fi psychological thriller starring Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan is being filmed in Victoria. The Victorian government on Friday confirmed Amazon Studios' production Foe recently started filming in the state, with locations including the Winton Wetlands in the northeast and Melbourne's Docklands Studios. American-born Irish actress Saoirse Ronan, who is a three-time best actress Oscar nominee for Brooklyn, Lady Bird and Little Women, headlines the cast along with Paul Mescal (Normal People) and Aaron Pierre (The Underground Railroad). New production: A sci-fi psychological thriller starring Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan (pictured at the Australian Open in Melbourne) is being filmed in Victoria Foe is an adaptation of Canadian writer Iain Reid's 2018 novel of the same name and will be directed by Victorian filmmaker Garth Davis, best known for his Academy Award-nominated film Lion. 'I am very proud to be making Foe in my home state of Victoria, particularly on Yorta Yorta country in the amazing Winton Wetlands, which is one of our key locations,' Mr Davis said in a statement. The film is being supported by government incentive programs as part of the $191.5 million VICSCREEN strategy, and is expected to pump $32 million into the state economy and create 950 jobs for local cast and crew. Foe joins Robbie Williams biopic Better Man and Liam Neeson-led film Blacklight as feature-length productions that have recently chose to shoot in Victoria. Victorian Creative Industries Minister Danny Pearson said the film would further assert the state's position as a global screen powerhouse and grow the local economy. Georgia Steel ensured she caught the eye as she put on a busty display in a denim corset while out with Joanna Chimonides on Thursday night. The former Love Island stars walked hand-in-hand as they arrived at an event for online women's clothing shop I Saw It First at the L Antica De Michele restaurant in Manchester. The pair were in good spirits for their evening out, with Joanna, 22, grinning from ear-to-ear as she wore a stylish black mini-dress. Glamour pusses: Georgia Steel, 23, ensured she caught the eye as she put on a busty display in a denim corset while out with Joanna Chimonides, 22, on Thursday night Georgia, 23, gave a glimpse at her midriff in her figure-hugging top which featured a low-cut sweetheart neckline. A criss cross pattern of silver sequins sparkled as she walked, and she wore a pair of blue denim jeans which perfectly accentuated her curves. She completed her look by opting for a pair of open-toed heels while she carried a black handbag. Out on the town: The former Love Island stars attended an event for online women's clothing shop I Saw It First at the L Antica De Michele restaurant in Manchester The television personality wore lashings of make-up to highlight her pretty features while out with her pal. Joanna showed off her slender legs in her dress, with the garment finishing way above her knee. She wore a pair of patent boots to match the rest of her ensemble and carried a bright green handbag with her. Georgia recently took to Instagram with a series of sizzling bikini throwbacks as she dreamt of jetting away on her next break in the sun. The screen star looked sensational in a garish orange bandeau bikini, her taut physique on full display as she reclined on a sunbed. Her chestnut tresses were swept into a trendy coiffure, with two strands tied back from her bronzed face with individual hairbands. 'Cheers to being back in the sun in -6 days!': Georgia Steel showed off her bikini body in vibrant swimwear on Monday as she counted down to her next getaway The reality star kept makeup to a natural minimum and managed to capture her scenic surroundings in the bikini-clad snaps. Offering a 'cheers' to the camera, she penned: 'Cheers to being back in the sun in -6 days [sic]'. A few days earlier, Georgia protected her modesty with nothing more than a pair of coconuts as she went topless in Mexico in a social media post. Wow! Georgia looked sensational in a garish orange bandeau bikini, her taut physique on full display as she reclined on a sunbed Cheers! Her chestnut tresses were swept into a trendy coiffure, with two strands tied back from her bronzed face with individual hairbands Glowing: The reality star kept makeup to a natural minimum and managed to capture her scenic surroundings in the bikini-clad snaps She strategically covered her upper-half as she slipped into a tiny pair of black bikini bottoms while holidaying on the island of Isla Mujeres. Clutching the fruit to her chest, she displayed her incredibly taut abs as she worked her best angles for the sexy Instagram update. Georgia wore her brunette locks in a sleek straightened style as she opted for minimal makeup. She showcased her slender pins and sun-kissed glow as she hit to beach for a fun-filled day. Criss Angel announced last month that his son Johnny Crisstopher's cancer is now in remission after being diagnosed with B-Cell A.L.L. Leukemia in 2015. The illusionist, 54, recently told Extra that the 'hardest part' of his son's cancer journey was the 'hell' the seven-year-old went through while battling it. 'Seeing my kid, you know, going through hell. Not understanding what was going on,' said Criss, who shares Johnny Crisstopher with wife Shaunyl Benson. The hardest part: Criss Angel recently told Extra that the 'hardest part' of his son Johnny Crisstopher's cancer journey was the 'hell' the seven-year-old went through while battling it Criss recalled the devastating moment when Johnny's cancer had returned following a brief remission in 2019. 'My child had a type of cancer called ALL [B-Cell A.L.L. Leukemia]. It was 95% curable, but unfortunately somebody had to make up the 5% and that's why he had a relapse,' he said. Criss said that about a year into the first remission he noticed one of Johnny's testicles was 'swollen' and that that is often 'one of the signs' of cancer's return in boys. On January 12, 2022, the Angel family announced via Instagram that Johnny Crisstopher has entered into remission for the second time and would be ending cancer treatment. Unfathomable: 'Seeing my kid, you know, going through hell. Not understanding what was going on,' said Criss; pictured with Johnny and wife Shaunyl Benson Criss l told the outlet that although he's hoping Johnny will 'be in remission forever,' the little boy will 'always' be under the supervision of a doctor in order to ensure that no cancer cells form in the future. 'He'll always have to be going to the doctor periodically to get blood tests to make sure there's no cancer cells that appear, even in their small little state, we want to make sure he's free of it so we have to regularly go in and get checkups now,' he explained. Criss now wants to use his celebrity status and wide-reaching platform to advocate for families also dealing with the devastation that comes with pediatric cancer. Devastation: Criss recalled the devastating moment when Johnny's cancer had returned following a brief remission in 2019 'My child had a type of cancer called ALL [B-Cell A.L.L. Leukemia]. It was 95% curable, but unfortunately somebody had to make up the 5% and that's why he had a relapse,' he said 'We need to go to, you know, [persuade] the powers that be at the government, and try to get more funding to find a cure,' he told Extra's Billy Bush. The entertainer hopes that his recently-released short film, titled '1095' after the 1,095 chemotherapy sessions that were needed to treat Johnny's type of cancer, will help spread the word and inspire change. 1095 was published to Criss' YouTube and Instagram on the day of Johnny's remission announcement and gives viewers a glimpse into the battle his young son braved. 'I'm asking from my heart to yours if you would kindly share this link on your social media platforms - whether you love me or hate me - so that we can raise awareness and money to help kids battling for their lives right now,' he captioned the promo post on January 17. Cancer-free: The Angel family announced via Instagram on January 17 that Johnny Crisstopher (left) has entered into remission for the second time and would be ending cancer treatment The 13-minute short film opened with clips of Criss performing as he said, 'Magic is everywhere. People don't realize it. Magic is life and life is magic. We just take it for granted'. The title '1095' was then shown as Criss was seen holding Johnny in a hospital bed as monitors beeped in the background. A note to viewers said that Johnny Crisstopher in 2015 was diagnosed with cancer. 'I thought it happened to the other person, not to you,' Criss said in a confessional. Watching out: Criss l told the outlet that although he's hoping Johnny will 'be in remission forever,' the little boy will 'always' be under the supervision of a doctor in order to ensure that no cancer cells form in the future His wife Shaunyl Benson was seen at the hospital with Johnny as a nurse with a puppet drew blood from the boy. Criss and Shaunyl got emotional while talking about the chemotherapy that Johnny had been undergoing for five years. 'Ten percent of kids that go through the treatment they don't even make it, not because of the cancer, but because of the types of medicines they have to put in their bodies. Ten percent lose their lives,' Criss said. 'They say the kids with bald heads are the bravest kids of all,' said Shaunyl who encouraged people to interact with childhood cancer patients. Using his platform: Criss now wants to use his celebrity status and wide-reaching platform to advocate for families also dealing with the devastation that comes with pediatric cancer; Criss pictured in 2016 'It's okay to have that conversation, it's okay to say, ''I feel you'',' Shaunyl said. Dr. Alan Ikeda, who is Johnny's doctor, said the public needs to be aware of the scope of childhood cancer. A message to viewers then said that 'Over 15,000 children are diagnosed with cancer every year in the United States.' The short film got its title from the 1,095 chemotherapy sessions needed to treat Johnny's type of B-Cell A.L.L. Leukemia. Johnny after three years completed his final day of treatment in December, 2019, and Criss held Johnny while thanking his supporters, but less than a year later Johnny's cancer returned. Raising awareness: The entertainer hopes that his recently-released short film, titled '1095' after the 1,095 chemotherapy sessions that were needed to treat Johnny's type of cancer, will help spread the word and inspire change Journey: The title '1095' was then shown as Criss was seen holding Johnny in a hospital bed as monitors beeped in the background Shaunyl and Criss fought back tears while talking about Johnny's cancer battle while clips showed their upbeat son. A month later, Las Vegas was locked down due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Criss said he was determined to raise awareness about childhood cancer and vowed to raise 'hundreds of millions of dollars' to fight childhood cancer. The video ended with Criss saying he wanted to be a voice for the children and to help their families. Pediatric cancer: A note to viewers said that Johnny Crisstopher in 2015 was diagnosed with cancer Other person: 'I thought it happened to the other person, not to you,' Criss said in a confessional 'Let them know that they are not alone, you know what I mean. There is magic in the world and that magic is love,' Criss said. 'While you watched this short film, 7 children were diagnosed with cancer,' the short film concluded. Viewers were encouraged to visit CrissAngelHELP.com for more information. Criss and Shaunyl also have two-year-old son Yanni and 10-week-old daughter Illusia Angelina together. Brave soul: Johnny after three years completed his final day of treatment in December, 2019, and Criss held Johnny while thanking his supporters, but less than a year later Johnny's cancer returned Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu showed off a new look on Wednesday. The 32-year-old actor rocked a new bleached blonde hairstyle as he flashed a peace sign in a shirtless selfie that he shared on Instagram. 'Sorry ma pls don't kill me,' Simi joked in the caption. Transformation: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu showed off a new look on Wednesday In the image, the action star's sculpted chest was on full display as he posed in a sunlit corner. The Kim's Convenience alum's locks were dyed golden blonde at the tips, providing a stark contrast to his dark roots. Earlier, Simu had teased his new do on his Instagram Story. He posted a photo in which he was seen with plastic wrapped around his head. New The 32-year-old actor rocked a new bleached blonde hairstyle as he flashed a peace sign in a shirtless selfie that he shared on Instagram. Seen in 2021 The former stuntman's new blonde locks were coated with bleach as the color developed. Across the bleach-stained towel that he wrapped around his neck, Simu wrote, 'Sorry mom.' The actor's post was quickly flooded with comments from his fans and some of his celebrity friends as they shared their reactions to his new look. Preview: Earlier, Simu had teased his new do on his Instagram Story. He posted a photo in which he was seen with plastic wrapped around his head Olivia Munn teased him, writing, 'The 90s really are back,' while Mindy Kaling chimed in, 'Uch why are you so handsome, not likable.' 'I'm disappointed son,' Simu's Shang Chi co-star Fala Chen commented. Shang Chi's Ronny Chieng joked, 'LOOKS LIKE S**T'. Big role: Simu rose to fame when he became the first Asian superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, after campaigning for Marvel to make an Asian superhero movie in a now-famous 2014 tweet Simu rose to fame when he became the first Asian superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, after campaigning for Marvel to make an Asian superhero movie in a now-famous 2014 tweet. The actor was born in China's Heilongjiang province but moved to Canada with his parents at the age of five. In September, Simu received backlash from Chinese nationals when a four-year-old interview he conducted with Canadian channel CBC surfaced. Chinese fans objected to Simu's characterization of China as a third-world country where people starve. Immigrating: The actor was born in China's Heilongjiang province but moved to Canada with his parents at the age of five 'When I was young, my parents would tell me these stories about growing up in Communist China,' he said in the 2017 clip, which is no longer available on the CBC website. 'They lived in the third world where you have people dying of starvation. And they felt that Canada is a place where they can live freely and give their child a better future.' China banned Shang Chi from receiving a theatrical release. The film was a massive hit, raking in $432 million worldwide and a sequel is currently in development. Conor McGregor sparked concern from fans after he shared a clip of himself hysterically laughing while eating ice cream in bed on Instagram on Thursday. The mixed martial artist, 33, went shirtless as he filmed himself on top of his bed sheets while snacking on the pink and white frosty ice lolly. His post comes after Conor posted a bizarre rambling message during a visit to his Irish pub this week after he promised to stop drinking. Uncharacteristic? Conor McGregor, 33, left fans worried after he shared a clip of himself hysterically laughing while eating ice cream in bed on Instagram on Thursday Conor's video concerned his fans, with many taking to the comments section of his post. One person wrote: 'Someone please hurry up and take Conor's phone away from him,' while another follower posted: 'Wtf is going on with Conor at the moment?' Another doubting user of the social media site shared: 'Sorry Conor you will never become champion again,' while someone else shared: 'Money has well and truly gone to your head my friend, I was your biggest fan too, you wont fight again.' Midnight snack? The mixed martial artist could be seen laying on top of his bed sheets while topless and snacking on his pink and white frosty treat Reaching out: Conor's video concerned his fans, with many taking to the comments section of his post Worried: Conor's video concerned his fans, with many taking to the comments section of his post This week, Conor took to Instagram with a 400-word post to celebrate Irish coronavirus restrictions being relaxed while letting his hair down at his Dublin bar the Black Forge Inn. But the caption seemed long and confused, with one of the accompanying pictures showing him with his belt unbuckled before posing with a glass in his hand. In the post he discussed how he was happy 'freedom day' had arrived, before making several typos and writing incomprehensible sentences about it being 'chaos' when you visit. Worry: His post comes after he posted a bizarre rambling message during a visit to his Irish pub this week after he promised to stop drinking, with his words sparking concern Conor had vowed to return to training and matches this spring after breaking his leg during his defeat to Dustin Poirier last year. His fans were quick to comment on the post with their opinions, with some suggesting he was back drinking alcohol and not taking his sport seriously. One person said in the replies: 'Connor isn't serious about being an elite athlete anymore. Wild: The caption of a post this week seemed long and confused, with one of the accompanying pictures showing him posing with a glass in his hand You alright? The mixed martial artist posted a 400-word caption to celebrate Irish coronavirus restrictions being relaxed while letting his hair down at his Dublin bar the Black Forge Inn 'Elite athletes don't drink alcohol and go out partying multiple time per week.' While another said: 'Constantly on the drink. The man's done. Found his fame and fortune and now he's off the rails.' While another person on Instagram said: 'Stick to mma please cut out the alcohol.' Mad: In the post he discussed how he was happy 'freedom day' had arrived, before making several typos and incomprehensible sentences about it being 'chaos' when you visit Reaction: His fans were quick to comment on the post with their opinions, with some suggesting he was back drinking alcohol and not taking his sport seriously Conor wrote in his post: 'We celebrate Freedom here at The Black Forge Inn. Freedom and Justice! Great to see Niamh in enjoying her Saturday night. My Roofer O brien roofing also in done a great job on my roof it is now a full on bunker, like no other. 'A blacked out bunker. 60 plus staff. The Black Forge Inn, Dublin Twelve. Stawl it. Food and drinks and sparkling 24/7 365. Sound system blow your nickers off. 'Taylor my niece also in enjoying her @forgedirishstout. Hers because it's hers when it hits. Make no mistake. This a kingdom and I'm King. Tay Tay 850 a week beep beep new jeep. Rangey. Eyesight 20/10 vision. Because 2020 is done. It's not 2020 no more. Its not what it was no more, you get me? I love you my Taylor Busy: Conor had vowed to return to training and matches this spring after breaking his leg during his defeat to Dustin Poirier last year 'My mothers home Pearse Street also in the house loving it and enjoying them selves. Pearse Street loves it. We love Pearse Street! 'My pub The Black Forge Inn is for Pearse Street also many may not know, fully. The name of my snug is Christy's Snug. Engraved! After my Grandfather. Yup Jakes! Christy 'Jakes' Moore. Pearse Street. My mothers, mad, loving father. We miss but we know where you are granda. Here at this bar hhahahaa. 'Eating and drinking on the gaf. Whiskey is a mad man's drink my mother always says hahahaha who's runs it ma? Thanks for the early house my Grandfather! And the whiskey. And the gargle. 5 more minutes Ma. My Mothers blood line! The Moore's. Chaotic: Conor wrote in his post: 'We celebrate Freedom here at The Black Forge Inn. Freedom and Justice!' 'I have spirits around this whole premise watching over every single patron that enters. Support. Protection. Guidance. Spiritual connection from above. Chaos. Ya ya yaaaaa hahahahaha I don't just make spirits, I have spirits! Ghosts on a string. 'What a pub i after making hahahahahahaaj ah stop lord have mercy father save my soul give me two and a double and use the thing with the bubble back us all our father God Jesus Christ. Please, thank you! We deserve the best! God, we deserve this, thank you God has our back! 100%.' It comes after he assured fans last week that he would completely ditch alcohol when he returns to full training. Promises: It comes after he assured fans last week that he would completely ditch alcohol when he returns to full training 'For my fighting fans, I want to say I know I am enjoying myself with my liquid,' he wrote on Instagram. 'But very soon I will be immersing my self in full training again with complete abstention from my wonderful creations of spirit and ale. Just five more minutes Ma.' A likely return date for Conor is July 2, with UFC 264 marking the promotion's card during International fight week. She's known to make a jaw-dropping appearances. And Jessica Alves, showcased her ample assets in a very busty two piece as she headed out to dine at the luxe Amazonico in Berkeley Square, Mayfair, on Thursday. The television personality, 38, slipped into an all white ensemble before taking a Tesla to the restaurant. Wow! Jessica Alves, 38, put on a jaw-dropping display in a very busty cropped top and matching skirt as she stepped out for dinner in Mayfair on Thursday She paired the plunging white top with a peplum hem with a matching knee length skirt that featured lace print detail. The influencer layered over a full length white fur coat to shield her from the winter weather. Jessica styled her long blonde lock in sleek straightened style with a side parting as it tumbled down to her waist. Chic: She paired the plunging white top with a peplum hem with a matching knee length skirt that featured lace print detail Glamourous: Jessica styled her long blonde lock in sleek straightened style with a side parting as it tumbled down to her waist She accessorised with a gold Dior handbag and added a makeup pallet of shimmery eyeshadow and a glossy nude lip. Earlier this week, the Brazilian-British beauty made sure to give a glimpse into her work out routine as she took to Instagram to share a series of videos. She could be seen as she took to the treadmill for a quick warm up before beginning her weighted leg session. Stylish: She accessorised with a gold Dior handbag and added a makeup pallet of shimmery eyeshadow and a glossy nude lip The former Celebrity Big Brother housemate recently revealed she is considering having voice feminisation surgery, after undergoing sex reassignment surgery at the start of 2021, having come out publicly as transgender in 2020. She said: 'I think that it is the only thing that gives away the fact that I am a transgender. 'My body and looks are very feminine but when a guy chats to me at a bar, or gym the third question is "are you trans?". 'I say, "yes I am", then the guy walks away. It is very frustrating. Christina Applegate was back on the set of Netflix's Dead To Me as she continued shooting the series' highly-anticipated third season in Los Angeles on Thursday. The 50-year-old actress, who revealed back in August that she's been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, walked beside a production assistant with a cane in hand. Meanwhile, Applegate's costar Linda Cardellini was spotted exiting her trailer in full-costume. Hard at work: Christina Applegate commanded the set of Netflix's Dead To Me as they continued shooting the series' highly-anticipated third season on Thursday in Los Angeles Applegate and Cardellini returned to set with the rest of the cast in December after multiple production delays due to the covid-19 pandemic and Applegate's health. The Married With Children star oozed sophistication for the day's shoot in an all-black getup consisting of a button-up blouse and skinny jeans. Applegate's flowing blonde hair was parted down the middle and styled in soft waves that cascaded down her back and chest. With the COVID-19 pandemic still at large and safety protocols in place, Applegate made sure to don a face mask. Commanding the set: The 50-year-old actress, who revealed back in August that she's been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, walked beside a production assistant with a cane in hand Ready to roll: Meanwhile, Applegate's costar Linda Cardellini was spotted exiting her trailer in full-costume Cardellini, also braving the set in a face mask, emerged from her trailer in a brightly colored ensemble. The 46-year-old actress modeled a light pink maxi dress with crochet detailing and a patterned kimono boasting vibrant shades of pink and orange. The Freaks And Geeks star toted her belongings in a large orange purse and her brunette hair was styled in loose curls. Applegate stars as sardonic widow Jen Harding who, after the loss of her husband from a hit-and-run accident, crosses paths with free spirited Judy Hale (played by Cardellini) at a grief support group. Back in action: Applegate and Cardellini returned to set with the rest of the cast in December after multiple production delays due to the covid-19 pandemic and Applegate's health; the pair pictured in Dead To Me season two Their unlikely friendship, eventually, becomes complicated by secrets, lies, and an accidental murder that will bond them for life. Dead To Me premiered its first season on the streaming platform with a 10-episode drop in May 2019. The half-hour dark comedy returned for its second season in May 2020, also with 10-episodes. Debut: Dead To Me premiered its first season on the streaming platform with a 10-episode drop in May 2019 Though the series was renewed for a third season in June 2020, the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent Hollywood production shutdown kept production at a standstill. Production on season three commenced in the spring of 2021 but it was soon delayed after Applegate learned of her multiple sclerosis diagnosis in August. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition that can affect the brain and spinal cord, causing a wide range of potential symptoms, including problems with vision, arm or leg movement, sensation or balance. In December, the actress revealed that she was struggling with the lower half of her body, tweeting that exercise could be scary 'due to numbness in feet and legs.' Take two: The half-hour dark comedy returned for its second season in May 2020, also with 10-episodes Last month, the Anchorman actress opened up about living with MS, as well as her extensive acting career, during an Instagram Q&A. At a certain point, when asked about working on the 2002 flick The Sweetest Thing, the actress made a reference to her costar, Selma Blair, when she commented that it was 'sad both of us have Ms.' Blair, 49, revealed her multiple sclerosis diagnosis back in 2018 and has since released a documentary about her journey with the illness. When another fan asked her about her goals for the year, Applegate answered that she would like to see a 'cure for MS maybe?????' She initially announced that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis with a message that was shared to her Twitter account in August of last year. Opening up: Last month, the Anchorman actress opened up about living with MS, as well as her extensive acting career, during an Instagram Q&A Not excited: At a certain point, when asked about working on the 2002 flick The Sweetest Thing, the actress made a reference to her costar, Selma Blair, when she commented that it was 'sad both of us have Ms' The performer began her message by noting that, although she was disheartened by the diagnosis, she was happy to have friends and family to help her along the road. She wrote: 'Hi friends. A few months ago I was diagnosed with MS. It's been a strange journey. But I have been so supported by people that I know who also have this condition.' Applegate went on to express that she was fully determined to beating the disease in the future. 'It's been a tough road. But as we all know, the road keeps going. Unless some a****** blocks it,' she said. Kaia Gerber posed topless on Thursday as she embraced a new rocker chic style for a sultry new campaign for the luxury fashion house Ports 1961. While modeling a number of stunning pieces from the Canadian-founded brand's latest collection, the 20-year-old catwalk queen turned up the heat in a black leather jacket with nothing underneath and a matching miniskirt. In one shot, the daughter of model Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber's chestnut brown hair fell over most of her face as she stared at the camera. Sexy: Kaia Gerber posed topless as she embraced a new rock chic style for a sultry new campaign for the luxury fashion house Ports 1961 Another image showed the American Horror Story actress tugging her hair as she curtsied in a sequined black tank top, studded skirt and boots. In the chic same outfit, a photographer snapped a few polaroids of Kaia as she held a zebra-striped purse above her head. '@ports1961 by #stevenmeisel,' the rumored new girlfriend of actor Austin Butler captioned her latest Instagram post. Outfit changes: Another image showed the American Horror Story star tugging her hair as she curtsied sporting a sequined black tank top, studded skirt and combat boots Playful: In the same look, a photographer snapped a few polaroids of Kaia as she held her zebra-striped purse above her head Ports 1961 shared a few additional photos of Kaia, who had her light brown locks roughed up to perfection by hairdresser Guido Palau. Makeup artist Pat McGrath gave her a thick winged eyeliner and smokey eye to compliment her rebellious and edgy ensembles. Since December, she has been sparking romance rumors with Vanessa Hudgens' ex-boyfriend, 30, after her split from Euphoria star Jacob Elordi. Edgy: Ports 1961 shared a few additional photos of Kaia, who had her light brown locks roughed up to perfection by hairdresser Guido Palau A source told People that the model 'seems really happy' with her new romance with Butler and 'all of her friends think he's really cute.' 'All of her friends think they are so adorable and it's a total step up from her last relationship and she knows it too,' the insider reported. She previously dated Jacob for over a year before their eventual split, which Page Six reported was 'amicable.' Styled to perfection: Makeup artist Pat McGrath gave her a thick winged eyeliner and smokey eye to compliment her rebellious ensembles Jacob remarked in a recent Men's Health profile that Kaia had taught him how to cope with fame through her own example. 'She handles herself wonderfully publicly and I've learned so much from her about how to handle it, how to deal with it and just kind of be whatever about it, you know?' said Jacob, who was once linked to Zendaya. Meanwhile over the summer, while dating Jacob, Kaia gushed: 'Being able to be with someone I trust, where we don't want anything from each other, having a safe, steady relationship like that, has really opened my eyes to the possibilities of love and what it feels like to love without conditions.' She explained her reasoning to Vogue: 'Lust is touching other people or wanting them, but love is really seeing someone.' Film legend Denzel Washington has got the Bard bug bad, following his acclaimed screen performance, full of lethal menace, as the slasher Scot Macbeth. Now, Washington has revealed that he has his eye on another great Shakespearean role: King Lear. And this time, he wants to play him on stage. 'The L word!' the actor roared. 'That's the good stuff. These are great parts and the greatest challenge.' He said that playing the ageing, troubled king was 'absolutely something I want to do'. And the two-time Oscar winner did not rule out the possibility of bringing Lear to London. Though he cautioned: 'Yeah, but you've got to talk to the money people. I'm just an actor for hire.' If he does play Lear, it would not happen until 2023, at the earliest, because he's committed to a new film. 'After all this high falutin' Shakespeare, I'm doing The Equalizer 3. That's showbiz,' he said, laughing down the line from his home in Los Angeles (we were speaking over the telephone ... old-school ... no Zoom for Denzel). After portraying Macbeth on screen, film legend Denzel Washington (pictured) has revealed that he has an eye on another Shakespearean role - King Lear - whom he wants to play on stage Pictured: Denzel Washington as Macbeth and Frances McDormand as Lady Macbeth The latest instalment in the film series in which Washington plays Robert McCall, a retired CIA assassin (it's inspired by the tv series starring Edward Woodward in the 1980s), is ready to shoot in the autumn. 'Mixing it up,' as he described his varied projects, stops him from getting bored. At 67, he's been trying to cut his film roles down from two to one a year. 'I'm doing more, but acting less,' he said, explaining that these days he spends more time directing (he was behind the camera on A Journal For Jordan, starring Michael B. Jordan, which is out now), and producing. He's planning to produce a film version of August Wilson's The Piano Lesson, to star Samuel L. Jackson and his son, John David Washington after it has had a run on Broadway, where it's due to open this autumn. (It was delayed from 2021.) LaTanya Richardson, Jackson's wife, will direct the show on stage. Washington has said he spends more time behind the camera directing these days than acting Washington has been charged by Wilson's estate to make films from the playwright's cycle of ten plays about the black experience in 20th-century America. He's already made Fences; and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. The Piano Lesson will shoot, if everything stays on schedule, sometime next year. But Washington ruled out doing the 'murder movie' as Macbeth director Joel Coen termed his magnificently shot, black and white version of the Scottish play, which also starred his missus Frances McDormand as Lady Macbeth on the boards. 'I felt like I lived it already,' he said, 'so I would rather start on stage with Lear, and really live it and then hopefully make a film of that one day.' Coen's rigorous preparations for the film 'were like putting it up as a play'. Which, as a classically-trained actor, he enjoyed; but would not necessarily want to go through again. Eight months before filming started, he joined McDormand and Coen for a rigorous read-through; five months after that, the full company joined in and began work on it. Denzel described McDormand as 'a force of nature', adding that when 'you work with Fran, sparks fly and it's exciting'. Eight months before Macbeth filming started, Washington joined McDormand and Coen for a rigorous read-through; five months after that, the full company joined in and began work on it The murderous couple they play are older than usual interpretations. 'It just raises the stakes,' Washington argued. 'They don't have time to waste, literally. And things have changed, since the Bard penned the play. 'It's 400 years ago and 40 was the new 60. Or is it 40 was the old 60? Whatever! Anyway, people didn't expect to make it to 60,' he said. Washington was full of admiration for the film's supporting cast, which included many actors from our shores. He cited Kathryn Hunter, who plays all three witches; Bertie Carvel as Banquo; Alex Hassell as Ross; and Harry Melling as Malcolm. 'The British kids were all bringing it,' he marvelled. All schooled in the classics, 'they knew how to rinse the words around in their mouths', as he put it, to make them accessible. Coen (wisely) told them not to worry about accents, 'as long as there was no stick-up-the-butt acting', Washington recalled, breaking into a hammy, declaratory style of speaking. 'Oh, my Lo-wd!' He recalled working on Kenneth Branagh's 1993 film version of Much Ado About Nothing; and there was an older actor in the cast, more than likely Edward Jewesbury, who would ham it up off camera, giving his 'Irving' a reference to Victorian actor-manager Henry Irving. 'Sure, they're precious words,' he continued, of Shakespeare's lines, but they have to be spoken in a style that modern audiences can follow. WATCH OUT FOR... Kerry Ellis, who has been cast as Renee Sweeney, the evangelist who gets a kick out of champagne, in the new touring version of director and choreographer Kathleen Marshall's delicious production of Cole Porter's Anything Goes. Bonnie Langford, Dennis Lawson and Simon Callow will take over roles played respectively by Felicity Kendal, Robert Lindsay and Gary Wilmot in last year's cork-popping sensation at the Barbican, that saw Broadway's Sutton Foster make her London debut as Reno. New cast of Anything Goes: Simon Callow, Kerry Ellis, Denis Lawson and Bonnie Langford Samuel Edwards, Nicole-Lily Baisden, Haydn Oakley and comic wonder Carly Mercedes Dyer will reprise their 2021 roles with the new company. The tour begins at Bristol Hippodrome on April 11, then visits Liverpool Empire, Edinburgh Festival Theatre and the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury, before dropping anchor once more at the Barbican, where it will run from July 15 until September 3. Awards season puzzlers. Such as the fact that Nicole Kidman, Olivia Colman, Kirsten Dunst, Kristen Stewart and Denzel Washington! did not receive Bafta acting nominations yesterday. And what about Steven Spielberg, who was not cited in the best director category for West Side Story? I've sat on enough awards panels to know that these aren't called snubs. I remember Emma Thompson once noting that movies and performances shouldn't be defined by trophies. West Side Story's Ariana DeBose (centre) has been nominated for a Bafta in the Best Supporting Actress category for her role as Anita in Steven Spielberg's musical remake She's right but I am thrilled, nonetheless, that Ariana DeBose and Mike Faist, from West Side Story, were recognised. I was an early champion of both Joanna Scanlan in After Love and Emilia Jones (Coda), who received best actress nods as did Lady Gaga, for her performance (and a half!) in House Of Gucci. I'm also pleased for Jessie Buckley, Caitriona Balfe, Ann Dowd, Aunjanue Ellis and Ruth Negga, who join DeBose in the best supporting actress race. That's a tough category. Much more exciting than last year! Kirsten Dunst (pictured) said she would have joined the cast of the latest Spider Man had she been asked Kirsten Dunst would happily have joined the boys in the blockbuster Spider-Man: No Way Home had she only been invited. Instead, the actress can be seen giving a sublime performance in Jane Campions The Power Of The Dog (streaming now on Netflix), as a woman hurled into psychological despair after being shunned by her brother-in-law (Benedict Cumberbatch). Twenty years ago, Dunst played Peter Parkers girl Mary Jane Watson in the first three Spidey movies opposite Tobey Maguire as the teenage webslinger. Maguire and fellow Spider-Man alumnus Andrew Garfield were magically brought back to life in No Way Home, to join current Spidey Tom Holland, thanks to the sorcery of Doctor Strange ... played by her Power Of The Dog co-star Cumberbatch. (And before you squawk, this is hardly a plot spoiler, given that the films been out for seven weeks now.) Apparently people flipped out when they saw Tobey, Dunst said, adding: I would have participated, if asked. Shes not seen the film yet. I saw some clips, she said, and decided it looked a little violent for her three-and-a-half year old son Ennis (hes more of a Lego guy), not to mention nine-month-old James. Marvel movies always have good actors in them, she commented, and you get paid a lot of money to do them, too. Shed love to play a Marvel baddie one day, but feels shes so enmeshed in the Spider-Man universe that her dream would prove impossible. Dunst joined the Marvel universe as Mary-Jane Watson in the Spider-Man movies between 2002 and 2007. Pictured: Tobey Maguire and Dunst share a memorable kiss in the first film Tom Holland as Spider Man and Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr Strange in the most recent instalment which also featured actors from past films including Maguire and Andrew Garfield Dunst isnt part of industrial Hollywood any more. Shes much happier working with the likes of Sofia Coppola, Lars von Trier (when hes behaving himself) and Campion. The latters The Power Of The Dog received eight nominations yesterday in the Bafta film awards ... including ones for Campion and Cumberbatch though surprisingly none for Dunst. Her real-life partner Jesse Plemons, who plays rancher George Burbank, brother to Cumberbatchs Phil, got a nod, too. George has just married Kirstens Rose, who comes to the relationship complete with her grown-up son, played by Kodi Smit-McPhee (also nominated). Dunst told me she dug deep into past pain to capture the extreme mental pressure Rose is under, as a result of Phils bullying. Kirsten Dunst's latest role was in the Jane Campion film The Power of the Dog out last year Dunst (pictured) plays a woman hurled into despair after being shunned by her brother-in-law She dredged up old feelings, from her late teens to early 20s: stuff that could make you feel bad, real easily. Like the memory of a guy in her life who was controlling, making me feel bad about something, being gaslit, basically. I felt that before in work and in a relationship as Im sure many people have. Growing up in the business, she felt actresses younger actresses in particular were under pressure to be much more pleasing to those in positions of power. Its please, please, please! she cried, in mock despair. And she had to go into those feelings, and magnify them, to play Rose. In the film, she and Cumberbatch barely speak to each other so they practised that, for real. Jane gave Benedict permission not to be nice Benedict, she recalled. As a result, they wouldnt interact, on or off set, unless they happened to bump into each other on the weekend, when out with their families. At which point he basically would apologise. Pictured: Kirsten Dunst as Rose Gordon in Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog on Netflix The austere landscape on location in New Zealand added to the oppressive atmosphere during filming. Now back in the States, Dunst, Plemons and their children are living in Austin, Texas, while he films a crime drama called Love And Death. Dunst told me shes not scared of catching Covid but needs to be careful, because if Plemons gets it, the TV production will shut down. So when the family eat together, its outside. Easier there than here, I imagine. Next month, shes headed back to work herself for the first time since setting off on her New Zealand adventure, when Ennis was barely two. She will star in Alex Garlands new film Civil War; the plot of which is still under wraps, but which according to the actress is about a civil war thats basically happening now. REJOICE AT THE SOUNDS OF MUSICALS The new original musical, Operation Mincemeat, that has been playing to packed houses at the fringe Southwark Playhouse, arrived south of the river by way of independent theatre company SpitLip, after it was commissioned by the New Diorama Theatre (located across the street from Regents Park) and the Lowry in Salford. The show is based on a true WWII secret mission, involving the use of a corpse to mislead Hitler over attacks in Greece and Sardinia. On Tuesday night I shared pizza with Ian McKellen in the Playhouse bar before watching it. There are efforts to get Operation Mincemeat transferred into a West End house. The difficulty is finding the right one. A big theatre would ruin its intimate atmosphere. Operation Mincemeat cast: Claire-Marie Hall with Hodgson, Cumming, Roberts and Malone The Almeida Theatres sizzling version of Steven Sater and Duncan Sheiks Spring Awakening I had a smashing time as much fun as I had when I saw The Drifters Girl in Newcastle (its now packing them in at the Garrick with its toe-tapping re-creations of old Drifters hits). Both are best musical contenders, in my book with Mincemeat being a wholly original best musical. Neither was developed by the mighty duo of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh, but emerged from independent producers. The Almeida Theatres sizzling version of Steven Sater and Duncan Sheiks Spring Awakening also needs to transfer. Gary Goetzman, the Hollywood producer, has the film rights to that show and hed like the Almeidas Rupert Goold to direct a movie version, too (though it would require some star casting to get it off the ground). Suddenly, theres a sense of hope in the air. Boy, have people worked hard for it. President Biden opted not to visit Rikers Island Thursday, following calls for him to do so by public defender groups anxious to keep the spotlight on the conditions and staffing crisis there. Biden instead toured police headquarters with Mayor Adams and Gov. Hochul and also visited a public school, keeping the focus of his visit on gun crime. Advertisement The White House did not respond to a joint statement from six public defender organizations to visit the jails, a spokesman for one of the groups said early Thursday. President Joe Biden speaks at Carnegie Mellon University at Mill 19 in Pittsburgh, Friday, Jan. 28, 2022. (Andrew Harnik/AP) President Joseph Bidens visit to New York City is an opportunity for this nations leader to witness firsthand the horrendous conditions New Yorkers endure each day on Rikers Island, the groups said in a statement Jan. 26. Advertisement New York City jails remain in an unprecedented and unmitigated humanitarian crisis that has no end in sight, the statement said. White House spokeswoman Jenn Psaki punted when asked about Rikers during pre-visit remarks to the press. In this 2014 file photo shows the Rikers Island jail complex . (Seth Wenig/AP) I expect hell be back to New York during his time as president, but I dont have any preview of a trip to Rikers, Psaki said. Former state Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, who oversees a state commission on criminal justice reform, praised Biden and Adams for coming together to combat gun violence. But he also hoped Biden would use his visit to publicly support the closing of the Rikers Island jails. The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > The quest for public safety must go hand-in-hand with the pursuit of justice one is not truly achievable without the other, Lippman said. In New York City, that requires closing the jails on Rikers Island as soon as possible. Every day that horrific place is open, our fellow New Yorkers are subjected to increased violence and recidivism, and worsening mental health problems. Advertisement Appearing on NBC with Lester Holt on Wednesday evening, former Correction Department Commissioner Vincent Schiraldi blamed the staffing crisis for the back of basic services at Rikers. People were living in inhumane conditions. No recreation. Health care was not available to them because we couldnt get them to their doctors appointments, he said. COBA President Benny Boscio has said that it is nonsense that officers are out on purpose. The Daily News reported Jan. 23 that in addition to officers legitimately out sick or on partial or no inmate contact for injuries, there have also been officers taking advantage of the system. In just one case, a suspended officer organized a Summer Jam party July 31 that drew at least 9 officers out on sick leave. Hundreds of officers have been caught violating DOC sick leave policies, sources told The News, while many others have been AWOL without explanation. Months after their split, Mary Fitzgerald said Jason Oppenheim is still 'madly in love' with ex Chrishell Stause. In an interview with Us Weekly the Selling Sunset star, 40, discussed the former couple, along with her husband Romain Bonnet, 28. 'He still loves her. He's madly in love with her,' the blonde beauty said unequivocally when asked if she was surprised that the two broke up. Revelation: Mary Fitzgerald said Jason Oppenheim is still 'madly in love' with ex Chrishell Stause during a new interview with her husband Romain Bonnet; seen in Beverly Hills in December 'I was surprised,' she admitted before adding, 'Its sad because I love them together.' Jason and Chrishell had a short-lived romance, as they went public with their relationship in July 2021 but called it quits just months later in December. The breakup was amicable, with both parties taking to social media to gush over each other after announcing that they were going their separate ways. The Dancing with the Stars alum was the one to reveal the reason for the split, sharing that they had different wants in regards to starting a family. Whirlwind timeline: Jason and Chrishell had a short-lived romance, as they went public with their relationship in July 2021 but called it quits just months later in December 'Men have the luxury of time that women dont and thats just the way it goes,' the Kentucky-born star said at the time. Jason referred to her as 'one of the best things that has ever happened to me' in a long message typed over a photo of the two. Mary, who was once romantically involved with Oppenheim, said that she'd spoken 'at length' the to the real estate mogul about his relationship with Stause. 'I know that he was going back and forth because kids to him thats something hes never wanted,' she told the publication. Still friends: The breakup was amicable, with both parties taking to social media to gush over each other after announcing that they were going their separate ways Her husband Romain added his thoughts: 'He loved [Chrishell] so much. I think that, in his head, it was like, "Yeah, I think I could [have kids] because of the way I feel [about her]."' On the topic of Jason having children Fitzgerald noted, 'I think he was trying to make sure, like, that [he had] an option if he was able to get himself on board with it. He just realized its not for him.' The Netflix star continued, 'I think, at the end of the day, he didnt feel it was right. 'But theyre mutually OK with it. Theyre still really good friends. And I think they would wish it wouldve worked out because they both love each other very, very much, but they just want different things as far as a family life.' Romain, who married Mary in 2019, added: 'They split for the good of each other because he knew couldnt give her what she wanted. And she knew that he couldnt give it to her. So, even though they love [each other] so much, at the end of the day, they [couldnt make it work].' Coming soon! The former soap opera actress is releasing a memoir on February 8 called Under Construction: Because Living My Best Life Took a Little Work Last year Chrishell opened up about starting the process of freezing her eggs, and she said she's keeping her options open when it comes to creating a family. Speaking with People she said she'd love to find the right partner 'but if it doesn't [happen], I feel like I can do it on my own. 'That's something that seems scary, but it also seems a little freeing, knowing that I'm not tied down to this idea that I only have this finite amount of time to figure it out.' The former soap opera actress is releasing a memoir on February 8 called Under Construction: Because Living My Best Life Took a Little Work. Tim McGraw is thanking his lucky stars after lassoing the likes of Tom Hanks to appear in 1883, the new drama series on Paramount+ that's a prequel to Yellowstone. It turns out the country music superstar and actor has been friends with the two-time Oscar winner, which could have only helped in nailing down Hanks for the cameo. 'It was pretty spectacular for Tom Hanks to show up and do the scene,' McGraw, 54, recalled in a new interview with his label, Big Machine Label Group, before sharing how their wives and children have also been BFFs for many years. BFFs forever: Being longtime friend helped Tim McGraw in being able to get Tom Hanks to play a cameo role in his new drama series 1883, which premiered on December 19, 2021; the country music superstar is seen alongside the two-time Oscar winner in a scene in 1883 McGraw continued: 'We've been friends for such a long time. We're family friends forever. Our kids are friends, Faith [Hill] and Rita [Wilson] are best friends, and so to ask him to do this scene and he says, "Sure, I'll be there. Tell me when," was just so incredible.' In his brief appearance, Hanks, now 65, plays the role of Civil War General George Mead, who serves alongside James Dutton (McGraw). But while the Forrest Gump star's cameo may be short-lived, McGraw maintains his impact is huge in a battleground scene that he calls 'one of the most moving scenes in the show.' Continuing the story: The Paramount+ series 1883, a prequel to Yellowstone, premiered in December 2021, and stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill as James and Margaret Dutton Dutton's rise: Being a prequel to Taylor Sheridan and John Linson's series creation Yellowstone, 1883 follows an earlier generation of the Dutton family and their journey from Fort Worth, Texas, to Montana to establish what would eventually become the Yellowstone Ranch McGraw described how he played off of Hank's 40-plus years of experience as an actor of the silver screen, to be able to reach deep down inside his own psyche to capture the elements needed for such a heavy moment of the episode. 'No matter how good of friends you are and how well you know someone, when you're sitting there in a scene that's that emotional and you see Tom Hanks walk up in a Union uniform, and look at you and say, "Captain." And then he just sat beside me and he puts his hand on my shoulder and he goes, "I know." I just fell apart,' McGraw admitted, adding, 'That's somebody that knows what theyre doin'. He was just really good.' Along with Hanks, some of the other high-profile actors to guest star in 1883 to date include Hank's real-life wife Rita Wilson, Billy Bob Thornton, Graham Greene, Dawn Olivieri and Emma Malouff. Impactful: In his brief appearance, Hanks, now 65, plays the role of Civil War General George Mead, who serves alongside McGraw's James Dutton; Hanks accesses the situation in 1883 All in the family: McGraw stars alongside real-life wife Faith Hill in the Paramount + series The first season of 1883 only just premiered on Paramount+ on December 19, 2021, and will consist of 10 episodes that will conclude on February 26, 2022. McGraw stars alongside his wife Faith Hill, as well as Western-cowboy veteran Sam Elliot, Isabel May, LaMonica Garrett, Marc Rissmann, Audie Rick, Eric Nelsen and James Landry Hebert. Being a prequel to the Taylor Sheridan and John Linson series creation Yellowstone, the new story follows an earlier generation of the Dutton family's journey from Fort Worth, Texas, to Montana to establish what would eventually become the Yellowstone Ranch. Americana: In 1883, the Duttons (McGraw and Hill) journey from Fort Worth, Texas, to Montana to establish what would eventually become the Yellowstone Ranch Family matters: In the new interview, McGraw (left) revealed that his family has been BFFs with Hanks and his wife and children; the country crooner's wife Faith Hill (right) is pictured in-between scenes on 1883 with Hank's wife Rita Wilson The original series, Yellowstone, which has already run for four seasons on Paramount beginning in June 2018, was just renewed for a fifth season in February. It stars Kevin Costner, Wes Bentley, Kelly Reilly, Luke Grimes, Cole Hauser and Gil Birmingham, among others. The series chronicles the Dutton family, who are owners of the largest ranch in Montana, the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, commonly called 'The Yellowstone'. The plot revolves around family drama at the ranch and the bordering Broken Rock Indian Reservation, national park, and developers. 90 Day Fiance alum Geoffrey Paschel received an 18-year prison sentence without the chance of parole on Thursday in a Knoxville, Tennessee court, in connection with his conviction of aggravated kidnapping, domestic assault and interference with emergency calls. Paschel, 44, was found guilty of the multiple charges last October in connection with a June 9, 2019 incident with his former fiancee Kristen Wilson, US Weekly reported. In the incident, Wilson told Knox County Sheriff's Office deputies that Paschel had attacked her, grabbed her neck and struck her head into a wall multiple times. Wilson told authorities that Paschel had thrown her body on the ground and dragged her on the floor. The latest: 90 Day Fiance alum Geoffrey Paschel, 44, received an 18-year prison sentence without the chance of parole on Thursday in a Knoxville, Tennessee court, in connection with his conviction of aggravated kidnapping, domestic assault and interference with emergency calls Officials observed that Wilson had bruises on her forehead, back, arms and mouth in the wake of the incident, and was subsequently diagnosed with a concussion. Wilson told authorities that Paschel would not let her have her phone or leave the property in the incident, as she was able to escape when he went to sleep and she went to a neighbor's house to contact authorities. In his trial in Knox County Criminal Court last fall, the District Attorney General's Office told WBIR, Paschel told the court that Wilson had injured herself. The trial was concluded in two days, officials said. In his sentencing, prosecutors said that Paschel should be deemed a Range-II Offender, based on past drug convictions, and testimony from Wilson and his ex-wife that he was physically abusive with them. Prosecutors also displayed a clip in which Paschel, while in jail, solicited people to bring his kids to Wilson's home to try to persuade her to ask the court to be lenient on him. In his trial in Knox County Criminal Court last fall, Paschel told the court that his former fiancee had injured herself; the trial was concluded in two days Paschel in 2020 was seen on the fourth season of the program 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days, in which he got engaged to Varya Malina, 33 Paschel in 2020 was seen on the fourth season of the program 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days, in which he got engaged to Varya Malina, 33. Amid his legal issues, he was not invited to appear on the show's tell-all taping, which he commented on in a June 2020 Instagram Live session. Paschel said that he was 'not sad' to have been excluded from the special. 'The mentality of keeping me off the tell-all because somebody said something is the most absurd thing I've ever heard in my life,' he said at the time. 'I want my court case to be over with, and as soon as my court case is over with, then my life will proceed.' Malina, a native of Russia, was on hand for Paschel's sentencing on Thursday, US reported. She has taken to social media multiple times to update people about Paschel, saying in December that he was 'using this time now to finally slow down and reevaluate what's important in his life and focus on it. 'He always sees positive aspects in everything that happens in his life. We are so alike in this exact way.' When asked why she had not clarified if they were married, she said, she 'can't and [has] zero desire to discuss the legal case.' The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support. HBO Max's And Just Like That... wrapped up its 10-episode run on Thursday, though one previously-confirmed cast member never appeared on the show. Broadway actor Isaac Powell signed on as a series regular back in late July, playing a New York City college student named George. However, the actor never made it on the show at all, with US Weekly reporting that the 27-year-old actor, 'ultimately wasnt able to do the show.' Wrapped: HBO Max's And Just Like That... wrapped up its 10-episode run on Thursday, though one previously-confirmed cast member never appeared on the show Character: Broadway actor Isaac Powell signed on as a series regular back in late July, playing a New York City college student named George His absence was due to, 'scheduling conflicts with another job,' according to sources, though it's not clear what the other conflicting job was. Powell's character George was a student at the famed Fashion Institute of Technology, who was said to be, 'unconstrained by fashion/gender norms.' The character was described as, 'having a calm demeanor and self-processed energy beyond his young years.' Another job: His absence was due to, 'scheduling conflicts with another job,' according to sources, though it's not clear what the other conflicting job was Energy: The character was described as, 'having a calm demeanor and self-processed energy beyond his young years' There was no indication if the character had any connections to the three main characters, Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie Bradshaw, Cynthia Nixon's Miranda Hobbes or Kristin Davis' Charlotte York. Powell's character George wasn't the only character to be previously announced and not make it on the show, though the other character was never officially announced. Original Sex and the City star John Corbett, who played Aidan Shaw, told Page Six in April that he would be in 'quite a few episodes,' though that was completely untrue. Main characters: There was no indication if the character had any connections to the three main characters, Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie Bradshaw, Cynthia Nixon's Miranda Hobbes or Kristin Davis' Charlotte York Not true: Original Sex and the City star John Corbett, who played Aidan Shaw, told Page Six in April that he would be in 'quite a few episodes,' though that was completely untrue And Just Like That... creator Michael Patrick King revealed on Thursday, 'The fact of the matter is, we never said anything about Aidan.' 'We always try to be very restrained and look at the reality of what people are experiencing and it has nothing to do with Aidan coming or not coming,' the 67-year-old showrunner added. 'It really just felt like this was a lot for Carrie. This season was a lot. We wanted to get her through this and into the light,' King said, noting the last episode is called, Seeing the Light. Never: And Just Like That... creator Michael Patrick King revealed on Thursday, 'The fact of the matter is, we never said anything about Aidan' 'We wanted to get her out. [Aidan's return] is a big storyline that everybody at home wrote that we had never intended,' King clarified. Another writer on the show, Julie Rottenberg, was not pleased that Corbett made those completely untrue statements. 'John Corbett should be writing personal apology notes,' Rottenberg said, adding, 'We didn't say anything.' She's in a relationship with one of the most successful men in Sydney, billionaire pub baron Justin Hemmes. And Madeline Holtznagel enjoyed the perks of dating the Merivale boss, 49, on Thursday. The model hosted a lunch to celebrate a girlfriend's birthday at one of Hemmes' popular Sydney restaurants, Fred's in Paddington. Girls gone wild! Madeline Holtznagel (pictured) wore a $16,000 outfit as she enjoyed a girl's lunch at a restaurant owned by her billionaire boyfriend Justin Hemmes Following the meal, the 26-year-old and her gal pals were spotted posing for endless selfies in front of the eatery. Madeline certainly turned heads, going braless under a white shirt dress teamed with some very pricey accessories. She wore a pair of $2,290 Louis Vuitton Wonderland Flat Ranger boots, $430 Prada sunglasses and toted a 13,190 black quilted lambskin Chanel handbag. Turning heads: Madeline certainly turned heads, going braless under a white shirt dress teamed with a 13,190 black quilted lambskin Chanel handbag, a $2,290 pair of Louis Vuitton Wonderland Flat Ranger boots and $430 Prada sunglasses But first... let me get a selfie! Madeline appeared to be taking selfies with not one, but two iPhones in the bathroom Party time! The stunner shared a photo from inside the lunch to her Instagram Stories She had her blonde locks styled up in a high ponytail and flashed her pearly whites as she smiled for the camera. Madeline was joined by her best friend and glamour model Indi Lew, who is currently dating Jodi Anasta's ex-boyfriend Warren Ginsberg. At one stage Lew squatted in the street to find the perfect angle to capture another photo from the day. Strike a pose: Following the meal, the 26-year-old and her gal pals were spotted posing for endless selfies in front of the eatery As they left the venue, Madeline was given a piggyback by another friend as the other girls giggled behind her. The outing comes after Madeline received a stark warning over her relationship with Hemmes. Agents have reportedly been warning Madeline she could be missing important opportunities in the modelling industry because she is prioritising her relationship over her career. Making memories: Madeline was joined by her best friend and fellow model Indi Lew, who is currently dating Jodi Anasta's ex-boyfriend Warren Ginsberg. At one stage Lew (pictured) squatted in the street to find the perfect angle to capture another photo from the day Warning: The outing comes after Madeline received a stark warning over her relationship with Hemmes, 49, pictured here 'It's not like Madeline is going out with a Hemsworth,' one industry source told The Daily Telegraph. 'I don't think this relationship with Justin will have much of an impact on her career. If anything, she will be more known as a bit of a celebrity model as opposed to a fashion model.' Another source close to the couple said: 'It's all well and good now, but there might come a time when the relationship runs its course and she will need her modelling career, so she can support herself financially.' Priorities: Agents are warning Madeline she could be missing her prime in the modelling industry because she is prioritising her relationship over her career Madeline and Justin have been dating for some time, and she also spent lockdown at his Vaucluse mansion in 2020. She now reportedly lives in a Coogee penthouse that he owns. The couple have been spotted out and about in Sydney several times after confirming their romance. 'I don't think this relationship with Justin will have much of an impact on her career. If anything, she will be more known as a bit of a celebrity model as opposed to a fashion model,' one source said Madeline lifted the lid on their relationship in October 2020, telling The Sydney Morning Herald she was yet to introduce Justin to her parents. 'My parents and my sister Anna haven't met him yet, but [her other sister] Simone has been introduced to him and really liked him,' she said. Madeline remained tight-lipped about how long she and Justin had been dating, but hinted they'd been seeing each other for longer than reports suggested. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) received complaints from Married at First Sight viewers after Thursday night's sexually-charged episode. ACMA confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that three people had contacted the independent watchdog, after viewers watched bride Ella Ding enjoy an incredibly steamy bath with Mitch Eynaud. The episode also saw Texas-born Andrew Davis rudely tell his bride Holly Greenstein he 'didn't enjoy' having sex with her, saying he'd 'had one night stands where the partner was more into me than you were into me.' In hot water: The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) received complaints from Married at First Sight viewers after Thursday night's sexually-charged episode 'If I just wanted to get off I could just do that by myself,' he crudely told her. ACMA formally acknowledged that it had received complaints on Thursday, telling Daily Mail Australia: 'The ACMA has received 3 contacts about the episode of Married at First Sight broadcast 3 February 2022. 'Under the broadcasting co-regulatory system, complainants are directed to the broadcaster in the first instance. 'If a complainant does not receive a response from the broadcaster within 60 days, or is not satisfied with the response they do receive, they may refer their complaint to the ACMA for consideration.' Oh dear: ACMA confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that three people had contacted the independent watchdog, after viewers watched bride Ella Ding enjoy an incredibly steamy bath with Mitch Eynaud The ACMA is an independent watchdog tasked with regulating broadcasting, radiocommunications, telecommunications and online content in Australia. Daily Mail Australia have contacted Channel Nine for further comment. During Thursday's episode of MAFS - which starts at 7:30pm - Mitchell surprised his wife with a steamy bubble bath to celebrate their honeymoon. Speaking to cameras, Ella admitted that while she was happy that Mitch respected her three-date rule, she was annoyed that he didn't try to 'jump her bones' earlier. 'I love that he respects that, like that makes me look at him and know he's a good guy,' she told producers on camera. Turning up the heat: The pair spent several minutes making jokes and flirting with each other before Mitch decided to take off his bikini bottoms and wave them in his bride's face Bare: Mitch left little to the imagination and showed off his bare buttocks during one scene Raunchy: One scene showed a close up of Ella's derriere as Mitch complimented her rig 'But the other half of me is like, why don't you just try and jump my bones. Why don't you just try and see what happens? But he hasn't tried. So I'm like I respect you, but come on,' she laughed. After forging an emotional bond, Mitch stripped down into Ella's bikini before joining his wife in the bath. The pair spent several minutes making jokes and flirting with each other before Mitch decided to take off his bikini bottoms and wave them in his bride's face. 'You like that don't cha?' he teased. 'You can look but you can't touch alright?' he continued, before placing the underwear he was wearing on her head. Mitch then moved over to the other side of the bath and began kissing Ella non-stop. 'Hormones were through the roof. My face was getting very hot, it was actually the way it felt at the wedding when I saw him for the first time.' Ella said to producers. 'Let's call it there I reckon,' he laughed before getting up and walking to the shower. Hurray! Ella later admitted that the couple finally decided to consummate their marriage, without revealing if they went on their third date Mitch decided to heat things up by rubbing lotion onto Ella's bare bottom while tanning outdoors. 'The horny-ness is off the radar,' Ella admitted while speaking to producers. Ella later admitted that the couple finally decided to consummate their marriage, without revealing if they went on their third date. 'Mitchell and I made our marriage official,' she giggled. 'It was it was really good. Yeah, it was really good.' 'It was exactly how we both imagined it to be. Yeah, that's quite a stretch,' before adding that Mitch was 'great with his hands' and remembered a few things that she told him that she liked. Elsewhere in the episode, Andrew rudely told Holly he'd had better one-night stands after they consummated their marriage. Box from hell: During Thursday's episode, Andrew and Holly were tasked with the daunting assignment of opening the honesty box In awkward scenes, Andrew and Holly were tasked with the daunting assignment of opening the honesty box. Things took a turn for the worse when it was Holly's turn to ask the question: 'Do you feel any sexual chemistry with me?' Taking a minute to think of his response, Andrew replied: 'Holly, I enjoy sex. I enjoy sex all the time. I enjoy it in random places, at random times. 'I know I have the right equipment and I feel like I know how to use that. But I feel like when we were intimate you weren't there.' 'You were not physically there,' he added. Oh no! Things took a turn for the worse when Holly's turned to ask the question, 'Do you feel any sexual chemistry with me?' 'I didn't feel intimacy. I didn't feel connected to you, so it wasn't enjoyable for me. If I am being completely honest with you.' 'I've had one-night stands where the partner was more into me than you were into me.' 'If I just wanted to get off I could just do that by myself,' he later said. A heartbroken Holly told Andrew his expectations of her sexually made her not want to be intimate with him. Married At First Sight continues Sunday at 7pm on Channel Nine and 9Now Andy Cohen said he didn't remember saying 'Sayonara, Sucka' to former NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio on CNN's New Year's Eve special. The 53-year-old Bravo star, appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Wednesday, said he was 'smashed on CNN' during the end-of-year special alongside Anderson Cooper. 'We got in the car after and I saw on Twitter the rant I did about de Blasio,' the Watch What Happens Live host told Kimmel. 'And I did not recall, though it was about 40 minutes earlier, saying, "Sayonara, sucka" to the outgoing mayor of New York. The latest: Andy Cohen, 53, said he didn't remember saying 'Sayonara, Sucka' to former NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio on CNN's New Year's Eve special 'And I go, "Oh my god" and Anderson said, "What?" I said, "Sayonara, sucka." And he said, "Yes you did!''' In the segment, Kimmel suggested Cohen and Cooper as potential Academy Awards hosts, telling Cohen he laughed his 'a** off' in seeing Cohen's drunken antics on the CNN broadcast. Cohen said he and Cooper 'had so much fun' in filming the special. 'I told our friend, Howard Stern, I was like, "You know what? We had a blast on New Year's Eve. I hope everyone did watching,"' he told Kimmel, who joked, 'I wish everyone on CNN was drunk all the time!' Cohen said he and Cooper 'had so much fun' in filming the special on New Year's Eve In the segment, Kimmel suggested Cohen and Cooper as potential Academy Awards hosts, telling Cohen he laughed his 'a** off' in seeing Cohen's drunken antics on the CNN broadcast Cohen told Kimmel, 'I told our friend, Howard Stern, I was like, "You know what? We had a blast on New Year's Eve' Said Cohen: 'I gotta tell you something. It is super fun getting smashed on CNN and just raging on a soap box. There were endorphins I was releasing. I was like, this is good.' Cohen later said he'd been 'a bit overserved' shots of tequila ahead of the rant, in which he was critical of the outgoing mayor and one-time presidential candidate. 'Let me tell you something: Watching Mayor de Blasio do his victory lap dance after four years of the crappiest term as the mayor of New York,' Cohen told Cooper, who replied, 'Oh, don't go on a rant, don't go on a rant!' Cohen later said he'd been 'a bit overserved' shots of tequila ahead of the rant, in which he was critical of the outgoing mayor and one-time presidential candidate Cohen told Kimmel, 'It is super fun getting smashed on CNN and just raging on a soap box' Cohen said he'd been 'a bit overserved' shots of tequila ahead of the rant, in which he was critical of the outgoing mayor and one-time presidential candidate (pictured last August) Cohen said 'the only thing Democrats and Republicans can agree on is what a horrible mayor he has been, so, Sayonara, sucka! '2022 - its a new year, because guess what? I have a feeling Im going to be standing right here next year, and you know who Im not going to be looking at, dancing as the city comes apart? You!' Current New York City Mayor Eric Adams was sworn into the position January 1, replacing the two-term mayor. Advertisement Nina Dobrev, Kate Bosworth and Ashley Green turned up the star wattage on a Thursday night red carpet during the Mammoth Film Festival this week. That evening Nina was posing up a storm in aid of her short film directorial debut The One, which was celebrating its screening that night at the celebrity-strewn fete. The movie is a psychological thriller involving genetic engineering and stars such names as Pose star Indya Moore as well as child actresses Ryan Kiera Armstrong and Summer Fontana. While Kate Bosworth and Ashley Greene don't star in the short film, they were there to support Nina who is the director. From left: Nina Dobrev, Kate Bosworth and Ashley Green turned up the star wattage on a Thursday night red carpet during the Mammoth Film Festival this week For her latest appearance Nina, 33, flaunted her cleavage in a plunging black blazer blouse that featured elaborately designed metallic buttons. Her top was perfectly fitted to emphasize her enviably svelte figure as she flashed her megawatt smile for the shutterbugs during her movie's premiere. She teamed the blazer blouse with a pair of matching trousers that heightened the leggy effect of her ensemble, accentuating her screen siren features with makeup. While on the red carpet for her film, which premiered at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival last October, she stood for a group shot with her co-writer William Day Frank as well as Cameron Fuller who is one of the producers. Trio: While on the red carpet for her film, which premiered at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival last October, she stood for a group shot with her co-writer William Day Frank as well as Cameron Fuller who is one of the producers Place to be: That evening Nina was posing up a storm in aid of her short film directorial debut The One, which was celebrating its screening that night at the celebrity-strewn fete Nina told Screen Rant last year that she the short was meant to be a 'proof of concept' for 'a larger feature film' but that she was also open to the prospect of a miniseries. During the same interview she revealed that her own experiences of having her eggs frozen introduced her to the idea of 'designer babies,' informing the ethos of the film. 'I was shocked to find out that people have the ability to not only know what the sex of their child will be but also they can choose the color of their eyes, or choose whether they get a boy or a girl, or the projected height.' She dished: 'They could really design whatever baby they wanted to. It was just so fascinating that technology has advanced to such a degree that we can do that, but it also posed the question: Is that morally sound? Should people be doing that? And what socio-economic advantages do those kids have?' Such fun: Ashley was spotted on the red carpet mingling with Kate, and at one point they drew each other into a warm embrace as the photographers snapped away at them Swanking about: Kate was a showstopping presence on the red carpet of the film festival this Thursday evening in a sleek ensemble that brought back memories of Old Hollywood Kate was a showstopping presence on the red carpet of the film festival this Thursday evening in a sleek ensemble that brought back memories of Old Hollywood. She opted for a cream strapless gown that fell to the floor, letting her blonde hair down and adding a pop of contrast with a deep scarlet shade of lipstick. Kate threw in a touch of glitz with a glittering necklace as well as a pair of earrings, shooting the shutterbugs a radiant smile as she made her way across the carpet. Meanwhile Ashley could be seen wearing head-to-toe black while cuddling up for the cameras to her husband Paul Khoury, whom she married in 2018. Sleek and chic: Ashley, who rose to fame in the Twilight movies, was decked out in a lace-trim black top with a sleeveless matching blazer on top, plus another jacket that she flung casually over her shoulders Hot couple: Ashley could be seen wearing head-to-toe black while cuddling up for the cameras to her husband Paul Khoury, whom she married in 2018 Ashley, who rose to fame in the Twilight movies, was decked out in a lace-trim black top with a sleeveless matching blazer on top, plus another jacket that she flung casually over her shoulders. She rounded off the outfit with black hose and a black leather pair of low-top boots that were polished to the point they glinted under the lights at the big event. Paul on the other hand wore a pale blue suit over a navy top and left a few of his top buttons beguilingly undone over his chest, accessorizing with a pageboy cap and a scarf. The Australia native directed two music videos for pop-jazz singer Katie Welch and Glee alum Chord Overstreet, which will debut at the festival. Coordinated: Ashley rounded off her outfit with black hose and a black leather pair of low-top boots that were polished to the poitn they glinted under the lights at the big event Trio: The dynamic duo were also pictured smiling alongside Emile Hirsch, who was casual as could be in a loose-fitted walnut brown t-shirt over black trousers with gray suede Mou boots Incidentally: Ashley, Kate and Emile have all acted together in the upcoming movie The Immaculate Room, which was also holding its premiere that evening at the Mammoth Film Festival Ashley was spotted on the red carpet mingling with Kate, and at one point they drew each other into a warm embrace as the photographers snapped away at them. The dynamic duo were also pictured smiling alongside Emile Hirsch, who was casual as could be in a loose-fitted walnut brown t-shirt over black trousers with gray suede Mou boots. Ashley, Kate and Emile have all acted together in the upcoming movie The Immaculate Room, which was also holding its premiere that evening at the Mammoth Film Festival. Antipodean heartthrob: Luke Hemsworth, whose brothers include superstars Chris and Liam Hemsworth, made a splash in a tiger print t-shirt under a fur-lined hoodie accented with shimmering gold designs Dynamic duo: Luke posed for the cameras alongside Tyler Atkins, an actor whose recent credits include playing a homeless man in the film Last Looks starring Mel Gibson and Charlie Hunnam So sweet: Jade Kaiser and Eilise Guilfoyle, who have both written and acted in short films, grinned broadly as they cozied up together during the evening's festivities Antipodean heartthrob Luke Hemsworth, whose brothers include superstars Chris and Liam Hemsworth, made a splash in a tiger print t-shirt under a fur-lined hoodie accented with shimmering gold designs. Luke posed for the cameras alongside Tyler Atkins, an actor whose recent credits include playing a homeless man in the film Last Looks starring Mel Gibson and Charlie Hunnam. Jade Kaiser and Eilise Guilfoyle, who have both written and acted in short films, grinned broadly as they cozied up together during the evening's festivities. Founded by Tanner Beard and Tomik Mansoori in 2018, the five-day festival showcases independent feature films and shorts in the scenic ski resort town of Mammoth Lakes, California. The 2022 Mammoth Film Festival is presented by Resorts World Las Vegas, Zouk Group, Marina Studios and Compelling Pictures. Hanging out: The following day Emile and Kate were seen hanging out She may be best known for her portrayals on the big and small screens. But Jennifer Garner's best role seems to be one as a doting mother. The 49-year-old actress looked happy to be strolling hand-in-hand with her nine-year-old son Samuel in Brentwood on Thursday. Doting mom: Jennifer Garner looked happy to be strolling hand-in-hand with her nine-year-old son Samuel in Brentwood on Thursday Jennifer looked casual cool as she scooped up her youngest child to bring him to swim class. She sported a grey and white checked flannel over grey T-shirt. skinny blue jeans and brown leather boots. Her signature brunette tresses were worn down as she showed off her natural looks by going make-up free for the occasion. She accessorized with a pair of black shades and a white protective face mask. Rocking it: The 49-year-old A-lister sported a grey and white checked flannel over grey T-shirt. skinny blue jeans and brown leather boots Not seen on the outing were the two other children she shares with ex Ben Affleck; daughters Violet, 16, and Seraphina, 13. The Brentwood outing comes as it was recently announced that Garner will join the cast of the Party Down revival. It will be one of her first major roles in a television series since her show Alias went off the air in 2006. Starz announced that Garner will portray Evie in the series, a 'successful producer of studio franchise movies, who, in the wake of a breakup, is reconsidering her life choices.' New project: The Brentwood outing comes as it was recently announced that Garner will join the cast of the Party Down revival Her character will also date Adam Scott's Henry Pollard in the show's run. He 'becomes a way for her to explore possible new directions.' This all comes just after her ex-husband Affleck's on-again love Jennifer Lopez said the two are in love. Meanwhile, Lopez gushed over her 'second chance at love' with Affleck as she reflected on their rocky relationship path. News: Meanwhile, Lopez gushed over her 'second chance at love' with Affleck Famously dubbed 'Bennifer', Ben and Jen dated from 2004 and 2004 but went on to marry different partners and have children in the 17 years that passed - but ended up gravitating back to one another. In an interview with People magazine, Jennifer said: 'I feel so lucky and happy and proud to be with him. It's a beautiful love story that we got a second chance.' The Get Right hitmaker also insisted that things are different between the pair second time around, as they 'don't take each other for granted', explaining, 'there's more of an appreciation and a celebration'. Jennifer went on to touch on the struggles that Ben has overcome, saying 'I'm so proud of the him, I'm so proud of the man he's become that I've watched from afar. Being honest with each other, being loving, that's just the basis of everything.' On again: Famously dubbed 'Bennifer', Ben and Jen dated from 2004 and 2004 but went on to marry different partners and have children in the 17 years that passed - but ended up gravitating back to one another; seen in 2021 Ben's personal woes have been highly documented - with the actor completing several rehab stints for alcoholism- and battling anxiety and depression. Jennifer said: 'I feel so lucky and happy and proud to be with him. It's a beautiful love story that we got a second chance' In December, Ben caused a stir when he claimed he would still be drinking if he'd stayed married to Jennifer Garner, who he met shortly after his relationship with J Lo. They had a lot of love for each other: He officially split with his ex-wife in June 2015, one day after their 10-year anniversary. Seen in 2013 Speaking out: Jennifer gave a chat to People magazine about her new romance Talking about his marriage he said on The Howard Stern Show: 'We probably would've ended up at each other's throats. I probably still would've been drinking.' Ben went to rehab for alcoholism in 2018. He officially split with his ex-wife in June 2015, one day after their 10-year anniversary. The couple co-parent three children: daughters Violet, 16, Seraphina, 13, and son Samuel, nine. Elsewhere in the chat, Ben also admitted he thought twice about rekindling his J Lo romance due to the affect it could have on his children. Ben told Howard: 'It crossed my mind for sure. My responsibility to my children is the highest responsibility. I don't want to do anything that is painful or destructive to them if I can help it.' He added: 'My life affects them. Me and their mom are celebrities. That is hard. That is a cross to bear,' he told the radio host. He once famously claimed to have bedded at least 5,000 women. And on Thursday afternoon, Charlie Sheen was spotted working his magic as he chatted with a couple of women while out running errands in Malibu, California. The 56-year-old former Two And A Half Men star kept things casual in indigo jeans and a polka dot polo shirt while flirting with the two ladies. Flirty: On Thursday afternoon, Charlie Sheen, 56, was spotted working his magic as he chatted with a couple of women while out running errands in Malibu, California Charlie was low-key in navy trainers and layered up with a simple, light-weight, zip-up jacket. The Wall Street star had a wide smile across his face while wearing a facemask around his chin, and shielding his eyes with classic shades. Back in October, Sheen was involved in a dispute with his ex-wife Denise Richards over child support payments to her for their 17-year-old daughter Sami Sheen, who had moved in with him after previously living with her mother. Ladies' man: The former Two And A Half Men star kept things casual in indigo jeans and a polka dot polo shirt while flirting with the two ladies The Anger Management star requested the change back in December of 2019, and Judge Alexander Giza said Denise didn't file any paperwork to oppose the change, according to Us Weekly. Denise wasn't at the hearing, but a source close to her claimed to the publication that her ex-husband had gotten the date moved so that it would conflict with her schedule. 'She wasn't there because she is working out of state which Charlie was well aware of and Denise was never served this court date. He did this on purpose,' the source claimed. Loving life: Charlie was low-key in navy trainers and layered up with a simple, light-weight, zip-up jacket 'He filed two years ago and he kept pushing the court date. Denise kept asking when the date was and he blew her off. 'He pushed it off because he didn't want records of the child support he was paying [his ex-wife] Brooke [Mueller] to impact the case after he agreed to pay them both the same amount of child support.' However, a second source claimed that the former Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star, 50, had been properly notified of the changed hearing date. In addition to Sami, the couple also share 16-year-old Lola. The first insider also claimed that Sheen hadn't been paying Richards child support in years. 'He hasn't paid Denise in at least four years. No child support. He owes her. Also Lola lives with Denise. When she is filming she is with her dad and sister,' the source claimed. 'She didn't have a falling out with her daughters and she cares about them deeply. But Charlie condones behavior that he shouldn't and sets no rules. Lola doesn't live there permanently. Sami prefers no rules.' In September, Sami claimed in a TikTok video that went viral that she had been 'trapped' in Richards' 'abusive' home throughout 2020. A man who was shot by an off-duty cop after stabbing a customer at a Manhattan Duane Reade has been indicted in the crime, authorities said Friday. DeShawn Banks is charged with assault, attempted assault, weapons possession and menacing. He is being held on $100,000 cash bail or bond. Advertisement Banks, 42, allegedly got into an argument a customer who thought Banks was trying to look into his wallet to see how much cash he had at the store on Broadway at W. 94th St. at 7 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 28. As Banks scuffled with the 66-year-old victim, he spat in the older mans face, police said. Advertisement The off-duty officer, hired to deter shoplifting, asked the two men to leave and once outside Banks stabbed the customer in the arm and nicked him in the abdomen, police said. Police at the scene inside a Manhattan Duane Reed, where a knife-toting man was shot by an off-duty police officer working security on Jan. 28, 2022. (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News) Banks, police said, got into an argument with a customer who felt that as he was making a purchase Banks was trying to see how much money was in his wallet. As the two scuffled, Banks allegedly spat in the customers face. The officer, hired to deter shoplifting, asked the two men to leave the store, but once outside Banks stabbed the customer in the arm, a wound that caused heavy bleeding, and also nicking him in the abdomen. The knife police say was held by the man shot by an off-duty NYPD officer. (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News) The cop chased Banks to W. 94th St. and Amsterdam Ave. When Banks turned towards the officer with knife in hand, the cop opened fire, hitting Banks in the left arm and leg. Banks is recovering from his wounds. The shooting occurred as thousands of cops gathered at St. Patricks Cathedral for the funeral of Officer Jason Rivera, who was slain along with his partner, Officer Wilbert Mora by a man who was arguing with his mother in their Harlem apartment. Scout Willis cut a typically trendy figure when she arrived at her LA home on Thursday. Stepping out in a striped, Kurt Cobain-esque jumper and loose-fitting pink trousers, the actress, 30, effortlessly showcased her style credentials. Tucked under Scout's arm was her beloved pet pooch, Grandma. Trendy: Scout Willis, 30, cut a typically trendy figure when she arrived at her LA home on Thursday The brunette beauty wore her hair swept from her face and added height to her frame in heeled red cowboy boots. She accessorised with a beaded choker and carried her belongings in a chic cowhide print handbag. The Idaho-born actress also carried a multi-coloured tote bag in her left hand. Scout is one of the three daughters her famous parents Bruce Willis and Demi Moore share. Stripes: Stepping out in a striped, Kurt Cobain-esque jumper and loose-fitting pink trousers, the actress effortlessly showcased her style credentials The A-listers are also parents to Rumer, 33, and Tallulah, 28. Die Hard star Bruce, 66, and Ghost actress Demi, 59, met at a premiere after-party for the movie Stakeout in July 1987 and married just a few months later in November 1987. The former couple announced their separation on in June 1998, and filed for divorce in October 2000, after 12 years of marriage. Bruce has since remarried to model Emma Heming Willis, 43, with whom he has two daughters, Mabel, nine, and Evelyn, seven. Famous family: (L-R) Rumer Willis, Demi Moore, Bruce Willis, Scout, Emma Heming Willis and Tallulah Willis posed at an event for Moore's 2019 book launch in LA Demi started dating actor Ashton Kutcher, 43, who was 15 years her junior, in 2003. The couple married in September 2005, before announcing their split in November 2011, with their divorce finalised in November 2013. In October, Scout released a music video for her guitar-driven song Love Without Possession. In the four-minute visual she stripped down to nothing, covering her bits with swaths of her lengthy hair. Leading up to the release, Scout took to Instagram to share her sentiments around the new song. 'I wrote this song in 2016 in the midst of profound heartbreak, hope, confusion, tenderness, and growth,' she explained. 'It kept me company like a tender friend, narrating a story I was living in real time, softening the edges of my pain as only art can.' Julia Fox enjoyed a birthday party to remember as she danced the night away while drinking wine and eating cake - after she and her friends were gifted Birkin bags by her new boyfriend Kanye West. The actress turned 32 in style with a lavish bash on Wednesday night at Lucien restaurant in New York City. The Uncut Gems star, who went public with the rapper, 44, in late December, showcased her flat midriff in a tiny leather bandeau top and matching low-rise skintight trousers as she made the most of her special day. It's my party! Julia Fox enjoyed a birthday party to remember as she danced the night away while drinking wine and eating cake at Lucien in New York City on Wednesday Julia added all black leather accessories including knee-high boots and gloves to round out another Kim Kardashian-inspired look. Joined by her new man and a huge army of pals, the mother-of-one was having a ball as she celebrated her 32nd birthday and made sure to showcase her affection for the musician with a typically PDA-packed display. It's no wonder Julia was smiling after she and her friends were gifted Hermes bags during the meal, which can range in price from $25,000 to almost $200,000. Kanye presented Julia with a large Birkin, while her visibly delighted friends received baby Birkins. Gifts all around! Julia and her friends were gifted Birkin bags by her new boyfriend Kanye West Birthday suit: The Uncut Gems star showcased her flat midriff in a tiny leather bandeau top and matching low-rise skintight trousers as she made the most of her special day Party time: The star treated herself to cake and wine as she partied the night away at an unsurprisingly lavish bash The group posed with their gifts with a smiling Kanye inside the restaurant as the actress and her friends held up their luxury bags for the snaps and videos. Birkins have been a favourite luxury brand for the Kardashian/Jenner family for years, in yet another nod to Kanye's estranged wife Kim Kardashian, 41. Julia was also rumoured to have been 'gifted two Birkin bags' by Kanye's former rival Drake, according to Page Six. She is said to have become involved with Drake after her split from her ex Peter Artemiev, with whom she shares her son Valentino, 12 months. Birthday girl: The actress turned 32 in style with a lavish bash on Wednesday night at Lucien restaurant in New York City PDA: Joined by her new man and a huge army of pals, the mother-of-one was having a ball as she celebrated her 32nd birthday and made sure to showcase her affection for the musician Drake is alleged to have contacted Julia via Instagram DMs to praise her performance in Uncut Gems while she was still with Peter. Once she became single again 'she got back in touch with Drake on the social media app,' an insider told Page Six. Drake is said to have 'showered her with gifts including two Birkin bags' around Valentine's Day 2020 while they briefly dated in the early part of that year. Julia and Kanye were first seen together over New Year's weekend in Miami and she has since said they had an 'instant connection'. Lavish: It's no wonder Julia was smiling after she and her friends were gifted Hermes bags during the meal, which can range in price from $25,000 to almost $200,000 Sealed with a kiss: Kanye presented Julia with a large Birkin, while her visibly delighted friends received baby Birkins Lucky ladies: The group posed with their gifts with a smiling Kanye inside the restaurant as the actress and her friends held up their luxury bags for the snaps and videos Since their weekend of love in Florida to kick off the year, the duo have been seen sharing PDA moments together in Los Angeles, New York and at Paris Fashion Week last month. Julia recently alluded to all the rich men she has previously dated as she hit back at claims she is only dating the father-of-four for 'clout'. 'It's funny cause I'm getting all of this attention, but I really couldn't care,' the star said on the Forbidden Fruits podcast. 'People are like "Oh, you're only in it for the fame, you're in it for the clout, you're in it for the money". 'Honey, I've dated billionaires my entire adult life, let's keep it real. Watch my movie, read my book. That is more thrilling to me now than eyes on me. I couldn't care less. Hell for leather: The Uncut Gems star showcased her flat midriff in a tiny leather bandeau top and matching low-rise skintight trousers as she made the most of her special day Style queen: Julia added all black leather accessories including knee-high boots and gloves to round out another Kim Kardashian-inspired look New love: Julia and Kanye were first seen together over New Year's weekend in Miami and she has since said they had an 'instant connection' 'I met Ye in Miami on New Year's Eve and it was an instant connection. His energy is so fun to be around.' After just two dates Kanye and Julia posed up for a raunchy Interview magazine photo-shoot. She gushed that he surprised her with a hotel suite full of clothes, which was 'every girl's dream come true' and 'felt like a real Cinderella moment'. Kanye's estranged wife Kim Kardashian filed for divorce in early 2021 after six years of marriage and four children together; North, eight, Saint, six, Chicago, four, and Psalm, two. The reality star is now dating Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson, 28. Since Kim filed for divorce in February 2021, Kanye was briefly linked to supermodel supermodel Irina Shayk, 36, and emerging model Vinetria, 22 before dating Julia. Hot couple: Since their weekend of love in Florida to kick off the year, the duo have been seen sharing PDA moments together in Los Angeles, New York and at Paris Fashion Week last month Hitting back: Julia recently alluded to all the rich men she has previously dated as she hit back at claims she is only dating the father-of-four for 'clout' They've been dating for almost two years and it looks as though Jack Whitehall and Roxy Horner are still very much in the honeymoon period. The comedian, 33, and the model, 30, cosied up for sweet selfies as they enjoyed a romantic trip to Iceland on Thursday. The loved-up couple wrapped up against freezing temperatures as they posed outside Reykjavik's Hallgrimskirkja, the tallest church in Iceland. Sightseeing: Jack Whitehall and Roxy Horner cosied up for sweet selfies as they enjoyed a romantic trip to Iceland on Thursday, posing outside Reykjavik's Hallgrimskirkja The duo then moved on to a lavish resort at the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, where they quaffed champagne while overlooking a stunning view. Jack wrapped up in a fur-lined parka, while Roxy playfully mocked his choice of snood, calling him a 'rude boi'. The model kept cosy in a PVC padded coat by DKNY, teamed with leggings, lace-up boots and a beanie hat. The couple are already enjoying their second holiday of the year after taking in an African safari in January. This is the life: The comedian, 33, and the model, 30, moved on to a lavish resort at the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, where they quaffed champagne while overlooking a stunning view Stylish in the snow: The model kept cosy in a PVC padded coat by DKNY, teamed with leggings, lace-up boots and a beanie hat The actor and comedian and the model started dating in March 2020, shortly before the first national lockdown, and quickly moved in together. Jack recently expressed his fear that he could be cancelled by Hollywood if some of his past jokes ever came back to haunt him. Speaking with fellow comedian Jarlath Regan on the An Irishman Abroad podcast, Jack said: 'I feel like I've definitely said jokes in the past that would be worthy of cancellation. 'I guess it's how you weather that storm if it does ever come up.' Romantic: They've been dating for almost two years and it looks as though the couple are still very much in the honeymoon period Cheeky: Jack wrapped up in a fur-lined parka, while Roxy playfully mocked his choice of snood, calling him a 'rude boi' He explained that as a comedian, he feels historic jokes are easier to get away with, as opposed to tweets or 'comments in interviews', as the public know that it was a joke. He explained: 'I've had it, sort of, occur a few times and I think, maybe, people are a little better now. 'We've had a few of these ridiculous cancellations of people because of historic jokes that - especially with a comedian because it was told in jest and the context of it was only ever intended as a joke - that you do tend to get away with it a little bit more.' Denise Van Outen's former fiance Eddie Boxshall looked subdued when he stepped out in Essex on Thursday hours after taking a swipe at his ex. Cutting a dapper figure on his 49th birthday, Eddie's outing came after he shared a video of himself on Instagram heading to birthday drinks in London. Eddie - who split from the star after seven years last month - told his 65,000 followers in an upbeat clip: 'Last year in my 40s, birthday boy's ready to go', although the post came just hours after he took a swipe at Denise for 'making him feel alone'. Solo stroll: Eddie Boxshall looked subdued when he stepped out in Essex on Thursday after his split from Denise Van Outen In his upbeat birthday post he added: 'Hair's done, clobber's on, smelling nice. Birthday lunch, here we go!' however the message had a wholly different tone to the poignant post he shared. The image read: 'I'd rather be alone than be with someone who makes me feel lonely', alongside a thinking Emoji. Eddie later appeared solemn when he was spotted on a solo walk.Teaming a zip-up white jacket with jeans, Eddie was sporting a rucksack and box-fresh trainers. Making a quick change, he was also spotted leaving a property in a black jacket and T-shirt. Upbeat: Eddie's outing came after he shared a video of himself on Instagram heading to birthday drinks in London, declaring: 'Last year in my 40s, birthday boy's ready to go' Stylish: Teaming a zip-up white jacket with jeans, Eddie was sporting a rucksack and box-fresh trainers Eddie and Denise revealed their break-up last month shortly before Eddie was hit with reports of infidelity, including devastating accusations of phone sex and dates with other women. It comes after a newly unearthed interview revealed Denise and Eddie's relationship was struggling a year before they split, where Denise said she had become less affectionate with him. Speaking on their podcast Before We Say I Do in February 2021, Eddie admitted he was getting frustrated by Denise's 'flirty banter' at work. At the time the star was competing on Dancing On Ice. Hitting out: He had earlier shared an Instagram post showing a sign reading: 'I'd rather be alone than be with someone who makes me feel lonely' 'It gives me the hump. Start chucking it a bit in my direction,' Eddie said as the couple attended a psychosexual therapy session. Denise had previously admitted on the podcast that she loved to flirts with others. 'I don't flirt with him,' she admitted, referring to Eddie. 'I flirt with everyone at work, I'm naturally flirty. It's flanter flirty banter. I don't mean anything by it.' In the candid discussion the former couple admitted the pandemic had put a strain on their seven year relationship, as they admitted 'We've been locked down together 24/7 and a few things have come up. If we try and sit down and talk about things, we'll end up bickering.' Oh dear: Eddie and Denise revealed their break-up last month shortly before Eddie was hit with reports of infidelity Denise confessed she had found herself being less affectionate with Eddie, admitting: 'I'm very aware of me putting us in situations where I'm not giving enough. I'm not as affectionate as I should be and I feel like I've lost my way a little bit within the relationship.' 'It's a good relationship but I think it could be better if we take the time to discuss what is bothering us about each other so we can move forward.' Meanwhile during a 2018 Loose Women appearance, Denise admitted Eddie had the passcode to her phone to check her messages because of her 'flirty banter.' She added though that she didn't know the password to Eddie's phone. Denise allegedly discovered Eddie's infidelities, which included him going on dates with other women as well as the claims of phone sex. Difficult: Confirming their split in a recent Instagram post, Denise wrote: 'Over the past couple of months, there has been much speculation regarding my relationship with Eddie' It was said Eddie has been 'pulling out all the stops to save their seven-year relationship' and is 'staying nearby' their Essex home in a room above a friend's pub, in the hopes of being allowed back. However, Denise is adamant that their romance is over and is 'determined to move on' following on from her heartache, according to reports. A source told The Sun: 'Eddie is convinced he can win Denise back and isn't willing to throw away all of their memories together. He's pulling out all the stops to save their relationship. 'He feels terrible and pained that she's hurting. He is desperate to gain her forgiveness and knows there are a lot of deep-rooted feelings involved. He's not willing to accept it's over for good. 'He thinks they're the perfect match for each other and knows he was foolish. Eddie is keeping his distance for now and wants to give her the space and respect she needs. But he's staying nearby in the hope he might be allowed back... 'He's staying in a room above a mate's pub.' She famously starred opposite Macaulay Culkin in the coming-of-age film My Girl when she was just 11. And Anna Chlumsky was pictured looking stunning as she arrived to film Jimmy Kimmel Live in Los Angeles on Thursday. The actress, 41, was a far cry from fresh-faced Vada Sultenfuss in a sizzling leopard print dress which she teamed with pink stilettos. Stunning: Anna Chlumsky, 41, looked incredible in a leopard print dress and pink heels at the Jimmy Kimmel Live show in Los Angeles, California, on Thursday Anna wore her brunette tresses in a chic middle part and left them to tumble down over her shoulders. She accessorised with a pair of gold hoop earrings while flaunting a fresh manicure. In accordance with current health and safety guidelines, Anna wore a protective face covering as she made her way to the studio in white slippers. Childhood: She played an 11-year-old girl alongside Macaulay Culkin in 1991 film My Girl, (left) Stylish: In accordance with current health and safety guidelines, Anna wore a protective face covering as she made her way to the studio in white slippers Anna reprised the role of Vada again three years later in the sequel My Girl 2, which didn't star Culkin. Anna was a guest on the show ahead of the release of her Netflix limited series Inventing Anna, which is based on the real-life crimes of faux heiress Anna Delvey. Ozark actress Julia Garner is set to play the titular criminal, who was sentenced to between four and 12 years in prison after being found guilty of eight charges, including grand larceny in the second degree, attempted grand larceny, and theft of services. Squint: Anna wore her brunette tresses in a chic middle part and left them to tumble down over her shoulders Garner, 27, helps unravel the truly bizarre, ripped from the headlines story of Anna Delvey (or Anna Sorokin), a scamming socialite who swindled millions by pretending to be a high born German millionaire. 'This whole story is completely true. Except for all of the parts that are totally made up,' quips a title card in the new trailer. 'I might have a story,' begins Chlumsky, who plays journalist Vivian. 'Her name is Anna Delvey, or Anna Sorokin, no one's sure. She's either a rich German heiress, or she's flat broke.' The nine-episode saga of Inventing Anna is based on the true story of Anna Sorokin, AKA Delvey. The new series from Shonda Rhimes will lay bare the twisted tale of Delvey's many frauds, grifts and deceptions perpetrated between 2013 - 2017, which ultimately landed the twenty-something behind bars. 'Anna committed real white-collar felonies while posing as a socialite in an attempt to steal millions of dollars,' a prosecutor is heard telling the court during Anna's trial, which will be covered in the series. She is best known for her starring role as straight-talking criminal Ruth Langmore in Netflix hit Ozark. But Julia Garner looked worlds away from her alter-ego's scruffy go-to wardrobe of plaid shirts and ripped jeans as she made an exceptionally stylish appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on Thursday. Ditching her trademark corkscrew curls in favour of a chic beehive style, the talented actress, 28, revealed the surprising inspiration behind her Ozark character; the paintings of Italian Renaissance artist Caravaggio - and boxer Mike Tyson. Chic: Julia Garner looked worlds away from her Ozark alter-ego Ruth Langmore as she made an exceptionally stylish appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on Thursday The star turned heads in a 60s-inspired crystal-embellished tulle mini-dress by Prada, teamed with black suede slingback pumps. Julia wore her platinum locks coiffed into an elegant beehive and completed her retro chat show look with a slick of winged eyeliner. Chatting to host Jimmy Fallon, 47, the actress made the surprising revelation that she is inspired by the paintings of Italian Renaissance artist Caravaggio and boxer Mike Tyson when it comes to her character Ruth's angry scenes. Jimmy gushed over her performance, enthusing: 'Dude you just crush it every episode, you are so good.' Elegant: Ditching her trademark corkscrew curls in favour of a chic beehive style, the talented actress, 28, revealed the surprising inspiration behind her Ozark character In character: Julia is is best known for her starring role as straight-talking criminal Ruth Langmore in Netflix hit Ozark He then played a video of Ruth screeching 'If you wanna stop me, you're going to have to f**king kill me' to her former employers turned enemies Marty and Wendy Byrde, played by Jason Bateman and Laura Linney. Speaking of her inspiration behind the scene in the current fourth and final season of the Netflix crime drama, Julia said: 'The scream could be any scream in Ozark, but this is not a typical scream. I'm mad. I'm very, very angry. 'I'm very visual and I get inspired by different things and I really just wanted the spirit of a Caravaggio painting and the darkness. I feel like Caravaggio paints intensity and chaos so well. 'My dad is an art teacher. I like the chaos. She's [Ruth] obviously getting defensive and very mad. Not necessarily the faces, but more just the chaos. I want my mind to feel claustrophobic like that.' Sixties siren: The star turned heads in a 60s-inspired crystal-embellished tulle mini-dress by Prada, teamed with black suede slingback pumps Julia went on to add that a particular photo of Mike Tyson during his iconic 1996 fight against Evander Holyfield was another source of inspiration. She added: 'I got inspired by it [Caravaggio] but there was still something missing. Then I realised Mike Tyson is another inspiration for me. This face could be a Caravaggio painting.' Julia went on to discuss her latest role as infamous fake heiress and convicted scammer Anna Sorokin in new Netflix drama, Inventing Anna. Posing as a German heiress with a $67 million trust fund back in Europe named Anna Delvey, Sorokin scammed banks and New York's downtown socialite scene out of thousands of dollars while living in Manhattan between 2013 to 2017. Inspiration: The actress went on to add that a particular photo of Mike Tyson during his iconic 1996 fight against Evander Holyfield was another source of inspiration In April of 2019, Sorokin was convicted of four counts of theft services, three counts of grand larceny, and one count of attempted grand larceny and was sentenced to a minimum of four years in prison. Detailing the nuances of the accent she adopted, Julia explained: 'It's about this girl who scams New York's high society and pretends to be something she's not. She's a very complex character and it's better to watch her. 'She says she's Russian, but she's not really Russian, so first I had to do like a European accent. Like a German accent, but very subtle. Then add a bit of bad Russian for certain words. 'Then it gets Americanised and I like add a question at the end of every sentence. Europeans don't do that. New role: Julia went on to discuss her latest role as infamous fake heiress and convicted scammer Anna Sorokin in new Netflix drama, Inventing Anna 'I really wanted to make sure it was one of those things where if she goes back to Europe all of her friends would be like, "You sound so American". And then here they'd be like "Oh my god, you sound so European!". ' Julia also spoke about meeting the real life Sorokin behind bars in jail. She explained: 'I went to go and visit her in jail and she was like "So, uh, how's the shoot going?" I said it's going well and she asked, "How are you playing me? What are you doing with my character?" 'I didn't know what to do and just started mirroring what she said and she was like [giggling], "That's so funny!"' Ozark season four is streaming on Netflix now. Inventing Anna will hit Netflix on February 11. Crown Princess Mary attended a special exhibition that marked her upcoming 50th birthday in Denmark on Thursday. In her company was her daughter, Princess Isabella, 14, who followed her mother's famous fashion style with a high-collared green dress that matched her eyes and stunning gold jewellery. Also in attendance was Mary's husband Crown Prince Frederik, 53, son Prince Vincent, 11, and younger daughter Princess Josephine, 11. Lookalike: Crown Princess Mary attended a special exhibition that marked her upcoming 50th birthday in Denmark on Thursday. In her company was her daughter, Princess Isabella, 14, (pictured) The couple's fourth child, Prince Christian, 16. didn't join the family outing. With her brunette locks, refined features and relaxed demeanour, Isabella looks like her mother - but she shares plenty of her father's good looks, too. Princess Mary cut an elegant figure as she opened the exhibition, which celebrates her 50 years of life. Family: Also in attendance was Mary's husband Crown Prince Frederik, 53, son Prince Vincent, 11, and younger daughter Princess Josephine, 11 Lookalike: With her brunette locks, refined features and relaxed demeanor, Isabella looks like her mother - but she shares plenty of her father's good looks, too Family of six: Not coming along for the family outing was the couple's fourth child, Prince Christian, 16 It was held at the Frederiksborg Museum of National History in Hillerod, a town 48km from Copenhagen. Called 'Crown Princess Mary 1972-2022', the Princess and her husband beamed as they were pictured walking into the big reveal. The mother-of-four donned a bold blue gown for the occasion, which featured a pretty peplum top and flared midi skirt. Celebration: Princess Mary cut an elegant figure in royal blue as she opened the exhibition, which celebrates her 50 years of life Dapper chap! Prince Vincent looked very smart in a suit with a polka dot tie Stunning: The exhibition includes a brand new painting of the Crown Princess, which shows her looking regal as ever in a white off-the-shoulder dress with her warm brunette hair delicately styled in a low-bun A look: The mother-of-four donned a bold blue gown for the occasion, which featured a pretty peplum top and flared midi skirt The exhibition includes a brand new painting of the Crown Princess, which shows her looking regal as ever in a white off-the-shoulder dress with her warm brunette hair delicately styled in a low-bun. The painting shows Princess Mary sat on a purple chair, looking calmly out of the window beside her which reflects trees on the wall she is placed in front of. She and her family unveiled the painting, which is to act as the centrepiece in the new exhibition. Lovely: The incredible painting shows Princess Mary sat on a purple chair, looking calmly out of the window beside her which reflects trees on the wall she is placed in front of Family affair: She and her family unveiled the painting, which is to act as the centrepiece in the new exhibition Exhibit: The rest of the exhibition tells the Crown Princess' personal story through photographs and personal items of hers, as well as her importance to the modern Danish Royal Family Details: Mary's makeup was natural and warm-toned, to pair perfectly with her warm brown hair The portrait was painted by Spanish-born artist Jesus Herrera, who has lived in Copenhagen since 2016. The rest of the exhibition tells the Crown Princess' personal story through photographs and personal items of hers, as well as her importance to the modern Danish Royal Family. This royal engagement has been one of many in just one week for the family, ahead of her 50th birthday on Saturday 5 February. Australian viewers won't have to wait much longer to see the new Tiger King series Joe vs. Carole. Stan has announced that the hotly anticipated show will premiere on their streaming service on March 4. The upcoming series chronicles Carole's feud with Joe Exotic (played by John Cameron Mitchell) and is based on Robert Moor's podcast. Soon: Australian viewers won't have to wait much longer to see the new Tiger King series Joe vs. Carole. Kate McKinnon (pictured) completely transforms into Carole Baskin in a new trailer Saturday Night Live actress and comedian Kate McKinnon completely transforms into Carole Baskin in a new trailer. John Cameron Mitchell plays her arch nemesis Joe Exotic in the series. Her husband Howard is portrayed by Kyle MacLachlan, of Twin Peaks and Sex and the City fame. Ready! Stan has announced that the hotly anticipated show will premiere on their streaming service on March 4 Lookalike: Saturday Night Live actress and comedian Kate McKinnon looks just like the real Carole Baskin (pictured) The show will be based on Based on the Wondery podcast "Joe Exotic," hosted and reported by Robert Moor, which the Netflix docuseries Tiger King was based on. The limited series will center on Carole Baskin, 'a big cat enthusiast, who learns that fellow exotic animal lover Joe "Exotic" Schreibvogel is breeding and using his big cats for profit,' according to the series description. 'She sets out to shut down his venture, inciting a quickly escalating rivalry. But Carole has a checkered past of her own and when the claws come out, Joe will stop at nothing to expose what he sees as her hypocrisy. The results prove dangerous,' the description reads. Fun! The upcoming series chronicles Carole's feud with Joe Exotic (played by John Cameron Mitchell, pictured) and is based on Robert Moor's podcast Series: The show will be based on Based on the Wondery podcast "Joe Exotic," hosted and reported by Robert Moor, which the Netflix docuseries Tiger King was based on Joe Exotic has been behind bars since 2020 when he was convicted of trying to hire two different men to kill Carole. Recently, a judge resentenced him to 21-years in prison one year shorter than his original 22-year sentence. Watch Joe vs. Carole on March 4, only on Stan in Australia. Julia Roberts puts in a powerhouse performance in the new thriller series, Gaslit. And Australians will be able to watch the show the streaming service Stan from April 24. Roberts, 54, plays Margaret Mitchell, the wife of Richard Nixon's attorney general John Mitchell (Sean Penn), who was the first person to, 'publicly sound the alarm on Nixon's involvement' in the Watergate scandal. Thrills! Julia Roberts puts in a powerhouse performance in the new thriller series, Gaslit The show is said to be, 'a modern take on Watergate that focuses on the untold stories and forgotten characters of the scandal.' The trailer begins with Mitchell being introduced as cameras are flashed, while a man says, 'You are the first person to publicly accuse the President for the Watergate break-in. Are you crazy?' She responds, 'I'm a Southern woman. We speak our minds, we talk. I never stop talking,' when the interviewer says, 'I bet your husband loves that,' and she says, without missing a beat, 'He takes it in stride.' Soon: Australians will be able to watch the show the streaming service Stan from April 24 Drama: The show is said to be, 'a modern take on Watergate that focuses on the untold stories and forgotten characters of the scandal The trailer winds down with shots of the other cast members such as Dan Stevens as White House Counsel John Dean. Betty Gilpin plays his wife Mo Dean and Whigham plays Liddy, the chief operative of Nixon's White House Plumbers spy unit. Julia touched down in Sydney In March to begin filming the new project, which was made in Australia. What a tale! Roberts, 54, plays Margaret Mitchell, the wife of Richard Nixon's attorney general John Mitchell (Sean Penn), who was the first person to, 'publicly sound the alarm on Nixon's involvement' in the Watergate scandal Starring role: Sean Penn is pictured in Gaslit as John Mitchell The series was originally set to be directed and produced by Joel Edgerton and his brother, Nash Edgerton. However they left the production in February, and Captain Fantastic a director Matt Ross stepped in. Watch the brand new series Gaslit on April 24, only on Stan in Australia. Lorraine Kelly was brought to tears when her best friend of 50 years made a surprise appearance on Friday's show. Dr Amir left the host, 62, speechless when he introduced Joyce via videolink before revealing she was actually in the studio. Gushing about her friend of five decades, Joyce said she 'couldn't imagine her life without Lorraine' before sharing sweet anecdotes about the veteran presenter. Incredible moment: Lorraine Kelly was brought to tears when her best friend of 50 years made a surprise appearance on Friday's show Appearing initially in a pre-recorded video, Joyce offered an insight into what Lorraine was like during her school says, revealing: 'She was funny, she was witty, she was cheeky and she was a little bit of a rebel, because whatever was happening in school, Lorraine would like to go her own path.' Joyce continued: 'We loved David Cassidy and The Osmonds and she was really into David Bowie. 'I think we've got a really strong connection. We just refused to let the friendship melt away.' Comparing Lorraine to a sister, Joyce noted: 'Maybe a little bit of it is about she doesn't have a sister, I don't have a sister, maybe there's that sort of sisterly connection - the good bits of being sisters.' Sweet: Gushing about her friend of five decades, Joyce said she 'couldn't imagine her life without Lorraine' before sharing sweet anecdotes about the veteran presenter Joyce also opened up about the fact that Lorraine has been by her side through some of her life's biggest moments. 'With the death of my father she was there and she was on the first plane to Scotland, because she knew I needed her and there she was,' she revealed. 'I often think about when Rosie was born, I ran into my boss's office and said, ''I've got to go, I have to see this new baby!''' Joyce went on: 'When I got married, Lorraine was there, and we joke about the fact we were a tiny bit late for the ceremony. Best friend: Joyce also opened up about the fact that Lorraine has been by her side through some of her life's biggest moments '[It wasn't] because of me, but because she couldn't stop crying - she kept having to get her makeup fixed.' Joyce concluded: 'I can't imagine my life without her in it. I can't imagine my life with all of them in it - Steve and Rosie too because they've just been incredible friends to me. 'If I needed help for whatever reason, Lorraine would be there in a heartbeat. I love her to bits. It's as simple as that. Fifty years on, there's no way that we'll not be friends forever - it's just how it's going to be.' Lorraine presenter Dr Amir secretly invited Joyce onto the show to kick off Lorraine's Month Of Love, a celebration of love during the year's most romantic month. 'I can't believe you kept this from me!' Lorraine told Dr Amir. Of her and Joyce's friendship, Lorraine shared: 'We're quite well behaved individually, but when we're together we just go mad. We inspire each other to be naughty.' A Brooklyn Catholic high school teacher is out of a job after tweeting an apparent protest over efforts to honor two murdered NYPD officers. Laura Lynne Duffy is no longer in the employ of Fontbonne Hall, effective Friday, 2/4/22, the Bay Ridge school said in a Thursday statement. Advertisement Duffy on Wednesday tweeted against the schools plans to honor and raise funds for the families of Officers Wilbert Mora and Jason Rivera, who were gunned down while responding to a domestic incident in Harlem last month. The school had planned to let students wear casual clothes instead of their usual uniforms while raising funds. If anyone was wondering, I am intentionally dressing up today, Duffy posted on her Twitter account, adding the hashtags #Abolition and #BLM. Advertisement The tweet came the same day as Moras funeral. Detective Wilbert Mora mother's hold the American flag that was over his casket. (Luiz C. Ribeiro/for New York Daily News) Duffys account was set to private and had only 69 followers, but word of her post got out and ignited controversy. It was one of several social media firestorms in the wake of the shootings of six NYPD officers so far this year. Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou (D-Manhattan) recently came under criticism for liking a tweet comparing the NYPD to Nazis, though she said later said shed clicked the like button by mistake. Actress Jacqueline Guzman lost her job at a theater and film production company after saying it was f---ing ridiculous to close New York City streets during Riveras funeral. And actress Susan Sarandon retweeted a picture of a sea of uniformed cops filling Fifth Ave. for Riveras funeral last week. Im gonna tell my kids this is what fascism looks like, the headline on the original tweet reads. So, if all these cops werent needed for CRIME that day, doesnt that mean they arent needed ANY day? Sarandon added. Last June, she showed off her impressive piano skills as she partook in a hilarious rendition of Elton John's track Tiny Dancer with the Rocket Man hitmaker himself. And in scenes to set to air on Friday night's Graham Norton, Courteney Cox, 57, admits that playing piano in front of the iconic music star, 74, was the 'scariest, most nerve-wracking' thing she's ever done. The Friends actress also reveals that she called up her piano tutor for an emergency practice session before Sir Elton came over. Scary! In scenes to set to air on Friday's Graham Norton, Courteney Cox, 57, admits playing piano in front of Sir Elton John, 74, was the 'scariest, most nerve-wracking' thing she's ever done Last summer, Courteney was joined by the music legend, her close pal Ed Sheeran, 30, and Brandi Carlile, 40, for a rendition of Elton's classic 'Tiny Dancer' shared on Instagram last year. And the Scream actress has revealed she phoned up her piano tutor as soon as Ed invited Elton over for dinner because she was so nervous about the prospect of tinkling the ivories in front of him. Courteney told Graham Norton: 'I learned to play in lockdown but then Ed Sheeran invited Elton John to dinner at my house and suggested we all perform together. 'So, I called my piano teacher and 20 minutes later he was walking out as Elton was walking in. It was the scariest, most nerve-wracking thing I've ever done, and it was the thrill of my life!' Amazing! Last June, she showed off her impressive piano skills as she partook in a hilarious rendition of Elton John's track Tiny Dancer with the Rocket Man hitmaker himself It wasn't just any cover of Tiny Dancer, as they did the version Friends character made famous by Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow) where she sings 'Tony Danza' instead of 'Tiny Dancer'. Courteney shared a video of the musical performance to her Instagram at the time, and captioned the clip: 'One of the greatest moments of my life. This one's for you.' To which, Lisa reacted in the comments: 'Whaaaaaat??? That's the most exciting thing ever!!!!' Panic mode! The Friends actress also reveals that she called up her piano tutor for an emergency practice session before Sir Elton came over Meanwhile, Ed previously said Courteney might have made an appearance on one of his albums. Speaking about his latest studio effort, , the Bad Habits hitmaker said: 'She sings. I'm pretty sure she sings on background vocals on the album. I think she's on Visiting Hours. If not, she was definitely on somewhere.' The chart-topping pop star subsequently explained how he came to work with the Hollywood star. He said: 'Well, my producer and songwriter, Johnny [McDaid] is dating her. Me and Johnny write most, like, we wrote Shape of You together. We wrote Bad Habits together. We work together a lot.' The Graham Norton Show airs on BBC One 10.35pm on Friday and is available on BBC iPlayer. She is no stranger to flaunting her incredible figure in fashion campaigns and on the catwalk. And Daisy Lowe showcased her envy-inducing curves via a new medium as she made her sizzling debut on TikTok on Friday. The model, 33, turned heads in a daring black cutaway detail bra and knickers, teamed with sexy stockings and a suspender belt as she shared a fun video with her Instagram followers. Wow! Daisy Lowe showcased her envy-inducing curves via a new medium as she made her sizzling debut on TikTok on Friday Posing in her bathroom doorway, the beauty worked her best angles for the camera. The model joked that she felt 'about 112' while filming her 'first ever TikTok'. Daisy captioned the post: 'Happy Friday. Getting ready for the weekend & thought Id share some behind the scenes with my favourite hot tamale @filthymouthcreative & super babe @chrisvirzi on glam wearing @agentprovocateur @sarah_shotton_. 'I highly recommend shaking off these grey days dancing around in your undies. Give yourself a whole lot of love. Ps this is my first ever Tik Tok I feel about 112.' Stunning: The model, 33, turned heads in a daring black cutaway detail bra and knickers, teamed with sexy stockings and a suspender belt as she shared a fun video Work it! Posing in her bathroom doorway, the beauty worked her best angles for the camera Joker: The model joked that she felt 'about 112' while filming her 'first ever TikTok' The video comes after Daisy celebrated her 33rd birthday last week by making a rare appearance with her rocker father Gavin Rossdale, 56, and half-brothers Kingston, 15, Zuma, 13, and Apollo, seven, who Gavin co-parents with ex-wife Gwen Stefani. The group headed to Universal Studios Hollywood to toast the occasion, with Daisy later posting a series of sweet family images on her Instagram page. Alongside the gallery, she wrote: 'Turning 33, a full of love, laughter and way too much delicious food photo dump.' The family's history is somewhat complicated, with Daisy and Gavin only finding out he was her father when a paternity test uncovered the truth in 2004 following a one-night stand with Daisy's fashion designer mother Pearl Lowe years previously. In her memoir All That Glitters, Pearl, 51, wrote that Gavin, who had been Daisy's godfather, had a cold response to the request for a paternity test. Pearl said: 'I received a letter from him implying that I was trying to ruin his life and pointedly accusing me of messing up my own.' She added that after the paternity test 'Daisy persevered with Gavin, determined to forge some kind of relationship, and things did get better. From time to time, he would ask her round to his house.' A few years later in 2010 Daisy later told the London Evening Standard: 'I now have a really good relationship with my father. 'It's been blossoming for the past year but it really happened over Christmas. We got to spend time together. He's got two beautiful kids who I really adore and his wife is gorgeous.' At the time Gavin was married to his No Doubt bandmate Gwen Stefani, 52, a relationship that ended in divorce in 2016. Modern family: The beauty's night out comes after she celebrated her 33rd birthday with her father Gavin Rossdale, 56, and half-brothers Kingston, 15, Zuma, 13, and Apollo, seven Advertisement Katie Price has been spotted again showing off the aftermath of her recent eye and brow lift - with her head in a full bandage and sporting two black eyes. The glamour model, 42, who went under the knife in Belgium, had her hair masked by layers of bandages and a camouflage hoodie pulled over the top as she headed to Bishop's Stortford's Coco Salon nail shop with her fiance Carl Woods, 32. Having emerged from the Love Island star's car, she was soon seen inside the beauty emporium, where she had her beloved acrylics applied. Stepping out: Katie Price has been spotted again showing off the aftermath of her recent eye and brow lift - with her head in a full bandage and sporting two black eyes The recent surgery comes days after Katie launched her new OnlyFans page for 11 a month at a press call where she wore a nun's outfit and promoted her new venture. Dr Judy Todd, an aesthetic doctor at Clinica Medica in Glasgow, said: 'It appears like she's had a face lift, temporal brow lift, and possibly an upper blepharoplasty.... 'These would all lift the features to a more youthful position, elevate the eyebrows and would reduce any sagging skin on the upper eyelid. She is currently wearing a pressure dressing which is all over the area where the sutures would be... 'This kind of bruising around the eye often occurs with these procedures but the effects are only temporary and tend to dissipate within seven to 10 days. Stepping out: The glamour model, 42, who went under the knife in Belgium, had her hair masked by layers of bandages and a camouflage hoodie pulled over the top as she headed to Bishop's Stortford's Coco Salon nail shop with her fiance Carl Woods, 32 Stepping out: The recent surgery comes days after Katie launched her new OnlyFans page for 11 a month at a press call where she wore a nun's outfit and promoted her new venture Glammed up: She had her nails expertly applied in the salon 'But some patients may experience swelling and bruising for several weeks after surgery but this will ultimately depend on the patients healing process and post-op recovery care.' It was reported last month that Katie had plans to travel to Turkey imminently for yet more plastic surgery, amid claims she wanted to get some tweaks in after being unhappy with her latest plastic surgery work. A friend of Katie's reportedly told The Sun: 'Katie's telling everyone she thinks her bum implants make her look too big and wants them out - plus more lipo. In depth: Katie was chatting to a fellow patron during the outing Black and blue: The recent surgery comes days after Katie launched her new OnlyFans page for 11 a month at a press call where she wore a nun's outfit and promoted her new venture Bling bling: She had her nails painted white with a heart shaped diamond applied Painful: Despite the painful bruises, Katie looked in great spirits However Katie's latest surgery was on her face, not her body like her pal had suggested. The source added: 'When Katie has an idea in her head, she just does it. Who knows if she'll actually go through with it, but she's told friends she's going.' The mum-of-five last visited Turkey just six months ago, where she underwent full body liposuction, eye and lip lifts, liposuction under her chin, and had fat injected into her bum. Following Katie's surgery last summer she was said to be in 'horrific pain', but she admitted she was still prepared to go under the knife again. Black and bruised: However Katie's latest surgery was on her face, not her body like her pal had suggested. The source added: 'When Katie has an idea in her head, she just does it. Who knows if she'll actually go through with it, but she's told friends she's going' When asked whether the procedure had put her off surgery for good, Katie said: 'No I'd do it again... maybe in five to ten years.' However it appears her plans have been sped up, as she underwent another procedure just six months later. Katie's underwent her fourth face lift last summer and she filmed the extent of the cosmetic surgery for her 346,000 subscribers, with the second instalment of her video series picking up as soon as the glamour model exited surgery. As she was wheeled out of a hospital lift and into her room, Katie moaned and shivered in agony. Way back when: The mum-of-five last visited Turkey just six months ago, where she underwent full body liposuction, eye and lip lifts, liposuction under her chin, and had fat injected into her bum Her man: Since Katie's recent driving ban, Carl has been on-hand to ferry her around Telling Carl that she was 'so cold' as her body shook, the mother-of-five appeared to drift in and out of consciousness. After seeing his wife-to-be in so much pain, Carl admitted he had decided to cancel the surgery he was scheduled to have, admitting: 'I don't even know what I expected but she looks like she's in so much pain.' Back in 2017, Katie underwent her first facelift using a London-based plastic surgeon. Two years later, in May 2019, the star admitted she found her body 'disgusting' - and flew to Turkey for get her second face lift. Shocker: Back in 2017, Katie underwent her first facelift using a London-based plastic surgeon Two years later, in May 2019, the star admitted she found her body 'disgusting' - and flew to Turkey for get her second face lift Advertisement Aidan Turner's wife Caitlin Fitzgerald has been spotted pushing a pram in London, days after the Poldark star was seen grabbing coffee in London. The American actress, 38, wrapped up in camel padded coat as she pushed along the pram, while strolling through the capital with mother Pam Allen, 73. Aidan and Caitlin married in a secret Italian wedding in August 2020, but their nuptials didn't come to light until March 2021, when sources claimed they decided to wed because they 'didn't want to wait' during the Covid pandemic, and the actor's parents were the only family members in attendance. EXCLUSIVE: Aidan Turner's wife Caitlin Fitzgerald has been spotted pushing a pram in London (left), days after the Poldark star was seen grabbing coffee in London Caitlin wrapped up against the chilly weather in her cosy camel jacket and a colourful chunky knitted scarf as she chatted to her mother during the walk. Elsewhere, Aidan was seen days earlier, on January 24, picking up a coffee and takeaway lunch in the city, donning a casual pale blue satin bomber jacket and jeans as he exited the cafe. MailOnline has contacted representatives for Aidan Turner and Caitlin Fitzgerald for comment. Time for a walk: The American actress wrapped up in camel padded coat as she pushed along the pram, while strolling through the capital with mother Pam Nice and warm: Caitlin wrapped up against the chilly weather in her cosy camel jacket and a colourful chunky knitted scarf as she chatted to her mother during the walk Family: She was accompanied by her mother Pam Allen and their pet pooch during the walk through the city In March 2021 it was revealed that Aidan and Caitlin had secretly tied the knot in August the previous year in a secret ceremony in Rome. Newly unearthed pictures taken on August 8 showed the newlyweds days after tying the knot as they flashed their gold bands while enjoying a romantic alfresco dinner date at Pierluigi's restaurant in Rome. In the new images the loved-up pair seemed unable to keep their hands off each other as they sipped their drinks, holding onto one each other as they gazed into each other's eyes. Aidan's parents did not join the couple on the outing, despite flying out from their home in Dublin to watch the couple exchange their vows, leaving the newlyweds to enjoy their first days of wedded bliss. Surprise! In March 2021 it was revealed that Aidan and Caitlin (pictured in August 2018) had secretly tied the knot in August the previous year in a secret ceremony in Rome Relaxed: Elsewhere, Aidan was seen days earlier, on January 24, picking up a coffee and takeaway lunch in the city, donning a casual pale blue satin bomber jacket and jeans as he exited the cafe Supplies: After perusing the treats on offer, Aidan was seen leaving with a bag of goods and two coffees, in snaps taken just days before his wife Caitlin's outing The insider revealed that although the couple wanted an intimate ceremony, Aidan insisted on his beloved mother Eileen and father Pearse being present. 'Aidan wouldn't have got married without them,' said the source. 'The rest of the family heard about the wedding afterwards. Of course, everyone is delighted for him.' The couple had flown to Ireland prior to the pandemic so that Caitlin could meet his relatives, and it seems she made quite the impression on his family. 'She's lovely and they're very happy,' the source said. 'And of course, she had Irish roots, so that helps as well. Unexpected: Caitlin (pictured on Tuesday) and Aidan's secret wedding came to light when images emerged of the pair flashing their gold wedding bands during a dinner date at Pierluigi's restaurant in Rome in August 2020 Romance: The TV and film stars have been dating since 2018 after growing close while shooting scenes for fantasy movie The Man Who Killed Hitler And Then The Bigfoot in Massachusetts 'They're no different to any young couple in love. They didn't want to wait until after Covid to get married, so they just went ahead. Good luck to them. It was claimed the couple were eager to wed as soon as their schedules cleared, but kept their nuptials quiet due to their private lifestyles. A source told The Sun: 'The couple are both madly in love and couldn't wait to get hitched when their schedules allowed. They're both very private and have kept the ceremony very much under wraps, but he has been seen taking lockdown walks with his wedding ring on show. 'Aidan hasn't been in a rush to get wed and has very much been waiting for 'The One' to come along and anyone who sees them knows they're the perfect match.' MailOnline contacted representatives for comment at the time. Together: The pair have largely kept their romance low-key, with Aidan saying in a 2019 interview: 'I do have a girlfriend, yeah' (pictured in August 2018) Who is Aidan Turner's 'wife'? Caitlin Fitzgerald was born and raised in Maine, before relocating to Massachusetts and New York City for education. The American actress also studied Shakespeare at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. Co-stars: Caitlin and screen star Aidan have been dating since 2018 (pictured in 2019) after growing close while shooting scenes for a fantasy movie (pictured) The TV and film star is best known for her role as Libby Masters in US drama Masters Of Sex, which ran from 2013 until 2016. She played the wife of sex therapist Dr William Masters (Michael Sheen) - who she was previously linked to. Caitlin and screen star Aidan have been dating since 2018 after growing close while shooting scenes for fantasy movie The Man Who Killed Hitler And Then The Bigfoot in Massachusetts. Her father Des is the former CEO of ContiGroup's ContiSea unit, while her mother Pam Allen founded yarn company Quince & Co and is the author of Knitting for Dummies. Love story: The film star played the wife of therapist William Masters (Michael Sheen) - who she was previously linked to - in US drama Masters Of Sex (pictured in 2015) The thespian's late grandfather Desmond was a deputy director of the CIA during the Kennedy administration officially known as the Directorate of Plans. The chief once attempted to assassinate Cuba's former dictator Fidel Castro with a pen filled with Black Leaf 40 - a nicotine-based insecticide fatal to humans - in November 1963 in Paris. As his plans fell through, Desmond would always complain that the U.S. missed its chance to take down Fidel. He joined the CIA in 1950 and cut his teeth directing operations against Communist China, but was not always successful. When Desmond armed the leader of a 12,000-strong group of anti- communist insurgents, instead of attacking China, the man set himself up as a drug lord. History: The thespian's late grandfather Desmond attempted to assassinate Cuba's former dictator Fidel Castro as a deputy director of the CIA He had more success in the Philippines, albeit by encouraging maverick U.S. air force colonel Edward Lansdale, whose unscrupulous 'psychological warfare' tricks included leaving corpses drained of blood to look like the victims of vampires. Desmond urged his operatives that 'we are here not to monitor communism, we are here to destroy it'. One of his last acts in the Far East was to hatch a plan to 'biologically immobilise' Indonesia's President Sukarno, a communist. FitzGerald took over CIA operations in 1963, two years after the fiasco of the Bay of Pigs the U.S.-backed invasion of Cuba. Events proved that was a mistaken assumption. FitzGerald's predecessors came up with various far-fetched ideas, most famously a box of 50 Cohiba cigars dusted with the deadly botulin toxin. They were never delivered amid doubts that he would ever smoke them. Advertisement The TV and film stars have been dating since 2018 after growing close while shooting scenes for fantasy movie The Man Who Killed Hitler And Then The Bigfoot in Massachusetts. Insiders claim they rarely mingled with other cast members while staying at the Deerfield Inn, near Boston.. The pair have largely kept their romance low-key, with Aidan saying in a 2019 interview: 'I do have a girlfriend, yeah.' In 2018, Glamour magazine published a rare essay by Caitlin entitled 'No one can tell you what good sex looks like', in which she admitted having 'had some really bad sex in my life'. Candid: In 2018, Glamour magazine published a rare essay by Caitlin, known for her role in Masters Of Sex, entitled 'No one can tell you what good sex looks like', in which she admitted having 'had some really bad sex in her life' The filmmaker said she had initially 'crafted my bedroom behaviour around what I had seen women do on television lots of excessive moaning and hair tossing but very little personal satisfaction'. Hobbit star Aidan won fans all over the world with his portrayal of the hunky Ross Poldark alongside his love interest Eleanor Tomlinson in the iconic drama, which concluded after five series in 2019. His new wife, meanwhile, is best known for her role as Libby Masters in US drama Masters Of Sex, which ran from 2013 until 2016, playing the wife of sex therapist Dr William Masters (Michael Sheen) - who she was previously linked to. Famous roots: Caitlin, whose dad Des FitzGerald is the former CEO of ContiGroup's ContiSea unit, was born and raised in Maine, before relocating to Massachusetts and New York City for education Caitlin, whose dad Des FitzGerald is the former CEO of ContiGroup's ContiSea unit, was born and raised in Maine, before relocating to Massachusetts and New York City for education. The thespian also studied Shakespeare at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. The thespian's late grandfather Desmond was a deputy director of the CIA during the Kennedy administration officially known as the Directorate of Plans. The chief attempted to assassinate Cuba's former dictator Fidel Castro with a pen filled with Black Leaf 40 - a nicotine-based insecticide fatal to humans - in November 1963 in Paris. As his plans fell through, Desmond would always complain that the U.S. missed its chance to take down Fidel. Dublin native Aidan was rumoured to be engaged to a secret girlfriend in April 2018, shortly before he started dating Caitlin. Romantic past: The hunk also dated Being Human co-star Lenora Crichlow after meeting on the set in 2009 (pictured left in 2010) while Caitlin was linked to on-screen husband Michael Sheen during Masters Of Sex (pictured right 2015) While little was known about his rumoured fiancee, she was believed to be ten-years his junior and based in the south-west of England. A source told MailOnline at the time: 'Aidan is engaged to a 24-year old graduate lawyer from Gloucester.' It is not known how long the pair had been dating, and they had not been pictured together publicly. Aidan was previously in a relationship with artist Nettie Wakefield, 33, whom he split from in 2017, following the end of his five-year romance with actress Sarah Greene, 36, in 2015. The Being Human actor also dated with co-star Lenora Crichlow, after meeting on the set of their supernatural BBC Three show in 2009. Their break-up in 2011 is believed to be the reason behind his exit from the series, while his ex, 36, continued her role. Kim Kardashian was seen in a long black coat in a new image shared to the Balenciaga Instagram page on Thursday. And on her own Instagram page the 41-year-old looker shared an elegant image on Thursday where she was in a long leopard print coat from the new collection. The ex of Kanye West has taken a break from modeling bikinis and her skimpy SKIMS lingerie designs to serve as model for the high-end, Paris-based fashion brand. Not much skin showing here: Kim Kardashian was seen in a long black coat in a new image shared to the Balenciaga Instagram page this week; here she is seen with 'Bat' sunglasses A more dressed up look: And on her own Instagram page the 41-year-old looker was in a long leopard print coat from the new collection Earlier this week the curvy reality TV star - who will turn 42-years-old this year - was seen dressed in a skintight black outfit from Balenciaga. She was working with photographer Stef Mitchell. In the new ads Kim has on a skintight top and a pair of leggings with the Balenciaga logo in white on her leg. Movin' on up: Kardashian seen in all black for the first images that have come out She is sitting on a white sofa inside her $60m Hidden Hills, California mansion as she puts one hand on a neon green purse with silver accents. The siren did not go heavy glam as her raven hair was pulled back and she had on pink colored makeup with silver earrings. The daughter of Kris Jenner also was seen in a leopard print coat with pointy black boots and a matching purse that had a heart shaped accent. Check me out: . The curvy reality TV star - who will turn 42-years-old this year - was seen dressed in a skintight black outfit for the Paris-based brand Balenciaga for photographer Stef Mitchell While Balenciaga - a high-end luxury fashion house founded in 1917 by the Spanish designer Cristobal Balenciaga in Bilbao, Spain - is a hot name, her own brand is even hotter these days. Kardashian's shapewear brand SKIMS is now worth $3.2 billion after the latest round of investing. The 'Keeping Up with the Kardashian' star's line is now worth double what it was in April 2020 following a series of successes - such as $247 million in annual sales and being worn by Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics - throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Her usual look: Kim often shares bikini photos to Instagram; this image was posted this week The 41-year-old influencer had $234 million pumped into the company - whose wares have been modelled by Kate Moss and Megan Fox - following Kim and her business managers securing a new array of investors for the business and now want to establish their 'own category in retail'. Jens Grede, a company executive said to WWD: 'We see an opportunity with SKIMS to create our own category in retail, just like how we believe Lululemon and Starbucks created their own categories in their respective areas.' He continued: 'That's really why we're doing this to make sure we're best prepared for the future.' Money mama: Kim is known for modeling her SKIMS brand, which has new investors SKIMS - which boasts itself as 'solutions for every body' - was launched in 2019 and has developed into one of the biggest luxury shapewear brands on the market, selling items such as bralettes, thongs and control pants in a variety of colours. On Tuesday, Kim shared a sexy snap of herself wearing some of the line's bikini briefs as she thought about a tropical vacation she recently had been on. In the slideshow caption, she wrote: 'long time no sea'. Meanwhile, Kim and Pete Davidson are heating up. They started dating last year, and the 'Saturday Night Live' star is already thinking about getting his own place in Los Angeles in order to be closer to his girlfriend. The comedian is currently based in New York, but he's now looking for his own place on the West coast. Nothing to hide in nude: And the entrepreneur also has her fragrance line KKW A source said earlier this week: 'Pete's been spending more time in LA to be close to Kim, and he's looking to find a place there. 'They've definitely gotten serious.' Pete and Kim- who has North, eight, Saint, six, Chicago, four, and Psalm, two, with her estranged husband Kanye West - recently enjoyed a romantic trip to the Bahamas together. However, the loved-up duo are both going to be busy with work over the coming months, meaning they're unlikely to spend as much time together as they'd wish to. An insider explained: 'Kim and Pete wanted to spend this time together because they're both going to be working a lot during the coming months. 'Pete will be filming, and Kim is launching some new products, so they'll still be able to see each other, but this is the last time they'll be able to spend a lot of quality time together for a few months.' Kim Kardashian and her estranged husband Kanye West were embroiled in a bitter war of words all over social media on Friday, as they came to blows arguing about Kim putting their daughter North on TikTok 'against his will.' The row started as the 44-year-old rapper shared a picture of North, eight, on Instagram asking in the caption, 'Since this is my first divorce I need to know what should I do about my daughter being put on TikTok against my will?' Hours later, Kim hit back on her Instagram slamming Kanye's 'constant attacks' on her, accusing him of causing their family 'pain' in a lengthy statement, where she referred to herself as the 'main caregiver.' Kanye then responded again, screenshotting Kim's statement and posting another response saying: 'What do you mean by main provider ? America saw you try to kidnap my daughter on her birthday by not providing the address.' 'You put security on me inside of the house to play with my son then accused me of stealing I had to take a drug test after Chicago's party cause you accused me of being on drugs. Tracy Romulus stop manipulating Kim to be this way.' Custody drama: Kanye West says daughter North is 'being put on TikTok' against his will by estranged by wife Kim Kardashian as their custody disputes rage on Hitting back: Kim Kardashian has issued a fiery response to her estranged husband Kanye West after he claimed their daughter North is being put on TikTok 'against his will' He's not done: Kanye then responded to Kim's initial rebuttal, claiming that he was made to take a drug test before entering Chicago's birthday party Tracy Romulus is the Chief Financial Officer of Kim Kardashian West Brands and a close friend of the Hulu reality star. In Kim's lengthy rebuttal of Kanye's initial post, she wrote: 'Kanye's constant attacks on me in interviews and social media is actually more hurtful than any TikTok North might create.' 'As the parent who is the main provider and caregiver for our children, I am doing my best to protect our daughter while also allowing her to express her creativity in the medium that she wishes with adult supervision - because it brings her happiness. Back for more: The rapper later posted the guidelines surrounding minors joining TikTok in another pointed dig at his ex Kim 'Divorce is difficult enough on our children and Kanye's obsession with trying to control and manipulate our situation so negatively and publicly is only causing further pain for all.' 'From the beginning I have wanted nothing but a healthy and supportive co-parenting relationship because it is what is best for our children and it saddens me that Kanye continues to make it impossible every step of the way.' She finished her post by stating: 'I wish to handle all matters regarding our children privately and hopefully he can finally respond to the third attorney he has had in the last year to resolve any issues amicably.' It comes just a month after Kanye stated in a podcast that he did not want North to appear on the social media platform, saying: 'I'm not there to approve that.' The post shows a screengrab of North in a TikTok video that was posted three days ago from the young one's official account, that is shared with her mother Kim. 'Kim and North' currently has 5.5million followers and features a number of videos starring North with appearances by Kim. Split: It is the latest sign of trouble between the former couple, who are currently sharing custody of their five children North, eight, Saint, six, Chicago, four, and Psalm, two (Pic, 2020) The account stipulates in the bio that it is 'managed by an adult', presumably her mother. In the original video, both North and her mother Kim are shown moving the camera around and lip-syncing to a song, attracting over 1.4million likes from fans. Kim started the account back in November last year. The comments on the account are disabled, protecting North from any negative or inappropriate comments from trolls. It is the latest sign of trouble between the former couple, who are currently sharing custody of their five children North, eight, Saint, six, Chicago, four, and Psalm, two. Last month, Kanye gave a heated interview with Hollywood Unlocked where he hinted that Kim, 41, was somehow preventing him or making it difficult for him to see their children. 'Kim and North' currently has 5.5million followers and features a number of videos starring North with appearances by Kim Not approved: Kanye said last not month he did not give his permission for North to appear on TikTok Control: The account stipulates in the bio that it is 'managed by an adult, presumably her mother He also stated that he did not want his daughter on TikTok. 'Don't have my daughter wearing lipstick on TikTok, or don't have her on TikTok at all, if I'm not there to approve that,' he said. 'It was done without me knowing and it happened again so I feel like it's poking the bear, trying to antagonize me or create this 'crazy' narrative.' Despite these comments, Kim continued to post videos of herself and North on their shared TikTok account. Meanwhile, on the subject of having access to his children, Kanye said on the podcast that 'no security' is going to 'get between me and my children' adding: 'and you ain't gonna gaslight me.' He also claimed that Kim's security had prevented him from visiting North on her most recent birthday when he was 'stopped at the gate.' Trouble: Kim filed for divorce from Kanye in February last year, and relations between the former couple had initially been cordial (Pictured above with their children) Kim filed for divorce from Kanye in February last year, and relations between the former couple had initially been cordial, with the Hulu reality star helping the rapper promote his last album Donda. However, things turned sour once Kim moved on romantically with SNL star Pete Davidson. Despite Kanye also moving on himself, with Uncut Gems actress Julia Fox, the rapper has become more hostile when talking about their custody arrangement with the kids. However, Kim's divorce lawyer Laura Wasser has since shutdown any notion that the children are being 'kept' from Kanye. Tough times: Meanwhile Kim was downcast as she was seen for the first time on Friday after she and Kanye were embroiled in a bitter war of words all over social media Ouch: The 41-year-old SKIMS mogul looked despondent while running errands in Los Angeles on Friday just hours after her dramatic social media back-and-forth with the 44-year-old artist On the solo outing Kim was seen with a Manila folder in her hand On the go: She donned a much more casual look than she usually does as she sported a black puffer jacket from The North Face, clinging leggings, and accessorized with designer shades. On the go: She hopped into a white Rolls Royce 'Mr. West being kept from the children, by security or anyone else, is news to us. Both parties' priority has always been the children maintaining strong bonds with each of their parents throughout this transition and beyond,' the statement read. Outside of their co-parenting issues, there have also been signs that Kanye is not happy about moving on with SNL star Pete, 28. It was claimed last month that Kim was forced to change her vacation plans from Dominican Republic to the Bahamas, because the rapper had planned to follow them there. At this point, Kanye had just met actress Julia, 32, on New Year's Eve in Miami, where Pete was performing his special NYE show with singer Miley Cyrus. Weeks later, the rapper released a track where he dissed Kim's man Pete, threatening to 'beat his a**.' Apple TV+ have revealed the premiere date and first official stills of the hotly- anticipated espionage series, Slow Horses. Oscar-winning actor Gary Oldman takes the lead as Cold Warrior Jackson Lamb while Kristin Scott-Thomas takes on the role of a spymaster in the new series. After lockdown restrictions delayed filming and production on the series, the drama now has an air date of April 1. Slow Horses FIRST LOOK: Apple TV+ have revealed the premiere date and first official stills of the hotly- anticipated espionage series starring Gary Oldman as Cold Warrior Jackson Lamb The first two episodes will drop simultaneously followed by one new episode weekly, every Friday. Slow Horses is the television adaptation of Mick Herron's Slough House book series, about a group of M15 misfits annexed into obscurity. The spies end up in the Slough House division due to their career ending mistakes. Jack Lowden is also part of the talented cast. One to watch: Kristin Scott Thomas has been cast as one of the two spymasters who oversee Lamb and his flock in Slow Horses, named after the first Slough House novel The misfits are led by former Cold Warrior Jackson Lamb (Gary) and wannabe 007 River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) and end up seeing more action than the intelligence officers at HQ. Kristin has been cast as one of the two spymasters who oversee Lamb and his flock in Slow Horses, named after the first Slough House novel. The series also stars Academy Award-nominee Jonathan Pryce as David Cartwright, and The Sound Of Metal star Olivia Cooke as as Sidney 'Sid' Baker. Coming soon: After lockdown restrictions delayed filming and production on the series, the drama now has an air date of April 1 Sources told Deadline that 12 episodes are being filmed back-to-back. The first six episodes will be based on Herrons first book, Slow Horses, and the second six will be based on his second novel, Dead Lions. Herron has published six novels and two novellas in the Slough House series to date, with another novella due out in January. The TV series was originally slated to begin shooting in the UK in 2020 but was shut down due to the ongoing pandemic. Tense: The misfits are led by wannabe 007 River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) and end up seeing more action than the intelligence officers at HQ Filming started under strict safety protocols as London is currently under lockdown restrictions, with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson issuing a stay at home order amid the global coronavirus pandemic. Gary has long been attached to the project both as the lead and an executive producer, alongside business partner Douglas Urbanski. Meanwhile Former Veep writer Will Smith serves as screenwriter and executive producer. Famous faces: The series also stars Academy Award-nominee Jonathan Pryce as David Cartwright, and The Sound Of Metal star Olivia Cooke as as Sidney 'Sid' Baker The role marks one of few TV roles Gary has held throughout his career and his first TV regular role. It is not the first time Gary has piled on the pounds to play a secret agent. He gorged on chips, hamburgers and ice-cream puddings before starring as George Smiley in the 2011 adaptation of John le Carres Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Gary discussed the similarities - and differences - between the two characters in an interview last year. Lambs got greasy hair and flatulence, he said. Hes a f**ting, working-class version of George Smiley. Game of Thrones star Sir Jonathan Pryce and English actress Olivia Cooke also star in the series. The series is produced for Apple by See-Saw Films and adapted for television by Will Smith ('Veep'). Graham Yost executive produces alongside Smith. Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Gail Mutrux and Douglas Urbanski also serve as executive producers on the series. James Hawes directs all six episodes and executive produces. He has been seen on the set of the forthcoming US Showtime series which is based on the Ripley novels by Patricia Highsmith in recent weeks. And Andrew Scott looked dapper in a black suit and sported slicked back hair as he filmed new scenes for the show on Friday in Venice, Italy. The Fleabag actor, 45, who takes the lead rol,e looked like he meant business in the smart two-piece that was teamed with a dark brown buttoned jumper underneath. Handsome: Andrew Scott looked dapper in a black suit and slicked back hair as he filmed new scenes on the set of crime drama Ripley in Venice on Friday He kept warm in between takes by wearing a silver-lined jacket, before changing into a smart long one and grey scarf to get in front of the camera. Andrew looked like he was filming serious scenes in the streets of the Italian city, and was buying a newspaper from a corner shop before strolling down some steps. Dakota Fanning, will portray Marge Sherwood in the new Showtime series, while Scott plays the iconic Tom Ripley - the arch conman previously played to aplomb by Matt Damon in the hit 1999 film. Busy: He looked in the zone as he shot the takes on a street in Venice, as the buzz around the new series increases Star: The Fleabag actor, 45, who takes the lead role looked like he meant business in the smart two-piece that was teamed with a dark brown buttoned jumper underneath His old look: Andrew won a whole new army of fans as the so-called 'Hot Priest' who sparks up a romance in Fleabag The character was created by late novelist Patricia Highsmith and played a defining role through five of her novels and several subsequent film adaptations. In the new series, set in the 1960s, Ripley is hired by a wealthy New Yorker to travel to Italy to convince his wayward son Dickie Greenleaf to return home. But along the way, he starts to weave a complex web of deceit with murderous consequences. Scenes: He kept warm in between takes by wearing a silver-lined jacket, before changing into a smart long one and grey scarf to get in front of the camera Plot: Andrew looked like he was filming serious scenes in the streets of the Italian city, and was buying a newspaper from a corner shop before strolling down some steps Nice one: Dakota Fanning, will portray Marge Sherwood in the new Showtime series, while Scott plays the iconic Tom Ripley Big names: The arch conman was previously played to aplomb by Matt Damon in the hit 1999 film Iconic: The character was created by late novelist Patricia Highsmith and played a defining role through five of her novels and several subsequent film adaptations Dickie's Venice based American girlfriend - played by Dakota - will slowly suspect Ripley's motives when he shows up looking for him. The drama is being adapted from Highsmith's novels by Schindler's List writer Steve Zaillan. The 1999 film The Talented Mr. Ripley, directed by the late Anthony Minghella, starred Matt Damon as Tom Ripley with Gwyneth Paltrow as Marge and Jude Law as doomed jazz musician Dickie. Story: In the new series, set in the 1960s, Ripley is hired by a wealthy New Yorker to travel to Italy to convince his wayward son Dickie Greenleaf to return home Twists: But along the way, he starts to weave a complex web of deceit with murderous consequences Interesting: Dickie's Venice based American girlfriend - played by Dakota - will slowly suspect Ripley's motives when he shows up looking for him Exciting: The drama is being adapted from Highsmith's novels by Schindler's List writer Steve Zaillan Way back when: The 1999 film The Talented Mr. Ripley, directed by the late Anthony Minghella, starred Matt Damon as Tom Ripley with Gwyneth Paltrow as Marge Talented: The news of Dakota's casting comes on the heels of her joining Showtime's anthology series The First Lady. The news of Dakota's casting comes on the heels of her joining Showtime's anthology series The First Lady. She's set to play the daughter of President Gerald Ford and First Lady Betty Ford in the show. The former child actress is best known for I Am Sam, Man On Fire, War Of The Worlds and The Twilight Saga. Ripley's US release date in the USA is confirmed to be 2022. A UK release is to be announced. Yay! Ripley's US release date in the USA is confirmed to be 2022. A UK release is to be announced Back to it: Andrew was back on set in Venice early on Friday morning shooting new scenes Extensive crew: The actors were surrounded by camera men who made sure they snapped every second of the action She is known for showing off her impressive sense of style on the popular Netflix reality TV series Selling Sunset. And on Friday, Chrishell Stause showcased her summer fashion choices as she shared a throwback snap from her previous vacation in Cabo San Lucas with Emma Hernan to her Instagram account. The 40-year-old reality television personality and her business partner, 30, appeared to be soaking up the Mexican sun in the photo. 'It is a very chilly 54 degrees right now in LA. Time to go back!' she said in her caption. Fun in the sun: Chrishell Stause showcased her summer-ready clothing as she shared a throwback snap from her previous vacation in Cabo San Lucas with Emma Hernan to her Instagram account on Friday Stause opted for a leopard-printed bikini top that left little to the imagination of her 3million followers while posing for the shot. The former Days Of Our Lives actress also sported a matching bottom that showed off her impeccably sculpted legs and thighs. The performer accessorized with a stylish pair of sunglasses while enjoying the shining tropical sun. Her voluminous dark blonde hair remained free-flowing and cascaded onto her shoulders and backside. Having fun: Hernan, who joined Selling Sunset's cast during its fourth season, also left a cheeky comment that read: 'Hmm I'd like to see you chilly in that suit' Hernan sported a slightly more revealing dark brown bikini top and matching bottom while spending time with her friend. The model sported a fashionable set of sunglasses and tied her gorgeous blonde locks into a tight bun. The real estate agent, who joined Selling Sunset's cast during its fourth season, also left a cheeky comment that read: 'Hmm I'd like to see you chilly in that suit.' Stause's post comes not long after it was reported that her ex-boyfriend and business partner, Jason Oppenheim, was still 'madly in love' with her following their recent split. Lingering feelings: Stause's post comes not long after it was reported that her ex-boyfriend and business partner, Jason Oppenheim, was still 'madly in love' with her following their recent split; they are seen in 2021 Mary Fitzgerald, who was also previously in a relationship with the real estate broker, spoke to Us Weekly about the former couple, who amicably separated this past December. She said that, after the news about the split was made known to the public: 'I was surprised...It's sad because I love them together.' Stause and Oppenheim, 44, initially met when she joined his real estate firm in 2018. The actress was previously married to Justin Hartley, although the two formally dissolved their union in February of last year. Strong start: Stause and Oppenheim, 44, initially met when she joined his real estate firm in 2018 The former pair remained friends and business partners for three years before they went Instagram official with their relationship last July. The two made a point of sharing several photos with each other to their respective Instagram accounts during their summer trip to Europe. Stause and Oppenheim eventually made their red carpet debut at the August premiere of Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings. Showing the world: Stause and Oppenheim eventually made their red carpet debut at the August 2021 premiere of Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings Many of their friends and coworkers expressed their support for the relationship throughout its course. However, the two shocked many when they announced that they had gone their separate ways last December. The two were quick to point out that their split was entirely amicable and that they would remain close friends going forward. Brendan Cole took to Instagram to defend himself after he was spotted swearing at a taxi driver on Thursday in a very heated exchange. The Dancing On Ice star, 45, shared a lengthy post on Friday in which he explained that the driver 'drove like a maniac' after he was 30 minutes late for his pick up. And despite apologising for being late, the furious dancer stood by his expletives as he insisted the driver 'deserved' to be sworn at due to his 'unacceptable' behaviour. Angry: Brendan Cole took to Instagram to defend himself after he was spotted swearing at a taxi driver on Thursday in a very heated exchange (pictured in 2019) In pictures obtained by The Sun, Brendan could be seen angrily confronting the driver and shouting at him, before slamming the car door shut. The New Zealand native was dressed in a grey hoodie and shorts with blue tape strapped to his leg, with the star either heading to or from skate training with pro partner Vanessa Bauer at the time. Defending the tense moment on his now-deleted Instagram story, he wrote: 'To the driver who just drove like a maniac because I was 30 minutes late for my pick up 'Once again, Ive very sorry for messing up my pick up time, it was indeed my mistake and my sincere apologies for that! Defence: The Dancing On Ice star, 45, shared a lengthy post on Friday in which he explained that the driver 'drove like a maniac' after he was 30 minutes late for his pick up (pictured in 2020) Speaking out: Despite apologising for being late, the furious dancer stood by his expletives as he insisted the driver 'deserved' to be sworn at due to his 'unacceptable' behaviour 'However, your attitude and behaviour after that was unacceptable and you deserved the expletive you got from me as I left your vehicle I stand by it!' The former Strictly Come Dancing pro concluded: 'I hope you have a better day from now on and your next client doesnt make a mistake like I did.' MailOnline have contacted representatives of Brendan for further comment. And while Brendan appeared to be hot-headed out of the rink, he certainly was as cool as ever on the ice as he bagged the first nine in this year's series of Dancing On Ice. The ballroom dancer graced the rink with professional skating partner Vanessa Bauer, 25, on Sunday night as they exhibited their efforts to Shallow from A Star Is Born. The closing dance of the evening earned them an overall score of 33.5, with Diversity choreographer Ashley Banjo awarding them the one-point away from perfection. Meanwhile Oti Mabuse scored 8.5 and Jayne Torvill and Chris Dean opted for 8. He's got the moves: While Brendan appeared to be hot-headed out of the rink, he certainly was as cool as ever on the ice as he bagged the first nine in this year's series of Dancing On Ice The TV personality said: 'It's so beautiful to be on the ice. I watch Vanessa, I watch these skaters doing such beauty. I love it. That was a lovely one.' Brendan's second skate comes after it was reported that his wife of eleven years has been feeling 'anxious and emotional and p***ed off at times' during his Dancing On Ice stint. While wife Zoe, 37, has been 'fully supportive' of her spouse's decision to partake in the show, she is said to have described herself as a 'Dancing On Ice widow'. According to The Sun, the former Strictly star rented an apartment in the same block as Vanessa near the Slough Ice Arena, despite his Bucks home being just a 40-minute drive away. Routine: The ballroom dancer graced the rink with professional skating partner Vanessa Bauer, 25, on Sunday night as they exhibited their efforts to Shallow from A Star Is Born Meanwhile, Zoe and their children Aurelia, nine, and three-year-old Dante were holidaying in their Mallorca holiday home, where the strains of solo parenting had been claimed to take their toll. A friend of the blogger's told the publication: '[Zoe] is fully supportive of Brendans decision to do Dancing On Ice, but it has not been easy looking after the kids by herself for so long while he is skating. 'She has felt anxious and emotional, and p***ed off at times. She has said in the past months that she feels like a Dancing On Ice widow.' However, the source confirmed that Brendan had been 'checking in' on his family while they were abroad, adding: 'She doesnt believe he would cheat on her - she would not be with him if she did. But she has found the past few months challenging.' AU official lauds China's help to combat COVID-19 in Africa Xinhua) 21:37, February 04, 2022 ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- China has been helping the African Union (AU) and its member states overcome the shock of COVID-19 since the outbreak of the pandemic, a senior AU official said Thursday. The remark was made by Samate Cessouma Minata, AU Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development while addressing a press conference on the sidelines of the AU Executive Council meeting. The meeting brought together foreign ministers of African countries at the AU Headquarters in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The AU Commissioner said China has been a privileged partner of Africa in the management and fight against the pandemic across the continent. "I would like to congratulate China and thank them for the support they have extended to the entire continent since the beginning of the outbreak, we have the support of China not only to the commission but to member states," said Minata. Noting that the African continent imports about 99 percent of its COVID-19 vaccines to inoculate its population, Minata said the AU commission and its members are working to produce the vaccines locally, a move in which China has become a major partner. Minata further said the 55-member pan-African bloc is working with China not only in the supply of life-saving COVID-19 vaccines, but also in ensuring the food security of the continent. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) The parents of Ethan Crumbley, both of who are facing manslaughter charges in connection with the deadly shooting at his Michigan high school, have irked prosecutors with their courtroom flirting. Jennifer and James Crumbley have blown kisses to each other and mouthed I love you during both digital and in-person court appearances, according to court filings obtained by the Detroit Free Press. Prosecutors on Wednesday called the antics inappropriate and disrespectful and requested the judge officially prohibit the behavior. Advertisement This image from 52-3 District Court shows James Crumbley blowing a kiss to his wife Jennifer Crumbley during a Zoom hearing in Rochester Hills, Mich., Friday, Jan. 7. (Carlos Osorio/AP) Mr. & Mrs. Crumbleys conduct in court makes a mockery of the crimes they are accused of committing, according to a statement from Oakland County Assistant Prosecutor Markeisha Washington. The courtroom is not a place for blowing kisses and sending secret signals. This is a time for families to pursue justice. Washington added the behavior is also traumatic for the families of the deceased victims. Advertisement This image from 52-3 District Court shows Jennifer Crumbley signing a message to her husband James in a Zoom hearing in Rochester Hills, Mich., Friday, Jan. 7. (Carlos Osorio/AP) The couples 15-year-old son, Ethan, is accused of unleashing gunfire inside the halls of Oxford High School on Nov. 30, 2021. Justin Shilling, 17, Tate Myre, 16, Hana St. Juliana, 14, and Madisyn Baldwin, 17, were all fatally shot in the attack. Another seven people, including a teacher, were also wounded in the shooting. This booking photo released by the Oakland County, Mich., Sheriff's Office shows Ethan Crumbley. (AP) Ethan has been charged as an adult with more than two dozen crimes including murder, attempted murder and terrorism causing death His parents were arrested days after the high school shooting in December. They are accused of failing to to intervene on the day of the massacre despite being called into the school for a meeting with administrators regarding their sons behavior. Prosecutors noted they had just purchased Ethan a firearm, 9-mm semi-automatic handgun, on Black Friday days earlier. Authorities now believe he had the weapon in his backpack during the behavioral meeting. They have all pleaded not guilty. The highly popular HBO teen drama series Euphoria has officially been renewed for a third season, it was announcement on Friday. This comes just under a month after the premiere of the show's second season, which has received positive reviews from critics. But the series was also recently criticized by DARE - Drug Abuse Resistance Education - for glamourizing drugs. Continuing the story: The highly popular HBO teen drama series Euphoria has officially been renewed for a third season Excited: HBO Programming's Executive Vice President Francesca Orsi released a statement via Deadline where she expressed her support for the show's team HBO Programming's Executive Vice President Francesca Orsi released a statement via Deadline where she expressed her support for the show's team. 'Sam, Zendaya, and the entire cast and crew of Euphoria have taken Season 2 to extraordinary heights, challenging narrative convention and form, while maintaining its heart,' she said. Orsi then remarked that HBO was looking forward to starting work on the show's forthcoming run of episodes. 'We couldn't be more honored to work with this gifted, wildly talented team or more excited to continue our journey with them into Season 3,' she said. Euphoria is based on the Israeli series of the same name, which was created by Ron Leshem. Source material: Euphoria is based on the Israeli series of the same name, which was created by Ron Leshem The original version of the program made its debut in 2012 and ran for ten episodes. Development on the American iteration of the show began in 2017, when HBO announced that the project had been greenlit. Much of the program's cast, which includes performers such as Hunter Schaefer and Jacob Elordi, was brought together over the course of the following year. Getting to work: Development on the American iteration of the show began in 2017, when HBO announced that the project had been greenlit The show eventually premiered in 2019 and quickly became a hit with critics and audiences alike, with the former group praising its writing and performances. However, many reviewers pointed out that the show's themes, which include drug abuse and teenage sexuality, would likely become points of controversy. Euphoria's first season was followed up by two hour-long specials that focused on the characters played by Zendaya and Schafer, the first of which premiered in 2020. That same year, the 25-year-old actress won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her work in the show. High praise: That same year, the 25-year-old actress won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her work in the show The performer notably became the youngest recipient of the award in its history. The second special made its debut last year, and both episodes received widespread critical acclaim upon their respective releases. Euphoria was renewed for a second season in July of 2019, partway through the show's first run of episodes. Several new performers, including Minka Kelly and Dominic Fike, were added to the program's cast. Having another go: Euphoria was renewed for a second season in July of 2019, partway through the show's first run of episodes The show's second season eventually premiered last month, and it is currently scheduled to conclude on Sunday. Euphoria's new run of episodes has also received widespread critical acclaim ever since its initial release. The show's forthcoming third season currently does not have a scheduled release date. Molly-Mae Hague has been mocked by her eagle-eyed followers after they spotted geographical 'blunder' on a new PLT item on Friday. The Pretty Little Thing creative director, 22, failed to notice the error in her latest clothing collection as she showed a selection of garments from her latest haul. Taking to her Story, the influencer showcased her perfect Valentine's day weekend ensembles as she commented on a leather two piece and a pair of mom jeans before moving onto a grey sweater. Oh no! Molly-Mae Hague has been mocked by her eagle-eyed followers after they spotted geographical 'blunder' on a new PrettyLittleThing item on Friday Molly focused on the the charcoal washed out sweatshirt as fans noticed that the graphic print read: 'Montreal, 1986, USA.' The blonde beauty began: 'I ended up doing a little order on PLT this week. I actually ordered this for Valentine's Day weekend but I'm definitely going to end up wearing it before.' Molly-Mae detailed a PVC strapless nude coordinate that she later slipped into to model for a sultry snap for Instagram. Blunder: Taking to her Story, the influencer showcased her perfect Valentine's day weekend ensembles as fans noticed that the graphic print read: 'Montreal, 1986, USA' Moving on to the sweater she said: 'I picked up a sweater that I thought it would be nice for the day time if we end up doing something on Valentines Day.' Whilst the printed T-shirt isn't completely incorrect, Montreal is most commonly known as the second most-populous city in Quebec in Canada. According to The Sun, one follower added: 'I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt that it had something to do with the Olympics. The 1976 summer Olympics were held in Montreal, and the USA competed. Thats the best Ive got.' As another penned: 'Guess she's not putting even a few of those 24 hours towards quality control.' A representative said to the MailOnline: 'There is actually a Montreal in the USA, its a City in Wisconsin.' Haul: Whilst the printed T-shirt isn't completely incorrect, Montreal is most commonly known as the second most-populous city in Quebec in Canada The small American city that Pretty Little Thing confirmed they were referring to, had a population of 753 people in 2019. The post comes after Molly insisted that she has stopped splurging on designer goods. Molly said earlier this week she no longer splashes the cash on 'really expensive clothes' following the 800k burglary at her former flat. No more splurging: Molly insisted this week that she no longer splashes the cash on 'really expensive clothes' following the 800k burglary at her former flat The influencer hosted a candid Q&A via her YouTube channel on Wednesday, her first vlog of the year, and shed light on October's ordeal and her 'negative start to the year.' Wearing a 285 Alexander Wang turtle neck top, she responded to the question, 'Have your views on having nice things changed since the robbery?' with 'It's something I've been thinking about a lot recently. The answer to that is 100% yes.' At around 10pm on Thursday October 21, while Molly-Mae and her boxer boyfriend Tommy Fury were in London at her Beauty Works Christmas launch, an 'experienced gang' targeted their flat and stole a vast quantity of goods, including jewellery and designer products. Molly-Mae reflected on the experience in her new video, explaining: 'In regards to the jewellery I used to buy, watches, nice bags, really expensive clothes and stuff, I think most definitely, definitely, the interest in that for me has just disappeared since the robbery. Advertisement Sean Penn can be seen looking truly unrecognizable in his next role, playing Richard Nixon's attorney general John Mitchell in the upcoming Starz series Gaslit. The 61-year-old actor - who recently complained that American men have become 'feminized' - appears to have spent hours in the make-up chair to transform into the famed political character. Interestingly, Penn is around the same age as John Mitchell was when he worked for Nixon, who was in his early sixties around the time the drama is set. With the help of prosthetics, the Oscar-winner looks strikingly different as Mitchell in the drama surrounding the Watergate scandal. Sean as John: Roberts plays Margaret Mitchell, the wife of Richard Nixon's attorney general John Mitchell (Sean Penn), who was the first person to, 'publicly sound the alarm on Nixon's involvement' in the Watergate scandal No stranger to changing his screen appearance, Penn last donned a prosthetic nose when he transformed into the Brooklyn-born mafia boss Mickey Cohen in the crime drama Gangster Squad in 2012. He is also rumored to have worn prosthetics to play Harvey Milk, the first American politician and first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California. Last week, in an interview, Penn remarked, 'I am in the club that believes that men in American culture have become wildly feminised.' Dramatic makeover: Penn in Cannes last year (left) and in character as John Mitchell (right) He added: 'I don't think that being a brute or having insensitivity or disrespect for women is anything to do with masculinity, or ever did. But I dont think that [in order] to be fair to women, we should become them.' Meanwhile, the political thriller limited television series Gaslit is based on the first season of the podcast Slow Burn by Leon Neyfakh, and is set to premiere on Starz on April 24, 2022. However, the show will be focused on Mitchell's wife Martha, played by Julia Roberts, who was the first person to, 'publicly sound the alarm on Nixon's involvement' in the political saga. Transformation: The 61-year-old actor - who recently complained that American men have become 'feminized' - appears to have spent hours in the make-up chair to transform into character New trailer: The Watergate scandal gets a whole new perspective in the first trailer for the upcoming Starz series Gaslit, starring Julia Roberts Whigham: Shea Whigham plays Liddy, the chief operative of Nixon's White House Plumbers spy unit The show is said to be, 'a modern take on Watergate that focuses on the untold stories and forgotten characters of the scandal.' The trailer begins with Mitchell being introduced as cameras are flashed, while a man says, 'You are the first person to publicly accuse the President for the Watergate break-in. Are you crazy?' She responds, 'I'm a Southern woman. We speak our minds, we talk. I never stop talking,' when the interviewer says, 'I bet your husband loves that,' and she says, without missing a beat, 'He takes it in stride.' The trailer features more shots of both Margaret and John, with a graphic that reads, 'Based on the insane but shockingly true story. Crazy: The trailer begins with Mitchell being introduced as cameras are flashed, while a man says, 'You are the first person to publicly accuse the President for the Watergate break-in. Are you crazy?' Nonstop: She responds, 'I'm a Southern woman. We speak our minds, we talk. I never stop talking Stride: The interviewer says, 'I bet your husband loves that,' and she says, without missing a beat, 'He takes it in stride' Shockingly true: The trailer features more shots of both Margaret and John, with a graphic that reads, 'Based on the insane but shockingly true story' G. Gordon Liddy (Shea Whigham) says, 'That loudmouth wife of his is becoming too much of a liability,' as John tells Martha, 'Do you want to know the truth? There is no conspiracy hiding in the shadows.' While he says that, we see someone putting a bug in Martha's phone and a man literally stepping out of the shadows to confront Martha while she's on the phone. Another man tells her that, 'a lot of women your age suffer from paranoid episodes' while she's seen struggling with two other men who are trying to inject her with something and ultimately throw her through a glass table. Loudmouth: G. Gordon Liddy (Shea Whigham) says, 'That loudmouth wife of his is becoming too much of a liability,' as John tells Martha, 'Do you want to know the truth? There is no conspiracy hiding in the shadows' Bug: While he says that, we see someone putting a bug in Martha's phone and a man literally stepping out of the shadows to confront Martha while she's on the phone Thrown: Another man tells her that, 'a lot of women your age suffer from paranoid episodes' while she's seen struggling with two other men who are trying to inject her with something and ultimately throw her through a glass table The trailer winds down with shots of the other cast members such as Dan Stevens as White House Counsel John Dean, Betty Gilpin as his wife Mo Dean and Whigham as Liddy, the chief operative of Nixon's White House Plumbers spy unit. A number of other dramatic shots are shown before John Mitchell tells Margaret, 'nobody gives a damn what you think.' The final shot of the trailer shows Margaret in front of some sort of panel where a man asks her, 'Why risk your husband's position?' John: The trailer winds down with shots of the other cast members such as Dan Stevens as White House Counsel John Dean Betty: Betty Gilpin also stars as John Dean's wife Mo Dean Whigham: Shea Whigham plays Liddy, the chief operative of Nixon's White House Plumbers spy unit Risk: The final shot of the trailer shows Margaret in front of some sort of panel where a man asks her, 'Why risk your husband's position?' 'Because it's the truth,' she says, as the trailer comes to an end. The ensemble cast also includes Patton Oswalt as Chuck Colson, who served as Special Counsel to Nixon and Reed Diamond as Mark Felt, the FBI agent who revealed in 2005 that he was the controversial anonymous source known as Deep Throat. Gaslit, created by Robbie Pickering, will debut April 24 on Starz. Watch the brand new series Gaslit on April 24, only on Stan in Australia. Truth: 'Because it's the truth,' she says, as the trailer comes to an end The Kardashians dropped another short teaser for their forthcoming eponymous Hulu series on Friday. Kim Kardashian kicked off the promotional video as family members Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, and mom Kris Jenner followed. It's the second ad the group has released, and they remain mum on an official premiere date. Highly-anticipated: The Kardashians dropped another short teaser for their forthcoming eponymous Hulu series in the US and on Disney + in the UK on Friday The snippet opened on a white Rolls Royce pulling out of a garage, before intriguing words flashed across the screen. 'Glamour, power, fame' and 'family' were used to describe the upcoming first season of the new show, which follows 20 seasons of their original claim-to-fame series, E!'s Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Dynamic group: Kim Kardashian kicked off the promotional video as family members Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, and mom Kris Jenner followed After a short montage of b-roll which included a dressing room and a closeup of designer shoe-clad feet taking steps, Kim entered the screen. The SKIMS billionaire looked typically polished and beautiful in a beige pantsuit that pulled in close at the waist. Her long dark locks were style in a center part with textured body. Matriarch Kris followed, stunning in an expertly tailor white pantsuit and her signature short haircut. The fashionista donned extra large hoop earrings and layered necklaces. Getting fans hyped: 'You have no idea what's coming,' Kendall teased The model of the crew, Kendall, was the cast member with the most lines in the spot. 'You have no idea what's coming,' she said as she enticed fans with the still very much under-wraps show. The 818 Tequila founder looked fabulous in a black, sleeveless, body-hugging top. The Alo partner wore her chocolate hued hair in a center part and let one side fall over her shoulder. Mysterious: It's the second teaser the group has released, and they remain mum on an official premiere date Newly engaged Kourtney was dressed in white, showing off her enviable curves in a long-sleeve dress with a corset bodice. Seen with her hair precisely cut into her new bob hairstyle, she blew the camera a kiss. Then black screen with the message 'The world will be watching' flashed across the screen. 'Are you ready?' Khloe asked, dressed in a modest turtleneck dress that hugged her newly slimmed down frame. Kim wrapped up the clip as she announced, 'The Kardashians on Hulu,' before the screen read 'Only on Hulu. Coming soon.' Sharp: Matriarch Kris stunned in an expertly tailor white pantsuit and her signature short haircut Although the exact content of the show hasn't been spelled out, there's plenty going on in all of the stars' lives from which to draw storylines. 2021 proved to be an eventful year for the family with Kim filing for divorce from Kanye West, Kylie revealing a second pregnancy, and Khloe weathering drama with ex Tristan Thompson. Furthermore, Kourtney became engaged to Travis Barker after the two spent the year sharing public displays of affection, and Kim made her SNL hosting debut. The end of the year was marked by a somber period, as Kylie's partner Travis Scott's Astroworld Festival was struck by tragedy when multiple people perished at the event. J. K. Simmons drove up to a burning house as he filmed dramatic scenes on the set of the film Batgirl in Glasgow this week. The actor, 67, who plays Gotham Police Commissioner James Gordon in the movie, was behind the wheel of an American cop car as he approached the building which was billowing smoke. The vehicle could be seen stopped at an angle in the road which was made to look as if it was located in the United States with street signs familiar to America visible. Movie magic: J. K. Simmons, 67, drove up to a burning house as he filmed dramatic scenes on the set of the film Batgirl in Glasgow this week The bright headlights of the car shone through the smoke and a number of crew members could be seen looking on as the filming took place. Filming has been taking place this week at the Glasgow District Court, which is thought to be the setting for the home of Simmons' character James. The police commissioner is the father of heroine Barbara (Batgirl), who is being portrayed by Leslie Grace. Playing the part: The actor portrays Gotham Police Commissioner James Gordon in the movie, with filming taking place in Glasgow Preparation: The movie star could be seen chatting to a member of the crew as he prepared to film the scenes Stuntmen were seen filming in the Scottish city this week as flames burst from the doors of the building, with the action men jumping back as the blaze exploded out into the open air. According to onlookers, the crew managed to secure the footage in just one shot. Batgirl actress Leslie is set to star opposite Michael Keaton as The Dark Knight himself in the upcoming film. Ready to roll: The American car could be seen sat in the middle of the Glasgow street with its red brake lights on Milling about: The cast and crew could be seen standing around the building while the car was parked in the street as they prepared to film Telling the tale: The police commissioner is the father of heroine Barbara (Batgirl), who is being portrayed by Leslie Grace Setting the scene: Simmons was behind the wheel of an American cop car as he approached the building which was billowing smoke Another world? The vehicle could be seen stopped at an angle in the road which was made to look as if it was located in the United States with street signs familiar to America visible Officials: A dark coloured Chevrolet van was parked on the side of the street, with the word 'coroner' stuck in white lettering on the front Michael played the very first Dark Knight on the big screen in 1989's Batman, which he reprised in 1992's Batman Returns. More than three decades after being the first Batman on the big screen, Keaton will be once again donning the cape and cowl. Brendan Fraser is also starring in the flick and was spotted filming scenes as Garfield Lynns, otherwise known as supervillain Firefly, on Wednesday. Hard at work: The bright headlights of the car shone through the smoke and a number of crew members could be seen looking on as the filming took place On location: A fire engine was pictured at the scene after the blaze, along with various other vehicles on set Acting out: J.K. Simmons was seen on the set with the cast and crew who all wore face masks in a bid to protect themselves and others from Covid Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (Bad Boys For Life) are directing Batgirl from a script by Christina Hodson (Birds of Prey). Filming for the project began recently in Glasgow as the crew transformed the city into Gotham. Batgirl doesn't currently have a release date at this time but it is expected to debut on the new streaming service and forego a theatrical release. He was literally earning his spot in one of the most iconic places in Hollywood. So no doubt Andy Cohen needed the support of his baby boy and celebrity pals. The 53-year-old Bravo executive and host was honored with a star on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame on Friday as he even carried his beloved three-year-old son Benjamin at the ceremony. What a moment: Andy Cohen was honored with a star on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame on Friday as he even carried his beloved three-year-old son Benjamin at the ceremony Squad goals: The star brigade was there in support as Garcelle Beauvais, John Mayer and Lisa Rinna are seen left to right Cohen - who hosts late night talk show Watch What Happens Live on Bravo and Radio Andy on Sirius XM - had the support of his famous friends including Lisa Rinna, Garcelle Beauvais, and John Mayer who all spoke at the event. The ceremony wasn't the only reason the day was special in the Cohen household as they were also celebrating Ben's third birthday. Andy ended his speech by saying: 'This is all my honor and my privilege and thank you so much all of you and thanks for coming out to my friends and family. Aww: The 53-year-old Bravo executive and host proudly held his son at the event Bond: Andy grinned from ear-to-ear Mark on history: Andy proudly showed his only child his star Touching: The ceremony wasn't the only reason the day was special in the Cohen household as they were also celebrating Ben's third birthday 'And happy birthday Ben! Happy birthday Ben! It's your birthday! We've got cookies waiting for you man.' The radio and television personality also posed for some precious family snaps with his only child as they posed with his newly unveiled star. Earlier during the event Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills stars Lisa Rinna and Garcelle Beauvais hit the podium to shares some words about the Bravo boss. Sweet: Earlier during the event Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills stars Lisa Rinna and Garcelle Beauvais hit the podium to shares some words about the Bravo boss Rinna concluded their speech by saying: 'Ladies and gentlemen, our mazel of the day goes to you, Andy Cohen, to all that you have accomplished and to all amazing things that you will accomplish in the future' Beauvais joked: 'And we're not just saying that because you're our boss' Then Andy fist pumped as Rinna hyped up the crowd at the end of their speech by yelling: 'So I would like to say and congratulate you and tell you all to get up on a table and dance for Andy Cohen and his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame now!' Ravishing: Lisa donned a bright red suit Cute: Andy greeted Garcelle with a big hug before the ceremony began Stunning: Garcelle looked stylish in a grey an black floral patterned coat with a feathered detailing Rinna concluded their speech by saying: 'Ladies and gentlemen, our mazel of the day goes to you, Andy Cohen, to all that you have accomplished and to all amazing things that you will accomplish in the future.' Beauvais joked: 'And we're not just saying that because you're our boss.' Then Andy fist pumped as Rinna hyped up the crowd at the end of their speech by yelling: 'So I would like to say and congratulate you and tell you all to get up on a table and dance for Andy Cohen and his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame now!' Musician John Mayer also hit the stage to give a touching dedication to his friend Andy as he said: 'He is utterly original, he consults with nobody wondering what is funny, what's compelling, what's soothing, and what's satisfying. Musician John Mayer also hit the stage to give a touching dedication to his friend Andy as he said: 'He is utterly original, he consults with nobody wondering what is funny, what's compelling, what's soothing, and what's satisfying' John also sweetly said: 'He belongs just a little to every culture and can connect to anyone from any walk of life and he has something that every politician would give everything they would have for: the public's trust' Pals: Andy greeted his friend with a hug before the event began Just us: Earlier in the day the two sat down next to each other Hamming it up: After the unveiling of the star, the two posed by it doing a hands on hips prom pose 'His inner compass is unshakable, he's a rule breaker, he's an icon, and an iconoclast, a Madonna Stan and a Dead Head. He's an A-lister who parties like a B-lister with the free spirit of a C-lister. He moves through all levels and truly appreciates each and every person he comes in contact with. 'He belongs just a little to every culture and can connect to anyone from any walk of life and he has something that every politician would give everything they would have for: the public's trust.' Andy looked handsome in a teal suit over a crisp white dress shirt, black tie, and black leather dress shoes for his big day. He has worked hard to get to the place he is in as he began his career in the late 1980s working in television as an intern at CBS News where he spent 10 years and eventually served as senior producer for The Early Show. He also served as a producer for 48 Hours and CBS This Morning. Handsome: Andy looked handsome in a teal suit over a crisp white dress shirt, black tie, and black leather dress shoes for his big day His place in history: He stood over his newly unveiled star with a big smile on his face He went on to join pop culture network Trio in 2000 which was bought out by Bravo in 2004 and Andy eventually became vice president of original programming. In the summer of 2009, he began hosting a weekly late night chat show titled Watch What Happens Live which later expanded to a weeknight series and still is on air to this day. The proud St. Louis, Missouri native made history with the gig as it made him the first openly gay host of an American late-night talk show. As if that already wasn't enough, in September 2015 Sirius XM launched a new radio channel curated by him, known as Radio Andy. Paved the way: He has worked hard to get to the place he is in as he began his career in the late 1980s working in television as an intern at CBS News where he spent 10 years and eventually served as senior producer for The Early Show. He also served as a producer for 48 Hours and CBS This Morning Vibes: Andy was in good spirits as he was later seen heading to celeb-favorite Craig's in West Hollywood with pal Ricky Lake More recently Andy joined pal Anderson Cooper as co-host of CNN's New Year's Eve coverage as he replaced Kathy Griffin in 2017. Andy commemorated the occasion by sharing a gallery of snaps featuring one of him with son Benjamin prominently. He captioned the post: '[star emoji I got a STAR!!! [star emoji] And Im gonna be floating from today for a long time. Thank you John, Garcelle & Lisa for helping make today incredibly special.' Andy later shared a post celebrating his son's third birthday with the caption: 'Ben had the best 3rd birthday ever!!! [four heart and one cake emojis]' 'I got a STAR!!!': Andy commemorated the occasion by sharing a gallery of snaps featuring one of him with son Benjamin prominently Andy later shared a post celebrating his son's third birthday with the caption: 'Ben had the best 3rd birthday ever!!! [four heart and one cake emojis]' SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - South Korea on Friday extended its limits on indoor gatherings as health workers reported the fourth straight day of record coronavirus cases, following the Lunar New Year holiday. Announcing the decision at a government meeting, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum cited the "inexorable" virus spread driven by the highly contagious omicron variant, even as he acknowledged the publics fatigue with pandemic restrictions. The 27,443 new cases reported by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency was 4,500 more than the previous one-day record set on Thursday, reflecting an acceleration in transmissions following this weeks holiday. Amid the virus surge, health workers are struggling to keep up with a sudden increase in at-home COVID-19 patients, including delivering Pfizer's Paxlovid pills for treatment. At least through Feb. 20, officials will restrict any private social gatherings between those who are fully vaccinated to six people, while requiring unvaccinated people to eat or drink alone at restaurants and coffee shops. Public indoor dining is banned after 9 p.m. Proof of vaccination or a recent negative test is also required to enter potentially crowded venues such as restaurants, nightclubs, karaoke rooms and gyms. A woman walks past a screen showing precautions against the coronavirus at a subway station in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 4, 2022. The banner reads "How to wear a mask." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) The expanded use of rapid antigen test kits, which experts say can fail to detect the omicron variant, has raised concerns that infected people may also continue to venture out in public, after getting a false negative test. Kim, Seouls No. 2 official behind President Moon Jae-in, said South Korea may resume steps to restore pre-pandemic normalcy if it becomes clear the hospital system can withstand the omicron-driven surge without strict social distancing rules, but he didnt further specify criteria for that decision. As of Thursday, 257 virus patients were in serious or critical conditions while less than 15% of intensive care units designated for COVID-19 treatment were occupied. The country has been reporting about 20 deaths a day in recent weeks, down from the 50 to 100 daily fatalities it saw in December and early January when it was hit heavily by the delta variant. South Korea has shortened quarantine periods for fully vaccinated people who test positive and re-centered its testing strategy around rapid tests, so that the more accurate lab tests are mostly saved for priority groups, including people 60 years or older. But the viral surge has severely strained health workers' contact tracing efforts. "With so many cases being diagnosed, local public health offices are facing multiple administrative burdens," Deputy Health Minister Lee Ki-il said during a briefing. As of Friday, more than 104,000 people with mild or moderate symptoms were being treated at home, Lee said. A medical worker takes a nasal swab sample from a man at a makeshift testing site in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) The US has successfuly eliminated ISIS Chief Al-Quraishi, also known as Haji Abdullah in Syria. In 2011, US President Barack Obama led the operations that eliminated Osama Bin Laden in Abbotabad, Pakistan; Donald Trump led the operation which killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi in 2019; and now, Joe Biden will be credited for eliminating ISIS Chief Abu Ibrahim Al Hashimi al-Quraishi in 2022. An operation which took place in the North-West Syrian town of Atmeh was in the works for months, and was finally given a nod by US President Joe Biden on Tuesday (February 1). The building where US military officials carried out the raid. Photo: Associated Press In the mission that led to around 13 civilian casualties, ISIS Chief al-Quraishi is said to have blown himself up along with his family members. Pentagon officials said the US military evacuated 10 civilians from the building. US officials opted for a ground raid like they did on May 2, 2011 against Osama Bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan. No US officer was killed in the raids. Who exactly was Al-Quraishi, what did he do and how did the American forces get into the building? Here are the answers: WHO WAS AL QURAYSHI? Abu Ibrahim Al Hashimi al-Quraishi, 45, was an Islamic State (IS) leader who was given the charge of the group after its leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi was killed in a US-led military operation in October 2019. Al-Quraishi's real name was Amir Muhammad sa'id Addel Rehman al-Mawla. He was born in Mosul, Iraq, in 1976. Quraishi, known as Destroyer, went by the nom de guerre Haji Abdullah. The US government had put a bounty of $10 million on his head. THE RAID IN THE 3-STOREY BUILDING The building where US military officials carried out the raid. Photo: Associated Press The American officials had zeroed in on a three-storey cinder block building in the northwestern Syrian town of Atmeh, which also shares a border with Turkey. Two senior officials privy to the raid said that Al-Quraishi lived on the third floor of the building while the first floor was occupied by a civilian family. On the second floor lived Quraishi's lieutenant colonel, who was with his wife and four children. Quraishi kept a low profile in the area and would send information to ISIS through his lieutenant, who had his own network of couriers in Iraq and Syria. Quraishi never used electronic devices for communication lest they be intercepted by American authorities. When the American military officers started the raid on a moonless light (best suited for night operations), the families were caught off-guard. The civilian family on the first floor, which also had four children, was asked to evacuate immediately and they left. But according to US officials, Quraishi had come to know of his impending capture or death, and thus, he detonated his own explosive device which the US said was bigger than any suicide vest. The blast was so powerful that not only did it kill people including Quraishis family, but also threw the bodies out of the windows. The IS leader killed himself before he could be asked to surrender by the American forces. In a virtual security conference, Gen Kenneth F McKenzie Junior, Head of Central Command, said, He killed himself and his family immediately without fighting, even as we attempted to call for his surrender and offered him a path to survive. Next came the lieutenant's family that lived on the second floor. According to Pentagon officials, the family barricaded itself on the second floor and both husband and the wife engaged in a gunfight with the forces. Both were killed in the gunfire, which also left one child dead. WHY AMERICA CONDUCTED A RAID AND NOT AN AIR STRIKE? The three-storey building where US military officials carried out the raid. Photo: Associated Press American officials said that the raid instead of an air strike on the three storey building was done to prevent civilian casualties. The raid, carried out by two dozen military officers of Delta Force Commandos, was conducted at midnight on Wednesday (February 2). According to officials, plans for the raid had been in place for several months and rehearsals were done for it. Engineers were studying the three-storey building on the possibilities of civilian harm if the US went for an air strike. But the number of civilian casualty is also disputed at present. Rescue workers have said that 13 people have been killed including the family of Al-Quraishi, New York Times reported. But Pentagon officials have said that 10 civilians have died including eight children. White Helmets Rescue Service, which is also known as Syrian Civil Defense, said it found the body of six children and four women at the house. John Kirby, Pentagon Press Secretary said that US doesnt have knowledge of every single person killed. "At present we dont know the exact number of civilian casualty in the raid," he said. AMERICA SENDS A MESSAGE The raid also quashes the apprehensions of an ISIS rise in Afghanistan after America withdrew from the country. When America pulled out of Afghanistan on August 31, 2021 ending a 20-year tumultuous war, it was said that that the ISIS might expand its wings in Afghanistan with US gone. The operation also comes as a face-saver for Biden, who was widely criticised for hasty pullout of American troops from Afghanistan in August last year. WHAT JOE BIDEN SAID American President Joe Biden announced the killing of Al Quraishi by the US security forces. Calling the operation 'historic', he said, The operation is a testament to Americas reach and capability to take out terrorists no matter where they try to hide in the world. Biden called Quraishi a murderer who he said was responsible for the murder of Yazidi women in 2014 in Northern Iraq. Biden, along with US Vice-President Kamala Harris, General Mark A Milley, Chairman of Joint Chief Staff monitored the operation late Wednesday. Last night, operating on my orders, U.S. military forces successfully removed a major terrorist threat to the world: the global leader of ISIS. Thanks to the bravery of our troops, this horrible terrorist leader is no more. President Biden (@POTUS) February 3, 2022 An Indiana teenager tried as an adult for smothering his young siblings in separate incidents has been sentenced to 100 years in prison. Nickalas Kedrowitz was just 13 years old when he was charged with murdering his half-sister, 2-year-old Desiree McCartney and his 11-month-old stepbrother, Nathaniel Ritz, months apart in 2017. He told authorities at the time that he was freeing his siblings from hell. Advertisement This wasnt some sort of heat of passion, one killing and then minutes or hours or even days later, were talking months here, so we think that the consecutive part of the sentence was warranted and appropriate in this circumstance, Ripley County Prosecutor Richard Hertel said. Nickalas Kedrowitz was tried and punished as an adult. Desiree was found dead in the familys Osgood home, about 60 miles southeast of Indianapolis, on May 1, 2017, after Kedrowitz was left alone to watch the toddler. Authorities said he smothered her with a towel. Advertisement Christina McCartney, the girls mother, tried to perform CPR after Kedrowitz said she wasnt breathing right, She died less than a week later at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital. On July 20 of the same year, Kedrowitz suffocated Nathaniel with a blanket as he put him to bed. He died 81 days after the incident. Desiree McCartney and Nathaniel Ritz were killed. Kedrowitz was not initially accused in their deaths, but he drew authorities suspicion after he mutilated his aunt and uncles cat in September 2017, according to court documents obtained by the Indianapolis Star. He was arrested the following year and charged as an adult in the case despite his attorneys arguments that the teen has untreated mental health problems. His mother, Christina McCartney, similarly defended the teen in wake of his arrest. Hes not the monster that people are trying to portray him as, she said at the time. Its a mothers worst nightmare to have such a precious family and then to wake up to the worst possible outcomes. Jurors convicted him in August on two counts of murder and he was sentenced on Tuesday to 50-year sentences for each sibling. With News Wire Services Editors Note: Everyone designs. While not all design work is compensated, DIY Design strives to promote awareness of design processes in everyday life. Each week, Tatum Lindquist explores a new field or theory in the design world and relates it to the UW community as a way to live with in It was a splendid moment for the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven when on May 23, 2021, after twice having to close for multiple months due to the pandemic, the doors were reopened to the public, albeit on a limited basis, and with mask and social-distancing protocols. Still, visitors were once again able to view the treasures within the nations oldest university museum. We were overwhelmed by the number of people who shared how much they missed being in the permanent-collection galleries, museum director Stephanie Wiles says about that day. We are thrilled to be able to invite them back. Nearly 300,000 objects are housed within three historic structures adjacent to each other on Chapel Street, one of the citys busiest commercial thoroughfares. Atop the list in terms of value and popularity is Le cafe de nuit (The Night Cafe), an ornately framed, vividly colored painting by Dutch master Vincent van Gogh revealing the interior of an after-hours dive bar for the weary. Since acquiring it in 1961, it has been one of the institutions marquee attractions. Jessica Smolinski/ Contributed photo The Night Cafe is a big draw, says Laurence Kanter, chief curator and Lionel Goldfrank III curator of European art. A lot of people when they come in ask where its hanging, and make a beeline for it. And then sometimes people are surprised to come across it, but when they do theres an instant flash of recognition, and they stop and stare. The image has been reproduced so often that its become quite famous. There is an expression in our profession: Does your museum own pictures that people will get off the highway to come and see? By universal consensus this is one of those. Van Gogh is one of the greatest artists who ever lived, and this is one of his two or three or four finest paintings. There could be a parlor game with people fighting over which is the best van Gogh. This picture would always end up on the finalists list. As the museum prepares to reopen after another pandemic closure, most gallery-going admirers of The Night Cafe are likely in the dark about the circuitous and controversial route the artwork took from its 1888 creation in Arles, France, to the Yale gallery. Many also dont know that not so long ago it could have been court-awarded to the descendant of a wealthy Russian who owned it more than a century ago. Courtesy of Wadsworth Atheneum Inside The Night Cafe There is an endless fascination for van Gogh, both the painter and person. Considered the quintessential tortured artist, he was born in the Netherlands in 1853, and began his career as an art dealer before starting to paint in 1881. He moved to Paris in 1886, then to Arles along the southern coast, where he painted many of his most revered works. Extremely temperamental, his psychological state was in decline in his mid-30s. He infamously cut off part of his ear after an argument with fellow artist Paul Gauguin, then not long after committed suicide in 1890 at age 37. His work was not well received while he was alive, but has become legendary since. Luckily, van Goghs letters to his younger brother, Theo, were saved, giving art historians and others insight into what he thought about his works. He had strong feelings about The Night Cafe, a dingy bar frequented by down-and-outers, above which he lived for a time. I have tried to express the terrible passions of humanity, he wrote. Everywhere there is a clash and contrast of the most alien reds and greens, in the figures of little sleeping hooligans, in the empty, dreary room, in violet and blue. The cafe is a place where one can ruin oneself, go mad or commit a crime. The picture is one of the ugliest I have done. Today that ugly picture has an estimated value of hundreds of millions of dollars. Its provenance winds from Arles to Paris, Moscow, Berlin, New York and finally, permanently, to Yale, bequeathed upon his death in 1960 by Stephen Carlton Clark, Yale class of 1903. A native of Cooperstown, New York, and heir to the Singer sewing machine fortune, Clark would in 1936 found the Baseball Hall of Fame in his hometown. Backstory of a masterpiece The Night Cafe graced the Yale gallery for close to a half-century, when then-director Jock Reynolds received a letter in 2008. It was from Pierre Konowaloff, a French citizen of Russian heritage claiming he was the artworks rightful owner, demanding its return and threatening legal action. Yale preemptively filed a lawsuit against Konowaloff in 2009, seeking summary judgment, defined as a ruling without trial, to have its right to ownership of the painting legally formalized. Konowaloff then countersued. Several years and unfavorable lower court rulings later he and lead counsel Allan Gerson, who received a doctor of juridical science degree from Yale Law School in 1976, would petition the U.S. Supreme Court to decide the matter once and for all. How did things get to such a point? Amazingly, the controversy over legal ownership of van Goghs thickly oiled canvas dates back to the 1917 Russian Revolution. But first the painting had to find its way to Russia. Its first owner was said to have been Joseph-Michel Ginoux, who ran the night cafe and is the man in white standing by the billiards table. Van Gogh supposedly gave him the picture in lieu of rent, as the broke artist lived on the second floor for a time. Ginoux sold it to someone who then resold it to the Bernheim-Jeune Art Gallery in Paris. An alternate version has van Gogh sending the painting, with others, to Theo in Paris, where in 1907 it was sold to the Bernheim-Jeune gallery by Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, Vincents sister-in-law and an art dealer who would elevate his reputation posthumously as a leading Post-Impressionist. Whichever tale is true, the next owner was undoubtedly Konowaloffs great-grandfather, Ivan Morozov, an immensely rich Russian textile merchant and passionate art collector in the early 1900s. He amassed works by artists who would become global icons. On his Moscow mansions walls were paintings by Cezanne, Picasso, Degas, Gauguin, Monet, Renoir and others. The Night Cafe, a 1908 purchase, was one of many he made on frequent trips to Parisian art galleries. Universal History Archive/ Getty Images Things changed dramatically with the Russian Revolution, as the Bolsheviks seized power under Vladimir Lenin. His socialist government abolished individual ownership, declaring that artwork, businesses, land and most everything else were now state property. Suddenly no longer owning anything privately, Morozov and his family moved to Paris, while his paintings, including The Night Cafe, would remain, ironically, on public display in his former residence for several years. Morozov fell ill in early 1921, dying later that year at age 49. With Russia in desperate need of foreign currency to fund industrialization projects, selling art to Western museums, galleries, businessmen and diplomats commenced in 1929. Most pieces were from the State Hermitage Museum in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), but two of Morozovs paintings, The Night Cafe and Paul Cezannes Madame Cezanne in the Conservatory, were sold to Clark in 1933, with dubious paper trails at best. When Clark bequeathed The Night Cafe to Yale he also gifted the Cezanne to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it has remained since. Court cases begin Konowaloff, Morozovs great-grandson and his sole heir, learned what happened to the two paintings around 2008. His letter to Reynolds spurred Yale to be proactive. The university filed suit in U.S. District Court in Connecticut in 2009, asserting its ownership. Konowaloff responded with counterclaims seeking the painting and/or monetary damages. In 2010 Konowaloff also brought legal action against the Met, seeking the Cezanne painting be returned to him and his family. In both suits he claimed Russia had no right to confiscate and sell his great-grandfathers art. Ingrid Burke Friedman, a fellow at Harvard Universitys Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, lived and worked in Russia from 2012 to 2018, during part of which time she covered the case for various foreign news organizations. With Gerson arranging it, she was the only media person Konowaloff spoke to directly. He felt it was unfair not to have the option to get The Night Cafe back, she recalls. That it was a masterpiece stolen from his family, and that Yale had plenty of resources and should have looked into the transfer of title more closely when it accepted the bequest from Clark. He told me his parents and grandparents never fought to recover all the lost art because they wanted to assimilate to their new country of France and leave the painful memories of what happened behind them. He said he was fighting against injustice, for the memory of his great-grandfather, who greatly missed his collection after leaving Russia. Konowaloff now had similar cases pending in New York and Connecticut. The wheels of justice turned slowly, with years passing before both state rulings were made. Yale would submit legal briefs claiming that billions of dollars of other artwork worldwide might be contested if the court ruled in Konowaloffs favor. It further maintained that invalidation of Russian nationalization decrees from the early 20th century could very well create significant tensions between the U.S. and the Russian Federation. Act of state doctrine Jonathan M. Freiman, a partner at the New Haven-based law firm Wiggin and Dana, which represented Yale, recalls the lengthy wait for judges to decide. When our case was filed, the one against the Met hadnt yet been filed, he says. Our motion asking the court to confirm that Yale owned The Night Cafe was pending for a while before the Met filed their motion. So we didnt have the precedent of the Met case when we began; its just that the judge in New York ruled more quickly on the Mets motion than the judge in Connecticut ruled on ours. Freiman adds that there was an attempt to settle with Konowaloff. We met with Allan Gerson in person early in the case, in a conference room in New Haven, in an effort to resolve things amicably, he says. We discussed different ways of honoring the Konowaloff familys role in the history of the painting. But despite our efforts, that didnt work, so in the end we needed the court to resolve the dispute. The Met had moved for dismissal of the complaint on the grounds that Konowaloffs claim was barred by the act of state doctrine, a principle in U.S. law that any sovereign state is bound to respect the independence of any other sovereign state, and the courts will not sit in judgment of another governments acts done within its own borders. The New York District Court judge agreed in 2011, pointing out in its ruling for the Met that confiscations by a state of the property of its own nationals, no matter how flagrant and regardless of whether compensation has been provided, do not constitute violations of international law. As Morozov did not own the painting after the 1918 Soviet appropriation, Konowaloff has no standing to complain of any sale or other treatment of the painting after 1918, or to seek monetary or injunctive relief, or to seek a declaratory judgment with respect to the Metropolitan Museums right or title to the painting. In 2012 the 2nd U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the ruling in favor of the Met. Ahead of the Connecticut District Court ruling, Konowaloff filed a request to involve Russia in the case, seeking to initiate a settlement conference because he said earlier proceedings lacked the Russian perspective. Gerson felt that a Russian representatives official appearance and willing cooperation could nullify Yales legal reliance on the act of state doctrine. He and Konowaloff surmised that Russia would help if it resulted in The Night Cafe returning to Russian soil, something Konowaloff might have okayed, especially if it were to once again be included as part of his great-grandfathers collection in a museum. The Russian government cannot be compelled to testify, to appear, or to answer questions before the court, Gerson explained at the time. Whether it chooses to appear, if invited, is purely voluntary based on its right to challenge Yales claim. Russias appearance would thus raise no foreign policy or international legal concerns that may have been raised in other cases involving Russian art or other cultural property. It was to no avail. In 2014, citing and focusing solely on the New York court rulings based on the act of state doctrine, the Connecticut District Court rejected Konowaloffs claim. The act of state doctrine is a longstanding legal principle and we thought it applied here, says Freiman, who was Yales lead counsel. The court agreed with us on that, so by definition it was a legitimate point, because we won on it. Ahead of an appeal of that ruling, Konowaloff shifted gears. He accepted the validity of the Bolsheviks nationalizing art, but claimed through attorney Gerson in court documents that the actual sale of The Night Cafe to Clark was fraudulent, and that Yales ownership claim was derived from a theft, and that the university engaged in a policy of willful ignorance, labeling the transaction art laundering. Gerson additionally told Friedman, the reporter, that in every major art sale to the West, the Soviet system of redundancy required a record of approval, and here there was no signed approval. In 2015 the 2nd U.S. Court of Appeals rejected the arguments, affirming Connecticuts lower-court decision. It clarified that while the Russian nationalization of property was sharply at odds with American economic and political values, it did not violate international law. The court also said that when Konowaloff accepted the validity of the taking of the painting by the Soviets, it meant that any legal claim or interest he has in it was extinguished at that time. Finally, in 2016 Gerson petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to consider the case. It quickly declined, leaving in place decisions by the lower courts. Thus, Yales title to The Night Cafe was absolute. Gerson was disappointed but accepting of the finality. I understand the Supreme Court has a giant docket of national cases so it cant, from an economical view, handle every one, he said later, adding that Yale should have asked where the painting came from when it received it as a bequest. This is the end of the road, but I do believe there has been a miscarriage of justice. It should have been adjudicated way back before anyone took possession of it. After the decision Gerson, who gained a measure of fame representing victims families in the aftermaths of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing and 9/11 terrorist attacks, died in 2019 at age 74. Two years earlier, his dissertation, The Night Cafe Redux: A Study of Sordidness From Arles to the U.S. Courts, was published in the Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law. In it he railed against what he felt was a stacked deck in favor of Yale and Clark and against Konowaloff, positing a conspiracy theory of sorts. To overcome the obstacles blocking Clarks acquisition of the van Gogh, Clark and Charles Henschel, director of New Yorks Knoedler Gallery, hit upon a scheme of surreptitious acquisition, he wrote. Henschel revealed that Knoedler had good relations with the newly formed Matthiesen Gallery in Berlin, the arm for the then-ascendant Nazi Partys acquisition of world masterpieces, including those in the Soviet Union. The ostensible plan was for Matthiesen to bribe a Russian official to release the painting to the gallery, which would then make its way to Knoedler, where the final sale to Clark would be arranged with no trace of its origins. A caustic sense of humor also informed Gersons treatise. What would van Gogh think? he wrote. Perhaps that this history of what happened to his famous, ugliest painting was in keeping with his portrayal of the sordidness of life at The Night Cafe. The rigid attendant next to the billiards table seems an apt metaphor for the facade of the rule of law in this case. Like the billiards table, there is the hint of an orderly process at work, which lets the balls go where they may; but at The Night Cafe nothing is what it seems, not then and not now. And so the billiards table and balls, the lined bottles and the attendants rigid posture that point to order and precision, are overtaken in the painting by the disarray of the chairs and glasses that convey instability and uncertainty. And, in the contemporary vein, that instability and uncertainty remains. Harvards Friedman, who also has a law degree, appreciates Gersons passion but is more realistic in accepting that the court outcome was sound. He was known for making compelling and novel legal arguments, and would not have taken it all on without believing the painting could and should be returned, she says of the attorney she had planned to collaborate with on a book about the case before his passing. He went to Russia and did archival research, convinced it was not possible to lose a [sale] document like that. But in 2016 I spoke with the head of Moscows Pushkin Museums 19th-to-20th-century art department, Irina Nikiforova. I mentioned to her that Konowaloffs team had argued, based in part on a lack of evidence they were able to find in the state archives, that The Night Cafe had been illegally exported from the Soviet Union. She responded that, in fact, she had been able to locate several relevant documents surrounding the export of the painting, which she said was sent abroad in 1933 along with works by Cezanne, Renoir and Degas, among others. She described those and other exports as a truly traumatic event in the life of the museum, a loss that is impossible to come to grips with, but, she said, documents related to the export are available to researchers in the state archives. Courtesy of Yale University Art Gallery Kanter, the Yale gallery curator, having been on the winning side, acknowledges there have long been serious issues with contested ownership of art. But he admits he was never worried about losing The Night Cafe. To be blunt, I didnt honestly think it was really in dispute, he says. There is a very active world of problems with paintings that were stolen, especially during World War II, and an active effort to repatriate the ones recognized as being stolen. We recently returned a painting to Austria that we realized had been taken illegally after the war. Weve had paintings donated to us by families who had the pictures repatriated to them, and wanted to have them remain on public view. So it really isnt a question of Is my property going to go away? Its more a question of, Does this picture belong here, or does it belong somewhere else? Everyone always hopes that paintings in the public domain will stay in the public domain. We hope that people will have access to them, but we want them to be where theyre supposed to be. Freiman, the Yale attorney, agrees. The Night Cafe is a timeless masterpiece that the public can see free of charge, he says, and Yale has worked to make sure it stays that way. Daytona Beach, FL (32114) Today Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. High near 85F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy early with increasing clouds overnight. Low 69F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. The family of a man who was fatally shot in Missouri late last year is calling for the county coroner to resign, citing his social media posts as overtly racist and dehumanizing. Justin King, a 28-year-old Black man, was shot by a neighbor on Nov. 3 in a trailer park in the small city of Bourbon, about 75 miles southwest of St. Louis. Advertisement Earlier this year Crawford County Prosecuting Attorney David S. Smith said he wouldnt charge the man, after saying he agreed with the findings of a county coroners inquest that the shooting had been done in justifiable self-defense. Kings family and civil rights leaders have since questioned why the shooter, whos white, wasnt charged. Advertisement On Wednesday, a lawyer for the victims family, Rod Chapel, wrote a letter to multiple state coroner oversight boards accusing Crawford County Coroner Darren Dake of racist behavior. Eva Bruns speaks at a news conference in Spanish Lake, Mo., on Nov. 11, 2021, calling for a more thorough investigation of the death of her son, 28-year-old Justin King. (Jim Salter/AP) Chapel, whos the president of the Missouri NAACP, cited a Facebook post from 2017, which had been recently highlighted by The Daily Beast, in which Dake writes that the KKK and BLM are the same racist coin, he said using the acronyms for the Black Lives Matter movement and the Ku Klux Klan. The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > His posts demonstrate his reluctance and preconceived biases which prevent him from completing his professional responsibilities in a way required by statute, Chapel said in the letter, according to The Associated Press. On Thursday, Dake responded to the recent article from the Daily Beast accusing my office, and me personally of racism, in a lengthy Facebook post. He accused Chapel and the reporter who wrote the article of using hate-filled race-mongering propaganda for personal gain and at the expense of hurting a family. The coroner said that his words were used out of context, but still doubled down on his criticism of the Black Lives Matter movement. Close inspection of my words will show that I was calling out ALL prejudice, including that of the hate group, BLM, he wrote. According to Chapel, Dake discriminated against Kings family during the investigation. Advertisement I have seldom seen a coroner act with such antagonism and callous disregard for victims of murder, he wrote, slamming Dakes treatment of the family as antagonistic, unhelpful and overtly inconsiderate. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription and are still unable to access our content, please link your digital account to your print subscription If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. New Delhi: Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (IITH) on Friday said it has entered into an agreement with Suzuki Motor Corporation to start Suzuki Innovation Centre (SIC) at its campus. The institute has signed a three-year contract with the automaker with the vision of "creating innovations for India and Japan" by providing a platform for exchange of knowledge between the two organisations, IITH said in a statement. SIC will be operated as a platform for open innovation among industries, academia, and startups, it said adding the centre will also support skill development and exchange of human resources between India and Japan. It will address broad challenges on and beyond mobility, in the two countries. "The philosophy of this programme is to create inclusive value for the Indian and Japanese societies. IITH will work closely with Suzuki Motor Corporation and other upcoming stakeholders to identify and address broad challenges on and beyond mobility, in India and Japan, on top of the synergistic combination of technology and design," IITH Director B S Murty said. As a part of this initiative, IITH has offered the necessary support for the Centre within the Technology Research Park, the statement said adding detailed activities in SIC would be publicly launched in the second quarter this year. Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday sent out a stern message to her government's bureaucrats not to work under the instructions of governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and political pressure of the BJP and reminded them of their present attachment. At an administrative review meeting, Ms Banerjee looked for K Amarnath, a young IPS officer posted as superintendent of police (SP) in East Midnapore, known to be a stronghold of Nandigram MLA and leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari. The CM angrily asked, "Where is the SP(East Midnapore)? He is hiding!" As Mr Amarnath stood up, Ms Banerjee told him, "I am getting certain complaints about your district. A preplanned attempt to trigger riot by placing someone as a dummy is being made. I told you about it for a long time. But you did nothing. Then I interfered." Mr Amarnath apprised her of conducting an inquiry, taking action and deploying force. The CM then added, "Those who trigger riots do not belong to any religion. A political leader instigates it from behind. That is why it takes place. You have to look into it strongly. Are you scared of working? Does the governor call you up to say what to do and not to do?" Mr Amarnath however replied with "No." Ms Banerjee observed, "You would not reveal it even if he does! Anyway, you do not need to look into it. You are serving the state government. Right? You will work on your own. I have posted you there to perform well. But I got complaints from Haldia and was forced to remove two persons after ordering their arrest. They were creating trouble in the work of Exide Industries and of the Dhanukas. Why do I need to interfere when you are there? If you face any problem due to political pressure in working there, tell me directly. Do not pay heed if anyone dictates you what to do." Anguished, Mr Dhankhar tweeted the video of the conversation, saying, "Honble CM to SP in full media glare. Did Governor call you? Did he instruct you? What to or what not to do? I know you will not admit that. But feel free to do your assigned work. You are working for state government, mind it. Do not get afraid of such things.. Tomar said that the change in weather/climatic conditions during the crop season might have favoured the establishment of Thrips Parvispinus. (Photo: PTI/Representational) New Delhi: Andhra Pradesh and Telangana faced 40-80 per cent damage to the chilli crop due to pest outbreak, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar informed Parliament on Friday. Tomar, in his written reply to the Rajya Sabha, said the damage was assessed in a joint survey conducted by a team comprising experts from the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage (DPPQS), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), State Agricultural/ Horticultural University and State Horticulture Departments in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. "The joint survey observed that on an average 40-80 per cent damage to the chili crop was caused in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana," he said. Since 'South East Asian Thrips Parvispinus' is an invasive pest species, it might have dominated/replaced the native chilli 'Thrips Scirtothrips Dorsalis' through competition, he added. Tomar said that the change in weather/climatic conditions during the crop season might have favoured the establishment of Thrips Parvispinus and thus resulted in its sudden upsurge in the chilli ecosystem. Absence of natural enemies of this particular invasive pest in the area of invasion for natural control of the pest species; excessive use of chemical pesticides and staggered plantings also might be the reasons for their outbreak, he said. All these factors might have triggered the upsurge of Thrips Parvispinus in the chilli ecosystem by replacing the native chilli Thrips species, he said. Further, most of the farmers had left the fields unattended due to severe incidence of Thrips and other pests, which has been observed as the source of inoculum for spreading of Thrips and other pathogens to the healthy fields in the vicinity, he added. Outlining the policy interventions, the minister said it include pest survey and monitoring at district level; restoration of soil fertility in all chilli growing fields; regular monitoring of quality of pesticides including making available microbial and botanical pesticides to farmers; restricting use of chemical fertilizers and publication of extensive material for educating farmers regarding pest management in a sustainable manner. The action plan includes promotion of cultural practices like deep summer ploughing, intercropping, clean cultivation, balanced use of fertilizers, uprooting and destruction of plant debris and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies for pest control like use of bio pesticides and neem-based insecticides. Stating that South East Asian Thrips is a polyphagous pest, Tomar said it can also grow and multiply on alternate hosts like Drumstick, Pigeon pea, Chick pea, Papaya, Mango and weed species like Parthenium, Cleome viscosa, Prosopis sp., Lantana camara, Calotropis sp., Tecoma sp. and wild solanum plants. He said strict plant quarantine measures are in place for imported planting materials. Plants and seeds that require post entry quarantine are regulated as per Plant Quarantine (PQ) Order 2003. Post Entry Quarantine (PEQ) period is defined for specific commodities for specific periods in a confined area to prevent spread of exotic/economically important pests. PEQ facility certification and inspection of plants grown in PEQ facilities is also done strictly as per PQ Order. New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Bhupinder Singh alias Honey, nephew of Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, in a money laundering case linked to alleged illegal sand mining in the border state, officials said on Friday. They said Honey was arrested under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) late Thursday night after several hours of questioning at the agency's office in Jalandhar. Sources claimed he was evasive in his replies and was hence taken into custody. The ED will produce him before a special PMLA court in Mohali on Friday seeking his remand. Honey is the son of Channi's sister-in-law. On January 18, the agency had raided his premises and claimed to have seized about Rs 8 crore cash and "incriminating" documents. Property belonging to a few others were also raided. The development comes days before Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is likely to announce the party's chief ministerial candidate in the poll-bound state. Gandhi is expected to make this announcement during his virtual rally in Ludhiana on Sunday and Channi is stated to be the front runner. Punjab will go to polls on February 20. After the raids last months, ED sources had claimed that the agency had recovered over Rs 10 crore in cash and several documents, of which Rs 8 crore and most of the papers were seized from premises linked to Honey alone. About Rs 2 crore cash was seized from the premises linked to a person identified as Sandeep Kumar. The ED had then issued a statement saying those covered in the raids included Kudratdeep Singh, Pinjore Royalty company and its partners/shareholders, Kanwarmahip Singh, Manpreet Singh, Sunil Kumar Joshi, Jagveer Inder Singh, Randeep Singh, Providers Overseas Consultants Pvt Ltd and its other directors, shareholders, including Honey and Sandeep Kumar, at Mohali, Ludhiana, Rupnagar, Fatehgarh Sahib and Pathankot. Channi had told reporters that as relatives of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee were raided during the Assembly polls in that state, the "same pattern" was being followed by the ED in Punjab to "pressure" him, his ministers and the Congress party members. The ED filed a criminal case under PMLA last November. The case is based on a 2018 FIR at the Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar police station that pressed charges under the Indian Penal Code and Mines and Minerals (Regulation of Development) Act, 1957. In this police FIR, the ED said, it was mentioned that a team of officials from the mining department, civil administration and police made a surprise check at the Malikpur mining site on March 7, 2018, on the basis of a complaint received at Rahon, SBS Nagar police station, regarding illegal sand mining. Subsequently, the mining operation at Malikpur was stopped. Illegal mining activities were also carried out at Burjtahl Das, Barsal, Lalewal, Mandala and Khosa, the ED said quoting the police FIR. The Kerala Union of Working Journalists, Pramod Raman -- editor of MediaOne -- and some employees of the channel moved two separate pleas in the high court. (Wikipedia) Kochi: A trade union of working journalists, the editor of MediaOne and some of its employees have moved the Kerala High Court against the central government's recent decision to bar the Malayalam news channel's telecast. The Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ), Pramod Raman -- editor of MediaOne -- and some employees of the channel moved two separate pleas in the high court against the Centre's January 31 decision. The high court, on February 3, listed both petitions on February 7 along with the plea moved earlier by Madhyamam Broadcasting Ltd -- which operates MediaOne -- against the bar on the channel's telecast. The high court, on February 2, had put on hold till February 7 the Centre's decision and also called for the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) files relating to denial of security clearance to the news channel. KUWJ and the MediaOne journalists, represented by senior advocate Jaju Babu, have contended before the high court that hundreds of employees of the channel will be deprived of a livelihood if the Centre's decision is not set aside. Babu had told the court, on February 3, that the decision to bar the channel was taken without hearing it or its employees. The journalists' union and the channel's employees have contended that no violation of the permission or any Act or rules have been alleged and therefore, the action taken by the Centre was "illegal and unconstitutional". During the hearing on February 2, on the plea moved by Madhyamam, the Centre had told the high court that MHA denied security clearance to MediaOne over national security concerns based on intelligence inputs. The Centre had also said it was not required to disclose the reasons for denial of security clearance when there were national security concerns. It had also told the court that where national security was concerned broadcast permissions can be revoked/cancelled without giving any notice or reasons. The channel, on the other hand, had contended that MHA clearance was only required when applying for fresh permission/license and not at the time of renewal. An Alabama man is wanted by federal authorities for allegedly killing his former sister-in-law, an elementary school teacher, after authorities say he was hired by his brother. Darin Starr is wanted for the 2017 murder of his former sister-in-law Sara Starr, the FBI said in a wanted poster shared Wednesday by the Coffee County Sheriffs Office. Advertisement A federal arrest warrant was issued for Starr, 53, in early December 2021, after he was charged with use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of a murder-for-hire. Darin Starr Sara Starr, 38, a fourth-grade teacher and mom of two sets of twins, was killed on Nov. 27, 2017 outside her Enterprise home, about 87 miles southeast of Montgomery, People reports. Advertisement Sara Starr was murdered more than four years ago. Starrs brother and Saras ex-husband Jason, 45, was arrested for murder-for-hire in December, just days after the federal arrest warrant was issued for Darin, according to the outlet. Jason, who allegedly gave his brother a motorcycle and an undisclosed amount of cash as payment for the hit, was last month fitted with an ankle monitor, according to the outlet. Police have not publicly remarked on a potential motive. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of Starr, who the agency said has connections to Texas both Lakehills and San Antonio as well as Glendale, Ariz. and Colebrook, Conn. Anyone with information regarding Starr is asked to contact their local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate. Hyderabad: Keeping in view the recent security breach in Punjab, the Telangana police will deploy at least 7,000 police personnel, including Central teams as part of the security arrangements for Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to the city on Saturday. As precautionary measures, the police officials have special road connection from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGAI) to Muchintal where the Prime Minister will unveil the 216-feet tall Ramanuja statue at the Jiva Srirama Nagar of Muchintal. The officials from the Prime Minister Office (PMO) have got in touch with the state police officials and senior security officers by providing route maps of Prime Ministers and security arrangements. It was also reported that the PMO officials have given proper security suggestions following the Punjab incident. The trial run of vehicle convoys and choppers were done on Thursday at the RGIA to Muchintal twice. The police have also obtained a weather report from officials following the chopper trial. The sources said that the three-tier security system was deployed at the Jiva ashram and tight vigil will be kept at the place in view of the Prime Ministers programme. It was also reported that the Telangana police has provided the guest list of who will attend the Prime Ministers programme at Muchintal and the police officials have sent the details of guests to the PMO for their consideration. The Jiva ashram would be completely taken over by the Prime Ministers security personnel and an IPS officer from the state would coordinate with the Prime Ministers security wing. The authority has also planted saplings on either side of newly laid connecting road from RGIA to Outer Ring Road (ORR) to proceed to Muchintal and erected welcome boards. State public transport department unions united forum decided to hold black badge protests on Saturday and Sunday at all RTC depots and join the indefinite strike by others from February 7. (DC file photo) VIJAYAWADA: In a blow to the Andhra Pradesh government, APSRTC employees were drawn into the indefinite strike of government employees from February 7 in support of the demand for more salary and benefits, over and above the 11th PRC. State public transport department unions united forum decided to hold black badge protests on Saturday and Sunday at all RTC depots and join the indefinite strike by others from February 7. APPTD unions united forum conveners Srinivasa Rao and Damodar Rao said the RTC employees will wear black badges from Saturday and hold demonstrations during tea and lunch breaks. The RTC employees did not benefit from turning APSRTC into a government entity as various issues remained unresolved, they said. Now RTC being a government department, it is natural that the RTC employees too joined the agitation by the other government employees, they reasoned. The two leaders said RTC employees will submit a memorandum to the authorities during the two days of protests. APSRTC top brass appealed to the employees to avoid the strike. Since this was rejected, the management would make alternative arrangements for the running of bus services, so as to avoid inconvenience to the public. ANANTAPUR: The long-pending call for Unesco recognition of the historic Lepakshi temple as a World Heritage Site gained traction as the central government has announced steps to add it in the temporary list of heritage sites. Union minister of tourism and culture Kishan Reddy announced this in Rajya Sabha on Friday while replying to a question from GVL Narasimha Rao. The minister said the AP government had sent proposals seeking World Heritage Status for the temple as also for the Veerabhadra Swamy temple and for the world biggest Nandi statue erected by the erstwhile Vijayanagar Empire. As the historic temple has its exclusive features, the Union Government will propose Unesco to include the site as a World Heritage structure. The temple and the biggest Nandi statue are proposed to be given the tag, the minister said. If all the documentation processes are completed and submitted to Unesco, chances for recognition of Lepakshi as the first of its kind World Heritage Site from AP could come in the 2022 Unesco summit. Deccan Chronicle had taken up the issue of neglect of the historic site and lack of proper understanding of the central archaeological wing as also the AP authorities to seek and get for Lepakshi the UNESCO tag. The Telangana government and the joint office of the Archaeological Survey of India had succeeded to get Unesco recognition for the Ramappa temple in Telangana. Activists and historians raised their voices and sent representations to the Centre to give due importance to the Lepakshi temple, after a series of related articles were carried by Deccan Chronicle in the past one year. Historian Jasti Veeranjineyulu thanked the minister for initiating the long-pending demand for global recognition to Lepakshi. The government should complete the entire process for Unesco tag at the earliest, he pleaded and hoped the ASI would be ready with the documentation process as per the norms of Unesco. Lepakshi and other sites from AP had been ignored by ASI Hyderabad after the state bifurcation and it concentrated its focus more on sites and temples of Telangana since last year. However, after the ASI circle was shifted to Vijayawada, Dr. Vani Mohan, commissioner of the archaeology department and museums sought proposals from the superintending archaeologist of ASI Amaravati circle to initiate the process for recognition of monuments and sites in AP as Unesco World Heritage Sites in September last year. The archaeology and museums commissioner sought proposals for seven historic monuments and sites the Amravati Maha Stupa in Guntur district, the Guntupalli Buddhist caves in West Godavari district, the Chandragiri Fort in Chittoor district, Gandikota in Kadapa, Nagarjuna Konda, Lepakshi in Anantapur district and Salihundam in Srikakulam district in AP. The ASI Amaravati circle was asked to submit the proposals for the seven monuments and sites AP, which have centuries-old historic importance. The state government was keen on getting World Heritage status with the Unesco tag by 2022. We are happy for the serious steps taken by the Centre to get justice done for AP, as not even a single monument and site in the state got recognition from the Unesco so far while Telangana succeeded in satisfying Unesco with proper documentation, Jasti Veeranjineyulu observed. New Delhi: Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi was offered Z category security on Friday, a day after shots were fired at his car in western Uttar Pradesh, but the Muslim leader rejected it and asked the government to instead make him an A category citizen at par with all. Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Owaisi, who last evening asked the Election Commission to ensure an independent probe into the incident, also urged the government to charge those who attacked him with stringent provisions of the UAPA and made an appeal to end radicalisation in the country. Home ministry officials said the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief's threat perception was assessed afresh after Thursday evenings incident in Hapur while he was returning to Delhi after campaigning for the elections beginning February 10. Two people, one from Gautam Buddh Nagar and the other from Saharanpur in western Uttar Pradesh, have been arrested and charged with attempt to murder. Owaisi said in Parliament he did not want round-the-clock protection by CRPF commandos extended to him by the government. I dont want Z category security. I want to be an A category citizen, at par with you all. Why was UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) not invoked against those who fired at me? ... I want to live, to speak. My life will be safe when the poor are safe. I will not get scared of those who shot at my car, he said in the Lok Sabha. Owaisi also asked the government to invoke UAPA against those who are behind radicalism in the country. "Who are these people who believe in bullet and not ballot? Who are these people who have been so radicalised that they don't have confidence in the Constitution? They have so much hatred," Mr Owaisi said in Parliament. Owaisi said that in 2015 he had asked the government that in the internal security department of MHA there should be a deradicalisation cell for all religions. He said radicalisation will increase right-wing communalism and terrorism in India. "Those people who have done radicalisation, why don't you impose UAPA on them? I am not afraid of death," he said. No one was injured in the attack on Thursday evening, a week before Assembly elections in the state begin. Under 'Z' category security, the second highest, about 16-20 paramilitary commandos are deployed for 24x7 security. An escort, as well as a pilot vehicle, accompanies VIP when he travels by road and a guard is stationed at their home. Commerce minister Piyush Goyal said Union home minister Amit Shah will make a statement in the House on the matter on Monday. VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma called on government employees to call off their indefinite strike, underlining that their problems can be solved through negotiations. Earlier, the Chief Secretary and adviser to government Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy had held discussions with Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy in the background of the Chalo Vijayawada protest. Addressing a press conference here on Thursday night, Sharma reiterated that salaries of employees will not reduce with implementation of 11th Pay Revision Commission (PRC) recommendations. He clarified that no recoveries will be made by the government from salaries of employees. The Chief Secretary observed that when state government is ready to negotiate with its staff, protests and agitations are of no use. He pointed out that IR means Interim Relief, which is pre-adjustment. The government gives IR whenever PRC is delayed. Sharma informed that the new PRC will impose a burden of 10,000 crore on the state government. He explained that it is incorrect to compare new PRC with IR and instead asked employees to compare the new PRC with old PRC. He said if staff still had problems, a committee of ministers can think of a solution. He pointed out that there will be DA, HRA and other sections in pay slips, which must be considered as a whole to know the increase in salaries. Principal Secretary (finance) Shashibhushan Kumar said IR is only a temporary benefit and every employee will get an increment. He maintained that this government has given the highest IR compared to all PRCs so far. It also gave IR for a maximum of 30 months. Shashibhushan said government employees should make good use of anomalies committee to resolve their issues. Meanwhile, Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said the government is always ready for talks with employees. He said unions had been called for talks several times. He felt there is a tendency among employees to complicate matters further. New Delhi: It was an action-packed Thursday in western Uttar Pradesh. With only a week to go for the first round of the battle royale, all the big guns thronged the region. On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a virtual rally in Aligarh, Noida, Meerut, Ghaziabad and Hapur. His virtual outreach will cover 23 Assembly constituencies. Western UP, one of the most politically sensitive and highly polarised regions, will go to the polls in the first of seven phases on February 10. Ranging from home minister Amit Shah, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, his ally RLD chief Jayant Chaudhury, BSP supremo Mayawati and Congress scion Priyanka Gandhi Vadra paradropped to woo the Western UP electorate. While the home minister covered Anupshahr, Dibai and Loni, Akhilesh Yadav and Jayant Chaudhary reached out to voters in Bulandshahr. AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra zipped across Anupshahr and Siana. BSP chief Mayawati made her presence felt at Kavinagar, Ghaziabad. UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath held a press conference to highlight the achievements of his government. It may be mentioned here that western UP, with the domination of Jats and Muslims, has emerged as a tricky terrain for the BJP. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is on record as saying that the first phase in UP is a farmers election and will set the tone for the remaining phases. While the SP-RLD alliance is trying to unite Jats and Muslims against the BJP, the saffron brigade is relentlessly wooing the Jat community with its Hindutva push. As a BJP leader puts it: In Western UP, the fight is between the SPs OBC outreach and the BJPs Hindutva push. Jats comprise around 17 per cent in Western UP and have a significant influence in nearly 40 Assembly seats and around 10 Lok Sabha berths. In the first phase, 58 seats in Jat-dominated Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Shamli, Hapur, Baghpat, Gautam Budh Nagar, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura and Agra will go to the polls. In a bid to counter the BJPs Hindutva agenda, the SP is trying hard to get back the formidable combination of 17 per cent Jats and 26 per cent Muslims back on track following its alliance with the RLD. However, in 2017, while the SP won 21 seats, the RLD managed only one seat in the region. Also, in the last two decades, the RLD seemed to have weakened significantly in western UP. Hit by Mayawatis social engineering, a huge chunk of the RLD vote bank had shifted to the BSP. In 2014, Jat votes began to gravitate towards the BJP. Some of the BJPs spin doctors observed that the SP-RLD alliance just might work in their favour. They argued that while the SPs Muslim vote will move to the RLD, Jat votes might not shift to the SPs Muslim candidates. For these BJP leaders, Jat votes would also split between the BJP and the RLD. However, the socialists claimed that Western UP is all set to witness the return of the MAJGAR alliances (Muslim, Ahir, Jat, Gujjar and Rajput, including farmers) formed by the late Chaudhary Charan Singh. In 2017, of the 136 seats in Western UP, while the BJP won 109 seats, getting nearly 43 per cent of the vote, the SP managed to bag 21, the BSP three, the Congress two and the RLD only one. HYDERABAD: Municipal administration and urban development minister K. T. Rama Rao on Friday inaugurated 40 double bedroom houses at Kodgal village in Jadcherla constituency and handed them over to the beneficiaries. Speaking on the occasion, Rama Rao came down heavily on the BJP-led government at the Centre accusing it of discriminating Telangana in sanctioning new projects and allocation of funds for the past eight years despite repeated requests from Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao. Rama Rao said the Chief Minister had personally appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to accord national status to either Kaleshwaram or Palamuru Rangareddy lift irrigation projects but there was no response from the Centre. "When Telangana sought national status for one irrigation project in Telangana like Polavaram in Andhra Pradesh, the Centre told us that it had taken a policy decision that it would not accord national status to any project henceforth. Surprisingly, Upper Bhadra project in the neighbouring Karnataka was accorded a national project status later. Is this because Karnataka is a BJP-ruled state and Telangana is not? Why this discrimination towards Telangana, which is the fourth largest contributor to India's economy?" Rama Rao asked. Rama Rao said the Centre ignored the request made by the Telangana government to identify the Hyderabad- Bengaluru corridor as an industrial corridor to facilitate setting up of more industries and the creation of employment for youth. "Irrespective of the lack of Centres assistance, the Chief Minister continues to implement many welfare schemes and development programmes. We need people's support and blessings," said Rama Rao. In the last seven years, villages and towns across the state had witnessed rapid development, he said. "The Congress and the BJP governments are ruling in other states. I challenge the Congress and the BJP leaders to showcase the development of villages in their states and compare it with those in Telangana," said Rama Rao. Under the Palle Pragathi programme, the government was extending monthly financial assistance promptly to each gram panchayat across the state. Each Panchayat was now provided with a water tanker, tractor, nursery and other facilities, he said. Rama Rao reminded the problems faced by people before the formation of Telangana state in 2014, especially women, who had to walk long distances to fetch a pot of drinking water. But now safe drinking water was being provided in all households across the state under Mission Bhagiratha, he said. In Nalgonda district, for the last 65 years, over two lakh people were affected with fluorosis, despite the Krishna river flowing through the district. Previous state governments failed to address this decades-old issue but the TRS government addressed the issue through the provision of safe drinking water under Mission Bhagiratha, he said. "There are no more fluorosis cases in Nalgonda. This was disclosed on record in Parliament by the Centre," said Rama Rao adding no other state could compete with Telangana in terms of the development of villages. Britain's competition regulator said on Friday it had fined Facebook-owner Meta 1.5 million pounds ($2 million) over fresh issues regarding its purchase of Giphy, a sanction that the US firm said it would accept. Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has taken a tough line with major tech groups in recent years, investigating their dominance of markets such as digital advertising and seeking to block the Facebook-Giphy deal. The CMA ordered Meta to sell animated images platform Giphy, which it acquired for a reported $400 million in May 2020, after it decided the remedies offered by the US company did not answer its concerns over the impact to digital advertising. The CMA said on Friday that Meta had failed to comply with certain aspects of its requirements in regard to the handling of Giphy, with the US firm failing to notify the UK regulator that key staff had left. Watch the latest DH Videos here: India's state banks are expected to source their own fresh capital to compete with the country's much better-capitalised private banks, Fitch Ratings said on Friday. Accordingly, the ratings agency said that the state is inclined to place the burden of raising growth capital on its banks, as indicated by a lack of capital allocation for state banks in the government's latest budget. "This lack of capital allocation arguably indicates the government's belief that bank financials will remain healthy in the near term, enabling banks to support capital adequacy by sourcing fresh capital on their own," Fitch said. "We do not regard this as signifying diminished prospects of extraordinary support from the government." Notably, the Centre has injected close to $47 billion of fresh capital into its banks since the financial year ended 2015 (FY15), although most of this was used to address the large losses during this period, leaving core capital buffers at moderate-to-low levels and vulnerable to losses beyond the banks' expectations. As per Fitch, improving internal accruals are gradually adding to the capital base, but the average common equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio at state banks stood at 10.8 per cent at end-1HFY22, against 16.5 per cent at private banks, which have been reporting above-average loan growth in recent quarters. "This may make it difficult for state banks to remain competitive, unless their capital raising efforts are supplemented by state capital injections." The state banks have raised around $3 billion cumulatively since 2020, or about 0.4 per cent of their risk-weighted assets. "We believe that Indian banks are less likely to need fresh core capital to meet minimum regulatory capital requirements up to FYE25, as regulatory forbearance has enabled banks to spread related credit costs over a longer period, resulting in a more manageable impact on profitability and capital," Fitch said. "There is a risk that state banks may use their modest capital accretion to support the government's growth agenda, rather than keep it as insulation against losses when unrecognised bad loans start unwinding in FY23." Watch the latest DH Videos here: By Ragini Saxena, Akasa, a new Indian airline backed by billionaire Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, plans to offer stock options to attract staff, using a lure more often deployed by technology startups in its bid to gain a foothold in one of the worlds most competitive air-travel markets. The carrier, which is preparing to start flying in late May, is taking the unusual approach of granting company shares to a bigger pool of top employees, rather than a select group of senior executives, as the aviation industry globally suffers from a talent shortfall. Airlines have retrenched thousands of workers because of the pandemic and many pilots have quit, either taking early retirement or switching careers. We want to have an organisation thats very tight knit in values, but diverse in experiences, genders, locations within India, Chief Executive Officer Vinay Dube said in an interview. We were saddened by the plight of employees through the pandemic, some of the bankruptcies that have taken place in Indian aviation, and we wanted to create homes for them where they are happy. The degree to which Akasa plans to grant stock options for staff will be far greater than most airlines in India and hopefully reminiscent of maybe some of the tech startups where they go fairly deep in the way they provide employee stock ownership plans, Dube said. There isnt a suggestion stock options would be given to air crew or regular pilots, however. Putting employee satisfaction so squarely front and centre is an interesting strategy in a market thats historically gone after customers by offering cut-throat prices. Rock-bottom air fares have long been a feature in India, which has a suite of no-frills carriers targeting the nations huge flying public. Akasa, backed by some impressive aviation veterans, has hired around 50 employees for back office functions and is now recruiting pilots, flight attendants and airport staff, said Dube, who is also Akasas founder and managing director. The careers page of Akasas website, decked out in the airlines orange and purple brand identity with a tagline of Its Your Sky, states that new applications have been paused after an unprecedented number of inquiries were received. Its flattering, overwhelming, but theres also a hint of sadness because I dont want so many people to be either unemployed or unhappy, said Dube, who says 95% of staff call him by his first name. If we dont treat our employees well, if we dont take care of them, then its very hard for them to take care of customers, which we want them to do. Customer service alone isnt going to alleviate the pain wrought by Covid, however. Airlines in India are expected to take an $8 billion hit from the pandemic and even before the virus decimated air travel, the landscape was littered with failures. Former billionaires like liquor baron Vijay Mallya with Kingfisher Airlines and travel agent-turned-entrepreneur Naresh Goyal with Jet Airways India Ltd. couldnt crack the market, both venturing into cheap, on-time budget business to augment their more premium offerings. Tough business Kingfisher folded in 2012 after failing to clear its dues to banks, staff, lessors and airports, while Jet Airways has new owners following a court-monitored, insolvency-resolution process. Even those still in business find it tough. SpiceJet Ltd. almost collapsed before its founders returned to gain control and revive the company in 2015. Air India Ltd. survived on taxpayer bailouts worth billions of dollars before the government sold it to Tata Sons and the local ventures of Singapore Airlines Ltd. and Malaysian tycoon Tony Fernandess AirAsia Bhd., both of which teamed up with Tata Sons, have never made money. Coupled with high taxes on aviation fuel, the sector is so riddled with brutal price wars that dont leave carriers any fat to cover costs its chronically ill, IndiGos Chief Executive Officer Ronojoy Dutta said recently. Startups have a particularly difficult road ahead, said Robert Mann, the New York-based head of aviation consulting firm R.W. Mann & Co. The challenges before airline upstarts like Akasa include availability of sufficient capital and the need to stimulate flyer appetite with cheap fares upon launch, which generates good word of mouth leading to positive cash flow and eventual profit, he said. Dube is optimistic his airline, with secure financing and a low cost-structure, can succeed where others have failed. What gives us confidence is the way in which we have purchased our aircraft, established our long-term engine maintenance deals, the way in which we have started leasing our aircraft with the lessors, he said. The leadership team Akasa has attracted is also hyper-focused on the hundreds of elements that make up an airlines cost structure. Indeed Akasas founding team has a long history running airlines. Dube is a former Delta Air Lines Inc. veteran who also ran Jet Airways until it went belly up in 2019. He briefly led Wadia Groups no-frills carrier Go Airlines India Ltd. and laid the groundwork for the budget carrier to file for an initial share sale. Akasa, operated by SNV Aviation Pvt., is also backed by Aditya Ghosh, who spearheaded IndiGo for nearly a decade and propelled the once little-known startup to the nations top spot, eventually capturing more than 50% of the market. Under Ghosh, IndiGo placed record aircraft orders worth tens of billions of dollars, had a blockbuster IPO and catapulted itself ahead of AirAsia Group Bhd. and Spring Airlines Co. to become the biggest budget airline in Asia by market value. Lower costs Akasa plans to follow a similar playbook of growing at a breakneck pace, adding 18 aircraft during the year ending March 2023 -- the first deliveries from a November order for 72 Boeing Co. 737 Max jets, worth $9 billion at sticker prices. A deal for the 737 Max, which was grounded globally after fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, probably helped Akasa secure bigger discounts than usual considering it was one of the Maxs first new customers after the models recertification. Akasa would also have taken advantage of the pandemic to get its aircraft and engine contracts right, which should help it achieve lower costs in the initial years, according to Kapil Kaul, South Asia chief executive officer for Sydney-based CAPA Centre for Aviation. Akasa is on track to be well-capitalised with a potential ability to raise $500 million through sale and leaseback of its aircraft over five years, he said. Jhunjhunwala initially pumped $35 million into the airline. The carrier will begin flying internationally by the summer of 2023 when it inducts 20 aircraft, the minimum fleet requirement to serve overseas routes according to local regulations, Dube said. Akasa will have an option of flying to the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, all within the range of a 737 Max. Akasa also plans to cut down queues at airports and reduce the amount of time passengers spend waiting to board by using technology, Dube said, without elaborating. If you look at the next 20 years, Indian aviation is going to continue to grow by leaps and bounds, Dube said. India is geographically a very large country and aviation is under penetrated, there are many people today who still havent flown relative to most Western economies. All said and done, we are extremely bullish about the future. 100% -- Akasa will be profitable. A Michigan man arrested for sitting outside the Supreme Court in his Chevy Tahoe truck four months ago returned Thursday and was again confronted by police. Authorities said the 55-year-old from Kimball earlier appeared to use concerning language on social media with regards to his planned visit. Dale Paul Melvin, who was arrested in October after he illegally parked in front of the Supreme Court, has returned and parked his Chevy Tahoe in front of the Court again, U.S. Capitol Hill police tweeted Thursday. Advertisement Parked in front of the Supreme Court illegally, Dale Paul Melvin talks with U.S. Capitol Police officers February 3, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Cops tweeted at 9:46 a.m. that investigators were speaking with Melvin and that the area had been closed off out of an abundance of caution. Dale, 58, was not arrested Thursday. His case from October is still pending. He is charged with failure to obey and assault on a police officer. During that 9:30 a.m. incident, Dale reportedly told law enforcement, The time for talking is done. Advertisement [ Trump blames Pelosi for not preventing his supporters from storming Capitol ] Dale Paul Melvin, who was arrested in October after he illegally parked in front of the Supreme Court, has returned and parked his Chevy Tahoe in front of the Court again. Our investigators are talking to him now. Out of an abundance of caution, we have closed off the area. U.S. Capitol Police (@CapitolPolice) February 3, 2022 Capitol police are still investigating Dales most recent visit. They also said hed visited the Capitol Complex in August and used language that drew concern. Dale had brushes with the law in Michigan, including a domestic abuse charge that resulted in a 93-day jail sentence, according to St. Clair County records A Facebook page seemingly belonging to Dale indicates a penchant for right-wing politics and guns, as well as a devotion to Christianity. It also includes multiple tributes to veterans. The head of embattled streaming service Spotify has told staff that Joe Rogan is vital to the company, but that he doesn't agree with the controversial podcaster. The comments were published Thursday as the firm's stock went into freefall. Spotify has found itself stuck between its $100 million flagship talent and a popular backlash over Covid-19 misinformation on his shows. Chief executive Daniel Ek told up-in-arms employees they did not have editorial control over "The Joe Rogan Experience", which garners up to 11 million listeners per episode. "There are many things that Joe Rogan says that I strongly disagree with and find very offensive," he said, according to a transcript of the company town hall published by The Verge. But "if we want even a shot at achieving our bold ambitions, it will mean having content on Spotify that many of us may not be proud to be associated with. "Not anything goes, but there will be opinions, ideas, and beliefs that we disagree with strongly and even makes us angry or sad." Shares in the company were down 17 percent Thursday in New York, as tech stocks dropped across the board. These shares have been on the slide since November, but have been badly hit by news that its subscriber growth is slowing. The drop also comes as controversy swirls over the mega deal with Rogan, who has been accused of spouting misinformation about Covid-19 and vaccination, either directly or through the guests he has on his show. That led last week to a burgeoning boycott spearheaded by folk-rock star Neil Young and Canadian songstress Joni Mitchell, who asked for their songs to be removed from the platform. In response Ek announced this week that they would add a content advisory to podcasts about Covid-19, directing listeners to scientific and medical sources. The Verge reported that staff had been eagerly awaiting the company meeting, with some feeling increasingly frustrated that Spotify was being driven by its deal with Rogan. Ek told employees that podcasts such as Rogan's were vital if Spotify were to get its head above the competition in a crowded streaming field. "We needed to find leverage, and one way we could do this was in the form of exclusives," he said, according to the transcript. "To be frank, had we not made some of the choices we did, I am confident that our business wouldn't be where it is today." But that is not to say the company agrees with everything its big-name podcast host utters, Ek said, framing Spotify not as a publisher, but as a platform. "It is important to note that we do not have creative control over Joe Rogan's content," he said. "We don't approve his guests in advance, and just like any other creator, we get his content when he publishes, and then we review it, and if it violates our policies, we take the appropriate enforcement actions." Spotify is the latest tech company to find itself on the horns of a dilemma that pits a controversial -- and moneymaking -- anti-establishmentarian against advertisers, employees and public outrage. Last year Netflix was forced to walk the line between defending comedian Dave Chappelle and placating critics who accused the company of giving air to anti-trans sentiment. Check out DH's latest videos: BSP Supremo Mayawati on Thursday accused Bharatiya Janata Party of indulging in politics of caste and spreading communal hate. The Dalit leader alleged that the BJPs failure in keeping prices of edible oil, petrol and diesel has aggrieved people in the state. She attacked the Congress and accused it of overlooking BR Ambedkar, the Dalit icon, for Bharat Ratna when it was in power. She also accused the party of ignoring Kanshi Ram, another Dalit leader, by never announcing a national day in his memory. She urged the masses to not cast their votes in favour of BJP, SP or Congress, saying only BSP can bring the Achchey Din. The BSP leader ridiculed the Congress for staging drama for the sake of votes of SC/ST class. She likened the regime of Samajwadi Party with gundas, mafias and anti-social elements. She alleged that the SP only changed the names of the district, parks, and colleges which were instituted by BSP after Saints and respected ancestors. The leader also claimed that the SP terminated reservation of SC/ST class in the allotment of government land and amended the law. Check out DH's latest videos: A little known political party believes that men are a harassed lot and says it will set up a ministry for their welfare if voted to power. The party 'Mera Adhikar Rashtriya Dal' (MARD), registered in 2018, had unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Lucknow and Varanasi. Mard means man in Hindi. For the ongoing UP polls, it has declared candidates for the four assembly constituencies-- Bareilly, Lucknow North, Handia in Prayagraj and Chauri-Chaura in Gorakhpur. It may announce more candidates later. Also Read: Adityanath established rule of law in UP, says Shah "If voted to power, Ministry of Men's Welfare and National Commission for Men will be constituted so that men's side could also be deliberated upon while forming any policy and law," party's national president Kapil Mohan Chaudhary told PTI. Listing other salient points of the party's manifesto, he said," Policies concerning the well being, security and dignity of men will be made accordingly. Efforts will be made to bring the Men's Security Bill." He said, a "Men's Helpline" will also be introduced to pay attention to the ordeal faced by them given "some biased women's laws." Mentioning the reason for entering the poll fray, Chaudhary said, "It is to empathise and sympathise with half of the population. We are not against the women empowerment. But, when in the name of women empowerment, harassment of men starts, we take exception to it. We are definitely in favour of positive empowerment of women such as education." "Provision will be made to make maintenance amount tax-free," Chaudhary said and added that alimony (maintenance) is a legal obligation on a husband to provide financial support to the spouse during or after marital separation or divorce under maintenance rules in India. Chaudhary was critical of the Congress slogan Ladki Hoon Ladh Sakti Hoon but was all praise for the Modi government's 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' campaign. In the name of appeasement of women, anti-male propaganda will be stopped, he said. Also Read: Akhilesh-Jayant focus on farmers' issues, unemployment to blunt BJP's polarisation bid in western UP The party has also declared that instead of homework being given to children, 'Dada-Dadi' Pathshala will be made at the village/colony level, in which children will be able to learn from the experiences of their grandparents. "This will help the grandparents to overcome their loneliness and will also facilitate in making children move away from the world of mobile phones. This will strengthen the social structure," he said. The MARD chief also said that efforts would be made to strengthen the joint family tradition. When asked to comment on Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's Ladhki Hoon, Ladh Sakti Hoon slogan, Chaudhary said, "What is the point in using the word ladhai (fight). It can be padhai (education). You should educate the girls. In this context, we can understand the good theme of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (campaign)." Claiming that the party also enjoys women's support, Ashutosh Pandey, who contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi, said, "All of my proposers (during the filing of nomination papers) were women." "We are also making people aware about the frequent misuse of the Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code," Pandey said In a lighter vein he said, "I got 498 general votes and 1 postal ballot. In other words, I got '498A' votes" in the 2019 elections. The party has declared Javed Hasan from Bareilly, Brijesh Awasthi from Lucknow North, Vinay Kumar Singh (Handia in Prayagraj) and Sonu Rai (Chauri-Chaura in Gorakhpur) for the ongoing UP polls. It may announce more candidates, the party chief said. Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases between February 10 and March 7 and the results will be announced on March 10. Watch the latest DH Videos here: An Israeli company is conducting a study on a device that measures tear film, a thin fluid layer covering the ocular surface, which may help detect Covid-19 disease through a simple eye test. The tear film is a thin fluid layer covering the ocular surface, responsible for the eye's surface comfort, mechanical, environmental and immune protection, and epithelial health. It also forms a smooth refractive surface for vision, Jerusalem Post reported. The study seeks to determine whether the Tear Film Imager (TFI) device can "effectively diagnose and determine Covid-19 in a fast, affordable, non-invasive assessment of the eye's tear film", the company Advanced Optical Methods (AdOM) announced late Thursday. "The world urgently needs new diagnostic tools to help assess and diagnose aggressive viruses in a non-invasive manner and with speed and efficiency," AdOM CTO Raanan Gefen was quoted as saying. Also Read Why Covid-19 patients lose their sense of smell The TFI device is a non-invasive piece of medical equipment designed to simultaneously measure the mucins proteins that hydrate the tear ducts and the lipid sub-layers of the eye that prevent the eyes from drying out due to evaporation. The diagnostic device works at a resolution depth of a few nanometres and can provide clinicians with a detailed assessment of the health of the tear film sub-layers within 40 seconds. The device can also detect when a "virus layer" is present in the eye and can quantify it. As previously observed in a concept study at Wolfson Medical Center, it has been able to correctly identify corona in patients at the same rate as a PCR test, the report said. "Different SARS variants, as well as aggressive flu variants, are threatening the world population. If proven to have a high correlation to the PCR, this could be a game-changer," Gefen said. Also Read SII urges Mandaviya to reduce gap between 2nd, precaution dose of Covishield from 9 to 3 months Gefen noted that the TFI device could then be used as a point of diagnostic care in many venues, such as airports, sporting arenas and businesses that want to have a simple, non-invasive test to determine the status of entering crowds. The new study will expand on the concept study and observe the use of the TFI in comparison to PCR diagnostic testing on a larger scale. The study, expected to take 30 days to complete, will observe 500 patients, the report said. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Iceland, one of the only countries that still hunts whales commercially together with Norway and Japan, plans to end whaling from 2024 as demand dwindles, the fisheries minister said Friday. "There are few justifications to authorise the whale hunt beyond 2024", when current quotas expire, Svandis Svavarsdottir, a member of the Left Green party, wrote in Morgunbladid newspaper. "There is little proof that there is any economic advantage to this activity," she said. Iceland's current annual quotas for 2019-2023 allow for the hunting of 209 fin whales -- the planet's second-largest species after the blue whale -- and 217 minke whales, one of the smallest species. But for the past three years, the two main licence holders have suspended their whale hunts, and one of them hung up its harpoons for good in 2020. Only one whale has been killed in the past three years, a Minke whale in 2021. Demand for Icelandic whale meat has decreased dramatically since Japan -- the main market for whale meat -- returned to commercial whaling in 2019 after withdrawing from the International Whaling Commission (IWC). The hunt had also become too expensive after a no-fishing coastal zone was extended, requiring whalers to go even further offshore. Additionally, safety requirements for imported meat were more stringent than for local products, rendering Icelandic exports more difficult. Social distancing restrictions to combat the coronavirus pandemic also meant Icelandic whale meat processing plants were unable to carry out their tasks. In Iceland's last full season in 2018, 146 fin whales and six Minke whales were killed. Iceland resumed commercial whaling in 2003 despite a 1986 IWC moratorium, which it had opposed. Watch the latest DH Videos here: By Haroro J. Ingram, Andrew Mines, Amira Jadoon for The Conversation An overnight raid conducted by US special forces in Syria has resulted in the death of the leader of the terrorist Islamic State group. Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi was killed as he exploded a bomb at his compound in the countrys northwestern Idlib province. The blast also caused the death of members of his family, including children, US officials said. This isnt the first time that American forces have targeted the head of terrorist organisations, nor the first time they have been successful. The Conversation asked Amira Jadoon, a terrorism expert at the US Military Academy, and Haroro J. Ingram and Andrew Mines, research fellows at the George Washington Universitys Programme on Extremism, to explain how this raid fits the USs counterterrorism strategy, and where it leaves the Islamic State. Also read: 'Strong indications' Islamic State caused civilian deaths in Syria raid: Pentagon Who was Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi? Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi is the alias adopted by Amir Muhammad Said Abdal-Rahman al-Mawla, who became leader of the Islamic State in 2019 following the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a US raid. He was born in 1976 in Mosul, northern Iraq. But very little was known about al-Qurayshi until September 2020, when it emerged that he had been detained and interrogated by US forces in Iraq in early 2008. Declassified tactical interrogation reports from that period depict al-Qurayshi as a recently graduated scholar who experienced a meteoric rise through the Islamic State groups ranks. Al-Qurayshi claimed that he joined the group in 2007, having finished a masters degree in Quranic studies from Mosul University. Soon after joining, al-Qurayshi became the groups Shariah adviser, a major religious figure, in Mosul and later the deputy wali, or shadow governor, of the city before his capture in early 2008. The interrogation reports show that al-Qurayshi revealed the names of at least 20 alleged members of the Islamic State of Iraq, as the group was known at the time. His betrayal came at a time when group members were being killed or captured in large numbers by US and coalition forces. Relatively little is known about al-Qurayshis activities for the next decade after he was released. But he reportedly oversaw the Islamic State groups attempted genocide of Iraqs minority Yazidis and had served as deputy to al-Baghdadi since at least 2018. His rise to caliph was controversial in jihadist circles, not helped by the release of his interrogation records after becoming leader. Also read: IS militants attack Syria prison, freeing jihadists Where does his death leave Islamic State operationally? The operation against al-Qurayshi arrives at a precarious time for the Islamic State group. The organisations transition from an Iraq-centric movement to a global insurgency with affiliates dotted across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia is still relatively fresh. Recent Islamic State attacks on Hasakah prison in northeast Syria and elsewhere across Iraq have hinted that the group is more advanced in rebuilding its capabilities across traditional heartlands than perhaps expected. But the death of al-Qurayshi just two years after that of his predecessor raises uncertainty over who will succeed him. The fact that the Islamic State group couldnt protect its top leader shows the continued pressure the group faces from US and allied forces. Al-Qurayshis rapid demise his predecessor led for almost a decade may also indicate internal rifts. After he took over as leader, al-Qurayshi was mockingly described by dissenters within the terrorist group as an unknown nobody while others questioned his suitability as leader, especially after the release of his interrogation reports in September 2020. It may be that al-Qurayshi was himself betrayed, ultimately contributing to the circumstances that led to the US raid. If so, it could indicate a split within the group between al-Qurayshi and those who wanted him gone. Now, the Islamic State is likely to appoint al-Qurayshis successor based on the deliberation of its shura council, its senior leadership panel, as it has done previously. If it happens as it has in the past, al-Qurayshis successor could be appointed in the next few days or weeks. Hell be given an alias to conceal his identity. Group members and leaders of Islamic State global affiliates will be asked to pledge allegiance to him, but he may not make a public appearance for months or years if ever. What effect has killing the heads of terrorist groups had in the past? Leadership decapitation or the targeted killing of militant groups top leaders is a key component of counterterrorism and counterinsurgency. It is widely used by many nations, including the United States. But terrorism experts dont agree on how effective killing top leaders is. Some have argued that taking out a terrorist leader constrains the operational capacity of groups and disrupts their organizational routines, making it harder for them to carry out attacks. It may, it has been argued, also contribute to organizational collapse. Research shows that under the right circumstances, the targeting of top leaders can result in fewer violent attacks by a militant group and increase the chances of defeating an insurgency. Yet other counterterrorism experts highlight problems with targeted killings. They argue that they can result in decentralization of the group and increase indiscriminate violence by targeted groups. The tactic is also generally considered to be less effective against groups like the Islamic State and al-Qaida that have well-managed leadership structures and succession protocols. The Islamic State group has survived multiple deaths within its leadership precisely because of its bureaucratic approach to succession, and because it still enjoys pockets of strong local support. In the short term, the death of al-Qurayshi may cause the Islamic State group to lie low. But this will not indicate the demise of the organisation. The loss of al-Qurayshi could also trigger retaliation attacks as a signal of resolve among members and to stay relevant in the global jihadist landscape. How much of a global and regional threat is Islamic State group? Back in early 2019, the US and allied forces successfully beat back the Islamic State group from its height in 2014-16, when it controlled larges parts of Iraq and Syria. The group has recently shifted attention to prominent affiliates, like those in sub-Saharan Africa and Afghanistan. This shift highlights how the Islamic State has maintained its relevance: If it experiences decline in its strongholds of Iraq and Syria, affiliates elsewhere are able to keep the vision of the global caliphate alive. The recent terrorist attacks in Syria and Iraq suggest that the Islamic States resurgence strategy is much further along than many observers may have expected. Elsewhere, affiliates are engaged in intense insurgencies against local governments and rival militant groups. This includes persistent threats from IS-West Africa Province in the Lake Chad region, and IS-Central Africa Province in the Congo and Mozambique. Indeed, Africa is poised to be a key Islamic State battleground going forward. Meanwhile in Afghanistan, ISIS-K has pursued a relatively successful strategy to rally after years of losses at the hands of the US-led coalition, challenging the new Taliban government and competing for control of provinces in the countrys northeast. The death of al-Qurayshi is unlikely to affect the operations of Islamic State groups affiliates in any meaningful way. Many have strategies that draw heavily on local resources and alliances with other groups. While the latest US raid may result in temporary uncertainty for the broader movement, history suggests the Islamic State movement will be able to push forward with regional attacks and reestablish the support of affiliates around the world. Haroro J. Ingram and Andrew Mines are with George Washington University and Amira Jadoon is with United States Military Academy West Point President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey agreed Thursday to expand supplies of one of the Ukrainian armys most sophisticated weapons, a long-range, Turkish-made armed drone whose use in combat for the first time in Ukraine in the fall infuriated Russian officials. Erdogans decision to provide weapons and diplomatically back Ukraine was a public rebuke to Moscow and another complicating factor in the mix of cooperation and conflict between Turkey and Russia, historical rivals for supremacy in the region around the Black Sea. The promise of more arms for Ukraine, especially an offensive weapon like the Turkish drone, is an extremely sensitive issue for Moscow, which says that its security is threatened and that it has no choice but to mass troops on the Ukrainian border. Ukrainians, while welcoming diplomatic support, have said that what they primarily need are more weapons to deter any attack. Also Read | Biden and Macron review coordinated response against Russia over Ukraine The Turkish leaders visit to Ukraines capital, Kyiv, to announce the arms deal came as diplomatic dividing lines are being drawn in the crisis, with the United States, Britain and Eastern European nations sending weaponry to bolster Ukraine in the event of war with Russia. A US airlift of anti-tank missiles and small-arms ammunition continued Thursday with the arrival of a seventh cargo jet of weaponry to Kyiv. At the same time, Russia denounced the Biden administrations announcement that it would send additional troops to NATO countries, with the Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, accusing the United States of igniting tensions on the European continent. Turkey has sold Ukraine armed, Bayraktar TB2 drones that the Ukrainian military used for the first time in combat in the war with Russian-backed separatists in October. The drone destroyed a separatist howitzer from miles away, surprising the separatists. The missile strike suggested a tipping of the military balance in the eastern Ukraine war using a NATO-provided weapon, angering Russia. Putin mentioned the drone attack in the fall in speeches. And in December, Putin protested the drone sales directly in a telephone call with Erdogan, saying that the Ukrainians use of Turkish armed drones was destructive and provocative activity, according to a Kremlin readout of the call. Check out DH's latest videos Authorities in the US city of Minneapolis, where George Floyd was murdered in 2020, published body-cam video Thursday showing the police shooting of a 22-year-old African American man. According to the police, Amir Locke was shot on Wednesday by officers who were executing a search warrant on the apartment he was in, after Locke pulled a gun from beneath a blanket. The total time between the officers' entrance and the shots fired was less than ten seconds. Locke was pronounced dead at hospital. The local Star Tribune newspaper reported that Locke was not named in the search warrant, but said he was related to a suspect in the investigation of a homicide. The family's attorneys said in a statement Thursday that he "legally possessed a firearm," and had no past criminal record. His mother told the Star Tribune: "We want justice for our son." In the video, an officer uses a key to unlock the door and then a group of officers enter while shouting "Police, search warrant!" Locke, who was on a couch, starts to rise from beneath a blanket, with a gun in his hand, when police fire. The family has retained lawyer Ben Crump, who has represented multiple Black victims of police violence, including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, whose killings in 2020 sparked nationwide protests. Crump will hold a virtual press conference Friday morning with the family, they said in a statement. In May 2020, George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Two months earlier, Breonna Taylor was killed after police entered her home after midnight and her boyfriend, thinking they were intruders, fired on them. Conversations on the police radio prior to the Minneapolis events Wednesday suggest that the police had planned a "no-knock" entrance, the Star-Tribune reported. "Like the case of Breonna Taylor, the tragic killing of Amir Locke shows a pattern of no-knock warrants having deadly consequences for Black Americans," said Crump in a statement. "We will continue pushing for answers in this case so that Amir's grieving family can get the closure they deserve," he added. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Four of Boris Johnsons closest aides have resigned, in the latest setback for the embattled British prime minister trying to reset his government in the wake of the Downing Street 'Partygate' scandal that has put his position in peril. Johnson's longstanding policy chief Munira Mirza, chief of staff Dan Rosenfield, principal private secretary Martin Reynolds, and communications director Jack Doyle all left their posts within hours of each other on Thursday, days after a damning investigation revealed that multiple parties took place at Downing Street while the rest of the United Kingdom was living under strict Covid-19 lockdown rules. Doyle confirmed his exit shortly after the departure of Mirza. They were followed by Rosenfield and Reynolds, the BBC reported on Friday. The top aides' resignations come as Johnson, 57, faces increasing questions over his leadership from within his party. Doyle told staff that "recent weeks have taken a terrible toll on my family life", but that he had always intended to leave after two years. Also read: Pressure grows on UK PM Johnson as three more lawmakers call for him to quit over 'partygate' A statement from a No 10 spokeswoman said Rosenfield had offered his resignation to the prime minister earlier on Thursday but would stay on while his successor was found. Reynolds - the prime minister's principal private secretary - will do the same, but then return to a role at the Foreign Office, the report said. However, Mirza quit over the Prime Minister's false claim that opposition Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile when he was director of public prosecutions, and his refusal to apologise. Mirza was the first to go, using a stinging resignation letter to accuse the prime minister of scurrilous behaviour when he falsely linked Starmer to the failure to bring paedophile Jimmy Savile to justice. Mirza's exit is the most consequential. She was one of Johnson's long-standing allies and a key political player who helped shape the prime minister's platform - some of which made her unpopular with other members of his ruling Conservative Party. Chancellor Rishi Sunak publicly distanced himself from Johnsons original comment, saying: "Being honest, I wouldn't have said it." And asked if Johnson should apologise, the Indian-origin leader said: "That's for the prime minister to decide." Sunak has previously declined to criticise Johnson directly throughout the weeks of revelations about lockdown-busting parties in Downing Street, though he has acknowledged that mistakes were made. The flurry of resignations came at the end of an important day for the government as the chancellor sought to explain how he hopes to avert a cost of living crisis for millions of people affected by rising fuel bills and mortgage payments. The pressure for Johnson to step down has been increasing among members of his Conservative party after a series of missteps and allegations he and his team held rule-breaking parties during the pandemic. Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said: "No amount of reorganising Downing Street can clean up the sleaze that comes straight from the top. "With [Johnson's] senior advisers and aides quitting, perhaps it is finally time for him to look in the mirror and consider if he might just be the problem," Rayner said. Johnsons former adviser Dominic Cummings claimed Mirzas departure was an unmistakable signal the bunker is collapsing and this PM is finished. He urged ministers to show a similar flicker of moral courage and resign. A number of MPs supportive of the prime minister have been tweeting praise, suggesting Johnson was responsible for making necessary staff changes following the damning report by civil servant Sue Gray into rule-breaking parties at Downing Street during the pandemic. The report, released Monday, uncovered multiple parties and a culture of excessive drinking at Downing Street. Gray said there had been a "failure of leadership" in Johnson's government. Against the backdrop of the pandemic, when the Government was asking citizens to accept far-reaching restrictions on their lives, some of the behaviour surrounding these gatherings is difficult to justify," the report said. Three Conservative MPs went public on Wednesday with their intention to submit letters of no confidence in the prime minister. One senior Tory MP said the departure of Mirza smacked of the last days of Rome, suggesting the number of no confidence letters may now be approaching the threshold of 54 that would trigger a no-confidence vote, The Guardian newspaper reported. If Johnson lost such a vote, which could be held within days, his premiership would be over. Johnson told a journalist from Britain's Channel 5 News that he's "sorry to lose" Mirza, who had worked with the prime minister for 14 years. Johnson said he did not agree with Mirza's assertion that his comments on Starmer were inappropriate. Mirza, often seen as a proponent of Downing Streets war on woke, had worked with Johnson for more than a decade, including at City Hall when he was mayor of London. He previously identified her as one of the five most inspiring women in his life. Check out latest videos from DH: Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said on Thursday there were "strong, strong indications" that civilian deaths in a US raid in Syria that killed Islamic State's leader were caused by the militant group, not by American forces. Abu Ibrahim al-Hashemi al-Quraishi blew himself up during a raid by US commandos overnight, also killing members of his own family, including women and children, according to President Joe Biden and US officials. Also Read | Biden says IS leader killed in US military raid Kirby told reporters that the United States evacuated 10 people, including children, from the raid area. US forces also engaged in a firefight with one of Quraishi's lieutenants and the lieutenant's wife, Kirby said. Both the lieutenant and his wife were killed, "and it appears as if a child was also killed" in the area, he added. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said earlier in a statement that the operation was designed and conducted in a manner to minimize civilian casualties. "But, given the complexity of this mission, we will take a look at the possibility our actions may also have resulted in harm to innocent people," Austin said. Kirby told reporters the United States was willing to review the operation to make sure it did not cause any civilian deaths. Check out DH's latest videos: A Minneapolis police officer fatally shot an armed man mere seconds after cops roused the man while he was sleeping on a couch. Amir Locke, a 22-year-old Black man, was holding a gun in his right hand, rolling over and covered by a blanket when officer Mark Hanneman shot him three times, body-cam video released Thursday night shows. (Warning: Graphic Video) Advertisement Less than 10 seconds elapsed from the moment police barged through the apartment door to the moment they shot Locke. The video released by the city of Minneapolis shows the shooting three times, first in slow motion, next in super slo-mo and last in real speed. Minneapolis leaders confirmed that Locke was not the subject of the search warrant that was executed around 7 a.m. Wednesday morning at the Bolero Flats Apartments, local CBS affiliate WCCO reported. Advertisement A freeze frame taken moments before police killed Amir Locke. (YouTube.com) Officers yelling police and search warrant apparently failed to wake Locke, so one cop kicked the back of the couch where Locke was sleeping. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > That was enough to get him to roll over. With a blanket on his back, Locke peeked his head out and could be seen holding a gun in his right hand. Almost instantly, Hanneman shot him three times. Locke was shot twice in the chest and once in the wrist, according to WCCO. He was transported to a local hospital, where he died. Police said the gun Locke was holding was loaded and released photos of a weapon with ammunition. Lockes relatives said he was a licensed gun owner with a concealed-carry permit. News of the shooting outraged Minneapolis residents, who demanded the release of the body-camera video and an explanation for the warrant. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who was retained by Lockes family, compared Lockes killing to the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Ky., in March 2020. Like the case of Breonna Taylor, the tragic killing of Amir Locke shows a pattern of no-knock warrants having deadly consequences for Black Americans, Crump said in a statement. This is yet another example of why we need to put an end to these kinds of search warrants so that one day, Black Americans will be able to sleep safely in their beds at night. The shooting will be investigated by the Hennepin County Attorneys Office. The Minneapolis Police Department remains the subject of a federal investigation into a possible pattern or practice of unlawful or unconstitutional policing. That investigation was announced in April 2021, immediately after former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering George Floyd. Opposition parties of West Bengal on Thursday slammed the State Election Commission for announcing polls to 108 municipal bodies on February 27, without paying heed to their demand for conducting them after some time due to the pandemic situation. Parties such as the BJP, Congress and the CPI(M) are also accused the SEC of being controlled by the ruling Trinamool Congress as the state poll panel did not concede to their other demand that votes polled on February 27 and February 12 be counted simultaneously. Elections to four municipal corporations will be held on February 12 and counting of votes is slated for February 14. The date for declaring results of the February 27 polls will be declared later, the SEC said. Also Read | TMC MP slams Centre over incorrect WHO map of India The TMC, on the other hand, said that the opposition had been clamouring for civic election earlier, and they seek to defer it when the date is announced. "The SEC should act impartially and independently. It should not be dictated by the ruling Trinamool Congress. It should not compromise its independence as an autonomous body which is the prerequisite of any democracy," BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya told reporters. He alleged that the SEC ignored the health of lakhs of voters by not deferring the date of election to the 108 civic bodies. The saffron party last week called for deferring election in 108 civic bodies by four weeks due to the prevailing Covid-19 situation in the state. Bhattacharya, however, said the BJP is ready for the election as it is sure of a favourable verdict if it is held in a free and fair manner. The SEC has not responded favourably to the request of the BJP and other parties for simultaneous counting of votes of February 12 and 27, he said. State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Choudhury claimed that the SEC is acting as directed by the ruling party "because the TMC does not believe in democratic principles." "In the present situation, what we can only demand is to ensure that there are free and fair polls," he said. CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty said, "The views of the opposition are not considered in TMC-ruled West Bengal. The ruling party is using the SEC to conduct the civic body polls to suit its own interest." Civic polls are being held in "three phases" and results will be announced after each phase, which is unprecedented, he said. Before the upcoming two sets of civic elections in February, polls to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation was held in December last year. The TMC swept the polls winning 134 of the total 144 wards. Elections to Kolkata Municipal Corporation, along with 112 other civic bodies, were due in April-May 2020. The exercise was postponed owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the opposition had been demanding civic polls earlier but once the date is announced, they want to defer it. "If the BJP cannot find polling agents or mobilise cadres to fight the elections and seek deferment due to such factors, the SEC cannot be expected to oblige them. It is driven by the recommendations of experts and its own assessment of the situation," he said. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Suvendu Adhikari alleged that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee violated the model code of conduct by holding an administrative meeting. The model code of conduct came into force after the SEC issued a notification earlier in the day announcing that elections to 108 civic bodies will be held on February 27. "...Model Code of Conduct has come into force now. In such circumstances, how can CM hold Administrative meetings with SPs & DMs of the districts? It's evident that @CEOWestBengal is influenced by TMC," Adhikari tweeted. In reply to his accusations, TMC Deputy Chief Whip Tapas Roy claimed the BJP leader does not know the rules. "No model code is flouted by holding routine administrative meetings. Should the police stop ensuring law and order? Should regular administrative works be stopped?" he asked. Banerjee held the administrative review meeting at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata on Thursday. Check out DH's latest videos: Under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM), the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has installed and commissioned Param Pravega, one of the most powerful supercomputers in the country, and the largest in an Indian academic institution. The system, which is expected to power diverse research and educational pursuits, has a total supercomputing capacity of 3.3 petaflops (1 petaflop equals a quadrillion or 1015 operations per second). It has been designed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC). A majority of the components used to build this system have been manufactured and assembled within the country, along with an indigenous software stack developed by C-DAC, in line with the Make in India initiative, according to a press release by IISc. NSM is steered jointly by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and implemented by C-DAC and IISc. The Mission has supported the deployment of 10 supercomputer systems so far at IISc, IITs, IISER Pune, JNCASR, NABI-Mohali and C-DAC, with a cumulative computing power of 17 petaflops. About 31,00,000 computational jobs have successfully been carried out by around 2,600 researchers across the country to date. These systems have greatly helped faculty members and students carry out major R&D activities, including developing platforms for genomics and drug discovery, studying urban environmental issues, establishing flood warning and prediction systems, and optimising telecom networks. The Param Pravega system at IISc is a mix of heterogeneous nodes, with Intel Xeon Cascade Lake processors for the CPU nodes andANVIDIA Tesla V100 cards on the GPU nodes. The hardware consists of an ATOS BullSequana XH2000 series system, with a comprehensive peak compute power of 3.3 petaflops. The software stack on top of the hardware is provided and supported by C-DAC. The machine hosts an array of programme development tools, utilities, and libraries for developing and executing high-Performance Computing (HPC) applications. IISc already has a cutting-edge supercomputing facility established several years ago. In 2015, the Institute procured and installed SahasraT, which was at that time the fastest supercomputer in the country. Faculty members and students have been using this facility to carry out research in various impactful and socially-relevant areas. These include research on Covid-19 and other infectious diseases, such as modelling viral entry and binding, studying interactions of proteins in bacterial and viral diseases, and designing new molecules with antibacterial and antiviral properties. Researchers have also used the facility to simulate turbulent flows for green energy technologies, study climate change and associated impacts, analyse aircraft engines and hypersonic flight vehicles, and many other research activities. These efforts are expected to ramp up significantly with Param Pravega. Check out the latest videos from DH: Congress on Friday intensified its attack on Narendra Modi government on its handling of China with top leader Rahul Gandhi claiming that 'Make In India' has now become 'Buy from China' and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge describing the ruling BJP as "Beijing Janata Party". Taking forward his attack on the government during his speech on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address on Wednesday, Rahul said the Modi government has destroyed the unorganised sector and MSMEs that create jobs. "Jumla for India, Jobs for China! Modi government has destroyed the unorganised sector and MSMEs that create the most jobs. Result: 'Make In India' is now 'Buy from China'," he tweeted sharing a video that also had excerpts of his speech in Lok Sabha. JUMLA for India JOBS for China! Modi Government has destroyed the Unorganised Sector and MSMEs that create the most jobs. Result: 'Make In India' is now 'Buy from China' pic.twitter.com/nZRUsYxgkP Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 4, 2022 The video alleged that the Prime Minister has promised Make in India but only buy from China. It went on to say that there was a "record 46% rise in imports (highest ever) from China in 2021. Unemployment has broken all records in India...China has occupied Indian territory. But Modi government is ensuring China's vikas (development)." Tagging Rahul's tweet, Kharge posted, "Beijing Janata Party (BJP) is not only surrendering our land to China, but also surrendering our economy!" Beijing Janata Party (BJP) is not only surrendering our land to China, but also surrendering our economy! https://t.co/bRdgkz0ejX Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) February 4, 2022 The official Twitter handle of Congress tweeted, "On one hand they are bulldozing over the homes of our poor. On the other, they remain quiet as China builds homes on our land. What kind of nationalism is this? #BJPsIdeaOfTwoIndias." On one hand they are bulldozing over the homes of our poor. On the other, they remain quiet as China builds homes on our land. What kind of nationalism is this? #BJPsIdeaOfTwoIndias pic.twitter.com/hzilPNKAzh Congress (@INCIndia) February 4, 2022 On Thursday, Rahul had tagged a news report citing a statement of BJP MP Tapir Gao, who urged the government to find a solution as China is picking up Indian citizens and tweeted. "China first captured our land and is now abducting our citizens and torturing them. Modiji is silently waiting for achhe din. Shameful." During his speech in Lok Sabha, Rahul has said that the Modi government's stand on China and Pakistan only brought the two neighbouring countries together to work against India. "The single biggest strategic goal of India has been to keep China and Pakistan apart. But what you have done is brought them together. You have committed the single biggest crime you can commit," he said besides referring to the trade deficit with China. Check out the latest videos from DH: The Government of India has reviewed the security of AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi and provided him with Z category security of CRPF with immediate effect, according to ANI quoting sources. Official sources said the CRPF commandos will be deployed for the security of Owaisi round-the-clock. Two persons have been arrested for firing at the car of AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi yesterday in Uttar Pradesh. The arms used in the crime have also been recovered. "The accused said they were hurt by his remarks against a particular religion. They will be produced before the court," UP ADG (L&O) Prashant Kumar told ANI. Owaisi's vehicle was shot at near the Chhijarso toll plaza on the Hapur-Ghaziabad stretch of the National Highway 24 at around 6 pm on February 4. No one was injured in the incident, Owaisi had said while urging the Election Commission to ensure an independent probe into the incident. Kumar had said one person involved in the episode has been arrested and a pistol seized from him. (With PTI inputs) Watch the latest DH Videos here: The North Delhi Municipal Corporation and a leading e-payment firm on Thursday joined hands to boost digital mode of payment for citizens to avail civic services, officials said. Municipal Commissioner Sanjay Goel said the collaboration will promote hassle-free digital transactions and enhance digital penetration among the citizens. NDMC and PayTM joined hands to boost digital mode of payment for availing civic services, the officials said, adding that the move will go a long way in promoting transparency and ease of doing business. Goel said citizens can pay taxes through a payment gateway which will soon be available for availing other municipal services, such as registration of birth and death, e-mutation, health trade licence, parks and community hall booking, etc. It provides digital access and the aim is to make e-governance services available to citizens with ease, the officials said. In another development, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation said that under the Swachh Survekshan-2022, it has declared Ghumanhera ward in the Najafgarh Zone as its first 'Atmanirbhar Ward'. This ward comprises 24 village committees. Because of active participation of residents and pursuance of a brand ambassador, they have achieved 100 per cent segregation of waste and have been able to process 100 per cent wet waste within their ward and generate compost, officials said. SDMC appeals to all residents of South Delhi to please segregate their waste in dry, wet and hazardous segments, and hand it over to sanitation staff during door-to-door collection, they said. Check out DH's latest videos: Senior RSS functionary Indresh Kumar on Friday said that unlike the previous governments, the aim of the present government is to develop and gain the trust of all religions as that is the key to success and not appeasement. "The previous governments used to fight for the votes of Christians, Muslims and Hindus, because of which a church, a temple or a mosque used to be brought down somewhere. Today, India is on a new path where there is no hatred, only reconciliation and love. The biggest reason for this is that the aim of today's government is to develop all religions by respecting each other and getting everyone's trust. This is the key to success, not the politics of appeasement," he said. Kumar was talking about the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls while addressing members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and various organisations of Christians at a programme organised in the state capital to discuss issues of development, unity, goodwill, brotherhood and peace in the country. Also Read BJP hits back at Congress over hijab row, minister says 'won't let Karnataka turn into Taliban' Kumar said that since Independence, the people of the country have fought over religion and they were also asked to stay away from the RSS and the BJP. "But one can understand that India has changed. With the change, a new India has emerged. This is the India that takes people of every religion and community along. This is the reason that when the decision was taken to build a (Ram) temple in Ayodhya, there was no violence of any kind," he said. The senior RSS functionary also called for leaving aside mutual discrimination and religious bigotry, and urged people to come forward for the country's development. He said no religion should attack any other religion but should come together on one platform and find a solution to their problems. Shahid Sayeed, the media in-charge of RSS-affiliate Muslim Rashtriya Manch, said similar programmes of the Sangh and Christian organisations will be held in Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, along with some other places in Uttar Pradesh, in the coming days. Watch the latest DH Videos here: The NEET issue reverberated in Rajya Sabha on Friday with the Opposition staging a protest and walkout from the House over Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi returning the bill passed by state Assembly to exempt students from the all-India entrance test. In Lok Sabha, MPs, including Congresss Manickam Tagore, submitted adjournment notices to discuss the issue but it was not allowed. During Zero Hour, DMK members led by Tiruchi Siva insisted that the business of the House be suspended to discuss the issue but Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu did not allow it saying they could raise it during Motion of Thanks to the President's Address. However, the DMK MPs, who were also supported by other Opposition parties, continued their protest and trooped the Well of the House. Also Read | NEET PG exam 2022 postponed ahead of Supreme Court hearing Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge supported the demand of DMK MPs and as the Chairman did not agree, he announced a walkout. MPs from Congress, DMK and Trinamool Congress among others walked out. As the Zero Hour ended, Naidu said 14 Zero Hour mentions were taken up in 30 minutes, and "if others had cooperated", the remaining three too could have been taken up. "People were feeling happy that the Rajya Sabha is functioning without disruption and the members are having their say. But today, unfortunately...one has to go by rules. I have not admitted it. It was not a matter that was brought to the Centre or Parliament. It is an issue in the state," Naidu said. The intensification of protest against NEET in Parliament comes as the Governor on Thursday returned the NEET Bill back to the government. Tamil Nadu MPs, including those from DMK and Congress, have been raising the NEET issue in Parliament from day one of the Budget Session. Just before President Ram Nath Kovind started his customary address to the joint sitting of Parliament on January 31, DMK and Congress MPs had raised the issue of the Governor not forwarding the Bill to the Centre. Get live updates from the Parliament here On Thursday, MPs from Tamil Nadu staged a walkout from Lok Sabha protesting Governor R N Ravi's decision to return the NEET Exemption Bill and demanding his immediate recall. DMK's TR Baalu had said in Lok Sabha, "this governor should be withdrawn forthwith. This governor should be recalled." He said the NEET Exemption Bill was unanimously passed by the Tamil Nadu assembly and the action of the governor was against the will of the people of the state. Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the Governor was well within his rights to return the bill and that rules do not permit discussion on the conduct of the governor in the House. Baalu said the members from Tamil Nadu were not satisfied with the minister's response and walked out of the House. Participating in the debate on the Motion of Thanks on President's Address, Congress Whip in Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore said the governor had kept the NEET Exemption Bill pending for five months. Check out the latest videos from DH: The Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday asked members to respect the chair and avoid making adverse comments against the presiding officer either on social media or inside or outside the House. Birla made the observation in the Lok Sabha a day after Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, took to Twitter, alleging that although she was not allowed to speak for the entirety of the 13 minutes of time she was allotted to speak on the Motion of Thanks to the President for his speech on the first day of the Budget Session. Rama Devi, a member of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, was in the chair, presiding over the sitting of the House in the absence of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Whether inside the house or outside, comments made on the Chair is not good for the dignity of the House. The dignity of the house is sacrosanct and every honourable member should respect it, Birla said, without directly referring to Moitra. The Chair always tries to be impartial and work impartially, runs the house in accordance with the rules and allots honourable members enough time to speak in the house," he added. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, as well as the leaders of other political parties, including Sudip Bandopadhyay of the Trinamool Congress, expressed support to the observation by the Speaker and pledged to cooperate with him to maintain the dignity of the chair and the House. Moitra, known for her fiery speeches in the Lok Sabha, was asked by Rama Devi to speak without getting angry. The Trinamool Congress MP replied that what she could do if she got angry while criticizing the government. She later alleged that her microphone was switched off by Rama Devi before she could finish her speech and another member was asked to speak. Moitra later met Birla in his chamber to complain that she was not allowed to speak for the entirety of the time she was allotted. LS Speaker had alloted (allotted) AT LEAST 13 mins (minutes) to me, when confronted in his chamber he claimed he was not in the chair, hence cant (cannot) be blamed. When further cornered, he said It was my greatness that I even allowed you 13 mins in 1st place, Unbelievable, the Trinamool Congress MP posted on Twitter. Check out the latest videos from DH: A Parliamentary committee has taken "serious note" of growing incidents of "demolition of several temples of immense cultural importance by anti-social elements", asking the culture ministry to come up with a foolproof mechanism with the help of the home ministry. In reply, the ministry said that an SOP is being worked out. The Rajya Sabhas standing committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture submitted a report on the development and conservation of museums and archaeological sites on Thursday. In its report, the committee headed by BJP MP TG Venkatesh directed the culture ministry to work on a procedure with help from the home ministry. The Committee is of the firm view that such incidents should be prevented at any cost and exhorts the Ministry to ensure a foolproof mechanism to arrest such incidents and protect our cherished cultural heritage. The Committee underlines the need for an infallible procedure prescribing close coordination amongst the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Home Affairs and the State Governments, the report read. Also Read Temple vandalism is giving rise to communal politics in Andhra. Whodunnit? In reply, the culture ministry said that the Archeological Survey of India, which looks at such sites, has a security mechanism in place. ASI-protected Monuments are generally safe from vandalism due to security apparatus in place. However, to further strengthen this apparatus, a policy and detailed SoPs are being developed, read the ministrys reply. The Committee also pointed at safety and security concerns in the Northeastern states, Chhattisgarh and the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and asked the ministry to work at the prevention of vandalism and encroachment at archaeological sites and monuments, and directed the ministry to ensure strict penal provisions. The Committee also pulled up the ministry for not having a database of monuments protected by state governments. The Committee is surprised to note that the Ministry of Culture does not maintain a central database of monuments under the control of State Governments. The Committee wonders how the Ministry can decide upon whether a certain monument/site should be included in the list of Centrally Protected Monuments, if it does not have any information regarding the monuments present in the country, read the report. Also Read Prohibitory orders imposed in Belagavi as Sangolli Rayanna statue vandalised Under the Museum Grant Scheme, the report said, from a total of Rs 72.51 crore between 2015-16 and 2019-20, 48 per cent of the total amount has been allocated to just two states, Nagaland and Andhra Pradesh. The Committee recommends that the Ministry should take steps to ensure equitable allocation of the financial aid to State Governments under the Museum Grants scheme, the report read. The Committee asked the culture ministry to encourage all states to submit proposals under this scheme. The Committee also asked the ministry to ensure wifi connectivity at all of its museums, and equip them with QR codes that lead visitors to the museums portal. Currently, Delhis National Museum and Kolkatas Victoria Memorial have the facility in place. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Seven persons, including a local AIADMK leader, have been arrested in connection with the murder of a DMK functionary at Madipakkam in Chennai. Police said that AIADMK leader Radhakrishnan, who was picked up from the Samayapuram toll gate along with his driver late Thursday night, is suspected to be the main accused in the murder of DMK leader C.Selvam. The arrested, identified as Radhakrishnan, the secretary of the AIADMK Amma Peravai in Tuticorin, his driver Dhanaseelan, Vignesh, Bhuvaneswar of Pallavam road, Sanjay (21) of Vyasapadi, Vignesh (26) of Arkonam, Kishore Kumar (21) of Tiruvallur, are in police custody. Sources in Medapakkam police told IANS that the interrogation of the seven is on and that property dispute is stated to be the main motive behind the crime. Selvam was hacked to death by a gang while he was conversing with his friends on Tuesday night at Bazar road in Madipakkam. The assailants reached the area in a car and two bikes and hacked Selvam to death. Tension is prevailing in the area. Check out DH's latest videos Two days after their son was fatally shot by a Minneapolis police officer, the parents of Amir Locke described the killing as an execution. My son was executed on 2/2 of 22, said his mother, Karen Wells, while standing next to his father, Andre Locke, on Friday. And now his dreams have been destroyed. Advertisement Andre Locke and Karen Wells, Amir Locke's parents, hold hands as Andre speaks during a press conference at City Hall in Minneapolis on Friday. (KEREM YUCEL/AFP via Getty Images) The 22-year-old Black man was sleeping and covered by a blanket when cops with a search warrant burst into his apartment. When Locke awoke, he pointed a loaded gun in the direction of officers, police said. Officer Mark Hanneman shot him three times during the raid before 7 a.m. Wednesday. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, hired by Lockes parents, said he was flabbergasted after viewing body-camera footage that was released Thursday night. Advertisement They didnt even give him a chance, Crump said Friday at a press conference, comparing Lockes death to the police killing of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Ky., in March 2020. Amir Locke is shown in body-cam video seconds after police officers woke him up on a couch in a Minneapolis apartment. He holds a gun in his right hand. (AP) Locke was licensed to own the gun, which his parents said he bought for protection while working as a DoorDash delivery driver. Crump and many others focused on the no-knock warrant used by Minneapolis police when entering the apartment. The body-cam video showed the cops unlocking the apartment door with a key before shouting Police! and Search warrant! in a confusing cavalcade of chatter. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Friday imposed a moratorium on no-knock warrants in the fallout from the shooting. Local NBC affiliate KARE reported that investigators with the St. Paul Police Department didnt request a no-knock warrant, but Minneapolis police insisted on it when asked to serve the warrant. Full text of the warrant has not been publicly released. Karen Wells, mother of Amir Locke, speaks during a press conference at City Hall in Minneapolis on Friday. (KEREM YUCEL/AFP via Getty Images) Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > Locke himself was not even a subject of the warrant. Police initially described him as a suspect in a homicide investigation, but corrected themselves Thursday night. Even the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, a conservative organization whose second-most recent statement backed several Republican politicians, slammed the killing of Locke in a press release. Mr. Locke did what many of us might do in the same confusing circumstances, he reached for a legal means of self-defense while he sought to understand what was happening, the groups vice president, Rob Doar, said. The tragic circumstances of Mr. Lockes death were completely avoidable. Advertisement Less than 10 seconds elapsed from the time officers opened the door to the moment Hanneman fatally shot Locke, hitting him twice in the chest and once in the wrist. Locke was asleep on a couch when the cops entered. One officer kicked the couch, waking Locke and getting him to roll over and peek his head out from under a blanket. He was holding a gun in his right hand, and police claimed it was loaded. The shooting will be investigated by the Hennepin County Attorneys Office along with the Minnesota attorney general. The Minneapolis Police Department remains the subject of a federal investigation into a possible pattern or practice of unlawful or unconstitutional policing. That investigation was announced in April 2021, immediately after former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering George Floyd. With News Wire Services At least five persons were killed after an under-construction building crashed in Pune. A skeleton of steel bars meant to build a slab at the basement level of the under-construction building site crashed late Thursday night trapping people at the under-construction building at Shastrinagar area of Yerwada in Pune. Around half a dozen people are undergoing treatment in hospitals. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has condoled the death of the people in the crash. Pained by the mishap at an under-construction building in Pune. Condolences to the bereaved families. I hope that all those injured in this mishap recover at the earliest, Modi said. Pained by the mishap at an under-construction building in Pune. Condolences to the bereaved families. I hope that all those injured in this mishap recover at the earliest: PM @narendramodi PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 4, 2022 "Ten labourers who were working underneath a mesh structure of iron rods got trapped after it crashed, according to Sunil Gilbile, Chief Fire Officer. Five persons have died in the incident, said Rohidas Pawar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone V). Check out DH's latest videos: Fresh media revelations that the Narendra Modi government bought Israeli spyware Pegasus in 2017 as part of a $2 billion package for sophisticated weapons and intelligence gear have again brought the controversy over illegal surveillance to the forefront. The report has claimed that the deal was made during Prime Minister Modis visit to Israel that year. Ever since a global investigative consortium reported last July that a number of persons, including politicians, activists, judges and journalists were targeted using Pegasus, the governments role has come under scrutiny. The government has refused to make its stand clear on whether it had purchased the software, though the NSO Group, the company which made the software, has stated that it had been sold only to governments. The report had given rise to a political row because it pointed to extensive and illegal hacking of the phones of many citizens, mostly those opposing the Modi governments ideology, policies and actions. Some of those whose names were made public got their phones examined and found that they had been infiltrated with the spyware. The revelations by New York Times are not just a repetition of the old charges. There are more details that call for convincing responses. The government should come clean and put its record straight on the matter. Its positions till now, including in Parliament, have not been credible. Also Read | No information available with us: MEA on Pegasus row The government has not given clear answers even to the Supreme Court where a petition was filed over the use of Pegasus on Indian citizens. The court found the governments answers unsatisfactory and unacceptable. It also said the government could not get a free pass every time on the ground of national security and noted that the public had the right to know whether the spyware was used illegally against citizens. It set up a three-member committee to investigate the matter and report to it. But this should not be an excuse for the government to withhold information, claiming that the matter is sub-judice. The Pegasus spyware is military-grade technology that can be used to target foreign threats. It can be used not only to conduct textual, audio and video surveillance on targets using their own smartphones and computers, it can also be used to take control of those devices and plant and manipulate files on them. It may be par for the course for spy agencies to use such capabilities against foreign targets, but using them on Indian citizens is unacceptable. There is widespread suspicion that such things have been done. If that is indeed the case, the governments moral authority to continue in office may come under question. This is the importance of the Pegasus case. And this is why the government must come clean on the whole affair. Check out DH's latest videos: In the run-up to the 2021 Assembly election, the DMK not only promised to abolish the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) in Tamil Nadu if it was voted to power, it made the issue the centerpiece of its poll campaign. When it was pointed out that a similar attempt by the AIADMK government in 2017 had failed, the DMK, then Tamil Nadus principal opposition party, contended that there were several avenues within the Constitution to realise its promise of abolishing NEET, which it said discriminates against rural students. However, nine months into power, the DMK, now firmly in the saddle, is facing the heat on the NEET issue. Soon after coming to power, the DMK government appointed a committee headed by retired Justice A K Rajan to study the issue. Also Read | Tamil Nadu Governor returns NEET Bill; DMK demands his recall It then passed a legally sound legislation in the Assembly seeking exemption for the state from the national exam, relying heavily on the committees report. The AIADMK, the principal opposition party, supported the move. Though passed by the Assembly on September 13, 2021, the Tamil Nadu Admission to Undergraduate Medical Degree Courses Act, 2021, was pending before Governor R N Ravi for five months. On February 3, Raj Bhavan said the Governor had returned the Bill to the Assembly Speaker with detailed reasons. Former Chief Minister E K Palaniswami, who introduced a 7.5% quota for government school students in medical admissions, is asking the DMK to explain why the exam has not been abolished in the state as promised during elections. The AIADMKs ally, BJP, has taken a different stand, saying that the government should drop the demand and prepare students for NEET. Even before he returned the Bill, the DMK had been training its guns on the Governor, demanding his resignation for sitting on it for five months instead of sending it to President Ram Nath Kovind for approval. The problems of the DMK vis-a-vis NEET have only compounded with the Governor returning the Bill on the grounds that it would affect rural students, almost toeing the BJP line. Fight will continue The DMKs attack on Governor Ravi will only sharpen now. Already, the partys mouthpiece, Murasoli, had criticised Ravi for his statement that depriving students in Tamil Nadu of the knowledge of other Indian languages was unfair to all. The DMK, which declared an all-out war against the Governor by asking him to remember that this is Tamil Nadu, not Nagaland, says the legal and political fight against NEET will continue. The issue also had its echo in Parliament on the first day of the Budget Session, with MPs from DMK and Congress raising the issue, faulting the Governor. On February 2, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also spoke about Tamil Nadus consistent opposition to NEET and the Centre not paying heed to its demand. Dismissing suggestions that the DMK misled students, Health Minister Ma Subramanian said that the M K Stalin government has been exerting pressure on the Union government to get the Bill passed by the Assembly ratified. He added that no government had made such an effort in the past to get the exam scrapped, recalling Chief Minister M K Stalins repeated appeals to the Governor to ratify the Bill. The legal and political fight to get NEET scrapped will continue. The goal of the government is to ensure that the exam is not held in Tamil Nadu and that students are enrolled in medical colleges based on their plus-two marks. There is no confusion among students as we have not asked them not to prepare for the exam. We are preparing them even as we fight, he told DH. Countering this, Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai blamed the state board syllabus for the declining standards of students studying in government schools. We are slowly ceding space to other South Indian states as per various surveys, which is unacceptable. So, NEET is absolutely necessary for the state, he told DH. If one looks at the numbers in 2020, 2021, and 2022, students from the state have performed much better in the NEET exam and this has resulted in real social justice, wherein several students from rural areas have got admission in medical colleges with or without the 7.5% quota, he added. Annamalai blamed the Justice Rajan report for extrapolating the numbers and hiding the rot within the state syllabus. NEET ticks all the parameters and that is why we want the exam to stay, he said. NEET has been an emotive issue in Tamil Nadu since it was first held in the state in 2017. At least a dozen students have ended lives, either due to fear of the exam or after being unable to clear it. Be pragmatic Prof Ramu Manivannan, former Head of the Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Madras, said the fight to get an exemption for NEET is political and suggested that the DMK open up new spaces and reach out to political parties across the country. It (the exemption) is not a mango that will fall into the DMKs lap on its own. The DMK has to mobilise strength if it is serious about implementing the promise, because the BJP will continue to isolate the party nationally on this issue. The DMK has to touch the common ground with the rest of the nation, he said. However, senior journalist R Bhagwan Singh opined that while blaming the Governor and the Centre is the political escape route, the pragmatic solution before the government is to prepare the students for such exams by opening up training centres in rural areas. It (NEET exemption) is not an implementable poll promise. Stalin should upgrade the state syllabus and help rural students prepare to face NEET and other exams, he told DH. Some 200 million years ago, the rocks that became the Palisades cliffs just across the Hudson River from New York formed during volcanic activity that helped rip apart the ancient supercontinent Pangea. That volcanism helped lead to the birth of the Atlantic Ocean while it also contributed to killing off as much as one-quarter of all life on Earth during the event known as the end-Triassic mass extinction. Marine animals like ammonites, ichthyosaurs and corals took huge hits during the extinction, and scientists have long suspected that the Atlantic-forming volcanism had something to do with it because of its effects on the climate and oceans. But evidence of what exactly killed life has been scant, making it one of the least understood of the so-called Big Five mass extinctions that punctuate the history of life on Earth. Research published in January in the journal Geology, though, is starting to fill in the gaps of this prehistoric murder mystery. By studying rocks in the southwest of England, a team of scientists found evidence of two triggers. One is that as oceans absorbed carbon dioxide emissions from the volcanic activity, they became so acidic that animals with shells dissolved in the water and died. The other is that the oceans lost their oxygen and became toxic to all but the most hardy ocean creatures. The main question that we set out to address is: What are the specific kill mechanisms of marine life at the end-Triassic? said Jessica Whiteside, a geochemist at the University of Southampton in England and an author of the new research. The answer to which helps provide context for, and perhaps helps predict the future ecological and biodiversity effects of current CO2. Whiteside described the discovery of clues in rocks of Englands Blue Lias Formation, which emerged in the wake of the volcanism. What I noticed early on were these weird ghost fossils, she said. Ghost fossils are impressions of things like shells that remain in the rock, but without any remnant of the shells that made them a sign that the shells dissolved in acidic waters. Other clues were chemical traces, or biomarkers, of a kind of bacteria known to thrive in waters without oxygen, and where there are dangerously high levels of a toxin called hydrogen sulfide. Bathed in toxic waters with no oxygen to breathe, marine life on top of being dissolved alive was all but doomed. Noah Planavsky, a biogeochemist at Yale University who was not involved in the research, said the discovery of the biomarkers provided strong evidence for toxic, oxygen-deficient waters. He added that this is something we can expect in the future in our contemporary oceans. These kill mechanisms also reveal how mass extinctions arent always instant events like an asteroid hitting the planet, said Stephen Brusatte, a vertebrate palaeontologist at the University of Edinburgh who was not involved in the new work. Were used to thinking of mass extinctions as these single catastrophic events, where there is a lone killer that we can put all of the blame on, Brusatte said. But this study shows that there is often nuance to these episodes of mass death. Less clear is what drove the extinctions on land. Until the end-Triassic extinction, relatives of todays crocodiles dominated land ecosystems, while early dinosaurs were relatively minor players. But after the extinction, the crocodile relatives vanished and dinosaurs started shifting into the limelight. This part of the story is still poorly known compared to what was happening in the oceans, and its intriguing to wonder whether there were multiple kill mechanisms on land, too, Brusatte said. If so, this could help explain why the dinosaurs were able to survive and then disperse across the wasteland world in the aftermath. Karnataka Primary & Secondary Education Minister BC Nagesh, and Kannada & Culture Minister V Sunil Kumar hit back at the Congress over the hijab row. While Nagesh treaded the bureaucratic line by citing a 2018 circular, Kumar said that the BJP won't let Udupi or Mangaluru become "another Taliban." Nagesh said that it was the then Siddaramaiah-led Congress that introduced a rule allowing institutions to enforce a uniform, slamming the former chief minister for misguiding people. It was in 2018, when Siddaramaiah was the CM, that a rule was introduced stating that institutions can prescribe a uniform. It was not the BJP government that introduced uniforms. There should be a limit to playing politics, Nagesh told reporters. I feel bad for Siddaramaiah, a senior leader and lawyer by training, for misguiding people for the sake of votes. Nagesh further said that in Kundapura, a decision was taken by the school development and monitoring committee (SDMC) that a uniform is needed to inculcate a sense of brotherhood. This was in 1985. Who was the MLA then? Nagesh said. Also Read Another Karnataka govt college bars hijab-clad girls Kumar said one cannot wear what one likes to school. Clearly, the opinion among people is that there has to be a uniform. Wearing religious clothes cannot be tolerated. We won't allow Karnataka, Udupi or the Mangaluru district to become Taliban. Kumar also sensed foul play over students approaching the high court on the hijab row. A section of students enrolled in a government college because they cant pay fees has moved court. Who is behind this? Some groups are trying to make campuses religious. Uniform is a matter of code of conduct, he said. Training his guns on Congress leader Siddaramaiah, Kumar accused the former chief minister of starting the trend of pitting one caste against another. With schemes like Pravasa Bhagya and Shaadi Bhagya, he tried to inject poison in society. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday directed authorities to approach the National Medical Council with a proposal to make one-year internships for medical students at government hospitals compulsory. Bommai also ordered district medical officers to be relieved from administrative work at hospitals and for KAS officers to be appointed in their stead. He issued these directions at a review meeting on the health and medical education departments. During the meeting, Bommai also asked the medical education department to issue orders to open a government medical college at Chitradurga. At present, Karnataka already has a rule mandating medical graduates to work in rural areas for one year. According to a release, Bommai directed officials to formulate an integrated nutrition programme for mothers and children. Greater focus is needed in this regard at taluk and district levels. Get the necessary funds to improve the nutrition level and bring a significant change in this regard within a year," a release quoted Bommai as saying. Also Read Karnataka plans Rs 1,140-crore project to develop 25 temples Bommai further instructed that new primary health centres should come up only in districts where they are needed. Also, he stressed the need for dialysis centres to be started under the PPP model. The CM sought to streamline the availability of medicines at government hospitals. Patients should get quality medicines at minimum price in government hospitals, he said, adding that the distribution of drugs should be decentralised. Government drug outlets should have all the medicines. Stock and account records should be digitised. The quality of the medicines purchased should be confirmed. Medicines should be procured directly from the manufacturers after comparing their price in neighbouring states, Bommai said. Watch the latest DH Videos here: The state government will take up a 'Daiva Sankalpa' project worth Rs 1,140 crore to develop 25 'A' category temples, Muzrai Minister Shashikala Jolle said Friday. The government plans to develop these temples along the lines of the Kashi temple in Uttar Pradesh, she said. Temples selected under the project should have 10 acres of land. A master plan will be formulated, under which heritage-style structures will be constructed around the temple premises. According to Jolle, lodging facilities for devotees, underground drainage, solid waste management plants, multi-level parking, RO plants and other amenities will come up. The project will not be funded by the government, but will use income generated by the temples. Ten 'C' category temples will also be developed in each district with help from donors. The Muzrai department has asked deputy commissioners in all districts to compile a list of temples for this, Jolle said. In all, she said 1,000 'C' category temples will be developed comprehensively every year. Also Read Karnataka govt still studying plan to free Hindu temples: Minister Based on requests from devotees in North Karnataka, the state government has initiated measures to develop basic facilities at Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh. "We have land in Srisailam where a Yatri Nivas and hall will be constructed. Works worth Rs 85 crore will be taken up by the Public Works Department. The government has released Rs 45 crore under the first phase," she said. The government has plans to set up facilities for devotees from Karnataka at Kashi also, she said, adding that it will be finalised once the Uttar Pradesh government sanctions land for the state near the temple. Similarly, there are plans to build a Karnataka hall in Ayodhya. "Letter correspondence has taken place. After the legislature session, we will visit Ayodhya and hold talks with officials there," she said. The government is also working on a new financial assistance scheme for pilgrims to visit the 12 Jyotirlingas across the country. This will be similar to the assistance provided to those who complete the Chardham Yatra and Kailash Manasa Sarovara pilgrimages. Weighing in on the hijab controversy, Muzrai, Hajj and Wakf Minister Shashikala Jolle noted that India is a country that celebrates unity in diversity. "Such incidents are wrong," she said, adding that the minds of students should not be influenced (by religious divisions). Watch the latest DH Videos here: At least 28 Muslim girls were denied entry into a government junior college for wearing the hijab in Udupi, the second educational institution to do so in recent days, evoking strong reactions from various quarters, especially on social media. Authorities at the Government Junior College in Kundapura shut the gates on Muslim girls regardless of their pleas against the arbitrary nature of the hijab ban. This is the same college where more than 100 boys showed up wearing saffron shawls to counter the hijab-clad girls on Wednesday. Attempts to prevent Muslim girls from attending college with hijabs were also reported in at least three other colleges of the district during the day. This, even as eight hijab-clad girls at the Government Womens Pre- University College in Udupi remain barred from classes. On Thursday, the 28 girls waited outside the gates of the college throughout the day and returned home disappointed. They were stopped at the gates by college principal Ramakrishna B G, who told them that they will not be allowed to attend classes based on directions by the government and Kundapura MLA Haladi Srinivas Shetty. The BJP MLA had rushed to the college on Wednesday to find an amicable solution after boys wore saffron shawls. Videos showing the teary-eyed girls seeking an explanation from the college authorities went viral on social media. There are just two months left for the exams. Why are you ruining our future, the students said, adding that they would have sought admission in another college if the ban was effected at the beginning of the academic year. Their repeated pleas to attend classes fell on deaf ears as the principal expressed helplessness saying he had to follow orders. The boys were allowed to attend without the saffron shawls. A huge posse of police personnel were deployed at the college to prevent any untoward incidents. Meanwhile, at Bhandarkars Arts and Science College, Kundapura, boys entered the college campus wearing saffron shawls, chanting Jai Sri Ram. College principal Prof N P Narayan Shetty succeeded in convincing them to remove the saffron shawls before entering the classes. Other students were directed to wear only the college uniform and those insisting on wearing headscarves were asked to remain in the ladies room. Check out DH's latest videos: The state government will establish a disaster response training centre which will be named after freedom fighter Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said Thursday. Jnanendra was speaking after flagging off 30 new vehicles that the government has purchased for the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) at a cost of Rs 20 crore. We plan to set up a training centre named after Bose on a 20-acre space belonging to the state fire force in Doddaballapur, Jnanendra said. We will also have a programme to make future generations aware of Boses contributions on the occasion of his 125th birth anniversary, he added. Jnanendra said the new vehicles procured by the government include ambulances and even diesel generator sets so that rescue personnel can carry out their work in remote areas where there is no electricity. Karnataka Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah threw his weight behind Muslim girls on their right to wear the hijab to schools and colleges, in a first assertive statement from the Congress on the ongoing controversy. Denying the girls entry inside a college, that too a government college is a violation of the students fundamental rights, Siddaramaiah told a news conference. The principal of a government college closing the gates on the girls who were cryingit is inhuman, Siddaramaiah said. Also read: Hijab-clad students denied entry to college in Udupi district On Friday also, hijab-clad girls and saffron-shawled boys were denied entry at the Government Junior College in Kundapura. The Congress leader accused the BJP government of allowing the issue to escalate. The row has been going on for a month. What is the government doing? he asked. According to Siddaramaiah, there is no prescribed uniform that students should stick to. That being the case, why did some BJP people start wearing saffron shawls? That was to politicise the issue, he said. He added the High Court will take a call on this matter on February 8. Siddaramaiahs deputy UT Khader said hijab or the headscarf is a religious essential for Muslim women. Today it is happening in Udupi. Tomorrow, it may happen in Bengaluru and Mangaluru as well. Why is the government silent? Let the government take a stand, he said. Check out DH's latest videos The man who initiated the deadly chase that ended in the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery has reversed course and decided to plead not guilty to a federal hate crime in the 2020 killing of the unarmed Black man, according to a legal filing late Thursday. Gregory McMichaels decision came days after a U.S. District Court judge rejected terms of a plea deal that he and his son, Travis McMichael, had negotiated with prosecutors. That deal was met with passionate objections by Arberys parents. McMichaels defense attorney said in a legal notice filed jointly with prosecutors that McMichael now plans to stand trial for a second time in Arberys death. Advertisement Defendant Gregory McMichael attends a motions hearing for the trial of the men charged with killing Ahmaud Arbery at the Glynn County Superior Court on Oct. 26, 2021, in Brunswick, Ga. (Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images North America/TNS) The McMichaels and a neighbor, William Roddie Bryan, were convicted of murder in a Georgia state court last fall and sentenced to life in prison. Separate from that case, the three white men also were indicted in U.S. District Court on charges that they violated Arberys civil rights and targeted him because he was Black. The McMichaels armed themselves and chased Arbery in a pickup truck after spotting the 25-year-old man running past their home just outside the port city of Brunswick on Feb. 23, 2020. Bryan joined the pursuit in his own truck and recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael blasting Arbery with a shotgun. Advertisement Travis McMichael was scheduled for a plea hearing Friday morning to announce whether he would move forward with a guilty plea in the federal case. Jury selection in that case is set to begin Monday. Both men had planned to plead guilty to a hate crime charge earlier this week after prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed on a 30-year sentence that would include a request to transfer the McMichaels from Georgias state prison system to federal custody. The deal would have required the McMichaels to admit to racist motives and forfeit the right to appeal their federal sentence. U.S. District Judge Lisa Godbey Wood rejected the deal Monday after Arberys parents objected, arguing conditions in federal prison wouldnt be as harsh. Wood said she ultimately denied the deal because it would have locked her into a specific sentence. The judge told the men that if they still decided to plead guilty she would not guarantee their sentence. Prosecutors asked the judge to approve the plea deals despite the objections from Arberys family. Prosecutor Tara Lyons said that attorneys for Arberys parents told the U.S. Justice Department that the family wouldnt object to the plea deals. The Government has today published Town Centre First a major new policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres. Town Centre First contains 33 unique actions which will give our towns the tools and resources they need to become more viable and attractive places in which to live, work, visit and run a business. The policy is underpinned by multi-billion euro investment spread across major Government schemes such as the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF), the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), Croi Conaithe (Towns) Fund and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme. For the first time, designated towns will gain their own dedicated Town Regeneration Officers, who will be crucial to driving future development. The policy also contains a range of actions designed to achieve key objectives such as social and economic revival in towns, the provision of housing, as well as addressing challenges like vacancy and derelict buildings. The actions also support the protection of our environment, as well as the heritage and culture of our towns. Empowering communities to shape the towns that they want to live in, the Town Centre First Policy launched today will breathe life and vitality into towns across Ireland. "Vibrant, liveable towns brings the social glue we all crave as humans." https://t.co/7N2tqLs5Uz pic.twitter.com/EjasNypMr4 Green Party Ireland (@greenparty_ie) February 4, 2022 Town Centre First was launched in Moate today by the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, the Minister for Planning and Local Government, Peter Burke TD, and the Minister for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD. The policy was launched at Moate library, a former Courthouse building. The formerly derelict building, dating back to 1828, was converted by Westmeath County Council. The library was officially opened in 2016 and is a vital resource for young and old, bringing people back into the town centre. Town Centre First, which supports the objectives of Housing for All and Our Rural Future, is a commitment under the Programme for Government. Announcing Town Centre First, the Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys TD said: Town Centre First represents a new approach to revitalising communities the length and breadth of this country. This is about bringing together our businesses, our local authorities and our town teams - so that they are at the fore when it comes to planning for the future development of their communities. Its about ensuring our towns have the tools, resources and investment they need to tackle major issues such as dereliction and vacant properties. We know that so many of our towns, particularly in rural Ireland, face considerable challenges. But they also have extraordinary potential. With investment under the likes of the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund and the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund, we will ensure our towns become even better places to live, work and raise a family. Town Centre First will arm our towns with the ability to map out and deliver on their own unique vision, helping to revitalise Rural Ireland and deliver on the objectives of Our Rural Future. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh OBrien TD, said: This Government is determined to act on the fact that many of our town centres, unfortunately, are underutilised for housing, and have limited housing choice. That is why this Town Centre First policy is so important. It will support different types of development proposals so that there is a greater and more mixed supply of private, affordable and social housing in our towns. It will also help reduce vacancy and dereliction in our towns, converting empty buildings into housing. It is another contribution in our absolute commitment to increase housing supply. The Minister for Planning and Local Government, Peter Burke TD, stated: Local authorities will play a vital role in assisting towns shape their futures. Town Regeneration Officers and technical expertise will assist local Town Teams in formulating their local responses and accessing regeneration funding. The National Town Centre First Office will help drive this new approach to revitalising town centres and bring together the stakeholders who can help towns realise a vision for their future. I know there is great enthusiasm within local government, and among community, voluntary and business groups, for the Town Centre First approach. I look forward to seeing towns across Ireland producing ambitious Town Centre First Plans focused on delivering regeneration projects that can transform communities for the better. I want to thank all on the Town Centre First Advisory Group who helped shape this policy and all who will help to put the policy into practice. The Minister for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD, added: Architecturally, culturally and socially, the Irish town is unique in European terms. For far too long, we have turned our backs on this important heritage. The Governments Town Centres First policy seeks to support, enable and inspire communities to be active participants in the heritage-led regeneration of their towns and villages. This in turn will re-invigorate independent retail and promote town centre living, supporting local economic resilience through the co-creation of liveable, vibrant, nature-friendly urban spaces. Among the specific actions contained in Town Centre First include: Town Centre First Plans: Support for towns in producing their own Town Centre First Plans, produced by a local Town Team drawn from local community and business representatives. These will identify challenges, actions and integrated responses across a number of themes (business/commercial; community/cultural; housing; built environment; heritage) Investment: Implementation of plans will be supported by a targeted investment programme across Government, including through the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF), Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) and dedicated funding streams to tackle vacancy and dereliction in particular. A network of Town Regeneration Officers: who will bring a coordinated approach to Town Centre First delivery across the country and support local Town Teams A National Town Centre First Office: that will drive implementation of Town Centre First actions and coordinate stakeholder engagement at a national level and across the local government sector. This office will also be a forum for best practice Capacity building programmes for Town Teams Health Check Programme: a national, integrated and scaled-up programme for towns A Town Centre First toolkit (including web portal): this will provide access to all resources, funding information and best practice models for developing Town Centre First Plans Identification of pathfinder towns: to act as demonstrators of the Town Centre First approach and lead best practice. Towns requiring more support with local stakeholder collaboration and access to investment programmes will be identified at an early stage A Town Centre First National Oversight and Advisory Group: the group will ensure cross-government focus and policy alignment. It will monitor and guide policy delivery and annual implementation plans. Impact assessment methodology: this will help assess the impact of development and investment on town centres. It will be applied to the statutory planning system. A research and evidence platform and agreed data measurement requirements: these will relate to key social and economic outcomes and ensure there is an evidence base for the ongoing evaluation of the Town Centre First policy. The Town Centre First Policy is available at https://www.gov.ie/en/ publication/473d3-town-centre-first-policy/ The bulk of the conversation about the metaverse usually revolves around sight, and sometimes as an afterthought, sound. We want to be able to experience a false reality visually because we are, by-and-large, visual beings. However, what makes the real world feel so real is all of the supporting things we experience thanks to our other senses. A windy day is not just windy because we see things flapping about in the wind, or hear the sound of wind rustling we mimic that bit decently well in software right now. What we cannot feel in a virtual world is the rush of wind on our skin, the force of the wind on our clothes, and if its an especially strong wind, the laboured breathing and watery eyes. This is what ruins a good visual experience, even if the accompanying audio engineering is top-notch. And the audio engineering will need some serious work as well. Think about how you do a video meeting now. Everyones voice comes through their microphone with the background noise of whatever is happening around them. And its not spatial audio, because theres no need for it to be, yet. Inside a metaverse, in, say, a large conference room where youre seated around a table and each person has a position, it's important. Everyone has people close to them on their left and right, and people further away from them at the ends of the table or across from them. How useless is it to have the voice of your boss, who is seated on your right, come into your headset at equal left and right balance? Just audio processing for each member of the team, to spatially place them and then give them all true spatial sound, in real-time, is a challenge to overcome, but thankfully a lot of this work has already started. Some estimates suggest that the spatial audio market will be worth $280 billion in just three years! And thats a place were not starting from scratch. Can you even imagine how valuable a company that solves the problems of smell, feelings on skin and other things like inner ear balance and the like will be worth? Past experiences In 2003, Second Life allowed us to create an avatar with desired physical and psychological traits and live the life of our dreams. Quite literally. You could choose to teleport, fly, drive expensive cars (if you could design them), or just plant a field of carrots and walk amongst carrots all day Your imagination and creativity was the only thing holding you back. The problem was that the graphics werent good, and the delays and slow response were terrible. Games like GTA Online allowed you to do things such as heists, raid airbases, be chased by cops, and generally be the exact opposite of the real you. But it was scripted fun. Yes there was a lot to do, and the attempt was to make it feel like total freedom, but it wasnt. Minecraft is a similar title, which might be a gateway to the metaverse, but with far fewer illegal things happening on screen. Targeted at kids, it is a fun world-building experience that comes in handy for a future metaverse. The senses Even though we have a long, long way to go before we can even be happy with the level of sight and sound we might experience in the metaverse, servers are going to take a massive beating if they have to render and send out visual information about hundreds of players in a relatively small area of the metaverse, those are still problems that are fixable, or can be worked around. In terms of sight and sound, we might be 40 or 50 per cent of the way towards mimicking real life. For the other senses, however, were essentially at 0 per cent, and thats where a lot of research is being focussed. Smell This might be the sense that were most capable of replicating. Work was ongoing for a long time before the concept of metaverse was ever dreamed up. This is because people wanted to digitally create smell for a lot of marketing reasons. Imagine seeing a video ad on TV / online about a bakery, and then smelling freshly baked goodies. Or imagine an ad for a beach holiday in the Maldives, and you get a whiff of sea salt and freshly cut coconuts youd be far more likely to buy the holiday package if you sensed it in more ways than visual, right? And so people have been researching smell for some time now. In fact, a company called OVR technology is already selling scent devices to corporate and governments that attach on to VR headsets to then allow the programmers of content to script smells into the mix as well. In demos, theyve shown people some roses, which you can pick up and smell, and reports are that the smell is very natural and real feeling. While its mostly earthy and natural scents that are commonly experienced such as flowers, citrus, pine forests and the like, its a start. And this is a product, theres plenty more being worked on in laboratories. Another product already on sale comes from Feel Real, which is a VR headset that not only gives you smells, but also blows air at you if it senses fast movement or explosions, amongst other things. It uses a combination of nine individual aroma capsules to mix and create the smell of your VR world. They currently have 255 scents available. Touch Meta (Facebook) itself is working on, or rather, providing in house funding to researchers that are working on haptic gloves, which we have shown in the picture above. Reality Labs is like an incubator for research in the field of better simulating VR and AR, and their haptic glove is an attempt to solve touch inside a VR world. The goal here is to provide feedback to fingertips so that, lets say, a sculptor could work in the metaverse in a clay simulator, and feel his creation. It would also allow you to type on a virtual keyboard, but give your fingertips the sensation of hitting keys, instead of just flapping them about in the air. The technology works by using many little microbubbles to inflate and deflate and provide the sensation of feeling to your fingertips. And theyve developed a chip as well which they call a high-speed microfluidic processor to control and quickly inflate and deflate the tiny microbubbles that give your fingertips the sensation. Its a super complex job tying the haptics into the visuals, so there are tonnes of physics computations happening. For example, imagine a leaking faucet, which you see in VR. You take your finger and place it under the faucet and the first drop misses, you adjust your finger and the second drop hits the right side of your finger, you adjust slightly again, and the third drop hits the middle of the finger. The first one is simple, do nothing. However, the second and third drops will need a very different computation to transfer the right sensation to your finger. Taste Theres a concept device called Taste The TV (TTTV) that was developed by Meiji University professor Homei Miyashita. What this device does is spray a set of complex flavouring agents onto a screen that can be licked off to mimic the flavour of something displayed on it. The idea is essentially the same as what people are working on for smell, which is to narrow down smell and taste to a fixed set of fundamental ingredients, and then mix and match to change tastes or smells. There will be increased spending for more research and development now thanks to Meta pushing the metaverse concept to everyone, and were bound to hear of new breakthroughs in these fields. Movement One of the hardest things to mimic is the sensation of movement. We often forget about this and think of us humans as having only five senses, when in fact we have six. Proprioception (or kinaesthesia) is our ability to sense the bodys position and movement without looking. Its why you can close your eyes and touch your nose. Alcohol (or drugs) messes with this ability of the body, and this is why traffic police will ask you to touch your nose or walk in a line while looking up or walk a few steps backwards to check if you are impaired. This also comes into play when we are inside a metaverse because we need to be able to sense movement. In fact, its when senses disagree about what were experiencing, a feeling of nausea arises. Most commonly, a visual and auditory sensation of movement while the body is sitting still causes us to feel sick. This is why so many suffer from car sickness on long journeys. Its because there is not too much acceleration to remind us were moving, but the sound and sight of us moving at high speed causes mental dissonance and makes us dizzy. This is a problem we have solved with complex gyroscopes, usually used in military or astronaut training, but its not something thats ready for your living room or gaming room just yet. Will any of these technologies develop fast enough to make the metaverse more real, or will the metaverse remain just a VR gimmick that a lot of us use from time to time, but dont really live inside of. That is the ten trillion dollar question, isnt it? Read more articles about the Metaverse. This article was first featured in the January 2022 issue of the Digit magazine. To subscribe to the magazine, head to this link. To get the digital subscription, head over to Geek.Digit.in With Google Chromebook currently dominating sales in schools in the US, Microsoft is slowly trying to catch up with cheaper and affordable Windows laptops. Heres what you need to know. Google is trying to showcase its dedication to the Right to Repair phenomenon spreading worldwide. It recently took to Twitter to tout how repairable and sustainably made the Chromebooks are. Google further wants to start a repairability program to enable Chromebook repair workshops in Schools and simultaneously help children learn valuable IT skills. With Google Chromebook currently dominating sales in schools in the US, Microsoft is slowly trying to catch up with cheaper and affordable Windows laptops. Heres what you need to know. Google Chromebooks Vs Cheap Windows Laptops In addition to Google, a number of other third-party OEMs also manufacture Chromebooks. In a blog post, the tech giant claims that over 50 million students and teachers currently use Chromebooks in US schools. Moreover, with a combined effort from third-party OEMs, Google claims 46% less energy consumption while manufacturing Chromebooks. While Google supports repairability for such devices in the US, it does not offer a similar program in India. Moreover, the 3rd party OEMs will still void your Chromebooks warranty in case of any self-repair. Most Chromebooks available in India are available with an Intel Celeron Dual-Core processor, around 4GB RAM and 64GB of storage. HP Chromebooks however use an ARM-based MediaTek processor instead of Intel or AMD. Compared to Chromebooks, Windows laptops are still expensive, very much so if youre talking scale. One of the cheapest ones starting its range at around Rs 25,000 in India. Compared to Chrome OS, which runs on Chromebooks, Windows is relatively more resource hungry. However, it supports a much larger number of creative and productive applications. Googles repair learning program seems like a direct response to the Right to Repair bill which is actively gaining support from both parties in the US. Therefore, itd be interesting to see how the self-repair idea reaches our shores after spreading across assemblies in the US and enables Google to introduce an equally favourable learning program for Indian students. Quantum System One might assist in overcoming scientific and chipmaking hurdles IBM said today that it will deploy its first quantum computer in Canada, putting the country on a small list of countries with access to an IBM Quantum System One machine. The Canadian province of Quebec is collaborating with IBM to construct the Quebec-IBM Discovery Accelerator, which will improve research and development in the domains of quantum computing, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and high-performance computing. IBM will deploy a Quantum System One as part of a Quebec-IBM Discovery Accelerator initiative addressing scientific and commercial challenges over five years. According to the partners, the partnership will establish the groundwork for breakthrough energy materials and life science discoveries. The new technology centre will also focus on STEM education and talent development, with a particular emphasis on genomics and drug discovery. The collaboration will see IBM and the Quebec government promote microelectronics work, particularly advancements in chip packaging, due to an existing IBM facility in the province. The two also intend to demonstrate how quantum and classical computers can collaborate to solve scientific problems, and they anticipate that quantum-powered AI can aid in the discovery of novel treatments and materials. What is the IBM Quantum Computer? The IBM Quantum System One is projected to be operational at IBM's Bromont, Quebec, facility by early next year, according to Anthony Annunziata, IBM's director of rapid discovery, in an interview with Reuters. IBM stated that the collaboration will make use of the company's expertise in semiconductor design and packaging. The Quebec-IBM Discovery Accelerator, according to Dr Daro Gil, senior vice president and director of research at IBM, is "further proof of our commitment to building open communities of innovation to tackle the big problems of our time through a combination of quantum computing, AI, and high-performance computing, all integrated through the hybrid cloud." According to Quebec Premier Francois Legault, "the specialised IBM quantum computer will open the way for us to achieve amazing advances in fields such as artificial intelligence and modelling." To add to his assertion, quantum physics is the future of computers. We're putting ourselves at the forefront of this future with our innovation zone. IBM has announced similar collaborations in recent years with the Cleveland Clinic, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the UK's Science and Technology Facilities Council Hartree Centre. The Canadian Quantum One system is IBM's sixth worldwide installation, following engagements in the United States, Germany, Japan, and South Korea. While IBM has generally offered its quantum computing platform as a service, the corporation announced the IBM Quantum System One as an on-premises option in 2019, billing it as "the world's first fully integrated universal quantum computing system." IBM did not specify when the quantum computer will be installed. However, it will be just the sixth Quantum One installation by 2023, following similar collaborations in Germany, Japan, South Korea, and the United States. So Canada has joined a rather select group. The country has a long history with quantum computing. After all, the contentious firm D-Wave is situated in Canada. Nonetheless, IBM's decision is important. It provides Canada with a more generic system capable of overcoming issues that are impractical to tackle with traditional supercomputers. This will not necessarily transform Canada's scientific community, but it may give an advantage until quantum computing becomes more ubiquitous. Subscriber content preview Photo by Emma Hinchliffe [enlarge] The project is called ?al?al, which means home in Lushootseed. The location has significance for indigenous peoples being the former site of a Coast Salish longhouse village. Work is now complete on Chief Seattle Club's first permanent supportive housing development, ?al?al, at 108 Second Ave. Ext.S. The eight-story development has 80 studio units to be occupied by Indigenous people who were formerly homeless, veterans and the poor. Chief Seattle Club was founded in 1970 as a non-profit to combat homelessness among Seattle's Indigenous people, who make up a disproportionate number of homeless in the area. The newly completed development is the only housing project in the city geared toward low-income and chronically homeless Indigenous people. . . . Subscriber content preview By MARK STEVENSON and ELLIOT SPAGAT Associated Press MEXICO CITY The U.S. government is warning Americans to avoid a hospital at a Mexican beach destination, following years of complaints that the facility preyed on Americans by overcharging, bullying them and refusing to release medical records. More than 100,000 U.S. tourists arrive to Los Cabos at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula each month, drawn my its beaches and dramatic desert landscape. It appears they are not only a boon to the hotels and restaurants of twin towns Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, but also St. Luke's Hospital in Cabo San Lucas. . . . Subscriber content preview RENTON An Econolodge at 4710 Lake Washington Blvd. N.E. sold for a bit over $8.5 million, according to King County records. The seller was YC3004 Inc., which acquired the property in 2017 for almost $8.9 million. . . . Mayor Adams bragged in 2019 about being a better cop than his cracker colleagues in the NYPD, the Daily News has learned. Adams, who was at the time gearing up to launch his campaign for mayor, went on the racially charged diatribe while at a private event in Harlem on Dec. 13, 2019, a video exclusively obtained by The News shows. Advertisement Every day in the Police Department, I kicked those crackers a--, Adams says in the video. Man, I was unbelievable in the Police Department with 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement, he continued, referring to a police advocacy group he co-founded in the 1990s. Became a sergeant, a lieutenant, and a captain. You know the story some people all of a sudden trying to reinvent me. But the reality is what I was then is who I am now. Advertisement New York City Mayor Eric Adams (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News) Asked about the matter Friday, Adams apologized and sought to put his heated comments into context. I definitely apologize. Inappropriate, inappropriate comments, should not have been used, said Adams, who retired from the NYPD in 2006 after more than two decades as a cop. Someone asked me a question using that comment and playing on that word. I responded in that comment, but clearly, these comments should not have been used, and I apologize not only to those who heard it, but to New Yorkers because they should expect more from me. That was inappropriate. Adams went on in the video to discuss his forthcoming mayoral campaign, joking that he was expecting so much opposition that perhaps he should grow a beard, smoke some weed and leave this stuff alone instead. The people who say, Wheres our real Black leaders? Theyre going to say, Whos Eric? Why does Eric think he should be mayor? Well, Negro, you run. You run, go raise the $7 million, he said. Let me tell you something, man. They are lining up Eric cant be mayor. In the corners of the city, they are lining up. They know me. They know what Im about and they know what Im going to do as the mayor of the City of New York. Listen, were not going to play this game. New York City Mayor Eric Adams is pictured in Brooklyn, New York on Friday, Feb. 4, 2022. (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News) The video resurfaced on the heels of Adams attending funerals for Jason Rivera and Wilbert Mora, two young NYPD officers killed by a gunman in Harlem last month. Pat Lynch, president of the Police Benevolent Association, the NYPDs largest union, said Friday afternoon he had spoken to Adams about the video, but did not criticize him for it, instead asking his members to not rush to outrage. We have spent far too many hours together in hospital emergency rooms these past few weeks, and weve worked together for decades before that, Lynch said. A few seconds of video will not define our relationship. We have a lot of work to do together to support our members on the streets. Then-Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams greets NYPD officers before the Parade of Heroes on Broadway in Manhattan, New York on July 7, 2021. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News) Curtis Sliwa, Adams Republican opponent in last years mayoral election, was not as forgiving as Lynch. Advertisement Heres the guy who was so quick to call anyone who disagrees with him racist not just Curtis Sliwa, the Guardian Angels founder said. Whenever he had an adversary, they were always racist. Well, this is clearly a racist statement, so what else have you said, Eric? The video was shot by Thomas Lopez-Pierre, a controversial former political candidate who has a history of anti-Semitic, racist and anti-police remarks. When reached over the phone Friday, Lopez-Pierre defended Adams 2019 comments at the Harlem Business Alliance. This is how Black people talk. To us, it was family. We were having a conversation with family, Lopez-Pierre said. Eric Adams (right) is pictured with his father, Leroy, during his time as an NYPD police officer. (Obtained by Daily News) While giving a thumbs up to Adams jab at white cops, Lopez-Pierre said hes disappointed by the mayors newly released anti-crime plan, which he claimed focuses too much on hiring more cops rather than creating economic opportunities for Black New Yorkers. More cops are going to get killed because Black men do not have opportunity, Lopez-Pierre said. I think its a great plan for white people to feel falsely safe. Advertisement Other New Yorkers said Adams cracker bashing doesnt reflect the mayors true personality. I dont care because I met him and he is a lovely man, said Silvana Conte, 66, a record shop owner in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. People say stupid things sometimes. Were human, thats all. With Liam Quigley Developer Documents A mock-up of Simms Pointe, with the units color-coded for how many bedrooms and where the apartments will be, as well as where amenities and utilities will be located. This picture of the development is for when it was slated to have 111 units. Developers have decreased the number of apartments down to 80. Harrisonburg, VA (22801) Today Areas of patchy fog early. Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High 79F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low 47F. Winds light and variable. It has been exactly 50 years since one of the crucial moments in the history and international success of Italian design: the exhibition Italy: The New Domestic Landscape. Conceived, planned and organised by Emilio Ambasz with backing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, the exhibition was on display at MoMA (New York) from 23 May to 11 September 1972. In fact, it was especially thanks to this exhibition that a country with a still weak and controversial modernity as Italy suddenly became the most advanced benchmark for an eminently modern discipline such as design. Therefore, it offered the world a model and a design method even more than a production one destined to be adopted and imitated over and over again at an international level. Here is what the editors at Physician's Briefing chose as the most important COVID-19 developments for you and your practice for the week of Jan. 31 to Feb. 4, 2022. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal studies and other trusted sources that is most likely to affect clinical practice. COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination Does Not Impair IVF Outcomes FRIDAY, Feb. 4, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- For women undergoing in vitro fertilization, COVID-19 mRNA vaccine administration is not associated with adverse effects on fertilization rates or early pregnancy outcomes, according to a study published online Jan. 25 in Obstetrics & Gynecology. Read Full Text CDC Turns to Wastewater Data to Track Spread of COVID-19 FRIDAY, Feb. 4, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Federal health officials announced Friday that they are expanding nationwide efforts to track COVID-19 by monitoring virus levels found in raw sewage. Read Full Text Medicare to Provide Free COVID-19 Rapid Tests FRIDAY, Jan. 4, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Medicare will soon provide up to eight free COVID-19 rapid tests a month to seniors enrolled in the government health insurance program, the Biden administration announced Thursday. Read Full Text Bleeding Events Up With Full-Dose Thromboprophylaxis in COVID-19 FRIDAY, Feb. 4, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- For hospitalized COVID-19 patients, bleeding events are more common after receiving full-dose anticoagulation, according to a study published online Dec. 27 in Hospital Pharmacy. Read Full Text Type 1 Diabetes Diagnoses in Children Increased During Pandemic FRIDAY, Feb. 4, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- There has been a significant increase in the number of type 1 diabetes diagnoses in children during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published online Jan. 24 in JAMA Pediatrics. Read Full Text Survivors of Severe COVID-19 Report Many Long-Term Symptoms FRIDAY, Feb. 4, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Physical, mental, and cognitive symptoms are frequent among COVID-19 survivors one year after intensive care unit discharge, according to a study published online Jan. 24 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Read Full Text New-Onset Neuropsychiatric, Sleep Symptoms Common in MIS-C THURSDAY, Feb. 3, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Most patients with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children have new-onset neurological, psychiatric, and sleep symptoms, with many of these symptoms persisting after discharge, according to a study published online Jan. 24 in the Journal of Child Neurology. Read Full Text Adults With Asthma Compliant With COVID-19 Mask Wearing THURSDAY, Feb. 3, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Adults with asthma report being compliant with COVID-19-related masking, despite some problematic effects, according to a study published in the January issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. Read Full Text COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma No Benefit for Most Patients THURSDAY, Feb. 3, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- For the typical patient, COVID-19 convalescent plasma is not associated with clinical outcomes, according to a meta-analysis published online Jan. 25 in JAMA Network Open. Read Full Text Risk for Breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 Infection Lower With mRNA-1273 WEDNESDAY, Feb. 2, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Recipients of mRNA-1273 versus BNT162b2 had a lower risk for breakthrough severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection during predominance of the delta variant, according to a research letter published online Jan. 20 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Read Full Text Pfizer Asks FDA to Approve Its Vaccine for the Youngest Children WEDNESDAY, Feb. 2, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Pfizer Inc. announced Tuesday that it has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to authorize its two-dose COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in children younger than 5 years, while it continues to research the power of a third shot in these youngest Americans. If the FDA grants the request, the two-shot regimen would become the first approved for use in children this young; older children are already eligible for the vaccine. Read Full Text Unvaccinated Have Highest SARS-CoV-2 Incidence, Hospitalization WEDNESDAY, Feb. 2, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 incidence and hospitalization rates are consistently higher for unvaccinated persons, and rates are lowest for those fully vaccinated with a booster, according to research published in the Feb. 1 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Read Full Text Intention to Receive COVID-19 Vaccine Has Grown Faster Among Black Adults WEDNESDAY, Feb. 2, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- The intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine has increased more rapidly in Black individuals versus White individuals, according to a study published online Jan. 21 in JAMA Network Open. Read Full Text Physician Mental Health Has Declined During the Pandemic WEDNESDAY, Feb. 2, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with a substantial increase in mental health and substance use visits among physicians, according to a study published online Jan. 21 in JAMA Network Open. Read Full Text Pfizer Will Ask FDA to Approve Its COVID-19 Vaccine for Children Under 5 Years TUESDAY, Feb. 1, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Pfizer Inc. plans to ask the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as soon as Tuesday to authorize its COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in children aged 6 months to 4 years old. Read Full Text Remdesivir Offers Some Benefit for Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients TUESDAY, Feb. 1, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Among hospitalized COVID-19 patients, remdesivir added to standard care does not reduce in-hospital mortality, but it does reduce the need for mechanical ventilation, according to a study published online Jan. 19 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association. Read Full Text SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Tests Should Not Be Used for Diagnosis TUESDAY, Feb. 1, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 antibody tests should not be used for diagnosis of infection nor to predict natural immunity against reinfection, and, prior to emergence of the delta and omicron variants, individuals with recent SARS-CoV-2 infection had strong protection against symptomatic reinfection for at least seven months, according to a practice points guideline and a review, respectively, published online Jan. 25 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Read Full Text FDA Gives Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Full Approval MONDAY, Jan. 31, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine has received full approval for use in people 18 years and older, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Monday. Read Full Text 'Stealth' Version of Omicron Variant No Cause for Alarm, Experts Say MONDAY, Jan. 31, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- The so-called "stealth" variant of omicron is not likely to cause another devastating wave of COVID-19, experts say. Read Full Text President Biden joined Gov. Hochul and Mayor Adams at a Queens elementary school Thursday to learn more about how community intervention programs tackle the violent crime thats washed over Americas cities since the pandemic began. The president spent most of his time listening during his visit to Public School 111 in Long Island City, limiting most of his words to questions directed at the schools principal, Dionne Jaggon, and several local violence interrupter team members Community Capacity Development. Advertisement President Joe Biden (right) speaking with Community Capacity Development founder K. Bain (left) during his visit at P.S. 111 Jacob Blackwell in Long Island City, Queens, New York on Thursday, February 3, 2022. (Shawn Inglima/for New York Daily News) Do they show up? Biden asked about the parents who send their kids to the K-8 school, just blocks from the Queensbridge North public housing complex. Im not trying to be critical. Im just trying to understand. Biden, who could barely be heard speaking under his black face mask, then touched on how a lack of parental involvement is often a factor in whether a student acts out violently in school. Advertisement His appearance at P.S. 111 served as his second stop in the city Thursday. It came after he and Adams unveiled plans at NYPD headquarters to crack down on ghost guns, the difficult-to-trace firearms that are sold in parts and have become an increasing concern as their use has become more common. New York City Mayor Eric Adams (right) and New York Governor Hochul (left) listening to President Joe Biden, not pictured, during his visit at P.S. 111 Jacob Blackwell in Long Island City, Queens, New York on Thursday, February 3, 2022. (Shawn Inglima/for New York Daily News) As part of that initiative, the Justice Department will train a team of special prosecutors on how to best pursue cases involving guns. At the same time, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will deploy ghost gun coordinators to each of its field offices around the U.S. In contrast, national, state and local leaders have laid out far fewer specifics on how to employ violence interrupter programs as a remedy for the uptick in shootings. And Bidens duel events on Thursday served to illustrate that with his first visit to 1 Police Plaza focused on more traditional policing methods and a concrete plan, and his second visit to Queens geared to questions about a type of program thats considered less established. The presidents visit comes at an emotionally difficult time for the city, which has witnessed several NYPD officers shot in recent weeks and two Police Officers Jason Rivera and Wilbert Mora who died as a result. It has been their deaths, more than anything else, that has led to such a sustained response from elected officials. And that response has spanned all levels of government. President Joe Biden visiting at P.S. 111 Jacob Blackwell in Long Island City, Queens, New York on Thursday, February 3, 2022. (Shawn Inglima/for New York Daily News) Last week, Hochul announced the formation of a multi-state task force created to stop the flow of guns into New York State. Adams recently released his own Blueprint to End Gun Violence and has emphasized the need to bring back a controversial anti-gun unit as well. And while his Blueprint touches on violence intervention programs, the mayor has placed far less emphasis on such initiatives, which are favored by progressives and criminal justice reform advocates. [ Make New York safe again - big business, workers back Mayor Adams public safety push ] Biden did not have anything new to say about the federal governments approach to violence interrupter programs Thursday. Still, he has expressed an open-mindedness to such initiatives and left the people he met with in Queens hopeful. White House press secretary Jen Psaki rejected the implication that politics motivates Bidens push to take a stricter stance on firearms. She noted that along with the additional $300 million hes called on Congress to direct to law enforcement agencies, the president has also demanded they authorize spending for another $200 million on violence intervention programs. Advertisement K. Bain, executive director of Community Capacity Development, presented some of the thinking behind his program to Biden while at P.S. 111. Afterward, he was upbeat, explaining that he and the president had scheduled a follow-up meeting for Feb. 16. This was an introduction, Bain said. Next steps are next steps. But him showing up and saying he wanted to talk to those of us who do this work means that I think hes serious about it. Two Dundalk businesses have been announced as finalists of the inaugural Guaranteed Irish Business Awards 2022, proudly supported by Permanent TSB. Gardiner Family Apothecary and Intact Software of Dundalk have been shortlisted for the awards ceremony which is due to take place on Thursday 24th March at The Shelbourne Hotel. The event will celebrate Irelands leading businesses that support jobs, are committed to local communities, and contribute to Ireland, its people, and its economy. MCed by business broadcaster Richard Curran (RTE), the first-ever business awards for Guaranteed Irish will recognise and reward the success and resilience of both homegrown and multinational businesses across various sector categories. An independent panel of distinguished industry leaders across various sectors from names including Matheson, KPMG, MSD Ireland, Musgrave, Bord Bia, Chopped, SOSV, Permanent TSB, IPHA, ESW, RIAI and Blacknight had the tough task of short-listing a total of 50 finalists after whittling down hundreds of entries. Achievement awards, including Guaranteed Irish Company of the Year, Guaranteed Irish Person of the Year, Guaranteed Irish One to Watch and Guaranteed Irish Advocate with a Business, will also be presented at the event. Brid OConnell CEO Guaranteed Irish said: The calibre of entries for our first-ever awards was exceptional. The awards will recognise and celebrate the very best of local and international businesses that are registered in Ireland which support jobs, contribute to our communities, and showcase Irish provenance with pride. The time has come to celebrate the businesses in Ireland that genuinely strive to do the right thing and Guaranteed Irish is proud to champion those that are All Together Better. Speaking at the announcement, Patrick Farrell, Director of Retail Banking at Permanent TSB, said: Permanent TSB is proud to support the inaugural Guaranteed Irish Business Awards, celebrating the very best in Irish business while recognising the resilience, determination and innovation that has been shown by so many in what has been a challenging year. I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to each of this years finalists. We look forward to celebrating everything that you have achieved at the awards ceremony on the 24th of March. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. A defence solicitor told Dundalk district court last week that a Stanley knife which gardai recovered from her client, had been given to him by a passer-by after he was assaulted. Anthony Maguire (24) with an address at St. Helenas, Fairgreen Road, Dundalk was charged with possession of an offensive weapon, being intoxicated in a public place and using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour at Bachelors Walk, Dundalk on June 11th last. Insp. Liam Archbold told the court last Wednesday that gardai had received a report of an intoxicated man banging on doors on the street and shouting. They arrived to find him stumbling without a top on. He had a red and black Stanley knife in his hand which he dropped when instructed to. The defence solicitor explained that her client had been in the pub from 2.30pm. He had come upon a house party and claimed that hed been assaulted by three of the occupants of the property and she had instructions that a passer-by who had come to his aid, gave him the knife. The solicitor said her client is a father of three and while he fully accepts that he had the knife, she stressed that it had not been used by him. Judge Eirinn McKiernan imposed a 300 for the offensive weapon charge and marked the others taken into consideration. North Andover, MA (01845) Today Cloudy this morning with showers during the afternoon. High 58F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Light rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low around 45F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. KABUL, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has welcomed a 65 million U.S. dollar contribution of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to Afghanistan. FAO said in a statement that the grant would boost food security and support livelihoods in the cash-strapped country. "The ADB support represents a significant contribution to FAO's 200-million-dollar crisis response program for 2022 -- and beyond -- to raise local food production, protect livestock, increase rural incomes and improve the food security of poor and vulnerable people across the country, as well as increase the resilience of women and help farm households access markets," the statement posted on the organization's website read. The statement said that the aim was "to achieve this through providing critical agricultural inputs and services, including the distribution of wheat cultivation assistance packages and livestock feed, veterinary support and the provision of vegetable cultivation packages and poultry, as well as small farm equipment and technical training." "The project seeks to reach all of Afghanistan's 34 provinces, with special emphasis on the major wheat and livestock producing provinces," the statement said. "We are grateful to the Asian Development Bank for the generous contribution, which recognizes the urgent need to invest in livelihood assistance in rural areas in Afghanistan, and reflects that investing in agriculture is a core humanitarian response," FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu was quoted in the statement as saying. Qu said the support to food insecure communities with seeds, fertilizers and other essential agricultural inputs in time for production will help them produce life-saving food and generate income, and is the most impactful way of reversing acute food insecurity in the country. Afghanistan has faced economic problems since the Taliban's takeover of power in the country in mid-August last year and the formation of a Taliban-led caretaker government on Sept. 7. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer renewed his calls on Friday for the federal decriminalization of marijuana, gathering some of his congressional buds in lower Manhattan to make his case after working to roll up Republican support over the past several months. Change has been urgently needed for a long time, Schumer said, highlighting the disproportionate impact marijuana laws have had on Black communities. The good news is were on the edge of getting change, because the opinions throughout America are changing. Advertisement Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) speaks about federally legalizing marijuana in lower Manhattan, New York on Friday, Feb. 4, 2022. (Tim Balk/New York Daily News) Surveys in recent years have indicated a clear majority of Americans support legalizing the recreational use of pot. Last year, New York became the 15th state to legalize recreational use. But congressional efforts to translate cross-party support into federal law have hit snags in the Senate. Advertisement The House passed a cannabis decriminalization bill late in 2020 on a mostly party-line vote. And in July, Schumer (D-N.Y.) introduced draft legislation meant to dispense with cannabis classification under the Controlled Substances Act and to create a path for federal regulation. The introduction of the 163-page draft bill in the Senate proved a symbolically potent moment, but has not yet borne fruit. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) renewed his calls for the federal decriminalization of marijuana, gathering some of his congressional buds in lower Manhattan to make his case after working to roll up Republican support over the past several months. (Shutterstock) Schumer said Friday that he intends to intensify his outreach on the issue in the coming weeks and to introduce final decriminalization legislation before a nationwide push. He said he hopes to finalize the bill in the next several months, and he met with drug-policy activists late last month, discussing the need to pass legislation that targets inequities that resulted from past policies. As majority leader, I can set priorities. This is a priority, Schumer said in a news conference, joined by Reps. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) and Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) outside the Manhattan Municipal Building. All across the country, states are legalizing, Schumer said. All across the country, minds are changing. From left, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) announce a draft bill that would decriminalize marijuana on a federal level. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/AP) President Biden has not, however, made pot a priority. Though the president supports decriminalizing marijuana, he has not supported legalizing it, and he did not immediately warm to the Senate proposal last year. The president supports leaving decisions regarding legalization for recreational use up to the states, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said last April. Advertisement Psaki noted that the president also supports moving marijuana from Schedule I, which includes heroin and LSD, to Schedule II, another category of high-risk drugs that includes cocaine and methamphetamine. Schumer said he has not yet secured Bidens endorsement for the legislation. Were talking to the president on this issue, Schumer told the Daily News. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y) speaks during the annual NYC Cannabis Parade & Rally in support of the legalization of marijuana for recreational and medical use, on May 1, 2021 in New York City. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images) The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Schumer also said a few Republicans have gotten behind the bill. Not as many as wed like, Schumer added, noting significant support for decriminalization among Republican voters. Schumer would need support from at least 10 GOP lawmakers to push the bill through the Senate. Advertisement In 2012, Washington and Colorado became the first two states to legalize recreational marijuana use. Today, 18 states have legalized recreational use, and 37 have legalized medical use, according to a count by the National Conference of State Legislatures. Schumer would need support from at least 10 GOP lawmakers to push the bill through the Senate. (Shutterstock) Deep-red South Dakota voted to legalize recreational marijuana use, though the vote was nullified by a court decision. In the news conference, Nadler, the lead sponsor of the House decriminalization bill, blamed misinformation and racially biased stereotypes for Americas historically heavy-handed legal approach to marijuana. And Velazquez described an opportunity to unlock economic opportunities for small businesses as she pointed to lopsided polling. Two-thirds of Americans believe it is time to legalize marijuana, Velazquez said. Congress must get on board with the times. Stay up to date and informed on everything that is happening at Eastern Kentucky University! Subscribe to the Eastern Progress newsletter for free today and support student media at EKU! Former President Trump reportedly verbally agreed to appoint conspiracy theorist Sidney Powell as a special counsel to push his false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election that he lost. In December 2020, the president told Powell and other informal advisers that he planned to name her to the post as he also mulled signing a draft executive order to seize voting machines in battleground states, the Guardian reported Friday. Advertisement Even though Trump was eventually talked out of taking the outrageous steps, the revelations show how seriously he pursued the unconstitutional scheme to overturn the election results and stay in power. Former President Donald Trump (left) and Sidney Powell (right) (Getty Images) Powell, who pushed false claims about rigged voting machines, showed up at the White House on Dec. 18 along with disgraced ex-National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and former Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne, a prominent far right-wing activist. Advertisement A low-level aide ushered the group into the Oval Office despite not having appointments, a possible violation of security protocols. [ Trump mulls new election gambits as conspiracy theorist Sidney Powell returns to White House ] Trump told Powell he intended to appoint her as special counsel with a broad mandate to spearhead his bogus vote fraud claims, which would be framed as an effort to investigate possible foreign interference in the election. Other aides pushed back against the idea, with White House counsel Pat Cipollone warning Trump he did not have the authority to make the appointment or sign the order directing troops to seize voting machines. After the meeting, Cipollone again warned Trump against following up on either step, pointing out that Powell would be unlikely to obtain a needed security clearance to be a special counsel. The report said that Trump responded that he could overrule security officials and grant her one. Despite the objections, Powell believed Trump had made the appointment at the apparently chaotic meeting. She even followed up with Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to demand office space for what she thought would be her new role. Powell is one of the most extreme and controversial of Trumps legal advisers. She was kicked off his legal strike force by Rudy Giuliani, who is himself facing a federal criminal probe for his dubious effort to dig up dirt against Biden in Ukraine. She faces a multi-billion dollar defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems, the company she has accused of rigging machines in a far-fetched plot linked to onetime Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez. THE Government is being urged to act on the true cost of cancer, which Cork TDs say are putting some patients under significant financial pressure. It is also being urged to put a stop to the situation where debt collection agencies are used to collect monies owed to public hospitals from patients with cancer. The call to action coincides with World Cancer Day, which takes place today. For individuals who do not have a medical card or private health insurance, every chemotherapy or radiotherapy appointment currently costs 80, to a maximum of 800 per annum. Invoices are often sent to patients within days of their first treatment being administered and, if they are not paid within six weeks, debt collection agencies are hired to pursue the debt. Speaking to The Echo, West Cork Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns said it was unconscionable that cancer patients are being pursued by debt collection agencies for bills related to their treatment. It is frankly disgusting that patients, while they are at their most vulnerable in the middle of their treatment, are put under this kind of unnecessary strain, she said. The Cork TD said that a cancer diagnosis causes enough trauma and distress, without hospitals heaping further financial pressure on to patients through their callous use of these agencies. Ms Cairns continued: Cancer patients should be focused on just one thing getting better. Regrettably, this is not helped by the huge financial stress caused by a diagnosis. A 2019 report from the Irish Cancer Society conservatively estimated this additional cost was 756 per month, she said. In some cases, it is more than 1,000 per month. Given the increase in the cost of living since 2019, it is likely these figures are now higher. This additional cost comes at a time when many suffer a loss in income, which averages 1,500 per month. As well as inpatient fees, costs include car parking, medication, counselling, wigs, and additional childcare and heating costs. Hospital parking charges are an expense that the Government could act on now, but it has failed to do so, she said. Sinn Fein TD Thomas Gould, also highlighted concerns about the costs faced by people with cancer. In the Dail, the Social Democrats called for the 80 inpatient charge to be abolished for cancer patients, for public hospitals to no longer use debt collection agencies, and for the commitment in the Programme for Government to introduce caps on parking charges be immediately introduced. There are also other costs facing some people. Speaking in the Dail, Ms Cairns described how she was contacted by a young woman who had her hand amputated due to cancer. She does not qualify for a primary medical certificate to allow her to purchase and adapt a car because she had one hand amputated, rather than the criteria of two hands, she said. Sinn Fein TD for Cork North Central Thomas Gould said a cancer diagnosis was absolutely devastating for any individual and family and it was completely unacceptable that in the midst of all of the upset and fear, anger and sickness the HSE are sending debt collection agencies to people. We often look at Americas healthcare model with pity, people dying because they cant afford basic medicines. But this is no better, sending debt collectors out to ordinary people going through chemo, he said. The HSE has been contacted by The Echo for comment. A CORK community group has voiced concerns over the lighting of gorse fires after the county fire service was called to 10 wildfires in the past five weeks. The Stop Gorse Fires group was set up by Green Party representative Rory Jackson over 12 years ago to campaign for an end to the practice. The burning of vegetation is legal in Ireland but not between March 1 and August 31, as per the Wildlife Act 1976 and the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000. However, some climate groups are worried about the effect on natural habitats and local communities, especially with last month being one of the driest Januarys in Cork in recent history. If you can see it, you can breathe it and, sadly, with the recent dry weather we are seeing a relentless amount of fires being lit, Mr Jackson told The Echo. I understand that were within the legal season at the moment and I think its important to point out that landowners are encouraged to clear their land to stay eligible for grants - and for smaller landowners, burning might be the only way they can do that. But it causes massive damage to our biodiversity, it's harmful to communities living nearby, and all too often it puts huge pressure on the fire services. Cork County Fire service said that it has responded to 10 wildfires so far in 2022. If controlled burning is being planned, the fire service requests that Fire Service Control be informed at least 24 hours beforehand. It is also legally required to inform Gardai at least seven days in advance if burning will take place within one mile of woodland and burnings cannot take place within 50 feet of a roadway. Do not burn in exceptionally dry periods where strong or variable winds are forecast, the service recommends. Start early in the day. Keep fires small. Burn in sections. Individual fires should not be allowed to exceed 50m wide if adequate control of the fire is to be maintained. CONSTRUCTION work on a long-awaited road improvement scheme for a densely populated suburb on the southside of the city is set to get underway later this year. Cork City Council has confirmed the works on the Lehenaghmore Road Improvement Scheme should begin in the third quarter of 2022. The lack of pedestrian infrastructure in the area, including footpaths and streetlights, has been raised at local and national level for more than a decade. Residents and local politicians had first urged Cork County Council to take action and, following the boundary extension, raised the issue with City Hall. It is vitally important that this is delivered, and that it is delivered on time, Sinn Fein TD for Cork South Central, Donnchadh O Laoghaire said, commending the local residents who he said have campaigned with great resilience and commitment for the needed improvements. As I understand it, the council intend to proceed with construction in the autumn; they already have planning permission and funding has been secured from the NTA in recent weeks. Mr O Laoghaires party colleague, Cllr Eolan Ryng also welcomed the news. It has been a long time in the making. I hope it will resolve the issues that exist for this community, who feel that they have been effectively cut off, living in unsafe conditions and with a lack of accessibility, he said. I hope the timescales outlined will be adhered to. My colleague Deputy O Laoghaire and I will be continuing to keep the pressure on, working with the local community, other local representatives and the statutory authorities to ensure this is delivered. UNIVERSITY College Cork was lit up in honour of World Cancer Day today. The university decided to light up its quadrangle area in orange to support the global awareness campaign, which is led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC). The theme of this year's World Cancer Day, now its 22nd year, is 'Close The Care Gap'. The initiative asks people to reflect on what can be done to reduce barriers to cancer care and ensure equal access to healthcare. The Irish Cancer Society said that the theme was especially relevant in Ireland and called for urgent action to be taken to handle waiting lists. Meanwhile, it was also announced today that UCC, Breakthrough Cancer Research (BCR), and Cork University Hospital (CUH) have pioneered a new lithium-enhanced chemotherapy treatment. The researchers, led by Dr Sharon McKenna at UCC, found that the addition of lithium makes chemotherapy more effective and reduces the risk of cancer returning. The university hopes that the research will offer hope to Irish patients fighting cancers that are resistant to traditional chemotherapy treatments. By By Jonathan McCambridge, David Young and Rebecca Black, PA A High Court judge has issued an interim order suspending a decision by the North's Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots to direct a stop to Brexit agri-food checks at Northern Ireland ports. Mr Justice Colton said he was making the temporary direction until a judicial review against the DUP ministers decision can be heard in full. DUP minister Mr Poots acted unilaterally this week to order a halt to port checks that are required under the Northern Ireland Protocol. Northern Ireland Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots acted unilaterally to halt port checks (Niall Carson/PA) Civil servants have yet to implement the instruction, pending legal clarity on their obligations, and checks are continuing. Mr Poots actions were challenged in two separate applications in the High Court in Belfast. Mr Justice Colton granted leave for applications for judicial reviews against the ministers decision. He said: There shouldnt be any confusion hanging over those in the Civil Service, so I am persuaded this is a case where there should be interim relief. I therefore make the order to suspend the instruction given by the minister for agriculture until further order of this court or completion of these proceedings. The judge pointed out that the checks had been ongoing for more than a year and that the order to halt them had been brought at short notice. A barrister for one of the complainants raised concerns that recent rulings in the High Court, concerning the attendance of DUP Ministers at cross-border meetings, had not been complied with. Mr Justice Colton said: Maybe I am naive, but this court works on the premise that ministers obey the rule of law and accept the judgments of courts. A barrister for the North's Department of Agriculture told the court that their position was that the direction by Mr Poots was entirely lawful. The full judicial review is expected to be heard next month. Meanwhile, the DUP would have difficulty reforming a Stormont executive after the upcoming Assembly election if issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol are not resolved, its party leader has warned. DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP (Peter Morrison/PA) Sir Jeffrey Donaldson expressed doubts about the prospect of a short-term return to a fully-functioning devolved administration in the wake of the resignation of his partys First Minister Paul Givan. Mr Donaldsons decision to pull Mr Givan out of office is part of the DUPs escalating protest strategy against the post-Brexit trading arrangements that have created economic barriers between the North and the rest of the UK. Mr Givans resignation, which came into effect at midnight, automatically removed Sinn Fein deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill from her position. Other Stormont ministers can remain in post, but the Executive can no longer meet and is unable to take significant policy decisions. An Assembly election is already scheduled for May. Mr Givans departure raises the prospect of that poll being brought forward several weeks. A fully functioning administration could only be formed following the election if the positions of first and deputy first ministers are filled by the largest unionist and largest nationalist parties. Mr Donaldson suggested the DUP would only return to an executive if its concerns around the post-Brexit trading arrangements are addressed. Ive withdrawn the First Minister on the basis that the protocol issues have not been addressed despite clear commitments and promises given by the Prime Minister that they would be addressed, and clearly if the protocol issues are not resolved by the time of the election then, of course, it is difficult for us to form a government because of the instability that the protocol creates, he told BBC Radio Ulster. I have made my position clear I think there is now an opportunity for the Government and the EU to step up. The EU said consistently that the purpose of the protocol was to protect the political institutions, political stability and the Good Friday Agreement. Well, we know that isnt happening because unionists do not consent to the protocol. There is no consensus for the protocol. There is now an opportunity for the UK Government and the EU to step up to the mark and to deliver an agreement that resolves these issues that can be done quickly. First Minister of Northern Ireland Paul Givan resigned from his position on Thursday (Peter Morrison/PA) Mr Donaldson insisted there is still a point in having an Assembly poll. I think the time has come for the people of Northern Ireland to have their say, he added. Announcing his resignation on Thursday, Mr Givan said the protocol had undermined a cornerstone of powersharing in the region, governance with the consent of both nationalists and unionists. AMSTERDAM Online fashion marketplace Otrium has signed up to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) as it looks to align with the sectors environmental ambitions. The company will be tasked with establishing carbon reduction goals that support the Paris Climate Agreements 1.5oC climate change limit. Marlot Kiveron, the head of sustainability at Otrium, said: Were ambitious to create a smarter fashion industry, and committed to do so without compromising our own operational impact as a company. In recent years, its been a fad to skip the straw to save the turtles, but what you may not know is that straws are not the biggest offenders when it comes to ocean plastic, according to a new study. Instead, researchers are turning their attention to takeout containers and convenience food as the worst offender in plastics polluting the ocean. Widespread plastic contaminants such as food containers and wrappers, single-use bags, and plastic bottles are the most widespread pollutants of the seas, making up almost half of human-made waste, according to The Guardian. It was shocking to find out that bags, bottles, food containers and cutlery together with wrappers account for almost half of the human-made objects on a global scale, said study leader Dr. Carmen Morales of the University of Cadiz, Spain to BBC. We found them in rivers, on the deep seabed, on shorelines and floating off our coasts. Only 10 plastic products make up 75% of the oceans litter, the scientists found, due to the volume in which they are used and their slow degradation periods. The list also includes plastic lids and fishing gear, which are also huge plastic polluters. These findings are a result of collecting data from 36 global inventories. Eight of the 10 cataloged items were made of plastic, and 44% of the waste was from takeout food and beverages. Tackling the overconsumption of straws, cotton swabs, and drink stirrers has been popular, as they are easy to replace, but the researchers also recommended eliminating plastic from takeout food. Takeout containers are often discarded outside and soon after the food is purchased. The researchers have outlined three possible strategies to combat the takeout plastic problem, including utilizing degradable materials in takeout containers, creating regulatory bans on avoidable plastics, and encouraging deposit-refund plans to encourage consumers to return takeout containers. Morales hopes that the new study will encourage change. This information will make it easier for policymakers to actually take action to try to turn off the tap of marine litter flowing into the ocean, rather than just clean it up, Morales told The Guardian. Audrey Nakagawa is the content creator intern at EcoWatch. She is a senior at James Madison University studying Media, Art, and Design, with a concentration in journalism. Shes a reporter for The Breeze in the culture section and writes features on Harrisonburg artists, album reviews, and topics related to mental health and the environment. She was also a contributor for Virginia Reports where she reported on the impact that COVID-19 had on college students. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has chosen a controversial new way to raise money for endangered species: issuing Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). NFTs enable virtual art collection because they give each digital artwork a unique signature that cant be copied, as WWF explained in a video. On Wednesday, WWF UK prompted a social media backlash when it announced it would be selling NFTs focusing on 13 endangered species. I thought this was a parody account, wrote one Twitter user. This is the snake eating its own tail. Its over. Shut it down. I thought this was a parody account. This is the snake eating its own tail. Its over. Shut it down. https://t.co/t3eWQSUtTZ Lee Hazell (@FightLikeACow) February 2, 2022 Others threatened to cancel their WWF donations, as Climate Home News reported. Why is this fundraising choice so controversial? Most NFTs are supported by a blockchain for Ethereum, a type of cryptocurrency, as The Verge explains. Like many cryptocurrencies, Ethereum uses a lot of energy and therefore contributes to the climate crisis. In fact, it currently has a carbon footprint equal to Sweden, according to Climate Home News. WWF UK maintains that it is using a blockchain called Polygon that is less energy intensive. [E]ach transaction has the equivalent carbon emissions of a glass of tap water, WWF UK tweeted. However, experts have contested the idea that Polygon is truly eco-friendly because it ultimately still relies on the Ethereum blockchain. Polygon registers transactions on Ethereum, a PoW (proof of work) blockchain which has a carbon footprint the size of Swedens. And yes, youre still expected to pay for these NFTs with dirty cryptos, Pete Howson, a senior lecturer in International Development at the University of Northumbria, told Euronews Green. Further, he noted that, if WWF UKs NFTs do well, it could lead to more emissions. Proof of Work mining or validating is what gives Ethereum its dirtiness. If people are buying Eth to spend on WWFs NFTs, the value of Eth then goes up and the amount of mining, therefore, increases, because the rewards for doing so are higher, he explained. WWF UK argued that NFTs and blockchain are here to stay and that engaging with them responsibly can create a new fundraising opportunity to protect endangered animals, according to Climate Home News. [WWF UK is] always looking at innovative ways to engage WWF supporters and fundraisers and trial new ideas, a spokesperson for the charity told Climate Home News. Other environmental groups did not agree with the strategy, however. Survival International responded by pointing to WWFs history of funding anti-poaching rangers that have been accused of torturing and killing Indigenous people. As BuzzFeed News reported. Greenpeace EU, moreover, sent a mocking tweet promoting a different kind of NFT: Natural Forest Trees. yeah we think #NFTs could be the next big thing pic.twitter.com/1yRBy6bjLI Greenpeace EU (@GreenpeaceEU) February 2, 2022 This isnt the first time WWF has turned to NFTs to raise funds. In November of last year, WWF Germany announced it was working with artists to create Non-Fungible Animals (NFAS), unique digital artworks of 10 endangered species. The charity was only releasing as many NFTs as the number of depicted animals left in the wild. For example, because there are only 447 Baltic porpoises left, only 447 NFTs depicting them would be sold, Gizmodo reported. Effingham, IL (62401) Today A mix of clouds and sun this morning followed by increasing clouds with showers developing this afternoon. High near 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight A steady rain this evening. Showers with perhaps a rumble of thunder developing overnight. Low around 60F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Locally heavy rainfall possible. In the past week, New York City has paid tribute to two of its Finest, Detectives Wilbert Mora and Jason Rivera. They represented who and what we want law enforcement to be: brave, idealistic and deeply committed to service. Their bright futures were cut short by a man with a stolen gun and a 40-round drum magazine. Six NYPD officers have been victims of gun violence so far this year. Nationally, 64 children have been injured by gun violence already this year; 26 children killed. Every day in this country, 316 people are shot; 106 killed. Advertisement Its time for all of us to say: enough. There are steps we can take to turn pain into purpose, and that is what I was in New York Thursday to announce. Mayor Adams and I agree: The solution is not to defund our police, its to give them the tools, training and funding to be the partners and protectors our communities need. The answer is not to abandon our streets. Its for police and the community to come together to make them safer through policing that treats everyone with dignity and respect. Advertisement President Joe Biden speaks at an event with New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., to discuss gun violence strategies, at police headquarters, Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, in New York. (Alex Brandon/AP) Thats why Ive called on Congress to pass a budget later this month that provides cities an additional $300 million for community policing. We need more police on the street, walking the beat and making communities safer. Ive also asked Congress to provide $200 million for community violence intervention programs like the one I visited in Queens, where trusted community members work directly with the people most likely to commit or become victims of gun crimes. These programs can reduce violence by up to 60%. Biden praises Mayor Adams anti-crime plan, unveils new gun crackdown while in NYC: We are not about defunding Thats a half-billion dollars for proven strategies we know will reduce violent crime. That, along with the increased funding Ive requested for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Marshals, is essential to my comprehensive, nationwide strategy to prevent gun crime. First, were cracking down on the flow of firearms used to commit violence. That means going after rogue gun dealers who illegally sell to criminals. Were also sending additional prosecutorial resources to shut down the so-called iron pipeline that brings guns from other states into New York City. Gov. Hochul has created an interstate, interagency task force to stem the flow of illegal guns. Efforts like this will make a big difference. Were also going after people who use ghost guns to commit crimes. These are the guns that can be assembled from a kit, but cant be traced when theyre used in a crime because they dont have serial numbers. So were launching an intensified national ghost guns enforcement initiative to deter criminals from using those weapons to cover their tracks. If someone commits a crime with a ghost gun, not only will state and local prosecutors come after them, they should expect federal charges and prosecution. Editorial Board: A primer for the president What Joe Biden needs to know about crime in NYC and Eric Adams plans to combat it Second, were funding smart law enforcement and gun crime prevention efforts. New York City has identified a few hundred individuals in a city of 8.8 million who are repeatedly involved in gun violence. Every weekday, the city brings together federal, state and local law enforcement sharing intelligence so that we can get these shooters off the street. I visited a meeting of this Gun Violence Strategic Partnership during my trip and saw how effective it is when everyone is working together against gun violence. The U.S. Department of Justice is going to help more cities adopt the same model. Advertisement The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > Editorial: Mayor Adams against crime His push is balanced, which is what people across the political spectrum should want Third, were investing in community violence intervention and prevention strategies that work, like violence interrupters, summer and after-school programs for teens, jobs for young adults (as the saying goes, an idle mind is the devils workshop), school counselors and nurses, and mental health and substance abuse treatment. Fourth, when someone finishes their time in prison, we cant just hand them $25 and a bus ticket. We need to ensure they can access job training, stable housing and a second chance at a better life. Editorial: Put the safety on Mayor Adams urgent plan to curb gun violence I will keep doing everything in my power to make our communities safer, but Congress also needs to do its part. Pass universal background checks. Ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Close loopholes to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers, and repeal the liability shield for gun manufacturers, because theres no reason that they should be the only industry in America thats exempt from being sued. These are all common-sense steps that will save lives. We can never bring back those weve lost. But we can come together to fulfill the first responsibility of our government and our democracy: to keep each other safe. I am committed to working with the people and leaders of New York to do just that. Advertisement Biden is president of the United States. The days are numbered for the obligation to wear a mask on the street in Spain; next week, this often-criticised Covid protection measure will disappear. When the Spanish cabinet meets early next week, it will pass a Royal Decree to end the need for masks to be worn at all times outside, reported the SER radio network, quoting Spanish government sources. The station explains that the measure will take effect immediately after publication and that that could mean the next day, Wednesday, February 9th, or at the latest, Thursday 10th. "The idea is that it will be published in the official gazette on Wednesday and could become effective from Thursday," health minister Carolina Darias later confirmed to SER. The Spanish government will take this decision just a week after Congress validated the decree that made it compulsory, for the second period in the pandemic, to wear a mask when outside in the Spanish state. Cabinet approved the measure in December, just before the Christmas holidays, and was heartily criticised for it. The Catalan administration was one of those who questioned the effectiveness of the measure. In the vote in Congress, on Tuesday, February 1st - which was to validate the measure after it had already been in force for over a month - only the favourable votes of the Basque PNV, the Galician BNG and the Valencians of Compromis joined the governing parties, the PSOE and Unidas Podemos. ERC, JxCat, PDeCAT, CUP, EH Bildu and Mes Pais abstained, while PP, Vox, Cs and UPN voted against. In recent days, the health minister, Carolina Darias, has been saying that a review of the mask mandate was likely. Latest Covid data in Spain The Spanish government now thinks the measure can be relaxed in the face of an improving epidemiological situation; all indicators are going down steadily. Spain has surpassed 94,000 deaths from Covid since the start of the pandemic, as the state's sixth wave declines. Fourteen-day incidence has dropped 144 points, to 2,420 cases per 100,000 people, with 74,368 new positives detected in the last 24 hours. Data released by the health ministry shows 183 deaths reported by regional governments in the last day and a total of 809 in the last week. Since March 2020 there have been 94,040 deaths from Covid in Spain. The total number of confirmed cases since the beginning of the pandemic is around 10.2 million, including all those detected by tests and reported to the community health services. On the other hand, the occupancy of hospitals both in normal wards (13.5%) and in intensive care units (20.6%) has fallen again slightly over the last day. Argimon's opinion Meanwhile, the Catalan minister of health, Josep Maria Argimon, said on Thursday that the mandatory use of a mask on the street "is about to end". In fact, he recalled that we are facing a "mainly indoor" pandemic, which is why, according to him, it makes no sense for the mask to be mandatory outside. Argimon stressed that the mask should not be mandatory if a person is walking alone on the street, or if people together outside were all in the same household bubble. The first group of families who have decided to stand up to the 25% language quota in schools. The twenty-eight families of 30 five-year-old children in the P5 infant class of Turo del Drac school in the town of Canet de Mar have today filed an administrative appeal with the Catalan High Court (TSJC) requesting that it "annul" the interim measures that require Castilian (Spanish) to be used as the language of instruction in 25% of classes, after a family in the class requested that this be done until the final sentence is handed down. The group of families announced the appeal this morning at a press conference in the coastal town of Canet de Mar, north-east of Barcelona, asserting that are taking the action because "nobody" has allowed them to defend themselves in any other way against a measure they consider "unfair and arbitrary", which is "outside all pedagogical criteria" and has "no linguistic or social arguments" behind it. In this "nobody" are included both the family that requested the 25% Castilian and the Catalan administration's education department, which, in response to the resolution, ordered the management of the centre to comply. The lawyer for the families, Benet Salellas, explained that they entered this procedure as "co-defendants", as they feel directly affected by the legal process, and therefore legitimized to appear in it. In addition, in the appeal, they ask the high court to withdraw its interim imposition of the 25% Castilian of classes until the lawsuit is resolved. "There is no legal foundation for the 25% Castilian, it is a construction of the courts," argues Salellas. The lawyer says that the Catalan court makes reference to a ruling from Strasbourg that "in no way" justifies the 25% share. What is new in this appeal is that, for the first time, it asks the Catalan high court to justify why the level of 25% Castilian should be applied and not 18%. It also notes that Spain is a signatory of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in 2001, and in particular, defended the protection of language immersion. One of the TSJC's frequently-repeated arguments is that Castilian is also a language of instruction in Catalonia, as established by the Spanish Constitutional Court when it cut back the 2006 Catalan Statute of Autonomy, in its 2010 ruling. The families, for their part, have added that another reason they are going to court is because they believe that "the school students should be kept out of any political issue," and say that the suit filed by the complainant family has "a completely political nature" and "aims to attack the school's teaching plan." A teaching plan that, they recall, has a "consensus" and "has been approved by the teachers and the school board." Controversy In December, hundreds of parents, students and citizens demonstrated in Canet de Mar "against the attack on immersion" that the Supreme Court and the TSJC have carried out by imposing 25% Castilian language in schools, and in particular in response to the order for the teachers of the class of five-year-olds at Turo del Drac school to take classes in Castilian for 25% of teaching time, as an interim measure, after one family took a case to the Catalan court to demand this. A few weeks later, the language controversy affected the whole of Catalonia again, when, on January 21st, the Catalan High Court received the Supreme Court's notification of its 2020 ruling which obliges the Department of Education to apply 25% of hours in Castilian to all schools in Catalonia, and accordingly, the Catalan court gave the Generalitat 10 days to comply with the order, although it can still lodge an appeal to attempt to overturn it. Since the 2020 resolution, a trickle of schools have had to impose 25% Castilian in specific classes at the request of some families who brought cases. The Catalan education authorities have stated that these court orders were to be obeyed, but that it would protect the teachers. The educational institutions, grouped together in the Som Escola platform, took to the streets before Christmas to demand that the protection of the country's own language should not be whittled away. The origin of the 25% Castilian ruling was an appeal by the Spanish education ministry made in 2015, ruled on by the administrative disputes section of the TSJC on December 16th, 2020, leading to the resolution that the educational community interpreted as an attack on the Catalan language immersion system, created with the agreement of all political parties. The resolution stipulates that, as well as the classes teaching the Castilian language itself, the language must be used for instruction in one core other subject on the timetable. The ruling gave the education department ten days after receiving the communication "for it to put into effect and practice what is required to comply with the statements contained in the resolution." However, it also specifies that the defendant has two months to execute the sentence, as established in Article 104 of the Administrative Litigation Act. After two months, it will be necessary for one of the parties involved, such as the Spanish ministry of education, to request the execution of 25% Castilian language in schools. The court cannot act ex officio to impose it. Isle of Man Fitness Day could become regular event The first ever Isle of Man Fitness Day has been deemed a success. People of all abilities and ages were encouraged to dig out their gym kit and take part. Over 300 people took part in the Nedgroup sponsored 5km Fun Run at the NSC and a range of businesses to part in free classes. The Manx Government said It hoped the day will become a regular event. Mark Cavendish burglary: Man faces court on robbery charge Photo: Stuart Axe A man has appeared in court charged with two counts of robbery following a break-in at the home of Mark Cavendish. The Manx cyclist was recovering from a major crash during a track event in Belgium when he and his wife were threatened. Two high value watches and a designer suitcase were stolen. 30 year old Romario Henry from Lewisham was remanded into custody. Athens, AL (35611) Today Sunny to partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 85F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Amazon Prime is increasing in price for the first time since 2018. The company used its latest earnings to reveal that it's raising the fee to $15 per month (previously $13), or $139 per year (previously $119). The higher rates kick in February 18th for new customers, but they won't take effect for existing customers until they renew after March 25th if you were thinking of trying Prime, you might want to sign up now to lock in the current price for a year. Amazon pinned the increase on the "continued expansion" of Prime perks along with higher wages and transportation costs. As with the last time around, you can likely blame Amazon's ever more ambitious Prime Video plans for some of the increase. According to Hollywood Reporter, the upcoming Lord of the Rings series is expected to cost $465 million just for its first season and that's not including other big productions. Throw in the MGM acquisition and Amazon has plenty of media-related expenses. The company can't blame the hike on financial hardship, at least. Amazon's net profit jumped nearly 57 percent in 2021 to $33.4 billion the lingering COVID-19 pandemic has been good for Amazon's core shopping business. A surge in profit from EV maker Rivian's initial public stock offering (Amazon has a 20 percent stake) helped mask lower income in the last calendar quarter of 2021, but it's evident the company doesn't need the Prime hike in the near future. The Prime increase might also irk people beyond Amazon's customers. The company is raising rates even as it fights workers' efforts to improve working conditions, and as it faces increasing government scrutiny of its pricing and other practices. There won't be much sympathy from some corners, then, even if Amazon does use the extra revenue to help staff. Correction, 2/4/22 9:38AM ET: The story originally stated that the new Prime prices would come to new subscribers starting "March 25th or later." The increase will begin after the March 25th date. We apologize for the error. In a few short days, Samsung will host its first Unpacked of 2022. While the company is sure to stage many more events throughout the year (too many, if you ask us), the first one is always the most exciting. Thats because its usually where Samsung has announced the next iteration of its flagship Galaxy S line, and Wednesdays Unpacked promises to be no different. On February 9th, the company is expected to unveil the Galaxy S22. No surprise there, but there could be more to that announcement than you might anticipate. Lets break down everything we expect to see from the company later this week. Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+ Evan Blass Much like it did in 2021, Samsung is expected to launch a trio of new Galaxy S phones. As youll see in a few moments, the S22 Ultra is likely to be a significant departure from its predecessor. But as for the S22 and S22+, the expectation is that theyll be more iterative updates. Prerelease reports suggest theyll feature a similar design with the same Contour Cut rear camera housing that youll find on the Galaxy S21 and its Fan Edition offshoot. As far as upgrades go, most leaks point to the Galaxy S22 featuring a new glass back and both phones coming with 50-megapixel main cameras. More interesting is what could be inside the phones. Evan Blass As its done in years past, Samsung is expected to source two different chipsets for the Galaxy S line in 2022. In North America, the phone will likely feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. That would make it one of the first phones to bring Qualcomms latest flagship SoC to the US and Canada. Meanwhile, in Europe and other parts of the world, the S22 will almost certainly come with Samsungs own Exynos 2200. Announced in January, the 4nm chip features an Xclipse GPU powered by AMDs RDNA 2 architecture. In practice, what makes the Exynos 2200 noteworthy is that Samsung claims its capable of ray tracing. Early benchmarks suggest the Exynos 2200 could also be faster than its Qualcomm counterpart. All of that would make the potential differences between the North American and European versions of the Galaxy S22 more notable than in years past. Whoever said S22 series was to be cheaper, didn't think of Covid, parts shortages and inflation. Actual official EURO prices: S22 8/128GB = 849 S22 8/256GB = 899 S22+ 8/128GB = 1049 S22+ 8/256GB = 1099 S22 Ultra 8/128GB = 1249 S22 Ultra 12/256GB = 1349 S22 Ultra 12/512GB = 1449 pic.twitter.com/QRnfrhkzTz Roland Quandt (@rquandt) January 22, 2022 What were less clear on is how Samsung plans to price the Galaxy S22. In a recent tweet, WinFutures Roland Quandt said the base model S22 and S22+, both with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, would start at 849 and 1049, respectively. Those prices suggest the company wont charge more for the S22 and S22+ than it did for the S21 and S21+. However, a separate leak from earlier in the month suggested every model in the S22 line could cost $100 more than its S21 counterpart. Well have until the 9th to get a better sense of those details. Galaxy S22 Ultra Evan Blass Shortly before Samsung announced it was hosting an Unpacked on February 9th, company president TM Roh teased the event would feature the most noteworthy S series device weve ever created. After component shortages and a pandemic-fueled decline in demand for high-end phones led Samsung to skip the Note line in 2021, the fan-favorite phone is coming back this year. In all but name, we expect the Galaxy S22 Ultra will be the Note 20 successor Samsung fans have been waiting to see for nearly two years. But dont TM Rohs or our word for it. In the weeks leading up to Wednesdays Unpacked, images of the S22 Ultra leaked multiple times. Here's that 45W PD Charger for your new S22 Ultra (EP-T4510) the pic I posted a while back for this was obviously the wrong one. pic.twitter.com/jZw8Gu4Giq Roland Quandt (@rquandt) January 5, 2022 Renders shared by Evan Blass of Evleaks fame suggest the S22 Ultra will feature a dramatically different design from the rest of the S22 lineup. Not only will the phone seemingly come with an S-Pen stylus in the box, but it will also feature a curved display and flat backplate. Whats more, judging from photos shared by Front Page Tech, the S22 Ultra will include a slot for storing an S-Pen inside of the phone. A set of alleged prerelease marketing images shared by Blass suggest the S22 Ultra will feature a quad-camera array with a 108-megapixel main camera, 12-megapixel ultrawide and two 10-megapixel telephoto cameras with Samsungs 100x Space Zoom feature built-in. The leaked marketing material also suggests the phone will feature a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and QHD+ resolution. S22 Ultra camera 108MP+12MP+12MP+12MP, wrong 108MP+10MP+10MP+12MP, correct 108mp Improved version of HM3 main 1 / 1.33 "0.8 um F1.8 FOV 85 12MP 0.6X sony 1/2.55" 1.4um F2.2 FOV 120 10MP 10X new sony 1/3.52" 1.12um F4.9 FOV 11 10MP 3X new sony 1/3.52" 1.12um F2.4 FOV 36 pic.twitter.com/RsS9fPK0hC Ice universe (@UniverseIce) November 24, 2021 Internally, the S22 Ultra is expected to include many of the same components found in the S22 and S22+. However, one potential source of drama related to the S22 Ultra may come down to how much RAM youll find in the base model. According to Roland Quandt, the most affordable S22 Ultra variant will ship with 8GB of memory. At the same time, it will cost as much as the entry-level Galaxy S21 Ultra, which came with 12GB of RAM. Per Quandt, European consumers will need to pay a 100 premium to get the model with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. Its unclear if Samsung will implement the same pricing strategy in the US. Galaxy Tab S8 and Tab S8 Ultra Evan Blass Samsung has been making Android tablets long enough for Google to first abandon the form factor and then more recently declare that its the future of computing. So it should come as no surprise reports suggest the company will update its Tab line at Unpacked. According to a separate leak from Quandt, we can expect the company to equip the 11-inch Tab S8 with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, 8GB of RAM, up to 256GB of internal storage, an 8,000mAh battery and a 120Hz LCD display. As for the larger Tab S8+, Quandt suggests it will feature a 12.7-inch OLED display and a bigger 10,090mAh battery while being slightly thinner than its smaller sibling. Well note here some reports had said the Tab S8+ could feature a 12.4-inch display. Either way, both models are expected to come with a bundled S-Pen stylus. Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 series official EURO prices: S8 8/128: 749 S8 8/256: 799 S8 8/128 5G: 899 S8 8/256 5G: 949 S8+ 8/128: 949 S8+ 8/256: 999 S8+ 8/128 5G: 1099 S8+ 8/256 5G: 1149 S8 Ultra 8/128: 1149 S8 Ultra 16/512: 1449 S8 Ultra 8/128 5G: 1299 S8 Ultra 16/512 5G: 1599 pic.twitter.com/A8Dx96L4pT Roland Quandt (@rquandt) February 1, 2022 But thats not all, we also expect Samsung to add a new model to the Tab line. Per Quandt, the company will announce the Tab S8 Ultra on February 9th. It will reportedly feature a monstrous 14.6-inch AMOLED screen, up to 16GB of RAM and dual-front facing cameras housed in an unsightly display cutout. It could also come with a feature that would allow you to use the Galaxy S22 Ultra as a separate color palette when drawing with the S-Pen, which is exactly the sort of parlor trick only Samsung would think of to sell you on its most expensive devices. Everything Else By all accounts, the first Unpacked of 2022 will see Samsung focus on the Galaxy S22 and Tab S8. The company could surprise us with updates to its foldable and watch lineups, but so far there havent been any leaks and reports to suggest that will happen. Either way, youll want to visit Engadget on February 9th. Well have comprehensive coverage of all the companys biggest news. Catch up on all of the news from Samsungs February Unpacked event right here! Enid, OK (73701) Today Strong thunderstorms likely - heavy downpours are possible. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. High 82F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near an inch.. Tonight Partly cloudy. Windy. A stray severe thunderstorm is possible. Low 41F. Winds NNW at 20 to 30 mph. The pandemic began in 2020 with an outburst of anti-Chinese racism from the former president, which helped to lay the kindling for where we find ourselves today. Chinatown in New York City, as well as Chinese-American communities throughout the country, bore the brunt of pandemic-related closures. Restaurants, small business owners and service organizations are still struggling to recover. As Chinese-American and Asian-American communities across the nation celebrate the Lunar New Year, the hope for happiness is shrouded in fear, discrimination and inequity. Advertisement There has always been an undercurrent of prejudice toward Asians and Asian-Americans in some corners of New York City and in America, but the pandemic has created a petri dish where such hatred can grow and fester. At a time when this hatred is resurgent, the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) extended its exhibit, Responses: Asian American Voices Resisting the Tides of Racism, to help educate visitors and allow healing space. The exhibit focuses on the historical roots of anti-Asian and anti-Asian-American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) racism from the early days of an anti-Chinese exclusionary society to the rise of anti-AAPI racism and violence today. Organizations like MOCA were founded to combat such attitudes, but we clearly have more work to do. Amy Cheung, 30, at a rally with Asian American Federation to rise up against Asian hate in Foley Square, Manhattan, New York, Saturday, February 27, 2021. (Shawn Inglima/for New York Daily News) Yao Pan Ma, a Chinese immigrant and New Yorker, was beaten so badly last April that he never woke up; he died last month. Michelle Go was pushed in front of a subway in Times Square just days later. I was born and raised commuting on the subways of New York City, yet I am terrified to use mass transit following those recent crimes against people who look like me. Advertisement In December, NYPD reported that more than 129 anti-Asian hate crimes occurred during 2021, a 356 percent increase from 28 percent in 2020. Nearly 10,370 hate incidents occurred nationwide between March 2020 and June 2021, according to the national coalition Stop AAPI Hate. The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > Protests throughout the city have created a voice around current issues, but do not seed real change. Our elected leaders can fight anti-AAPI hate at the core with a simple commitment: bring AAPI history an American story to the public school system. The Legislature should move quickly to pass state Sen. John Lius bill to mandate instruction about the history and impact of our people in public schools across the state. Much of anti-AAPI hate is rooted in decades of discrimination toward Chinese in America. Yet the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the impact it had on not only Chinese-Americans but American society is hardly known. The first Chinese immigrants came to America in the 1850s, first to the West Coast and then settling in the 1870s in the Manhattan neighborhood that would become Chinatown. They left a mark on the city that can still be seen today and will be visible for centuries to come. The phrase Asian-American was coined by historian Yuji Ichioka in response to the desire for a strategic voice in the 1960s during the civil rights movement and after President Lyndon Johnson signed the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. It served the Asian-American community well as it combined diverse populations to advocate with one voice for improved services, additional rights and heightened acknowledgment of contributions. Yet while collective power allows for a greater voice, AAPI culture in the United States is far from a monolith, with Chinese-American culture alone comprising one of the countrys most diverse ethnic groups. The lack of history regarding AAPI in our textbooks has wreaked havoc on our communities. The AAPI community has seen how the lack of inclusion impacts not only their domestic issues but their safety and well-being. Whether it is the Chinese Exclusion Act, the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, the attacks on Muslims in America after 9/11 or more recently, according to the Stop AAPI Hate Coalition, more than 10,000 acts of hate against spurred on by misinformation surrounding the pandemic our classrooms have not created space for these important and complex elements of U.S. history. Leaders like Liu and Mayor Adams celebrate the diversity of New York. They know that our stories are integral parts of our collective history. When a deadly fire broke out last month in a Gambian-American community in the Bronx, Adams called out the hurt of that community and invited the Gambian ambassador to mourn with him and the rest of the city. Despite the tragedy, by calling the community by name, Adams gave room for a piece of the citys mosaic to shine brighter. It starts in our classrooms. We must all do our part to create more space for a more diverse and inclusive American narrative. We must make this education accessible if we hope for respect and acceptance to stop hate crimes. Yao Maasbach is president of the Museum of Chinese in America. The fact sheets with key results of the National Family Health Survey-5, conducted in 201921, from 36 states/union territories were released recently by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. In this article, the authors highlight the emerging population and health issues from the NFHS-5 to monitor the countrys progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and the key policy issues to strengthen the population and health programmes in the country. The main objective of the National Famil Health Survey (NFHS) has been to provide high-quality data on health and family welfare and other emerging issues. Five rounds of the NFHS (199293, 199899, 200506, 201516, and 201920) have been successfully completed in India. All the rounds of the NFHS have been conducted by the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai as the national nodal agency, with technical support from ICF United States (US) and implemented under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India. The NFHS-5, implemented during 201921, was successfully completed despite two waves of COVID-19 by temporarily halting the survey in the second-phase states and union territories (IIPS and Macro International 2021). This article presents the important findings on Indias population and health status based on the fact sheet indicators. The NFHS-5 sample is designed to provide national, state/union territory, and district-level estimates of various indicators that are critical to monitor the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on population, health, nutrition, and gender equality, among others. However, some indicators like sexual behaviour, womens work, HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes, practices, domestic violence, and mens health are provided only at the state/union territory and national levels. The content and definitions are similar to other rounds to allow for comparisons over time. However, the NFHS-5 has been expanded to include new issues such as the extent of preschool education, disability, access to a toilet facility, death registration, bathing practices during menstruation, and methods and reasons for abortion. The scope of clinical, anthropometric, and biochemical (CAB) testing has been expanded to include measurement of waist and hip circumferences and malaria testing. After submitting to five rounds of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) expansion between 1997 and 2020, Russia has finally thrown down the gauntlet to the United States (US). Declaring Russias endgame, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov in early January 2022 bluntly remarked, We dont trust the other side we need iron clad legally binding guarantees that Ukraine and Georgia will never ever become members of the NATO. It has been asked why has Russia decided to make a big deal about the NATO now? The simplest answer is that any further enlargement of the US-led alliance would bring it to within literally marching distance of the Russian heartland. The NATO troops are today deployed within 100 miles of Saint Petersburg. Throughout the Russian history, except for the brief conflicts with Japan and China in the Far East, the main threat to Russias securityand on at least two occasions, its very survival as a state and civilisationhas emanated from the heart of Europe. Although on each occasion Russia repulsed those threats and ultimately emerged victorious, the costs in blood and treasure were astoundingly high. Haunted by this history, creating a periphery zone of states friendly to Russia, or at the very least not aligned against it, has therefore always attracted its leaders as a safeguard against external meddling and aggression. Hungarys European and NATO allies have kept close eyes on the countrys prime ministers visit (1 February) to Moscow. Viktor Orban met with Russian president Vladimir Putin as the EU and NATO seek a united response to the military threat from Russia on the borders of Ukraine. The trip came after the divisive Hungarian leader attended a meeting of ultranationalist European parties in Madrid. Hungary neighbors Ukraine, where theres a large ethnic Hungarian minority. During the five-hour meeting with President Putin, Orban blasted the ineffectiveness of the EUs punitive sanctions on Moscow and hailed his successful relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Described by Orban as the most important meeting in the relations between Budapest and Moscow since he came to power, the Hungarian leaders self-ascribed peace mission culminated in reiterated calls for dialogue and strong support for Hungarys friendly relations with Russia. So the situation is serious. The differences are also significant. Russias needs are known to the whole world, and it is clear that the response to them does not meet them, Orban told journalists following the talks. What we can offer is the Hungarian model, he said, pointing out that Hungary, an EU and NATO member, has excellent relations with Russia. It is possible, there are examples of it, Hungarys of all countries. It is true that this requires mutual respect, he added. Besides exports and mutual investment, the talks also looked at gas which, following a 2021 fifteen-year deal with Russias Gazprom, is now being delivered to Hungary at a rate of 4.5 billion cubic meters per year via the Serbian-Hungarian inter-connector and Austria. The deal infuriated Ukraine, with Kyiv saying it is surprised and disappointed that gas will be arriving in Hungary via a route that bypasses it. Hungary was one of the few EU countries that used Russias first Covid vaccine, Sputnik V, in its vaccination drive, despite the product still not having been approved for use by the European Medicines Agency. Following the meeting with Orban, the Russian president said a solution to the crisis is not simple but confirmed the Kremlin is open to more talks as tensions rise over Ukraine. Putin also noted that the West had ignored Moscows security concerns, referring to the US and NATOs written responses to the Kremlins calls for legally binding security guarantees. it is already clear that fundamental Russian concerns ended up being ignored, he said, before adding the Kremlin is still poring over the US and NATOs feedback. It seems to me that the United States is not so much concerned about the security of Ukraine but its main task is to contain Russias development, Putin said. In this sense Ukraine itself is just a tool to reach this goal, he said. Putin added that French President Emmanuel Macron could come to Moscow for talks in the near future. Meanwhile, the Hungarian opposition accused Orbans visit to Moscow of being contrary to national interests and sending a message that NATO and EU member states are not united in rejecting Putins proposals. The Hungarian government has not come out in criticism of Russias demands, which would have the alliance defense structures rolled back to their state in 1997 in turn affecting Budapest as well. However, NATO sources suggest that Budapest is unlikely to stir the waters. In a related but separate development, Ukraine, Poland and the United Kingdom have announced they are looking to form a partnership to boost three-way cooperation and regional security in the face of Russian aggression. The announcement came as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson traveled to Kyiv for talks. Poland and Britain have both offered security aid to Kyiv amid a buildup of tens of thousands of Russian troops near Ukraines borders in recent weeks. 'History's been made here,' Biden says of job growth U.S. President Joe Biden hailed a report from the Labor Department showing job growth continued to be robust, capping 12 months of gains since he took office in 2021. Hundreds of protesters from the Uyghur community rally in Istanbul to call for a boycott of Beijing 2022 and to urge participants to speak out against China's treatment of the ethnic minority. Thousands of CPS Energy customers lost power in their homes Thursday morning. Robert Puente, CEO of the San Antonio Water System, was one of them. Im not freezing, because Im sitting nice and warm in my car, he said after dialing in to a media briefing on how San Antonios utilities were holding up in this weeks winter blast. Later in the morning, more than 30,000 CPS customers didnt have electricity. But it was clear by then that this wasnt a repeat of last Februarys storm, when hundred of thousands of area residents were stranded without power as temperatures plunged well below freezing. CPS officials blamed Thursdays outages on power lines felled by strong winds and tree branches weighed down by ice. The majority of the issues that were having is the ice thats weighing down the tree branches and causing some of them to snap, utility spokeswoman Christine Patmon said. The outages that were having today are not related to supply and demand issues at all this is all weather. On ExpressNews.com: Insulated tents, space heaters: CPS Energy says its power plants are ready for arctic blast CPS Energys seven power plants were fully functional Thursday, she said. During last years storm, several of the utilitys facilities, including the Spruce coal-fired plant, were temporarily hobbled by freezing temperatures. Since then, CPS has spent about $2 million to better prepare its power plants for cold snaps. The grid held up The Texas grid had ample power available Thursday afternoon, with over 9,000 megawatts of generation in reserve. One megawatt is enough to power a few hundred homes. Wind turbines across the state were producing about 20 percent more electricity than forecasters had expected, and solar power generation also beat estimates. Electricity demand statewide on Thursday was within the range the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the state grid operator, had forecast earlier in the week. Gov. Greg Abbott said the state should have 10,000 megawatts of excess supply Friday morning. Overnight temperatures in the San Antonio area were expected to drop to as low as 20 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Peter Lake, the newly appointed chairman of the Public Utility Commission, said regulators were exercising an abundance of caution to avoid outages. Many Texas electricity generators had purchased extra fuel namely natural gas in case of shortages. Officials said state power generators are capable of generating about 15 percent more power during this storm than they did last year, when natural gas and other fuel shortages led to more than 4 million homes losing power for several days. CPS Energy said it bought and stored more natural gas ahead of this freeze. The city-owned had already hedged against a jump in gas prices after it was forced to spend $700 million to buy gas during Winter Storm Uri. Rudy Garza, CPS interim CEO, said the utility might see between 20,000 to 30,000 customers lose power during a typical wind storm. The outages Thursday largely hit the high end of that range. On ExpressNews.com: Live updates: 8,000 without power, highway closures and more During last years storm, more than 250,000 CPS customers were without power for at least 24 hours. Another 25,000 lost electricity for more than 48 hours that week. Something to worry about? Some natural gas firms on Thursday said gas supplies were shrinking in West Texas Permian Basin because of frozen wellheads and pipelines. Gas wellheads and pipelines also froze during Winter Storm Uri, severely limiting the amount of natural gas for sale. The shortage resulted in sky-high prices on the gas spot market as utilities competed to purchase the fuel. Hundreds of Texas power plants including several of CPS Energys facilities underwent ERCOT-led weatherization inspections in the run-up to this winter. The natural gas industry, however, did not have to meet compliance rules. With the current lack of regulation in Texas, gas is a weather dependent fuel source for power plants, Austin energy consultant Doug Lewin said on Twitter. It's unfortunate there aren't better regulations that would make it a more reliable fuel. Staff writers Timothy Fanning and Jeremy Blackman contributed to this story. diego.mendoza-moyers@express-news.net Valentin Gonzales IV allegedly was shot and killed Dec. 30 by Jordan Alexander Eaton during a dispute over Eatons dogs at the Branch at Medical Center apartments in San Antonio. Gonzales widow, Brittany Gonzales, this week filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the Austin company that owns the apartments. She alleges that Eaton, 18, had been terrorizing the complex for months and though management knew about it, didnt do anything. He either threatened violence or actually was performing violence and management actually knew about it, said Dan Packard, the widows San Antonio lawyer. What do you do with a tenant whos a threat to the other residents? I dont think you let them stay on the facility. Brittany Gonzales seeks more than $1 million in damages in the suit, which was filed in state District Court in San Antonio. On ExpressNews.com: Boy, 7, died after exposure to mold in San Antonio apartment, wrongful-death suit alleges The apartment owner, Austin-based 7207 Snowden Road LLC, did not respond to requests for comment Thursday. Its affiliated with GVA Property Management, which manages the property, according to the complexs website. 7207 Snowden acquired the property in late 2020 from Dallas Theia Landmark Investors, according to Bexar County land records. Theia also was named apparently mistakenly as a defendant in the suit. Eaton was arrested for murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and was simultaneously charged with burglary of vehicles stemming from July 2020. Court records show he was released on $280,000 bail and is awaiting indictment. His criminal defense lawyer didnt respond to a request for comment. Eaton is not a defendant in Brittany Gonzales lawsuit. According to her complaint, Eaton had objected to the way Brittany Gonzales was petting his dogs while they were in the propertys courtyard. He began to shout obscenities at her and then pulled out a 45mm handgun loaded with hollow-point bullets and threatened, the suit says. Eaton began firing the handgun, sending bullets whizzing by Brittany Gonzales face, the suit adds. Valentin Gonzales allegedly attempted to defuse the situation and take the gun from Eaton but was shot twice. Valentin Gonzales collapsed in front of his family and bled to death on the courtyard lawn, the complaint says. He was 28. SA Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox The incident was captured on video by a witness, who turned the recording over to police. Packard said the Gonzales children witnessed the shooting. Valentin Gonzales was about to start a new job at the Toyota plant on the South Side, the attorney said. Packard said he has spoken with several apartment residents who complained to management about Eatons behavior. He had allegedly followed Valentin Gonzales mother-in-law around the property shouting obscenities, the suit says. Eaton would bang on her apartment door and shout threats for an extended period of time. A disabled tenant for whom Gonzales mother-in-law provided full-time care called the police on Eaton and believed he would be evicted, the complaint adds. But nothing was done. A landowner is not responsible for the criminal actions of people who come on the property, unless they have reason to know that there is likely to be criminal activity in the future, Packard said. We believe there was ample evidence that Eaton, in particular, posed a risk to the other tenants that they (7207 Snowden) had actual knowledge of that and they failed to take reasonable measures to address the situation. Eaton should have been evicted before the shooting, Packard added. Brittany Gonzales alleges 7207 Snowden acted with malice and gross negligence, so she wants a jury to award punitive damages. Shes also suing on behalf of the couples child. pdanner@express-news.net Nick Cannon apologized to the mothers of his children on his talk show Thursday for any pain and confusion he may have caused by jubilantly announcing his latest impending arrival with model Brie Teisi so soon after he and Alyssa Scott lost their son, Zen, to brain cancer in December at age 5 months. I actually would like to take a moment just to be honest and even take a moment to listen and reflect on what I was saying and whats popping in and to apologize properly, Cannon said on The Nick Cannon Show. I wish to always protect and respect the privacy of the mothers of all my children. Advertisement Nick Cannon opened up about his personal life. (YouTube.com) There are five, including Scott. Cannon and ex-wife Mariah Carey share 10-year-old twins Monroe and Moroccan Cannon; Brittany Bell is mom to 4-year-old son Golden Sagon Cannon and 13-month-old daughter Powerful Queen Cannon, and Abby De La Rosa has another set of twins, boys Zion Mixolydian Cannon and Zillion Heir Cannon. And soon there will be Teisi, with whom he hosted a gender reveal party on Sunday that set the weeks revelations in motion. Advertisement Cannon addressed the announcement on Mondays show, confirming that baby number eight was indeed on the way, even as he acknowledged virtually in the same breath that he was still deeply grieving Zen. Then on Tuesday he yukked it up with Angela Yee of Rumor Report, clarifying his celibacy timeline and intentions, admitting his intention to last till the new year had ended a tad prematurely. He also clarified that he had learned of Tiesis pregnancy while Zen was still alive and that they had held off telling the world because of his sons illness. Thursday was spent sorting it all out. I misspoke and probably went too much into detail on Monday expressing my feelings, and it probably felt like I was making some comparatives when talking about the passing of my son Zen and then also talking about the new child Im expecting, Cannon said on Thursdays edition of The Nick Cannon Show. I didnt need to do that, because those are two completely separate moments in my life, and they both deserve the respect. He also spoke more about the pain of losing Zen. You know, we lost a child, Cannon said on Thursdays show. And it is a sincere and still is a sincere and real situation. And I love her, I love my son Zen, and I always will. And Im going to love my new child, and Im going to love every child from that point on. Im a responsible human being, and I take full responsibility for everything, so I must say I sincerely apologize to everyone involved for any extra pain or confusion that I may have caused. San Antonio approved a spending plan for $212.5 million in federal relief funds Thursday aimed at helping small businesses, addressing mental health needs and other areas that took a hit in the pandemic but $10 million approved for the Texas Biomedical Research Institute took center stage. Dozens of residents spoke against the research institutes use of animal testing and questioned whether it met the spirit of a spending plan meant to tackle the most immediate needs of a community still vulnerable to COVID-19. Others said Texas Biomeds contributions to ending the pandemic through vaccines were vital and an economic driver for the city. Two people were escorted out of City Council chambers after interrupting discussion to protest the funding for Texas Biomed. The federal relief funds come from the American Rescue Plan Act, passed by Congress in March. The city received its first funding allocation last year but wont get its second payout of the federal money until May. More than 60 San Antonio residents spoke to city officials over nearly three hours Thursday, hoping to sway decisions about the best way to spend the one-time funds. Some speakers expressed frustration at having to show up during work hours, winter weather and sleet to be heard. District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez was the only vote against the final spending plan, saying he didnt feel the process was transparent enough. District 10 Councilman Clayton Perry was absent and did not vote. The bulk of the approved spending framework gives power to City Council committees. Spending for the general categories, like small business, will be worked out there starting next month. On ExpressNews.com: City employees might get a boost. Who else in San Antonio could benefit from COVID-19 relief money? City staff made a few changes to the final plan after a City Council briefing last week. The $8 million set aside to continue some mental health programs in the annual budget was removed, and San Antonio will instead incorporate it into the citys five-year financial forecast to consider later this year. San Antonio also will set aside $4 million specifically for social services and nonprofits. District 7 Councilwoman Ana Sandoval moved to create that category by taking $2.5 million from small businesses and removing $1.5 million from digital literacy. That leaves the total for small business at nearly $31 million and the bucket for digital literacy at $7 million. Mayor Ron Nirenberg said the funds for digital access are just a small portion of a larger budget that will draw on other sources. Morgans Wonderland will get $15 million more than the $10.5 million recommended last week for four projects, including a new pediatric care center. Educare will receive $7 million, also up from last weeks suggestion of $6 million, for child care. On ExpressNews.com: National group says San Antonio shouldnt give COVID-19 relief funds to Texas Biomed Some concerned about transparency Some residents who spoke to City Council raised concerns about the process for choosing outside organizations to receive funding. Sandoval last week also criticized it for a lack of transparency. Ananda Tomas, with Act 4 SA, said she supported money for Morgans Wonderland and Educare but wanted them to go through the same competitive process as other organizations who want the federal funding. Representatives from Big Mamas Safe House and Graciela Sanchez with the Esperanza Peace & Justice Center said they had similar worries. The process has not been transparent or fair, Sanchez said. Backroom sweetheart deals have been made for some organizations. McKee-Rodriguez motioned to separate the three organizations Morgans Wonderland, Texas Biomed and Educare from the main vote. That failed for lack of support among council members. How can we stand up here and say it doesnt seem shady? We have definitely been lobbied, so this process feels like a loophole, McKee-Rodriguez said. City officials left other proposals untouched from last week. They approved $50 million for COVID-19 response, $10 million for the Emergency Housing Assistance Program and $10 million for an employee compensation and retention program. About $26 million will be spent on mental health needs, $10 million on youth, $5 million on the arts and another $5 million on seniors. Infrastructure funding will also remain the same at $13.8 million, allowing the city to free up some space in the 2022 bond program to fully fund public art and still address roads and bridges projects. Controversy over Texas Biomed Residents have called attention to Texas Biomeds use of animals in medical research, saying its inhumane and unnecessary. In response, Texas Biomed has pointed to the requirement by federal regulators that vaccines be tested on animals and the amount of credible medical organizations that support animal testing. The approval for Texas Biomed also comes on the heels of a complaint to the U.S. Department of the Treasury from a national nonprofit that the research institute doesnt qualify for federal funds. Treasury officials responded to the complaint by saying there was no reason for them to intervene unless funds were allocated. City officials have stood firm that they followed the federal guidelines and that Texas Biomed qualifies. The complaint, filed by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine also considered a fringe medical organization contained inaccuracies about what guidelines through which the city planned to justify Texas Biomed. Residents also said that even if Texas Biomed qualifies, it doesnt follow the spirit of the American Rescue Plan Act immediate relief to those most impacted by the pandemic. City Manager Erik Walsh told reporters he included the Texas Biomed project because economic development came out as a top priority for residents through the public input process the city conducted last fall. Notably, former Mayor Henry Cisneros voiced support for funding for Texas Biomed. He also sits on the board of the research institute. City Council also discussed changing the $10 million for city employees to redirect it back toward premium, or hazard, pay which is supported by the union for civilian city workers. That effort ultimately failed, but San Antonio employees will still have the chance to get a boost as details will be worked out later this year. I assure you every bit of input is being listened to and accounted for and being treated seriously, Nirenberg said. Our process is not over. We still have a lot of work to do. megan.stringer@express-news.net San Antonios most famous gut-busting confection is set to make a triumphant return this month: Lulus big-as-your-head cinnamon rolls. When Lulus Bakery & Cafe closed early in the pandemic, the restaurants iconic 3 -pound cinnamon roll became one of the citys most famous culinary casualties. While Lulus isnt coming back, its ginormous sweet treat will be revived at both Green Vegetarian Cuisine locations beginning on Valentines Day, Feb. 14. Green Vegetarian Cuisine owner Mike Behrend is the son of Lulus founder Lulu Singleton and said in a news release hell be baking the massive rolls using his mothers original recipe, which dates back to 1992. Staff file photo Customers have been asking us for them ever since Lulus closed, he said in the release. They were something that San Antonio was really proud of, and so are we. The cinnamon rolls are an impressive feat of kitchen engineering. Each batch of dough, which makes 27 rolls, weighs in at 80 pounds. Once rolled out to fill with butter, cinnamon and sugar, the dough takes up the better part of an 8-foot table. After theyre baked, each roll is topped with a thick cloak of sugary glaze flavored with vanilla. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonios Lulu's Bakery is closed and is auctioning off items from the restaurant While San Antonio locals and visitors alike have long known about and marveled at Lulus huge cinnamon rolls, the colossal confections gained nationwide attention when featured on an episode of the show Man v. Food in in 2009. The cinnamon rolls will be regularly available at both Green Vegetarian Cuisine locations in Alamo Quarry Market and Alon Town Center for $12. Orders can be placed at eatatgreen.com. pstephen@express-news.net | Twitter: @pjbites | Instagram: @pjstephen Communities in Schools of San Antonio has received a $7 million donation that will help it meet the increased needs of students amid the pandemic, part of a hefty $133.5 million gift to its national operations from mega-philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. The nonprofit, which works within schools to help connect underserved students with resources on and off campus, will have complete freedom on how to invest the funds, said Rey Saldana, its national president and CEO. Scotts donation was announced Thursday. This kind of flexibility truly allows a nonprofit to kind of live out its mission and ambition, said Saldana, a former San Antonio City Council member who had himself benefited from the organization as a sophomore at South San Antonio High School. Today we are in 2,900 schools across the country, but there are 60,000 Title One schools, he said, referring to a federal law defining poverty levels in enrollment that make a school eligible for federal help. In all such schools, the best way to reach the needs of all the students, especially post-pandemic... is to ensure that students have wrap-around service inside the schools, he said. Marvin Pfeiffer /Staff Photographer While many students like him found such services out of what seemed like luck, American education should not rely on luck to give students the tools they need to succeed despite challenges, Saldana said. The non-profit wants to ensure that it not only increases the number of schools it serves, but increases the impact of that help, Saldana said. To do that, it will have to invest in its own staffing, management, research and evaluations some of which is hard to fund-raise for, he said. You need to be able to prove to superintendents and school board members who ask us, Hey, wed love to invite you into our school, but you need to be able to demonstrate impact and Id like you to do that with a randomized control trial; Id like you to do that with an outside evaluation, and those things cost money, Saldana said. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio ex-councilman Rey Saldana moving to D.C. to lead national education nonprofit Throughout the pandemic, the need for additional student support services such as those provided by Communities in Schools increased across the San Antonio area, with many school districts doubling their requests for CIS staff amid school staff and teacher shortages. In San Antonio, 164 schools have on-site coordinators or some access to resources through CIS. But there are still 15-20 requests for access that the organization is working to fill, said Jessica Weaver, CEO of Communities In Schools of San Antonio. We still have some deepening to do in those schools, Weaver said. How do we make sure that we are meeting the needs in those campuses? Scotts donation comes at a time where we are thinking strategically on what can we do for the immediate (need), but also be responsible for such a gracious gift that can create sustainability and capacity for a long term, and sustainability would involve beefing up administrative staffing, Weaver added. On ExpressNews.com: MacKenzie Scotts gift to San Antonios Palo Alto College: a cool $20 million The pandemic has accentuated different challenges for educators, students and families, Weaver said, and a return to strategic planning made sure resources are going to areas of high demand. Scotts gift will help with this readjustment, too, she said. At a time when educators and education-related organizations are feeling overwhelmed by the amount of need and demand for their service, such a large donation also conveys a sense of validation, Weaver said, describing her announcement to the San Antonio staff on Thursday morning as, Yall celebrate and tell the world that this is because of the work that youve done. Just that affirmation, honestly, goes a long way. And I think most of us understand that, after two years of just challenges, she said. danya.perez@express-news.net | @DanyaPH The doctor walked into the room and took a seat on the lid of a red trash can. Your baby has bleeding in his brain, he told Gabe and Zahava Edery, and there are broken bones, too. They were stunned. It was July 3, 2021, and the Ederys, both 32, had taken their 3-month old son Mickey to Childrens Medical Center in Plano that evening after he grew unresponsive following a family trip to synagogue. It was the Sabbath, a family day, and the couple and their three children had spent it together. The baby had rarely left Zahavas arms. But the combination of the initial diagnoses the brain bleed, plus fractured ribs, plus a retinal hemorrhage made the doctors think the child was a victim of shaken baby syndrome, which kills between 1,000 and 3,000 children each year. Child Protective Services got involved, and a social worker directed Gabe to bring their familys other two children in. A pediatric abuse specialist went on to classify Mickeys injuries as potentially stemming from abuse, and all three children were taken from the parents and placed in the foster care system. Courtesy Courtesy Courtesy Edery Family with kids Eliana, Mickey and JJ. Edery Family with kids Eliana, Mickey and JJ. Within days, doctors walked-back the diagnosis of broken bones, saying the only injury was the brain bleed. This weakened the case for abuse, but that didnt change the states response. A cloud of suspicion hung over the Ederys fueled by questions Zahava asked at the hospital in a moment of panic, among them: Did we do this? Proving that they did not cause Mickeys injury to the satisfaction of Child Protective Services and an appointed guardian ad litem took seven months. Mickey is a twin, his brother is named JJ, and the Ederys also have a 3-year-old daughter named Eliana. The twins have now spent more of their lives outside their parents home than in it. The family took their case to social media, raising about $272,000 from more than 3,000 donors around the country. But the costs were higher more than $300,000 for lawyers, doctors, psychologists and other expenses. IN-DEPTH: Doctors trained to spot child abuse can save lives or tear families apart The Ederys hired four pediatric neurology experts to examine the medical evidence. The doctors concluded that Mickey, a twin born prematurely, had slight head trauma from delivery that caused a fluid buildup inside his skull that ultimately caused the brain bleed. Without other injuries, it was unclear how abuse could have possibly caused the bleed. If the baby had been punched, there would have been broken bones or extensive bruising. If he had been shaken, there would have been injuries to the ribs, neck or spine. But there was none of that. Courtesy A new state law that went into effect in September two months after Mickeys injury was too late to help the Ederys, but it promises new resources to Texas parents who find themselves in a similar predicament in the future. Under the law, the Ederys would have had the right to demand a second, independent medical opinion outside of the initial abuse finding from the doctor, which could have kept them out of the system entirely, avoiding the months of heartache, uncertainty and expense that started with their children being taken from them. New law is right direction for a slow process The law change was prompted by a 2019 investigation by the Houston Chronicle and NBC News of 40 cases in which the conclusions of state child abuse specialists were questioned. Giving parents and their lawyers the right to request a second opinion is a significant step forward, parent advocates say, but it doesnt solve all the problems that come from a misdiagnosis. The challenge is once the system is involved, its pretty much nine months to get back even if you're wrong. I dont know if I can ever remember a case where somebody recognized after a week theyre wrong, said state Rep. James Frank, a Wichita Falls Republican who chairs the Human Services Committee that vetted the legislation. Yet even critics acknowledge that the abuse specialists conclusions are likely correct most of the time, particularly when children have suffered extensive unexplained injuries. And in some cases, they help rule out abuse when CPS might otherwise have been suspicious. Medical groups lobbied hard against the bill in 2019 when it was initially pushed, and failed to pass. Its their position that doctors who specialize in identifying child abuse based on the childs medical records are most suited to doing so. CPS is also quick to note that abuse doctors can be helpful to ruling out abuse in cases where children could have been removed in years past. Still, Frank said if they see certain symptoms, like a brain bleed: Theyre a hammer and everything looks like a nail. Its the mindset that, isnt it worth it just to save one child? and if there's any chance this child is abused, we should remove him. Not recognizing that the very act of removal is a tremendously traumatic experience for a child, Frank said. CPS is not a broken system. The system works a lot of the time in some of the worst situations humans can have. As with most legislation, it moves in the right direction. But as long as you have humans in this situation, youre always going to have problems. Guardian ad-litem blamed for stalling Once the Ederys were sucked into the cautious bureaucracy, it took herculean efforts for them to get their children back. They retained a lawyer, Lynne Corsi, who founded and ran the child abuse division within the Dallas County DAs office and has more than 30 years experience working with child abuse. The good part is that this family had a lot of advocacy, the good part is they had resources from their community, that they had attorneys that were diligent. And that they had people that fiercely advocated for them, and that they could afford medical experts. Most people dont have that, Corsi said. And even with all of the resources and the advocacy that they had, it still took a very long time to get a just result for this family. A continuous source of the delay was the independent attorney assigned by the court system to protect Mickey, Regina Clark. DO NO HARM Reporters from the Houston Chronicle and NBC News spent nine months examining more than 40 cases and spoke with more than 100 attorneys, doctors and current and former state employees. The reporting, published in 2019, reveals that some doctors have diagnosed child abuse with a degree of certainty that critics say is not supported by science. In response, some Texas lawmakers called for additional safeguards to protect families. READ THE SERIES: www.houstonchronicle.com/local/investigations/do-no-harm/ See More Collapse She did not respond to repeated attempts from Hearst Newspapers to reach her, but court records and email correspondence show that Clark repeatedly called for delays of weeks or even months at a time even after the Edery family completed court-ordered parenting classes and psychological evaluations. For months, Clark delayed efforts to take the kids out of foster care and place them with a family friend of the Ederys. Then she delayed a subsequent effort to get the kids back to their parents. The ad litem refused repeatedly to explain the reason for the delays, other than to say she was concerned that returning the children was premature, the correspondence shows. From a bureaucracy standpoint, all these people are masters at saying nothing but delaying your case. Giving no substance why anything thats happening is happening, but the end result is what they want: which is the case moves at the timeline they want, at the steps they want, Gabe Edery said. Gabe Edery said it could have taken until July to get the kids home. But the Dallas District Attorneys office, which represented the state, stepped in to help expedite the childrens return, batting down Clarks efforts to push it back into March. Without a defensible rationale to do so, the Dept. believes it would be an injustice to continue this suit, an assistant DA wrote in an email. So on Jan. 26, the whole family waited at their house for their oldest daughter, Eliana, to return from school. Normally when she gets dropped off at the curb, Eliana cuts through the grass toward the front door. That day, for some reason, she ran all the way along the driveway and into her mothers arms. It was this real homecoming. She was all excited, Zahava Edery said. edward.mckinley@chron.com Courtesy of Central Alabama CrimeStoppers The FBI and Alabama authorities are offering rewards for information about a man with San Antonio ties accused of being involved in a murder-for-hire scheme. Darin Starr, 54, is wanted for his alleged role in the November 2017 murder of his former sister-in-law outside her home in Coffee County, Alabama. A federal arrest warrant was issued for Starr in December 2021 after he was charged with using interstate commerce facilities in the commission of the scheme. A man who was critically injured in a crash late Thursday night that contributed to an hours-long shut down of Interstate 10 in Kerrville has died, according to the Kerr County Sheriffs Office. Authorities said a tractor-trailer was headed westbound on I-10 at around 9:30 p.m., when the driver attempted to slow down for traffic that was stopped near mile marker 510 and flipped on its side and then slid into a Ford F-350 pickup truck. Both occupants of the F-350 were critically injured and taken to Peterson Regional Medical Center in Kerrville, the sheriff's office said in a news release. Authorities said one of the pickup truck's occupants died at around 6:30 a.m. on Friday. Officials have not identified either person in the F-350. The current condition of the second occupant is unclear. Authorities did not say if the driver of the tractor-trailer was injured. On ExpressNews.com: Dallas couple wrongly accused of abuse gets their kids back, 7 months and $300,000 later Officials said they believe icy conditions from a strong winter storm contributed to the crash, adding that there are currently no charges pending. Traffic had already been at a standstill because of the weather when the crash happened, the sheriff's office said. Drivers were stranded for over 18 hours. Poor road conditions across Kerrville and much of the Hill Country were reported as temperatures hit below freezing on Thursday and remained there on Friday. After the crash, a stretch of the interstate was closed in both directions as law enforcement worked to remove the tractor-trailer. Traffic cameras showed vehicles parked on the interstate in icy conditions early Thursday morning. At around 11 a.m., the Texas Department of Transportation managed to reopen the eastbound inside lane. Significant ice remained on the interstate after traffic began moving again around 1 p.m., authorities said. Tierra Zabster, a truck driver headed to Florida, told the Express-News that she has been stuck since 10 p.m. Thursday. "I am extremely exhausted and disappointed in Texas," Zabster said. "I'm a truck driver, and I checked state DOT and there was no update. Not even a warning on the highway communication traffic displays." Anita Solis Avila, a San Antonio-based truck driver hauling groceries to New Mexico, said she had been stuck in the westbound lanes for seven hours. "You really can't see too far," Avila said. "You just see miles and miles of trucks. Some cars are coming through the side road and getting stuck trying to make a U-turn and go around." Several people on social media said they were en route to bring water, gas and food to stranded drivers. Nick Sheridan, an Army veteran who recently founded the nonprofit Homeland Emergency Rescue Operations, is one of those people. Sheridan said it has been difficult to reach Kerrville as traffic was backed up at least 18 miles away in Comfort. Sheridan, who lives in San Antonio, said his team of Army veterans and first responders were taking back roads toward the crash site to bring gasoline and water for those stranded. People have been stuck for hours in the freezing cold with no gas, no water and no food, Sheridan said. I cant live this close and at least not try to do something to help. Avila said she had plenty of water and Gatorade to keep her hydrated. She had passed the time in her cabin bunk. "I know this is hard," Avila said. "Some have been out here since 9 o'clock last night. I'm sure they're hungry. Some might not have essential needs to accommodate their stay. Hopefully everyone gets through this safely." Staff writer Malak Silmi contributed to this report. Timothy.Fanning@express-news.net The Carnival Ecstasy is am 855-foot, 2675-passenger ship built in 1991 and refurbished in 2009. (Carnival Cruise Line) Carnival Cruise Line is removing its two oldest ships from its fleet while also canceling some previously scheduled sailings. Carnival Sensation and Carnival Ecstasy will be gone from the lines current 24-ship lineup by years end. The line had previously announced the restart of Sensation, which debuted in 1993, was being delayed. Now the 70,000-gross-ton vessel will not return to service, having sailed its last voyage for the cruise line before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the industry. Advertisement Carnival Ecstasy, which debuted in 1991, will continue to sail through October before it retires from the fleet. Our guests have remained passionate and supportive throughout the restart and 2022 gives us plenty of reasons for enthusiasm and excitement as we reach full operations in the U.S., prepare for our 50th birthday celebration, and await the arrival of Carnival Celebration this fall, said line President Christine Duffy in a press release. Our very loyal guests, our vibrant homeport strategy and our fleet of popular ships are strengths to our advantage as we adapt to changing opportunities and circumstances. Advertisement Carnival Celebration follows the debut of Carnivals Mardi Gras in 2021 as the second ship in that class, the largest ever built for the line coming in at nearly 182,000 gross tons and a 6,500-guest capacity, compared with Ecstasy and Sensations roughly 2,600-guest capacities. The announcement means that as previously planned, Carnival Ecstasy will move from Jacksonville to Mobile, Alabama, beginning with a March 5 restart with itineraries planned through Oct. 10 before retirement. With Sensations departure, the cruise line does not currently have a ship slated to sail from the Gulf Coast port for Oct. 15, 2022-Sept. 30, 2023. Carnival Spirit was moving to Jacksonville because of the shuffle, and will sail from March 7-April 9, but the cruise line announced the cancellation of two cruises in mid-April. The line said a yet-to-be-named ship will be assigned to the Florida port for sailings beginning April 23. Overseas, the line is canceling sailings of Carnival Splendor in Australia from June 10-Sept. 26 as well as Carnival Spirit from June 5-Oct. 5 because of uncertainty of operations amid the pandemic. A two-ship return to Australia will wait until the line can confirm its presence in the country. The line did not announce whether they would be selling the ships to another line, as it has done in the past, or just have them scrapped. The pandemic saw the offloading of several older cruise ships, including Carnival Fantasy, Fascination, Imagination and Inspiration, all of which eventually were sent to the ship-breaking yard in Aliaga, Turkey. This list will update as information becomes available. Most public school systems in and around San Antonio will stay closed for a second day Friday due to winter weather, including Northside Independent School District, the areas largest. San Antonio, North East, Edgewood, East Central, South San Antonio, Alamo Heights, Somerset, Southwest, Southside, Harlandale, Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City, Boerne, Medina Valley and Comal ISDs also will close. SAISD officials rescheduled Fridays final town hall meeting for input on their superintendent search, postponing it to 6 p.m. Tuesday in person at Highlands High School or via Zoom. Northside has postponed all extracurricular events set for Friday and changes to weekend events will be announced by campuses or departments, district spokesman Barry Perez said. The reasons included the closure of several major roadways and the likelihood that those roads will continue to be closed into Friday, he said in an emailed statement. We have also been told that the water on roads and bridges will certainly freeze overnight and not melt again until the afternoon. The University of Texas at San Antonio said it would conduct Fridays classes remotely. Charter networks announcing closures included the School of Science and Technology, Great Hearts and Jubilee Academies. Mint Images/Getty Images/Mint Images RF The San Antonio Academy and Keystone School, private schools, also will be closed. We will not need to make up the inclement weather days at the end of the school year due to BISD adding additional minutes to the school day at the beginning of the school year, said Bryan Benway, a Boerne ISD spokesperson. Most of the citys Catholic schools likely will teach classes online, as they did Thursday, said Claudia Gonzalez, director of marketing and enrollment for the San Antonio Archdioceses Catholic schools office. They turned on a dime last night into remote learning using the lessons gained during COVID, she said. This story will be updated. cbryan@express-news.net A Texas man pleaded not guilty in federal court Friday to accusations that he tried to rally fellow patriots in Georgia to kill three state government officials there after the 2020 election. Chad Christopher Stark, 54, who appeared via video Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Russell Vineyard in Atlanta, pleaded not guilty to one charge of communicating interstate threats. Prosecutors said that on Jan. 5, 2021, the Leander man posted a message on Craigslist titled Georgia Patriots its time to kill the Chinese agent $10,000 that urged people to take back our state from these lawless treasonous traitors, according to a federal indictment. The post urged Georgia residents to militia up and shoot politicians and federal and local judges. On ExpressNews.com: Austin-area man is first in nation arrested by FBIs Election Threats Task Force Its time to invoke our Second Amendment right its time to put a bullet in the treasonous Chinese (official A) its our duty as American patriots to put an end to the lives of these traitors and take back our country by force, the message said. Stark is the first person arrested by the FBIs Election Threats Task Force, which was formed last summer after an outburst of violent rhetoric against election administrators around the country. While the federal indictment did not identify the three people that Stark targeted, media reports said that Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Gov. Brian Kemp were among them. Former President Donald Trump had called Raffensperger an enemy of the people after losing the 2020 election. Trump made repeated unproven claims after the loss, saying that widespread fraud cost him the election. Stark said that it was their duty as American Patriots to spill blood to put an end to the three individuals and take back our country by force, prosecutors said. The indictment against Stark said that he also threatened law enforcement officers and their families, whom he viewed as oathbreakers for enforcing mask mandates. taylor.pettaway@express-news.net | @Taylor Pettaway Windcrest resident Greg Burg had a sense of deja vu when the lights went out in his home at 8:20 a.m. Thursday. I thought, Not again, he said. But as it turned out, the frigid temperatures and icy rain werent a replay of the February freeze of 21, when a near-collapse of the states power grid cut off electricity and water to millions of Texans and caused more than 200 deaths. At one point Thursday morning, more than 30,000 customers of city-owned CPS Energy were without power. But by 5:30 p.m., the number had dropped to fewer than 7,000 out of the utilitys 886,662 customers, and there was no sign of a systemwide failure. Kin Man Hui /Staff photographer On ExpressNews.com: Live winter storm updates on San Antonio power, schools, roads Still, the storm caused plenty of disruption. Many schools, colleges and universities closed. So did the Alamo and the Witte Museum. The city of San Antonio and Bexar County sent nonessential employees home at midafternoon as road conditions deteriorated, and a city advisory urged drivers to avoid travel. The Northside, North East and San Antonio Independent School Districts, among many others, said they would remain closed Friday as well. Fridays National Weather Service forecast called for sunshine and a high near 35 degrees, with a nighttime low of 20. Kin Man Hui /Staff photographer On ExpressNews.com: List of San Antonio-area school closures CPS Energys interim CEO, Rudy Garza, said Thursdays outages were isolated, caused by ice or by high winds or severed tree branches that knocked down power lines in more than 50 locations. There was no systematic breakdown, he said, adding: I want to reassure the community that our power plants are running fine. And by and large, its holding up pretty well. CPS urged residents not to touch downed power lines and to report them to the utility by calling 210-353-4357. William Luther / Burg, the Windcrest resident, watched CPS crews working on ice-covered power lines in his neighborhood and concluded that the outage that darkened his home unlike the prolonged blackouts of a year ago couldnt be blamed on the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the much-criticized manager of the Texas grid. It wasnt ERCOT, he said. Mother Nature. On ExpressNews.com: Even SAWS leader lost power Garza said the outages were concentrated in northeast Bexar County, including the Live Oak area, Schertz and Selma. Neighborhoods in Castle Hills, Balcones Heights and Leon Valley also lost power. One Facebook user said his house in the Madison High School area in Northeast San Antonio had been without electricity for seven hours and asked: How prepared was CPS? We were better off last February. Icy roads slowed or stopped travel throughout the region, particularly in the Hill Country and the Austin area. There were reports of flooding at low-water crossings along the Interstate 35 corridor from San Antonio to Austin because of rainfall overnight. Still, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said it was important to maintain a sense of proportion. Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News This is 10 percent or so compared to what we had before, he said, referring to last years Winter Storm Uri. This is not a real deal that you need to be worried about in terms of losing electrical power. CPS seems to have their act together. I dont know for sure about ERCOT. Uri blanketed San Antonio with snowfall twice in one week and left hundreds of thousands of people without heat or electricity. The weeklong cold snap was the regions worst since 1989. Temperatures in San Antonio plunged to 9 degrees on Feb. 15, 2021. Pipes burst in many homes, and the freeze shut down SAWS pumping stations, cutting off water to households, clinics, businesses and other locations. Chagrined at the perception that they had failed to anticipate Uri and mitigate its effects, Gov. Greg Abbott and other state and local officials took pains in recent days to reassure the public that things would be different this time that various measures, including weatherization of generating stations and transmission facilities, would prevent a repeat of the February 2021 disaster. Abbott said Thursday morning that the grid was performing very well at this time, but he appeared to hedge against over-confidence. Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News The first thing I can tell you is we are dealing with one of the most significant icing events weve had in the state of Texas since at least several decades, he said, adding that some some consequences would result. The Texas National Guard said it had mobilized numerous troops and their tactical vehicles to act as first responders. The guard also said its soldiers and airmen were still deployed along the Texas-Mexico border in a mission that has drawn controversy over reports that some troops have gone without paychecks and have endured substandard living conditions. The guard said it was working with housing vendors to ensure that the troops sleeping trailers were winterized and that there were backup generators, extra fuel and surplus water trailers on site. All service members working on the front lines, who are exposed to the elements in support of this mission, have been issued cold-weather gear ahead of the winter storm, the guard said in a statement. Closer to home, the Texas Department of Transportation shut down the U.S. 281 and Loop 1604 connectors as a precaution. Officials have not said when the connectors will be open again, but TxDOT asked drivers to avoid the highways and delay travel if possible. Several sections of local highways were closed due to water-related problems and ice patches continued to plague highways throughout the day. The closures include I-35 and Seguin Road and I-10 and Loop 1604 at Lockhill Selma. Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News San Antonio police blocked off flyovers at I-10 and Loop 1604, as well as at U.S. 281 and Loop 410, becuse of icy conditions. Police had responded to 24 major crashes and 31 minor crashes by Thursday afternoon, one of them involving an 18-wheeler that went off the road at I-35 and Palo Alto. No injuries were reported in that accident. There was no replay of a crisis that developed at two San Antonio Housing Authority complexes last year. Queta Rodriguez, a former Bexar Countys veterans service officer and a community activist, called attention to the situation then by circulating a video she shot at a SAHA complex on the West Side, where some elderly and disabled residents went without power or water for 36 hours. On Thursday, Rodriguez said, I havent heard of any significant problems. She added: I think people have been watching the news and feeling a little bit better. I actually got a text message last night from someone saying, Thanks for the exposure last year during the winter storm. As a result of that, were a little bit better prepared. The Bexar County Justice Center operated as usual. Judge Rosie Alvarado, newly elected administrative judge for the district and county courts, said both civil and criminal proceedings were mostly unaffected by the weather. Still, she said one of her morning cases was interrupted when one of the attorneys lost power. She said the two sides agreed on a date to resume the case in the near future. One thing that the pandemic has taught us in the legal community is flexibility and the ability to pivot quickly, Alvarado said. This applies during winter storms, too. One local resident, Stephen Brown, rode out Winter Storm Uri at his parents home in Katy. There were power outages, but his parents had water, a gas stove and a fireplace, so there were no worries about the cold. This year, Brown, 23, is on his own. He stood in long lines at H-E-B to stock up on supplies and fill his gas tank, but he didnt lose power Thursday. I just hope things dont get worse, he said. I have to be at work tomorrow early in the morning, and I am nervous about what the roads will look like. Plus, I work at an auto body shop, so being in the garage all day is going to get pretty cold. sigc@express-news.net Reporters Timothy Fanning and Jacob Beltran contributed to this report. Google Maps A woman found dead just north of downtown has been identified by the Bexar County Medical Examiners Office. Victoria Stampley, 42, was found dead at about 7:30 a.m. on Jan. 22 in the 200 block of Post Avenue, between Fort Sam Houston and Broadway Street. Wave elections exhibit their greatest force near the bottom of the ballot. Voters generally know very little about the daily machinations in various Bexar County courtrooms. In the absence of other information, they tend to evaluate judicial candidates based on the party designation next to their names. With that in mind, some local Democrats are privately nervous about the possibility that Democratic judges could be swept out of the Bexar County Courthouse in November. Republicans will have a chance in this years general election to flip 23 Democratic judicial seats: 10 in district courts and 13 in county courts at law. A lot can happen in the next nine months, but the polling metrics are undeniably troubling for Democrats. An NBC News national poll released last month showed that 72 percent of U.S. voters think the country is on the wrong track under Democratic President Joe Biden. That level of pessimism is well beyond what weve seen in other midterm cycles when the party in control of the White House has been wiped out. In 1994, 57 percent of voters thought the country was moving in the wrong direction under Democratic control. Republicans gained 62 congressional seats. In 2010, less than two years into the administration of Democratic President Barack Obama, 60 percent of poll respondents said the country was on the wrong track. Republicans gained 69 congressional seats. In Texas, the problem for Democrats is particularly acute. In a Quinnipiac University poll of registered Texas voters released in December, Bidens approval rating in this state was only 32 percent. Bexar County is a fundamentally blue region in a red state. Democratic presidential candidates have carried the county in four state elections, with Biden racking up a margin of 18 percentage points over Donald Trump in 2020. In this states 2018 U.S. Senate race, Democratic challenger Beto ORourke beat Republican incumbent Ted Cruz by nearly 20 percentage points in Bexar County. But wave elections are laws unto themselves. We saw that in 2014. A big GOP turnout that year in opposition to then-President Barack Obama inflicted major collateral damage on local Democratic judicial candidates. Republicans won all 12 contested district-court races. (The lone Democratic survivor, Peter Sakai, ran unopposed.) The remarkable thing about those races was how similar the margin of victory was in various elections. Stephani Walsh, Lorina Rummel, Renee McElhaney, Steve Hilbig, Kevin OConnell, Cathy Stryker and Melisa Skinner all landed in the 53-55 percent range. The 2014 courts-at-law races took on the same pattern, with Republicans winning 14 out of 15. (The lone Democratic win came from David Rodriguez, who edged out Art Rossi by less than 1 percentage point.) In the 2018 midterm elections, the so-called Beto Effect propelled Bexar County Democrats to a near-complete flip of the 2014 results. Democrats won all nine contested district-court and all 13 contested courts-at-law elections. Walsh, Rummel and Skinner were among the Republican incumbents ousted through no fault of their own. Its the blessing and the curse of partisan judicial candidacy. While its possible for some individual candidates to move the needle through sheer campaign doggedness, youre largely at the mercy of the partisan tide. John Austin has a special perspective on what that tide can do. Austin is not only the Bexar County Republican Party chairman, he is also the husband of Daphne Previti Austin, who won the 289th District Court election in 2014 and lost the seat in 2018 to Democratic candidate Carlos Quezada, then a Harlandale Independent School District trustee. Her big sin? She happened to be with the wrong party at the wrong time. She is back this year, making a bid for the open 186th District Court bench. Because John Austin has seen the fickle nature of courthouse politics, he is pretty subdued when discussing the prospect of a GOP judicial sweep in November. He dislikes the partisan nature of judicial races and wishes they werent subject to the contours of national politics. Bexar County does swing back and forth sometimes, Austin said. Its just weird. Nonetheless, Austins partisan loyalty is clear when he expresses the view that the Beto Effect in 2018 removed skilled, experienced Republican judges in favor of Democrats who were not up to the job. Its just a fiasco down there (at the courthouse), he said. Its nothing personal. A lot of those Democrats are our friends, because were in the law circle with Daphne. With ORourke challenging Abbott in this years gubernatorial election, local Democrats hope that the former El Paso congressmans ability to generate enthusiasm among Democratic base voters can slow the momentum of a GOP wave. Austin doubts that ORourkes magic will work a second time. There could be a wave election, he said. Beto is not strong, so Gov. Abbotts going to probably wipe him out. That could fall down the ballot. Austin said his party organization has worked to recruit seasoned, qualified candidates for this years judicial races. But he added that some local Republicans were gun-shy about running after watching the GOPs 2018 debacle and a tough 2020 cycle. We wanted to put forth the best possible candidates, he said. Not for their political ambition or even, Hey look, were going to have some Republicans in there. Weve got to look past that. I look at hows the courthouse going to function if we win. Local Democrats hope Austin doesnt get a chance to find out. ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470 On the morning of Feb. 11, 1861, President-elect Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican elected to the White House, stood on the platform of the train that would take him to Washington, D.C., and said goodbye to his hometown of Springfield, Ill. Here I have lived a quarter of a century and have passed from a young to an old man, said Lincoln, who would turn 52 the next day. Here my children have been born, and one is buried. I now leave, not knowing when, or whether ever, I may return, with a task before me greater than that which rested upon Washington. Without the assistance of the Divine Being who ever attended him, I cannot succeed. With that assistance I cannot fail. Trusting in Him who can go with me, and remain with you, and be everywhere for good, let us confidently hope that all will yet be well. To His care commending you, as I hope in your prayers you will commend me, I bid you an affectionate farewell. He wouldnt return alive. But as the train pulled away from the depot, there was uncertainty if Lincoln would get to Washington alive. There were plots to assassinate him, most notably in Baltimore. He was reviled by Southerners, many who questioned the legitimacy of his election. Jon Shapley /Staff photographer Lincoln was right in saying that his was a greater task than that of George Washington. The latter oversaw an infant nation coming together. Lincoln was taking the reins of a nation coming apart. Lincoln understood hed be the president of all Americans, not only those whod voted for him. In his first inaugural address, he said, We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. Whether or not Lincoln became president, we would have had the Civil War. Four million enslaved people guaranteed that war was inevitable. When it was over, after four years and the soaking of battlefields with the blood of more than 600,000 lives, Lincoln, in his second inaugural address, said, With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in to bind up the nations wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations. This was the language, character and aspirations of our first Republican president. Our last one, Donald Trump, sees enemies in anyone who doesnt adore him. He infects the nations wounds with his regimen of malice, liberally administered without vision of a just and lasting peace for this nation. Lincoln toiled to shore up Americans confidence in their institutions. Trump, by lying about a stolen election, has worked tirelessly to undermine confidence in the civic virtue of voting. Lincoln appealed to our better angels. Trump summons darker impulses. In Conroe last Saturday night, referring to the numerous investigations hes under, Trump said, If these radical, vicious racist prosecutors do anything wrong or illegal, I hope we are going to have in this country the biggest protest we have ever had in Washington, D.C., in New York, in Atlanta, and elsewhere because our country and our elections are corrupt. Trump may despise Reps. Adam Schiff, Liz Cheney and Jamie Raskin, members of Congress investigating him. But hes never called them racist. He broke that out for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, New York Attorney General Letitia James, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and the chair of the House Jan. 6 committee, Bennie Thompson. All are Black. On Jan. 6, 2021, Trump lied to his supporters when he said hed march to the Capitol with them. Last weekend, he told them that if he gets in legal trouble, he wants them to protest on his behalf. The next morning, he whined about his former vice president, Mike Pence: He could have overturned the election! That sounds like a confession. Lincoln sacrificed his life for this country. Trump will sacrifice anyone and anything to save himself. cary.clack@express-news.net A defaced memorial for the Battle of Medina speaks volumes about our collective memory of the bloodiest fight in Texas history. On the southeast corner of U.S. 281 South and Martinez Losoya Road, the 86-year-old granite marker for the Aug. 18, 1813, battle stands a few feet from the Southside Independent School Districts black iron fence. With its bronze Lone Star missing and the word MEDINA chiseled away, the monument is too easily forgotten and feels misplaced. My eyes caught on two words from the one-sentence engraving: terrific slaughter. On ExpressNews.com: Search for site of the deadliest battle in Texas history moves to Losoya Middle School The battle marked the beginning of the end of the first Texas Republic when its 1,400-man army collided with a force of more than 1,800 Spanish royalists near the Medina River south of San Antonio. The Spanish army decimated the irregular republican fighters, who included Tejanos, Mexicans, Native Americans and Anglos about 100 survived. The engraving concludes, thus ended an attempt to free Texas and Mexico from Spanish rule, but that tidy sentiment glosses over a grim reality. On ExpressNews.com: Lingle: Vets unaccompanied, yet theyre not alone Theres no mention of the victorious generals cruelty. His forces rounded up, terrorized and executed hundreds in San Antonio in the days that followed. He forbade anyone from burying the republican dead, and the bodies remained where they fell on that sandy ground for nine years. Mexican soldiers buried the bones in 1822. As with much of history, my mind wrestles with the scale and senselessness of the violence. Some estimate the carnage killed 50 percent of the male population of Spanish Texas at the time. The legacy of trauma impacted generations, yet outside of historic markers, no place is dedicated to the battle or its dead. Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News The exact location of the fighting faded long ago, but a quest to find the lost battlefield is what led a history podcaster, several archaeologists and 15 veterans to converge on an empty field behind Losoya Middle School on Tuesday. Its the latest endeavor to find the lost battleground. Brandon Seale, creator of the podcast, A New History of Old San Antonio, teamed up with American Veterans Archaeological Recovery a nonprofit that helps vets through archaeology various state and local agencies, and the University of Texas at San Antonio to find the battleground. On ExpressNews.com: Lingle: Trail honoring fallen soldier offers path to peace The largest, bloodiest battle in Texas history, in a state thats obsessed with its history and obsessed with its battles we dont know where it is, he said. Southside ISD leadership quickly approved Seales proposal to dig on school property. In addition to solving a historic mystery, the effort is teaching students about archaeology and district officials hope to someday host a community event about the project. By Wednesday afternoon, small orange flags outlined a large grid of 20-by-20-meter squares across the flat stretch of browned grass. Within the squares, blue and yellow flags marked where metal detectors pinpointed ferrous or nonferrous items potential relics. Some of the volunteers worked with metal detectors and shovels as others logged and bagged the finds. They marked each spot with GPS, and a UTSA lab will process each item. Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News So far the team has mainly found debris like nails, pop tops and aluminum cans. They dont think theyve found anything associated with the battle on school grounds, but Mackenze Burkhart, AVAR operations manager, said thats OK because they can eliminate that spot from the search. Because were working on multiple sites for this project, we know theyre not all the battlefield, she said. So, it cant be everywhere. On ExpressNews.com: Lingle: At Endeavors, the promise of wellness for veterans Other than background traffic noise, the metal detectors tones, trowels scraping the hard soil and low conversations, the dig was quiet and calm. The vets on the project represented all military branches and conflict eras since Vietnam. Near the edge of the dig site, Kathy Kuzmick, a 59-year-old Navy vet from Nashua, N.H., logged items as Army vet Tom Kane, 70, of Boston dug. For Kuzmick, recovering lost history is relaxing and enlightening. It allows me a chance to not worry about my other problems and meet other vets, said Kuzmick, who is on her second AVAR project. Everybodys just real supportive its like family. When Im here, I dont think about anything going on back home, except my grandkids. /Scott Huddleston / SHuddleston@express-news.net On the other side of the field, Jeff Truitt, 50, a Navy vet from Hickory N.C., also on his second AVAR dig, worked a cluster of flags with three fellow vets. Its just like weve known each other forever even though weve only known each other a couple of days, he said. Other veterans understand their stories, or their problems, and thats part of AVARs program for mental health guys can vent and tell their stories. Friday marked the teams last day at the school field. Over the next few weeks, theyll scour several other nearby spots. Heres to the team finding the lost battlefield and peace along the way. brandon.lingle@express-news.net We hear the concern from Texas Democrats, but, no, the STAAR should not be canceled this year. We fall in line with popular Texas opinion that our states standardized tests are expensive, unnecessary, high-stakes, unfair and limit learning especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. A 2022 Charles Butt Foundation poll found Texans confidence in the STAAR dropped from 49 percent in 2020 to 44 percent in 2022. Democratic lawmakers often say the STAAR is the top complaint they get from constituents. When state Sen. Jose Menendez, who has filed bills in the past two sessions to cancel the STAAR, surveyed some 13,000 Texans last spring, he found 97 percent of respondents favored ending the test. On ExpressNews.com: Editorial: Wanted: A state task force to keep schools safe and open A December 2021 survey of 2,498 respondents who are members of the Texas American Federation of Teachers, a statewide union of 66,000 educators, found 88 percent of Texas teachers dont trust the STAAR. We get it. The STAAR was never a brilliant idea. But its too late to cancel. This is an example of political rhetoric running into reality. The calls from Menendez and other Democrats, including Beto ORourke, now running for governor, to cancel the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness exams are no surprise. In a Jan. 26 letter to Gov. Gregg Abbott and the Texas Education Agency, Menendez outlined the omicron surge, unprecedented staffing shortages and metal health emergencies for students and staff. Taking the test as normal this year would put lives at risk and produce inaccurate data, given the disproportionate challenges faced by students, he asserted. On ExpressNews.com: Texas Democrats want to cancel STAAR test due to COVID-19 surge While we agree with Democrats assessments of the STAAR, students should get their No. 2 pencils ready. Were out of time and options. There is no backup plan for the state assessments scheduled for the spring, and some schools are required to give parts of a newly designed STAAR in field tests that begin Feb. 14-18. The federal government requires state standardized exams, and President Joe Biden and U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona have emphasized normal in-person schooling. They have not spoken of waivers and Texas has not asked. We dont expect that to change. Last spring when COVID-19 was still keeping many students out of school buildings, we asked the STAAR be canceled or postponed. It wasnt. But it was administered as a benchmark and, importantly, not for school accountability. This experience offers a way forward. On ExpressNews.com: Editorial: STAAR exam useless at this point; cancel or postpone it Texas secured a waiver last year to cancel, as it did in 2020 at the onset of the pandemic, but this year, its back to normal except that schools that receive D or F ratings will be listed as no rating and will get a pass on a TEA sanction. This makes sense: Students are already attending school in-person, so it isnt any more risky than normal schooldays. Last years STAAR showed significant declines in learning and disparities. While this wasnt surprising, the data have the potential to be helpful to address COVID learning loss. On ExpressNews.com: Performance declines are noticeable STAAR results show retreat, disparities in student scores during pandemic Districts need to gauge this learning loss. Yes, we know learning has been interrupted, but data must drive the way forward. Recent changes to the STAAR make it more interactive and expensive. Several requirements from House Bill 3906, enacted by the 86th Texas Legislature in 2019, require the redesign of the STAAR that includes transitioning to online assessments next school year. Last year, the state signed four-year agreements with two companies to administer the STAAR that totaled $388 million. Maybe changes in the next session will make the STAAR more equitable, less high-stakes and less expensive. Some Texans are already working on it. On Jan. 18, Raise Your Hand Texas, a nonpartisan education public policy organization based in Austin, gathered hundreds of education experts, researchers and policymakers for its Measure What Matters Conference. The organizations leaders believe schools provide much more than STAAR instruction, and they plan to continue studying how best to evaluate it. We hope they find solutions. A methodical process not an abrupt cancellation could be the antidote to the STAARs flaws. For drivers passing by Toyotas 2,000-acre plant site on the southern edge of San Antonio, changes can be easy to miss. After all, the sprawling facility has been a reliable engine of the citys economy for more than 15 years nothing new about that. But over the past two and a half years, the worlds top-selling automaker has spent nearly $400 million transforming the factory. Since 2019, it has increased the plants footprint by 130,000 square feet and retooled to produce the newly redesigned Tundra pickup truck and Sequoia SUV. We are on track with the completion of a $391 million investment that has made it possible to take on two highly complex vehicles, Toyota said in a statement. Adding an SUV is the next level in manufacturing for (Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas) and the workforce is ready for the challenge. On ExpressNews.com: Toyota dethrones GM as top U.S. autoseller in 2021; S.A.-built Tacoma is most popular midsize pickup New lines will more efficiently produce the bigger-bodied vehicles which share a similar frame than when the factory was pumping out the Tacoma pickup, the nations top-selling midsize truck, alongside the full-size Tundra. Toyota also added monitoring technology to automatically identify malfunctioning parts or faulty equipment on the production line. And it installed more cobots robots that work with human employees. To bring on production of the Sequoia in San Antonio, the company last year moved manufacturing of the Tacoma pickup to Tijuana, Mexico. It plans to start rolling Sequoias off the production line this summer. Toyota / But the transition raises new questions. Chief among them is what lies ahead for the plant and its 3,200 employees after losing the market-leading Tacoma and replacing it with the Sequoia, which ranks second-to-last in sales in its class. Toyotas San Antonio factory last year produced an average of 2,600 vehicles per week, according to Bloomberg. Over the past three years, it has averaged weekly production of about 3,400 vehicles, making it the automakers fifth-most productive U.S. factory. Sequoia reboot Another unknown is how the new-generation Sequoia gearing up for San Antonio production will fare in the marketplace. The big SUV hasnt been redesigned since 2008, so the vehicle was well overdue for an update, said Matt Degen, an editor with Kelley Blue Book. And the plant here will soon be a part of Toyotas ongoing shift toward electric-powered vehicles. The 2023 Sequoia will be offered only as a hybrid. That showcases Toyotas emphasis on continuing to lead not just in the hybrid segment, but saying This is where were going, Degen said. Sam Owens /Staff photographer The new Sequoia has 22 percent higher towing capacity and features a standard 8-inch touchscreen. And when its going less than 18 mph, the vehicles electric motor does the bulk of the work. Meanwhile, the new Tundra will also feature a hybrid version. The redesigned truck which was last remade in 2006 was rolled out with much fanfare in early December. On ExpressNews.com: Toyota begins producing 2022 Tundra at San Antonio plant Sales of the Sequoia have been far behind its peers in the full-size SUV segment. In 2021, Toyota sold 8,070 Sequoias. Meanwhile, the Chevrolet Tahoe saw sales of 106,000 units and GMC sold more than 84,000 Yukon SUVs. Because its been a sales laggard, updating the Sequoia can only do good for Toyota, Degen said. Looked at side by side to competitors, the Sequoia didnt offer vastly compelling reasons to buy it, he said. By doing this, Toyota brings the Sequoia to the present and beyond. And the Tacoma which Toyota is replacing with the Sequoia in San Antonio had sales of more than 252,000 last year. Toyota has maintained that employment in San Antonio will stay the same after the transition. It points to the fact it already was building the Tacoma at a factory in Guanajuato, Mexico, at the same time it produced the truck in San Antonio. Analysts also have noted that the Sequoia is more complex to build than the Tacoma, so could require more workers per vehicle produced. They also suggest Toyota could use any extra capacity to begin manufacturing more Tundras and Sequoias as it seeks to boost those models sales after their updates. Toyota sold 82,000 Tundras last year, also second-to-last in its class. The San Antonio factory produced a total of roughly 135,000 vehicles in 2021, according to Bloomberg data. On ExpressNews.com: Toyota cuts San Antonio production in half in response to COVID-19 cases, supply shortages And because Toyota is discontinuing its luxury Land Cruiser model, Degen said the automaker will produce more high-end Sequoia models to replace Land Cruiser sales. Beyond that, he said, rebooting the big SUV and pickup models is timely. Shoppers are no longer buying small sedans, Degen said. Theyre gravitating more toward SUVs, toward pickup trucks. Expansions ripple effects In addition to the 3,000 employees at Toyotas factory, another 4,000 people work at Toyotas on-site suppliers. The plant expansion since 2019 has had ripple effects on many of them, as well. In 2020, for example, supplier Toyotetsu which builds components such as brake pedals for the Tundra decided to invest about $40 million adding 60,000 square feet to its own production facility on the South Side in response to Toyotas plans. It also hired 60 new employees, said Leslie Cantu, assistant vice president of administration for Toyotetsu. It was 100 percent connected to Toyotas investment, she said. We got new business from our customer to support the new model and the Sequoia coming. Carlos Javier Sanchez /Contributor The price of the new 2023 Sequoia hasnt been revealed, but the 2022 Sequoia starts with a sticker price of just more than $50,000. Amid shortages blamed on COVID-19 and supply chain shortfalls, the average price paid for a new vehicle increased 15 percent in the past year to top $47,000 in 2021. So a price for the new Sequoia in the range between $50,000 to $60,000 would be a pretty good value, Degen said. Its mind blowing how quickly and what an increase in percentage theyve gone up in the last two years, he said of auto prices. If the average price of a car is in the high $40,000s, then getting this big SUV for in the $50,000 range doesnt look that bad. diego.mendoza-moyers@express-news.net WUCFs "Meet the Helpers"will be a part of this year's virtual Be My Neighbor event. (Courtesy photo) WUCF is once again going virtual for its annual celebration of kindness with this years Be My Neighbor Day event. Lasting all February, this online-only event challenges young members of the community to be caring neighbors. Be My Neighbor Day is one of our favorite events at WUCF, and we are happy to continue sharing Daniel Tigers message on how to be a caring neighbor and sharing kindness through our virtual events and activities, said Jennifer Cook, WUCFs interim executive director. We look forward to building on the work of Fred Rogers in our community for many years to come. Advertisement WUCF is going virtual again in 2022 for its Be My Neighbor Day event which celebrates kindness throughout February. (Courtesy WUCF / Courtesy photo) Kindness kits that tie into the event are now available at local libraries in Central Florida and include five at-home activities including a bedtime routine chart, family kindness pledge banner, kindness secret message puzzle, community helpers map and hide-and-seek with nature. Kindness kits can also be printed at home at wucf.org/learn/be-my-neighbor-day. As part of the event, WUCF will host four live interactive events online that explore our world with Daniel Tiger and Meet The Helpers-themed activities. Events will be held in English and Spanish at the following times: Advertisement English: 6:30 p.m. Feb. 8; 10 a.m. Feb. 19 Spanish: 10 a.m. Feb. 12; 6:30 p.m. Feb. 15 All sessions are the same and are conducted via Zoom. Registration is required at wucf.org/community/event-calendar and a downloadable activity kit that goes along with the virtual event will be provided. Want to reach out? Email me at akondolojy@orlandosentinel.com. For more fun things, follow @fun.things.orlando on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Sterling, VA (20165) Today Areas of patchy fog early. Lots of sunshine. High 79F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Mainly clear. Low near 50F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. The Montana Cowboys Association (MCA) gathered at The Heritage Inn in Great Falls on January 15th for their 84th Annual convention. Almost every seat in the banquet room was filled as the annual event got underway. It was a good crowd, said Beau Bokma, MCA board member and emcee for the event. One of our best years in recent memory, he added. Among those in attendance were the members of The Montana Cowgirls Association. Cowgirls member Ruth Mortag was asked to say a few words shortly after the meeting began. Mortag thanked the Cowboys for the warm welcome. Bokma paid tribute to MCA members who had passed away in 2021. One of those members was the last surviving MCA member who was present at the first meeting of the MCA, Bill Steele, of Great Falls. Other members who had passed were Lou Udahl; Bob Jones, the former Great Falls Chief of Police, who had been a member for many years and Rick Cooke, Jr., also of Great Falls. The Montana Cowgirls Association was present at the banquet. Ruth Mortag, of Simms, spoke to the Sun Times after the event. Mortag told the crowd that the Cowgirls were gong back to the tradition of joining the Cowboys at their annual banquet. Mortag described the crowd at the MCA banquet as wonderful... really nice. She said that for many years, the two groups set their banquets for the same time and plance The MCA presented scholarships to three students: Macy Van Pevenage; Kenneth Vincent and Allyson Hitchcock, who was unable to attend the event. The MCA Heritage Award was presented to Don Jacobs, of Great Falls. Jacobs spoke to the crowd, thanking the MCA for the recognition. Jacobs, who was born in 1936, described growing up in that era... the tough times, but pointing out that he was raised by hard working parents who made sure the family had food on the table and a home. Jacobs served in the U.S. Army, and for a time was stationed at the White Sands Proving Grounds where nuclear weapons were developed and tested. That atomic bomb was something else, he said. I saw things there that no one should see. Jacobs went on to talk about how different things are for the youth of today, compared to when he was a kid. After receiving the MCA Heritage Award, Jacobs was also recognized by the Choteau American Legion and Sons of the American Legion with a Choteau Rodeo belt buckle. Jacobs owns D & J Livestock, which was a major rodeo stock provider in the Western U.S. During the evening, the crowd enjoyed a buffet dinner with prime rib. A live auction was held, with the top price going for the 1983 50th Anniversary MCA saddle for $2,800. The saddle was bought by the man who created it, Alan Purlsey, of Broken Arrow Saddlery in Great Falls. According to Beau Bokma, it was the last of the saddles with conchos crafted by Alan Pursleys brother. Bokma said it is rare for an MCA saddle from past years to be offered. A drawing was held to award the current MCA saddle, also created by Alan Pursley. Jack Johnson was the holder of the winning ticket. Artwork, handcrafted metalwork, and other donated items were also put on the auction block. Bokma told the Sun Times that it was a great year for the MCA fundraising efforts. Darryl L. Flowers is the publisher of The Fairfield Sun Times. You can contact him via email, suntimes@3rivers.net. To view or purchase photo from the MCA event, please visit https://www.fairfieldsuntimesphotos.com/20220122-MT-Cowboys-Assn-Convention/ Ebert Roger Heagy departed this world on February 2, 2022 surrounded by his family. He had a great influence upon many people and will be dearly missed. Ebert was born February 22, 1935 to Charles and Cleora Heagy in Great Falls. His childhood home was on the banks of the Sun River below the approach to Gore Hills Runway 21. He grew up with the sounds of aircraft all around and spent his youth joyfully bumming around the airport which hummed with aircraft activity. Its no surprise that he spent his career doing the same thing! As a 1953 Great Falls High School senior, Ebert and three friends joined the Montana Air National Guard. This combined his dream of flying with some wanderlust as they took advantage of the Guards space available program by claiming vacant seats on C-47 flights. They made numerous trips around the states, sometimes skipping school along the way, content they were giving their teachers a break. Young Ebert thrived in his airplane environment and became a cadet with the Civil Air Patrol. He was selected to be the Montana Civil Air Patrol representative to the International Cadet Exchange Program in Norway in 1953. That trip allowed him to also travel to England, Germany, France, The Azores, and Bermuda. Even before he had his drivers license, at age sixteen, he was awarded his student pilots license. Just under a year later on April 19th, 1952, he earned his private pilots license. His kids and grandkids love to hear about his adventures and escapades flying small aircraft. His first assignment was to the Aircraft Maintenance Squadron as an aircraft mechanic. He pursued higher education at the College of Great Falls, Montana State University, and Brigham Young University during 1953-1956 to qualify for pilot training with an officer commission. He passed the exam but his physical exam revealed an eye astigmatism which at that time disqualified him for pilot training. Ebert would log 4,664 hours of flight time in the Guard's C-47, C-54, T-29, and C-131. These hours were flown in support of the 186th Fighter Squadron now designated the 120th Airlift Wing. He loved the people he worked with and his job as a flight engineer and aircraft mechanic. Ebert married his sweetheart Beverly Ann Ely on November 5, 1957 at the Cardston, Alberta Temple. They started raising their family in Great Falls. Fridays after work, if Ebert wasnt away on a trip for the Guard, the family would load up in the white Falcon station wagon and head for the hills for camping, fishing, and hiking. Other family time favorites were spent swimming at the YMCA where Ebert would wow the kids with his diving skills. Ebert also enjoyed building boats. As a result, lots of family time was spent in the water. Ebert and his dad built a row boat, then he built a kayak, a sailboat, an ice boat, and a 16-foot family motor boat. Ebert taught his children and many of his nieces and nephews and other youth to ski with this boat using a 35 HP Evinrude motor. In 1968 Ebert and Bev moved to Fairfield so the children could experience life on their Grandpa Elys dairy farm with lots of cousins. Ebert went part-time at the Guard and helped on the farm, then went back to full-time at the Guard which meant a lot of windshield time driving back and forth to Great Falls, but he still found time for his family. Ebert retired from the guard in 1993 as Senior Master Sergeant after 41 years of service. In their retirement years, Ebert and Bev loved spending time traveling around the West to visit children and grandchildren. He faithfully served in many callings for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints including Bishop, Scout leader, high counselor, and temple ordinance worker. Ebert is survived by his wife of 64 years, Beverly; his six children, Lori Haynes, Scott (Jackie) Heagy, Dawnell (Gary) Long, Brian (Brenda) Heagy, Kelly (George) Raad, and Michiel (Bart) Hadley; twenty grandchildren and 31.5 great grandchildren and his brother Donald (Marlene) Heagy. He is preceded in death by his son-in-law Scott Haynes and his grandson Nicholas Long. A celebration of life will be held in honor of Ebert on February 12 at 11:00 AM at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Fairfield, 295 7th St. South, Fairfield. Croxford Funeral Home will be handling the services. Memorials may be made to the Fairfield Community Hall, or Ernie Thorn Fairfield Swimming Pool. Appalachia has some unique features for farming. Many farmers in Appalachia have more wooded land. Some areas may not have access to larger markets. But the number of small farms in the region has been increasing, and despite challenges, the region has a lot of potential for agriculture. There are different types of farming that can work in Appalachia, said Tom Redfern, sustainable agriculture director for Rural Action like livestock, or non-timber forest products, such as maple syrup or different types of berries. Rural Action, an organization focused on building resilient communities in rural Appalachia, is working to help beginning farmers in the region take advantage of these opportunities through business planning, and setting up a network with mentor farmers. Historically, it is an area of poverty in Ohio, so theres going to be some challenges, Redfern said. Theres unique challenges, but theres also unique opportunities. Program Thats what Rural Action is trying to emphasize in its work with beginning farmers. It recently got a U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant to support its work, and is currently doing an eight week whole farm business planning series for beginning farmers. Whole farm planning involves looking at the land and other assets you have access to, and figuring out what you can do best with it. The idea is to reduce your risk by looking at multiple potential income streams, Redfern said. Thats also matched with your own skillset, with your land, with your aspirations. The series includes matching beginning farmers with mentor farmers, and weekly presentations on different aspects of business planning. The goal is to help beginning farmers take the next step for their farm, whatever that step is. Rural Action offers workshops on more specific topics, and a wide range of technical assistance for beginning farmers, like access to lawyers, accountants and more. We think of it as wraparound services for beginning farmers, Redfern said. Mentorship This is the third year for the whole farm planning series, and the second year it has really focused on mentorship. The majority of the mentors this year were also involved with last years program. Were kind of building this project with them, said Molly Sowash, sustainable agriculture manager for Rural Action. Theyre doing some of the hardest work in the world, and making it work, and spending extra time sharing their experience with beginning farmers. Some of the mentors also helped develop the series curriculum. One of them is Abbe Turner, who raises goats in Portage County and mushrooms in Athens County. My interest in it was that Ive made a lot of mistakes, and beginning farmers they dont need to make the same mistakes that I did. Theyre going to make their own, Turner said. Paul Dorrance, of Pastured Providence, in Chillicothe, is an ag consultant, former farmer and a mentor in the program. He emphasized its about helping beginning farmers figure out what their needs are and how to address them. Years ago, he was hesitant to get involved in mentoring other farmers, because he felt like he needed more experience before he could, in his words, pretend he knew everything. But turns out, thats not about that its not about you at all, as a mentor, he said. Mentorship is about listening and meeting people where they are. Learning Since the beginning farmers in the program are doing different types of farming, and are in a wide range of stages, they all have different needs. A beginning farmer, by the USDAs definition, is anyone in their first 10 years of farming. In presentations, we often emphasize, take what you need from this depending on your stage of growth, Sowash said. Thats why beginning farmers also meet separately with their mentors, who can help them focuse on what they need specifically. Every day in business is different, especially right now, Turner said. They learn, its a safe environment, and we tell them that its OK not to have the answers, cause some of us dont still, either. Robyn Wright-Strauss, of Adams County, who has been growing vegetables and herbs for farmers markets for two years, is currently taking the program for a second time. The first time around, she got a better understanding of the business side of farming. Obviously, its a lot of the same principles for any small business, but looking at that through the lens of farming is really helpful, she said. This year, she wants to dive into the details of business planning. She has the same mentor as last year, so theyve been able to jump right in and go deeper with some of the class topics this time. Meeting her farm mentor, Wright-Strauss said, was life-changing. Having someone to ask her tough questions and help her hold herself accountable, and to give her advice has been a big help as she works on her farm business. I think that mentorship is so helpful for a lot of different professions and trades, not just for farming, but farming of course has its own special challenges, she said. Goals Long-term, Sowash and Redfern want to bring that kind of support to more beginning farmers. Rural Action is working on building a network of mentors in the region that can help support each other, and beginning farmers as they grow. That way, farmers have someone to go to if they need advice or want to see how other farmers are doing things. If people want to have a relationship with the land and want to produce healthy food, then we certainly want to help them do that, Turner said. The region theyre in is ripe with opportunity. Alexander Phan shows a banh tet, a traditional dish for the Lunar New Year in Vietnamese culture, at the Tien Hung Market in Orlando. There are two versions of the dish: one with pork and a vegetarian version with banana. Both also have a sweet rice and mung bean filling and are wrapped in banana leaves. The dish ia traditionally served with a side of pickled/preserved daikon, leek and radishes. Phan is also the chef/owner of Banh Mi Boy, located inside Tien Hung. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel) Humble ingredients have been home-run fare for centuries, all around the globe, but its always extra fun when theres a legend to go along with. With an origin story that dates to 14th-century Vietnam, banh tet, and its square sister snack, banh chung, were said to have been created by a son of the sixth Hung Emperor, of which there were many. Advertisement The ruler was aging. He needed to find a suitable successor. So, he charged his sons some accounts have them numbering more than 20 with finding the most delicious foods. Most returned with elegant, rare or expensive things, but one son, Lang Lieu, whose mother was of modest means, did not have the resources to travel and search for exotic fare to impress his father. Instead, and with inspiration that came either directly from the gods or via a dream, depending on the version he made two simple cakes of glutinous rice with mung beans and pork in the center. The square cake represented the earth we live upon. The round one, the sky we live beneath. The leaf wrapping, which some versions also include, was symbolic of a mothers love. Advertisement Tien Hung Market in Orlando has been selling Banh tet for Lunar New Year for as long as Alexander Phan, 26, can remember. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel) Though his brothers thought their decadent spoils would win the throne, it was Lang Lieus that impressed their father the most, so he was made next in line for the throne. He was a man of the people, says Ricky Ly of TastyChomps.com. And his dish is one of the primary treats served in the Vietnamese community come the Lunar New Year or Tet celebration. Both banh tet and banh chung are very popular, says Ly, and you can get them at events like this weekends two-day festival at the Central Florida Fairgrounds, which is sponsored by Orlandos St. Philip Phan Van Minh Catholic Church. Youll find traditional Vietnamese new year food and really good food in general, says Ly. Lots of people go there to see all the performances and just eat all day long. Alex Phan goes in for the slice. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel) It is a Vietnamese tradition to have banh tet, says Alexander Phan, third-generation operator of Tien Hung Oriental Market in Mills 50, and since we are a Vietnamese supermarket its only natural for us to have it here around the holiday. Usually, the Tien Hung team makes the banh tet in house, but this year, due to the pandemic and being short-staffed, we have brought in a vendor to supply it so we can keep up with the demand. The large logs, special for the new year, cost $22 apiece but can serve quite a few people. The process of making it is laborious it is boiled in its banana leaf wrapper for 24 hours to the point where the rice takes on the green color of the leaves, says Phan. Advertisement Exterior of Tien Hung Market, a staple in Orlando's Mills 50 neighborhood for decades. (Orlando Sentinel) Once home, the log is cut into rounds. A favorite way to eat it is to pan-fry the slices and dip it in a little soy sauce or sugar, says Ly. Its ingredients arent just homey, though, notes Phan, they have a long shelf life, which is good because we dont only eat them, they are also used in offerings. In many Vietnamese households, Phan explains, the holidays are a time to share with all relatives, past and present. We will set out low tables like an altar or shrine and offer the banh tet, whole or cut up, with fresh fruit coconut, papaya, dragonfruit and place it out to share with our ancestors. Phan says theyll likely get in one more batch for this years celebration, but if you miss it, youll find the smaller version of banh chung at Tien Hung all year long. They retail for $3.49. Advertisement I like it so much I just unwrap it and eat it right away, says Phan. I dont have time to fry it. I dont need to. I like it cold. But many people fry it to add more texture. Some eat it with fish sauce, but my favorite thing to do is to accompany it with dua-mon. Simple ingredients but, says the legend, still fit for an emperor. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel) A Vietnamese mixed-bag of pickled vegetables, dua-mon adds punch to the dish. Its leeks and carrots and daikon in a fish sauce brine, says Phan. Its very salty and fishy. You serve it on the side because the ingredients [in banh tet] can be a little bland, especially for someone trying it for the first time. Whether steamed or fried, salted or sugared or even Phan-style straight from the wrapper both agree that without banh tet, the holiday wouldnt seem right. Its not new year without it, says Ly. Want to reach out? Find me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @amydroo or on the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: amthompson@orlandosentinel.com. For more fun, join the Lets Eat, Orlando Facebook group or follow @fun.things.orlando on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. A multinational project which aims to improve the uptake of digital technologies in sheep and goat farming will showcase new solutions at an online workshop next week. The event will highlight potential innovative technologies tailored to sheep farmers needs on feeding, grazing, reproduction, health and flock management. It is being held as part of the Sm@RT (Small Ruminant Technologies) project, funded by the EU Horizon 2020 research programme. It brings together a network of researchers from the UK, France, Ireland, Norway, Estonia, Hungary, Italy and Israel, to improve awareness of newly available digital tools. The first step in the project, led by Scotlands Rural College (SRUC) in partnership with the Moredun Research Institute, was to carry out an industry-wide survey. This helped researchers understand the main challenges faced by farmers and their need for and interest in precision livestock farming (PLF) tools and digital tech. This was followed by national workshops in September and October last year, to gather farmers needs in terms of tools and methods which could facilitate their farm working conditions. More than 100 stakeholders, including farmers, advisers and researchers, then came together at an international conference in Octobe. There, they discussed the needs of farmers in the different countries and share practical knowledge in a peer-to-peer knowledge exchange exercise. Each country and production type had to propose solutions to the farmers needs in two other countries, alongside the five main themes of feeding/grazing, health/welfare, reproduction, flock/herd management and fattening and milking. For the UK, the main needs and solutions identified revolved around issues of fencing, measuring grassland, early identification of unhealthy animals, identifying animals at a distance or automatically, and drafting lambs ready for slaughter. SRUCs Dr Claire Morgan-Davies, project coordinator for Sm@RT, said: This bottom-up approach was well received by participants, and it was pleasing to see many innovative and PLF solutions being proposed by farmers for farmers. The next step in the project will be to formalise the solutions to the identified needs and propose guidelines and farmers testimonies on how to implement them on farms. Dr Fiona Kenyon, from the Moredun Research Institute added that the project used a variety of methods to facilitate productive knowledge exchange. "Practical information from the digifarms and commercial farmers involved in the project will be helpful to farmers throughout the UK and Europe. The next national workshop in the UK will be held online on Thursday 10 February, from 6.30-8.30pm. Pig producers have warned the Northern Ireland Executive that more must be done to tackle a 'growing crisis' on pig farms across the region. A meeting with DAERA farming minister Edwin Poots and the Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) this week highlighted the financial pressure farmers currently face. Labour shortages in processing plants, soaring input costs and depressed market conditions have resulted in severe financial pressures on farms. Pig producers in Northern Ireland have benefited from two tranches of funding provided as a result of Covid-related export problems last year. But the UFU pork and bacon chair, Glenn Cuddy said farmers in the region were still facing 'unprecedented times'. Trading conditions were 'already difficult' with costs of production exceeding the market price of pigs. While labour shortages in processing plants had taken these issues to 'another level'. "Our members have been unable to move all of their pigs to slaughter over recent months," Mr Cuddy said. "This creates a significant backlog on farms, taking a huge slice out of cashflows. This is unsustainable. The UFU said this was being made even worse by a weakening market for cull sows. The union warned that this was piling pressure on farmers already in a difficult financial situation. If things are not resolved quickly, it will create even more chaos for farmers and processors," Mr Cuddy added. "Action is needed now, or farmers could be out of business in the very near future. It comes after Defra agreed on Thursday to convene an emergency summit of the entire pig supply chain as the sector's crisis deepens. The National Pig Association and the NFU had issued a plea to Defra to get the pig supply chain together to find urgent solutions. The pig backlog is now estimated to be well in excess of 170,000 due to a lack of butchers in pork processing plants, as a result of the pandemic and Brexit. Only subscribers with PAID Print or E-Edition subscriptions please enter here to gain access. If you are not already a Paid subscriber do not go through this portal. Please return to the subscription page to purchase one of our offers. Thank you! The purpose of the legislative session is for priority bills to become law. Thousands of bills are introduced; this year, 293 bills became law. Its hard to keep up with them all, so heres a brief rundown of major bills that became lawand bills that did not. Visit Michigan College of Optometry If you are considering the Michigan College of Optometry, we encourage you to visit. We are nestled in the center of Big Rapids, MI located on Ferris State University's campus. A campus tour is a good way to meet with our admissions advisor or just see what MCO has to offer before you begin optometry school. To schedule your visit, reach out to Dr. James Miller at [email protected]. Tours are held Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Tour Options Two-Hour Visit This two-hour visit includes a tour of Michigan College of Optometry led by one of MCO's student ambassadors and an hour long advisement. Dr. Miller would love to connect with you and talk about the field of Optometry, the admissions process, and what makes MCO special. One-House Visit This one-hour visit includes a guided tour of Michigan College of Optometry led by a MCO Student Ambassador, these tours are provided to anyone interested in exploring our phenomenal building. Map and Directions Virtual Tour Though we highly encourage you to come and see MCO in person, if you cannot make the trip to Big Rapids, you can experience a bit of our campus through our online tour. A sign stating "She's Back... XOXO" can be seen outside the space where Marlows Tavern used to be in Winter Park. (Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel) Chelsie DiPaolo may be poised for a return to Orlandos restaurant scene. DiPaolo, formerly Savage, has laid largely low since 2020 when 18 former employees of the restaurants owned by her and her then-husband Jamie Savage came forward to describe a persistent pattern of harassment or inappropriate behavior by Jamie Savage toward staffers of their now-shuttered Sanctum Cafe in Orlando and Proper & Wild in Winter Park. Advertisement The space formerly the location of Marlows Tavern in Winter Park now has a sign out front stating "Shes back... XOXO." (Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel) Sanctum Coffee & Juice Bar in Altamonte Springs is now Re-Think Food & Drink, which Florida business records show is still owned by Jamie Savage. Employees interviewed by the Orlando Sentinel said DiPaolo knew about workers discomfort with her husbands behavior, but deflected or ignored complaints when they were brought to her. DiPaolo has since alleged that her marriage was abusive in social media posts. Advertisement Screenshot from Orlando Foodie Forum presented by Tasty Chomps shows member speculation about a sign that appeared at former Marlow's Tavern location in Winter Park. (Screenshot / Courtesy photo) Speculation of DiPaolos possible re-emergence was sparked recently by a cryptic sign placed outside the former location of Marlows Tavern at 1008 Orlando Ave. in Winter Park. Shes back! XOXO the sign reads. Interested parties on the internet wondered publicly until social media posts by Orlando commercial real estate services company Forness Properties seemed to confirm suspicions that DiPaolo was the she referenced in the mysterious sign. Screenshot of LinkedIn Post by Forness Properties, LLC. President Drew Forness confirmed that DiPaolo and an undisclosed partner signed a lease on the former Marlow's Tavern space last month. (Screenshot / Courtesy photo) Company President Drew Forness confirmed the lease was signed by DiPaolo, along with a partner in the unnamed new concept. It got done right before the end of the year, Forness, who represented the property owner, told the Sentinel. She is a business partner in the project. Attempts to reach DiPaolo for comment were unsuccessful. This story will be updated as it develops. Want to reach out? Find me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @amydroo or on the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: amthompson@orlandosentinel.com. For more fun, join the Lets Eat, Orlando Facebook group or follow @fun.things.orlando on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 3, 2022) - High Fusion Inc. (CSE: FUZN) ("High Fusion" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that its subsidiary, Neural Therapeutics Inc. ("Neural Therapeutics"), formerly Psychedelic Science Corp. has closed a financing for gross proceeds of $750,000 ("Financing"). Neural Therapeutics To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7105/112749_9b7a1a2104143bba_003full.jpg Neural Therapeutics Financing Closing Further to the press release dated November 19, 2021, Neural Therapeutics has completed an equity financing for gross proceeds of $750,000 by way of a non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") of units ("Units"). Pursuant to the Offering, Neural Therapeutics (formerly a wholly-owned subsidiary of High Fusion) issued 10,000,000 Units at a price of $0.075 per Unit. Each Unit is comprised of one common share (a "Neural Share") of Neural Therapeutics and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"), with each Warrant exercisable for one Neural Share at an exercise price of $0.10 per Neural Share for a period ending on the earlier of: (i) 36 months following the closing of the Offering; and (ii) 24 months following the time Neural Therapeutics completes a going public transaction. The net proceeds from the Offering will be used for research and development efforts, general working capital and funding the costs associated with a planned spin-out transaction ("Spin-Out"), pursuant to which it is intended that Neural Therapeutics will become a stand-alone reporting issuer. It is anticipated that the Spin-Out will be subject to a number of approvals, including but not limited to approval by High Fusion shareholders, court approval and approvals of securities regulators and the Canadian Securities Exchange. There is no assurance that either High Fusion or Neural Therapeutics will be able to secure the approvals necessary to complete the Spin-Out. Investment in securities of High Fusion and Neural Therapeutics should be considered highly speculative and prospective investors should consults their advisors prior to making any investment decisions. Pursuant to the Offering, Neural Therapeutics compensated certain finders under the Offering by the issuance of 575,800 broker warrants, with each broker warrant being exercisable for one Neural Share at a price of $0.075 per Neural Share, and paid aggregate finders' fees equal to $43,710 to such finders. Ian Campbell, CEO of Neural Therapeutics commented: "We are very pleased to report that we have reached our fundraising target. The success of the financing is a testament to the unique focus of the Neural Therapeutics' business and the management team we have assembled. On behalf of Neural Therapeutics, I wish to thank all the investors for their confidence and support of Neural Therapeutics as we commence our R&D efforts and prepare to enter the public markets as a stand-alone company." High Fusion Debt Settlement Concurrently with completion of the Offering, High Fusion has completed an in-kind debt settlement ("Debt Settlement"), pursuant to which High Fusion has transferred 5,600,000 Neural Shares to settle approximately $420,000 of High Fusion liabilities. Pursuant to the Debt Settlement, approximately 2,666,667 Neural Shares were issued to certain non-arm's length parties ("Insiders") to settle debt obligations of High Fusion to such Insiders and approximately 2,000,000 Neural Shares were issued to settle obligations of High Fusion to certain secured creditors. Pursuant to Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"), the Debt Settlement with Insiders constituted a "related party transaction" as certain transferees were considered to be related parties to High Fusion. The Company relied on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority approval requirements of MI 61-101 (pursuant to subsections 5.5(a) and 5.7(a)) as the fair market value of the securities transferred to, and the consideration received from, the Insiders did not exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization. The Debt Settlement has been approved by all of the independent directors of the Company. The Company did not file a material change report 21 days before the completion of the Debt Settlement as the participation of the Insiders had not been confirmed at that time. Following the completion of the Offering and Debt Settlement, Neural Therapeutics has 36,666,667 Neural Shares issued and outstanding, of which, approximately 17,983,334 Neural Shares are currently owned by High Fusion. The parties are working with their respective tax, legal and corporate advisors to determine the optimal path to allow Neural Therapeutics to complete the Spin Out as a way of maximizing value for their shareholders. About Neural Therapeutics Inc. Neural Therapeutics Inc. (formerly Psychedelic Science Corp.) is an ethnobotanical drug-discovery and development company. Neural Therapeutics is focused on developing products and conducting research on the psychoactive cacti plants with the primary objective to find where the historical use in traditional medicine has proven to be effective and capitalize on the opportunities that can be applied in modern medical and natural health product markets. About High Fusion Inc. High Fusion Inc. (formerly Nutritional High International Inc.) is focused on developing and manufacturing branded products in the cannabis industry with a specific focus on flower, pro-rolls, vapes, edibles and oil extracts for medical and adult recreational use. The Company operates and controls licenses in California, Colorado and Oregon. High Fusion has manufacturing, retail and grow operations in California through its acquisition of the business of OutCo and owns and operates oil extraction and edible manufacturing facilities in Colorado and Oregon. The Company's brand portfolio includes its award winning FLI edibles and vape product, along with a number of new brands including Red Octopus and Dubbi Brothers in addition to the OutCo and Thrive brands recently acquired. For updates on the Company's activities and highlights of the Company's press releases and other media coverage, please visit www.high-fusion.com. For further information, please contact: High Fusion Inc. Robert Wilson, Chief Financial Officer 416-666-4005 Email: rwilson@nutritionalhigh.com Neural Therapeutics Inc. Ian Campbell, Chief Executive Officer Email: icampbell@neuraltherapeutics.ca Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information: NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR OTC MARKETS GROUP INC., NOR THEIR REGULATIONS SERVICES PROVIDERS HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. This news release may contain forward-looking statements and information based on current expectations. These statements include statements regarding: the timing and ability to complete the Neural Therapeutics Spin-Out and the use of proceeds of the Offering. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. This forward-looking information reflects the Company's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to the Company and on assumptions the Company believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to: the ability of the Company to successfully execute its business plans; legal changes relating to the cannabis and psychedelic industries proceeding as anticipated; and the Company's continued response and ability to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic being consistent with, or better than, its ability and response to date. The Company's securities have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or applicable state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the United States or "U.S. Persons", as such term is defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act, absent registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in the United States or any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Additionally, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained herein. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; general capital market conditions and market prices for securities; the actual results of the Company's future operations; competition; changes in legislation affecting the Company; obtaining and maintaining regulatory approvals including acquiring and renewing U.S. state, local or other licenses, the uncertainty of existing protection from U.S. federal or other prosecution, regulatory or political change such as changes in applicable laws and regulations, including U.S. state-law legalization, market and general economic conditions of the cannabis sector or otherwise; the timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals; risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic including various recommendations, orders and measures of governmental authorities to try to limit the pandemic, including travel restrictions, border closures, non-essential business closures, service disruptions, quarantines, self-isolations, shelters-in-place and social distancing, disruptions to markets, economic activity, financing, supply chains and sales channels, and a deterioration of general economic conditions including a possible national or global recession; and a deterioration of financial markets that could limit the Company's ability to obtain external financing. A description of additional risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information can be found in the Company's disclosure documents on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking information contained in this press release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this press release and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. However, the Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/112749 Back in person alongside the SPIE AR/VR/MR conference, the world's largest annual photonics event included the latest in biomedical optics, quantum, and laser technology SPIE safely welcomed the international photonics community back to San Francisco's Moscone Center from 22-27 January for Photonics West. The largest annual photonics conference and exhibition, including its BiOS, LASE, and OPTO symposia and the AR|VR|MR conference, garnered more than 10,000 registered attendees, hosted more than 950 exhibitors, and included 2,100 technical presentations. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220203005996/en/ Back in person alongside the SPIE AR|VR|MR conference, the world's largest annual photonics event included the latest in biomedical optics, quantum, and laser technology. (Graphic: Business Wire) After a two-year hiatus, SPIE was thrilled to once again host its flagship event, requiring proof of vaccination and wearing of masks for all attendees following the local regulations and national guidelines for hosting an event of Photonics West's size. "We very much appreciate all the support from exhibitors, attendees, volunteers, and presenters who truly made the event a success," said SPIE CEO Kent Rochford. "Everyone embraced San Francisco's health and safety protocols, resulting in a safe meeting. There's nothing like coming home to Photonics West, and the enthusiasm we witnessed throughout the week proves that there is nothing like in-person events." In addition to breakthrough science and engineering conference presentations throughout the week, both the BiOS and Photonics West exhibitions enjoyed a robust flow of returning, new, and potential customers eager to discuss requirements face-to-face with the world's top suppliers of optics and photonics technology. "Being back in person has been great," said Zygo Director of Digital Global Marketing and Communications Virginia Foley. "We really enjoyed the face-to-face interaction. We've seen a lot of clients that we haven't seen in two years, so that has been fantastic for us. And I think that most people have felt that it's been very safe, and that it's been really nice to catch up with people. The overall experience has been fantastic." "It's been wonderful meeting our customers and vendors again in person," noted Syntec Optics Business Development Manager Tallon Rood. "We've been talking about the problems that we're trying to solve in the industry, all of the challenges that everyone's been overcoming over the last few years, and how everyone is navigating the situation. It's been fun hearing different perspectives." "The people who are here, they're actually looking for a solution instead of just kind of looking, so it's been really good for us," said LaCroix Precision Optics Customer Service Manager Sam Burchfield. "We're excited to see what comes from it in the next few weeks. We're based in Arkansas, so for us the next customer might be six hours away. Being back in person, seeing these customers and seeing the vendors, it's been really good just to kind of get that positive charge again." "It's felt so good to get out and meet with our colleagues and our customers and new potential customers here," said Rocky Mountain West regional sales manager for Lumibird Kent Greer. "It's been a tremendous experience. Thank you so much to SPIE for putting this on we can't be more grateful, and we look forward to more shows this year and being back here in 2023 as well." With the annual Prism Awards honoring the top new optics and photonics products on the market and the dynamic Startup Challenge pitch competition, SPIE Photonics West showcased and recognized the best optics and photonics technologies, trends, and entrepreneurial opportunities. The brand-new SPIE Career Hub offered four days of professional development panels, tips, and networking opportunities. In addition, Quantum West organized in partnership with the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C) featured experts and invited speakers discussing market prospects and the path toward a quantum-focused commercial ecosystem, complementing the strong technical program. And, during a special event, SPIE and the University of Rochester announced the establishment of the $1 million SPIE Graduate Fellowship in Optical Sciences and Engineering. Following the in-person week, on-demand access to the conference presentations will be available for all paid attendees between 21-27 February as part of an extended SPIE Photonics West On-Demand program. The nearly 4,000 online presentations will include those recorded live during Photonics West, as well as pre-recorded presentations from authors who were unable to travel or attend in person. In addition to the conference recordings, posters and poster preview videos and all recorded plenary and keynote presentations will be available for viewing. Registration is also available for anyone who couldn't attend or participate and would like to access the on-demand content of SPIE Photonics West. SPIE Photonics West 2023 will take place 28 January-2 February at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. The call for papers for the 2023 event will open in Spring of 2022. About SPIE SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, brings engineers, scientists, students, and business professionals together to advance light-based science and technology. The Society, founded in 1955, connects and engages with our global constituency through industry-leading conferences and exhibitions; publications of conference proceedings, books, and journals in the SPIE Digital Library; and career-building opportunities. Over the past five years, SPIE has contributed more than $22 million to the international optics community through our advocacy and support, including scholarships, educational resources, travel grants, endowed gifts, and public-policy development. www.spie.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220203005996/en/ Contacts: Daneet Steffens Public Relations Manager daneets@spie.org +1 360 685 5478 @SPIEtweets WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Novavax Inc. (NVAX) said that New Zealand's Medsafe has granted provisional approval of NVX-CoV2373, the company's COVID-19 vaccine (adjuvanted), for active immunization to prevent COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 in individuals 18 years of age and older. The vaccine will be supplied to New Zealand under the brand name Nuvaxovid. Nuvaxovid is the first protein-based COVID-19 vaccine to receive provisional approval for distribution in New Zealand. Novavax and the New Zealand Government previously announced an advance purchase agreement for 10.7 million doses of Novavax' COVID-19 vaccine. Novavax received conditional marketing authorization for NVX-CoV2373 in the European Union, emergency use listing from the World Health Organization (WHO), and was granted provisional registration by the Therapeutic Goods Administration in Australia, among others. The vaccine is also currently under review by multiple regulatory agencies worldwide, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Offering Special Rates and Unbeatable Vacations in Several Holiday Destinations SANTA CLARA, Cuba, Feb. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Archipelago, Southeast Asia's largest private and independent hotel management group, invites international travelers to take their long-awaited holidays in Cuba, the perfect place to start an adventurous journey after almost two years of reduced travel. To support the growth of the tourism industry in Cuba and introduce their upcoming hotels to the public, Archipelago recently published their travel agent rates for 4 hotels in Cuba. GRAND ASTON Cayo Las Brujas will apply USD$50 per person per night all-inclusive for all travel agents. GRAND ASTON La Habana, which will open on 15 March, will apply USD$50 per person per night with a bed and breakfast concept. The other 2 ASTON Hotels will apply USD$40 per room per night. The price difference is due to ASTON Costa Verde Beach Resort located in Holguin having an all-inclusive rate, while ASTON Panorama, located in the heart of Havana, will apply the bed and breakfast concept. The rates will be available for stay until November 30th, 2022. "Our Cuba hotels are located in famous tourist sites, have stunning views, professional staffs and implemented strict health protocols. We also received a Safe Travels recognition and stamp from the World Travel & Tourism Council so as to provide a sense of security and comfort. We definitely look forward to meeting all guests at our Cuba hotels," says John Flood, President & CEO of Archipelago. For reservations, please email LasBrujasFDKR1@astonhotels.co.cu for GRAND ASTON Cayo Las Brujas Beach Resort and Spa, lahabanainfo@astonhotels.co.cu for GRAND ASTON La Habana, jefe.reservas@astoncostaverde.co.cu for ASTON Costa Verde Beach Resort and reservas@panorama.co.cu for ASTON Panorama. For more information regarding our special travel agent rates, please contact our BDM in Canada: info@surep.ca . Image & Video Link: Please click here About Archipelago Southeast Asia's largest privately owned and independent hotel management group, operating over 150 hotels with a further 50+ under development across Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. Trusted hotels with a long track record and 20,000 rooms in more than 60 destinations with brands including ASTON, Collection by ASTON, The Alana, Huxley, Kamuela, Harper, Quest, NEO, favehotels, and Nordic. archipelagointernational.com. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1740199/Travel_Agent_Rates_Flyer_ENG_page_0001.jpg Fisker will stage the European debut of its all-electric Fisker Ocean SUV at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The Fisker Ocean will start deliveries in certain European countries and North America following the vehicle's start of production in November 2022. Fisker recently opened a European office in Munich and is building a brand experience center in Germany with other European countries to follow. Fisker recently announced a comprehensive plan to deliver high-quality service, including Fisker Mobile Service, at multiple locations in European launch countries. Fisker Inc. (NYSE: FSR) ("Fisker") passionate creator of the world's most sustainable electric vehicles and advanced mobility solutions will debut its Fisker Ocean all-electric SUV to the European market at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220203006008/en/ Fisker will debut its Fisker Ocean all-electric SUV to the European market at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The five-passenger Fisker Ocean Sport features a range of 250 miles with a starting price of $37,499. The top trim Fisker Ocean Extreme travels 350 miles on a single charge with dual-motor AWD, three driving modes, and a host of first-to-market safety features. [Photo credit: Michael Muller] The five-passenger Fisker Ocean Sport features a range of 250 miles with a starting price of $37,499. The top trim Fisker Ocean Extreme travels 350 miles on a single charge with dual-motor AWD, three driving modes, and a host of first-to-market safety features. Mobile World Congress runs from Feb. 28-March 3, 2022, and attendees are welcome to visit the show stand to see the Fisker Ocean in person. "I couldn't be more excited to unveil the Fisker Ocean in Spain and present its unique combination of performance, value, and technology to the European media and prospective owners," said CEO Henrik Fisker. "I'm particularly thrilled to announce segment-leading range for the Fisker Ocean." "Europe is essential to our company as we work toward the start of production in November at a carbon-neutral factory in Austria," he added. "We aim to make the world's most sustainable vehicle and to start deliveries in Europe this year. Ultimately, we expect to sell 60,000 units annually in the region." Fisker is developing a comprehensive and well-integrated European strategy. In 2021, the Manhattan Beach, Calif.-based startup established an office in Munich and is rapidly adding staff to serve a fast-growing electric vehicle market. The company is constructing its first European-based brand experience center in Munich, with plans for additional centers in other European countries. The company's industry-leading warranty will be supported by service centers throughout the region. For service, the company is offering at-home vehicle pick-up, or Fisker Mobile Service, for customers who prefer skilled technicians come to them. Finally, in 2021, Fisker created its Fisker Magic Works and chose England as the division's headquarters. This branch of the Fisker organization will develop special editions of the company's vehicles alongside new, high-performance projects combining sustainability with Henrik Fisker's commitment to beautiful, emotional design. About Fisker Inc. California-based Fisker Inc. is revolutionizing the automotive industry by developing the most emotionally desirable and eco-friendly electric vehicles on Earth. Passionately driven by a vision of a clean future for all, the company is on a mission to become the No. 1 e-mobility service provider with the world's most sustainable vehicles. To learn more, visit www.FiskerInc.com and enjoy exclusive content across Fisker's social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Download the revolutionary new Fisker mobile app from the App Store or Google Play store. Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes forward-looking statements, which are subject to the "safe harbor" provisions of the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by words such as "feel," "believes," "expects," "estimates," "projects," "intends," "should," "is to be," or the negative of such terms, or other comparable terminology and include, among other things, the quotations of our Chief Executive Officer and statements regarding the planned start of production, range, and MSRP of the Fisker Ocean, the Company's future performance and other future events that involve risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained herein due to many factors, including, but not limited to: Fisker's limited operating history; Fisker's ability to enter into additional manufacturing and other contracts with Magna, or other OEMs or tier-one suppliers in order to execute on its business plan; the risk that OEM and supply partners do not meet agreed upon timelines or experience capacity constraints; Fisker may experience significant delays in the design, manufacture, regulatory approval, launch and financing of its vehicles; Fisker's ability to execute its business model, including market acceptance of its planned products and services; Fisker's inability to retain key personnel and to hire additional personnel; competition in the electric vehicle market; Fisker's inability to develop a sales distribution network; and the ability to protect its intellectual property rights; and those factors discussed in Fisker's Annual Report on Form 10-K, as amended, under the heading "Risk Factors," filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), as supplemented by Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and other reports and documents Fisker files from time to time with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and Fisker undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220203006008/en/ Contacts: Fisker Inc. Fisker@DRIVEN360.com 310.374.6177 Rebecca Lindland, Director, Communications rlindland@fiskerinc.com Dan Galves, VP, Investor Relations dgalves@fiskerinc.com FiskerIR@icrinc.com LEM HOLDING SA / Key word(s): 9 Month figures LEM announces results for 9 months 2021/22: momentum continues despite supply chain challenges 04-Feb-2022 / 07:00 CET/CEST Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Geneva, Switzerland, 04 February 2022 - LEM (SIX: LEHN), a leading global company in electrical measurement for industry and automotive applications, announces 9 months results for 2021/22 (April-December) compared to 2020/21: Sales increased by 26.2% to CHF 275.5 million (CHF 218.2 million); at constant exchange rates, sales improved by 24.3% The company benefits from a diverse global distribution of sales, led by China and Europe: China CHF 106.5m (38.7% of total) Europe CHF 84.8m (30.8% of total) North America CHF 24.3m (8.8% of total) Rest of World CHF 59.7m (21.7% of total) Bookings nearly doubled to CHF 436.9 million (CHF 222.3 million) R&D up by 13.6% to CHF 22.5 million (CHF 19.8 million), but declined to 8.2% of sales (9.1%) EBIT rose by 47.1% to CHF 64.2 million (CHF 43.6 million); the EBIT margin increased to 23.3% (20.0%) Net profit for the period rose by 49.1% to CHF 53.7 million (CHF 36.0 million) Frank Rehfeld, Chief Executive Officer, said: 'Our business continued its strong momentum from the first half of the year and we expect to celebrate the 50th anniversary of LEM with all-time record sales. We could have sold even more and were disappointed not to be able to satisfy customer demand, despite our best efforts to overcome the ongoing supply chain challenges. Our global bookings remain at record levels, with customers firmly committing to orders over longer time horizons. China, Europe and Asia continue to lead our growth. Our Industry segment is benefitting overall from the acceleration of decarbonization and electrification across the world. Investment confidence remains solid in all our businesses, helped by government policies and infrastructure development. The well-reported shortages of semiconductors and other components affected all our businesses, particularly the Automotive segment, although we remain encouraged by the fundamental transition towards Electric Vehicles.' Andrea Borla, Chief Financial Officer, remarked: 'Our strong EBIT performance continues to be driven by top-line sales growth and vigilance over costs, while we still are investing significantly in R&D. We are slightly increasing our full year sales outlook to around CHF 360 million, although supply chain issues will impact our business for several quarters to come.' Industry segment: strong growth despite capacity constraints 9 months sales in the Industry segment totaled CHF 212.9 million, up 28.8%. At constant exchange rates, sales improved by 27.0%. All our businesses and regions continue to benefit from the return of investment confidence and customer demand, although our sales were held back by supplier and partly by capacity constraints. The fundamentals remain strong, as decarbonization and electrification accelerates across the world. The Drives business is at its mid-cycle, and benefited from demand for small and medium power applications, including tooling machines and HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) as well as end-consumer products, such as heat pumps. Renewable Energy continues to grow due to government policies supporting wind and solar energy. The infrastructure investment for e-mobility is driving the successful rollout of our new DC meter and this market is only at an early stage of expansion. Demand in the test and measurement sector for batteries and EVs and demand for medical equipment increased sales of our High Precision sensors. Our Traction business, with its long investment horizons, has returned to growth with demand coming from the Europe and India. Europe (+37.3%), China (+20.2%) and Rest of World (+33.8%) benefited from the demand across Drives, Renewables, and High Precision. Europe continues to be our largest market. North America (+21.7%) benefited from the demand for Drives, but less so for Renewables. Global orders nearly doubled for the 9 months, as customers firmly committed to orders over longer time horizons. in CHF millions 2021/22 2020/21 Change Comments Businesses Drives 96.5 69.7 +38.4% Small & medium power applications Manufacturing capacity investment in semiconductors Renewable Energy 77.6 61.4 +26.5% China solar driven by infrastructure Europe boosted by DC meter Traction 31.6 28.8 +9.7% Europe and India driving demand High precision 7.2 5.5 +31.8% Demand for test and measurement products still picking up Medical recovered to pre-pandemic level Total Industry 212.9 165.4 +28.8% Automotive segment: EV momentum continues to be impacted by supply chain issues 9 months sales in the Automotive segment totaled CHF 62.5 million, an increase of 18.4%. At constant exchange rates, sales improved by 15.9% compared to 9 months last year. Q3 performance reflects the higher baseline of last year when global production had recovered from previous shutdowns. Our output is constrained for the moment by the continued supply chain issues for semiconductors and other components. These are affecting the entire sector, and some manufacturers are obliged to revise production plans downwards. Q3 bookings are back to more realistic levels, although for the full 9 months bookings more than doubled compared with 9 months 2020/21. This reflects the strong fundamental demand for EV solutions and our customers' commitments to orders over longer time horizons, but the industry's ongoing challenges may take several more quarters to be resolved. Our largest market China grew by 40.3%, driven by consumer appetite for EVs and the launch of several new vehicles. The pace of electrifications continues to grow in Europe (+11.3%), although sales in Q3 suffered due to the sector's component shortages. North America showed negative growth (-5.5%) compared with 9 months last year, as the transition to EVs is not quick enough to compensate for the decline in demand for traditional combustion engine battery sensors. Rest of World increased slightly by 0.5% reflecting a higher sales base, as these markets had been less impacted by the pandemic in 9 months 2020/21. in CHF millions 2021/22 2020/21 Change Comments Businesses Battery Management 34.5 31.5 +9.5% Significant drop in US 12V demand Motor Control 25.5 18.8 +35.8% Strong demand spurred by EV cars Charging Systems 2.5 2.5 -1.5% Product allocation impacted by semiconductor shortages. Total Automotive 62.5 52.8 +18.4% Improved profitability Gross profit for 9 months rose by 29.3% to CHF 130.1 million (CHF 100.6 million), principally due to higher sales volumes compared to 9 months last year. The gross margin improved by 110 basis points to 47.2%, reflecting improved economies of scale. We remain vigilant with overheads, so while SG&A costs were up by 13.6% to CHF 43.6 million (CHF 38.3 million) to support the extra market demand compared with last year, they declined to 15.8% of sales (17.6%). We continue with our long-term investment in future applications with R&D up in absolute terms by 13.6% to CHF 22.5 million (CHF 19.8 million), although this decreased to 8.2% of sales (9.1%). EBIT rose notably for the period by 47.1% to CHF 64.2 million (CHF 43.6 million), mainly due to the increase in revenue. Consequently, our EBIT margin rose by 330 basis points to 23.3% (20.0%). We posted a net profit for the 9 months of CHF 53.7 million, up 49.1% from CHF 36.0 million last year, reflecting the improved EBIT. The net profit margin was 19.5% compared with 16.5% in the same period last year. Outlook We continue to benefit from the fundamental drivers of electrification, renewable energy and mobility. However, we still face headwinds from the impact of the pandemic on different markets, including shortages for components such as semiconductors. For the full financial year 2021/22, the company is slightly increasing its sales outlook to around CHF 360 million (CHF 301.0 million for 2020/21), and also raising its forecast EBIT margin to around 22% (20.2% for 2020/21). Conference call and webcast Frank Rehfeld, CEO, and Andrea Borla, CFO, will provide a presentation of the 9 months 2021/22 results today at 10:00 CET at a media and investor community webcast and conference call. Listen to live webcast https://78449.choruscall.com/dataconf/productusers/lem/mediaframe/47711/indexl.html The press release, webcast slides, and the link to the webcast are available in the Investor Relations section of the LEM website (www.lem.com/en/investors), where the recorded webcast will later also be archived. Dial-In Numbers Switzerland & Europe: +41 (0)58 310 50 00 UK: +44 (0) 207 107 06 13 USA: +1 (1) 631 570 56 13 Other countries: https://media.choruscall.ch/documents/Attended_DI_numbers.pdf Financial calendar The financial year runs from 1 April to 31 March 24 May 2022 30 June 2022 5 July 2022 7 July 2022 Full-year results 2021/22 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders for the financial year 2021/22 Dividend ex-date Dividend payment date LEM - Life Energy Motion A leading company in electrical measurement, LEM engineers the best solutions for energy and mobility, ensuring that our customers' systems are optimized, reliable and safe. Our 1,500 people in over 15 countries transform technology potential into powerful answers. We develop and recruit the best global talent, working at the forefront of mega trends such as renewable energy, mobility, automation and digitization. With innovative electrical solutions, we are helping our customers and society accelerate the transition to a sustainable future. Listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange since 1986, the company's ticker symbol is LEHN. www.lem.com Contact: Investment community Andrea Borla, Chief Financial Officer Phone: +41 22 706 1250 Email: investor@lem.com Contact: Media Cabinet Prive de Conseils s.a. (CPC) Nick Miles, miles@cpc-pr.com, mobile: +41 79 678 76 26 Michael Fuglister, fuglister@cpc-pr.com, mobile: +41 78 839 07 62 Appendix ATTACHMENTS: Press Release (pdf): LEM 9M Results 2021/22 If you do not wish to receive further media releases from LEM, you can unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the following link: One-click-delete If the email looks unformatted, please use this alternative link. End of ad hoc announcement Positive BIOCERA-VET arthrodesis data will be presented in collaboration with Dr. Guillaume Ragetly (ECVS, ACVS, PhD; France) at the US Veterinary Orthopedic Society The annual conference of US Veterinary Orthopedic Society, largest gathering of US orthopedic vet surgeons is held conjointly this year with World Veterinary Orthopaedic Congress BIOCERA-VET-Bone Surgery confirmed as a valuable alternative to bone autograft on a larger patients cohort Regulatory News: TheraVet (Paris:ALVET) (Brussels:ALVET)(ISIN: BE0974387194 ticker: ALVET),a pioneering company in the management of osteoarticular diseases in pets, announces today the presentation in collaboration with Dr. Guillaume Ragetly (CHV Fregis, Paris, France) of BIOCERA-VETclinical data in bone fusion surgical procedure1 at 6th World Veterinary Orthopaedic Congress (WVOC) and 49th Annual Conference of the Veterinary Orthopedic Society (VOS) 2022. Both conferences will be held conjointly from February 5th to February 12th, 2022 in Colorado, USA. BIOCERA-VET clinical data2 that will be presented on February 9th 2022 at the WVOC/VOS congress provide evidence of the equivalence of BIOCERA-VET-Bone Surgery with the autologous bone graft, the standard procedure in joint bone fusion. Indeed, an independent and blinded radiological evaluation assessing bone fusion in 13 canine cases of arthrodesis treated with BIOCERA-VET and in 16 cases treated with autologous bone graft3 showed that bone fusion induced by BIOCERA-VET at 4 and 8 weeks following surgery was as good as that induced by bone autograft, but with less complications (25% vs. 0%) and reduced surgical time by 30 to 45 min. To confirm these clinical data, a larger cohort (doubling the number) of BIOCERA-VET treated-dogs4 have been assessed radiologically. This additional analysis demonstrated comparable bone fusion score of BIOCERA-VET-Bone surgery at 4 and 8 weeks with autologous bone graft (at 4 weeks, p>0.05 and at 8 weeks, p>0.05). Similar results were observed on carpal and tarsal bone fusions when analyzed separately. Excellent safety profile has also been confirmed. These results therefore confirm the positioning of BIOCERA-VET-Bone Surgery as a valuable alternative to autologous bone graft in joint bone fusion. About TheraVet SA TheraVet is a veterinary biotechnology company specialising in osteoarticular treatments for animals. The Company develops targeted, safe and effective treatments to improve the quality of life of pets suffering from osteoarticular diseases. For pet owners, the health of their pets is a major concern and TheraVet's mission is to address the need for innovative and curative treatments. TheraVet works closely with international opinion leaders in order to provide a more effective response to ever-growing needs in the field of veterinary medicine. TheraVet is listed on Euronext GrowthParis et Brussels, its head office is in Gosselies, Belgium, and it has a subsidiary in the US. For more information, visit the TheraVet Or follow us on LinkedIn Facebook Twitter _________________ 1 Arthrodesis 2 Poster abstract: Efficacy and safety assessment of a self-setting bone substitute (a-TCP) as an efficient alternative to autografts. Ragetly G.R., Bouvy B., Flasse B., Stievenart O., Van Ommen J., Ragetly C.A. 3 all in addition to the standard surgical procedure 4 n= 20 vs n=10 at 4 weeks and n=27 vs n=13 at 8 weeks View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220203005790/en/ Contacts: TheraVet Sabrina Ena Chief Operating Officer Sabrina.ena@thera.vet Tel: +32 (0) 71 96 00 43 Julie Winand Chief Corporate Officer julie.winand@thera.vet NewCap Investor Relations and Financial Communications Theo Martin Olivier Bricaud theravet@newcap.eu Tel: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94 Press Relations Arthur Rouille Ambre Delval theravet@newcap.eu Tel: +33 (0)1 44 71 00 15 NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AUSTRALIA, CANADA OR JAPAN OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE SUCH PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. OTHER RESTRICTIONS ARE APPLICABLE. PLEASE SEE "IMPORTANT INFORMATION" AT THE END OF THE PRESS RELEASE. SANDNES, Norway, Feb. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Further to the announced Intention to Float published on 24 January 2022, Var Energi ASA ("Var Energi" or the "Company") has resolved to launch an initial public offering of shares in the Company (the "Offering" or the "IPO"). Subject to approval of the prospectus, the listing application and successful completion of the Offering, the shares of Var Energi (the "Shares") will be admitted to listing and commence trading on Oslo Brs on a conditional trading basis on 16 February 2022 under the ticker "VAR". Unconditional trading of the Shares is expected to commence on 18 February 2022. Update on 2022 dividend Furthermore, the Company today announces an update to its previously communicated dividend policy for 2022. In late 2021, Var Energi determined a dividend of minimum USD 700 million for 2022. In addition, Var Energi has communicated a dividend of USD 200 million for Q1 2022. Considering the current market conditions and the outlook for a continued supportive commodity price environment and Var Energi's strong cash flow generation, the Company has decided to increase its dividend guidance for the full year 2022 to a minimum of USD 800 million, and the Q1 2022 dividend to USD 225 million. As a further reflection of the strong cash flow currently generated by Var Energi (including the positive movement in certain working capital elements in January), the Company's preliminary calculation of its net interest-bearing debt at 31 January 2022 decreased to approximately USD 3.9 billion, from USD 4.6 billion at 31 December 2021. The Offering The Offer Shares (as defined below) will be offered for sale within an indicative price range of between NOK 28.00 and NOK 31.50 per Offer Share, corresponding to an equity value of Var Energi of between NOK 70 billion and NOK 79 billion. The final price per Offer Share (the "Offer Price"), may, however, be set above or below this indicative price range. The Offering will consist of an offer up to 220,000,000 existing Shares (the "Base Sale Share") offered in equal parts by the Company's shareholders Eni International B.V. ("Eni") and HitecVision, through Point Resources Holding AS ("HitecVision" and together with Eni, the "Selling Shareholders"), who currently own 69.85% and 30.15%, respectively, of Var Energi's outstanding shares. In addition, the Selling Shareholders will have an option to sell in equal parts up to 55,000,000 additional existing shares (together with the Base Sale Shares, the "Sale Shares") through an up-size option (the "Up-size Option"). The Joint Global Coordinators (as defined below) may over-allot up to 41,250,000 additional Shares (the "Additional Shares", and together with the Sale Shares, the "Offer Shares"), but not more than 15% of the aggregate number of Sale Shares allocated and sold in the Offering. In order to facilitate such over-allotments, Eni and HitecVision are expected to, in equal parts, (i) lend to the Joint Global Coordinators a number of Shares equal to the number of Additional Shares and (ii) grant the Joint Global Coordinators an option to purchase, at the Offer Price, a number of shares equal to the number of Additional Shares to cover short positions created by over-allotments in the Offering (the "Greenshoe Option"). The Greenshoe Option may be exercised, in whole or in part, within a 30-day period commencing at the time at which conditional trading in the Company's shares commences on Oslo Brs. The Offering will comprise up to 8.8% of the total number of shares in issue when excluding any Additional Shares and the Up-size Option, and up to 12.7% of the shares in issue when including all Additional Shares and the Up-size Option. The Company expects that Oslo Brs will grant an exemption from the free float requirement of 25%. Ahead of the Offering, the Company has received significant anchor interest from several Nordic and international institutions. The Selling Shareholders will receive the proceeds from the sale of Sale Shares and from any Additional Shares sold and not re-delivered (if any). The Selling Shareholders will be subject to customary lock-up restrictions for a period of 180 days after the IPO. The Company and members of the Group's management and the Board of Directors will be subject to a 360-day lock-up period respectively. The terms and conditions for the Offering will comprise: An Institutional Offering, in which Offer Shares are being offered to (a)institutional and other professional investors outside the United States , subject to applicable exemptions from applicable prospectus and registration requirements, and (b) persons in the United States who are QIBs as defined in, and in reliance on, Rule 144A under the U.S Securities Act or another available exemption from registration requirements under the U.S. Securities Act. The Institutional Offering is subject to a lower limit per application of NOK 2,000,000 . , subject to applicable exemptions from applicable prospectus and registration requirements, and (b) persons in who are QIBs as defined in, and in reliance on, Rule 144A under the U.S Securities Act or another available exemption from registration requirements under the U.S. Securities Act. The Institutional Offering is subject to a lower limit per application of . A Retail Offering, in which Offer Shares are being offered to the public in Norway and (subject to relevant prospectus passporting), Sweden , Denmark and Finland , subject to a lower limit per application of NOK 10,500 and an upper limit per application of NOK 1,999,999 for each investor. Investors who intend to place an order in excess of NOK 1,999,999 must do so in the Institutional Offering. Each investor in the Retail Offering will have a right to receive, without further consideration payable, in total one additional Share (each a "Bonus Share") for every 10 Shares allocated and delivered to such investor in the Retail Offering, subject to a maximum limit of NOK 500,000 in Offer Shares (i.e. the Offer Price multiplied by the number of Offer Shares allocated and delivered), subject to such investor not selling or otherwise transferring any of the Offer Shares allocated to such investor between the first day of Listing and 16 February 2023 . The Bonus Shares are being granted by the Selling Shareholders and will be delivered in February 2023 . The number of Bonus Shares delivered to any investor will be rounded down to the nearest whole number of Bonus Shares. Multiple applications by one applicant in the Retail Offering will be treated as one application with respect to the maximum application limit and bonus shares. and (subject to relevant prospectus passporting), , and , subject to a lower limit per application of and an upper limit per application of for each investor. Investors who intend to place an order in excess of must do so in the Institutional Offering. Each investor in the Retail Offering will have a right to receive, without further consideration payable, in total one additional Share (each a "Bonus Share") for every 10 Shares allocated and delivered to such investor in the Retail Offering, subject to a maximum limit of in Offer Shares (i.e. the Offer Price multiplied by the number of Offer Shares allocated and delivered), subject to such investor not selling or otherwise transferring any of the Offer Shares allocated to such investor between the first day of Listing and . The Bonus Shares are being granted by the Selling Shareholders and will be delivered in . The number of Bonus Shares delivered to any investor will be rounded down to the nearest whole number of Bonus Shares. Multiple applications by one applicant in the Retail Offering will be treated as one application with respect to the maximum application limit and bonus shares. The Employee Offering, in which Offer Shares are being offered to the Eligible Employees (as defined in the Prospectus), subject to a lower limit of NOK 10,500 and an upper limit per application of NOK 1,999,999 for each Eligible Employee. Each investor in the Employee Offering will have a right to receive, without further consideration payable, (i) for allocations up to an amount equal to 5% of the annual fixed salary of the Eligible Employee (i.e. the Offer Price multiplied by the number of Offer Shares allocated and delivered), one Bonus Share for every one Share allocated and delivered to such investor in the Employee Offering, and (ii) for allocations in excess of such amount and up to a maximum amount of NOK 500,000 (i.e. the Offer Price multiplied by the number of Offer Shares allocated and delivered), one Bonus Share for every 10 Shares allocated and delivered in the Employee Offering. For the avoidance of doubt, no bonus shares will be allocated for an aggregated amount in excess of NOK 500,000 of Offer Shares. The right of any investor to receive Bonus Shares in connection with the Employee Offering pursuant to (i) above is subject to such investor between the first day of Listing and 16 February 2024 (a) not having given or received notice of termination of its employment with the Company and (b) not selling or otherwise transferring any of the Offer Shares allocated to such investor. The right of any investor to receive Bonus Shares in connection with the Employee Offering pursuant to (ii) above is subject to such investor between the first day of Listing and 16 February 2023 not selling or otherwise transferring any of the Offer Shares allocated to such investor. The Bonus Shares pursuant to (i) above will be granted by the Company and will be delivered in February 2024 . The Bonus Shares pursuant to (ii) will be granted by the Selling Shareholders and will be delivered in February 2023 . Multiple applications by one applicant in the Employee Offering are not permitted. All offers and sales outside the United States will be made in compliance with Regulation S of the U.S. Securities Act. Further details on the Offering and the terms thereof will be set out in the Prospectus. Timeline and Offering period Subject to approval and publication of the Prospectus, the bookbuilding period for the Institutional Offering will commence on 7 February 2022 at 09:00 hours (CET) and end on 15 February 2022 at 14:00 hours (CET), and the application period for the Retail Offering and the Employee Offering will commence on 7 February 2022 at 09:00 hours (CET) and end on 15 February 2022 at 12:00 hours (CET). The bookbuilding period and the application period may be shortened or extended as further set out in the Prospectus. The Offer Price and the final number of Offer Shares will be determined by the Selling Shareholders and Var Energi, in consultation with the Joint Global Coordinators, following the expiry of the bookbuilding period. The announcement of the Offer Price is expected to take place on or around 15 February 2022, with conditional trading of the shares in Var Energi on Oslo Brs commencing on an "if-sold" basis on or around 16 February 2022 under the ticker symbol "VAR". Conditions for the completion of the Offering Completion of the Offering will be conditional on Oslo Brs approving the Company's application for listing of the shares which is expected to be submitted on 7 February 2022 and considered by Oslo Brs on or around 10 February 2022 and the satisfaction of the conditions for admission to trading set by Oslo Brs. The Company expects that Oslo Brs will grant an exemption from the free float requirement of 25%. Completion of the Offering will further be conditional upon (i) the Selling Shareholders and the Company, in consultation with the Joint Global Coordinators, having approved the Offer Price and the allocation of the Offer Shares to eligible investors following the bookbuilding process, (ii) the Company, the Selling Shareholders and the Managers (as defined below) having entered into the underwriting agreement as described in the Prospectus and satisfaction of the conditions contained in such underwriting agreement, (iii) an extraordinary general meeting of the Company having resolved certain amendments of the Company's articles of association as described in the Prospectus, and (iv) the underwriting agreement not having been terminated in accordance with its terms. There can be no assurance that these conditions will be satisfied. If the conditions are not satisfied, the Offering may be revoked or suspended. Approval and publication of Prospectus The IPO prospectus (the "Prospectus") is expected to be approved by the Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway today, 4 February 2022. Subject to such approval, the Prospectus, including the application forms for the retail and the employee offerings, will, subject to regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions, be made available at www.varenergi.no, www.dnb.no/emisjoner, www.sb1markets.no, www.abgsc.no, www.carnegie.no, www.paretosec.com, and www.nordnet.no/se/dk/fi. Advisors DNB Markets, a part of DNB Bank ASA, J.P. Morgan SE., Morgan Stanley & Co. International Plc and SpareBank 1 Markets AS have been engaged as Joint Global Coordinators and Joint Bookrunners for the IPO, and ABG Sundal Collier ASA, BofA Securities Europe SA, Carnegie AS, Jefferies GmbH and Pareto Securities AS are acting as Joint Bookrunners (jointly the "Managers"). Advokatfirmaet Schjdt AS is acting as Norwegian legal counsel to the Company and Latham & Watkins (London) LLP is acting as international legal counsel to the Company. Advokatfirmaet BAHR AS is acting as Norwegian legal counsel to the Managers, and Linklaters LLP is acting as international legal counsel to the Managers. Crux Advisers AS is acting as communications and investor relations adviser. For further information, please contact: Investor relations Ida Marie Fjellheim, Head of IR +47 90509291 ida.fjellheim@varenergi.no International and Norwegian media Jan Petter Stiff +47 99513891 jps@crux.no About Var Energi ASA Var Energi is a leading independent upstream oil and gas company on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). We are committed to deliver a better future through responsible value driven growth based on over 50 years of NCS operations, a robust and diversified asset portfolio with ongoing development projects, and a strong exploration track record. Our ambition is to be the safest operator on the NCS, the partner of choice, an ESG leader and a net-zero producer (Scope 1 and 2) by 2030. Var Energi has more than 900 employees and equity stakes in 36 fields producing net 247,000 boe per day in the third quarter of 2021. We have our headquarters outside Stavanger, Norway, with offices in Oslo and Hammerfest. To learn more, please visit varenergi.no. Important information This announcement is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy any securities of Var Energi ASA (the "Company"). The contents of this announcement have been prepared by and are the sole responsibility of the Company. The information contained in this announcement is for background purposes only and does not purport to be full or complete. No reliance may be placed by any person for any purpose on the information contained in this announcement or its accuracy, fairness or completeness. Copies of this announcement are not being made and may not be distributed or sent into the United States of America, Australia, Canada or Japan or any other jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful or would require registration or other measures. Any offering of the securities referred to in this announcement will be made by means of a prospectus. This announcement is not a prospectus for the purposes of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2017 on the prospectus to be published when securities are offered to the public or admitted to trading on a regulated market, and repealing Directive 2003/71/EC (together with any related implementing and delegated regulations, the "Prospectus Regulation"). Investors should not invest in any securities referred to in this announcement except on the basis of information contained in the aforementioned prospectus. In any EEA Member State other than Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark, and in the United Kingdom (each, a "Relevant State") this communication is only addressed to and is only directed at qualified investors in that Relevant State within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation, i.e., only to investors who can receive the offer without an approved prospectus in such Relevant State. The securities referred to in this announcement have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and accordingly may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and in accordance with applicable U.S. state securities laws. The Company does not intend to register any offering in the United States or to conduct a public offering of securities in the United States. Copies of this announcement are not being, and should not be, distributed in or sent into the United States (including its territories and possessions, any State of the United States and the District of Columbia), Australia, Canada or Japan. The securities described herein have also not been and will not be registered under the applicable securities laws of Australia, Canada or Japan and, subject to certain exemptions, may not be offered or sold in or into or for the account or benefit of any person having a registered address in, or located or resident in Australia, Canada or Japan. There will be no public offering of the securities described herein in Australia, Canada or Japan. This communication and any materials in relation to the securities described herein are only being distributed to and is only directed at persons in the United Kingdom that are qualified investors within the meaning of article 2(e) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European (Withdrawal) Act 2018 that also (i) have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the "Order"), (ii) are persons falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) ("high net worth companies, unincorporated associations etc.") of the Order, (iii) are outside the United Kingdom, or (iv) are persons to whom an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 ("FSMA")) in connection with the issue or sale of any securities may otherwise lawfully be communicated or caused to be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as "Relevant Persons"). This communication must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not Relevant Persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this communication relates is available only to Relevant Persons and will be engaged in only with Relevant Persons. Persons distributing this communication must satisfy themselves that it is lawful to do so. Matters discussed in this announcement may constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and may be identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intends," "estimate," "will," "may," "continue", "should" and similar expressions. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond its control. Such risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors could cause actual events to differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in this release by such forward-looking statements. The information, opinions and forward-looking statements contained in this announcement speak only as at its date and are subject to change without notice. Neither the Company nor the Managers undertake any obligation to review, update, confirm or release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that arise in relation to the content of this communication. The Managers are acting exclusively for the Company and the Selling Shareholders and no one else in connection with the IPO. They will not regard any other person as their respective clients in relation to the planned IPO and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company and the Selling Shareholders for providing the protections afforded to its clients, nor for providing advice in relation to the offering, the contents of this announcement or any transaction, arrangement or other matter referred to herein. In connection with the IPO, the Managers and their respective affiliates may take up a portion of the shares offered in the IPO as a principal position and in that capacity may retain, purchase, sell, offer to sell for their own accounts such shares and other securities of the Company or related investments in connection with the IPO or otherwise. In addition, the Managers and their respective affiliates may enter into financing arrangements (including swaps or contracts for differences) with investors in connection with which the Managers and their respective affiliates may from time to time acquire, hold or dispose of shares of the Company. The Managers do not intend to disclose the extent of any such investment or transactions, other than in accordance with any legal or regulatory obligations to do so. None of the Managers or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, advisers or agents accepts any responsibility or liability whatsoever for or makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the truth, accuracy or completeness of the information in this release (or whether any information has been omitted from the release) or any other information relating to the Company, whether written, oral or in a visual or electronic form, and howsoever transmitted or made available, or for any loss howsoever arising from any use of this release or its contents or otherwise arising in connection therewith. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/var-energi-as/r/var-energi-asa---announcement-of-terms-of-the-initial-public-offering-and-update-on-2022-dividend,c3498656 The following files are available for download: Former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg plans to again ask to delay his sentencing for sex trafficking and other crimes, despite a federal judge having previously said his current sentencing date was final. Greenbergs sentencing is currently slated for March 29. He pleaded guilty to six federal crimes in May and was originally scheduled to face sentencing in August, prior to twice being granted delays. Advertisement In a motion filed Friday, his defense attorney, Fritz Scheller asked permission from U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell to file the latest request to push back Greenbergs sentencing under seal. Presnell issued an order granting the request to seal later Friday. The latest delay request, which Scheller said is not opposed by the government, will include confidential information about Greenbergs work with federal authorities as well as the nature and extent of Mr. Greenbergs cooperation, the defense attorneys Friday court filing states. Advertisement The defense lawyer asked that, if Presnell opts to hold a hearing on his request to seal the yet-unfiled request for a sentencing delay, the hearing also be conducted in a nonpublic setting. During an October hearing, prosecutors told Presnell they needed more time because the information they were getting from Greenberg who U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg described as a prolific criminal had led them to pursue multiple investigations. He said the former tax collector had helped the government corroborate information and given them leads to pursue, though the prosecutor also said he believed no more delays would be needed. The judge at the time said he understood the need for diligence but theres a point at which we just need to get this resolved. This is it, Presnell told attorneys. This is now a deadline that were going to have to meet. Breaking News As it happens Be the first to know with email alerts on important breaking stories from the Orlando Sentinel newsroom. > The former tax collector faces a mandatory minimum of 12 years in federal prison but prosecutors have indicated they will recommend a lesser sentence if he provides substantial assistance. The investigation began with Greenbergs embezzlement of public funds for a cryptocurrency scheme but has reportedly widened to target everything from public corruption concerning medical marijuana policy in Tallahassee to possible sex trafficking crimes by his associates. Among those reported to be in the crosshairs of investigators is Greenbergs friend U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, with authorities probing whether Gaetz paid for sex with a 17-year-old girl who Greenberg has confessed to trafficking. Advertisement The Panhandle congressmans ex-girlfriend who has been described as a crucial witness to any potential sex trafficking case against him recently appeared at the federal courthouse in downtown Orlando, reportedly to testify before a grand jury. Gaetz has adamantly denied any wrongdoing. Greenberg is being held in the Orange County Jail. jeweiner@orlandosentinel.com VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pioneer Media Holdings Inc. (CSE: PNER, AQSE: PNER) ("Pioneer" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has completed the acquisition of the entire share capital of Bark Ventures ("Bark"), a NFT play-to-earn game developer focused on developing games for niche communities, based in Vancouver, BC. As part of Pioneer's growth strategy, the technology incubator is acquiring key assets within Web3 including NFT, NFT Games and DAO's (decentralized autonomous organizations) as the Company continues to expand into this evolutionary, decentralized landscape. Pioneer's strategic M&A plan is being deployed to create a full Web3 ecosystem, to capitalize on the dramatic change to the crypto landscape in a short amount of time. Mike Edwards, CEO of Pioneer commented, "We feel confident that these new emerging trends will be the cornerstone of the next digital age, and the recent surge in NFT's, NFT Games and DAO's are changing the historical distribution channels and breaking down barriers to entry. This is a transformative time, and our strategy is to create a full, Web3 ecosystem that provides investors access to a portfolio of innovative small and medium sized companies within a rapidly growing sector." Transaction Details Under the terms of the acquisition, Pioneer has acquired all of Bark's outstanding shares. In consideration, Pioneer issued 2,857,142 common shares at C$1.75 per share, of which 398,671 common shares were issued in settlement of debt owing by Bark to an arm's length creditor. The shares issued by Pioneer are subject to a resale restriction period ending June 3, 2022. Application will be made for 2,857,142 common shares to be admitted to trading on Aquis Stock Exchange and such admission is expected to occur at 8:00am on or around February 10, 2022. Following the issuance of the above-mentioned common shares, the Company's issued share capital will comprise 76,897,507 common shares without par value, with each share carrying the right to one vote. The Company's directors take full responsibility for this announcement. About Pioneer Media Holdings Inc. Pioneer is technology incubator creating a full Web3 ecosystem focusing on NFT, NFT Gaming, DAO and tokenized communities. Pioneer's experienced management team leverages its global network and expertise to provide investors with direct access to a portfolio of innovative, early-stage to mid-level growth companies in the space. Additional information about Pioneer is available at www.p10neer.comor www.sedar.com. ON BEHALF OF PIONEER MEDIA HOLDINGS INC. "Mike Edwards" CEO & Director First Sentinel Corporate Finance Ltd (AQSE Corporate Adviser) Brian Stockbridge / Gabrielle Cordeiro +44 7876 888 011 Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor any Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014. Upon the publication of this announcement via a Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain. Zaandam, the Netherlands, February 4, 2022 - Vassilis Stavrou, Brand President of Alfa Beta, has decided to leave Ahold Delhaize. Stavrou started his career at the company 28 years ago, as warehouse manager. He took on roles in Quality Assurance and Food Safety afterwards, before transitioning to Human Resources. From there Stavrou transitioned to roles within Delhaize Group where he held responsibility as SVP Human Resources, Organizational Development & Sustainability and ultimately Business Development. He was then appointed Brand President for Mega Image in Romania. After which he was appointed to Brand President at Alfa Beta in Greece in 2018. Wouter Kolk, CEO Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia: "I would like to take this opportunity to thank Vassilis who made many contributions during his varied and longstanding career at our company. He is well known and respected for his passion for people and building great teams. His in depth retail exceptional and care for others is unique and will be remembered by many." The search for a successor has started. In the interim, Jesper Lauridsen, Brand President of Albert and Brand Leader for the Central and Southern Europe (CSE) region, will take on the responsibility as Brand President Alfa Beta. This in addition to his current responsibilities. Jesper will work closely with the local leadership team and lead the continuation of the development of Alfa Beta in the Greek market. - ENDS - Cautionary notice This communication includes forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Words and expressions such as to leave, would, will, next phase or other similar words or expressions are typically used to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and that may cause actual results of Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V. (the "Company") to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in the Company's public filings and other disclosures. Forward-looking statements reflect the current views of the Company's management and assumptions based on information currently available to the Company's management. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and the Company does not assume any obligation to update such statements, except as required by law. For more information: Press office: +31 88 6595134 Investor relations: +31 88 659 5213 Social media: Instagram: @Ahold-Delhaize | LinkedIn: @Ahold-Delhaize | Twitter: @AholdDelhaize About Ahold Delhaize Ahold Delhaize is one of the world's largest food retail groups and a leader in both supermarkets and e-commerce. Its family of great local brands serves 54 million customers each week, both in stores and online, in the United States, Europe, and Indonesia. Together, these brands employ more than 410,000 associates in 7,137 grocery and specialty stores and include the top online retailer in the Benelux and the leading online grocers in the Benelux and the United States. Ahold Delhaize brands are at the forefront of sustainable retailing, sourcing responsibly, supporting local communities and helping customers make healthier choices. The company's focus on four growth drivers - drive omnichannel growth, elevate healthy and sustainable, cultivate best talent and strengthen operational excellence - is helping to fulfil its purpose, achieve its vision and prepare its brands and businesses for tomorrow. Headquartered in Zaandam, the Netherlands, Ahold Delhaize is listed on the Euronext Amsterdam and Brussels stock exchanges Cytognos divestment is a first strategic step aimed at positioning Vitro as a new worldwide diagnostic player in their key market segments SEVILLE, Spain, Feb. 04, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vitro S.A, (www.vitro.bio) a privately held company headquartered in Seville, Spain, announced today the sale of Cytognos to Becton Dickinson and Company (BD). Cytognos is a company specializing in flow cytometry solutions for blood cancer diagnosis, minimal residual disease (MRD) detection, and immune monitoring research for hematological diseases. Cytognos' employees joining BD as a result of the acquisition will continue to support employment stability in the Salamanca area in Spain. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Vitro has been a long-term investor in Cytognos since 1996, taking a majority stake in the company in 2018 to create a full platform player that integrates and commercializes flow cytometry reagents, hardware and software. This add-on investment was Vitro's first since GED Capital's majority investment in Vitro in June 2017. Cytognos has since evolved into a full platform player in the clinical flow cytometry market. "This major transaction with such a leading global IVD company highlights Vitro as a sophisticated niche technology player, and it will be followed with additional corporate and key technology achievements related to our molecular biology and anatomic pathology platforms", said Javier Fernandez, Vitro's CEO. Vitro has approximately 250 employees at their facilities in Seville, Granada, Madrid, Valencia and Lisbon, with a new branch in Istanbul to be launched in February. The company boasts remarkable capabilities in the development of reagents, software and hardware, and their integration into proprietary full diagnostic platforms. With its own anatomic pathology and molecular biology reference laboratory, Vitro is able to validate and benchmark new reagents faster and more efficiently than its key competitors. With this divestment, Vitro will be able to focus its resources on the launch of its new, first-in-class in vitro diagnostics platforms in 2022. The company is in the process of setting up independent units to manage its existing reagents, hardware and software diagnostic teams, which focus on molecular biology, anatomic pathology, and Women's Health D2C services. Lazard acted as the exclusive financial advisor, and Garrigues acted as legal counsel to Vitro. KPMG provided financial due diligence support and LEK provided commercial due diligence support. About Vitro: Vitro, a company with headquarters in Seville (Spain), is a fully integrated R&D, manufacturing and sales specialist supplying in-vitro diagnostic reagents, hardware and software to hospital and laboratories worldwide. Vitro celebrated last year the 30-year anniversary since foundation, and has expanded in more than 35 countries since then. It complies with ISO 13485, ISO 15189, ISO 27001, ISO 14001, and is working on track to update all CE-IVD certificates as per the new IVDR requirements in May 2022. All reagents, hardware and software are 100% designed and manufactured by Vitro at their Seville and Granada facilities. Vitro is a private company controlled by Spanish GED Capital (www.gedcapital.com ), a private equity firm investing in the low mid-market. Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. ROME, Feb. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SkinLabo, the first digitally native Italian cosmetics brand, already present in more than 20 countries worldwide, is ready to launch its own brand on the American beauty market. Since its constitution in 2016, SkinLabo has attracted 23 million in investments, thanks to 8a+ Real Innovation fund; Vertis SGR with its new fund Vertis Venture 5 Scaleup; and the support of LA4G - Luiss Alumni 4 Growth, Luiss University's Investment Club and the startup's long-standing strategic partner. Founded in Turin by 50-year-old Angelo Muratore and a group of entrepreneurs and venture capitalists with many years of experience in the world of cosmetics and e-commerce, SkinLabo has approximately 1.2 million active customers, a monthly growth of around 70 thousand new customers, and sales of over 17 million in 2021. Top management's target is to increase to 5 million customers by 2026 with 6-fold revenue growth. The US market represents the next step for SkinLabo, just as it was for Keyless, a cybersecurity startup also in LA4G's portfolio that has just been acquired by the San Francisco based tech company Sift. In this case Luiss Alumni 4 Growth, and especially Luiss University, has played a central role in Keyless' expansion. In fact, Luiss was its first client, using the biometric authentication software to better guarantee students' privacy during the online exams held throughout the COVID-19 public health emergency. LA4G - Luiss Alumni 4 Growth the investment club of Luiss graduates founded in 2019, continues to support the startup ecosystem in Italy, and specifically Luiss-related projects, with the purpose of financing scholarships for students in need. The main goal of the LA4G is to turn its profits into good causes by reinvesting the capital gain from the exits of its startups into new educational opportunities for young people. For more information: LaPresse SpA Communication and Press Office Director Barbara Sanicola - barbara.sanicola@lapresse.it +39 02 26305578 M +39 333 3905243 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b9847b46-d0cf-4f6f-9da9-e35aaa984a5b The photo is also available at Newscom, www.newscom.com, and via AP PhotoExpress. The Bwengu Solar PV Power Plant will spread over 105 hectares of land and is expected to be built at a cost of $65 million within 12 months. The facility will be located in Ulalo Nyirenda village, which is just 1 km from the Bwengu Escome Substation power grid. A consortium led by US-based independent power producer Quantel Renewable Energy has begun construction on a 50 MW solar power plant in Malawi. The Bwengu Solar PV Power Plant will spread over 105 hectares of land in Bwengu, in the Northern Region's Mzimba District, and is expected to be built at a cost of $65 million within 12 months. ... Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. (NYSE: FSM) (TSX: FVI) reports that on January 28, 2022 it received a notice (the "Notice") from the Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales ("SEMARNAT") which advised that SEMARNAT has made a typographical error in the extension to the term of the environmental impact authorization ("EIA") for the San Jose Mine, located in Oaxaca, Mexico. On December 17, 2021, SEMARNAT granted the Company a 12 year extension (the "EIA Extension") to the EIA for the San Jose Mine (refer to Fortuna news release dated December 20, 2021 (https://fortunasilver.com/investors/news/fortuna-receives-san-jose-mine-environmental-impact-authorization/)) which expires in October 2033. However, the Notice states that SEMARNAT has made a typographical error in the EIA Extension and that the correct term is two years. The Company is of the view that the Notice was issued by the local office of SEMARNAT in error. Fortuna's Mexican subsidiary, Compania Minera Cuzcatlan ("Minera Cuzcatlan") is working with authorities to resolve this matter. In addition, Minera Cuzcatlan has initiated legal proceedings in the Federal Court to challenge and revoke said typographical error and to reconfirm the 12 year extension period granted by SEMARNAT in December 2021. The proceedings have been brought on the basis that: Minera Cuzcatlan explicitly applied for a 12 year extension which SEMARNAT explicitly granted. The term of 12 years is referred to repeatedly in all documentation related to the filing of the application for the extension. No other period of time was contemplated in the documentation or in communication with SEMARNAT. Minera Cuzcatlan has received legal advice that SEMARNAT is not legally able to argue a typographical error in order to amend the term of an EIA that has been extended by the authority, and which extension is consistent both with the application for the extension and the actual EIA Extension document. The document that SEMARNAT issued which evidences the EIA Extension refers to a 12 year extension several times throughout the document in different contexts. Minera Cuzcatlan has also received approval from SEMARNAT to the regularization of the construction of infrastructure works at the San Jose Mine which has a term of 12 years. This is consistent with the 12 year extension of the EIA granted by SEMARNAT in December 2021 and is not affected by the Notice. Minera Cuzcatlan is in full compliance with all material environmental laws and continues to operate under the terms of the EIA. The delivery of the Notice does not jeopardize the operations at the mine. The Company is also currently working with senior level executives at the Secretaria de Gobernacion (the Mexican Secretariat for Home Affairs) and communities from the greater surrounding area in relation to the mine to enhance and expand the social benefits of the mine in the region. About Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. is a Canadian precious metals mining company with four operating mines in Argentina, Burkina Faso, Mexico and Peru, and a fifth mine under construction in Cote d'Ivoire. Sustainability is integral to all our operations and relationships. We produce gold and silver and generate shared value over the long-term for our stakeholders through efficient production, environmental protection, and social responsibility. For more information, please visit our website (https://fortunasilver.com/). ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Jorge A. Ganoza President, CEO and Director Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. Investor Relations: Carlos Baca | info@fortunasilver.com (mailto:info@fortunasilver.com) Forward-looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, "Forward-looking Statements"). All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are Forward-looking Statements and are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those reflected in the Forward-looking Statements. The Forward-looking Statements in this news release may include, without limitation, statements about the legal proceedings initiated by Minera Cuzcatlan to revoke the Notice delivered by SEMARNAT which reduced the term of the environmental impact authorization at the San Jose Mine; the likelihood of success in the legal proceedings; the Company's business strategy, plans and outlook; the merit of the Company's mines and mineral properties; the future financial or operating performance of the Company; expenditures; approvals and other matters. Often, but not always, these Forward-looking Statements can be identified by the use of words such as "estimated", "potential", "open", "future", "assumed", "projected", "used", "detailed", "has been", "gain", "planned", "reflecting", "will", "anticipated", "estimated", "containing", "remaining", "to be", or statements that events, "could" or "should" occur or be achieved and similar expressions, including negative variations. Forward-looking Statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the Forward-looking Statements. Such uncertainties and factors include among others, the ability of Minera Cuzcatlan to successfully revoke the Notice issued by SEMARNAT; changes in general economic conditions and financial markets; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's mining operations and construction activities; the duration and impacts of COVID-19 on the Company's production, workforce, business, operations and financial condition, and the risks relating to a global pandemic, which unless contained could cause a slowdown in global economic growth; uncertainties related to the impacts of COVID-19 which may include: changing market conditions, changing restrictions on the mining industry in the countries in which the Company operates, the ability to operate as a result of government imposed restrictions, including restrictions on travel, the transportation of concentrates and dore, access to refineries, the impact of additional waves of the pandemic or increases of incidents of COVID-19 in the countries in which we operate; the duration of any suspension of operations at the Company's mines as a result of COVID-19 which may affect production and the Company's business operations and financial condition; the easing of travel restrictions imposed in Argentina which were put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19; changes in prices for gold, silver and other metals; changes in the prices of key supplies; technological and operational hazards in Fortuna's mining and mine development activities; risks inherent in mineral exploration; the ability of the current exploration programs to identify and or expand mineral resources, operational risks in exploration and development; delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects; uncertainties inherent in the estimation of mineral reserves, mineral resources, and metal recoveries; changes to current estimates of mineral reserves and resources; changes to production and cost estimates; governmental and other approvals; changes in government, political unrest or instability in countries where Fortuna is active; fluctuations in currencies and exchange rates; the imposition of capital control in countries in which the Company operates; labor relations issues; as well as those factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in Forward-looking Statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking Statements contained herein are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management, including but not limited to the accuracy of the Company's current mineral resource and reserve estimates; that the Company's activities will be in accordance with the Company's public statements and stated goals; that there will be no material adverse change affecting the Company or its properties; that the Company will be successful in revoking the Notice issued by SEMARNAT; that the reconciliation of mineral reserves at the Company's mines remains consistent with the mineral reserve model; changes to production estimates (which assume accuracy of projected ore grade, mining rates, recovery timing, and recovery rate estimates and may be impacted by unscheduled maintenance, labor and contractor availability and other operating or technical difficulties); the duration and impacts of COVID-19 on the Company's production, workforce, business, operations and financial condition, and the risks relating to a global pandemic, which unless contained could cause a slowdown in global economic growth; government mandates in Peru, Mexico, Argentina, Burkina Faso and Cote d'Ivoire with respect to mining operations generally or auxiliary businesses or services required for the Company's operations; government and the Company's attempts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 which may affect aspects of the Company's operations, including transportation of personnel to and from site, contractor and supplier availability and the ability to sell or deliver concentrate and dore; the expected trends in mineral prices and currency exchange rates; that the Company's activities will be in accordance with the Company's public statements and stated goals; that there will be no material adverse change affecting the Company or its properties; that all required approvals and permits will be obtained for the Company's business and operations; that there will be no significant disruptions affecting operations and such other assumptions as set out herein. Forward-looking Statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any Forward-looking Statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by law. There can be no assurance that these Forward-looking Statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on Forward-looking Statements. MoneyTV with Donald Baillargeon television program, Copyright MMXXII, all rights reserved. MoneyTV does not provide an analysis of companies' financial positions and is not soliciting to purchase or sell securities of the companies, nor are we offering a recommendation of featured companies or their stocks. Information discussed herein has been provided by the companies and should be verified independently with the companies and a securities analyst. MoneyTV provides companies a 3 to 4 month corporate profile with multiple appearances for a cash fee of $6,950.00 to $11,995.00, does not accept company stock as payment for services, does not hold any positions, options or warrants in featured companies. The information herein is not an endorsement by Donald Baillargeon, the producer, publisher or parent company of MoneyTV. Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Oil prices rose on Friday and headed for a seventh weekly gain amid signs of a fast-tightening market as frigid weather swept across large swathes of the United States. Benchmark Brent crude futures jumped 1.6 percent to $92.57 a barrel, while WTI crude futures were up 1.7 percent at $91.80. Oil prices are being bolstered by supply concerns and increasing geopolitical tensions. A massive winter storm across central and northeast United States disrupted oil production in the Permian Basin, raising concerns over disruptions in crude supplies. Elsewhere, French President Emmanuel Macron will go to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and find a diplomatic way out of the growing tensions, his office said. He will then visit Ukraine's leader a day later in fresh push to avert conflict. Meanwhile, analysts said that an explosion on a Nigeria oil-producing vessel with a daily capacity of 22K BPD will not make a significant interruption to global supply. Nigeria has already been struggling to meet its production quota due to lack of investment. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. TUBINGEN, Germany, Feb. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Acousia Therapeutics GmbH - along with its partners from the Translational Hearing Research Group at the Tubingen Hearing Research Center (Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Tubingen) and Synovo GmbH (Tubingen) - will be presenting data on the company's clinical stage lead candidate ACOU085 at the 45th Annual MidWinter Meeting of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology to be held virtually on February 5-9, 2022. ACOU085 is a proprietary small molecule, otoprotective drug candidate. In December 2021, it was granted a CTA for initiation of first-in-human Phase 1b clinical trial by the German BfArM. The ACOU085 poster presentations at the 2022 ARO MidWinter Meeting will cover preclinical pharmacology, pharmacokinetic and local exposure data obtained using a a proprietary, sustained-release formulation for transtympanic administration. Small-Molecule KCNQ4 Agonist Protects Against Outer Hair Cell Loss in the SAMP8 Mouse Model of Age-Related Hearing Loss (Peixoto Pinheiro et al.) This proof-of-concept study uses the senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) model to demonstrate the ability of repeated ACOU085 administrations to significantly reduce age-related ABR threshold shifts. This was supported by a histological demonstration of reduced OHC loss in this age-related hearing loss (ARHL) model using the novel KCNQ4 agonist ACOU085. Translational Development of ACOU085 for the Prevention of Cisplatin-Induced Hearing Loss (CIHL) (Dyhrfjeld-Johnsen et al.) This pharmacokinetic and local exposure study, compares the transtympanic administration of proprietary sustained-release formulations of ACOU085 in SAMP8 mice and guinea pigs with fixed drug load and administration volume relative to the species-specific inner ear volume. Significant inner ear exposure is achieved in both species, with a longer duration of exposure in the larger species receiving the largest absolute volume of the proprietary formulation. About Acousia Therapeutics GmbH Privately-held Acousia Therapeutics GmbH is based in Tubingen, Germany. The company is dedicated to the identification and development of small molecules for effective prevention and treatment of different etiologies of hearing loss. Acousia develops drugs for local and systemic applications. Contact: British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak speaks during a press conference in London, Britain, on Feb. 3, 2022. (Simon Dawson/No 10 Downing Street/Handout via Xinhua) LONDON, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- After the United Kingdom's (UK) energy regulator announced that the energy price cap will increase by half from this April, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak announced on Thursday a plan worth around 9 billion British pounds (12.25 billion U.S. dollars) to help the country's households with the surging cost of living. Driven by a record rise in global gas prices over the past six months, with wholesale prices quadrupling in the last year alone, the cap will jump from the current 1,277 pounds to 1,971 pounds per year for about 22 million customers, the country's Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) said in a press release on Thursday. "Right now, I know the number one issue on people's minds is the rising cost of living," Sunak said in a statement afterwards. "Without government action, this would be incredibly tough for millions of hardworking families." According to the plan, this year all domestic electricity customers will receive an upfront discount on their bills worth 200 pounds, and energy suppliers will apply the discount on people's bills from October. The government will also give people a 150-pound Council Tax rebate, paid in April, to help with the cost of energy. This will benefit around 80 percent of all homes in the country. The actions provide 350 pounds in total, just more than half the cap increase of 693 pounds, and the government will help around 28 million households this year, Sunak said, noting that the plan is worth around 9 billion pounds in total. Ofgem reviews the cap twice a year, in April and October. In October 2021, the regulator increased the cap for the period between October 2021 and March 2022 by 12 percent, to 1,277 pounds, compared to the previous period. The cap stops energy companies from making excessive profits and ensures that customers pay no more than a fair price for their energy, Ofgem said on Thursday, adding that it allows energy companies to pass on all reasonable costs to customers, including increases in the cost of buying gas. Following Sunak's statement, however, the actions have come under fire for they are considered to fall short of what is needed to root out the problem. "By opting for near-universal support over targeted help for low-income families at the heart of the current cost of living crisis, the number of families in fuel stress is still set to double," said Adam Corlett, principal economist at the Resolution Foundation, an independent think tank. Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, a British charity for older people, said the support "simply does not go far enough," noting that it will still leave many of the pensioners facing energy costs surging by an extra several hundred pounds that they cannot afford to pay. British businesses also expressed disappointment of being left out. "While assistance for households is welcome, businesses will be dismayed at the lack of support for those firms also struggling with their energy bills," said Hannah Essex, co-executive director of the British Chambers of Commerce. "Smaller firms are particularly exposed as they have neither the protections or financial support provided to households, nor do they have the negotiating power of larger businesses," Essex added. While the energy crunch has become a global phenomenon this winter, the UK is among the most vulnerable as it is a net importer of natural gas. Amid the price surge, 26 energy suppliers collapsed in 2021. With a combination of factors, including colder weather, increasing global demand, falling gas supplies and outages of key infrastructure, the crisis is feared to continue. The energy market "suggests that high gas prices will be here for the next 18 months to two years," Chris O'Shea, chief executive of British Gas owner Centrica, told the BBC in January. To cushion the shock, many solutions are under consideration by the government, like a windfall tax on North Sea oil and gas companies, which have enjoyed a bonanza due to surging gas prices, or a temporary reduction to the five percent value-added tax (VAT) rate on energy bills, which is mainly supported by the Labour Party. Nevertheless, they all face controversies. In the Thursday statement, Sunak dismissed the idea of tax reduction. The policy, he said, "would disproportionately benefit wealthier households. There would also be no guarantee that suppliers would pass on the discounts to all customers." (1 British pound = 1.36 U.S. dollar) British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak speaks during a press conference in London, Britain, on Feb. 3, 2022. (Simon Dawson/No 10 Downing Street/Handout via Xinhua) Photo taken on Feb. 3, 2022 shows an electricity meter in Winchester, Britain. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua) Photo taken on Feb. 3, 2022 shows an electric grill cooking cheese on toast in Winchester, Britain. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua) Photo taken on Feb. 3, 2022 shows a gas cooker in Winchester, Britain. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua) A man fuels a vehicle at a gas station in Winchester, Britain, on Feb. 3, 2022. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua) Photo taken on Feb. 3, 2022 shows a power socket in Winchester, Britain. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua) The Lake County Water Authoritys Hickory Point Park opened in the 1990s and offers fishing, boating, hiking, other recreation and a large pavilion for family events. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel) A venerable and independent guardian of Central Florida waters is threatened with extinction. The Lake County Water Authority was created by the Legislature in 1953 to protect the expansive waterways of the Clermont area, those wrapping around Mount Dora, Tavares, Eustis and Leesburg and other areas. It possesses a rare distinction in Florida as an environmental agency accountable to citizens, with leaders elected by typically robust voter turnout. Advertisement But state Rep. Keith Truenow has filed a bill seeking to fold the agency and its taxation power into Lake County bureaucracy, a move triggering an outcry of opposition. In the name of downsizing government, the Tavares Republican is waging a lonely campaign not backed publicly by any official, citizen or group, according to several politics watchers. He previously has had contentious dealings with the authority, which he has characterized as routine, over its concern for pollution flowing from ditches at Truenows large, turf-grass growing operation north of Lake Apopka. Advertisement Its going to be your responsibility eventually if the bill passes, Truenow said, telling county commissioners at a public meeting late last year that the agencys future would be up to them. The bill would render the authority as one of nearly 30 advisory bodies run by commissioner appointees. You will have control of what you do with it, he said. Asked recently who also supports his bill, Truenow, in his second year as a legislator, said he didnt know of any one person in general. The premise behind the bill is all about efficiency in government. State Rep. Keith Truenow has filed a bill to fold the elected Lake County Water Authority and its taxation power into part of the county' s bureaucracy. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda / Orlando Sentinel) Lake Countys board of five county commissioners has declined to take a stand on the piece of legislation, House Bill 1105. They are waiting to see what becomes of it, said Sean Parks, chairman of the board of commissioners. Parks said he appreciates Truenows interest in government efficiency but the authoritys fate should not be written in Tallahassee. I think we would let voters decide, said Parks, whose political career was launched in the 2000s by winning a countywide race for a seat on the water authority board. Whether Truenows bill by itself could force the authoritys overhaul is in question. The lawyer for Lake County government said state law wont allow legislators to revamp the authority without voter approval. There would be no question of that, said the countys lawyer, Melanie Marsh, in a memo to commissioners. Parks said he supports Marshs determination, though Truenow said his understanding is that a referendum is not needed. Advertisement From nearly two decades ago, Truenow and his Lake Jem Farms, which grows, sells and distributes lawn turf statewide, have had numerous engagements with the Lake County Water Authority, according to agency records. The authoritys most ambitious lake-protection effort has been to cleanse polluted water flowing out of the morbidly ill Lake Apopka and into the large lakes with extended waterfronts at Mount Dora, Tavares, Eustis and Leesburg. In an audacious step in the early 2000s, the authority conceived of a treatment plant called the Nutrient Reduction Facility, or, what everybody calls it, the NuRF. The Lake County Water Authority hosted a grand opening of the Nutrient Reduction Facility (NuRF) in Mount Dora in October 2009. The NuRF began operating March 2 of that year and in 7 months removed 68% of the targeted phosphorus pollution from 2.8 billion gallons of water flowing north from Lake Apopka into Lake Beauclair and the rest of the Harris Chain of Lakes. (Tom Benitez / Orlando Sentinel) The NuRF relies on pumps, tanks and a chemical common in water treatment, alum, to remove the organic pollutant phosphorus from otherwise soupy water flowing from Lake Apopka into Lake Countys biggest lakes. The NuRF, built on state land near Lake Apopka, treats water flowing down the Apopka-Beauclair Canal, which abuts 1 miles of Truenows Lake Jem Farms. According to a water authority record compiled recently by a previous executive director, Ron Hart, the agency in 2004 looked at Lake Jem Farm property as a potential site for the NuRF. Advertisement The site contained two perimeter ditches that were believed to discharge significant pollutant loads to the Apopka-Beauclair Canal, the authority record states. Locating the NuRF there would have resulted in cleansing water coming from both the perimeter ditches and Lake Apopka. While Truenow expressed interest in selling property for the NuRF, the document states, he backed away when engineers arrived to examine the site. He was concerned that the data collected could be used for enforcement action, Hart said in the authority document. After the NuRF was built, the authority studied how rainfall would result in extremely muddy polluted water discharging from ditches at Lake Jem Farms into the Apopka-Beauclair Canal. A view of the Apopka-Beauclair canal at Lake Jem Park in Lake County in 2004. (TOM BENITEZ / ORLANDO SENTINEL) The authority tried several times to work with Truenow to construct a treatment method for the water emerging from the ditches. Advertisement But Truenow declined to cooperate. In one instance, Hart said, Truenow required the condition that no data could be released to anyone until it was reviewed and approved for release by him. The Lake County Water Authority does not have regulatory powers and did not seek to investigate Lake Jem Farms, but instead wanted to study ways to cleanse waters emerging from canals there, the document states. Truenow also told the water authority, according to Harts summary, that he was trying to permit the sod farm as a wetland mitigation site, and that he does not want to add any issues that could complicate the process. Beginning in 2017, Truenow twice sought a state permit to convert his sod farm into a for-profit mitigation bank, the term for a business venture where developers can finance environmental restoration in order to secure state permission to destroy environments elsewhere. In 2018, the St. Johns River Water Management District told Truenow that his property did not appear to qualify for a mitigation-bank permit. The 367 acres of sod operation has altered native vegetation and soils and an adjoining 220 acres of peat mine had not met state and federal environmental requirements, the district informed Truenow. Advertisement Overall, the district warned, the property was not suited to benefit the areas watershed. Truenow withdrew his permit application a year later. Truenow said his interactions with the two agencies are typical. As a fourth generation farmer, my interactions with the Lake County Water Authority, and the St. Johns River Water Management District, like many other agricultural businesses in the region, are routine in nature, Truenow said. During its decades, the water authority has worked with cities to improve lakes, an effort that has included providing them with $10 million for systems that treat storm runoff. The authority maintains dams on the big lakes of the Clermont area and navigation on lakes and canals throughout the county. The Lake County Water Authoritys Hickory Point Recreation Area in Tavares is pictured on Wednesday, February 2, 2022. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel) (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel) It owns more than 7,000 acres of conservation lands dedicated to protecting water quality and providing passive recreation. Advertisement Its popular, 68-acre Hickory Point Park, with boat ramps, fishing, swimming, other recreation and a large pavilion opened in 1992 long before county government provided large parks. Asked if she supported Truenows bill, Lake County Commissioner Leslie Campione responded that she would back legislation to transfer responsibility of the NuRF to the state and ownership of Hickory Point Park to county government. Those moves, she said, would help the authority to focus more on improving and protecting water quality. The authority has modeled itself as nimble, creative and willing to take the initiative where county and other governments are slow to act. Breaking News As it happens Be the first to know with email alerts on important breaking stories from the Orlando Sentinel newsroom. > Will Davis, the water authoritys executive director for 14 years beginning in 1982, said that taking away the organizations autonomy would erode its sense of priority and passion. The authority would no longer be as compelled to take ownership for its decisions and the outcomes, leaving that to the bureaucracy and politics of county commissioners, he said. Advertisement I dont see how in any way it would better serve the county, Davis said of Truenows legislation for the authority. I think it would decimate it. The chairman of the Lake County Water Authority, Keith Farner, said Truenows bill blindsided the agency and that it threatens to reverse hard-won improvements for lakes. Our lakes are very fragile and are still not restored, he said. An authority board member, Tyler Brandeburg, said he worries that folding the agency into county government would put its tax revenues in play. My concern is that the county commission, not necessarily this commission but a commission down the road, seeing that there is about $10 million in revenue would try to divert some of those funds, Brandeburg said. kspear@orlandosentinel.com KANAZAWA, Japan, Feb. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In a recent study published in the journal ACS Catalysis researchers from Kanazawa University describe novel scanning electrochemical cell microscopy measurements to determine sites of photoelectrochemical activity in titanium dioxide nanotubes Semiconducting devices harness the power of light to produce other types of energy: electrical or chemical. One application of this technology is producing hydrogen molecules from water-in a process known as photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting-as a renewable source of energy. Photoelectrolytic cells include semiconductor electrodes, in which hole and electron get spatially separated when irradiated with light with the energy higher than certain threshold. The flow of charge initiates the PEC reactions. Nanotubes of titanium dioxide (TiO2) are semiconductors that are widely used for this purpose. However, the distribution of charge flow on the surface of TiO2 tubes is not clear. Now, Marina Makarova at Kanazawa University and colleagues in Japan and Europe, have used an innovative technique called scanning electrochemical cell microscopy (SECCM) to identify this distribution. To first measure the success of PEC water splitting, the release of oxygen (the reaction product accompanying hydrogen) was measured. Its production was additionally characterized by lead (II) ions added to the cell, so lead (IV) oxide (PbO2) particles were found deposited on the walls and top of the TiO2 nanotubes suggesting similar electrochemical reactivity at both of these sites. The research team then employed SECCM to clarify the photoreactivity on both sites at different electrode potentials. SECCM involves the use of a narrow pointed pipette probe to measure electrical changes at specific locations. This probe is filled with a conducting fluid known as an electrolyte which is located between two charged electrodes. One electrode is immersed into the electrolyte, while the second is connected to the sample surface. Measurements were taken perpendicular to and parallel to the length of the tubes to determine differences in reactivity on the walls and the top, respectively. Now, the free electrons typically move along the length of nanotubes towards the positive electrode within the cell. When these electrons delocalize and jump to conducting band, they leave behind "holes" which are nothing but pockets of positive charge that can move about. The SECCM results showed the presence of similar electrical activity along the walls and the top of the nanotubes. Since activity at the top could be preferentially attributed to the movement of electrons, this suggested that holes were instead traversing shorter distances and moved perpendicular to the tube length towards the walls. This flow along a direction orthogonal to the tube length explained why PbO2 depositions were also found on the walls of the tubes. "This information could be used to establish further correlations between the photocurrent and the microstructure of 1D nanostructures, and for site-specific decoration with co-catalysts or visible-light-responsive sensitizers," say the team. Understanding spatial patterns of electrochemical activity is important to design efficient and cost-effective photovoltaic cells. Furthermore, a combination of oxide deposition and SECCM might be the most sensitive tool in identifying active sites. Background Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting: Hydrogen is increasingly becoming a cleaner and more sustainable source of energy. One method of obtaining it is the PEC splitting of water to produce hydrogen and oxygen molecules. This reaction can also be conducted industrially using a photovoltaic system coupled to an electrolyzer. The PEC cell uses light to produce high-energy electrons and uses these electrons to initiate the chemical reaction that breaks up water molecules. Since semiconductors are the primary source of electrons in photoelectrolytic cells, understanding their PEC properties is vital to designing optimal systems. Scanning electrochemical cell microscopy (SECCM) SECCM is a novel imaging technique that enables the simultaneous electrochemical and topographical imaging of surfaces. A nanoscale glass pipette is filled with a electrolyte solution. The pipette is connected to a set of electrodes that enable a flow of ion current through this electrolyte. Due to the fine nature of this pipette, contact can be maintained at the pipette end between the electrolyte inside and a very precise area of a surface. Surfaces with inherent electric activity such as semiconductors then support photoelectrochemical reaction upon interaction with the electrolyte. Since SECCM is a very sensitive technique it captures even minute differences in activity between neighboring surfaces. Thus, SECCM was used to determine any potential differences in activity between the top and walls of TiO2 tubes. Reference Marina V. Makarova, Fumiaki Amano, Shinpei Nomura, Chihiro Tateishi, Takeshi Fukuma, Yasufumi Takahashi, Yuri Korchev. Direct electrochemical visualization of the orthogonal charge separa-tion in anatase nanotube photoanodes for water splitting. ACS Catalysis, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.1c04910 Images Image 1 https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/fig2_yt.png Caption: Local analysis by scanning electrochemical cell microscopy (SECCM). The photoelectrochemical responses of the top and sides of the TiO2 nanotube array were measured by using the nanopipette. Takahashi, Kanazawa University Image 2 https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/fig3_yt.png Caption: Three-dimensional topographic image of TiO2 nanotube array and local photocurrent response. There were no significant differences in the photocurrent values between the top and the side of the tube. Takahashi, Kanazawa University Contact Hiroe Yoneda Vice Director of Public Affairs WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) Kanazawa University Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan Email: nanolsi-office@adm.kanazawa-u.ac.jp Tel: +81 (76) 234-4550 About Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/en/ Nano Life Science Institute (NanoLSI), Kanazawa University is a research center established in 2017 as part of the World Premier International Research Center Initiative of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The objective of this initiative is to form world-tier research centers. NanoLSI combines the foremost knowledge of bio-scanning probe microscopy to establish 'nano-endoscopic techniques' to directly image, analyze, and manipulate biomolecules for insights into mechanisms governing life phenomena such as diseases. About Kanazawa University http://www.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/e/ As the leading comprehensive university on the Sea of Japan coast, Kanazawa University has contributed greatly to higher education and academic research in Japan since it was founded in 1949. The University has three colleges and 17 schools offering courses in subjects that include medicine, computer engineering, and humanities. The University is located on the coast of the Sea of Japan in Kanazawa - a city rich in history and culture. The city of Kanazawa has a highly respected intellectual profile since the time of the fiefdom (1598-1867). Kanazawa University is divided into two main campuses: Kakuma and Takaramachi for its approximately 10,200 students including 600 from overseas. WNS (Holdings) Limited (NYSE: WNS), a leading provider of global Business Process Management (BPM) solutions, today announced the appointment of Lan Tu to the Company's Board of Directors effective February 04, 2022. She will also join the company's Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance (NCG) Committee. Lan brings more than 30 years of diverse business experience to WNS, most recently as the CEO of Virgin Money Investments, a joint venture between Virgin Money Holdings (UK) plc., a full-service digital bank, and abrdn plc. (formerly, Standard Life Aberdeen plc.), a leading UK asset manager. Lan was the first CEO for this new entity tasked with building the team, organizational structure, governance architecture and culture. Prior to this role, Lan was the Chief Strategy Officer at abrdn where she was responsible for driving the group's global transformation and growth agenda. Before joining abrdn, Lan spent 12 years at American Express in a variety of roles with increasing responsibility. Her most recent assignment at American Express was Managing Director of Emerging Payments and Services for EMEA, where she was responsible for introducing new digital payment solutions in the region. Lan began her career at McKinsey Company in their London office. "Lan brings a wealth of transformative business experience and proven leadership to the WNS team, and we are excited to welcome her to the Board of Directors," said Francoise Gri, Chairperson, Nominating Corporate Governance Committee. "Her proven track record in helping global businesses leverage technology to transform and responsibly grow is well-aligned with WNS' long-term business objectives." About WNS WNS (Holdings) Limited (NYSE: WNS) is a leading Business Process Management (BPM) company. WNS combines deep industry knowledge with technology, analytics and process expertise to co-create innovative, digitally led transformational solutions with over 375 clients across various industries. WNS delivers an entire spectrum of BPM solutions including industry-specific offerings, customer interaction services, finance and accounting, human resources, procurement, and research and analytics to re-imagine the digital future of businesses. As of December 31, 2021, WNS had 49,610 professionals across 55 delivery centers worldwide including facilities in China, Costa Rica, India, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. For more information, visit www.wns.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Safe Harbor Provision This document includes information which may constitute forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the accuracy of which are necessarily subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions as to future events. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied are discussed in our most recent Form 20-F and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. WNS undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220203006037/en/ Contacts: Investors David Mackey EVP Finance Head of Investor Relations WNS (Holdings) Limited +1 (646) 908-2615 david.mackey@wns.com Media Archana Raghuram Global Head Marketing Communications and Corporate Business Development WNS (Holdings) Limited +91 (22) 4095 2397 archana.raghuram@wns.com; pr@wns.com New NFT collection makes "First Contact" outfitted by Ben Sherman in time for Opening Ceremony at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games LONDON, Feb. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Extending the Ben Sherman and Team GB collaboration to outfit the official delegation of Team GB athletes, Ben Sherman re-imagines the iconic line as wearables for the Metaverse. Through a partnership with Tokns Commerce and Humanz, Ben Sherman offers an exclusive opportunity for Team GB fans to own the first custom-designed Humanz NFTs. This delegation of 250 unique Humanz will wear artist interpretations of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games Opening and Closing Ceremony look worn by the Team GB at the Beijing Games. While the physical items retail as a limited-edition Ben Sherman x Team GB collection available to purchase online from Ben Sherman and Team GB websites, the NFT collection will be available exclusively at TeamgbNFT.com Humanz is the creation of a team of world-class illustrators, designed to be a simple, fun and appealing form factor, capable of endless possibilities, representative of familiar characters throughout history, and from all over the world and beyond. An ambitious collection of the remaining 10,000 Humanz will be available to the broader NFT community in a public minting event in March 2022. Tim Reid, Senior Vice President, for Ben Sherman, commented, "We are thrilled to extend our support of Team GB beyond the Beijing 2022 Games and into the Metaverse. As an iconic fashion brand, this is part of a comprehensive plan to bring Ben Sherman into the world of virtual goods and spaces. " British Olympic Association Commercial Director Tim Ellerton said: "We are very excited to partner with Ben Sherman to make creative collectibles available to Team GB fans first. As the first Olympic Team to launch an official NFT collection in support of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, we are proud to include this collection alongside our Official Team GB collection at TeamGBNFT.com. Tokns Commerce CEO Jamie Tedford notes, "As the Official Licensee of Humanz, we see this collaboration with Ben Sherman and Team GB as the ideal way to introduce this amazing NFT collection to the world." ABOUT BEN SHERMAN Ben Sherman was a legend in his own right. He was often described as always embracing the new and the different, and he constantly searched for the very best. Born Arthur Benjamin Sugarman, he began his career making shirts for other designers; it wasn't long before his creative flair took over, and he started designing his own shirts. By 1963 Ben Sherman was ready to launch his own clothing line. For decades the iconic Ben Sherman shirt and brand has been adopted by almost every seminal youth culture and style movement; it is revered and worn by today's style leaders. A global lifestyle brand, Ben Sherman and the original Oxford shirt still remain a modern icon; there is simply nothing quite like an original Ben Sherman shirt. www.bensherman.com ABOUT BRITISH OLYMPIC ASSOCIATION The British Olympic Association (BOA) is the National Olympic Committee for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Its mission is to develop, promote and protect the Olympic Movement in our territory in accordance with the Olympic Charter. The BOA achieves this through: Working in partnership with our members and key stakeholders to deliver world-leading services and support to enable British athletes to reach their full potential at the Olympic Games, Olympic Winter Games and other IOC-sanctioned events. Working in partnership with our members and key stakeholders to provide athletes with relevant support on the journey to, during and following their Olympic careers. Engaging people throughout the United Kingdom to pursue their very own goals and dreams through the Olympic Values and the example of Team GB Olympians. Being the independent voice of Olympic Sport and collaborating with our members and other sport stakeholders, both domestically and internationally, to support the continued growth and overall health of the Olympic Movement in the UK. ABOUT TOKNS Tokns partners with IP-holders, creators, and iconic brands to generate sustainable NFT royalties while future-proofing for the $8 Trillion Web3 and the Metaverse market opportunity. Leveraging our cross-blockchain smart contract standard, partners deploy co-branded or white label Tokns that serve as digital collectibles while unlocking access, utility and unique experiences in the Metaverse. Social-by-design- Our ever-growing NFT Enthusiast audience on Instagram and Twitter helps partners convert passive followers into passionate crypto communities. Direct-to-consumer- Leveraging best-in-class e-commerce tools like Shopify and Coinbase Commerce, we enable partners to build transactions on their O&O platforms. Speed-to-market- We serve our partners as Licensees, removing upfront costs, getting to market quickly and sharing in the success of value creation. ABOUT HUMANZ The Humanz is a universe of characters created by world class industrial illustrators from Day 8 Labs and Pilot Studios, designed to be representative of the human race and human history in a simple, friendly and appealing form. The Humanz come to life with an infinite amount of design possibilities in both physical and digital products. In collaboration with Tokns, public minting of the Humanz NFT collection is planned for March 2022, visit thehumanz.io to join our whitelist and get updates on the launch. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1740182/Ben_Sherman_x_Team_GB_Humanz.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1740183/Team_GB_x_Ben_Sherman_Beijing_Olympics_Logo.jpg Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 4, 2022) - Lorne Park Capital Partners Inc. (TSXV: LPC) ("LPCP") is pleased to announce that it has, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Bellwether Investment Management Inc. ("Bellwether"), agreed to the principal terms of an agreement to enter a share purchase agreement ("SPA") to purchase the outstanding securities of W.H. Shutt & Associates Inc. ("WHS"), an Ontario corporation that holds approximately $145 million in assets under management, all of which are currently being managed by Bellwether (the "Transaction"). The Transaction is expected to be accretive to EBITDA in the amount of approximately $0.9 million on an annual basis. Transaction The SPA provides that Bellwether will acquire all of the shares of WHS in exchange for consideration of $5,850,000, to be paid by Bellwether as follows: $3,850,000 on closing, and $500,000 on each of the first, second, third and fourth anniversaries of closing, in each case subject to adjustment as provided in the SPA. The Transaction is expected to close shortly after satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including receipt of the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSX") and applicable securities regulatory authorities. On or after closing, it is expected that WHS will transfer to Bellwether all assets to Bellwether, and WHS will be dissolved. Closing of the Transaction is expected on or about February 14, 2022. The Transaction is at arm's length and no securities are being issued by LPCP in connection with the Transaction. About Lorne Park Capital Partners Inc. LPCP was created to bring together boutique investment management and wealth advisory firms in order to deliver robust, cost effective investment solutions to affluent investors, foundations, estates and trusts. LPCP's unique strategy creates better alignment between investment managers and wealth advisors while providing them with additional resources to accelerate their growth. About Bellwether Investment Management Inc. Bellwether is a boutique investment manager that offers tailored investment solutions for affluent investors, foundations, estates and trusts utilizing its proprietary "Disciplined Dividend Growth" Investment Process. Bellwether provides discretionary investment management focused on North American Dividend Growth investing and is dedicated to serving the distinct needs of affluent families. Bellwether's suite of investment solutions includes Canadian, US and global equity and fixed income strategies. Bellwether is a subsidiary of LPCP, and is registered as a portfolio manager in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan, an exempt market dealer in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, and an investment fund manager in Ontario and Quebec. For further information, please contact: Robert Sewell Chief Executive Officer Lorne Park Capital Partners Inc. investor.relations@lpcp.ca (905) 337-2227 Cautionary Notes Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains statements which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information may be identified by such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", "plan", and other similar expressions. Forward looking information in this news release includes, without limitation, LPCP's objectives, goals and future plans. Forward-looking information addresses possible future events, conditions and financial performance based upon management's current expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions. In particular, the forward-looking information contained in this news release reflects assumptions about the timing and results of the amalgamation and regulatory approvals. Management of LPCP considers the assumptions on which the forward-looking information contained herein are based to be reasonable. However, by its very nature, forward-looking information inherently involves known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such information. Such risks include, without limitation, changes in economic conditions, applicable laws or regulations. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. LPCP disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. /NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES, ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF U.S. SECURITIES LAW/ To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/112675 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The elimination of ISIS chief Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi marks the biggest breakthrough that the United States achieved in its fight against global terrorism, since the killing of his predecessor Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi more than two years ago. Al-Qurayshi's death was similar to the terrorist tactic of al-Baghdadi, who killed himself by detonating a suicide vest during a US military raid in Syria in October 2019 under presidential order. After months of planning, U.S. Special Operations commandos, backed by helicopter gunships, drones and jets, attacked the hideout of the terrorist chief in Atmeh, a town close to the border with Turkey in rebel-held Idlib Province. The White House said U.S. forces took all precautions to minimize civilian casualties, but ISIS once again revealed its barbarity. An administration official said al-Qurayshi seemed to purposefully live in a residential building, with families on the first floor that had nothing to do with ISIS and did not know who was living on the third floor. In the earliest stages of the U.S. military operation Wednesday night, a family on the first floor - one woman, one man, and a number of children - were safely removed from the site. After resisting for nearly two hours, al-Qurayshi detonated a significant blast killing himself and several others, including his wife and children. The blast was so large, on the third floor, that it blew bodies outside of the house and into the surrounding areas. An associate of al-Qurayshi and his wife engaged the assault force in the second floor. They were killed in the course of the operation. In an address to the nation, President Joe Biden commended the dedicated intelligence community, the Department of Defense, and members of the national security team, whose meticulous and tireless work over the course of many months ensured that this mission succeeded. Biden also mentioned the important role of this mission by the Syrian Democratic Forces. He said the US defense department will continue to work with them, as well as the Iraqi Security Forces, including the Kurdish Peshmerga, and more than 80 members of the global coalition, to keep pressure on ISIS. 'Last night's operation took a major terrorist leader off the battlefield. And it sent a strong message to terrorists around the world: We will come after you and find you,' Biden said. Al-Qurayshi's death delivers a catastrophic blow to ISIS and shows that the United States will take out terrorist threats no matter where they try to hide in the world, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at a briefing aboard Air Force One en route New York. A notorious militant known as 'the Destroyer,' Qurayshi coordinated the group's global terror operations. He was a driving force behind the genocide of the Yazidi religious minority in northwestern Iraq in 2014 and the enslavement of thousands of young Yazidi girls, using rape as a weapon of war. He oversaw the network that included ISIS branches around the world, from Africa to Afghanistan. Qurayshi was directly overseeing activities of ISIS across Iraq and Syria, which were seeking to reconstitute under his leadership. The militant was responsible for the recent attack on a prison in northeast Syria holding ISIS fighters, which was foiled by the Syrian Democratic Forces. US State Department had offered a $10 million reward for information about the 45-year-old Iraqi terrorist leader. Looking ahead, the terrorist threats that the United States face today are more ideologically diverse and geographically diffuse than 20 years ago. Groups such as ISIS and al Qaeda have expanded across Africa and Southeast Asia. These global networks and affiliates still aspire to attack the United States. The White House said that despite years of sustained counterterrorism operations, pressure has forced them to shift their operating models and constrain their capabilities, but the threat remains serious. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that a thorough review of the military operation and after-action report will take place with more details possibly coming in the days ahead. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Award-winning talent partner Phaidon International bucks the trend of downsizing office space, instead increasing its presence to respond to rapid market growth. LONDON, Feb. 4, 2022 The hunt for talent across the UK and Europe shows no signs of slowing, with many businesses under pressure to ensure they get the right talent in quickly. To continue to be a market leader and be the number one choice as a specialist talent partner, Phaidon International has opened a new office in Frankfurt, Germany, as well as securing a bigger office in Berlin, and expanded its London presence by one-third, making it one of the largest talent partners in London. While many companies in London and beyond are looking at downsizing their office space, Phaidon International believes in offering a healthy workplace environment is integral to society. The London HQ expansion has created 100+ new consultant roles, and Phaidon International will also continue with its growth model of promoting from within, giving opportunities to existing employees. Not only helping clients and candidates by increasing its workforce, Phaidon International is in turn supporting the local communities with its bigger presence and footfall. Alex Small, Managing Director of Europe, Phaidon International, says: "Demand across all of our recruitment brands is increasing, so it truly is an exciting place to be right now. We have been rapidly growing for 18 months which meant we quickly ran out of physical space. Giving ourselves the room to expand helps us solve the number one business challenge: Talent. Now we really do have the reach to better serve our clients and candidates needs." Demand for talent across the European continent has also grown rapidly, with the new Phaidon International office opening in Frankfurt addressing the increasing need for talent under its financial services brand, Selby Jennings. German banking plays an integral role to the country's economy, with Frankfurt expecting to see an influx of financial service jobs post-pandemic. Selby Jennings in Europe saw demand for business critical talent - across sales and trading, investment banking, wealth management, and private equity - increase by more than 75% YOY as clients sought to position themselves post-pandemic to exploit growth opportunities. Marco Hermle, Managing Director of Germany, Phaidon International, says: "This sky-high demand for financial services talent across Germany gave us the opportunity to add to our existing offices in Berlin, Switzerland and the UK, and provide a better, local service to clients and candidates in Frankfurt. We have already been placing candidates in Frankfurt for some time, so the expansion is a natural progression for the business." Phaidon International has a number of specialist talent brands in its portfolio to solve people challenges for companies worldwide. Growing to 1,000+ employees last year, the talent partner has doubled in size in just four years. Phaidon International is committed to developing and bringing the very best talent on board not just for clients, but within its business too, and is hiring for a number of ambitious individuals to join its growing team. With more than 50 languages spoken across the business internationally, over a quarter of employees have also internally relocated, enhancing its ethos of local, specialist expertise, but from a global perspective.? For media enquiries on Phaidon International, please contact:??? Larissa Hirst, Global Head of Content & Communications, Phaidon International larissa.hirst@phaidoninternational.com , +44 (0) 20 3758 8800 About Phaidon International ?? Phaidon International is the parent company of six specialist talent brands which solve people challenges worldwide. As a global recruitment firm, with 13 offices around the globe, Phaidon International plays a vital role in helping clients find talent to drive their businesses forward. Placing people in more than 60 countries, Phaidon International offers expertise across financial services, supply chain, life sciences, engineering & infrastructure, technology, and regulatory & legal. Phaidon International is backed by Quilvest.? LONDON, Feb. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For many small nations, citizenship by investment (CBI) programmes have been crucial in funding projects that make reaching sustainable development possible. With climate change accelerating natural disasters, small countries use CBI revenue to create sustainable economic growth to build back stronger. The benefits of CBI for economic citizens are well documented. From opening doors to higher education and attaining a safer future for one's children, in addition to tax planning and wider business flexibility, the popularity of these programmes among high-net-worth individuals (HNWI) is recognised proof of its value. A number of countries, especially in the Caribbean, offer opportunities to obtain citizenship or residency in exchange for a substantial financial contribution to the domestic economy. There is no denying that CBI programmes offer a much-needed injection of foreign direct investment for these small nations, often in a way that can make a significant developmental difference. Here are four key areas of impact CBI programmes have on Caribbean nations: Economic growth with less reliance on international aid In small states, the inflows to the private sector can have a sizable impact on economic activity. In St Kitts and Nevis and Dominica, the inflows have improved fiscal outcomes, facilitated debt repayment, and spurred economic growth. Research by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has brought to light the significant macroeconomic impact of CBI programmes on many small states. In the Caribbean region, where five small states offer economic citizenship, the industry jumped from zero per cent of regional GDP in 2007 to a substantial 5.1 per cent in 2015. The figures are even more impressive at a country level, with the industry contributing more than 30 per cent of GDP in St Kitts and Nevis in 2020. According to the CBI Unit Head Les Khan, the Programme's revenue was a "main driver"during lockdown when tourism was at an all-time low. In Dominica, the IMFsaid that "strong growth" in the construction sector was "financed with record-high CBI revenue of 30 per cent of GDP" in 2021. Meanwhile, in Antigua and Barbuda, CBI accounted for 20 per cent of the nation's GDP in 2017. This shows that this influx of money can make a major difference in the government's performance for smaller countries that face major natural catastrophes like annual hurricanes. Greater tourism inflows In Dominica, which is considered one of the most beautiful places in the world and is known as the Nature Isle of the Caribbean, tourism continues to generate a substantial portion of the island's income from target markets in Europe, the US and Canada. To further boost the sector, the CBI Programme offers an incentive for direct investment in the country through pre-approved real estate investment options. This option causes an increase in hotel room supply, resulting in greater tourism inflows and spending benefits for small businesses. The growth of CBI funded resorts and hotels is also in line with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, a feat taken to heart by small nations like Dominica. All the CBI built hotelson the island channel a sustainability ethos and are pre-approved by the government. These retreats, backed by trusted brands like the Hilton and Marriot with local boutique resorts like the Secret Bay and Jungle Bay, offer visitors a getaway that's intertwined with nature, with locally sourced foods, climate-resilient construction, and opportunities to wind down close to nature. The increase in tourism demand in Dominica has also led to greater interest in airlift to the country. In late 2021, American Airlines announced the expansion of its daily service to the island and talks of increasing connectivity with Air Canada are also on the table. The new flights "will be a major factor in establishing better relationships with US tour operators and travel agents, which will result in more business for the hoteliers and service providers in Dominica," said Colin Piper, CEO and Director of Tourism at the Discover Dominica Authority. The link between tourism and the real estate investment option of Dominica's CBI Programme, in particular, provide an alternative for applicants wanting a return on investment. Employment creation Dominica's CBI Programme has helped fund a series of development projects on the island, creating jobs. One of the critical areas attracting local and foreign workers is Dominica's construction sector. With a host of internationally branded hotels set to debut on the island, alongside the ongoing construction of over 5,000 hurricane-resistant homes, Dominica was compelled to diversify its workforce and even source specialist labour from neighbouring islands. This goes alongside hoteliers training the local workforce to learn new skills, especially those needed for the smooth operation of the new resorts. To support this economic boom in the long term, Dominica prioritises its local workforce and invests in diversifying and professionalising certain career fields. This requires close collaboration with the CBI real estate developers. In a five-part documentaryfrom UK-based FT Specialist PWM magazine, the Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs Francine Baron explains: "Part of the agreement with the developer is that they must have a certain percentage of local labour involved in the project. We want to make sure these projects benefit the economy as much as possible." The CBI Programme made the construction of most of the new hotels and resorts in Dominica possible. As a small developing island, raising capital to finance such luxurious hotels would have otherwise been more difficult in such a short space of time. CBI is key in sourcing funds for the new hotels while ensuring that they are built under the close supervision of the government, with sustainability in mind. Sustainable development through construction CBI has helped build countless much-needed projects in small nations like Dominica. These ventures have focused heavily on constructing housing units that can stand the tests of harsh weather so residents can feel safe and not worry about building new homes every storm season. These projects contribute to the education sector, healthcare initiatives like state-of-the-art hospitals and health centres, hurricane-resistant homes and environmentally friendly resorts and villas. CBI proves time and time again to support the island's commitment to give its citizens a climate-resilient future. A CBI programme is indeed a legitimate response by governments to the need to raise revenue through direct foreign investment. These programmes constitute a creative and valid strategy to change the economic landscape. It is now a fact that many countries have CBI Programmes in one form or the other with different levels of qualification. For these reasons, CS Global Partners, the world's leading government advisory, works to harbour the sustainability and legitimacy of CBI programmes. The firm caters to the increasing trend for investors to obtain second passports to diversify their investment and citizenship options while reducing real or perceived risk for small nations to maintain their economic freedom. Highest safety and efficacy of Sputnik V confirmed during clinical trials and in real-world use in more than 60 countries around the world Sputnik V has been authorized in 71 countries with total population of over 4 billion people. MOSCOW, Feb. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF, Russia's sovereign wealth fund) announces that the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against coronavirus has been granted full permanent approval by Russia's Health Ministry. It had previously held temporary emergency use authorization (EUA) from the Russian regulator. Sputnik V was authorized on August 11, 2020, becoming the world's first vaccine against COVID-19 to be granted emergency use authorization. Sputnik V has been authorized in 71 countries with a total population of over 4 billion people. Its one-component version, Sputnik Light, is authorized in over 30 countries, both as a standalone vaccine and a universal booster to other vaccines. Sputnik V and Sputnik Light are based on a safe and effective human adenoviral vector platform and have not been associated with rare serious adverse events following vaccination, such as myocarditis or pericarditis. The highest safety and efficacy of Sputnik V and Sputnik Light was demonstrated in more than 30 studies and real-world data from more than 60 countries. A unique comparative study[1] conducted at Lazzaro Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases in Italy by a team of 12 Italian and 9 Russian scientists led by Francesco Vaia, Director of the Spallanzani Institute and Alexander Gintsburg, Director of the Gamaleya Center has shown that Sputnik V vaccine demonstrates more than 2 times higher titers of virus neutralizing antibodies to Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant than 2 doses of Pfizer vaccine (2.1 times higher in total and 2.6 times higher 3 months after vaccination). The study was conducted in the equal laboratory conditions on comparable sera samples from individuals vaccinated with Sputnik V and Pfizer with a similar level of IgG antibodies and virus neutralizing activity against Wuhan variant. Sputnik V showed significantly smaller (2.6 times) reduction of virus neutralizing activity against Omicron as compared to reference Wuhan variant than Pfizer vaccine (8.1-fold reduction for Sputnik V in contrast to 21.4-fold reduction for Pfizer vaccine). Based on the data collected by the Spallanzani Institute and results of previous studies, heterologous ("mix & match") boosting with Sputnik Light is the best solution to increase other vaccines' efficacy and extend the booster protection period as optimal adenoviral platform configuration provides better protection against Omicron and other mutations. A preliminary study of the Gamaleya Center has found that Sputnik Light as a booster significantly increases virus-neutralizing activity against Omicron, which is comparable to titers observed after Sputnik V against wild-type virus, associated with high levels of protection. Sputnik Light is based on recombinant human adenovirus serotype number 26 (the first component of Sputnik V). A one-shot vaccination regimen of Sputnik Light provides for ease of administration and helps to increase efficacy and duration of other vaccines when used as a booster shot. Clinical studies and the real-world data in many countries have demonstrated Sputnik Light is a safe and effective vaccine when used both on a standalone basis and as a booster. A study in Argentina on heterogeneous regimens combining Sputnik Light and vaccines produced by AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Moderna and Cansino has demonstrated that each "vaccine cocktail" combination with Sputnik Light provided higher antibody titer on 14th day after administering the second dose as compared to original homogenous (same vaccine as first and second dose) regimens of each of the vaccines. [1] https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.15.22269335v1 Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1698158/Russian_Direct_Invest_Fund_Logo.jpg Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 4, 2022) - Solis Minerals Ltd. (ASX: SLM) (TSXV: SLMN) (FSE: 08W) ("Solis Minerals" or "the Company") is pleased to advise that it will be conducting a live investor briefing on Wednesday, February 9th 2022 (AWST, UTC-8). Mr. Jason Cubitt, President & CEO and Mr. Tony Greenaway, VP of Exploration will conduct an investor update on Solis Minerals. Following the update there will be an interactive Q&A session, in which Jason and Tony will answer investor questions. Please feel free to send questions in advance to Stephen Moloney at info@corporatestorytime.com. The company invites shareholders, investors, and media to participate in this online event by registering at the link below: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wRZJwrt6SzeXDv6wpDWImA Start time: 9:00am Perth Time (AWST) | 12pm (AEST) | 5:00pm Vancouver Time (GMT-8). A link to the replay of the webinar will be posted on the Solis Minerals website as soon as it is available for those unable to attend the live session. This Announcement has been authorised for release to ASX by the Board of Solis Minerals Ltd. For further information please contact: Jason Cubitt President and CEO Solis Minerals Ltd. +01 (604) 209 1658 Stephen Moloney Investor Relations Corporate Storytime +61 (0) 403 222 052 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of accuracy of this news release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/112805 The oversubscribed round validates the Layer 2 network's long-term vision and propels Qredo to an impressive $460 million valuation Qredo, the decentralized Layer 2 infrastructure for the custody and settlement of digital assets, today announced the close of one of the largest Series A rounds completed to date in crypto and blockchain-related markets. Qredo's $80 million USD Series A raise was led by 10T Holdings, the crypto investment firm managed by investors Dan Tapiero, Stan Miroshnik and Michael Dubilier. The round includes a diverse group of strategic investors Coinbase Ventures, Avalanche and Terra, and top tier financial investors Kingsway Capital, HOF Capital, Raptor Group and GoldenTree Asset Management. The Series A raise brings Qredo's valuation to $460 million USD. "The fact we've won support from some of the biggest and smartest investors in crypto is a clear validation of Qredo's long-term focus and mission," said Anthony Foy, Qredo CEO. "The Qredo solution provides institutions with a secure, cost-efficient, and compliant way to engage fully with digital assets and DeFi. We're now in an excellent position to seize opportunities, take market share, and demonstrate the powerful value of decentralized custody." Qredo's Layer 2 protocol enables instant cross-chain swaps and settlement on supported blockchains with none of the frictional costs associated with Layer 1 transactions. Its decentralized multi-party computation (MPC) removes the vendor risk and the single points of failure associated with centralized custody solutions and traditional private key management. Qredo has raised $120mm in the last 12 months. As with its seed round in May 2021 and Token Private Sale in June 2021, Qredo has attracted both financial and strategic investors. The strategic investors will also be building solutions on Qredo for their customers, bringing the next wave of user growth to the network. Qredo's Series A also marks a year of operational momentum. In October 2021, Qredo's groundbreaking integration with MetaMask Institutional began enabling users to securely participate in new DeFi innovations such as accessing 'cross-chain' liquidity pools and trading collateralized derivatives across multiple chains. A few weeks later, Qredo became one of a small number of technology partners chosen to bring forth the next generation of Bitcoin and blockchain-related applications in El Salvador. "Infrastructure is a key battleground for scaling crypto adoption," said Dan Tapiero, Founder and CEO of lead investor 10T Holdings. "Qredo's distributed architecture and unique implementation of MPC is a game-changer for the secure custody and settlement of crypto assets. Qredo is a project that has the drive, resources, and technological edge to support the complex and evolving needs of its users now and into the future." Qredo's Series A includes $60mm of primary capital and $20mm from secondary investors.The funds raised will be used to fuel the next steps of Qredo's growth. This includes future acquisitions, further development of Qredo functionality for retail users, and facilitating Qredo's geographic expansion. The full group of investors includes: 10T Holdings, Kingsway Capital, Coinbase Ventures, Ava Labs, Terraform Labs, GoldenTree Asset Management, HOF Capital, Tokentus Investment AG, SVK Crypto, GMF Capital, Rovida Kruptos Assets Limited, Vectr Fintech, Kestrel 0x1, Kenetic Capital, Nural Capital First Light (US) LP, Raptor Group, Alumni Ventures Blockchain Fund, and Liberty City Ventures. Galaxy Digital served as exclusive financial advisor to Qredo and sole placement agent for the financing round. About Qredo Qredo is a digital asset management infrastructure and product suite designed to unlock new opportunities for institutional investors in cryptocurrencies and decentralized finance. Qredo includes a novel Layer 2 blockchain protocol that enables users to seamlessly transfer and settle Bitcoin, Ethereum and other leading cryptocurrencies. Qredo's advanced Gen 2.0 Multi-Party Computation (MPC) provides tier-1 bank security and eliminates the anxiety of private key management. Qredo's network is designed to enable institutional investors to secure, settle, and access digital liquidity pools and participate in new innovations across DeFi. Follow Qredo on LinkedIn and Twitter. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220204005341/en/ Contacts: Media contact: Hannah Elgamal qredo@wachsman.com Developer Chris Dorworth has withdrawn his request to carve 67 acres of farmland out of Seminole Countys rural boundary to eventually build two residential communities in the Black Hammock area. Attorney Tara Tedrow, who represents Dorworths company Strawberry Lane LLC, sent an email to Assistant County Attorney Paul Chipok on Tuesday to say that they are pulling their request in light of the appeal filed by Dorworth after a circuit court judge ruled against his lawsuit against Seminole regarding his other proposed development River Cross. Advertisement Dorworths request was scheduled for a hearing before county commissioners on Feb. 22. We didnt see a need for a hearing that was only going to lead to more litigation, at this time, Dorworth said in a text message to the Sentinel on Friday. Well see how things shape up and re-evaluate what needs to be done after the [Fifth District Court of Appeals] issues its verdict. Advertisement At the advice of the county attorneys office, Seminole commissioners and staff would not comment on Dorworths withdrawal as his lawsuit moves forward in the Fifth District Court of Appeals. But supporters of Seminoles rural boundary welcomed the news of Dorworth pulling his request. His withdrawal is a great relief for the members of the community who want to preserve the rural area, said Dave Bear, president of the non-profit Save Rural Seminole. The primary concern with this application was that it would pierce the line that is the rural boundary. That line is the only thing that has kept sprawl from continuing to extend out into Geneva and other east rural areas of the county. So whether the development is proposed for 50, 100 or 300 acres, its equally as important that it not be allowed to proceed. Because if it does, it will telegraph dozens more [of development requests] to follow. Last August, Dorworth filed a request that Seminole amend the rural boundary line so that it would exclude two parcels of former farmland, long known as Pappys Patch, that sit at the northeast side of Florida Avenue and DeLeon Street. Residential development in that area of the rural boundary is restricted to one home per five acres or one home per 10 acres. Dorworth called the spot a truly premier location, for a residential community in an email to the Sentinel at the time. The adjacent properties, just south of Lake Jesup, have been used for decades to grow blueberries, celery and strawberries. And its been popular among families with young children to spend the day picking fruit. Dorworth had not submitted any development plans to the county for the property. In 2004, Seminole voters established the rural boundary in the countys charter that strictly limits development in the eastern third of the county. Since then, Seminole voters have been fiercely protective of the boundary and consistently elected commissioners who have promised to protect it from development. At least three commissioners would have to vote in approval to remove property from the rural boundary. Advertisement Breaking News As it happens Be the first to know with email alerts on important breaking stories from the Orlando Sentinel newsroom. > In early 2018, Dorworth submitted plans to build the massive River Cross development on 669 acres just east of the Econlockhatchee River, also within the rural boundary. But commissioners unanimously rejected the application in August 2018. Dorworth then filed a lawsuit against Seminole in early 2020 in circuit court, arguing that Seminoles charter amendment establishing the rural boundary is unconstitutionally vague and that commissioners or county staff can arbitrarily and capriciously approve or deny projects in the protected area. But Circuit Judge Randell Rowe last month disagreed and ruled that Seminole commissioners have the authority to reject a development application for the rural boundary that goes beyond the established land development regulations. Dorworth then filed his appeal on Jan. 31. Bear said developers have the right to build within the rural boundary; however, not at greater densities. We have no objection to the property being developed consistent with its zoning, Bear said regarding the Pappys Patch land. Mr. Dorworth and any buyer knows what the property is zoned for. But what theyre asking for is additional development rights that dont exist on the property. Advertisement mcomas@orlandosentinel.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 4, 2022) - Canadian Nexus Team Ventures Corp., (CSE: TEAM) ("TEAM" or the "Company") would like to announce the appointment of Mr. Martin Pow as Chief Operating Officer ("COO") and additional corporate changes. Mr. Pow comes to Canadian Nexus with a strong background assessing enterprise risk, internal audit, corporate governance, compliance and security services with high level of innovation energy and strong leadership skills. Mr. Pow worked in the banking industry for over 20 years in organizations such as Standard Life, Citibank and Mizuho Bank. Most recently as a Risk Services Partner with Deloitte Vancouver in Canada when he led a three (3) year successful establishment of the new Deloitte member firm in Mongolia, holding the role of Risk and Compliance Leader for the country. Mr, Pow was the first non-Mongolian to receive an "Honorary Doctor" title for Risk management contributions to the Mongolian Government and education institutions by the Mongolian National Academy of Governance University. Mr. Pow recently returned from Dubai where he established from ground up a Global Audit risk and compliance Officer role and team for a global group and played the role of Global CIO until a replacement was hired which he managed for the leadership team. The role of COO came open from Mr. Hani Zabaneh who moved into a key role within the organization as President of CNV Mining Holdings Corp. the Company's subsidiary. The Company will miss Mr. Zabaneh at the corporate level but welcomes his business acumen in shaping and driving the key business initiatives within CNV Mining Holdings Corp. The Company would like announce the issuance of 550,000 options in the company at $0.14 per option for new directors and officers. Certain options vest over a four (4) year period pursuant to the Company's Stock Option Plan. About Canadian Nexus Team Ventures Corp. Canadian Nexus Team Ventures Corp. (CSE: TEAM) is an investment issuer that actively invests in a diversified portfolio of early-stage to mid-level companies and projects. Canadian Nexus leverages its extensive network of operators and global thought leaders to provide investors with a unique multi-opportunity portfolio. Contact: Arni Johannson, CEO 604-960-1878 Forward-Looking Statements: This news release includes certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements about timing, future projects and future revenues are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by words such as "pro forma", "plans", "expects", "will", "may", "should", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "potential" or variations of such words including negative variations thereof, and phrases that refer to certain actions, events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others, statements as to the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company and it's wholly-owned subsidiaries, including the ability of the Company to obtain sufficient financing to fund its business activities and plans, delays in obtaining regulatory approvals (including of the Canadian Securities Exchange), changes in laws, regulations, and policies affecting the Company's operations and the Company's limited operating history. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements in this presentation or incorporated by reference herein, except as otherwise required by law. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/112858 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Crude oil prices rose sharply on Friday and lifted the most active crude futures contracts to their highest close in over seven years. Oil prices surged higher on rising concerns over supply disruptions following a massive winter storm that blew across central and northeast United States disrupting oil production in the Permian Basin. Mounting tensions between Russia and Ukraine contributed as well to the uptick in oil prices. According to reports, French President Emmanuel Macron will go to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and find a diplomatic way out of the growing tensions. He will then visit Ukraine's leader a day later in fresh push to avert conflict. West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures for March ended higher by $2.04 or about 2.3% at $92.31 a barrel, the highest settlement since September 29, 2014. WTI crude oil futures gained more than 6% in the week. Brent crude futures were up $2.17 or 2.4% at $93.28 a barrel a little while ago. A report from Baker Hughes showed U.S. energy firms added oil and natural gas rigs for a fifth week in a row for the first time since November. The oil and gas rig count rose three to 613 in the week to February 4, the highest level since April 2020. Baker Hughes said the total rig count is up by 221 or 56% over this time last year. U.S. oil rigs rose two to 497 this week, their highest since April 2020, while gas rigs gained one to 116, their highest since January 2020. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Betolar Plc Company Release 4 February 2022 at 9:45 p.m. EET Betolar Plc: Betolar and JA-KO Betoni have signed 10-year Geoprime license and supply agreements HELSINKI, Feb. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Betolar Plc and JA-KO Betoni Oy have signed a license agreement for the low-carbon Geoprime concept developed by Betolar. JA-KO Betoni acquires the right to utilize the Geoprime materials technology solution and related continuous research and development and expert services in the manufacture of its concrete products. The agreement also includes the right to use the registered Betolar and Geoprime trademarks in its products manufactured in accordance with the concept. In addition, the parties have entered into a supply agreement for the chemicals used in the Geoprime solution. The term of the agreement is 10 years and it covers the right to use the Geoprime concept in all concrete products produced by JA-KO Betoni. The first applications for the Geoprime solution will be in dry cast concrete products such as various infrastructure products, pole foundations and electric car charging station stands. The license fee paid by JA-KO Betoni is based on the volume of its Geoprime products and a regular fixed license maintenance fee. The parties will not disclose the commercial value or terms of the license or supply agreements. "This is Betolar's first commercial license agreement leading to the start of industrial production. The collaboration with JA-KO Betoni is a significant demonstration of the functionality and acceptability of the Geoprime concept and materials solution developed by Betolar in the concrete industry. The agreement is a great step in the green revolution in the concrete industry and a response to the construction industry's need to bring low-carbon products to market," says Matti Lopponen, CEO of Betolar. "The licensing and supply agreement with Betolar now enables significant development and manufacture of low-carbon concrete products, which will give JA-KO Betoni a strong competitive advantage and new business opportunities. In February, we will start production of Geoprime-products at our factory in Kokkola. This is a remarkable starting point for our company towards green, environmentally friendly construction," says Jaakko Eloranta, CEO of JA-KO Betoni. Betolar Plc Further enquiries Betolar Plc: Matti Lopponen, CEO, tel. +358 50 306 6335 JA-KO Betoni Oy: Jaakko Eloranta, CEO, tel. +358 44 066 5635 Certified Adviser: Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ) Helsinki Branch, +358 9 6162 8000 About Betolar Betolar Plc is a Finnish materials technology company that offers the production of sustainable and low-carbon concrete with the Geoprime solution. The solution converts several previously unused, massive industrial by-products into a cement substitute. Betolar's artificial intelligence innovation can significantly reduce CO2 emissions compared to traditional cement-based concrete production by optimizing existing manufacturing processes. Betolar's mission is to enable the green transformation of various industries globally, especially in the construction, process and energy industries by providing solutions to utilise its unique materials technology. For more information, visit https://www.betolar.com/ About JA-KO Betoni JA-KO Betoni Ltd is a professional concrete company based in Kokkola, Finland. It has a total of 50 years of experience from the concrete industry. The company offers its customers a wide range of concrete products and ready-mixed concrete as well as different tailored service concepts in Finland and in export projects. JA-KO Betoni has ready-mixed concrete plants in Kokkola, Pietarsaari, Narpio, Mustasaari and Seinajoki. The plant manufacturing concrete products, such as manhole rings, pole foundations and concrete weights, is located in Kokkola. The foundry in Pietarsaari casts agricultural elements and other special products to satisfy customer needs. JA-KO Betoni is an independent subsidiary of Ruskon Betoni. http://www.jakobetoni.fi/home/ This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/betolar-oy/r/betolar-plc--betolar-and-ja-ko-betoni-have-signed-10-year-geoprime--concept-license-and-supply-agree,c3499422 The following files are available for download: Kamloops, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 4, 2022) - Advance Lithium Corp. (TSXV: AALI) ("Advance Lithium" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that it has applied to the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") to extend the expiry date on 2,500,000 share purchase warrants (the "Warrants"), issued pursuant to a Private Placement Financing in February 2020, by 1 year to February 27, 2022. The Warrants' original exercise price of $0.12 per share will not change. In other news: Advance Lithium will grant stock options to its directors, key employees and consultants entitling them to purchase, in total, up to 1,800,000 shares over a five year term expiring February 5, 2027 at an exercise price of $0.055 per share. Pursuant to the company's stock option plan, it will be a term of each stock option agreement that a mandatory hold period will be imposed upon the sale or disposition of any shares acquired for four months from the date of the grant of the stock options. About Advance Lithium Corp. (AALI) Advance Lithium is a junior exploration company focused on acquiring and exploring mineral properties containing precious metals, agricultural minerals and battery metals. The company acquired a 100-per-cent interest in the Tabasquena silver mine in Zacatecas, Mexico, in 2017, and the Venaditas project, also in Zacatecas state, in April, 2018. In addition, Advance Lithium holds a 9.78% interest in strategic claims in the Liranda Corridor in Kenya, East Africa. The remaining 90.22% of the Kakamega project is held by Shanta Gold Limited (project previously owned by Barrick Gold Corporation, for details see Advance Lithium News Release dated August 26, 2020). In March, 2021 Advance Lithium acquired 13 salars in central Mexico containing potassium, boron and lithium, enabling it to move into agricultural minerals and the exciting lithium space. For further information, please contact: Allan Barry Laboucan President and CEO Phone 492-238-5282 (Direct-Mexico Cell) Email: allan@advancegold.ca www.advancelithiumcorp.com This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward- looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors should change, except as required by law. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/112876 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 4, 2022) - Radio Fuels Energy Corp. (CSE: CAKE) (formerly, Mainstream Minerals Corporation) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that the common share pursuant warrants (the "Warrants") of the Company will commence trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange effective at the open of business on February 7, 2022, under the symbol "CAKE.WT". A total of 31,903,511 Warrants are outstanding with each Warrant entitling the holder to acquire one common share (each, a "Common Share") in the capital of the Company at an exercise price of $0.50 per Common Share on or before December 6, 2026, subject to adjustments in certain events. The Warrants were issued and are governed by a warrant indenture (the "Warrant Indenture") dated December 6, 2021 between the Company and Capital Transfer Agency, ULC. A copy of the Warrant Indenture can be found on the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. About Radio Fuels Energy Corp. The Company is a junior natural resource company focused on acquisition, exploration, and development of uranium deposits, in particular the exploration of its Eco Ridge Property located in the Mining District of Sault St. Marie, Ontario. For further information, please contact: Cejay Kim President & Chief Executive Officer Tel: (778) 886-1826 Email: cejay.kim@gmail.com The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/112815 Melonn, a Bogota, Colombia-based provider same or next-day fulfillment solution for ecommerce companies, closed a US$20M Series A funding round. The round was led by QED Investors with participation from Global Founders Capital (GFC) and Alter Global, NFX, Pear, Wollef (formerly Jaguar Ventures) and angel investors including top VC partners and Latam startups founders. The company, which has now raised around US$24m, intends to use the funds to continue to expand the platform in LatAm. Led by Andres Gomez (CEO), Alejandro Celis (CPO), Andres Archila (COO), Felipe Jaramillo (CTO), Sebastian Roman (Director of Data Science) and Daniel Castrillon (Director of Software Engineering & DevOps), Melonn provides small and medium e-commerce businesses in LatAm with an an end-to-end same or next-day fulfillment solution coupled with an e-commerce backend technology platform fully developed in-house. With Melonn, any e-commerce business will be able to sell its products across multiple channels, from Amazon to Instagram, and deliver them almost anywhere in the region. The companys proprietary tech platform guides sellers through a highly automated onboarding process, then seamlessly connects their different ecommerce channels. Next, sellers ship their inventory to urban fulfillment centers, near their end-consumers. Melonn quickly takes care of the picking, packing and delivery, so that end-consumers receive their orders on the same or next day, also taking care of returns. Additionally, Melonn works with a range of transportation providers, both incumbents (like FedEx or DHL) and last-mile startups, to reduce shipping times and costs. Finally, sellers can manage and monitor the entire process from Melonns platform from wherever they are, accessing data analytics tools to make better operational and sales and marketing decisions. In only one year, the company has launched five distribution centers in three cities across Colombia and one more in Mexico City, while employing more than 180 people total. FinSMEs 04/02/2022 Jack OSullivan, Founder & CEO, Modmo Technologies Modmo Technologies, a Dublin, Ireland-based producer of high-tech electric bikes, closed an 8.7M seed funding round. The company closed out 2021 with a 5m investment from Ballymore Group CEO Sean Mulryan, in addition to 2.7M raised in September and 1M in March from several angel investors. Led by 25-year-old Irishman Jack OSullivan who relocated to Vietnam to work on product development in 2019 and launched the electric bicycle business in 2020, Modmo is a maker of high-tech electric bikes and is currently delivering to 8 European countries with plans to expand to North America with the opening of their first dealership in Vancouver BC, Canada in March. Today, the company has 35 engineers based in Vietnam and expects the headcount to exceed 100 this year. FinSMEs 04/02/2022 On the afternoon of January 10, 2022, President Xi Jinping had a phone conversation with Maltese President George Vella. The two heads of state exchanged New Year greetings. Xi Jinping pointed out, China and Malta are old and good friends that have withstood the test of time. Half a century ago, the elder generation of Chinese and Maltese leaders, with great vision and foresight, jointly forged friendly relations between China and Malta. Over the past 50 years, no matter how the international situation changes, China-Malta relations have been developing in a sound and steady manner, with deepening friendship and fruitful cooperation in various fields. In the face of challenges such as the international financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, the two sides have always helped and supported each other. China-Malta relations have set a good example of relations between countries of different sizes, social systems, histories and cultures. Xi Jinping stressed, China and Malta will soon celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties. China is ready to work with Malta to push for greater development of bilateral relations. The two sides should uphold mutual respect and mutual trust, continue to respect and support each other's choice of development path, and maintain communication and coordination on issues of each other's concern. We should deepen practical cooperation, advance Belt and Road cooperation, and expand cooperation in key areas such as economy, trade, investment, medical and health care, clean energy, transportation and logistics. We should step up cultural exchanges and cooperation in traditional Chinese medicine, expand exchanges and cooperation in areas such as education, youth and tourism, and foster more new forces for China-Malta friendship. Malta has always been a positive force in advancing China-EU relations. China is ready to work with Malta to uphold the general direction of China-EU cooperation and promote the sound and steady development of China-EU relations. Xi Jinping stressed, China will host the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games next month, and currently, preparations are basically all set. With the support of the international community, China will host a streamlined, safe and splendid Winter Olympics, carry forward the Olympic spirit and encourage all countries to work together for the future. China is ready to work with Malta and other members of the international community to practice true multilateralism and jointly promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. Vella said, I'm glad to have a phone conversation with Mr. President as our two countries are set to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties. I fully agree with your positive comments on Malta-China relations and your views on the development of bilateral relations. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between Malta and China, bilateral cooperation has been fruitful and bilateral friendship has withstood the tests of the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges. Bilateral relations have become more mature and made remarkable achievements, setting a good example of state-to-state relations. Malta is firmly committed to further developing its friendly relations with China and is ready to strengthen high-level exchanges and deepen practical cooperation with China in various fields. Malta cherishes the precious opportunities brought by Belt and Road cooperation and is ready to continue to advance relevant cooperation with China. I hope that Malta-China relations will develop even better in the next 50 years and bring more benefits to the two peoples. Malta firmly adheres to the one-China principle and firmly supports multilateralism. Malta is ready to play a positive role in promoting the development of EU-China relations. Malta highly appreciates China's vaccine aid for the international community's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and its positive contribution to the global response to climate change, and looks forward to closer cooperation with China. I wish the Beijing Olympic Winter Games a success! POCO launched the POCO F3 GT handset back in July 2021 in India. The POCO F3 GT is the second POCO F-series handset to launch in India. The handset is a rebranded Redmi K40 Game Enhanced Edition that launched a few months back in China. POCO F3 GT boots the companys proprietary MIUI 12.5 on top of Android 11. MIUI 12 brings all-new design and animations along with new features such as Super Wallpapers, Floating Window, New Control Center, Enhanced Privacy Protection features such as Interceptor, Flare, Hidden Mask Mode, and more to the devices, check out this post to learn more about MIUI 12 features. This post will help our readers in keeping track of MIUI updates for POCO F3 GT (codename aresin), also check out our POCO F3 GT content, Note that POCO follows staged roll-out, so the updates are randomly pushed to a limited number of users and a broader roll-out usually takes a few days after the company makes sure there are no critical bugs. POCO F3 GT MIUI 13 Updates, [Mar 16, 2022]: POCO F3 GT Android 12 Stable update is now rolling out in India. POCO F3 GT MIUI 13 Stable update comes with firmware version MIUI 13.0.1.0.SKJINXM update and brings February 2022 Android security patch. [Download Link] System Stable MIUI based on Android 12 Updated Android Security Patch to February 2022. Increased system security. More features and improvements New: Apps can be opened as floating windows directly from the sidebar Optimization: Enhanced accessibility support for Phone, Clock, and Weather Optimization: Mind map nodes are more convenient and intuitive now update is now rolling out in India. POCO F3 GT MIUI 13 Stable update comes with firmware version MIUI 13.0.1.0.SKJINXM update and brings February 2022 Android security patch. [Download Link] [Feb 4, 2022]: POCO F3 GT MIUI 13 Stable update, based on Android 12, is now rolling out in India as reported by several users. The update comes with firmware version MIUI 13.0.0.10.SKJINXM update and brings January 2022 Android security patch. [Download Link] Also take a look at Xiaomi, Redmi, and POCO MIUI 13 Update Tracker POCO F3 GT MIUI 12.5 Updates, [Dec 8, 2021]: POCO F3 GT MIUI 12.5.7.0.RKJINXM update is now rolling out in India. The update weighs 160MBs in size. [Download Link] MIUI 12.5 Enhanced Swift performance. More life between the charges. Focused algorithms: Our new algorithms will dynamically allocate system resources based on specific scenes, ensuring smooth experience on all models. Atomized memory: Ultra-fine memory management mechanism will make RAM usage more efficient. Liquid storage: New sensitive storage mechanisms will keep your system vibrant and responsive as time goes by. Smart balance: Core system improvements allow your device to make the best of the flagship hardware specs. [Dec 2, 2021]: As per a new report, Xiaomi has started testing Android 12 based MIUI 13 China Stable build for Redmi K40 Gaming (known POCO F3 GT in India). China Stable build for Redmi K40 Gaming (known POCO F3 GT in India). [Nov 9, 2021]: Xiaomi, with MIUI China Beta 21.11.8 update, brings Android 12 to Redmi K40 Gaming (known as POCO F3 GT in India). to Redmi K40 Gaming (known as POCO F3 GT in India). [Aug 30, 2021]: POCO has started rolling MIUI 12.5.5.0.RKJINXM update for POCO F3 GT users in India. The update weighs 295MBs in size, and brings August 2021 Android security patch to the device. [Download Link] System Optimization: Updated Android Security Patch to August 2021. Increased system security. [Jul 21, 2021]: POCO has started rolling MIUI 12.5.4.0.RKJINXM update for POCO F3 GT users in India. The update weighs 118MBs in size, and brings July 2021 Android security patch to the device. [Download Link] System Optimization: Updated Android Security Patch to July 2021. Increased system security Spotted a newer software version for POCO F3 GT? Tip us on Twitter! Screenshot via As an animal lover I have had the privilege of owning and operating our pet store in Orlando for almost 25 years. My family and our employees work hard to provide happy and healthy pets to the community we serve. We know that pets are a part of the family, and we treat them as such our own family pets have come from our store including our three Labrador Retrievers, Mayzie, Shadow, and Kit. This year the Florida Legislature introduced Senate Bill 994 and House Bill 949 to combat bad breeders and the mistreatment of animals. This legislation is critical to strengthening pet and consumer protections in Florida and to support reputable businesses like my own. Advertisement Eric Davies is the owner of Petland Orlando South with his wife Trevor Davies. - Original Credit: Courtesy photo (Courtesy photo) Senate Bill 994 and House Bill 949 establish health, safety, and welfare protections in Florida for dogs, cats, and other animals sold through pet dealers or pet stores. It holds pet stores to a higher standard than current federal regulations standards we already exceed and welcome. We know there are bad breeders who neglect and mistreat animals and we agree they must be shut down. But animal activists are on a mission to shut down safe and trusted businesses. Last year, lobbied by animal activists, the Orange County City Commission banned the sale of pets in a 4-3 vote. As of June 2022, we will no longer be able to sell healthy and well-cared-for pets to the community. While pet shelters and rescues are a valid place to adopt a dog or cat they are limited in their breeds, usually older than 8-10 weeks, and are often pit-bull mixes whose backgrounds are unknown. Advertisement Families looking to add a specific breed that is the right fit for their family and their home will be forced to look online, to backyard breeders and foreign sources, none of which are licensed or regulated in any way. Senate Bill 994 and House Bill 949 gives the consumer the right to decide where they get their new pet from while adding regulations that are good for the welfare of pets and the protection of the consumer. Included in the bills are requirements such as photos and videos from each breeder and their facilities, exercise and socialization time of at least two 30-minutes periods each day for each puppy, twice weekly visits by the stores veterinarian, and unannounced inspections by independent veterinarians that are not affiliated with the pet store. These requirements are in addition to standards we already have in place such as providing breeder information for each puppy, microchip registration when the puppy goes home, access to training videos, and up-to-date vaccinations and health records. We opened our store in February 1997 and we are incredibly grateful to our customers, employees, and the families we have worked with throughout the years. While animal activists portray the community as opposed to pet stores, we know without the support of our community we would not be here. I urge the Florida Legislature to vote for Senate Bill 994 and House Bill 949 to put bad breeders out of business, increase protection of pets and leave decisions on where to obtain their pets in the consumers hands, not the governments. Eric Davies is the owner of Petland Orlando South with his wife Trevor Davies. The L.A. Dodgers The L.A. Angels Both the Dodgers and the Angels Neither one of them Vote View Results Florida Rep. Bryan Avila, R-Hialeah, has sponsored a bill that would prevent Disney and other Florida companies from discussing racial issues that might cause anyone to have hurt feelings or experience "discomfort." (Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP) Republican State Rep. Bryan Avila says he read somewhere that Disney offered an employee program on diversity that said Americas founding involved systemic racism. Well, Avila didnt like hearing that. So he has proposed a new law to stop private companies from telling employees things he finds objectionable. Specifically, he wants to prevent hurt feelings. Advertisement His new law would ban any company from forcing employees to hear anything, like a discussion about racial injustice, that might prompt feelings of discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress. Yes, Avila and the GOP caucus advancing his bill want to use the power of government to prohibit private companies from discussing the topics of their choice with people who voluntarily work there. Advertisement The only speech tolerated will be government-approved. Kim Jong-un would be proud. I predict that, before this bill is passed, Disney will somehow be exempted not because those voting for the House Blll 7 knows its unconstitutional (which it is) or because they believe in free enterprise (which they obviously dont), but because these guys usually cave to their big donors. Or maybe theyll just whisper to Disney that it doesnt really need to worry about this new law because everyone knows courts will rule it unconstitutional. Still, this bill, which Gov. Ron DeSantis has named as a top priority, will probably pass in one form or another. Its a red-meat distraction issue for weak minds minds too weak to understand the bills obvious legal flaws and too weak to process history or information that might upset them. Its for the snowflake crowd. It bans discussions that might cause anyone the aforementioned discomfort on account of his or her race, color, sex or national origin. Maitland Democratic Rep. Joy Goff-Marcil, a lawyer, seized on the legal nebulousness of empowering people to seek legal remedies for hurt feelings. Under this bill, you now have a cause of action for these feelings, she said. Advertisement During a two-and-a-half-hour discussion in the House State Affairs committee this past week, other legislators stumped Avila by asking him questions about what his 27-page mess of a bill would actually do. South Florida Democrat Robin Bartleman cited entities like the U.S. military, which have identified a history and culture of gender bias that they want to change, noting These are uncomfortable discussions and asking Avila if his bill would prevent companies from having those discussions. Avila said he couldnt answer that question. But Avila and other Republicans had plenty of anonymous and unsourced anecdotes. Jacksonville Republican Jason Fischer said hed heard about schools with anti-cop rhetoric and teaching one kid to hate another. Where? Fischer didnt say, but said: I think that is a problem we are seeing. Eloquently argued. Avila said he had a friend (who he didnt name) take a course at a university (that he didnt identify) that discussed white privilege. That is not something that should be allowed, he said. We want to make sure everyone feels comfortable. Safe spaces for all! Advertisement The real target seems to be the critical race theory boogeyman, except on steroids. Republicans want to ban schools from teaching any history that might make people feel uncomfortable but now want to take their speech-policing even further and ban discussions at private businesses as well. Several legislators said Floridians would still be allowed to talk about Martin Luther King, Jr. (How gracious of them.) But if you start talking about things like racial inequalities that still exist today and why those inequalities might exist well, that might be a problem if it makes anyone feel angsty. Bartleman, a teacher, wondered what would stop neo-Nazis who made headlines in Orlando just last weekend from objecting to Holocaust history lessons if a teacher dared suggest that maybe genocide was a bad idea. What if such statements made some Nazis kid feel discomfort? The penalties for anyone causing such discomfort could involve civil actions based on complaints. The bill contemplates everything from $10,000 fines to action from the attorney general. The crackdown would be authorized through Floridas Civil Rights Act, which Orlando Democrat Carlos Guillermo Smith called a twisted way to warp a document meant to prevent discrimination by prohibiting discussions about discrimination. Its antithetical to what the Florida Civil Rights Act stands for, he said. Dozens of residents trekked to Tallahassee to plead with legislators not to censor history or speech. Advertisement Political Pulse Weekly Get latest updates political news from Central Florida and across the state. > Unfortunately, the history of this country is dark and the treatment of many of its citizens is dark, said Anthony Bryant of Orlando. But it needs to be taught for what it is. If that subject is uncomfortable, it still needs to be talked about. Speaking of uncomfortable, poor South Florida Democrat Daryl Campbell heard all this discussion on his first day in the Legislature after winning a special election. I am a Black man with locs, he said. It makes me feel quite uncomfortable sitting here right now. But Campells discomfort seemed of little concern. South Florida Democrat Marie Woodson, who is also Black, said: My colleagues, I know that you are better than this. Woodson was wrong. The committee approved the bill on party lines. Locally, Seminole County Republican David Smith supported it and Democrats Guillermo Smith and Goff-Marcil objected. If this bill is passed as-is by the full Legislature, it will almost certainly be tossed by federal courts. Government cant tell private employers what they can talk about. Even the GOP legislators own staffers reminded their bosses of that in the bill analysis, saying: The First Amendment to the United States Constitution generally protects the right to free speech. But these guys treat toilet paper with more respect than the Constitution when waging culture wars. So theyre trying to legislate speech they dislike out of existence while claiming Florida is the most freedom-filled state in America. Advertisement smaxwell@orlandosentinel.com This is our best offer! You get home delivery Monday through Saturday plus full digital access any time, on any device with our six-day subscription delivery membership. This membership plan includes member-only benefits like our popular ticket giveaways, all of our email newsletters and access to the daily digital replica of the printed paper. Also, you can share digital access with up to four other household members at no additional cost. Subscriptions renew automatically every 30 days. Call 240-215-8600 to cancel auto-renewal. Most subscribers are served by News-Post carriers; households in some outlying areas receive same-day delivery through the US Postal Service. If your household falls in a postal delivery area, you will be notified by our customer service team. Keep the conversation about local news & events going by joining us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Recent updates from The News-Post and also from News-Post staff members are compiled below. Fort Wayne, IN (46808) Today Mostly cloudy skies. High 62F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Cloudy with rain developing after midnight. Low 51F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. While the University of Florida appeared eager to hire Joseph Ladapo after he was named the states new surgeon general last year, a former supervisor in California was less enthused about his qualifications, according to records that surfaced Thursday. A supervisor at the University of California Los Angeles offered unflattering comments about Ladapo on an employment verification form that was described in a background report prepared for Ladapos confirmation by the Florida Senate. Ladapo had worked as an associate professor at UCLAs school of medicine since 2016. Advertisement Would you recommend the applicant as Surgeon General of Florida and (have) confidence in his ability, honesty and integrity to perform related duties? the form asked. The answer: No. In my opinion, the people of Florida would be better served by a Surgeon General who grounds his policy decisions and recommendations in the best scientific evidence rather than opinions. Advertisement The form asked if the employer was aware of any derogatory information. Yes, came the response. Most of this is described in the public press/media. Would you rehire the applicant? No, the supervisor answered. I have recruited new faculty and do not have the resources to re-hire Dr. Ladapo. The UCLA supervisor, who is unnamed in the report, went on to state that Ladapo caused concern among a large number of his research and clinical colleagues and subordinates who felt that his opinions violated the Hippocratic Oath that physicians do no harm. The person also stated that Ladapo created stress and acrimony during his last year and a half of employment by publishing op-eds with controversial beliefs surrounding masking, vaccines, natural immunity and lockdowns. Details of the file were first reported Thursday by the USA TODAY Network-Florida. Ladapo, who has supported limiting workplace vaccine mandates and shared Gov. Ron DeSantis views about the ineffectiveness of lockdowns, was moved forward by a Senate committee last week after Democrats walked out. He must still be confirmed by the full Senate. Requests for comment from UCLAs chief of general internal medicine, the division under which Ladapo worked, were redirected to UCLA Health spokesman Phil Hampton, who said the organization had nothing to add. Advertisement The University of Florida moved quickly to hire Ladapo last fall, a sequence of events that prompted an internal investigation by faculty to find out whether university procedures were followed. That inquiry is expected to be complete by mid-February. Political Pulse Weekly Get latest updates political news from Central Florida and across the state. > The senior vice president for UF Health asked other officials to expedite this communication in emails about Ladapos application for a College of Medicine position. College of Medicine dean Colleen Koch also seemed eager to welcome Ladapo, writing: future state of FL surgeon general-we can accommodate whatever he wants in terms of meeting times! University spokesman William Levesque said in a statement Thursday that Ladapo completed the standard process candidates follow, including multiple rounds of interviews and reference checks. The university received several outstanding letters of recommendation from UCLA, he said. Records previously released by UF included several positive comments about Ladapo from his UCLA colleagues. Carol Mangione, chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research there, gave her enthusiastic support to his joining UF, calling him one of the most productive faculty members. Another person, Soma Wali, wrote in a letter of recommendation that Ladapo was an outstanding colleague and friend and conveyed her highest degree of support for him. Advertisement Florida Department of Health spokesperson Weesam Khoury said in an email that the report appeared to be part of an attempt to smear Ladapo prior to his Senate confirmation. Its unfortunate that a single comment from a disgruntled supervisor would find facilitating discussions a cause for concern, especially during such an ever-evolving medical landscape, Khoury said. This is not cause for concern. Doctors who were considered ahead of their time were applauded for their brilliance throughout history, but it now appears that being at the forefront of ideas and following the data is now considered a political game. Galveston, TX (77553) Today Mostly cloudy early followed by partly cloudy skies and gusty winds this afternoon. High 82F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 76F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph. Lebanon Community Schools should continue to pursue a school-based health center for Lebanon High School, no matter the criticism, because the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. A school-based health center will be a massive advantage for the greater community because it removes barriers for accessing medical services. The clinic would provide students preventative care and mental health counseling, catching many problems before they become more serious. This would literally save lives in the long run. While the high school would host the nonprofit health center, the district wouldnt pay for it. Lebanon schools would work with partners including Samaritan Health Services and Linn County Mental Health. Corvallis School District Superintendent Ryan Noss is a supporter of school-based health centers and uniquely positioned to speak on the issue, partly because Lincoln Elementary School in Corvallis has such a clinic. Noss also grew up in Lebanon, graduated from Lebanon Union High School, and was a teacher and school administrator in Lebanon. Having access to services in schools is important in my experience, Noss said, and results in students using those services more frequently. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Albany Democrat-Herald. I think theyre positive for the physical well-being of youth and allows them to be successful in school, Noss added. After all, if a student is dealing with medical or mental health issues, focusing on coursework becomes difficult. Even a minor, nagging issue can be a major distraction. The Corvallis School District only has one school-based health center, but it also has workers called health navigators at Lincoln, Garfield Elementary School and Linus Pauling Middle School. Their job is to help students and families get the health care they need. All of these employees are bilingual, and the health navigators are an intentional investment to engage with the historically overlooked Latino community. While Lebanon is undoubtedly on the upswing, it still remains a community full of residents who are struggling financially, and therefore, a huge swath of its population is underserved regarding health care. According to the latest figures from the Oregon Department of Education, the districts poverty rate stands at 81%. Lebanon also has more than 135 homeless students, according to Superintendent Bo Yates. Families navigating poverty have problems accessing medical care for various reasons. Both parents often are working, leaving teens to watch over younger children after school. Then there are transportation issues. With a school-based health care center, children simply dont miss doctors and therapists appointments, Noss said. Critics main focus regarding school-based health centers apparently is that teens could get access to reproductive health services or vaccines at school without parental consent or knowledge. But thats state law. Children 15 and older can control their own medical care, and the rules are in place for legitimate reasons. Still, some conservatives are determined to stop the proposed health center at Lebanon High School. The Lebanon School Board and administrators were shouted down by audience members and officials stopped the Jan. 13 board meeting before a presentation on the matter could be heard. Members of the public were full of fury and misinformation. In response, the district had to stress that it wont refer students for abortions or provide sex hormone treatments. Rather than discuss the issue at its next board meeting, Lebanon Community Schools is taking a different strategy. From 6 to 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 8, doctors and educators will hold a forum to explain how a school-based health clinic could help youth. To join the forum, go to bit.ly/LCSDSBHCforum. On a side note, the school board and district employees are being attacked as dangerous liberals on social media, but some of those whose reputations are being sullied are conservatives themselves. This is Lebanon, right? The school colors are blue and red, but this is a red town. Stopping a school-based health center wont put some protective bubble around Lebanon and turn it into Pleasantville or an idyllic version of the town that never really existed in the first place. What will occur is more undiagnosed health issues and teen pregnancies. School-based health centers are just one tool to improve the community, and Lebanon should continue to look at multiple avenues to engage families and improve health care. But a school health clinic would be another step forward for Lebanon, and just another good thing going for this town on the rise. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Gov. Kate Brown called on lawmakers to approve more money for job training, lower-cost housing and child care in her final state of the state address Thursday. In her seven years as chief executive, Brown has governed during the 2020 Labor Day wildfires that devastated Oregon, racial justice protests and a coronavirus pandemic that sent the states economy into a tailspin but now is at near record-low unemployment. Too many Oregonians have struggled to find good-paying careers, she said, particularly the poor, people of color and rural residents who have not shared in the recovery. Our economy is strong, and we must keep it humming. Most importantly, we have to make sure that every Oregonian feels it. Brown renewed her call for $200 million for Future Ready Oregon a plan to target job training in health care, construction and manufacturing plus $400 million more for housing initiatives and $100 million more for child care. Although governors usually deliver state of the state addresses to a joint session of the Legislature or another live audience, the pandemic has forced Brown to do so virtually the past two years. One more year Brown was secretary of state when, seven years ago this month, she succeeded John Kitzhaber, who resigned under pressure amid an ethics scandal just 38 days into his fourth term. (There was a 12-year gap between his second and third terms). Brown is barred by term limits from running again this year; she will leave office Jan. 9, 2023. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Albany Democrat-Herald. "In my last year as governor, I view every day, every moment, as one more opportunity to focus on the big and bold work we still have to do for Oregons working families, she said. I am dedicated to building a strong workforce for Oregon. I will bolster that workforce by providing access to child care so that parents can go to work knowing their kids are cared for. And I will marshal my colleagues to once again make a significant investment in affordable housing. These three investments work together to ensure every working family can thrive. She has called for spending of an unanticipated $1.5 billion in tax collections generated by a strong economy. But she and legislative leaders have agreed to set aside $500 million, mostly from federal pandemic recovery funds, to balance the 2023-25 budget. That budget will be put together mostly while Brown is still governor, although her successor will have until Feb. 1 to propose changes. Brown also touched on the private accords, which she and her staff mediated between the timber industry and environmental advocates to resolve disputes going back four decades over the fate of 10 million acres of Oregons forests. Both sides agreed to protect sensitive species and create a habitat conservation plan. Brown has asked for $35 million to start work on streamside habitat, plus $121 million to sever the link between the Elliott State Forest and the Common School Fund, earnings from which are distributed to schools. The State Land Board seeks to transfer the south coast acreage to Oregon State University for a publicly owned research forest. Pandemic affects popularity Brown has the lowest popularity ratings of any of the nations governors, although other recent Oregon governors such as Republican Vic Atiyeh and Democrats John Kitzhaber and Ted Kulongoski also saw sharp declines late in their second terms. One factor has been state coronavirus restrictions, which have drawn sharp public criticism and even Capitol protests. State police troopers turned away all but a handful of unmasked people who sought to enter the Capitol as the Legislature opened its 2022 session on Tuesday. Brown lifted most of her executive orders on COVID back on June 30. But her emergency authority remains in place, as does a requirement for wearing masks indoors. More than 6,000 Oregonians have died of COVID-19. But Brown said it could have been far worse: Oregon has fared better than most, she said. We remain third in the nation for lowest cumulative case counts. If our response to COVID matched that of the average state, more than 4,000 Oregonians wouldnt be with us today. We continue to be among the top states for getting shots in arms and administering boosters. And all three branches of government came together to get money to renters in need. In less than a year, we have helped more than 90,000 Oregonians stay safely in their homes. Thats not to say it hasnt been hard. It has been utterly heartbreaking at times. But Brown who said last week she does not plan to endorse a candidate in the May 17 Democratic primary had a closing message. To all the future governors of our state. To the elected leaders who will come next. To our future business and community leaders, and youth who will follow our footsteps. Let me leave you with this: find the opportunity, even in times of crisis. Especially in times of crisis. Thats how we continue on this journey of transformational change for Oregon. Thats how we pursue justice. Thats how we heal divides and collaborate in ways that serve our state. Thats how we honor this beautiful place we call home. Sami Al-Abdrabbuh stepped down as chair of the Corvallis school board Feb. 3. to focus on his campaign for Oregons 4th congressional district to replace outgoing U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio. Sarah Finger McDonald is the new school board chair, voted in unanimously during Thursdays meeting, Feb. 3. Luhui Whitebear will continue as co-vice chair, and Shauna Tominey was voted in as the new co-vice chair. Al-Abdrabbuh will continue to serve as a board member and president of the Oregon School Board Members of Color Caucus. I am running for Congress because we need a leader in DC that understands what it means to serve local communities and solve local problems, Al-Abdrabbuh said in a news release. After receiving such overwhelming support and encouragement since announcing my campaign, I believe we need to focus on ensuring we can take the stories and lessons we have learned together over the last five years to Congress. All six other board members on the Corvallis school board have endorsed Al-Abdrabbuh. Sami listens to community members and responds through action for positive change, Whitebear said. This type of leadership benefits everyone. Meanwhile, DeFazio has endorsed state Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle to be his successor. Joanna Mann covers education for Mid-Valley Media. She can be contacted at 541-812-6076 or Joanna.Mann@lee.net. Follow her on Twitter via @joanna_mann_. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 4 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021. TALLAHASSEE A GOP-led voting overhaul would add new requirements for casting a mail ballot that one Central Florida election supervisor is warning could be a recipe for disaster. The changes are part of Gov. Ron DeSantis push to change voting laws ahead of the next presidential election. His proposal is advancing in the Legislature. Advertisement Starting in 2024, voters would have to provide the last four digits of their drivers license or state ID number on their ballot. If they dont have a state ID, the last four digits of their Social Security number could be submitted. [ RELATED: DeSantis proposes election restrictions despite smooth 2020 vote in Florida ] Ballots wont be counted if those identifying digits arent provided or if they dont match the numbers on file with the elections office. Advertisement Voters would also receive a new certificate envelope. The ballot would need to be placed inside a secrecy sleeve that would be placed inside the certificate envelope and then placed inside the return mailing envelope. The legislation specifies that ballots received without the certificate envelope wont be counted. Orange County Supervisor of Elections workers prepare mailed ballots for the high-speed tabulator in the Vote-By-Mail Ballot Counting Room, on Tuesday, August 18, 2020. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel) (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel) Election supervisors are required to contact people whose ballots arent properly completed and give them an opportunity to fix problems. The deadline to complete that process known in political jargon as curing a ballot is two days after Election Day. But Alan Hays, supervisor of elections for Lake County, said election officials could be inundated with improperly submitted mail ballots, higher costs and delays that would significantly raise the ire of many voters. Election supervisors already have to contact people who forget to sign their ballot, use a spouses return envelope or whose signature doesnt match the one on file. He called the new requirements a potential recipe for disaster. Getting voters to follow instructions is not easy. ... They dont even follow illustrated instructions [to] darken the oval [on the ballot], said Hays, a former Republican state senator. If you think they are going to follow all the instructions for all these envelopes, youve got another thought coming. Voting rights advocates are questioning why the extra steps are needed. No widespread voter fraud was found in the 2020 election, and Florida garnered bipartisan praise for running a smooth election. DeSantis himself has touted Floridas performance. Adding a new envelope and requiring more information will make it more complicated and harder to vote when the existing process already works, said Joey McKinnon, Florida director of Faith in Public Life. Florida voters did their part in 2020, said McKinnon, whose group advocates for voters. We all did. We deserve consistency not constant confusion and change. Advertisement Alan Hays, Lake County's supervisor of elections, proposed new requirements for voting by mail could be a "recipe for disaster." (Steve Cannon / AP) Democrats say the changes are aimed at suppressing voting and catering to unfounded allegations from former President Donald Trump of widespread voter fraud. Political Pulse Weekly Get latest updates political news from Central Florida and across the state. > I think we just have to call this what it is, said state Rep. Geraldine Thompson, D-Windermere. Its part of a nationwide, orchestrated effort to make it more difficult for people to vote because there was dissatisfaction with the outcome of the 2020 election. Floridians already must provide their drivers license information when registering to vote and requesting a mail ballot. An elections bill passed last session by the Florida Legislature is before a federal judge. Voting and civil rights advocates want the court to overturn the changes, which included requiring identification to apply for vote-by-mail ballots, more frequent requests for mail ballots, and new restrictions on groups that register voters. State Rep. Blaise Ingoglia said even if an election ran smoothly it doesnt mean problems didnt exist, and Florida Republicans are trying to take pre-emptive action to head off issues that happened in other states. This Legislature has been maligned for years for trying to make our elections as secure as possible, the Spring Hill Republican said. Advertisement The newest legislation would also create an election security office to investigate voter fraud, prohibit rank-choice voting where voters rank candidates, require more checks of voter rolls and increase fines for voter registration organizations that violate rules. sswisher@orlandosentinel.com Braden Manning, Gettysburg baseball: Braden went 9-for-13 with 2 doubles, 2 triples and 7 RBI over 4 games. He also struck out 11 batters in a win over South Western. Amy Anderson, Delone Catholic softball: Amy went 5-for-12 with 6 RBI, 3 runs scored and a triple over 3 games. She also struck out 17 batters and went 2-1 in those games. Parker Sanders, Bermudian Springs Tennis: Parker won 3 matches on his way to a fourth-place finish in the YAIAA Class 2A Singles Tournament. Andrew Koons, Fairfield baseball: Andrew went 5-for-11 with 8 RBI, 4 runs scored and 2 home runs over 3 games, including a grand slam. He was also the winning pitcher against Biglerville. Ben Angstadt, Biglerville baseball: Ben went 8-for-17 with 7 RBI, 4 runs scored, a double and a home run over 4 games for the Canners. Vote View Results Alex J. Hayes is marking his last day as the managing editor of the Gettysburg Times. He will maintain his email, ahayes@gettysburgtimes.com, for personal correspondence and special projects. To reach the newsroom, email news@gettysburgtimes.com. Gillette, WY (82718) Today Cloudy early then partly cloudy and windy this afternoon. High 53F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies with gusty winds. Low 34F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph. West Palm Beach artist Ken Mullen puts finishing touches on his sidewalk art depicting an asteroid crashing into the concourse at Icon Park on International Drive on Friday. The piece is a one-day pop-up art display to promote 'Asteroid Hunters,' an IMAX movie playing at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) An asteroid didnt really hit Icon Park, but it sure looked like it Friday. An on-the-ground piece of 3D art a mixture of vinyl with chalk accents appeared on the sidewalk, creating the illusion of an asteroid and the aftermath of its impact. The visuals, about 10 feet by 18 feet, were part of a campaign to promote Asteroid Hunters, a new IMAX film at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Advertisement The artwork has also appeared in public places in Miami Beach and Tampa. It was installed in Orlando in about 90 minutes by Ken Mullen of West Palm Beach. It may be installed at the visitor complex in Brevard County later. Asteroid Hunters, directed by W.D. Hogan, covers the rocky cosmic objects, the scientists who study them and the high-tech tools used to detect asteroids. Advertisement A single strike could reshape our world, a trailer for the movie says. And the only thing that can stop it is science. The 40-minute, 3D educational film is narrated by actress Daisy Ridley, who played Rey in several Star Wars movies and projects, including in hologram form for the queue of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ride at Disneys Hollywood Studios. Asteroid Hunters and other films are included in regular admission to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. For more information, go to kennedyspacecenter.com. Email me at dbevil@orlandosentinel.com. Want more theme park news? Subscribe to the Theme Park Rangers newsletter at orlandosentinel.com/newsletters or the Theme Park Rangers podcast at orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/theme-park-rangers-podcast. SAN MATEO, Calif., Feb. 02, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bluejay Therapeutics, a private biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of innovative cures for infectious diseases, today announced that Nancy Shulman, M.D., joined Bluejay as chief medical officer, bringing over 20 years of clinical development experience with her to Bluejay Therapeutics. Nancy is an experienced infectious disease clinician and expert clinical drug developer with successful track record in drug development including antivirals in both large pharmaceutical companies and startup biotech companies, and I am pleased to welcome her to the executive team, said Keting Chu, M.D., Ph.D., founder and chief executive officer of Bluejay. We will undoubtedly benefit from her prior experience leading the strategy and execution of both clinical research and clinical development across AbbVies infectious disease portfolio, as well as her experience advancing antivirals at Genentech/Roche. Prior to Bluejay, Dr. Shulman worked at Roche, Genentech, AbbVie, and most recently at Ambys Medicines, where she was the vice president of translational medicine. She brings broad clinical development experience ranging from first-in-human and translational studies through Phase 4 studies, including extensive experience in the virology/hepatology disease area, but also in immunology and oncology. She has been a part of multiple INDs and was a key leader on the NDA approvals of the HCV antivirals Viekira Pak, Viekirax, and Mavyret. Prior to joining industry, Nancy was an NIH-funded clinical/translational HIV researcher at Stanford University and was on the faculty in the Division of Infectious Diseases. She holds a B.A. in Biochemistry with a minor in Chinese from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.D. from the University of Kansas. She completed her residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at the University of Chicago and her infectious disease fellowship at Stanford. Dr. Shulman added, I have dedicated a significant part of my career to the treatment of infectious diseases, working on numerous agents for chronic viral infections, as well as evaluating a number of strategic pipeline expansion opportunities for large biotech and pharma. I was excited to learn of the HBV therapeutics being developed at Bluejay with first- or best-in-class therapeutic potential, and I am eager to bring effective treatments to the patients in need. Dr. Shulman joins a seasoned executive leadership team, including: Keting Chu, M.D., Ph.D., founder and chief executive officer, was previously a partner at LYFE Capital and venture partner at Apple Tree Partners, and was responsible for venture philanthropy at The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Dr. Chu was also the CEO of several companies, including Mission Therapeutics, DigitAB, and BioCubed Corporation. Earlier in her career, she held R&D leadership roles at Five Prime Therapeutics and Chiron Corporation. Hassan Javanbakht, Ph.D., chief scientific officer, was previously at Hoffman La-Roche, Gilead sciences and SQZ biotechnologies where he worked on developing novel antivirals and immunomodulators to treat HIV, HBV, influenza and other infectious diseases. He was part of the team that advanced Elipida (RO4970335), a potent and highly selective NNRTI, into clinical development . He led the teams that developed a first-in-class small-molecule viral expression inhibitor (RG7834) and a liver-targeted anti-HBV locked nucleic acid (RG6004). His work also led to discovery of PAPD5/7 as host factors for HBV expression. He has authored more than 45 peer-reviewed scientific publications in high-impact journals and holds more than 11 issued patents and applications. (RO4970335), a potent and highly selective NNRTI, into clinical development . He led the teams that developed a first-in-class small-molecule viral expression inhibitor (RG7834) and a liver-targeted anti-HBV locked nucleic acid (RG6004). His work also led to discovery of PAPD5/7 as host factors for HBV expression. He has authored more than 45 peer-reviewed scientific publications in high-impact journals and holds more than 11 issued patents and applications. Kevin Lin, M.D., vice president of development, has over 30 years of experience in the biotechnology industry in the areas of process development, technology transfer, scale up, troubleshooting, GMP manufacturing, and CMC regulatory submission. He has worked at several biotech companies, such as Bayer Healthcare, Catalant, Avid Bioservices, ImmunityBio, and Kindred Biosciences. Jeff Zablocki, Ph.D., vice president of chemistry, has led chemistry teams at AbbVie, Gilead, CV Therapeutics, Amgen, and Searle. Dr. Zablocki has discovered 15 development compounds including 3 approved agents: Lexiscan an adenosine A2A agonist used in over 60 million patients as a pharmacological stress agent capturing a large market share; Ranexa for stable angina; and Voxilaprevir for Hepatitis C where he helped address pre-clinical metabolism challenges by applying novel medicinal chemistry approaches. About Bluejays Pipeline Bluejay Therapeutics has two lead programs that are focused on the reduction of HBsAg load and the reconstitution of an antiviral immune response to achieve a functional cure for chronic HBV infection (CHBV). BJT-778, a best-in-class human anti-HBsAg monoclonal antibody, has demonstrated rapid depletion of peripheral HBsAg in vivo in mouse model of chronic HBV infection showing great potential to be a critical component of CHBV curative therapies. BJT-574, a first-in-class oral small molecule HBsAg inhibitor, can effectively reduce HBsAg production from HBV-infected hepatocytes and is expected to be an effective partner for BJT-778 as a compelling new combination approach to a functional cure for CHBV. About Bluejay Therapeutics Bluejay Therapeutics is a private biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of cures for infectious diseases. The companys first target indication is chronic Hepatitis B, which remains a worldwide prevalent disease with urgent unmet medical need. Bluejay is advancing two innovative approaches with the potential for high rate of functional cure: best-in-class fully human IgG1 anti-HBs monoclonal antibodies and first-in-class HBsAg oral small molecule inhibitors. The company believes that by reducing hepatitis B surface antigen and restoring adaptive immunity a functional cure could be achieved for patients. For more information on Bluejay, please visit the companys website at www.bluejaytx.com. Contact: Alexandra Santos asantos@wheelhouselsa.com MCCALL, Idaho, Feb. 02, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Peak Bancorp, Inc., (the Company) (OTC: IDFB), the holding company for Idaho First Bank (the Bank), today announced the signing of an agreement to sell 100% of the shares of Peak Bancorp, Inc. to BAWAG Group, a publicly listed holding company headquartered in Vienna, Austria for $65 million. The transaction represents a diluted per share price of $12.05, and is subject to shareholder and regulatory approval. BAWAG Group will work with the current leadership team of Idaho First Bank to continue growing its community banking focused business in Idaho and adjacent markets, while also providing the operational support and financial strength of a broader banking group. The acquisition enables BAWAG Group to expand its footprint in the United States and better position it for future growth in one of the banks core markets. Todd Cooper, CEO and President of Peak Bancorp, Inc., stated, We are extremely excited about the opportunity to join BAWAG Group, and are proud to be a focal point for its U.S. expansion efforts. This partnership will allow us to continue serving our markets with a Community First focus. We will be able to leverage BAWAGs resources, depth, and diversification to better serve our communities and banking customers, while also providing exceptional value to Peak Bancorp shareholders. We are excited about the acquisition of Peak Bancorp and the many opportunities this presents for the Group. This acquisition provides us with a US banking platform to drive organic growth in Idaho and across the United States growing in a core market that is deep, broad, and transparent. The combination of Idaho First Banks community-focused banking augmented with access to new origination channels, capital, and the operational capabilities of the Group will allow us to grow and build a scalable and efficient Retail & SME banking platform. Im excited to welcome the whole Idaho First team into the BAWAG family and look forward to the many opportunities ahead, commented Anas Abuzaakouk, CEO of BAWAG Group. About Peak Bancorp, Inc. Peak Bancorp, Inc., is the holding company for Idaho First Bank, a state chartered community bank headquartered in McCall, Idaho. Known for its People First motto, Idaho First Bank serves greater southwest Idaho with branches located in McCall, New Meadows, Eagle, Ketchum, Nampa and Boise, and a loan production office in Bend, Oregon. Idaho First Bank is a member of the FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender. About BAWAG Group BAWAG Group AG is a publicly listed holding company headquartered in Vienna, Austria, serving 2.3 million retail, small business, corporate and public sector customers across Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, Western Europe and the United States. The Group operates under various brands and across multiple channels offering comprehensive savings, payment, lending, leasing, investment, building society, factoring and insurance products and services. Our goal is to deliver simple, transparent, and affordable financial products and services that our customers need. CONTACT: Todd Cooper President and CEO Peak Bancorp, Inc. 208.630.2092 tcooper@idahofirstbank.com Culver City, California, United States, Feb. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dineline is a growth agency for restaurants. Founder of Dineline, Brett Linkletter started Misfit Media in 2015, working with a wide range of brands in various industries. In 2019, after gaining experience and knowledge of each industry, Linkletter decided to narrow down his focus and niche to the restaurant industry. Following this decision, the company experienced explosive growth and demand. As of today, they have worked with over 1,000 restaurant concepts and rebranded from Misfit Media to Dineline, which better reflects their work in the industry. Restaurants without a measurable marketing system are tremendously limiting their growth. Some of Dinelines most successful clients have doubled the size of their business within the first year of working together. Offering a guarantee of success and an experienced track record, Dineline is the only agency and software hybrid company servicing this niche. Dineline helped 1,000+ restaurant concepts exceed their best sales months ever by redefining how owners approach growing their business says Linkletter. There is immense value that can be taken from mistakes made early on in business. After generating thousands of leads for restaurants, Dineline learned that knowing numbers and understanding the cost per customer acquisition is crucial to scaling. Also when it comes to scaling, Dineline helps businesses automate customer service so they can not only save time when communicating with potential customers, but also ensure to never miss a call in-store or message online. It is evident that one of the most important aspects to any restaurant's success is how much traffic they can drive to the restaurant, as sales is based on this. Linkletter shares, This isnt a marketing plan, its a system built for restaurant growth and it has worked in all sorts of demographics. If there is a potential customer base in your area, this program will get them in the door, keep them coming back, and show that its working. Without a doubt, the key lies in finding new customers and making sure those customers become loyal patrons of establishment. Dineline has made this process accessible to restaurant owners with what is known as the A.C.E method which stands for Activate, Capture & Engage. If a business is active online, they must take certain measures to engage with potential customers and gain their trust. Dineline believes that every engagement is an opportunity to create a lifelong relationship between both restaurant and customer. Dinelines results-driven marketing solution helps restaurant owners manage and connect with guests using the best technology available, all while automating 1-1 conversations. This saves restaurant owners hours and hours of time on the customer service end, and allows them to monetize more customers on a regular basis. Focusing on turning conversations into conversions, Dinelines results-driven approach for restaurants is quickly redefining what restaurant growth looks like in 2022 and beyond. Website: https://dineline.co/ SAN DIEGO, Feb. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Edge, the self-custody cryptocurrency wallet, has officially added support for FIO staking in its latest release. FIO staking is a recently launched option for FIO token holders to participate in the network's on-chain governance and earn yield. This integration marks Edge's newest initiative in support of the FIO network, as well as the creation of an additional interface within the platform for users to earn yield on their assets. FIO (Foundation for Interwallet Operability) is the native cryptocurrency of the FIO Protocol, an open-source, decentralized usability layer solution running on a Delegated Proof-of-Stake (DPos) blockchain. FIO is a consortium of wallets, exchanges, and crypto payment processors supporting the FIO protocol. This protocol is designed to improve the user experience of sending and receiving crypto transactions and interacting with decentralized applications. FIO Protocol provides users with a new way to transfer cryptocurrencies. Instead of having to use complex wallet addresses, users can simply register a FIO address and use readable handles, similar to email addresses, to initiate transactions. In some ways, the simplified domain concept is similar to the .eth names offered by Ethereum Name Service, or Unstoppable Domains' .crypto, .wallet, or .blockchain addresses. However, there is a core difference with FIO Protocol in that its network focuses on user privacy and interoperability between different blockchains. Currently, Edge users can create their FIO addresses for free without any registration fees within the platform. By adding support for FIO staking, Edge is offering users a new way to interact with the protocol and contribute to further adoption of cryptocurrency. With Edge's commitment to user experience as it relates to wallet creation and interaction with blockchain protocols, the integration of FIO staking only improves said interactions by dramatically expanding on the usability of the FIO asset. Although Edge was designed for the everyday user, the platform still offers a level of functionality that advanced enthusiasts can appreciate. Thanks to its robust infrastructure and readily available exchange integrations that are encompassed in an easy-to-use, self-custody application, Edge has now introduced another way to be a part of the FIO network as it enters a new phase of its evolution. "Paul Puey and the Edge team have been leading the way within the FIO consortium of wallets and exchanges that care deeply about improving the cryptocurrency user experience," said Luke Stokes, managing partner of FIO. "We're very excited to have them as one of the first products to support FIO Token staking to close the loop on the FIO Protocol decentralized business model where the FIO chain economically supports, via fee distribution, those who secure the chain as validators, voters, foundational coordinators, and integrators." For those interested in using the FIO protocol in Edge, please visit https://dl.edge.app/fio. About Edge Edge is a self-custody application empowering users all across the globe to acquire, trade, and use digital assets without the risk and restrictions of third-party custodians. Providing cutting edge technology and offerings, Edge makes earning yield on digital assets significantly easier for users with the addition of FIO staking. By focusing on innovation, empowerment, and community, Edge supplies its users with the necessary tools to control their own private keys and transaction information to help them achieve better financial security. Learn more at edge.app. About FIO FIO, the Foundation for Interwallet Operability, is a decentralized consortium of blockchain organizations and community members supporting the ongoing development, integration, and promotion of the FIO Protocol. The protocol is an open-source, decentralized usability layer solution that works across all blockchains, and uses human-readable crypto handles to replace the complexity, risk, and inconvenience that comes with blockchain-based transactions using public addresses. Contact: marketing@edge.app Related Images Image 1: Edge Edge Image 2: Edge FIO Staking Edge FIO Staking Image 3: Edge FIO Staking Edge FIO Staking Image 4: Edge FIO Unstaking Edge FIO Unstaking Image 5: Edge FIO Unstaking Edge FIO Unstaking This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment On Mar. 1 GOES-T will launch from Cape Canaveral. The satellite is the third in a series of GOES-R project satellites to help scientists monitor dangerous weather on the U.S. West Coast. (The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Soon, weather scientists will have an even stronger pair of eyes in the sky once a new advanced weather satellite launches this March. The GOES-T, short for Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, is aiming for liftoff March 1 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket thanks to a collaboration between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA along with several other partners. Advertisement GOES-T, roughly the size of a small school bus, is the third in the GOES-R series of four advanced weather satellites. The value of GOES-T isnt exactly clear as the NOAA doesnt individually price out satellites one by one, said Pam Sullivan director of the GOES-R program. However, Sullivan did say the four-part project costs $11.7 billion. The value is returned to us public in benefits provided, Sullivan. The observations of these satellites is even more critical now that the U.S. is experiencing a record number of billion dollar disasters. Advertisement Countdown to the #GOEST Satellite launch is set for March 1st. Watch the countdown (and more) here -> https://t.co/wTKzzKXXy6 https://t.co/0e9d8LbFbE NWS Salt Lake City (@NWSSaltLakeCity) January 27, 2022 Last year, dry and heated conditions led to an unprecedented amount wildfires in the northwest U.S. with thousands of acres burnt. Both Germany and China experienced historic flooding, and the Atlantic observed 21 named tropical systems the third highest amount behind 2020s 30 named storms and 2005s 27 total. GOES-T should be able to help meteorologists determine potential areas of disaster before they occur, said John Gagosian, Director, NASAs Joint Agency Satellite Division The satellite will allow scientists to monitor and predict environmental conditions like hurricanes, thunderstorms, floods, dense fog and fire. The GOES-R satellites are equipped with advanced technology that deliver 60 times more imagery than the previous generation, Sullivan said, such as the new Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI), which can view the Earth in 16 different kinds of spectral bands including two visible channels, four near-infrared channels, and 10 infrared channels. The previous generation of GOES could only view five different bands. The ABI will help scientists predict where fires on the west coast could start before they ever form, Sullivan said. GOES-T is also equipped with a lightning camera that tracks severe storms that spawn tornadoes and damaging winds. Juggling even more than terrestrial weather, GOES-T will have a hand in monitoring space weather, too. Keeping an eye on solar storms that could potentially harm Earths power grids. The satellite is equipped with space weather tools like a particle flux sensor, solar irradiance monitor and a magnetometer, Sullivan said. Aiding GOES-Ts development was the United Launch Alliance, L3Harris and Lockheed Martin; the latter of which helped developed the spacecraft, lightning mapper and solar imager. GOES-Ts spacecraft was mated to a payload adaptor in January, which is a piece of hardware that interfaces mechanically between ULAs Atlas V rocket and the spacecraft. It is the start of integrated operations, which is now the satellite and the rocket are starting to come together, said GOES-T Mission Manager Rex Engelhardt. Weve been doing a lot of analysis, but this is the first piece of rocket hardware that were putting together with the satellite. GOES-T has quite a big family tree of geostationary satellites stemming back to 1974, and it appears to have a long future soaring ahead of it as well with scientists planning to use it into the 2030s. Advertisement Upcoming in #AtlasV stacking work, the four GEM 63 solid rocket boosters and Centaur upper stage featuring an RL10C-1 engine will be hoisted into place, followed by #GOEST payload attachment. Liftoff on March 1 @ 4:38pm will be ULA's 149th mission. Info: https://t.co/uoth3iimrB pic.twitter.com/eqRjHWCerC ULA (@ulalaunch) January 31, 2022 GOES-T is set to launch 4:38 p.m. EST March 1 from Canaverals Space Launch Complex 41. Once it is in position, GOES-T will take on the name GOES-18 and replace GOES-17 and will monitor the western part of the United States as well as Alaska and Hawaii, according to the NOAA. GOES-17 is being replaced after it experienced some ABI degradation due to a thermal disruption blocking a flow of coolant, said Larry Crawford, the ABI program manager. The hardware responsible was identified and eliminated from GOES-Ts construction. After the March 1 launch, the newly designated GOES-18 will spend the majority of a year getting ready to become operational. Its first images wont be seen until May 2023. ABI data will be flowing in an operational sense, but the satellite still wont be 100% ready for usage, Sullivan said. However, data will be made available by early July 2023 for forecasters as an additional data set to compare to. While GOES-T is prepped for launch, the NOAA is already thinking about the future, planning its sixth generation geostationary observing station called GOXO which will operate into the 2050s with even more advanced technology, Sullivan said. Jpedersen@orlandosentinel.com. Dallas, Feb. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Telehealth is a technological way of offering healthcare services from a remote place using a variety of communication technologies such as computers and mobile devices. Telehealth services are generally viewed as the primary way of providing healthcare to those living in rural areas as well as clients with limited mobility, transportation, and time. One of the main forces behind the global telehealth market's spectacular expansion is the increased usage of telehealth technologies in a variety of sectors. Furthermore, a growing trend of online consultation services would accelerate the global telehealth market's growth in a good direction. Additional factors such as a rise in elective surgeries and fewer hospital visits for routine examinations will extend the market's footprint throughout the projected period. The introduction of COVID-19 has strengthened social distance standards, increasing the value of telehealth goods and solutions throughout the projection period. The rising population, greater demand for expanded healthcare access, and the increasing frequency of chronic illnesses and ailments, among other factors, will push the market even more into a bloated state. Regional variances in legislation, fraud, and the use of social media for care provision, on the other hand, will have a negative impact on market growth throughout the projection period. List of Companies Profiled in the Report: e Koninklijke Philips N.V. Siemns Healthineers AG McKesson Corporation AMD Global Telemedicine Inc. Honeywell International Inc. IBM Intel Get a sample of the report from: https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/66 Following the epidemic, there was an unprecedented surge in the demand for healthcare technologies and devices. Robots and telemedicine are being utilized to make diagnosis, collect data, treat patients, reassure the public, and even develop future vaccinations. The potential of telemedicine has been recognized in light of the global lack of hospital beds and healthcare workers. Players in the telehealth market are concentrating on delivering novel COVID-19 solutions to hospitals and healthcare providers. Healthcare fraud is a significant factor to address in telehealth and telemedicine activities. A patient or a physician can be scammed in a variety of ways, such as when the physician's accounts and identity are used to obtain money from the insurance company, or when non-eligible or non-listed institutional providers use erroneous coding and billing to submit false claims. Product types comprise of: Hardware Software Services Applications comprise of: Teleradiology Telecardiology Teledermatology Telepsychiatry Others For more Information or Any Query Visit: https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/contacts/enquiry-before-buying/66 The global telehealth market is basically segregated into product, application, users, distribution channel, end-users, and regions. On considering the product, this industry is fragmented into software, services, and hardware. On considering the end-users, the market is fragmented into clinics, hospitals, and homecare. Based on the application, this market is fragmented into telepsychiatry, teleradiology, teledermatology, telecardiology, and others. Based on users, the market is fragmented into payers, providers, and others. On considering the distribution channel, the market is segregated into indirect sales as well as direct sales In 2019, North America held the greatest proportion of the telehealth market. This region's high proportion of the global telehealth market may be ascribed to reasons such as increased chronic disease prevalence, the desire to minimize healthcare spending, and an expanding overall and geriatric population. Owing to the occurrence of chronic illnesses and hospital congestion, the APAC market is anticipated to develop at the maximum rate over the forecast period. Key Questions Answered in the Market Research Report: What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the global telehealth market during the forecast period? What is the market size and forecast of the global telehealth market? How big is the telehealth market? What are the factors driving the telehealth market? Who are the prominent players in the telehealth market? Who are the end-users in the global telehealth market? Which segment accounted for the largest telehealth market share? Table of contents: 1. Introduction 1.1. Introduction 1.2. Market Definition and Scope 1.3. Units, Currency, Conversions and Years Considered 1.4. Key Stakeholders 1.5. Key Questions Answered 2. Research Methodology 2.1. Introduction 2.2. Data Capture Sources 2.3. Market Size Estimation 2.4. Market Forecast 2.5. Data Triangulation 2.6. Assumptions and Limitations 3. Market Outlook 3.1. Introduction 3.2. Market Dynamics 3.2.1. Drivers 3.2.1.1. Enabling Remote Patient Monitoring 3.2.1.2. Rising Adoption of Tele-health 3.2.1.3. Growing Geriatric Population 3.2.2. Restraints 3.2.2.1. Legality, Privacy, and Security Concerns 3.2.2.2. Relatively Low Adoption of Telemedicine in Developing Countries 3.2.3. Opportunities 3.2.3.1. Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) 3.3. Porters Five Forces Analysis 3.4. COVID-19 Impact Analysis 4. Telehealth Market by Product, 2019-2028 (USD Billion) 4.1. Global telehealth market revenue share, by product, 2020 & 2028 4.2. Hardware 4.2.1. Global hardware market size and projections, 2019-2028 4.3. Software 4.3.1. Global software market size and projections, 2019-2028 4.4. Services 4.4.1. Global services market size and projections, 2019-2028 5. Telehealth Market by Application, 2019-2028 (USD Billion) 5.1. Global telehealth market revenue share, by application, 2020 & 2028 5.2. Teleradiology 5.2.1. Global teleradiology market size and projections, 2019-2028 5.3. Telecardiology 5.3.1. Global telecardiology market size and projections, 2019-2028 5.4. Telepsychiatry 5.4.1. Global telepsychiatry market size and projections, 2019-2028 5.5. Teledermatology 5.5.1. Global teledermatology market size and projections, 2019-2028 5.6. Others 5.6.1. Global others market size and projections, 2019-2028 Direct purchase a single user copy of the report: https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/researchreport/purchase/66 About Us: Adroit Market Research is an India-based business analytics and consulting company incorporated in 2018. Our target audience is a wide range of corporations, manufacturing companies, product/technology development institutions and industry associations that require understanding of a markets size, key trends, participants and future outlook of an industry. We intend to become our clients knowledge partner and provide them with valuable market insights to help create opportunities that increase their revenues. We follow a code Explore, Learn and Transform. At our core, we are curious people who love to identify and understand industry patterns, create an insightful study around our findings and churn out money-making roadmaps. New York, Feb. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Liberia - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p03599178/?utm_source=GNW While this fixed-line network was neither efficient nor accessible to much of the population, the war rendered it virtually inoperable. As a result, Liberia became a country in which mobile networks essentially provide the only voice and data services available outside Monrovia. The fixed network was a monopoly of Libtelco (rebranded as LTC Mobile in early 2022), a company which became a by-word for mismanagement. The government also lost interest in the company, though from 2020 there have been attempts to revitalise the companys prospects by enabling it to operate mobile services in competition with MTN Liberia and Orange Liberia. Developing fixed-line infrastructure is largely in the hands of private enterprise, along with support from USAID and other agencies. In July 2017 Google started a project with ISPs aimed at improving access to internet services and enhancing IP-delivered services in the health, education, and agriculture sectors. Google is being supported by its partner CSquared, which built a fibre network covering parts of Monrovia and connecting 51 government institutions. Ithas also designed small-scale fibre metro networks in Kampala and Accra. CSquared in November 2021 was awarded a licence tobuild an open-access fibre network across Liberia, which will be available to MNOs and ISPs on a wholesale basis. Key developments: National carrier Libtelco is rebranded as LTC Mobile ahead of its launch of GSM services; CSquared is approved to deploy fibre infrastructure covering all of Liberia; Regulator tightens SIM card registration scheme; MNOs again investigated for poor QoS; Global Voice Group (GVG) delivers International Gateway Management System; Regulator to receive portion of operator revenue under new payment regime; Report update includes telcos operating data to Q3 2021, updated Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, assessment of the global impact of the pandemic on the telecoms sector, recent market developments. Companies mentioned in this report: LTC Mobile (Liberia Telecommunications Corporation, Libtelco), MTN Liberia (LoneStar), Cellcom, Comium (Novafone), LiberCell, Globacom, West Africa Telecom (WAT) Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p03599178/?utm_source=GNW About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Vancouver, Canada, Feb. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Next Decentrum Technologies Inc. (Next Decentrum) announced today the debut of Crypto Emirati, the first collection of original digital artworks created by Emirati artists and releases as a series of NFT drops each with its own theme. Collectors can register their interest to get early access at CryptoEmirati.World NFT art sales peaked at almost 1.5 million sales per month in 2021. And across 2021, a total of over 11 million NFT art sales were made according to NonFungible. "We are honored to introduce such remarkable artists from the MENA region to the world, and work with them to capitalize on the many benefits of NFTs," said Hussein Hallak, CEO of Next Decentrum. Under the creative directorship of Zeinab Alhashemi, Emirati conceptual artist, and Creative Advisor at Next Decentrum, Crypto Emirati was born out of a love for the United Arab Emirates and a fascination for all that this young country has achieved in only 5o years. Crypto Emirati curates several collections to showcase unique works of Emirati artists. UAE50, the first collection is in commemoration of the 50th Jubilee of the formation of the United Arab Emirates. As an Emirati myself I am very proud of this collection and it has been a pleasure working with Zeinab and all the talented artists to bring Crypto Emirati to life, said Sarah Al Marashi, Co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer and MENA Lead for Next Decentrum. Its not easy even for a known artist to reach a wider market, not to mention raising funds to pursue ambitious artistic visions, Said Zeinab Al Hashemi, Conceptual Artist & Creative Advisor at Next Decentrum This is why Im excited about working with the Next Decentrum team on this project to utilize the power of NFTs and give local artists a global platform. Commenting on her involvement in the collection, Aysha Al Hamrani, a talented Emirati artist popularly known as Mnwarah, said NFTs are a new medium that artists are just starting to become familiar with. Crypto Emirati expands my artistic horizon and allows me to experiment with new ways to engage with art lovers and collectors. Ive been hearing so much about NFTs, but I was hesitant. But the vision of the project, the creative support from Zeinab and the patient and educational approach of the Next Decentrum team helped me have more confidence and feel excited about the next steps. Said Shamma Buhazza Other artists who are taking part in the Crypto Emirati collection include award-winning film director, animator and artist Mohammad Fikree who said, As an artist, I am always excited about exploring new creative mediums. Digital art forms an important part of animation and I have explored pixel art in the past, so when I was approached by Zeinab and Next Decentrum I jumped at the opportunity. Maitha Demithan, a renowned Emirati visual artist known for her photography, painting and photo transfers and one of the contributing artists to the collection said: Navigating through the multiple platforms and information sources on NFTs can be very overwhelming. The Crypto Emirati project was a painless experience where I learned so much about NFTs. I feel supported as an artist and have the space to create and focus on the artwork itself. When asked about his experience, one of the youngest participating artists, Sultan Al Ramahi said, It has been an honor and privilege working with Zeinabs. Her vision and creative direction made the process enjoyable and I cant wait to release more artworks in the near future. As for Amira Almussawi, the youngest artist in the group, she said It has been a great learning experience for me and I was honored to create pieces representing the country I love alongside artists I admire. After launching Momentable.ai, a proprietary NFT platform, Next Decentrum is planning several collaborations with leading artists, museums and cultural institutions to present collectors with iconic artworks. With the accessibility and reach made possible by NFTs, the vision for Crypto Emirati is to do a series for releases, each with its own theme, and provide collectors with access to the works of established and upcoming artists from the region. Collectors can register their interest to get early access at CryptoEmirati.World Website: https://nextdecentrum.com/ FREDERICK, Md., Feb. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- C12, the nation's largest business forum for Christian CEOs and business owners will host an executive briefing in Frederick, Maryland on Friday, Feb. 18. Featured speaker, Rich Daughtridge, President and CEO, of Maryland-based Warehouse Cinemas, will discuss their journey to creating a brand that is getting national attention for its appeal to customers, impact on culture and community, and ability to attract and retain great employees. Presented as a guide for senior business executives, Daughtridge will walk through the process, identify opportunities and pitfalls, and answer questions. Attendees will gain a fresh understanding for what it takes to build, nurture and protect a high-performing brand. This Executive Briefing is for Maryland c-level executives and business owners. The cost for registration is $30 which includes a catered lunch. Qualified executives can register online via Eventbrite. For more information, contact David Weigelt, C12 Maryland Principal Chair, at david.weigelt@c12maryland.com. C12 is a global business forum for Christian CEOs and business leaders who want to build great businesses for a greater purpose. Unlike business bible studies or Christian business networking groups. C12 an architected environment for business, life, and leadership transformation. Designed exclusively for Christian CEOs and executives, the C12 format helps calibrate the entirety of a business by providing a framework and format to evaluate and align to the focus areas in our signature 5-Point Alignment Matrix: revenue generation, operations management, financial management, organizational development, and ministry in and through the business. Related Images Image 1: Rich Daughtridge, President and CEO of Warehouse Cinemas Image 2: C12 Logo This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment Dublin, Feb. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Big Data Market by Leading Companies, Solutions, Use Cases, Infrastructure, Data Integration, IoT Support, Deployment Model and Services in Industry Verticals 2022 - 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report provides an in-depth assessment of the global big data market, including business case issues/analysis, application use cases, vendor landscape, value chain analysis, and a quantitative assessment of the industry with forecasting from 2022 to 2027. This report also evaluates the components of big data infrastructure and security framework. This report also provides an analysis of leading big data solutions with key metrics such as streaming IoT data analytics revenue for leading providers such as Teradata, IBM, Oracle, SAS, and Datameter. The report evaluates, compares, and contrasts vendors, and provides a vendor ranking matrix. Analysis takes into consideration solutions integrating both structured and unstructured data. Big data solutions are relied upon to gain insights from data files/sets so large and complex that it becomes difficult to process using traditional database management tools and data processing applications. The publisher sees key solution areas for big data as commerce, geospatial, finance, healthcare, transportation, and smart grids. Key technology integration includes AI, IoT, cloud and high-performance computing. AI facilitates the efficient and effective supply of information to enterprises for optimized business decision-making. Some of the biggest opportunity areas are commercial applications, search in the big data environment, and mobility control for the generation of actionable business intelligence. In terms of big data integration with cloud-based infrastructure, cloud solutions allow companies that previously required large investments into hardware to store data to do the same through the cloud at a lower cost. Companies save not only money but physical space where this hardware was previously stored. The trend to migrate to big data technologies is driven by the need for additional information derivable from analysis of all of the electronic data available to a business. To realize the true potential to transform intelligence information from the huge amount of unstructured data, government agencies cannot leverage traditional data management technologies and DB techniques in terms of processing data. To understand patterns that exist in unstructured data, government agencies apply statistical models to large quantities of unstructured data. Industry verticals of various types have challenges in capturing, organizing, storing, searching, sharing, transferring, analyzing, and using data to improve business. Big data is making a big impact in certain industries such as the healthcare, industrial, and retail sectors. Every large corporation collects and maintains a huge amount of data associated with its customers including their preferences, purchases, habits, travels, and other personal information. In addition to the large volume, much of this data is unstructured, making it hard to manage. Big data technology will help financial institutions maximize the value of data and gain a competitive advantage, minimize costs, convert challenges to opportunities, and minimize risk in real-time. As an example, in the transportation industry, real-time applications can match loads to a vehicle's capacity using data analytics. Big data provides shipping and delivery companies with real-time notifications and updates to increase efficiency and accuracy. Big data technologies provide financial services firms with the capability to capture and analyze data, build predictive models, back-test, and simulate scenarios. Through iteration, firms will determine the most important variables and also key predictive models. Financial firms are increasingly migrating their data and analytics to the cloud, leading to reduced cost, better data management, and better customer service. Data and insights can also be transferred far quicker than before, allowing representatives to provide customers with real-time data backed insights. Healthcare services can be applied more accurately with big data. Decisions based on real-time data and assistance from AI/ML solutions. Private health insurance providers can gain access to previously inaccessible information and databases through big data. Healthcare customer service processes can also be streamlined while providing personalized more personalized medical care to individuals. Big data analytics allows retail companies to examine and interact with their audience online in new ways. Predictive analytics can analyze a consumer's activity and recommend suggested items to them. Once a consumer has purchased from a company, big data can help retain that customer by better understanding what a person wants. For example, Amazon collects all its customers' data to provide a personalized experience, earning up to 35% of its revenue from its customers' data. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a model of managing relationships and interactions between the company and customer. This includes using technology for organizing, automating, and synchronizing all customer-related information like sales, marketing, services, support and more. Big data represents a big business opportunity and it is poised to do more than just improve CRM. Data analytics is useful for Supply Chain Management (SCM) because it can analyze a variety of variables across a business' operations. SCM service providers use advanced analytics to analyze materials, products in inventory and imports/exports to better understand needs. This helps a business to manage its assets better, saving time and money. Data analytics can predict future risks based on history and a large set of data. Select Report Findings: Big data in SCM will exceed $7.1B globally by 2027 Big data in business intelligence apps will reach $54.9B by 2027 Data Integration & Quality Tools to reach $10.2B globally by 2027 Enterprise performance analytics will reach $31.4 globally by 2027 Combination of AI and IoT (AIoT) will rely upon advanced big data analytics software Real-time data will be a key value proposition for all use cases, segments, and solutions Market leading companies are rapidly integrated big data technologies with IoT infrastructure Key Topics Covered: 1.0 Executive Summary 2.0 Introduction 3.0 Big Data Challenges and Opportunities 4.0 Big Data Technologies and Business Cases 5.0 Key Big Data Sectors 6.0 Big Data Value Chain 7.0 Big Data Analytics 8.0 Standardization and Regulatory Issues 9.0 Big Data in Industry Vertical Applications 10.0 Key Big Data Companies and Solutions Companies Mentioned 1010Data Accenture Actian Corporation AdvancedMD Alation Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Alpine Data Labs Alteryx Amazon Anova Data Apache Software Foundation Apple Inc. APTEAN AthenaHealth Inc. Attunity BGI Big Panda Bina Technologies Inc. Booz Allen Hamilton Bosch Capgemini Cerner Corporation Cisco Systems CLC Bio Cloudera Cogito Ltd. Computer Science Corporation Compuverde CRAY Inc. Crux Informatics Ctrl Shift Cvidya Cybatar Data Inc. Data Stax Databricks DataDirect Network Dataiku Datameer Definiens Dell EMC Deloitte Domo eClinicalWorks Epic Systems Corporation Facebook Fluentd Flytxt Fujitsu Genalice General Electric GenomOncology GoodData Corporation Google Greenplum Grid Gain Systems Groundhog Technologies Guavus Hack/reduce Hitachi Data Systems Hortonworks HP Enterprise HPCC Systems IBM Illumina Inc Imply Corporation Industry Connectivity Consortium Informatica Intel Inter Systems Corporation Jasper (Cisco Jasper) Juniper Networks Knome,Inc. Leica Biosystems (Danaher) Longview MapR Marklogic Mayo Medical Laboratories McKesson Corporation Medical Information Technology Inc. Medio Medopad Microsoft Microstrategy MongoDB (Formerly 10Gen) MU Sigma N-of-One Netapp NTT Data Open Text (Actuate Corporation) Opera Solutions Oracle Palantir Technologies Inc. Pathway Genomics Corporation Pentaho (Hitachi) Perkin Elmer Platfora Qlik Tech Quality Systems Inc. Quantum Quertle Quest Diagnostics Inc. Rackspace Red Hat Revolution Analytics Roche Diagnostics Rocket Fuel Inc. Salesforce SAP SAS Institute Selventa Inc. Sense Networks Shanghai Data Exchange Sisense Social Cops Software AG/Terracotta Sojern Splice Machine Splunk Sqrrl Sumo Logic Sunquest Information Systems Supermicro Tableau Tableau Software Tata Consultancy Services Teradata ThetaRay Think Big Analytics Thoughtworks TIBCO Tube Mogul Verint Systems VMware VolMetrix Wipro Workday (Platfora) WuXi NextCode Genomics Zoomdata For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/1y7mns Dublin, Feb. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "South African Fast Food/QSR Industry Landscape Report 2021" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report provides a dynamic synthesis of industry research and carefully uncovers the South African Fast Food/QSR market, based on the latest intelligence and research. This Industry Landscape Report provides a holistic perspective of the Fast Food/QSR market, including the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the potential future impact it will continue to have on the market. In particular, it provides detailed insights into the entire value chain - from manufacturing to retailing, as well as a pricing analysis. Furthermore, the report provides an overview and insights into the latest global and South African market trends, innovation and technology, drivers and challenges, to present an objective insight into the South African Fast Food market environment and its future. The effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continue to have a significant impact on the global and South African Fast Food industry, particularly in terms of preferences for contactless Fast Food purchasing and delivery. This is resulting in the rapid proliferation of innovative contactless ordering and delivery services, to ensure that market players meet consumer demands for safe and convenient Fast Food, during the global pandemic. Similarly to the global context, In South Africa, the spend on online food delivery has experienced significant growth amid the COVID-19 pandemic, almost doubling in value between 2019 and 2020. In particular, according to the latest FNB data, the Uber app remains the most used delivery app, whilst Mr D Food recorded the largest increase in usage (140%) since the start of the lockdown. Key Questions This Report Answers The South African Fast Food/QSR Industry Landscape Report 2021 provides a holistic overview of the global and South African market and will help answer the following questions: For the Global Vitamins Industry Section What are the current market dynamics of the Global Fast Food industry? What is the Fast Food industry market size in different geographic regions? What are the Global Fast Food industry trends, innovations and technologies, drivers, and challenges? For the South African Vitamins Industry Section What are the current market dynamics (market size, market value, market volumes): 2015-2020 Actual, 2021-2025 Forecasts (including the impact of COVID-19)? What are the South African Fast Food industry trends, innovation and technology, drivers and challenges? What are the latest South African Food trends in terms of food festivals, food markets, food trucks, and online ingredient delivery services? For the South African Fast Food Competitor Analysis Section Who are the key players in the South African Fast Food industry by category: Burgers, Chicken, Pizza, Pies, and Other? How are each of the Fast Food competitors positioned in the market? What is the latest marketing and advertising news (including social media) for each of the Fast Food competitors? For the South African Fast Food Pricing Analysis Section What are the prices and recent promotions of popular Fast Food brands by category: Burgers, Chicken, Pizza, Pies, and Other? Who Is This Report for? This report is for people who already are actively working on this market, representatives of producers, distributors, importers, exporters, wholesalers, retailers, suppliers: Industry C Level Executives Directors Industry Strategists Marketing Professionals Market Research and Intelligence Managers Business Development Professionals Product Developers Product Marketers and Strategists Product Managers Project Managers Suppliers Traders Categories/Products Coverage This report covers the following categories: The Fast Food/QSR market is segmented into Limited Service Restaurants (Chained and Independent), Asian, Bakery, Burger, Chicken, Convenience Stores, Fish, Ice Cream, Latin American, Middle Eastern, Pizza, Other, Drive-Through, Eat-In, Home Delivery, Take-Away, Offline and Online. Key Topics Covered: 1. GLOBAL FAST FOOD INDUSTRY 1.1 Global Industry Overview: VALUE OF THE GLOBAL FAST FOOD MARKET: 2021** & 2026* (IN US$ BILLION) (Graph) 1.2 Global COVID-19 Impact: Fast Food Market and Consumer Behaviour 1.3 Global COVID-19 Impact: Fast Food Outlet Design 1.4 Global Market Environment: BRAND VALUE OF 10 MOST VALUABLE FAST FOOD BRANDS WORLDWIDE: 2020 VS 2021 (IN US$ BILLION) (Graph) 1.5 Global Key Markets: Regional Overview: VALUE OF THE GLOBAL FAST FOOD MARKET, BY REGION: 2021** (IN US$ BILLION) (Graph) 1.6 Global Industry Trends 1.7 Global Industry Innovation and Technology 1.8 Global Industry Drivers 1.9 Global Industry Challenges 2. SOUTH AFRICAN FAST FOOD INDUSTRY 2.1 South African Industry Overview 2.2 South African Industry Market: South African Limited-Service Restaurants Market Definitions 2.3 South African Industry Market: South African Limited-Service Restaurant Type Definitions 2.4 South African Industry Market Size: Limited-Service Restaurants Market (2015-2020): VALUE OF SA LIMITED-SERVICE RESTAURANTS MARKET: 2015-2020 (IN ZAR MILLION) (Graph); SA LIMITED-SERVICE RESTAURANTS MARKET CAGR AND TOTAL GROWTH (PERCENTAGE) (Table); SA LIMITED-SERVICE RESTAURANTS CAGR AND TOTAL GROWTH BY RESTAURANT TYPE (PERCENTAGE) (Table) 2.5 South African Industry Market Size: Limited-Service Restaurants Market (2015-2020: By Restaurant Type): MARKET VALUE OF SA LIMITED-SERVICE RESTAURANTS MARKET BY RESTAURANT TYPE (Table) 2.6 South African Industry Market Size: Limited-Service Restaurants Market (Forecast: 2021*-2025*): VALUE OF SA LIMITED-SERVICE RESTAURANTS MARKET: 2021* & 2025* (IN ZAR MILLION) (Graph); SA LIMITED-SERVICE RESTAURANTS MARKET VALUE FORECAST (IN ZAR MILLION) (Table); SA LIMITED-SERVICERESTAURANTS MARKET VALUE FORECAST BY RESTAURANT TYPE (IN ZAR MILLION) (Table) 2.7 South African Industry Market Size: 2015-2020: By Foodservice Type (Eat-In Vs Delivery & To Go): VALUE OF SA LIMITED-SERVICE RESTAURANTS MARKET: EAT-IN VS DELIVERY & TO-GO FOR 2015-2020 (IN ZAR MILLION) (Graph); SA LIMITED-SERVICE RESTAURANT REVENUE SHARE - EAT-IN VS DELIVERY & TO-GO: 2015 VS 2020 (Table) 2.8 South African Industry Market Size: 2015-2020: By Foodservice Type (Online Vs Offline Ordering): VALUE OF SA LIMITED-SERVICE RESTAURANTS MARKET: ONLINE VS OFFLINE FOR 2015-2020 (IN ZAR MILLION) (Graph); SA LIMITED-SERVICE RESTAURANT REVENUE SHARE - ONLINE VS OFFLINE: 2015 VS 2020 (Table) 2.9 South African Industry Trends 2.10 South African Industry Innovation and Technology 2.11 South African Industry Drivers 2.12 South African Industry Challenges 2.13 South African Food Festivals 2.14 South African Food Markets 2.15 South African Food Trucks 2.16 South African Online Ingredient Delivery Services 3. SOUTH AFRICAN FAST FOOD RETAIL ANALYSIS 3.1 Eclectic Brands: Overview 3.2 Famous Brands Limited: Overview 3.3 Famous Brands Limited: Financial Performance: FAMOUS BRANDS' GROUP ANNUAL FINANCIAL RESULTS (IN ZAR THOUSAND); FAMOUS BRANDS' REVENUE BY GEOGRAPHIC REGION FOR THE YEAR ENDED 28 FEBRUARY 2021 (IN ZAR MILLION) (Graph and Table) 3.4 Grand Parade Investments: Overview 3.5 Grand Parade Investments: Financial Performance: GRAND PARADE INVESTMENTS' CONDENSED UNAUDITED INTERIM RESULTS FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020 (IN ZAR THOUSAND); GRAND PARADE INVESTMENTS' SEGMENTED FOOD DIVISION REVENUE FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020 (IN ZAR THOUSAND) (Graph and Table) 3.6 MSA Holding Limited: Overview 3.7 Spur Corporation: Overview 3.8 Spur Corporation: Financial Performance: SPUR UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL RESULTS (IN ZAR THOUSAND); SPUR'S SEGMENTED FRANCHISE REVENUE* FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020 (IN ZAR THOUSAND) (Graph and Table) 3.9 The Franchise Co.: Overview 3.10 YUM! Brands: Overview 4. SOUTH AFRICAN FAST FOOD INDUSTRY COMPETITOR ANALYSIS 4.1 Store Footprint of South African Fast Food Franchises 4.1.1 Footprint of South African Fast Food Franchises: 2020 vs 2021: FOOTPRINT OF TOP SOUTH AFRICAN FAST FOOD FRANCHISES: 2020 VS 2021 (Graph) 4.2 South African Fast Food Competitor Analysis: Burgers 4.2.1 Fast Food Retail Outlets: Service Definitions 4.2.2 Social Media Followers: Fast Food Competitor Analysis: Burgers 4.2.3 Burger King: Overview 4.2.4 Burger King: Marketing and Advertising News 4.2.5 Burger Perfect: Overview 4.2.6 McDonald's: Overview 4.2.7 McDonald's: Marketing and Advertising News 4.2.8 RocoMamas: Overview 4.2.9 RocoMamas: Marketing and Advertising News 4.2.10 Steers: Overview 4.2.11 Steers: Marketing and Advertising News 4.2.12 Wimpy: Overview 4.2.13 Wimpy: Marketing and Advertising News 4.3. South African Fast Food Competitor Analysis: Chicken 4.3.1 Social Media Followers: Fast Food Competitor Analysis: Chicken 4.3.2 Afro's Chicken Shop: Overview 4.3.3 Barcelos: Overview 4.3.4 Chicken Licken: Overview 4.3.5 Chicken Licken: Marketing and Advertising News 4.3.6 Chicken Xpress: Overview 4.3.7 Galito's: Overview 4.3.8 Hungry Lion: Overview 4.3.9 Hungry Lion: Marketing and Advertising News 4.3.10 KFC: Overview 4.3.11 KFC: Marketing and Advertising News 4.3.12 Mochachos: Overview 4.3.13 Nando's: Overview 4.3.14 Nando's: Marketing and Advertising News 4.3.15 Popeyes: Overview 4.3.16 Zebro's: Overview 4.4 South African Fast Food Competitor Analysis: Pies 4.4.1 Social Media Followers: Fast Food Competitor Analysis: Pies 4.4.2 King Pie: Overview 4.4.3 King Pie: Marketing and Advertising News 4.4.4 Pie City: Overview 4.5 South African Fast Food Competitor Analysis: Pizza 4.5.1 Social Media Followers: Fast Food Competitor Analysis: Pizza 4.5.2 Andiccio24: Overview 4.5.3 Debonairs Pizza: Overview 4.5.4 Debonairs Pizza: Marketing and Advertising News 4.5.5 Panarottis Pizza Pasta: Overview 4.5.6 Panarottis Pizza Pasta: Marketing and Advertising News 4.5.7 Pizza Hut: Overview 4.5.8 Pizza Hut: Marketing and Advertising News 4.5.9 Pizza Perfect: Overview 4.5.10 Pizza Perfect: Marketing and Advertising News 4.5.11 Roman's Pizza: Overview 4.5.12 Roman's Pizza: Marketing and Advertising News 4.6 South African Fast Food Competitor Analysis: Other 4.6.1 Social Media Followers: Fast Food Competitor Analysis: Other 4.6.2 Anat: Overview 4.6.3 Anat: Marketing and Advertising News 4.6.4 Chesanyama: Overview 4.6.5 Fishaways: Overview 4.6.6 Fishaways: Marketing and Advertising News 4.6.7 Sausage Saloon: Overview 4.6.8 Spur Steak Ranches: Overview 4.6.9 Spur Steak Ranches: Marketing and Advertising News 4.6.10 The Fish & Chip Co.: Overview 5. SOUTH AFRICAN FAST FOOD PRICING ANALYSIS 5.1 South African Fast Food Pricing Analysis: Burgers 5.1.1 Fast Food Pricing Analysis: Burgers: Burger King, Burger Perfect, McDonald's, RocoMamas, Steers, Wimpy - Comparative pricing of Classic Beef Burger, Cheese Burger, Speciality Burger, Chicken Burger, Beef Combo, Cheese Combo, and Speciality Combo 5.1.2 Fast Food Pricing Analysis: Recent Burger Promotions 5.2 South African Fast Food Pricing Analysis: Chicken 5.2.1 Fast Food Pricing Analysis: Chicken: Afro's Chicken Shop, Barcelos, Chicken Licken, Chicken Xpress, Galito's, Hungry Lion, KFC, Mochachos, Nando's, Popeyes, Zebro's - Comparative pricing of Burger, Burger Meal, Wrap, Chicken Nuggets/Strips, Chicken Pieces (2pc/), and Chicken Wings 5.2.2 Fast Food Pricing Analysis: Recent Chicken Promotions 5.3 South African Fast Food Pricing Analysis: Pizza 5.3.1 Fast Food Pricing Analysis: Pizza: Andiccio24, Debonairs Pizza, Panarottis, Pizza Hut, Pizza Perfect, Roman's Pizza - Comparative pricing of Margherita, Regina, Hawaiian, Four Seasons, Chicken and Mushroom, Meaty, Vegetarian, and Speciality 5.3.2 Fast Food Pricing Analysis: Recent Pizza Promotions 5.4 South African Fast Food Pricing Analysis: Pies and Other 5.4.1.a Fast Food Pricing Analysis: Pies: King Pie and Pie City - Comparative pricing of Chicken, Steak and Kidney, Sausage Roll, Spinach and Feta, and Cornish 5.4.1.b Fast Food Pricing Analysis: Other: Anat, Chesanyama, Fishaways, Sausage Saloon, The Fish & Chip Co. - Comparative pricing of various menu items 5.4.2 Fast Food Pricing Analysis: Recent Pies and Other Promotions For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/i219k6 Attachment LOS ANGELES, Feb. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Amuse, the fastest growing cannabis delivery company in California, today announced its partnership with Cookies, an international cannabis brand and retail powerhouse. Amuse will serve as the first and primary cannabis delivery partner in California for Cookies' locations, starting in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose and Sacramento, with more coming in California throughout 2022. "There is no replacement for the Cookies in-store experience, but we see great value in providing our customers the option to get their favorite products delivered to their home via Cookies' new online digital experience delivered by Amuse. We could not be more excited to offer this to our customers," said Berner, Co-Founder and CEO of Cookies. Cookies' top-shelf products, including Lemonnade, Collins Ave, Run the Jewels, Grandiflora, Minntz and Runtz, are available through pickup or delivery at select Cookies' retail locations. "We are proud to partner with Cookies to help them unlock last-mile delivery," said Alex Becker, Co-President and Chief Revenue Officer of Amuse. "As the industry continues to evolve, it's more important than ever for us to collaborate with like-minded organizations, like Cookies, that drive the industry forward." Amuse and Cookies' focus on authentic, quality products will accelerate safe, convenient delivery of Cookies' premier cannabis products to consumers statewide. For more information, please visit Amuse.com and Cookies.co. About Amuse Founded in summer 2020 in Los Angeles, Amuse is a cannabis delivery company providing premium service and high-quality products safely and conveniently. Amuse offers over 500 products, including flower, pre-rolls, vaporizers, gummies, chocolates, joints, pens, and topicals from the most coveted brands in California. The company's objective is to make purchasing and delivering cannabis feel as good as consuming it. The company currently services Los Angeles and the Bay Area with additional expansion plans slated across California throughout 2022. For more information, please visit Amuse.com and follow Amuse on Instagram and Facebook. About Cookies Cookies, founded in 2010 by Billboard-charting rapper and entrepreneur Berner and Bay Area breeder and cultivator Jai, is the most globally recognized cannabis company in the world. Cookies values the power of the plant and focuses on creating game-changing genetics. The company offers a collection of over 70 proprietary cannabis strains and more than 2,000 products. Cookies also actively works to enrich communities disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs through advocacy and social equity initiatives. Headquartered in San Francisco, the company opened its first retail store in 2018 in Los Angeles and has since expanded to over 40 retail locations in 17 markets across 4 countries. Cookies was named one of America's Hottest Brands of 2021 by Ad Age, the first cannabis brand to ever receive this accolade. Learn more at Cookies.co. Contact Rachel Dubin Amuse Holdings, Inc. rachel@amuse.com Related Images Image 1 This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment Dublin, Feb. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Australia Route Optimization Software Market - Forecasts from 2021 to 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Australia route optimization software market is projected to witness a compound annual growth rate of 9.94% to grow to US$120.808 million by 2026, from US$60.217 million in 2019. The market is expected to surge in the country, due to the increasing food and home delivery services, growth in e-commerce, and other related factors. The increasing number of internet and smartphone users is also expected to play a major role in the market growth. According to the data given by the Australia Bureau of Statistics, there were more than 15 million internet subscribers in the country in the year 2019, and the volume of data downloaded also increased at a significant rate. The growth in the hospitality industry had also been expected to play a major role in the market growth. Major food delivery companies, such as Manulog, Deliveroo, and UberEATS had been transforming the country's eatery behavior. Nestle, one of the major food and beverage players in the market, had stated that around 68 million food orders are being made in the country every year, and the food delivery segment takes a major share of those orders. These trends and developments are expected to play a major role in the market growth, in the coming years. Major companies have been making significant developments in the market. For instance, Verizon Connect, one of the major players in the market, has been providing route optimization and planning software to its customers in the country. The company had stated that their software helps in finding cost-effective routes and saves capital and time. These trends and developments are expected to play a major role in the market growth, in the coming years. Growth in E-Commerce The market is expected to surge in the coming years, due to the growth in e-commerce in the country. The increasing number of smartphone and internet users has propelled the e-commerce market growth. The rise in online marketing and shopping application and the increasing involvement of millennials has become an imperative factor in the overall enhancement of the market. According to the International Trade Administration, the country has been one of the biggest e-commerce markets, worldwide and its revenue has been projected to reach US$32.3 billion in the year 2024. Online commerce has been representing around 9% of all the retail trade in the country. Route optimization solutions help in the enhancement of the online delivery experience. It allows the user to save or reduce overhead costs and increase online delivery efficiency. Major companies have been making significant developments in the market. For instance, MyRouteOnline has been providing route planning services to its customers in the country. The company has also created a navigation assistance app for smartphone users, which helps in making routing output easier to use. Other players are also making key developments in the market. For instance, Caliper provides Maptitude software that finds and identifies routes for deliveries and travel and also calculates the distances between the respective destinations. These developments are expected to play a major role in the market growth, in the coming years. Rising Adoption of Cloud-Based System A cloud-based route optimization software offers all the features and functionalities of any advanced route optimization software, along with the added advantages of scalability, enhanced security, easier disaster recovery, and always-on customer support among others. Everything becomes centrally managed when using a cloud-based product as it offers real-time optimization functionalities as well as reduces the need to constantly worry about scheduling time and resources to perform maintenance or to upgrade security. Moreover, the cloud-based deployment model involves little capital costs and requires low maintenance, making it increasingly in demand by various companies, including small and medium-sized enterprises as well as large companies. The major factor contributing to the growth of this segment includes the growth of the e-commerce industry in Australia. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, online sales in Australia registered a 55% rise in December 2020 compared to the same period last year. Australia Post's Online Shopping Report published in January 2021 further reveals that over 5.6 million Australian households shopped online in December 2020, a 21.3% growth compared to the 2019 average, indicating the explosive growth of e-commerce in the country, which subsequently, is expected to propel the demand for route optimization software as well, considering its ability to plan and optimize efficient routes for an entire delivery fleet based on the business's constraints and goals and by assisting dispatchers by automating the work of manual planning. Rising Use for Food Delivery Applications Owing to the changing lifestyle, increasing disposable income, rapid urbanization, and surging population the demand for food delivery in the country has exponentially increased. According to a survey conducted by Canstar Blue in Australia, Australians spend an average of $44 on food delivery services per month, which is $528 per year. The flourishing food delivery market in Australia will subsequently strengthen the market growth for route optimization software in the country as this software help in determining the most cost-efficient route that delivery personnel should take to increase efficiency and reduce costs. The software helps in minimizing the drive time of the driver for multiple stops, which results in making the delivery faster. The food delivery platforms such as Menulog, Deliveroo, Uber Eats, Hey You, Happy Cow, etc. allow users to place an order by simply taping on their mobile screens due to which such platforms have gained high traction in Australia. Menulog is Australia's widest-reaching food delivery service provider, covering the majority of the country. DoorDash, a United States-based on-demand food platform, entered the Australian food delivery market in September 2019 to tap the market potential. The presence of new and existing players in the market will accelerate the demand for route optimization software in the Australian market. Companies Mentioned Trimble Inc. ORTEC Microlise Ltd. OMNITRACS ESRI Route4Me Inc. Routific Verizon Connect For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/7hu30f Attachment In a release issued under the same headline earlier today by Westland Insurance Group Ltd., please note that Campbell, Roy & Eldridge Insurance Services was previously written out of order. The corrected release follows: Westland Insurance Acquires Campbell, Roy & Eldridge Insurance Services, Expands Presence in Ontario SURREY, British Columbia, Feb. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Westland Insurance Group Ltd., Canadas largest independent Canadian-owned brokerage, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Campbell, Roy & Eldridge Insurance Services whose primary location is in Markham, Ontario. Campbell, Roy & Eldridge is a full-service brokerage that is known for helping their personal and commercial lines clients across a wide range of insurance needs, including hard to place risks, comments Jamie Lyons, President & Chief Operating Officer of Westland. Their approach to ensuring clients feel valued and protected is well aligned to our culture and were excited to have them join the Westland family. With these acquisitions, Westland now has over 2,200 employees serving communities coast-to-coast across Canada. About Westland Insurance Group Westland Insurance Group is one of the largest and fastest-growing independent property and casualty insurance brokers in Canada. Trading $2.5 billion of insurance premium, Westland continues to expand nationally. Westland's brokers provide expert advice to business, residential, auto, farm, life and group insurance clients. Since its founding in 1980, Westland has remained a family-owned company that is committed to supporting its local communities. For more information, please visit westlandinsurance.ca. Media Contact: Westland Insurance Group Ltd. Cari Watson, SVP, Marketing & Client Experience Phone: 778-571-3829 mediainquiry@westlandinsurance.ca www.westlandinsurance.ca Dallas, Texas, Feb. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Priority Aviation, Inc. (OTC Pink: PJET) (PJET) recently published the companys 2022 strategic overview presentation introducing the soon to be launched Student Housing By Owner (SHBO) Application (APP) and detailing the plan to evolve the SHBO APP into a global Amazon-like marketplace serving the 500 million global college student marketplace. Management emphasized today that the execution of the companys strategic plan is building balance sheet assets, and that those assets have the potential to generate revenue. The SHBO APP is a proprietary technology custom designed by PJET that will carry intellectual property value recorded on the balance sheet and generate revenue. PJET is getting hands on experience in the student life marketplace by investing in the construction and operation of a multi-unit student residence building serving a small university in Texas. The building will add balance sheet asset value and generate revenue in addition to providing a source of real-time data for the ongoing development and evolution of the SHBO APP. Company Website www.pjet-info.com --The French Tech 120 list represents the 120 top performing and rapidly growing startups based in France across all industries, including 7 biotechnology companies developing innovative therapies-- LYON, France and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Amolyt Pharma, a global company specialized in developing therapeutic peptides for rare endocrine and related diseases, today announced that the company has been selected for the French Tech FT120, a support program for French late-stage startups by the French State. The French Tech 120 program identifies the 120 top-performing startups based in France. This years award included 7 biotechnology companies developing innovative therapies. The selection is based on financial criteria of fundraising or hypergrowth of sales. The objective of the French Tech 120 is to aid the development of new technological players, like Amolyt, that are responding to the major challenges facing society. The globally renowned reputation of the French Tech 120 program will greatly benefit the company by providing increased visibility and a range of services. We are honored to be recognized in the French Tech 120 program. Last year was transformative for Amolyt Pharma as we completed an $80 million Series B equity financing, reached important milestones for our portfolio with positive clinical data in healthy volunteers for our lead candidate and added a new program while growing our leadership team with the addition of Louis J. Arcudi III as our Boston-based chief financial officer, said Thierry Abribat, Ph.D., founder and chief executive officer of Amolyt Pharma. We look forward to building on our recent momentum to develop our company and to leveraging the French Tech 120 program and recognition. About French Tech 120 The objective of the French Tech 120 is to support the development of these new technological players that respond to the major challenges facing society: offering solutions for the ecological transition, for the health of citizens, for mobility, to modernize the fabric of SMEs and ETIs, etc. The French Tech 120 offers support designed for French scale-ups capable of becoming world-class technology leaders. 120 French start-ups and scale-ups are selected each year to be part of the program. The selection, based on financial criteria of fundraising or hypergrowth of sales, is open to all models of startups (digital, deeptech, industrial) and all sectors of activity. About Amolyt Pharma Amolyt Pharma, a clinical stage biotechnology company, is building on its teams established expertise in therapeutic peptides to deliver life-changing treatments to patients suffering from rare endocrine and related diseases. Its portfolio includes AZP-3601, a long-acting PTH analog as a potential treatment of hypoparathyroidism, AZP-3813, a peptide growth hormone receptor antagonist for the potential treatment of acromegaly, and AZP-3404, which is undergoing indication selection work. Amolyt Pharma aims to further expand and develop its portfolio by leveraging its global network in the field of endocrinology and with support from a strong syndicate of international investors. To learn more, visit https://amolytpharma.com/ or follow us on Twitter at @AmolytPharma. Media: Cherilyn Cecchini, M.D. LifeSci Communications ccecchini@lifescicomms.com +1.646.876.5196 Investors: Ashley Robinson LifeSci Advisors, LLC arr@lifesciadvisors.com +1.617.430.7577 SAN DIEGO, Feb. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NP Digital, a leader in performance marketing, has achieved 2022 Premier Partner status in the Google Partners program. The announcement aligns with the sizeable growth in the agencys paid media offering. Premier Partner status is the designation Google awards to the top-performing digital marketing partners in the global Google Partners program. The designation is especially meaningful as the 2022 program requirements significantly grew for ad performance, ad spend, and Google advertising certifications. As our paid media operations scale, its our top priority to deliver world-class service and performance. The Premier Partner status underscores our efforts to stay at the forefront of the industry and deliver top-tier results to our clients, said Mike Gullaksen, CEO of NP Digital. The elite status will allow us to further advance growth for our clients. NP Digital has been a top Google Premier Partner agency since 2019. The program provides NP Digital with access to expert training, resources, and support to help its clients scale their Google ads program. The NP Digital team manages paid search, social and programmatic for its domestic and internationally operating enterprise fortune 500 clients and mid-market challenger brands. The achievement joins a growing list of paid media awards for the agency, including a 2021 DRUM Award for Search in PPC for Best Global B2B Campaign and an OMMA Awards Finalist in three other categories: Best B2B Campaign, Online Marketing Excellence in Technology, and Best Email Campaign. ### About NP Digital: NP Digital is a global performance marketing agency focused on enterprise and mid-market challenger brands. Underpinned by its proprietary technology division and platform Ubersuggest, NP Digital is regarded as one of the fastest-growing, award-winning performance marketing agencies in the industry. It was named Search/Performance Marketing Agency of the Year in 2021 by MediaPost. NP Digital views marketing through a consultative lens that takes a holistic view when applying specialist execution to build meaningful partnerships. These partnerships include some of the worlds most prominent Fortune 500 brands in addition to mid-size, DTC challenger-type organizations. NP Digital spans across the globe with over 500 employees, seven offices and a headquarters in San Diego. For more information visit npdigital.com or neilpatel.com/ubersuggest. Attachment NEW YORK, NY, Feb. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- ILUS International Inc (OTC: ILUS) is a Mergers and Acquisitions company focused on acquiring and developing public safety technology-based companies across the globe. In just over one year since new management took over ILUS, the company has already added its sixth strategically aligned acquisition to its stable. ILUS is acquiring KurveXR from TakeLeap, a futuristic technology company which creates artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions. KurveXR is the profitable and valuable Virtual and Augmented Reality division of TakeLeap, which ILUS is acquiring. The agreed acquisition develops and delivers training solutions for public safety including fire safety, emergency response, community safety, security, and corporate onboarding. As a company that began its life through the development of disruptive firefighting technology, ILUS is excited to continue this trend by now becoming the first company to offer fire safety training in the Metaverse. Through the acquisition of KurveXR, ILUS is expanding its reach into the Metaverse market which is growing at meteoric speed. Already valued at $500 billion, the global Metaverse market is currently expected to exceed $1 trillion by 2025. Such is the potential that Goldman Sachs recently referred to the Metaverse as an $8 trillion revenue opportunity. Also demonstrating exponential growth potential, the global Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) market is expected to reach $300 billion by 2024. In partnership with TakeLeap, ILUS had already been exploring this market potential in the Middle East through its acquisition, BCD Fire. Having witnessed firsthand how the technology will revolutionize public safety and security as well as the extraordinary revenue potential from its licensing models, ILUS made the decision to acquire KurveXR from TakeLeap. Nick Link, CEO of ILUS, said the following: Following on from the recent acquisition of Vira Drones, we are now further advancing our disruptive technology with the addition of KurveXR to our portfolio. We have been working with TakeLeap for some time now, and it is exciting to acquire this perfectly aligned virtual and augmented reality division from them to drive forward our growth in the public safety and security arena. This is another acquisition which will rapidly expand and achieve an extraordinarily high valuation. We are entering the Metaverse and will be the first to offer lifesaving technology in this space. KurveXR is based out of Dubai, United Arab Emirates with a software development hub in Southeastern Europe. ILUS is acquiring a substantial wealth of software code and intellectual property. For example, KurveXR has already developed over 6,000 custom digital assets for its training software. Putting this into perspective, a single 3D digital asset can take up to 4 months to develop. ILUS expects to generate $25 million over the next 24 months through KurveXRs profitable software licensing model, given that the company already has contracts in place in seven countries. KurveXR is already discussing several substantial contracts in Europe and Asia. ILUS is already focusing on expanding the agreed acquisitions current customer base beyond the Middle East and Europe and will be opening an office for the company in Florida, USA early in the second quarter of 2022. ILUS will also be moving five key members of the KurveXR team to Florida from Dubai to ramp up its global expansion. The team members will include the companys CEO, Sales Director, Lead Software Engineer, Marketing Manager and Technical Support Manager. Beyond this, ILUS expects to grow the US team, especially as the company is already in the process of developing solutions for several US headquartered customers. KurveXR currently offerstwenty-two VR and AR training simulation software modules for fire safety, first aid and basic onboarding. These modules are designed according to local standards and can be purchased off the shelf by customers. The fire safety training module includes individual tutorials which teach learners about the common causes of fire, fire triangle, fire classification, types of fire extinguishers and how to use a fire extinguisher. Further tutorials include fire detecting equipment, firefighting equipment, fire alarm response protocol, evacuation protocol and incident reporting. In terms of the existing fire extinguishing training simulations, tutorials include training for the extinguishing of electrical fires, combustible material fires, kitchen fires and chemical storage fires. The first aid module includes tutorials for first aid information, emergency response protocols, CPR, external bleeding, internal bleeding, fractures, broken bones, burns, eye wounds, choking, incident reporting and finally, health and wellbeing. The software includes a dynamic dashboard for both individuals and management to monitor progress, results and download certifications. Off the shelf modules which can also be purchased via the companys website, are currently in place for the following environments: corporate offices, manufacturing facilities (factories), retail outlets and hospitality facilities (hotels and resorts). The company also develops customized modules for HSE training (Health, Safety and Environmental) which many multi-national companies are required to provide to their staff. Bespoke VR and AR modules are developed for firefighting training, fire protection training, security awareness, security protocols, disaster preparedness, emergency response, COVID-19 testing and more. It is ILUS intention to rapidly expand the current product offering by rolling out a further twenty-five modules anddemocratize widespread access to potentially lifesaving VR and AR training. Organizations today are required to adhere to local, regional, and national health and safety regulations through the training and education of staff. It is essential for companies to empower their staff to maintain a safe working environment through the ability to protect themselves, their colleagues, and their companys assets. Fire and Life safety training remains a key component of the regulated health and safety training requirement globally. Hotels, Schools, Hospitals, Restaurants, Airlines, Corporate Enterprises, Emergency Services and many more sectors are required to ensure that their staff complete fire and life safety training on an ongoing basis. Currently, this training is costly, time consuming and inefficient. It almost always requires a trainer or group of trainers to deliver the training in-person. The implementation of VR and AR training packages by companies means there is a minimal need for large numbers of learners to be divided into groups and training can be conducted much quicker. Learners receive additional benefit from experiencing real scenarios and threats to safety which often isnt the case in a classroom environment. Standardization of the course curriculum is a key benefit of Virtual Reality training. Courses can obtain approval and certification from the relevant local authorities and therefore organizations deploying the training can have complete confidence that the approved training is being delivered repeatedly to the learners. The solutions can be customized by country so that the training program can be used globally by multi-national organizations across their chains, maximizing efficiency, reducing cost, and improving quality control. Additional advantages of the VR and AR training include maximum involvement and attention of the learners since the training is engaging and more enjoyable. The increased attention combined with the practical experience improves responses during real life situations. VR and AR Training speeds up the onboarding process for new staff and improves the level of practical knowledge retention within an organization. It reduces the need for large spaces to be used for training as it can be completed at home or in the boardroom. This reduces cost, schedule conflicts and even pollution. ILUS aims to play a leading role in the transformation of all five phases emergency management: prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. The acquisition of KurveXR is significant in that the technology can impact on all five phases. ILUS is progressing strongly with its strategy of acquiring manufacturing, distribution, and technology advancement companies. The company remains focused on its foundational fire and rescue business whilst also expanding into the wider public safety sector. John-Paul Backwell, Managing Director of ILUS, concluded with the following: ILUS is entrenching its tentacles into the entire emergency response ecosystem. KurveXRs technology aligns perfectly with our technology advancement strategy. KurveXR is the future of safety and security training. The foundation is firmly in place for this company to become one of ILUS most valuable assets. The intellectual property, written code, licenses, experienced development team, existing customers and a pioneering roadmap are just a few of the fundamentals that make KurveXR truly special. There will be more to come from us as we continue to bring more disruptive and complimentary technology into our fold. For further information on the companies, please see their communication channels: Website: https://ilus-group.com Twitter: OTC_ILUS Email: IR@Ilus-Group.com Source: ILUS Related Links https://ilus-group.com Linthicum Height, Maryland, Feb. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NFM Lending, a Top 25 national mortgage lender, announced today a partnership with Landsea Homes Corporation to serve in the capacity of Preferred Lending Partner. NFM and Landsea signed the agreement on November 1, 2021. In eight years, Landsea Homes has grown into one of the premier national public homebuilders with a strong and successful presence in each of their key markets: Arizona, Northern and Southern California, Texas, and Florida. Landsea is strategically well-positioned to continue growing year over year. NFM has realized a similar trajectory in the mortgage space, having catapulted to a top 25 national mortgage lender during that same timeframe, doing business in 47 states nationwide plus the District of Columbia. NFM has been in business since 1998 and is regularly recognized among its peers for exemplary service and a great customer experience. NFMs COO/CAO, Bob Tyson, and Western Division President Ryan Sandell helped form the partnership. We are very excited about the opportunity to work closer with the team at Landsea Homes. Weve enjoyed building a great relationship with them and look forward to growing with them in the future, said Tyson. Sandell added, NFM and Landsea Homes have an incredible working relationship throughout the country. This partnership is an ideal pairing of two companies who are both focused on delivering top-notch service for our customers. We are always striving to provide our homebuyers with the premier new home purchase experience, said Mike Forsum, President and Chief Operating Officer of Landsea Homes. This partnership with NFM will allow our homebuyers to enjoy a streamlined loan process and superior customer service. We believe they will find this is a game changer in the homebuying process. About NFM Lending NFM Lending is an award-winning, multi-state residential mortgage lender currently licensed in 47 states and the District of Columbia. NFM Lending focuses on assisting consumers in obtaining a residential loan that meets their needs while ensuring that they are receiving exemplary service throughout the process. NFM Lending is dedicated to streamlining the loan process to shorten the time from loan application to closing without sacrificing service, quality, or compliance. The company operates on a platform of high standards, while always putting honesty, integrity, and ethics at the highest level of importance. For more information about NFM Lending, visit www.nfmlending.com, like our Facebook page, or follow us on Instagram. ### Via Story.Kisspr.com - Press Release Distribution Publicist Contact az@kisspr.com ### Attachment Washington, DC, Feb. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mohaimina "Mina" Haque, renowned immigration, employment, business, and personal injury lawyer, has joined the adjunct faculty of American University Washington College of Law (AUWCL) to teach about launching and managing a law practice. Haque is the principal attorney and founder of the Law Office of Mohaimina Haque PLLC and regularly represents clients in both the Washington, D.C. Superior Court and the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, offering a full range of services from counseling to litigation. Before launching her practice, Haque developed extensive experience working on a wide portfolio of legal issues in the federal government, in courts, and for U.S. senators. I have the drive to share my experiences by educating the next generation of law students to build successful careers as attorneys or entrepreneurs, said Haque, a graduate of AUWCL. Its an honor to be able to return to the school that launched my career so that I can help others. Her course at the law school is an invaluable resource for students to develop an understanding of the business of practicing law, understand the skills needed to manage their own law firm, and ensure the firm embraces technological developments that will not only keep the firm competitive in the 21st century but also make its daily operation more cost-effective. This class is unlike any other course that someone might have taken or will take in law school, said Haque, whose firm has established itself as an industry leader by harnessing innovations such as cloud storage and electronic filing to improve efficiencies and quality of service. AUWCL was founded more than 120 years ago and was the first-ever law school created by women. The school is located on AUs Tenley campus, which is northwest Washington, D.C. It routinely wins many accolades in rankings of law schools. For example, U.S. News & World Reports law school rankings for 2022 listed AUWCL as the sixth-best in the country for international law, the eighth-best for intellectual property law, and the eleventh best for health law. Haque graduated cum laude with her Juris Doctor from AUWCL, and she also holds both a Master of Arts and a Bachelor of Arts in Social and Public Policy from Georgetown University. I have always admired and tried to live up to academic excellence, and I am looking forward to encouraging my students to do the same, said Haque. Graduating with a solid academic record is a crucial early step toward achieving the dream of starting your own practice. In her teaching role, Haque will detail her experiences, challenges, and triumphs with founding her law practice while continuing to grow her client list and case types. Haques previous roles include work for the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) where she handled constituents immigrant casework, and for current Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA). She also interned in several key positions, including for the prestigious White House Internship Program where she served at the Domestic Policy Council in President Barack Obamas Executive Office, and in the chamber of D.C. Superior Court Judge Erik Christian. Other prior work includes for the U.S. Department of Justices Antitrust Division, where she was given the Assistant Attorney General's Award for Distinguished Work, and as an honors attorney for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Haque is licensed to practice law in Washington, D.C., and Missouri, and also admitted to practice law in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She lives in the D.C. metro area with her husband, who is a technology transactions attorney, and her two daughters. Media Details The Law Office Of Mohaimina Haque PLLC Mohaimina (Mina) Haque Phone Number: 202-355-6384 https://www.attorneymina.com NEW YORK, Feb. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C., a nationally recognized stockholder rights law firm, has launched an investigation into whether the officers or directors of Peak Bancorp Inc. (Other OTC: IDFB) breached their fiduciary duties or violated the federal securities laws in connection with the companys acquisition by BAWAG Group AG (Other OTC: BWAGF). Click here to learn more and participate in the action. On February 2, 2022, Peak announced that it had entered into an agreement to be acquired by BAWAG in a deal worth approximately $65 million. Pursuant to the merger agreement, Peak stockholders will receive $12.05 in cash for each share of Peak common stock owned. Bragar Eagel & Squire is concerned that Peaks board of directors oversaw an unfair process and ultimately agreed to an inadequate merger agreement. Accordingly, the firm is investigating all relevant aspects of the deal and is committed to securing the best result possible for Peaks stockholders. If you own shares of Peak and are concerned about the proposed merger, or you are interested in learning more about the investigation or your legal rights and remedies, please contact Melissa Fortunato or Alexandra Raymond by email at mergers@bespc.com or telephone at (646) 860-9157, or by filling out this contact form. There is no cost or obligation to you. About Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C.: Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. is a nationally recognized law firm with offices in New York, California, and South Carolina. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in commercial, securities, derivative, and other complex litigation in state and federal courts across the country. For more information about the firm, please visit www.bespc.com . Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. San Diego, CA, Feb. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Through an affiliated entity, Corcoran Global Living, an independently owned and operated affiliate of Corcoran Group LLC, has acquired an ownership interest in Gradus Capital, Inc., the parent company of Innovative Title Company and HomeData Disclosure Services, Inc. Since first launching in the Reno/Lake Tahoe and the San Francisco Bay Area nearly two years ago, Corcoran Global Living has flourished into an impressive power broker across California, Nevada, and Ohio. The approach has been selective and strategic in identifying and partnering with like-minded, visionary leaders in creating the collaborative culture of the company and its associated services and affiliations. As we continue to deliver on our growth strategies, we look for ways to positively influence the real estate transaction experience for our associates and clients, said Michael Mahon, Chief Executive Officer of Corcoran Global Living. Our investment in a key provider of title services gives us an opportunity to help evolve the real estate transaction even beyond the role of a brokerage and to create a more seamless experience. Gradus Capital, Inc. was founded in 2013 by Brian Hurley, former president of Stewart Title of California and a co-owner and operator of multiple California title and escrow companies. Innovative Title Company, a Gradus Capital subsidiary, is licensed as an underwritten title company in 25 major California counties. I believe in the power of partnerships, said Hurley, President of Gradus Capital and Innovative Title. As the real estate business works toward a future-state that better understands and models the needs of homebuyers and sellers, having strategic guidance and participation from front line brokerages and agents is key to building a long-term settlement strategy. According to the American Land Title Association, the title insurance industry has seen a flurry of mergers and acquisitions through the end of 2021 and into 2022 because of an extremely active mortgage and real estate market, according to a recent article on bizjournals.com. Hurley confirmed that multiple parties were interested in Gradus Capital and its subsidiaries. I was fortunate to have many partnership options, Hurley said. From large settlement providers seeking to shore up scale before a cyclical shift, to proptech and fintech companies seeking points of entry to the residential real estate market, interest in Gradus Capital was unusually high. I chose the team behind Corcoran Global Living, not only because of their impressive track record, but also because our vision for market evolution is fully aligned. This partnership brings us more than a settlement service offering, added Mahon. With Brian, we have a partner who shares our core values, helps us facilitate a better experience for clients and associates alike, and furthers our commitment to best serve the communities we call home. About Corcoran Global Living Founded on the principle of putting people first, Corcoran Global Living, an independently owned and operated affiliate of The Corcoran Group, serves the Northern California, Southern California, Reno/Lake Tahoe, Southern Nevada, and Central Ohio markets with more than 70 strategically located offices throughout the regions. Corcoran Global Living is well positioned to provide exceptional service to its loyal clientele with nearly 2,600 dedicated, professional associates and gross annual sales of $10 billion. Known for making a positive difference in the communities where associates and staff live, the Corcoran Global Living organization is poised for expansive growth to service clients in California, Nevada, Ohio, and additional new markets and communities. From luxury homes and income properties to vacation getaways and first-time homes, Corcoran Global Living has the experience, insight and expertise to achieve and surpass clients highest expectations. For more information, visit CorcoranGL.com. ### Attachment COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, Feb. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eight small businesses will come together from across the United States for the Catalyst Accelerators cohort focused on Hybrid Data Movement. The Catalyst Accelerator, powered by the Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles Directorate (AFRL/RV), was developed to promote technology advancement for the warfighter and guide technology transfer for the government to industry and vice versa. The US Space Force (USSF), Combatant Command operators, strategic decision makers, and tactical users need capabilities that can support hybrid data architectures to pull, store, move, analyze, correlate, display and push any kind of data to any user at any given time from any source in space or on earth. Therefore, the US Space Force, in conjunction with AFRL/RV, sought companies with innovative technologies to accelerate development of this hybrid data architecture and ensure the movement of the data happens for USSF in real time or near-real time. The Hybrid Data Movement cohort will meet every other week for 3 months beginning March 1st. Each company will collaborate with subject matter experts, work with government and commercial Sherpas, complete an intensive customer discovery process, and receive funding sponsored by Microsoft. The cohort will conclude with a Demo Day on May 26th where they will pitch their technology to Government and Industry partners. KiMar Gartman, Program Director for The Catalyst Accelerator, stated, The Catalyst Accelerator team, along with 13 others from Industry and Government, spent the month of January choosing the top eight companies of those that applied for the Accelerators Spring cohort focused on Hybrid Data Movement. These companies have technologies that we believe will assist the Air Force and Space Force in developing a secure, scalable hybrid data environment so that users can manipulate diverse data sets from varied sources with greater speed and accuracy. We look forward to an amazing Accelerator session with the companies we have selected! Capt Scott Hedden, Government Lead for The Catalyst Accelerator, expressed, We are thoroughly impressed with the technology these small businesses can bring to the Government and Commercial sector, and Im excited to be involved with the Catalyst Accelerator team helping deliver enhanced capabilities to the Warfighter! The Catalyst Accelerator team, with technical advisement from both Government and Industry experts, selected the following small businesses to participate in the upcoming Hybrid Data Movement cohort: Archangel Lightworks (Orlando, Florida) is developing laser technology for the next generation of satellite communication. Their technology enables satellite operators to download 100x more data from orbit more quickly and more securely than radio frequency-based approaches. Their laser technology will massively increase the amount of valuable data downloadable from orbit bringing more data for climate monitoring, agriculture, and many other Earth Observation use cases down to the people who are using it to improve life on Earth. Their vision is a future where disparate networks across space, air, ground and sea are securely connected using wireless laser links creating truly ubiquitous connectivity. https://www.archangel.works/ krtkl (critical) (San Francisco, California) provides high-reliability hardware and software solutions for hard real-time applications in the robotics, sensing, and space industries. krtkl's mission is to build a smarter, more connected world by democratizing access to advanced technology. The companys products have been deployed in thousands of mission-critical commercial and defense systems with demanding performance requirements and size, weight, and power (SWaP) constraints. krtkl's high-bandwidth, radiation-tolerant space mesh router allows for rapid deployment of low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite constellations. The hardware is front-end agnostic and software reconfigurability enables on-orbit processing without additional SWaP or cost impacts. https://krtkl.com/ Matchbook AI (Studio City, California) offers the only data solution that helps customers connect in real-time to fully mastered data that is trusted, enriched and always ready for business. This is where their transformational reference data as a service (RDaaS) platform creates incredible business value. RDaaS enables customers to connect on-demand, discover what matters most and manage third-party provider data, including Experian, Moodys and Dun & Bradstreet. By residing between a customers enterprise data systems and third-party data providers, RDaaS creates centralized data governance with distributed controls to empower companies with trusted data for impactful decision-making. Customers can connect in real-time to fully mastered data that is trusted, enriched and always ready for business. https://matchbookai.com/ Pixspan (Rockville, Maryland) provides the fastest and easiest data acceleration for moving large data files of any type and size on-premise and to, from, and within the Cloud, globally and on demand. Pixspan's software products accelerate and enhance Cloud and On-Premise workflows, offering unprecedented savings in time, storage and infrastructure costs. Pixspan offers Bit Exact Round Trip lossless compression of full-resolution images for speeding up transfers over limited bandwidth. https://www.pixspan.com/ QuSecure (San Mateo, California) is the global leader in quantum cybersecurity. Theyre using the threat of quantum attacks as a catalyst to fix the foundation of digital infrastructure - by putting security first, they assure private and safe communication, anytime, anywhere, on any device. Their software-based solution combines zero-trust endpoint management, unbreakable quantum keys, ultra-fast transport protocols, and Legacy Protocol Switching to deliver unparalleled end-to-end security on earth and in space. QuSecures vision is to create an exceptionally secure world through post-quantum cryptography. https://www.qusecure.com/ Spectronn (Holmdel, New Jersey) has a software platform that concurrently and in real-time optimizes heterogeneous data networking and computing for resilient and low-latency situational awareness. It virtually combines all available networking and computing assets in space and on earth to deliver smart data (satellite, UAV, SAR, RADAR, CCTV, RF, and IoT sensors) collection, storage, sharing, and analytics. AVA, their human-centered AI engine combines deep machine learning, computer vision, and natural language processing to analyze the collected data for visual storytelling and Q&A. These integrated capabilities deliver clear, real-time intelligence to first responders, warfighters, and commercial stakeholders, without cognitively overloading them everything they need and nothing they do not. https://www.spectronn.com/ Swiss Vault (Princeton, New Jersey) has re-imagined the data storage platform with innovative Software & Hardware. The small form-factor and easy to use design can be utilized from Edge networks to massive scale up data centers, and the platform is 10X more energy efficient than existing data servers. Data also has a significant environmental impact due to the short lifespan of equipment and resulting electronic waste. Swiss Vault systems are long-lasting, modular, durable, and purposely built for the Circular Economy. With all of these features, Swiss Vaults mission is to provide technology to organizations for better, economical, resilient and environmentally sustainable, data management. https://swissvault.global/ TurnRock Labs (Seattle, Washington) has a mission is to make autonomy affordable for everyone. TurnRock seeks to revolutionize the world of general-purpose robotics by leveraging human brainpower to create more adaptable, resilient, and future proofed systems. They believe that the next generation of coordinated autonomy will depend on faster and more effective real-time integration of software intelligent agents and the humans who operate them. TurnRock is developing the Dynamic Multi-Echelon Agent Control (DMAC) platform to provide real-time integration and simulation capabilities for digital twin models to inform decision making. https://www.turnrocklabs.com/ About Catalyst Accelerator The Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles Directorate and United States Space Forces Catalyst Accelerator is a NewSpace-focused defense and national security industry accelerator, headquartered on the Catalyst Campus for Technology and Innovation (CCTI) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. CCTI is a collaborative ecosystem where industry, small business, entrepreneurs, startups, government, academia, and investors intersect with Colorados aerospace and defense industry to create community, spark innovation, and stimulate business growth. The Catalyst Accelerator is a collaborative program hosted by Catalyst Campus for Technology and Innovation (CCTI, a Colorado 501(c)3) in partnership with the United States Space Force, and the Air Force Research Laboratory to provide a robust, mentor-driven curriculum for accelerator teams. Attachment San Diego, CA, Feb. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The New Homes Division of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties continued its growth streak in 2021, with its agents becoming the favorite sales representative of many builders and developers throughout Southern California. Headed by founding New Homes Directors Markus Canter and Cristie St. James of the companys Beverly Hills office, the Division has strengthened its prominence in the busy Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego County markets, with a strong focus on representing condominium, townhouse, mid-rise, high-rise, mixed-use, and single-family-home developments. The New Homes Division offers developers cutting-edge, comprehensive sales management, marketing, advertising, consultation, market research, and broker outreach, Markus said. In 2021, we boosted our portfolio significantly despite the pandemic, and look forward to adding even more clients in 2022. The New Homes Division has collaborated with some of the regions most respected developers, investors, private partners, and builders to represent distinguished new properties from Santa Barbara to San Diego. Among the developments that selected the New Homes Division for sales representation in 2021 were the following: Rancho Los Remedios, a new wine-oriented, gated community near lovely San Miguel De Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico. Maria Ines Rosas in the La Mesa/El Cajon office is the exclusive U.S. marketing representative for 89 residential lots. Plaza Corona del Mar, six extraordinary new luxury homes in the highly desirable beachside community of Corona del Mar. Kandis Arnold in the Newport Beach office is the exclusive listing agent. Magnolia Court, a new, 40-condominium community, conveniently located on downtown Oxnards historic F Street. Melody OLeary-Namikas and Kaitlin Miller in the Ventura office are the exclusive sales representatives. Sea Glass, a new eight-unit residential condominium development in the heart of Carlsbad, based on a saw-tooth design that maximizes western ocean views for every unit. Lin Li in the La Jolla office is listing agent. Three parcels on unique vacant land, perched above La Jollas Barber Beach Tract, will be developed into three single-family homes in a private gated community. Shannon Mahoney in the La Jolla office guided the final stages of the escrow process. Fourteen44, a development sited in a prime central Santa Monica location that offers a beautifully curated luxury building with two unique penthouse suites that capture city-to-mountain views, and six very private condo residences filled with high-end designer finishes. Markus Canter & Cristie St. James with St. James + Canter & Associates in the Beverly Hills office are the exclusive listing agents. A wealth of support flows to the New Homes Division from Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties, including one-stop mortgage, escrow, title services, and an in-house legal department. With the world-renowned strength and integrity of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties brand backing us, we are confident that the New Homes Division will set new standards of excellence within the exciting new-homes space, Markus said. About Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties proudly supports 3,000 sales associates in 45 offices spanning Santa Barbara to San Diego. In 2020, our expert agents assisted more than 10,000 client transactions and over $13 billion in volume. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties is a wholly owned subsidiary of HomeServices of America, Inc., and a member of HSF Affiliates, LLC. BHHS and the BHHS symbol are registered service marks of Columbia Insurance Company, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate. For more information, visit www.bhhscalifornia.com. To learn about career opportunities, visit www.bhhscalifornia.com/careers. Wheat Ridge, COLORADO, Feb. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GenTech Holdings, Inc. (OTC Pink: GTEH) (GenTech or the Company), (a/k/a Supplement Group (USA) Inc.,) ( www.gentechholdings.com ) an emerging leader in the Functional Foods ( www.sinfit.com ) and Nutritional Supplement ( www.americanmetabolix.com ) marketplaces, is pleased to announce that one of its fastest growing brands Nature Soothie ( www.naturesoothie.com ) has surpassed +100k soothies sold since being majority acquired in August 2021. SINFIT Nutrition, Inc. acquired a 75% controlling stake in Nature Spoon, LLC in August 2021 and it is already showing exponential growth in unit sales as well as being picked up by many major Supermarkets and Independent Chain Stores across the country. Nature Soothie suckers sold +100,000 individual soothies between August 2021 and present day, showing incredible growth over the previous period and is testament that the sales operation at SINFIT Nutrition, Inc. drives exponential growth into brands. Leonard K. Armenta Jr., CEO of SINFIT Nutrition, Inc. commented that The growth we are seeing from Nature Soothie, not only in independent chains, but also in Whole Foods and Sprouts is incredible, and I am hugely proud of what the team has achieved with this brand in such a short time, in both absolute numbers and in market penetration across the US. With Sprouts and Whole Foods now stocking our products we see the growth in this brand really being a surprise star of 2022. Retail locations from Clarks Nutritional Centers in California, through Harmons in Utah and across to the Natural Retail Group in Florida are all stocking the product, as well as many other incredibly successful partners in between. GenTech Holdings, Inc. recently announced that, STORM, another of the companys brands, has assembled an extremely impressive array of retailers both in the US and internationally. With 10 GNC Franchises picking up the brand with locations in Tampa, Houston, Mississippi, and Minnesota recently added they are in good company, as specialty retail stores across the country are already stocking the brand. NIP Fitness, Total Nutrition, OC Discount and Muscle & Strength, are just a handful of those rushing to sign up the brand and are already placing orders. UK and New Zealand distributors are also already in the final days of putting together their orders to take the brand into their established retail footprint territories as well. GenTech Holdings, Inc. has already applied to FINRA for a name change to Supplement Group (USA) Inc. in October 2021 and anticipates approval for this action in February 2022. About GenTech Holdings, Inc. GenTech Holdings, Inc. (a/k/a Supplement Group (USA) Inc., www.supplementgrp.com ) is a publicly traded company under the symbol GTEH. The Company owns and operates leading functional foods brand, SINFIT Nutrition, which offers a range of high-end Functional Foods as well as American Metabolix, Inc. which provides a diverse range of Nutritional Supplements through its brands American Metabolix, Storm Lifestyles and Core Natural Sciences. www.sinfit.com www.americanmetabolix.com www.stormlifestyles.com www.nxtbar.com www.naturesoothie.com www.swftstims.com www.yourganics.com www.mpbsnacks.com Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including information about management's view of GenTech, Inc.'s future expectations, plans and prospects. In particular, when used in the preceding discussion, the words "believes," "expects," "intends," "plans," "anticipates," or "may," and similar conditional expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Any statements made in this news release other than those of historical fact, about an action, event or development, are forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the results of GenTech, its subsidiaries and concepts to be materially different than those expressed or implied in such statements. Unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on GenTech's future results. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date hereof. GenTech cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Finally, GenTech undertakes no obligation to update these statements after the date of this release, except as required by law, and also takes no obligation to update or correct information prepared by third parties that are not paid for by GenTech. Corporate Contact: invest@gentech.group www.gentechholdings.com Public Relations: EDM Media, LLC https://edm.media Attachments Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Libyan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Najla Al-Mangouch, welcomed the interest of the African Union (AU) in the situation in Libya, and its support for successful efforts to maintain stability, which will lead to a successful electoral process LAS VEGAS and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TAAT GLOBAL ALTERNATIVES INC. (CSE: TAAT) (OTCQX: TOBAF) (FRANKFURT: 2TP) (the Company or TAAT) is pleased to announce that its first collection of TAAT branded merchandise is now available for purchase on the TryTAAT e-commerce portal ( http://trytaat.com ). As the base of consumers who regularly use TAAT products steadily grew throughout 2021 after the products first launch in Ohio, the Company announced in its October 6, 2021 press release that it would be releasing a line of branded merchandise in Q1 2022 with an objective of strengthening loyalty to and awareness of the TAAT brand. Limited private releases of TAAT apparel (such as the TAAT logo hats worn by entourage members of champion boxer Floyd Mayweather on June 6, 2021) appear to have generated a desirable level of interest and engagement, particularly with the presence of the Companys Beyond Nicotine slogan. Numerous consumers and investors have inquired about potential future availability of TAAT merchandise, with many based in international markets where TAAT has not yet launched. The Company therefore intends to leverage this enthusiasm by providing fans of TAAT the opportunity to express their support through branded merchandise that can be worn, used, or displayed. The full current selection of TAAT merchandise can be viewed and purchased through the following link: http://trytaat.com/merch A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ff0a2741-9be3-4022-8902-c9fc83a2ca9d Readers using news aggregation services may be unable to view the media above. Please access SEDAR or the Investor Relations section of the Companys website for a version of this press release containing all published media. In addition to distributing TAAT merchandise through TryTAAT, the Company has identified several other possible applications for its branded apparel and accessories in business development initiatives. Select U.S. retailers who carry TAAT products may soon be given the option to carry TAAT merchandise in-store as well. The Company also anticipates TAAT merchandise could be offered as prizes for promotions and contests, with a larger scope of eligible recipients compared to those who can receive packs or cartons of TAAT due to regulations in certain jurisdictions. Furthermore, by maintaining an ample inventory of TAAT merchandise, the Company can furnish branded gear to personnel engaged for promotional purposes (e.g., influencers and celebrities, event teams, etc.) on relatively short notice. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ba8afbe2-4b49-4c12-b85e-a15e8f7422bb Readers using news aggregation services may be unable to view the media above. Please access SEDAR or the Investor Relations section of the Companys website for a version of this press release containing all published media. TAAT Chief Executive Officer Setti Coscarella commented, Great strides have been made since we launched TAAT at retail for the first time in Ohio in December 2020. At that time, and for much of 2021, the TAAT brand was still relatively new and not quite at the point where it made sense to offer merchandise to the general public, especially if it stood to displace our in-house bandwidth for commercializing TAAT as an alternative to tobacco cigarettes, which is our highest priority. As TAAT gained popularity, more and more people from around the world kept asking us about whether or not well be offering merchandise. Now that we have established a footprint in the tobacco industry and our team has scaled accordingly, it is a pleasure for us to release the inaugural collection of TAAT logo gear to the general public. I believe this will be an invaluable promotional instrument for us as we seek to align our offerings with the worlds leading CPG brands, many of which also incorporate branded merchandise into their respective global marketing strategies. On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company, TAAT GLOBAL ALTERNATIVES INC. Setti Coscarella Setti Coscarella, CEO and Director For further information, please contact: TAAT Investor Relations 1-833-TAAT-USA (1-833-822-8872) investor@taatglobal.com THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE (CSE) HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE, NOR HAS OR DOES THE CSES REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER. About TAAT Global Alternatives Inc. The Company has developed TAAT, which is a tobacco-free and nicotine-free alternative to traditional cigarettes offered in "Original", "Smooth", and "Menthol" varieties. TAAT's base material is Beyond Tobacco, a proprietary blend which undergoes a patent-pending refinement technique causing its scent and taste to resemble tobacco. Under executive leadership with "Big Tobacco" pedigree, TAAT was launched first in the United States in Q4 2020 as the Company seeks to position itself in the $814 billion1 global tobacco industry. For more information, please visit http://taatglobal.com . References 1 British American Tobacco - The Global Market Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Often, but not always, forward-looking information and information can be identified by the use of words such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, estimates, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur, or be achieved. Forward-looking information in this news release includes statements regarding the anticipated performance of TAAT in the tobacco industry, in addition to the following: Potential benefits from the launch of the TAAT merchandise collection. The forward-looking information reflects managements current expectations based on information currently available and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed timeframes or at all. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include: (i) adverse market conditions; (ii) changes to the growth and size of the tobacco markets; and (iii) other factors beyond the control of the Company. The Company operates in a rapidly evolving environment. New risk factors emerge from time to time, and it is impossible for the Companys management to predict all risk factors, nor can the Company assess the impact of all factors on Companys business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking information. The forward-looking information included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. The statements in this news release have not been evaluated by Health Canada or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. As each individual is different, the benefits, if any, of taking the Companys products will vary from person to person. No claims or guarantees can be made as to the effects of the Companys products on an individuals health and well-being. The Companys products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This news release may contain trademarked names of third-party entities (or their respective offerings with trademarked names) typically in reference to (i) relationships had by the Company with such third-party entities as referred to in this release and/or (ii) client/vendor/service provider parties whose relationship with the Company is/are referred to in this release. All rights to such trademarks are reserved by their respective owners or licensees. Statement Regarding Third-Party Investor Relations Firms TORONTO, Feb. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EnviroGold Global Limited (CSE: NVRO | OTCQB: RGOZF | FSE: YGK) (EnviroGold Global or the Company), a Clean Technology Company accelerating the worlds transition to a circular-resource economy through the production of Metals Without Mining, is pleased to announce the approval of a key permit by the Government of Newfoundland and Labradors Department of Industry, Energy and Technology Mineral Lands Division, related to its Buchans Project. The receipt of the permit is an important milestone in EnviroGold Globals work towards commercial production of gold, silver, copper & zinc from the Buchans Project in 2023. EnviroGold Global previously announced the results of an independent geophysical survey of the tailings at its Buchans Project that indicated substantial additional tailings along the Western Arc tailings deposit extending from the Buchans Central Claims (link). The Companys permitted sampling and analysis plan will employ Vibracore type technology to collect tailings material from 99 points within the Jeff Wall Claim, which are subject to EnviroGold Globals definitive commercial agreement (link). EnviroGold Global expects to commence work on the core sampling in February 2022. The core samples will be then sent for metal analysis and metallurgical testing, so contributing towards the development of a mineral resource estimate for the Buchans Project in mid-2022. Qualified Person Statement All scientific and technical information contained in this news release was prepared and approved by Ian Hodkinson, MAIG RPGeo, Chief Geologist of EnviroGold Global, who is a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101. About EnviroGold Global EnviroGold Global (CSE: NVRO) (OTCQB: RGOZF) (FSE: YGK), is a Clean Technology company dedicated to creating shareholder value while establishing ESG & circular economy leadership by profitably reprocessing & remediating mine waste (tailings) to recover precious, critical & strategic metals including gold, silver, copper & nickel. Led by CEO Dr. Mark Thorpe, the Company is strategically positioned to earn and maintain social license while capitalizing the estimated US$ 3.4 trillion of in situ metal value in global tailings. Dr. Thorpe is also the Chairman of the Canadian Mining Innovation Council. The Companys commercial strategy involves identifying, qualifying and developing tailings reprocessing opportunities, generally targeting tailings sites with at least 6M metric tonnes of tailings and gross recoverable metal value of $124/tonne of tailings. The Company has reviewed over 300 global tailings sites to date and through further market segmentation has identified potential targets exceeding US$10 billion in gross recoverable metal value. EnviroGold Global acquires the metal recovery rights to tailings sites by leveraging a profit share business model to create an attractive value proposition for site owners. The Companys low-CAPEX business model is designed to generate high free-cash flow & high target IRR while eliminating the risks of traditional exploration and extraction. The Company expects to produce metals with a carbon footprint up to 96% lower than conventional metal producers while reducing the environmental footprint of legacy mining. As of January 2022, the Company has 8 Major Projects in its global project pipeline including 1 major project under contract, 1 major project subject to an MOU, and 6 additional major projects at various stages of commercial negotiation and detailed technical/economic review. The Company expects to commence commercial production of gold, silver & copper in 2022 and is targeting 7 major projects in commercial production by 2025. Additional information can be found on the Companys website (link) and publicly available corporate presentation (link) Further Information Dr. Mark B. Thorpe Chief Executive Officer Telephone: +1 416 777 6720 Email: mark.thorpe@envirogoldglobal.com Juan Carlos Giron Jr. Sr. Vice President Telephone: +1 416 777 6720 Email: juan.giron@envirogoldglobal.com Website: www.EnviroGoldGlobal.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Forward Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including, without limitation, earnings guidance, economic guidance, operational guidance and future capital spending amounts. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking statements. Graphical representations included in this news release are approximate representations which may vary from defined regulatory boundaries. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, will continue, will occur or will be achieved. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expected terms of the Buchans Project and its completion, the Companys working relationship with the owner(s) of the Buchans tailings, the economic viability of the Buchans Project and statements regarding any residual precious metals as a by-product of the remediation, the Companys expansion of its reprocessing pipeline, and the Companys ability to accelerate the worlds transition to a circular resource economy. Forward-looking information in this news release are based on certain assumptions and expected future events, namely: the Companys ability to continue as a going concern; the continued commercial viability and growth in the clean technology and mining waste reprocessing industry; continued approval of the Companys activities by the relevant governmental and/or regulatory authorities; the continued development of clean technology and mining waste reprocessing technology; and the continued growth of the Company. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: the potential inability of the Company to continue as a going concern; the Companys inability to accelerate the worlds transition to a circular resource economy, the risks associated with assessing metallurgical recovery rates from mine tailings and waste and related volumetric assessments, the risks associated with the mining and mining waste recycling industry in general; increased competition in the clean technology and waste reprocessing market; the potential unviability of the clean technology and mining waste reprocessing market; incorrect assessment of the value and potential benefits of various transactions; risks associated with potential governmental and/or regulatory action with respect to clean technology and mining waste reprocessing; risks associated with a potential collapse in the value of clean technology and waste reprocessing; and risks relating to the Companys potential inability to expand its reprocessing pipeline. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Companys expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law. DUBLIN, Calif., Feb. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Giga-tronics Incorporated (OTCQB:GIGA) will release results for the third fiscal quarter ended December 25, 2021, on Tuesday, February 8, 2022, after the close of trading on the OTCQB Market. Also, on February 8, 2022, Giga-tronics will host a conference call at 4:30 p.m. EST to discuss results and to provide an update on Company operations. To participate in the call, dial: (888) 517-2470 toll free or (630) 827-6818 and enter PIN Code 6926 602#. It is recommended that you call in five to ten minutes prior to the start time. A replay of the call will be available later on the Giga-tronics website under Investor Relations. This conference call will reflect managements views as of February 8, 2022, only. Giga-tronics produces electronic warfare test solutions used in the defense industry and RADAR filters used in fighter aircraft. Headquartered in Dublin, California, Giga-tronics is a publicly held company, traded on the OTCQB Market under the symbol GIGA. Source: Giga-tronics Incorporated Gloucester, MA (01930) Today Cloudy skies with a few showers this afternoon. High 51F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Occasional rain. Low 44F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. FILE - Recount observers watch ballots during a Milwaukee hand recount of Presidential votes at the Wisconsin Center, Friday, Nov. 20, 2020, in Milwaukee, Wis. SHIPSHEWANA [mdash] Lorene Miller, 69, Shipshewana, died at 7:15 p.m., Saturday, April 30, at Life Care Center, LaGrange. She was born Sept. 8, 1952 in LaGrange, to Lester and Mary Alice (Miller) Hochstetler. On Oct. 24, 1974 in Shipshewana, she married Chris B. Miller, he survives. Survivor PHNOM PENH, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- The number of domestic and foreign tourists traveling in Cambodia during the first three days of celebration of the Chinese New Year rose 6 percent to 947,497 from a year earlier, according to Tourism Minister Thong Khon on Friday. He said in a report that 931,308 locals and 16,189 foreigners traveled in the kingdom during the period from Feb. 1 to 3. Popular tourist destinations in the Southeast Asian country include the capital city of Phnom Penh, Angkor Archaeological Park in the northwestern Siem Reap province and the 440-km coastline stretching over four southwestern provinces. "During the three-day festival, security, safety and public order had been maintained, and there were no any remarkable problems during the celebration," he said. Although it is not an official holiday in Cambodia, the Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, is broadly celebrated in the Southeast Asian country. Heang Leang Hong, a researcher at the Institute of Culture and Fine Arts of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said the Spring Festival has been gaining its popularity in the country. He estimates that over 80 percent of the Cambodian people celebrate it. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Fragmented Health Response Will Conflict Be Permanent? Federal officers guarding a courthouse in Portland, Ore., teargassed Mayor Ted Wheeler on Wednesday night. It was perhaps the most tangible expression yet of the conflict between levels of government.The coronavirus pandemic has exposed an inability among political actors at the federal, state and local levels to pull together. Theres always friction within the federal system. Now, that friction is generating real heat.On Wednesday, President Trump announced a surge of federal law enforcement into American communities plagued by violent crime. Mayors of major cities including Boston, Denver, Los Angeles and Seattle had already sent the administration a letter saying they wont welcome armed federal agents.Under no circumstances will I allow Donald Trumps troops to come to Chicago and terrorize our residents, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot tweeted.The conflict between Trump and the mayors is only one fight within a multipronged war. Trump has been at odds at various times with governors around the country around health and reopening policies. He has threatened to withhold federal funds from school districts that dont open for in-person instruction. California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, in turn, wants to block federal COVID-19 relief funds from going to states that dont have mask orders in place.Weve grown accustomed to clashes between branches of government when there is divided partisan control. Now there are similarly partisan fights among the different levels of government.Youre seeing geographical partisanship emerging in a clash of wills between different levels of government that might be controlled by different political parties, says David Robertson, author of Federalism and the Making of America Multiple governors have pre-empted local governments on health restrictions. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has sued Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms to block her mask order. Dozens of sheriffs around the country have refused to enforce governors mask orders.Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner says hell charge federal agents who assault or kidnap protesters in his city. Oregons Department of Justice is suing several federal agencies for civil rights abuses in Portland.Anyone expecting American governments to be able to launch a coordinated response to the worst health and economic crises the nation has faced in decades must be disappointed.We would like for federalism to operate smoothly, so we dont have to think about it, says Tim Conlan, a federalism expert at George Mason University. The coronavirus response is actually sort of a perfect measuring stick of our transition to our contemporary, very polarized model of federalism.Carol Calderwood served as public health officer in Ravalli County, Mont., for 13 years. Last weekend, she quit. Gov. Steve Bullock had signed an order requiring indoor face coverings in most counties, but Ravalli County Sheriff Steve Holton and Hamilton Police Chief Ryan Oster both said they wouldnt enforce it. Calderwood wrote that she felt shed been placed in another no-win situation by the locally elected officials decision to disobey the Governors directives without my input. Public health has always been fragmented in this country. During previous epidemics, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention laid out the strategy, which was then executed by state and local health departments.While all levels of government were involved, they were largely dealing from a common set of core values and beliefs, Conlan says. You would likely hear the same response to questions from public health officials, regardless of what level they were at, whether it was the CDC or the county health department.Now, theres argument even within the same level of government. The county health department pleads with the sheriff to carry out its orders. The White House has largely sidelined the CDC, which traditionally would have led federal messaging during a health crisis.The Trump administration has not presented a coherent strategy for states to follow. After Trump prodded states to reopen their economies, presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway on Wednesday blamed them for rising coronavirus case counts, saying they blew through our phases.What the president and the White House are doing strikes me as completely incoherent, says Michael Greve, a law professor at George Mason. On the one hand, they want to say that managing something like this crisis has to be a local or state affair. That impulse strikes me as right. But on the other hand, they then say if you dont play by our rules, we wont send you our money. Only one of those things can be right.Over the decades, federal, state and local actors have worked together closely in areas such as education, public health and road construction. There was always some squabbling, but there was a sense of shared expertise and enterprise in various policy areas, with politicians often deferring to technocratic experts.That all seems to have been forgotten.Its now been shown how creaky the cooperative federalism model is, Greve says. The debate over the schools and debate over what health-care agencies can or cannot do those are pretty big areas of public life. If the government cant deliver on that stuff, what can it do? Its kind of a functional breakdown at all levels.Voters may express unhappiness with incumbents in this years elections, holding them accountable for the poor pandemic response. Its also possible that theyll like what their own partisan team has been doing cheering on their governors for standing up to Trump or sticking by him, or glad that their local electeds stood up to their states, whether it was in favor of imposing greater health restrictions or attempting to nullify them.With divided government and separation of powers, it becomes difficult for the average citizen to pinpoint accountability, Conlan says.Like family members that turn on each other during times of stress, the layers of government might carry sore feelings into the future. Theres certainly precedent for confrontational behavior to become routine.It seemed shocking when Republican attorneys general banded together a dozen times a year to sue the Obama administration by its end. Now, Democratic attorneys general sue the Trump administration three times as often.Were changing federalism from the idea of shared expertise in different policy areas into partisan stakes in the ground that are meant to obstruct opponents, Robertson says. Haas F1 has been the first of the ten Formula 1 teams to present its new livery. Not a lot changes at the American racing stable in terms of livery, although of course it is only about the car being faster than last year. Guenther Steiner is at least optimistic. "We all know what the team is capable of, weve proved that in the past, and with this new car born out of a completely new set of regulations and with our new design team in place Im confident we can showcase once again that we can compete on weekends"," Steiner stated in conversation with Formula 1's official website. Read more Haas present photos of new 2022 F1 car livery The top executive of Haas F1 thanks all his employees who have been toiling over the past months. Its been a tremendous effort by everyone involved and now comes the fun part of getting the new car to the circuit and dialling in all the elements. Last season was a long one but Im confident that 2022 will see us back in the mix with the VF-22. Haas F1 isn't giving everything away The photos that have been released show the first details of the 2022 car, but of course they're not giving away everything yet so as not to make the competition any wiser than they already are. Only during the winter tests will more details be seen and it is expected that many racing teams will only start driving with the very latest parts in Bahrain. Read more Verstappen shows off his new helmet and start number in the snow The FIA is currently full steam ahead with the investigation into everything that happened in the closing stages to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. All team bosses are also being interviewed and asked for their opinion on what happened. Guenther Steiner reveals that he has already been interviewed by the new president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. In those talks, the functioning of Michael Masi will also be discussed. It is still uncertain whether the Australian will return as race director in Formula 1. The results of the investigation will be presented to the outside world on March 18 in Bahrain, but before that time a decision must be made regarding Masi's future. The 2022 season starts on March 18 with two free practices. By Express Steiner is quoted: "I didn't give a lot of recommendations to president Mohammed. We talked about it, they were private talks and I don't want to go there." The Haas F1 team boss is keeping his lips sealed and the expectation is that the other team bosses will do the same. Masi or someone else? He continues by saying, "But I know they are diligently working on it to make it...I wouldn't say better, which is the wrong word...to make it mainly better for whoever is the race director. It's a very difficult job but I'm not here to protect Michael or anything. It is very difficult." According to the rumor circuit, Lewis Hamilton is fervently hoping for a replacement for Masi, but these reports have not yet been confirmed by any reliable source. Slowly but surely it would start to look more and more like Hamilton will 'just' return to Formula 1. But: nothing is certain! Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Chemists at Cornell University have discovered a class of nonprecious metal derivativestransition metal nitrides (TMNs)that can catalyze the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline fuel cells about as well as platinum, at a fraction of the cost. The researchers, led by Hector D. Abruna, the Emile M. Chamot Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences, published their findings in an open-access paper in the journal Science Advances. Hydrogen fuel cells hold great promise for future automotive transportation because of their higher overall energy efficiency and potential zero carbon emissions when compared to internal combustion engines. However, the use of costly platinum (and other precious metals) for accelerating the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) has precluded their widespread deployment for electric vehicle applications. Although extensive research efforts have been devoted to minimizing Pt usage and enhancing its intrinsic activity via alloying and nanostructuring, replacing Pt with nonprecious metals or oxides represents a more promising strategy. Compared to PEMFCs in which the catalyst is estimated to contribute about 40% of the fuel cell stack cost, the primary advantage of anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) is that they enable the use of nonprecious transition metalbased ORR catalysts because of the improved catalyst stability in alkaline electrolytes. In an effort to facilitate the ORR kinetics in alkaline medium, a broad spectrum of nonprecious catalysts has been extensively studied, including metal-nitrogen-carbon, transition metal oxides, and perovskites. In particular, transition metal oxides, especially Co-Mn spinel oxides, have exhibited a power density of over 1 W cm2 in membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs). Unfortunately, the low intrinsic electrical conductivity of those semiconducting spinel oxides has prevented further improvements in their ORR activity. An ideal ORR electrocatalyst should have an active surface responsible for catalyzing the ORR process and a conductive bulk to facilitate the charge transfer. Thus, developing conductive nonprecious catalysts represents a viable and attractive approach to circumvent the conductivity challenges and enhance ORR performance. Here, we report on a group of nonprecious TMNs as potential ORR catalysts in alkaline medium. Zeng et al. Schematic synthesis procedure of metal nitrides (M x N) supported on highsurface area carbon via nitridation with ammonia. HMT, hexamethylenetetramine. Zeng et al. A class of compounds derived from cobalt, manganese, iron and other transition metals, TMNs conduct electricity and, when exposed to air, tend to form a thin oxygen-based outer shell that provides a surface for catalyzing chemical reactions. After synthesizing a family of TMNs with conductive nitride cores and reactive oxide shells, the team tested each candidate catalyst in a model hydrogen fuel cell. Manganese- and iron-based candidates made strong showings. But the cobalt nitride catalyst was the clear winner, Abruna said, with near identical efficiency to platinum while costing 475 times less as of 2 February. The carbon-supported cobalt nitride (Co 3 N/C) catalyst exhibited a half-wave potential of 0.862 V and achieved a record-high peak power density among reported nitride cathode catalysts of 700 mW cm 2 in alkaline membrane electrode assemblies. Hydrogen fuel cells are enormously powerful, enabling you to run at an efficiency that simply does not exist for more traditional engines. People recognize that fuel cells are the way to go. The trick is designing stable and affordable catalysts that make it all possible. Hector Abruna Funding for this research was provided in part by the Center for Alkaline Based Energy Solutions, an Energy Frontier Research Center supported by the US Department of Energy. Resources Lightning eMotors has reached an agreement with General Motors to be the first GM Specialty Vehicle Manufacturer (SVM) to provide fully electric Class 3 through Class 6 commercial vehicles. Under the agreement, Lightning eMotors will electrify popular medium-duty truck platforms provided by General Motors, which can be used for several vehicle applications such as school buses, shuttle buses, delivery trucks, work trucks and more. General Motors Fleet provides a variety of platforms which are designed for qualified Specialty Vehicle Manufacturing customers to upfit vehicles across a broad range of industries and applications. Lightning has developed a flexible manufacturing approach that provides scalable and cost-effective electrification for medium-duty specialty vehicles such as utility trucks, school buses, and ambulances. Electrifying these vehicles results in large operating cost savings, better performance, and zero tailpipe emissions. Lightning eMotors will electrify certain GM platforms at its manufacturing campus in Loveland, Colorado. Completed chassis will be shipped to commercial vehicle manufacturers. CALSTART has published an inventory of Class 2b-8 zero-emission trucks (ZETs) in the US: Zeroing in on Zero-Emission Trucks. The report provides insight on ZET market trends as the industry prepares for an injection of federal funding for charging infrastructure, multiple states implement clean truck regulations, and California prepares to release an additional $873 million in purchase incentives for commercial vehicles and infrastructure. The report finds that as of December 2021, 1,215 ZETs have been deployed in the United States across more than 163 fleets. By comparison, Europe has deployed more than 2,300 MHD ZETs as of 2021, and China deployed more than 20,000 MHD ZETs as of 2021. As of late 2020, there were roughly 23 million Class 2b-8 trucks registered and in-use on US roadsmeaning deployed ZETs make up just 0.005% of the registered MHD truck population. The actual number of deployed vehicles is still quite low, and we do expect to see shifts in delivery dates and actual delivery of those on order as the market players continue to evolve. However, the numbers demonstrate that there is demand that will support significant growth in the industry. CALSTART will continue to track and monitor these developments so the industry and decision-makers have access to the trending numbers. Kevin Walkowicz, senior director of truck programs at CALSTART CALSTARTs Zero Emission Technology Inventory (ZETI) tool captures details of available trucks in the market. As of December 2021, ZETI shows availability of more than 145 different ZET models from more than 30 manufacturers. Most of the available truck models are medium-duty (MD) (Class 3-6) and are currently offered by manufacturers providing retrofit propulsion systems into existing chassis. Electric vehicle (EV)-only manufacturers and manufacturers who currently offer conventionally fueled trucks are increasing model availability and introducing these into the market at a fast pace. The report shows that the highest number of deployed ZETs in 2021 were also MD trucks. Current ZET deployments are concentrated in states that have supportive policies and regulations (California, New York, New Jersey, and Illinois) or have received federal funds for ZET purchases (Texas, Oregon, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, and Massachusetts). The report notes that medium-duty trucks, cargo vans, and medium-duty step vans are the most frequent type of ZET deployed, accounting for 75% of vehicles deployed as of 2021. Source: CALSTART The manufacturer with the largest share of vehicles is Smith EV with 465 vehicles deployed between 2011-2014. Smith EV, however, suspended production of its electric trucks in 2014, CALSTART notes. In 2017, the company suspended all operations indefinitely. At least 165 of these Smith EV MD trucks have been reported non-operational in California, but the status of the other trucks around the country is unknown. Without dedicated servicing from Smith EV, they have likely also been taken out of service by their operators, the report authors suggest. Deployed ZETs by Manufacturer (As of December 2021) Source: Zeroing in on Zero-Emission Trucks Similarly, the majority of EVI, Navistar eStar, Chanje, and Workhorse vehicles are non-operational due to support or operational performance issues, or were removed from service for additional testing. Together over 60% of ZETs that have been deployed in the United States are believed to be currently non-operational. A new generation of MD trucks and step vans has since emerged, built with improved battery chemistry, operational range, and performance capabilities. Of all operational ZETs, Orange EV, a yard tractor manufacturer, has the most deployed vehicles in the United States. Behind Orange EV, BYD has deployed over 90 electric trucks, distributed across their HD truck, refuse truck, yard tractors, and MD truck models. BYD, originally a battery manufacturer, displayed early dominance in the global bus market where it sold over 23,000 electric buses in China as of 2019 and has sold over 750 electric buses in the United States as of 2021. BYDs experience in the bus market assisted its expansion into MHD BET segments. With a robust battery supply chain for MHD battery-electric buses, BYD is likely able to obtain lower battery pack prices than many of its competitors. As of 2019, BYD sold over 3,500 electric trucks in China and is the single largest on-road ZET manufacturer (with operational vehicles) in the United States. Lightning eMotors and Motiv Power Systems both deployed between 30 and 50 MD trucks and vans, respectively. By the nature of their business models, these retrofit manufacturers bypass the establishment of costly production lines for the entire ZET body and chassis and therefore have been able to bring ZETs to market much faster than most other manufacturers. The largest US-based OEMsDaimler, Volvo, Navistar, and PACCAR, which are cumulatively responsible for the entire 2020 U.S. on-road conventional HD truck markethave deployed only 45 HD ZETs to customers as of December 2021. Zeroing in on Zero-Emission Trucks Additional findings include: The number of available ZET models has increased 625% from 2019. While there are numerous hydrogen fuel cell trucks under development and being demonstrated in the US, they are a small percentage of the ZET population. The expected delivery times of the 140,000 ZETs on order are between one and ten years. Zeroing in on Zero-Emission Trucks is based on data gathered from several sources, including market information providers, incentive program records, public press releases, and private correspondence with OEMs (original equipment manufacturers). As there is no centralized accounting of ZETs, it is important to note that figures contained in the report should not be considered static nor should any data on ordered vehicles be considered static. Support local journalism We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. BlueTriton Brands, whose portfolio includes Poland Spring water, has leased a warehouse near Bradley International Airport to expand its distribution capacity. The company will occupy about 279,000 square feet at 18 Craftsman Road in East Windsor, according to commercial real estate firm CBRE, which represented BlueTriton and the landlord in the transaction. Demand for all classes of warehouse distribution is robust, particularly assets in immediate proximity to I-91, affording efficient access to the New York and New England markets, CBRE Vice President Christopher Metcalfe said. Local officials in East Windsor, a town of about 11,000 residents in Hartford County, said they were encouraged by the arrival of BlueTriton. BlueTriton brings a national presence to East Windsor. Our location equidistant between Hartford and Springfield (Mass.), between New York City and Boston, right off of I-91 and in close proximity to Bradley International Airport makes East Windsor ideal for distribution, East Windsor First Selectman Jason Bowsza said. We welcome them, and any business, to East Windsor. There are a lot of good things happening in town and opportunity for more. In response to an inquiry from Hearst Connecticut Media, BlueTriton said in a statement that the new facility in East Windsor will support our growth and innovation strategy. The company was not able to say when the warehouse would open or how many employees would be based there. Last March, BlueTriton was sold for $4.3 billion by Nestle to investment firms One Rock Capital Partners and Metropoulos & Co. The company was formerly known as Nestle Waters North America. Days after its sale was completed, the company announced its name change from Nestle Waters North America to BlueTriton. Triton refers to a god of the sea in Greek mythology, while the blue represents water. As one of the largest beverage companies in North America, BlueTriton manages a portfolio that includes Poland Spring and other regional bottled-water brands, including Deer Park, Ozarka, Ice Mountain, Zephyrhills and Arrowhead, as well as the Pure Life and Splash lines. Nestles international premium-water brands Perrier, S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna were not included in the sale to One Rock and Metropoulos & Co. BlueTriton employs about 6,600 people, with about 200 reporting to the headquarters at 900 Long Ridge Road in Stamford. Last July, Jorge Mesquita was announced as BlueTritons new CEO. He formerly worked as an executive at Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble. pschott@stamfordadvocate.com; twitter: @paulschott Progressive Democrats in the General Assembly joined social justice and union activists on Friday in calling for more public spending at a time of robust state budget surpluses. State Sen. Gary Winfield recalled a time when he had only a few coins to make ends meet, and during a virtual news conference with the umbrella organization of activists called Recovery for All, said that many state residents are still living hand-to-mouth, while the wealthy have become more so in the pandemic. Its the story of trying to make it to the next week, said Winfield, D-New Haven, who is co-chairman of the legislative Judiciary Committee. Its the story of pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters. It wasnt that long ago, said Winfield, who has been in the legislature since 2009. And that story was about me working, doing everything I was supposed to be doing and not making enough money to support my family, he said. There are a lot of people in our state who are turning over the jar of pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters, relying on that because they cant rely on their representatives to have a conversation about the hundreds of millions of dollars that are available to deal with the issues that are in their lives. The group is advocating for higher taxes on the rich; more access to pre-kindergarten and housing opportunities; as well as an expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit and a continuation of the child tax credit that began during the pandemic, but ended recently. The surplus in the budget that expires on June 30 is estimated at more than $2 billion. Connecticut is still in crisis, said Gemeem Davis, co-director of Bridgeport Generation Now, which advocates for good government in the states largest city. The pandemic is not over and hundreds of thousands of people across the state are in need. They are suffering, particularly people of color and working-class white people. Our essential workers remain at high risk and continue to be the hardest-hit after omicron and other variants of COVID-19 ravage the country and the state. Davis criticized Gov. Ned Lamonts proposed $336 million in tax cuts as not enough at a time when the state can invest in underserved communities. The governor has opposed tax increases on the wealthy. Republican senators have proposed a reduction in the sales tax and Democratic leaders have called for more tax credits and property tax relief. Last year, similar attempts to raise taxes on the rich failed in the General Assembly. During the first year of the pandemic, between March 2020 and May of 2021, Connecticut billionaires acquired $12.6 billion in additional wealth, Davis said. They added between $500 million and $3.2 billion each to their coffers while hundreds of thousands of working people saw their lives upended. She said the bottom half of state earners contributed 23.6 percent of their incomes in taxes, while the top one percent give 7.5 percent. She called Lamont out of touch, he is at the moment, when it comes to the states finances and how they should be managed. In particular, Davis pointed to the states $3 billion-plus emergency reserves, which she and fellow advocates said should be used for enhanced social spending. During the 40-minute event, activists were supported by Democratic state Rep. Robyn Porter, of New Haven; Sen. Julie Kushner, of Danbury; Rep. Corey Paris, of Stamford, and Rep. Anne Hughes, of Easton. The 12-week budget-adjustment session of the General Assembly begins on Feb. 9 and ends May 4 at midnight. kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT A federal investigation into school construction contracts administered by former state budget official Konstantinos Kosta Diamantis has focused part of its probe on a Connecticut construction administration company that once employed his daughter, according to subpoena records released this week. Authorities have yet to specify what potential crimes they are looking into as part of the investigation, which was revealed Wednesday when records of their subpoenas were released by Gov. Ned Lamonts office. Those records, however, show investigators sought emails and text messages from Diamantis involving contracts potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars for school construction, hazardous materials remediation and the redevelopment of the State Pier in New London. Several days after the first subpoena was delivered to state officials on Oct. 20 from Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut Leonard Boyle, his office followed up with a request to focus on communications containing dozens of specific terms. Among those terms were the name of Diamantis daughter, Anastasia, as well as her part-time employer, Construction Advocacy Professionals, and the names of several schools in Connecticut where the company was engaged in construction projects. The company, which is based in Moosup, was also mentioned briefly Wednesday in a separate report by investigators commissioned by Lamont to look into allegations of nepotism involving Chief States Attorney Richard Colangelo, Diamantis and his daughter. Former U.S. Attorney Stanley Twardy conducted a nepotism investigation into Colangelos hiring of Anastasia Diamantis as an executive assistant with a $99,000 salary around the same time he was requesting Kosta Diamantis for pay increases for himself and his top deputies, documents show. While Twardys investigation found no direct evidence of collusion between Colangelo and Kosta Diamantis over the hiring of his daughter it questioned the accounts of all three as to how the hiring process unfolded. In the report, Twardy also said Colangelo and Kosta and Anastasia Diamantis lack credibility in the statements they provided to investigators. Twardys report also revealed that Connecticut State Police last year investigated threats allegedly made against Kosta Diamantis by a former CAP employee, who accused his daughter of being a ghost employee hired to bribe her father, who was overseeing school construction projects. Norm Pattis, an attorney for Kosta Diamantis, said Thursday that he was surprised by the disclosure of the federal investigation this week and that authorities had yet to reach out to him regarding the probe. I know [Diamantis] to be a man of the highest ethical standards, so I doubt he would do anything involving a conflict of interest, Pattis said. Anastasia Diamantis has not responded to messages seeking comment left with her father and an uncle, who served as her unofficial counsel during an interview with Twardys investigators, the report showed. According to Twardys report, CAP fired Anastasia Diamantis in October after she became the subject of news reports questioning the circumstances of her employment in Colangelos office. Anastasia Diamantis told Twardys investigators that her boss did not want CAP named in unfavorable articles, the report stated. The companys owner, Antonietta Roy, did not respond to messages seeking comment on Thursday. Anastasia Diamantis did not list her employment with CAP in her resume submitted to Colangelos office in June 2020, according to email records obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media Group through a public records request. However, she disclosed the part-time job as an assistant project manager with the company in an employment history form that was published in Twardys report. Anastasia Diamantis employment with a company that did work for her fathers office was first reported in December by the CT Mirror, which also reported that she was copied on several emails between company officials and her father regarding school construction projects in Connecticut. According to its website, CAP advises public agencies and property owners involved in construction projects about technical challenges and budget issues related to the projects. The company has worked on construction projects at Bulkeley High School in Hartford, New Britain High School and Birch Grove Primary School in Tolland, according to the companys website. The Hartford and Tolland projects were each among the dozens of items referenced as being of interest to federal investigators, according to the subpoena records. Kosta Diamantis began working in the state Office of School Construction Grants and Review at the Department of Administrative Services in 2015. His duties overseeing school construction grants were transferred to the Office of Policy and Management in 2019 when he was appointed the deputy secretary at OPM. When asked about Diamantis work at OPM on Thursday, Lamont said he did not believe there was enough oversight in place and that the transfer of the school construction grant office was the wrong decision. Since the release of the nepotism investigations findings and the federal subpoenas, Connecticut lawmakers have weighed in on whether enough oversight was in place at the school construction grants office to prevent conflicts of interest. It is particularly upsetting knowing that lawmakers repeatedly raised concerns about how these programs were being managed by the executive branch and were assured that our concerns were misplaced, Senate Republican Leader Kevin Kelly said in a statement. Government must always respect taxpayers' sacrifices. A federal investigation is a sign that respect has not been maintained. Diamantis retired from state government in October, after Lamonts office fired him from OPM and placed him on paid leave from his school construction grants job over unspecified allegations of misconduct. The school construction job has since moved back to the Division of Administrative Services, where Lamont said officials are examining the contracts that were approved under Diamantis tenure. In an interview last week, Diamantis said he regretted his decision to leave and tried to rescind his resignation, but his request was denied. He has denied seeking jobs for his daughter as part of favors sought by his office. My daughter can earn her job just like anybody else, Diamantis said Wednesday. She does not need to be impugned just for having my last name. Staff writer Ken Dixon contributed to this report. GREENWICH Citing miscommunication, a misunderstanding, a lawyer for Chabad Lubavitch of Greenwich said the organization would remove a tent it had put up earlier this week without the towns site plan approval. Thomas Heagney apologized on behalf of Chabad as he appeared before the town Planning & Zoning Commission on Tuesday seeking official permission to erect the tent at Chabads location on Lincoln Avenue. The 40-foot by 40-foot tent at 6 Lincoln is to be used for outdoor services on Saturdays and for Hebrew school on Sundays. The application says that about 25 people would attend the Saturday services. On Sundays, 15 to 20 children would use the tent as part of Hebrew school. The goal is to limit indoor activities as the COVID-19 pandemic continues; the tent would provide shelter during the winter and spring weather, according to the application. Heagney said Chabad did not expect to use the tent on a permanent basis. The commission granted site plan approval Tuesday, with a number of conditions attached. Chabad would limit the number of people in attendance: 25 people for services, 15 to 20 young people for classes. Cars would be required to park at another Chabad facility at 75 Mason St. No other activities could take place at the Lincoln Avenue site while activities were conducted in the tent. An amplified sound system would not be allowed. The tent could not be used after June 1 without further permission from the commission. Tuesdays appearance before the P&Z Commission was just the latest wrinkle in what has become a complex process to relocate and expand the operations of Chabad, a Jewish cultural, religious and educational organization. Chabad had been running preschool programs for youngsters and adult learning classes as well as Jewish religious services at its two buildings on Mason Street and Lincoln Avenue. When the former Carmel Academy on Lake Avenue closed two years ago and put its property up for sale, Chabad which had used the Carmel site for a summer camp and had transferred its preschool operations there put its two buildings up for sale and attempted to purchase the property. It was already a tenant and began seeking approval for expansion from the town. But neighbors of the property, including members of the Rock Ridge Association that had negotiated the original variance that allowed Carmel Academy to exist, complained that the current operations were too loud and objected to an expansion. Then Chabad was told that another bidder on the property had arisen. Now, ownership issues and a legal restriction that might limit the sale of the school property to a buyer outside the Rock Ridge Association is part of ongoing litigation. Until that is resolved, Chabads application to create a new school on Lake Avenue has been withdrawn and discussion before the Planning & Zoning Commission has been put on hold while negotiations proceed. Oppo introduced the Reno7 series back in November 2021, and now the lineup is finally starting its global rollout. The first market is India, where we saw an introduction of the Oppo Reno7 Pro with its 50MP main camera with a Sony IMX766 sensor. It was accompanied by a vanilla variant called Oppo Reno7, which is different from the Chinese in some key fields like the chipset and the size. The Oppo Reno7 Pro comes with a Dimensity 1200 Max chipset with 5G capabilities and 12GB RAM. The company claims the memory can expand by up to 7GB with the Dynamic RAM expansion by using some of the 256GB storage to dump files that aren't immediately needed. At the front the Reno7 Pro has a 6.5 90Hz AMOLED display with a punch hole in the top left corner for the 32MP selfie camera with a Sony IMX709 sensor. Around the back the 50MP (1/1.56") f/1.8S main shooter is shared with a high-flying Find X3 Pro. The 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro cameras aren't quite as impressive, but it's still a very solid setup overall. The 4,500mAh battery supports 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charging. The Reno7 Pro will launch with ColorOS 12 out of the box, but the interface is based on Android 11. Oppo Reno7 Pro The global Oppo Reno7 has the Dimensity 900 chipset compared to the Snapdragon 778G in the Chinese version. It is still built on the 6nm node and has some its high-performance cores running at 2.4 GHz. The phone will be sold in India with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. Its 6.43 AMOLED display with 90Hz refresh rate and 180Hz touch sampling rate matches the Chinese version and so does the camera setup. That means a 32MP selfie camera and a 64MP main camera on the back. There's also the 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro snappers shared with the Reno7 Pro. Oppo Reno7 Since the phone is coming with a different chipset, Oppo had to make some internal rearrangements. The thickness has slightly increased to 7.8 mm, but the weigh dropped by 12g to 173g, compared to the Chinese Reno7. Another minor concerns the battery - while the capacity remains 4,500 mAh, Oppo certified the Reno7 for 65W SuperVOOC in India, compared to the slightly slower 60W rates at the home scene. Oppo Reno7 The Oppo Reno7 will arrive in Blue and Black at Flipkart, Oppo's website and select offline stores. Price will begin at INR28,999 ($390), with the first sale scheduled for February 17. The Reno7 Pro will be available in Blue and Black over the same channels as its vanilla sibling for INR39,999 ($535), starting on February 8. Oppo Watch Free Oppo Enco M32 Green The event also saw the arrival of the Oppo Watch Free which is a device bridging the smartband and smartwatche categories with its rectangular body. It has a 1.64 AMOLED and the company promises a long battery life. The price is INR5,999 ($80). Another device we saw on stage was the Oppo Enco M32 neckband earphones in Green. It is already available at Amazon India for INR1,799 (less than $25), when purchased in Black, and the price will remain the same for the new color as well. With just five days to go until its big Unpacked event, Samsung has officially started its Galaxy S22 series ad campaign. The tech giant rolled out a 3D billboard campaign across major cities around the world including New York, London, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur and Seoul. The ad portrays a tiger that starts a video recording meant to emphasize the advanced low-light video recording prowess of the upcoming S22 series. In related news, Roland Quandt suggest Samsung will bring a 1TB version of the S22 Ultra but it will be limited to certain markets. It will be interesting to see what other leaks and rumors will emerge in the days leading up to February 9. Samsung is getting ready to release its Galaxy S22 lineup next week at its Unpacked event. Depending on the region, the Galaxy S22s will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen1 and the Exynos 2200 chipsets. Both devices have already been run on the popular benchmarking app Geekbench. The two models compared are both Galaxy S22 Ultras the SM-S908U is powered by the Exynos 2200 and the SM-S908B is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen1. Benchmark scores are comparable between the two chipsets. The Snapdragon model scored 1168 in the single-core test and the Exynos got 1226, meanwhile, the Exynos model scored 3462 and the Qualcomm one was at 3508. Both the Snapdragon 8 Gen1 and the Exynos 2200 are built on a 4nm process, and although both chipsets are identical even in the architecture (1 x Cortex X2 + 3 x Cortex A710 + 4 x Cortex A510) they may perform differently in the graphics department due to Geekbench primarily stress-testing the CPUs. S22 S22+ S22 Ultra The Galaxy S22 lineup will be announced next week on a February 9 Unpacked live stream event. Samsung is also expected to announce a new lineup of the Galaxy Tab S8. According to a previous report, Availability of the new Galaxy S22 phones may not be coming until a month after their announcement. Source Cecil Buddy Orsini has resigned from his post as executive director of the Guam Contractors Licensing Board after a Thursday report from the Office of the Public Auditor found Orsini committed procurement fraud. Krystal Paco-San Agustin, spokesperson for the governor, called the report troubling and said Alice Taijeron, Adelups acting chief of staff, asked for Orsinis resignation Thursday. Orsinis resignation letter was forwarded to the board. The Guam Contractors Licensing Board must have the confidence of the community ... for it to perform its job, Paco-San Agustin said. The administration expects the (board) will convene to address this matter and act accordingly. Orsini attempted to help JMI-Edison win a dispute with Menzies Aviation over which company would be awarded a contract for a baggage handling system for the airport, according to the OPA report. Menzies was selected by Guam International Airport Authority to handle the baggage system last July, the report stated. JMI-Edison protested the award, stating Menzies lacked a license from the Guam Contractors Licensing Board, which would be necessary to carry out the work. Menzies asked for the protest to be dismissed and a hearing with the OPA was scheduled for Dec. 27, 2021. Ed Ilao, president of JMI, emailed a document, Case No. 2021- 09-04 Findings & Decisions, to Orsini Dec. 13. The email read in part: Bro, We will be having a motion hearing before the OPA on Dec 27th ... would it be possible for CLB Investigations section to be able to sign at least the attached sample letter by Dec 22nd? This will really help our case ... Document issued Orsini on Dec. 22 issued a document on the boards letterhead which said that Menzies would need a contractors license for the project. The document was a verbatim reiteration of the draft document previously forwarded to him by Mr. Ilao, the OPA report stated. The document wasnt approved by the four board members needed to validate it, the OPA report stated. The correspondence was found following a Freedom of Information Act request that Menzies made with the board. According to Public Auditor Benjamin J. F. Cruz, JMI hasnt submitted evidence that would suggest the board voted to authorize the document. As such, the document represents a fraud on this tribunal, in that it purports to be official findings and decisions, when it really is just a bro helping out another bro, Cruz said. Troubling JMIs conduct was deliberate and egregious, Cruz said, and raises troubling questions as to the probity and reliability of any findings from the (Contractors Licensing Board). In this case, it is undisputed that Mr. Ilao, an officer of JMI, asked Director Orsini, his bro at the (board), to issue a document which would help our protest appeal at the OPA a lot. Mr. Ilaos Bro at the (board) obligingly put the proposed findings previously forwarded by Mr. Ilao onto (board) letterhead and issued it as requested, he said. JMIs protest was dismissed with prejudice. In a statement, Ilao said, The airports contractor manipulated the OPA into believing that wrongdoing had occurred. Our lawyers were never provided the opportunity to correct the record. That matter will now be moving on to the Superior Court of Guam so that the OPAs gross errors can be addressed, he said. Multiple calls to Orsinis office Friday went unanswered. Four Department of Corrections officers were fired in recent months, including an officer who reportedly was sitting in his truck, watching TikTok and Instagram, instead of watching prisoners on the day of an escape, according to documents filed with the Civil Service Commission, which is hearing their appeals. Corrections officers Jeremy C. Flores and Makino James were fired Jan. 27 in connection with the Nov. 1, 2021, escape of Anthony Camacho, was on suicide watch at the Mangilao adult correctional facility. He was supposed to be observed by officers every 15 minutes. The escape reportedly happened during James shift and Flores, who took the next shift, reportedly failed to notice, documents state. Camacho, who was recaptured in Mongmong the afternoon of Nov. 2, is accused of committing several crimes during his escape, including theft, theft of an automobile, robbery and possession of a Schedule II controlled substance. Camacho allegedly admitted to escaping when the guards were not paying attention. According to the adverse action, Officer James did not verify and make visual identification to ensure Anthony Camacho was at Zone 9B just after midnight on Nov. 2, 2021. He also failed to ensure officer Flores did the joint headcount and visual inspection of the prisoners as required, including to ensure Anthony Camacho was present. False, innaccurate According to DOC, James stated that his logbook entries for Nov. 1, were false, inaccurate and misleading as to his headcounts. For example, James reported he accounted for Camacho and two other prisoners at lights-out, at 8:30 p.m. Nov. 1. However, a store surveillance video shows Camacho was at the Song Market in Mangilao at 8:15 p.m. Nov. 1, documents state. If you did the required visual observation every 15 minutes with Camacho as required on Nov. 1, 2021, and even in the early morning hours of Nov. 2, 2021, before the shift change, you would have observed Camacho escaped, the adverse action states. You failed to do these required 15-minute close observations and checks and failed to note anywhere in your logbook that you did these required checks. In his Civil Service appeal, filed Jan. 28, James stated the decision to terminate him was, overly harsh, unfair and procedurally defective. Watching TikTok According to the Department of Corrections, Officer Flores concealed from his written report that a prisoner informed him that Anthony Camacho was missing. He submitted false oral statements to (internal affairs) during his interviews, and submitted a false written statement dated Nov. 2, 2021, to internal affairs as to his conducting a face-to-face headcount of three prisoners at 6 a.m. on Nov. 2, 2021. Had he performed his required job duties at the start of his shift, he would have known at that time Anthony Camacho had already escaped before Nov. 2, 2021, when he relieved officer James, DOC stated in the adverse action. Officer Flores admitted he was on his phone watching TikTok for approximately a half hour and then Instagram during his shift on Nov. 2, 2021, while sitting in his truck, DOC stated. In his appeal, Flores stated the action taken to dismiss him was overly harsh, unfair and procedurally defective. Pending appeals The Civil Service Commission has two other pending appeals from fired corrections officers, including an officer fired in late January after he allegedly tested positive for illegal drugs and an officer fired last August for allegedly being hostile and vulgar toward a department employee. Corrections officer Manny Acfalle was fired Jan. 28 after he allegedly tested positive for amphetamines and methamphetamines last November during a random drug screening. Acfalles lab sample was collected Nov. 4, while he was on duty, the adverse action stated. Corrections officer Joseph Sakisat was fired Aug. 10 for alleged disorderly conduct and harassment in May 2021 related to a pay dispute. The department accused him of vulgar, profane, disrespectful and criminal conduct. You made repeated calls and demanded responses when you failed to follow the known policies and procedures, DOC stated. Your tone, words and conduct on May 14, 2021, violated Guam criminal statutes and departmental policies and procedures. Christopher De Leon Guerrero was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison for two counts of attempted enticement of a minor. De Leon Guerrero, a former soldier in the Guam National Guard, began a conversation in 2020 with a 13-year-old girl on Whisper a social media app that allows users to anonymously contact each other. The girl called Emily was actually Joseph Bockmann, an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The online conversation became sexual, and the two arranged to meet at a residence on Andersen Air Force Base, where De Leon Guerrero was met by federal agents. He was found guilty during a jury trial in November 2021. On Friday morning, De Leon Guerrero appeared in the District Court of Guam and was sentenced to the mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison by District Court of Guam Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood. Let Gods will be done, and Ill always love my family, De Leon Guerrero said after hearing the sentence. Tydingco-Gatewood also sentenced De Leon Guerrero to five years supervised release after serving his prison time, which was requested by his attorney, Joseph Razzano. Prosecuting attorney April Owen asked the judge for 15 years supervised release, and the recommendation from federal probation officers was 10 years. Judicial recommendations by the court for educational courses and counseling in prison also were given. Anything you can do to improve yourself during those 10 years, take it, said Tydingco-Gatewood, adding that De Leon Guerrero should think about what he can do while serving his time in order to have a job and start a career once he is released. Laws regarding the disposal of abandoned cars are impractical and almost impossible to enforce, according to Angel Sablan, the executive director of the Mayors Council of Guam. Sablan and several village mayors on Friday spoke in support of Bill 155, a measure to update abandoned car laws. Mayors have been responsible for the removal of abandoned cars for years. But, according to a letter from the council to the attorney generals office, residents have begun challenging the authority of mayors to remove junk vehicles on public property. A lot of this is happening in Liguan, in Kaiser and Sinajana, where cars are just parked there and never moved for over a year, but the owners are the ones that live in the house right inside the fence, Sablan said. The Office of the Attorney General said while mayors have the authority to remove junk cars, they must go through a lengthy process that involved having the Department of Revenue and Taxation notify owners, appraising the cars and auctioning any worth more than $100. Vehicles that are removed also have to be stored in a police parking area or licensed public garage. The attorney general advises that if theres a car on Route 1, or a routed road thats left there, we cant remove it. Because there is no government impound lot. And there is no private company that has been contracted to pick up these vehicles, Sablan said. He said mayors moved cars and stored them on village property because they were dumped near areas such as school bus stops and became hazards. The Bureau of Statistics and Plans was tasked by the Office of the Governor to find a suitable impound lot, he said. Notifying owners of abandoned vehicles, which must be done via priority mail, was also a challenge, he said. Some cars have been burned and are unidentifiable, and others had their vehicle identification numbers scratched off. Challenges According to Dededo Mayor Melissa Savares, the owners of abandoned cars often leave island and have no address where they can be contacted. Sometimes they are dead. Piti Mayor Jesse Alig, the councils president, said some mayors have contacts at the Guam Police Department or Rev and Tax who can help them identify vehicle owners, but many dont. They cant find owners in a timely manner. What makes matters worse is that GPD takes the license plate of these vehicles that are pulled over on the side of the road. And then the mayors are not even notified that this vehicle is there, Sablan said. The attorney generals opinion held up the transfer of funding for the mayors to remove cars this fiscal year, Sablan said. The money comes from the Guam Environmental Protection Agency. We want to take care of it. We cant because our hands are tied, according to the Office of the Attorney General, Sablan said. If some owner comes and says, You took my vehicle and didnt go through the process, were all going to get sued. The council had issued about $700,000 in purchase orders to remove abandoned cars as of Thursday, Sablan said. Cars were mostly on private property, where car owners consented to the removal. Bill 155 was introduced by Sen. Tony Ada. It would allow abandoned vehicle notices to be posted on websites, instead being sent by mail to owners. Owners would have just 10 days to claim a vehicle. It would also allow vehicles that are mostly junk, or worth less than $1,000, to be dumped without going to public auction. The measure also would require police to tow any car when officers remove license plates. GPD, Guam EPA and the Department of Public Works were invited to the hearing but didnt respond, Sen. Clynt Ridgell said. Lawmakers requested an additional public hearing on the measure and for more input from the AGs office. A Guam Police Department officer testified today that months before the former mayor of Humatak was murdered, Joyner Scott Sked filed an assault complaint against boyfriend and co-defendant Rudy Fegurgur Quinata. Sked and Quinata were charged in connection with the murder of former Mayor Daniel Quinata Sanchez, who was found dead in Quinata's wood-and-tin home on April 3, 2021. Officer Joseph Mansapit testified the Sked and Quinata were known to have argued and made complaints to the police in the past. "The most recent one I remember was she (Joyner) and Mr. Quinata were arguing at a gathering, then she called us because she was supposedly assaulted by Mr. Quinata," said Mansapit. He said the complaint was made months before Sanchez was found dead. Sked's trial will continue this afternoon. Nearly five months after a September 2021 car crash in Piti that killed two women, the Guam Police Department arrested Zoya-Marie Tiro Sigeyog, 21, according to a news release. Sigeyog was arrested and charged with the following: Two counts of vehicular homicide. Two counts of negligent homicide. Reckless driving with injuries. Speeding in a posted zone. Imprudent driving. No drivers license. Fatal Sigeyogs arrest comes after the completed accident investigation. In September, police said a black Hyundai Tucson was traveling south by Polaris Point when the car ran off the roadway and collided with a utility pole. A 29-year-old woman was declared dead at the scene, while another woman died after being transported to the hospital. There were three women in the car during the crash on Marine Corps Drive by Jesus Alig Street. Sigeyog was booked and released under the guidance of the attorney generals office. The case is closed by police and forwarded to the attorney general for prosecution. Dusit Thani Guam Resort, Dusit Beach Resort Guam and The Plaza Shopping Center are among the companies that will be hiring in a job fair at University of Guam April 27, 2022. Nvidia plans to launch an ultra-exclusive RTX 3090 Ti that will available in select countries and at a very high price. RTX 3090 Ti is listed on Rakuten Japan with a price equivalent to $5,500. This is the MSI RTX 3090 Ti Suprim X 24G model that had its specs leaked a few weeks ago. This is the model in question. An EXTREME mode will allow this card to run at 1900MHz, with GDDR6X memory at 21Gbps. A store in Vietnam also had the GALAX RTX 3090 Ti EX GAMER EDITION for the equivalent of $3,850. This company's top model, the RTX 3090 TI HOF EXTREME, could cost more than $6,000. After Nvidia said it would give more information about the RTX 3090 Ti in January at the CES 2022 trade show, we haven't heard anything about it again until now. Neither the manufacturers of graphics cards nor Nvidia have a date yet. Because of problems with its production, it looks like it has been delayed. Haiti - FLASH : Businessman Larco, accused of arms trafficking, sentenced Thursday, February 3, 2022, businessman Arby Frantz Larco, arrested in December 2019 accused of arms trafficking, was found guilty of possession and trafficking of large caliber weapons, ammunition and destructive devices, was sentenced by judge Benjanmin Felisme of the criminal court, to 4 years in prison, 125,000 Gourdes fine and 10 million Gourdes in damages for the benefit of the State. According to the Judge, Felisme, the accused was able to prove that he was indeed a weapons repairer for the National Palace and gunsmith on behalf of the National Port Authority (APN) and the National Police of Haiti (PNH). However, contrary to what he had initially declared during his arrest that the weapons seized belonged to the PNH, he failed to demonstrate that these weapons, ammunition and other destructive devices seized belonged to the PNH. Moreover, as part of the agreement signed with the PNH, he was not authorized as a gunsmith to hold more than 10 weapons. Let's recall that at the time of his arrest was seized at his residence among other things : 27 assault rifles, 9 pistols, 3 revolvers, 324 chargers, 43,000 cartridges of different calibers... https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29651-haiti-flash-a-list-of-buyers-seized-from-the-arms-trafficker-larco.html See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29651-haiti-flash-a-list-of-buyers-seized-from-the-arms-trafficker-larco.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29622-haiti-news-zapping.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29607-haiti-flash-dismantling-of-a-large-network-of-weapons-and-ammunition.html SL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Japan : Inauguration of two bridges over the Riviere Grise Thursday, February 3, 2022, in the presence of Prime Minister ai Ariel Henry, Rosemond PRADEL, Minister of Public Works and Yuji KUBO, Ambassador of Japan to Haiti, took place the ceremony of inauguration and official handover of the bridges, with three spans each, built on the Grise River : Route Neuve (Cite Soleil) and Croix des Missions. The Construction of these 2 bridges erected on the Grise River and financed by Japan, was carried out by the Japanese companies Central Consultant Inc. and Hazama Anda Corporation, for a total amount of approximately 32 million dollars These bridges, which connect the metropolitan area and the Center and North regions, have a major strategic importance for daily transport while contributing to the economic development of the region and the whole country. In his speech before proceeding to the traditional ribbon cutting, Prime Minister Ariel Henry declared "I hope to be able to continue to count on the solidarity of the Government and the Japanese people. I ask the Ambassador of Japan to convey to his Government the thanks of the Haitian people for their invaluable support for the development of the national road network. [...] The infrastructure and the road network constitute an essential element of this favorable environment that we want to create to attract investments, creators of sustainable jobs for our youth and build a more resilient economy. Bandits got their hands on some of the Japanese construction company's equipment. I instructed the Commander-in-Chief of the PNH to do everything possible to return them, while putting the thieves out of harm's way." HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Diaspora : The signatories of the Louisiana agreement tried in vain to find an agreement with PM Henry Wednesday, February 2, the signatories of the Louisiana agreement during the Haiti Unity Summit Forum https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35737-haiti-news-zapping.html, after having rejected (in a certain vagueness ) the elected President of the Montana Accord, Fritz Alphonse Jean https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35844-haiti-flash-fritz-alphonse-jean-elected-president-and-steven-benoit-pm-accord-montana.html , who did not support the steps taken by the signatories of the Louisiana accord, spoke with Prime Minister ai Ariel Henry. The possibility of merging the two agreements with a view to finding a Haitian solution to the crisis before February 7, 2022 was at the center of the discussions. Former Secretary of State for Communication Frantz Exantus indicated that during the meeting, the establishment of a two-headed Executive (which Haiti Unity Summit advocates) in accordance with Haitian law and the country's tradition has been mentioned as well as the idea of a presidential college. However, Prime Minister Henry, in favor of a one-headed Government, remained firm on his positions but left an opening by evoking a possible ministerial reshuffle after February 7, 2022 to ease the crisis... See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35844-haiti-flash-fritz-alphonse-jean-elected-president-and-steven-benoit-pm-accord-montana.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35737-haiti-news-zapping.html HL/ HaitiLibre Quincy, IL (62301) Today Cloudy with occasional rain during the afternoon. High 64F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Thundershowers overnight following a period of rain early. Low 54F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Locally heavy rainfall possible. (The Center Square) Multiple news reports suggesting that a Travis County judge ruled that Texas Operation Lone Star is unconstitutional is fake news, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtons Office says. To suggest the states border security measures are unconstitutional is absolutely ludicrous and wrong, Paxton told The Center Square. The constitutionality of the program has been questioned by some human rights organizations, the ACLU of Texas, and some Democratic lawmakers whove asked the Department of Justice to investigate it, arguing it sets up an alternate immigration system. Media reports have also advanced a narrative that a Texas judge ruled Operation Lone Star was unconstitutional. On Jan. 13, a Travis County judge ruled that Gov. [Greg] Abbotts state-run border enforcement operation violates the U.S. Constitution, Texas Public Radio stated, citing an Austin American Statesman article. ABC News, MSNBC and others ran similar headlines and stories. But Texas Deputy Attorney General Aaron Reitz said at a recent Texas Public Policy Foundation event, This is fake news. Fake news. Its not what the judge ruled. Operation Lone Star is 100% constitutional. Attorney General Paxton will defend its constitutionality in court. The case in question relates to an Ecuadoran national who entered the U.S. illegally. Jesus Alberto Guzman Curipoma was arrested in September on a criminal trespass charge in Kinney County. His attorneys, Angelica Cogliano and Addy Miro, argue that Operation Lone Star violates the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution and state laws cant interfere with federal immigration policy. But Guzman Curipoma wasnt arrested for entering the U.S. illegally, thats the job of Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Texas officials argue. He was arrested for allegedly violating a state law trespassing passed by the state legislature and signed by Abbott. The legislature recently passed several laws to create enhanced penalties for those committing criminal trespass, human smuggling and fentanyl manufacturing and distribution in the state of Texas. All state laws apply to citizens and non-citizens. Those who commit murder, DWI or sex offenses, for example, all violate state laws and can be arrested, prosecuted and imprisoned regardless of their citizenship status. Texas DPS and local law enforcement officers have been arresting illegal immigrants violating state laws as part of Operation Lone Star, an initiative created by Abbott last March to thwart criminal activity at the southern border. But Cogliano argues, "Operation Lone Star is a policy whereby they pretextually arrest people that they suspect of being here illegally, which is a fancy legal way of saying people that are brown on the border because there's no other way for anybody to try and determine if somebody looks like they could be illegal. That's not a thing you look like. "It's authorizing people to use that as a reason to arrest those people for certain offenses and detain them far longer than any U.S. citizen would be detained for that offense in Texas," she told ABC News. In Guzman Curipomas case, Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza argued, After careful consideration, the Travis County District Attorney's Office agreed that Mr. Guzman Curipoma's prosecution for criminal trespass as part of Operation Lone Star violates the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution and represents an impermissible attempt to intrude on federal immigration policy. In addition, the DA's office concluded that based on the evidence, there were multiple ways in which the OLS program has failed to satisfy basic, fundamental, and procedural state and federal constitutional safeguards." Travis County Judge Jan Soifer made no such statement and didn't mention Operation Lone Star in her three-sentence ruling granting Guzman Curipomas request for habeus corpus relief. The ruling concludes, the misdemeanor trespassing case pending against Applicant be dismissed without delay. Still, the Texas Tribune stated, Gov. Greg Abbott's border initiative is meant to subvert the federal governments job of enforcing immigration laws. A court fight is brewing over its constitutionality. When asked about the constitutionality of Operation Lone Star, Paxton told The Center Square that Texas has a right to protect our citizens. When the federal government stares us in the face and invites people to cross the border, when people have cartel members walking across their property, threatening their lives, exposing them to COVID, running drugs, running human trafficking rings, and were told its unconstitutional for the governor to put together a program with our great law enforcement officials to protect our citizens, is absolutely ludicrous and wrong. Paxton has sued the Biden administration 10 times over border and immigration issues, arguing its policies are not only unconstitutional but also violate federal immigration law established by Congress. University of Texas School of Law clinical professor Kathryn Dyer told ABC News, "These very serious constitutional issues have finally been heard and there's a judge that thinks that there were constitutional violations such that the case needed to be dismissed." But Reitz told a packed audience in Austin, All that happened is you have a Democrat judge with a Democrat DA who together invited a bunch of Democrat press into the courtroom and then the Democrat press just regurgitated all of the talking points from the DA. They made the argument that Operation Lone Star is unconstitutional, but just because the local [George] Soros-funded DA made the argument that Operation Lone Star is unconstitutional doesnt mean that it is. Its airtight. And AG Paxton is proud to defend it. Paxton also tweeted of Soifers ruling, "Lib Austin judge lets a Soros Travis County DA represent State of TX, then declares Op Lone Star unconstitutional. Ridiculous. Biden has FAILED to secure the border. Texas stepped in. We have the right to defend our border if the feds refuse. I'll fight this nonsense on appeal." Abbotts office also released a statement saying he expected the ruling to be overturned. Since Operation Lone Star was launched, state troopers have made over 10,000 arrests of illegal immigrants, including smugglers and drug traffickers, Texas DPS Director Steve McCraw said. Theyve also seized over five tons of methamphetamine, over $17 million in cash, and enough fentanyl to kill over 200 million people last year alone. Texas DPS drug seizures exclude the record amounts seized by Border Patrol agents, local and federal authorities. In Bidens first year in office, Border Patrol agents made nearly 2 million enforcement actions against illegal immigrants, the majority of whom were released into the U.S. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Submit Since this is International Dark Sky Week, it seemed like a perfect time to addres Kegel to discuss the state of the university: The role of Northern in economic development Press release Bear Paw Development Corp. will be hosting its annual meeting Thursday, Feb. 17, at noon on the campus of Montana State University-Northern in Havre in the SUB Ballroom and announced that Northern Chancellor Greg Kegel will keynote the event. The topic of his address will be The State of the University: The Role of MSU-Northern in Economic Development. We are very pleased that Chancellor Kegel will be joining us to discuss the important role that MSUN plays in a healthy economy for the Hi-Line and all of Montana. Higher education is a game changer in the positive trajectory for so many people, and we also know that graduates of MSUN contribute mightily to the workforce needs of our states employer community, said Paul Tuss, executive director of Bear Paw Development. MSUN and Bear Paw Development have had a decades-long partnership on a number of important initiatives and we are pleased to be highlighting the work that both organizations are currently engaged in to create a healthier, more sustainable economy for northern Montana. Tuss said the annual meeting will also focus on the work of the nonprofit organization over the past year and will mark the official release of Bear Paw Developments 2021 Annual Report. Economic and community development in rural America always take a lot of work, but being effective and impactful during a global pandemic takes extra focus, more creativity and using resources wisely, Tuss said. We are excited to share the investments we were able to coordinate in 2021 for northern Montana, in addition to the jobs we helped the private sector create or retain in our five-county region. The annual meeting is scheduled for noon Thursday, Feb. 17, and will include a lunch. The cost is $15 per person and an RSVP is required. To RSVP, contact Bear Paw Development at 406-265-9226 or by email at [email protected] Bear Paw Development Corp. is Montanas longest-serving federally-recognized economic development district and serves the economic and community development needs of Liberty, Hill, Blaine, Phillips and Chouteau Counties and the Rocky Boys and Fort Belknap Indian reservations. In an interview with ANHA Kadar Pire on the latest developments in the region as a whole noted that the late Turkish escalation on the region is to cover the failure met ion the city of Hasaka that revealed Turkish support to the attacks saying Turkey seeks to occupy Shingal. Pire said what Turkey is doing is a continuation of its hostile policy against people of the region and those ask for their rights. On the failure of the Hasaka attack Pire said it was failed and backfired in Turkey for which it is in dire need of anything outside to attract the attention of people inside Turkey, adding the elections are approaching and it is good to kill a large number of Kurds. Pire said the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria made tangible Kurdo-Arab co-habitation and brotherhood and with other components too. And this matter perturbs Turkey and other dictatorships whether in Damascus, Ankara or Tehran. On the Turkish greed in Syria Pire said ''it is to occupy as much Syrian territories to be annexed to Turkey and after its failure at the hands of the Syrian Democratic Forces it recourse to options B, C, D to destroy the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria and it failed too and now it seeks to blockade the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria''. Pire went on to say one of the most aims of the Turkish state is to occupy Shingal. If we look at the map from Ibrahim Khalil Gate to Shingal we find many patches of separation between Southern Kurdistan and Western Kurdistan. This if made means a total Turkish blockade on the NES and also puts pressure on the Kurdistan Regional Government . this should be taken into account of the KRG statesmen that Turkey seeks other options for the gate making the KRG not make use of it. Turkey wants to contact Baghdad via Shingal to reach the Gulf Region. On the position of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS Kadar said ' each country seeks its interests even personal were played such as Former U.S. president Donald Trump. The Turks play a dangerous game. The geography of Turkey makes both NATO and Russia approach it. Pire said '' it seems that within the latest escalation there has been a green light given not only by Russia but rather by U.S. to Turkey to commit such criminal acts. This is based on U.S. policies and alliances , I mean Ukraine, Turkey via its terrorists and mercenaries can play the card''. Pire concluded by saying I think these operations were okayed by America but to a certain degree though they proved to be catastrophic. The whole world knows Turkey supports ISIS directly. But this is a dirty policy. L..A ANHA "Military police mercenaries had kidnapped the Kurdish youth "Bahjat Ibrahim", 24 years old, from the people of Janders district," a local source. "The citizen was kidnapped ten days after his arrival in occupied Afrin from Lebanon, to be taken to an unknown destination, where his fate is still unknown until now it added. A.K ANHA Sheriff honors retiring Hot Dog World owner Steve Katsadouros accepts award from Sheriff Lowell Griffin. Hot Dog World's longtime owner, Steve Katsadouros, who announced his retirement from the business last month, was honored Thursday by Henderson County Sheriff Lowell Griffin with the first ever "Sheriff's Award of Excellence." "For over 35 years Steve Katsadouros owned and operated one of the very best restaurants in North Carolina, during those 35-plus years he always gave back to his community and was a huge supporter of all emergency service agencies in Henderson County," the sheriff's office said in a news release. "Thank you for always giving back to your community and your support of emergency services. We hope you enjoy your much deserved retirement!" Opened in July 1986, Hot Dog World has won numerous regional and state awards for its food and has been praised for years for its customer service. The new owner is Thanasi Tsakalos, who has been Katsadouros's business partner since 1997, Asheville Citizen-Times reported on Jan. 6. Free access for current print subscribers As a home delivery subscriber, you get free unlimited digital access to premium content on HenryHerald.com, including local news, local sports, obituaries, legal notices, local features, and the e-edition. All you need is your print subscription account number and your last name. Don't know your subscription number? Email access@henryherald.com with your delivery address. Activate your account now. Rockport, TX (78382) Today Windy with scattered thunderstorms this morning. Then becoming mostly sunny during the afternoon hours. High 84F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Partly cloudy and windy this evening. Cloudy with diminishing winds late. Low 76F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph. Greenville, TX (75401) Today Thunderstorms likely this morning. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High 84F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms overnight. Low 66F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, we've all known individuals who have done more than their share to help their neighbors and communities with food, comfort, care, companionship and dozens of other needs. If you know of such a person, you can nominate them to be featured in our upcoming H The Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teacher (REET) paper leak case of 2021 was raised in the Lok Sabha on Thursday by RLP convenor and Nagaur MP Hanuman Beniwal, who demanded a CBI probe into the matter along with the cancellation of the exams. Speaking at the Lower House, Beniwal said, "There should be a CBI inquiry into the REET cheating case. The youth of Rajasthan are agitating. Huge anomalies are being reported in the REET exams. We want REET 2021 to be cancelled and there should be a CBI inquiry into the rigging." After raising the session, Beniwal told the media that when the Special Operation Group (SOG) of the police has agreed that exam paper was stolen from the education complex, it is clear that the strings of the case were connected to many IAS officers, the government and even the CMO. Hence, a CBI investigation is necessary, he added. Politics over REET 2021 paper leak has intensified as the BJP is constantly attacking the state government on this issue. Different wings of the BJP are protesting across the state. Saint Joseph, MI (49085) Today Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. High 53F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies with periods of rain late. Low 47F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. (New York Jewish Week via JTA) The historic New York City synagogue that controls the equally historic Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Is-land moved to terminate the lease of the congregation that worships there. But dont call it an eviction, leaders of Congregation Shearith Israel in New York say: They describe the filing as an effort to restructure the board of Congregation Jeshuat Israel, which has met at Touro for 120 years, and install a new slate of officers who will ensure that Touro Syn-agogue is properly maintained into the future. Shearith Israel says the current rabbi and congregants are encouraged and welcome to remain. Meanwhile, leaders of Jeshuat Israel called the court filing a power grab. Tuesdays filing with the State District Court, Second Division in Rhode Is-land is the latest twist in a tense and litigious relationship between Shearith Israel, North Americas oldest Jewish congregation, and Jeshuat Israel, which has leased the Touro Synagogue, a national historic site, since the early 20th century. Founded by Sephardic Jews in the 18th century, Touro is perhaps best known for a visit by then President George Washington and a letter he wrote to the congregation promising Jews religious liberty. Shearith Israel, also known as The Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, has had a close relationship with Touro from its beginning, when Touros founders included Sephardic grandees who had belonged to Shearith Isra-el. The Manhattan synagogue has owned the Touro Synagogue building since 1820s; when the original Sephardic congregation dwindled, Shearith Israel leased the building to Jeshuat Israel, an Ashkenazi congregation that claims 125 member households. In a highly publicized dispute, the two Orthodox congregations clashed over the past decade when Jeshuat Israel tried to sell a valuable set of Torah decorations from Touros inventory. In 2019, the New York syna-gogues ownership of the building and its pricey artifacts was essentially confirmed when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up Jeshuat Isra-els claim that it was the rightful steward. Shearith Israels move to reshape Jeshuat Israels board seems to have been precipitated by two disputes in the summer of 2021. The New York synagogues leaders complained after learning that Jeshuat Israel allowed the erection of a new gravestone at Newports historic Jewish cemetery, which Touro operates. The gravestone is reserved for Amb. John Loeb, an investment counselor and philanthropist for whom the synagogues visitors center is named. Loeb is still alive. Shearith Israel leaders said in a press release that the gravestone would never have been permitted by Shearith Israel without research into some important issues of Jewish law and aesthetics. The New York synagogue and Newport congregation also clashed when Jeshuat Israel known as CJI claimed they would need to raise be-tween $2 million and $5 million for repairs to the Georgian-style Touro building, according to Louis Solomon, Shearith Israels parnas, or presi-dent. Shearith Israel said they had been previously told the Touro building was not in need of any significant repairs. It is really about transparency. Its about trust. Its about decision mak-ing. It is not about money, said Solomon. Theyve never raised funds for [repairs]. The Touro Synagogue Foundation and Shearith Israel con-gregants are the ones who have given the big money. CJI doesnt have to do that. In a statement to congregants on Jan. 22, the leadership of the Newport congregation said that the gravestone was installed at the cemetery without the synagogues knowledge, and that the congregation apologized to Shearith Israel and worked closely with Ambassador Loebs represent-atives to have the stone removed until his passing. The statement was signed by Jeshuat Israels co-president, Louise Ellen Teitz; past president David Bazarsky; Laura Freedman Pedrick, board chair of the Touro Synagogue Foundation, and treasurer Michael Pimen-tal. In response to queries from The New York Jewish Week, Teitz sent a two-paragraph statement. We are shocked that Shearith Israel seeks to expel Rhode Islands Con-gregation Jeshuat Israel from the historic Touro Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in the country and the nations cradle of religious liberty. The members of the Jeshuat Israel Congregation have been the faithful stew-ards of and peaceable worshippers at Touro Synagogue for more than 140 years, Teitz wrote. She added: At a time of unprecedented attacks on American Jewry, we are devastated that our Congregation has become the target of a shame-ful power grab by another Jewish congregation that over the years has not provided us or Touro any meaningful support at all. We condemn this destructive attack on our congregation and displacement of our commu-nity, and call upon Shearith Israel to let Jeshuat Israel live and pray in peace. Solomon says the 450-member New York synagogue is only asking for whats best for the future of Touro and whats in its rights as the owner. The new board, he said, are going to be people who are willing to talk to us and theyre not going to slam the phone down and not going to hide from us and theres going to be transparency. Under the restructuring, the current services will not change, and the rabbi and current congregation will be allowed to continue services in the building, he said. Solomon said the dispute did not reflect any differences over the Sephardic and Ashkenazi traditions of the two congregations. As part of the restructuring, Shearith Israel, also known as CSI, said it would claim two seats on a reconstituted board. The other seats, said Solomon, would go to interested philanthropists, current CJI mem-bers, local academics and other passionate stakeholders. I intend to invite several of the current board members, he told The New York Jewish Week. The Jeshuat Israel congregation objects to the call for board members from the New York synagogue without any promise of either a long term lease or that CSI will not make future demands at any point, according to its letter to congregants. In other words, granting CSI its demand of two Board seats will not provide any long term stability or comfort with respect to CJIs future ability to pray at Touro Synagogue. Both sides agree that the move to dissolve the current board came after months of attempts at peacemaking; each side blames the other for their breakdown. The Newport congregation says they agreed to a mediator chosen by Shearith Israel Frank Williams, a former chief justice of the Rhode Is-land Supreme Court who asked for in-person mediation. Jeshuat Israel blamed the New York synagogue for insisting they would only meet via Zoom due to concerns over COVID. Solomon, a litigator, says he has en-gaged in dozens of legal proceedings over Zoom during the pandemic. Two other attempts at mediation were unsuccessful. Ultimately, Jeshuat Israel says their independence has been earned over its years of tenancy at Touro. We may own the building in trust but we are a proud congregation with a proud history and our independ-ence is vital to our future. In other words, no landlord participates in its tenants activities on a day-to-day basis like what CSI is asking of CJI, according to its statement to congregants. Solomon said the restructuring will allow Shearith Israel to go ahead with plans to expand Touro as a pilgrimage and educational site serving Jews around the country and the world. Shearith Israels rabbi, Dr. Meir Y. Soloveichik, he said, has a keen interest in American colonial history. Theres no reason why Touro should not be an important center of the Jewish historical world in America, said Solomon. Oy such talent! ... I'm referring to all the stars I write about. For instance, SARAH SILVERMAN. SARAH is an American comedian, actress, and writer. Her comedy addresses social taboos and controversial topics, including racism, sexism, homophobia, politics (politics gives me heartburn!) and religion, sometimes having her comic character endorse them in a satirical or deadpan fashion. Sarah was a writer and a performer on "Saturday Night Live" and also she starred and produced "The Sarah Silverman program on "Comedy Central." Sarah also wrote an autobiography titled "The Bedwetter" in 2010. (I feel I must read it to see if she is writing about herself!) She is Jewish, of course and one of her sisters is even a rabbi and living with her family in Jerusalem, Israel. Another funny person ... Another "angry" comic (sort of) is LEWIS BLACK. His comedy routines often escalate into angry rants about history, politics (here we go again!) religion, and other cultural trends. Lewis was raised in a middle-class Jewish family. His grandparents emigrated from the Russian Empire. His paternal grandfather was named Leib Blech ... later changed to Lewis Black. Lewis also wrote a book. It is titled "Nothing's Sacred." (I agree). (I had the pleasure of seeing Lewis on JIMMY FALLON's "Tonight Show" recently ... and I laughed and laughed, something I haven't done much of since the start of this pandemic!) A message from the World Jewish Congress about anti-Semitism ... I read this in a note I received from WJC President Ambassador RONALD S. LAUDER and pass it along to you in part: "Antisemitic harassment, vandalism, intimidation and violence are at unbearable levels in many countries around the world. It is up to all of us to come together as one united family and do everything in our power to create a future in which this vile hatred is nothing more than a relic of the past. While others may ignore, deny or downplay the danger, the WJC will not keep its head in the sand. We must expose the threats against Jews and respond as never before... whether it's one Jew or thousands who are in danger, whether it's across the country or around the globe. I urge you to stand strong with the WJC to make it very clear that intolerance and hatred have no place in any society. " Some European Jews in their own words ... From Denmark: "The way things are now, I experience, for example, that 'Jew' is a widespread cuss word in Copenhagen. As a Jew who has grown up in Denmark, I have always avoided telling people I am a Jew." From Germany: "For the past 12 years, antisemitism has no longer been a taboo in Germany, and so it occurs more often ... verbally and physically ... on German streets and in social media." From the United Kingdom: "There isn't a Shabbos that I don't get a hoot or a middle finger when I walk down Main Street. It's very intimidating here in the United Kingdom." From Spain: "The looks I receive in the community center have potential for physical violence in my home country of Spain, but even worse are the uglier comments on social media." (I honestly felt sick when reporting this!) The following is news from all over the world ... From Germany: On the one-year anniversary of the Yom Kippur attack in Halle, Germany, which left two dead, the German-Jewish community in Hamburg once again confronted a violent, antisemitic act of terror. During a Sukkot celebration for students at the Hohe Weide Synagoge, an individual; wearing a military style uniform viciously attacked a student. From Belgium: A Belgian newspaper ran a caricature that referred to the Orthodox Jewish neighborhood of Antwerp as "coronavirus village." From France: A far-right conspiracy channel called "Jean Monnale" reposted a video of the Great Rabbi of Morocco singing and claimed that he was saying that Jews celebrate the death of non-Jews from COVID-19. From Greece: The web outlet "sfedona.gr" published an open letter signed by 172 Christian fundamentalists, who opposed the coronavirus restrictions that would close churches. The letter called upon bishops to opposed the "plans of the Zionists for world domination through the decrease of population and the implementation of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion." From Iran: (No surprise here!) Iran's press TV, a leading English language media outlet backed by the regime, claimed that Zionists are behind the pandemic. (This was a world-view of antisemitism and hate.) And some headlines of ours: FromThe New York Times: "Once in the shadows, Europe's Neo-Fascists are re-emerging." From the Wall Street Journal: "Amid the pandemic, anti-Semitism flares up." From the Atlantic: "There is a new form of brutal and violent anti-Semitism in France." From the Guardian: "Anti-Semitic attacks in the UK at an all-time high." (This is series business. We must get involved with the WJC now! They are relying on our support. We are all responsible for one another.) JCC Seniors on the go ... A note from BARBARA GOLDBERG: "We have an opportunity for our members to see a play at UCF Main Stage theater on Sunday, Feb. 6. The play's title is "Indecent." This is a play based on true events surrounding a play by Sholom Asch. The cast was arrested for showing love between two women. There are also references to the Holocaust and antisemitism. Tickets are free." Upcoming events: Feb. 7th - Maitland performance arts will bring us a music duo by Robert and Jon, each first Monday of the month. Feb. 14th - GENTLE BEMOVED CLASS The Jewish Family Services Wellness reminders ... Unplug for a day. There are several benefits from having a blackout day from all communications. Put your cell phone in the other room, turn off the news, and put the binge watching on hold. Free some mental processing power and give yourself some extra time in the day. Take this time to go for a walk and enjoy nature, breathe some fresh air, and appreciate the world around you. Making little adjustments every day can have a big impact on your overall wellness. JFS counselors are available to help you build your own wellness plan with healthy habits. To learn more about JFS Orlando's FAMILY of services, visit JFSorlando.org or call (407) 644-7593. Correction: In the past these Wellness reminders were under the heading of the Jewish Federation. However, they are from Jewish Family Services and are posted in the Federation's weekly emails. Orlando Senior Help Desk ... The Orlando Senior Help Desk is a free referral service sponsored by NANCY LUDIN and the Jewish Pavilion that helps all seniors and their families to find resources in Central Florida. Lewis Black Find out more at www.orlandoseniorhelpdesk.org or make a donation at www.jewishpavilion.org/donate to help. Contact them at 407-678-9363. One for the road ... Grandma Esther was walking along the beach with her cherished five-year-old grandson by her side. Suddenly a huge wave washed over them and swept the child out to sea. "Oh Lord," cried the grandmother. "What have you done? That boy is my whole life. If you just bring back that boy alive I'll do anything. I'll be the best person. I'll give to charity. I'll work for the poor and the sick. I'll go to synagogue every day. Please God just give him back to me." At that moment, a huge wave came up and washed the child onto the sand. He was safe and sound. His grandmother looked him over and then looked up to heaven. "Okay" she said. "So where's his hat?" (JTA) Esther Pollard, who spent decades fighting to see her husband live free in Israel after being convicted for spying on the United States, has died at 68. Pollard died in Jerusalem Monday from complications related to the coronavirus, the Times of Israel reported. She had also been battling breast cancer. Pollard, nee Elaine Zeitz, became acquainted with her husband while leading the Canadian branch of the movement for his release. They married at Butner prison, in North Carolina, in 1994, and she assumed leadership of the worldwide movement campaigning on his behalf. Jonathan Pollard, a U.S. Navy analyst, was sentenced to life in prison in 1987. Esther Pollard who changed her first name as the pair grew more religious together was his most tireless advocate, speaking to Jewish groups and meeting with Israeli and U.S. leaders. She was able to list names, off-the-cuff, of other convicted spies who had served far less time for crimes that she and Pollard claimed were more far-reaching. She went on a hunger strike in 1996 and was excoriating in her criticism of the U.S. Jewish and Israeli establishment for what she called the abandonment of her husband. Were very religious people, she told a supportive radio talk show host, Dean Rotbart, in 2006, speaking of herself and her husband. And we understand that ultimately, the only one who is going to set Jonathan free is God Himself. And God doesnt need AIPAC or Israel for you or me to do it, he can do it himself. So then, what is He waiting for? What He is waiting for is for men to be his partner in doing the right thing. Her advocacy resonated in Israel. Each time an Israeli prime minister visited Washington and visited with a president, he knew that inevitably an Israeli reporter would ask him afterward if he had pressed for Pollards release. The couple was finally united with a degree of freedom in 2015 when President Barack Obamas administration did not contest his appeal for parole. However, he was restricted to residency in New York, and the couple was unable to achieve their dream of moving to Israel until Dec. 30, 2020, when the Trump administration opted not to extend the terms of parole. Pollards pleas to be by his wife while she got treatment for her cancer outside his area of restriction may have helped play a role in the Trump administrations decision to drop objections to his travel. Her illness delayed their departure for several weeks, so the pro-Israel billionaire couple, Miriam and Sheldon Adelson, flew them to Israel on a private jet, where then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greeted the couple on the tarmac. I did not imagine in my worst nightmares that I would lose Esther, the Times of Israel quoted Pollard as saying on Monday. After decades of fighting for my release, I felt so helpless that I could not help her in her struggle for life. Esther Pollard did not hold back in accusing Israels government and the Jewish establishment of corruption, but more often than not, the leaders she reviled gave her a pass. I was saddened to hear of the passing of Esther Pollard, a woman whose devotion to, and love for, Jonathan Pollard became a symbol of strength, determination and faith, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in a statement. India-UK UN Consultations were held here on Thursday with both sides agreeing to work closely together across multilateral platforms and looking forward to deepening cooperation in the framework of the Commonwealth, in particular leading upto the CHOGM Summit in June 2022, the MEA said. "Today the India and the UK held a consultation on the United Nations. This was held in New Delhi at the Joint Secretary level. Both sides briefed each other on their respective priorities in the UN Security Council. The discussions focused on issues related to the UNSC agenda, in particular counter-terrorism, peace-keeping, working methods of UNSC Sanctions Committees and UNSC reforms. Both sides also exchanged views on current regional and global developments," External Affair Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a press briefing. The Indian delegation was led by Prakash Gupta, Joint Secretary (UN Political) in the MEA and the UK side was led by Harriet Mathews, Deputy Political Director for UN, UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The Indian side also conveyed its best wishes to the UK for its upcoming Presidency of the UN Security Council in April 2022. Jewish Family Services of Greater Orlando is proud to announce that the 2022 Kobrin Family Scholarship application is now available. This college scholarship is awarded to a qualified, full-time, graduating high school student in the Jewish communities of Orange, Osceola or Seminole County who will be attending the University of Central Florida. The scholarship is available in the amount of $2,500 per year for a maximum of four (4) years. To learn more and apply, visit http://www.jfsorlando.org/kobrin-family-scholarship. Students should mail completed applications to Jewish Family Services of Greater Orlando (JFS Orlando) ATTN: Kobrin Family Scholarship 2100 Lee Road, Winter Park, FL 32789 by April 28, 2022. (JNS) - At a crucial moment for U.S. President Joe Biden's foreign policy, U.S. Secretary of State Blinken held a virtual policy session with an Atlanta synagogue on Monday night, where tensions regarding a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine's borders were front and center. China was also discussed as another threat to America's interests. The lecture, titled "21st Century Global Challenges Facing the U.S.", was moderated by Stuart Eizenstat, the U.S. Special Adviser on Holocaust Issues, who grew up at Ahavath Achim Synagogue, which his family has belonged to since the early 20th century. Eizenstat is a former ambassador to the European Union and has devoted much effort to Holocaust restitution, earning the Courage and Conscience Award from the government of Israel in the process. He has now served three presidential administrations on advocating for and advising on crucial matters related to the Holocaust. "I wish your invited guest was Vladimir Putin," Blinken said in response to Eizenstat's early query about what the Russian president's next move might be in his current standoff with the West over the positioning of troops along the border with Ukraine. "He is the only one that can give you an answer." Blinken went on to explain that "there are principles we live by-like how one country can't change the borders of another by force, how one country can't simply decide for another its choices, its decisions, its foreign policy, whom to associate with. One country can't exert its sphere of influence to subjugate its neighbors to its will. The stakes are greater even than the fate of Ukraine or the relationship between Europe, and the U.S. and Russia. This is something of global consequences." His comments came on the same day that Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid declined to publicly take a position on the crisis, telling an Israeli TV station that he's been in touch with "all players." He was reportedly referring to Jewish communities in both Russia and Ukraine, saying, "We won't endanger any Jew for a media statement." Earlier this month, the U.S. State Department said Blinken had discussed the situation in a phone call with Lapid that included other items. At the time, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs refused to comment on why Blinken brought up the subject. 'The world desperately needs investment and infrastructure' Despite the talk occurring just recently after the incident at a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, and days before International Holocaust Remembrance Day, there was little mention during the discussion on anti-Semitism and threats to the Jewish community. In discussing a sore spot in the U.S.-Israel relationship, Blinken spoke at length on the American posture towards China. Both the Biden administration and the former Trump administration have taken a hard line on Israel regarding its approval of massive Chinese investment-particularly in sensitive infrastructure such as ports, which host U.S. military, and rail, fearing nefarious use by the Chinese government. "The world desperately needs investment and infrastructure, and it's not inherently bad if China is providing it. It could be a good thing, provided it is done to highest standards, not the lowest, [and] that it is a race to top, not the bottom," said Blinken. "When there are Chinese investments in particular sensitive areas-technologies, industries-of course, we have to effectively guard against that because there is no distinction. Any private Chinese company is beholden to the state. Anything the developer does or learns is to the benefit of the state." America's top diplomat was also questioned about the current condition of Iran nuclear negotiations and the aftermath of the U.S. military's withdrawal from Afghanistan last summer, which has colored its dealings with the Middle East and elsewhere around the world. Blinken largely rehashed long-standing grievances with the Trump administration, blaming his predecessors for placing the Biden White House in a box when developing and attempting to implement policies on Afghanistan and Iran. There was no substantive update on the nuclear talks, with Blinken saying that an agreement needs to come in the next few weeks if it is going to benefit either side. Blinken wrapped up his discussion by noting the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, telling Eizenstat and those tuning in that the present environment is not conducive to reaching a two-state solution, and the United States would have to "build back" a different will, approach and attitude on both sides. "We continue to very much believe in a two-state solution and in its necessity-whether it's tomorrow, or whether it's next year, or whether it's more years down the road-for the simple reason that there is no other way forward that gives to the Palestinians the state they deserve, and preserves Israel as a secure and democratic state," explained the secretary of state. "None of the alternatives give you that." "In the meantime," he added, "it is vitally import we address living conditions for Palestinians to make sure their lives are a little bit better. That's the right thing to do. It's the humane thing to do, and from Israel's perspective, I think it's the smart thing to do." (JNS) Jewish groups in California took out a full-page ad in a local newspaper on Wednesday to voice their displeasure and concern with a school-board decision to engage an ethnic-studies curriculum for high school and middle-school students that they say will lead to hostility towards Israel and Jewish students. Appearing in the Castro Valley Forum, the ad reads, in part: The Castro Valley Unified School District claims it is committed to ensuring the inclusion and belonging of all students and families with its tagline All Means All. However, it appears this declaration comes with a notable exception: Jews not included. The ad is sponsored by local branches of the Jewish Community Relations Council, the Anti-Defamation League, the Jewish Family and Childrens Services Holocaust Center and Chabad of Castro Valley. On Jan. 19, the school board for the Castro Valley Unified School District unanimously approvedto the tune of more than $82,000a measure that will allow the Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Institute to provide ethnic-studies professional training and curriculum development. In a backgrounder to the board meeting, the school district said the Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Institute provides training in the most inclusive model of ethnic studies and encourages collaborative community development of ethnic studies. But Jewish groups say they are anything but inclusive and that the school districts decision was, in the words of a community spokesperson, egregious. Liberated Ethnic Studies is a professional development institute providing training and content for public schools teachers that is both anti-Zionist and openly antagonistic to the Jewish community at large, said Tyler Gregory, CEO of the JCRC of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin, Sonoma, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, in a memo to supporters. Glossary of different forms of oppression and prejudice In late 2021, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation that mandates a semester of ethnic studies in high school as a graduation requirement. The law, however, came after a long battle when the initial ethnic-studies curriculum was found to be inherently anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic. The writers of that initial curriculum, which was dropped from the states guidance, went on to create the for-profit Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Institute, which will now be used in Castro Valley, some 25 miles southeast of San Francisco. Despite strong opposition from numerous students, parents and Jewish community clergy and leaders, the board voted unanimously to work exclusively with the drafters and supporters of an ethnic-studies curriculum that Californias board of education rejected for its anti-Semitic content, among other defects, said Seth Brysk, ADL Central Pacific regional director in a statement. The leaders of the Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Institute produced a curriculum that contained anti-Semitic and extreme anti-Israel bias and excluded anti-Semitism from the glossary of different forms of oppression and prejudice. According Rabbi Shimon Gruzman, director of the Chabad of Castro Valley, who spoke out during the Jan. 19 meeting, there are about 1,000 Jews in the area out of a total population of some 66,000. He said that parents are concerned about the potential impact this program will have. He added that over the years, there have been some smaller issuesnothing majorbetween Jewish students and the district, but that may change with the implementation of this program. The J. Jewish News of Northern California quoted a seventh-grade student name Lia, who told the school board via Zoom that sometimes, it can be hard or exhausting being one of the few Jewish students in her school. I honestly dont think I could sit in a class if it felt like the teacher was teaching something inaccurate about Judaism. Officials from the school district, who declined to talk to Jewish groups in advance of the board vote, did not respond to a request for comment from JNS. Like a picket fence in a tsunami According to Tammi Rossman-Benjamin, director of Amcha Initiative, the organizers behind the Liberated Ethnic group had spent three years trying to mobilize support for their view of ethnic studies. After the state board of education refused their initial curriculum, they created an advocacy group called Save California Ethnic Studies to keep the Arab-studies component which was the most anti-Semitism and absolutely anti-Zionist. They managed to get petitions of support signed by tens of thousands of people. Though that move also failed, it gave the organizers enough clout that after Newsom signed the law mandating an ethnic-studies requirement in California schools, there was no doubt that those behind the Liberated Ethnic group would be involved. Once schools had to adopt the curriculum, they knew where to turn, and it wasnt to the state board of education curriculum but to this radical version because they [the founders of Liberated Ethnic] already had their hooks into all of these school districts, said Rossman-Benjamin. There are over a dozen school districts that either have the Liberated Ethnic Studies [group] running the show in a school or involved in teacher training. This is not, she said, just about one school district. It is about a machinery that has been set into motion and will keep moving . All those wonderful guardrails that the Jewish community thought were in place to ensure that the anti-Semitic and anti-Israel elements would not be included are meaningless, she said. Its like a picket fence in a tsunami. Theres no way to stop it. Rossman-Benjamin went as far as to call the ethnic-studies requirement state-sponsored anti-Semitism because the state is mandating that every student take a course that, because of this Liberated group, portrays Jews and Israel in anti-Semitic ways. Unlike multicultural studies programs, which the Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Institute says on its website covers all marginalized communities equally, ethnic studies centers the radicalized experiences, intellectual traditions, cultural and ancestral knowledge of liberation struggles , asserts the group. Further, they posit that while a multicultural curriculum focuses on inclusive or diverse cultural perspectives on any given topic, ethnic studies focuses on the historical and lived experiences of Blacks, Chicanx-Latinax, Asian and Pacific Islanders (including Palestinians and other Arab Americans), Native American and other radicalized communities of color. Their curriculum includes a section called Preparing to Teach Palestine: A Toolkit and includes links to articles such as The ADL Is Not an Ally: A Primer, Together We Rise: Palestine as a Model of Resistance, and The Business of Backlash: The Attack on the Palestinian Movement and Other Movements for Justice, which is from a group called the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network. For its part, the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, which includes 18 members of the states house and senate, put out a statement saying it is closely monitoring the situation and deeply troubled by the districts decision to contract with providers who have demonstrated bias against the Jewish community. We are also shocked at reports that the district refused to meaningfully engage with the Jewish community prior to the vote. Our caucus will continue to support our community partners and will take all necessary steps to ensure that any curriculum adopted by the district is consistent with state law, which unequivocally forbids any material that could promote any bias, bigotry or discrimination against the Jewish community. That, Rossman-Benjamin said, is too little, too late. She warns that other states may soon be dealing with the same issues, in particular Massachusetts, where a anti-racism, equity and justice in education bill is making its way through the state legislature. This is like deja vu, she said. You have to look at the way things are lining up in Massachusetts to ring the alarm bell. This is going to play out just like it is in California, and you need to stop it when you can because we didnt stop it when we could. WASHINGTON (JTA) - Stephen Breyer, the oldest justice on the Supreme Court and one of its minority of three liberal justices, is set to retire, multiple reports said Wednesday. The move would leave Elena Kagan as the only Jewish justice left on the court. Breyer, 83, has come under pressure to retire ever since President Joe Biden assumed office a year ago. Liberals and Democrats do not want to deny Biden the chance to replace a liberal justice with another liberal. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., then the majority leader, in 2016 established a new precedent of not allowing a president to elevate a justice in an election year when Antonin Scalia died and then-President Barack Obama nominated Merrick Garland, a Jewish liberal who is now attorney general. McConnell blocked the nomination. Last year, McConnell scrapped his own precedent when he rushed through then-President Donald Trump's nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, a conservative, to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a Jewish liberal who died just weeks before the presidential election. Democrats, who control the Senate by a thin majority and fear losing it in November midterm elections, do not trust McConnell or Republicans to observe any kind of protocol, believing they will likely deny Biden the nomination of a Supreme Court justice for the remainder of his term. The trio of Breyer, Kagan and Ginsburg, in place since 2010 when Kagan was confirmed, is the largest ever Jewish representation on the court. All three were in the liberal minority. Garland had he been confirmed would have brought the Jewish representation to four. In a talk several months ago with the Board of Rabbis of New York, Breyer recalled getting a phone call telling him that Ginsburg had died, just as he was participating in Rosh Hashanah services over Zoom. "The service, they were at the Kaddish, right there," he said referring to the mourning prayer. "And the person on the end of the phone said, do you have anything [to say], and I said, she had been quite sick and it wasn't unexpected, still I was moved and I said, 'A woman of valor, a great judge and a good friend.'" "A Woman of Valor," or "Eshet Chayil" is a popular Shabbat song. Biden has said he is set to name a Black woman to the court, diminishing the likelihood of one Jewish justice replacing another. The likeliest candidate is believed to be Ketanji Brown Jackson, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit. Another name cropping up is Leondra Kruger, an associate justice on the California Supreme Court whose father was Jewish and whose mother is Jamaican. Israeli government officials have begun laying the groundwork for the possible evacuation of Ukrainian Jews as fears of a Russian invasion continue to rise, Haaretz reported. According to the report, representatives from the Prime Ministers Office, the foreign, defense, diaspora affairs and transportation ministries, the National Security Council and the Jewish Agency gathered on Sunday to discuss the threat level faced by Ukraines Jewish communities. They were also joined by officials from Nativ, an organization that maintains ties between Israel and Jewish communities in the Former Soviet Union. Officials assessed that around 75,000 Jews in Ukraine qualify for Israeli citizenship through the Law of Return. The largest concentrations of Jews are in and around the cities of Kyiv, Odessa, Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk. Its not known how many would choose to leave for Israel or move elsewhere. Nor is it clear if an evacuation would even be possible in a war situation. According to Haaretz, Israel had contingency plans in the late 1980s for an emergency airlift of large numbers of Jews from the Soviet Union. Those plans are being dusted off and updated now. However, the report stressed that despite the rising threat of war, there has been no significant rise in Ukrainian Jews seeking to immigrate. Israels last major airlift was Operation Solomon, a covert operation in which 14,000 Ethiopian Jews were evacuated within 36 hours amid a civil war. Russia has massed 100,000 soldiers to its border with Ukraine. Its feared that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to seize large swaths of Ukrainian territory or topple the government of President Volodymyr Zelensky and replace it with a pro-Moscow regime. The U.S put 8,500 troops on higher alert for a possible deployment to Europe. In recent days, the U.S. and several European countries have also instructed the families of diplomats living in Ukraine to leave. Russia-Ukraine relations have been fraught ever since Ukraine first sought NATO membership in 2008. In 2014, Russia seized control of the Crimean peninsula and parts of Ukraines eastern Donbas region. The world does not recognize the legitimacy of Russias occupation of those areas. (JTA) In Orlando, neo-Nazis yelled antisemitic slurs from a highway overpass. In Chicago, a Jewish school and a synagogue were vandalized. In Washington, D.C., a man was arrested and charged with spray painting swastikas on a train station. The turbulent weekend which also included a rally in Ottawa against COVID-19 vaccine mandates that featured swastikas comes just a few weeks after the hostage situation at a Texas synagogue left American Jews feeling vulnerable in their synagogues. A video of the Orlando rally that spread on social media on Monday showed protesters standing on a highway overpass in front of banners of swastikas. One audibly yells Heil Hitler. The Orlando Sentinel reported that the group shouted other antisemitic slurs, and an array of Florida officials, including Republican Sen. Rick Scott and Democratic House Rep. Val Demings, condemned the gathering. The highway overpass location resembled similar demonstrations in Austin, Texas, in October in which a group called the Goyim Defense League hung a sign that said Vax the Jews from an overpass. On Sunday afternoon, a Jewish school and synagogue in Chicagos West Ridge neighborhood were vandalized. Graffiti was sprayed on the F.R.E.E. Synagogue, and a window was smashed at Yeshivas Meor Hatorah Of Chicago, where a cargo container was also painted on. The suspect also apparently tackled someone to the ground before running away, according to the local ABC news station. Debra Silverstein, a local alderman whose office is located next to the synagogue, said police were still investigating the incidents. No official pronouncement has been made on a possible motive, but these have all the hallmarks of hate-based crimes, she said. In Washington, D.C., police arrested a 34-year-old man named Geraldo Pando who was suspected of spray painting several swastikas around the entrance to Union Station, an Amtrak station near Capitol Hill, early Friday morning. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser responded to the incident in a tweet. This symbol of hate displayed in our city is both shocking and unsettling, particularly on the heels of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, she wrote. (JNS) Pro-Israel groups working on campus agree that the situation for Jewish students is growing steadily worse. Just this fall, antisemitic incidents erupted at campuses across the country from vandals desecrating a Torah scroll at George Washington University to a student at the University of New Mexico hospitalized after being attacked by a group shouting antisemitic slurs. Recently at USC, we saw a member of student government threaten to kill Zionists without repercussion while a Jewish member of student government was harassed into resigning her position, David Brog, executive director of Maccabee Task Force, told JNS. As students return to campus this spring, we must be prepared for similar outrages. One in three Jewish college students said they personally experienced anti-Semitism in the last academic year, according to the Anti-Defamation-Hillel Campus Anti-Semitism Study: 2021. Aviva Rosenschein, CAMERAs International Campus director, told JNS: Its gotten much worse since I started in 2008 with CAMERA much worse. Its much more intimidating on the campuses. Three campus groups JNS spoke with MTF, CAMERA on Campus and the Israeli-American Councils Mishelanu pursue different strategies to fight back against an increasingly anti-Israel environment. Rosenschein said CAMERA is represented on campus by Fellows, of which there are one to two per campus. CAMERA also works with students through its CAMERA on Campus Coalition. The coalition includes independent, pro-Israel student organizations, which CAMERA supports with funding for programming and educational materials. CAMERA is active on more than 80 campuses via both programs. She described CAMERA on Campuss strategy as two-fold: 1) to educate students on current issues; and 2) to respond to anti-Israel attacks. Its the second where it most represents its parent organization, CAMERA, which built a reputation for its fact-based refutation of false or distorted reports about Israel in the media since its founding in the early 1980s. Thats our major focus I would say. Theres no other organization focusing on the campus newspapers, said Rosenschein. The groups Fellows respond to inaccurate articles with carefully researched ones of their own so that the general student body is actually reading another point of view and a more factual account. CAMERA on Campus Fellows will also attend events by anti-Israel speakers and confront them with questions. Its not easy because at a lot of these events most of the attendees will be supporters of the speaker. The Fellows will then write about those events, fact-checking and refuting false claims spread by the speaker, sometimes exposing antisemitic rhetoric shared at the event, said Rosenschein. Building coalitions with influential student groups MTF, founded in 2015 by Miriam and Sheldon Adelson to counter the growing BDS movement on U.S. campuses, focuses on coalition-building. The only way we can really hope to change anything on campus is by building coalitions with influential student groups and members of student government, Brog told JNS. Brog, a longtime pro-Israel activist and former executive director of Christians United for Israel, said methods that once worked no longer do, blaming what he calls an increasingly soiled political environment as people really just make friends with those who share their political worldview and consume media and social media that affirms their worldview. The default political worldview on campus is far-left, and within that worldview Israel sits squarely in the negative, he said. His organization has found that the most effective tool to shake people out of their political comfort zones is a trip to Israel. The trip isnt primarily for Jewish students. The group brings campus leaders, those who influence the direction of the political debate on campus. (Brog said there are typically 20 such leaders at each school.) The difference between the anti-Israel narrative theyve been fed and the reality, even on a bad trip, is transformative. If you get them on a bus where theyre actually seeing Israel and hearing from Israelis and Palestinians, well, then theyre going to be exposed to something theyve never been exposed to before, and likely never would have been exposed to, he said. The trips are also the most effective way to build coalitions, said Brog. Accompanying the campus leaders on the trip are pro-Israel students from the same schools, who build relationships with them on the trip and maintain them once they return. MTF also funds leadership dinners and advocacy training to improve both the quality and the quantity of pro-Israel activists on campus. Brog said a surprising number of students tell him they became involved in pro-Israel activism through advocacy training. Another group thats become active on campus in recent years is the Israeli-American Council, an organization of first- and second-generation Israelis in America. Founded in 2007, IAC became active on campuses in 2012 with its college program, Mishelanu, which focused on Israeli culture. Mishelanu introduced an Activism Ambassadors fellowship that centered on political issues in 2020. Justin Feldman, national activism manager for Mishelanu, said the program already has a presence at almost 100 colleges. Its main focus is convincing pro-Israel students to become more engaged in student government in the hope of creating a campus environment friendlier to Jews and Israel. Mishelanu also focuses on what Feldman calls a personalized approach to Israel education. We tend to find that students come from a range of backgrounds in their education about Israel and the Middle East, he said, noting that one student may be well-versed in Israels diversity but know little about the inner workings of the Knesset, for example. Thats why we have put together customized, personalized Israel-education bundles materials, resources, books, fact sheets, films and other educational resources for each student based on topics that they choose. Mishelanu is represented by ambassadors on campus. They receive a stipend and are required to host at least two events per semester, plus one social-media campaign or in-person event on a topic that they choose related to anti-Semitism or Israel. Mishelanu has focused its outreach on Israeli-American students (though it has since branched out to include Jewish American and Christian students). Feldman said that in the year 2020-21, of 24 campuses that passed the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliances working definition of antisemitism, 12 were pushed forward by Mishelanu activists. So about half of the students that are passing these resolutions are Israeli American, said Feldman, noting that only about 10 percent of Jewish Americans are Israeli American. I think thats a very strong, outsized accomplishment. They are indoctrinating the students Feldman, Brog and Rosenschein agree that the main anti-Israel groups are Students for Justice in Palestine, a pro-Palestinian student activist group, and Jewish Voice for Peace, a pro-BDS, anti-Israel group, whose goal is weakening American Jewish support for Israel. J Street U, while claiming to be pro-Israel, also tends to be hostile. Rosenschein said the biggest problem on campus is the faculty. The professors are definitely, if not the main source, one of the key sources of the anti-Zionism that were seeing spread throughout the campus. They are indoctrinating the students. She says faculty advisers encourage students to form anti-Israel organizations and intimidate students in Middle East studies classes if they have a different perspective. The professors are a huge problem that has been an issue for decades but recently has openly exploded, said Rosenschein. To deal with the problem, CAMERA has formed the CAMERA Education Institute, which reviews professors syllabi, refutes them when necessary, and is also in the process of creating its own syllabi to offer to schools. Feldman views anti-Israel students as the main problem in the short term, but agreed that the faculty is changing for the worse and sees professors as the biggest problem in the long term. Brog differs, stressing that one of the main problems on campuses today is the woke, progressive worldview. Almost everyone who leans progressive embraces an anti-Israel narrative, he said, and it creates an enormous challenge for us now because its not a matter of trying to counter a bad professor or an SJP event. Now, weve got to push back against an entire political worldview. (JTA) Ambo Anthos, the Amsterdam-based publishing house that printed the Dutch-language translation of a controversial book alleging that a Jew had betrayed Anne Frank, has apologized for not reviewing the material more critically and ceased printing new copies of it on Monday. The book The Betrayal of Anne Frank, published earlier this month by the Canadian author Rosemary Sullivan, hypothesizes that the teenage diarist and her family were turned over to the Nazis by Arnold van den Bergh, a notary and a member of the Jewish Council, which the Nazis established to better control Dutch Jews. The book documents the work of a cold case investigation team set up six years ago. But soon after it was published, several critics, including well-known historians who specialize in the history of the Frank family, dismissed the probes conclusion as inconclusive and irresponsible. Bart van der Boom, a Leiden University historian who has written extensively about the Jewish Council, called the findings libelous nonsense. David Barnouw, one of the best-respected historians of World War II in the Netherlands, said he had considered van den Bergh but dismissed him as a suspect and called the books allegation lacking in evidence. The main piece of evidence in the investigation is an anonymous letter naming van den Bergh sent to Otto Frank, Annes father and the only member of the nuclear family of four who survived the Holocaust. NOS reported that some experts do not believe van den Bergh had access to a list of addresses of Jews in hiding at the time. Anne Frank wrote several diaries while hiding from the Nazis in occupied Amsterdam with her family. After the Holocaust, her father edited her writings into the book that became an international bestseller. While she became an icon of the Holocaust around the world, the chronicle of the Frank familys life in hiding, aided by courageous resistance activists, resonated especially strongly in the Netherlands, where the story is widely thought to encapsulate multiple aspects of the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. Ambo Anthos, the Amsterdam-based publisher, apologized in a statement to anyone felt offended by Sullivans book. Editing was not possible ahead of publication under the Dutch publishers deal with HarperCollins, which owns the copyright for the book, the statement added. The book is still available in other languages. In a Friday night sermon on Jan. 21, 2022, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl of Manhattan's Central Synagogue spoke about her experience being contacted by the gunman who took Jews hostage at a synagogue in Texas a week earlier. (JTA) - The New York City rabbi who spoke twice to the man who held Jews hostage in their Texas synagogue last week detailed the experience in a sermon Friday night. Rabbi Angela Buchdahl of Central Synagogue also outlined her anxiety as an American Jew and exhorted her congregants to heed a prayer that the Reform movement has made part of its liturgy on Tisha B'Av, the Jewish day mourning the destruction of the ancient Temple in Jerusalem and other traumatic events in Jewish history: "Blessed are you, Adonai, who makes us captives of hope." Buchdahl had previously acknowledged being contacted by the gunman, whom he reportedly found by searching for influential rabbis. But in her sermon, she recounted the voicemail from Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, delivered in what she said was an "unfaltering voice," that alerted her to her involvement. "We have an actual gunman who is claiming to have bombs and he wants to talk to you," Buchdahl quoted. "If you can call me back at this number that would be greatly appreciated. This is not a joke.'" On her second call with the hostage-taker, she recalled, "He said, 'I'm running out of patience, and you are running out of time.' I had already talked to the authorities. I knew there was nothing else I could do but wait and pray." The prayer she offered, she said, was Hashkiveinu, an evening prayer that envisions God as a protector. Buchdahl began her sermon by expressing gratitude - to God, to Cytron-Walker and the other three hostages who emerged safely from Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville last Shabbat, and to the security officials and Jewish organizations "who work to keep our communities safe in ways we don't always see or acknowledge." But she said she had not been certain what more to say, in part because she knew that her congregants at Central Synagogue, where she has been senior rabbi since 2014, would "want and need words of comfort and hope from your rabbi" and she did not yet have those words for them. Instead, she said, her own feelings are "ominous" and entwined with both the dangers that Jews face today and the discourse about antisemitism that was invigorated by last week's attack. "If you are a Jew in America and you are not feeling unsettled," Buchdahl said, "then you are not paying attention." She went on: "I'm unsettled because the world only has the most simplistic understanding of antisemitism. If someone says they hate Jews, or they want to kill Jews, we call it antisemitism. But even educated people, the director of the FBI, do not recognize its far more insidious guise as the trope that Jews are all-powerful and control everything. We saw how dangerous that age-old conspiracy theory can be. "I'm unsettled because I saw firsthand that you cannot negotiate with a terrorist. And more and more people in our country and around the globe are captivated by terrifying hateful ideologies, which they value more than their own lives. "I'm unsettled because Rabbi Cytron-Walker's kindness and humanity were used against him. He opened his doors to this man and gave him a cup of tea. This rabbi welcomes the stranger and this is his reward? We have to protect ourselves. We cannot be naive. But I also know that if we only build fortresses around our sanctuaries, and around our hearts, then he wins. "I'm unsettled because I heard the terrifying voice of radical extremism filtered through the mind of a deranged person who was able to get a gun and then hold four people and an entire Jewish community hostage for 11 hours. I think of the ripple effects that this man set off and the countless resources that we will spend to prevent it from happening again." She ended her sermon by looking to the week's Torah portion, Yitro, in which Moses's non-Jewish father-in-law tells Moses that he is not leading the Israelites to freedom alone. "This message is truly for all of us. None of us can do this alone," she said. She later added that seeing so many congregants attend services - something that Biden administration antisemitism envoy nominee Deborah Lipstadt encouraged Jews to do as an act of courage - was heartening. "I could not do this without all of you showing up tonight, whether in this sanctuary or online. You are showing up not just for Central, but for Judaism. You're showing up for fearlessness in the face of fear. None of us can do this alone, even as this pandemic has tested us and forced us to feel more alone than we ever thought we would have to be. But our tradition keeps pushing us back into community and tells us not only that we need to do this with each other." (JTA) - A Tennessee school board voted unanimously to remove "Maus," Art Spiegelman's graphic memoir about his father's Holocaust experience, from its curriculum after board members raised objections about curse words, nude drawings and "not wise or healthy" content within it. Spiegelman, who won a 1992 Pulitzer Prize for the book, told CNBC that the decision was "Orwellian" and said he doubted that the McMinn County school board's decision to stop teaching his book had only to do with his choice of words. During a board meeting Jan. 10, educators explained that "Maus" was an "anchor text" for McMinn County's eighth-grade English language arts instruction, making it the centerpiece for a months-long study of the Holocaust. Mike Cochran, one of the district's 10 board members, said he didn't object to students learning about Holocaust history. But he questioned why "Maus" was an appropriate choice because it includes profanity and a drawing of the author's mother naked. (Like the other Jews in the book, the author's mother is rendered as a mouse.) The district - located in a politically conservative region of southeastern Tennessee - had already agreed to redact the profanities and obscure the nude image. But Cochran continued to raise concerns during the meeting, and other board members joined in, some raising more substantive objections about the book's content before the board voted unanimously to pull the book out of the district's classrooms. "It shows people hanging, it shows them killing kids," said another board member, Tony Allman, according to minutes from the board meeting posted online. (Of the roughly 6 million Jews murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust, approximately 1.5 million were children.) "Why does the educational system promote this kind of stuff?" Allman went on. "It is not wise or healthy." The Jan. 10 vote burst into public view Wednesday night after a liberal Tennessee news website, TN Holler, published a column about it. The site's editor in chief, Justin Kanew, wrote that TN Holler had asked the board whether the book's topic had to do with the decision and had been told it did not. "Still, the climate of conservative censorship, the passage of history-whitewashing laws that threaten fines to teachers who teach the truth, and the push towards the banning of books across the state by groups like 'Moms for Liberty' makes it fair to question the timing," wrote Kanew, who has spoken out against book-banning efforts in his own school district outside Nashville. The vote in McMinn County marks only the latest addition to a trend in politically conservative districts of removing books and other curriculum materials because of parent objections or concerns that children might find the materials anxiety-provoking. In McMinn County, located about an hour northeast of Chattanooga, 80% of voters supported Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. The curriculum challenges come amid with a culture war over "critical race theory," an academic idea that is largely not taught below the college level but which conservative activists have used as a shorthand to describe efforts to teach about racism and social justice in schools. Seeded in large part by a Republican activist named Christopher Rufo, their argument is the theory causes children to be taught that America is a wicked, racist country. The primary target of this movement has been texts that describe America as a place where racism is systemic; the archetype of those texts is Nikole Hannah-Jones' "The 1619 Project," which aims to reset the symbolic founding of the United States to the year that the first enslaved Black people were brought to the continent. But as parent groups have emerged to pressure school districts, fueling a wave of conservative elections to school boards in many areas, the concerns have widened to include any texts that might leave students feeling discomfited. Some state legislatures have enacted laws restricting how teachers can talk about sensitive topics such as race and sexuality. The McMinn County vote is not the first time that this climate has spilled over into how the Holocaust is taught. In Southlake, Texas, a district leader was taped telling teachers that a new state law requiring them to present multiple perspectives about "widely debated and currently controversial" issues meant they needed to make "opposing" views on the Holocaust available to students. And in Indiana earlier this month, a Republican lawmaker apologized after saying teachers should present an "impartial" view about Nazis. The board members in McMinn County did not mention critical race theory by name, according to the minutes of the Jan. 10 meeting. (They also did not mention Jews, the primary target of the Nazi killing machine.) But they echoed many of the talking points that critics of the theory have leveled on TV, in school board meetings and on social media for some time, arguing that children should not have to encounter content that their parents find objectionable. Some of the other people who spoke at the meeting shared their concerns. Said a high school teacher in the district, according to the minutes, "I love the Holocaust - I have taught the Holocaust almost every year in the classroom - but this is not a book I would teach my students." Some who attended the meeting defended "Maus," according to the minutes. Responding to Allman, Julie Goodin, one of the district's two instructional supervisors, said, "I was a history teacher and there is nothing pretty about the Holocaust and for me this was a great way to depict a horrific time in history." Her colleague Steven Brady argued that the objectionable words were part of what made "Maus" an effective teaching tool. "When we think about the author's intent, I could argue that his intent was to make our jaws drop," he said. "Oh my goodness, think about what happened." Brady presented an extensive explanation about how McMinn County designed its curriculum and why "Maus" fits into the district's goals of teaching children about history, literacy and what he called "habits of character." He said the district had already delayed its instruction of "Maus," which had been scheduled to begin shortly after winter break, because it anticipated parent concerns and that the complete unit of study would have to be revamped if the book could not be taught. In the end, that's exactly what the 10 board members told district officials to do. Their decision has prompted widespread criticism and bewilderment, from Spiegelman himself and others. Wrote Neil Gaiman, the bestselling British author, "There's only one kind of people who would vote to ban Maus, whatever they are calling themselves these days." Randi Weingarten, the Jewish president of the American Federation of Teachers, which does not play a role in McMinn County, noted the timing of the news on Twitter. "They did it the week we remember the Holocaust," she wrote, alluding to International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which is Thursday. "Yes it is uncomfortable to talk about genocide, but it is our history and educating about it helps us not repeat this horror." On Wednesday night, a growing number of social media users were offering to mail copies of "Maus" to residents of McMinn County and beyond. "Maus (and Maus II) are haunting and brilliant and important," wrote Jenny Lawson, a popular personality with nearly half a million Twitter followers. "[Direct message] me if you own a Little Free Library in Mcminn County and I'll mail you my personal copies of each." Putin, Macron hold third call in week on Ukraine Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron held a phone conversation, the third one within seven days, to discuss the Ukrainian crisis and security guarantees. The leaders continued their "substantive dialogue" on the situation regarding Ukraine and the establishment of long-term and legally binding security guarantees between Russia and the West, Xinhua news agency quoted the Kremlin as saying. Putin noted the "provocative statements and actions of the Kiev leadership that run counter to the Minsk agreements" on the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. Putin and Macron held phone calls on Jan. 28 and 31 to exchange views on the same issue as tensions between Russia and the US-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization have flared up over the past weeks. (JTA) A rural Tennessee school boards decision earlier this month to remove Maus, the celebrated graphic novel about the Holocaust, from its curriculum has attracted fierce backlash from other pockets of the state and beyond. A nearby comic-book store is pledging to give away the book for free to every student in the county, an area church plans to hold a discussion on its themes and a college professor intends to offer free classes on the book to students in the county. Nirvana Comics, a comic-book store in Knoxville, announced Thursday on social media that it would be giving away copies of Art Spiegelmans Pulitzer Prize-winning book to any interested students, saying, it is a must-read for everyone. Maus was a book that opened my eyes and changed my worldview, because I grew up on a small town in Tennessee where I honestly dont know if to this day there is a single Jewish person, Nirvana Comics store owner Rich Davis told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Davis, who is not Jewish, said he had become immediately angry when hed heard that the school board of nearby McMinn County had voted 10-0 on Jan. 10 to remove the book from its middle-school classes, citing its use of profanity, nudity and depictions of killing kids as reasons for its inappropriateness. But then I realized you dont fight anger with anger, hate with hate, Davis said. I just felt like I needed to do something. The resulting Nirvana Comics initiative, Project Maus, was at first only supposed to loan copies of the book to students like a library, he said. But as word of the stores intent spread through social media and supporters rushed in to help, those plans expanded. A GoFundMe that Davis set up to support giveaways of the book has raised more than $6,000 to date, and the books publishers at Penguin Random House negotiated a deal to sell 500 additional copies of Maus to Nirvana at a reduced price with the intent to give them away to students. When Star Trek: The Next Generation actor Will Wheaton shared Nirvanas story on social media, thats when it really, really exploded, Davis said. That doesnt surprise me because Star Trek fans are some of the most amazing and committed fans on the planet. In addition, Davis said, he was in talks with a group of Jewish attorneys and businessmen whom he declined to name, but who he said were interested in purchasing an additional 1,000 copies of the book for free giveaways to McMinn County students. As the county itself only numbers around 50,000 people total, Davis said it could prove possible to donate a copy of Maus to every kid in McMinn County. In the county itself, a local Episcopal church in Athens announced it would be conducting a discussion of the book Feb. 3. The event will include discussion about the complicity of many churches in the systematic murder of Jews during the Holocaust, as well as modern-day antisemitism. Scott Denham, a Holocaust and German Studies professor at Davidson College in North Carolina, launched an online course about the book specifically intended for 8th grade and high school students. On the courses website, Denham said the lessons would not be public and would only be offered to students in McMinn County. A representative for Denham said the professor was currently experiencing a family emergency and wasnt available to elaborate on his plans for the lessons. As of Friday, Jan. 28, Maus originally published in two volumes in the late 1980s and early 90s sat at #23 on Amazons bestseller list. The county school boards rejection of the book generated international news coverage, with prominent authors including Neil Gaiman harshly criticizing the boards decision. Organizations like the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum emphasized the books frequent use as a Holocaust education tool for middle and high school-aged readers. For Davis, who is also the author of the horror comic series Cult of Dracula, the incident at its core stemmed from misguided intentions. Im sure they thought they were protecting their children. Davis said about the McMinn County parents and school board members who had initially raised concerns about the books content. But, he added, he believed theyre actually harming their children If Maus offends you, then you certainly dont know very much about the Holocaust. (JNS) The multinational firm Unilever, which owns Ben & Jerrys, announced on Tuesday that in the wake of severe losses, it will fire 1,500 workers around the world and split off its ice-cream division from its food division. The move follows Ben & Jerrys decision to break its contract with its Israeli licensee, who refused to stop selling the companys ice-cream in Judea and Samaria. The U.S. states of New York, New Jersey, Florida, Texas, Illinois, Colorado and Arizona have decided to remove investments from their pension funds in Unilever because the company was found to violate anti-BDS laws that passed in those states. Unilever continues to run away from its responsibility as a parent company, said Avi Zinger, director-general of Ben & Jerrys Israel, the Israeli licensee. Instead of taking responsibility and canceling the boycott, Unilever prefers to put its head in the sand and ignore the fact that it is solely in charge of all the companies it owns, including Ben & Jerrys worldwide. Zinger said that Ben & Jerrys Israel would continue to struggle against the banning of sales in eastern Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and will use all tools at its disposal to persuade Unilever to assume the necessary responsibility. Last week, it was reported that Unilevers stock plunged 20.7 percent in the six months since it informed Zinger that his contract was ending. This amounts to a $26 billion loss, according to Channel 12 News, which first reported on the story. Losses were reportedly due to numerous factors, including a failure to reach profit targets. (JNS) Less than four days after a gunman held four Jews hostage inside a Texas synagogue in a doomed attempt to free a convicted terrorist, the Council on American-Islamic Relations thinks it is ready to renew its campaign to achieve the same objective. Its time to push back, CAIRs Dallas chapter director Faizan Syed wrote on Jan. 19. The news coverage around Dr. Aafia Siddiqui over the last few days has been inaccurate, one-sided and made to paint a victim of the war on terror as a terrorist. The Free Dr. Aafia Campaign has developed a media and public resource... (JNS) The antisemitic hostage-taking in Colleyville, Texas, on Jan. 15 brought to the surface bitter memories of the Holocaust: Jews being singled out simply because they were Jews. Eighty years ago, on Jan. 20, 1942, the Wannsee Conference took place on the outskirts of Berlin. In 90 minutes, the Nazis planned the extermination of the Jews of Europe, calling it the Final Solution. They intended to wipe out 11 million Jews across Europe, including in the Soviet Union, England, Ireland and Switzerland. The host was Reinhard Heydrich, known as the Butcher of Prague and the ... In a recent statement published on the annual celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.s life, Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, not only misrepresented and defamed Dr. Kings legacy, but he did so using some of the most vile antisemitic tropes singling out the Jewish people and Israel. In his statement, Dr. Nelson wrote of Dr. Kings legacy and overcoming societal inequities in the U.S. and all over the world. Listing a broad range of social problems, Dr. Nelson then seamlessly pivoted into antisemitic lies, mentioning... (JNS) One of the tragicomic if all too prevalent customs of contemporary woke corporate culture is the way many groups and corporations now open meetings with ritual acknowledgments that they are on stolen land. It involves the convener of the gathering to begin any proceedings by first stating that those speaking are on the lands of whatever Native American tribe once lived there as the indigenous inhabitants of the North American continent. That is part of the context of the claim that the State of Israel was built on stolen land, a phrase that was used by Hussain Al... There is an unmistakable sign that Tamil Nadu voters want a change in style and substance of governance , which would be possible only if the two Dravidian parties would be out of reckoning. by N.S.Venkataraman The decision of Annamalai led B J P to contest the forthcoming election to civic bodies in Tamil Nadu without alliance with other parties has caught the admirers and critics of BJP by surprise. Many think that Annamalai must have taken this decision, as he now thinks that his political campaign during the last several months after taking over as President of BJP in Tamil Nadu has now reached a decisive stage. It is not only DMK and its allies who think that Annamalai is fast becoming a noteworthy and decisive politician in Tamil Nadu that could threaten their political influence in the coming years, even BJPs national ally AIADMK seem to be alarmed at the steadily growing strength and popularity of Tamil Nadu BJP under Annamalais leadership. Perhaps, AIADMK also fears that growth of BJP in Tamil Nadu would adversely impact the fortunes for AIADMK in short and medium term. This is, perhaps, the reason why AIADMK refused the demand for seat share by BJP in its alliance for the civic polls and by remaining tough during negotiations, AIADMK wanted to cut Annamalai and BJP to its size. The overall assessment of the political situation in the state by all parties seem to suggest that Annamalai led BJP is forging ahead in the state from strength to strength , though such strength is yet to be proven conclusively in the electoral battle. In the last sixty years or so , Tamil Nadu has been governed by the two Dravidian parties alternately , with really no significant difference in performance yardsticks and with political and administrative corruption in the state reaching alarming proportions. In such circumstances, many discerning observers are of the view that Tamil Nadu would be able to achieve its full potential as a progressive state, only if the governance in Tamil Nadu would go to any other better party other than the two Dravidian parties , who have shown poor governance capability and wasted opportunities. There is an unmistakable sign that Tamil Nadu voters want a change in style and substance of governance , which would be possible only if the two Dravidian parties would be out of reckoning. Certainly, there is an increasing view emerging amongst a cross section of the population in Tamil Nadu that Annamalai may be able to meet the expectations of the Tamil Nadu voters , as he has been conducting himself with a high level of dignity, political maturity and clarity in thought , policies and programmes. Annamalai has engineering qualification and MBA qualification from premier institute and having been selected as IPS officer in All India services and with excellent track record as police officer in Karnataka state, it appears that Annamalai has everything in him to emerge as top class political leader . In a desperate attempt to stem the rise of Annamalai led BJP , the critics and other parties in Tamil Nadu are trying to create an impression that BJP will disturb the religious harmony in Tamil Nadu . They term BJ P as a non secular party (whatever it may mean) though Annamalai has repeatedly clarified that BJP wishes all religions well and BJP is only condemning the anti Hindu stance of a few political parties including DMK in Tamil Nadu. The ground reality today is that those parties, which claim that BJP is non secular, are only those parties which play communal cards and appease the minority community as part of vote share politics. Their strategy appears to be to systematically criticize the Hindu religion and its way of life, so that it would appease the minority community in the state. What DMK and other critics of BJP are doing today is essentially hate politics , that is effectively disturbing the harmony in the state. When they accuse BJP of being communal, it is like a man sitting in a glass house throwing stones at others. Certainly, as a political leader , Annamalai sounds differently in functioning style and pattern and represents a refreshing contrast in the political climate in the state. This refreshing change has not gone unnoticed. The critics of BJP and other political parties are conducting a massive anti Annamalai campaign ,through the print and visual media in the state ,as most section of print and visual media in Tamil Nadu are showing excessive loyalty to the ruling party DMK for whatever reasons and some of them have openly become the mouthpiece of DMK and the sworn critics of BJP. Such a determined and motivated anti BJP campaign of the section of print and visual media in Tamil Nadu is posing a problem for Annamalai in reaching his message to the people. Several of the speeches and actions of Annamalai remain deliberately unpublicized by several media houses. The question remains as to how Annamalai would tackle this media challenge in the coming months. Nevertheless, the Dravidian parties and critics now clearly see the rising tide in favour of Annamalai , as this educated , suave person hailing from a lower income group family and with enormous updated knowledge about socio economic issues is working with great zeal . People in Tamil Nadu, who have been seeing the hate politics and counter productive methods and high level of corruption amongst the two Dravidian parties over the last six decades, are desperately looking for a refreshing change in the political climate in the state . Annamalai appears to be elegantly filling up the gap , with his lofty functioning style and with the difference in the public image of Annamalai with other political leaders in the state becoming too obvious and glaring. It appears that Annamalais growing influence cannot be checked and this is more than evident from the desperate and merciless leaders of the Dravidian parties and the critics and section of media launching their strident and virulent campaign against him. System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28: 29: ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25 /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:948 /var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17 /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149 Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 125 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 157 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x55e82ff77fb8)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 948 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x55e82ff73e88)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x55e82ff77fb8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1302 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 955 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x55e82ff73e88)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x55e83840d3a0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1300 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 433 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x55e82ff73e88)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x55e82ff73e88)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x55e82ff739c0)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x55e82cfb5d50)') called at (eval 592) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x55e82cfb5d50)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 As General Manager, Graham is responsible for all aspects of the inn's operations. He started his hospitality career with Hyatt hotels in Operations and held various positions including Director of Housekeeping at Hyatt Regency Atlanta to Rooms Executive at the Grand Hyatt Washington. Graham joined Waterford Hotel Group in 2003 as the General Manager at the Residence Inn in Princeton, NJ and continued to assist with the renovation of the Hilton Hartford before becoming General Manager of the Residence Inn in Hartford, CT. In 2018, Graham rejoined Waterford Hotel Group in a Task Force General Manager capacity before accepting the General Manager position at The Westin Great Southern Columbus. Prior to joining Evans Hotels, Adams served as Chief Operating Officer for Windsor Hospitality, based in Santa Monica, and Executive Vice President of Operations for Omni Hotels. Before that, he built an impressive 30-year career in the hospitality industry managing iconic hotels in the United States and Europe, including the Grand Hyatt New York, Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego, and Park Hyatt Paris. During his long tenure at Hyatt, Adams rose to the level of Senior Vic e President - Operations. As an active traveler himself, Adams brings a curiosity about future trends in travel and hotels, a passion for improving the travel experience for guests, and the strategic management experience to address the changing environment of hotel operations. Hotels are always looking for new ways to attract travelers and drive direct bookings. From display ads to social media, video to native, marketers already have a great mix of options at their fingertips. However, a healthy multichannel marketing approach doesnt stop there. In todays marketing landscape, hotels must also leverage metasearch, as it has the power to drive big results. Metasearch has the potential to be one of the most powerful marketing channels available for travel brands. Metasearch helps travelers with one the most important factors when considering travel: price. Travelers use metasearch when theyre ready to book, making it a bottom of funnel tool with a high conversion rate, which is why 60 percent of independent hoteliers rank metasearch as the most effective marketing channel. Heres a breakdown of metasearch, its benefits, and how travel brands can get started using metasearch strategiesand reap more direct bookings. What is metasearch? Metasearch is a marketing or acquisition channel that drives qualified traffic to a brands website. Common sites include Trivago, Kayak, Tripadvisor, and Google Hotel Ads. A metasearch engine consolidates rates from multiple booking channels, such as hotel websites, wholesalers, and online travel agencies (OTAs). A marketing partner bids on the brands behalf using primarily a CPC model, and the traveler is then directed to the brand site. For a traveler, metasearch functions as a rate comparison platform, allowing them to search for a room at a specific hotel and view an aggregated list of room rates. Travelers can quickly see room availability and the rates offered on different booking channels all in one place. The benefits of activating metasearch Metasearch can benefit brands in a number of ways. Conversion rates are high without requiring the brand to do the creative heavy lifting. At Sojern, we observe that our clients on average experience an eight percent average increase in bookings in the first month following the activation of a metasearch campaign when compared to the previous month. In addition to high conversion rates, metasearch helps brands prepare for a cookieless world. Third-party cookies are set to become obsolete in 2023. Since metasearch doesnt rely on third-party cookies, it will prove to be a critical channel both now and in the future. Unlike when a customer books through an OTA, metasearch ends in a direct booking on the brand website. The brand owns the customer relationshipand the first-party datawhich will enable marketers to create the best customer experience in a cookieless world. Partners can help brands use multiple metasearch sites at one time, opening up massive pathways to capture both data and bookings. Getting started Given the benefits, its clear that metasearch should be part of any healthy multichannel marketing strategy. Heres how to get started: Define goals and budget - Before starting a metasearch campaign, its important to define goals, including expected volume and performance, as well as budget. For example, a hotel that receives five percent of bookings directly could set a realistic goal of increasing direct bookings to seven percent. The standard benchmark for performance on metasearch is between a 7-9X return on ad spend (ROAS). Once volume and performance numbers are established, brands can estimate monthly website revenue based on average daily rate (ADR) and then estimate a budget to assign to metasearch. Rate parity is a key success factor - Metasearch engines pull rates dynamically from different sources of information. Those rates are then adapted to the users location to ensure accurate currency and tax information. This is why rate paritymaintaining a consistent rate across all distribution channelsis crucial for hoteliers. Whatever rates are sent to the OTAs must be updated everywhere. Display the best rate first - Potential travelers dont want to scroll to find the best pricing information, so brands should display the Best Available Rate (BAR) within the first two results on their webpage. While its tempting to drive them to the most expensive room rates, the experience is better when the first-rate they see corresponds with the one advertised on metasearch. Metasearch is a powerful way for hotels to generate direct bookings. Not only does metasearch allow brands to get in front of travelers when theyre ready to book, they own the traveler relationship and data, which will be critical in a cookieless world. Given the benefits, hoteliers must incorporate metasearch into their direct booking strategies. About Sojern Sojern's digital marketing solutions for travel are built on more than a decade of expertise analyzing the complete traveler path to purchase. The company drives travelers from dream to destination by activating multi-channel branding and performance solutions on the Sojern Traveler Platform for more than 10,000 customers around the world. Recognized as a Deloitte Technology Fast 500 company six years in a row, Sojern is headquartered in San Francisco, with 600 employees based in Berlin, Dubai, Dublin, Hong Kong, Istanbul, London, Mexico City, New York, Omaha, Paris, Sao Paulo, Singapore and Sydney. How has the pandemic, and the associated decrease in business travel, impacted businesses finances? Are organizations prepared for business travels impending return? New research commissioned by the SAP Concur organization in January 2022 suggests that while there is high demandand likelihoodfor a return to business travel this year, most organizations have yet to fully lay the groundwork. Key findings from SAP Concur pulse surveys of 100 U.S. finance managers (vice president and above) and 1,000 U.S. business travelers include: A reduction in business travel cost companies six figures and perfect scores from employees. Most finance managers (88%) say that their company experienced a revenue loss over the past year as a direct result of employees inability to travel at pre-pandemic levels. Nearly half of business travelers (44%) say that their company needs an increase in business travel to remain viable beyond 2022; 35% say the same for their career, and 30% say the same for their entire industry. Nearly all finance managers (99%) and business travelers (99%) gave their company a passing grade on how it handled the reduction in business revenue due to decreased travel during the pandemic. Among finance managers whose companies lost revenue, 2% gave their company an A and 28% gave them a D. Business travelers were more generous: 27% gave their company an A and only 3% gave them a D. Business is gradually trending toward business as we knew it. Ninety-eight percent of surveyed finance managers report that their company has returned to the office in some capacity. More than half of finance managers (52%) say its very or extremely likely that their industry sees a boom in business travel by the end of 2022. And business travelers agree: 73% say that an increase is very or extremely likely this year, and 62% anticipate an increase in their own business travel compared to 2021. Employees and companies continue to clash over travel, compliance, and expense. Travel Most finance managers (84%) say that their company is less than completely prepared to handle an increase in business travel in 2022. Also, most finance managers (62%) agree that their company will fall behind competitors if their financial systems and staff arent prepared to immediately respond to these changes. Ninety-six percent of business travelers acknowledge areas where their company leadership could have better prepared for an increase in business travel during the past year. These include increased flexibility and control for business travelers (52%), prioritization of in-person trips that drive business value (44%), and new or improved travel management technology (42%). Compliance Ninety-eight percent of finance managers say they have seen an increase in non-compliant expenses during the past year. The vast majority of business travelers (89%) admit theyve submitted at least one travel expense during the past year that may violate their companys travel policieson average, a whopping $3,397 of questionable expenses. And while the majority of finance managers (53%) believe those expenses stem from unclear policies, their employees admit to being a bit more mischievous: Nearly two-thirds of business travelers (65%) admit that questionable expenses come from employees intentionally trying to get reimbursed for personal expenses. Expense Ninety-three percent of business travelers say that their company leadership could have better prepared during the past year for new and different business expenses likely to be submitted in 2022. Suggested focus areas include investing in new or improved expense reporting technology (50%), increased training on expense policies (47%), and increased training on the companys expense reporting systems (44%). During the past year, 86% of business travelers reported that their company has been delayed in reimbursing their business expenses at least once, and 89% say that a delay in receiving reimbursements impacts their personal finances. Finance managers and business travelers dont necessarily see eye to eye on everything. Only 12% of finance managers think its extremely likely that their industry will see an increase in business travel before the end of 2022, compared to 36% of business travelers. Only 16% of finance managers feel their company is ready to handle an increase in business travel this year, compared to 39% of business travelers. While most business travelers (78%) gave their company an A or B grade for how it handled decreased revenue from business travel during the pandemic, only 38% of finance managers whose company lost revenue gave their company an A or B. New and unique challenges for finance managers could explain the disparity. All finance managers (100%) said that the Great Resignation was impacting their organization, and 51% expect continued impact through the end of 2022. All finance managers (100%) said that their role has changedand become more challengingsince the start of the pandemic. Top reasons include taking on additional work caused by staffing shortages (59%), additional auditing and paperwork requirements (45%), and new or added involvement in internal communications (45%). On average, they are spending six hours each week on these tasks collectively. Technology offers solutions for companies, finance managers, and business travelers alike. All finance managers (100%) expect their company to make financial technology investments in 2022, including 37% who expect their company to invest in new financial technology solutions. This is likely a welcome change, as the majority of finance managers (57%) use multiple applications to perform their roleand 17% use multiple applications with no integration between them. In 2022, business travelers would like to see their company invest in adding or updating apps with real-time travel updates and booking (46%), tools for quicker expense reimbursement (43%), and tools for navigating the latest travel safety requirements (41%). A travel management system (40%) and an integrated system for travel and expense reporting (39%) round out their top five. These pulse survey findings underscore the urgency to get ready for the return of business travel in 2022, lest organizations fall behind their competitors. Join our webinar on February 23 to learn more about these trends and how companies can best prepare. The Concur Finance Managers Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research among 100 U.S. finance managers with a minimum seniority of vice president, between January 3rd and January 13th, 2022, using an email invitation and an online survey. The Concur 2022 Business Traveler Companion for Finance Managers Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research among 1,000 U.S. business travelers, defined as those who traveled for business 3+ times in the past 24 months, between January 3rd and January 13th, 2022, using an email invitation and an online survey. About Concur Concur, an SAP company, imagines the way the world should work, offering cloud-based services that make it simple to manage travel and expenses. By connecting data, applications and people, Concur delivers an effortless experience and total transparency into spending wherever and whenever it happens. Concur services adapt to individual employee preferences and scale to meet the needs of companies from small to large, so they can focus on what matters most for their businesses. Learn more at www.concur.com or the Concur Newsroom. View source Throttle control is critical in life, whether its a cars gas pedal, a motorcycles handgrip or behavior during a pandemic. COVID-19 has forced every Texan to make difficult decisions: when to stay in, when to go out, whether to be vaccinated, go to work or care for family. But the weeks and months ahead will only present more dilemmas. Scientists are divided on what the end of the omicron wave means for the future of the pandemic. After two years, they cannot decide if the collapse of this highly-transmissible variant combined with vaccines that make it a manageable disease means a return to normal is nigh. TOMLINSONS TAKE: It's time to break our old COVID habits in a new year I do not think so yet. I think were in for another wave this summer across Texas, and it could be just like 2020 and 2021, Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Childrens Hospital, told my colleague Andrew Dansby. Hotez has spent his entire career studying coronaviruses, and he suspects this one has a few more tricks. Vaccination rates are still not great in lower- and middle-income countries where these (previous) variants arose. I think were still very vulnerable to another variant arising in Africa or Asia, he added. To be clear, Hotez is not advocating for extreme measures; he only argues against complacency. About 2,500 Americans are still dying every day, and most of them would have survived if they had agreed to inoculation or taken simple precautions, like wearing a mask in public. Most Americans, though, are not scientists, and most have little tolerance for authority figures or inconvenience. A new Monmouth poll found 70 percent of Americans think its time we accept that COVID is here to stay and we just need to get on with our lives. Three-quarters of Americans who have experienced COVID-19 agree. Ive seen this myself in how few people wear masks indoors, in the full tables at restaurants, and the defiant stares of some patrons when I enter a business wearing a mask. People are either riding the brake or putting the pedal to the metal. Whats needed is something difficult to find in this world: nuance. A persons risk of contracting the virus depends primarily on their vaccination status and the effectiveness of their immune system. If you are not vaccinated or immunocompromised, you are at a very high risk of contracting a severe case of COVID, and you should take all available precautions. If you are vaccinated and boosted, your risk of severe disease is very low. Your vulnerability is determined by the amount of illness in your community, best measured by the daily infection rate. If the infection rate is high, you need to mask up and carefully consider your activities. But if the rate is low, then you can do more. In the fall, before delta and omicron, I took two trips to New York that I would not have made over the holidays. The economic gyrations, and waves of illness, reflect our on-or-off mentality. Unemployment figures, economic activity and consumer confidence, are rising and falling depending on infection rates. Responsible businesses also adjust work-from-home policies and offerings based on community infection rates. Responsible leaders keep their staff and customers healthy. The challenge, of course, is keeping people informed on the infection rates. Meteorologists can help. Just as weather reports include an allergy forecast, we need to make daily COVID reports part of knowing what to wear when we go outside. Wearing an N95 mask when infection rates are high should become no different than carrying an umbrella on a rainy day. Restaurants know business drops when the weather turns nasty. The same will be true with COVID for all companies, and executives need to build that into their plans. TOMLINSONS TAKE: Few New Year's resolutions produce better financial returns than getting in shape Today, infection rates are dropping precipitously, creating the public health equivalent of a string of sunny days. We should enjoy them, writes Dr. Leana Wen, a professor at George Washington Universitys Milken Institute School of Public Health. Its time to allow even encourage most Americans to enjoy their hot vax spring, Wen argued in her Washington Post column. Vaccinated people should enjoy the months ahead and appreciate this period of relative calm while we can, before another variant threatens to upend our lives again. We slow down on wet roads and speed up on the straightaway. Business people can lead the way by keeping employees informed and expecting them to react as necessary. Hospitality can post the COVID threat level on their doors and adjust their rules appropriately. We cannot control COVID any more than the weather, but we can respond wisely. Tomlinson writes commentary about business, economics and politics. twitter.com/cltomlinson chris.tomlinson@chron.com Houston-based Tellurian will start constructing its Driftwood LNG terminal in April, even if it means starting before securing financing, co-founder and executive chairman Charif Souki says. The $16.8 billion liquefied natural gas processing and export complex, slated to be completed in 2026, is to be built on 1,000 acres within the Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District. It's expected to have the capacity to process and export 27.6 million metric tons of LNG per year. Financing may land by the time construction begins in April, Souki said in a video posted to the company's website this week, but it could take a little bit longer. PREVIOUSLY: Tellurian extends Driftwood lease, forges ahead as natural gas deficit swells He said soaring global demand for natural gas underscores the need to forge ahead. The commercial reasons for doing a deal like this are very, very obvious, Souki said. Now it is so critical that President (Joe) Biden is doing his best to find gas for, in particular Europe, but also for the rest of the world, he said. And that is a major challenge. Tellurian is still working to line up enough LNG contracts to secure financing for the project. It reached agreements last year on three long-term contracts to sell a combined 9 million metric tons per year to commodity trading firms Shell, Vitol and Gunvor. Tellurian is seeking to secure contracts for a total of 15 million tons per year before giving the project the final go-ahead. Tellurian, which was founded in 2016 and has yet to begin processing and exporting LNG, laid off more than 40 percent of its 176 employees in March 2020 as analysts and investors worried about a worldwide glut of LNG. The market, however, turned late last year, and with a colder than normal winter in many parts of the world, natural gas supplies are tight and prices are rising. The U.S. gas benchmark Henry Hub this week jumped to $5.88 per million British thermal units, 38 percent higher than the previous week, amid intense trading and a winter storm sweeping the central U.S. It had retreated Friday to $4.56. This article has been corrected to reflect the number of contracts. amanda.drane@chron.com A Brazoria County district clerk who retired last year amid allegations of jury tampering spent years improperly sorting potential jurors by their race and address as she assembled jury panels, a Texas Rangers investigation found. A grand jury in December declined to bring charges against the former clerk, Rhonda Barchak, or any of her employees who participated in or witnessed the jury-selection process, said Tom Selleck, the countys district attorney. The investigation, which was completed in November, found Barchak failed to use a random jury-selection process as required by Texas statute, Selleck said. But he added that state law does not provide a penalty for violators. Bottom line is she didn't follow the statute but there's no consequence as far as criminal penalty, Selleck said. The consequence, though, is the tarnishing of the reputation of the justice system in the county. JURY TAMPERING: Brazoria County district clerk retires following DA's investigation of jury assembly 'irregularities' The jury tampering scandal has shaken confidence in the legal system in the rural county south of Houston, halted proceedings and contributed to a backlog of thousands of cases. At least one murder defendant wants a new trial, though predictions of a wave of cases that would need to be tossed did not come to pass. The allegations initially prompted calls for racial justice and stirred speculation of political maneuvering. According to the 177-page report from the Texas Rangers investigation, a copy of which was obtained by the Chronicle on Tuesday through an open records request, Barchak acknowledged that she sorted potential jurors into four categories: white Pearland residents, non-white Pearland residents, white people who did not live in that city, and non-white people who resided outside of it. Pearland is a city of more than 120,000 residents that is mostly located in Brazoria County but also extends into Harris and Fort Bend counties. BALLOT BOX: Brazoria County GOP primary features contested races Barchak, a local Republican elected in 2010, devised the unusual system with no input from other district clerks, conferences, training or government codes, according to the report. In fact, the Rangers found, she was not aware until more than halfway through her time in office that the county commissioners court had an approved jury-selection plan, which required the random selection of jury panels. As news of the alleged jury tampering came out last fall, some community leaders and activists accused Barchak of discriminating against people of color by excluding them from jury service. But Barchaks attorney, Chip Lewis, said the district clerks goal was the opposite: to create geographically and racially diverse juries. Lewis said the criticism was politically motivated and arose from a lack of understanding of her process. Rhonda never discriminated against any minority, Lewis wrote in an email to the Chronicle. To the contrary, her goal was to ensure inclusion of minorities to avoid all white juries sitting in judgment of Brazoria County citizens. NEWSLETTERS Join the conversation with HouWeAre We want to foster conversation and highlight the intersection of race, identity and culture in one of America's most diverse cities. Sign up for the HouWeAre newsletter here. Whistleblower raises concerns Barchak declined an interview request through her attorney. But the Texas Rangers report provides the following account of how her practice came under scrutiny: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the jury-selection process in Brazoria County moved from the courthouse in Angleton to a gym across the street. It was during this time that Tracy Read, a bailiff for the 412th District Court in Brazoria County, noticed Barchak and her deputy chief, Cayla Meyers, taking informational sheets from potential jurors and sorting them into separate stacks in a back room. Before the pandemic, this process often happened in a locked jury room, he said. He thought this was unusual and started asking questions. One employee told Read she didnt approve of what they were doing but said she couldnt talk to him about it, according to the investigation report. I need my job, she said. He asked another employee what criteria the district clerk used to select jury panels. Race and where they live, she responded, confirming his suspicions. The bailiff texted another employee while sitting in church, according to the report, saying I am struggling with what God has put on my heart. I know the truth. HARRIS COUNTY COURTS: Harris County has a massive case backlog. The first new felony court in 37 years could help On Aug. 17, 2021, Read came forward with what he had learned. He told District Judge Justin Gilbert that he had been having trouble sleeping and grabbed his badge, saying, This means something to me, according to the report. Gilbert called Judge Patrick Sebesta of the 239th Judicial District Court, who notified the Brazoria County District Attorneys Office and then requested a meeting with Barchak. The next morning, Sebesta told investigators, Barchak explained to him that she sorted potential jurors by race and geography with the intention of diversifying the panels, and that she had been doing this for her entire decade in office. I instructed her at that time that she could not do that, Sebesta said in a written statement to investigators. And she said that she would quit. The district attorneys office began reviewing the allegations, and Selleck, a Republican, reached out to the Texas Rangers on Aug. 26, 2021, to request a formal criminal investigation. Barchak retired that day. Investigation begins Thomas Norsworthy, a Texas Ranger and former sheriff, was assigned to the case. He and prosecutors from the Brazoria County DAs office interviewed nearly 70 people and collected more than 130 pieces of evidence during the course of an investigation that spanned more than three months. Most employees said they were not involved in the jury-selection process, but a handful of employees told investigators that Barchak taught them how to sort jury cards the informational sheets that each potential juror must fill out and bring to court into four stacks based on race and geography. The clerks then took one card from the top of each category and placed them in a new stack, and repeated that process until the four piles were distributed. They then placed those stacks on top of each other and assembled jury lists according to the order of that stack. Its unclear why she focused on residency in Pearland. TEXAS TAKE: Sign up for Texas politics and policy news, curated by the Chronicle's Austin bureau One employee said she felt uneasy about this process, but worried about incriminating herself. Others said they believed it was not criminal or malicious, and never asked questions or researched how jury empanelment should be done. The method was not used before Barchak became district clerk, employees said. When investigators asked Barchak why she didnt seek guidance on her selection process, she said: Because I knew it was supposed to be random, and I thought thats what I was doing, was being random. Barchak said she never worked behind a locked door and did not use her race-based sorting process when panel selection took place at the gym during the pandemic, according to the report. She said she created her system in 2015 or 2016. Some employees said Barchak automatically placed a person on a jury panel if they forgot or had to correct their information card; meanwhile, she set aside the jury cards of those people who arrived first, reportedly saying it was a perk of showing up early. Barchak gave an unclear answer when investigators asked why she did this. Patrick Mizell, a Houston attorney and former Harris County judge, said he has never heard of a clerk assembling jury panels in such a manner. In Harris County, the district clerk uses a computerized system that randomly selects names from the pool of potential jurors. Chapter 35 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure requires random selection of jury panels. You either have to shuffle it like a deck of cards or let the computer randomly assign it, but you cant on your own balance it out in any way, Mizell said. He said Barchaks method is clearly not random, but the statute does not create criminal penalties for failure to follow the code. HOUSTON JURY DUTY: Jury duty to return to downtown Houston as NRG prepares for rodeo Questions about the whistleblowers political motivations also came up during the investigation. Several employees reported that Read, a Republican who is running for a Brazoria County justice-of-the-peace position this year, had made comments about firing Barchak and her top staffers, and promised someone a job within the district clerks office in exchange for political support. Read, who does not have authority over hiring and firing in the clerks office, denied this allegation in his interview with investigators. His wife, Dana Read, is running for district clerk in the March 1 GOP primary election. She told investigators that she spoke with her husband on several occasions about the jury-tampering allegations, but did not ask for details because of her campaign. Meyers, the chief deputy who worked closely with Barchak, is also running for district clerk, although she left her position at the office shortly after the jury tampering investigation began. Barchak seemed to endorse Meyers in an email to her staff regarding her retirement. I know Cayla can do the job because, frankly, I've had her learning everything that the job entails, Barchak said. Impact on court cases Jury trials were paused from late August to December last year as officials investigated the allegations, according Selleck, who was appointed to his post in October 2020 by Gov. Greg Abbott. Now, Selleck said, hes facing nearly 9,000 active criminal cases and 4,500 family law cases, with more coming in each day, putting the courts system years behind. The pandemic contributed to the slowdown, too. Its a mess right now, he said. Were working through it. The district clerks office is no longer using Barchaks sorting system, Selleck said, and much of the process has been digitized. Commissioners last year appointed Donna Starkey as interim district clerk. She did not respond to a request for comment. Prosecutors are no longer reviewing cases affected by Barchaks selection process, he said, because it did not appear to have an impact on the racial composition of juries examined by investigators. Investigators conducted an audit of a dozen jury panels selected between October 2020 and August 2021. A statistics professor reviewed the data and found that each race category was within acceptable or expected ranges based on the countys population. The countys population is roughly 45 percent white, 32 percent Hispanic, 15 percent Black and 7 percent Asian, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. TEXAS LAWBOOK: Harris County juries projected to be whiter, more conservative as pandemic persists Still, one defendant is pushing for a new trial. Darrell Anthony Adell, Jr. was convicted of murder last August by a majority-white jury and sentenced to life in prison. His attorneys last September motioned for a new trial on the basis of the jury-tampering allegations against Barchak. Its very basic you cant do anything based on race, no matter whether you have good intentions or bad intentions, said Stanley Schneider, an attorney representing Adell. To me, it undermines the entire framework of the trial. The integrity of the proceedings was tainted from the beginning. Judge Terri Holder of the 149th District Court denied Adells request. But Schneider is asking the courts for a hearing with a different judge because Holder, in fact, was a witness in the Texas Rangers investigation into Barchak. Holder is not seeking reelection. Some community members remain unsatisfied with the results of the investigation. Quanell X, a community activist who leads the New Black Panther Party and organized a rally last fall to protest Brazoria Countys jury selection practices, said he does not trust the investigation conducted by the Texas Rangers and prosecutors. Members of both agencies work too closely with the office they were investigating and stand to benefit from the outcome, he said. He and other community activists still want the FBI or Department of Justice to look into the matter. Its ridiculous. Its sad. But Im not surprised, not at Brazoria County, Texas, he said. anna.bauman@chron.com Left frozen, powerless and reeling by an arctic blast nearly one year ago, Houston-area residents and officials girded for a winter strike that while packing less of a punch was set to make the coming hours a teeth-chattering February freeze. Temperatures overnight were expected to drop below 30 degrees across much of the area, which the National Weather Service placed in a winter weather advisory through at least noon Friday. It was unlikely large swaths of the area would reach 40 degrees until midday Saturday, forecasters said. For northern and northwestern parts of the region, the combination of wet weather and rapidly falling temperatures could leave a blanket of ice on roadways and yards, making travel tricky and potentially felling trees and knocking down power lines. On Thursday night, road conditions were getting slicker in some areas -- the Westpark Tollway had a crash involving up 10 vehicles and was closing because of ice, according to authorities. Overpasses leading up to Hobby Airport were closed, with the airport advising that drivers should access the terminal by going on Airport Boulevard. Now Playing: Get the latest local weather news from the Houston Chronicle and ABC13 Houston. Video: Houston Chronicle / ABC13 Houston Preparations heated up earlier Thursday, as residents emptied store shelves, wrapped exposed pipes and readied for the possible loss of power. Officials did the same with supplies of ice-melting materials and portable generators for local utilities, though they said the dark, frigid calamity of last years freeze is unlikely. Our expectation, our hope, is power outages will not be a major concern this time around, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said. Few were taking chances, however, as major school systems called off classes and assistance groups prepared to offer shelter for the areas homeless population. The citys Homeless Outreach Team handed out blankets to those who declined shelter. Neither Houston nor Harris County had plans to open warming shelters, but they were monitoring the weather and were ready to, if necessary. Residents meanwhile made their own preparations with lastminute trips to the grocery or hardware store, or took aim at selling rather than buying. SCHOOL CLOSINGS: See which campuses will be closed on Friday Robert Garcia parked along FM 2920 around 9 a.m. and began offering firewood; 30 pieces for $20. Hed made about $250 by 2:30 p.m. Normally when the weather is not as cold, then I probably would sell half of what Im selling today, the 38-year-old Spring resident said. But with it being so cold outside, I guess people need it for fire pits, fireplaces. Garcia chops the firewood from his own property and will sometimes sell it on his days off work as a painter and power washer. On Thursday, people told him about their concerns and how they wanted to be prepared just in case this cold snap should be a repeat of last year. Last year by most measures was a disaster, killing at least 246 people statewide, 65 in the eight-county Houston area. Millions shivered in cold homes in the dark, while untold thousands scrambled to address broken water pipes, especially in southern parts of the Texas never built for the prolonged chill. This cold snap is the first real test of the grid since last years blackouts, after which state legislators implemented several regulatory changes. Energy experts say many of those do not go far enough to prevent future blackouts, and have pushed for more stringent oversight of the natural gas industry, which fuels a majority of the power grid. Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday that the state power grid was holding up well, with about 10,000 megawatts of excess supply expected early Friday, when the storm is set to peak demand. About 70,000 households lost power Thursday morning statewide, mostly from downed power lines and icy local conditions. While projected peak electricity demand had risen from earlier estimates, Abbott said there should still be plenty of power to avoid a systemwide failure as happened last year. STAY SAFE: What to do when the power goes out and you need to keep warm Peter Lake, the newly appointed chairman of the Public Utility Commission, said regulators were using an abundance of caution this year to avoid outages and stressed many electricity generators had excess fuel on hand in case of unforeseen shortages. Despite the confidence, Abbott said the state is dealing with one of the most significant icing events that weve had, and urged drivers to stay off the roads. Icy conditions were expected in the Houston area, notably on the northwestern and northern fringes of the metro area. Texas Department of Transportation crews treated most bridges and overpasses in the region Thursday afternoon, with plans for more de-icing through the night and into Friday if necessary. Local crews with Houston and Harris County anticipated an active night and hope of a better Friday. Our primary concern remains the potential for rainfall to turn into wintry precipitation, Fort Bend County Judge KP George said in a social media post. Hidalgo also advised residents of various safety precautions, such as keeping an eye on the forecast, monitoring road conditions and not going out overnight unless necessary, noting the risk of invisible ice on highways, overpasses and bridges. Residents should also check on their vulnerable neighbors, ensuring that they have contact information and what they need, she said. They should also operate their heaters safely, she said, keeping objects at least 3 feet away from them. Remember the stories from last year in so many families and so many people who were trying to stay warm with carbon monoxide-emitting appliances and grills and ended up being poisoned by that, she said. So please be careful with that and spread the word as well, because many folks still dont know about that danger and that threat. Jeremy Blackman in Austin contributed to this article. andrea.leinfelder@chron.com leah.brennan@chron.com dug.begley@chron.com Growing up, Ramon Gutierrez would play cops and robbers with his friends, making them play the bad guys so he could play the good guy, always with his plastic handcuffs in hand. Alfredo Gutierrez gently smiled as he shared that small detail of his fathers life Friday at the funeral for the fallen Harris County Sheriffs Office sergeant. Gutierrez grew up to realize his dream, his son said, becoming a sergeant with the agencys vehicular crimes division and serving as a peace officer for nearly 20 years before being killed during an off-duty motorcycle assignment by a driver suspected to be intoxicated. The sergeant was 45. The son spoke with a trembling voice, holding back tears at the funeral at Woodlands Church, and said Jan. 24 was the day his family lost its leader, and the world lost a hero. My father was a simple man he loved the Dallas Cowboys, he loved to barbecue, and he really loved his beer, Alfredo Gutierrez said, drawing laughs from among the 200 in attendance. But he also loved his job. Alfredo said his sister recently told him she was always jealous of her fathers coworkers because of how much time they got to spend around him. The reason Gutierrez was always working, he said, was to provide for his family, often working extra jobs or overtime shifts late into the evening. Because of him, my mom was able to put in 100 percent of her effort into us and together they made the perfect family, he said. We are everything a family should be and that was because of my amazing father and my mom. The sergeants colleagues also recognized his work ethic and his zest for life, whether by helping solve crimes or grilling street tacos for an office retirement party He was a very thorough investigator, said Lt. Simon Cheng, who worked with Gutierrez in the vehicular crimes division and had known him for about a decade. The two had been promoted to their ranks the same day, June 5, 2020. Many times, I would be on night shift, and I would see him working overtime on night shift to arrest drunk drivers. He was very dedicated to keeping safe the citizens of Harris County. Sgt. Dashanna Cheek said he helped in any capacity he could, whether acting as a translator or helping map a crime scene. Whatever capacity he was needed in, no matter how small or how large, he was always willing to do it and gave 100% in everything, Cheek said. Gutierrez began his law enforcement career as a guard at the Harris County jail. He earned the nickname Guts in the training academy for his grit and determination, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said. He didnt care about the stripes on his sleeves, he always led from the front, Gonzalez said. He remained humble and approachable. He would lead troops like a father figure. But Gutierrez was also a family man, Gonzalez said, who married his high school sweetheart, Lupita Gutierrez, and had three children, Alfredo, Nomar and Natalia Gutierrez. Maj. Susan Carter noted the sergeants dependability as well as his quick wit and humor. And like the sergeants son, his passion for the Cowboys. At the office, Gutierrez earned the nickname Romo due to his love for the Dallas Cowboys. We just all knew to get him home by noon Sunday to watch the Cowboys, Carter said. He was always Romo to me. Alfredo Gutierrez said what he would miss the most was spending Sundays watching football with his father . Thats when my dad was truly in his elementsurrounded by family, cooking barbecue, with a beer in his hand and watching the Cowboys disappoint us again, he said. paul.wedding@chron.com The doctor walked into the room and took a seat on the lid of a red trash can. Your baby has bleeding in his brain, he told Gabe and Zahava Edery, and there are broken bones, too. They were stunned. It was July 3, 2021, and the Ederys, both 32, had taken their three-month old son Mickey to the hospital that evening after he grew unresponsive following a family trip to synagogue. It was the Sabbath, a family day, and the couple and their three children had spent it together. The baby had rarely left Zahavas arms. But the combination of the initial diagnoses the brain bleed, plus fractured ribs, plus a retinal hemorrhage made the doctors think the child was a victim of shaken baby syndrome, which kills between 1,000 and 3,000 children each year. Child Protective Services got involved, and a social worker directed Gabe to bring their familys other two children in. A pediatric abuse specialist went on to classify Mickeys injuries as potentially stemming from abuse, and all three children were taken from the Ederys and placed in the foster care system. DO NO HARM Reporters from the Houston Chronicle and NBC News spent nine months examining more than 40 cases and spoke with more than 100 attorneys, doctors and current and former state employees. The reporting, published in 2019, reveals that some doctors have diagnosed child abuse with a degree of certainty that critics say is not supported by science. In response, some Texas lawmakers called for additional safeguards to protect families. READ THE SERIES: www.houstonchronicle.com/local/investigations/do-no-harm/ See More Collapse Within days, the hospital walked-back the diagnosis of broken bones, saying the only injury was the brain bleed. This weakened the case for abuse, but that didnt change the states response. A cloud of suspicion hung over the Ederys fueled by questions Zahava asked at the hospital in a moment of panic, among them: Did we do this? Proving that they did not cause Mickeys injury to the satisfaction of Child Protective Services and an appointed guardian ad litem took seven months. Their twin boys have now spent more of their lives outside their parents home than in it. The family took their case to social media, raising about $272,000 from more than 3,000 donors around the country. But the costs were higher more than $300,000 for lawyers, doctors, psychologists and other expenses. IN-DEPTH: Doctors trained to spot child abuse can save lives or tear families apart The Ederys hired four pediatric neurology experts to examine the medical evidence. The doctors concluded that Mickey, a twin born prematurely, had slight head trauma from delivery that caused a fluid buildup inside his skull that ultimately caused the brain bleed. Without other injuries, it was unclear how abuse could have possibly caused the bleed. If the baby had been punched, there would have been broken bones or extensive bruising. If he had been shaken, there would have been injuries to the ribs, neck or spine. But there was none of that. A new state law that went into effect in September two months after Mickeys injury was too late to help the Ederys, but it promises new resources to Texas parents who find themselves in a similar predicament in the future. Under the law, the Ederys would have had the right to demand a second, independent medical opinion outside of the initial abuse finding from the doctor, which could have kept them out of the system entirely, avoiding the months of heartache, uncertainty and expense that started with their children being taken from them. New law is right direction for a slow process The law change was prompted by a 2019 investigation by the Houston Chronicle and NBC News of 40 cases in which the conclusions of state child abuse specialists were questioned. Giving parents and their lawyers the right to request a second opinion is a significant step forward, parent advocates say, but it doesnt solve all the problems that come from a misdiagnosis. The challenge is once the system is involved, its pretty much nine months to get back even if you're wrong. I dont know if I can ever remember a case where somebody recognized after a week theyre wrong, said state Rep. James Frank, a Wichita Falls Republican who chairs the Human Services Committee that vetted the legislation. Yet even critics acknowledge that the abuse specialists conclusions are likely correct most of the time, particularly when children have suffered extensive unexplained injuries. And in some cases, they help rule out abuse when CPS might otherwise have been suspicious. Medical groups lobbied hard against the bill in 2019 when it was initially pushed, and failed to pass. Its their position that doctors who specialize in identifying child abuse based on the childs medical records are most suited to doing so. CPS is also quick to note that abuse doctors can be helpful to ruling out abuse in cases where children could have been removed in years past. Still, Frank said if they see certain symptoms, like a brain bleed: Theyre a hammer and everything looks like a nail. Its the mindset that, isnt it worth it just to save one child? and if there's any chance this child is abused, we should remove him. Not recognizing that the very act of removal is a tremendously traumatic experience for a child, Frank said. CPS is not a broken system. The system works a lot of the time in some of the worst situations humans can have. As with most legislation, it moves in the right direction. But as long as you have humans in this situation, youre always going to have problems. Guardian ad-litem blamed for stalling Once the Ederys were sucked into the cautious bureaucracy, it took herculean efforts for them to get their children back. They retained a lawyer, Lynne Corsi, who founded and ran the child abuse division within the Dallas County DAs office and has more than 30 years experience working with child abuse. The good part is that this family had a lot of advocacy, the good part is they had resources from their community, that they had attorneys that were diligent. And that they had people that fiercely advocated for them, and that they could afford medical experts. Most people dont have that, Corsi said. And even with all of the resources and the advocacy that they had, it still took a very long time to get a just result for this family. A continuous source of the delay was the independent attorney assigned by the court system to protect Mickey, Regina Clark. She did not respond to repeated attempts from Hearst Newspapers to reach her, but court records and email correspondence show that Clark repeatedly called for delays of weeks or even months at a time even after the Edery family completed court-ordered parenting classes and psychological evaluations. For months, Clark delayed efforts to take the kids out of foster care and place them with a family friend of the Ederys. Then she delayed a subsequent effort to get the kids back to their parents. The ad litem refused repeatedly to explain the reason for the delays, other than to say she was concerned that returning the children was premature, the correspondence shows. From a bureaucracy standpoint, all these people are masters at saying nothing but delaying your case. Giving no substance why anything thats happening is happening, but the end result is what they want: which is the case moves at the timeline they want, at the steps they want, Gabe Edery said. Gabe Edery said it could have taken until July to get the kids home. But the Dallas District Attorneys office, which represented the state, stepped in to help expedite the childrens return, batting down Clarks efforts to push it back into March. Without a defensible rationale to do so, the Dept. believes it would be an injustice to continue this suit, an assistant DA wrote in an email. So on Jan. 26, the whole family waited at their house for their oldest daughter, Eliana, to return from school. Normally when she gets dropped off at the curb, Eliana cuts through the grass toward the front door. That day, for some reason, she ran all the way along the driveway and into her mothers arms. It was this real homecoming. She was all excited, Zahava Edery said. edward.mckinley@chron.com With the current winter weather conditions, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said in a Thursday press conference officials are not anticipating hard freeze conditions like there were last year. On HoustonChronicle.com: Texas winter storm updates: Mix of rain, sleet falling north of Harris County Houston is among the areas under a winter weather advisory until noon on Friday and a wind chill advisory from 6 p.m. Thursday through 9 a.m, Friday, according to the National Weather Service. The weather service anticipates freezing rain and very cold wind chills for areas under those advisories. What they do anticipate is light, freezing rain starting as soon as 6 p.m. tonight, Hidalgo said. When it gets cold enough, that rain could cause a layer of ice to form, especially on elevated highways and bridges, Hidalgo said. So thats the biggest concern, is ice forming on those areas tonight between 9 o clock and tomorrow when the ice melts, which is projected to be around 10 in the morning or so, she said. Hidalgo named multiple partners her office has been working with who she said are ready to go to protect and de-ice the roads. Not long after 3 p.m., the Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management in Harris County shared on social media that the emergency operations center is at a Level III increased readiness activation level, which indicates that [h]azardous conditions exist but pose no direct or imminent threat to life and/or property. On HoustonChronicle.com: Live updates: 71,000 power outages due to issues unrelated to the grid Hidalgo also advised residents of various safety precautions, such as keeping an eye on the forecast, monitoring road conditions and not going out overnight unless they needed to, noting the risk of invisible ice on highways, overpasses and bridges. Residents should also check on their vulnerable neighbors, ensuring that they have your information and what they need, she said. They should also operate their heaters safely, she said, keeping objects at least three feet away from them. Again, our expectation, our hope, is power outages will not be a major concern this time around, she said. She also cautioned regarding carbon monoxide-emitting appliances. People should never use a charcoal grill or a portable camping stove to heat their homes, she said. Remember the stories from last year in so many families and so many people who were trying to stay warm with carbon monoxide-emitting appliances and grills and ended up being poisoned by that, she said. So please be careful with that and spread the word as well, because many folks still dont know about that danger and that threat. Those who have questions about shelters or other information can contact 211. leah.brennan@chron.com Kerr County Sheriff's Office Hundreds of drivers are stranded on an east and westbound stretch of Interstate 10 near Kerrville on Friday morning after a late-night crash brought traffic to a standstill. Texas Department of Transportation traffic cameras show semi-trucks and cars sitting idle, and sleet can be spotted on the grassy strips on both sides of I-10. Footage taken around 4 a.m. Friday shows a similar standstill. Winter weather Thursday night was making for dicey driving conditions. In Harris County, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said ice had caused several crashes on U.S. 290. Please slow down, better yet, stay off the roadways, he said in a tweet. On HoustonChronicle.com: Harris County Judge Hidalgo advises safety precautions in face of winter weather There was also ice reported on Texas 249 at Beltway 8, according to Gonzalez. There were also reports of ice on the Westpark Tollway, where authorities were reporting a crash of up to 10 vehicles. In a post around 9:50 p.m., Sugar Land Police reported a 12-car pileup on US 59 southbound. And later, police said US 59's northbound and southbound lanes "through Sugar Land are being closed until conditions improve." On HoustonChronicle.com: Texans outside of Houston share photos of empty grocery store shelves ahead of winter freeze Rosenberg Police posted that I-69's southbound lanes in Rosenberg were closed because of ice. The National Weather Service for the Houston area advised residents to stay home if they could. "While the precipitation is coming to an end, road conditions (mainly on bridges and overpasses) continue to be hazardous across portions of Southeast Texas," the weather service said in an update tweet around 10:20 p.m. "Avoid driving and stay home if possible." This story will be updated. leah.brennan@chron.com Incumbents get a few extra points in this process because we figure that since taxpayers have effectively funded their on-the-job training theres no need to toss them out unless they give voters a good reason. No Texas senator has had more on-the-job training than John Whitmire, a moderate Democrat who has spent nearly a half-century representing Houston under the pink dome, starting in the House. His primary challenger for Senate District 15, Molly Cook, 30, does bring welcome energy, a fresh perspective as an emergency room nurse and a grassroots organizer, and a concern worth pondering: she argues Whitmire wont be as effective next legislative session because hell have one eye on his recently announced campaign for Houston mayor. Theres a lot of evidence that Senator Whitmire has moved on, is ready for his next job, Cook told us. Shes right that the 72-year-old Whitmires influence has diminished over the years, from a scrappy senator who often made Texas Monthlys list of best legislators to merely a shrewd survivor often hamstrung by Republicans iron grip on the Senate. The fact that right-wing Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has allowed Whitmire to retain his long-held chairmanship of the Senates criminal justice committee and a seat on the powerful finance committee either shows Whitmire is still effective in a divided chamber or hes made a deal with the devil not to push too hard on Democratic priorities. Its probably both. Some bills, including those to decriminalize marijuana possession, havent progressed under his watch. Still, Whitmire is a commanding orator on liberal causes such as voting rights, a cantankerous watchdog in committee hearings and a reliable ally of teachers, labor, police and firefighters. His seniority puts him in the room where it happens, to borrow a phrase, and that room isnt open to freshmen. Yeah, its frustrating, Whitmire told us of his minority status in the Senate. I dont like the demagoguery. It makes me want to throw up some days but thats just where we are as a nation right now. Im results-oriented. Thats all I care about. Get the job done. As for his run for mayor, Whitmire says he wont start campaigning in earnest for mayor until July of 2023, a month after the regular session ends in June. Whitmires track record as a hard-working senator in tune with his constituents needs gives us no reason to believe hed start slacking off now. His accomplishments in the past decade include closing prisons and reducing the states inmate population through smart-on-crime reforms, banning the biased pick-a-pal grand jury system and shepherding the Sandra Bland Act, which diverts mentally ill inmates toward treatment and requires independent investigations into jail deaths. Whitmires seniority and relationships remain valuable, especially as fellow Houstonian, Republican Sen. Joan Huffman, ascends to the role of finance chair. Houston will need his influence when state lawmakers divvy up federal infrastructure and COVID money and his even-keeled approach on criminal justice as lawmakers struggle to reduce violent crime without rolling back hard-won reforms. Party activists might join Cook in chiding Whitmire for his refusal to flee to Washington D.C. during last years quorum-busting boycott over voting rights, and some are still chafing 18 years after Quitmire, as he was dubbed, became the first Democrat to return from a month-long exile in Albuquerque over the GOPs off-year congressional redistricting. In each case, Whitmire pragmatically chose not to prolong a losing battle, and last year, he argues that he did more good staying in Austin, where he stood against a bill targeting transgender student athletes and other harmful legislation. Cooks passion for causes such as mitigating the harm of the I-45 expansion and standing up for abortion rights in part by bravely sharing her own experience is laudable and we hope to see more of her. For now, Democrats should keep Whitmire in the room where it happens and demand that he use the opportunity to actually make something happen. No doubt about it, frost-wary Texans are experiencing weather PTSD. This weeks cold snap, punishing much of the state with wind, sleet and Minnesota-like temperatures, prompted bitter memories of February a year ago. It also prompted runs to the grocery store, with lines at check-out stands in some cities stretching almost to the dairy case in back. Were all hoping this storm, and any future ones, are short-lived, that hundreds of Texans wont lose their lives to the cold, as they did last year, and that millions wont be left without power or water. As writer and energy expert Loren Steffy remarked this week, its a heck of a thing in the energy capital of the world to have a power grid running on hope. By Thursday afternoon, tens of thousands of customers were reported to be without power due to local disruptions. Power lines felled by a tree, for example, arent the same as massive blackouts, whether rolling or stationary. But its hard to rest easy that we wont face the latter when the governor, when it comes to power-grid preparedness, is about as steadfast as a flickering bedside lamp. In November, Gov. Greg Abbott told an Austin TV station that he can guarantee the lights will stay on the next time severe winter weather sets in. On Wednesday, he was saying that no one can guarantee that there wont be a load shed event. You cant fool us with jargon, governor. A load shed is a planned blackout in targeted areas; its a technique used to prevent a total grid collapse in a power shortfall. If by Thursday he was once again promising that there will be plenty of surplus energy on the grid to keep Texas warm this week, his bravado was already wearing thin. Nor was it the first time Abbott overpromised. After a legislative session last year, he declared on Twitter: Bottom line is that everything that needed to be done was done to fix the power grid in Texas. A week later, the states power grid operator, ERCOT, was warning of tight grid conditions and issuing statewide energy conservation alerts, apparently prompted by an unusually high number of plant outages that came as electricity surged among rising summer temperatures. No matter what you call it, Texans anxiously tuning in to the latest weather report arent going to think deeply about whether a load-shedding is planned or spontaneous. Theyre going to remember that their governor told them he would keep the lights on and now hes saying neither he nor anyone else can guarantee that basic necessity. Abbott knows that 17 million Texans affected by last years storm are in no mood for political games. Thats why he is increasingly anxious about challenges both from the left and right to his bid for a third term as governor. He knows that grid vulnerability is a major Greg Abbott vulnerability. The governor let the grid fail, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto ORourke repeats at every campaign stop on his keep the lights on tour. The responsibility for the failure of the Texas grid last winter rests squarely on Greg Abbott, GOP challenger Don Huffines charges. There were billions of dollars in damages, millions of Texans lost power and tragically hundreds of Texans lost their lives because the governor of the Energy State couldnt keep the lights on. Texans may be listening. In October, the University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll surveyed 1,200 registered voters and found that only 18 percent approved of how Texas leaders addressed problems with the states electric grid. Sixty percent disapproved. The lurking uncertainty and doubts about the electricity grid [are] a mine waiting to go off, the polls co-director, Jim Henson, told the Texas Tribune, explaining that even a moderate problem affecting the grid could be a real political problem for incumbents. Texans are aware that Abbott and most state leaders are in thrall to the oil and gas industry. The governor, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and others were quick to make the absurd charge that renewable energy sources were to blame for last years fiasco. Abbott told Sean Hannity, the Fox News propagandist, that the blackouts showed how the Green New Deal would be a deadly deal for the United States. Patrick blamed wind turbines. Abbotts obeisance earned him a $1 million campaign donation from gas pipeline magnate Kelcy Warren, a man who had reason to be magnanimous. Last Februarys freeze resulted in profits to the industry totaling $11 billion. And what of at least a dozen pieces of legislation Abbott signed to address the electric grids problems? A 300-page report released in November by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission revealed that unprepared natural-gas suppliers caused 58 percent of the power outages Texas experienced. Their facilities were not sufficiently winterized; not surprisingly, they froze and failed to deliver fuel to power plants. Under the guise of calling the natural-gas industry to account, lawmakers allowed the Texas Railroad Commission to offer the industry what Chronicle business columnist Chris Tomlinson has labeled a mile-high loophole. (Tomlinson also noted that more than two-thirds of the campaign donations to the three RRC members come from oil and gas allies and that all three commissioners trade oil and gas stocks.) That loophole emerged after lawmakers hollowed out a bill sponsored by state Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, that would have directed the Public Utility Commission and the Railroad Commission to levy a $1 million fine every day that natural gas facilities, power plants and pipelines failed to winterize. The bill in its final form allowed companies to request an exemption from winterizing. All it would cost them is a filing fee a whopping $150, in fact coupled with a straight-faced claim that a facility wasnt prepared to stay operational during a serious winter storm. Even if Abbott and other state officials beholden to the fossil-fuel industry, including the industrys lackeys on the Railroad Commission, skate this week (metaphorically, not literally), storm clouds are in our future, nevertheless. Texans will remain jittery every time the mercury plunges until voters begin electing representatives devoted to the peoples needs rather than their own political futures. The strongest case for the work of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and for that committee to move quickly to public hearings, is that former President Donald Trump continues to make it clear that he set out to undermine democracy, that he sees nothing wrong with having done so, and that he would do it again if given a chance. Id prefer to ignore what Trump is saying, but thats not really an option. Hes acting like a presidential candidate he is, as the political scientist Josh Putnam puts it, running for 2024, although we wont know for some time whether hell be running in 2024 so he cant just be ignored. Over the weekend, Trump told a rally audience in Conroe that if he was returned to the presidency he would pardon well, consider pardoning, but the message was pretty clear those who invaded the Capitol on his behalf. Theres nothing new about Trumps abuse of the presidential pardon power as a partisan and personal weapon. He was also explicit when in office about his desire to use the power of prosecution the same way, and resented being unable to persuade the Justice Department to go along. Still, we should not stop being shocked by a former president, and perhaps a future president, so dismissive of the rule of law. Also over the weekend, Trump once again made it clear that he had wanted Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the election on Jan. 6, 2021, the day Pence exercised his constitutional obligation to approve the certification of Joe Bidens 2020 victory. As The Washington Posts Aaron Blake points out, Trumps statement dispenses with the (totally bogus) scheme that supposedly justified such an action by Pence under the law and the Constitution; Trump simply thinks that Pence should have declared the loser of the election to be the winner, full stop. Trumps disdain for the rule of law should retain the power to shock. It should outrage. It certainly should disqualify him from any place in political life ever again. Remember: One year ago, seven of the 50 Republican senators voted to convict Trump after his second impeachment, and presumably would have voted to remove his eligibility for future office for doing what hes bragging about doing and promising to do again. Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell voted to acquit, but made it clear that he considered Trump guilty as charged and, he said, only refrained from voting guilty because Trump had already left office before the Senate impeachment trial. Several other Republicans seemed to hold the same position as McConnell most likely enough (given the unanimous votes to convict from the Democrats) to convict, and perhaps enough along with the seven yes votes to constitute a majority of Senate Republicans. Others claimed that the evidence of supporting an insurrection and an attempt to upend the constitutional government of the U.S. was insufficient to convict. I dont recall any Republican senator acknowledging that Trump did what he certainly did but arguing that it was fine for a president to scheme to overturn an election. But as the author David Frum said on Twitter, Trump never allows his supporters to pretend to be innocent. The Jan. 6 committee should hold its hearings to make it clear that Trumps boasts are not empty. It is important to detail this extraordinary attempt to destroy U.S. democracy to make it clear who was involved and how, and who the heroes were. Especially the Republicans, who had to act against partisan interest. But in important ways, the Jan. 6 inquiry isnt like the Senate Watergate committee hearings of 1972 or the Iran-Contra joint committee hearings of 1987, in which investigators were still piecing together big questions even as the hearings began. I expect the Capitol riot committee to dig up plenty of important details. But this time, we know in advance that Trump is guilty of acting against the Constitution. If anyone ever doubts it, Trump himself is perfectly willing to remind us. Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, one of the two Republicans on the Jan. 6 committee, took to Twitter on Sunday to express his view of Trumps claim that Pence could have overturned the election and that it was unfortunate that he did not. Ill give Kinzinger the final word: This is an admission, and a massively un-American statement. It is time for every Republican leader to pick a side. Trump or the Constitution, there is no middle on defending our nation anymore. Jonathan Bernstein is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering politics and policy. He taught political science at the University of Texas at San Antonio and DePauw University. Cook County Board President at a protest march on King Drive, June 2, 2020. You have to understand were in the fight of our lives, and it may take all our lives to change this country, she said at the time. As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. South Africa: SA Military Ombud visits military bases in KZN Officials from the Office of the South African Military Ombud are visiting different military bases in Durban in an effort to educate current serving members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) about the mandate of the office and procedures that they need to follow when lodging a complaint. The office is conducting the outreach programme with members of the SA Army, Military Police, Signal Unit, Military Health, Airforce Base and the Naval Base. Established through the Military Ombud Act of 2012, the office is an independent, external mechanism to deal with complaints and grievances brought by current and former members of the SANDF regarding their conditions of service. The office also assists with complaints brought by the members of the public against SANDF members on official duty. Military Ombud Lt Gen (Ret) Vusumuzi Masondo said the office has the responsibility to empower those who serve in the SANDF so that they understand the procedures they need to follow in order to get assistance from the office. We will also be targeting community areas next to military bases and where there is deployment of soldiers. Members of the public have a right to complain concerning the official conduct of members of the SANDF in their authorised capacity, Masondo said. Masondo said the recent lockdown of the country due to COVID-19 gave rise to a number of complaints by members of the public regarding the official conduct of SANDF members. We have realised that there is also a need for our office to visit communities and educate them about their rights when they interact with the soldiers, he said. He said it is important for serving and former members to be informed about the existence of the office and the assistance they can receive when they have a complaint. Our job is to make sure that the complaints that come through our office are handled professionally and the rights of all citizens of the country are protected without compromise, said Masondo. The Military Ombud Act of 2012 also states that members of the public have 90 days to lodge a complaint with the office, from the date of the incident. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-02-04. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Hudson, NY (12534) Today Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers in the afternoon. High 57F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Showers early, then cloudy overnight. Low 48F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%. Neil Young: the perils of taking a stand How much damage has Neil Youngs recent withdrawal from Spotify actually done? by David Deal from his blog Superhype. When your brand takes a stand, brace for impact. Case in point: Neil Young versus Spotify. Neil Young is both an artist (whose work I admire and listen to often) and a multimillion-dollar brand. At age 78, he keeps cranking out new music and taking care of business. He was the 11th-highest paid musician in 2021, pulling down $78 million as a result of selling half his song catalog to Hipgnosis. Hes built a loyal following through his music and a personal brand that embodies the hippie idealism and social consciousness of the 1960s. So when, on January 24, he criticized Spotify for hosting the controversial podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, no one who knows what Neil Young stands for was surprised. The Joe Rogan Experience has been accused of spreading misinformation about the coronavirus and vaccines. Young angrily demanded that his record label and management team take Youngs music off Spotify unless Spotify dropped Joe Rogans content. They can have [Joe] Rogan or Young, he wrote in an open letter on his website (which he later deleted). Not both. I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them. Please act on this immediately today and keep me informed of the time schedule. By January 26, Spotify responded by dropping Neil Youngs music and keeping Joe Rogans podcast. Young, who had more than 6 million monthly Spotify listeners, was hailed as a hero and brave tilter of windmills for taking a stand although he was also accused of being a censorious person. Spotify was cast as a villain for siding with Rogan, whose December interview with vaccine skeptic Dr. Robert Malone had been condemned widely by physicians. #DeleteSpotify began trending as customers (we dont know how many) ditched Spotify. Spotifys stock price tumbled, too. The decline was widely attributed to the Neil Young controversy even though the cause-effect wasnt as clearcut as the popular narrative would have us believe. In fact, Spotifys stock price had lost 45 percent of its value over the past year amid a general market pullback, disappointing financial results, a slowdown in subscriber growth, and a declining market share. It was certainly possible that skittish investors were selling their Spotify stock for fear of a boycott and the possibility that other musicians would make similar demands. It was also certainly possible that Spotifys stock was affected by a January slump across the tech sector, political instability in the Ukraine, and a ripple effect caused by Netflixs disappointing earnings report. Two notable musicians followed Neil Youngs lead, including the beloved Joni Mitchell and guitarist Nils Lofgren. Both said they wanted their music removed from Spotify in solidarity with Young. And then things got complicated. On January 28, Neil Young posted a public letter in which he doubled down on his stance on Joe Rogan and curiously reintroduced a longstanding beef he has had with how streaming services degradate sound quality of music. The letter was a confusing and poorly written diatribe that seemingly elevated sound fidelity in the digital age to the same level of importance as free speech. He wrote, AMAZON, APPLE MUSIC and Quobuz deliver up to 100% of the music today and it sounds a lot better than the s y degraded and neutered sound of SPOTIFY . . . AMAZON, APPLE MUSIC and Quobuz now deliver the real thing. SPOTIFY is ripping you off and has been since day 1. Switch to one of the alternatives companies that support the arts. Real sound is available there. AMAZON, APPLE Music and Quobuz. You just have to leave Spotify and go to a new place that truly cares about music quality. That Young would complain about the sound degradation was entirely consistent with his brand. He has been raging against the evils of digital sound for years, taking all streaming services (not just Spotify) to task in the process. But the January 28 letter diluted his message and made him come across as an out-of-touch elitist. Most people who stream music dont care about the compression of sound on Spotify. Its not a hill theyre going to die on. Young also buried the lead a passionate articulation of his position on free speech at the end of the note. There would be no #DeleteSpotify if he had come out of the gate with the letter, shown below: The letter was also noteworthy for what it omitted: the ongoing controversy about how little Spotify compensates musicians who earn far less than Young does. It seemed like a natural issue for firebrand Young to tackle, and its one that has been in the public eye for quite some time. Now was the time for him to elevate the issue. But he was surprisingly silent on the matter. Things got even more interesting on January 31 when he announced an apparent partnership with Amazon Music. All folks looking for my music can easily head to AMAZON MUSIC and click here https://bit.ly/NYA_AmazonMusic he tweeted. all new listeners will get four months free. The announcement was greeted with some skepticism. Wren Graves of Consequence of Sound wrote: And social media dunked on him, too, as some of these tweets demonstrate: But Neil Young Inc. is a brand, too. He has a business to run, and being a multimillionaire in the music industry has meant making trade-offs: like no longer owning all his music. Selling half his catalog to Hipgnosis meant giving up total control over his music. And because technically he does not call the shots on where his music can be streamed, anyway (he needed to work with his record label to demand that his music be taken down from Spotify), it is unlikely that he could take his music off streaming completely and, say, distribute it all on his website even if he wanted to do so. He was going to need to make a deal with another streaming platform. He must have known that all along based on the conciliatory nature of his January 28 letter in which he cozied up to Spotifys rivals seven years after condeming all streaming services when he tried to take down his music from multiple platforms (a move he rescinded). Meanwhile, on January 30, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek vowed that the company would become more transparent about its content guidelines although he did not address Joe Rogan specifically. We havent been transparent around the policies that guide our content more broadly, he wrote in a blog post Sunday. Its become clear to me that we have an obligation to do more to provide balance and access to widely accepted information from the medical and scientific communities guiding us through this unprecedented time. As for Joe Rogan, he posted an Instagram video pledging to be more balanced and informed about controversial topics and guests. If I pissed you off, Im sorry, he said. Its a strange responsibility to have this many viewers and listeners, he said. Its nothing that Ive prepared for. Im going to do my best to balance things out. The next day, January 31, Spotifys beleaguered stock roared back, more than recovering its losses from the previous week. Was this rebound a result of Spotify publishing a policy and Joe Rogan speaking out? Not likely. In fact, the rebound happened after an analyst issued a bullish report saying that Spotify stock is undervalued and worthy of investment. In any event, the Neil Young dragon slayer narrative was losing its luster given Spotifys strong rebound. I see three lessons learned here: Beware runaway narratives. The runaway narrative here was that Neil Young was unleashing hell on Spotifys stock value. Taking a stand is never easy. Neil Young chose to focus on a podcaster accused of spreading misinformation, an understandable stance as the world remains in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic. He has done so imperfectly and set himself up for criticism. Any brand that takes a stand needs to assess the risks, prepare for blowback, and stand firm unless new information comes to light that would affect their stance. To his credit, Neil Young has stuck by his guns. Someone always benefits from controversy. Neil Young has emerged a winner. His public visibility has skyrocketed, and his songs have a new home on Amazon Music. Joe Rogan is also enjoying increased visibility; but I hesitate to say he has emerged as a winner yet. Lets see what happens to his subscribership and support from Spotify, especially as the glare of the spotlight draws attention to comments he has made about race. Spotify is also winning for today. But the longer-term challenges that have caused the companys stock to decline remain. How about Joni Mitchell and Nils Lofgren? Theyve stood in solidarity with Neil Young, but will their music also find a home? Neil Young will keep rebelling and biting the hand that feeds him. The truth of the matter is that for years, hes exposed himself to criticism by taking a public stand on social issues. He sticks by his guns. He does not apologize for his actions. In that sense, the Neil Young brand possesses an important attribute: consistency. You may not agree with him, but you know whats coming. The letter was also noteworthy for what it omitted: the ongoing controversy about how little Spotify compensates musicians who earn far less than Young does. It seemed like a natural issue for firebrand Young to tackle, and its one that has been in the public eye for quite some time. Now was the time for him to elevate the issue. But he was surprisingly silent on the matter. Things got even more interesting on January 31 when he announced an apparent partnership with Amazon Music. All folks looking for my music can easily head to AMAZON MUSIC and click here https://bit.ly/NYA_AmazonMusic he tweeted. all new listeners will get four months free. The announcement was greeted with some skepticism. Wren Graves of Consequence of Sound wrote: And social media dunked on him, too, as some of these tweets demonstrate: But Neil Young Inc. is a brand, too. He has a business to run, and being a multimillionaire in the music industry has meant making trade-offs: like no longer owning all his music. Selling half his catalog to Hipgnosis meant giving up total control over his music. And because technically he does not call the shots on where his music can be streamed, anyway (he needed to work with his record label to demand that his music be taken down from Spotify), it is unlikely that he could take his music off streaming completely and, say, distribute it all on his website even if he wanted to do so. He was going to need to make a deal with another streaming platform. He must have known that all along based on the conciliatory nature of his January 28 letter in which he cozied up to Spotifys rivals seven years after condeming all streaming services when he tried to take down his music from multiple platforms (a move he rescinded). Meanwhile, on January 30, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek vowed that the company would become more transparent about its content guidelines although he did not address Joe Rogan specifically. We havent been transparent around the policies that guide our content more broadly, he wrote in a blog post Sunday. Its become clear to me that we have an obligation to do more to provide balance and access to widely accepted information from the medical and scientific communities guiding us through this unprecedented time. As for Joe Rogan, he posted an Instagram video pledging to be more balanced and informed about controversial topics and guests. If I pissed you off, Im sorry, he said. Its a strange responsibility to have this many viewers and listeners, he said. Its nothing that Ive prepared for. Im going to do my best to balance things out. The next day, January 31, Spotifys beleaguered stock roared back, more than recovering its losses from the previous week. Was this rebound a result of Spotify publishing a policy and Joe Rogan speaking out? Not likely. In fact, the rebound happened after an analyst issued a bullish report saying that Spotify stock is undervalued and worthy of investment. In any event, the Neil Young dragon slayer narrative was losing its luster given Spotifys strong rebound. I see three lessons learned here: Beware runaway narratives. The runaway narrative here was that Neil Young was unleashing hell on Spotifys stock value. Taking a stand is never easy. Neil Young chose to focus on a podcaster accused of spreading misinformation, an understandable stance as the world remains in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic. He has done so imperfectly and set himself up for criticism. Any brand that takes a stand needs to assess the risks, prepare for blowback, and stand firm unless new information comes to light that would affect their stance. To his credit, Neil Young has stuck by his guns. Someone always benefits from controversy. Neil Young has emerged a winner. His public visibility has skyrocketed, and his songs have a new home on Amazon Music. Joe Rogan is also enjoying increased visibility; but I hesitate to say he has emerged as a winner yet. Lets see what happens to his subscribership and support from Spotify, especially as the glare of the spotlight draws attention to comments he has made about race. Spotify is also winning for today. But the longer-term challenges that have caused the companys stock to decline remain. How about Joni Mitchell and Nils Lofgren? Theyve stood in solidarity with Neil Young, but will their music also find a home? Neil Young will keep rebelling and biting the hand that feeds him. The truth of the matter is that for years, hes exposed himself to criticism by taking a public stand on social issues. He sticks by his guns. He does not apologize for his actions. In that sense, the Neil Young brand possesses an important attribute: consistency. You may not agree with him, but you know whats coming. Share on: The Retired Investor: Are You Ready for $50 Hamburgers? Fifty dollars may be an exaggeration, unless you frequent some high-priced restaurants in Manhattan. But consumers should be prepared. Beef prices, for the foreseeable future, will continue to climb. Some cuts of meat are already up 25 percent from where they were six months ago. As the cook in the house, I usually buy a prime rib roast for New Year's dinner, but not this year. The cost for said morsel doubled in price since last year. I bought Australian lamb instead, which was much more reasonable, but just not the same. I assumed that the price of beef, like almost every other food product, was going up due to supply shortages caused by the pandemic. I knew that as the number of COVID cases climbed and businesses started to shut down, there was a run on everything from toilet paper to steaks. In my neighborhood (back at the start of the pandemic), consumers flocked to the wholesale stores and supermarkets to buy what meat they could and stock up their freezers. At one point, rationing became a commonplace tool in controlling the consumption of beef, pork, and chicken in a tight market. One of the major bottlenecks was in the slaughtering and processing part of the business. More than 59,000 meatpacking workers were infected by coronavirus and 250 lost their lives, according to a government investigation. Since then, turnover has been high in this labor-tight market, where low wages and poor working conditions are prevalent. All of these issues have contributed to higher costs. Climate change has also become a bigger factor in the production of beef. Drought, now a constant companion to ranchers and farmers, last year squeezed supplies of feed for cattle in the Northern Plains. It was so bad that some ranchers were forced to sell even breeding stock to slaughterhouses. This reduced the overall herd of beef by 2 percent, according to the Department of Agriculture. Now, the southern part of the Plains is experiencing a deepening drought. It is here that most of the cattle in the U.S. is raised. That is expected to reduce the cattle stock even further, marking three straight years of declines and the smallest herd since 2016. You might think that America's ranchers and farmers are in "hog heaven" as a result of these skyrocketing prices for beef at the supermarket, but you would be mistaken. Cattle ranchers receive about 37 cents on every dollar spent on beef, according to federal data. As input costs for everything from gasoline to livestock feed keep rising, the ranchers' portion of profits drop even further. The sad fact is that drought is forcing more and more ranchers to reduce their herds, which has caused a glut of product at the slaughterhouses. That, in turn, causes the price the processors are willing to pay to plummet. But those price declines never show up at the grocery store. Why? It can be summed up in four names Tyson Foods, Cargill, National Beef Packing Co. and JBS together, these conglomerates now dominate the meatpacking industry with an 85 percent market share. Over several decades, through mergers and acquisitions and a lax attitude toward competition by regulators, the meat-packing industry became an oligopoly. Once that was accomplished, these four remaining companies, in the name of efficiency, cut their capacity to process beef, closing slaughterhouses, and processing plants across the nation. As a result, profit margins improved. Company stock prices improved, but ranchers and farmers were increasingly forced to accept whatever prices the processors were willing to pay for their product. Over time, this oligopoly was able to first influence prices and then dictate what they were willing to pay ranchers for their herds. It worked. The four meat packing companies identified above, for example, saw their profit margins jump 300 percent last year. So, you might ask, who is making money from these steadily climbing meat prices? The government is asking the same question. Last month, the Federal Trade Commission opened an inquiry into how anticompetitive practices by major companies have contributed to supply chain problems. As for the meatpackers, Senior White House economists Brian Deese, Sameera Fazili and Bharat Ramamurti, in a blog post in December 2021, explained it this way: "Here is the bottom line: the meat price increases we are seeing are not just the natural consequences of supply and demand in a free market they are also the result of corporate decisions to take advantage of their market power in an uncompetitive market, to the detriment of consumers, farmers, and ranchers, and our economy." Baker Outlines $9.5B in Investment From Federal Infrastructure Bill LOWELL, Mass. The state expects to invest some $9.5 billion in roads, bridges and culverts over the next five years through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Among the hundreds of projects to receive these funds are the $8 million extension of the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail from Adams to Hodges Cross Road in North Adams and the $6.5 million the reconstruction of East Street (Route 9) in Pittsfield. Also in line for funding are some 20 bridges in the Berkshires that are under construction or in design. "This will make our transportation system more reliable and safer. It will deliver billions of dollars into Massachusetts to help upgrade roads, bridges, and our public transportation system over the next five years and these investments will build on over $18 million that we've already invested over the past seven years in transportation projects and about $1.2 billion invested in climate mitigation efforts as well," said Gov. Charlie Baker, speaking in Lowell on Thursday afternoon. The governor said the state expects to receive $5.4 billion in highway funding, $2.2 billion for the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority, another $990 million for regional transportation authorities and $1.4 billion in infrastructure projects with a focus on environmental infrastructure. "And the one asterik I would put on this is we are going to figure out some way to take our state capital assets and our state capital dollars and some of the ARPA money that's been appropriated by the Legislature to compound so many opportunities are associated with a lot of these resources," he continued. "There's going to be a lot of money going to work for the people in Massachusetts over the course of the next couple of years." Lowell was selected for the announcement to highlight how the funding will be used to replace the Rourke Bridge, which carries 27,000 vehicles a day over the Merrimack River. It was supposed to be temporary when it was first built in 1983, but it is still standing and some say they fear it is crumbling, according to officials. The state Department of Transportation plans to combine bridge funding from the BIL with the state's Next Generation Bridge program to invest about $3 billion in bridges over the next five years, including $170 million for a permanent bridge over the Merrimack. Officials named 146 bridge projects, representing 181 individual structures, also to be funded as part of that program. "And every bridge makes a difference. Every bridge matters," said Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito. "But in every case, every bridge is a connection point. And it's a connection point for people to get from one place to the other. Whether it's for jobs and expanding your local economy, or for emergency vehicles to get from A to B quickly and efficiently." The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, part of President Biden's "Build Back Better" agenda, was signed into law on Nov. 15, 2021. It will provide $1.2 trillion for infrastructure projects to the 50 states and the territories over the next four fiscal years. The new law will also allow all 50 states to compete for a portion of an additional $110 billion through various discretionary transportation funding, creating multi-pronged opportunities to help finance and advance both locally-significant and major projects like the federally owned Cape Cod Bridges and the Allston I-90 Multimodal Project. MassDOT has begun preparations to work with its local partners and compete for every dollar possible as federal guidance for these programs becomes available. Baker confirmed on Thursday that the state has reached an agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Highway Administration for the corps to bid on the project, estimated at $35 billion. The Corps, which built the Bourne and Sagamore bridges, would bid and pay for the replacement or reconstruction and then hand them back to the state. "Sen. [Edward] Markey and Sen. [Elizabeth] Warren got a commitment from the Army Corps to bid on that and when I was down there at the National Governors Association meeting, I went and met with the gentleman who actually oversees that program, and he said, yes, we're going to bid on this," the governor said. The governor thanked the state's congressional delegation for voting for the bill, particularly U.S. House Ways and Means Chairman Richie Neal of Springfield for shepherding the bill, and U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, who attended the announcement along with Transportation Secretary and CEO Jamey Tesler and Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides. The Baker-Polito administration has invested $9.3 billion in roads and bridges, $7.9 billion in the MBTA system, and $791 million for MassDOT Rail and Transit projects since 2015. With the incoming federal funds, MassDOT will get about $5.4 billion, of which approximately $3.5 billion is the reauthorization of already existing formula programs and $1.8 billion is increased formula funding. Of the $1.8 billion increase, approximately $449 million is an increase in funding for existing programs, and $1.4 billion is for new formula programs. With the reauthorized funds, new formula funds, and the required state matching funds, MassDOT will be making $6.7 billion in new investments in roadways and bridges over the next five years with BIL funds. This $449 million increase in reauthorized formula funding will support more than 375 highway projects in the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) over the next 5 years, which includes more than $1 billion in fiscal 2022. In addition, MassDOT will work over the coming months with regional partners to develop a prioritized list of roadway, bicycle and pedestrian, and safety projects to be supported with this funding. The $1.4 billion in funding for new formula programs includes: $1.125 billion for a new bridge formula program; $106.5 million for a resiliency program; $93.7 million for a carbon reduction program; $63.5 million for electric vehicle infrastructure; and $9.1 million for ferry boats and terminals. This $1.1 billion new formula bridge funding, coupled with the state's $1.25 billion Next Generation Bridge program and other funding from the BIL, will allow MassDOT to invest more than $3 billion in repairing bridges, addressing more than one-third of the structurally deficient bridge backlog. MassDOT has already begun this process by initiating over 146 bridge repair or replacement projects on 181 bridge structures. Pittsfield's Holiday COVID Surge Subsiding PITTSFIELD, Mass. The city continues to recover from the holiday COVID-19 surge with numbers dropping at the rate that they had previously spiked. The average case rate per 100,000 people is 168.7 after peaking at an all-time high of 283.1 on Jan. 16. The positivity rate is 13.6 percent, down from 18.1 during the peak, and there are about 272 estimated actively contagious cases. This is still much higher than the city's pre-holiday metrics. On Christmas, the average case rate was 64.8 and the positivity rate was 6.3 percent. There are currently about 29 COVID-positive patients in Berkshire Medical Center and a little over 75 percent of Pittsfield patients are unvaccinated. "We are starting to see that downward trend of that locally and nationally," Director of Public Health Andy Cambi said to the Board of Health on Wednesday. "Something that I do want to know is that daily hospital census compared to the previous spikes that we used to deal with before, they did not rise as they did with previous spikes." After consulting with the city's public health nurse and contact tracing team, Cambi confirmed that occasional increases in metrics can be expected when rates are declining. He credited low hospitalization numbers to the Pittsfield and Berkshire County's high vaccination rates: 74 percent of city residents are fully vaccinated and 76.5 percent of county residents are. The Health Department recently held two well-attended vaccinations clinics at Berkshire Community College through the Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative. Cambi said about 2,500 people attended to get a booster, first dose, and even some pediatric doses. Cambi also reported on the distribution of about 10,000 at-home COVID-19 test kits from the state. At the end of the year, the city was among the 102 towns and cities selected to receive the hot commodities. About 25 community partners were able to help distribute the tests, which were allocated for those who may not be able to afford them. "I reached about 25 different community partners. They were all very welcoming, very proactive in getting all these test kits out," Cambi explained. "So that was a great success and they were gone within about three weeks, so that was great news." The city has made another order for test kits, which are currently on backorder. In about a month, they are expected to be available at the Health Department and at the Berkshire Anthenaeum. The board also reviewed Pittsfield's masking directive that was put into place in early November. It states that masks should be worn in all publicly accessible indoor spaces in the city unless seated at a table eating food or drink. If not abided by, it suggests that a stricter directive with fines and license and permit suspensions could follow. Cambi reported that people have mostly been compliant. The board was in favor of sticking to the directive and not removing the mask mandate, especially in light of the declining metrics. Hi-Tech Mold & Tool Receives State Grant PITTSFIELD, Mass. Hi-Tech Mold & Tool received a $75,000 grant from the Massachusetts Manufacturing Accelerate Program. The Baker-Polito Administration announced the first round of grants from the new Massachusetts Manufacturing Accelerate Program (MMAP), awarding $2,157,416 to 13 manufacturers from across the Commonwealth. "Massachusetts manufacturers continue to play an important role for our economy, both here in Massachusetts but also nationally, where they're contributing to critical sectors such as energy, defense and healthcare," said Governor Charlie Baker. "Through these MMAP grants, we are bolstering 13 companies through infrastructure investments that will drive innovation, increase efficiency and boost job growth across the state." Hi-Tech Mold & Tool is a contract manufacturer in the aerospace, defense, medical, and industrial industries. With this award, Hi-Tech will purchase a Haas CNC 4-axis milling machine to support capacity growth in the aerospace and defense business lines. They have secured new contracts from Pratt Whitney and L3 Harris that will require this new added capacity and allow for new hiring to staff the equipment. "The collaborative work between HiTech Mold, The Berkshire Innovation Center and MassMEP is a perfect example of entities coming together as a system to solve workforce challenges," said State Representative Tricia Farley-Bouvier. "This will result in good paying jobs and stronger companies for the people in the Berkshires." The grants were announced by Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy during a grant announcement event hosted by Klear Vu Corp, a third-generation family-owned cushion manufacturer that's been headquartered in Fall River for over 50 years. "The MMAP grants are not only investing in technology, but also developing partnerships between our homegrown manufacturers and organizations that can help them innovate, grow, and find new business opportunities," said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy. "For legacy companies like Klear Vu, we are helping ensure that their products continue to be made here in the Commonwealth for generations to come." Launched in June 2021, MMAP aims to co-invest in small- to medium-sized manufacturers to better prepare their businesses to meet the demands of "Industry 4.0," the innovation-driven production methods powered by smart technologies such as data analytics, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, automation, and connected technologies to stay competitive. "The MMAP program highlights Massachusetts companies that represent the next wave of innovators, which are also using these gains to grow output and new jobs," said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. "For many of the workers, these new tools will move them away from repetitive tasks and allow them to focus on higher-value skills, driven by these technology investments." The MMAP grants will be used by the Mass. manufacturers to invest in infrastructure, funding projects that create partnerships between the companies and manufacturing-focused organizations in the state, including non-profits, R&D centers, and/or quasi-public agencies, to help them succeed. The program builds on the Commonwealth's existing assets, including strong academic presence, a national leadership in R&D, the depth of the Massachusetts innovation ecosystem, and the Commonwealth's long history of manufacturing strength. MMAP grant applications were launched in June 2021, with applications due at the end of July. Over $10 million in requests were made to the Program by 51 manufacturers from across the state and after a thorough review process, 13 grantees were chosen. The selected firms represent a diverse cross-section of the state including the Berkshires, City of Boston, Cape Cod, Central Mass, MetroWest, the South Coast, and Western Massachusetts: Colliers Selected to Manage Brayton/Greylock School Project NORTH ADAMS, Mass. The city will again team with Colliers International on a school project, pending approval by the School Building Committee and the Massachusetts School Building Authority. The OPM Selection Committee (made up of building committee members) voted unanimously on Thursday to make Colliers the owner's project manager for the Greylock/Brayton school project. Colliers became the OPM for the award-winning $30 million Colegrove Park Elementary School when it acquired Strategic Building Solutions, the original manager, in 2015. The owner's project manager will manage the entire project on behalf of the school district. This may include planning, construction and design, and oversight of contractors and subcontractors to the project on task. Colliers was one of three firms interviewed earlier this week by OPM Selection Committee members Superintendent Barbara Malkas, School Committee member Tara Jacobs and Benjamin Lamb. The finalists were rated in 10 categories by each committee member on a scale of one to 10 for each category. These included the grasp of project requirements; design approach and methodology; personnel and roles; related project and previous work; technical project management; responsiveness to committee concerns and working relationships, and relevant issues as well as references. Colliers had the highest at 276 points (out of a possible 300), followed by Skanska USA Building Inc. of Springfield at 242 and Arcadis of Middletown, Conn., at 228. Jacobs said the candidates were "exemplary" and that their interest in the project spoke volumes. "I think all three were extremely qualified. And even though that was the case, there was still notable differences when we did our scoring, it wasn't that we were really torn on any of our responses," said Lamb. "When we looked back at them after we completed all three, we still agreed with everything that we had done, which I thought was important to sort of reflect on." He also noted that none of the interviewers had been involved with the Colegrove project and thought it good to have that disconnect from the prior process. Building Committee member Richard Alcombright asked for information on how well each candidate scored on the equity and community outreach, both issues that Jacobs brought up as being significant during discussions on the finalists. All three, it was noted, scored closely with each other. "I was wondering if there was a great disparity there," he said. "It didn't seem to have, it seems like they all kind of had a pretty good reaction to that level of questioning so that's good." The School Committee last June authorized $300,000 in school choice funds toward the feasibility study, the next step in the process. The MSBA will pay for part of the study once a reimbursement percentage is set. School districts are required to fully fund projects up front. Business Administrator Nancy Rauscher said MSBA will provide a base contract that the committee will review and customize if needed by the next School Building Committee meeting on Feb. 15, after which it will be forwarded to the MSBA in March before it can be finalized. Berkshire Gas Stations Receive MassEVIP Grants PITTSFIELD, Mass. Shell Gas Stations in Cheshire, Great Barrington, and Pittsfield were awarded Massachusetts Electric Vehicle Incentive Program (MassEVIP) to install electric vehicle charging ports. The Baker-Polito Administration announced that $13.1 million in grants have been awarded to 54 government and private entities under the Massachusetts Electric Vehicle Incentive Program (MassEVIP) to install 306 Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFC) electric vehicle charging ports at 150 locations. "Our administration understands the importance of reliable infrastructure supporting the Commonwealths energy future," said Governor Charlie Baker. "Today's announcement is a step towards the increased deployment of these clean vehicles, which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality and public health, enhance energy diversity and promote economic growth." Equilon Enterprises LLC, doing businss as Shell Oil Products US, has gas stations in Cheshire, Great Barrington, and Pittsfield. Each station will receive $100,000 to install two ports. Blink Charging LLC in Lenox also recived $100,000 to install two ports. A full list of grantees can be found here The MassEVIP DCFC program, administered by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), provides grants covering 100 percent of the eligible cost to acquire and install publicly accessible DCFC electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at government-owned properties and 80 percent at all other locations, up to $50,000 per charging port. "This Direct Current Fast Charging incentive program is another example of our administration's commitment to improving air quality for all," said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. "This program will support our efforts to grow the clean energy economy, transform the transportation system, and help Massachusetts attain our emissions reduction goals set under the Global Warming Solutions Act." The $13.1 million awarded includes $1.5 million from Massachusetts' $75 million share of the $2.925 billion Environmental Mitigation Trust established nationally under the 2016 settlement between Volkswagen (VW) and the U.S. Department of Justice, and $11.6 million from the Massachusetts Climate Mitigation Trust. The Massachusetts VW Settlement Beneficiary Mitigation Plan (BMP) committed the Commonwealth to devoting the allowed 15 percent of VW funds to EV charging infrastructure, approximately $11.25 million. MassDEP also offers funding for Level 1 and Level 2 EV charging stations through the Public Access, Workplace and Fleet, and Multi-Unit Dwelling and Educational Campus charging programs. "The transportation sector accounts for more than 40 percent of the greenhouse gases emitted in Massachusetts, so the deployment of more electric vehicles is an important step towards helping the Commonwealth's efforts to achieving our ambitious climate change mitigation goals," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides. "Significantly, this program will also support environmental justice communities with the placement of 94 of the EV charging ports in EJ areas." To further expand the Commonwealth's EV readiness, Massachusetts is working on a regional level with the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) to support the placement of EVs and charging stations throughout the region and to enhance the economic benefits associated with these vehicles. Additionally, some of the grantees plan to combine or leverage MassEVIP funding with make-ready infrastructure funding offered by National Grid and Eversource. Under the DCFC program, all awardees must allow access to, and use of, the parking spaces and the EV charging station 24 hours per day, seven days a week. For each station installed, one parking space must be designated for plug-in EV use only and marked clearly through permanent, visible signage. Active enforcement is required. Furthermore, of the 54 entities selected for grants, publicly accessible charging ports will be installed on 43 government-owned properties, including in "This is the first time that these Direct Current Fast Charging grants have been offered, which will complement our local and regional efforts to deploy electric vehicles and the charging infrastructure necessary to support a cleaner transportation system," said MassDEP Commissioner Martin Suuberg. "Through this program, the Commonwealth and these awardees are continuing to show a commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions for the benefit of our communities and the environment." The ability to put the Legion out into the community In addition to fulfilling The American Legions mission of continuing to serve community, state and nation, post programs and activities offer avenues to attract new members who find those avenues meaningful to them. And more members means more opportunities to fulfill the Legions mission. One such avenue is a post ham radio club. The national American Legion Amateur Radio Club (TALARC) estimates more than 50 post clubs and more than 4,500 TALARC Legionnaires across the country. Among these are clubs in Florida and Colorado that have established themselves as active participants in Legion life. Felix Sosa-Camejo American Legion Post 346 in Miami was founded in 1987. Faustino Benitez is both the posts commander, and a ham operator for the past several years. He has combined the Legion and ham radio missions with his post-Navy career in aviation the club he started is also an entity at the George T. Baker Aviation Technical College, part of the Miami-Dade school system. A leading concern of Benitezs is disaster preparedness. South Florida has traditionally been an epicenter of hurricane activity; that activity has fallen off lately, but as Benitez says, that makes people forget about it. Both high-schoolers and adults attend Baker and the ham classes there; Benitez raised money to obtain equipment. I am capitalizing on these combined attributes to create a platform for our young Americans to learn a skill whilst promoting Americanism and patriotism, he continues. Along with the outreach to youth comes outreach to the veterans among the adult students he says the effort has netted two new post members so far. Post 346 does not currently have a post home, and since the pandemic started has been conducting its meetings via Zoom. That means the ham club is on its own too. Benitez and one other post member are licensed hams, and he is trying to get more members licensed. He is also trying to get a base-station license of its own for Baker. Future plans include expansion onto social media, alliances with prominent Miami-area radio clubs, and fostering both ham radio and the ability to put the Legion out into the community. The ham radio club at Neal Thomas Jr. Centennial American Legion Post 209 in Colorado Springs, Colo., was started about three years ago, the first in the department. Club president George Johnson describes the clubs founders as a group of veterans who were involved with the Legion to some degree, but also happened to be ham radio operators. When we heard of the national TALARC we became interested in using our hobby as a vehicle to assist in the Legion. Disaster preparedness was also high on the groups agenda. The club has a physical presence in the post home, in the form of antennae and equipment. It conducts FCC license tests at least twice a year, and an annual Scouting Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) event. Club representatives make reports at club meetings. Johnson estimates the club has brought in about five members, and adds that involvement in TALARC has made some of our members more involved in the Legion than they would have been otherwise; it certainly has been in my case. As the first Legion ham club in Colorado, they have fielded requests for assistance from other post, which builds connections. According to Johnson, future plans include disaster communications plans for members, and communications support to the posts Riders. For more information on how to start a post ham radio club, visit TALARCs Resources page. Even the venerable equestrian estates of tony Wellington in Palm Beach County are not immune to South Floridas robust real estate market. On Saturday, a lush 15-acre luxury estate in the Equestrian Capital of the World is scheduled to be sold at auction by long-time international equestrian, philanthropist and homebuilder Visse Wedell. Advertisement Around the globe, Wellington is known for its upscale equestrian, polo and ranch facilities, playing host to the worlds largest and longest-running horse show and competition: the Winter Equestrian Festival. [ RELATED: Wellington ranked one of top places to retire in U.S. ] Previously listed at $14.9 million, the estate at 5141 Lasso Way includes a six-bedroom, three-bathroom home, an all-weather riding ring and grass jump field. Wedell built it in 2018. Advertisement A quiet preserve Among the propertys other highlights: A 16,500-square-foot main barn containing 24 state-of-the-art stalls, two walk-in closets, a storage room, tack room, hay/feed room, laundry room and an office and lounge. Six acres which include a fully irrigated grass jumping field and a hurricane-tested, all-weather riding area. There is additional acreage for a stick-and-ball field or covered arena. Easy access for horse or supply transport. The property is privately gated and features a 25-foot wide driveway and several garage bays so a semi-truck can easily unload and load horses and supplies. Some 15 acres of a sprawling equestrian farm in Wellington is going up for auction on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022. The farm, which was built in 2018 by equestrian and philanthropist Visse Wedell, was previously listed for $14.5 million. Bitcoin will be accepted for payment. (BitRealty (courtesy)) The estate is part of the 610-acre Wellington Preserve community with 124 lots created in 2003. Located west of State Road 7, the southern part of the community, where the estate lies, is designated as an equestrian preserve. Bitcoin accepted The auction is being conducted by Platinum Luxury Auctions of Miami, which has sold seven other properties in the area. The firm is led by founder and president Trayor Lesnock, who says Bitcoin is being accepted as payment. In a telephone interview, Lesnock said Wedell is selling because she is transitioning away from active equestrian competition and doesnt need a large horse farm. She also wants to take advantage of this extremely opportunistic sales window that exists for South Florida property owners, he said. Lesnock said both Wedell and Ryan Beckett, the listing broker and principal of BitRealty, are knowledgeable about Bitcoin and Beckett is working on a masters thesis about cryptocurrency. Being we had these two in-house experts, the seller came up with the idea, he said. Advertisement Property can be subdivided The farm actually encompasses 22 acres, but only 15 acres are included in the bidding. Lesnock said the high bidder would receive a right of first refusal to make an offer on the other seven acres. You could develop an additional property, he said, You could do a large single-family residence or a ranch or a stick ball field. [ RELATED: Peek into Wellington's luxurious barns to benefit Semper Fi Fund | Photos ] Whatever is developed must pass muster from an architecture committee run by the preserves homeowners association, which ensures the neighborhood retains its identity and theme. The community is for equestrian estates and horse farms, Lesnock said. The auction is scheduled to take place at 2 p.m. Saturday. The deadline for registering is 5 p.m. Friday. Bidders must put up a $250,000 refundable deposit. Advertisement The property will be sold to the highest bidder. A Broward Sheriffs Office employee is accused of filing multiple fraudulent applications for loans and apartment leases, the Sheriffs Office announced Friday. Investigators discovered that Jada JaNai Mozie filed other fraudulent apartment applications for two complexes in Plantation in September and October with false paychecks and used the Social Security number of a Miami-Dade resident that she bought for $200 to apply for the leases as well as a credit card, the Sheriffs Office said. Advertisement The Public Corruption Unit began investigating after Human Resources employees shared their concerns. Mozies application for the apartment complex located in Boca Raton showed her bi-weekly paycheck was $4,579 $2,000 more than her actual pay, a probable cause affidavit says. Advertisement Investigators also discovered that Mozie applied for the federal Paycheck Protection Program loan in March 2021 and provided a higher income and false information about running a business in 2019, deputies said. She received a $20,831 deposit in her bank account after applying with the fraudulent business information that had no evidence of existing prior to 2021, records say. Mozie also applied for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan in August and said the fictitious business grossed $168,000 in the last year, the affidavit says, contradicting the amount in the PPP application. Though the second loan application was denied, Mozie still received a $15,000 grant based on the information she gave in the application. Deputies arrested Mozie, who has worked at the Sheriffs Office since 2016, Thursday. She worked in the Department of Detention as a detention technician, a civilian position part of the security staff. Mozie faces three counts of scheme to defraud a financial institution and two counts of uttering a forged instrument. Before her arrest, Mozie was suspended with pay, the Sheriffs Office said. She is now suspended without pay. EDITORS UPDATE: This story has been updated to correct Mozies job description. Justin Sutherland promises a ramped-up new season of 'Fast Foodies': "Everything's just taken up a notch" 'Peacemaker' star Steve Agee on stepping away from the computer, and the show's viral opening dance number A group identifying as Taliban militants arrested Ariana News journalists Aslam Hijab and Waris Hasrat on January 31. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its Afghanistan affiliate, the Afghan Independent Journalists Association (AIJA) condemn the Talibans persecution of Afghan media workers and call for the journalists immediate release. According to the AIJAs chief executive Hujatullah Mujadidi, Taliban militants first detained journalist Aslam Hijab at the entrance of theAriana News headquarters in District 3 of Kabul. Waris Hasrat, another journalist at the television station, was detained after he inquired about the reason for Hijabs detention. Members of the Taliban handcuffed the two journalists and covered their heads with sacks, before forcing them inside a vehicle. It is not known where the detained journalists are kept and the allegations against the journalists have not been made public. Ariana News, a leading independent news channel critical of the Taliban, has been a target of Taliban militants since the takeover in mid-August 2021. Taliban forces briefly detained another Ariana News journalist, Shapoor Farahmand, on December 28, 2021. According to the AIJA, 40 journalists have been temporarily detained since the beginning of the Taliban regime in mid-august. The detentions of Hijab and Hasrath are the latest in a series of attacks on Afghanistans media. On January 15, the Taliban attacked journalist Jaki Qais, and on January 10, Afghan journalist Noor Mohammad Hashemi, deputy director of Salam Afghanistan Media Organisation, was shot at by three unidentified men. On January 6, Taliban authorities detained three journalists, Faisal Modaris, Idris Rahimi and Milad Azizi, at a restaurant in the Shari Naw area of Kabuls District Four. Since the Talibans takeover, more than 257 media outlets have shut down and, according to a survey conducted by the AIJA, over 6,400 journalists in Afghanistan lost jobs. A survey conductd by the Afghanistan National Journalists Union (ANJU) found that 318 media houses have closed since August 15 and only 2,334 journalists are still working from a pre-Taliban high of 5,069. Just 243 women are still employed in Afghanistans media and 72 per cent of those who have lost their jobs are women. AIJA said: Such an arrest has a detrimental effect on freedom of expression and the media. Therefore, AIJA leadership urges for the immediate release of the arrested journalists. We urge Taliban authorities to refrain from arresting journalists. The IFJ said: The rising number of attacks, arrests and killings of media workers in Afghanistan highlights the Talibans disregard for media freedom and persecution of journalists simply for doing their jobs. The IFJ urges the Taliban to immediately and unconditionally release Aslam Hijab and Waris Hasrat and end its vilification of Afghanistans media. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, non-white populations are growing faster than the country's non-Hispanic white population, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the adult population in 2020. The census predicts that the U.S. population will become "minority White" by 2045. Much like our communities, the small-business landscape is becoming increasingly diverse. Despite this phenomenon, few government contracts are awarded to minority and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBEs). Small businesses locked out New York City, one of the most diverse cities in the U.S., is a good example. According to a report released by the city comptroller, the city awarded $30.4 billion in contracts in fiscal year (FY) 2021, only 3.8 percent of which were awarded to M/WBEs. Another shocking statistic from the report shows that of more than 10,500 certified M/WBEs, 84 percent received no city spending in FY 2021 -- in fact, the share of certified M/WBEs receiving city dollars has never exceeded 22 percent since FY 2015. It's a similar story at the national level. Less than 10 percent of federal agencies' contracting dollars go to small, disadvantaged businesses (including minority-owned businesses), while less than 5 percent go to women-owned small businesses. We're also seeing fewer small businesses being awarded federal contracts. According to a report produced by Goldman Sachs's "10,000 Small Businesses Voices" (10KSBV) and the Bipartisan Policy Center, "The number of small businesses providing common products and services to the federal government shrank by 38 percent from 2010 to 2019. Even more dramatically, the number of small businesses entering the procurement marketplace as new entrants declined by 79 percent from 2005 to 2019." Senator Ben Cardin, ranking member of the small-business and entrepreneurship committee, put it well in a recent Senate hearing: "[W]hile contracts are getting bigger and bigger, we are creating an insular club where fewer and fewer businesses successfully compete for government contracts, creating a less competitive marketplace and reducing opportunities in the process. Small businesses are bearing the brunt of this decline." With 99.9 percent of minority-owned businesses operating as small businesses, the effects on M/WBEs are clear. As the founder of a small, minority-owned office furniture company, I have witnessed this disparity firsthand and see how the odds are stacked against smaller companies. It is difficult for the "little guys" with fewer resources and connections to compete with big manufacturers and navigate the procurement process. The power of community pressure Thankfully, we are seeing positive procurement changes from the Biden administration after pressure from the small-business community. Following months of advocacy from the Goldman Sachs 10KSBV community, which involved countless meetings with officials in the White House and Small Business Administration, op-eds, and more than 1,500 emails sent to elected officials, the Biden administration recently announced a set of reforms to the federal procurement process that will level the playing field for under-served small-business owners. Specifically, the White House pledges to increase the share of contracts going to small, disadvantaged businesses by 50 percent by 2025. It is also asking agencies to increase their goals so government-wide spending leads to 11 percent of contracting dollars going to small, disadvantaged businesses, up from the current goal of 5 percent. Furthermore, it will ensure full transparency of federal contract spending by releasing data broken down by business owners' race/ethnicity instead of relying on top-line data to measure success. Finally, it is adopting new management practices that promote accountability and ensure small-business contracting goals are met each year. Since 1963, The Independent has helped create a great community! Since our founding in September of 1963, The Independent has been dedicated to giving Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, and Sunol readers the news they need to be in-the-know about what's going on in the Tri-Valley region. HOLLYWOOD A Hollywood man has been arrested nearly four months after he allegedly shot a 24-year-old man to death outside of a motel in West Palm Beach, police announced Thursday. On Oct. 15, 2021, shortly before 11 p.m., a 911 caller reported a shooting at the Holiday Inn Express at 2485 Metrocentre Blvd. Officers found a man lying face down in the parking lot at the scene, according to West Palm Beach police. Advertisement The victims name was not released this week. After months of investigating, police identified Claudio Ivan Valdiviezo Samayoa, 29, of Hollywood, as the suspect in the shooting. Advertisement Claudio Ivan Valdiviezo Samayoa, 29, of Hollywood, was arrested at his home Wednesday, nearly four months after he allegedly shot a Riviera Beach man to death outside of a motel in West Palm Beach in October 2021, police said. (Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office) Samayoa was arrested Wednesday at his home at in the 1900 block of McKinley Street, police said. He faces one count of first-degree murder and is being held in the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office Main Detention Center without bond. Mike Jachles, spokesperson for the West Palm Beach Police Department, said that night in October, Samayoa approached the victim and a couple after a driver dropped him off at the motel. He showed the victim and the couple a photo of a woman who he said he was looking for. After the victim and couple told him they did not know where the woman was, Samayoa then entered the motel and searched, Jachles said. After he walked back out of the building, he allegedly shot the victim. The driver waited outside the motel for about 20 minutes before Samayoa came back and told the driver to move to a nearby gas station, Jachles said. Samayoa later met the driver there and went back to Hollywood. Jachles said investigators do not believe the driver knew what happened at the motel. Surveillance video from the motel and witness statements aided in the investigation. Ultimately this was the result of thorough investigative work by the detectives, no question about it. There were a lot of different leads for them to follow and they did so very thoroughly and were able to develop information that led them to the suspect, Jachles said. Recovering from the challenges posed by the Coronavirus pandemic, the real estate sector of India is resurgent, positive and on the path to a solid recovery. Despite a roller coaster ride in 2021 and the third but milder wave of the Omicron virus, both residential and commercial real estate sectors in cities like Pune are optimistic of sustainable growth in the near future. However, the ever-persistent question of where to invest-residential or commercial remains in the conscience of the investors. Here is a letdown on the aspects affecting Return on Investment (ROI) in both categories. Residential Real Estate Investment in 2022 There is no doubt that the residential real estate investment generally comes with a lower price tag and a lot of people think of investing in flats, apartments and residential properties for a sustained rental income. Although the investment might have taken a backseat in the past two years due to the Coronavirus challenges, the residential sector in Pune remains a hot favourite of investors as the sector recuperates from the challenges. The residential real estate investment in 2022 will be coterminous with the recovery cycle and as offices/commercial establishments have started calling the workforce back to work, there will be a simultaneous recovery in the rental market. Residential investments near large business hubs, students accommodations, PGs and affordable flats will remain in high demand. A robust investment trend in the post-pandemic scenario will be an increased affinity of realty investors towards the Tier II and Tier III cities. As the real estate prices have not risen for the last two years, the residential space might witness a price surge in the second half (H2) of 2022. The residential space might see a price upsurge with a growing Indian economy which is slated to grow at 8-9 percent in the next financial year. If the investment horizon of the investor is not too large, it is better to invest in a residential property in Pune, for a sustained and progressively increasing rental income in 2022. Commercial Real Estate Investment in 2022 The onslaught of the Coronavirus came upon heavily on the commercial establishments and the offices, workspaces and factories were forced to remain closed for a long time. However, in the opened up scenario, the restrictions are lifting and the workforce is back to offices. In 2022, the commercial real estate sector is looking at a substantial demand as the commercial expansions, which were halted for the last two years, are bound to materialize in 2022. In general, the rental Return on investment (ROI) potential of commercial investment remains far better and more sustainable than residential space. Long term leases and contracts ensure a regular flow of income for the realty investors. According to recent industry reports, the office space absorptions between July-Sept quarter 2021 remained at 12 million sq ft, a 168 percent rise from the previous year. Major markets such as Pune and nearby areas, Noida, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai continue to attract commercial investors as they are seeing a bright prospect in their rental income yielding potential. In 2022, commercial real estate investment will be concentrated in offices, co-working spaces, and affordable shops. A growing trend in commercial real estate is fractional ownership. In this concept, instead of owning an entire property, the investor invests in a part of the property and enjoys handsome returns. This trend of fractional ownership will remain buoyant in 2022. As a thumb rule, If the investment horizon of the investor is large and he/she is looking at a long to very long term investment horizon, commercial real estate is the option to choose. However, factors such as location, availability of physical and social infrastructure and connectivity must be kept in mind while investing in a commercial asset. Conclusively, the year 2022 will be a year of recovery and sustainable real estate growth in Pune and other cities. If the investor has a limited budget, residential realty is the option to choose for a good rental return. However, if the time horizon is long term, commercial real estate investment can be considered. The author of this article is Dr. Atul Goel, MD, Goel Ganga Group & President (Elect.), NAREDCO Pune The views and opinions expressed are not of IIFL Securities, indiainfoline.com Prevent Unauthorized Transactions in your demat / trading account Update your Mobile Number/ email Id with your stock broker / Depository Participant. Receive information of your transactions directly from Exchanges on your mobile / email at the end of day and alerts on your registered mobile for all debits and other important transactions in your demat account directly from NSDL/ CDSL on the same day." - Issued in the interest of investors. KYC is one time exercise while dealing in securities markets - once KYC is done through a SEBI registered intermediary (broker, DP, Mutual Fund etc.), you need not undergo the same process again when you approach another intermediary. No need to issue cheques by investors while subscribing to IPO. Just write the bank account number and sign in the application form to authorise your bank to make payment in case of allotment. No worries for refund as the money remains in investor's account." www.indiainfoline.com is part of the IIFL Group, a leading financial services player and a diversified NBFC. The site provides comprehensive and real time information on Indian corporates, sectors, financial markets and economy. On the site we feature industry and political leaders, entrepreneurs, and trend setters. The research, personal finance and market tutorial sections are widely followed by students, academia, corporates and investors among others. remaining of Thank you for Reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Drones or Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are aircraft with no on-board crew. The drones can range from remotely piloted to fully automated, which means that it relies on a system of sensors and LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) detectors to calculate its movement. It can fly at a controlled level of height and speed for a long period of time. UAVs have a role in many aspects of aviation ranging from monitoring climate change to carrying out post disaster search operations, filming, communication in remote areas but an eminent use by the military is the most well-known operation of a drone. UAVs, first were massively deployed in the Vietnam War and began to be used in a range of new roles, such as acting as decoys in combat, launching missiles and dropping leaflets. As World moves into a new drone regime, here's a brief look back at the history of drones in India. India's history of drones Back in the 1990s, the Indian Army acquired unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs from Israel, and the Indian Air Force and Navy followed suit. India first used military drones during the 1999 Kargil war against Pakistan for photo reconnaissance along the Line of Control (LOC). Unsplash/Representational image After India lost an aircraft to a Pakistani infrared homing missile because of a highly inefficient and strategically weak drone system, Israel discreetly supplied the Indian Air Force with Searcher drones enabling them to acquire target information along the Line of Control. Since then, state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and several other private Indian companies started creating drones and developing UAV technologies. In India, the use of all (manned or automated) aerial vehicles are governed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Though UAVs were originally developed for the military and aerospace industries, drones have found their way into the mainstream because of the enhanced levels of safety and efficiency they bring. Evolution of use of drones Recently, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has approved a pilot-project with the Telangana government to assess alternative logistics routes in providing safe, accurate and reliable pickup/delivery of health care items in remote areas through drones. The project would start with delivering vaccines/medicine in the desired community health centres and PHCs. Similar permission was granted to deploy drones for agricultural research activities and is expected to drive a wave of technology in the Agri & farming sector. Kisan Drones are being used for crop assessments, land records and spraying of insecticides and nutrients. Unsplash/Representational image Drones are also significantly being used by the law enforcement agencies and for real-time monitoring of COVID-19 hotspots and containment zones to ensure strict compliance of lockdown guidelines. From SVAMITVA (Survey of villages and mapping with improvised technology in village areas) scheme of mapping out the abadi areas to get residents their property cards to drone-based surveillance system for Railway Security, the rapidly expanding use of drones has prompted the DGCA to formulate new rules and regulations to govern the civilian use of drones in India. Building a digital sky platform The Drone Rules 2021 (Drone Rules) is a supersession of the earlier existing Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Rules, notified in March, 2021. The Drone Rules were issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation on August 26, 2021 and do not apply to drones used by the naval, military or air forces of India. The central government believed the new rules to be a much more liberalised regime for unmanned aircraft systems than what existed previously. The rules are said to be built on the premise of trust, self-certification, and non-intrusive monitoring. To put it plainly, it is expected to ease out drone ownership and operation for civilian drone operators in India. The most significant change under the rule is that the most popular devices in this segment (due to their affordability and practicality) are likely to be classified as micro and nano drones for which users will no longer need a remote pilot's license. Another notable aspect is that the coverage of drones under Drone Rules has been increased from 300kg to 500kg and will cover drone taxis. The rules also reduced the fees for permissions to operate drones. Unsplash/Representational image The new Drone Rules will tremendously help start-ups and our youth working in this sector. It will open up new possibilities for innovation & business. It will help leverage Indias strengths in innovation, technology & engineering to make India a drone hub, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet. In September 2021, the Union Cabinet also cleared the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme that shall provide incentives up to 20% to the manufacturers of drones and drone components over the value addition that they make. The union government has taken a serious paradigm shift to the drone industry by announcing 'Drone Shakti' in Budget 2022. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman emphasised that the initiative will also help establish Drones-As-A-Service. With drone as a service the government says start-ups will be promoted to facilitate 'Drone Shakti' through various use cases and applications. For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News. Yesterday we saw Meta (formerly Facebook) stock prices take a massive dip -- over 26 percent -- due to a disappointing earnings call that revealed a drop in the number of active users on its platform, for the very first time. Reuters Also Read: Meta Share Drop Cuts Facebook Value By $200 Billion, Largest Ever In History Facebook registered 1,929 billion daily users in Q4 of 2021, down from 1.93 billion in the previous quarter. And a recent IANS report highlights that the Indian telecom tariff hike for prepaid plans could be partially blamed for this. To the unaware, during the month of November 2021, telecom giants Reliance Jio, Vi and Bharti Airtel decided to increase their tariff rates by up to 25 percent. According to Meta CFO, Dave Wehner, during the companys earnings call, revealed that there were several factors affecting the growth of Facebook globally, during Q4 2021. He said, In Asia-Pacific and the rest of the world, we believe Covid resurgences during prior periods pulled forward user growth. User growth in India was also limited by an increase in data package pricing. In addition to these factors, we believe competitive services are negatively impacting growth, particularly with younger audiences. Also Read: Facebook Meta Is The Worst Company Of The Year, Says Yahoo Survey Reuters The price hike was not only implemented by Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel but also Reliance Jio -- which is known to offer affordable data plans -- by around 25 percent. According to telecom operators, this would help boot the process of ARPU improvement and help address the financial stress of the industry. Wehner highlighted that this was another kind of unique element where the data price boom resulted in slower growth here. The massive stock drop eliminated around $200 billion in Metas market capitalisation. Keep reading Indiatimes.com for the latest science and technology news. After three decades, a father has found out that he is not related to his daughter. According to reports, Jeanine and John 'Mike' Harvey went to a fertility clinic at Akron City Hospital, Cleveland, USA in the year 1991. The couple wanted to start a family, which they did. They followed an IUI procedure which involves sperm being placed directly in a patient's uterus. Jeanine became pregnant and the couple welcomed a baby girl named Jessica in 1992. Harvey Family However, 30 years later, the couple have now discovered that Mike is not Jessica's dad. They claim that someone else's sperm was used at the time and are now suing Dr Nicholas J Spirtos and Summa Health System, accusing the hospital of malpractice, fraud, and negligence. Speaking during a press conference on Wednesday (2 February), Jeanine said: "Our goal couldn't have been clearer, we wanted a child who is genetically related to both of us." She added, "Harvey girls were very rare in the family, so we were so excited. I screamed and scared the doctors half to death when she was born." Harvey Family Jeanine and Mike bought DNA tests for Jessica and her husband for Christmas in 2020, and the family realised something was wrong. They were going on a vacation to Europe and Jessica thought it would be an excellent way to trace her family tree and potentially find some distant relatives. "How cool, we thought, it would be to connect with distant relatives in the countries that we might be visiting," said Jessica. According to the lawsuit, the test showed that Jessica had links to her mother's side, but there was no sign of her father's Italian heritage. The complaint says: "Subsequent investigation revealed that her biological father is a man who, along with his wife, was undergoing fertility treatments with Dr. (Nicholas J.) Spirtos at Summa Akron City Hospital at the same time as the Harveys." Harvey Family For more trending stories, click here. Real-time social media posts from local businesses and organizations across Northern Virginia, powered by Friends2Follow. To add your business to the stream, email cfields@insidenova.com or click on the green button below. Over a decade ago, a brain-mapping technology known as QEEG was first used in a Florida death-penalty case, helping keep a convicted Miami killer off Death Row by swaying jurors that brain damage had left him prone to violence. In the years since, brain mapping remains very much a legal gray area, inconsistently accepted in a small number of death penalty cases across the state. In some, prosecutors fought it as junk science and judges agreed to block results. In others, prosecutors raised no objections to the tests. Advertisement The questions surrounding brain mapping will soon be on trial again in the most high-profile Florida death penalty case in decades: Florida versus Nikolas Cruz, the gunman convicted of murdering 17 students and staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland in February 2018. For the full story, please visit miamiherald.com top story Nekima Levy-Armstrong says the victim was a Black man under the age of 25 New York City Mayor Eric Adamss chief of staff, Frank Carone, was subpoenaed for documents in a $4.5 million federal civil racketeering lawsuit over alleged fraudulent insurance charges. The subpoena to Carone, who is not a defendant in the suit and isnt accused of misconduct, is part of insurance giant Geico Corp.s broader allegations that several New York and New Jersey doctors and medical clinics submitted thousands of fraudulent no-fault insurance charges related to motor vehicle accidents, according to a complaint filed in federal court in Brooklyn. Before becoming the mayors gatekeeper, Carone, a longtime Brooklyn power broker, served as counsel to the Brooklyn Democratic Party and was a law partner at the firm Abrams Fensterman. The insurance companys attorneys alleged that Carone and his former law partners Howard and Jordan Fensterman held significant ownership stakes in four funding companies that lent money to the medical clinics and were paid back, with interest, after Geico paid out the claims. Geicos attorneys requested in a motion filed Dec. 10 that Carone and his former partners turn over communications they have with the defendants. Carone and the Fenstermans responded that those communications are shielded by attorney-client privilege, although it isnt clear whether Abrams Fensterman represented the clinics or providers. On Jan. 10, the court denied the blanket subpoena and requested that Geico submit one with a narrower scope. NYCs Adams Appoints Attorney Frank Carone Chief of Staff Carone and Howard Fensterman are merely passive investors in the funding companies, which advance money to no-fault medical providers in order to maintain operations while they await payment of claims from insurance carriers, according to a memo by Abrams Fensterman that was provided by a City Hall spokesperson. Geico has argued that the funding companies were being used by a doctor involved in the alleged scheme as a means of facilitating and concealing ownership of the clinics that submitted the allegedly fraudulent claims. In support of their motion, Geicos attorneys provided voluminous bank records that show hundreds of thousands of dollars in transfers involving Abrams Fensterman and the advance funding companies, along with incorporation documents showing Carone and the Fenstermans ownership interest in those entities. Ethics Headaches Though neither Carone nor the Fenstermans are accused of wrongdoing, Carones involvement in the Geico lawsuit is the latest potential ethics headache for the mayor, who faced questions about Carones array of business interests and possible conflicts of interest in the weeks before his appointment as chief of staff. Good-government groups expressed concern about the fact that Carones law firm had real estate, transportation and other clients with business before the city. Carones law partners bought out his 9% ownership stake in the firm. He also resigned from his position with the Kings County Democratic Party, gave up his position on the board of Hanover Bank and placed his assets in a blind trust. Carone, who in the past has served as Adamss personal attorney, was at the center of a controversial $173 million housing deal done during Mayor Bill de Blasios administration. He negotiated the citys purchase of 17 buildings from Stuart and Jay Podolsky, landlords known for violations at their properties, while donating to the political action committee that de Blasio used to explore a presidential run, the New York Daily News reported at the time. Carone and de Blasio have denied discussing the property sale. Several other Adams administration appointees have raised ethical questions. Adamss pick for deputy mayor for public safety, former NYPD chief of department Philip Banks, was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in a federal police corruption investigation. Adams also came under fire for attempting to hire his brother Bernard to help run his security detail at a six-figure salary, despite the citys anti-nepotism regulations. Instead, his brother was hired to a lower-profile position, at a nominal salary of $1 a year. Last month, Adams slowed the hiring process for other senior positions in his administration to allow for a more careful vetting process, Politico reported. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Lawsuits Fraud New York ALLENTOWN, Pa. The family of a New Jersey man shot and killed by a police officer near an eastern Pennsylvania amusement park in 2018 will reportedly receive part of a $950,000 settlement of a federal civil rights lawsuit against the officer and township. The (Allentown) Morning Call reports that a copy of the settlement obtained through a Right-To-Know request indicates that the administrator of the estate of Joseph Santos agreed to end the lawsuit Sept. 14. Court documents indicate that the money will be split between Santoss two adult sons and 11-year-old daughter, minus law firm fees and costs. Attorney Joshua Karoly said it would provide some support to the family although no amount of money will bring back a loving father to his three children. Attorney Joseph Santarone, who represented the officer and South Whitehall Township, said the settlement avoided the uncertainty and risk of a trial, with the money to be paid by the police departments insurance company. None of the parties acknowledged any wrongdoing. Authorities said the officer, Jonathan Roselle, was directing traffic near Dorney Park in July 2018 when a frantic woman said someone had tried to enter her vehicle. They said 44-year-old Santos of Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, later climbed on the hood of the officers vehicle and pounded on his windshield and windows. Officials said he started to walk away but then turned quickly and started back toward Roselle, ignoring commands from the officer, who fired five times. The shooting, which was caught on police and bystander videos, divided the community in 2018, prompting demonstrations near the scene for and against law enforcement. Prosecutors called the shooting unjustified despite Santoss somewhat bizarre behavior, saying alternatives available to the officer included de-escalation or use of pepper spray, a baton or a stun gun. Roselle was charged in Lehigh County with voluntary manslaughter. He was acquitted in a trial in early 2020. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Law Enforcement Pennsylvania Insured losses from major natural catastrophes in 2021 excluding COVID-related losses have so far reached an estimated US$116 billion, the third largest total since 2011, and about 63% higher than the average loss of $71 billion since 2011, according to Gallagher Re. The total was driven by a series of extreme weather-related events in the U.S., and the second most severe flood event ever experienced in Europe. Like the peak insured natural-catastrophe loss years of 2017 ($143 billion) and 2011 ($120 billion), multiple events are responsible for the large losses, said a report published by Gallagher Re, the reinsurance division of global brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm Gallagher. The largest losses of the year were caused by tropical cyclones with 35% of the overall losses, and severe thunderstorms caused 25% of the annual loss, said the report titled Gallagher Re Natural Catastrophe Events Report 2021. By region, North America accounted for the largest proportion of the loss at 68%, followed by Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) at 23%, Asia Pacific at 8% and Latin America and the Caribbean at 1%. The largest single loss event was Category 4 Hurricane Ida in August, which is expected to cost insurers more than $37 billion, making it the fifth-costliest on record. With 21 named storms, the North Atlantic hurricane season was the third most active on record, the sixth consecutive above-normal year, and the second consecutive year when NOAAs bank of 21 of storm names was exhausted, said the report. In Europe, the largest loss-causing event came in mid-July with Storm Bernd causing more than $13 billion in insured losses. Affecting mainly Germany and Belgium, Storm Bernd remained stalled over saturated soil in central Europe due to weak a jet stream. It resulted in the largest German flood loss on record. In Asia, the 2021 season saw no single typhoon making landfall in Japan, in contrast with the tropical cyclone losses observed there during 2018/19. Asias most notable event was the flooding of the Province of Henan, China, between July 19 and 21, 2021. To date, this event has caused 302 fatalities and insured losses of more than US$1.92 billion, said the Gallagher Re report. Despite the active North Atlantic hurricane season, the highlight of the year for Latin America and the Caribbean was the absence of significant insured catastrophe events, which is reflected in low insured loss totals, said the report. The most damaging event for the region occurred on Aug. 14 when a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, causing over 2,000 fatalities. Economic losses reached approximately US$1.6 billion with insurance covering only about US$250 million of that amount, said the report. This further highlights the protection gap faced by less economically developed countries in the region. With the large loss experience in 2021, catastrophe models are firmly in the markets headlights. They remain pivotal to enabling conversations around pricing adequacy, secondary perils, climate change, and systemic connectivity of risk, but it has become essential to ensure we understand what models can and cannot contribute to the conversation, commented Yingzhen Chuang, Gallagher Res regional director of International Catastrophe Analytics. By necessity, summarizing a complex global picture requires some simplifications. However, it is clear that carefully contextualizing global loss experience is essential to an industry founded on managing volatility and uncertainty, Chuang added. James Vickers, chairman International, Reinsurance, at Gallagher Re, said: It was a heavy year for natural catastrophes, despite the absence of a very significant single loss event. Notably, claims originating from secondary perils were substantial. That perhaps calls for an industry-wide redefinition of the phrase, and is certainly a phenomenon that underwriters are paying close attention to. Topics Carriers Catastrophe Natural Disasters USA Profit Loss Europe A.J. Gallagher A Russia-linked cybercrime gang was allegedly responsible for ransomware attacks that took down a swath of Germanys fuel-distribution system this week and hindered payments at some filling stations. Hackers using a strain of ransomware known as Black Cat infected computers at Mabanaft GmbH and Oiltanking GmbH Group, according to two people familiar with an investigation into the breaches. Hackers Target Key Fuel-Distribution Firms in Europe Ransomware is a type of malicious software that encrypts files on victims computers, rendering them inaccessible until a ransom is paid. Its not known how much money the Black Cat gang has demanded from the firms. The hackers behind Black Cat appear to be related to the DarkSide ransomware gang, according to Brett Callow, a threat analyst at the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft. DarkSide was accused of the attack on Colonial Pipeline Co. last year, shutting down the largest gasoline pipeline in the U.S. for several days in May. Other energy-storage companies, including Evos Group, have also suffered IT problems in recent days, at facilities spanning Malta, Belgium and the Netherlands. The precise cause of the disruption at Evos is currently unclear. On Thursday, the firm said the source was still being investigated. The attacks come amid heightened tensions in the region as Russian troops are massed on the Ukrainian border, raising fears of an imminent ground attack. Such an attack could imperil Russian fuel supplies to Germany and other parts of Europe. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly denied he plans to invade. Mabanaft, which distributes large amounts of fuel across Germany, said on Tuesday that its computer systems had been breached and its operations disrupted. Oiltanking GmbH Group, which operates terminals internationally, confirmed that its systems were also affected by the cyberattack. Both companies are owned by the Hamburg-based fuel group Marquard & Bahls AG. A spokesperson for the companies declined to comment on the ransomware. The companies discovered they had been the victim of a cyber incident on January 29 and were working with specialists to investigate, the spokesperson said. They were hoping to resume normal operations by early next week, according to the people. The prosecutors office in Hamburg said it had opened an investigation into the breach but hadnt yet identified a suspect. At the moment no information concerning the perpetrator behind the attack can be provided, said Liddy Oechtering, a spokeswoman for the prosecutors office. So far the investigations are directed against unknown. The German newspaper Handelsblatt previously reported that the hackers used the Black Cat ransomware, citing a report from Germanys Federal Office for Information Security. The two people familiar with the investigation confirmed that account to Bloomberg News. Black Cats ransomware code is written in Russian and is known for its sophistication and innovation, according to a report published in January by researchers at Unit 42, a cybersecurity team at Palo Alto Networks. The gang, which has been active since November 2021, has recruited affiliates on cybercrime forums who effectively rent out the ransomware to hack companies and organizations, according to the report. Doel Santos, a threat intelligence analyst for Unit 42, said that hackers using Black Cats ransomware, which is also known as ALPHV, had been very active since December. They were targeting a wide range of industries, including construction and engineering, retail, transportation, commercial services, insurance, machinery, professional services, telecommunication, auto components and pharmaceuticals, he said. The gang has focused its extortion efforts on companies and organizations in countries including the U.S., Germany, France, Spain, Philippines, and the Netherlands, the Unit 42 report found. Whats unusual is that for a new group they are very skilled, said Allan Liska, a senior threat analyst at the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future Inc. The methodology is the same across all of these ransomware groups. But Black Cat moves around networks quickly. They get the data quickly, and they are not afraid to go after big targets. Liska added that people involved in the gang appeared to be native Russian speakers, as indicated by their posts on Russian-language cybercrime forums. Liska called the timing of the attacks suspicious but said it wasnt yet clear whether there was any link to the tensions in Ukraine. Callow, from Emsisoft, said he believed Black Cat was likely the latest incarnation of the prolific ransomware groups BlackMatter and DarkSide. After the Colonial Pipeline attack drew widespread condemnation and pressure from law enforcement, DarkSide rebranded under a different name, BlackMatter, a common tactic by ransomware gangs when they come under intense scrutiny. But BlackMatter didnt last long either, Callow said, in part because Emsisoft discovered a vulnerability in its ransomware that helped victims recover their files without paying any ransom. The organizers of the group hired new developers and rebranded again, under the name Black Cat, Callow said. Callow said that the new Black Cat ransomware was more sophisticated and didnt include the same errors in its code as ransomware strains deployed by previous incarnations of the gang. Authorities in Germany have described the hacks this week as serious, but played down the level of disruption to the countrys fuel supplies. A spokesman for the countrys Federal Office for Information Security said that 233 gasoline filling stations, largely in northern Germany, had been affected, only 1.7% of the countrys total. At some of those stations it wasnt possible to pay by credit card, the spokesman said. With assistance from Jack Wittels and Rachel Graham. Photograph: Cropped hand of computer hacker typing on keyboard. Photo credit: Oliver Nicolaas Ponder/EyeEm via Getty Images Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Cyber Fraud Russia Germany The parents of a Minnesota man allege in a lawsuit that he has been unresponsive and requires constant medical care since being forced to drink a bottle of vodka at a fraternity at the University of Missouri. Daniel Santulli, 19, of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, was found in cardiac arrest inside a car at University Hospital on Oct. 20, according to the lawsuit. His blood alcohol content was 0.0486%, more than six times the legal limit for driving, the Columbia Missourian reported. The lawsuit contends Santulli and the rest of his pledge class at Phi Gamma Delta were each forced to drink a bottle of hard liquor, given to them by their pledge fathers. Santulli remains unresponsive, unaware of his surroundings, unable to communicate and (with) a significant injury to his brain, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit names the national Phi Gamma Delta organization and individual members of the Missouri chapter. The national fraternity and university both suspended the Missouri chapter following Santullis hospitalization. Ron Caudill, the fraternitys national executive director, said in a statement that the fraternity is reviewing the lawsuit. We expect all chapters and members to follow the law and abide by the fraternitys policies, which prohibit hazing and the provision of alcohol to minors, he said. Attorney David Bianchi, the familys attorney who specializes in hazing litigation, said Santullis injury was not an isolated event. These are part of a pattern of unsafe and dangerous behavior that represents the traditions of the fraternity, he said. Since 2017, Phi Gamma Delta, also known as Fiji, has six documented violations of alcohol distribution policies and two hazing violations at Missouri, according to university records. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Education Missouri Universities The Illinois Workers Compensation Act (IWCA) does not bar claims for statutory damages under the states Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), the Illinois Supreme Court unanimously ruled in a Feb. 3 opinion that could leave employers more vulnerable to a wave of privacy lawsuits. In McDonald v. Symphony Bronzeville Park, the seven-member court looked at a proposed putative class action suit where the plaintiff alleged her former employer negligently failed to obtain written permission before collecting, using, and storing employees biometric identifiers and biometric information in violation of BIPA. BIPA, enacted in 2008, mandates that private entities inform an individual in writing that their biometric identifier or biometric information is being collected or stored; share the specific purpose of why theyre collecting or using the biometric identifier or biometric information; and share the length of term for which the biometric identifier or biometric information will be collected and stored. Biometric identifiers and biometric information are used as a timekeeping system by some Illinois employers. Marquita McDonald, the plaintiff in the case, sought liquidated damages of $1,000 per violation for each negligent violation plus reasonable attorneys fees and costs as according to Section 20 of the BIPA. The Act states, [a]ny person aggrieved by a violation of this Act shall have a right of action in a [s]tate circuit court or as a supplemental claim in federal district court against an offending party. Bronzeville, a nursing home operator, sought to dismiss McDonalds suit by arguing that the alleged claims were barred by the exclusive remedy provisions of the states workers compensation law. Bronzevilles motion to dismiss was unsuccessful at the circuit court and appellate court levels. Bronzeville argued that the IWCA prohibits McDonalds class action from reaching the circuit court because the alleged injury occurred in the course of her employment and must therefore be adjudicated before the Illinois Workers Compensation Commission pursuant to the Compensation. McDonalds countered that no injury occurred that would be considered compensable under the IWCA. In McDonalds initial 2017 suit, she alleged that she suffered mental health anguish as a result of the Privacy Act violations but in a 2019 first-amended complaint withdrew those allegations because they were unnecessary to her recovery on her [Privacy Act] claim. Thank goodness that whoever filed that initial lawsuit redacted or withdrew those claims and once that occurred it became pretty clear cut that this was never going to be a workers compensation case, said Chicago attorney Matthew J. Belcher. McDonald said that if the Illinois General Assembly had intended for the BIPA claims to fall under the provisions of the IWCA, it would have said so in the language of the Act. The court relied on this argument in ruling that McDonald may pursue her BIPA claims in an action in the circuit court rather than through the Illinois Workers Compensation Commission. The courts ruling wasnt as telling as why it took the case in the first place, Belcher said. There are occasions where one district will conclude that the Privacy Act is excluded by the Workers Compensation Act and then you would have two different sets of laws coming up the Supreme Court, Belcher said. A lot of times people wonder why would the Supreme Court take the case just to affirm it? The answer is probably because the Supreme Court wanted to make that the law of the state of Illinois. Topics Lawsuits Claims Workers' Compensation Illinois The Florida Senate is trying again to repeal the states no-fault auto insurance requirement with a bill that major insurers oppose and which the governor vetoed last year. By a vote of 10-1, the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee this week approved Senate Bill 150, authored by Sen. Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills. The measure would replace the states much-debated personal injury protection (PIP) coverage requirements with bodily injury coverage limits of $25,000. Gov. Ron DeSantis last summer vetoed a similar bill after insurers said it would raise auto rates. A report released by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation last year predicted the change would increase auto rates by an average of $200 a year. Burgess said that analysis was flawed and was based on some erroneous assumptions. That report assumed that pretty much everybody in the state would have chosen to have $10,000 in medical payments coverage. Of course that reflected an increase in premiums, Burgess said. But this years version of the bill allows drivers to opt-in not opt-out of the $10,000 medical payment coverage benefits, known as MedPay. With that, many Floridians would not choose the more expensive medical coverage, so most rates would not increase, but could actually drop, Burgess said. Burgess also argued that ending the PIP system, as most other states have done, would curtail bad-faith claims and would wipe out the hundreds of thousands of unnecessary lawsuits stemming from no-fault coverage. He pointed to a 2017 OIR study that suggested rates would drop without the no-fault system, a system that some have said invites fraud. We cant continue to do nothing as rates continue to go up, Burgess said. House and Senate leaders have expressed support for the change. Others have strongly disagreed. The American Property Casualty Insurance Association this week urged lawmakers to kill the bill. It cited a Pinnacle Resources study that found that auto insurance costs could rise as much as 77%. Any attempt to repeal or reform Floridas auto insurance system should focus on reducing consumer costs, preventing fraud and lawsuit abuse and ensuring policyholder rights are protected, APCIAs Florida representative, Logan McFaddin, said in a statement. Committee member Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, said that supporters of the measure have done no studies of their own that would analyze the financial impact of repealing the PIP law. He called it legislative malpractice to move forward with a bill that has no data to back it up, and said the bill would prompt more Floridians to drive without auto insurance. With Brandes as the lone no vote, the bill now goes to the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Banking and Insurance Committee on Tuesday also approved two measures that would expand workers compensation benefits to more emergency workers who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. SB 1066, by Burgess, would give first responders 90 days from a triggering event or diagnosis, whichever comes later, to file a notice of injury with the employer. Current law sets the clock running from the time that the disorder manifests itself. Burgess said that stress can show up at different times, often after a cumulative number of events, and diagnosis can come much later than the first signs of PTSD. SB 664, by Sen. Jennifer Bradley, R-Orange Park, would extend PTSD comp coverage to correctional officers and probation officers. Both bills passed the committee with no opposition. Topics Auto Florida Politics COCONUT CREEK The mistake that landed an innocent man in jail late last month while a fugitive with the same name roamed free did not originate with South Florida law enforcement, according to a report released Thursday by the Palm Beach Sheriffs Office. But local police knew there were serious questions about the arrested mans identity, and left it to the Broward Main Jail to sort it out. Advertisement The Palm Beach Sheriffs Office, which originally denied any connection to the arrest of Leonardo Silva Oliveira, issued a report Thursday documenting its role in the blunder. [ RELATED: Coconut Creek man with fugitive's name spends 5 days in jail ] According to that report, the Florida Department of Corrections misidentified the fugitive in the arrest warrant accusing him of violating probation on charges of grand theft and burglary of an unoccupied dwelling in Boca Raton, attaching information drawn from the drivers license of the Oliveira who was arrested an innocent cook at an Outback Steakhouse in Deerfield Beach. At the time of his arrest, the cook had heavier facial hair than the fugitive, a date of birth 10 days later, and, crucially, no tattoos. The fugitive had tattoos on each arm, according to court records. Advertisement The cook spent five days in jail and was released on Jan. 25, after his fingerprints were finally compared to the fugitives. Questions about the innocent cooks identity were complicated by the warrants use of his drivers license, leading Coconut Creek police to believe they had a match. Leonardo Silva Oliveira, 26, of Coconut Creek on Jan. 26, after his release from jail. Oliveira was the unfortunate namesake of a wanted fugitive. He was arrested on a warrant out of Palm Beach County and was jailed for five days. (Carline Jean / South Florida Sun Sentinel) The arresting officer noted the discrepancy in birth dates and the missing tattoos, according to the PBSO report. The birth date could have been a clerical error, and the tattoos could have been removed since the photographs were taken, the report states, paraphrasing the arresting officers comments. The arresting officer also was reluctant to use a scanner to compare fingerprints, calling the device unreliable, according to the report. On top of the attachment of the wrong drivers license to the arrest warrant, there was another fact that contributed to the mistake. According to his arrest history in Boca Raton, the fugitive was also a cook. The arresting officer felt comfortable moving forward with the arrest and figured it would get sorted out at the jail, according to the PBSO report. The Florida Department of Corrections knew of the potential for error, according to the PBSO report, because a previous probation officer on the fugitives case flagged the cooks drivers license and attached a notation: Not him. But that didnt stop the wrong ID from making its way to Coconut Creek. Coconut Creek police did not corroborate or dispute the PBSO report. Last week the agency took responsibility for making the arrest while some questions remained unanswered. Advertisement Calls to the innocent cooks lawyer were not returned Thursday. The fugitive remains at large. Rafael Olmeda may be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4457. Follow him on Twitter @rolmeda. Six people have been arrested in North Carolina for their roles in a theft ring in which package delivery drivers traded packages for drugs, police said. WGHP -TV reported that Eden police launched an investigation after they received a tip about a delivery driver trading packages. That same tip led them to five locations throughout the city. According to police, the driver would stop in a particular neighborhood about 10 times a day and stay for an average of 10 minutes at a time, which is longer than a typical package delivery. Police said they identified two FedEx employees and found multiple packages at five different addresses. In all, investigators said they recovered more than $10,000 worth of stolen merchandise. All six suspects are facing felonies, ranging from drug possession and receiving stolen property accessing computers to defraud and animal cruelty, police said. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Fraud Law Enforcement Numbers North Carolina Californias more than half-million fast food workers would get increased power and protections under a first-in-the-nation measure approved by the state Assembly this week. Workers would be included alongside employers and state agencies on a new Fast-Food Sector Council to set statewide minimum standards on wages, working hours, training and working conditions including procedures designed to protect employees from the coronavirus pandemic. It would be limited to fast food restaurants with at least 30 establishments nationally. California has a chance to lead the country and address outstanding issues in the fast food industry, said Democratic Assemblyman Chris Holden, a former franchisee himself. It is about fairness and it is about bringing all the responsible parties to the table to collaborate on solutions. Organized labor made the bill regulating the fast food industry and boosting the voice of the most populous states estimated nation-leading 557,000 fast food workers a priority. But it initially failed in June even in a Legislature overwhelmingly dominated by Democrats, falling three votes short of the 41 it needed to pass the 80-member Assembly. It passed the state Assembly Monday on a 41-19 vote and now heads to the state Senate. It passed over the objections of some Democrats who said it delegates too much legislative power to the council. The Legislature would have 60 days to overrule the councils regulations before they take effect. Other opponents objected to singling out fast food workers for a council when employees in other fields may also have similar wage and safety concerns. The bill just drives entire franchises and franchise brands away from California, said Republican Assemblyman Kelly Seyarto. Supporters said fast food workers make up the largest and fastest growing group of low-wage, private sector workers in the state, but have lacked protections specific to their industry. They estimate that about 80% of the workers in California are Latino, Black or of Asian descent, two-thirds are women, and many live in working class communities that have been hardest hit by the pandemic. But the International Franchise Association said a growing number of women and racial minorities own franchise establishments. This potential for continued growth is threatened by the bill, the group said in opposition, as is continuing an economic recovery from the pandemic. Fast food workers as well as local franchisees are often at the mercy of fast food chains, Bob Schoonover, president of 700,000-member SEIU California, said before the vote. The bill addresses this imbalance of power by bringing workers and franchisees together to raise standards and protections across the California fast food industry. Among other things, employees could sue the restaurant if they contend they have been fired, discriminated or retaliated against for exercising the rights created under the bill. And franchisees could bring actions against franchisors if they believe the corporations are impeding their compliance with health, safety and employment laws. The council would be under the Department of Industrial Relations, with 11 members appointed by the governor and legislative leaders, all currently Democrats. It would include two representatives of fast food restaurant employees, two representatives of advocates for fast food restaurant employees, one representative of fast food restaurant franchisors and one representative of fast food restaurant franchisees. The remaining five members would be representatives of state agencies. The bill was first introduced by Lorena Gonzalez, a longtime labor advocate perhaps best known nationally for her law aimed at giving many independent contractors the same rights and benefits as full-time employees. Gonzalez resigned this month to become executive secretary-treasurer of the California Labor Federation. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics California Restaurant A U.S. judge denied an attempt by seven employees to block Hawaiian Airlines policy requiring workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or face termination. The airline required U.S.-based employees to receive full doses of a vaccine by Nov. 1, while allowing employees to request accommodations based on disabilities or religious beliefs. Seven employees filed a lawsuit in January accusing the airline of discrimination and retaliation. They asked a judge to issue a temporary restraining order to prevent the airline from enforcing the vaccine policy or requiring compliance as a term of employment. U.S. District Judge Jill Otake in Honolulu denied the request Wednesday, saying that in other cases involving vaccine policies, courts have consistently found that a loss of employment is not irreparable harm. A small percentage of employees made a choice not to get vaccinated, Otake said, noting that as of Jan. 1, 95% of the airlines employees were vaccinated. The plaintiffs who cited religious and medical reasons for not getting vaccinated include a flight attendant who believes her body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and that God has directed her not to take the vaccine. The airline denied their requests for exemptions. Airline spokesperson Alex Da Silva declined to comment. We are disappointed in the ruling since federal civil rights law exists to prevent employees from having to choose between their faith or health and their job, said John Sullivan, an attorney for the plaintiffs. Airlines fall under an order from President Joe Bidens administration that required federal contractors to get their workers vaccinated. That requirement was not part of a separate mandate on big businesses recently blocked by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling and later withdrawn by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. But it has been tied up separately since early December, when a federal district judge in Georgia issued a preliminary injunction barring enforcement of the mandate. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Legislation USA Aviation An Bord Pleanala has given the green light to a controversial 30m windfarm project that had been refused planning permission by Cork County Council because of the negative impact on scenic landscapes in West Cork. The ruling also runs contrary to the recommendation of the board's own planning inspector. An Bord Pleanala overturned the councils ruling to reject plans for the development of seven wind turbines on a large site in the townlands of Curraglass and Derreendonee just over 3km south of Gougane Barra following a successful appeal by renewable energy firm Wingleaf. The company, part of the Craydel engineering group based in Lissarda, Co Cork, has proposed a set of turbines with a wing tip of 178.5 metres on the 622-hectare site, which was previously the location for a smaller windfarm. The proposed development also involves the permanent removal of almost 12 hectares of forestry. The board said it believed the windfarm would have an acceptable impact on the landscape having regard to its overall benefits. It said the development would make a positive contribution to the implementation of Irelands national strategic policy on renewable energy in the move towards a low-energy carbon future. The board expressed satisfaction that the project would not seriously injure local residential and visual amenities of the area or adversely affect its archaeological and natural heritage. It also said the windfarm was acceptable in terms of traffic safety and convenience. Rejected its own inspector's findings The board said it did not accept the recommendation of its own inspector to refuse planning permission for Wingleafs application because it did not agree that the windfarm would detract from the existing character of the area or undermine the setting of Gougane Barra and the framing of the town of Bantry and other scenic landscapes in the area to such a degree to warrant refusal of permission. It also rejected its inspectors view that the windfarm would result in a significant risk of collision between the turbines and protected bird species such as white-tailed eagles. This windfarm at Derrach, West Cork is one of many that surround Gougane Barra. Picture: Dan Linehan The board said it was accepted that the birds were not dependent on the site of the wind farm for breeding or wintering. Cork County Council had refused planning permission for the project on the basis of the excessive height of the turbines and the incongruous siting of one of the turbines. The council said it believed the windfarm would be excessively domineering from very many vantage points over a wide area, including views from several scenic routes such as the Wild Atlantic Way. Council planners said the development would debase the integrity and landscape of the landscape and seriously and unnecessarily injure high value scenic areas. They pointed out that the Cork County Development Plan had an objective to protect the landscape and visual and scenic amenities of the area. The project was also refused planning permission by the council because of its proximity to Gougane Barra, which it said was recognised as one of the countrys 17 key tourist attractions of national importance. Impact on tourism The council said it was not satisfied that Wingleaf had provided either sufficient or compelling evidence that the proposed windfarm would not have an adverse impact on local tourism. A total of 53 objections from local people were submitted to the council, as well as a petition to stop the development from Coiste Forbartha, Beal Athan Ghaorthaidh containing 372 signatures. There are 22 households living within 1.5km of the proposed windfarm, including four within 1km. Wingleaf has estimated that up to 70 jobs would be created during the construction phase of the project, which is expected to take up to 18 months to complete. The windfarm will have capacity to supply 30 megawatts of electricity generation. The company has also estimated that 1.8m will be available for a community gain fund for local schools and environmental projects over the 30-year lifespan of the windfarm. Cold War-era type 'wargames' are being played out off the southwest coast of Ireland as British, French, and US forces converged to monitor the start of what's believed to be a five-day Russian navy exercise. The Irish Naval Service also had ships monitoring the Russian exercise, bolstered by aerial surveillance supplied by the Air Corps. The Russians were originally supposed to conduct their exercise around 240km south-west coast, in an area within our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The Irish Navy's LE Samuel Beckett observed United States, Russian and French vessels both outside and inside Ireland's Exclusive Economic Zone. However, they changed their minds last week after much furore from politicians and local fishermen. The latter was seriously concerned that missile-firing exercises would kill off more of their ever-depleting fish stocks in the region. Some military experts believe the proposed deployment within our EEZ was a Russian ruse, and they never intended to conduct their exercise there. It's believed they're trying to make a point, highlighting we're the weakest link in terms of NATO and EU military defences - being neutral, with seriously underfunded Defence Forces - and had always planned to conduct the exercise outside our EEZ. Western Forces The reason there's a gathering of 'Western Forces' is the initial exercise was to be directly over transatlantic submarine cables daily carrying intelligence information and millions of financial transactions between North America and Europe. The Russians have moved the exercise slightly outside our EEZ, but still have at least two warships sitting over the cables, with a supply ship standing nearby. The Defence Forces have confirmed they've observed US, Russian and French vessels in international waters off the southwest coast. It's also believed that some of these nations, as well as the British, have submarines also located in the general area to keep a close eye on the Russian exercise, especially as they're concerned the Russians may be preparing to cut the vital cables in the event a major conflict breaks out over the 'Ukrainian situation.' Pictured: Irish Air Corps Personnel Monitoring inside Airbus CASA CN235 Maritime Patrol Aircraft. The Air Corps have also monitored the presence of Royal Air Force (RAF) jets there, probably in response to Russian 'Bear' bombers flying excursions in the last few days down the North Atlantic. It is believed the bombers were heading towards Ireland before they were intercepted by the RAF jets and turned back. In a statement, the Defence Forces said the foreign naval vessels are transmitting on the Automatic Identification System (AIS) and are outside Irish Territorial Waters. This activity is in line with the UN Convention on the Law Of the Sea (UNCLOS) rules for transit through International Waters. Territorial Waters are 12 nautical miles from the coast of Ireland and under UNCLOS, there is no restriction on warships operating on the High Seas inside and outside of Exclusive Economic Zones, the statement added. French president Emmanuel Macron will head to Moscow and Kyiv next week in an attempt to deter his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin from launching an invasion of Ukraine and to find a diplomatic solution to growing tensions. The visit on Monday and Tuesday comes after the US accused the Kremlin of an elaborate plot to fabricate an attack by Ukrainian forces that Russia could use as a pretext to take military action. The US has not provided any detailed information to back up the claims. While France is a major player in Nato and is moving troops to Romania as part of the alliances preparation for possible Russian action, Mr Macron has also been actively pushing for dialogue with Mr Putin and has spoken to him several times in recent weeks. The two will hold a one-on-one meeting on Monday, Mr Macrons office said. US soldiers board a C-17 cargo plane for a deployment to Eastern Europe (The Fayetteville Observer via AP) Mr Macron is following a French tradition of striking a separate path from the United States in geopolitics, as well as trying to make his own mark on this crisis and to defend Europes interests. But after weeks of talks in various diplomatic formats have led to no major concessions by Russia and the US, it is unclear how much impact his trip will have. In a call on Wednesday with US president Joe Biden, Mr Macron filled him in on his diplomatic efforts. In talks with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders on Thursday night, Mr Macrons office said they discussed ways to identify elements that could lead to de-escalation, and conditions for strategic balance in Europe, which should allow for the reduction of risks on the ground and guarantee security on the continent. Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraines northern and eastern borders, raising concern that Moscow might invade again, as it did in 2014. The troop presence and uncertainty have unnerved Ukrainians and hurt the countrys economy. Russian officials deny that an invasion is planned. The Turkish president has offered to mediate as a way through the crisis (AP) Mr Putin, who is meeting with Chinese president Xi Jingping in Beijing on Friday as the Winter Olympics open, has been signalling an apparent readiness for more talks with Washington and Nato in recent days. Some experts say that as long as Russia and the West keep talking, that is a reason for cautious optimism. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also offered to mediate talks between Russia and Ukraine. Meanwhile in Washington, US officials said a plan for a fake attack on Russian territory or Russian-speaking people was described in declassified intelligence shared with Ukrainian officials and European allies in recent days. It was the latest example of the Biden administration divulging intelligence findings as a tactic to stop Russian disinformation efforts and foil what it says is Mr Putins attempt to lay the groundwork for military action. In recent weeks, the White House has said that US intelligence shows Russia has launched a malign social media disinformation campaign against Ukraine and has dispatched operatives trained in explosives to carry out acts of sabotage against Russias own proxy forces. The UK has also divulged intelligence findings that it says show Russia plotting to install a pro-Russian puppet government in Ukraine. Burma Myanmar Junta Fines Election Officials for Alleged Fraud Over 2020 Poll Polling station staff in Yangon count votes after the polls closed on November 8, 2020. / The Irrawaddy Myanmars junta is pressing ahead with prosecuting the election sub-commission heads and members who oversaw the 2020 general election for alleged electoral fraud. The 2020 poll was won in a landslide by the ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) Party. In the latest case on Friday, a junta court fined 12 election sub-commissioners from the Shan State capital Taunggyi 10,000 kyats each under the broadly-defined Section 130(a) of the Penal Code, which criminalizes contravening certain provisions in the constitution and any law enacted by Parliament. The fines come after a January 14 announcement by the regime-appointed election commission to prosecute almost 2,500 people for alleged electoral fraud, including the NLD-appointed chairpersons and members of the Union Election Commission (UEC) and district and township level election sub-commissions. All face potential fines or jail terms. Among those who face prosecution are detained President U Win Myint, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and state and regional chief ministers. The Myanmar military has claimed that the NLD government engineered its victory in the November 2020 general election through widespread voter fraud, despite local and international observers stating that there was no major irregularities. The junta annulled the election results after last years February 1 coup. Former UEC chairman U Hla Thein and several election commissioners were arrested after the coup. Officials and members of the NLD-appointed township sub-commissions have rejected the military regimes accusations of mass irregularities on voter lists. They said the voter lists were compiled using data from the General Administration Department (GAD) and the Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Population. They added that election officials worked to correct all errors and inaccuracies by rolling out the lists on two occasions prior to the election. Electoral fraud charges have only been brought against civilian election commissioners, according to sources, despite the fact that former military officers, GAD and immigration staff were also involved in the commission and election process. One election sub-commissioner from Sagaing Region said that some commissioners in the region have been hit with fines, while others have been charged and are awaiting trial. It is totally inappropriate. We willingly volunteered so that the election could go off smoothly. Most of us are retired, including professors and judges who have lived their entire lives with dignity and free of blemishes. But they insulted us like that, an election sub-commission member said. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Junta Files 11th Corruption Charge Against Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Kachin Independence Army, PDFs Attack Myanmar Junta Bases in Kachin State Myanmar Junta Foreign Minister Barred From ASEAN Meeting Burma Myanmar Regimes Deputy Chief Makes Trip to War-Torn Kayah State Vice Snr-Gen Soe Win talks to regime troops after his meeting in Pasawng Township in Kayah State on Wednesday. / Myawady The regime in Naypyitaw has sent its second-highest-ranking official to wartorn Kayah State in an apparent effort to quell the growing armed resistance against it in southeast Myanmar. Vice Senior General Soe Win, deputy military chief and vice chairman of the military regimes governing body, the State Administration Council (SAC), and senior officials including Home Affairs Minister General Soe Htut landed in the state capital Loikaw amid heavy security on Thursday. Kayah State is one of the armed anti-regime resistance movements strongholds along with Chin State in the west and the upcountry regions of Sagaing and Magwe. Serious fighting between regime forces and locally formed anti-regime resistance groupsknown as Peoples Defence Forces (PDFs)allied with the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), an ethnic armed group, has been raging in Kayah since late last year. The anti-regime groups have inflicted serious casualties on the juntas forces. In January, they advanced to the state capital Loikaw to attack the regimes military bases there. The fighting prompted at least thousands of civilians to flee to neighboring Shan State as the junta called in airstrikes. The United Nations estimates that in Kayah State alone there are 90,000 displaced people. Vice Snr-Gen Soe Win was first seen in the states Bawlakhe, Pruhso and Pasawng townships on Wednesday, meeting military officers and their families there. The next day he met with officials in Loikaw. Jet fighters constantly flew over the town as helicopters carrying senior officers landed there. He also met military personnel and their families in Loikaw and Pekhon on the day. Normally, such meetings are only attended by officers but the meetings in Kayah were joined by rank-and-file troops, including women soldiers, armed and in combat uniforms, showing the seriousness of the situation there. They placed their weapons on their laps as Soe Win gave a speech urging them to build strong unity within the army; live and move with military caution and make all efforts to fulfill the regional security responsibilities. The capital is almost deserted as intense fighting between the junta troops and resistance fighters ravaged the capital in recent weeks, with the military calling in air and artillery strikes to support its ground troops. Karenni forces and PDFs claim they have 90 per cent control over Kayah State. The regime suffered heavy casualties and in retaliation the regime sent in jet fighters and helicopters to bomb villages, towns and churches. Over Christmas, the bodies of at least 35 peopleincluding two Save the Children NGO workerswere found burned in Kayah state. While local residents and PDFs insisted that junta soldiers committed the killings, the regime has denied it. It is estimated that over 7,000 PDF fighters are spread through Kayah State. In the past they were equipped with only homemade weapons and Tumee rifles, but more recently they have acquired automatic weapons and RPGs to counter the junta troops. Karenni PDF forces said they now have several M4 carbines and rocket launchers. After suffering casualties and losing control in major cities in Kayah State the regime reportedly called back the mid-level army officer who oversaw the military operation in Kayah State for failing to pacify the insurrection. The brigadier general in his early 50s posted in Kayah State is now believed to be in army detention in Naypyitaw. With the arrival of tough commander Vice Snr-Gen Soe Win, the regime is preparing to launch a major offensive and consolidate its troops, including police personnel. In Loikaw, Home Affairs Minister General Soe Htut was seen wearing a bulletproof vest while inspecting prisons in Loikaw. PDF forces recently attacked the prison with rocket launchers. In his speech to police officers there, he revealed that the junta has been struggling to defend Kayah State by all means at its disposal, even giving military training to family members of police officers. The basic military courses are being conducted for family members and female police for self-defense and they should practice continuously, he said, according to state-run media. He also warned officials that they should monitor continuously to ensure that security does not weaken, and be in defensive mode in case of possible attacks. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Junta Fines Election Officials for Alleged Fraud Over 2020 Poll Myanmar Junta Files 11th Corruption Charge Against Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Kachin Independence Army, PDFs Attack Myanmar Junta Bases in Kachin State Some of Floridas biggest municipalities went against the national trend in 2021 by reducing their murder numbers, or keeping them practically the same, from 2020, according to statistics from medical examiners. COVID-19 caused major changes in routine activities such as going to work, going to the movies, going out to eat, or attending late-night parties, and that may have reduced opportunities for homicides and violent crime. Advertisement This could explain, in part, a decrease in crime in some South Florida regions, Dr. Vaughn Crichlow, associate dean in the College of Social Work and Criminal Justice at Florida Atlantic University, said in an email. Advertisement Miami-Dade County had 250 murders in 2021, a significant drop from the 290 it had in 2020. Broward County had 154 murders in 2021, a slight reduction from 158 in 2020. Palm Beach County had 109 murders in 2021, a slight increase from 100 in 2020. Orange County, home to Orlando, had 117 murders in 2021, a noteworthy decrease from 138 in 2020. Hillsborough County, home to Tampa, had 110 murders in 2021, and 108 in 2020. By comparison, Chicago, which has become synonymous with gun violence and killings, led the nation with 797 murders in 2021. [ IN OTHER NEWS: Six co-workers died in a Delray crash. All were providers, responsible for their households. Now, all thats left are six gaping holes in the families ] Preliminary FBI figures show murder numbers increased in 2021 in Chicago, New York (488), and Los Angeles (397), among other locales. Economics are a factor in murder numbers, Crichlow said. He said sustained unemployment in declining neighborhoods is associated with other factors such as under-resourced schools, lack of quality childcare, lack of access to healthcare and substance abuse. These factors have impacted some communities in Broward and Palm Beach counties that seem to record higher levels of violent crime over a long period of time, he said. A single murder has lasting effects, and victims families are doing what they can to change the scenarios that took the lives of their loved ones. Theres no recovery, said Allison Kessler, whose 4-year-old son, Greyson, was killed by her ex-husband, John Stacey, in May in a murder-suicide in Fort Lauderdale. I will never be OK and never be the same person. Kessler spent days lobbying lawmakers in Tallahassee last month, trying to pass Greysons Law, or Senate Bill 1106, which would make it easier for an estranged parent to protect their child from another parent. [ IN OTHER NEWS: Five years later, family still searching for answers in Davie hit-and-run death ] The proposed Miyas Law is named for Miya Marcano, a 19-year-old Pembroke Pines native and Valencia College student who, police say, was murdered in September in Orlando by her apartments maintenance man. Miyas Law seeks improvement in background checks for employment screening and more advance notice before apartment workers can enter a residence, among other items. Advertisement Richard Rosenbaum, a Fort Lauderdale-based defense attorney who handles death-penalty murders as well as family law, said hes noticed a difference in spousal violence the last couple of years. He said he hasnt seen a difference in other types of murders among his clients. Drug murders are a lot of what we get here in Broward County for control of the streets or rip-offs or harboring some grudge or gangs are involved or something like that, he said. I just think those types of murders stay the same from year to year. Lauderhill police chief Constance Stanley said building relationships with the community helps reduce murders because it allows people to feel more comfortable with those who serve their communities. She said letting people know they can report crimes anonymously via methods such as Crime Stoppers without fear of retaliation also helps. This method works, and I have seen it used more often than not, she said in an email. I personally review these tips and appreciate those who take advantage of this option. The FBI will release its complete 2021 murder statistics later this year. Advertisement Chris Perkins can be reached at chperkins@sunsentinel.com Analysis UN Myanmar Envoys Credibility in Tatters After Urging Power Sharing With Military Anti-coup protesters in Yangon in February 2021. / The Irrawaddy Less than two months after starting her job as the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General on Myanmar, Noeleen Heyzer has just learned this lesson: never underestimate the popular opinion of the country you represent, or you will suffer. Making this mistake has come at a big price for the veteran diplomat, who has been familiar with the country since the early 2000s and used to be the UN secretary-generals adviser on peace-building and sustainable development in Timor-Leste. She is now under fire as the Myanmar people have seriously criticized her for comments she made during her recent interview with Channel News Asia. The Southeast Asian country has been in revolt since February last year due to the military coup. According to the UN, the regime has killed at least 1,500 people in year-long protests against the takeover with massacres, tortures and airstrikes among other atrocities. In her interview, she said the military is in control at this particular time and those defying the military must negotiate a power-sharing arrangement as a solution. The diplomat said she is aware that many young Myanmar people fighting for a total political transformation are willing to die, referring to members of the Peoples Defense Forces (PDFs) who have taken up arms to topple the regime. I want them [to have] something to live for, not to die for. They need to negotiate what that power sharing could look like over a long term, she said. Her remarks sparked a serious online frenzy from the Myanmar people. To Heyzers embarrassment, two days after saying the military is in control at this particular time, Myanmar people successfully held their nationwide silent strike on Tuesday, the anniversary of the coup, by staying indoorssending a clear message to the regime and the world that the military junta cant control their daily activities, let alone their lives. Her suggestion the Myanmar people seek negotiation and power sharing with the junta only made them more furious. Having witnessed how brutal the Myanmar regime is, the majority of Myanmar people now take it for granted that any attempt to negotiate or share power with the junta is nothing more than a direct insult to the more than 1,500 people killed by the regime. Furthermore, as the majority are rejecting military rule in the country by any means at this moment, while also demanding justice, Myanmar people unsurprisingly took the UN envoys power sharing recommendation as a slap in the face. So, the UN special envoy on Myanmar shouldnt be upset when she sees reactions from YouTube viewers like, Such disappointing comments. You really didnt know people of Myanmar. After becoming aware of the stormy response from the Myanmar people, the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar attempted some face-saving on Tuesday by insisting that Heyzer has never proposed power sharing as an option. We are aware of a recent media interview with the Special Envoy and regret its misrepresentation indicating she used the term power sharing and proposed it as a solution in the context of the political crisis in Myanmar, it said in a statement, adding that the Special Envoy stressed we must stand firm with the people of Myanmar. But the statement comes too late. Despite her claim that she has never proposed power sharing as an option, the special envoy made no attempt to correct the CNA interviewer when she said Heyzer had broached or suggested the idea of power sharing. Now she is paying the price. On Tuesday, 247 Myanmar civil society organizations at home and abroad rejected her proposal of power sharing and raised the alarm over her misinterpretation of the facts on the ground to mean that the military is in control. They said these statements could set a dangerous precedent, leading those who take control through brutal means to feel they should be welcomed to share power. Such suggestions send a signal to the military that the UN is willing to act as a broker for their power despite the grave crimes they have committed, and further embolden them to commit atrocities with total impunity, they said in a statement. On Twitter, Myanmars Civil Disobedience Movement simply called on Heyzer to resign from her post so as not to prolong the agony of the long-suffering Myanmar people, as she doesnt understand their aspirations or the situation on ground. Not only did she start her job from an ignorant patronizing defeatist position, but also doubled down on her mistake and lied it was misrepresentation when she was given a chance to correct, it said. You may also like these stories: Disreputable Commanders-in-Chief of the Myanmar Military Five-year-old Girl Killed by Myanmar Junta Forces Ignoring Juntas Request, UN Delays Myanmar Ambassador Replacement Guest Column Myanmar Junta Fails the Sovereignty Test Anti-junta protesters show their support for the National Unity Government on Global Myanmar Spring Revolution Day in Taunggyi, Shan State on May 2, 2021. / AFP After seizing power from an elected civilian government on Feb. 1 last year, Myanmars military junta under the State Administration Council (SAC) has fallen short of the four categories that constitute the definition of a sovereign state. As post-coup Myanmar has degenerated and spiraled into an open guerrilla-style civil war between civilian-led opposition forces and the SAC, the legitimacy and credibility of the military government in Naypyitaw are in doubt. Unless the SAC can demonstrate that it has the wherewithal to represent a sovereign state, its regional neighbors and the broader international community need to reassess and locate an alternative authority to engage with. By definition, sovereign states are required to have a population, territory, government and ability to engage with sovereign peers elsewhere. The SAC is beset with shortcomings in every category. First, it oversees a population who are in a nationwide armed revolt against military rule. In other words, Myanmars military, known locally as the Tatmadaw, does not have the acquiescence and acceptance of those over whom it is trying to rule. The evidence of its lack of popular acceptance can be seen in the results of the last two national elections, which overwhelmingly returned the civilian-led National League for Democracy (NLD) under Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to office, trouncing the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party by large margins. It is no wonder the vast majority of the civilian population are fighting back. As their voices were denied and they were robbed of their democratic rights, they are fighting back to reclaim what is theirs. Second, the SAC may not be facing external aggression and threats to its territorial integrity from outside. But it does not control much of the territory inside the country. The anti-military opposition allianceunder the umbrella of the National Unity Government (NUG), comprising the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) and the Peoples Defense Force (PDF)have maintained control in many areas. As armed opposition wings, the EAOs and PDF have fought back and made some territorial gains, including open battle victories and targeted assassinations of junta-linked government officials and military officers. Third, the SAC-led government still has questionable international legitimacy. Myanmars United Nations ambassador is still U Kyaw Moe Tun from the NLD-led government. The UN has not recognized the coup government. ASEAN, now under Cambodias chairmanship with Prime Minister Hun Sen in the lead, also excluded the junta leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, from last years ASEAN summit. While Hun Sen accommodated by visiting him in the Myanmar capital last month, ASEANs backing of the current military government is still in doubt. On the other hand, the NUG has made some inroads in its engagements with foreign governments and international actors. Finally, the SAC will be hard pressed to promote relations with other governments around the world. The US and European countries are unlikely to sit and deal at the same table with Myanmars military government. On the contrary, countries like the US have imposed sanctions on the regime in Naypyitaw. Thus the junta may have diplomats and personnel at its disposal, but it will not always have a seat at international meetings. All these shortcomings derive from the nature of Myanmars latest coup. The Tatmadaw took power by force but it has been unable to impose control over the country and consolidate its authority. The junta holds authority in Naypyitaw but it is losing control elsewhere. Myanmars fate and political future are now being determined in various battlefields in an engulfing civil war. Contrary to proponents of power politics and coup apologists who have advocated acceptance of the junta as the power in being to be engaged and dealt with, Myanmars military takeover a year ago is evidently not a done deal. This putsch was unlike its forerunners in 1962, which led to nearly five decades of military dictatorship and relative autarky, and in 1988, which put down a popular pro-democracy uprising. When the Tatmadaw eased its grip to benefit from foreign investment and economic growth, and allowed political liberalization and economic reforms in 2011, the ensuing decade spawned profound and indelible changes. Peoples expectations heightened, opportunities widened, and access to the outside world opened up, resulting in a powerful collective awakening that no junta can roll back. To be sure, Myanmars decade of democratic opening was not without its shortcomings and challenges. The civilian-led government produced mixed results, weighed down by policy inertia, bureaucratic red tape and top-down control away from the decentralization that was needed. Although most of the ethnic rebel armies signed on to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, some kept up their armed resistance for greater autonomy against the Tatmadaw. Myanmar was a hybrid of fledgling peace and internal conflicts. Yet despite such problems, the decade of reform and opening up was always going to be better in the eyes of the Myanmar people, particularly the younger generations, than the misery and hardship of previous decades. For Myanmars youth, one decade of patchy reforms and limited progress, propelled by ICT and new opportunities, were enough never to return to the dark past. The battlefield balance in the peoples war in Myanmar is shifting. While the Tatmadaws top brass dig in for the long haul, its forces are overstretched and outmanned by anti-junta fighters, and rank-and-file morale is questionable in view of reported desertions and defections. The increasing frequency of Tatmadaw airstrikes further suggests the military is on the backfoot in the ground war. On the other side, armed opposition is gaining strength, training with sustained commitment to see through their fierce vendetta to bring down the generals who robbed them of their self-determination in the November 2020 election. If the anti-junta alliance can get their hands on anti-aircraft capabilities, their chances of overcoming the military on the ground will be even more promising. As Myanmars post-coup military government can hardly claim to be a sovereign state, the more pro-democracy ASEAN governments and like-minded countries further afield should widen their engagement with the opposition alliance, from the NUG to emerging leaders in the PDF and some of the EAOs. Time is not on the side of Myanmars junta. The big challenge for the opposition, as the SAC loses more control, is how to maintain unity and come up with an actionable agenda to offer a viable vision for the future, perhaps using the decade of reform that was taken from them a year ago as a benchmark. Thitinan Pongsudhirak is a professor and director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Chulalongkorn Universitys Faculty of Political Science. He earned a PhD from the London School of Economics with a top dissertation prize in 2002. Recognized for excellence in opinion writing from the Society of Publishers in Asia, his views and articles have been published widely by local and international media. This article first appeared in The Bangkok Post. You may also like these stories: Assessing the Implications of Blinkens Aborted Visit to Thailand The Age-Old Nature of the New Cold War Detained Myanmar Leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyis Japanese Sword Restored Trinity, TX (77320) Today Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy this afternoon. A stray thunderstorm is possible. High 88F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. GUEST OPINION: The growth of internet traffic to date is dazzling, and that trajectory is continuing to increase exponentially year on year. The World Banks Development Report 2021 predicts that by 2022, yearly total internet traffic is projected to increase by about 50 percent from 2020 levels, reaching 4.8 zettabytes, equal to 150,000 GB per second, which is nothing short of phenomenal. As the costs associated with cloud storage and data processing continue to be reasonable, an increasing number of companies are moving away from self-hosted sites, infrastructure, and web applications. In addition, using cloud-based PaaS and IaaS solutions enables businesses to take advantage of growth enabling techniques like microservice application architectures, serverless computing, high availability processing, and on-demand scalability. On demand scalability The benefit of high availability and on-demand computing is significant as it helps reduce cost and vitally allows for traffic spikes to be seamlessly catered for. Traditionally traffic spikes could be predicted with reasonable accuracy via statistical analysis. Black Friday, for example, results in a significant spike for electronics retailers. A lesser-known traffic spike is that of property websites, where in Europe, a significant increase is seen over the Christmas period. However, with the invention of mobile-first development and the continued migration of internet users to mobile devices, traffic prediction is getting harder. This is mainly a result of the availability and usability of the applications on mobile devices. Fortunately for IT departments and network administrators, tools and techniques to find patterns in large, complex data sets already exist, though they are less evolved in this specialism. Machine learning, specifically artificial intelligence, is great at analyzing information to either deduce patterns or classify information into predetermined categories. As ever, data is key, and to generate the most useful results, the algorithms need the most accurate traffic analytics. Academic research into AI network configuration Significant academic research has taken place to investigate the use of artificial intelligence in predicting traffic for communication networks. In 2021 the British Columbia Institute of Technology from Vancouver published a paper entitled A Survey on Traffic Prediction Techniques Using Artificial Intelligence for Communication Networks. The authors main objective was to research multiple network traffic prediction methodologies to classify their applicability to either short- or long-term usage. Their paper concludes that intelligence must be introduced into networks for the network to handle high-volume situations better and ensure the quality of service. Conclusions Their findings suggest currently, Neural Network techniques are most commonly used in network traffic volume prediction, followed by linear time series modeling AI techniques. Interestingly, some techniques used image processing techniques, such as the GCN-GAN method, adapted for network traffic prediction. Though some methods only concluded when the traffic low usage periods were most likely to occur, others used traffic predictions to trigger network reconfigurations adaptively. The techniques used relatively low levels of traffic associated with LAN and WAN networks, and it is easy to see how this could be repurposed and adapted for larger scale and internet-wide studies to manage larger-scale network adaptations and indeed service and machine node propagation in order that web application availability is not affected. Finally, the authors speculate how future research can push high-availability automation and intelligent networks. Inspiringly they consider the benefit of loading intelligent network methods directly into physical devices to monitor and administrate optical networks and the importance of high quality, historical traffic data. GUEST RESEARCH: Strategic research and consulting agency, Fifth Dimension, has released the results of its worldwide research into sustainability and what consumers want governments and companies to do about it. The research found the following: Consumers are giving up on governments to do the right thing for the planet They are pinning their hopes on companies to step up Consumers believe the private sector has a moral obligation to act Advertising and packaging are considered the ideal vehicles to inform and communicate commitment to sustainability We know consumers are concerned about climate change. The argument has moved on from whether or not climate change is real to what is the world going to do about it, Fifth Dimension founder and CEO Lyndall Spooner said. The overwhelming majority of consumers in Australia, UK, and US believe companies have a moral obligation to lead the way on sustainability as corporations are viewed as more likely to have a positive impact on climate change than their own governments. What is viewed by many as the continued failure of governments to act on climate change now sees consumers putting their hope in the commercial sector where they believe there is a greater desire to act quickly. Sustainability is now a global social force that cannot be ignored. At the end of 2021, consumers have galvanised their sustainability mindset and are using the power of their buying behaviours and decisions to force corporations to drive the large scale change they cannot achieve as individuals. However, they require transparency and facts of actions taken to give them confidence of where to place their loyalty. Almost half of all consumers say they do not have a good understanding of what it means for a brand to be sustainable. As such, consumers would like companies to be required to report on their environmental impact to help them make better decisions on which companies to support. Advertising and packaging are believed to be good sources of information on a companys environmental and sustainability practices. Advertising that provides information on sustainability is considered to be highly informative, however, like all advertising it is less likely to be considered truthful and therefore needs to be factual in its nature. Consumers are not naive. While the majority firmly believe companies will always prioritise their self-interests over any obligation to society, they also believe companies that have moved early to implement an ethical supply chain do it because they authentically believe it is the right thing to do. It is clear, companies that genuinely take positive steps to address climate change now will be rewarded: morally and commercially. And while scepticism often plagues companies that promote their charitable and community driven activities, consumers are asking companies to declare their views on climate change and to educate them on how their actions are making a difference, Spooner added. Widely respected, Spooner has over 25 years of experience in consulting and research services and is considered an expert in the field of strategy, research and customer experience (CX). Fifth Dimension is a highly revered and globally focused industry-leading strategic research and consulting agency that has amassed a distinguished portfolio of well-known clients including: Westpac, Coles, HCF, Telstra, Foxtel, Colgate, and the Commonwealth Bank. Consumers dont trust governments to act on climate change Our research clearly shows that 71% of consumers across Australia, UK, and the US agree the world needs to act on climate change. But when it comes to acting, one in every two people, 54%, believe it will be companies that will have a greater positive impact on climate change than governments, Spooner explained. In fact, only one in three people, 37%, believe it is up to governments and not companies to determine how we should respond to climate change. Belief that the government should take a leadership role on climate change steadily declines with age as only 31%vof baby boomers put their faith in the government compared to 43% of Gen Z. According to Spooner, this research should be alarming for the government. What we are seeing here is that younger people are saying governments are key to acting on climate change however as they get older their faith in government to be effective decreases and they turn to the private sector to counter ineffective governments, she said. Will people around the world continue to lose faith in governments to act on the greatest moral challenges of our time? Will we see greater reliance placed on the private sector to step-up and take over the role of governments? Climate change will certainly be a litmus test for governments to put their citizens before their own self-interests. Companies have a moral obligation to act and should be reporting on this Australians are the strongest believers that companies have a moral obligation to become sustainable at 70% agree compared to US citizens at 60%, Spooner emphasised. While there is always going to be scepticism around the motivations of companies to prioritise their own self-interests over the greater good, one in two people, 48%, believe that companies that are currently moving to act on climate change and implement things like ethical supply chains are doing it for authentic and benevolent reasons. Based on our research, we believe the early movers are more likely to gain a preference and differentiation in the market for being authentic in communicating around sustainability. The majority of consumers, 60%, also believe they would be better off if all companies were required to report their environmental impact. Sixty-four percent of Australians are of this view, slightly higher than in the UK, 61%, and the US, 56%. The challenge is what standards can be put in place to ensure consistent reporting of how sustainable a company is and how the claims can be validated. Advertising and packaging should be used as a vehicle for communication of sustainability information Spooner states that one of the key findings to come out of the research relates to the desire for brands to communicate their actions. Consumers want more transparency and informative messaging from brands around their sustainability practices, Spooner emphasised. One in two consumers, 46%, state that advertising and packaging are good sources of information on a companys environmental and sustainability practices. This is consistent in all countries and across all generations. What is interesting is that around the world consumers believe advertising is generally informative, 49%, but only one in three, 33%, believe advertising is generally truthful. We see the same pattern where information provided by companies on sustainability and environmental practices in advertising is considered informative, 47%, but less likely to be truthful, 39%. Baby boomers are far less likely to believe information in advertising compared to Gen Z and Millennials who are far more likely to rely on advertising as a key information vehicle. The challenge for companies is how do they communicate the positive action they are taking. In Australia only one in two people, 56% say they have a good understanding of what it means for a brand to be sustainable. Baby boomers have the weakest understanding, 48%, and millennials the strongest at 67%. The average Australian has a significantly greater understanding of how a brand can support equality and diversity than they understand how a brand can be sustainable. Consumer sustainability mindset now influencing path to purchase Spooner states that Fifth Dimensions global sustainability research demonstrates that sustainability is becoming increasingly important for consumers and is now part of many peoples path to purchase. We are clearly moving to a world where sustainability will be a key decision factor for consumer brand choice and a point of competitive positioning, Spooner added. In fact, one in every two Australian consumers, 54%, said a brand being honest and ethical is very important when choosing a provider, while one in three, 32%, said sustainability practices were very important. And it does not matter the industry you operate in, we see the same desire to buy from sustainable brands across banking, 36%, supermarkets, 32% and telecommunications at 28%. What will be the value of a brand being able to state in their advertising and print they are carbon neutral on their packaging and what will be the cost for brands that cannot? With increasing commoditisation this is the next point of difference for brands; one that can truly connect consumers and brands through shared values. The state House of Representatives is gearing up to punish school districts that defied Gov. Ron DeSantis ban on face mask mandates for students last year. Representatives in the pre-K-12 appropriations subcommittee proposed stripping a total of $200 million from a dozen school districts that required students to wear masks when they returned to campuses last fall. That includes Broward County, Palm Beach County, and Miami-Dade County school districts, as well as the Orange County school district in Orlando. Advertisement In a monthslong feud against the state, Broward County and other school districts maintained that mask mandates were consistent with the advice of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics, and were necessary to prevent the virus and its variants from spreading through schools. DeSantis executive order banning mandates was cemented in state law during a special legislative session in November. DeSantis signed HB 1B that prohibited vaccine and mask requirements in schools. Advertisement The money will come out of the salaries of about 1,600 non-teaching school employees that make over $100,000, and would be spread among the 55 school districts that didnt impose mask mandates, based on a recommendation from state Rep. Randy Fine, R-Palm Bay. [ RELATED: State slaps penalties on all school districts with mask mandates ] I think were very excited to stand with the overwhelming majority of school boards that share our view that parents are ultimately responsible for decisions regarding their children, he told the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Friday. Following Florida law is not optional. Fine, chair of the pre-K-12 appropriations subcommittee, introduced the budget adjustment at Thursdays budget meeting. He called it the Putting Parents First adjustment. He explained that the Legislature wanted to reward the 55 school districts that didnt require students to wear masks. Rep. Robin Bartleman, D-Weston, seemed to struggle to wrap her head around the shocking proposal. So basically, youre gonna deduct from their pot that money. ... I think were gonna agree to disagree. Fine said they would save the debate for the following week during the appropriations committee. I think we were very clear as a Legislature working with our governor that when we set policy, we expect it to be followed, he said. We make policy in the budget, and we want to thank those who stood with parents and followed with policy. South Floridas school districts were not immediately available for comment on Friday. Advertisement Brooke Baitinger can be reached at: bbaitinger@sunsentinel.com, 954-422-0857 or on Twitter: @bybbaitinger This Week in Review A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. Donate Now As a public service during this pandemic, the Jewish News is providing free, unlimited access to all articles. Jewish News is a nonprofit publication that is owned by the community and relies on community support. WASHINGTON The Republican Party on Friday officially declared the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and events that led to it legitimate political discourse, formally rebuking two lawmakers in the party who have been most outspoken in condemning the deadly riot and the role of former President Donald Trump in spreading the election lies that fueled it. The Republican National Committees overwhelming voice vote to censure Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois at its winter meeting in Salt Lake City culminated more than a year of vacillation, which started with party leaders condemning the Capitol attack and Trumps conduct, then shifted to downplaying and denying it. Advertisement On Friday, the party went further in a resolution slamming Cheney and Kinzinger for taking part in the House investigation of the assault, saying they were participating in persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse. It was an extraordinary statement about the deadliest attack on the Capitol in 200 years, in which a mob of Trumps supporters stormed the complex, brutalizing police officers and sending lawmakers into hiding. Nine people died in connection with the attack, and more than 150 officers were injured. The party passed the resolution without discussion and almost without dissent. Advertisement The censure is the latest and most forceful effort by the Republican Party to minimize what happened and the broader attempt by Trump and his allies to invalidate the results of the 2020 election. In approving it and opting to punish two of its own, Republicans seemed to embrace a position that many of them have only hinted at: that the assault and the actions that preceded it were acceptable. It came days after Trump suggested that, if reelected in 2024, he would consider pardons for those convicted in the Jan. 6 attack and for the first time described his goal as aiming to overturn the election results. For Republicans in Washington, the partys actions threatened new division as their leaders try to focus attention on what they call the failings of the Biden administration. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, wrote on Twitter, Shame falls on a party that would censure persons of conscience, who seek truth in the face of vitriol. Honor attaches to Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for seeking truth even when doing so comes at great personal cost. He did not mention that the party chair who presided over the meeting and orchestrated the censure resolution, Ronna McDaniel, is his niece. Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) during a hearing of the congressional committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 19, 2021. (Al Drago/The New York Times) The partys far-right flank has been agitating to boot Cheney and Kinzinger out of the House Republican Conference for months, a push that Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, the minority leader, has tried to brush aside. And their formal censure is sure to stir up those efforts again. We need to move on from that whole discussion and, frankly, move forward and get the House back in 2022, said Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., who is facing a difficult reelection campaign in a newly configured district. Most House Republicans tried to ignore the actions of the party Friday, refusing to answer questions or saying they had not read the censure resolution. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, called it dumb stuff, while Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., lamented the distraction from this abysmal administrations record. Democrats, however, were incensed, especially at the censure resolutions description of the Capitol attack as ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse and the ongoing legal investigations of Trump in New York and Georgia as Democrat abuse of prosecutorial power. Advertisement The Republican Party is so off the deep end now that they are describing an attempted coup and a deadly insurrection as political expression, said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., a member of the special House committee investigating the Capitol attack. It is a scandal that historians will be aghast at, to think that a major political party would be denouncing Liz Cheney for standing up for the Constitution and not saying anything about Donald Trumps involvement in the insurrection. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who is also on the committee, said, Their party has degenerated into a cult to the former president, unwilling to acknowledge the truth, and I think they condemn themselves with their resolution. In his own defense, Kinzinger said, I have no regrets about my decision to uphold my oath of office and defend the Constitution. I will continue to focus my efforts on standing for truth and working to fight the political matrix thats led us to where we find ourselves today. The resolution speaks repeatedly of party unity as the goal of censuring the lawmakers, saying the partys ability to focus on the Biden administration was being sabotaged by the actions and words of Cheney and Kinzinger that indicate they support Democrat efforts to destroy President Trump more than they support winning back a Republican majority in 2022. More practically, the moves of the party in Salt Lake City will make it easier for the Republican apparatus to abandon Cheney and throw its weight and money behind her main primary challenger, Harriet Hageman. The censure resolution declares that the party shall immediately cease any and all support of both lawmakers as members of the Republican Party for their behavior which has been destructive to the institution of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Republican Party and our republic, and is inconsistent with the position of the conference. Advertisement Kinzinger has already announced he wont seek reelection, as have several other House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for inciting the attack on the Capitol. Cheney, however, has vowed to stand for reelection. Earlier this week, the Wyoming delegation to the Republican National Committee submitted a so-called Rule 11 letter, formalizing party support for Hageman. The existence of the letter was reported by The Washington Post. The letter allows the Republican National Committee to send resources to the Wyoming branch of the party to spend on Hagemans behalf essentially designating her as the partys presumptive nominee. The designations are common in Republican politics but typically are used to support incumbents who may be facing token primary challengers. Floridas delegation, for instance, filed a similar letter months ago that allowed the national committee to funnel resources to support the reelection campaigns for Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Marco Rubio. Cheney, who faces an uphill battle in her reelection bid against a Republican Party aligned with Trump, said party leaders have made themselves willing hostages to Trump. I do not recognize those in my party who have abandoned the Constitution to embrace Donald Trump, she said. History will be their judge. I will never stop fighting for our constitutional republic. No matter what. Cheneys spokesman, Jeremy Adler, condemned the Wyoming party leadership and its chair, Frank Eathorne, for directing resources to Hageman. Eathorne did not respond to messages Friday; other members of the Wyoming delegation declined to comment. Advertisement Frank Eathorne and the Republican National Committee are trying to assert their will and take away the voice of the people of Wyoming before a single vote has even been cast, Adler said. Cheney has a commanding financial advantage over Hageman, according to federal campaign finance reports released earlier this week. Cheney entered 2022 with nearly $5 million in campaign cash, while Hageman reported just $380,000. The censure resolution was watered down from an initial version that called directly for the House Republican Conference to expel Cheney and Kinzinger without delay. That demand was dropped. However, the language condemning the attack on legitimate political discourse was then added. William J. Palatucci, a Republican National Committee member from New Jersey, said those changes were made behind closed doors. The final language was officially circulated to committee members Friday morning. He called it cancel culture at its worst. The national committee attacking Liz Cheney is distracting and counterproductive, he said. We should be spending our time shooting at Democrats, not Republicans. c.2021 The New York Times Company Joplin, MO (64801) Today Rain this morning with strong thunderstorms likely by evening. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. High 69F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Strong thunderstorms likely. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low 49F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Former Vice President Mike Pence on Friday directly rebutted Donald Trumps false claims that Pence somehow could have overturned the results of the 2020 election, saying that the former president was simply wrong. In a speech to a gathering of the conservative Federalist Society in Florida, Pence addressed Trumps intensifying efforts this week to advance the false narrative that, as vice president, he had the unilateral power to prevent Joe Biden from taking office. Advertisement President Trump is wrong, Pence said. I had no right to overturn the election. Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks at the National Press Club in Washington, Nov. 30, 2021. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) While Pence has previously defended his actions on Jan. 6 and said that he and Trump will likely never see eye to eye on what happened that day, the remarks Friday marked his most forceful rebuttal of Trump to date. And they come as Pence has been laying the groundwork for a potential run for president in 2024, which could put him in direct competition with his former boss, who has also been teasing a comeback run. Advertisement Trump this week had escalated his attacks against Pence. In a statement Tuesday, Trump had said the committee investigating the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol should instead probe why Mike Pence did not send back the votes for recertification or approval. And on Sunday, he blasted Pence, falsely declaring that he could have overturned the Election! Vice presidents play only a ceremonial role in the the counting of Electoral College votes, and any attempt to interfere in the count would have represented an extraordinary violation of the law and an assault on the democratic process. Pence, in his remarks Friday to the group of lawyers in Lake Buena Vista, described Jan. 6, 2021 as a dark day in the history of the United States Capitol and framed his actions that day as in line with his duty as a constitutional conservative. The American people must know that we will always keep our oath to the Constitution, even when it would be politically expedient to do otherwise, he told the group Friday. He noted that, under Article II Section One of the Constitution, elections are conducted at the state level, not by the Congress and that the only role of Congress with respect to the Electoral College is to open and count votes submitted and certified by the states. No more, no less. He went on to call out those who have insisted that isnt the case. Frankly there is no idea more un-American than the notion that any one person could choose the American president, he added. Under the Constitution, I had no right to change the outcome of our election. And Kamala Harris will have no right to overturn the election when we beat them in 2024. The audience applauded Pences line about beating the Democrats in the upcoming presidential election, but remained silent when Pence said earlier that Trump is wrong. Pence was inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, presiding over the joint session of Congress to certify the presidential election, when a mob of Trumps supporters violently smashed inside, assaulting police officers and hunting down lawmakers. Pence, who released a letter moments before the session got underway that made clear he had no authority to overturn the will of the voters, was rushed to safety as some rioters chanted Hang Mike Pence! Advertisement The former vice president, in his remarks Friday, acknowledged the lingering anger among many in Trumps base, even as he said it was time to focus on the future. The truth is, theres more at stake than our party or political fortunes, he said. Men and women, if we lose faith in the Constitution, we wont just lose elections well lose our country. Trump aides did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the speech. But Trump released a statement shortly after that slammed the Jan. 6 committee but notably made no mention of Pence. Trumps escalating rhetoric comes as he has been under growing scrutiny from the committee, which has now interviewed hundreds of witnesses, issued dozens of subpoenas and obtained reams of government documents that Trump tried to keep hidden. It also comes as a bipartisan group of lawmakers has been pushing to update the Electoral Count Act to eliminate any ambiguity about the vice presidents role. Pence has so far tried to thread a needle on his actions Jan. 6, which continue to enrage large portions of Trumps base, posing a potential complication if he runs for president in 2024. Advertisement In recent months, he has generally refrained from voluntarily raising the events of that day but has defended his actions when pressed, saying he was abiding by his constitutional role. Last year, he said in a speech that he will always be proud that we did our part on that tragic day to reconvene the Congress and fulfilled our duty under the Constitution and the laws of the United States. He has also accused Democrats and the media of continuing to focus on the insurrection to score political points against Republicans and divert attention from Bidens agenda. While a basic declaration of fact, Pences decision to describe Trump as wrong was especially significant given Pences posture in the White House. As Trumps vice president, Pence was exceptionally deferential to him, never publicly voicing disagreement and defending even his most controversial actions. After spending several months laying low after leaving the White House, Pence has returned to the public spotlight. He launched his own political advocacy group and has been traveling the country, visiting early voting states, delivering speeches and hosting fundraisers for midterm candidates. Pence, unlike some possible 2024 presidential contenders, has notably declined to rule out running against Trump. He is also working on a book. Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the chair of the Jan. 6 committee, and Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California have both said they plan to call Pence to testify as part of their investigation. It is so far unclear what Pence will do. Vastly outnumbered in Broward County, Republicans are hoping to overcome their numerical disadvantage with a corps of volunteers trained to engage with sympathetic voters, capitalizing on what they see as discontent with President Joe Biden and support for Gov. Ron DeSantis. On Thursday midafternoon on a weekday more than 100 party activists crammed into the side room of a Coral Springs restaurant to learn from a Republican National Committee staffer the best way to help the partys cause: targeting potential voters in their neighborhoods who, with a little convincing, might vote for DeSantis re-election and other Republican nominees this fall. Advertisement [ RELATED: Senate candidate and former cop Val Demings goes after Rubio. Says she dealt with danger while Marco Rubio was home in his bed sleeping. ] Less important: so-called super voters. The die-hard supporters in both parties who vote in every election, and dont need the extra attention to coax them to turn out. The goal isnt to win the county for DeSantis, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, or any of the other Republicans on the ballot this fall. Rather, its to hold down the size of the Democrats advantage coming out of Broward in statewide elections. Advertisement Broward County GOP Chairman Tom Powers speaks to a group of participants during a Republican Leadership Initiative at Wings Plus in Coral Springs on Thursday, February 3 2022. (Mike Stocker / South Florida Sun Sentinel) Im not going to kid with you. We understand the numbers, Broward Republican Chairman Tom Powers said, kicking off the training before turning it over to a national Republican field organizer. (Journalists were invited to observe the start of training, then told they had to leave.) Broward is Floridas Democratic stronghold. In the 2020 election, then-President Donald Trump received 34.6% of the vote in Broward County an improvement from the 31.4% he received in 2016. Statewide, Trump received 51.2% of the vote in 2020 as he lost re-election nationally. Later in an interview, Powers said he has an even higher goal 40% for November, one that he acknowledged is ambitious. But he and people who came to be trained a group he noted wasnt entirely composed of retirees who arent at work on weekdays said they think its doable. [ RELATED: Where did Donald Trump do best in Democratic Broward? ] He said many people have become active in the Republican Party in the last year. Since he was elected county chairman just after the 2020 election, he said the number of committeemen and committeewomen in the county has doubled, to 400, with another 100 about to come on board. (Thats still short of the potential. Each of the countys 577 precincts can have a committeeman and committeewoman, plus others for each 1,000 additional voters in a precinct, Powers said.) Theyre fired up and engaged, and its for one reason, and let me be very clear about that. The reason for the enthusiasm and the number of people who came forward are the failed policies of the Biden Administration and the strong leadership of Gov. Ron DeSantis, Powers said. [ RELATED: Neighboring Coral Springs restaurants offer different menus, very different politics ] DeSantis was a motivation for some in the room. Others were there in support of Trump. There was a Trump 2024 banner at the front of the room. On the other side, a banner for DeSantis re-election. Yelmy Durango of Deerfield Beach said she was attending the training because she always supports the Republican Party especially now that the other side is destroying our country. Advertisement Ernest Olivas of Oakland Park said he wanted to learn how the party and campaigns want activists to identify voters, what groups to target, what territories to concentrate on. [ RELATED: Citing Brian Flores case, Wasserman Schultz says Congress must investigate egregious lack of representation and opportunity for Black leaders in the NFL ] Im here to find out what are the immediate next steps that the party wants us to do, Olivas said. We all took the holiday off. Its time to get back to work. Powers said if the efforts are successful, it might eventually lead to getting more than a handful of Republicans elected to offices in Broward County. Democrats hold all countywide elected office, no Republican has been elected to the County Commission in years, and the countys delegation to the Florida Legislature includes 16 Democrats and three Republicans, only one of whom is elected from a district that lies entirely within Broward. The Broward event is one of 60 Republican Leadership Initiative trainings the party said are being held throughout the state this week. Nationally, the Republican Party said it is conducting 725 of the training events. [ RELATED: DeSantis secretary of state reverses course, clearing path for new Democratic lawmaker Daryl Campbells swearing in ] Robust in-person campaigning was a significant advantage for Republicans in 2020, when Democrats pulled back in-person efforts because of the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Broward/Miami-Dade County Democrat and former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, told elected officials and activists last week that its essential. Advertisement Because we were at a disadvantage, because we were responsible in the last election, and we didnt mobilize our troops and we didnt because of the pandemic get out there and do the kind of canvassing and door-to-door and neighbor-to-neighbor outreach, we have to go into overdrive this time, Wasserman Schultz said. We have to make sure that we all make time on our personal calendars. We all have to take our calendars out. We have to figure out how much time per week from now until Election Day I am going to devote to personal engagement and outreach, she said. Broward County GOP Chairman Tom Powers speaks to a group of participants during a Republican Leadership Initiative at Wings Plus in Coral Springs on Thursday, February 3 2022. (Mike Stocker / South Florida Sun Sentinel) Rick Hoye, chairman of the Broward Democratic Party, said later via text message, that the party is doing innovative grassroots organizing through November. We have such a demand for these trainings that we offer them several times a month, not once a year. But, thats a good thing, so we are more than happy to accommodate the volunteers, Hoye said. Ivette Cerabona, the Republican Partys regional field director for Broward, said Republicans are going to take Broward back. She said a data-filled campaign app would allow volunteers to walk through neighborhoods and know what doors to knock on. First priority is registering voters. Advertisement Another priority is independent voters, who Cerabona described as critical to our campaigns. Those are the ones that we are going to go after. To illustrate the importance of organizing to register voters and mobilize them to turn out on Election Day, Cerabona told the crowd, thats how Obama did it. Anthony Man can be reached at aman@sunsentinel.com or on Twitter @browardpolitics HEPC and WVCTCS Chancellor Sarah Armstrong Tucker said that the new performance-based funding formula for community colleges and four-year colleges and universities will improve the state's workforce and economy. Wharton, TX (77488) Today Windy...showers and thunderstorms during the morning will give way to partly cloudy skies this afternoon. High 87F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 73F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph. Providence, KY (42450) Today Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. High 81F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Rain showers in the evening with thunderstorms developing overnight. Low 66F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Consumer Issues and Advice Columnist Harlan was a full-time reporter and columnist for the JI from August 1997 to September 2017, after which he has continued to write weekly Consumer Diary and Leave it to Levy advice columns. Harlan graduated from Princeton University and NYU School of Law. Former Vice President Mike Pence waves to attendees at the Florida chapter of the Federalist Society's annual meeting at Disney's Yacht Club resort in Walt Disney World on Friday, Feb. 4, 2022, in Orlando. (Stephen M. Dowell/AP) Mike Pence rebuked former President Donald Trump on Friday, telling Federalist Society members in Orlando that he had no power to keep his ex-boss in the White House. I heard this week that President Trump said I had a right to overturn the election. President Trump is wrong. I had no right to overturn the election, Pence said in his most forceful admonition yet of Trumps false claims. Advertisement Frankly, there is almost no idea more un-American than the notion that any one person could choose the American president, the former vice president said at the conference at Disney Worlds Yacht Club resort. The event also included a fireside chat between Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Trump press secretary Kayleigh McEnany in which DeSantis criticized Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and said he hoped President Bidens Supreme Court pick would evolve over time to the right. Advertisement Pences remarks come after Trump said in a statement last week that the bipartisan attempt to change the law about certifying presidential elections means Pence could have changed the results. Actually, what they are saying, is that Mike Pence did have the right to change the outcome, and they now want to take that right away, Trump said. Unfortunately, he didnt exercise that power, he could have overturned the election! The Federalist Society, a conservative legal group founded 40 years ago, has risen to become one of the most powerful organizations in the country. Five members of the Society sit on the U.S. Supreme Court, and Trump based his three selections to the court in large part on its recommendations. Pence, the first speaker at the gathering of the Florida chapters of the Society, praised Republicans and conservative Supreme Court justices and bashed President Biden for much of his speech. He said Roe v. Wade, the 1972 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion, must be consigned to the ash heap of history. A scheduled panel at the event plans to focus on whether the decision could be overturned this year. But after having only mentioned Trump once, and repeating his slogan that they had made America great again during their four years in power, Pence turned to Trumps claims. Jan. 6 was a dark day in the history of the United States, Pence said. Lives were lost. Many were injured. Thanks to the courageous action of the Capitol Police and federal law enforcement, the violence was quelled. The Capitol was secured. And we reconvened the Congress that very same day to finish our work under the Constitution of the United States and the laws of this country. Pence said elections were conducted at the state level, adding the only role Congress has with respect to the Electoral College is to open and count votes submitted and certified by the states. No more, no less. Under the Constitution, I have no right to change the outcome of our election. And Kamala Harris will have no right to overturn the election when we beat them in 2024. Advertisement The crowd of about 500 loudly applauded Pence at this point, and again at the end of his speech. Look, I understand the disappointment many feel about the last election, Pence continued. ... But whatever the future holds, I know we did our duty that day. And the truth is theres more at stake than our partys political fortunes. Men and women, if we lose faith in the Constitution, we dont just lose elections. We lose our country. Pences comments came on the same day the Republican National Committee officially declared the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol legitimate political discourse. The ex-vice president was threatened by members of the pro-Trump mob shouting, hang Mike Pence, hundreds were injured and five people died during the assault or in the aftermath. The Republican National Committee also censured Republican U.S. Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for their participation in the Jan. 6 committee looking into the events of that day. The Democratic National Committee blasted the former vice president. On the same day the Republican Party voted to declare the January 6 insurrection legitimate political discourse, it could not be more clear that Pences comments today are a day late and a dollar short, to say the least, said spokesperson Adonna Biel in a statement. Advertisement DeSantis echoed much of his usual talking points in his chat with McEnany, including his opposition to vaccine mandates and school mask mandates. He did not comment on Pences remarks. He also said his anti-woke bill banning critical race theory, despite the theory not currently being taught in Florida schools, would be a brick wall against all things woke. This is where woke goes to die. Asked about Bidens upcoming pick to replace Justice Stephen Breyer, DeSantis said he hoped Biden would pick someone who kind of drifts the other way into a more constitutionalist posture. He also criticized Roberts, saying he views his job as to make the court quote, not political. And he tries to do that by being political so that hes not seen as doing a Republican decision. A speech by Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch later in the evening was closed to the news media and the public. Accounting isn't always portrayed in popular media as the most exciting field. "Everyone is walking into my class with their own prejudice about accounting," said Lyudmyla Krylova, CPA, an accounting lecturer at Texas State University at San Marcos. Stereotypes about accounting can be tough to overcome even when they're far from the truth. "I still see a lot of students who don't really understand the potential of an accounting career," said Rebecca Bogie, DBA, an accounting instructor at Louisiana State University in Shreveport. And other factors influence students' choice whether or not to major in accounting as well. Americans have more than $1 trillion of outstanding student loan debt, said Scott Dell, CPA, DBA. The assistant professor of accounting at Francis Marion University in Florence, S.C., said some students just want to graduate and start their careers. However, accounting is a difficult major that can take students four years or longer to complete, especially for those who want to become CPAs and must complete 150 credit hours before sitting for the Uniform CPA Examination. There are also newer majors like data analytics and information systems that are competing for students, he said. But accounting is a great profession, and faculty members agree that it's important to get students excited about accounting by expanding their views of the field and the opportunities it provides. They shared these tips: Connect students with practicing accountants. Krylova typically invites a speaker early in the semester to talk with her students about what it's really like to work in accounting. The guests are often previous students who now work in the field. It's helpful to stay in touch with your alumni through LinkedIn or other methods, she said. Many students at her university are career changers or first-generation college students, and it's important to find speakers who have similar backgrounds, she said. When classes went online during the COVID-19 pandemic, she began having students in her Intro to Financial Accounting and Accounting in Organization and Society classes interview a friend, relative, or neighbor who has worked in accounting for at least two years. She encouraged students to ask accountants what they like and don't like about their jobs, what they consider to be the most exciting moments of their careers, and whether they'd recommend the accounting profession. "When they interview someone they know, it makes it a personal endeavor," she said. "I really want them to feel connection." If students don't know anyone in the accounting field, Krylova has them watch Start Here, Go Places videos that discuss the wide variety of opportunities in the industry. They feature professionals from diverse backgrounds in different specialties. "I did it as a discussion board," she said. "They would do the interview or watch the video, split into groups of four, post about their experience, and provide comments about what they learned from other students' posts." She has heard from multiple students about how listening to real accountants helped change and shape their perspective on the field. Faculty may also consider using the Student Engagement Toolkit, an AICPA resource intended to help educators introduce the profession to students. Emphasize the variety of jobs available. Many students don't understand the broad range of organizations that hire accountants, which includes financial firms and agencies such as the CIA and FBI, Dell said. In association with the South Carolina Association of CPAs, he recently took a group of students to Washington, D.C., where they learned about public and government accounting jobs. "People don't realize the breadth of things they can actually do with an accounting career," Bogie said. She acknowledged that accounting faculty have lots of material to cover. That's why Bogie has students take the lead. She has each student produce a video on an assigned topic related to accounting, including potential jobs. Students might investigate opportunities for forensic accountants, for instance, or the skills needed to pursue health care accounting. "You get a lot more interest once they start to see that there are aspects of accounting that they can do that are not just preparing financial statements," she said. Incorporate a variety of resources. Bogie encourages students to use different sources while researching their projects, including articles from publications like the Journal of Accountancy and job posts on LinkedIn or Indeed. In this way, students can learn a lot about the daily responsibilities of accountants in different positions, as well as the qualifications needed for different roles. Networking can help students learn about the types of opportunities available in accounting plus it goes a long way when it comes to finding jobs and internships. Use of LinkedIn counts for a small portion of the grade in Dell's classes. He provides checklists of activities to complete for students with existing accounts and those who are new to the website. Students can earn extra credit for achieving 100 or 500 connections. Dell also uses videos, newsletters, blogs, and reports to keep students abreast of what's happening in the profession. "I think it's all about engagement, and these tools are all about getting students engaged," he said. Highlight the perks. Students typically don't realize that the accounting industry is constantly evolving, and there are lots of opportunities for accounting professionals to be creative, faculty members agree. It's an aspect of the industry that professors should emphasize. For example, Bogie discusses the regulatory environment with her students. "It's a dynamic profession where constant learning is required," she said. "There are a fair number of students who like that aspect." In addition to highlighting the benefits of continued career growth and financial stability, there's another aspect of the profession that appeals to today's students: the opportunity to work remotely or even internationally. Krylova has taken students to study abroad in Prague, where they met American accountants working for Pfizer and PwC. Make sure your students are aware of opportunities like these that accounting can provide. Promote student organizations. Student accounting organizations are great at promoting the profession, Krylova said. The Accounting Club and Beta Alpha Psi chapter at her university organize office visits, speakers, and other events. Encourage students to get involved if you have an accounting group at your school. Dell took members of a student accounting organization to meet finance department leaders from the Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Bucks when he previously worked in Wisconsin. Opportunities like that can really influence students, he said. Club meetings are also a great place to talk about current events in the world of accounting like blockchain and bitcoin, which were both covered in recent meetings at his school, Dell said. Those topics can inspire students and make them feel more connected to the real world. Megan Hart is a freelance writer based in Florida. To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Courtney Vien at Courtney.Vien@aicpa-cima.com. IN CAMERA | Episode 1 Koblenz, central Germany. This is the first state torture trial for Syria. This is also the first episode of Justice Infos new IN CAMERA series. Every month, well be bringing you a short video to tell the great story of transitional justice in pictures. The Koblenz trial is only the beginning, the visible part of many investigations launched in Europe to judge the crimes of the Bashar al-Assad regime and its executors mixed with streams of refugees. The two people accused in Koblenz are being tried for their alleged participation in the pitiless death machine. Many Syrians regard it as the first glimmer of hope for justice in a sea of atrocities. Since its opening in April, Justice Info has been recounting this trial through correspondent Hannah el-Hitami. In this video, Hannah invites you to follow her in this small German court where part of the mass crime we are witnessing, powerless, at the beginning of this century is being exposed and judged. Dont stay on the surface Our selection of complementary articles, to go deeper into the story Syrian trial in Germany: The orders that came from the very top NOV 26 2020 In the Al-Khatib trial against two former secret service officers from Syria, a witness has provided confidential documents issued by the Syrian regime. They would prove that crimes were ordered from the highest government level and confirm the systematic and widespread framework in which they were committed. READ MORE Syria: a spotlight on a bureaucracy of mass killings SEP 15 2020 A Syrian government employee has testified anonymously, last week in the Al-Khatib trial in Koblenz (Germany), where two former secret service officers stand accused of crimes against humanity. He described vast mass graves, and documents listing tens of thousands of corpses. READ MORE They felt too safe: how two Syrian agents ended up on trial in Germany MAY 5 2020 After a week of hearings in Koblenz (Germany), the first historic trial to deal with state torture in Syria provided insight on how two refugees a former chief at the General Intelligence Directorate in Damascus and a distant subordinate, now in the box have themselves contributed to their identification and arrest. READ MORE For the first time, torture committed by the Assad regime will be discussed in a court APRIL 23 2020 The worlds first trial on state torture in Syria starts today, April 23, in Koblenz, Germany. The main accused, Colonel Anwar Raslan, is the first official of the Syrian intelligence services to go on trial, charged with complicity in crimes against humanity. When he was head of the investigative section at the infamous Al-Khattib branch of the General Intelligence Directorate in Damascus, more than 4,000 detainees were tortured and 58 died, according to the prosecution. His co-defendant, Eyad al-Gharib, was a subordinate. Wolgang Kaleck, general secretary of The Berlin-based European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, who is assisting 16 witnesses and plaintiffs in the case, answers our questions on this trial. READ MORE All articles by Hannah El-Hitami All our articles about Syria Three cases that have been plodding for 13 years through the Extraordinary Chambers in The Courts of Cambodia (ECCC)a court established in 2007 to try senior leaders and those most responsible for atrocity crimes of the Khmer Rouge regime during the late 70swere recently terminated by the courts highest chamber. In finally putting an end to the travesty these cases represented, the Supreme Court Chamber condemned lower judicial rulings for failing to respect the basic obligation that judges issue rational decisions and provide legal certainty to parties. The ECCC is a unique hybrid court established by agreement between the United Nations and the Government of Cambodia. It is organized with national (Cambodian) and international officials operating as co-prosecutors, co-investigating judges, co-defense lawyers, and with a majority of national judges on three judicial chambers. A supermajority voting requirement which demands that at least one international judge joins the nationals to create a binding decision limits full control of the court by national judges. Evidencing the courts disfunction The cases (together known as the 003/004 cases), included charges against Meas Muth, Ao An and Yim Tiththree persons who, although not part of the uppermost leadership of the Khmer Rouge, were nonetheless alleged to be responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths, and untold devastation and suffering. In 2009 the cases were submitted to the co-investigating judges for judicial investigation and determination whether indictments for trial were appropriate. Following the announcement of the investigations, the national prosecutor, national judges, and representatives of the Government of Cambodia proclaimed that the cases were not in the national interest and that no trials other than the courts first two cases that included a total of 5 accused could proceed. The national prosecutors and judges maintained this stance for over thirteen years in the face of factual and legal findings of their international counterparts supporting prosecution of the atrocity crimes alleged. In 2018 and 2019 the two co-investigating judges took the unusual step of simultaneously issuing contradictory closing orders. The international judge issued full indictments for each accused that included charges of crimes against humanity, war crimes, genocide. The national judge issued orders dismissing each case. In issuing the opposing orders the judges intentionally ignored a clear process in the courts rules intended to resolve such disputes and prevent a deadlock of contradictory orders. The bizarre situation was appealed to the Pre-Trial Chamber which ruled the failure to follow the dispute process and the issuance of contradictory orders was unlawful and violated the core framework of the ECCC. Unfortunately, the Pre-Trial Chamber judges were, again, unable to agree what would happen next to the cases. The international judges stated that the cases should proceed to trial. The national judges wanted the cases dismissed. A myriad of procedural attempts to unlock the standoffs were successful only in evidencing the courts disfunction. During this melee, the national judges of the Trial Chamber offered their analysis that there will be no trial of [the accused] Ao An now or in the future. Judicial purgatory is not an option Finally, in December 2021, the Supreme Court Chamber exercised its extraordinary jurisdiction to resolve the final two embarrassing deadlocked cases against Meas Muth and Yim Tith. It held, in decisions signed by four of the five judges, that the underlying cases had been so irrationally handled that no valid dismissal order or indictment existed. Termination was held to be the only reasonable resolution given the deadlock that plagued the cases. The terminations were issued to save the court from ongoing futile clashes and involved no consideration of the legal or factual merits of the charges against the accused. The judges were terse and concluded that ongoing judicial purgatory is not an option. There is relief in an end to the embarrassing way these cases have bounced up and down levels at the court, when, all the while it was clear that they would never be tried before the public. Nonetheless, it is no doubt deeply disappointing to many Cambodians, including those victims who chose to participate as civil parties, that there will be no factual resolutions of the horrific allegations that underlie the cases. As a result of the termination of the Meas Muth case, wrote the Supreme Courts Justice Maureen Harding Clark, there are thousands of Khmer Krom [Khmers from the Mekong delta, in the south of Cambodia] victims whose forced transportation and deaths have never been considered by a court. There are thousands of members of the Revolutionary Army of Kampuchea who were liquidated during the regular purges of the Communist Party of Kampuchea whose families will never know why or who ordered their deaths. Similarly, thousands of Communist Party cadres from the Northwest zone were tortured and executed in Tuol Sleng and other security centres without any possibility to discover who identified them, who gave those orders, who implemented them and why. Similar questions exist for thousands of other victims impacted by crimes alleged in the Yim Tith and Ao An cases. Judge Clark takes courage Judge Clark was appointed to the ECCC Supreme Court Chamber in 2019. She has served on the High Court of Ireland and has significant experience as a judge on international tribunals including the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Court. Judge Clark agreed that it was necessary to terminate the 003/004 cases because of the perplexing and irrational decisions of the judges below. However, through two analytical dissents, she deemed it important to look at the history of the cases to understand how they each arrived, after 13 years of investigation, at a bizarre judicial impasse. Her analysis is detailed and demonstrates the value of having a fresh review of a situation that other officials have blithely accepted for over a decade with minimal comment or statement of concern. Judge Clarks analysis obviously involved significant time, effort, and for a new judge on the Supreme Court Chamber, courage. She deemed it necessary to go beyond a succinct termination of the cases, and to acknowledge the fundamental divisions between the international and the national judges and prosecutors that festered from the inception of the prosecutions. Judge Clark sees the difficulty with the cases arising from conflicting core principles of the international and the Cambodian officials of the court. On the one hand the Cambodian officials view the ECCC law as tempered by national policy, including national security fears. For the international officials the ECCC laws must be interpreted as clear international agreements binding on both sides with national political opinion or policy forming no part of the rules of interpretation. She points out that these difficulties were foreseen by the negotiators of the ECCC Agreement and are the reason for the inclusion of unique supermajority and default procedures that favor prosecution, investigation, and trial over national political preferences. Her dissents review the extensive and convoluted history of the cases and conclude that None of this history makes sense unless one accepts that it was general and inflexible government policy to stop all trials after Cases 001 and 002. The lockstep dance of Cambodian judges and prosecutors As evidence that the cases were doomed to fail from the beginning, Judge Clark references various positions of the national prosecutor, national investigating judges and national Pre-Trial Chamber Judges attempting to eliminate the 003/004 cases on inconsistent rationales. She points to the failure of the national prosecutor and national investigating judge to participate in the prosecutions or investigations even after the court rules mandated that the cases proceed. She notes the statement of the national judges of the Trial Chamber indicating that they would not cooperate with a trial of the cases. What she does not mention, presumably because it arises generally outside of the case files, are the numerous statements of Cambodian Government officials, including Prime Minister Hun Sen, that they would not allow the cases to be tried. The national officials of the court took the lockstep stance that no more that the five original suspects in cases 001 and 002 should be brought before the ECCC. As Judge Clark demonstrates (consistent with the opinions of many others who have evaluated the facts), this position is not supported by the courts foundational documents or negotiating history. Nonetheless, given the early and unbending commitment by Cambodian officials to this position, Judge Clark asks the obvious questions about why the cases were allowed to proceed for thirteen years: Why was it necessary to maintain a large staff of investigators, prosecutors, and Pre-Trial Chamber judges beyond the needs of Case 001 and 002? Why were so many victims and civil parties led to expect their day in court when there was no possibility of further trials? Why was so much money spent? She concludes by asking whether the last 13 years were merely an exercise in optics. We must blame internationals too That it took 13 years and a new judge writing a lone dissent in the Supreme Court Chamber to finally put such questions does not credit the court. Judge Clark suggests that the national prosecutor and others could have prevented this debacle by using available procedures in the early days of the cases to test the validity of the national position that they should be dismissed. I would go further than Judge Clark and suggest the United Nations, the international officials, and the donors of the court are equally to blame for failing to acknowledge honestly and publicly the political obstacle to independent judicial consideration of these cases. Until Judge Clarks tempered recognition of the political nature of the national judges decision making, the UN and international judicial officials, with minor exceptions that include the resignation statements of two international co-investigating judges, refused to publicly acknowledge that the cases were not being conducted in accordance with international standards for judicial independence. Had such acknowledgment happened in 2009 one of two things might have happened. First, the Cambodian Government and officials might have recognized that the credibility of the ECCC was at stake and that it was necessary to change course and support independent evaluation of the cases. Second, the Cambodian Government and the national court officials might have dug their heels in, in which case the ECCC could have taken steps to terminate the cases before many millions of additional dollars were spent and the legitimacy of the ECCC was further damaged by the pretense that the cases were not doomed by the political position of the Cambodian Government and the adherence to that position by the national officials of the court. For the triumph of evil, good men should do nothing A myriad of excuses is put forth for why no international official was willing to speak. These include: If we raise the problems with Cases 003 and 004, we will undermine the good work in the more important 001 and 002 Cases. We are in Cambodia and it its impolite to criticize our Cambodian colleagues. If we go forward with the international side of the court investigating Cases 003 and 004 alone, then at least we will have a proposed indictment as a record of what happened. (When and if the archives of the ECCC are finally secured, organized, and made publicly accessible we will see if the case 003 and 004 investigation material is released and whether this assurance is made real.) Each of these rationalizations lack courage and undermine the integrity that is essential if the cause of international criminal justice is to have credibility with the victims it serves or the international community more generally. The reason for substantial international involvement in the ECCC was to address the overwhelming evidence that the Cambodia Government controls the national judicial system whenever it serves its purposes to do so. Such a system does not meet international standards for fair trials and should not be supported by the United Nations. The convoluted procedures, including the presences of co-prosecutors, co-investigating judges and international judges sitting along-side national judges on each chamber of the court, and, critically, a complicated system for supermajority voting were all deemed necessary to prevent politically based decisions or interference about who would be prosecuted by the court. Despite all the cumbersome protections it is evident, as Judge Clark describes in her dissents, that cases 003 and 004 were being undermined from the beginning and would never go to trial because of political considerations. This is intolerable in a court that claims to comply with international standards for judicial independence. The failure of the court officials, the UN, and the donors to honestly speak up and address such a fundamental problem is perhaps reason that Judge Clark quoted in her dissent the observation attributed to John Stuart Mill and Edmund Burke that the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men should do nothing. Recommended reading Is it time to wrap up the Khmer Rouge tribunal? In "Rookie Cops" episode 4, Go Eun Gang (Chae Soo Bin) questions her decision on why she chose to enter Korea National Police University. Meanwhile, Wi Seung Hyun (Kang Daniel) starts to develop feelings towards his classmate. 'Rookie Cops' Episode 4: Go Eun Gang is Broken Hearted With Her First Love Weeks after their intense training, the new KNPU students had their march that symbolized the beginning of their freshmen journey. During the after party, Go Eun Gang decided to follow her senior Jang Ju Chan (Park Yeon Woo). She was about to finally confess her feelings to him but was shocked to know that he is already dating Baek Sun Yu (Chung Su Bin), one of the senior officials. Unfortunately, they caught each other but Eun Gang promised not to tell anyone about their relationship. SeungHyun did find out Eunkang came to the police university because of Juchan, when she was drunk she confused SeungHyun with Juchan.#RookieCops #RookieCopsEp4 #KangDaniel #ChaeSoobin pic.twitter.com/ax9qnbQZma kdrama scene (@kdrama_scene1) February 3, 2022 Because she's heartbroken, Go Eun Gang ended up being drunk. On their way to the dorm, she accidentally threw up at Wi Seung Hyun. There, he found out that Eun Gang was broken with Jang Ju Chan. Due to her situation, she accidentally mentioned that Ju Chan was the only reason why she entered the police university, with the thought that they may end up together in the future. Ki Han Na Victim of Bullying During Her High School Years She finished her three month probation. Still, Cha Yu Gon (Kim Sang Ho) tried to make her confess about the video recording incident. In the flashback shown, Ki Han Na (Park Yoo Na) got bullied by her classmates because her mother used to work at a bar. They constantly ridiculed her until Ki Han Na already had enough and stabbed her classmate with a small stick. She was brought to jail by her classmate's mother for investigation. Since she got no answer from her mother on the phone, the police decided to dismiss her. Since then, Ha Na has been grateful to Kang Nam Gi (Hyun Woo Sung), the policeman who helped her out. He is also the mastermind behind the video-recording because he asked Ki Han Na to be a spy inside the university to know the anomalies happening there. She chose not to speak about her past and alliance with Kang Nam Gi to continue her studies. Freshmen Get Their First Weekend Vacation Wi Seung Hyun, Go Eun Gang, Kim Tak (Lee Shin Young), Yoo Dae Il (Park Sung Joon), Seo Bum Ju (Kim Woo Seok), Woo Ju Young (Min Do Hee), and Shin A Ri (Cheon Young Min) went home to spend their first weekend vacation with their loved ones. Yoo Dae Il set Wi Seung Hyun on a blind date but it didn't go well. On their way out, they encountered a snatcher. Seung Hyun chased after the thief using a bike he borrowed from a stranger. no okay but the way eunkang just whined and seunghyun immediately trying to stop the nose bleeding. they're just so adorable and cute and?!?!?!!! i just can't explain it?!?!!#RookieCops #RookieCopsEp4 pic.twitter.com/UO8ezIrnKC (@kimyoungdaes) February 2, 2022 Fortunately, Go Eun Gang was able to catch the thief, and when he was about to stab her, Wi Seung Hyun came and kicked the snatcher on the face. He was surprised to see Go Eun Gang with her blonde hair. Wi Seung Hyun Starts to Develop Feelings For Go Eun Gang After their vacation, Wi Seung Hyun thought Go Eun Gang would not be returning to school anymore since she already had no interest in pursuing the course. The male student was, however, delighted to see Eung Gang entering the school premises. ngl this was very cuteeeee love how she ended her one sided love and quickly moved on plus seunghyun's smile at the end shshsh pls someone's happy and a goner already #RookieCops #RookieCopsEp4 pic.twitter.com/OKEOf44mMz (@kdramamiss) February 2, 2022 He couldn't stop smiling knowing he can still see Go Eun Gang everyday in the university. Previously, he tried to stop her from leaving the campus and gladly, she decided to stay. What are your thoughts about "Rookie Cops" episode 4? Share your comments with us! For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars. Kdramastars owns this article. Shai Collins wrote this. Jung Hae In and BLACKPINK Jisoo's highly loved romance drama "Snowdrop" is again generating buzz in the online Hallyu community! Because of its unique storyline and promising performances from its actors, fans and viewers regret that it's already over. To thank the production team behind the drama's success, viewers reminisce about the drama, dominating the international trends. Jung Hae In, BLACKPINK Jisoo's 'Snowdrop' Draws Buzz Even After Conclusion JTBC's most controversial romance drama, "Snowdrop," starring Jung Hae In and BLACKPINK Jisoo, successfully ended on Sunday, January 30. "Snowdrop" follows the forbidden love story between a South Korean college student and a North Korean spy whose lives changed after meeting each other unexpectedly. Despite the historical distortion allegations and controversies that surrounded the drama before and during its run, "Snowdrop" still pulled through, receiving a solid rating of 3.4% nationwide. "Snowdrop" marks BLACKPINK Jisoo's first ever terrestrial television debut, as well as her first project with seasoned star Jung Hae In. Fans and viewers couldn't help but to miss seeing HaeSoo and the rest of the cast on screen. Due to the immense attachment fans have with "Snowdrop," the online Hallyu community is dominated by the viewers who reminisce their remarkable watching experience with the drama. A week after its conclusion, "Snowdrop" generates buzz again. The heartfelt sentence that says "THANK YOU, SNOWDROP TEAM" dominates the worldwide trends, filled with viewers' favorite clips from the drama. Even though "Snowdrop" is branded as "the most controversial romance drama," it is without a doubt one of the best releases in the year 2021 and 2022. JTBC's 'Snowdrop' To Air in Disney+ India "Snowdrop," which recently concluded, received positive feedback and gained a solid fan base and supporters worldwide ever since its premiere in selected Asian countries in December. JTBC now aims to flaunt its show-stopping production of the drama, and spread the "HaeSoo fever" in several Asian countries like India. On February 3, Disney+ Hotstar announced that the JTBC romance drama series is now coming to India on February 9. The 16 parter series will be released weekly on Disney+ Hotstar with English subtitles readily available. The promising performances of Jung Hae In and BLACKPINK Jisoo, as well as the rest of the cast of the drama, will absolutely hook every viewer! In addition to that, Western fans and viewers can also enjoy the drama without hassle and failure as "Snowdrop" airs on Disney+ USA for the first time on February 6! Which is your favorite scene/moment in "Snowdrop"? Share it with us in the comments below! KDramaStars owns this article. Written by Elijah Mully. Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony at a press conference on October 16, 2020. An FDLE investigation has found Tony lied on numerous official documents, including job applications to Tallahassee and Coral Springs police and to a driver's license bureau after he was made sheriff. (Carline Jean / South Florida Sun Sentinel) The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has confirmed that Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony is a serial liar about serious things. It doesnt matter that he isnt being indicted. Gov. Ron DeSantis should suspend him immediately and appoint a successor in whose integrity the public can have confidence. The governor may wait for the Commission on Ethics to take up the case and make a recommendation, which would be pure window dressing. The most it could do is to recommend that DeSantis do what he has the power to do. DeSantis created this problem when he appointed Tony sheriff of Floridas second-largest county. Advertisement Lying is an especially grave offense for a sworn law enforcement officer. Tony himself said as much when he fired Jeff Bell, the head of the Broward County Deputies Association, whom he accused of undermining him in the 2020 election by allegedly lying to the media, including in an op-ed in the Sun Sentinel. [ READ JEFF BELL'S OP-ED: BSO Sheriff Gregory Tony is failing all of us during the coronavirus crisis | Opinion ] Tony lied under even worse circumstances. He lied on an employment application to the Tallahassee police, who did not hire him, to Coral Springs police, who did, and to the governor who appointed him sheriff three years ago, at a current salary of $198,000 a year. Advertisement His lies concealed the truth: He had been charged with a homicide in Philadelphia in 1993 when he was 14, for which he was acquitted, and with passing a bad check in Tallahassee, which was dismissed. He lied about past drug use to Coral Springs police. He lied to the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles regarding past driver license suspensions, which was new information found by FDLE. In another line of work, such problems of the past would be irrelevant. Arrests that did not result in convictions should not need to be disclosed. Police work is different But police work is different. An officer has a license to kill, so it is relevant whether he or she ever has taken a life, even if the homicide was justifiable. The retired police chief in Coral Springs, Duncan Foster, has said he wouldnt have hired Tony in 2005 had he known the facts. Even more serious, arguably, is the matter of lying to conceal it. Trustworthiness is on the line every time an officer is called to make an arrest or testify in court. A cloud now hovers over every arrest Tony made and all testimony he gave. Broward Public Defender Gordon Weekes is now looking back into 79 Coral Springs cases between 2005 and 2016 because of Tonys involvement. Allowing Tony to retain his sheriffs badge and remain in the office he has dishonored would set the worst possible example for new officers everywhere. Fidelity to the truth and nothing but the truth is essential to every way in which they serve the public and to the publics respect for them. DeSantis has conceded that he scarcely knew anything about Tony when he appointed him in 2019 to replace Sheriff Scott Israel, whom he had suspended to fulfill a campaign promise. Israel was not accused of any crime or dishonesty. DeSantis accused him of incompetence and neglect of duty in two mass shootings, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018 and at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport the year before. The Constitution enabled DeSantis to do that, but with that power came the responsibility to choose a successor wisely. All he knew about Tony was that he had been recommended by a campaign supporter, had been a Coral Springs officer, had passed the FDLEs cursory background check, and, given Browards demographics, would have a strong chance to keep the office in the 2020 election which Tony did. Advertisement [ I didnt even know the guy. Gov. Ron DeSantis distances himself from Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony, whom he appointed. ] DeSantis wasnt to blame for what Tonys lies kept him from knowing, but what did he say once he did know? Its not like hes my sheriff. Yes he is. No: The wrong answer Governors should use their suspension power with great restraint, as most have. A criminal indictment is not necessary. Soon after suspending Israel, DeSantis suspended Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher for mishandling the 2018 election. The state attorney assigned to Tonys case, Amira Fox of the 20th judicial circuit in Fort Myers, said the issues were either lacking sufficient evidence or too old under the law to be prosecuted as crimes. The only potentially viable claims, her office said, pertained to Tonys visit to a state drivers license office in Lauderdale Lakes, three weeks after he was appointed sheriff. Advertisement The clerk remembered him but she couldnt recall if she asked him about license suspensions. But when he e-signed a driver license replacement application, he answered no to whether his driving privileges had ever been revoked, suspended or denied in any state. The FDLE report found that there had been five, in Pennsylvania in the 1990s, and recommended he be charged with false affidavit perjury, a third-degree felony. The investigator in charge of Tonys case, Keith Riddick, reported that Tony had refused to be interviewed. Tonys execution of the document speaks for itself. The constitutional grounds for suspension include malfeasance and misfeasance, which would plainly bear on Tonys having signed a falsified driver license document after becoming sheriff. They must surely apply to lying to the governor as well. When Tony ran in 2020, we declined to endorse him, citing the cloud of uncertainty created by his lack of candor and the FDLE investigation. The voters of Broward elected Tony, but the cloud remains, and DeSantis should remove it. The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Editorial Page Editor Steve Bousquet, Deputy Editorial Page Editor Dan Sweeney, and Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson. Editorials are the opinion of the Board and written by one of its members or a designee. To contact us, email at letters@sun-sentinel.com. Follow Action News Now on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news, weather and sports in Northern California. FILE - Samuel L. Jackson arrives at the world premiere of "Spider-Man: Far From Home" in Los Angeles on June 26, 2019. Jackson will receive the Chairmans Award during the 53rd NAACP Image Awards this month. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File) A transport truck crosses the border at Coutts, Alta., after passing through a anti-COVID-19 vaccine mandate demonstrator road block on the highway in Milk River, Alta., Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022. The government has issued an order in council clarifying that truckers are not exempt from the vaccine mandate after bureaucrats were confused by their own policy. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh If you already subscribe to our print edition, sign up for FREE access to our online edition. Thanks for reading The Henderson News. The Kenosha Unified School Board meeting scheduled for Monday to discuss the hiring of a consulting firm to assist the district in selecting a new superintendent has been postponed. The board was scheduled to hold a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the districts Educational Support Center board room, 3600 52nd St. Late Friday afternoon, the district sent out a notice stating the meeting had been postponed. No new date for the meeting had been scheduled as of Friday. School Board President Yolanda Santos Adams said the meeting would be postponed until after the spring election. Her comment came after Kenosha News press deadline. "I decided it would be best to allow the new board seated in April to be involved from start to end," she said. The board was scheduled to interview representatives of the three consulting firms to aid in the selection process. They are: The Wisconsin Association of School Boards Schaumburg, Illinois-Based Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates Libertyville, Illinois-based BWP & Associates The district has been without a permanent superintendent since the retirement of Sue Savaglio-Jarvis at the end of June last year. Savaglio-Jarvis is now the principal at St. Rita Catholic School in Caledonia. Bethany Ormseth, former principal of LakeView Technology Academy, has been the interim superintendent the last seven months. But Ormseth has stated that she will not be a candidate for the permanent post. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. There have been loud complaints about suppressing freedoms of the people in this nation. Conservatives have called this out for it targeting them. Our Wisconsin state Assembly just passed a constitutional amendment in line with what Hong Kong has done to suppress dissent there. Making the protests of last year much more penalized is suppressing freedoms more than any laws this nation has. The laws would make many of those COVID protests subject to the same penalties. Also, just recently a Texas rallier suggested protests if he was to face possible prosecutions. If any upheaval happened at all, all would be subject to prison time! Over 100 people are going through the system here for what happened last year, mostly curfew related, but they could all get prison for most having done little. We are heading towards becoming Hong Kong with our votes meaning little in this state. We are an anocracy now a political system which is neither fully democratic nor fully autocratic, often being vulnerable to political instability. This state has had a large number of appointees who have not been voted on in three years. We have the Assembly running a dark vote rehash without abiding by court rulings to provide information. We have had fake electors submitted to the national archives by the leadership of a political party. Throw rule of law out the window, except when it suits them. We need governance which represents the people. We need to tell our leaders this what we want, even if it has to be by referendum, to let them know how important issues are to us. David Peterson, Kenosha Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Hopkinsville, KY (42240) Today A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High 84F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Low 67F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Ketchikan, AK (99901) Today Mostly cloudy. Periods of light rain this morning. High 51F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Cloudy with periods of rain. Becoming windy overnight. Low around 40F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall may reach one inch. . : , 30.000.000 Local featured Feds commit $1.1B to Glades restoration Photo by Don MacArthur/Audubon The population of roseate spoonbills is an indicator of the success of Everglades restoration efforts. The more birds, the more successful the restoration. Photo by G. Gardner/NPS The White House recently announced the largest investment of federal funds for Everglades restoration, providing nearly $1.1 billion this year. In an unprecedented move, the Biden Administration steered nearly $1.1 billion into U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Everglades restoration projects recently the lions share itemized in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Its the largest federal investment in restoring the famed River of Grass and a massive investment in climate resiliency and the long-term viability of the state economy. The Everglades is the lifeblood of South Florida, and this historic funding commitment by the Biden Administration will ensure we can much more aggressively move to restore and protect the natural sheet flow of water that is the largest environmental restoration project in American history. The Florida Everglades is a vital source of drinking water and essential to combat climate change, and this massive infusion of funding will have the added benefit of creating more jobs, said U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., who spearheaded an effort to secure funding for the high-priority restoration. None of Floridas Republican congressional delegation voted to support the infrastructure bill. The funding will allow already planned projects under the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan to be expedited, hastening completion of Everglades restoration. The projects listed in the Armys Civil Works Construction Work Plan are the Broward County Water Preserve Area C-11 Impoundment feature (must be sequenced before Central Everglades Planning Project), the Indian River Lagoon-C23/24 North Reservoir feature, the Central Everglades Planning Project South-S-356 Pump Station, Biscayne Bay and Southern Everglades Ecosystem Restoration Project, and CERP Design-Western Everglades Restoration Project. CERP was enacted by Congress in 2000 and has gathered momentum in recent years. The Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir project is one of the 68 components of CERP and some critics of last weeks spending announcement say it shouldve been prioritized. The funding also falls short of the $1.5 billion requested in December by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., U.S. Sen Rick Scott, R-Fla., and bipartisan members of the Florida congressional delegation. Rubio focused on what he described as shortcomings in the long-awaited federal funding. The federal government is supposed to cover half of CERPs costs. Prior to last weeks announcement, the state had carried most of the financial burden for projects already underway. No one should be surprised that President Joe Biden is shortchanging Florida, Rubio said. His administration turned its back on Florida from the very beginning. It started with rationing critical life-saving medical treatments and sending illegal immigrants to our cities, and now it comes in the form of inadequate funding for a bipartisan priority. Of particular concern, the Army Corps did not allocate a single dollar for the construction of the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir, Rubio continued. The EAA Reservoir is the single most important Everglades restoration project for reducing harmful discharges and sending more water south, and delays are mounting under President Bidens control of the Army Corps. In October, the Army Corps awarded a $79.8 million contract to Phillips and Jordan for the first phase of the $3.8 billion federal/state EAA Reservoir project. The contract calls for the construction of the reservoir inflow/outflow canal, seepage canal and a maintenance road along the northern boundary of the proposed reservoir, which will store excess water from Lake Okeechobee, rather than discharge that water into the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries where it can cause environmental damage. A large water treatment marsh being built by the South Florida Water Management District will filter the water of pollutants before it is released south into the Everglades. The treatment marsh is expected to be completed in the fall of 2023 and the reservoir in 2028. The Everglades Foundation applauded the federal governments commitment of $1.1 billion for Everglades restoration, but also called for making the reservoir a funding priority. For too long, the residents of South Florida have suffered as a result of toxic discharges, algae blooms, fish kills, economic losses and a parched Everglades National Park. In order to maximize the environmental benefits to be achieved by Everglades restoration, the Army Corps of Engineers should direct the funding toward construction of the vital EAA Reservoir, said Everglades Foundation CEO Eric Eikenberg. This reservoir will benefit all of South Florida, slashing harmful discharges to the coastal estuaries while providing the water desperately needed for Americas Everglades and Florida Bay. Furthermore, the EAA Reservoir will boost the carbon sequestration capacity of 3 million acres in the remaining Everglades wetlands. This vital project will also protect the drinking water supply for millions of Floridians. We look forward to working with the Corps and the bipartisan Florida congressional delegation to ensure this historic funding achieves the goals of Everglades restoration to store, cleanse and flow freshwater to Americas Everglades and Florida Bay. Everglades advocates characterized the $1.1 billion as a giant leap forward for restoration. We are elated to see this level of investment in Everglades restoration, said Kelly Cox, Audubon Floridas director of Everglades funding. It is clear that restoring this ecosystem remains a bipartisan priority and this funding will expedite many impactful projects this year. We look forward to ensuring that this funding helps accelerate priority projects like the EAA Reservoir. The federal commitment is long overdue and all restoration projects, which must work in concert to mimic historic flows, are equally important, said Steve Friedman, commodore of the Florida Keys Fishing Guides Association. The reservoir construction has been sped up by five years. The other projects have been in the pipeline for a long time, he said. Any momentum in regards to restoration is good news to me. The bar hasnt been met in terms of spending schedule by the federal government. Here we are 22 years later and theres only been a handful of major projects brought online. Im happy to see momentum going forward. tjava@keysnews.com EUGENE, Ore. -- Oregon OSHA is proposing rules that would strengthen protections for Oregon workers against health and safety hazards, including extreme heat and wildfire smoke. According to officials, the rules would provide the strongest protections of their kind in the nation. The proposed heat illness prevention rule encompasses a variety of protective measures, including access to shade and cool water, work/rest schedules, information and training, and other preventive actions and plans, according to officials. Meanwhile, the proposed wildfire smoke rule includes an array of exposure assessments and controls and training and communication steps. To read the proposed heat illness prevention rule, click HERE. These rules would build on temporary rules that went into effect during 2021, officials said. The heat illness prevention rule would apply to any workplace where heat dangers are caused by the weather and where the heat index is equal to or more than 80 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Oregon OSHA. This comes after Oregon experienced record-setting high temperatures in 2021. Jackson Hoyt worked at a food cart in downtown Eugene during the summer. "It's not every day that it's horrible, but it's not ideal," Hoyt said. According to Hoyt, some food carts can get hot when the temperatures rise outside. "Some carts are a little bit smaller, shorter. If you're right next to a deep fryer all day it can get kind of hot and sweaty and stuff," Hoyt said. Extreme heat conditions is an issue those at Thompson Landscape Company in Eugene say they take seriously. "There's water for them to drink at all times," office manager Cassandra Piarzina said. Piarzina said employees use the OSHA-NIOSH app on their phones to track the heat index while they're working. The app also provides a list of symptoms of heat illness. Additionally, she said staff takes breaks out of the sun and signs about heat safety are placed in their trucks. A spokesperson for Eugene's Public Works Department said outdoor work may be paused temporarily if conditions become too extreme to operate safely. "If we don't have to be outside, maybe we can be updating policies and procedures, doing some things indoors until those things pass," Eugene Public Works' spokesperson Brian Richardson said. He also said employees will wear appropriate masks depending on the hazard. The proposed wildfire smoke rule applies to employers whose employees may be exposed to wildfire smoke where the air quality index is 101, which is unhealthy for sensitive groups, or higher, according to Oregon OSHA. To read the proposed wildfire smoke rule, click HERE. The rules would require employers to make NIOSH-approved filtering facepiece respirators available to employees when the AQI is at or above 101. It would also mandate that employers require employees wear those respirators if the AQI is at or above 251. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. To subscribe, click here. Already a subscriber? Click here. Kilgore, TX (75662) Today Partly cloudy with a slight chance of thunderstorms. High 86F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening. Thunderstorms likely late. Low 69F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Rethink Ireland are marking four years of their Social Enterprise Development Fund and have published a report highlighting the impact of the Fund and spotlighting some of the social enterprises supported since 2018, including a local group in Castlecomer. The Social Enterprise Development Fund was created in 2018 by Rethink Ireland in partnership with Local Authorities Ireland and funded by IPB Insurance and the Department of Rural and Community Development via the Dormant Accounts Fund to find and back the best social enterprises in Ireland by making cash grants and strategic business support available to Awardees. Nationally, the Social Enterprise Development Fund has supported 112 social enterprises and created 209 jobs. According to Rethink Ireland, a significant achievement of the Fund is the support that has been given to traditionally under-represented communities. The Social Enterprise Development Fund has succeeded in delivering services to over 270,000 people throughout Ireland and mobilised 16,507 volunteers. Stephanie Walsh, Business Development Director at Rethink Ireland, said: Over the past four years, we have supported social enterprises throughout Ireland to provide responses to urgent social issues, while working closely with local communities. These social enterprises work to promote access to employment, delivering training and giving a voice to those not often heard in society; creating local solutions to the global climate crisis; and providing bespoke, holistic services to our most vulnerable in society. Social Enterprise Funds 2022 Social enterprises based in Kilkenny are being encouraged to apply for funding through the Social Enterprise Development Fund 2022 and the Social Enterprise Start-Up Fund which have officially opened for applications. Also commenting, Colette Byrne, Chief Executive of Kilkenny County Council, said: "Were excited to be working with Rethink Ireland in their effort to support social enterprises around the country. The Social Enterprise Funds, which will focus on continued seed funding for start-up social enterprises, will strengthen its focus on providing vital supports to early-stage social enterprises with the development of a new business course and a clear pathway for social enterprises looking to build their businesses. This will deliver real and meaningful change to each of the organisations involved and Irelands social enterprise sector as a whole." George Jones, Group Director and Chairman of IPB Insurance, added: We are delighted to renew our support for a further two years of the Social Enterprise Development Fund with Rethink Ireland and the Department of Rural & Community Development in partnership with our local authority members. Working alongside our local authority Members, our collaboration with Rethink Ireland and the Department has focused on identifying and supporting the best social enterprises nationwide with the added benefit of promoting the sector as an important contributor to Ireland's socio-economic development. I think the need for Social Enterprises has been highlighted more than ever by the pandemic and global conversations around sustainability. Social enterprises are motivated by seeing a social need and setting out to meet that need in a sustainable manner. Applications for the 2022 Social Enterprise Development Fund and Social Enterprise Start Up Fund will be open until March 3 and can be found on Rethink Irelands website, www.rethinkireland.ie The Government has today published Town Centre First a new policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into town centres across County Kilkenny. Town Centre First contains 33 unique actions which will give our towns the tools and resources they need to become more viable and attractive places in which to live, work, visit and run a business. The policy is underpinned by multi-billion euro investment spread across major Government schemes such as the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF), the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), Croi Conaithe (Towns) Fund and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme. For the first time, designated towns will gain their own dedicated Town Regeneration Officers, who will be crucial to driving future development. The policy also contains a range of actions designed to achieve key objectives such as social and economic revival in towns, the provision of housing, as well as addressing challenges like vacancy and derelict buildings. The actions also support the protection of our environment, as well as the heritage and culture of our towns. Town Centre First was launched in Moate today by the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, the Minister for Planning and Local Government, Peter Burke TD; and the Minister for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD. The policy was launched at Moate library, a former Courthouse building. The formerly derelict building, dating back to 1828, was converted by Westmeath County Council. The library was officially opened in 2016 and is a vital resource for young and old, bringing people back into the town centre. Town Centre First, which supports the objectives of Housing for All and Our Rural Future, is a commitment under the Programme for Government. In December 2021, the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, announced 100,000 in funding for Kilkenny County Council to support the development of a Town Centre First Plan for Urlingford. Towns for this first phase of funding were selected based on submissions received from the local authorities. Further funding phases for Town Centre First Plans will be announced in due course. Announcing Town Centre First, The Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys TD said: Town Centre First represents a new approach to revitalising communities the length and breadth of this country. This is about bringing together our businesses, our local authorities and our town teams - so that they are at the fore when it comes to planning for the future development of their communities. Its about ensuring our towns have the tools, resources and investment they need to tackle major issues such as dereliction and vacant properties. We know that so many of our towns, particularly in rural Ireland, face considerable challenges. But they also have extraordinary potential. With investment under the likes of the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund and the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund, we will ensure our towns become even better places to live, work and raise a family. Town Centre First will arm our towns with the ability to map out and deliver on their own unique vision, helping to revitalise Rural Ireland and deliver on the objectives of Our Rural Future. Architecturally, culturally and socially, the Irish town is unique in European terms. For far too long, we have turned our backs on this important heritage. The Governments Town Centres First policy seeks to support, enable and inspire communities to be active participants in the heritage-led regeneration of their towns and villages. This in turn will re-invigorate independent retail and promote town centre living, supporting local economic resilience through the co-creation of liveable, vibrant, nature-friendly urban spaces. The Minister for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD, added: Architecturally, culturally and socially, the Irish town is unique in European terms. For far too long, we have turned our backs on this important heritage. The Governments Town Centres First policy seeks to support, enable and inspire communities to be active participants in the heritage-led regeneration of their towns and villages. This in turn will re-invigorate independent retail and promote town centre living, supporting local economic resilience through the co-creation of liveable, vibrant, nature-friendly urban spaces. People in Kilkenny are being asked for their views on what can be done to improve water quality in local rivers - after recent reports show the effects of climate change are becoming more noticeable. A public consultation on the Draft River Basin Management Plan is currently underway, and this is your chance to have a say. Agencies responsible for protecting Irelands rivers have found that agriculture, forestry, and urban wastewater treatment are the leading causes of pollution in our rivers, lakes, estuaries, and coastal waters. Theres a big effort involving a lot of organisations trying to pinpoint whats happening in our rivers. We need local people to help us get a better understanding, says Ann Phelan, of the Local Authority Waters Programme, also known as LAWPRO. We live in unprecedented times. The effects of climate change and loss of biodiversity are clear, and this will have knock-on effects for our health and well-being. This is especially true with water quality in our rivers. LAWPRO works with the 31 local authorities in Ireland, assessing the condition and health of our rivers. While some rivers have improved, unfortunately half the rivers and lakes in Ireland are failing to meet good water quality standards. We need urgent action to stop the decline, reverse the damage, and protect these vital natural resources, she says. Readers of this newspaper are asked to register and attend one of two consultation meetings online on Tuesday, February 22 and Thursday, February 24. These meetings will provide vital information on the Draft River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2022-2027, a questions and answers session, and a discussion on local issues. This is your chance to have your say and put forward your views on what needs to be done to help the rivers of County Kilkenny. Register for your local meeting at www.lawaters.ie or via Facebook @LAWPROteam. You can contact LAWPROs Head office at 052 616 6230. Further details about the meetings will be published next week. For information on the Draft River Basin Management plan 2022 -2027 visit the virtual consultation room at LAwaters.ie. After miscarriages, workers have few guarantees for time off or job-based help Kerry Mulvihill, a science teacher at Gerald Huesken Middle School in Lancaster, Pa. Mulvihill said her school is struggling to find science teachers. Jeff Coulter receives his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine from Registered Nurse Donna Bauman at the St. Louis Public Librarys Central Library in downtown St. Louis on Jan. 21. Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today Rain likely. High 53F. Winds ENE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low 42F. Winds NNE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Two Easy Ways To Subscribe! The Kodiak Daily Mirror offers full-service, five-day a week subscriptions with home delivery in addition to unlimited access to our online services (including our e-Edition). Online-access-only subscriptions include unlimited access to the Mirror's online services without delivery of the printed newspaper. (Note: New users: You must register and login before purchasing a subscription. Support local journalism Local news, sports and entertainment when you want it. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the best local news, sports and entertainment coverage. MID-MISSOURI Two of mid-Missouri's largest school districts took different approaches to their COVID-19 protocols on Friday. Columbia Public Schools has extended its mask mandate through Friday, Feb 11. It was set to expire after Feb. 4, while the Jefferson City School District will return to its green COVID-19 protocols on Monday, which does not include a mask mandate. CPS Superintendent Brian Yearwood said in an email to families that current COVID-19 sewershed surveillance reports indicate the omicron variant has peaked in Columbia and the area is starting to see a decline in cases. He said the district is extending the mask mandate to "better determine the impact of the current downward trend" once all students and employees have returned to buildings after the recent snow days. "The safety of our scholars and employees continues to be our number one priority and this extension of our current intervention will allow for additional time for cases to continue to decline in our community," Yearwood said. According to its COVID dashboard, CPS has 23 active students cases and 11 students in quarantine. There are 16 positive staff cases and three staff members in quarantine. The district had a sub fill rate of 74.8%, for Jan. 31 through Feb. 1. The Columbia Board of Education gave Yearwood the authority to extend the mask mandate during its Jan. 20 work session. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Meanwhile, students in Jefferson City Schools will return from snow days Monday with no mask mandate in place. The district said masks are encouraged, particularly for those who are not vaccinated. The change to green COVID protocols indicate there has been a decline in COVID cases over the last two weeks. The district said the number of staff absences and its substitute fill rate have also stabilized. According to its COVID tracker, there are 21 active students cases and six active staff cases. Those who test positive for COVID-19 and choose to return to school symptom-free on days No. 6-10 will be required to wear a well-fitting mask except when eating or drinking, JCSD said. Attorney General Eric Schmitt has filed lawsuits against both districts over their mask mandates, arguing the districts don't have authority to impose public health orders. Both districts will require masks on school buses, as required by federal law. The De Hef bridge in Rotterdam. Rotterdam may dismantle the historic bridge for superyacht reportedly owned by Jeff Bezos. From left, Justice Party presidential candidate Sim Sang-jung, ruling Democratic Party of Korea candidate Lee Jae-myung, main opposition People Power Party candidate Yoon Suk-yeol and People's Party candidate Ahn Cheol-soo bump fists before their TV debate at broadcaster KBS' studio in Yeouido, Seoul, Thursday. Joint Press Corps Lee underscores pragmatism, Yoon vows to fix Korea-US alliance By Nam Hyun-woo South Korea's rival presidential candidates presented starkly contrasting diplomatic views during their first TV debate, Friday. Ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung underscored pragmatism, while main opposition People Power Party (PPP) candidate Yoon Suk-yeol vowed to restore the Korea-U.S. alliance, claiming it had weakened considerably after President Moon Jae-in stepped into office five years ago. During the debate, hosted and televised by broadcasters KBS, MBC and SBS, Lee, Yoon, People's Party candidate Ahn Cheol-soo and Justice Party candidate Sim Sang-jung were asked to choose among the leaders of the U.S., China, Japan and North Korea, who they would meet first if elected. Lee refused to choose a leader at this point and opted instead to base that decision on South Korea's pressing diplomatic needs. "We don't have to decide who to meet first in advance," Lee said. "Given South Korea's geopolitical aspect as a peninsula, the most important thing is pragmatic diplomacy. We should decide depending on the progress of the diplomatic situation." Responding to the same question, Yoon of the main conservative party said he will meet U.S. President Joe Biden first, followed by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Auburn, IN (46706) Today Mostly cloudy skies. High near 60F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy with rain developing after midnight. Low 49F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. A 50 megawatt, $67 million solar power farm in West Baton Rouge Parish operated by Helios Infrastructure is operational. Two solar farms are near completion in St. James Parish by D.E. Shaw Investments, which has emerged as the developer of seven of Louisiana's 16 proposed large-scale solar farms. (Photo by John Ballance, The Advocate) Weather Alert THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. Ravalli County Sheriff's Office has requested a Missing Endangered Person Advisory for Mario Locatelli. Mario is an 89 year old male, 5 feet 4 inches tall, and 140 pounds. He is bald and has blue eyes. Mario left his home on April 30th to Parawon, Utah. He did not arrive at this destination and has not been seen since. Mario suffers from dementia so there is concern for his safety. He is believed to be driving a gray 2018 Toyota Tacoma double pickup with license plate M G 0 A T. If you have any information on Mario Locatelli, please contact Ravalli County Sheriff's Office at 4 0 6, 3 6 3, 3 0 3 3 or call 9 1 1. Harrisburg, Pa. -- Lycoming County hunters may be the experts on the local bear population after a record-setting 2021 bear harvest in central Pennsylvania. Hunters harvested 3,659 bears across last years various seasons. That ranks as the states fifth-best harvest ever, and the second-largest recorded since 2011. The 2020 bear harvest, for comparisons sake, was 3,621. The statewide regular bear season accounted for the largest part of the 2021 bear harvest. Hunters took 1,315 bears in that four-day hunt. The extended bear season which, for the first time last year, allowed hunters to harvest bears throughout the opening weekend of deer season in some Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) contributed 1,128 animals to the harvest. Archery bear season added another 680, while the muzzleloader/special firearms bear season harvest added 536. Pennsylvania hunters recorded their all-time best bear season in 2019, when they harvested 4,653. That was the third time since 2005 that the harvest topped 4,000 animals. The other top ranked years were 2011 (4,350) and 2005 (4,162). Bear hunting continues to be a popular activity for Pennsylvania hunters. A total of 215,219 people 205,812 of them state residents bought bear licenses in 2021. That was down slightly from 220,471 in 2020, but still the second-highest number of bear licenses ever sold in any one year. Sales totaled 202,043 in 2019; 174,869 in 2018; and, going back further, 147,728 in 2009. Harvest report Bears were taken in 59 of 67 counties and 22 of Pennsylvanias 23 Wildlife Management Units in the 2021 seasons. The largest bear reported is the 722-pound male taken with a shotgun in the extended season, on Dec. 4, in Letterkenny Township in Franklin County, by Wade Glessner, of Shippensburg. The heaviest bear ever taken in Pennsylvania was an 875-pounder harvested in 2010 in Middle Smithfield Township, Pike County. Since 1992, seven black bears weighing at least 800 pounds have been lawfully harvested in Pennsylvania hunting seasons. Other large bears from the 2021 bear seasons, all but one taken with a rifle, include: 681-pound male taken with a bow in archery season in Newport Township, Luzerne County, by Neil Minnich of Nanticoke 676-pound male taken in the regular statewide season in West Franklin Township, Armstrong County, by Paul Skanderson, of Freeport 649-pound make taken in the extended season in Spring Township, Snyder County, by Ashton McIlroy, of McClure 640-pound male taken in the regular season in Pike Township, Clearfield County, by Brandon Knee, of Houtzdale 640-pound male taken in the extended season in Gamble Township, Lycoming County, by Matthew Aikey, of Trout Run 615-pound male taken in the extended season in Penn Forest Township, Carbon County, by Ryan Hausman, of Jim Thorpe 614-pound male taken in the extended season in Lehmen Township, Pike County, by Matthew Romig, of Bethlehem a 605-pound male taken in the regular season in Bradford Township, Clearfield County, by Storm Bumbarger, of Woodland 602-pound male taken in the regular season in Beech Creek Township, Clinton County, by Jacob Rembold, of Lock Haven. Lycoming County gave up 212 bears to rank first among counties for bear harvest. Potter County ranked second with 180, Pike County third with 167, Tioga County fourth with 166, and Clinton County fifth with 156. Rounding out the top 10 were Bradford County (136), Sullivan County (127), Wayne County (120), Centre County (118), and Huntingdon County (115). Final county harvests by northcentral Pa. region (with 2020 figures in parentheses) include: Northcentral 1,220 (1,310): Lycoming, 212 (186); Potter, 180 (188); Tioga, 166 (185); Clinton, 156 (150); Centre, 118 (117); McKean, 107 (87); Clearfield, 94 (158); Elk, 80 (140); Cameron, 68 (61); and Union, 39 (38). Have a news tip or would like to report a typo? Email Anthony Victor Reyes at areyes@kvoa.com. Are you planning to attend NH Pumpkin Festival this year? If not, what would make you attend? Wisconsin attorney Jim Troupis, who represented Donald Trump in a failed effort to overturn the states 2020 election results, was notified not long after the November election of a national effort to install alternate electors to help keep the former president in power. The memo, first reported Wednesday by the New York Times, was sent from attorney Kenneth Chesebro to Troupis, a former Dane County Circuit Court judge, on Nov. 18, 2020 the same day Troupis formally requested election recounts in Dane and Milwaukee counties on behalf of Trumps campaign. Recounts and court decisions have affirmed that President Joe Biden defeated Trump in Wisconsin by almost 21,000 votes. The memo corroborates reports that the Republican electors were coordinated by Trumps legal team in an attempt to present Vice President Mike Pence with conflicting slates of electors during the congressional certification so that he could throw the election to a House vote, which would have handed the election to Trump. Pence refused to participate in the purported scheme on Jan. 6, 2021, the day of the attack on the U.S. Capitol by attendees of a nearby Trump rally. The memo was sent a little over a month before 10 Wisconsin Republicans convened in the state Capitol on Dec. 14, 2020, to sign official-looking documents falsely affirming that Trump had won the state. The meeting occurred on the same day that the Democratic slate of Wisconsin electors met in the same building to deliver the states 10 electoral votes to President-elect Biden. The meeting of Republicans occurred after the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that Biden had won the election. Chesebro, a Boston-based attorney who has represented Trump alongside Troupis in the past, details in the memo his legal analysis following a suggestion he made to Troupis in a previous conference call. In any judicial review of the canvassing/recounting in Wisconsin, we should emphasize that the presidential election timetable affords ample time for judicial proceedings, even if initial errors in the recount require a remand for further recounting, Chesebro wrote. Chesebro alleges in the memo that there is a very strong argument, supported by historical precedent that the real deadline to come to a conclusion on the states election results was Jan. 6, 2021, rather than Dec. 8, the safe harbor deadline in the federal Electoral Count Act, or Dec. 14, the date that electors must vote in their respective states. Chesebro adds that, if electors pledged to Trump and Pence cast votes on Dec. 14 and send those votes to the U.S. Senate in time to be opened on Jan. 6, a court decision (or, perhaps, a state legislative determination) rendered after December 14 in favor of the Trump-Pence slate of electors should be considered timely. It may seem odd that the electors pledged to Trump and Pence might meet and cast their votes on December 14 even if, at that juncture, the Trump-Pence ticket is behind in the vote count, and no certificate of election has been issued in favor of Trump and Pence, Chesebro wrote. However, a fair reading of the federal statutes suggests that this is a reasonable course of action. Troupis did not respond to a request for comment Thursday. Bureau sent Vos memos Documents obtained by the liberal watchdog group American Oversight show that the states nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau sent two memos to Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, on Nov. 16, 2020, relating to the states electoral college process. The memos, which state they were provided upon Vos request, indicate that the Legislature has the ability to determine how presidential electors are selected, but may not affect the electors after an election has taken place as the legislature has no unilateral authority to reverse the choice of the people of the state. Once the state legislature gives the people the franchise with respect to the appointment of presidential electors, equal protection rules governing the right to vote apply, especially the rule of one person, one vote, Legislative Reference Bureau senior coordinating attorney Michael Gallagher wrote in one memo. As a result, the state legislature may not arbitrarily reverse or otherwise interfere with the choice of the people of the state at a presidential election. Vos told the Associated Press last month that, despite efforts by Trump and his allies to have the Legislature overturn the results of the 2020 election, there was zero chance the Legislature would take over the process of awarding presidential electors. My office, and Im certain all other legislative offices, received hundreds of emails calling for the withdrawal of Wisconsins electoral votes, Vos said in a statement Thursday. I believed it was unconstitutional, but we asked the non-partisan Legislative Reference Bureau so we could share the memo with our members and constituents. Subpoenas Republican Party of Wisconsin chair Paul Farrow said last week the Republicans who signed the official-looking documents in Wisconsin were advised to do so by attorneys and the actions were done in accordance with precedent. Farrow and the state GOP did not respond Thursday to questions about which attorneys advice they were following. Official-looking certificates were submitted by Republicans claiming to be electors in six other states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico and Pennsylvania. The Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol has subpoenaed 14 individuals who signed documents in the seven states, including Andrew Hitt, former chair of the state Republican Party, and 8th Congressional District GOP chair Kelly Ruh. The subpoenas call for Hitt and Ruh to provide documents by Feb. 11 detailing any information about your role and participation in the purported slate of electors casting votes for Donald Trump and, to the extent relevant, your role in the events of January 6, 2021 and sit for depositions on Feb. 28. Hitt is listed in the signed documents as the chairperson, and Ruh is listed as the secretary. Hitt said in a statement he absolutely will cooperate with the committees request to provide information. Others to sign the documents in Wisconsin include Robert Spindell, a Republican who sits on the state Elections Commission; 1st Congressional District GOP vice chair Carol Brunner; Dane County Republican Party chair Scott Grabins; La Crosse County Republican Party chair Bill Feehan; 5th Congressional District GOP chair Kathy Kiernan; 6th Congressional District GOP chair Darryl Carlson; 1st Congressional District GOP vice chair Pam Travis; and Mary Buestrin, vice chair of the Midwest region for the Republican National Committee. Complaints Multiple complaints regarding the fake electors were filed last year by liberal law firm Law Forward with the Wisconsin Elections Commission and Milwaukee County District Attorneys Office alleging the Wisconsin Republicans committed fraud. A third complaint was filed against Hitt with the Office of Lawyer Regulation, the agency that handles complaints against lawyers. So far, none of the agencies have formally taken up the complaints, while Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Matthew Westphal recently suggested that the state or federal justice department would be best suited to determine what steps, if any, should be taken on the matter. The Elections Commission could take up the complaint as early as next month, and Law Forward attorney Jeffrey Mandell has warned that, if no action is taken soon, the group will file a lawsuit over the matter. Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul has backed a federal investigation into the Republican electors, but has not said if he, too, may look into the complaint. The results of the 2020 election have been confirmed by county canvassing boards, which compare vote totals against paper records and other procedures designed to catch and correct errors; recounts in Dane and Milwaukee counties; post-election audits by local and state election authorities to identify cases of possible voter fraud, which are then referred to prosecutors; a voting equipment audit by the Elections Commission; and reviews by the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau and the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, which found ways in which elections could be improved but no evidence of widespread fraud. Multiple court rulings have also found no evidence of irregularities. Wyatt Baker of York County started his poultry hobby with a few chicks from Tractor Supply and now breeds and shows his poultry in fairs across the state. Farmworkers face many potential hazards during the course of their workday, and one of them is exposure to pesticides that may be harmful to t A group of Northumberland knitters have been working together for over a decade to knit sweaters for children in need, which they donate to Knit for Kids. The New York Farm Show, running Feb. 24-26 at the New York State Fairgrounds, offers more than 400 exhibitors displaying the latest in farm equipment, farm supplies, dairy and beef production, and more. New Delhi, Feb 4 (PTI) Opposition members in the Lok Sabha have moved 92 amendments on the Motion of Thanks on the president's address, while those in the Rajya Sabha have moved 80 amendments. Sources said 19 notices for amendments were not moved in the Rajya Sabha as the three members proposing them were not present in the Upper House when the motion was taken up. Also Read | JKBOSE Class 12 Jammu Division Result 2021 For Winter Zone Declared At jkbose.nic.in; Here Are Steps To Check The Scores. The sources also said the notices given by Opposition members Elamaram Kareem (CPI-M) and K C Venugopal (Congress) for amendments on the Pegasus snooping controversy were not accepted by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat as the matter is sub-judice. The secretary had received 99 notices by 14 Opposition members and since three were not present when the motion was taken up, a total of 80 amendments on the Motion of Thanks were moved on various issues by 11 members in the Upper House. Also Read | West Bengal Municipal Elections 2022: TMC Releases Candidate List for February 27 Polls. Kareem has also written to Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu for giving a ruling that under what grounds his amendments were not admitted or disallowed. "It is quite unfortunate and condemnable that such a decision has been taken, violating the basic right of a member of Parliament," the Left leader said in his letter, adding that as a representative of people, he has to raise their concerns on the floor of the House. He said this action could create an impression among people that the Rajya Sabha Secretariat deliberately excluded the amendments that deal with incidents which could expose the Centre. "The unilateral action is completely undemocratic and unethical," Kareem said. He claimed that similar amendments moved in the Lok Sabha were admitted and said the Upper House cannot escape its responsibility to maintain transparency in revealing the reason for disallowing his amendments. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Guwahati (Assam) [India], February 4 (ANI): Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi said that Hindutva is a word that connotes not only India's cultural diversity but also a civilization that is more than six thousand years old. Launching the book 'The Hindutva Paradigm- Integral Humanism and the Quest for a Non-Western World View' in Guwahati on Thursday, the Assam Governor said the book written by BJP leader Ram Madhav touches a variety of issues that concern people. Also Read | JEE Mains 2022: NTA To Release Exam Dates Soon; Know How To Register and Other Details Here. He also said that the contents of the book would benefit the nation and the world. "Hindutva is a word that connotes not only India's cultural diversity but also a civilization that is more than six thousand years old and covers a sweep of history which is unparalleled in the world," the governor said. Also Read | Poco X4 5G Reportedly Listed on NBTC Website, Launch Expected Soon. He also said that 'The Hindutva Paradigm', is an earnest attempt on the part of the writer to introduce a century-old Hindutva philosophy to the wider audience both nationally and internationally. "Through his projections of a "non-western worldview" of the idea, concept and philosophy of the Hindutva, Ram Madhav has invariably succeeded to draw the attention of the intellectual community across the world to integral humanism, integral economic vision, nationalism and cultural integration which are the tenets of Indian philosophy," he added. Mukhi also said that the philosophy of India teaches everybody to be affectionate, cooperative and completely dedicated to the cause of the nation and its people which according to him is the greatness of Hinduism. The Assam Governor further said that the book is a repository of rich and new information and added that it would, "also be a guiding light for the younger generation to know the essence of India and contribute towards building a new and vibrant nation based on the strong edifice of the resourceful past of the country." Governor Mukhi also said that the philosophy propagated by every chapter of the book is encouraging and inspirational which can well be the answer and way out to make India a Viswa Guru. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Officials of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) distribute tickets to illegal migrants at the Misurata International Airport in Misurata, Libya, Jan. 27, 2022. A group of 165 illegal migrants were voluntarily deported from Libya to Niger, their home country, said a local official on Thursday. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua) TRIPOLI, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- A group of 165 illegal migrants were voluntarily deported from Libya to Niger, their home country, said a local official on Thursday. "After approval of the head of the Illegal Migration Control Department, a flight took off from Misurata City to Niger for a voluntary return of 165 illegal migrants, including women and children," Hussain al-Turki, head of the Illegal Migrants' Deportation Department of the Misurata International Airport, told Xinhua. The deportation was carried out in coordination with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), al-Turki said. The Voluntary Humanitarian Return program, run by the IOM, arranges the return of illegal immigrants stranded in Libya to their homeland. Libya has become a preferred point of departure for illegal immigrants who attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea to reach European shores. In 2021, a total of 32,425 illegal migrants were rescued and returned to Libya, while 662 died and 891 others went missing off the Libyan coast on the Central Mediterranean route, according to the IOM. Illegal migrants board an airplane at the Misurata International Airport in Misurata, Libya, Jan. 27, 2022. A group of 165 illegal migrants were voluntarily deported from Libya to Niger, their home country, said a local official on Thursday. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua) Illegal migrants wait to depart at the Misurata International Airport in Misurata, Libya, Jan. 27, 2022. A group of 165 illegal migrants were voluntarily deported from Libya to Niger, their home country, said a local official on Thursday. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua) Illegal migrants board an airplane at the Misurata International Airport in Misurata, Libya, Jan. 27, 2022. A group of 165 illegal migrants were voluntarily deported from Libya to Niger, their home country, said a local official on Thursday. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua) Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 4 (ANI): Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adiyanath will lead the BJP to 300 plus seats in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. While addressing the BJP supporters in Gorakhpur, ahead of the nomination process of Adityanath, the former BJP chief said, "We are going to repeat history in UP. In 2014, 2017 and 2019 polls, the people of UP chose the development under the leadership of PM Modi and gave the absolute majority. Today with CM Yogi filing nomination, BJP is marching ahead with the resolve of '300 paar' (300 plus)." Also Read | Gujarat Woman Discovers Husbands Extra-Marital Affair After Installing GPS Tracker in His Vehicle, Files Case. He further said, "When I was made the BJP incharge (of UP) in 2013, then journalists used to say that I am being sent to a place where the party would perhaps not touch even double digits in elections. However, it was the opposition that did not touch double digits." He highlighted the Modi government's social welfare schemes like Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Ayushman Bharat and COVID-19 vaccination drive that helped the people of UP immensely. Also Read | JEE Mains 2022: NTA To Release Exam Dates Soon; Know How To Register and Other Details Here. Shah further said Adityanath-led government in the state ensured that all welfare schemes reached the needy on a timely basis. "For 2 years, Yogi did the work of laying the foundation of good governance here, in view of that, in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, all the opposition parties gathered and formed a grand alliance. I had said in the Bhubaneswar executive committee that those who are left should also get together and do it, we will once again form the government with a two-thirds majority. 65 seats came again under the leadership of Modi," he said. Shah said that the people of Uttar Pradesh gave us a majority in the 2017 assembly elections also with more than 300 seats. "PM Modi is also representing Uttar Pradesh in Lok Sabha. PM Modi always says that unless Uttar Pradesh is developed, the country's development is impossible. PM Modi has always been engaged for the upliftment of poor, backward, Dalit and tribal," Shah said. Shah also took a dig at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav saying that 'goonda raj' has been contained under Yogi rule. "Mafia is seen at only 3 places in UP now - they're either in jail or outside UP or they appear in the candidate list of SP for Uttar Pradesh Elections 2022. Mafia used to rule UP, Police was scared of them. Today, the mafia walks up to the Police station to surrender," he added. Yogi is scheduled to file his nomination papers from the Gorakhpur constituency today and will be accompanied by Union Home Minister. Earlier in the day, Adityanath offered prayers at Gorakhnath temple, ahead of filing nomination for the state Assembly election. The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27 and March 3 and 7 in seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. In the 2017 Assembly elections, the BJP won a landslide victory winning 312 Assembly seats. The party secured a 39.67 per cent vote share in the elections for 403-member Assembly. Samajwadi Party (SP) bagged 47 seats, BSP won 19 while Congress could manage to win only seven seats. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Chennai, Feb 4 (PTI) Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday requested the Centre to urge Sri Lanka to allow Tamil Nadu fishermen to take part in the Katchatheevu St Anthony's church annual festival in keeping with the tradition. Also Read | Vivo T1 5G Price in India & Specifications Leaked Online Ahead of Its Launch. The festival of St Antony at St Antony's church in Katchatheevu is celebrated every year during February-March and the Tamil Nadu government has been facilitating the safe journey of fishermen devotees who wish to participate in the fete, Stalin said in a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Also Read | Maharashtra: Couple Arrested in Thane by Anti-Evasion Wing for GST Evasion of Rs 12 Crore. "It has come to my notice that fishermen devotees of Tamil Nadu are not allowed to participate in the annual festival this year, citing various reasons by the Sri Lankan authorities." The Tamil fishermen and pilgrims have spiritual and emotional attachment with St Antony's Church, Katchatheevu and have been participating in this traditional event for several decades now. The news of denial by Sri Lankan authorities has caused deep disappointment among the fishermen community in the state. "In view of the above, I request you to urge the Government of Sri Lanka to enable the participation of Tamil Nadu fishermen in the annual festival of St Anthony's Church as has been the tradition every year. I am sure that your efforts will ensure in preserving good relations between the people of both countries." DMK's Lok Sabha floor leader T R Baalu handed over the Chief Minister's letter to Jaishankar in Delhi, an official release here said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], February 4 (ANI): Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Prahlad Singh Patel on Friday informed in Rajya Sabha that there are several factors including weather conditions causing fluctuations in prices for tomato, onion and potato (TOP) crops. These factors include the arrival of TOP crops from non-traditional areas/other parts of the country, season-wise change in crop-sowing pattern, the early arrival of crop from next Rabi/Kharif season and residual of previous season's crop etc, he said. Also Read | Gold Demand Likely To Reach Pre COVID-19 Levels in 2022, Says Quantum MF. During the ongoing Budget Session in the Parliament, the minister said that the ministry provides transportation/storage subsidy at 50 per cent for notified fruits and vegetables including (TOP) crops at the time of glut situation during harvest season under short term intervention of scheme of Operation Greens (OG) which helps in price stabilization for farmers as well as consumers. The Ministry is also maintaining Market Intelligence and Early Warning System (MIEWS) Portal to keep watch on current prices of Tomato, Onion and Potato (TOP) crops through the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) and accordingly, low price alerts are issued to concerned departments of States from time to time, he said. Also Read | Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections 2022: From Yogi Adityanath to Akhilesh Yadav, Here Are CM Probables In UP. "The OG scheme is being implemented only since November 2018 and accordingly, no study has been conducted on the subject," Patel said. The 2022 Budget Session of the Parliament commenced on January 31 with President Ram Nath Kovind's address. The first part of the budget session is being held from January 31 to February 11 and the second part will take place from March 14 to April 8. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai, Feb 4 (PTI) The country's foreign exchange reserves declined by USD 4.531 billion to stand at USD 629.755 billion in the week ended January 28, RBI data showed on Friday. In the previous week ended January 21, the reserves had decreased by USD 678 million to USD 634.287 billion. It touched a lifetime high of USD 642.453 billion in the week ended September 3, 2021. Also Read | Rajasthan Shocker: 4-Year-Old Girl Raped By Relative In Jalore; Accused Arrested. During the reporting week ended January 28, the decrease in the reserves was on account of a fall in the foreign currency assets (FCAs), a major component of the overall reserves, and gold reserves. FCAs tumbled by USD 3.504 billion to USD 566.077 billion, as per weekly data by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Also Read | AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi Rejects 'Z' Security, Asks Govt To File Case Under UAPA After Attack on Him. Expressed in dollar terms, the foreign currency assets include the effect of appreciation or depreciation of non-US units like the euro, pound and yen held in the foreign exchange reserves. Gold reserves dipped by USD 844 million to USD 39.493 billion in the reporting week. The special drawing rights (SDRs) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) declined by USD 141 million to USD 19.011 billion. The country's reserve position with the IMF also dipped by USD 42 million to USD 5.174 billion, the data showed. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Bengaluru, Feb 4 (PTI) In the wake of the 'hijab' (headscarf) row, the Karnataka government has asked educational institutions to follow existing uniform related rules, until the High Court comes out with an order in this regard, next week. Also Read | JKBOSE Class 12 Jammu Division Result 2021 For Winter Zone Declared At jkbose.nic.in; Here Are Steps To Check The Scores. With the issue snowballing into a major controversy spreading to other educational institutions, and the matter coming up before the High Court, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai today held a meeting with Primary and Secondary Education Minister B C Nagesh and top government officials, regarding the government's stand. Also Read | West Bengal Municipal Elections 2022: TMC Releases Candidate List for February 27 Polls. Congress leader Siddaramaiah threw his weight behind Muslim girls on their right to wear the hijab to educational institutions, and hit out at the BJP government. "As the matter is before the court, the Chief Minister today held a meeting with the Legal department and the Primary and Secondary Education departments. He has advised us to inform the government's stand to the court after getting the Advocate General's opinion. Legal department informed the meeting as to what the law and rules say," Nagesh said. Alleging "hidden hands" behind the hijab controversy as attempts are on to make it an international news, Nagesh said, "some people who are against this country, as part of a propaganda, are doing this. They are unable to digest India's standing globally and the respect our Prime Minister is getting internationally." Speaking to reporters here, the Minister said, rules have been framed in 2013, 2018 on the basis of the Karnataka Education Act, according to which educational institutions and its SDMC (School Development and Monitoring Committee) have the rights to prescribe the uniform to its students. "We have gone through all this and the government will take a decision soon. We have already issued a circular stating that uniforms prescribed by the SCDMs before the academic year and worn by the students until now, should be continued until the High Court's verdict is out," he said, adding that no one can impose their personal or any religion's stand in educational institutions. The Karnataka High Court on February 8 will hear the petitions filed by five girls studying in a Government Pre-university College in Udupi, questioning hijab restriction in college. There is an ongoing row over wearing hijab by some students at a government pre-university college at Udupi. In another incident, Muslim girl students of the Kundapur PU college, who reached the institution wearing the hijab, were stopped at the gate by the principal. A number of Hindu students, mostly boys, came to college wearing saffron shawls, as a counter to the Muslim girls wearing hijabs. The Minister pointed out that the Kerala and Bombay High Court have specifically stated in their earlier orders that headscarves can't be worn in educational institutions. "....Kerala and Bombay High Court have clearly stated in their judgement relating to similar cases at institutions there, that headscarf cannot be worn," he said. Appealing to students not to become "scapegoat" for someone else, he said, let there not be any atmosphere of hatred, at the time when they will have to face exams in about two months. The Minister said students had joined these schools because of their good reputation, and at the time of joining the Principal had informed them about the rules and regulations there, including uniform rules, in writing, which they had accepted in writing and had signed for it. "Until January first week, rules were followed duly by all students, but thereafter what mischief by some one, led them to take such a stand (regarding wearing hijab) and boycott classes, we are unable to understand," he said, adding that for the last one month several attempts have been made by local MLAs and community leaders to convince the girl students. To a question about more students coming to educational institutions wearing hijab and Hindu students coming with saffron shawl as a retaliatory measure, he said, "there may be some natural reactions, but we have also not allowed those who had come wearing saffron shawls to attend classes. There is no different stand for them." Meanwhile, coming out in support of Muslim girl's right to wear hijab, Siddaramaiah said, denying the girls entry inside a college, that too a government college is a violation of the students' fundamental rights. He accused the BJP of instigating students to wear saffron shawls, to make it an issue. Hitting back at Siddaramaiah, Nagesh said the rules regarding uniform were framed during the Congress leader's government and asked him to study the Karnataka Education Act and related rules. Stating that educational institutions have uniforms and one cannot wear what one likes for religious reasons, Kannada and Culture Minister V Sunil Kumar said the BJP government won't let Karnataka, Udupi or Mangaluru become "another Taliban." Some groups are trying to make campuses religious, he alleged. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Dharamsala (HP), Feb 4 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Friday announced increasing the grant to families belonging to the Scheduled Castes for purchase of tools and also declared naming one college library in each district after Dalit icon B R Ambedkar. Presiding over the meeting of Himachal Pradesh Scheduled Castes Welfare Board here, the chief minister said the grant to SC families for purchase of tools will be raised from Rs 1,300 to Rs 5,000 and that for sewing machine from Rs 1,800 to Rs 5,000 to facilitate the people of these communities. Also Read | Railway Ministry Taking Steps for Effective, Speedy Implementation of Rail Projects. He also announced that one college library in each district of the state would be named after Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Library as a mark of respect to the principal architect of the Indian Constitution. The chief minister said the main concern of the Himachal Pradesh government was to uplift the people belonging to Scheduled Castes and top priority was being laid to ensure that they get maximum benefits of the welfare schemes initiated by the state as well as the central governments. Also Read | Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections 2022: From CM Yogi Adityanath to Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan, Here are the 7 Key Candidates In Upcoming Polls in UP. He said that a transparent mechanism should be adopted to ensure that a genuine beneficiary was not deprived of being selected for various welfare schemes. He said that complete transparency must also be ensured in selection of BPL families from SC community. Thakur said the state government has constructed Ambedkar Bhawans in all the Assembly constituencies. He said about 51 have been already completed and remaining were in different stages of completion. He said the state government has launched a special recruitment drive to fill up the backlog of SC vacancies in government jobs and directed police to take stern action in cases of atrocities against people belonging to this community. The chief minister said adequate funds have been made available for providing water, paths and street lights in Scheduled Castes-dominated villages. The state government recently decided to enhance income limit for availing benefits of various welfare schemes meant for this community from existing Rs 35,000 to Rs 50,000 per annum, he noted. Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Sarveen Chaudhary said an amount Rs 929 crore was being spent for providing social security pension to different categories in the state during the current financial year. Principal Secretary R.D. Nazeem, Director Social Justice and Empowerment Vivek Bhatia, Chief Whip and MLA Vikram Jaryal, Dharamshala MLA Vishal Nehria, Director Rural Development Rugved Thakur, Kangra Deputy Commissioner Nipun Jindal were among others present on the occasion. Other Deputy Commissioners joined the meeting virtually from their respective districts. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Nagpur, Feb 4 (PTI) The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has directed the Khaperkheda Thermal Power Station (KTPS) in Nagpur district to stop dumping ash slurry into a water body in Nandgaon village amid complaints by local residents that it is causing pollution. Also Read | Apple Car Likely To Come With Unique Sunroof Technology: Report. MPCB's Nagpur regional officer A M Kare has issued a letter to the KTPS earlier this week, in which he warned that if it fails to follow the direction, then the board will initiate "appropriate legal action". Also Read | Weather Forecast: Wet Spell Over Northwest, Northeast, and East India; Snowfall Over Western Himalayan Region. Residents of Nandgaon had earlier filed complaints with the Maharashtra government alleging that due to increased air and water pollution as a result of dumping of ash slurry by the thermal power plant, they were suffering from health issues. "The MPCB has received various complaints regarding disposal of ash slurry into Nandgaon ash pond without permission or without providing any precautionary measures, which results in water and air pollution in the vicinity. Accordingly, boards official had inspected the Nandgaon ash pond and verified the disposal of ash slurry there without providing any pollution control arrangements," the board's letter to the KTPS said. In November 2021, a report titled 'Polluted Power: How Koradi And Khaperkheda Thermal Power Stations are Impacting The Environment' was released by Manthan Adhyayan Kendra, Centre for Sustainable Development (CFSD) and Asar, an environmental advocacy organisation that mapped out the water contamination in areas around the Maharashtra State Power Generation Company's (Mahagenco) 2,400 MW Koradi and 1,340 MW Khaperkheda thermal power plants. Researchers found that almost every water sample collected across 25 locations (surface and groundwater across rivers Kanhan and Kolar) near 21 villages failed to meet national drinking water standards and identified toxic elements like mercury, arsenic, lithium, aluminum, and other elements exceeded safe limits by 10-15 times. (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, Feb 4 (PTI) The Supreme Court Friday said it would hear on February 8 the plea filed by MBBS students seeking postponement of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) scheduled to be held on March 12 for admissions to post graduate medical courses. A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Surya Kant said it has come to know in the afternoon that they have postponed the examination for of 6-8 weeks. Also Read | Rajasthan Shocker: 4-Year-Old Girl Raped By Relative In Jalore; Accused Arrested. Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for the six students who have filed the petition, said that postponement of the exam by 6-8 weeks only impacted the larger relief sought by the petitioners but still some issues remain. He said the issue was that deadline of May 31, 2022 has been fixed for completion of one year internship which was difficult to meet as the doctors after an announcement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi have got engaged in COVID duty. Also Read | AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi Rejects 'Z' Security, Asks Govt To File Case Under UAPA After Attack on Him. Sankaranarayanan said that pursuant to the Prime Minister's announcement circulars were issued by various colleges and these doctors joined as frontline workers for COVID duties. He pointed out to the bench that the last date for filling the application for the students has been fixed February 4. The bench said, We can always extend the deadline but we would like to hear the other side also. It asked Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain, appearing for the Centre in some other matter, to take instructions with regard to relief sought by the MBBS students. Jain said he was to appear in some other matter and if no one is there for the Centre, he will seek instructions and inform the court on Monday or Tuesday. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, also appearing for the students, suggested that the court take up the matter on February 8 at 2pm. The bench then posted the matter for further hearing on next Tuesday, February 8. The petitioners Shivam Satyarthee and others in their plea filed through Dubey Law Chambers have claimed that many MBBS graduates would not be able to take up the examination due to non-completion of mandatory internship period. They sought a direction to the National Board of Examination to defer the scheduled test until various requirements, such as completion of mandatory internship period, set forth in the PG Regulations, are met by many aspirants. One of the NEET PG regulations said that 30 beds of a hospital have to be assigned to one unit of students pursuing the PG course and now two students of two academic sessions will have to be accommodated in the same facility. The petition raises a challenge to the violation of NEET PG Regulations, 2000, while admitting candidates for academic sessions in one session as there is an "explicit cap on the number of PG admissions to be done per year per unit", a lawyer of the firm said. Several hundred MBBS graduates, whose internship got halted due to their duty in tackling COVID-19 pandemic, would be rendered ineligible from appearing in the NEET-PG test due to lack of mandatory internship duty that too without their fault, the plea said while seeking deferment of the test. It referred to the statement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 3 last year to postpone NEET-PG 2021 by at least four months and the fact that the services of final year MBBS doctors will be utilised to handle mild Covid cases. The plea challenges the condition provided in the information bulletin which provides for a deadline of May 31, 2022 for completion of internship. "The petitioners (with 1500 candidates) have mentioned that they were in Covid duties in the year 2021 and therefore their internship was postponed. They have submitted that they are victims of circumstances and that they were not informed at any time that serving in Covid duties would tantamount to a situation where they will not be eligible to appear for the NEET-PG," advocate Tanvi Dubey said. The plea has sought an extension of the deadline of completion of internship from May 31. The apex court, on January 7, had paved the way for starting the stalled NEET-PG 2021 counselling process based on the existing 27 per cent OBC and 10 per cent EWS reservations in the All India Quota seats, saying there is an "urgent need" to begin the admission process. (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, Feb 4 (PTI) Omicron variant is the dominant variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the country at present, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar informed Lok Sabha on Friday. According to the World Health Organization, the Omicron variant has significantly increased transmissibility as compared to the Delta variant, and as a result, it is rapidly replacing the latter globally, Pawar said in reply to a written question. Also Read | JKBOSE Class 12 Jammu Division Result 2021 For Winter Zone Declared At jkbose.nic.in; Here Are Steps To Check The Scores. "As per the available evidence, vaccines help in terms of lesser people getting infected, lesser hospitalisation and lesser severity of disease amongst the patients," she stated. Responding to a question on whether the Omicron variant, termed the worst variant, is more pathogenic and if it can break through vaccine protection, Pawar said it is designated by WHO as a variant of concern, on the advice of the global body's Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution (TAG-VE). Also Read | West Bengal Municipal Elections 2022: TMC Releases Candidate List for February 27 Polls. This decision was based on evidence presented to the TAG-VE that Omicron has several mutations that may have an impact on how it behaves, for example, on how easily it spreads or the severity of illness it causes. "While there is limited available data and no peer-reviewed evidence on vaccine efficacy or effectiveness for Omicron, Omicron variant is expected to have increased ability to evade immunity as compared to prior variants, causing re-infections in those who have had a previous infection and in those who have been vaccinated," Pawar said in her reply. However, vaccine protection occurs through antibodies as well as through cellular immunity, which is expected to be relatively better preserved, she said. Based on the population estimates from the Registrar General of India (RGI), 89.63 crore adult population (95.5 per cent) has received a single dose of COVID-19 vaccine as on February 2, 2022. The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), jointly initiated by the Union Ministry of Health, Department of Biotechnology (DBT) with Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and ICMR is a consortium of laboratories to monitor genomic variations in SARS-CoV-2. "Initially, 10 labs and now with the addition of government and private labs, the consortium has 52 laboratories. Omicron variant is the dominant variant in the country, presently," Pawar stated. Since January 3, COVID-19 vaccination has been initiated for the age-group of 15-18 years, and a provision has also been made for administration of a precautionary third dose for healthcare workers, frontline workers and people above 60 years of age with co-morbidities since January 10. The Co-WIN Portal has made necessary provisions to record precaution dose administered to eligible due beneficiaries, Pawar said. On the other measures taken or being taken, Pawar said the government has been supporting states and union territories in their endeavour to manage COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. Given the emergence of mutated variants with variable impact on transmissibility, virulence and effectiveness of vaccines, the likelihood of resurgence of COVID-19 trajectory in the country is monitored by various expert committees. The Health Ministry continues to keep a close watch over the COVID-19 situation across the country and globally as well, Pawar said. With the reporting of the Omicron variant and its classification as a variant of concern by the WHO, the ministry revised its guidelines for international arrivals. Following a risk-based approach, provisions for mandatory pre-departure and post-arrival RT-PCR testing on day eighth of arrival and a mandatory home quarantine for seven days have been made in the present guidelines for all international travellers to India. Besides regular review meetings at the level of the Union health minister with all relevant stakeholders, meetings with states and UTs through video conferencing have been conducted. States and UTs have been repeatedly urged to undertake strict monitoring of international travellers in the community, do contact tracing of positive individuals and follow up for 14 days, genome sequencing of positive samples through INSACOG labs in a prompt manner, continued monitoring of areas where cluster of positive cases emerges. Further strengthening of COVID-19 testing infrastructure and ensuring early identification of cases through adequate testing across the states and ensuring preparedness of health infrastructure and upgrading the same under ECRP-II including in rural areas and for pediatric cases, ensuring COVID-19 vaccination for the eligible population among others have been highlighted. The Health Ministry, vide letter dated 28th June 2021, has circulated to all states and UTs guiding principles for imposition of restrictions or allowing relaxation in context of COVID-19. This has been reiterated by the Home Ministry under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 vide an order dated 29th June 2021, the minister said. The Health Ministry continues to provide support to states and UTs to enhance preparedness and response capacities. Funding support is also provided to states and UTs through the National Health Mission, State Disaster Response Funds and Emergency COVID-19 Response and Preparedness packages. Under ECRP phase II, a package of Rs 23,123 crores (with Rs 15,000 crore as central component) has been approved to upgrade health infrastructure. Of this, as on January 31, funds to the tune of Rs 7,245.95 crore have been released to states and UTs as part of the central component, Pawar stated in the written reply. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) WINDHOEK Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Namibia's Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform Calle Schlettwein on Monday said the country's agricultural sector is improving and doing well despite the challenges brought about by the outbreak of COVID-19. "We are doing well, the agricultural sector is growing. We have market access to the best-buying markets in the world and we can pick and choose which commodities to export. We have the best breeds while we are the only country in Africa to export beef to the European Union, United States of America, China and the rest of Africa," Schlettwein said at a staff meeting in Windhoek. According to Schlettwein, the agricultural sector will focus on unlocking the potential of green schemes as well as bringing up small scale farmers in order to improve their livelihoods while intensifying crop production. In the third quarter of 2021, the import bill for agricultural commodities stood at 228 million Namibian dollars while export earnings stood at 565 million Namibian dollars, showing that the country was a net exporter of agricultural commodities for that period, according to data from Namibia Statistics Agency. Bengaluru, Feb 4 (PTI) Further relaxing COVID-19 curbs, the Karnataka government on Friday decided to allow theatres, gyms, yoga centres and swimming pools in the state to operate at full capacity. Also Read | Maharashtra: Couple Arrested in Thane by Anti-Evasion Wing for GST Evasion of Rs 12 Crore. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai with the Health Minister, senior officials and technical advisory committee representatives. Also Read | Gold Demand Likely To Reach Pre COVID-19 Levels in 2022, Says Quantum MF. "Certain curbs like- theatres, gyms, yoga centres, swimming pools among others to operate with 50 per cent capacity had continued. At today's meeting, it has been decided to relax these curbs by following certain precautionary measures," Health Minister K Sudhakar said. Speaking to reporters here after the meeting, he said the decision has been taken after considering the current COVID situation and the rate of hospitalisation which was 5-6 per cent in January, coming down to 2 per cent. "Theatres and film industry had faced losses due to COVID, so aimed at creating a conducive atmosphere for them to carry on with their activities and for the benefit of the people, it has been decided that theatres can operate with 100 per cent seating capacity from tomorrow itself. Similarly gyms, yoga centres and swimming pools can also operate with full capacity," he added. Stating that certain precautionary measures will be released in the form of a guidelines that has to be followed, the Minister said those going to theatres should wear masks compulsorily. Food items will not be allowed inside the cinema hall, he said. Further two dose vaccination is mandatory for those entering theatres, gyms, yoga centres, swimming pools. "Authorities, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials will keep check on the implementation, and will take necessary action in case of any violation." With the third wave of the pandemic receding, the government had recently decided to remove most of the curbs, including revoking the daily night curfew and 50 per cent seating limitation on pubs, restaurants, hotels and eateries, and allowing schools to resume physical classes in Bengaluru. Earlier, the government had also lifted the weekend curfew. With several new movies getting lined up for release, the government was under pressure from the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) to allow 100 per cent occupancy in theatres. Stating that KFCC members have promised to abide by rules, the Minister in response to a question said, the rules and curbs in place for marriage and convention halls, will continue. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Jaipur, February 4: Rajasthan health minister Parsadi Lal Meena on Friday said tobacco is not the only reason behind cancer because there are people who consume tobacco or smoke but do not get cancer. Those who do not consume tobacco also get cancer. It also happens that those who heavily consume tobacco do not get this disease, he told reporters after addressing a seminar on World Cancer Day here. World Cancer Day 2022: Fear of Chemotherapy Delays Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Say Experts. I live in village and there are people who consume tobacco 20 times a day, but they never become cancer patients in their life, even after 100 years, 80 years, whereas those who do not consume become cancer patients, he said. The minister was replying to a query about the government's efforts to curb use of tobacco. He said cancer can happen to anyone and it is for the doctors to describe the causes in detail. Earlier in the day, the minister said that cancer was detected in 278 patients during a screening of 4,000 persons done by Early Detection Vans in the last two months in the state. He said camps are being organised up to the Panchayat level for early detection and treatment of cancer in the state. In the last two months, nine camps have been organised by these vans, out of which more than 278 cancer patients were found after screening 4000 people. They were advised to get admitted to hospitals for treatment, he said. Meena said that the vans are not only going from village to village to screen and treat people, but are also making people aware of cancer. He said that early detection and early treatment of cancer is the only prevention. He directed the officers to conduct effective screening of patients in Cancer Care Units located in all district hospitals. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) London, Feb 4: Four of Boris Johnson's closest aides have resigned, in the latest setback for the embattled British prime minister trying to reset his government in the wake of the Downing Street 'Partygate' scandal that has put his position in peril. Johnson's longstanding policy chief Munira Mirza, chief of staff Dan Rosenfield, principal private secretary Martin Reynolds, and communications director Jack Doyle all left their posts within hours of each other on Thursday, days after a damning investigation revealed that multiple parties took place at Downing Street while the rest of the United Kingdom was living under strict Covid-19 lockdown rules. Also Read | US Warns Chinese Companies Over Efforts to Evade Export Controls on Russia. Doyle confirmed his exit shortly after the departure of Mirza. They were followed by Rosenfield and Reynolds, the BBC reported on Friday. The top aides' resignations come as Johnson, 57, faces increasing questions over his leadership from within his party. Doyle told staff that "recent weeks have taken a terrible toll on my family life", but that he had always intended to leave after two years. A statement from a No 10 spokeswoman said Rosenfield had offered his resignation to the prime minister earlier on Thursday but would stay on while his successor was found. Reynolds - the prime minister's principal private secretary - will do the same, but then return to a role at the Foreign Office, the report said. However, Mirza quit over the Prime Minister's false claim that opposition Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile when he was director of public prosecutions, and his refusal to apologise. Mirza was the first to go, using a stinging resignation letter to accuse the prime minister of scurrilous behaviour when he falsely linked Starmer to the failure to bring paedophile Jimmy Savile to justice. Mirza's exit is the most consequential. She was one of Johnson's long-standing allies and a key political player who helped shape the prime minister's platform - some of which made her unpopular with other members of his ruling Conservative Party. Chancellor Rishi Sunak publicly distanced himself from Johnson's original comment, saying: "Being honest, I wouldn't have said it." And asked if Johnson should apologise, the Indian-origin leader said: "That's for the prime minister to decide." Sunak has previously declined to criticise Johnson directly throughout the weeks of revelations about lockdown-busting parties in Downing Street, though he has acknowledged that mistakes were made. The flurry of resignations came at the end of an important day for the government as the chancellor sought to explain how he hopes to avert a cost of living crisis for millions of people affected by rising fuel bills and mortgage payments. The pressure for Johnson to step down has been increasing among members of his Conservative party after a series of missteps and allegations he and his team held rule-breaking parties during the pandemic. Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said: "No amount of reorganising Downing Street can clean up the sleaze that comes straight from the top. "With [Johnson's] senior advisers and aides quitting, perhaps it is finally time for him to look in the mirror and consider if he might just be the problem," Rayner said. Johnson's former adviser Dominic Cummings claimed Mirza's departure was an unmistakable signal the bunker is collapsing and this PM is finished. He urged ministers to show a similar flicker of moral courage and resign. A number of MPs supportive of the prime minister have been tweeting praise, suggesting Johnson was responsible for making necessary staff changes following the damning report by civil servant Sue Gray into rule-breaking parties at Downing Street during the pandemic. The report, released Monday, uncovered multiple parties and a culture of excessive drinking at Downing Street. Gray said there had been a "failure of leadership" in Johnson's government. Against the backdrop of the pandemic, when the Government was asking citizens to accept far-reaching restrictions on their lives, some of the behavior surrounding these gatherings is difficult to justify," the report said. Three Conservative MPs went public on Wednesday with their intention to submit letters of no confidence in the prime minister. One senior Tory MP said the departure of Mirza smacked of the last days of Rome, suggesting the number of no confidence letters may now be approaching the threshold of 54 that would trigger a no-confidence vote., The Guardian newspaper reported. If Johnson lost such a vote, which could be held within days, his premiership would be over. Johnson told a journalist from Britain's Channel 5 News that he's "sorry to lose" Mirza, who had worked with the prime minister for 14 years. Johnson said he did not agree with Mirza's assertion that his comments on Starmer were inappropriate. Mirza, often seen as a proponent of Downing Street's war on woke, had worked with Johnson for more than a decade, including at City Hall when he was mayor of London. He previously identified her as one of the five most inspiring women in his life. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Paris [France], February 4 (ANI): France will be debating a bill today regarding forced organ harvesting in China in the lower house of parliament. The bill to be debated points to a lack of transparency between French and Chinese hospitals. Several politicians have concerns that medical professionals in France could be complicit in forced organ harvesting from prisoners of concern in China, reported NTD News. Also Read | US Warns Chinese Companies Over Efforts to Evade Export Controls on Russia. In a bill to be debated, French MPs are questioning the lack of transparency in China's lucrative organ harvesting trade. Independent reports show that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been harvesting organs of political prisoners without consent for about 30 years. Also Read | Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, Islamic State Leader, Killed During US Raid in Syria, Says Joe Biden. The victims are Christians, Uyghurs and Falun Gong practitioners in China, reported NTD News. Research quoted in the bill said that China conducted an estimated 60,000 to 100,000 organ transplants per year. These organs are sold to not only rich Chinese people but also to foreigners who travel to China for organs transplants. This practice has been denounced in EU's resolution in 2012, calling for the immediate release of prisoners of concern in China, reported NTD News. But, it did not stop the Chinese regime from continuing to harvest organs and one issue remains to be addressed - the complicity of French surgeons and hospitals, who help their Chinese counterparts. Head of Research and Technology Development, Salpetriere Hospital, Alexis Genin said in the 2018 Senate hearing that there is direct cooperation between French and Chinese surgeons, reported NTD News. "Our French organ transplant system is formidable, our best surgeons have taught and trained Chinese surgeons for the past 20 years. What they know about transplantation, they learned of from us," said Genin. The bill is supported with evidence from the French hospitals' programmes, helping Chinese transplantation systems. In 2019, the French delegation including a top French Heart Hospital director and president of the National Academy of Surgery officially opened a French-Chinese hospital in Shanghai. Each year ten cardiologists from Asia Heart Hospital in Wuhan are trained by the University Hospital of Bordeaux at a cost of approximately Euro 90,000 each. This involves the cooperation of French universities, pharmaceuticals, public hospitals and surgeons, reported NTD News. Investigative journalist Ethan Gutmann presented evidence to the National Assembly on his work, interviewing Uyghurs and former prisoners of concerns. He also said that pharmaceutical companies play a role. "French companies are trying to sell products that are directly related to organ harvesting in China and one of our pharmaceutical manufacturers is certainly selling immuno-suppressive drugs," said Gutmann. Gutmann said that pharmaceutical drugs are means to preserve the health conditions of people who have received an organ, reported NTD News. However, these drug companies played a major role in the fast development of forced organ harvesting in China beginning from the 90s. If the bill presented in the National Assembly is implemented, it might force French hospitals and companies to show evidence that the organs for transplant are ethically sourced. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Soldiers deployed in UN Peacekeeping mission Indian Army (IA) has been contributing personnel to other countries to help in peacekeeping under the UN peacekeeping missions since 1950. At present 5,404 Indian peacekeepers are deployed in eight UN Missionshttps://t.co/ibrDVQALyu pic.twitter.com/TLkH0C90PT PIB India (@PIB_India) February 4, 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.) President Joe Biden on Thursday issued a warning on terrorists as he lauded the recent operation of the U.S. Military in Syria, that led to the death of an ISIS leader. Biden issued the warning on terrorists while speaking at the Roosevelt Room of the White House, as the president emerged to deliver a brief statement regarding the situation of the military's mission in Syria, per CNN. "This operation is a testament to America's reach and capability to take out terrorist threats no matter where they try to hide anywhere in the world... We will come after you and find you," Pres. Joe Biden said. According to Associated Press, the U.S. military's mission occurred in the town of Atmeh in Syria, near the Turkish border. The said area was known to have camps for "internally displaced people during the country's civil war. "I'm determined to protect the American people from terrorist threats, and I'll take decisive action to protect this country," Biden added. READ NEXT: Biden: Deportation of Mexican 'Hit-and-Run' Driver Canceled Over New DHS Rules Joe Biden Confirms ISIS Leader's Death On Thursday, Biden also confirmed the death of the ISIS Leader, which is also the target of the U.S. military. According to Biden the ISIS leader, identified as Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, died in an "act of desperate cowardice" as he blew himself up as the US militaries approached the perimeter of the building they were staying. "He chose to blow himself up - not just with a vest, but to blow up the third floor - rather than face justice for the crimes he has committed, taking several members of his family with him," the president noted. Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby noted that al-Qurayshi's death was confirmed through fingerprints and DNA. Pres. Joe Biden thanked the US military who responded in the area for their "skills and bravery." According to reports, about 50 U.S. special operations forces who landed from helicopters attacked the house in Syria. Witnesses said that the exchange of gunfire continues for at least two hours as it jolted down the town of Atameh. Biden claimed that he ordered the military to "take every precaution available to minimize the civilian casualty," but victims were still recorded. The Associated Press noted that first responders reported at least 13 civilian deaths, including six children and four women. Meanwhile, the Pentagon press secretary noted that the authorities evacuated 10 people from the building. Kirby also noted that when al-Qurayshi ignited the bomb, the ISIS leader also killed his wife and two children in the process. Authorities then underscored that there were no American casualties during the operation. ISIS Leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi took over as an ISIS leader in October of 2019. He became the leader of the terrorist group days after his predecessor, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, died during a U.S. raid. Al-Qurayshi was known to be a secretive leader of the terrorist group as he only presided over a diminished version of the group and did not appear in public. U.S. officials also claimed that the said ISIS leader did not go out of his apartment except when he will bathe on the building's roof. It was unclear how al-Qurayshi's death would affect the terrorist group. However, senior administration officials noted that his demise will be a "blow" to ISIS. READ NEXT: Russia-Ukraine Tensions: Pres. Joe Biden to Heighten Troop Presence in Eastern Europe This article is owned by Latin Post. Written By: Joshua Summers WATCH: ISIS leader killed during U.S. raid in Syria - From ABC News Earlier in January, California Gov. Gavin Newsom had deployed more than 200 members of the National Guard to help ramp up the state's effort in COVID-19 testing amid the spread of the Omicron variant. A free COVID-19 testing pop-up site can now be visited by Los Angeles residents for walk-ins until 4 p.m. in Highland Park, opening from 10 a.m., according to an NBC Los Angeles News report. Councilman Gil Cedillo's office announced the pop-up site's schedule. Its location is at a parking lot at 124 N. Ave. 59. Cedillo's office is hosting the pop-up with the disaster relief organization Community Organized Relief Effort. The Black Infants and Families LA also announced in the last week of January that there will be a free COVID-19 testing and vaccinations available at the Los Angeles Sentinel, which is available from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. February 1, 2022, from 10 am - 2:30 pm, there will be FREE Covid-19 Vaccinations and testing available at the Los Angeles Sentinel. For scheduling, please email mothersinactioninc@aol.com with your name, date of birth, zip code, phone number, and preferred appointment time. pic.twitter.com/6FnqBQ4Blp Black Infants and Families LA (@bif_la) January 28, 2022 Cedillo also announced the availability of the Graff Lab site to those who want to get tested. He added that there is no appointment necessary. There's no line to get tested at the Graff Lab right now for FREE COVID-19 testing. No appointment is necessary. Today 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1038 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90015. You can park inside and enter the parking lot from S. Union Ave. pic.twitter.com/GMVhd1O4EK Gil Cedillo (@gilcedillo) February 2, 2022 The councilman said that vulnerable residents continue to need help due to the ongoing pandemic, adding that the Omicron variant surge is going down. However, there are still cases among the unvaccinated and breakthrough cases. Cedillo urged the public to wear upgraded masks such as N95, KN95, or KF94, while practicing social distancing, getting tested, and vaccinated. READ NEXT: Judge Discontinues U.S. Pres. Joe Biden's COVID Vaccine Mandate for Federal Contractors Nationwide COVID-19 Testing Kits in Los Angeles Los Angeles County has expanded its pick-up free COVID-19 test kits to more libraries across the area, according to a KTLA 5 News report. Fourteen new county libraries will get additional 7,000 free COVID-19 testing kits available to the public every day. Residents can pick up PRC test kits without appointments, allowing them to do the tests at home or in their cars. They can return their samples to the same site for processing. However, it needs to be returned within three to five days of receiving the test kits. Sameday Health offers its Topanga location for COVID-19 testing, as they announced on their Twitter account. Los Angeles, were excited to announce our new Topanga location at 6600 Topanga Canyon Blvd Suite #1042. Well be offering wellness services like vitamin injections as well as COVID testing. Were thrilled to be your local health & testing provider. #samedayhealth #losangeles pic.twitter.com/gk5zzYLUdQ Sameday Health (@sameday_testing) February 1, 2022 The kits being provided by the county are not rapid antigen tests, with results usually coming out within 24-48 hours. Anyone can get the tests regardless of their health insurance status. The kits can be procured on a first-come, first-served basis. There is also a limit of one kit per person or two kits for a family. L.A. County Home Test Collection program also sends at-home nasal swab test kits by mail to county residents that cannot pick up the kits themselves. More information about the program can be found here. COVID-19 Pandemic in Los Angeles L.A. officials noted that COVID has been the leading cause of death in L.A. County around the past two years, according to data from March 2020 to December 2021. Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer noted that the data stated around 24,497 lives were lost to COVID. The second leading cause of death in the area is coronary heart disease, responsible for 21,513 deaths, according to a Deadline report. Before January ended, COVID has taken its youngest victim with the 15-month-old child being among the 91 reported deaths in the county. However, details about the child's death were not made available to the public, according to another NBC Los Angeles news report. Actor Eddie Alfano commented on the ongoing pandemic affecting the area. Los Angeles Friends: "When do you think this Pandemic is going to be over?" Me: "When we move to Orange County." Eddie Alfano (@EddieAlfano) January 31, 2022 There are 2.68 million total cases of COVID in Los Angeles County, with the death toll reaching 29,099. READ MORE: More Than 5,000 Students in a Single Florida School District Quarantined or Isolated Due to COVID This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: LA County Launches COVID Test Kit Pick-Up At 13 Testing Sites - from CBS Los Angeles The presidents of Brazil and El Salvador have expressed their support to American podcaster Joe Rogan on Wednesday after Rogan's rift with Spotify has come to light. Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro directed his message to Rogan, saying that he is sending the American podcaster with "hugs." He also told him to stand his ground, according to a Breitbart News report. El Salvador's president Nayib Bukele used the issue to attempt to discredit his detractors, pointing out that U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has directly weighed in on Rogan's podcast, calling for him to be censored. Bolsonaro tweeted that he does not know what Rogan thinks about him or his government, adding that it does not matter. - I'm not sure what @joerogan thinks about me or about my government, but it doesn't matter. If freedom of speech means anything, it means that people should be free to say what they think, no matter if they agree or disagree with us. Stand your ground! Hugs from Brazil. Jair M. Bolsonaro (@jairbolsonaro) February 3, 2022 Some lauded Bolsonaro's support towards Rogan, with one Twitter user with a handle @MyArgue replying to the Brazilian president's tweet asking if they could live in Brazil. Dear President Bolsonaro, Could I get a special visa to come and live in your country where free speech is valued? Best wishes from Australia (the captive country) ArgueMyAss (@MyArgue) February 3, 2022 Twitter user @marcoaurelio969 described Bolsonaro as the "best Brazilian president ever." That's great Mr. BOLSONARO The best Brazilian president ever Marco em 2022 vote n 22 (@marcoaurelio969) February 3, 2022 Bukele also took on Twitter to express his sentiments regarding the matter, wherein he noted that freedom of the press is under attack in El Salvador. FrEeDoM oF tHe PrEsS iS uNdEr AtTaCk In El SaLvAdOr https://t.co/PkPlVOeOc0 Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) February 2, 2022 READ NEXT: Brazil: Senate Committee Recommends to Criminally Charge Pres. Jair Bolsonaro Over COVID Response Brazil's and EL Salvador's Presidents Bolsonaro has been known as the "Tropical Trump." He was also accused of spreading disinformation on the pandemic, according to a France24 News report. Last October, a major inquiry report found that Bolsonaro should be accused of a series of crimes over his pandemic management. The report was a gathered inquiry for six months and has revealed scandals and corruption in government, according to a BBC News report. The panel at the time wanted Bolsonaro to face a number of criminal charges, which included crimes against humanity. The Brazilian president said at the time that they that are guilty of "absolutely nothing." He then insisted that they did the right thing from the first moment. Bukele also has his own issues in his administration, with thousands of protesters marching back to the streets last October to demonstrate against his administration. The protesters were composed of feminist groups, human rights advocates, environmentalists, as well as opposition political parties. They were carrying signs that read, "Bitcoin is fraud," according to a DW News report. El Salvador has used the U.S. dollar as the legal currency for two decades when it decided to become the first country to use Bitcoin as the national currency. Twitter user @JacobOracle noted that El Salvador is down $20 million since investing in Bitcoin. El Salvador is now down over $20 million since investing in #Bitcoin pic.twitter.com/itA4w6KQm2 Jacob King (@JacobOracle) January 21, 2022 Iranian-American economist Nouriel Roubini called for the impeachment of Bukele since his decision over Bitcoin. El Salvador's experiment with Bitcoin is an unmitigated disaster: whoever held BTC lost 50%, the country spread is thru the roof and the sovereign is near bankrupt. They should impeach that buffoon @nayibbukele, a criminal president who is bankrupting the country! Nouriel Roubini (@Nouriel) January 23, 2022 Joe Rogan's Spotify Backlash Rogan came under fire after Spotify faced pressure to remove his podcast on the platform. The known UFC commentator issued an apology to the streaming platform and vowed to have more balance and better research on his program, according to a Sportskeeda report. Rogan's podcast episodes with Dr. Peter McCullough and Dr. Robert Malone are what generate the most amount of backlash. Spotify has since said that it will add a content advisory to any podcast episode that includes a discussion about the pandemic. White Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in her press briefing that they want every platform to be doing more to be calling out misinformation and disinformation while also touting accurate information. READ MORE: Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro Says Only God Can Remove Him From Power Amid Rallies, Supreme Court Fight This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Spotify taking steps to calm growing boycott over podcaster Joe Rogan - from CBC News Hundreds of migrants in the southern city of Tapachula in Mexico protested on Thursday against the government's delayed visa approval process. They also threatened to form a new caravan that would head towards the U.S. border. The migrants, largely from Haiti and other parts of Latin America, have been stranded in Tapachula in Chiapas state while waiting for their asylum and visa applications to be approved, Reuters reported. The migrants staged a protest outside Mexico's National Migration Institute (INM) offices in Tapachula, near the Guatemalan border, to demand documents that would regularize their stay in Mexico or eligibility to cross the border without being imprisoned. "They are playing with us," William, a young Salvadoran who identified himself as an organizer of the protest, told Reuters, adding that the authorities are causing the disorder. According to William, who declined to reveal his last name, the migrants would depart this week if there was no response. Migrant Woman Describes Their Situation in Mexico as 'Inhumane' Mexico has attempted to halt big waves of migrants traveling in caravans heading to the United States amid pressure from Washington. A Venezuelan woman in the crowd described the situation as "inhumane." She said they were stranded with many children, under the scorching heat of the sun, without food and a place to sleep. Many migrants fleeing their homelands want to reach the United States, while others seek refuge and protection in Mexico. In response to the protest, INM announced in a statement that "there is no need for marches or demonstrations" in Tapachula to complete the legal process for migrants. READ NEXT: Lakers Snap 3-Game Losing Streak With Win Over Portland Trail Blazers; Anthony Davis Leads LeBron James-Less Team Guatemala Approves Tougher Sentence For Human Traffickers As the government aims to crack down on smugglers known as "coyotes," Guatemala's Congress toughened prison sentences for human traffickers to up to 30 years on Tuesday. As part of reforms to the country's migration law, President Alejandro Giammattei proposed the initiative to Congress last Jan. 14 to enhance the terms to 10 to 30 years in prison, from two to five years. For each Guatemalan or foreign individual smuggled into national territory, traffickers will be fined between 100,000 and 200,000 quetzals (US$13,000 to US$26,000). According to a document on the reform, the penalty for the crimes of illegal trafficking is increased by two-thirds when the migrant is a pregnant woman or a minor. Some lawmakers voted against the bill since it did not address corruption within Guatemala, which foreign officials said is the root cause of a surge in illegal migration to the U.S. border. After dozens of migrants died due to overcrowding in transport vehicles or at the hands of criminal groups, Guatemala's government has sought to crack down on people-smuggling gangs. READ MORE: World Cup Qualifiers: Argentina Beats Colombia To Extend 29-Game Unbeaten Streak, Chile Holds On To World Cup Hope This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Jess Smith WATCH: Migrants in Southern Mexico Prevented From Moving Towards US Border - From Euronews Amazon residents in Ecuador are angry over the latest oil spill that has already reached the Coca River. Residents of Puerto Madero were among those affected by the oil spill that hit the Ecuadorian Amazon, Al Jazeera reported. Bolivia Buenano, who joined a clean-up crew from oil transport company OCP, said residents could no longer take a bath or drink from the river. She further noted that no fish could be seen in the river as a result of the oil spill. "This damage is not for a month, two months... It will be 20 years before things return to normal," Buenano said. Buenano also complained about the lack of state investment in Ecuador's Amazon provinces, which hold most of the country's oil wealth but are most affected by industrial disasters like oil spills. "This [oil spills] will continue as long as the pipeline and the crude oil network continue," Buenano noted. Ecuador's biggest export product is crude petroleum. Fecunae Indigenous organization's leader, Rosa Capinoa, who visited the affected areas, also echoed Buenano's statement that what happened will not be "fixed overnight." An Amazon resident said they were angry because they experience oil spills "every two or three years." The resident, a farmer in Puerto Madero, noted that the 2020 oil spill has put an end to fishing "for some time" and killed animals and plants on the islets of the river. READ NEXT: Ecuador Landslide Caused by Heavy Rains Kills 24 in Country's Capital Implications of Ecuador Oil Spill According to NDTV, a ruptured pipeline caused the leakage of almost 6,300 barrels into an environmental reserve in Ecuador's Amazon region. The said information was confirmed by the OCP, whose pipeline was responsible for the leak. In a statement, OCP President Jorge Vugdelija said that their company is utilizing manual labor and help from machines to "collect traces of crude oil" found in the Amazon waters. The firm noted that they collected and reinjected around 5,300 barrels of crude into the system since the accident on Friday. The oil was gathered in large basins deployed as an emergency measure every time there was a leak in the pipeline. "We will not spare resources to comply with the cleaning, remediation, and compensation," Vugdelija said. On Wednesday, Ecuador's Environmental Ministry characterized the oil spill as a "major pollution event," DW reported. The ministry said nearly two hectares or five acres of a nature reserve in the Cayambe Coca National Park were affected by the oil spill. According to reports, the protected area where the Coca River lies is known to house a wide variety of animals such as the red brocket deer and various amphibians. The said park also holds important water reserves in the region. The Cause of Ecuador Oil Spill Reports said heavy rains in Piedra Fina, the Amazonian province of Napo, on Friday caused a boulder to fall on a pipeline. The oil started to leak immediately after a rock hit the pipeline. On Monday, the OCP said they contained most of the leak. However, the government of Ecuador threatened the OCP with legal consequences for the oil spill. The company then pledged to supply clean water among Amazon residents in Ecuador who were affected by the oil spill. READ MORE: Peru Prosecutors Seek Travel Ban on Oil Company Executives After Oil Spill This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Joshua Summers WATCH: Images Capture Pipeline Spraying Crude Oil In Ecuador's Rainforest - From NBC News BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- For many Chinese consumers, the annual shopping spree for the Lunar New Year became a more flavorful experience this year as emerging online channels have helped transform purchasing patterns and expand shopping options. Getting a taste of the new year through food specialties is not enough. Sales of healthy and high-quality products from across the country and foreign states are flying among consumers due to the convenience of e-commerce and young people's growing appetite for a green lifestyle. With live streaming in vogue on e-commerce platforms, China's indigenous brands also jumped on the bandwagon and raked in huge profits with products that incorporate Chinese cultural elements. "CHINA-CHIC" Traditional culture has come under the spotlight in the country's consumer market, as Guochao, a trend translated as "China-chic," is sweeping across young groups that are obtaining stronger consumption capacity. Industry data echoed the growth trend. During the online Lunar New Year's Shopping Festival that kicked off on Jan. 10, more than 200 Chinese time-honored brands sold their products through live streaming, according to a report released by Taobao under e-commerce giant Alibaba. The transaction value of the flagship store of Churin Leaderfoods, selling a typical type of red sausage from northeastern Harbin, skyrocketed during the online shopping festival, while To To Kui, a catering brand known for its Cantonese dim sum, also saw its online sales soar. Ahead of the Chinese New Year, more companies have launched special items to embrace the China-chic fashion. "China-chic" has played an important role in the festival gift consumption trend for generation Z, as the order volume of gift box items with Chinese culture elements more than quadrupled, according to JD.com. "Fancy merchandises for Lunar New Year not only bring delicacies into fashion, but also make traditional culture come alive," said Liu Jianghong, vice head of School of Cultural Industries Management, Communication University of China. Goods for Lunar New Year are not created out of thin air, but come from the custom and people's interests, Liu added. NEW CUISINES AT TABLE Amid uncertainties from COVID-19 that impeded the journeys home in some areas, demands from young people for semi-finished dishes witnessed rapid growth. Sales of semi-finished dishes jumped by over 70 percent on the Ele.me platform. For young generations that cannot reunite with families and have limited cooking skills, these prepared cuisines are good options that meet their needs for a bumper dinner and retain ceremonial sense. Delicacies ranging from pepper chicken from southwestern Sichuan to seafood and poultry from southeastern Fujian went viral among post-70s and 80s consumers, the Tmall data showed. The semi-finished food industry has gained impetus from the rapid pace of modern life. China boasts more than 69,000 catering firms whose names or business scope include quick-frozen stuff, prepared food, semi-finished food, ready-to-eat, and clean vegetables, according to the corporate information provider Tianyancha. Chinese market volume of this sector topped 300 billion yuan (about 47 billion U.S. dollars) in 2021, while the figure is expected to exceed 830 billion yuan in 2025, said a report by the consulting firm, New Catering Big Data. SHARING FANCY TASTES While preparing shopping lists for the Spring Festival, consumers have an eye for purchasing high-quality goods from around China, not only local commodities that used to feature an atmosphere of festivity. Since the start of the online Lunar New Year's Shopping Festival, postal service for specialties saw a fast increase in both scale and frequency, and consumption enthusiasm for upscale food ingredients was ignited in rural regions. In the first week of the online shopping spree, orders to non-habitual residence grew by 30 percent year on year, and their proportion soared by over 50 percent from the usual levels, JD.com said. These orders came mainly from young people, who want to share good tastes with their parents during the special festival, according to the e-commerce platform Meituan. Among inter-provincial orders, more than a quarter were for food and beverages. On top of domestic specialties, consumers' appetites for imported goods are growing. About 1,800 live streaming events designed for goods from Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states attracted millions of viewers and raked in nearly 100 million yuan during the online shopping festival. California parents had pled not guilty to murder and child abuse charges against them after they decapitated their children and showed the bodies to their surviving siblings. The California parents, identified as Maurice J. Taylor Sr. and Natalie S. Brothwell, were charged with two counts of murder each for the deaths of their son Maurice Jr., 12; and daughter Maliaka, 13, according to a Daily Mail report. The children were allegedly killed on November 29 last year in their Lancaster home, which is about 70 miles northeast of Los Angeles. The children were found in separate bedrooms with stab wounds and lacerations five days later. Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris called the scene "brutal." The couple is also facing child abuse charges for their two sons, aged eight and nine, who were shown the bodies of their siblings. They were then locked in a room without food, according to prosecutors. READ NEXT: Chicago Cops Turned Their Backs on Mayor Lori Lightfoot at Hospital After Ella French Shooting California Parents Murder and Child Abuse Charges Taylor is a personal trainer in Santa Monica and had been holding virtual sessions with clients from his Lancaster home due to the COVID pandemic, according to a New York Post report. Some customers had alerted the authorities about a possible gas leak when they had not heard from Taylor in several days. Los Angeles County firefighters visited the home on November 29 last year and found the headless bodies of the children. Taylor was then arrested, and prosecutors accused him of decapitating the children and forcing the two younger children to live in view of their dead siblings' remains for five days. In December, Taylor noted in court that he wanted to represent himself in his trial, which prompted an LA County judge to direct a mental competency exam. Taylor said in court that he has taken criminal justice classes, adding that he knows his rights. He cited religious reasons for wanting to represent himself. He added that he has been seriously abused in prison and that there is a hit out for him now that he has proof of. The judge noted that it was a risky decision to represent himself and would create more of a "handicap" for Taylor than an advantage, according to a Law and Crime report. Taylor insisted and said that he trusts that God would help him in this because he believes he is "in the right." He said that police had already tried to kill, asserting that his lawyer's work would delay the case and put him in more danger. He then referred to the judge and implied that the judge could be in on the plot against him as well. The judge assured that they are not part of it before ordering a mental health evaluation. Meanwhile, the children's mother, Brothwell, was arrested last September at her home in Tucson, Arizona. She is currently facing the same counts as Taylor, according to a Fox News report. Taylor faces 57 years and four months to life in prison if he is convicted of the charges against him. However, it is not yet clear if Brothwell will be facing the same sentence. READ MORE: Killer Dad Chris Watts Spends 36th Birthday Alone in Prison: 'He's an Outcast,' Says Source This article is owned by Latin Post Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Mother of children found decapitated in Lancaster charged in their killings - from FOX 11 Los Angeles A Tennessee dad confessed that he threw his baby into a river and killed the mom of his two-day-old child after authorities arrested him. According to FOX 5, Brandon Isabelle was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, murder in the perpetration of aggravated kidnapping, especially aggravated kidnapping, and tampering with evidence. The Memphis Police Department said the 25-year-old Tennessee dad was detained Wednesday afternoon while officials searched for his daughter. In the evening, police announced that he was charged with the murder of 27-year-old Danielle Hoyle and their infant daughter Kennedy Hoyle. Danielle's family told WREG that the last time they heard from her was Tuesday night when she left to take her baby to a hospital for a test. Patrolling police officers found Danielle dead at around 11:15 p.m. Tuesday outside her vehicle in the area of Sedgewick street and Levi Road in Whitehaven. But no child was found at the scene. Reports noted that the drivers-side window of the car was knocked out. The preliminary investigation showed that Danielle had been shot multiple times in the head. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued an Amber Alert for the missing baby on Wednesday morning. Police said the baby's car seat was found near a dumpster outside a Walmart in Whitehaven. Authorities quickly zeroed in on the child's father as a suspect on Wednesday night. READ NEXT: California Greyhound Bus Shooting Leaves 1 Dead, 4 Others Wounded Tennessee Dad Admits Killing His Baby and Child's Mom According to the court documents obtained by PEOPLE, Brandon Isabelle admitted to luring Danielle Hoyle to the area where she was found dead. After shooting the woman, the Tennessee dad also confessed that he took the baby out of Danielle's car and drove her daughter to the Upper Mud Island Boat Ramp in Island Park that faces the Mississippi River. There, Isabelle threw the baby "into the water," followed by the gun he used to kill her mom, according to the police affidavit. The baby's body and the firearm have not been recovered. Police failed to find the infant during their search around Mud Island on Wednesday. In an update, police said they would continue to search for the baby in what was considered a recovery mission. "Kennedy Hoyle has not been located. However, evidence suggests that she is deceased. The search will continue to recover her remains," authorities noted. Sister of Tennessee Baby Grieves Over Deaths Kennedy Hoyle's big sister was gravely affected by the death of her mom and sister. Danielle Hoyle's mother, April Campbell, told PEOPLE that Riyah, the 10-year-old sister of the baby, kept on crying after she lost her sister and mom. "All my grandbaby knows is my daughter... All she does is cry and say she wants her mama," Campbell said, adding that the deaths of her daughter and her baby took a "toll on the whole family." Danielle's mother described her as the "kindest lady you could ever meet," adding that she did not bother anyone. Campbell is now planning for the funerals of her daughter and her baby granddaughter. But she needs to identify first Kennedy's remains when the authorities recover her. The Tennessee dad was given no bond and faced an arraignment hearing Friday. Reports said his previous record in Shelby County includes only traffic infractions. READ MORE: Mexico: 8 People Found Shot to Death, Bodies Dumped on Property in Michoacan State Plagued by Drug Cartels This article is owned by Latin Post. Written By: Joshua Summers WATCH: Dad Confessed to "Tossing" Kennedy Hoyle Into Mississippi River - From EVIL_EXISTS The Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office in Texas recently seized more than 42 kilograms of cocaine from a city maintenance worker, officials said. Jose Alfonso Trevino Jr., 44, of Hidalgo, was pulled over by a deputy on the 4700 block of South Jackson Road in Pharr late last month and admitted to possessing a personal use amount of cocaine. However, a search of the vehicle revealed two grocery bags on the rear floorboards that contained 10 bundles of cocaine. According to Progress Times, Hidalgo city manager Julian Gonzalez terminated Trevino on Tuesday. During a detention hearing on Tuesday afternoon, Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Alfred Fry said Trevino's offense is "serious" since it's not just a traffic stop. Fry noted that a significant amount of narcotics were discovered, and Trevino even tried to "tamper with, destroy, obstruct" the "evidence in this case." According to documents released under the Texas Public Information Act, the city of Hidalgo hired Trevino in June 2012, and he worked for the Water Department, which paid him about $10.35 per hour. Texas Man Admits to Cocaine Possession During Traffic Stop According to the criminal complaint, the "10 bundles of a white powdery substance" that were found inside Jose Alfonso Trevino Jr.'s vehicle "tested positive for the properties of cocaine." The bundles reportedly weighed nearly 11 kilograms. Agents with Homeland Security Investigations questioned Trevino about the illegal drugs. Prior to the interrogation, Trevino asked if he could call his wife, according to the criminal complaint. During the call, he asked his wife, Rita Eva Moreno-Tinoco, to inform their son to clean out the garage "in order for something to be parked in there." Other law enforcement agents had already started watching Trevino's house. When Moreno-Tinoco arrived in a white Chevrolet Traverse, officers saw her grab two plastic storage bins from the garage and put them in the vehicle. Officers then pulled her over and searched the Chevrolet. Police said 27 bundles or about 31 kilograms of cocaine were found inside the plastic storage bins that Moreno-Tinoco had previously removed from the garage. Agents charged Trevino and Moreno-Tinoco with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, MyRGV reported. READ NEXT: Lakers Snap 3-Game Losing Streak With Win Over Portland Trail Blazers; Anthony Davis Leads LeBron James-Less Team Texas Suspect Requests Bond During Tuesday's detention hearing, Fry, the federal prosecutor, asked U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker to hold Jose Alfonso Trevino Jr. without bond. However, federal public defender Abel Guerrero, representing the Texas suspect, requested a bond. Guerrero said Trevino is suffering from cirrhosis, and his liver has been "in bad shape for quite some time." The lawyer further noted that Trevino also suffers from long COVID-19 symptoms. Guerrero continued that his client takes roughly 14 medications, adding that "his health is really a concern." But according to Fry, the Texas man threatened law enforcement officers after his arrest, saying things like "he knows who they are and when he gets out he's going to f*ck" them up." Fry said Trevino was "very upset" about the arrest, possibly due to the money seized from him. The judge then said he would review the facts and eventually decide on it. READ MORE: World Cup Qualifiers: Argentina Beats Colombia To Extend 29-Game Unbeaten Streak, Chile Holds On To World Cup Hope This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Jess Smith WATCH: Inside the Traffic Stop That Turned Into on the Biggest Drug Busts in Central Texas History- From KXAN A man was dealing with drugs and homeless issues, Portlaoise district court heard on Thursday last. Lloyd Murray, 31, of 27 Mask Avenue, Artane, Dublin 5, was charged with making off without payment for diesel from the Maxol Station, Main Street, Portarlington on July 27, 2016. It was noted there were five bench warrants in this case. Judge Catherine Staines noted the cost to the State of this case coming to court. She asked if Mr Murray had ever paid the 25. Appearing for Mr Murray, solicitor Barry Fitzgerald said he had 30 in court that day. Mr Fitzgerald said Mr Murray was in the St. Vincent de Paul hospital in Dublin. He had gotten off ketamine. He was dealing with his drugs and homeless issues. He appeared to be in a better place now. Judge Staines noted that the offence had happened in 2016, he had compensated the garage now and he had a place to stay now. She also noted his issues with drugs and homelessness. She also noted he had been in custody because of the warrants. She applied Section 1(2) of the Probation Act. BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) assisted testing tool to detect early-stage lung cancer. The study published on Thursday in the journal Science Translational Medicine described the Lung Cancer Artificial Intelligence Detector that may play a part in the early detection of lung cancer or large-scale screening of high-risk cancer populations. Scientists from Peking University performed single-cell RNA sequencing of different early-stage lung cancers and found that the fat metabolism turns abnormal in different cell types. Then they recruited a cohort of 311 participants including 171 early-stage non-small cell lung cancer patients and 140 healthy people to analyze lipid-related molecules in their plasma. Using a machine-learning algorithm, the scientists selected nine lipids that are deemed most important for early-stage cancer detection and built the AI-assisted detection model, according to the study. In a lung cancer screening cohort of 1,036 participants undergoing routine CT exams at a hospital in Beijing, and a clinical cohort containing 109 lung cancer patients, the detector has reached an accuracy of over 90 percent, the study said. Most of the participants diagnosed with lung cancer were non-smokers with stage one tumors, according to the study. Yin Yuxin, the paper's co-author and a professor from the School of Basic Medical Sciences of Peking University said the new detection strategy is helpful for the early diagnosis, auxiliary diagnosis, or population screening of many tumor diseases. In 2021, Yin and his collaborators developed AI-assisted tumor metabolism detection methods for pancreatic cancer and esophageal cancer. A man produced a fake driving licence to the gardai when stopped, Portlaoise district court heard on Thursday last. Rory OBrien, 57, of 27 Killenard Lodge, Portarlington was charged with having a fake driving licence, no driving licence and no insurance at Skirteen, Monasterevin on February 18, 2021. He pleaded guilty. Sgt JJ Kirby told the court that on the date in question a vehicle was detected doing 76kph in a 50kph zone. When stopped, the driver produced a fake driving licence to the gardai. There was also an expired insurance cert for Chill insurance. When the gardai subsequently checked, he had no insurance. Appearing for Mr OBrien, solicitor Philip Meagher said he was a 57-year old married man. He was a farmer and a plant machine dealer. He had his name down to do driving lessons. He did produce a Zurich policy of insurance which had expired. He would have been insured on an FBD policy only for his driving licence. He had returned home from the US in 2017. He had a US driving licence. He had a conversation with a man who told him of a method of converting a US licence to an Irish licence. Mr OBrien paid 500 and a licence was given to him. He was in the process of trying to get a full Irish licence. Mr Meagher said that he spends six months in the US every year working, and he has done this for 20 years. He has a business visa and his concern was that this visa would be revoked if he had a conviction. He had 1,000 in court. Mr Meagher noted his early plea. He said that Mr OBrien had a tillage farm which was fragmented and necessitated journeys. He employed a number of people. Judge Catherine Staines fined him 300 for no insurance, 100 for no driving licence and applied Section 1(1) on the fake driving licence matter. Laois Green Party representatives have welcomed the launch of the national Town Centre First policy which will see the appointment of a Town Regeneration Officer . They say the Green Party has long advocated for a Town Centre First approach to support local communities to bring life and vibrancy into towns across the country. The Laois Greens say a Town Centre First approach revitalises and regenerates towns by bringing vacant and derelict buildings back into use and creating new opportunities for unused lands that will encourage more people to live and work within our rural towns and villages. They say that in addition to quality housing and job opportunities, this approach also ensures that good transport links, safe and accessible public spaces, and climate resilience is at the heart of how we plan our towns. Rosie Palmer is the party's newly appointed Portlaoise representative. With the launch of this policy today, the Greens in government are delivering on a key Programme for Government commitment to develop a Town Centre First policy, modelled on the scheme developed by the Scottish Government, and informed by the Town Centre Living Initiative pilot project. This policy sets out a number of ways in which local communities will be empowered to come up with their own plans to bring life back to their towns. What well see is structures being established and supported at local level, with funding to be provided by central government. Im delighted to see that a Town Regeneration Officer will be appointed to Laois Council to help train and support a Town Team, made up of local stakeholders such as residents, businesses and community groups, to develop a Town Centre First plan for towns like Portlaoise and to know that our local authority staff will be on hand to support this work. The one-stop-shop approach in Local Authorities will make it easy for businesses and residents to access supports for building adaptations and renovations, and much like Tidy Towns, the awards programme for Town Teams will really help to incentivise people to get on board, she said. MORE BELOW PICTURE. John Holland is the party's Portartlington representative. "This approach gives the people of Portarlington an opportunity to shape the future of our town, and to influence decision making on things like heritage, our public realm, pedestrianisation, how we plan the town going forward, how we tackle issues like vacancy and dereliction. From a Green perspective, this also empowers the community to put climate action, sustainable mobility, and regeneration of our public and green spaces at the heart of our Town Centres First plan," he said. Speaking at the Moate launch of the Town Centre First policy, Green Party Minister of State with responsibility for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD stated. Im delighted to launch the Town Centre First policy today with Minister Humphreys and Minister Burke. This is an important step towards empowering our communities to create towns and villages we want to live in and be proud of. Architecturally, culturally and socially, the Irish town is unique in European terms. For far too long, we have turned our backs on this important heritage. The Government has today published Town Centre First which it says is a major new policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into town centres across Laois and other counties around Ireland. The cross-departmental initiative contains 33 actions which it is claimed will give towns the tools and resources to become more viable and attractive places in which to live, work, visit and run a business. A statement said the policy is underpinned by multi-billion euro investment spread across major Government schemes such as the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF), the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), Croi Conaithe (Towns) Fund and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme. It says that for the first time, designated towns will gain their own dedicated Town Regeneration Officers, who will be crucial to driving future development. A statement added that the policy also contains a range of actions designed to achieve key objectives such as social and economic revival in towns, the provision of housing, as well as addressing challenges like vacancy and derelict buildings. It is claimed that the actions also support the protection of our environment, as well as the heritage and culture of our towns. Town Centre First was launched in Moate by the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, the Minister for Planning and Local Government, Peter Burke TD; and the Minister for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD. The policy was launched at Moate library, a former Courthouse building. The formerly derelict building, dating back to 1828, was converted by Westmeath County Council. A statement said Town Centre First, which supports the objectives of Housing for All and Our Rural Future, is a commitment under the Programme for Government. In December 2021, the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, announced 100,000 in funding for Laois County Council to support the development of a Town Centre First Plan for Rathdowney. Towns for this first phase of funding were selected based on submissions received from the local authorities. Further funding phases for Town Centre First Plans will be announced in due course. Among the specific actions contained in Town Centre First include: Town Centre First Plans: Support for towns in producing their own Town Centre First Plans, produced by a local Town Team drawn from local community and business representatives. These will identify challenges, actions and integrated responses across a number of themes (business/commercial; community/cultural; housing; built environment; heritage) Investment: Implementation of plans will be supported by a targeted investment programme across Government, including through the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF), Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) and dedicated funding streams to tackle vacancy and dereliction in particular. A network of Town Regeneration Officers: who will bring a coordinated approach to Town Centre First delivery across the country and support local Town Teams A National Town Centre First Office: that will drive implementation of Town Centre First actions and coordinate stakeholder engagement at a national level and across the local government sector. This office will also be a forum for best practice Capacity building programmes for Town Teams Health Check Programme: a national, integrated and scaled-up programme for towns A Town Centre First toolkit (including web portal): this will provide access to all resources, funding information and best practice models for developing Town Centre First plans Identification of pathfinder towns: to act as demonstrators of the Town Centre First approach and lead best practice. Towns requiring more support with local stakeholder collaboration and access to investment programmes will be identified at an early stage A Town Centre First National Oversight and Advisory Group: the group will ensure cross-government focus and policy alignment. It will monitor and guide policy delivery and annual implementation plans. Impact assessment methodology: this will help assess the impact of development and investment on town centres. It will be applied to the statutory planning system. A research and evidence platform and agreed data measurement requirements: these will relate to key social and economic outcomes and ensure there is an evidence base for the ongoing evaluation of the Town Centre First policy. The Town Centre First policy can be viewed here. Funding streams outlined by Government which hit says will assist with Town Centre First Plans implementation Funds include: Urban Regeneration and Development Fund - supports urban regeneration/compact urban growth in cities/towns with a population of over 10,000, and enables a greater proportion of residential and mixed used development to be delivered within the existing built-up footprints of our cities and towns and make them more attractive and vibrant places. The fund has already approved 410 million in funding for projects in towns. These projects will be completed over the next few years. A funding call for new projects to local authorities will be made in summer 2022 which will be specifically aimed at Town Centre First Implementation as one of its key objectives Rural Regeneration and Development Fund - supports the regeneration and development of rural towns, villages and outlying areas. The purpose is to support job creation in rural areas, address de-population of rural communities and support improvements in our towns and villages with a population of less than 10,000. The fund has already approved 197 million in funding for projects in towns. These projects will be completed over the next few years. The latest call for applications under the Fund, with a clear focus on revitalising our towns and villages as part of the Town Centre First policy, was launched on 17th December. Housing for Alls forthcoming Croi Conaithe (Towns) Fund it will be aimed at servicing sites for new homes in regional towns and villages and to support refurbishment of vacant houses. Public infrastructure agencies, such as Irish Water, and local communities will work to provide serviced sites for housing. This will help attract people to build their own homes and live in small towns and villages. Investment supports from the forthcoming European Regional Development Fund 2021-27 programme will be directed to towns in conjunction with the Regional Assemblies. Tackling vacancy and dereliction in towns, in support of the Town Centre First approach, will be a particular emphasis for this future funding scheme which is currently being designed for launch later in 2022. The Active Travel Fund made allocations of over 289m to approximately1,200 projects across the 31 local authorities for 2022 including the provision and improvement of pedestrian and cycle facilities as well as the preparation of local transport research and bespoke transport plans. These funding supports are integrating into the wider regeneration and development plans for towns and their communities. Town and Village Renewal Scheme the scheme provides funding of up to 500,000 per project to support the economic and social recovery of rural towns with a population of less than 10,000 people, and focuses on projects that have clear positive impacts on the town in terms of place-making, addressing vacancy, supporting remote working and town centre regeneration. It has also provided specific funding for streetscapes enhancements across 120 towns in 2021. The 2022 Scheme is expected to be opened shortly. Climate adaptation/retrofitting - The Climate Action and Retrofitting Initiatives sets a target of upgrading 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating of B2 / cost optimal equivalent or carbon equivalent by 2030. Local Authorities are funded in undertaking an ambitious programme of insulation retrofitting of the least energy efficient social homes. In 2022, the Energy Efficiency Retrofitting programme will see a significant increase in funding support to local authorities, from 65 million in 2021 to 85 million, enabling approximately 2,400 homes nationally to be upgraded to a B2 or equivalent standard. Built Heritage supports such as the Historic Towns Initiative - which funds works to significant historic buildings, streetscape conservation and enhancement in heritage towns (2m in 2022) and the Historic Structures Fund for works to heritage structures in both public and private ownership ranging from 15,000- 200,000 under various funding streams. A Government TD who represents many prison staff in Laois has called on the Government to pay the Frontline pandemic bonus to nurses at jails in Portlaoise and elsewhere. Laois Offaly Fine Gael TD, Charlie Flanagan, wants Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath, to authorise payment of the 1,000 reward to Irish Prison Service frontline nurses. Over the period of the pandemic, while all nurses worked above and beyond the call of duty, nurses in the Irish Prison Service played a huge role in assisting the national Covid-19 effort. Prison nurses should be included in the bonus payment and I have asked Minister McGrath to ensure all prison nurses will get the much deserved bonus payment, he said. The Irish Prison Service says a total 738 prisoners have tested positive for Covid-19 up to the end of January. Many staff have also contracted the virus. During the Delta and Omicron waves, the Service said it managed 14 Covid-19 outbreaks in prisons since November 2021. All were successfully stood down. One of the biggest outbreaks was managed in Portlaoise in 2022 where 175 prisoners from A, C and E Division in Midlands Prison have tested positive for Covid-19 in January. The IPS said that at all points, Outbreak Control Teams (OCT) were guided by advice from local Public Health clinicians and meetings with Public Health are convened at regular intervals throughout the course of each outbreak. The IPS was internationally recognised and praised for its management of the virus after the first wave in 2020. The former parish priest of Athy, the Very Rev. Philip Dennehy (Pastor Emeritus) was laid to rest yesterday. Fr Philip died peacefully at home on Monday, January 31. The young curate first came to Athy in 1963 after being stationed in Dublin. He was appointed Parish Priest of St. Michaels parish in the mid 1980s. Athy Parish said in a note on its website: "We thank God for Fr. Phils 67 years of service as a priest, of which he spent 47 of those years in Athy Parish. "He died peacefully in his own home on Monday evening, 31st January 2022. "The Funeral Mass, which took place in St. Michaels Church Athy, on Thursday morning the 3rd February, was a celebration of the life and ministry of Fr. Philip Dennehy at which Archbishop Dermot Farrell presided. "Following the Funeral Mass according to his wishes, Fr. Phil was buried, with his parents, Michael and Hannah Dennehy, in St. Marys Cemetery, Ballygunner, Co. Waterford." The native of Midelton in Co Cork received his education at St Brendans College in Killarney before entering the seminary in Clonliffe College in Dublin in the late 1940s. He later attended University College Dublin and Maynooth College. He was ordained in 1955 and later appointed chaplain to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Dun Laoghaire. Fr Philip is deeply regretted and loved by his sister Aine Costello as well as nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, grand-nephews and relatives. He is also much missed by Archbishop Dermot Farrell, fellow clergy, friends and parishioners. He is pre-deceased by his parents Michael and Hannah, his brother Michael, sisters Joan, Sheila, Maura, Evelyn and Patsy. Fr Philip's remains reposed at his residence on Stanhope Place on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Removal to St Michael's Parish Church took place on Wednesday evening with Requiem Mass at 11am on Thursday morning. The Mass was livestreamed on www.parishofathy.ie. Burial took place afterwards in St. Mary's Cemetery, Ballygunner, Co. Waterford. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam. Fr Philip served as priest of the Dublin Diocese in the following appointments: The width of the Main Street in Clane will be investigated, Kildare County Council (KCC) has confirmed. KCC made the announcement at the latest Clane-Maynooth Municipal District (MD) meeting on Friday, February 4. The issue was initially raised by Social Democrats councillor Aidan Farrelly, who admitted that he was concerned over traffic flow issues at the junction with Ballinagappa Road. KCC said in a statement that its Town Centre Masterplan, which is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD), will "provide an accurate assessment of the challenges faced by Clane, with a tailored response to match." During the meeting, Cllr Farrelly questioned if two cars could safely go down the main street side-by-side, along with buses and emergency vehicles. Councillor Aidan Farrelly, Social Democrats He also called on KCC engineer Cyril Buggy to investigate the Main Street, saying that "it should only take two minutes." Cllr Farrelly was backed up by Independent Cllr Padraig McEvoy, who voiced his own concerns over lorries and trucks on the Main Street, which he said could "intimidate" pedestrians. "We need to prioritise pedestrians in urban centres," he added. After listening to both Cllrs, Buggy agreed to inspect the area. While he emphasised that he would be "reluctant to sacrifice any parking spaces" on the Main Street in order to widen it, Buggy added that he did agree with the two Cllrs' sentiments. He said: "We don't want to encourage large vehicles going through this street at high speeds." The water supply used by a group of residents in Kilteel, Naas, has become contaminated with arsenic, prompting calls for water tankers to be deployed. Up to 70 families are directly affected by the problem. While they can use the water for washing purposes and in toilets, it is highly toxic and must not be consumed. Nor can the problem be alleviated by boiling. Read more Kildare news Cllr Fintan Brett Local councillor Fintan Brett has called on the authorities to deploy water tankers to provide a safe and accessible supply for local families. Cllr Brett believes that in the medium to long term it will be necessary to connect these homes to the public supply and this is likely to be expensive since some residences are located more than three kilometres from the nearest mains source. Its understood that all of those affected are part of a group water scheme, which provides water from a privately owned supply. The water is fine for some uses, but not for drinking and you could have a situation where it snows heavily as it did a few years ago and no water would be available. At that time this community was snowed in, said Cllr Brett. He added: I understand that the contamination is well above the safe limits and Ill be calling on Irish Water and Kildare County Council to step up to the plate and find an immediate and long term solution. EU Commissioner Mairead McGuinness said the decision to halt Brexit checks on goods entering Northern Ireland is a breach of international law. The status of Brexit checks at Northern Ireland ports remained unclear this morning (Thursday February 3) after DUP Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots issued a unilateral direction yesterday evening instructing his officials to stop the agri-food checks at midnight. Ms McGuinness, the commissioner in charge of financial services, said: This is extremely unhelpful to have this news at this time of a new year, when all efforts are being made on our side. Were working tirelessly to find solutions with the United Kingdom to specific problems and indeed have put forward very specific details. She said there will be a call between UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic later on Thursday. This announcement has created uncertainty and unpredictability and certainly no stability, so Im not sure what the purpose of this move is, Ms McGuinness said. Its an absolute breach of international law, she told RTE radio. Our clear position is that Northern Ireland is in a very unique and positive situation, part obviously of the UK but in the single market of the European Union. She said checks on goods are needed to protect the single market and avoid a hard border, adding: The news of this stopping of inspections if that is actually what happens is really, really unhelpful in us finding a way forward because business has said there are problems with how the protocol operates. We have proposed solutions and we would like to think that we could work through these solutions with our UK counterparts and put an end to this uncertainty, instability, this unpredictability which is so bad for everyone. We have reminded our UK counterparts from the very outset when they resigned, if you like, or pulled away from implementing the agreement, that they actually have proposed and signed up to that. They were breaching international law and that is a major problem because we need to be able to trust each other. And we were hoping and I hope it will be the case that, with a new counterpart on the UK side, we have that trust in each other and can find solutions. But clearly when there is action, which overnight and this morning has created confusion, it is very hard to know what the purpose of this is because it doesnt help the businesses in Northern Ireland. It doesnt help us trying to protect both the Good Friday Agreement and the single market. Lorries were still being received at a Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) checking facility in Belfast Port earlier this morning. Several vehicles entered the facility after the ferry arrived from Cairnryan in Scotland at 6am. Simon Coveney has assured talks between the UK and the EU will continue on the post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland despite the resignation of the DUP First Minister. The Irish Foreign Affairs Minister said the resignation of Paul Givan on Thursday is very unwelcome and means politics in the region cannot now function as it should and needs to. The resignation, which came into effect at midnight, automatically removed Sinn Fein deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill from her position. Other Stormont ministers can remain in post but the Executive can no longer meet and is unable to take significant policy decisions. The move is part of the DUPs escalating protest strategy against Brexits Northern Ireland Protocol. Mr Coveney on Friday said talks will continue between UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic aimed at reducing the red tape associated with the protocol. To be fair to the DUP, theyve been saying for some time, that if they didnt get what they were asking for in relation to the protocol that they would do this. I met with @trussliz via video conference to discuss the implementation of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland. My statement https://t.co/2ogBU2yqVf. pic.twitter.com/sKOLsgPxDg Maros Sefcovic (@MarosSefcovic) February 3, 2022 And now theyve gone ahead and done it. But its certainly very unwelcome. It doesnt change much actually, in the context of the negotiations that are going on between Liz Truss and Maros Sefcovic the two key negotiators who are trying to find common ground on how we implement the Northern Ireland Protocol in a way that everybody can accept. Those discussions and negotiations continue and were continuing yesterday. Mr Coveney was also critical of the decision of DUP Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots to unilaterally order a halt to agri-food checks at Northern Ireland ports, as required under the post-Brexit trading arrangements. He also said that officials in the Department of Agriculture are continuing for now with post-Brexit checks on goods arriving from Great Britain. I think its enormously frustrating for the other parties, who may have very different perspectives on things and dont agree sometimes, but they agree on one thing, that politicians have an obligation to work together to solve problems in Northern Ireland and the DUP have decided to isolate themselves from that thinking, Mr Coveney told RTE radio. DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson It was put to Mr Coveney that DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson does not believe that a workable compromise on the Northern Ireland Protocol can be agreed by the end of February. How does he know that, if he doesnt give it a chance? Mr Coveney answered. The point here is people are working night and day to respond to legitimate unionists concerns and anxieties. Theres no perfect solution here because Brexit causes problems and change. But the protocol was what was agreed between the UK and the EU and the Irish government were very involved in that, as indeed were parties in Northern Ireland, he said. Its been very clear to everybody for a number of weeks, that Maros Sefcovic and Liz Truss were effectively setting the end of February as a key moment in time to actually agree a number of compromises that could take some of the heat out of the debate around the implementation of the protocol. Good discussion with @MarosSefcovic on Northern Ireland Protocol. My priority remains maintaining peace and stability in NI. We need urgent progress. Look forward to seeing him next week in London. Our teams will continue intensive talks. pic.twitter.com/HkQTsOCm0W Liz Truss (@trussliz) February 3, 2022 And while were all working on that, to try and find a way forward and to build trust between the negotiating teams, the DUP decided to pull the plug on the Executive as a protest. So you know, the negotiations will continue but unfortunately, politics in Northern Irelands now wont in the way that it should. He said that he understood Sir Jeffrey is unhappy and under pressure, but said that those concerns were not unique and other unionist parties, namely the Ulster Unionist Party, had decided to stay in the Executive to make it work. Believe me, we are listening to unionism, he said. He said that the reasons the Northern Ireland Protocol was agreed was about protecting our place in the EU single market, preventing border infrastructure re-emerging on the island of Ireland between North and South. And of course facilitating trade across the Irish Sea with as little disruption as possible into the future, and were working on all of those things. Taking decisions to effectively undermine the functioning of politics in Northern Ireland really doesnt help us in those efforts. Woburn, MA (01801) Today Cloudy with occasional showers this afternoon. High 57F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low around 45F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 3, 2022. (Xinhua/Gao Jie) BEIJING, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday met with visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Beijing, as they made political preparations for the upcoming meeting between the two countries' heads of state. Noting that Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin will have a face-to-face meeting on Friday for the first time in more than two years, Wang said the primary task of his meeting with Lavrov is making final political preparations for the in-person meeting between the two heads of state. "Guided by the consensus reached by the two heads of state, China is ready to work with Russia to deepen the time-honored friendship and comprehensive strategic coordination between the two countries, uphold international fairness and justice and bring more benefits to the people of the two countries and the world at large," Wang said. He called on the two sides to build consensus on fighting the pandemic, enhance mutual trust and understanding, strengthen the alignment of measures to block cross-border spread of the coronavirus, ensure normal personnel exchanges and trade, so as to promote steady and long-term development of bilateral pragmatic cooperation. For his part, Lavrov said that Russia appreciates China's efforts to deepen bilateral cooperation and is ready to work with China to seek greater synergy between the Eurasian Economic Union and the Belt and Road Initiative to expand common interests. The two sides agreed to carry forward the Olympic spirit, jointly reject politicization of sports, and support the holding of the Beijing Winter Olympics. They also voiced their common stand for safeguarding peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and oppose any attempt to create bloc confrontation. BUSINESS leaders across the region have hailed the significant impact of Limericks latest IDA-backed investment. Biopharmaceutical company Lilly announced it is to open a new manufacturing plant at the Raheen business park in a move which will bring 300 permanent jobs, and 500 construction roles, the latter over a three-year period. With a 400m investment, Lilly joins a suite of biopharmaceutical companies in the city, including BD in Plassey and Regeneron, which arguably began the trend by moving into the former Dell manufacturing factory in 2013. Regeneron started with 300 staff almost a decade ago, with its head count now numbering more than 1,400. Speaking of Lillys investment, the Limerick Chamber chief executive Dee Ryan said: This is significant. It really is a huge signal to other people in the sector that Limerick is a location they should look at across Europe. It's a real signal Limerick is a location which needs to be given serious consideration for other biopharma firms considering investment to Europe. Raheen will be Lillys second location in Ireland, after Cork, and company executives over the weekend said it is the distance between the two cities which helped Limerick win the investment. Ms Ryan said this makes the M20 even more important now. We need to make it easy as possible for other companies to see us in this way, she told the Limerick Leader. Conor OConnell, the southern regional director of the Construction Industry Federation said: It's a further example of inward investment in the region creating construction work and it's indicative of the construction sector to perform for the multi-national industry for a prolonged period of time. This ability to perform both nationally and internationally has led Ireland to be an exemplar and location of choice for the pharma and lifesciences sector. Lilly is set to seek planning permission for the facility from council planners shortly. Mr OConnell said he hopes it gets through this process in a speedy and expeditious nature. A DISABILITY advocate and disabled driver in Limerick has expressed his frustration at the design of a wheelchair accessible parking bay in the city, deemed not fit for purpose. Wheelchair user Steven Casey, from Bruff, has criticised the local authority over, what he claims, was a lack of consultation on planning between departments and members of the disabled driver community in Limerick. He said: Why should we, in the disabled community, be reduced to shopping online when our friends, families and peers can all go to cafes and cinemas together now. The wheelchair accessible parking spot, located on Cecil Street in Limerick city, has been widely criticised by members of the public, for having four poles blocking access to the footpath. Steven said that the poles around the parking space may have served a purpose at one point but are now outdated. If the Council had sought consultation, they would know this, he added. Last December, Limerick City and County Council launched the SpaceFinder app, a technological tool providing real time vacancy status of the citys 140 accessible parking bays for disabled drivers. Despite working closely with the Council on this innovation, Steven stressed that increased consultation is required in order to achieve equality." It is a disgrace and shameful that we can't even get consultation or the option of it, he stated. He referenced an instance several years ago, where the Council were seeking public input around the issue, through their website. After registering and detailing some of the issues he found throughout the city in relation to accessible parking bays, he received an automated response to say his queries "had been logged." He points to a lack of human interaction on the issue. I'm nothing special but I do have lived experience," he said adding that 15% of Limerick citizens have a disability in some way, shape or form. The council has/have disability officers in unpaid positions on top of their own paid roles, who should be actively seeking consultation from the people affected, he added. Cllr Sasa Novak, brought the issue up at a local area briefing and received the following commitment from the Council: "I will be arranging to remove 2 no. poles and relocating the signage left and right to accommodate the Disabled Driver's needs at this location. "I have just given our Traffic Crew an instruction to move the signage to enable the appointed Contractor to take out the poles." The statement also confirmed that this would be completed in the next couple of days, if not early next week. Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said he is deeply concerned about the resignation of DUP First Minister Paul Givan, saying it is a very damaging move. Parties in Northern Ireland have called for an early election to take place after Stormont was plunged into a fresh powersharing crisis. The move by the Lagan Valley MLA is part of the DUPs escalating protest strategy against Brexits Northern Ireland Protocol. It comes after DUP Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots ordered his officials to cease carrying out agri-food checks at Northern Ireland ports. The Taoiseach has consistently reiterated the importance of the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement, and the good functioning of the Northern Ireland Executive, his spokesman said. We are deeply concerned about the latest developments and the resignation of DUP First Minister Paul Givan. This is a very damaging move. It is absolutely vital for peace and prosperity in Northern Ireland that the Executive is delivering for the people of Northern Ireland, particularly now as we emerge from the Covid pandemic. Mr Martin has reminded the UK Government of their responsibility to implement the Protocol. The Protocol is part of an international treaty agreed and ratified by the UK and EU, to protect the Good Friday Agreement in all its dimensions, his spokesman said. The UK has an obligation under international law, and under its own domestic law, to ensure it meets is obligations under the Protocol. The current talks between the EU and the UK and must be given every chance to succeed. The Commission has put forward serious proposals which directly address the concerns about outstanding issues on implementation of the Protocol. I would urge the DUP to return to full engagement with all the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement and avoid any action that could damage peace and stability in Northern Ireland. Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said the decision was deeply regrettable and said efforts to address concerns about the Protocol raised by Unionists were ongoing. He said: We believe that people want to see a positive commitment from their political representatives to work with each other to resolve issues in Northern Ireland, rather than the creation of any new cliff edges or instability. There are of course ongoing discussions on the implementation of the Protocol between the EU and UK, where the Commission have put forward proposals directly addressing the concerns raised by Unionist representatives, including significantly reducing checks on goods moving between Britain and Northern Ireland. No positive agenda is served by undermining the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement and the resignation of the First Minister of course has wider implications for the Northern Ireland Executive and its important work. The focus of the Government now, as always, will be on working with the political parties and the British Government to support political stability in Northern Ireland, and the effective operation of all the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement, including the Executive and indeed the North South Ministerial Council which has also been impacted by the current political instability. I am in ongoing contact with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to discuss these developments. Riding your motorbike through Vietnam is the best way to get to know the country. As you ride through the different villages and towns, you will get to know the Vietnamese culture and feel part of the country. Its a unique experience, and with a little planning and a small budget, anyone can take a motorbike trip through Vietnam. Here you can read what you need to keep in mind to plan your trip such as getting the right Vietnam visa. Planning the route Most backpackers choose to take the motorbike route between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (or vice versa). This trip can be done in a fortnight and offers you a mix of white sand beaches, limestone ridges and endless rice fields. There are several routes, so you don't have to plan too much yourself. While this is undoubtedly a fantastic route, there are many other spectacular routes in this country that are much less crowded. For example, you can also choose to explore the beautiful landscapes of northern Vietnam. From Hanoi, drive west to the border with Laos and then work your way up. The mountains, valleys, rice terraces, limestone cliffs and winding roads are breathtakingly beautiful. Of course, there is a lot of history, culture and natural beauty to discover throughout the country. The Mekong Delta, for example, can also be a good option. Every province in Vietnam has something special to offer. Rent or buy a motorbike The vast majority of motorbike trips in Vietnam start in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. These are the best two places to find a motorbike. Some travellers choose to rent a motorbike, while others choose to buy their own motorbike and sell it at the end of their trip. Both options have their advantages and disadvantages. Buying a motorbike (and selling it later on) is generally a lot cheaper. However, you should be aware that a rented motorbike is often more reliable and that, in case of a bought second-hand motorbike, you have to stop more often for repairs. If you are going to travel through Vietnam for less than two months, it is probably better to rent a motorbike instead of buying one. In both cities, it is easy to find motorbikes for sale in the backpacker areas, and there is also no lack of rental companies. Blue Card If you decide to purchase a bike, you will receive a Blue Card. The Blue Card is the proof of ownership and contains the motorbike number, frame number, license plate and the name of the owner. You need the Blue Card if you plan to sell the bike in the future, if you want to take it with you on a train or if you want to cross the borders with Laos or Cambodia. Driving Licence and Insurance Unfortunately, neither the Irish, British or the international driving licence is valid in Vietnam. Officially, you need a Vietnamese driving license to drive a motorbike. Only tourists holding a visa for more than three months are eligible for a Vietnamese driving licence. Unfortunately, tourist visas are never valid for more than three months. Keep in mind that if you dont have a Vietnamese driving license, you also dont have insurance. Vietnam visa Irish tourists need a visa to travel to Vietnam. While Vietnam offers visa-free travel to a number of countries, including the United Kingdom, Ireland is not part of this agreement. There are different variants of the Vietnam visa. For instance, you can apply for the visa on arrival in Vietnam. This visa comes in two variants (single entry and multiple entry) with a validity term of one month or three months. However, the Vietnamese embassy does not recommend using visa type and instead advises tourists to apply for the online e-visa. This is applied for entirely online. It is valid for 30 days and can be used for one trip to Vietnam. Dog vision is very different from human vision. Dogs see the world in fewer hues than we do, but this doesn't mean our canine companions are completely colorblind. But even if dogs' visual worlds are not as clear or as colorful as ours, their ability to see motion is superior. What colors can dogs see? The human eye works thanks to three kinds of color-detecting cells called cones. By comparing the way each of these cones is stimulated by incoming visible light , our brains distinguish red wavelengths from green wavelengths and blue wavelengths from yellow wavelengths. Dogs' eyes, like those of most other mammals, contain just two kinds of cones. These enable their brains to distinguish blue from yellow, but not red from green. Dogs are not completely colorblind , but their eyes are structured in a similar way to those of people with red-green color blindness, whose eyes also lack the third kind of cone normally present in humans, Jay Neitz, a color vision scientist at the University of Washington who conducted many of the modern experiments on color perception in dogs, told Live Science. We can get an idea of what dogs see, Neitz said, if we assume their brains interpret signals from their cone cells much like the brains of people with colorblindness do. Related: Red-green and blue-yellow: The stunning colors you can't see How green and red tomatoes appear to dogs, which have a blue-yellow visual system. (Image credit: Jay Neitz) To see blue and yellow, dogs and humans rely on neurons inside a part of the eye called the retina. These neurons are excited in response to yellow light detected in the cone cells (which are also inside the retina), but the neurons' activity gets suppressed when blue light hits the cones. A dog's brain interprets the excitation or suppression of these neurons as the sensation of yellow or blue, respectively. However, in dogs and in people who are colorblind, both red light and green light have a neutral effect on the neurons. With no signal to interpret these colors, the dogs' brains don't perceive any color. Where you see red or green, they see shades of gray. "A human would be missing the sensations of red and green," Neitz said. "But whether or not the dog's sensations are missing red and green, or if their brains assign colors differently, is unclear." Furthermore, like people with colorblindness, dogs may use other cues to distinguish the color we call "red" from the color we call "green." Related: See 15 crazy animal eyes How green and red tomatoes appear to humans who don't have colorblindness, who have blue-yellow and red-green visual systems. (Image credit: Jay Neitz) "A lot of the time, there are good cues to help them figure it out; for example, red objects tend to be darker than green objects," Neitz said. "So, if it's a dark apple, a red-green colorblind person would know that it's probably a red one, and if it's a lighter apple, it may be a Granny Smith." There is some evidence that dogs may be able to see colors humans cannot. A 2014 study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B found that the lenses in the eyes of a dog transmit significant amounts of ultraviolet light, whereas these wavelengths are blocked by human lenses. This suggests that dogs might see more blue light than we do. How sharp is dog vision? In addition to missing some of the hues perceived by human eyes, dog vision lacks some of the sharpness of human vision. In a 2017 study , published in the journal PLOS One and conducted at Linkoping University in Sweden, researchers designed a canine visual acuity test similar to the tests ophthalmologists give to people. Instead of having to discern letters of decreasing size, the dogs were rewarded with treats for correctly identifying images containing vertical or horizontal lines with ever-decreasing amounts of space between them. The researchers discovered that dogs or at least the whippets, pugs and the single Shetland sheepdog that participated in the experiments were very nearsighted. The results of the experiment suggest that dogs, in well-lit conditions, have roughly 20/50 vision. This means that they have to be 20 feet (6 meters) away from something to see it as well as a human who is 50 feet (15 m) away from that same object. Do dogs have night vision? While dogs' night vision is fairly blurry, at roughly 20/250, according to the 2017 study, it is also much more sensitive than humans' night vision. Dogs are crepuscular, meaning they tend to be most active at dawn and twilight, according to the American Kennel Club . While human eyes are chock-full of cones, which help detect colors and work best in bright daylight, dogs' eyes contain more of the light-detecting cells known as rods, which distinguish between dark and light and thus are at their best in low-light conditions, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual . Related: See the world from a cat's eyes A dog's eyes reflecting light at night. (Image credit: MegaV0lt via Getty Images) Many dog breeds (though not some of the toy dog breeds) also have a special eye layer, known as the tapetum lucidum, that bounces light back toward their retinas, essentially magnifying the light that does reach the rods there, according to a 2014 study in The Journal of Veterinary Medical Science. The tapetum lucidum is what causes dogs' eyes to glow a bluish green when light shines on them at night, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual. The takeaway? Dogs have better night vision than humans do. Canine motion detection While you might think dogs live in a dull, blurry visual world compared with ours, there is one area where their vision beats ours: They are much better at detecting motion. This is due to something called the critical flicker fusion rate. Imagine a light that flickers faster and faster. By the time the light is flickering 60 times per second, humans will believe the light is shining steadily. According to a 1989 study published in the journal Physiology and Behavior, that same light has to flicker roughly 75 times per second to fool a dog. This ability likely enables dogs to spot moving objects, such as prey, much more quickly and accurately than humans can. Additional resources Find out what your dog sees when it watches television, in this video from SciShow . . See what uploaded images might look like to dogs, on this website created by neuroscientist and computer scientist Andras Peter. created by neuroscientist and computer scientist Andras Peter. Take a deep dive into the visual world of dogs in the book "Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know" (Scribner, 2010), by Alexandra Horowitz. Bibliography Byosiere, S. E., Chouinard, P. A., Howell, T. J., & Bennett, P. C. (2017). What do dogs (Canis familiaris) see? A review of vision in dogs and implications for cognition Research. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 25(5), 17981813. Coile, D. C., Pollitz, C. H., & Smith, J. C. (1989). Behavioral determination of critical flicker fusion in dogs Physiology & Behavior, 45(6) 10871092. Douglas, R. H. & G. Jeffery. (2014). The spectral transmission of ocular media suggests ultraviolet sensitivity is widespread among mammals. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 281, (1780). Hirskyj-Douglas, I. (2016, September 8). Here's what dogs see when they watch television. The Conversation. Miller, P. E., & C. J. Murphy. Vision in dogs. (1995). Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 207(12), 16231634. Donkeys have long, floppy ears and tend to be stockier than their equine cousins: horses and zebras. Donkeys, also called burros and asses, are found throughout the world. They are members of the Equidae family, which also includes horses and zebras . They look a lot like their equine cousins, but have long, floppy ears and tend to be stockier than horses or zebras. How big are donkeys? There are three main types of donkeys: wild, feral and domesticated. Wild donkeys typically grow to around 49 inches (125 centimeters) from hoof to shoulder and weigh around 551 pounds. (250 kilograms). Domesticated donkeys vary in size, depending on how they are bred. There are eight different breeds of domesticated donkeys, according to the Oklahoma State University. (Breeds are lineages in which certain traits are preserved or eliminated through artificial selection.) On average, domesticated donkeys are slightly smaller than their wild cousins, typically weighing from 400 to 500 pounds (180 to 225 kg) and measuring 36 to 48 inches (92 to 123 cm) from hoof to shoulder. The smallest donkey breed is the miniature donkey, according to the University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web . They grow to only around 36 inches (92 cm) from hoof to shoulder and weigh less than 400 pounds. (180 kg). Mammoth stock, which is the largest donkey breed, grows to be 56 inches (143 cm) from hoof to shoulder and weighs about 950 pounds. (430 kg). Kulans (Equus hemionus kulan) are wild donkeys that are primarily found in Turkmenistan. (Image credit: Vladimir Wrangel/Getty Images) Where do donkeys live? Wild donkeys are found in deserts and savannas in northern Africa from Morocco to Somalia, in the Arabian Peninsula and in the Middle East. One species, the kiang or Tibetan wild ass, is found in China, northern parts of Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bhutan, and in northern parts of Pakistan. Domesticated donkeys, on the other hand, are found all over the world, but they prefer dry, warm areas. The Abyssinian donkey, for example, is bred in Ethiopia, according to Oklahoma State University, while the Anatolia donkey is bred in Turkey. What are donkeys' habits? Male donkeys are called jacks and females are called jennets or jennies. Donkeys are very social and usually live in a group called a herd. A wild herd is usually led by one jack and includes several jennies. Some larger wild herds have been found that include several males. As long as the additional males are submissive to the dominant male, everything goes smoothly. Donkeys don't seem to form strong social bonds, however. Wild herds often break up and reform with new members on a regular basis. Donkeys rest during the hottest part of the day. They are more active during the early mornings and evenings, when they travel and graze with their herd. Domestic donkeys are typically used as pack animals or for milk, according to the Global Invasive Species Database . Sometimes donkeys are trained to protect other livestock from predators, as they typically attack when threatened and will guard other animals if they are bonded to them, according to the Donkey Sanctuary of Canada . What do donkeys eat? Donkeys are grazers that typically like to eat grass, though they also eat shrubs and desert plants. Instead of tearing at grass with their teeth, donkeys grab the plant with their lips, pull it into their mouth, then rip it with their flat teeth and grind it down for swallowing. Donkeys are voracious eaters. A donkey can consume as much as 6,000 pounds (2,722 kg) of food per year, according to the Global Invasive Species Database. This massive amount is concerning when it comes to feral donkeys, which can move into habitats and take food from the local animals. How do donkeys reproduce? Just as donkeys don't seem to care who's in their herd, they also don't seem to be picky about who they breed with. In addition to other donkeys, they will breed with horses and zebras, producing hybrid offspring. A jack that mates with a female horse will produce an animal called a mule, while a jenny and a male horse produce a hinny, according to the University of Miami . When a zebra and a donkey mate, the result is called a zebroid, zonkey or zeedonk. Hybrids are almost always sterile and cannot produce offspring of their own. Female donkeys have a gestation period of around 12 months, and baby donkeys are called foals. Foals weigh between 19 and 30 pounds (8.6 to 13.6 kg) at birth and can stand and nurse just 30 minutes after birth. At 5 months, foals are weaned and at 2 years they are old enough to mate. Females typically give birth to a new foal each year. Wild burros roam Custer State Park in South Dakota. (Image credit: Layne Kennedy/Getty Images) Donkey taxonomy and classification Kingdom: Animalia Subkingdom: Bilateria Infrakingdom: Deuterostomia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Infraphylum: Gnathostomata Superclass: Tetrapoda Class: Mammalia Subclass: Theria Infraclass: Eutheria Order: Perissodactyla Family: Equidae Genus: Equus Species: Equus asinus burro, donkey, ass Equus hemippus Syrian wild ass, achdari Equus khur Indian wild ass, khur Equus africanus African wild ass Subspecies: Equus africanus africanus Nubian wild ass Equus africanus somaliensis Somali wild ass Equus hemionus Asiatic wild ass, onager, kulan Equus hemionus hemionus Mongolian wild ass Equus hemionus kulan kulan, Turkmenistani onager Equus hemionus onager Iranian onager Equus kiang Tibetan wild ass, kiang Equus kiang holdereri Eastern kiang Equus kiang kiang Western kiang Equus kiang polyodon Southern kiang Source: Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Are donkeys endangered? While domestic donkeys are in no threat of extinction, the same cannot be said for wild asses. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the African wild ass is critically endangered, with only 23 to 200 adults left. Asiatic wild asses are classified as near threatened, with a population of around 28,000. A zedonk is a hybrid offspring of a donkey and a zebra. They are also called zonkeys. (Image credit: glaflamme/Getty Images) Additional resources There are millions of feral donkeys living across Australia, you can find out more about their environmental impact by downloading a fact sheet from the Australian Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Learn about the origins of donkey breeds from the Donkey Sanctuary in the U.K., and meet the smallest of these breeds miniature donkeys at the website of Oklahoma State University's Division of Agriculture. This article was updated on Feb. 4, 2022 by Live Science senior writer Mindy Weisberger. Bibliography "Breeds of Livestock, Department of Animal Science." Listing of Donkey Breeds - Breeds of Livestock, Department of Animal Science, Oklahoma State University, http://afs.okstate.edu/breeds/other/donkey/. Huggins, Britton. "Equus Asinus (ASS)." Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Equus_asinus/#physical_description. GISD, Invasive Species Specialist Group, http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=639. "Donkey Myths." Donkey Myths, The Donkey Sanctuary of Canada, https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.ca/information/donkey-myths. Equus Hybrids, University of Miami College of Arts and Sciences: Biology, http://www.bio.miami.edu/dana/dox/equus.html. "Integrated Taxonomic Information System - Report." ITIS, http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=180690. Moehlman (Columbia University EcoHealth Alliance), Patricia, et al. "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species." IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 8 Sept. 2014, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/7949/45170994. TAIPEI, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan reported 71 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, including 25 locally-transmitted infections and 46 imported ones, the island's disease-monitoring agency said. The new local infections include 12 in Kaohsiung and nine in Taoyuan, it said. To date, Taiwan has reported 19,029 confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 15,143 were local infections. Reports of suspicious activity resulted in the apprehension of 56 migrants, authorities said. At about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, the U.S. Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations and the Webb County Precinct 2 Constables Office received information regarding a suspicious 18-wheeler. The tip indicated that migrants were being dropped off at a tractor-trailer by a business on Texas 359 and Ranch Road. Authorities responded and discovered 56 migrants inside a poor ventilated tractor-trailer. No arrest was made. The case remains open. To report suspicious activity, call the Laredo Sector Border Patrol at 1-800-343-1994. A shooting reported in a south Laredo neighborhood left one man injured, according to Laredo police. The shooting occurred at about 5 p.m. Thursday in the 3400 block of Monclova Drive behind United South Middle School. A male sustained a non-life threatening injury. The male then drove himself in a car to ask for help at United South High School. Police added that nothing happened at the campuses. An investigation is underway. A suspected drunk driver has been indicted for causing a crash that killed a woman and seriously hurt a man on Christmas 2020, authorities said. On Wednesday, Angel Abiel Montemayor, 17, was indicted for intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault, according to the Webb County District Attorneys Office. EL PASO, Texas - The immigration courts on the seventh floor of a downtown federal building here were jampacked in the summer of 2019 when the Trump administration ramped up its "Remain in Mexico" program. On an average day, more than 100 asylum seekers were being sent back across the border to Ciudad Juarez, including families with children. President Joe Biden halted the returns when he took office, but in September a U.S. District Court ordered his administration to reinstate the program, formally known as the Migrant Protection Protocols. After months of negotiations with Mexico, the Biden administration relaunched MPP in early December, starting in El Paso. Immigration advocates were furious, blaming Biden for not pushing back harder. But two months after its restart, the new version of MPP bears little resemblance to President Donald Trump's. The Biden administration has re-implemented the program with a narrow scope and none of the zeal demonstrated by Trump officials. Border arrests are even higher now than in 2019, but El Paso's immigration courts remain light on MPP cases. On a recent afternoon, only two MPP enrollees, both adult males from Nicaragua, appeared before immigration judge Nathan L. Herbert. The next day, there were three. "Do you have a fear of return to Nicaragua?" Herbert asked the men, who had been waiting in Ciudad Juarez for their court appointment after being arrested by U.S. border agents six weeks earlier near Del Rio, Tex. The men answered yes. Herbert set their asylum hearings for early March, and asked the men if they feared a return to Mexico. They said yes. A U.S. asylum officer would have to evaluate their claims before they could be returned to Ciudad Juarez. Trump sent nearly 70,000 asylum seekers back to Mexico under MPP, using the program as a deterrent for the record numbers of Central American families who were crossing the border and hoping to be released into the United States while awaiting court hearings. Kidnappings, robberies and other attacks on returned asylum seekers in Mexico were rampant, and thousands of MPP enrollees languished in a grubby Rio Grande tent camp that became a symbol of MPP's dysfunction. The biggest difference under Biden has been the scale of returns. His administration was ordered to restore MPP "in good faith," but the court did not set quotas. So far the Department of Homeland Security has sent back about 410 MPP enrollees, according to the latest U.N. figures, equivalent to about seven asylum seekers per day borderwide, compared with 300 to 400 returned daily in summer 2019. The U.N. figures show the number of returns declined from about 270 in December to roughly 140 in January. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, R, whose lawsuit forced Biden to restart MPP, called the low numbers "outrageous." "I secured a win in district court that compels Biden to re-implement Remain-in-Mexico," Paxton wrote in a tweet. "Biden MUST use MPP to send illegals back to Mexico. He's violating the Court's order, and I won't let it stand." Paxton's office did not respond to calls seeking clarification regarding what additional legal recourse, if any, he is considering. Biden officials say the numbers will increase over the coming months. But they have limited the program almost exclusively to adult males, while exempting those considered vulnerable on the basis of mental and physical health issues, advanced age, or sexual or gender orientation. Biden has used MPP almost exclusively for young men from Nicaragua, Venezuela and Cuba. Those nations have strained relations with the United States - the U.S. government doesn't even recognize Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro as the country's legitimate president - making deportations difficult. Biden officials say they are selecting migrants from those nations for MPP because Mexico will not accept their returns under the emergency public health authority known as Title 42, which has been used during the coronavirus pandemic and remains the U.S. government's primary border management tool. It allows U.S. authorities to skirt standard immigration proceedings and rapidly "expel" migrants, including asylum seekers, to their home countries or to Mexico, in order to avoid the spread of infections inside detention centers. - - - Mexico has set limits on the return of migrants by U.S. authorities, insisting MPP returns should occur only if there is sufficient shelter space, and quarantine capacity for those who test positive for the coronavirus. U.S. officials said they are working with Mexico to boost its capacity to take more MPP enrollees. "We are subject to Mexico's requirements in terms of the restrictions they place on individuals subject to returns, and we just got hit with the omicron variant, which has had a substantial impact on our ability to return people," said a senior Department of Homeland Security official who described operational details of the program on the condition of anonymity, citing ongoing litigation. The DHS official also attributed the low MPP numbers to limited U.S. capacity and the additional safeguards added under Biden. U.S. officials now query MPP candidates whether they fear a return to Mexico, which they did not do under Trump. Roughly 85 to 90% of MPP enrollees say they do fear harm in Mexico, but only 10 to 15 percent are found to face a "reasonable possibility" of harm, the official said. The Biden administration has drafted a new memo seeking to terminate MPP. But officials say they will abide by the court order while the injunction remains in place, and they plan to expand the program over the coming months if strains on shelter capacity and staffing from the virus ease. On Friday the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals denied the Biden administration's challenge to the lower court order reinstating MPP, rejecting the government's arguments in a sharply-worded, 117-page opinion. MPP will expand next to Laredo, and has already been re-implemented in San Diego and Brownsville, as well as El Paso. GOP critics say the Biden administration is flouting the court and squandering a proven enforcement tool that discourages spurious asylum claims, pointing to MPP's role in breaking the momentum of the 2019 border surge. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., told reporters Wednesday he visited the temporary court facilities the Biden administration has set up for MPP hearings in Brownsville and found them "empty." "The federal taxpayers are paying millions of dollars for a decorative item so the Biden administration can tell the courts we're implementing MPP but not actually doing it," Lankford said. One twist of Biden's MPP restart is that it has opened a quicker path to U.S. asylum for some migrants at a time when most other avenues remain closed off by the Title 42 pandemic expulsions. The Venezuelans, Nicaraguans and Cubans who have been the vast majority of MPP enrollees under Biden tend to have stronger claims for asylum or some form of humanitarian protection, because the U.S. denounces their governments as repressive and authoritarian. "MPP gave me a chance," said Boris, a Nicaraguan asylum seeker who spoke on the condition that his last name be withheld because he still fears possible deportation. Boris, 29, crossed the border between Juarez and El Paso in early December and was among the first group of migrants to be placed in MPP under Biden. Boris said he faces persecution in his home country for protesting against the government of President Daniel Ortega, who was sworn in for a fourth term last year in an election the Biden administration denounced as "a sham." Boris returned from Mexico to the El Paso immigration court in early January, describing his fear of persecution through the help of an interpreter. He also told the court that he suffered from a chronic lung condition that would endanger his life if he was returned to Mexican shelters. The judge exempted him from MPP and he was released to a church-operated shelter with dozens of others he said had contracted the coronavirus. Five days later, he joined his cousins at their Austin-area apartment, and awaits another court date next week. "They handed me my papers and sent me off," Boris said. "I don't know why or how. Now I'm here, safe and happy to be here, hoping I won't be deported." - - - Under Trump, asylum seekers sent to Mexico were often confused and adrift, unsure how to find legal help or return for their U.S. court appointments. They were visible on the streets of Mexican border cities, and easy targets for criminal gangs. Marysol Castro, an attorney with El Paso's Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services who provides legal aid to asylum seekers in MPP, said the program's return under Biden was a "relief" to some "because otherwise if you go to the border you're getting expelled" under Title 42. Castro said new enrollees in MPP have court dates with fast-tracked hearings, unlike asylum seekers who were placed into the program under Trump and are still stuck in Mexico "with no hope." Mexican authorities say they received assurances from the Biden administration that migrants placed in MPP would have improved access to legal counsel. But despite the vastly lower numbers, there is still far more demand for pro bono legal services than nonprofit groups and charities can provide, Castro said. More than two-thirds of MPP returns under Biden have been sent to Ciudad Juarez, where they are provided secure transportation through a State Department contract with the U.N. International Organization for Migration. The Mexican government houses them in a shelter set up in a converted warehouse in an industrial area of the city. "The shelters are more restrictive," said Victor Hugo Lopez, a Mexican official who helps oversee the program. "The migrants can request permits to go outside, but we try to keep them safe by keeping them inside." Dana Graber Ladek, the IOM chief of mission in Mexico, said her organization continues to oppose MPP on principle, even as it's working with both governments to ameliorate conditions for those sent back. "It still has a tremendous amount of negative impacts," she said. "It's not how asylum is supposed to work." - - - Hernandez reported from San Antonio. Lena Ann "Lee Ann" Enzinna, age 77 of the City of Tonawanda, April 28, 2022. Lee Ann was a 1962 graduate of Tonawanda High School and a graduate of Buffalo State Teachers College. She had been employed by Roswell Park Cancer Inst. for many years. Daughter of the late Samuel F. Sr. and Lena E UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday expressed concern over the civilian casualties in a U.S. raid that led to the death of Islamic State (IS) leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi. Asked for the secretary-general's comment on the U.S. operation in Syria against al-Qurayshi, Farhan Haq, Guterres' deputy spokesman, said: "We've taken note of the announcement by the U.S. president of the death of Abu Ibrahim al-Qurayshi, the leader of Da'esh. We note with concern reports of civilian casualties." Da'esh is the Arabic acronym of the IS terrorist group. "We continue to call on all the parties to take all necessary measures to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure in line with their obligations under international humanitarian law," said Haq. In the case of trying to determine responsibility for casualties from attack, it would be important to have an investigation, he said. "Da'esh has committed heinous crimes and brought tragedy and death to thousands of men, women, and children. And we want to take this moment to remember the victims and families of victims of terrorism everywhere in the world. And, of course, as you know, the UN system as a whole has been very united in efforts to act against Da'esh. So any successes against them are to be welcomed," he said. Al-Qurayshi reportedly detonated a bomb that killed himself and members of his family during the overnight raid by U.S. special operations forces in the town of Atmeh in the northwestern Idlib governorate of Syria. Thirteen people were reportedly killed, including six children and four women. A new Town Centre First policy, will revitalise towns across County and benefit local communities, a Fine Gael Senator has said. Senator Micheal Carrigy said: Fine Gael is working to create stronger safer communities and this new Town Centre First policy is crucial to that. It is designed to support the regeneration of our towns and villages with targeted funding to support above-shop and town centre living. This ambitious and far-reaching policy contains a range of measures and funding supports aimed at making towns in Longford more viable and attractive places in which to live, work and visit, whilst ensuring they are social, cultural and services hubs for the local community. The Town Centres First policy contains a major new strategy to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into town centres. This has been a key priority for Fine Gael and something on which we have been working hard. A recent policy paper by my colleagues Deputy Emer Higgins and Senator John Cummins put forward 26 proposals for consideration, which could enhance by over 10,000 the number of vacant homes becoming available for early use. This major new policy is going to be a game changer for Longford with local communities and local businesses central to reimagining and planning their own futures through a tailored plan. Our towns will benefit from Government funding, which will emphasise the importance of town centres as the central hub of our communities. It is really important that this ambitious programme be backed up by significant Government funding. It is underpinned by multi-billion euro investment spread across major Government schemes such as the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF), the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), Croi Conaithe (Towns) Fund and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme. Last year, over 410 million was distributed nationwide under the URDF and I understand a new call will be opened shortly, focused specifically on support for our town centres in places like Longford For the first time, towns will also gain their own dedicated Town Regeneration Officers, who will be crucial to driving future development. They will be full-time dedicated positions within Longford County Council working with Town Teams and local business groups to design and implement town plans. They will also work to identify derelict buildings and assist in bringing them back into use, a key objective of the Town Centre First policy, Deputy/Senator Carrigy said. Publishing the plan, the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, said: Many of our towns face significant challenges, not least in the wake of the pandemic. Town revival requires a coordinated and comprehensive response. Through Town Centre First, the Government will provide towns with the supports, resources and funding to enable them map out a coherent vision for their future and to take ownership of their future. Major funding programmes such as the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund and the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund will help transform towns. This approach will help ensure that across Ireland our town centres can be vibrant and attractive places to live, work and visit. The Minister of State for Planning and local Government, Peter Burke TD, said: Local authorities will play a vital role in assisting towns shape their futures. Town Regeneration Officers and technical expertise will assist local Town Teams in formulating their local responses and accessing regeneration funding. The National Town Centre First Office will help drive this new approach to revitalising town centres and bring together the stakeholders who can help towns realise a vision for their future. We know that many of our town centres are underutilised for housing and have limited housing choice despite being close to all amenities and public services. We are determined to act on this and ensure that we tackle dereliction by providing new and much needed housing supply within our town boundaries. Simon Coveney will face questions from an Oireachtas committee next week about a June 2020 champagne celebration in his department. The Irish Foreign Affairs Minister, alongside secretary general Joe Hackett, will appear in front of the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday afternoon, the PA news agency understands. A report into the gathering published earlier this week, authored by Mr Hackett, found a serious breach of Covid-19 social distancing rules had occurred in the Department of Foreign Affairs in June 2020. The publication of the report came in the wake of weeks of controversy over the gathering of Department staff, held in the aftermath of Ireland winning a seat on the UN Security Council, while the country was still under strict lockdown. The controversy came to light after a photo of around 20 staff, seen drinking Moet champagne, was tweeted by the former secretary general Niall Burgess, before being quickly deleted. The report found no evidence that any breach took place while Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney was present, or that the event had been planned in advance. However, opposition parties criticised the report and Sinn Fein has called instead for an independent inquiry into the matter. Mr Coveney, while rejecting those calls, had said that he would be happy to take further questions on the controversy from the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee. In keeping with Longfords economic rejuvenation, the county town is now home to arguably one of the most distinguished engineering consultancy firms in the country. Downes Associates is a Dublin-based engineering consultancy that specialises in structural and civil engineering solutions. Longford native, Gavin McHugh, a Fellow of Engineers Ireland and with close to 3 decades of experience, has been managing director of the firm since the retirement of founder Paul Downes in 2013. The continued expansion of Downes Associates in recent years has seen it extend its reach into the west and northwest. To coincide with this expansion, the time appeared opportune to set up a base in Longford. Gavin, who will return to his home county to head up the new office at Redleaf House, is especially keen to recruit talented engineers and technicians for the new office to get involved in a wide range of exciting projects the company has to offer. We think by creating a base in Longford we are creating a very attractive opportunity for those based in or considering a move to the Midlands, said Gavin this week. The company also wants to hear from and attract people who might be working in Dublin, UK or further afield to come and work in a thriving practice because we have the opportunities here for people to excel and meet their career ambitions. Among those Downes Associates projects at a local level include a multi million euro redevelopment of St Mels College, the establishment of a new Gaelscoil close to Longfords N4 Axis Centre, Lanesboro Community College and Melview and Stonepark National Schools. And thats even before the firms wide ranging national and international presence are factored in which include national flagship projects such as Dublin Airport Central and input on UNESCO World Heritage sites. Whats more, Downes Associates is also proud to provide engineering services to German discount retailer Aldi, on its refit, extension and new building projects nationwide. To find out more about what one of Irelands leading engineering consultancy specialists can offer you, contact Gavin McHugh, Chartered Engineer | Managing Director BE BSc MSc MIStructE CEng FIEI FConsEI on 086 8195170 , Suite 13, Redleaf House, Townparks, Longford Town, N39 NH05. Local News, Business & Finance, Politics By Chris Boyle Published: February 04 2022 "Today we break ground on a historic sewer project that will both improve water quality in the Forge River and attract new investment to the Mastic community," Bellone said. Governor Kathy Hochul and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone have announced the groundbreaking of the $223.9 million Forge River Watershed Sewer District project designed to reduce nitrogen loading and improve water quality for homeowners and businesses located in the Mastic-Shirley area. The Forge River Watershed Sewer District boundaries extend from just west of the William Floyd Parkway, east to the Forge River and just south of Sunrise Highway; on the north to Poospatuck Creek and to the south not including the Poospatuck Indian Reservation. Once completed in 2025, a new wastewater treatment plant in Mastic, Town of Brookhaven, will serve nearly 1,900 parcels in the nearby Shirley-Mastic area. This project is part of the $408.8 million Suffolk County Coastal Resiliency Initiative announced last fall. "Superstorm Sandy exposed the need to further protect our coastline communities on Long Island from the impact of climate change," Governor Hochul said. "Today's groundbreaking marks a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to build resiliency. Everyone deserves easy access to safe water, and this project will help improve water quality for Suffolk County residents, reduce harmful pollutants, and further protect Long Island's delicate coastal ecosystem so that it can better withstand more intense storms in the future." In October, Governor Hochul announced the start of construction on the $408.8 million storm resiliency sewer expansion in Suffolk County. The Suffolk County Coastal Resiliency Initiative includes wastewater conveyance and treatment upgrades along with sewer system connections for more than 4,000 parcels in the Town of Babylon, with connections for an additional 1,900 parcels in Mastic-Shirley. This innovative project leverages federal and state resources with local funding to prevent nitrogen and other contaminants from polluting Long Island's coastal waters. Other environmental benefits to this critical project include improving water quality, restoring ecosystems, and bolstering natural coastal barriers to protect communities from future flooding and severe storms. Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said, "Today we break ground on a historic sewer project that will both improve water quality in the Forge River and attract new investment to the Mastic community. The Forge River project will inject hundreds of millions of dollars into our economy, create hundreds of new jobs, and eliminate 1,889 cesspools and septic systems that are leaking excess nitrogen into the groundwater aquifer, and ultimately, into the Forge River. I want to thank those who have made this project possible, including Senate Majority Leader Schumer who worked to ensure the project would not fall victim to funding increases caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Hochul, who has provided strong support for the project on the state level, and Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine, for making sure that the project site would be available. This successful effort is the result of a true working partnership between the federal, state and local governments, and we look forward to building on these efforts by expanding the new sewer system to include more of the Mastic-Shirley community." Thousands of homes in the Carlls River and Forge River Watersheds are unsewered and manage wastewater via on-site systems like septic tanks and cesspools. The outdated septic tanks and cesspools are prone to capacity failure as residents frequently need to limit household tasks such as dishwashing and laundry. The wastewater systems also cause ecological harm to the waterways as untreated sewage can inundate the watersheds with nitrogen and other harmful pollutants, and result in coastal ecosystem degradation. A 2014 report issued by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) detailed the adverse impacts of nitrogen pollution on the region's natural coastal defenses and served as a catalyst for advancing funding for this project. Superstorm Sandy, which inundated approximately half of the areas' existing wastewater systems with flood water, serves as a reminder on the importance of completing this project. To improve coastal resilience in the face of sea level rise and more intense storms fueled by climate change, the reduction in nitrogen and pollutants in the watersheds will help build back natural coastal wetlands that serve as barriers to storm surge and flooding along the South Shore. The Carlls River project is anticipated to be completed in 2024, with Forge River to follow in 2026. Through the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSES) and Governor's Office of Storm Recovery (GOSR), these projects leverage $243.5 million of Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and $66.4 million of Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding from US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). DHSES will manage the entire project to ensure FEMA eligibility until all components, including Forge River are complete. The announcement complements New York State's investments to reduce nitrogen pollution in the region's waters through initiatives including the Long Island Nitrogen Action Plan, the Bay Park Conveyance Project, the replacement of aging septic and cesspool systems in Patchogue, and partnering with Suffolk County to provide grants for homeowners to help repair or replace their existing systems with advanced nitrogen treatment, among other actions. (Alliance News) - Oil prices were on the up on Friday on continued supply worries, with winter storms blowing through the US providing the latest tailwind. The Brent price hit a year-to-date high of USD93.02 a barrel on Friday, the North Sea benchmark's best level since 2014. The price is up 57% from this time last year. "Oil is headed for a seventh weekly gain as investors fret over a fast-tightening market, geopolitical tensions, and freezing weather in the US," said analysts at South African financial services firm Nedbank. Brent crude prices are currently about 2.3% higher than they were at the end of last Friday. The US is facing a harsh weather system that hit parts of the nation's southern and central areas, including oil-rich Texas. Analysts at SP Angel Oil & Gas commented: "Freezing temperatures and snow and sleet are expected to hit north Texas this week and test the electric grid following last year's deadly deep freeze that left millions of Texans without electricity for days and led to the largest ever decline in oil production as wells froze." Also bolstering oil prices this week were reports of cyberattacks at major oil terminals in some of Western Europe's biggest ports. Belgian prosecutors have launched an investigation into the hacking of oil facilities in the country's maritime entryways, including Antwerp, Europe's second-biggest port after Rotterdam. AJ Bell analyst Russ Mould said these problems add to already hefty "pressures on crude supply". London-listed oil majors revelled in the crude price rise. Shares in Shell PLC advanced 3.5%, while BP PLC rose 2.9%. Also helping the Brent rally are rising geopolitical tensions. Russia has deployed more than 100,000 heavily armed troops around Ukraine. The US and its allies accuse Moscow of preparing to invade the former Soviet republic, which has ambitions of joining Western institutions, including NATO. In the Middle East, hostilities between Yemen rebels and United Arab Emirates are escalating. Earlier this week, the OPEC+ group of oil producing nations backed a modest output hike for next month. The group, which includes Russia and Saudi Arabia, will hike by 400,000 barrels per day in March. The group has again opted against opening the taps more extravagantly, despite calls to up supplies in a bid to keep a lid on oil prices. Some OPEC members have having difficulty meeting their existing product quotas, SP Angel noted. By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. (Alliance News) - East Star Resources PLC on Friday said it has awarded IG Copper & Gold Kazakhstan a diamond drilling contract in central Kazakhstan. The Kazakhstan-focused gold and copper explorer contracted the wholly-owned subsidiary of exploration and development focused private holding company IG Global Group for 5,000 metres of drilling this year. It will be focussed initially on the Apmintas and Dalny licences in the Chu-Ili orogenic gold belt of central Kazakhstan, East Star added. "We are delighted to be working with IG Global Group on this 2022 drill programme. They have extensive experience working in Kazakhstan and other Commonwealth of Independent States countries, not only as an operator but as an extremely successful explorer," Chief Executive Alex Walker commented. He added: "The quality of the geological team that will support the drilling operators cannot be underestimated and the extra checks and balances this provides will ensure East Star conducts the most efficient and thorough exploration programme possible." Shares in East Star Resources were up 0.8% at 5.09 pence each on Friday morning in London. By Abby Amoakuh; abbyamoakuh@alliancenews.com Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Tenzin Drolma (C) stands with her mother (R) and a neighbor girl while herding cattle in Gyaga Village of Damxung County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Jan. 18, 2022. Tenzin Drolma, 21, was born on the grassland near Lake Namtso in Tibet. In 2020, she was admitted to Jiangsu Food and Pharmaceutical Science College in east China's Jiangsu Province as a Chinese pharmacy major student. The college life in the outside world is fresh to Drolma. She met many new classmates and made many friends. When winter vacation came, Drolma returned to her beloved home. "I leave my hometown in order to come back being a better person," she said. "I hope that when I graduate from college, I can help my family live a better life and I can be a useful person to my hometown and people here." (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) Thutop (R) looks at his daughter Tenzin Drolma in Gyaga Village of Damxung County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Jan. 18, 2022. Tenzin Drolma, 21, was born on the grassland near Lake Namtso in Tibet. In 2020, she was admitted to Jiangsu Food and Pharmaceutical Science College in east China's Jiangsu Province as a Chinese pharmacy major student. The college life in the outside world is fresh to Drolma. She met many new classmates and made many friends. When winter vacation came, Drolma returned to her beloved home. "I leave my hometown in order to come back being a better person," she said. "I hope that when I graduate from college, I can help my family live a better life and I can be a useful person to my hometown and people here." (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) Tenzin Drolma drinks fresh milk in Gyaga Village of Damxung County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Jan. 18, 2022. Tenzin Drolma, 21, was born on the grassland near Lake Namtso in Tibet. In 2020, she was admitted to Jiangsu Food and Pharmaceutical Science College in east China's Jiangsu Province as a Chinese pharmacy major student. The college life in the outside world is fresh to Drolma. She met many new classmates and made many friends. When winter vacation came, Drolma returned to her beloved home. "I leave my hometown in order to come back being a better person," she said. "I hope that when I graduate from college, I can help my family live a better life and I can be a useful person to my hometown and people here." (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) Tenzin Drolma (2nd L) whispers with her mother in Gyaga Village of Damxung County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Jan. 18, 2022. Tenzin Drolma, 21, was born on the grassland near Lake Namtso in Tibet. In 2020, she was admitted to Jiangsu Food and Pharmaceutical Science College in east China's Jiangsu Province as a Chinese pharmacy major student. The college life in the outside world is fresh to Drolma. She met many new classmates and made many friends. When winter vacation came, Drolma returned to her beloved home. "I leave my hometown in order to come back being a better person," she said. "I hope that when I graduate from college, I can help my family live a better life and I can be a useful person to my hometown and people here." (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) Tenzin Drolma (R) assists her grandmother into their house in Gyaga Village of Damxung County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Jan. 18, 2022. Tenzin Drolma, 21, was born on the grassland near Lake Namtso in Tibet. In 2020, she was admitted to Jiangsu Food and Pharmaceutical Science College in east China's Jiangsu Province as a Chinese pharmacy major student. The college life in the outside world is fresh to Drolma. She met many new classmates and made many friends. When winter vacation came, Drolma returned to her beloved home. "I leave my hometown in order to come back being a better person," she said. "I hope that when I graduate from college, I can help my family live a better life and I can be a useful person to my hometown and people here." (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) Tenzin Drolma (2nd R) poses for pictures with her family in Gyaga Village of Damxung County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Jan. 18, 2022. Tenzin Drolma, 21, was born on the grassland near Lake Namtso in Tibet. In 2020, she was admitted to Jiangsu Food and Pharmaceutical Science College in east China's Jiangsu Province as a Chinese pharmacy major student. The college life in the outside world is fresh to Drolma. She met many new classmates and made many friends. When winter vacation came, Drolma returned to her beloved home. "I leave my hometown in order to come back being a better person," she said. "I hope that when I graduate from college, I can help my family live a better life and I can be a useful person to my hometown and people here." (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) Tenzin Drolma plays with a calf in Gyaga Village of Damxung County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Jan. 18, 2022. Tenzin Drolma, 21, was born on the grassland near Lake Namtso in Tibet. In 2020, she was admitted to Jiangsu Food and Pharmaceutical Science College in east China's Jiangsu Province as a Chinese pharmacy major student. The college life in the outside world is fresh to Drolma. She met many new classmates and made many friends. When winter vacation came, Drolma returned to her beloved home. "I leave my hometown in order to come back being a better person," she said. "I hope that when I graduate from college, I can help my family live a better life and I can be a useful person to my hometown and people here." (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) Tenzin Drolma herds cattle in Gyaga Village of Damxung County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Jan. 18, 2022. Tenzin Drolma, 21, was born on the grassland near Lake Namtso in Tibet. In 2020, she was admitted to Jiangsu Food and Pharmaceutical Science College in east China's Jiangsu Province as a Chinese pharmacy major student. The college life in the outside world is fresh to Drolma. She met many new classmates and made many friends. When winter vacation came, Drolma returned to her beloved home. "I leave my hometown in order to come back being a better person," she said. "I hope that when I graduate from college, I can help my family live a better life and I can be a useful person to my hometown and people here." (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) Tenzin Drolma (C) enjoys lunch with her parents in Gyaga Village of Damxung County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Jan. 18, 2022. Tenzin Drolma, 21, was born on the grassland near Lake Namtso in Tibet. In 2020, she was admitted to Jiangsu Food and Pharmaceutical Science College in east China's Jiangsu Province as a Chinese pharmacy major student. The college life in the outside world is fresh to Drolma. She met many new classmates and made many friends. When winter vacation came, Drolma returned to her beloved home. "I leave my hometown in order to come back being a better person," she said. "I hope that when I graduate from college, I can help my family live a better life and I can be a useful person to my hometown and people here." (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) Tenzin Drolma (L) greets her grandmother in Gyaga Village of Damxung County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Jan. 18, 2022. Tenzin Drolma, 21, was born on the grassland near Lake Namtso in Tibet. In 2020, she was admitted to Jiangsu Food and Pharmaceutical Science College in east China's Jiangsu Province as a Chinese pharmacy major student. The college life in the outside world is fresh to Drolma. She met many new classmates and made many friends. When winter vacation came, Drolma returned to her beloved home. "I leave my hometown in order to come back being a better person," she said. "I hope that when I graduate from college, I can help my family live a better life and I can be a useful person to my hometown and people here." (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) Tenzin Drolma stands inside a pen in Gyaga Village of Damxung County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Jan. 18, 2022. Tenzin Drolma, 21, was born on the grassland near Lake Namtso in Tibet. In 2020, she was admitted to Jiangsu Food and Pharmaceutical Science College in east China's Jiangsu Province as a Chinese pharmacy major student. The college life in the outside world is fresh to Drolma. She met many new classmates and made many friends. When winter vacation came, Drolma returned to her beloved home. "I leave my hometown in order to come back being a better person," she said. "I hope that when I graduate from college, I can help my family live a better life and I can be a useful person to my hometown and people here." (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) Tenzin Drolma's family welcomes her home in Gyaga Village of Damxung County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Jan. 18, 2022. Tenzin Drolma, 21, was born on the grassland near Lake Namtso in Tibet. In 2020, she was admitted to Jiangsu Food and Pharmaceutical Science College in east China's Jiangsu Province as a Chinese pharmacy major student. The college life in the outside world is fresh to Drolma. She met many new classmates and made many friends. When winter vacation came, Drolma returned to her beloved home. "I leave my hometown in order to come back being a better person," she said. "I hope that when I graduate from college, I can help my family live a better life and I can be a useful person to my hometown and people here." (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) 03 February 2022 RNS REACH DE LA RUE PLC AUTHENTICATION CONTRACT WIN De La Rue plc (LSE: DLAR) ("De La Rue") today announces that it has signed a contract with the Oman Tax Authority to implement a Digital Tax Stamp solution for excisable goods, as announced on 1st February 2022 in Oman. The 5-year contract will see De La Rue and the Tax Authority implementing a tax stamp scheme for tobacco products compliant with the World Health Organisation's Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) and product marking and serialisation for other excisable goods. Combining secure printed tax stamps and digital tracking solutions, the scheme will enable the Tax Authority to tighten control over the suppliers' commitment to pay the excise tax and to monitor the production and import processes of excisable goods. The scheme will therefore contribute to enhancing the tax revenues of Oman. This contract represents the latest in a series of long-term contract wins for De La Rue's Authentication division, in support of the Turnaround Plan objectives. The Company expects this contract to contribute to revenue starting early in Financial Year 2022-23. Andrew Clint, Managing Director of De La Rue Authentication said, "we are honoured to have been selected by the Tax Authority in Oman to implement this FCTC compliant digital tax stamp solution which means that all of the GCC countries that are implementing tax stamp solutions have selected De La Rue as their partner. De La Rue now secures more than 14 billion products annually across our Government Revenue Solutions (GRS) and brand protection solutions ensuring that we are protecting revenues and reputations for customers all around the world" An Oman Tax Authority spokesperson said: "The Oman Tax Authority are delighted to be working with one of the world leaders, De La Rue, on this important project for driving improved excise tax revenues." De La Rue plc's LEI code is 213800DH741LZWIJXP78. Enquiries: De La Rue plc +44 (0) 7387 122645 Clive Vacher Chief Executive Officer Rob Harding Chief Financial Officer Matthew Rose Director of Tax, Treasury and Investor Relations Kirstie Thomas Investor Relations Manager Brunswick +44 (0)207 404 5959 Stuart Donnelly Ed Brown Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements This announcement includes statements that are, or may be deemed to be, "forward-looking statements". These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms "believes", "estimates", "anticipates", "expects", "intends", "plans", "goal", "target", "aim", "may", "will", "would", "could" or "should" or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements include all matters that are not historical facts. They appear in a number of places throughout this announcement and include statements regarding the intentions, beliefs or current expectations of the directors, De La Rue or the Group concerning, amongst other things, the results of operations, profitability, financial condition, liquidity, prospects, growth and strategies of De La Rue and the industry in which it operates. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future and may be beyond De La Rue's ability to control or predict. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. The Group's actual results of operations, profitability, financial condition, liquidity, prospects, growth and/or strategy and the development of the industry in which it operates may differ materially from the impression created by the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement. In addition, even if the results of operations, profitability, financial condition, liquidity, prospects, growth and/or strategy of the Group and the development of the industry in which it operates are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement, those results or developments may not be indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods. Other than in accordance with its legal or regulatory obligations, De La Rue does not undertake any obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Red Rock Resources PLC ("Red Rock" or the "Company") Asset Review and Current Developments 4 February 2022 Red Rock Resources Plc. ("Red Rock" or "the Company"), is a natural resource development company with interests in gold and base metals, principally in Africa and Australia. Current projects and likely near-term news are summarised below. Highlights: Drill programmes in three countries where gold, copper and cobalt exploration results now expected imminently Acquisition of new ground in Burkina Faso and Cote d'Ivoire Preparation for new exploration phase in Kenya Expected near term listing of investee company Listing process for Australian JV gold company continues Focus on strengthening of battery metal presence with lithium as well as cobalt/copper now an area of interest Red Rock Chairman Andrew Bell comments: "We have completed drill programmes in Kenya and the Congo, already have the raw results returned from the laboratory in the case of Congo and expect them imminently in the case of Kenya. The results and analysis, which we shall announce as soon as we have them, will be key near-term milestones. Our colleagues in Australia, where we have our joint venture with Power Metal Resources Plc, are making good progress with their drilling and once they have the full suite of results from the first target, where drilling has completed, we expect them to provide us with an early analysis. The Company is therefore in the unusual position of expecting drilling results from six targets in three countries over the coming weeks. We also look forward to the slightly delayed listing of Elephant Oil Corporation, a group in which we have been a longstanding shareholder, in the U.S. We anticipate this may happen in the first quarter, and if it does it will be the first of a series of planned monetisation or value crystallisation events, and a most important one. Moving to IPO with, or seeking partners for, some of Red Rock's other assets will also form part of this strategy which will be a strong focus in 2022. Our royalty interest in Mt Ida has had good news in that Juno Minerals Ltd in its recent quarterly report has stated its intention to complete the feasibility on Mt Ida and has stated: "The Mount Ida Project remains the largest magnetite resource and the most technically advanced magnetite project in the Yilgarn. With magnetite concentrate being a higher grade and consistent product, commanding a premium price over DSO iron ore, it also has the advantage of a lower environmental footprint in the smelting process and is considered as the "green steel" which is becoming the preferred raw material in the steel making process". This new emphasis by Juno's management on Mt Ida and their recognition of its potential vindicates our consistent encouragement while represented on the board of Mt Ida's previous owner Jupiter Mines Ltd, of the concept of spinning out Jupiter's iron ore assets into a separate listing. The coming into production one day of Mt Ida would be a development of the first order for Red Rock. We shall watch developments there carefully during 2022." PROJECT UPDATE Mikei Gold Project Western Kenya Gold: 723,000 oz Mineral Resource Estimate at 1.49 g/t (JORC 2012) 100% economic interest 20 Reverse Circulation (RC) holes totalling 2,093m drilled in H2 2021. Drilling was over the Central KKM project area within and just outside the Resource envelope. RRR announced on receipt from the laboratory of the first 950 sample results that 7 of the first 9 holes encountered gold mineralisation with intercepts including 17m at 1.02 g/t to end of hole (including 1m at 3.15 g/t). Drill results for the next 11 holes is expected from the laboratory within 7-10 days and will be announced, with full interpretation to follow. Elsewhere in the licences an EIA is being prepared for future drilling and ground geophysics work continues. An injunction was obtained to prevent illegal foreign miners and those acting on their behalf from infringing on a part of RRR's licence area. Luanshimba Copper-Cobalt Project Copper/Cobalt: Katanga, DRC 80% interest First drill programme on prospect carried out in H2 2021, with 2,469m drilled in 29 RC holes. Cobalt Heterogenite oxide mineralisation in multiple fault gouges, as well as Copper including a pyritic zone overlying chalcopyrites, observed in Zambian Copperbelt style mineralisation. Results from all 2,763 samples (including standards and blanks) now received from laboratory, and report undergoing peer review by consultants before release to the market. New Ballarat Gold Corporation Plc Gold: Victoria, Australia 50.1% interest New Ballarat Gold Corporation Plc (NBGC) takes over as 100% owner of local operator Red Rock Australasia Pty Ltd. 9 granted licences totalling 1,501 sq km are held around the historic mining centre of Ballarat, with 3 licences totalling 657 sq km going through the grant process and a further licence in a competitive grant process. A diamond drill programme to test three target areas began before Christmas with a 6 hole programme at the O'Loughlins prospect SE of Ballarat, before moving to current drilling at Pitfield SW of Ballarat. Drill results from O'Laughlins are expected within the next weeks. It remains the intention of Red Rock and its JV partner to seek a listing for NBGC, and work on this will proceed with due regard to market timing. Faso Minerals Ltd Gold: Boromo and Banfora greenstone belts, SW Burkina Faso 100% subsidiary Faso Minerals Ltd (FML) through its 100% subsidiary Faso Greenstone Resources SARL holds 348 sq km of highly prospective ground acquired from local holders in the SW of Burkina Faso at Bilbale and Boulon. Applications for other areas have been prepared. A remote sensing screening of the areas which have generally 2-5m of laterite cover, using visible near infrared (VNIR), shortwave infrared (SWIR), longwave infrared (LWIR) and ALOS-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery, is under way, preparatory to ground geochemistry, geophysics, and drilling. LacGold Minerals Ltd Gold: greenstone belts in Cote d'Ivoire 100% subsidiary LacGold Minerals Ltd (LGM) through its 100% subsidiary LacGold Resources SARLU has made initial applications for five prospective areas, screened from a long list, for gold exploration. The first two totalling 781.69 sq km have been approved by the Interministerial Committee (CIM) and the signed Decrets are awaited. Official visits are planned to the next two before they go to the CIM. An initial MMI (mobile metal ion) programme will be undertaken immediately upon grant. African Lithium Resources (Private) Ltd Lithium: historical pegmatite areas in Zimbabwe 75% subsidiary RRR is in the process with a local partner of assembling a lithium portfolio by purchase of old mining areas and by pegging of prospective areas with evidence of lithium mineralisation. The process is well advanced and will be reported to shareholders once critical mass is achieved and all documentation is in hand. Other DRC interests Copper-Cobalt The Company's 100% owned subsidiary has obtained three judgments and two monetary awards through the DRC courts this year in relation to wrongful acts by a business partner. RRR continues to pursue the matter in order to obtain compensating assets, payment of the awards, and further financial compensation. Other RRR has c397,873 shares in Elephant Oil Corporation, where an application for listing on a North American market has now been applied for. Current expectations, as reported to RRR, are for a March listing. Should the listing occur, the Company is likely to possess a liquid asset of considerable value. The Company retains its royalty on the El Limon gold mine in Colombia (currently not paying but expected to resume payments in 2022). Other non-paying royalties include that over the Mt Ida iron ore asset in Australia, now part of Juno Minerals Ltd, and those over the Australian joint venture gold assets. This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("MAR"), and is disclosed in accordance with the Company's obligations under Article 17 of MAR. For further information, please contact: Andrew Bell 0207 747 9990 Chairman Red Rock Resources Plc Roland Cornish/ Rosalind Hill Abrahams 0207 628 3396 NOMAD Beaumont Cornish Limited Jason Robertson 0207 374 2212 Broker First Equity Limited Weather Alert ...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in Louisiana... Mississippi River At Red River Landing affecting West Feliciana, East Baton Rouge and Pointe Coupee Parishes. For the Lower Mississippi River...including Red River Landing, Baton Rouge, Donaldsonville, Reserve, New Orleans...Minor flooding is forecast. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive cars through flooded areas. Caution is urged when walking near riverbanks. Additional information is available at www.weather.gov/lix. Click on the Rivers and Lakes menu for forecasts and observations. The next statement will be issued when updates are needed. && ...FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL EARLY FRIDAY MORNING... * WHAT...Minor flooding is occurring and minor flooding is forecast. * WHERE...Mississippi River At Red River Landing. * WHEN...Until early Friday morning. * IMPACTS...At 51.0 feet, All river islands along the reach from Red River Landing to Baton Rouge will be inundated. Recreational camps and river bottom farm land will be under water. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 6:00 PM CDT Sunday the stage was 50.3 feet. - Recent Activity...The maximum river stage in the 24 hours ending at 6:00 PM CDT Sunday was 50.4 feet. - Forecast...The river is expected to fall below flood stage Thursday evening and continue falling to 39.6 feet Sunday, May 29. - Flood stage is 48.0 feet. - Flood History...This crest compares to a previous crest of 48.8 feet on 04/22/2014. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood && Tourists visit Chuxiu Park in Huai'an City, east China's Jiangsu Province, Feb. 3, 2022. People around China attended various events to celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year. (Photo by Zhao Qirui/Xinhua) by Xinhua writers Wang Siyuan, Zhang Xuan BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Shaking her mobile phone, scanning the Chinese character "Fu" and watching short videos, Zhao Yacong started collecting "lucky money" at least 10 days before the Spring Festival -- not from her relatives, but from deep-pocketed tech titans. "It's the seventh time I've participated in such games," said the 27-year-old account manager, adding that the fun she derives from such activities is about much more than collecting money. In recent years, Chinese people like Zhao have embraced this new twist on the tradition of handing out red envelopes, or "hongbao" in Chinese, during the Chinese New Year holiday. It started in earnest in 2014, when Tencent made a splash with the digital hongbao service on its popular instant messaging app WeChat. Since then, other companies have joined the throng, attracting a growing number of players keen to collect lucky money by playing hongbao games in various forms. RACE FOR MOBILE USERS As of Jan. 25, the amount of lucky money handed out by domestic tech firms this year has exceeded 8 billion yuan (about 1.25 billion U.S. dollars). E-commerce giant JD.com has prepared 1.5 billion yuan of shopping vouchers and commodities since it became the exclusive red-envelope partner of the China Central Television Spring Festival Gala. It is an opportunity for JD.com to make full use of the Spring Festival Gala, the most-watched show of the year, to gain new users and increase the brand's influence, said Su Xiaorui, a senior analyst at Analysys. As competition at home heats up, China's tech enterprises are racing to bank on the time-honored tradition. Alibaba has continued to offer 500 million yuan in lucky money to users who play its game of collecting "five blessings," while short-video platform Kuaishou has been prompting users to play little games in its application to win bonus money that amounts to 2.2 billion yuan. "The strategy of money for traffic only works in the short term, and companies should offer user-friendly tech products to retain them," said Su. FUN BEYOND MONEY "One of the highlights of this year's red-envelope-grabbing activity is that many companies have chosen to integrate into traditional culture, the Winter Olympics and other factors," said Hu Qimu, chief researcher of Tianyi Digital Economy Institute. Alibaba's "five blessings" offering this year features images of cultural relics related to tigers from 22 museums nationwide, telling stories spanning from the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 B.C.) to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), as a celebration of the Year of the Tiger. Chinese internet giant Baidu has set up activities to embrace the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games and prepared gold ornaments, digital collections and cash as rewards. Hongbao campaigns can spur cultural consumption if participants appreciate the cultural relevance of the process, said Hu. In recent years, more and more tech firms have integrated their red-envelope activities with traditional Chinese elements such as the legendary monster Nian, Spring Festival couplets and family dinners. This year, due to the sporadic resurgence of COVID-19, Zhao has decided to stay in Beijing rather than return to her hometown around 700 km away in central China's Henan Province. However, she has invited her parents to join in the hongbao-snatching game with her. "Each time I finish collecting lucky money online, I feel spring is at the door," she said. Jefferson, GA (30549) Today Sunshine and a few clouds. High 86F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Spain's fragmented parliament approved the minority leftist government's labour reform yesterday by a margin of just one vote, which the main opposition party said had come from one of its members by mistake and vowed to try to annul the result. The decree that overturns a previous conservative administration's pro-business reforms by granting more power to unions in bargaining contracts is a cornerstone of a raft of conditions for Spain receiving the next 12 billion euro disbursement of European pandemic recovery funds. The result of the vote was so close that House Speaker Meritxell Batet initially said the bill had been rejected, causing consternation among government members present, but quickly corrected herself. The Socialist-led government's usual allies in the house for the past two years, such as the Catalan separatists ERC, voted against the legislation. Unprecedented support by the opposition centre-right Ciudadanos and the conservative Catalan pro-independence PdeCat allowed the bill to narrowly pass in a 175-174 vote. A lawmaker from the People's Party voted remotely for the reform, which the party blamed on a computer error, claiming in a statement that the MP "voted no, but on the screen the vote appeared as yes".His attempts to alert house officials about the error were allegedly ignored, which the party said infringed remote voting protocol that requires confirmation of the vote by telephone. It lodged a complaint with the governing body of Congress and promised legal action if the error was not acknowledged. The landmark reform is a long-standing electoral commitment of the Socialists and their coalition partners Unidas Podemos. "This is the most important law of the legislature," Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz told parliament before the vote. She said the legislation would counter Spain's chronic problem of unemployment, the European Union's second-highest after Greece, and precarious work. Spain is the EU country with the highest use of temporary contracts, covering around a quarter of the workforce. The new regulation tightens conditions for their use, limiting them to short periods of time. Also, providers of outsourced staff will have to adapt workers' terms to those of the company they are assigned to. Parliament is highly fragmented and polarised, making the administration reliant on a number of small regional parties to pass laws. Although positive for the reform and government's immediate goals, support from Ciudadanos could drive a wedge between some of the leftist parties, particularly junior ruling coalition partner Podemos, and Catalonia's ERC. Whether the vote will redefine or diminish support for the government still remains to be seen. One of the labour groups that stands to benefit the most from the new legislation are hotel housekeepers, known locally as Kellys, long a symbol of precarious work in the tourism-dependent country. Diaz said such workers' annual income would increase by about 2,500 euros in some cases. MASON COUNTY An Oakland County man was arraigned this week on a list of charges after allegedly assaulting a Manistee woman last year. Jonathan Michael Jones, 35, of Hazel Park, was arraigned in Mason Countys 79th District Court on Thursday. According to a Friday morning news release from Michigan State Police, Jones was charged with the following: One count of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder or by strangulation; One count of assault with a dangerous weapon; One count a felony with firearms; and One count of domestic violence. The news release states that on Sept. 19, a Manistee resident reported multiple assaults that occurred while traveling with a man she had been in a relationship with and who was also the father of her child. The woman then identified the man as Jones. In August 2021 she went to Florida to visit him and his family. They spent some time in Florida and Tennessee together and then returned to Michigan. This is when the assaults allegedly began, the release reads in part. She stated he first assaulted her while they were staying at a hotel in Grand Rapids. He assaulted her a second time while traveling on I-96. The release said that the two had spent the night at a hotel in Ludington and that Jones assaulted her a third time and threatened to kill her and her child. During this assault he threatened her with a handgun. He brought her home to Manistee on Sept. 18 and left. She believes he may have returned to Florida (at that time), the release states. The incidents were investigated and the Mason County Prosecutors Office authorized an arrest warrant for Jones on Dec. 14. Troopers were notified that Jones was lodged at the Detroit Detention Center. On Tuesday, state police troopers transported Jones to the Mason County Jail. Jones bond was set at $40,000. His next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 16. BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- The scale of China's privately offered funds stood at 15.98 trillion yuan (2.51 trillion U.S. dollars) by the end of December, data from an industry association showed. The volume went down 851.8 billion yuan, or 5.06 percent from the end of the previous month, according to the Asset Management Association of China (AMAC). Established in 2012, the AMAC is a self-regulatory organization that represents China's mutual fund industry. Donning new clothes, paying courtesy calls to relatives and friends... the Chinese New Year has a special appeal for a British vlogger living in Shanghai, China. Produced by Xinhua Global Service Mary C. (Hoff) Lee, 84, of Atlantic passed away Sunday, May 1, 2022, in her residence. Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Loutzenhiser-Jordan Funeral Home and Cremation Services Inc., 366-368 S. Main St., Greenville. BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday stressed commitment between China and Russia to deepening back-to-back strategic coordination and upholding international equity and justice side by side in the face of profound and complex changes in the international situation. Xi made the statement while holding talks with visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing. The strategic choice, which has far-reaching impacts on both countries and the world at large, has never been and will never be shaken, said Xi. Xi called on both sides to continue to maintain close high-level exchanges, give strong support to each other in safeguarding sovereignty, security and development interests, effectively respond to external interference and regional security threats, and maintain international strategic stability. Both sides should step up coordination and cooperation in international affairs, and shoulder major-country responsibilities in global issues of pressing concern, such as fighting COVID-19, boosting the economy and tackling climate change, said Xi. Gangubai Kathiawadi is being directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and this is his first collaboration with Alia Bhatt who plays the titular role. The movie has been adapted from one of the chapters of Hussain Zaidis book, Mafia Queens of Mumbai. The movie stars Alia as Gangubai Kothewali, a gun-wielding and one of the most powerful, loved, and respected brothel owners of Kamathipura brothel during the 1960s. Sold into prostitution very young, Gangubai became influential in the city, with notorious criminals serving as her clients. The makers have dropped the trailer of the movie and people are already calling it a blockbuster. The recently launched trailer promises a spectacular cinematic experience. The film will have its much-awaited world premiere at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival. Produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Dr. Jayantilal Gada (Pen Studios), the film is all set to release theatrically on February 25, 2022. Heres the trailer: As people have already watched the trailer, they are anxiously waiting for its release. Here are 5 reasons why we and the viewers think that its worth a watch: 1. Alia Bhatts Acting For those who thought Alia Bhatt wasnt the right fit for the role after watching the teaser, she proved all of them wrong and said it out loud that she is the only one who could play the role of Gangubai with conviction. Her expressions and dialogues are just on point. 2. Vijay Raazs Tadka YouTube If you have seen the trailer, you know Vijay Raazs acting is one of the most important highlights of the movie. He is a criminally underrated actor but whenever he is on the screen, he literally owns it. 3. Ajay Devgns Cameo In the trailer, we also got to see a few glimpses of Ajays powerful presence and people are looking forward to watching him share screen with Alia Bhatt. 4. Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Magic In 25 glorious years, the director has given something new and spectacular with every story and Gangubai Kathiawadi is taking his magic a notch higher. Its impeccable as to how he has presented the story with grandeur. 5. Dialogues and Story As its a real story about a powerful woman who fought for the rights of the children of sex workers, the dialogues had to be strong and the makers havent disappointed at all. Here are the reactions: YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube Do you agree with us and peoples opinions? Let us know in the comments section below. Meridian, MS (39302) Today A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 88F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. Low 68F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. by Xinhua writers Wang Siyuan, Zhang Xuan BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Shaking her mobile phone, scanning the Chinese character "Fu" and watching short videos, Zhao Yacong started collecting "lucky money" at least 10 days before the Spring Festival -- not from her relatives, but from deep-pocketed tech titans. "It's the seventh time I've participated in such games," said the 27-year-old account manager, adding that the fun she derives from such activities is about much more than collecting money. In recent years, Chinese people like Zhao have embraced this new twist on the tradition of handing out red envelopes, or "hongbao" in Chinese, during the Chinese New Year holiday. It started in earnest in 2014, when Tencent made a splash with the digital hongbao service on its popular instant messaging app WeChat. Since then, other companies have joined the throng, attracting a growing number of players keen to collect lucky money by playing hongbao games in various forms. RACE FOR MOBILE USERS As of Jan. 25, the amount of lucky money handed out by domestic tech firms this year has exceeded 8 billion yuan (about 1.25 billion U.S. dollars). E-commerce giant JD.com has prepared 1.5 billion yuan of shopping vouchers and commodities since it became the exclusive red-envelope partner of the China Central Television Spring Festival Gala. It is an opportunity for JD.com to make full use of the Spring Festival Gala, the most-watched show of the year, to gain new users and increase the brand's influence, said Su Xiaorui, a senior analyst at Analysys. As competition at home heats up, China's tech enterprises are racing to bank on the time-honored tradition. Alibaba has continued to offer 500 million yuan in lucky money to users who play its game of collecting "five blessings," while short-video platform Kuaishou has been prompting users to play little games in its application to win bonus money that amounts to 2.2 billion yuan. "The strategy of money for traffic only works in the short term, and companies should offer user-friendly tech products to retain them," said Su. FUN BEYOND MONEY "One of the highlights of this year's red-envelope-grabbing activity is that many companies have chosen to integrate into traditional culture, the Winter Olympics and other factors," said Hu Qimu, chief researcher of Tianyi Digital Economy Institute. Alibaba's "five blessings" offering this year features images of cultural relics related to tigers from 22 museums nationwide, telling stories spanning from the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 B.C.) to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), as a celebration of the Year of the Tiger. Chinese internet giant Baidu has set up activities to embrace the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games and prepared gold ornaments, digital collections and cash as rewards. Hongbao campaigns can spur cultural consumption if participants appreciate the cultural relevance of the process, said Hu. In recent years, more and more tech firms have integrated their red-envelope activities with traditional Chinese elements such as the legendary monster Nian, Spring Festival couplets and family dinners. This year, due to the sporadic resurgence of COVID-19, Zhao has decided to stay in Beijing rather than return to her hometown around 700 km away in central China's Henan Province. However, she has invited her parents to join in the hongbao-snatching game with her. "Each time I finish collecting lucky money online, I feel spring is at the door," she said. The office of U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell announced Wednesday that Kentucky is earmarked to receive nearly $104 million in federal funding for the cleanup of orphaned oil and gas wells throughout the state. The funding is being made available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was signed into law last year. The abandoned oil and gas wells littered across Kentucky are a liability to our Commonwealth, providing no jobs or output, McConnell said in the statement. This is a problem in nearly every county, but until now, our local governments have not had the funding required to complete cleanup projects on a large scale. Daviess County Judge-Executive Al Mattingly said Wednesday that there are 14,367 abandoned wells in Kentucky. Daviess County has the sixth most among Kentucky counties, with 584 orphaned oil or gas wells. You can look at the state, and it is clear, Daviess County particularly in the western part of the county and then rolling over into Ohio county, there are a large number of wells, Mattingly said. Mattingly said he hasnt received information on how much of the funding will be allocated for use in Daviess County, which has about 4% of the orphaned wells. If they did it on a proportional basis, that means that we would get about $4 million out of the $104 million, he said. That would average $6,850 per well. Mattingly said the cost to properly decommission and cap an abandoned well can exceed $25,000. The $104 million is a good start, but it might not cover or take care of all the wells in the state, Mattingly said. Ryan Watts, executive director of the Kentucky Oil and Gas Association, said Kentucky outperforms other states when it comes to locating, categorizing and plugging orphan wells. Thanks to Senator McConnell and this appropriation, Kentucky is well positioned to continue its successful efforts of plugging many additional legacy wells and remediate their surface impact, Watts said. Mattingly said that when Daviess Countys portion of the funding comes through, it will not be overseen at the county level. We would not have any oversight, Mattingly said. The county really doesnt have a thumb into that pie at all. It very well could be that it is through the EPA. Ohio County Judge-Executive David Johnston said Thursday that there doesnt seem to be an overwhelming concern about abandoned wells in Ohio County, despite it having 723 orphaned wells, the third most in the state. There is a lot of interest from people wanting the job of plugging them, he said. Johnston said that anytime money comes into Ohio County, its a good thing, and that the federal dollars would be great for area contractors hired to cap the wells. February is National Childrens Dental Health Month. Community Dental Clinic board chair Suzanne Craig said dental hygiene and education is vital to children of all ages, especially in Kentucky, which ranks high among states in dental suffering. Craig said the Community Dental Clinic began in 2009 with the mission to serve Medicaid and low-income patients with high-quality dental care to help alleviate dental suffering and improve dental health in the community. Since its beginning, the clinic has performed around 30,000 school dental screenings and served 15,000 patients, all from low-income families. About 35% of those patients are children, according to Craig. Dental care, she said, is important at every stage of life, starting as early as prenatal with the mother being free of pain and infections and having overall good health during her pregnancy and becoming extremely important throughout a childs life. Craig said Kentucky ranks second for citizens with the most dental problems. She said the top reason cited for children missing school is dental pain, with 41% of third- through sixth-graders having dental pain and untreated cavities, according to state studies and reports. The Center for Disease Control also reported that 35% of adults had not visited a dentist in the last year. She said childrens dental health is in crisis in Kentucky with many children living with dental pain and going untreated for dental decay. Dental decay is the most chronic illnesses among children, more prevalent than asthma, said Dr. Carol Braun, pediatric dentist with the clinic. Craig said these statistics could be helped with increased Medicaid reimbursements. She said reimbursements have not changed in around 20 years, and many dentists do not accept Medicaid because it pays much less than other insurance providers. Dental education, she said, would also benefit the community, as would a better sense of dental care and hygiene in general. Craig said individuals should brush twice daily for two minutes each time and receive dental checkups twice a year, in addition to being educated on sugary foods and drinks, so that the needle can begin to move on preventative efforts, which Craig said is a large part of dental care, in general. Urgent dental care can often be difficult to access, so if the needs can be identified before we have the pain, before we have infection, then its much easier for them to access care, Braun said. During National Childrens Dental Health Month, Craig said the clinic hopes to start offering dental screenings to Afghan refugee children in the community. Christie Netherton, cnetherton@messenger-inquirer.com, 270-691-7360 While Circuit Court doesnt have the caseload of District Court or Family Court, it is responsible for handling weighty issues. All felony cases that result in indictments wind up in Circuit Court, so the judges there preside over homicides, major thefts, serious assaults and cases involving the possession or distribution of child pornography. Civil lawsuits, where juries can award thousands or millions in damages, are also heard in Circuit Court. In Daviess County, Circuit judges have put a heavy emphasis on getting people charged with crimes related to drug addiction into rehabilitation. Specialty programs like Drug Court, which are presided over by Circuit judges, have the explicit goal of helping people succeed in drug treatment, with it serving as an alternative to sending an addicted person to prison. There is one contested Circuit judgeship election this year, in Division I, as incumbent Jay Wethington faces attorney Leigh Jackson. Both have spent the bulk of their careers in Circuit Court, Wethington as a prosecutor and judge, and Jackson as a public defender and head of the Owensboro public defender law office. Candidates are listed alphabetically. LEIGH JACKSONJackson has been practicing law for 22 years. She joined the public defender law office in 2001, left after a little more than three years, but returned in 2009 and was named head attorney of the office in 2013. As head attorney, Jackson supervises the countys public defenders, who represent people charged with crimes but cant afford to hire an attorney. The vast majority of my experience, since 2009, has been in Daviess Circuit Court, Jackson said. Im there four or five days a week. Running for judge seems the best stop for me to provide a service to Daviess County and to use my experience for the benefit of the people of Daviess County, she said. I have done a little bit of everything Circuit Court handles in my 22 years as an attorney. As a public defender, Jackson said she meets not only with defendants, but family members and victims of crime. Shes seen how issues like substance abuse, poverty, mental health issues and intellectual disabilities affect people who end up in court. Jackson also has experience handling cases in juvenile court. My experience in juvenile court has started to translate into being a good Circuit Judge, because we are seeing more juveniles being transferred to adult court, she said. Understanding how the youthful brain functions and understanding what gets them to adult court will be extremely beneficial to me as a Circuit judge. Jackson said she supports the increased use of mediation in criminal cases. Thats where a retired judge meets with both the defendant and victim or victims representatives, the prosecutor and the defense, discusses the issues and works to reach a settlement acceptable to both sides, thus avoiding a trial. Thats something we need to continue to work on and encourage, Jackson said. Jackson said she would also work to make the Rocket Docket program more efficient. The program aims to move defendants charged with substance abuse-related crimes through the court system and into treatment. There are ways we can improve on the system we have and make it more effective, she said. As judge, Jackson said she would look for ways to improve virtual court hearings, which were started out of necessity in 2020. Jackson said a judge needs obviously intelligence, knowledge of the law, empathy, and compassion for people the ability to see people not just as what they are accused of, but as a whole person. The job of the law is to be fair and impartial. You have to make decisions based on the law in front of you, but with a compassionate process. I think there are some big changes coming to the criminal justice system in Daviess County in this election cycle. Im excited to be a part of that change and to continue to serve the people of Daviess County. JAY WETHINGTONWethington became Daviess Commonwealths Attorney in 1995 and served in that position until he ran unopposed for Circuit Court judge in 2007. As Commonwealths Attorney, Wethington was the countys led prosecutor on felony cases and supervised a staff of deputy prosecutors. Wethington said when he was Commonwealths Attorney, he worked with then Daviess Circuit Judge Tom Castlen to establish the countys Drug Court program. For seven of those years, I was also the Drug Court judge, Wethington said. The Drug Court judge works with treatment providers and people assigned to the court, keeping people on their rehabilitation programs. The Drug Court judge can be a source of encouragement for people making progress in rehabilitation, while also having the ability to enforce court-ordered treatment plans. Drug Court was needed to help the county deal with rising cases of substance abuse, Wethington said. In the 1990s, we saw an explosion of methamphetamine, he said. What we were seeing was that addiction happens to good people. Drug Court was a good alternative for us, to keep from sending people to prison for addiction. Wethington said he still works to get clients who can benefit from treatment into rehabilitation. We are trying to get peoples attention about addiction and treatment, he said. Substance abuse is not a small issue. Wethington said 80%, at least of the criminal offenses coming though Circuit Court are connected in some way to drug abuse. I have changed the way I judge over time, based on my experience, Wethington said. I take a different approach to cases that involve violence than cases that involve addiction. I have served on the Oasis (domestic violence shelter) board of directors, and Ive served on the St. Joseph Peace Mission board and Boulware (Mission). I have seen the ravages of drug abuse and addiction. If you are not involved in those programs, youre missing out as a judge. Youre missing out on the opportunity to protect the public from real harm. Drug addiction has caused real harm in our community. Wethington said, if youre proactive (as a judge), you can have a direct effect on the community. Wethington said his experience does impact how he handles certain cases. I have a different approach toward domestic violence, because I was a prosecutor and served on Oasis, and I know the effect it has on children, who are the unspoken victims of it, he said. I do what I can to protect the children and the victim and encourage them to get counseling. Wethington said he is a member of the executive committee for the Circuit Court Judges Association, which is working on creating procedures to continue remote hearings without legislative interference. Remote hearings can be burdened by technical challenges and raise procedural issues, he said. Some court hearings, like scheduling conferences, will continue to be done remotely, Wethington said. But attorneys are given the option of having in-person appearances if needed, he said. In the beginning I told attorneys, if you want a witness here (in court), Ill bring the witness here, Wethington said. Wethington said when a defendant is first placed in drug treatment by the court, he tries to impose on them the importance of staying with the program and the likelihood theyll return to jail if they try to drop out. Wethington said he regularly sees people who were defendants but are now in recovery due to court intervention. Its very humbling, Wethington said. The first thing I want them to know is Im glad to see them and to see they are doing well. I ask them how they feel and if theyre proud of themselves. That makes me realize Im doing something right. James Mayse, 270-691-7303, jmayse@messenger-inquirer.com, Twitter: @JamesMayse Nathan Chen of the United States competes during the figure skating team event men's singles short program at Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 4, 2022. (Xinhua/Ma Ning) The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland believes the Beijing Olympic Winter Games is a time to come together under the spirit of sportsmanship and Olympic values. BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- About 80% of the U.S. team's athletes have signed up for the Beijing 2022 opening ceremony on Friday, said an official of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) ahead of the event at a press conference. Rick Adams, USOPC chief of sport performance and 2022 chef de mission, noted that the country will have a record number of 177 athletes walking on the ceremony, and "the athletes are really excited and can't wait." The Olympic Games is a time to come together under the spirit of sportsmanship and Olympic values, said Sarah Hirshland, USOPC CEO. "We promote that with real sincerity. This is a time for us to celebrate together with our peers and colleagues and athletes around the world and that's the focus," the CEO added. Adams has spoken to many athletes about the experience of Beijing 2022 so far, and he received plenty of positive reflections. "The care which has been taken around the most important thing, the health and safety of the athletes and the entire delegation, has been very impressive," Adams said. Concerning the medal aim, Adams didn't give a clear prediction. "We're really pleased with how the trials process worked for the composition of our team," he said. USOPC board chair Susanne Lyons is pleased to see that China has encouraged more and more people to fall in love with winter sports. "I'm excited to see winter sport growing in China," she said. "I know that's been an objective and I know many of the people in China have begun to be more excited about winter sports." Lyons is optimistic on the prospect of the USA hosting an Olympic Winter Games in the future. "We have agreed Salt Lake City will be the US candidate when we next bid for a Winter Games," she said. "Salt Lake City has all the venues already in place, they have hosted a Winter Games before and they have very high excitement and support from their local population. Salt Lake City has made it very clear to our partners at the IOC that they are ready and able to go as soon as they are needed," Lyons added. Thank you for subscribing! By signing up to this free newsletter you agree to receive occasional emails from us informing you about our products and services. You can opt out of these emails at any time. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 4, 2022 Contact: press@michigan.gov Gov. Whitmer Joins New Michigan Central Innovation Announcement State plans to align more than $126 million in new and existing investments, programming, and resources to support the 30-acre campus that is expected to hold 5,000 workers DETROIT, Mich. - Governor Gretchen Whitmer today joined Ford Motor Co. Executive Chairman Bill Ford, Google Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan to announce a new partnership to activate the Michigan Central Innovation District in an effort to attract and retain highly skilled talent and high-growth companies while supporting the development of neighboring neighborhoods. This new district, anchored by the iconic Michigan Central Train Station, will serve as a globally recognized hub for talent, mobility innovation, entrepreneurship, sustainability, affordable housing, small business opportunities and community engagement. "Ford is an American icon that has left its mark on Michigan - and the world - for over 100 years, and we are proud to partner with Ford and other Founding Members at Michigan Central to shape the next century of transportation solutions while reducing emissions and accelerating electrification," said Governor Whitmer. "By embracing a whole-of-government approach in our collaboration with Michigan Central and the city of Detroit, we are writing the playbook for a new kind of partnership that keeps Michigan at the forefront of mobility for generations to come. Together, we can continue growing Michigan's economy, putting Michiganders first, and win the next century of auto manufacturing and technology development." As part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Ford, the state of Michigan and the city of Detroit, the state plans to align more than $126 million in new and existing investments, programming, and resources to support the goals of the district. This pledge involves the cross-departmental collaboration between the Michigan Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME), the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO), Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). The City of Detroit and its Administration will provide resources for a new real-world testing site within the district, called the 'transportation innovation zone'. This site will make it possible for mobility-focused companies to fast-track the safe piloting and deployment of new transportation solutions. Since 2018, Ford has invested $740 million in the 30-acre campus in Corktown that is expected to hold 5,000 workers, with at least 2,500 of those jobs being non-Ford employees. "Only a few short years ago, I announced Ford's investment in Detroit because I believed in a vision that reimagined the iconic Michigan Central train station and surrounding area as a place of possibility again," said Bill Ford, Executive Chair, Ford Motor Company. "Today's announcements reflect our commitment to that vision, attracting the best and the brightest to come together to solve some of the world's toughest challenges. The arrival of Google as a founding partner is exactly the kind of investment and progress I knew was possible to revitalize our hometown. And I could not be more pleased that the City of Detroit and the State of Michigan are also joining us in this ambitious effort. I know it is only the beginning of what we can achieve together." Under the MOU, the partnership will focus on four key pillars: Economic Development : The state of Michigan, coordinated by the OFME, will support the launch and growth of programs in the district that create conditions for high-skill job creation, startup company growth, risk capital, technology commercialization and other economic opportunities. Workforce Development : LEO will provide world-class training, post-secondary adult education and career readiness resources in the district, including a potential physical space to host apprentice programs, employer-led collaboratives, the Going Pro Talent Fund and more, to prepare local workers for high-tech jobs in mobility and other emerging fields. Community Development : MSHDA will promote housing and community development and civic engagement in a way that ties industry growth and innovation with neighborhood vitality and inclusiveness both in and around the Innovation District. MDOT will also assist in making roadways near the district more accessible and usable by all modes of transportation. Transportation Innovation Zone : The Michigan Central Innovation District will be designated as an Innovation Zone by the city of Detroit for the development, pilot, and deployment of mobility technologies and solutions in real-world environments to support surrounding neighborhoods. "Just a few years ago, this train station was our city's international symbol of abandonment," said Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. "Now, it's the symbol of our city's resurgence and soon will anchor this new innovation district, developed by Ford, where innovators from around the world will create the future of mobility. For more than a century, Detroit has been the leader in automotive innovation and today marks a major step forward in keeping Detroit at the forefront of mobility innovation for the next century." Google will also be joining Ford as a Founding Member of the Innovation District, where it will leverage the assets of the district to collaborate on new products and services that will define the future of mobility. As founding members, Google and Ford will also help mentor entrepreneurs and local businesses, as well as develop the workforce in Detroit. "We're proud to join Ford as a Founding Member at Michigan Central," said Ruth Porat, Chief Financial Officer, Google. "This partnership will expand our work in Michigan and help a substantial number of people gain the skills and tools they need to succeed. By offering digital skills training, mentoring to high schoolers learning to code, and Google Cloud technology for Michigan Central projects and research on the future of mobility, we look forward to contributing to Michigan Central's mission and all it will accomplish." Today's announcement builds on years of investment from Ford within southeast Michigan, cementing its commitment to testing, developing, and deploying future mobility solutions from the state. Ford has remained committed to electrifying the future of mobility in Michigan, having announced Ford Ion Park, its new global battery center of excellence, in Romulus, as well as its plans to invest $250 million and create 450 more jobs across three of its Michigan facilities over the past year alone. The Michigan Central Innovation District is also a key partner in a new study with MDOT, OFME, Michigan Aeronautics Commission, the Province of Ontario and others to explore the feasibility of creating commercial drone testing corridors. And the district recently partnered with Electreon, Next Energy, and Jacobs Engineering Group?to win MDOT and OFME's request for proposal to make Michigan the first state in the U.S. to implement a?public wireless?EV charging system.?The project will include dynamic and stationary wireless EV charging?along a 1-mile corridor, which will be hosted by and live within the district. "I, like many, had relatives that first entered Michigan through Detroit and Michigan Central Train Station. They were looking for a better life and a more inclusive community. By activating Michigan Central Innovation District, we are honoring the inspiring history of this place, which so many Michiganders share," said Trevor Pawl, Chief Mobility Officer for the State of Michigan. "And by investing in new mobility solutions and entrepreneurial resources within this district, we are creating a global platform that can drive high-tech job creation and community empowerment." ### For those in the Thumb worried about more military aircraft flying overhead in the future, do not hold your breath. The United States Air Force held two virtual public meetings about its Foreign Military Sales Pilot Training Center program this past week, with the speakers already saying which site they prefer the aircraft to be located. The preferred site for this beddown is at Ebbings Air National Guard base in Fort Smith, Arkansas, with the Selfridge Air National Guard base in Harrison Township, Michigan as a possible alternative site. More News Thumb, Northern Michigan considered for military aircraft test paths The two were chosen out of five possible bases, which included Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora, Colorado, Hulman Field in Terre Haute, Indiana, and Lackland Air Force Base near San Antonio. The sites in Arkansas and Michigan were chosen since they fit site specific criteria the Air Force was looking for the best, which included training airspace, weather, existing facilities, and base support. Patrick Jeanes, the proponent lead from air education and training command, said that Ebbings was their preferred site because it can accommodate larger F-16 aircraft and other proposed actions with minimal renovation. The F-16 and F-35 aircraft that are part of this program will be heading to foreign countries that purchased them, with Poland, Finland, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, and Singapore among them. Singapore will also relocate 12 F-16 aircraft from Luke Air Force Base, in the Phoenix metro area, to the chosen site. For the Selfridge Air National Guard proposal, the aircraft would fly over the Steelhead Military Operations Area, which is set over the Upper Thumb, along with other MOAs over Lake Huron and Northeastern Michigan. The flight altitude over the Thumb is projected to be between 6,000 and 18,000 feet above the median sea level, with one airspace over Lake Huron projected to go as high as 45,000 feet. No matter the site chosen, the number of aircraft operations and renovations are planned to be the same. There will be between 3,500 and 6,600 aircraft operations per year from the chosen base, with approximately 10 to 15% of those operations happening between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Existing facilities would be leveraged to maximize reuse and minimize cost. Flight simulator complexes of between 20,000 and 50,000 square feet would also be added. Approximately 384 military and civilian personnel and approximately 801 of their dependents would come to the chosen site. David Martin, the environmental impact study project manager from the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, said that the EIS will evaluate different aspects such as noise, air quality, compatible land use, environmental justice, air space use and management, hazardous materials and solid waste, socioeconomics, and health and safety for each of the sites. Martin added that ultimately, the Secretary of the Air Force, or assistant secretary, will make the final decision on which site to choose. The current scoping process that identifies and determines the scope of any issues addressed in environmental impact statements lasts through Feb. 14. Public comments can still be submitted on the projects website at http://www.FMSPTCEIS.com, though the USPS at: FMS PTC Project Manager AFCEC/CZN 2261 Hughes Ave., Suite 155 JBSA Lackland, TX 78236-9853 Or through FedEx or UPS at: FPS PTC EIS Project Manager, AFCEC/CZN 3515 S. General McMullen, Suite 155 San Antonio, TX 78226-2018 The current project timeline allows for further public comment during the environmental impact statement review period in July and August 2022. A final environmental impact state will be made in either December 2022 or January 2023 and a final decision is expected to be made in March 2023. BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- China and Russia reaffirmed strong support for each other's core interest, state sovereignty and territorial integrity, and voiced opposition to external interference in their domestic affairs, according to a joint statement issued Friday after a meeting between the two countries' presidents. At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin is paying a visit to China. The two heads of state held talks in Beijing, and attended the opening ceremony of the 24th Olympic Winter Games. The two countries oppose further enlargement of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and urged NATO to abandon its Cold-War mentality, respect the sovereignty, security and interests of other countries, and hold a fair and objective attitude towards the peaceful development of other countries. China and Russia stand against any attempts to forge exclusive blocs and to stoke confrontation between blocs in the Asia-Pacific region, and they are highly vigilant about the negative impact of the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy on peace and stability in the region, said the statement. The two sides are committed to building an equitable, open and inclusive security system in the Asia-Pacific region that is not directed against any third country, and have made consistent efforts in promoting peace, stability and prosperity, it added. According to the statement, the two countries are seriously concerned about AUKUS, the trilateral security partnership between the United States, Britain, and Australia, in particular their cooperation in the field of nuclear-powered submarines that involves strategic stability. The deal runs contrary to the security and sustainable development objectives of the Asia-Pacific region, increase the risk of an arms race in the region, and pose serious risks of nuclear proliferation. China and Russia strongly condemn such moves and call on AUKUS participants to strictly fulfil their nuclear and missile non-proliferation commitments and to safeguard regional peace, stability and development. The two sides reaffirmed that the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons is the cornerstone of the international disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation system, and also an important part of the post-war international security system, which plays an indispensable role in global peace and development. The international community should promote the the treaty's three pillars in a balanced way, and work together to protect the credibility, effectiveness and the universal nature of the treaty, the statement added. Viktoria Sundqvist / Hearst Connecticut Media NORWICH A man who authorities said distributed cocaine, crack and heroin as part of a drug ring in southeastern Connecticut was sentenced Thursday to five years in federal prison, prosecutors said. Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford sentenced 41-year-old Robert Grant Hall, also known as Chevy, to 60 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Al-Muthana Hasan al-Shoufi, 53, collects cow dung to use later as heating fuel during the harsh winter in Syria on Jan. 23, 2022. As heating fuel has become out of reach for many Syrians because of the U.S. economic sanctions and its control over key oil fields in the country, farmers in the southern province of Sweida now resort to cow dung as an alternative to survive the harsh winter.(Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua) SWEIDA, Syria, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- As heating fuel has become out of reach for many Syrians because of the U.S. economic sanctions and its control over key oil fields in the country, farmers in the southern province of Sweida now resort to cow dung as an alternative to survive the harsh winter. In the town of Shannireh in the countryside of Sweida, 53-year-old Al-Muthana Hasan al-Shoufi is one of those who had to make the change. At the barn behind his house, al-Shoufi collected the dung from underneath the cow and then put it in a metal stroller. Batch after batch, the dung was then delivered to a large space behind the barn to dry off in the sun, before being cut into manageable blocks and shoved into a stove inside the house. Thanks to the cow dung, his wife can heat the stove and cook for the whole family. Besides the mealtime, the family members sometimes gather around the stove to enjoy the warmth and wait for their hot tea or coffee. "Almost since the beginning of the crisis, we have started using the cow dung in winter for heating and other household needs, such as hot water and cooking," al-Shoufi told Xinhua. The sturdy man said the cow dung was something his ancestors had used and now has come in handy amid the soaring fuel prices and insufficient electricity at home. Al-Shoufi also sells cow dung to other people who don't own cows. But for relatives, it is offered free of charge. "I have a daughter who majored in pharmaceutics and graduated this year. If I had bought the heating fuel, I would not have helped her complete the study," he said, adding his other two children are also college students and hence "everything saved can help the children finish their higher education." Even if the fuel becomes available in the future, he would still use the cow dung as it is "eco-friendly and comparatively cheaper," the Syrian man noted. The fuel shortage following the Syrian war has compelled people to find alternatives, including olive pomace, firewood, pistachio shells, and other natural resources. The Syrian government has repeatedly blamed unilateral U.S. sanctions for the deterioration in the livelihood of the Syrian people. In July 2021, the price of subsidized fuel was raised by 177.7 percent. According to the government's statement, the hike was due to the surging global fuel prices and Western sanctions. Al-Muthana Hasan al-Shoufi, 53, collects cow dung to use later as heating fuel during the harsh winter in Syria on Jan. 23, 2022. As heating fuel has become out of reach for many Syrians because of the U.S. economic sanctions and its control over key oil fields in the country, farmers in the southern province of Sweida now resort to cow dung as an alternative to survive the harsh winter.(Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua) Al-Muthana Hasan al-Shoufi, 53, and his family use cow dung as heating fuel in Sweida, Syria, on Jan. 23, 2022. As heating fuel has become out of reach for many Syrians because of the U.S. economic sanctions and its control over key oil fields in the country, farmers in the southern province of Sweida now resort to cow dung as an alternative to survive the harsh winter.(Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua) Al-Muthana Hasan al-Shoufi, 53, and his family use cow dung as heating fuel in Sweida, Syria, on Jan. 23, 2022. As heating fuel has become out of reach for many Syrians because of the U.S. economic sanctions and its control over key oil fields in the country, farmers in the southern province of Sweida now resort to cow dung as an alternative to survive the harsh winter.(Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua) MIDDLETOWN Each year, the Middlesex United Way has the honor of celebrating outgoing members as well as elect new members to our Board of Directors. Being a member is more than just a title - it is the acknowledgment of someone who lives and works in our community who dedicates their time and energy to making their community stronger, healthier and more equitable. We are fortunate to have such passionate leaders who step up to the plate and dedicate their time and service to our mission. I am excited to announce our newest selection of community-driven difference makers. At our annual meeting this past week, we welcomed the Rev. Robyn Anderson, Alissa DeJonge, Lakisha Hyatt, Duncan Olaeche, Val Seaver and Amy Choplick-Ward. Anderson joins our board with over 35 years of experience in the human services field and is an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. She is pastor of the Blackwell AME Zion Church in Hartford and executive director of the Ministerial Health Fellowship, a faith-based health care advocacy network of Black pastors and church leaders primarily from Middletown/Meriden, New Britain and Hartford. She holds a masters degree in counseling, bachelors degrees in computer science and counseling, and an associate degree in information systems. She is a national trainer for Multidimensional Family Therapy, a licensed alcohol and drug counselor and licensed professional counselor. DeJonge is the president of Mercy High School in Middletown. In her role, she furthers the mission and ensures the continued vitality and visibility of the school. DeJonge is a graduate of Mercy and holds a bachelors degree in economics from Boston College. She received her masters degree from Yale University in intuit and development economics. I am honored to play a role in an organization that focuses on compassion, support, and making the world a better place, she said. Hyatt is the CEO of Connecticut Valley Hospital, the largest state-funded psychiatric hospital in Connecticut, and the first woman of color to serve in this capacity. She comes to our board with an expertise in health and wellness and mental health promotion, and is an advanced practice trained registered nurse with nearly 25 years of nursing experience and more than 15 years as a healthcare leader/educator. Hyatt serves in various capacities, including the Middletown Rotary and Middlesex Chamber of Commerce. She has also served as adjunct professor for the University of Connecticut and Yale University. Olaechea is a relationship manager with WFG National Title Insurance Co. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army and active community member. He serves on the board for two nonprofits, including Habitat for Humanity of Middlesex County and part of the supervisory committee for 360 FCU. He also spends time serving as an ambassador for two local area chambers of commerce. Duncan is passionate about connecting with people professionally and personally. He is a keen observer of details, noticing what his clients need and how he can help. Seaver is a supervisor in the Overhead Line Department at Eversource Energy. She is an active member of the Marlborough Congregational Church and attending seminary for the past five years. She has attended the University of Phoenix, Hartford Seminary, and the Chicago Theological Seminary. At her role at Eversource Energy, Seaver is responsible for completing electrical jobs and emergency response leader. When asked why she supports United Way, Seaver shared, I love supporting the needs of the community. We dont know what we need until we need it. My life has been blessed by United Way supported organizations. Choplick-Ward is a branch operations supervisor for Liberty Bank in Durham. She is an integral part of the Middlesex United Way Young Leaders Society is the chair person of the group. She is responsible for bringing in new members to the group, as well as planning various community events. She is a passionate leader who is involved in the Middletown Thanksgiving Project and Habitat for Humanity through her role at Liberty Bank. She holds associates in business administration from Cambridge College, and is attending Post University for a bachelors degree in psychology with a concentration in industrial/organizational psychology. I support Middlesex United Way because I believe in the importance of investing in my community and fostering leadership skills to continue developing ways to give back, she said. We would like to take this opportunity to welcome our new board members and officers to the Middlesex United Way family. We are very thankful for your service and are excited for the year ahead. Shawonda Swain is president and CEO of the Middlesex United Way in Middletown. The hardest part for two Army nurses on 12-hour shifts at an overwhelmed hospital in Michigan has been dealing with what they describe as "gridlock" in the intensive care unit. "It's been rough," said 1st Lt. Sarah Semple. She's had to watch as her patients struggle with the effects of COVID-19 while there's been no room in the ICU at Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital in East Grand Rapids. "You have to decide, and it's hard when the ICU is full and there's no place to go," said 1st Lt. Meredith Dorman, who works alongside Semple at Blodgett. "You have to balance that out. Can they stay on the floor? It's kind of a balance weighing out the criticalness of each patient." Read Next: ISIS Leader Detonated Suicide Bomb Killing Family as Troops Closed In, US Military Says Semple, 25, normally assigned to Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, and Dorman, 26, from Martin Army Community Hospital at Fort Benning, Georgia, are part of one of the military medical teams the Army, Navy and Air Force have deployed to states reeling from the coronavirus to help local hospitals grapple with a spike in cases. Both described the difficult choices medical professionals are facing while trying to provide care to as many patients as possible. "That game is above our paygrade," Semple said. "It's the bed managers or the doctors deciding should they get that spot, that one spot in the ICU. "It's very frustrating as a nurse," she said. "You know, you want to advocate for that patient, for them to get the best care, but it's just not there." At the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Northern Command last August began deploying Army, Navy and Air Force military medical teams (MMTs) of doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and medics to hospitals struggling with the delta variant of the coronavirus, and the response has steadily ramped up as the omicron variant began taking hold in November. Initially, about 200 military medical personnel were sent in August to assist overburdened hospitals in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, according to a release from U.S. Army North, which is coordinating the deployments under Northern Command. The deployments have increased as COVID case counts have spiked across the nation; in December, the White House announced that an additional 1,000 military medical personnel would be sent to local civilian hospitals in January and February. The two Army nurses spoke to Military.com on a Zoom call last week, joined by Dr. Joshua Kooistra, senior vice president and chief medical officer of the not-for-profit Spectrum Health System, which operates 14 hospitals in Michigan. Kooistra described a health care crisis across the state that mirrors problems nationwide brought on by the omicron variant, which has forced hospitals to cancel or postpone non-emergency surgeries, transfer patients from overcrowded facilities, and scramble to relieve overburdened staff by turning to the military. Through January, there were six military medical teams operating in Michigan, the most in the nation. Three of those teams have now been withdrawn as the crisis has eased in parts of the state, according to Army North. Kooistra said Spectrum hospitals have expanded their ICUs to cover 140% of their normal capacity, but "certainly staff turnover has been a challenge throughout the pandemic." "I think it's a combination of staff burnout" and nurses leaving to take temporary positions at other hospitals, often at higher pay, Kooistra said, describing pressure that has built up on hospitals after the latest surge struck in November. "Right around Thanksgiving, it was looking extremely bleak." The military medical teams began arriving in early December, "and it was exactly the kind of gift we needed at the right time," he added. Omicron infections have produced severe symptoms less frequently than some earlier variants like delta, but the surge in cases overall has been higher than any prior wave of the pandemic. Hospitals are facing a rush of admissions, but the ICU crush hasn't been as bad, according to Kooistra. The biggest difficulty has been hospital workers getting COVID-19 and being forced to stay home. "So at any given time point in time, we have hundreds of staff members that are unable to care for our community, and that's presenting the challenge that we're in right now," Kooistra said. On Thursday, Army North announced that within two weeks an additional 220 personnel organized in 14 teams would be sent to six states. That deployment will complete the commitment made by the White House in December to send 1,000 military personnel to support civilian health care workers. Although the omicron surge appears to be tapering off, "Communities and healthcare facilities in certain areas remain heavily burdened by coronavirus-induced hospitalizations," Lt. Gen. John R. Evans Jr., the Army North commander, said in a release. Since August, the military has activated, or previously activated, a total of about 1,400 medical personnel and deployed them to 29 states and the Navajo nation. The relief effort thus far has not been on the scale of the military's response in early 2020, when hospital ships were sent to New York City and Los Angeles and the Army Corps of Engineers converted stadiums and other facilities to COVID centers. FEMA and state governors have instead asked Army North to help with staffing at hospitals. One hospital in dire need was about a mile from the boardwalk and the famed amusement park at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York, where Dr. Terence Brady, chief medical officer at the 371-bed Coney Island Hospital, said demographics have compounded efforts to battle COVID. Over the years, the Coney Island area has become a neighborhood of retirement and assisted living communities, with more than 20 nursing homes, and the high percentage of senior citizens living near the hospital has added to the staff's burden. Of the more than 884,000 COVID-related deaths recorded in the U.S. thus far, more than 550,000 have been aged 65 or older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and tracking organizations. Brady said that Coney Island Hospital was the hardest hit of the 11 facilities in the New York City Health + Hospitals Corp. system. "We wound up with all the beds filled, all the ICUs, and we had to open up a surge unit of 37 beds," Brady said in an interview Monday. One issue exacerbating the logjam were the rules in place for nursing homes. Patients had to wait 10 days before they'd be allowed to return to nursing homes after treatment, which meant that "there was no place to move the ICU patients out to the regular floor," Brady said, but the situation has eased as hospital social workers negotiated with the nursing homes to take patients back sooner. In addition, the latest wave of the omicron variant has taken a heavy toll on the Coney Island staff -- just as it has in Michigan -- putting a premium on having the MMT there to fill gaps. "On one given day, we've had 120 [staff] members out," Brady said. With the shortage, there have been no vacations for the staff since COVID first hit the city in 2020. Maj. Hollye Cottle, an Army nurse and the officer in charge of the MMT at Coney Island Hospital, said that there were more than 20 Army doctors, registered nurses, practical nurses, respiratory therapists and medics on her team. She said they began arriving at Coney Island Hospital on Jan. 22 from a mix of bases, including Fort Riley, Kansas; and Forts Sam Houston and Hood in Texas. "We're covering all shifts, filling in where we're needed most for the Coney Island staff," Cottle said. "We're here for 30 days and, depending on how things look, we can be extended." Cottle arrived to what she described as "definitely a different New York than the first time I was here in 2020," when she helped staff the Javits Center on Manhattan's West Side, which had been converted to treat COVID patients. "We would not see any vehicles" on the streets and even Times Square was devoid of traffic, "but now I'm seeing kind of the hustle and bustle," she said. "It was really good to see that there's life back in the city." The need for their assistance has been so great that service members have been shuffling between multiple hospitals where staff members are hanging on by a thread as cases have surged, even though many parts of the country have enforced fewer restrictions and lockdowns during the latest wave, and more Americans are back out in public. "I can definitely attest to that. We are holding some very sick COVID patients," said 1st Lt. Kate Parchinski, 28, an Air Force nurse who is based at Brooke Army Medical Center at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. Parchinski was part of a military team that previously deployed to Benefis Hospital in Great Falls, Montana, and then made a quick turnaround to come to WellSpan York Hospital in York, Pennsylvania. She said the team had about a 10-day break and then got word Dec. 28 for another deployment, arriving in Pennsylvania on Dec. 31. The timing of the arrival of the Air Force MMT at York in early January "could not have been better, just because of the post-holiday surge," said Dr. Thomas Kehrl, chair of emergency medicine at the York hospital, who joined Parchinski in an interview Monday. "We were seeing huge numbers of omicron variant cases. Essentially, the dominos start falling when the ICUs get full." Parchinski said the 20-member Air Force team knew coming in that "there's been a tremendous strain in the last two years nationwide -- dramatic increase in COVID cases, COVID hospitalizations, lot of staff coming down with it. So there was really this need for us to fill in to relieve some of that burden." -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. Related: More Military Medical Teams Sent to US Hospitals Overwhelmed by Omicron The blast outside the Kabul airport that killed 13 American troops in August was caused by a single suicide bomber, despite initial descriptions from U.S. officials that it was a "complex" attack, military officials said Friday as they unveiled the findings of an internal investigation into the attack. Military investigators also determined that the attack was "not preventable" in spite of indications of threats to the airport beforehand. "The investigation found that a single explosive device killed at least 170 Afghan civilians and 13 U.S. service members by explosively directing ball bearings through a packed crowd and into our men and women at Abbey Gate," U.S. Central Command chief Gen. Frank McKenzie said in opening remarks at a press briefing about the investigation. "The disturbing lethality of this device was confirmed by the 58 U.S. service members who were killed and wounded despite the universal wear of body armor and helmets that did stop ball bearings that impacted them but could not prevent catastrophic injuries to areas not covered." Read Next: 'My Mom Does Not Like It': Inside A Nighttime 82nd Airborne Jump as Troops Wait to Deploy Eleven Marines, one soldier and one sailor became the last U.S. fatalities in America's 20-year war in Afghanistan following the Aug. 26 suicide bombing outside of Hamid Karzai International Airport. The U.S. military was conducting an evacuation at the airport as throngs of Afghans desperate to flee the Taliban amassed outside and pleaded with troops to be among those flown out to safety. The attack has been attributed to the Afghan branch of ISIS, known as ISIS-Khorasan. Another 45 service members were injured in the attack, according to the newly released investigation findings. That's an increase from the 26 officials initially said were injured, a difference investigators attributed Friday to later screenings for traumatic brain injuries. U.S. officials had also initially said the bombing was followed by militants opening firing into the crowd. But on Friday, officials said that was a mistaken assessment fueled by the chaos of the scene, as well as ball bearing injuries that resembled gunshot wounds and the fact that Marines and British service members fired warning shots after the bombing. Investigators, led by Army Brig. Gen. Lance Curtis, interviewed 139 people and reviewed 250 exhibits to reach their findings, Curtis said Friday. No Afghan witnesses were interviewed, investigators said, citing the difficulty of doing so after the military withdrew from Afghanistan four days later. "Based upon our investigation at the tactical level, this was not preventable," Curtis said. "The leaders on the ground followed the proper measures. And anytime there was an imminent threat warning, they followed the proper procedures. They lowered their profile, they sought cover and, at times, they even ceased operations at the gate." On the day of the attack, the only entrance to the airport that was open was Abbey Gate. The day before, the East Gate was closed because the geography made it difficult to process evacuees, and the North Gate was closed because of threats of car bombs, Curtis said Friday. At Abbey Gate, the Taliban was providing security atop shipping containers made into a chevron-shaped barrier set up by U.S. forces Aug. 20 to protect against possible car bomb threats. About 200 yards down from the chevron was an outer gate Marines used as a holding area for potential evacuees, and another 300 yards down was an inner gate. But as the Taliban became less cooperative at the chevron and were turning away, beating or shooting at potential evacuees, Afghans were given maps by American service members, U.S. government officials and private organizations to bypass the Taliban checkpoint. The routes took potential evacuees to a parking lot, where, as desperation grew, Afghans then used a sewage canal to get closer to the gates. Investigators believe it was "highly likely" the suicide bomber used one of those alternate routes so he would not have to show identification to get close enough to U.S. service members to detonate his device, said Marine Corps Lt. Col. John Naughton, one of the investigators. In a video shown at the briefing, someone dressed in black and believed to be the bomber is seen in the distance behind a Marine in the foreground. In a flash, the individual disappears in a plume of smoke, and the Marine, who was about 48 meters away from the blast, turns to look before ducking for cover from the force of the explosion. After the bombing, about 25 to 30 rounds were fired from an area where British forces were located and four rounds were fired by Marines over the head of someone who displayed "concerning behavior," investigators said. Separately, a team of Marines saw a man with an AK-47 assault rifle they believed "exhibited hostile intent" and fired toward him, though the Marines never saw him fire his weapon. Despite the gunfire, investigators said they found "no definitive proof" anyone was hit or killed by bullets. "Marines experienced mental and physical friction," said Marine Col. C.J. Douglas, another of the investigators. "Several interviews discuss the presence of tear gas, which was released when the CS canisters worn on the Marines equipment were punctured by ball bearings from the blast. At this point, Marines were simultaneously enduring tear gas and blast effects while responding to a mass casualty situation. Plainly put, the blast created instant chaos and sensory overload." Officials had been aware of four "threat streams" ahead of the attack and took what investigators described as appropriate measures in response. But the threats were "not specific," investigators added. There were several discussions about whether to close Abbey Gate, including at a meeting about half an hour before the bombing, between a U.S. brigadier general, British forces and the Taliban, investigators said Friday. But officers kept the gate open to continue identifying Afghans in the crowd to evacuate. The coalition forces were working on evacuations while still trying to prevent another breach of the airport and rushing of the runway like happened Aug. 16 when Afghan civilians rushed an American plane, several clinging to the sides of the aircraft and falling to their deaths when it took off. Marines were concentrated on one area the day of the bombing to help control an increasingly desperate and aggressive throng of Afghans, which investigators said was exemplified by a video shown at the briefing of a Marine being pulled into the crowd by the muzzle of his rifle the day before the attack. "The investigation found that military leadership on the ground was appropriately engaged on force protection measures throughout the operation of Abbey Gate and that the medical services that were available, and that were ready, saved every life they possibly could through heroic efforts," McKenzie said. "While nothing can bring back the 11 Marines, the soldier and the sailor that we tragically lost in this attack, it's important that we fully understand what happened. Their sacrifice demands nothing less." -- Rebecca Kheel can be reached at rebecca.kheel@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @reporterkheel. Related: Gunfire Followed Suicide Attack at Kabul Airport; Investigation Continuing A group of mostly junior Army infantrymen and noncommissioned officers sat in a staging area Thursday, waiting to put on their parachutes for a nighttime jump into the Holland Drop Zone at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. They were eating french fries and burgers -- a heavy meal they hoped would sustain them the whole night. "Hopefully, eating all this doesn't cause the plane to fall from the sky," one 82nd Airborne trooper joked. The routine training exercise was planned far in advance and is unrelated to the crisis in Eastern Europe. Soldiers may jump as often as once a month. Read Next: Size and Scope of Fresh US Troop Presence in Europe Meant to Deter Russia Stirs Debate in Congress But it also comes as 2,000 Fort Bragg service members are in the midst of a historic deployment to Europe after Russian President Vladimir Putin surrounded Ukraine with some 130,000 troops. Despite a Biden administration announcement calling for a rapid activation of Fort Bragg forces, most have yet to deploy and it is unclear what the timetable is for those activations. Paratroopers at Fort Bragg have been very busy. Last year, 82nd Airborne soldiers rapidly deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan, as that nation crumbled and fell under Taliban rule after two decades of war. Soldiers showed up at 5 p.m. to conduct rehearsals of the Thursday jump from a mock aircraft. Safety is paramount with any Army training, but when soldiers are jumping out of a perfectly good aircraft at night with limited visibility, everything down to how the soldiers hold their static lines is gone over meticulously. "I got into a couple freaky accidents," another junior soldier explained, lifting up his shirt to show scarring on his arm. He was injured after "swimming" his static line -- meaning his arm got caught in the line that opens his parachute, something he explained is "very painful." "But we still do it," he added. "We do more than most units. We put our lives on the line a lot." Soldiers interviewed all agreed there was at least some level of nervousness before a jump. There's pride within the 82nd's ranks, serving in the division tasked with being America's shock troops -- and being set to possibly deploy anywhere in the world with little notice. "My mom does not like it," another junior trooper said, laughing about it. "She has seen a jump before. To me, it's cool, but she gets scared every time I tell her about it." Jumps are some of the military's most dangerous training events. Between 2010 and 2015, 13 soldiers died while conducting parachute training operations, according to a study by the Aerospace Medical Association. Most of those deaths occurred during static-line jumps from C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft, and 33% of fatalities were the result of "improper or abnormal exit" and "unstable or improper body position." The study also notes that 11% of the fatalities were from "entanglement, parachute malfunction" and troops being "dragged on top of the drop zone," while 6% were static-line injuries or drop-zone hazards. In 69% of cases, blunt force trauma was the cause of death. Just seven hours before Thursday's jump, the first group of Bragg troops mobilized to Europe. More deployments are planned in the coming days in an effort to reaffirm President Joe Biden's commitment to NATO and deter the Russian threat. "Every time we're needed, we'll be ready," a junior infantry paratrooper said. "I went to Afghanistan. We are the unit that was there when the war started and when it ended." -- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon. Related: 'It's Excited Nervousness': First Wave of US Troops Heads to Europe as Russia Eyes Ukraine The Navy's top military boss, Adm. Michael Gilday, voiced concern Friday about the gap between the safety records of the service's commands, expressing confidence that an improved safety center he traveled to Norfolk, Virginia, to christen could help prevent issues like the service's recent string of high-profile mishaps. "There's too much of a variance across the Navy between those commands that do exceptionally well and those commands that struggle and then make big mistakes, whether it be a collision, whether it be a fire, whether it be a fuel spill," the chief of naval operations said during a press conference with reporters at Naval Station Norfolk. In less than two years, the service has seen several major accidents, both afloat and ashore. Along with the fire that ravaged the billion-dollar USS Bonhomme Richard in July 2020, forcing the service to scrap the ship, the Navy has also had to deal with two significant fuel spills at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, that drove more than a thousand families out of their homes over the holidays when their drinking water was contaminated. Read Next: Lone Suicide Bomber with 'Disturbing Lethality' Carried Out Kabul Airport Attack, US Military Says In addition a Navy SEAL commander perished in a training accident in December, and the USS Carl Vinson has had five major aviation mishaps over the last several months, the most serious of which resulted in several injured sailors and the loss of an F-35 Lightning II fighter last month. Gilday said that all those incidents were "very different" from each other, but that he hopes some of the changes that he is putting in place, including the formal launch of a new Naval Safety Command on Friday, would address safety across the service. "Besides just doing an investigation and being a 'one and done,'" the admiral said he hopes his new approach will look at what "we really learn from that with respect to how we face day-to-day operations." The Naval Safety Command was first announced in October of last year following the release of two major reports on the catastrophic Bonhomme Richard fire. The Navy took the existing Naval Safety Center and decided it will be led by a two-star admiral instead of a one-star, who will report directly to the chief of naval operations while also advising the Navy secretary -- the service's two top leaders. "They will do safety assessments at a deeper level across the navy," Gilday said, speaking after an event marking the command's official opening. The command had already gotten to work when it was announced in October 2021. He emphasized the seniority of the officer in charge of the new unit -- a "post-strike group two-star commander" -- as well as the fact that the officer will have "direct access to me." "It's also taking their results and taking a look at what that data tells us with respect to recurring trends so that we can get after it more holistically," Gilday explained. "We haven't done that as well as we should have with the data that we're collecting from the Safety Center," he admitted, referring to the prior iteration of the command. In October, Adm. Bill Lescher, the vice chief of naval operations and the Navy's No. 2 uniformed leader, reported that the newly charged Safety Command had already "done 172 spot checks across both fleets (Atlantic and Pacific), unannounced, off-hours, weekends, specifically looking at the issues that were illuminated in this report." When asked Friday about new statistics, a spokesperson for Gilday did not have updated figures ready but emphasized that the command has been busy at work. Gilday said Lescher will be making visits to Norfolk and San Diego "to talk to senior leaders about where we want to go" with the new training push but noted that the Navy "[needs] to get this into our schoolhouses down to the petty officer level so they understand what we're talking about." "Chief petty officers will be central to this in terms of getting any traction. If they're not on board it's going to be a hollow campaign," he added. -- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin. Related: F-35 Crash Off Carl Vinson Is the Ship's 5th Major Mishap in 2 Months Fort Madison, IA (52627) Today Cloudy this morning with showers during the afternoon. High 62F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Rain. Low 49F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near an inch. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Zandile Christmas Mafe (Front), the Cape Town man who is suspected of setting South African Parliament alight in January, appears at Cape Town Regional Court in Cape Town, South Africa, on Feb. 4, 2022. (Photo by Xabiso Mkhabela/Xinhua) CAPE TOWN, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Cape Town Regional Court on Friday denied the bail application of Zandile Christmas Mafe, the Cape Town man who is suspected of setting South African Parliament alight in January. The 49-year-old, who is charged with housebreaking with intent to commit terrorism and arson, terrorism, arson and theft, could face life imprisonment if convicted. The suspect was arrested on Jan. 2 after the fire broke out in the morning, with suspected stealing property after he gained entry to the parliamentary precinct without authorization. The fire lasted more than 70 hours, severely damaging the building of the National Assembly (NA), the lower house, and completely burned down the NA chamber. It also caused extensive damage to the century-old Old Assembly building that houses the National Council of Provinces, the upper house. Mafe allegedly used boxes, paper and petrol worth 10 rands (about 0.64 U.S. dollars) to start the fire, according to the state prosecutor. Zandile Christmas Mafe, the Cape Town man who is suspected of setting South African Parliament alight in January, appears at Cape Town Regional Court in Cape Town, South Africa, on Feb. 4, 2022. (Photo by Xabiso Mkhabela/Xinhua) Keokuk, IA (52632) Today Cloudy early, then off and on rain showers for the afternoon. High 62F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 51F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch. Locally heavy rainfall possible. 04.02.2022 LISTEN Owusuwah Asamoah, a graduate of the University of Ghana, has been crowned Miss Legacy Ghana 2022. The 23-year-old graduate beat seventeenother contestants to emerge the winner at the Miss Legacy Ghana 2022 pageant organised by Gold Haus on Saturday at the University of Ghana Commonwealth Hall in Accra. According to Miss Owusuwah, she chose to be part of the Miss Legacy Ghana brand because it has shaped a lot of women to become women of substance. My quest for projecting entrepreneurship in Ghana led me to Miss Legacy Ghana. I want to raise awareness about the need for young people to start building their future from today. She will focus on building capacity for young people through The Owusuwah Foundation as well as enjoy a trip to Dubai and other souvenirs from sponsors. Behind the one-time chef, cum Nutritionist is Matilda Melda Arhin-Carter, a student of the University of Cape Coast who was adjudged the first runner-up, while Delight Quarshie, a student of Ghana Institute of Journalism, emerged second runner-up. The judging panel, which included Richard Ayertey, Actors Ivee Dash B and Andy Tettey, advised the newly crowned queens not to be swayed by social media, rather they should serve with passion and be patriotic. Our amazing panel of judges helped us achieve our most important goal of finding young women who are passionate about what the Miss Legacy Ghana brand symbolizes. Saturday, 15th January 2022 event was described as spectacular amid electrifying performances from Kwame Saturday, Element, Amaru 2Hype and Prityboi Massary. Miss Legacy Ghana 2022, an event by Gold Hauz Limited was supported by Carefront Travel and Tour, ID Cosmetics by Isadora, JF Beauty Touch and Korshion Craft. The Miss Legacy Ghana pageant is aimed at empowering young women to build self-esteem while embracing various humanitarian activities through culture, tourism and public advocacy. Russia's geopolitical ambitions in Africa have in recent years been backed by private military contractors, often described as belonging to the "Wagner group" -- an entity with no known legal status. Most recently, Western nations have condemned the alleged arrival of Russian mercenaries in Mali's capital Bamako, a claim denied by the junta that seized power in 2020. As relations with France worsen, the military rulers may be looking for ways to make up for shrinking numbers of European troops fighting Mali's years-old jihadist insurgency. "Mercs (mercenaries) working in Africa is an established norm" thanks in part to decades of operations by contractors from South Africa, said Jason Blazakis of the New York-based Soufan Group think-tank. "The Wagner folks are walking through a door that has long been open to their ilk," he added. No information is publicly available about the group's size or finances. But around Africa, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington has found evidence since 2016 of Russian soldiers of fortune in Sudan, South Sudan, Libya, the Central African Republic (CAR), Madagascar and Mozambique. Botswana, Burundi, Chad, the Comoros, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo-Brazzaville, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria and Zimbabwe are also on the CSIS's list. In Africa "there is a convergence of many states' interests, including China's," Alexey Mukhin of the Moscow-based Centre for Political Information told AFP. "Every state has the right to defend its business assets," he added. 'Hysteria' Wagner does not officially exist, with no company registration, tax returns or organisational chart to be found. When the EU wanted to sanction the group in 2020, it targeted Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin, an ally of President Vladimir Putin who is suspected of running Wagner. It imposed further sanctions in December last year when mercenaries' arrival in Mali appeared certain -- drawing accusations of "hysteria" from Moscow. Allies: Russian President Vladimir Putin with oligargh Yevgeny Prigozhin in 2010. By Alexey DRUZHININ SPUTNIKAFPFile Western experts say military contractors are embedded in Russia's official forces like intelligence agencies and the army, providing plausible deniability for Moscow. Their deployment to African countries aims to "enable Russia to... regain this sphere of influence" that fell away with the collapse of the Soviet Union, said CSIS researcher Catrina Doxsee. The mercenaries' presence has been growing even faster since a 2019 Russia-Africa summit. Moscow has been active "especially in what has traditionally been France's zone of influence" in former colonies like CAR and Mali, said Djallil Lounnas, a researcher at Morocco's Al Akhawayn university. While military contractors sometimes shepherd Russian arms sales, the revenue "really pales compared with the profit they are able to generate from mining concessions and access to natural resources", Doxsee said. That makes unstable countries with mineral or hydrocarbon wealth prime customers -- such as in Syria where the mercenaries first became known to the wider public. No questions asked Lounnas said that another advantage for clients is a lack of friction over human rights and democracy that might come with Western partners. "Russia has its interests. It doesn't ask questions," he added. Reports of violence and abuse on the ground suggest that same latitude may extend to the mercenaries themselves. In the CAR, the United Nations is probing an alleged massacre during a joint operation by government forces and Wagner fighters. Map of Africa showing countries where Russian mercenaries have been identifed from 2016 to 2021. By Cla PCULIER AFP One military source told AFP that more than 50 people died, some in "summary executions". Meanwhile the mercenaries' results do not always measure up to the hopes of the governments that hire them. In Libya, Russian mercenaries suffered heavy losses in Marshal Khalifa Haftar's year-long attempt to conquer the capital Tripoli, which was ultimately unsuccessful. And in Mozambique, the Russians retreated in the face of Islamic State group jihadists, ultimately losing out to South African competitors. Although lacking language skills and experience with the terrain, Wagner "were picked because they were the cheapest", Doxsee said. "They didn't have what it took to succeed," she added, noting that "they've had a fair few failures" across Africa. Succeeding completely might actually harm the mercenaries' business model, which thrives on unrest, conflict and crisis. "If a country such as the CAR hires them to train forces, to help them in their military efforts, it's in their interest to accomplish that just well enough to continue to be employed," Doxsee said. "If they actually were to do it well enough to resolve the conflict, they would no longer be needed". French minister Brigitte Bourguignon says she's "disgusted" by revelations the boss of nursing home operator Orpea who was sacked last weekend sold close to 590,000 euros of company stock after being informed of allegations that residents were abused. Yves le Masne was fired on Sunday, while French authorities have opened an investigation into the for-profit group, which operates 350 homes in France. The scandal followed allegations in the book Les Fossoyeurs (The Gravediggers) accusing the company of systematically cutting corners to save money, including rationing food and adult nappies. Orpea residents pay more than 6,500 euros per month, six times more than the average nursing home. Le Masne has now come under further fire after satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaine revealed on Wednesday that he had sold shares in the group ahead of the book's publication. According to the paper, Le Masne sold close to 590,000 shares in the company at the end of July, as filings from French financial market regulator AMF show. Questions asked A few week earlier, Orpea had received detailed questions about allegations contained in Les Fossoyeurs by French journalist Victor Castanet. Le Masne sold his shares when the share prices were high at 107.85 euros, the paper reported. Since the scandal, the stock price has nose-dived to around 40 euros. French authorities have opened an investigation into both Orpea's finances and the conditions in its homes. Its new chief executive Philippe Charrier said the matter concerned his predecessor and that the authorities would examine the case. He may have had good reasons but I will not judge this instead of the authorities," he told BFM TV. Bourguignon, minister delegate for personal independence, said on Wednesday she was "even more disgusted" by the revelations of stock selling, promising "detailed investigations" into all the allegations. Bourguignon had discussions with Charrier and the group's general director on Tuesday. "I expressed my anger and explained that they perhaps have shareholders to reassure, but I have to reassure residents and families who are worried, and staff who have suffered so much through this technique." Court action A number of families alleging their relatives were abused are taking joint legal action against Orpea. "It won't bring my mother back but it's for the others, if we don't denounce the abuse, it can continue," Isabelle Schwartz, whose mother suffered multiple fractures and bruising while in an Orpea care home west of Paris, told RFI. "The only thing I expect from the investigation is that it stops the abuse." Orpea initially denied the allegations. "We formally contest all of these accusations, which we consider to be false, outrageous and prejudicial", it said in a statement last week. It has also denied allegations by Castanet that he was offered 15 million euros not to publish his book. 'Undesirable' things Questioned in the National Assembly on Wednesday, Charrier rejected the responsibility of the group, preferring to blame the staff. He also minimised the allegations in the book, that included a rationing of food and patient neglect with some "having to wait hours in their own excrement before being cleaned". "When undesirable things occur, you must know that they happen in all Ehpad (nursing homes). We are following the situation closely, we report and we amend," Charrier told MPs. "I would be the first to present my excuses if cases were proven. But it's a very small number compared to the number of residents." Centrist MP Nicolas Turquois said he was "outraged" by the group's response. Laetitia Romeiro Dias of the ruling LREM party called the hearing a "masquerade", saying the group owed French tax payers and their families "more transparency and humility". Election issue The Orpea scandal comes as France's presidential election campaign is underway Valerie Pecresse, the right-wing candidate for the Republicans party, says she wants to overhaul the care home sector, tightening rules on how for-profit homes are run. Communist party candidate Fabien Roussel has called on the government to expropriate Orpea's care homes. Francois Ruffin, of the hard-left France Unbowed, has called for them all to be nationalised. 03.02.2022 LISTEN Onua TV/FMs morning show host Blessed Godsbrain Smart, popularly known as Captain Smart, has been found. He was found Thursday late morning at the Greda Estates Police Station, where he is doing well. Captain Smart was nowhere to be found after he was taken into National Security custody on Wednesday evening, raising worry among friends, colleagues and fans. The Maakye host was detained by the state security apparatus shortly after an Accra Circuit Court granted him bail on Wednesday, February 2. He had pleaded not guilty to two respective counts of charges of extortion and abetment to extortion. But, according to the National Security, there was order from above to bring Captain Smart and one other to the secretariat. He was then caged for the night despite reportedly meeting the bail conditions. When top management of Media General, the mother company of Onua FM and Onua TV, visited the secretariat to visit the radio host, he was nowhere to be found. Enquiries directed the team including Group Chief Executive Officer Beatrice Agyemang to the Ministries Police Station, where they were told he was not in the records to have been there. Later, they were directed to the Greda Estates Police Station, where he was seen. 3news.com SYDNEY, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Dragon boat racing will be seen back in Australia's Sydney over the weekend as a part of its Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations. From Saturday to Sunday, 1,250 paddlers will compete in 72 races at Sydney's picturesque Darling Harbour. "It is wonderful to have this visually spectacular event features again this year as part of our Sydney Lunar Festival celebrations," Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said. The organizer, Dragon Boats New South Wales (NSW), has hosted the Dragon Boat regatta since the late 1990s, but it has been suspended since 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. "We invite all of Sydney to come down to Darling Harbour and get up close to all the action and watch this thrilling competition," said Dragon Boats NSW CEO Tony Henderson. "With over 1,000 paddlers of all ages, I guarantee we will see some thrilling competition, as the spectacular dragon boats race through the waters to pounding drums and cheering spectators," he said. Originating in the rivers of southern China, dragon boat racing today has evolved into a global competitive water sport with a passionate following. Sydney's dragon boat racing has become the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere. Moore said this event will become a good chance to draw crowds into the Darling Harbour and surrounding area to appreciate the city and support the local businesses. 03.02.2022 LISTEN Kentinkrono is the name of a town which is a few kilometers to Ayigya, the KNUST junction. Way back at the university, those of us from Accra were intrigued by the name and wondered what it meant. But even then, with my limited knowledge of Twi, I could tell that the suffix, krono meant, stealing. A coursemate from Kumasi later explained to me that Kentinkrono simply meant purposeful, deliberate, and determined daylight stealing. I left the memories of Kentinkrono where I first heard of it in Kumasi. But recent events arising from Kens E-levy suddenly made Kentinkrono pop up from the recesses of my mind. Indeed, the past has children and agents in the present. Today, we are being told by no less a member of the Economic Management Team in very clear and Kentinkronomic terms that without E-levy, the economy would collapse. Already, the cracks that precede this collapse can be seen in our parliament as it degenerates into specialized honorable fights for which there seems to be no laws ready and willing to prosecute. This is further compounded by numerous underhand numerical machinations to break the voting tie in favor of the Majoritys desired e-pie access into our e-pockets. Many believe that these dubious number games even extend to strategically timed health checks in Dubai as well as to schemes that include legal algorithm checks about the legitimacy and status of some members of the house. Suddenly there is a 2,022 inch thick zeitgeist of determined resolution in the air that is making many Ghanaians protect their E-pockets from Kens Kentinkronomics. MOMO agents across the country feel the angst. This determination has come as a sudden u-turn from a political goodwill we were made to believe provided a bastion for an electoral victory only a few months ago. This sudden gully erosion of goodwill is also informed by the widening gap between the governments propaganda of incredible economic success and the lived experiences of the ordinary people. Given the way current politicians do little to prevent themselves from wasting and stealing our resources, ordinary citizens are beginning to equate all attempts to make them pay E-levies to attempts by desperate yahoo boys to steal and extort more money from them through constitutional means. Again, for ordinary citizens, it has become apparent that constitutional democracy especially in the subregion, as sacred, cherished and desirable as it appears, can and actually has in recent times, been bastardized. This is evident in the growing social reality that after all, democracy can provide opportunities for any group of well organized conmen and women. These personnel can either offer themselves under the aegis of a political party, or infiltrate and capture the operating system of a party and use constitutional means to further capture the state. Once the state is captured, these political malware can then compel citizens by law and parliamentary numbers to finance their opulent lifestyles for a guaranteed term in office, rendering the people helpless in saving their country. These political malware can equally create and justify the appointment of a Guinness Book of Records number of ministries/ ministers and political appointees, overt and covert vigilantes, etc, all of who can feed fat and live large on the public purse. Even wives, who are, or may not be elected office holders, can be considered for salary payments and other privileges from the public purse. This particular femocracy, inherited from the oft-condemned revolutionary days, has conveniently been normalized in our democracy to include all categories of unelected female proximity entrepreneurs. These, and many other abuses of power, privilege and opportunity are often guaranteed by tenure security within the constitution. In this same paradigm, a political culture is constructed to make politicians and their family and friends bigger and better and more comfortable than the rest of the people while in or out of office for the rest of their lives. The political elites do everything in their power to make citizens accept this uppity hierarchical structure as natural, normal, and something good for the country. Over time, this ensuing social alienation enabled by democratically elected politicians between themselves and the people seems to have made democracy appear a worse replacement for the reckless and dangerous military days and ways. The more citizens vote, the more they realize their efforts produce the politicians power to control their lives. Citizens are made to feel that, like worker ants, their participation in democracy is to produce the means of their own domination and exploitation. If democracy as installed by politicians does not depart from this current paradigm, it would be our undoing. Ken and members of his economic management team, were they truly not out of touch and alienated from the people, would have known that the last thing they should be doing was embarking on town hall meetings reminiscent of the campaign days. This is so given the fact that the people are well aware that they were never thought of in the first place as worthy of consultation but for the opposition to the E-levy. Recent media polls by Joyfm and other media houses even indicated that Ghanaians are determined not to pay this levy even if that would lead to the collapse of the economy. Another reason not to embark on a town hall engagement is that there is a sudden resurrection and recollection of old but recent social media videos showing proof of how then candidates and party economic gurus, now transformed into powerful members of government, claimed they could cure the curse of how we sit on money yet we are hungry. The most notable, specific and vociferous of these videos is that of Vice President Bawumia- showing his ardent opposition to the thought and idea of Momo and other taxes. Who knew how useful his video would be for providing succor for arguments against Kens Kentinkronomics today? Indeed, the past has children and agents not only in the present, but also in the future. One day, in the not too distant future, I hope to return to Kentinkrono in Kumasi and see how Kens Kentinkronomics has transformed it with E-levy. Until then, as Gen Kutu Acheampong once said, Yen tua. Amarkine Amarteifio, 2022. [email protected] The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has affirmed its commitment to fight for the protection of democracy and freedom in the region amid coups dEtat. The region in recent times has been threatened with coups with some member states, unfortunately, witnessing the successful overthrow of governments. At an Extraordinary Summit in Accra, Ghana on 3rd February 2022, under the chairmanship of H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State convened to examine the recent political developments in Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali with a view to ensuring the restoration of constitutional order in these countries. In a press release issued by ECOWAS after its summit, it has emphasised that it is bent on upholding the principle of zero tolerance for ascension to power through unconstitutional means. The Authority affirms its commitment to stand firm for the protection of democracy and freedom in the region and reiterates its resolute stance to upholding the principle of zero tolerance for ascension to power through unconstitutional means, as enshrined in the 2001 ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good governance, the release notes. ECOWAS further assures that it is ready to work in conjunction with the African Union and the United Nations to provide the necessary technical support to the authorities in Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali in implementing the approved timetables to return to constitutional rule after various coups dEtat. Meanwhile, the Authority has among other key decisions taken, resolved to maintain the military and police components of the ECOWAS Mission in The Gambia (ECOMIG) to consolidate stability in the country. Below is the full ECOWAS press release after today's summit: EXTRAORDINARY SUMMIT OF THE ECOWAS AUTHORITY OF HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT ON THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN BURKINA FASO, GUINEA AND MALI Accra, 3rd February 2022 1. The Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) convened an Extraordinary Summit in Accra, Ghana on 3rd February 2022, under the chairmanship of H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana and Chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority. 2. The Extraordinary Summit was convened to examine the recent political developments in Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali with a view to ensuring the restoration of constitutional order in these countries. 3. Present at the Summit were the under-listed ECOWAS Heads of State and Government or their duly mandated representatives: H.E. Patrice TALON, President of the Republic of Benin; H.E. Alassane OUATTARA, President of the Republic of Cote dIvoire; H.E. Adama BARROW, President of the Republic of The Gambia; H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO, President of the Republic of Ghana; H.E. Mohamed BAZOUM, President of the Republic of Niger; H.E. Macky SALL, President of the Republic of Senegal; H.E. Julius Maada BIO, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone; H.E. Faure Essozimna GNASSINGBE, President of the Togolese Republic; H.E. Yemi OSINBAJO, Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; H.E. Suzi Carla BARBOSA, Senior Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and the Diaspora of Guinea Bissau; and H.E. Dee-Maxwell SAAH KEMAYAH, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Liberia. 4. The Summit was also attended by: H.E. Jean-Claude Kassi BROU, President of the ECOWAS Commission; and Mr. Mahamat Saleh ANNADIF, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS); Mr. El Ghassim Wane, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General in Mali and Head of MINUSMA; and Dr. Paul Koffi KOFFI, Commissioner, representing the President of the UEMOA Commission. 5. The Heads of State and Government considered the report of the Mission of the Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff (CCDS) presented by Major General Thomas Oppong PEPRAH, Chief of Army Staff of Ghana, representing the Chief of Defence Staff of Ghana, and the report of the joint ECOWAS-UNOWAS Ministerial Mission presented by the Chair of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, H.E. Shirley Ayorkor BOTCHWEY. The two Missions were deployed to Burkina Faso on 29th and 31st January 2022 respectively to assess the political and security situation in Burkina Faso after the coup dEtat. 6. They also considered the Memoranda on the political situations in Mali and Guinea presented by H.E. Jean-Claude Kassi BROU, President of the ECOWAS Commission. The Authority commended the quality of the reports and memoranda and took note of the recommendations contained therein. 7. The Authority was briefed by H.E. Suzi Carla BARBOSA, Senior Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and the Diaspora of Guinea Bissau on the circumstances surrounding the attempted coup dEtat in Guinea Bissau on 1st February 2022. The Authority firmly condemned the attempted coup dEtat in Guinea Bissau and expressed solidarity with President Umaro Sissoco EMBALO and the people of Guinea Bissau. In view of these recent developments, the Authority decides to deploy a force with a view to supporting the stabilization of the country. 8. The Authority further decides to maintain the military and police components of the ECOWAS Mission in The Gambia (ECOMIG) to consolidate stability in the country. 9. The Authority affirms its commitment to stand firm for the protection of democracy and freedom in the region and reiterates its resolute stance to upholding the principle of zero tolerance for ascension to power through unconstitutional means, as enshrined in the 2001 ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good governance. On the political situation in Burkina Faso 10. The Authority took note of the deterioration of the security and humanitarian situation in the country. This calls for a quick return to constitutional order to deal effectively with these issues. 11. The Authority reiterates its absolute condemnation of the coup dEtat of 24 January 2022 and expresses concern over the continuous detention of President Roch Marc Christian KABORE. In this regard, and subject to sanctions, the Authority demands the unconditional release of President Roch Marc Christian Kabore. 12. Furthermore, the Authority decides as follows: a. Upholds the suspension of Burkina Faso from all ECOWAS Institutions until the restoration of constitutional order. b. Calls on the military authorities to establish the Transition institutions, adopt a transition calendar and facilitate the return to constitutional order within the shortest time. c. Instructs the Commission to ensure continuous engagement with the new authorities through the establishment of a monitoring mechanism, including African Union and United Nations, with a view to accompanying the Transition process. On the political situation in the Republic of Guinea 13. The Authority takes note of the recent establishment of the National Transition Council (CNT), as the legislative body. 14. However, the Authority expresses concern over the unavailability of the required transition calendar five months after the coup dEtat, as requested by the Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of States and Government held on 16th September 2021. 15. Consequently, the Authority decides to: a. Uphold all the sanctions already imposed on Guinea. b. Request the Transition Authority to provide to ECOWAS an acceptable timetable for restoring constitutional order. c. Reaffirm its readiness to accompany Guinea towards the return to constitutional order within the shortest time. On the political situation in the Republic of Mali 16. The Authority welcomes the conclusions of the 1057th meeting of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union held on 14th January 2022 endorsing all the ECOWAS decisions and sanctions on Mali. 17. The Authority regrets the unavailability of a new timetable in line with the decisions of the Authority. 18. Consequently, the Authority decides to: a) Uphold all the sanctions imposed on Mali in line with its decision of 9 January 2022. b) Urge the Malian authorities to urgently propose an acceptable electoral timetable to ECOWAS with a view to enabling the progressive lifting of the sanctions. c) Remain seized of the situation in Mali. 19. Furthermore, ECOWAS reaffirms its readiness to work in conjunction with the African Union and the United Nations to provide the necessary technical support to the authorities in Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali in implementing the approved timetables. On the Strengthening of Democracy and Good Governance 20. The Authority raises concern over the breach of constitutional order in the region notably with the recent military coup dEtat and attempted coup detat in some Member States. 21. In this regard, the Authority reaffirms its commitment to strengthening democracy, freedom and good governance in the region and instructs the Commission to expedite the review of the 2001 Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance and the related legal instruments. 22. The Heads of State and Government express their deep gratitude to H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO, President of the Republic of Ghana and Chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, for his leadership in ensuring the success of the Summit. Done in Accra, this 3rd day of February 2022* THE AUTHORITY For the sake of those who might not know what Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) entails, the world defines it: Gross fixed capital formation (formerly gross domestic fixed investment) includes land improvements (fences, ditches, drains, and so on); plant, machinery, and equipment purchases; and the construction of roads, railways, and the like, including schools, offices, hospitals, private residential dwellings, and commercial and industrial buildings. According to the 1993 SNA, net acquisitions of valuables are also considered capital formation. Gross Fixed Capital Formation is widely considered as investment in fixed capital by nations. The graph below has been generated by information I have pulled from the World Bank national account data and OECD national account data files. Its an interesting story of Ghanas GFCF as a percentage of GDP, from 2009 to 2020: Data Source: World Bank national account data and OECD national account data files From the data, its evident that not only has John Dramani Mahamas government grown Ghanas GFCF tremendously, it as well has outperformed Nana Addos government; not just beating the latter, but in a manner that shows the formers worst (24%) in 2013, during his four-year term, is 3-percentage-point better than whats supposed to be the best (21%) of this government since it took over in 2017. Also, whilst John Dramani Mahama left government with 25% in 2016, Nana Addos had it decline by a huge 6-percentage-point to 19% in 2017 and is currently at its lowest in the last 8 years. This clearly reveals the current governments attitude towards capital investment, and its incompetence at same. It also lends credence to the concern that much of what is borrowed by this government is spent on consumption and debt serving creating a situation where Ghana under Nana Addo is trapped in a vicious cycle of borrowing, with so little to show. To have our countrys debt portfolio stand at such an unprecedentedly embarrassing state (81% of GDP) makes nonsense of an entity that knew so much in opposition but zilch, or charitably, so little in government, especially, given we are witnessing a painful decline in the countrys GFCF (% of GDP). Ghanaians would have expected that with the kind of unprecedented borrowing that has occurred in the last 5/6 years, commensurate investments would have been witnessed in fixed capital and the effects of same, felt. Alas, its the obverse. Our current state of GFCF also implies that our industrialization drive is in a deplorable state. One District One Factory turns out to be a huge scam in the face of a declining GFCF. If the 1D1F story was real, we could have had a massive boost to GFCF, which in turn would have yielded so much investment returns. The government has flatly failed and now forces its hands into the pockets of the already hardship-stricken citizens to rob them of their meagre mobile money and other electronic cash. Nana Addo's governments relentless push to exacerbate the economic plight of citizens through this unpopular e-levy must wake up Ghanaians to not also relent in justifiably resisting the attempts to continue to make us victims of the governments unprecedented incompetence. A government that has borrowed more than any other government in the economic history of Ghana must not be the one struggling to cling on to a snake (e-levy) in these deep waters, whilst sacrificing the poor citizen to drown. The declining state of the nations GFCF (% of GDP) does not give us assurance that with more revenue and more borrowing, this government can be trusted to do what it desperately seeks the killer e-levy to do. In any case, its a lazy government, if not an incompetent one, that seeks to go into peoples electronic wallets and extort cash. On 3rd and 4th March 2022, Ahaspora, GH-PAC USA and Diaspora Drive shall be hosting the Ghana Action Forum under the theme Bridging Home & Abroad for Ghanas Development. The Ghana Action Forum is endorsed by Beyond the Return, with key partners including Diaspora Affairs under the Office of the President and Ghana Tourism Development Company. Key sponsors for the upcoming event include; Fidelity Bank, Expresspay, European Union GrEEn Project, British High Commission, Enterprise Insurance and Ghana Investment Promotion Centre. Along with the events strong corporate and governmental support, the Ghana Action Forum is pulling some of Ghanas top industry leaders to participate in panel conversations and keynote speeches highlighting key challenges, opportunities and proposing strategic solutions to engage diasporans with Ghana. The Ghana Action Forum, is a two day event which envisions actionable and implementable outcomes that will further spur growth and development in the country and simultaneously impact the diaspora. We are really excited about hosting the Ghana Action Forum in March, the event was conceptualised to promote deeper engagement for the members of the diaspora who are coming to Ghana. The forum aims to engage with a two prong approach; one for Diasporans who are living in Ghana, running businesses or programmes within communities and can share insights, strategies, opportunities. Secondly, for Diasporans who are not living in Ghana and are equally not looking to relocate, but want to contribute and add value nevertheless., the Founder of Ahaspora Professionals Network, Christabel Dadzie stated. In addition to the conference, we are celebrating10 years of Ahaspora with a Gala event taking place in the evening, at the FitzGerald on Friday 4th March. Independence Day presents itself as an ideal time for collective reflection on the countrys growth as well as shaping and planning the way forward for today and future generations. The GaDangme Youth Association has expressed their displeasure over the decision by the Management of the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL) to suspend McDan Aviation from operating the private Jet at Terminal 1 of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA). The association further rejected the GACL's decision and call on the Company to do the needful by reconsidering its position and bring back McDan Aviation into operations with immediate effect. In a statement signed by the public relations officer, Nii Adotey Odaawulu I and the President of the GaDangme Youth Association, Nii Ayaafio Tetteh I, stated that, the association find the suspension of McDan Aviation operations as a means to sabotage the effort of an industrious GaDangme citizen who has made a significant contribution to the economy of Ghana. "We want put on record that the reasons for the suspension lacks merit and has exposed the incompetence in the country's Aviation sector" it noted. According to the statement, the suspension of McDan Aviation was aimed at preventing GaDangmes from operating in the aviation industry adding that the association will not allow such an evil plot on any GaDangme citizen more so in the person of Mr. Daniel Mckorley who is one of the successful men in the private sector and has also supported the GaDangme States. "We wish to remind the Ghana Airport Company Limited that the Airport is on the GaDangme land precisely La, Accra and therefore it will be unjust to deny any industrious GaDangme citizen who has gone through the requisite procedures and therefore qualifies as an Aviation expert from operating". The statement added that it was not appropriate for Ghana Airport Company Limited to punish McDan Aviation for the incompetence of its authorities who failed to do due diligence. "The GaDangme Youth Association will like to ask the Ghana Airport Company Limited whether they were not aware of such a project at Terminal 1, Secondly, did the authorities ask whether or not McDan Aviation has gone through the proper procedure". "We ask these questions because work has been ongoing at the terminal for several months so why now?". The assertion that the suspension was due to Mr. McKorly flouting the Aviation rules comes to us as a surprise. Many were those who ask whether work has not been going on at the terminal for quite some time now?". The statement revealed that it will be incompetent on the side of the authorities at the Ghana Airport Company Limited to claim they did not know what was happening. This he said it is a big insult to the country and believe McDan Aviation venture will create more avenues for meaningful employment for the youth. The GaDangme Youth Association once again called on the management of the Ghana Airport Company Limited to do the needful by bringing back McDan Aviation to operations. The association further revealed that it will resort to mobilizing the youth of GaDangme State to demonstrate to the Jubilee House to register their displeasure if the authorities failed to do the needful. So long as Ken Ofori Atta remains the Finance Minister, Ghana will be impoverished, financial institutions will perform poorly to sustain the hopeless economy and the high rate of unemployment will sharply increase. Very often, psychologists and psychiatrists trace the cause of peoples ailments to their homes. Its, therefore, likely that since Akufo Addo is corrupt, all the family members he has appointed in his government, have the same corruption hereditary in their DNA. Before going further with this article, I need to explain to Ghanaians why even though I am not a political analyst, it's very clear that the current government in power has nothing better to offer the common suffering people. I am a man who has suffered a great deal, after my fathers sudden death when I was just 19 at secondary school. As the elder son, I sold bread, cakes, eggs, and banana, hawking on the streets of Accra. I was a taxi driver in Accra and also a taxi and tro-tro driver at Cape Coast Kotokuraba Station while writing as a freelance journalist to the Daily Graphic, The Mirror, The Ghanaian Times, and the Weekly Spectator, at the same time. I was paid very well by Daily Graphic, which made me believe that if you are a good writer youll never go hungry in Ghana. At the Cape Coast station, today, I don't think any driver will know the name Joel Savage but the old drivers there will tell you who Ato Savage was. While in Ghana, I did some courses at the Ghana Institute of Journalism, under tutorial functions given by Mr. David Newton. When I traveled out of Ghana, I lived in Nigeria, Guinea, Gambia, and Sierra Leone before making it to Europe three decades ago. It, therefore, provokes me to realize that the suffering which forced me out of Ghana many years ago, still exists, so when will Ghana be a better country to care for the poor people? Ken Ofori Atta is not qualified to be a Finance Minister, his relative, Akufo Addo gave him that appointment to protect the family's corruptible deals Imagine, the journalists who suppose to help build a better country have been offered posts by the cunning, corrupt president, Nana Akufo Addo because he doesn't want to be exposed. The journalists that have accepted political posts from the president have soiled the credibility of journalism in Ghana. Akufo Addo has even got Captain Smart arrested because he sees him as a threat to expose his incurable corruption. Ghana has been rough in the past and there has always been corruption but not under such magnitude in regards to the NPP government. In an article entitled Take The Blame Akufo Addo, The Establishment Of Family Government Has Destroyed Ghana, I asked the Ghanaian leader, how does he expect Ghana to be after appointing his family members to manage the offices of the main pillars holding a country? Akufo Addo wouldnt like his corruptible deals to be exposed, therefore, he appointed his relative, Ken Ofori-Atta as the Finance Minister. He also appointed another relative Gloria Akuffo as the Chief Justice to weaken the judiciary system to avoid prosecuting anyone involved in corruption in his administration. After Gloria Akuffo, the president appointed another corrupt Chief Justice, Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, who followed the same incompetency and corruption of Gloria Akufo. Akufo Addo is the kind of leader he likes easy life, against an investigation, this is one of the reasons he keeps people such as Anin-Yeboah, Eugene Arhin, Charles Bissiw, Paul Adom-Otchere, and many others involved in corruption in his administration. The truth is such people hardly succeed in life. Apart from the massive corruption that has taken over the administration of the NPP government, Ken Ofori-Attas role as Finance Minister has taken a very serious impact on the economy of Ghana. The question I still cant find an answer to is why Ghanaians are still entertaining this crook as your Finance Minister, to the extent that he has the guts to impose E-Levy on you? Who is so stupid to carry the burden of someones mess? How possible that Ghana is under such a huge debt, yet the Finance Minister cant even tell Ghanaians what the money was used for? What is even the significance of E-Levy in Ghana if the government has stolen more money than what they can get from this senseless taxation? Until Ken Ofori-Atta steps down as the Finance Minister, the country will be at the same place as a vehicle that has gotten a flattened wheel. Ghana will be ruined beyond recovery, I think the damage has already been done. The Directorate of Research, Innovation and Development (DRID) of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) has set Friday, February 18 for its maiden inter-faculty research seminar with a focus on Collaborative Journalism; The Case of Fafaa FM in Dzodze. Collaborative journalism is a practice which involves using a cross-entity approach to execute a journalistic endeavour. It encompasses news organizations working together with other non-news entities toward a shared journalistic goal. Speaking at a faculty engagement ahead of the seminar, lead speaker and Dean of Faculty of Integrated Communication Sciences at GIJ, Dr. Modestus Fosu revealed a very intriguing and unique journalistic approach being adopted by Fafaa FM to collaborate with state institutions like the police, CHRAJ, NCCE, religious bodies, among others, to unearth facts and evidence against individuals who harass others with spiritual attacks in the community. The issue here is that, in our laws, you can't take someone to court because you believe the person is invoking some spiritual attacks on you. There will be no evidence to support you, but the people believe it is real, Dr. Fosu said, adding, that's the kind of investigation Fafaa FM does to really find evidence that will compel perpetrators to stop such activities. And based on works that have been done where we have advocacy journalism, where we have various types of journalism which Ill talk about, I see this as a type of journalism we haven't discussed in Ghana, Dr. Fosu added. Dr. Modestus Fosu was of the view that collaborative journalism as being practised by Fafaa FM in Dzodze is an extreme form of advocacy, moving on to intervention, indicating that the intervention here deviates from the literature meaning of intervention, but rather providing solution to people who are under spiritual attacks. With regard to the expectation of participants, Dr. Fosu indicated that participants should expect a step-by-step analysis of the research endeavour which includes research questions, methodology, and his discovery relative to the topic and urged journalists and media practitioners to be present to share their knowledge for a collective decision on whether collaborative journalism is the way to go. Dr. Fosu used the opportunity to appreciate the massive initiatives being undertaken by DRID, the research directorate of the Institute. He commended leadership for such innovative dialogue where academia interacts with practitioners to bring about positive change in the media fraternity. Meanwhile, the Director of DRID, Dr. Este Sikanku, has expressed high optimism towards the event. He indicated that, the directorate seeks to bring lecturers and students together in a conducive atmosphere to discuss research-related issues while improving research culture in GIJ. This is to also enable faculty to share their research work with the University and the general public, he added. Source: Directorate of Research, Innovation and Development, Ghana Institute of Journalism The evil seeds Akufo Addo is planting in Ghana, yet everybody, including the G I J, heads of churches, and mosques, not interested to speak against it, will germinate and encircle everyone supporting it at the right time without any escape route. Is that what is called press freedom Dampare, in so-called democratic Ghana? Since the time you were appointed the IGP, you have become famous on issues that benefit the corrupt incompetent Nana Akufo Addo, more than the common people. When I started following Captains Smart program, exposing the massive corruption by the NPP government, I drew Dampares attention with the article IGP Dampare, I am confident youll stop the chronic crime taking place daily at the harbours but nothing came out of that because it involves Akufu Addo. No one is above the law, even though the law is corrupt, it works in many places, including developing and developed countries, other than that everything will turn upside down just as we are witnessing in Ghana today. Again, you still refused to investigate crime and corruption at the Tema harbor despite publishing another evidence entitled The Lamentation Of Ken Agyapong Reveals Akufo Addo Is Behind The Corruption At The Ports. Circumstances have forced me to believe that Akufo Addo appointed Dampare, Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, and Ken Ofori-Atta, to protect him from being exposed from his corruptible deals. What else do you want me to say Dampare, if you have failed to impress me over corruption investigation in Ghana. Who is this man called Akufo Addo who preaches virtue to Ghanaians because he wants power and later turned against the people with disrespect? Is it because they killed Ahmed Hussein-Suale, therefore, I will not speak about the carnage the Ghanaian leader is causing in Ghana? Not at all, I am not the kind of person, else I will not criticize the government of the country I live in. I don't hate Akufo Addo but this man has never done anything good in his life for me to like him or give him some support and since he is not the person he wants people to know he is, he has failed in everything as a leader. I want to make it clear to Dampare that if anything happens to Captain Smart in Ghana, it is not only Ghanaians that will descend on him but also the international organizations protecting journalists' rights. The killing of Ahmed Hussein-Suale has already damaged the reputation of the NPP government, therefore, Akufo Addo must be very careful. President Nana Akufo Addo is asking the ECOWAS leaders to end the resurgence of coups but what he is doing to Captain Smart, are some of the critical issues that ignite military regimes in West Africa. The IGP, George Akuffo-Dampare has refused to investigate the massive chronic corruption at Tema harbor because Akufo Addo is involved, which Ken Agyapong has confirmed Once a president begins to do such things, his abuse of office will be extended to other areas. Silence has fallen on Ghana since this terrible man became president. If he can't stand criticism why did he become a president? After five years in power, Akufo Addo hasn't provided anything significant in the country to boast of than a huge debt on the head of Ghanaians, yet he has the guts to introduce a compulsory E-Levy on people his incompetence has denied jobs for five years. Is this the kind of man the tribal bigots want me to give support and therefore, keep attacking me every day? I cant because I don't trust him and I dont want any embarrassment. Dampare, Africa is rapidly changing because the people are sick, hungry, and tired of corruption and the roles foreign governments play in causing more hardships on the continent. Therefore, what I will tell you is if Akufo Addo is restricting you to do a better job, just like what he did to Martin Amidu, please, it is better if you resign because that will save you from unseen events that can possibly take place in Ghana. In fact, due to what is happening in Ghana, which nobody has ever witnessed in the political history of the country, I am really scared about the future of this nation being ruined by a greedy nepotic family. The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu has indicated that government will resubmit the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy) bill to Parliament when it is ready. Speaking to Asaase Radio, the Bekwai constituency Member of Parliament noted that the fuming of the Minority in Parliament will not stop government from returning to the house with the controversial bill. He explained that government wants to continue engaging the Ghanaian people and will resubmit the bill when the time is right. We are simply not ready [to resubmit the bill to Parliament]. You see that public hearing is ongoing across the country. Weve discovered that a lot of people have misapprehensions because they misunderstand what the E-Levy is about. A lot of people have been misinformed by people who havent seen the bill but are commenting, Joseph Osei-Owusu shared. The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament added, I think it is important for the government to get the people involved even though the people are represented by their MPs. But in this particular instance, we want the people themselves to understand what really the bill is about It is the business committee that will decide on what day the bill will be presented before the House. So, fuming left or right does not change anything. But it also depends on the proposal being ready. I am bringing a proposal to you; if for any reason Im not ready, Ill defer it. The fate of the E-Levy remains unknown amid the continuous opposition by the Minority in the hung parliament. Having rejected the levy in the house on multiple occasions, the Minority has time and again stressed that the levy is a killer tax and will not be allowed to see the light of day. However, the Majority has also vowed to pass the levy at all cost. A former Acting General Secretary of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) James Kwabena Bomfeh, often called Kabila has asked government to deal with insincere corrupt lifestyles to avoid coup in Ghana. According to him, a military take-over in the country is not an option after the country has enjoyed a peaceful democracy for decades. Military intervention is not an option, Kabila said in an interview with TV3 while adding the constitution gives us a plethora of options to check our leadersand so to opt for a military intervention in democracy is no. In his recommendation, James Kwabena Bomfeh charged government to address the triggers of coup to ensure it never happens in Ghana again. The triggers of insecurity which are rumor-mongering, slander, living insincere corrupt lifestyles, must be dealt with, the former CPP General Secretary stressed. This is coming in the wake of coups detats recorded in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region. Meanwhile, at an Extraordinary Summit in Accra, Ghana on 3rd February 2022, under the chairmanship of H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, ECOWAS has affirmed its commitment to stand firm for the protection of democracy and freedom in the region. The Authority further reiterates its resolute stance to upholding the principle of zero tolerance for ascension to power through unconstitutional means, as enshrined in the 2001 ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good governance. MANILA, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported 8,564 new COVID-19 infections on Friday, bringing the number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 3,594,002. The DOH said 46 more people died from COVID-19 complications, pushing the country's death toll to 54,214. The number of active cases dropped to 151,389 as the country's positivity rate dipped to 24.3 percent. "The Philippines continues to see a steady decline in new COVID-19 cases," said Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, adding that the national average daily cases this week is 45 percent lower compared to last week. Vergeire said that hospital admissions in the country also continued to drop. The country reported the highest single-day tally on Jan. 15, with 39,004 new cases. The Philippines, which has around 110 million population, has tested over 25 million people since the outbreak in 2020. 04.02.2022 LISTEN A woman believed to be in her early 50s has met her untimely death after a swarm of bees attacked her at Kabampe, a community in the West Gonja Municipality of the Savannah Region on Thursday, February 3, 2022. Reports say she went to fetch firewood in the bush for domestic purposes only for the unprovoked bees to descend on her. Confirming the unfortunate incident to PAD FM'S Breakfast show, the Assemblyman for the area, Mr. Mohammed Mumuni revealed that the helpless woman was spotted by a Fulani herdman struggling to run. The Fulani man after unable to rescue the woman, rushed to inform the chief of the community about the predicament of the woman. The chief upon hearing the unfortunate news, quickly organized a team who rushed to the scene but were also unable to rescue the woman. The rescue team according to the Assemblyman retreated and placed a call to the Ghana National Fire Service as well as the Ambulance Service to come to the rescue of the woman. Whilst waiting for the fire officers, the local rescue team organized by the chief of the community, again went to the scene with their heads covered with mosquito nets and finally rescued her. According to the Assemblyman, it took them several hours before they were able to rescue her. The struggling woman was sent to the Kabampe health centre for medical attention before the arrival of personnel of the Ghana National Ambulance Services. He added that the woman was transported to the Damongo Catholic hospital for medical attention but later died at 6:00 PM. The mortal remains of the woman has been laid to rest today, Friday February 4, 2022. President Nana Akufo-Addo , left Ghana on Friday, 4th February 2022 to lead the Ghanaian delegation to the 35th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union, which is being held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The meeting of the Heads of State will take place from 5th to 6th February, 2022, on the theme, Building resilience in nutrition on the African continent: Accelerate the human capital, social and economic development. Whilst in Addis Ababa, President Akufo-Addo will present separate reports on AU Financial Institutions and on Gender and Development, in his capacity as AU Champion on Financial Institutions and AU Champion on Gender and Development, respectively. He was accompanied by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, MP; the Minister for National Security, Hon. Albert Kan Dapaah; and officials of the Presidency and the Foreign Ministry. The President will return to Ghana on Sunday, 6th February, 2020, and in his absence, the Vice President, Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, shall, in accordance with Article 60(8) of the Constitution, act in his stead. 3news.com Onua TV presenter, Captain Smart has vowed to keep putting the government on it toes to do better despite his latest ordeal with the National Security. The outspoken broadcaster, together with Eric Daniels Dadzie Copperfield (DJ GH Boy) was detained at the National Security office on Thursday. This followed a hearing at the Circuit Court in Accra today Wednesday, February 2, 2022. Although the two who are slapped with two different charges of extortion were granted bail, some alleged delays by officers of the National Security meant that they could not satisfy the terms for their release. Subsequently, yesterday, Captain Smart and Eric Daniels Dadzie were released on bail with the help of their employers. Appearing on TV3 today, Friday, February 4, 2022, to share his ordeal, Captain Smart stressed that attempts to shut him up will not work. According to him, he is determined to be a citizen and not a spectator, hence, he will continue to speak against the ills of society and spitfire until the government of the day introduces good policies for the good of the Ghanaian people. Nobody can stop me, not even my mother or death, Captain Smart shared while adding, I am not against Nana Addo, and NPP, I am against their policies. With his case still in court, Captain Smart is expected to reappear on March 3, 2022. His two charges of extortion are in relation to 23rd December 2021 and 12th January 2022 incidents where he allegedly extorted $10,000 and GHS50,000 from one Ahmed Kwabena Nkrumah, a businessman. The US Embassy in Ghana has delivered humanitarian supplies to the victims of Appiatse near Bogoso in the Western Region on Thursday, February 3. The US Department of Defenses Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster Assistance, and Civic Aid programme funded the supplies, including clothing, medical supplies, drinking water, blankets and mattresses, personal hygiene items, and food and cooking utensils. Friends help friends in times of need. Thats why were helping the Appiatse community in the aftermath of this accident, US Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie S. Sullivan said. US Army Major Jarrod Simek of the Office of Security Cooperation represented the US Embassy at the event to hand over the items in Appiatse. Meanwhile, the Appiatse Support Fund Committee, headed by Dr Joyce Aryee, a former CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, has provided details on how Ghanaians and foreigners can contribute to help the victims of the explosion that occurred in the Western regional town a few weeks ago. Addressing the media, Dr Aryee explained that the funds raised will be specifically used to rebuild Appiatse into a modern green city and also provide a source of livelihood for the locals. She announced that GBC Bank Plc and Stanbic Bank are the two banks with accounts to receive donations for the fund and gave the account numbers as 101130036123 for GCB Bank and 90400099749 for Stanbic Bank. She added that the committee also has the following website: www.appiatsesupportfund.com which is available to provide other needed information to the general public. Dr Aryee said those who would want to make in-person donations should call 0554550550/0209313953 and arrange for a presentation to be done on Mondays and Wednesdays. She encouraged all well-meaning Ghanaians and foreigners to use any of these means to give generously toward helping the people of Appiatse. Dr Aryee also announced the hashtag for the fund as #Obiaantuabi which translates as "everyone should pay or contribute". The chairperson also gave the assurance that given the committees terms of reference to deliver according to the highest standards of integrity and transparency, the committee will ensure that it receives and coordinates these funds, accordingly. She disclosed that apart from President Nana Akufo-Addo, who has donated GHS100, 000 to the fund, a number of people are waiting in wings to follow suit and, therefore, they are hopeful that by March, they would have gathered enough funds to start this project. Dr Aryee reiterated that the committee will need the support of the media to do its work. The Appiatse Support Fund was established following an explosion that occurred when a truck carrying explosives for mining was involved in an accident in the town. Thirteen people died from the incident while more than a hundred people suffered various degrees of injuries. The community was razed by the explosion. The government established the Fund to support the community. Classfmonline.com The Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), President Nana Akufo-Addo, has said the recent trend of coup detats in the West African sub-region needs to be tackled before things become uncontrollable. The Ghanaian leader was speaking at the extraordinary summit of the Authority of Heads of State of ECOWAS held in Accra on Thursday, 3 February 2022. President Akufo-Addo noted that the trend of coup detats in the sub-region needs to be addressed jointly and authoritatively before it gets out of hand. The ECOWAS Chair had earlier, during the virtual ECOWAS summit held on Friday, 28 January 2022, urged his colleague heads of states to collectively deal with the problem of coups in the region. Let us address this dangerous trend collectively and decisively before it devastates the whole region. Excellencies, the resurgence of coups detat in our region is a matter of grave concern. This evolution challenges the democratic way of life we have chosen. We need to stand firm to protect democracy and freedom in our region, the ECOWAS Chair stated. Meanwhile, a statement issued with regards to the political situation in Burkina Faso following the extraordinary summit of the heads of state noted that: The authority reiterates its absolute condemnation of the coup detat of 24 January 2022 and expresses concern over the continuous detention of President Roch Marc Christian Kabore. It continued that: In this regard, and subject to sanctions, the Authority demands the unconditional release of President Roch Marc Christian Kabore. The heads of state of ECOWAS heads also held the suspension of Burkina Faso from all ECOWAS institutions until the restoration of constitutional order. They further called on the military authorities to establish the transition institutions, adopt a transition calendar and facilitate the return to constitutional order as soon as possible. With regards to Guinea, the Authority expressed concern over the unavailability of the required transition calendar five months after the coup detat, as requested by the Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of States and Government held on 16 September 2021. It, therefore, decided to uphold all the sanctions already imposed on Guinea while requesting the countrys Transition Authority to provide to ECOWAS an acceptable timetable for restoring constitutional order. While, it stated that the Authority regrets the unavailability of a new timetable in line with the decisions of the Authority, on the Malian situation. It added that it will uphold all the sanctions imposed on Mali, in line with its decision of 9 January 2022. classfmonline.com Rev. Isaac Owusu Bempah 04.02.2022 LISTEN The prosecution in the trial of the General Overseer of Glorious Word Power Ministry International, Reverend Isaac Owusu Bempah, and three others, has called its first witness in the matter. The popular cleric is accused of allegedly abetting his co-accused persons to assault some police officers and causing damage to a police patrol vehicle. The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Dennis Terkpetey, called its first witness, Inspector Rudolf Welbeck, after the defence failed to secure an adjournment. Daniel Amankwah, who held brief for Gary Nimako Marfo, counsel for the accused persons, had told the court Wednesday that the substantive counsel in the matter had petitioned the Attorney General in respect of the case. He said counsel was hoping that the court will put the trial on hold, pending the determination of the petition by the Attorney General. Chief Inspector Terkpetey opposed the move and argued that the petition to the Attorney General does not operate as a stay of proceeding. He said the petition was addressed to the Attorney General and therefore he, as the prosecutor, has not received any instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions nor his superiors; and because of that, they were ready to call their first witness. The court, presided over by Her Honour Rosemary Tosu, in its ruling, held that the petition to the Attorney General was not a motion hence could not operate as a stay of proceeding. She said if counsel for the accused wanted to file a motion then he should do so formally on notice and serve the prosecution to respond. She, therefore, ruled that the case can continue. The prosecution subsequently named Inspector Rudolf Welbeck as their first witness. His witness statement, together with the attached exhibits, was admitted as his evidence-in-chief without any objections from the defence. The case was adjourned to February 22, 2022 for the defence to cross-examine the witness. Trial Rev. Owusu-Bempah is on trial for allegedly instigating an assault on some police officers who attempted to arrest the accused persons as a result of events flowing from alleged threat of death issued out to fetish priest-turned-evangelist, Patricia Oduro Koranteng, aka Okomfo Agradaa. Court documents indicate that following the events at Agradaa's house, the police identified two of the accused persons in an alleged viral video as brandishing pistols during the commotion. The facts of the case indicated that the complainants who are police officers had visited Rev. Owusu-Bempah's church at Sakaman, Accra, to arrest Mensah Ofori and Bright Berchie but when they got there, another team of plain cloth officers have already arrested Mensah Ofori and taken him to the Dansoman Police Station, near Accra. The first accused (Rev. Owusu-Bempah) on seeing the police personnel ordered his church members to beat and kill them. He further ordered the church members to march to Dansoman Police Station to free Mensah Ofori, the facts of the case indicated. It continued that some of the church members set upon the police and beat them up amidst firing of gunshots, disarmed the police of two service rifles and vandalised Toyota Corolla saloon car with registration number NR 9602-20. Four police men were injured in the process and admitted at the Police Hospital for treatment. It added that investigations led to the retrieval of one of the service weapons from a church member while the second weapon was retrieved through the help of the station officer of Dansoman Police. Daily Guide Mr Prince Bagnaba Mba, President of Forum for Equity, a human rights Non-Governmental Organization has said the recurrence of military take-overs in some West African countries is the worse form of terrorism. "The recent spate of military coups in Mali, Guinea Bissau and Burkina Faso is condemnable and should be resisted by all peace loving Democrats. "They have nothing better to offer rather than riding on the coast waves of unpopular sentiments". Speaking to the Ghana News Agency on recent happenings in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea Bissau, Mr Mba said for more than two decades some of the soldiers or the terrorists in khaki turned back the clock of progress by using the state apparatuses to commit illegality by overthrowing constitutional governments, only to loot commonwealth. Mr Mba therefore called on the African Union and the Economic Community of West African countries (ECOWAS) to discourage the advent of this act terrorism by taking and talking about tough measures against the leaders. He said Governance in a democratic environment had all the necessary valves for change if there was general dissatisfaction. "Military coups are not only outmoded, but also anti people. A tiny number of undisciplined soldiers should not hold us to ransom. They come to loot and steal to perpetuate themselves in power." GNA West Africa bloc ECOWAS has announced it will send a "stabilising support force" to Guinea-Bissau, where an attempted putsch this week claimed 11 lives. After a summit on Thursday evening, the 15-nation bloc "firmly condemned the coup attempt" in the country of two million people. It added that a "stabilising support force" would deploy to Guinea-Bissau, without offering any further details. Guinea-Bissau's presidency declined to comment on Friday when contacted by AFP. On Tuesday, heavily armed men attacked government buildings in the capital Bissau where President Umaro Sissoco Embalo was believed to be attending a cabinet meeting. The 49-year-old president emerged unscathed from a five-hour gun battle, later describing the attack to reporters as a plot to wipe out the government. Eleven people, including four civilians, were killed, according to a government spokesman. Guinea-Bissau is notoriously unstable, having suffered four military coups since independence from Portugal in 1974, its most recent in 2012. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) also sent peacekeepers to the country in 2012 to guard public buildings among other duties. That force left when its mandate ended in 2020. In 2014, Guinea-Bissau vowed to return to democracy, but it has enjoyed little stability since and the armed forces wield substantial clout. The identity and motives of the attackers behind this week's attempted coup remain unclear. The army has launched a major probe. The Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, Mr. Abdul-Mumin Issah has been suspended by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo with immediate effect. The suspension has been confirmed in a press release issued by the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation, and Rural Development. On the instructions of the President, the Metropolitan Chief Executive for Sekondi-Takoradi Assembly, Mr. Abdul Mumin Issah has been suspended from office with immediate effect pending an inquiry into his encounter with the Police on February 3, 2022, part of the release signed by Local Government Minister Hon. Daniel Botwe has said. It explains, Without prejudice to the matter now before court, Government takes a very dim view of the comments made by the Metropolitan Chief Executive during his exchanges with the Police. The comments by the Chief Executive run contrary to the Government's belief and work to ensure that our Security Agencies and indeed Public Agencies are resourced, empowered and accorded the respect to deliver on their mandates. The Western Regional Minister, Mr. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah has been assigned additional supervisory authority over the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly pending the inquiry into the charges against the Takoradi MCE. The MCE was arrested by the Western Regional Police Command on Thursday, February 3, 2022, for an alleged motor traffic offence, verbal assault, and offensive conduct against a Police Officer who was performing his lawful duty. He was arraigned before a Circuit Court today where he pleaded not guilty to all charges. The Court while adjourning the case to March 17, 2022, granted the embattled MCE a bail to the tune of GHS100,000 with three sureties. The EU on Friday slammed Russia's decision to close the Moscow bureau of German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, calling it "unacceptable" and "a bad development". This week the Russian Foreign Ministry announced the closure of DW's Moscow office, saying the step was a "retaliatory measure" against Berlin prohibiting the German language broadcasts of the state-run Russian outlet RT in December last year. In addition, the accreditation of DW's correspondents would be revoked and its satellite broadcasting in Russia terminated. The organisation, which is an EU-based international broadcaster like RFI's parent company France Medias Monde, is designated as "foreign agent", Russia said in a statement. It added that Russia would compile a list of people involved in RT's December closure who would be banned from entering the Russian Federation. "The list will not be published," the statement added. The move "regrettably illustrates yet again their continuous violation of media freedom and disregard for independence of media," an EU spokesman for foreign affairs, Peter Stano, told journalists. The closure adds to West-Russia tensions that have hiked to dramatic levels because of mass deployment of Russian troops to Ukraine's borders in what the EU and US fear might be the prelude to a further invasion. Stano said that the Berlin ban on the RT channel was because the channel lacked a valid licence to broadcast in Germany, and was "completely unrelated to the work of Deutsche Welle in Russia". Disinformation Launched in 2005 as "Russia Today", as a subsidiary of RIA Novosti, one of three Russian state-owned news broadcasters, RT has expanded with channels and websites in languages including English, French, Spanish and Arabic. In the West, RT's ability to deliver credible journalism is questioned. The 2019 study "Weaponizing News" by King's College in London concluded that outlets like RT and Sputnik are propaganda instruments excelling in "targteted disinformation" designed to depict western democracy as "unstable" while painting a positive picture of Russia. TOKYO, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Japan's government on Friday approved the provision of further emergency aid to disaster-struck Tonga to the tune of 2.44 million U.S. dollars to be channeled through United Nations agencies and earmarked for resources including water, food, sanitation, health and communication equipment. The South Pacific islands nation is continuing to struggle with its recovery process after being rocked by a massive underwater volcano that erupted last month triggering devastating tsunami waves and blanketing the nation in thick volcanic ash. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said Friday that along with other countries and organizations, Japan would continue to provide humanitarian support for Tonga to help it recover as early as possible. "We will keep close contact with countries concerned and international organizations, and continue our assistance toward the earliest possible recovery and reconstruction of Tonga," Hayashi told a press briefing on the matter. Regarding a Maritime Self-Defense Force transport ship that was dispatched from Japan on Jan. 24 carrying drinking water and high-pressure washers to help remove volcanic ash, Hayashi said it would arrive in Tonga in the next few days. Tonga, which had previously been COVID-19 free, is now tackling an outbreak of the virus and has been put under a nationwide lockdown after five cases were reported earlier this week. Concerns are growing after a new COVID-19 case was confirmed Friday and two workers at a port in the capital tested positive for the virus that aid from overseas could further complicate Tonga's recovery and restoration efforts. Local media here reported on Jan. 25 that a member of Japan's Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) unit dispatched to provide aid to Tonga tested positive for COVID-19. The member of the ASDF, according to Japan's Defense Ministry, tested positive for the virus after spiking a fever and taking an antigen test. The member who tested positive was part of a unit that at the time was based in Australia. As a result, the infected individual was put into quarantine along with 21 other close contacts in the Japanese Self-Defense Force. The ministry said that the person who tested positive for COVID-19, along with all the other personnel dispatched to provide assistance to Tonga, all took polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests before they departed from Japan. The Ashanti Regional Health Directorate is scheduled to begin the registration of households for mass distribution of Long-Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLIN) from Saturday, February 5. The week-long exercise which forms part of measures being implemented in the fight against malaria is expected to register 1,580,817 households across all districts in the Region with the exception of Obuasi and Obuasi East. Dr Emmanuel Tinkorang, the Regional Director of Health Services who announced this at a press briefing in Kumasi, explained that there was an ongoing Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) in Obuasi and Obuasi East. He said 4,542 trained registration assistants with identification tags and Ghana Health Service (GHS) branded T-shirts would be deployed to undertake the exercise which would end on February 11. The country's malaria control interventions, he said, predated independence and classified to be in the control phase according to the Global Malaria Elimination Programme (GMEP). He said moving Ghana's programmatic status from a control phase to pre-elimination phase required introduction of additional control tools. The Ghana Health Service and its development partners as part of efforts to achieve this status will distribute Long-Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets in all communities in the region, he emphasised. The Regional director indicated that the entire population was at risk with children under five years and pregnant women being the most vulnerable. We have made significant progress against malaria in the past 10 years: case fatality rate has decreased from 0.52 in 2015 to less than 0.1 in 2020; OPD attendance due to malaria has also reduced from 42 per cent in 2014 to 21 per cent in 2020, he disclosed. Dr. Tinkorang said the Region's progress in malaria control mirrored the national statistics, saying that the proportion of admissions due to malaria had decreased from 22 per cent from 2019 to 19.3 per cent in 2021. He said the proportion of in-patient deaths attributed to malaria decreased from 0.85 in 2019 to 0.38 in 2021, adding that under five malaria case fatality ratio had fallen by 60 per cent within the same period. Despite these successes, he said the country remained one of 10 Sub-Saharan African countries that contribute to about 70 per cent global cases and deaths while imposing huge expenditure on the National Health Insurance Scheme. GNA 04.02.2022 LISTEN The University Teachers' Association of Ghana (UTAG) says it is waiting on the advice of its legal team to decide whether or not to honour the invitation by the National Labour Commission (NLC). The National Secretary of UTAG, Dr. Asare Asante-Annor, told Citi News that various internal meetings will be needed to confer before a decision is taken on the strike matters. NLC and UTAG were told to settle their labour issues out of court, following an unsuccessful suit by the commission. UTAG has been on strike since January 10 to force the government to restore the conditions of service agreed upon in 2012. The 2012 conditions of service pegged the Basic plus Market Premium of a lecturer at $2,084.42. UTAG has complained that the current arrangement has reduced its members' basic premiums to $997.84. The NLC subsequently invited the government and the striking lecturers to a meeting on February 7. UTAG however remains concerned about the posture of the government on the matter. The lawyer made it clear that we signed a couple of MOAs [in the past], but the employer has not shown any good faith anytime the MOAs were signed, Dr. Asante-Annor said. He added the government could work towards a satisfactory settlement before the meeting. We see this as a window of the opportunity for both parties to come up with a solution before we meet, he said. Continued assurances from the government The Minister of Education has continued to give assurances to the striking lecturers. Dr. Yaw Adutwum said the government is currently engaging the teachers following a court order. Our goal is to get our lecturers, professors and those without whom our university will not run, back into our lecture halls, he said to the media in Accra after meeting with the leadership of Vice-Chancellors Ghana. The Chairman of Vice-Chancellors Ghana, Prof Abednego Okoe Amartey, also said his outfit will also continue to dialogue with UTAG. We are doing everything possible to make sure that our lecturers get back to the lecture halls. ---citinewsroom Chiefs could go to prison for failure to be transparent and accountable to their subjects with regard to sales of land, the amount of money generated from those transactions and how it is spent Professor John Tiah Bugri has said. Professor Bugri, Provost of the College of Arts and Built Environment of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), and Coordinator of the Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa (NELGA) project, explained that the fees paid to chiefs to acquire land were not private money of the chiefs, and failure to properly account to their subjects regarding such fees could land them in prison. He said Land is a source of revenue generation and transactions between parties happen on the land. When they are not done transparently, they can also lead to disputes. So, we want a land governance system whereby everybody in the land governance space will see to it that things are happening properly. He added that If I buy land and pay my relevant fees, the Customary Land Secretariat, which is the collecting body of those fees, will have a body of evidence of all land transactions, the fees they have collected. It is not their private money. So, they will have to then be accountable to their subjects in terms of how much has been generated, where it has been generated from and what they are committing the money to, which has to be in the interest of the development of that particular traditional area. He stated this when making a presentation on Customary Land Administration under the new Land Act at a day's training workshop in Tamale for Coordinators and Representatives of selected Customary Land Secretariats. The training, which was on the theme: The New Land Act, (Act 1036) of 2020 and Traditional Authorities, formed part of the NELGA project being implemented by KNUST with funding from the German Development Cooperation. It was to create the much-needed awareness and education on the new land governance regime in the country and improve upon the implementation of the new land legislation. Participants were drawn from the Northern, North East, Savannah, Upper East and Upper West Regions. The new Land Act governs land operations in the country, and it is also a one-stop-shop of land legislation for land governance in the country. It has a provision it has drawn from Article 267 of the 1992 Constitution, which stipulates that traditional authorities were responsible for land governance in their areas in accordance with custom and tradition in the capacity of fiduciaries; custodians for the benefit of the people in those areas. Professor Bugri said this provision meant that chiefs must be accountable and transparent adding If there is any traditional authority; be it a chief, a family head, a clan, a tindanaa who does not want to show accountability and transparency in land governance to their respective people, the court could be the body to hear the matter and if the particular traditional body is found culpable, the penalty ranges from a fine in the sum of 5,000 to 10,000 penalty units or five to 10 years in prison or a combination of the two. So, this introduces a new criminal dynamic if you do not have yourself accountable to your subjects in land governance. He, therefore, urged Coordinators of Customary Land Secretariats to keep quarterly records of land transactions in their jurisdictions, and which should be accessible to their subjects to ensure accountability and transparency in land governance in their jurisdictions. He also urged participants to impart the knowledge gained from the training to their colleagues To ensure improved land governance in the country that stands the chance of minimising land disputes and litigations in the country. Madam Belinda Dantera, Coordinator of Paga Customary Land Secretariat in the Upper East Region spoke about the impact of the training on her work saying What I have learnt here is just like a revision of what I am doing but few things have been made clear to me. There were instances where people came to me to warn me not to give out their information if somebody wanted to access land transactions. But here, the new Land Act has made it mandatory. So, when I go back and such a thing comes up, I will act based on the law. Alhaji Alhassan Kumbanje, Coordinator of Wa Customary Land Secretariat in the Upper West Region, said we have put in place mechanisms to prevent conflicts in land governance and lauded the training programme saying, The new Land Act is in the right order to further streamline their operations to prevent multiple sale of land, and or resolve issues of multiple sale of land. GNA 04.02.2022 LISTEN The Police have located and arrested Ibrahim Hussain, alias Kumodzi, the leader of one of the gangs that clashed in Nima last month. On January 18, 2022, there was a bloody clash in Nima between two gangs where persons sustained gunshots and cutlass wounds. After weeks of investigations, the Police have today, Friday, February 4, 2022, confirmed that Kumodzi, leader of the Kumodzi gang has been arrested. Suspect Ibrahim Hussain alias Kumodzi, leader of the Kumodzi gang has been arrested and detained to assist investigation into the recent dreaded Mamobi-Nima violence which occurred on January 18, 2022, a statement from the Ghana Police Service issued via its Facebook page has said. Meanwhile, the security agency notes that officers on the case have intensified efforts to bring to book the leader of the Bombom gang and any other person or gangs that may have been involved in the Nima violence. A Koforidua High Court has ordered some vehicles belonging to the Ghana Education Service (GES) in the Eastern Region be auctioned to settle a judgement debt of GH3,471,240.72. This directive from the court is a result of a case brought before it by 102 teachers in the Eastern Region who are owed salary arrears of more than five years. The Presiding Judge, Justice Gifty Dekyem, directed the Ghana Police Service to detail some personnel to protect and assist the bailiffs to execute the Writ of Fieri Facias to the Ghana Education Service in the Eastern Region. So far, a Toyota Land Cruiser with registration number GC 5985-20 belonging to the Eastern Regional Education Director and a Toyota pickup GV 778-20 belonging to the Regional Accountant have been impounded. The Birim South Municipal Director of Education, whose vehicle was located, however, managed to escape with the keys of the car. Eric Effah Darko the leader of the group who has been speaking to Citi News said they only need their money. According to him, they were even willing to forfeit the interest in the arrears. Our lawyer was fighting for the interest for us but we said they were our employers so just fight for our money for us because they were our employers, we wanted to make things soft for them, Mr. Darko said. The Regional Education Directorate has yet to respond to requests for comments from Citi News. ---citinewsroom Five grocery shops at Adum, the central business district of Kumasi in the Ashanti Region have been gutted by fire. The inferno started at around 3:50pm on Friday February 4 from one of the shops and quickly spread to the others. Fire fighters are currently battling the inferno with three fire tenders. The cause of the fire is not immediately known. The cases of fire outbreaks in the region have gone up in recent times. Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Kwasi Amoako-Attah, has told parliament that the combined cost of the Kwame Nkrumah Circle interchange (Circle Dubai) and Ring Road flyover projects was 268,159,470.20. According to him, the two projects were together known as the Kwame Nkrumah Circle Interchange. He said while the construction of the main Kwame Nkrumah Interchange was 74,880,000, that of the Ring Road Flyover was $170 million, which together amounted to 268,159,470.20. The total cost, he told parliament, was arrived at using the Bank of Ghanas exchange rate as of September 17, 2012the date of the start of the project. Similarly, he reported to the house that the total cost for the Pokuase interchange was $73,954,605.08. He said it was made up of two funding components of $73,572,624.32 and 1,682,357.88. Mr Amoako-Attah informed the house that the total cost was arrived at by using the Bank of Ghanas exchange rate as of April 17, 2018 the time of the start of the project which the minister said was substantially completed in July 2021. The ministers statement was in response to a question filed by the MP for Fanteakwa South, Mr Kofi Okyere Agyekum. In August 2020, the cost of the Kwame Nkrumah interchange, in particular, became one of debate between the Akufo-Addo government and the biggest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC). It followed a claim by Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia at the time during a virtual town hall meeting held in Accra at the College of Physicians and Surgeons on Tuesday, 18 August 2020 that whereas the then-flag bearer of the NDC, former President John Mahama, expended $260 million on the Kwame Nkrumah Circle interchange alone, the Akufo-Addo government was been able to construct four interchanges at nearly the same cost. Ladies and gentlemen, its important to note that the cost of the Tema, Tamale, Pokuase and Obetsebi Lamptey interchanges is USD289 million while the Kwame Nkrumah interchange was constructed at USD260 million. Dr Bawumia said at the time. So, you have four major interchanges Tema, Tamale, Pokuase and Obetsebi Lamptey for USD289 million and one Kwame Nkrumah Circle for USD260 million. I will leave that for you to ponder, Dr Bawumia said. The NDC responded to the Vice-President at a press conference describing Dr Bawumias assertion as a barefaced lie. The conference was addressed by the opposition partys National Communications Officer, Mr Sammy Gyamfi, in Accra on Monday, 24 August 2020. He said: What Dr Bawumia did was that he added the cost of two separate and distinct projects (Kwame Nkrumah interchange and the Ring Road Flyover) and created the impression as though that was the cost of just one project, the Kwame Nkrumah interchange. He then proceeded to engage in a pedestrian comparison of the cost of projects, which has a different scope of works and specifications, Mr Gyamfi said. According to him, this mischief, which was peddled by no less a person than the Vice-President of the Republic of Ghana, is shameful and reprehensible, to say the least. Mr Gyamfi explained that the Kwame Nkrumah interchange project cost 74.8 million equivalent to $90 million at the time. He said that fact was contained in the parliamentary Hansard of 16 August 2012, when the transaction was approved by the 5th Parliament of Ghana, with the full participation and approval of the then-NPP minority. Explaining further, Mr Gyamfi stated that two years after the Kwame interchange had been approved by Parliament and the construction of the project commenced, the Mahama government, on 1 October 2014, laid before parliament another export credit facility for the design and construction of another project, the Ring Road Flyover, at a cost $170 million. That transaction, he noted, was approved on 2 October 2014 by the 6th Parliament of the Republic of Ghana. It is important to emphasise that the two projects (the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange and the Ring Road Flyover) are distinct from each other and were separately approved by Parliament at different periods for different purposes, he said, adding: The scope of work of the two projects are totally different, and, so, it is disingenuous and shameful for Dr Bawumia to lump the cost of the two projects together and create the impression that same is inflated. At the time, Mr Gyamfi called on Dr Bawumia to retract and apologise for this lie which has further lowered his fast-sinking reputation and sullied his integrity and that of the high office he occupies. ---Classfmonline.com Investigating agencies should always inform the parliament or national assembly and the public of House Representatives and Senators charged with felony offenses and the outcome of the cases, especially the convicted ones. In no other democracy can public officials, like Senators, Representatives, or other members of the government, be charged, indicted, and/or convicted of felonious crimes and not receive ethical referrals regarding the conduct of an official. As a matter of practice, in the case of sitting House Representatives and Senators who are under criminal investigation, formal notice from law enforcement and investigating agencies should be sent to the House and Senate Ethics Committees, which have jurisdiction over Representatives, Senators, officers, and staff of the House and Senate. Across Africa, responsive and accountable institutions such as the legislature can only be strengthened by ethically conscious public officials who are equally accountable to the law. Lets look at a few examples through the Nigeria lens. At the time of this writing, the Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), an anti-graft agency, has filed serious fraud charges against Senators Orji Kalu, Stella Oduah, and Rochas Okorocha. Each of these public officials is involved in a separate fraud investigation. Yes, it is a fact that these officials are currently under indictment or have active cases in court. For these reasons, it is extremely important that the investigating agency formally writes to the National Assembly that a legislator (Senator or Representative) has been charged in connection with a criminal probe and wrongdoing. Once the House or Senate, not through the media, validates the wrongdoing with the anti-graft agency and/or the court, its ethics/disciplinary Committee can in a timely manner carry out an investigation, followed by a possible call for action by the full House or Senate, which could include a temporal suspension amid ongoing criminal inquiry and/or trials. In a Nigerian like manner, one may ask, but the lawmaker has not been convicted yet, so leave him or her alone, or in the local vernacular, "nor worria am". Or let him or her go to the court and shop for a judge that will stop the parliamentarian ethics investigations or recommendations. Well, these unsettling approaches only help to promote an unhealthy democracy. A lawmaker is supposed to adhere to a broad series of moral values that must be fundamental in public service within a democracy. As such, the Ethics committee and the House or Senate do not need to wait for a conviction before censuring, suspending, or expelling a lawmaker who is staining the hallowed floor of Parliament. Lawmakers with some degree of shame should resign on their own accord in honor of their constituents, their community, and the country. Those that acknowledge errors in judgment make continued service as legislative members untenable. On a more fundamental and progressive note, there is a need for updated federal/state statutes or rules of the House of Representatives/Senate that directly affect the status of a legislator who has been charged and/or convicted of a felony crime; their rights or privileges should be forfeited if found guilty of a felony under the Constitution, statutory law, or the Rules of the House/Senate. Those under an indictment should be prohibited from leadership roles and be temporarily asked to step aside from leadership or chairmanship positions. Those with felony convictions must automatically forfeit their offices, be barred from reelection, and lose federal pensions, retirement annuities, and salaries, especially for convictions for felony offenses relating to public corruption. From the point of legal or moral psychology, the purpose of the ethics proceeding was not to ascertain whether a crime had occurred; more accurately, committee members were tasked with deciding whether the conduct of an erring lawmaker like the ones named above was unbecoming for a member of the National Assembly. Clearly, the answer is yes. The Nigerian public should understand that lawmakers have no general immunity from criminal prosecution and are subject to prosecution and/or conviction for violations of criminal laws. No matter how troubled Nigeria is, in a representative democracy like Nigeria, the citizens must have trust in and public confidence in their institutions, especially the People's House and Senate. The question we should always ask ourselves is why the House or Senate should be a place for unethical or criminal behavior. How does public officials' unethical and bad behavior help boost public confidence in the work of the national assembly? Instead, these acts put Nigerias democracy in peril. In an environment where we allow active offenders to remain on sacred ground like the House or Senate, anger and frustration set in, which psychologically could trigger in some people dramatic, impulsive, and alarming wrongdoings like domestic terrorism, beheading, rape, embezzlement, swindling, scheming, larceny, cheating, robbery, subversion, banditry, kidnapping, arson, murder, sodomy, incest, domestic violence, and adultery. Again, parliamentary misconduct without accountability negatively affects people's psyches and, unfortunately, can lead to multi-dimensional devastation in societal functioning. The ethical move here in terms of anti-graft agencies formal notification to the National Assembly of officials under criminal probe and facing criminal charges should equally apply to the two other branches of government. In Nigeria and other African societies, chaos could get worse with almost all lives at risk, and one vital way to heal the environment is to start from the top, meaning restoring sanity to the place where laws are made, and in turn reducing confusion in public and private spheres across Africa, in Nigeria especially. In a working democracy, the rule of law should apply to all and reflect the path to progressive institutions. Africa needs this political sanity now. John Egbeazien Oshodi, who was born in Uromi, Edo State in Nigeria, is an American based Police/Prison Scientist and Forensic/Clinical/Legal Psychologist. A government consultant on matters of forensic-clinical adult/child psychological services in the USA; Chief Educator and Clinician at the Transatlantic Enrichment and Refresher Institute, an Online Lifelong Center for Personal, Professional, and Career Development. He is a former Interim Associate Dean/Assistant Professor at Broward College, Florida. The Founder of the Dr. John Egbeazien Oshodi Foundation, Center for Psychological Health and Behavioral Change in African Settings In 2011, he introduced State-of-the-Art Forensic Psychology into Nigeria through N.U.C and Nasarawa State University, where he served in the Department of Psychology as an Associate Professor. Currently, a Virtual Behavioral Leadership Professor at ISCOM University, Republic of Benin. Founder of the proposed Transatlantic Egbeazien Open University (TEU) of Values and Ethics, a digital project of Truth, Ethics, and Openness. Founder of Psychoafricalytic Psychology. Over forty academic publications and creations, at least 200 public opinion pieces on African issues, and various books have been written by him. He specializes in psycho-prescriptive writings regarding African institutional and governance issues. Prof. Oshodi wrote in via [email protected] Between January 23-24, 2022, there was a military coup in Burkina Faso which ousted elected President Roch Kabore, and suspended the constitution. In the evening of January 27, 2022, I was invited to do live interview and analyses of the unfolding, fast-paced events in late Thomas Sankaras home land of Burkina Faso, on one of the most influential news networks in the world, AlJazeera. The news anchor was Nick Clark. Since 2020 to the closing days of January 2022, groups of ambitious soldiers have toppled the governments in the terrorists and jihadists haven Mali, war-torn Chad, the former pride of Francophone west Africa Guinea, terribly unstable Sudan, the disfigured land of the noble called Burkina Faso. There was a different outcome only a few days ago, the first day of February 2022, when soldiers failed in their violent attack to take over the government of the impoverished Guinea-Bissau. This rash of military coups in west Africa and across parts of the Sahel region of Africa, understandably, raised the concern of the democratically installed leaders of the continent and its hypocritical democratic friends around the world. Especially, among those who colonized and exploited the resources of those countries which placed these poor African countries on the ill-fated paths of conflicts and ethnic and religio-clannish postcolonial politics. I think it's better that I classified those medieval, jihadists conflicts as sectarian warfare! Since the 1960s, its the same templates message of justification for hijacking power; its the usual manifesto of some soldiers claiming to be on the task of national redemption. Its the same lingo that they want to be in power to right the wrongs of the idle civilians! Those behemoths of corruption and waste. elected to self as they wish! The soldiers broadcast on their countrys national and international media their checklist of indictment of the sacked government with truckloads of charges ranging from undermining national sovereignty and national integrity to crimes of incompetence, squandering the riches of the poor country! In some cases, their accusations are accurate. It is one thing to describe a problem and another to implement its solution! Sadly, the experience we have had across the African continent is that, at least, 95% of those military dictatorships created more complications, truncated due process and the rights to fair judicial hearing for those pro-democracy activists who spoke against their hijack of power. The soldiers left trails of corruption, impunity, decadence, ethnic politics, nepotism and breakdown of moral standards and values of the society which in sociology is generally described as a state of anomie. Lets go back to the failed Coup in Guinea-Bissau which the embattled 49-years old President Umaro Sissoco Embalo alleged was sponsored by drug trafficking and corruption interests, as quoted in USAfricaonline.com . Guinea-Bissau, relatively small west African country is a former colony of Portugal, which gained political independence in 1974. The country has gone through four coups. Embalo, a bold and controversial figure, is well aware that it is known in major security and law enforcement agencies that his relatively poor country has become a transit point for some drug dealers and traffickers. On balance, I think the certain paradox of military rule and consequentialism of authoritarianism is the fact that they become the problem they claimed they came to fix, as self-proclaimed guardians of national salvation. Rather than discuss and debate competitive options for development, some soldiers unleash(ed) brutality and brigandage, societal dislocations, more corruption. *Dr. Chido Nwangwu, the author of the forthcoming 2022 book, MLK, Mandela & Achebe: Power, Leadership and Identity, serves as Founder & Publisher of the first African-owned, U.S-based newspaper on the internet, USAfricaonline.com , and established USAfrica in 1992 in Houston. He has appeared as an analyst on CNN and SKYnews, and served as an adviser on Africa business to Houstons former Mayor Lee Brown. @Chido247 In today's world, the internet has paved the way for the advancement of humanity into a new era. From Polokwane to Accra to Nairobi and across the continent of Africa, easy and meaningful access to the internet is a driver for economic growth; just as roads and railways provided the arteries for commerce in the Industrial Revolution. Today's internet infrastructure is the circulatory system on which much of modern life depends. The covid-19 pandemic has presented us with new ways of doing things where most activities are done online. Activities such as e-learning, e-commerce are at the heart of the internet. We have moved from brick-and-mortar to click and order. People with disabilities (PWDs) are a group of people with special needs and are faced daily with myriad challenges that surpass different aspects of their lives. Situating the conversation in Ghana and Africa by extension. Evidence from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) suggests PWDs account for 3.7 percent of the population. According to Statista, the prevalence of disability in low -and - middle-income countries (LMIC) is higher than in high-income countries, and the data shows close to 400 million people live with a form of disability in Africa. Moreover, in Ghana, internet penetration has significantly improved from 30.8 percent in 2018 to 50 percent in 2021. However, the population of PWDs in Ghana is high as anecdotal evidence suggests, these people are still underrepresented in technology jobs, active participation in the civic engagement of the internet, and internet literacy. People with disability are often faced with barriers to education and training, stereotyping other people presume they have a lower quality of life. All these factors limit their job opportunities leading to poverty, social exclusion, and restricted access to basic social amenities. PWD's limitations to the internet are mostly shaped by the high cost of broadband internet and adoption of ICT tools due to low-income levels among PWDs and lack of digital skills to scale up, reskill and upskill. In 2016, the United Nations identified accessibility of the internet as a basic human right. It clearly explains every individual needs information for daily decision making and the internet is one pivotal tool that promotes self-development and active participation in a democratic society. Yet misconceptions, stereotypes, and discrimination continue to be a barrier that limits PWDs from realizing their potential. With increasing technological innovations and digitization drive rolled out by the government: What does the digitization drive mean for people with disabilities? How do people with disabilities access the internet and leverage that for sustainable jobs? What is the state of our technological internet services, is it inclusive for easy accessibility by PWDs? Way forward The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8 seeks to promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all. In line with this, it is necessary to design educative and training programs for PWDs which are in tune or in alignment with the ever-changing aspirations, commitments, wishes, longings, exigencies, and demands of education curricula and frameworks that will enable them to acquaint themselves with modern trends of technology. Effective digital skills which consider fully equipping the individual holistically are crucial in equipping PWDs to improve on their standard of living and bring out innovation and ingenuity. In the past, training in Information Communication Technology (ICT), internet literacy, and capacity building by governments have often been without the needed spark as its sustainability has suffered hiccups due to administrative changes over successive periods. The Institute of ICT Professionals Ghana since its inception in 2017 has provided platforms for training and mentoring, which seek to fully embrace disability inclusion at every level and be part of the solution. More corporate bodies, institutions should concertedly make efforts to ensure PWDs are digitally included. Furthermore, it is morally imperative to be more inclusive digitally, as the internet is for everyone and should not be the preserve of the privileged and selected few. Thus, software developers and content writers must design digital experiences tailored to meet the needs of people with physical disabilities, speech difficulties, hearing impairments, cognitive impairments, and blindness. Government departments and agencies must develop, design, and curate websites with a wider range of experiences that comply with international web accessibility best standards, ensuring these websites are easily accessible by PWDs. As the pandemic continues to drag, it has revealed a consequential digital divide and online safety for PWDs. Digital platforms have become commonplace, and as such, best policies and practices must be incorporated. The policies should be inclusive and accommodative of the digital needs of PWDs in Ghana. Adjusting to a post-covid-19 world presents an opportunity for governments to reassess policies to increase the inclusion of persons with disabilities. In framing and formulation of such policies, legislations, and regulations, consulting with people with disabilities is critical, as their needs are heard. To conclude, Ghana cannot be left behind in the comity of nations, especially as the digital economy is set to replace the traditional economy. Leveraging on the internet is a driver for economic growth and development, bridging the already inequality in our society. Internet inclusion matters. Digital representation for all is key for national development. Author: Osei Manu Kagyah (Member, Institute for ICT Professionals Ghana) For comments, contact [email protected] | 0247103939 COLOMBO, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said on Friday that both local and foreign investments were essential to the development process of Sri Lanka. He invited expatriate Sri Lankans to invest in their homeland to redevelop the nation. Speaking at the 74th Independence Day celebrations held at the Independence Square in the capital, Rajapaksa said foreign investment was important for large-scale projects to be implemented in the country, for local industries which required modern technologies and new ventures that would open up global market opportunities for the country. He also said people needed to be more vigilant of those who attempted to propagate incorrect public opinion against foreign investments, based on political motives. The president further said that following the long-earned freedom, under no circumstances would his government allow extremism to raise its head in the country again. "It is now 74 years since our country finally gained freedom from 450 years of European colonial rule. Even after independence, we had to fight for nearly three decades against an attempt to divide this country through terrorism. Today Sri Lanka is a free, sovereign, democratic country," Rajapaksa said. Sri Lanka held a grand military parade to celebrate its 74th Independence Day, with the participation of thousands of military personnel, politicians and diplomats. Mathias Mawuli Ametefe 04.02.2022 LISTEN Let me seize the time to commend Hon. Henry Quartey, the Greater Accra Regional Minister for his undying commitment in putting the city of Accra on the global map especially for his resolve to make the capital a cleaner and healthier city for all to live in. The operation clean your frontage which requires citizens within Accra to rid their immediate surroundings of filth is an initiative which is in the right direction and its importance cannot be gainsaid. This is also in tandem with the vision of the President of the republic to make Accra the cleanest city in Africa when he took office. The opportunity cost of this initiative is the clearing of people who make their livelihood from selling on pavements and streets. Indeed, every good thing comes at a cost and so, as we wish to have a clean, aesthetically beautiful city, we also need to cope with the inconveniences that come with it. I will however, entreat the Regional Minister and his MMDCEs do their best in finding alternative locations within their jurisdiction for the affected people to mitigate the dire economic impact on their lives and that of their dependents. It is said that good deed is worth emulating. I would therefore call on all Regional Ministers to collaborate with their MMDCEs to replicate what is happening in Accra in their jurisdictions to bring about a cleaner and healthier Ghana. All well-meaning Ghanaians are implored cooperate with the authorities and embrace this initiative to keep the environment clean. On many occasions, Ministers, Members of Parliament and other citizens have called for the re-introduction of Samasama or Tankas, that is Sanitary Inspectors or Environmental Health Officers to enforce the laws on sanitation to enable us as a nation to get rid of filth which has engulfed our cities and towns. Of course, these are genuine calls since strict enforcement of laws is key in ensuring discipline. What people may not have been aware of is that, the Samasama people have never gone into extinction. As a matter of fact, every District Assembly in Ghana has a good number of Environmental Health Officers who have been going round communities to enforce the health and sanitation laws of their respective Assemblies with many sanitary offenders successfully prosecuted in courts and fined various sums of money. What is missing is however, is the seldom publication of such cases in the media as many people have less interest in sanitation issues. In fact, many people pretend to be concerned about sanitation issues but actually see sanitation as a dirty word. It is noteworthy that, the government of Ghana already has over 6,000 Environmental Health Officers who were trained with state funds in the nations three Schools of Hygiene in Accra, Ho and Tamale and posted to all the 275 MMDAs to among other things enforce Environmental Health and Sanitation Laws of the state and byelaws of their respective Assemblies. For the purpose of emphasis, the only group of professionals who are legally mandated to enforce sanitation laws and who have been given prosecutorial powers under the laws of Ghana to enforce Sanitation and Environmental Health Laws are the Environmental Health Officers popularly known as Tankas who of the MMDAs. The only reason why as a nation, we seem to think the Samasama people do not exist is the pretense of present and past governments on their commitment in solving sanitation problems. The truth is they do not actually care. It is said that a soldier walks on his stomach. Though the current number of Environmental Health Officers in the country may be inadequate vis-a-vis WHO standards, proper resourcing of Environmental Health Officers would do the magic. How could Public Health Law Enforcement agents be efficient and effective without uniforms, dedicated vehicles and other logistics needed to carry out their duties? What would be the motivation when after receiving training in Health Training Institutions (Schools of Hygiene) and taking the same allowance as trainees with their Nursing and other Health Trainee counterparts, they (Environmental Health Officers) are paid far lower than their colleagues recruited in the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service even though they have same and/or similar qualification and are regulated by same professional council with their only crime being that a government policy says they should be employed under the Local Government Service?. It is trite knowledge that the best resource for any organization is human resource. If indeed government is committed to improving sanitation in the country, then, the earlier it does the proper thing in investing in the human resource capacity, ensuring fairness in remuneration and providing the needed logistics to Environmental Health Officers, the better. The establishment of the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources (MSWR) as well as the promise to introduce Sanitation Marshals and Sanitation Brigade to augment the work of Environmental Health Officers of the MMDAs in enforcing sanitation bye-laws of the country were indications of H.E. President Akuffo Addos interest in helping solve sanitation problems of the country. It is however sad to note that, apart from the establishment of the MSWR, the remaining promises remain unfulfilled and even with the MSWR, the Actual Sanitary Inspectors (Environmental Health Officers) till date are not under the MSWR but rather operate under the Local Government Ministry. The Sanitation levy and all other levies that are paid by the good people of Ghana are used to pay waste management companies in the private sector without recourse to the needs of the actual statutorily mandated Sanitation Law Enforcers. To this end, I will call on the government to consider resourcing Environmental Health Officers across the country to enable them deliver effectively. I do not believe that buying 275 pickups for Environmental Health Departments and providing them the needed resources is beyond the reach of the government. The government should endeavor to properly channel sanitation related resources that take a chunk of our budget as a nation into resourcing, retooling and rebranding of Environmental Health Departments of the MMDAs. Environmental Health Officers of the MMDAs should fully embrace and use their already rich technical know-how, powers to enforce laws and to prosecute sanitary offensers in ensuring the success of the operation clean your frontage. Regional Ministers and MMDCEs should fully involve Environmental Health Officers whose legal mandate it is to ensure a clean and hygienic environment. The media should endeavor to publicize the work of Environmental Health Departments especially prosecution of cases in court to sensitize the citizenry on sanctions for flouting sanitation laws. Environmental Health is not dead! Samasama is not dead!! Tankas is still around!!! God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong. By: Mathias Mawuli Ametefe Columnist/Health Tutor Email: [email protected] The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), has been accredited by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to run a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Accounting during the next academic year in the Faculty of Accounting and Finance. The other newly accredited programmes are MPhil Accounting, MBA Corporate Communications, MSc Procurement Management, Postgraduate Diploma in Leadership and Organisational Development, and MSc Pensions Management. The introduction of these new programmes attests to the commitment of the University to respond to the current and anticipated future national needs of our country. The accreditation of the PhD programme in Accounting was welcome news for the Univesity. The accreditation of our PhD in Accounting programme is exciting news, and places UPSA as the second University in Ghana to offer this programme. UPSA is committed to continuously developing and rolling out forward-looking, market-driven programmes which add value to the industry and the nation, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abednego F.O. Amartey, stated. We have demonstrated evidence of the quality of our programmes through our graduates who hold key positions in industry. We will not relent on our efforts to ensure that our graduates will always be the first point of call by human resource practitioners, he added. The UPSAs PhD in Accounting programme will provide students with a comprehensive theoretical and practical knowledge in Accounting and related areas, as well as develop their abilities to conduct analytical and empirical research in accounting. The programme is designed to enhance the capacity of those with specialisations in areas such as Public Sector Accounting and Finance, Integrated Reporting, Advanced Audit and Assurance, and Taxation and Fiscal Policy. The development of the programme was driven by a rigorous demand for independent research work for carrying out industry-relevant research. The PhD in Accounting programme targets both local and foreign applicants. With these new programmes, UPSA has increased its Programme portfolio from 20 to 36 since 2017, representing an 80% increase. 04.02.2022 LISTEN The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has turned down an invitation to meet the National Labour Commission (NLC) and government in a bid to resolve its ongoing strike. In a letter to the NLC sighted by Citi News, UTAG lawyers said, We honestly believe the more acceptable approach in the present circumstances is for our client to meet with the government side of the impasse to try and iron out their remaining differences. The NLC had invited the government and the striking lecturers to a meeting on February 7. This was after a court had told the NLC and UTAG to settle the labour issues out of court, following an unsuccessful suit by the commission. UTAG has consistently had concerns about the governments commitment to meeting its needs. The lawyer made it clear that we signed a couple of MOAs [in the past], but the employer has not shown any good faith anytime the MOAs were signed, the National Secretary of UTAG, Dr. Asare Asante-Annor, said to Citi News earlier. UTAG has been on strike since January 10 to force the government to restore the conditions of service agreed upon in 2012. The 2012 conditions of service pegged the Basic plus Market Premium of a lecturer at $2,084.42. UTAG has complained that the current arrangement has reduced its members' basic premiums to $997.84. --citinewsroom Good morning The Press, dignitaries and fellow GHANAIANS. I gathered you here today to address a very serious issue confronting almost all of us in our beloved country Ghana. The issue is about planning our daily lives and ahead of every activity practically and realistically. Since 2003, back at KNUST, when I was a student of sociology and psychology, I realized my beloved brothers and sisters do engage in theoritically planning and stand to accuse governments upon governments. Yes, society have every right to complain about successive governments. It's absolutely their rights under the rules of law. From Nkrumah till the current administration, no government has not been spared blame. My brothers and sisters, what is most important for every Ghana to note is, the government can make provisions for the individuals which might cover not less than 30%, the rest is you the individuals. Government can provide schools, hospitals, roads, electricity, water and other essential SERVICES. Whilst these services are provided, the individuals will directly or indirectly pay for it, it comes in taxes, hence vat and current e-levy which is underway and others. Society have every right to demand their share implementation of that 30%. The rest is you the individuals. IMPORTANT NOTICE. WHAT GHANAIANS NEEDS TO KNOW Government don't ask individuals to marry, buy cars, give birth, do expensive funerals, have girlfriends, buy expensive clothes, do perm hairs, pay tithes and offerings to some irresponsible individuals, naming ceremonies and the like. Is always the choices of those very people in Society. Democratically, government have little control of the 70% of the individual's responsibilities, unless otherwise. Emphatically, this is due to our socio-cultural values and religious beliefs. As a student of SOCIOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY back in KNUST, in 3003, I realized a major problem in our GHANAIAN society. That is sociocultural and religious pressures. Society, families, friends, churches and Muslims were mounting PRESSURES on members. Pressures on the youth to marry and have babies and other forms of PRESSURES to do this or that. Myself is a case study. I personally refused to give in to those PRESSURES, I refused to marry and refused to give birth, rather started thinking about planning, practical planning. I practically planned I didn't plan are two things. I set up an NGO Think Twice Foundation Ghana, in 2006. I made a passionate appeal to GHANAIANS through banners, climbing heights and through the use of prompted suicides across the country. My last event was on 20th August 2019. Obestebe Lamptey statue closer to Abosey Okin. My strategies were as a result of lack of financial support to intensify my appeals, calling on GHANAIANS to practically plan, eschew PRESSURES from families, relatives, religious bodies, etc. To encourage every successive governments, to come up with social interventions policies and implementations, as means to cushion needed GHANAIANS, we set up Think Twice Africa Consult. As we were planning to hit the nail in 2015, the NPP government came up, in their manifesto, with huge social interventions policies. They indeed came up with the implementation of these Social interventions after taking office. Such interventions policies are, Nurses and teachers training allowances were restored, free SHS were in place, planting for food and jobs and many others. We had a strong belief that, since GHANAIANS were engaged in practically little effective planning, these Social interventions could cushion them, will further alleviate any hardships that was in existence and unexpected. When the deadly virus COVID came in, government further and immediately, provided certain interventions to cushion GHANAIANS. There were free electricity, water and others. We saw how it was abused by some GHANAIANS. With some of these mentioned interventions, we believe it indirectly put monies in the pockets of many GHANAIANS. For example, parents are mandated to send their wards to school and pay for their fees. If however, as part of social Interventions, that money becomes blessed money in the pocket of parents. Though is not a mandatory requirement to ask parents what those monies were used for, we expect the money to be used to play effective planning for any future unforeseen circumstances. Today, the pandemic has devastated many countries globally including our beloved country GHANA. It has hit hard on almost every household. My concern is, if GHANAIANS hard listen to my appeal through the awareness creation of impeding sad situations, sat down and plan effectively, before embarking on every move, the current situation wouldn't have had, such serious effects on many individuals. I planned I didn't plan effectively are always two sides of a coin. Though the harm caused by ineffective planning has taken heavy toll on brothers and sisters, we seriously think is never too late. We have therefore made provisions to help bring effective planning to the doorstep of every GHANAIAN, who is willing to accept our concept of effective planning. It won't be mandatory but individuals self-interest to do so will be required. It will demand an effort of bold taken initiatives. I am a living example. In collaboration with the ministry of employment and labor relations, ministry of youth authority, youth employment agency and ministry of gender children and Social protection, over thousand, five hundred youth will be picked and trained to tackle Pressures, main factor leading to ineffective planning. This will first be done in the densely populated regions, Greater Kumasi and Greater Accra. It will be followed by other regions. After tackling the PRESSURES from the adults, similar batch will be picked to manage other similar situations. It will be child behaviours issues. This will augment government efforts to reduce unemployment problems facing the country. Such multi-purpose project will reduce multiple problems facing the youth and the country as a whole. We are calling on government and individual organisations, institutions to help us with logistics to make this dream of ours a reality. It's all about effective planning. Long live Ghana, long live the youth of this country, long live everyone Mr. Ernest Birmeh aka Dr Think Twice Executive Director Policy Think Tank on Social Interventions. Consultant and Activist on SOCIETAL PRESSURES. The Bono East regional directorate of the Department of Agriculture has held a days training workshop for district crop officers under the Modernizing Agriculture in Ghana programme in Atebubu. According to Mr. Eric Kontomah the regional crops officer, the exercise was aimed at enhancing the capacity of the crop officers in the post-harvest handling of maize to improve standards along the value chain in order to meet the standards of both the Worlds Food Programme WFP and the Ghana Commodity Exchange GCX. He said producing high quality maize will not only ensure the consumption of quality food locally but ensure access to foreign markets which will bring the much needed financial resources for both farmers and the country. Quoting a 2011 research report by Gustavsson and others Mr. Kontomah said about 40% of farm produce are lost before and after harvest in Africa, whiles another 2016 study by Bruno revealed that Ghana losses about 18% of its annual maize harvest and stressed the need to stem the tide if we are to reduce hunger and poverty. He took participants through: the importance of harvesting, preparation for harvesting, moisture and harvesting, grain drying methods, harvest protection, storage and storage structures. Mr Bernard Marfo, the regional agricultural officer in charge of extension made a presentation on the GCX, its purpose, advantages to value chain actors and the quality control measures used by the exchange. He said the GCX which currently has warehousing facilities in Kintampo, Wenchi, Juaben, Ejura, Tamale, Afram Plains and Sandema is an electronic platform that links buyers and sellers with the primary objective of providing storage facilities and marketing opportunities for farmers to enhance agriculture. Mr. Marfo indicated that the benefits of the exchange include an increased regional and intra-regional trade, increased availability and safety of food, availability of market information for policy intervention and trade, choice of alternative procurement and an attraction of investment in the grain sector. He also mentioned price stability, the availability of a wide range of markets and the assurance of high-quality grains in the commodity value chain. The regional agricultural officer in charge of extension also took the crop officers through processes of the aflatoxin screening test, grading standards, rebagging, stitching and stacking, fumigation, grain monitoring and temperature records adopted by the GCX to ensure the wholesomeness of grains kept at the various warehouses. Participants shared ideas on how to help achieve the objectives of the training programme and promised to impress upon farmers especially maize producers to take advantage of the benefits of the GCX to increase their incomes and better their lot. Mumbai, Indias financial capital, continues to contribute political funding through electoral bonds (EBs). In contrast, New Delhi, the national capital, encashed the maximum amount through the EB route, shows a reply received under the Right to Information (RTI). The anonymity provided to the donors by EBs makes it the preferred choice for big donors, including corporates. Information obtained by Commodore (Cmde) Lokesh Batra (retd) under RTI shows that during the 19th phase, bonds worth Rs1,213.36 crore were sold through select branches of the State Bank of India (SBI). SBIs Mumbai branch sold EBs worth Rs489.50 crore, Chennai at Rs227.50 crore and Kolkata at Rs154.48 crore. Hyderabad (Rs126 crore) and New Delhi at Rs117.62 crore are other cities that contributed more than Rs100 crore in the 19th phase of EB sale. On 31 December 2021, the finance ministry announced the sale of EBs ahead of the assembly elections in five states, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Punjab, Manipur and Uttarakhand. SBI was assigned to issue and encash electoral bonds through its 29 authorised branches from 1st January to 10 January 2022. The EBs are valid for 15 calendar days, and those that remain uncashed are transferred to the Prime Ministers National Relief Fund (PMNRF). Expecting a good response from the public for its electoral bonds (EBs), the Narendra Modi-led Union government printed bonds worth Rs18,531.50 crore. However, till the 18th phase, bonds worth Rs7,994.98 crore were sold. During the 19th phase, the New Delhi branch of SBI witnessed encashment of EBs worth Rs784.85 crore, out of the EBs worth Rs1,212.86 crore encashed at SBI. As per the reply received by Cmde Batra, bonds worth Rs40.01 lakh remained uncashed and would be transferred to the PMNRF. In terms of encashment of EBs, New Delhi is followed by Kolkata with Rs224.20 crore and Chennai at Rs100 crore. Mumbai, which contributed maximum in the EB sale during the 19th phase, enchased bonds worth Rs39.20 crore, the RTI reply shows. Until the last window period till 10 January 2022, a total of 2,068 EBs of various denominations were sold. A major portion of them is the highest value denomination of Rs1 crore (1156 bonds) followed by the next highest denomination of Rs10 lakh (536 bonds). A total of 365 bonds of Rs1 lakh denomination were sold in the 19th phase. Meanwhile, the purchases made for the lower denominations of Rs10,000 are only 10 electoral bonds, while just one bond of Rs1,000 denomination was sold. On 2 January 2018, the finance ministry had notified the EB scheme. As per the scheme, an electoral bond is a bond issued like a promissory note. It may be purchased by a person who is a citizen of India or entities incorporated or established in India. The bonds are issued in multiples of Rs1,000, Rs10,000, Rs1 lakh, Rs10 lakh and Rs1 crore. These are available at specified branches of SBI, and any account-holder compliant with know-your-customer (KYC) norms can buy these bonds. Donors can donate the bonds to their party of choice, which can then be encashed by the partys verified account within 15 days. The bond does not carry the name of the buyer or the payee. The recipient political party does not have to disclose who it has received the bond from in its account. Neither does the donor entity have to state to which party it has donated. Also, as per the scheme, only eligible political parties with a 1% vote share are eligible to buy electoral bonds. You may also want to read... We had mentioned in previous weeks closing report that Nifty, Sensex may try to rally. The major indices opened higher this week and closed with gain. On Monday, the indices opened gap up and ended higher. On the National Stock Exchange (NSE), 1,160 stocks advanced, 927 declined and 59 remained unchanged with advance decline ratio of 1.25. The government has approved sale of 93.7% stake in Neelachal Ispat to Tata Steel Long Products for enterprise value of Rs 12,100 crore. Tata Motorss Q3FY21-22 revenue declined by 4.5% to Rs72,229 and net loss stood at Rs1,516 crore against net profit of Rs2,706 crore on a y-o-y basis. Company expects performance improvement in Q4FY21-22 on account of positive cash flow from JLR business. On Tuesday, the day of the Union budget, the indices opened gap up and ended with gain. On the National Stock Exchange (NSE), 1,160 stocks advanced, 877 declined, and 55 remained unchanged with advance decline ratio of 1.32. On Wednesday, the indices opened gap up and ended with gain. On the National Stock Exchange (NSE), 1,539 stocks advanced, 521 declined, and 62 remained unchanged with advance decline ratio of 2.95 signalling strength in broader markets. Tata Consumers Q3FY21-22 revenues increased by 4.5% to Rs 3,218 crore and the net profit increased by 21.4% on a y-o-y basis. The margin expanded by 250 bps. Balrampur Chinis Q3FY21-22 revenues increased by 13.1% to Rs 1,212 crore and the net profit more than doubled to Rs 64.1 crore as compared to Rs 64.1 crore on a y-o-y basis. On Thursday, the indices opened flat and ended with loss. On the National Stock Exchange (NSE), 942 stocks advanced, 1,114 declined, and 53 remained unchanged with advance decline ratio of 0.85. Coromandel Internationals Q3FY21-22 revenue increased by 43.6% to Rs 5,074 crore and the net profit increased by 14.3% to Rs 381.6 crore on a y-o-y basis. The stock closed 3% higher. Westlife Developments Q3FY21-22 revenue increased by 46.7% to Rs 477 crore and the net profit increased multifold to Rs 20.3 crore as compared to Rs 0.4 crore in the same quarter last year. The stock closed in green. On Friday, the indices opened higher but ended in red. On the National Stock Exchange (NSE), 839 stocks advanced, 1,191 declined, and 66 remained unchanged with advance decline ratio of 0.70. Delhi government relaxed Covid restrictions, night curfew will be from 11pm to 5am. All government and private offices can function with 100% capacity. Schools and colleges to open from 7 February in a phased manner. PVR will invest Rs324 crore to set up eight screen multiplexes in partnership with real estate firm M3M India in Gurugram. The Indian government has taken several steps to address the shortage of pilots in the country. In 2021, Flying Training Organisations (FTOs) produced 504 commercial pilot license (CPL) holders, the Lok Sabha was informed. In a written reply, General VK Singh (retd), the minister of state for civil aviation, says, "The number of CPL holders produced by Indian FTOs in 2021 is 504, which is higher than the 430 CPLs holders produced by Indian FTOs in the pre-COVID year 2019." In a separate answer, the minister informed the house that India requires 1000 fresh commercial pilots every year. Between 2017 and 2021, the number of CPL issued in India to cadets from Indian and foreign FTOs have gone to 862 from 552. "At present, there are 34 directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA)-approved FTOs in the country. In addition, there are six approved training organisations (ATO) in India that provide aircraft type training to CPL holders. A CPL followed by aircraft type rating issued by DGCA, among others, constitute the mandatory requirements for applying for a pilot's role in a commercial airline," Gen Singh says. Describing steps taken by the government, the minister says, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has brought out a liberalised FTO policy wherein the concept of airport royalty (revenue share payment by FTOs to AAI) has been abolished and land rentals have been significantly rationalised. On 31 May 2021 and 29 October 2021, the AAI issued award letters for nine FTOs to be established at five airports across the country. This includes two FTOs at Belagavi (Karnataka), two at Jalgaon (Maharashtra), two at Kalaburagi (Karnataka), two at Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh) and one at Lilabari (Assam). Further, to allow candidates to choose the date and time from the available exam slots, in November 2021, the DGCA has introduced an online-on demand examination (OLODE) for the aircraft maintenance engineers (AME) and Flying Crew (FC) candidates. The DGCA also modified its regulations to empower flying instructors with the right to authorise flight operations at FTOs. Earlier, the right was restricted to the chief flying instructor (CFI) or deputy CFIs. According to the minister, Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi (IGRUA), located at Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, the country's largest flying academy, has been permitted to carry out pilot training at Gondia in Maharashtra and at Kalaburagi. "This will help IGRUA to enhance its flying hours and aircraft utilisation, which get severely affected during winter months due to low visibility. IGRUA has commenced operating on all weekends and holidays," Gen Singh says. In 2021, IGRUA completed 19,019 flying hours compared to 15,137 hours in the pre-COVID year 2019, an increase of over 25%. An application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, seeking information about the purchase of the spyware `Pegasus from Israel-based NSO group and the availing of services from NSO is presently languishing as a second appeal at the Central Information Commission (CIC) for the past several months. It was filed with the CIC after the central public information officers (CPIOs) and the first appellate authorities (FAAs) of both the ministry of home affairs (MHA) and the national investigative agency (NIA) refused information. Being a journalist himself and concerned whether he could also be the victim of tapping, Saurav Das, the RTI applicant, states, I have a genuine apprehension that being an investigative journalist and transparency activist, Im also susceptible to such illegal snooping like many others. I am also susceptible to such gross human rights violation and breach of my fundamental right to privacy and thereby the right to life and liberty, guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution of India. Therefore, it becomes all the more important to establish transparency and seek the answers through RTIs from the competent authorities of MHA and NIA. The reply he got for his RTI application in March 2021 by the CPIO of MHA was: The undersigned CPIO has no information to furnish in the matter. The FAA too concurred with the CPIO stating that his reply was appropriate and in order. Mr Das argues that being only a deputy secretary in the MHA, the CPIO would not have such sensitive information at his desk. So he had requested the CPIO to avail the assistance of other officers, including the Union home secretary under Section 5(4) and 5(5) of the RTI Act since access to such high-level information would be available and only with the home secretary and other such senior-level officers. This request was, however, turned down by the CPIO says Mr Das, which is in gross violation of several court judgments. The RTI application filed by Mr Das had sought the following information from the MHA and NIA: Whether the ministry of home affairs or any of its connected investigating/law enforcement agencies/departments have ever purchased or given a purchase order for PEGASUS- spyware developed by Israeli Cyber arms firm- NSO Group; if so, on which date; if not, whether there was any proposal for the same at any point of time; Whether the MHA or any of its connected investigating/law enforcement agencies/departments have ever used the services of NSO Group, Israel. If so, the details thereof and the expenditure towards it; Whether the MHA or any of its connected investigating/law enforcement agencies/departments have ever subscribed to any of NSO Group, Israels products, like the Pegasus or services. If so, the details thereof including at what cost; Furnish a copy of any search and enquiry conducted in pursuance to the Honble Delhi High Court order. In his second appeal to the CIC, Mr Das says that he had asked for an urgent appeal for which he has quoted several Supreme Court judgments, including the one of Arnab Goswami V/s The State of Maharashtra & Ors. Criminal Appeal No. 742 of 2020. In this case, Supreme Court, in its judgement, had noted- 60. Human liberty is a precious constitutional value, which is undoubtedly subject to regulation by validly enacted legislation. Liberty across human eras is as tenuous as tenuous can be. Liberty survives by the vigilance of her citizens, on the cacophony of the media and in the dusty corridors of courts alive to the rule of (and not by) law. Yet, much too often, liberty is a casualty when one of these components is found wanting. 61. Deprivation of liberty even for a single day is one day too many. He has requested in his second appeal to the CIC to recognise a senior-level officer and the home secretary as the deemed CPIO and assigns him/her the task to furnish this information within seven days, in a clear, detailed, point-wise manner as sought in his RTI application. Mr Das has also requested the CIC to direct the department of personnel and training ( DoPT), the nodal agency for the RTI Act, to issue a relevant circular to grant a personal hearing at the stage of the first appeal in compliance with the relevant orders of the Supreme Court and High Courts and admonish the FAA for disregarding the same. He had requested the CIC to hold an urgent hearing in this matter, seeing the immense public interest and deprivation of liberty of several Indians. However, rues Mr Das, that the CIC is completely compromised is very evident by its actions. A body whose sole responsibility is to uphold public interest and order disclosure of the information is often hesitant to pass a significant disclosure order in a matter of public interest. This is because most of them are former bureaucrats, some of whom have worked under the present government, or are those who are close to the regime. He has also filed an RTI to the ministry of electronics & information technology (MEITY) on a letter of 31 Oct 2019 from the IT ministry to the Facebook-owned messaging platform-WhatsApp to explain the breach of privacy and data of Indians, using the NSO Group spyware- Pegasus. He has received no reply. For recall, Pegasus is a spyware capable of reading text messages, tracking calls, collecting passwords, tracing the phones location, accessing the target devices, microphone(s) and video camera(s), and gathering information from apps. The Washington Post reports that 189 journalists, more than 600 politicians and government officials and more than 60 business executives were targeted by clients of NSO Group, a hacker-for-hire headquartered in Israel. You may also want to read The Safe in India Foundation released its third annual report CRUSHED 2021 on the state of worker safety in the Indian auto sector on Republic Day. The report makes for sobering reading. It brings to light that even after 74 years of the adoption of the Indian Constitution, we have still not been able to provide the right to work in safe and humane conditions in formal and informal workspaces, and the right not to lose ones life and income-earning opportunities, as guaranteed by Articles 21 (protection of life and personal liberty), 39 (a) (right to an adequate mean to livelihood) and 42 (provision for just and humane conditions of work and maternity relief) of the Constitution. The auto sector is the modern face of the manufacturing sector in India. It accounts for a little over seven per cent of Indias GDP (gross domestic product), and directly employs eight million people as well as 29 million people indirectly. The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that by 2026, the auto sector would account for 12 per cent of Indias GDP and employ around 102 million people. From April 2000 to September 2021, this sector attracted five per cent (US$ 30,784 million) of Indias total foreign direct investment. It boasts of many well-known Indian and foreign multinational corporations operating in India. But are the automobiles it produces unstained by blood? The answer, as indicated by CRUSHED 2021, is a resounding No. Even if the report covers a small segment of the vast auto sector in Haryana (Gurugram and Faridabad), it represents India. Some of the reports findings It is well-known that the original equipment manufacturers [OEMs] in the auto sector, like in garments, have a deep supply chain. During 2016-21, the report has managed to cover 2,584 workers employed in the supply chain who have suffered crush injuries in the auto sector in Haryana. Eighty per cent of the injured workers were located in the supply chains of some of the well-known auto brands. Seven out of ten injured workers lost their fingers or hands, which means temporary and/or permanent disability to work. A typical crush injury, on average, results in loss of two fingers, and if caused by a power press, the extent of damage to fingers and the probability of losing the entire hand is greater. 2,584 workers employed in the supply chain have suffered crush injuries in the auto sector in Haryana. Seven out of ten injured workers lost their fingers or hands, which means temporary and/or permanent disability to work. it is the flexi-category and most vulnerable workers who incurred severe injuries. Nine out of ten workers were migrants coming mainly from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Odisha. 70 per cent were contract workers, and 80 per cent were lowly educated (up to 10th standard) and earned less than Rs. 10,000 per month. None of these over 2,500 workers belonged to a trade union. Not unexpectedly, it is the flexi-category and most vulnerable workers who incurred severe injuries. Nine out of ten workers were migrants coming mainly from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Odisha. Seventy per cent were contract workers, and 80 per cent were lowly educated (up to 10th standard) and earned less than Rs. 10,000 per month. None of these over 2,500 workers belonged to a trade union. Predictably, 70 per cent of the injured workers got their medical coverage under the Employees State Insurance Act [ESIA] e-Pehchan card not on the date of their joining as they must, but post their injuries. More interestingly, the report observes that it was aware of many instances where the premium under ESIA was deducted from their wages but not deposited with the ESI Corporation (p.18). The ESIC is aware of this phenomenon and terms it comfortingly as Post Accident Registration [PAR], a contradiction of sorts given the statute. Ideally, both the defaulting factory owners (the occupiers) and the ESIC officials must be penalized: the former for non-compliance and the latter for dereliction of duty. It is appalling, even unforgivable, to note the incidence of PAR. The Report notes that lowly educated helpers were often asked to operate dangerous machines like power presses without adequate training and of course, at lower wages. Only two per cent of the power press operators received formal training at an institute, none in the factory, and most learnt from their supervisors or senior workers. The pursuit of flexibility cannot get worse or more dangerous than this. Forty-seven per cent of the injured workers worked 12 hours or longer shifts. Rule 28 of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working [OSH] Conditions (Central) Rules, 2020 stipulates that inclusive of intervals, the spread-hours must not be more than twelve hours a day. It is not uncommon to hear numerous instances narrated by workers in many industries having supply chains to have worked a 12-hours shift at eight-hour wages. What adds woe to concern are two facts reported here, viz. under-reporting of accidents by establishments to government agencies, and a declining trend in factory inspections in Haryana. By vilifying inspections and blaming data submission as unproductive, employers successfully lobbied the government to liberalize them despite Indias ratification of International Labour Organization Conventions concerning them, viz. Labour Statistics Convention, 1985 (C.160) and Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (C.081) Issues raised, and how to address them The report provides operational recommendations for OEMs like taking full responsibility for worker safety in their vendor units, and weeding out habitual offenders, among other things. To add to these, I suggest that the OEMs create a labour standards rating system of vendors akin to quality rating and stop giving business to lower ones. It also means walking away from their typical choice of low-cost bidders. Otherwise, humane work in the supply chain is not possible. Lowly educated helpers were often asked to operate dangerous machines like power presses without adequate training and of course, at lower wages. Only two per cent of the power press operators received formal training at an institute, none in the factory, and most learnt from their supervisors or senior workers. But this Report poses scorching questions to the government in four ways. First, the government needs to strengthen the regulations concerning safety, including the provision of compulsory training to workers on or off-site. The OSH Code must make the constitution of Safety Committees mandatory instead of the notification method existent. It must provide for submission of Safety Audit Reports by all establishments. Put simply, the lawmakers have a lot more work to do regarding OSH Code. Second, inspection machinery, as opposed to the current trend of liberalization, must be strengthened to cover the supply chain adequately. Third, the statistical system relating to industrial accidents must be vastly improved to cover all sectors and all the units. Fourth, the ESI Corporations efficiency needs priority attention from the government. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 8.8 , that is the promotion of safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers and those in precarious employment, needs special attention from all stakeholders. The report also brings to attention under-reporting of accidents by establishments to government agencies, and a declining trend in factory inspections in Haryana. Finally, the role of trade unions in securing these is crucial. Their very absence (failure on the supply side) weakens both the unions as institutions and their goal of workers welfare. (Dr K. R. Shyam Sundar is Professor, HRM Area, XLRI, Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur. The views expressed are personal.) JAKARTA, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Three critically endangered Sumatran tiger cubs have been born in the Barumun Nagari Wildlife Sanctuary in Indonesia's North Sumatra province, the North Sumatra Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) said on Friday. The three tiger cubs were suckling on their mother when officials came to their enclosure, the agency's acting head Irzal Azhar said. "The cubs appear in good health and still can't open their eyes," Azhar added. The officials have not been able to identify the gender of the three young tigers as their enclosure is too large and covered by bushes. Even a surveillance camera located there cannot monitor the carnivores well. Their parents are female Gadis and male Monang that were evacuated to the Barumun Nagari Wildlife Sanctuary after being caught in snares in conflict with humans. Gadis was saved from Mandailing Natal district in 2016 with a snare that caused the amputation of her right front paw, while Monang was moved from a plantation in Simalungun district in 2017. On Dec. 8, 2018, Gadis gave birth to two tiger cubs, a female and a male, named Citra Kartini and Surya Manggala that are now being prepared to be released into the wild. Currently, Monang is kept in a separate cage for the safety of Gadis and their five children. Weather Alert ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO MIDNIGHT MDT TUESDAY NIGHT FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 6000 FEET... * WHAT...Snow expected, mainly for elevations above 6000 feet. Total snow accumulations of 2-4 inches at the passes along the Montana-Idaho border, with higher amounts at higher elevations. * WHERE...Beaverhead, Gallatin and Madison Counties. * WHEN...From midnight tonight to midnight MDT Tuesday Night. * IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult. The hazardous conditions could impact the Tuesday morning and evening commutes. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...A heavy band of snowfall may pivot through the area late tonight and early Tuesday. This band of snowfall could bring heavy snow to the valley floors. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Slow down and use caution while traveling. The latest road conditions can be obtained by calling 5 1 1 or visiting the MDT Road Report website. To see a graphical representation of the degree of stress on young livestock please visit our webpage and select Local Programs then Cold Air Advisory for Newborn Livestock. && KALISPELL, Mont. - A Kalispell man was sentenced Thursday after a minor girl reported he took her out on a boat on Ashley Lake before touching her and taking explicit photos. The Department of Justice reports 43-year-old Edward Timothy Cockerham plead guilty to sexual exploitation of a child in October of 2021. In court documents, the government reportedly alleged that Cockerham went to Ashley Lake in Flathead County with two children in June 2021. While at the lake, Cockerham took the victim, who was under 18-years-old, boating, and once they were out on the water, he reportedly began touching and taking sexually explicit photos of the girl. The victim reported what Cockerham did, and the Flathead County Sheriffs Office seized Cockerhams cell phone and searched it pursuant to a warrant. An initial review determined Cockerham deleted all the photos. A subsequent search by a forensic examiner with the Montana Department of Justices Division of Criminal Investigation located sexually explicit images of the victim, along with sexually explicit images of two other child victims. Edward Timothy Cockerham was sentenced to 18 years in prison to be followed by 15 years of supervised release. MISSOULA -- In a recent report from the American Cancer Society, over 1.5 million Americans are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in 2022. But one national organization has a chapter in Missoula, that gives online support to those impacted by cancer, and now they have some big news. The Cancer Support Community of Missoula has been mainly an online resource for those effected by cancer, but they recently started leasing out the old Cold Springs School building from the Missoula County School District to offer in-person support. Members of the group, including Jadi Rae Curtis, can't wait for the building to open. Curtis lost her mom to cancer in 2015, and said the organization has been a lifeline for her every step of the way. "Taking care of yourself when you're going through something difficult can be so hard, and having a place to make that easy, to help you help yourself is really lovely," Curtis said. Their free programs range from emotional and educational support, as well as self-care. Tim Skalsky's family got involved when his wife was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2017. "My wife did lose the battle. She passed away in 2019, and when I heard that this was coming to Missoula, my heart was drawn to, if it affected her and it effected our family as much as it did, there needs to be a place for people to have a community," Skalsky said. Executive Director of the Missoula Chapter, Odette Grassi, said they'll still offer online courses, but said in-person connections are needed now more than ever before. "Nothing can take the place of sitting down next to someone, or working with someone who knows what you're going through," Grassi said. Curtis couldn't agree more. "Having an actual place to go to with people who you can congregate with, who can understand what you're going through, it's like instant community," Curtis said. While they wait to open their doors, they're raising money for their programs and to hire a Clinical Program Director. They hope to start offering in-person resources by April of 2022. To learn more about the program, visit the Cancer Support Community's website. Issue April 28, 2022 - At age 25, Pacific Groves David Steinberg has already ascended the heights of the puzzle world. Whats next? You make our work happen. The article youre about to read is from our reporters doing their important work investigating, researching, and writing their stories. We want to provide informative and inspirational stories that connect you to the people, issues and opportunities within our community. Journalism takes a lot of resources. Today, our business model has been interrupted by the pandemic; the vast majority of our advertisers businesses have been impacted. Thats why the Weekly is now turning to you for financial support. Learn more about our new Insiders program here. Thank you. JOIN NOW Croatian National Council for the Introduction of the Euro reveals the officially approved design of the Croatian euro and cent coins to be used at the start of next year, in Croatia, on Feb. 4, 2022. (Slavko Midzor/PIXSELL via Xinhua) ZAGREB, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Croatian National Council for the Introduction of the Euro on Friday revealed the officially approved design of the Croatian euro and cent coins to be used at the start of next year. The frontal motif of the 2-euro coin will show a geographical map of Croatia, and the 1-euro coin, the marten. The euro coins of 50, 20, and 10 cents will feature an effigy of Nikola Tesla, who was best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system, and the 1, 2 and 5 cents coins, the Glagolitic script. "The checkerboard motif, which is part of the Croatian emblem, is selected as a common background of all coins. The message is the recognizability of Croatia," Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said at a session of the Council. Croatia joined the European Union in 2013 and is expected to replace the national currency Kuna with euro on Jan. 1, 2023. Croatian National Council for the Introduction of the Euro reveals the officially approved design of the Croatian euro and cent coins to be used at the start of next year, in Croatia, on Feb. 4, 2022. (Slavko Midzor/PIXSELL via Xinhua) Croatian National Council for the Introduction of the Euro reveals the officially approved design of the Croatian euro and cent coins to be used at the start of next year, in Croatia, on Feb. 4, 2022. (Slavko Midzor/PIXSELL via Xinhua) Matthew Busch/Bloomberg (Bloomberg) -- Oil shot across $90 for the first time since 2014 as winter weather in the U.S. threatened to shut in some production while geopolitical tensions continued to keep investors on edge. West Texas Intermediate rose as much as 2.4%, trading above $88 a barrel as traders doubted that all members of the OPEC+ coalition will be able to meet their quotas in full even after agreeing to add supply to the market. Meanwhile, extreme cold in the Permian Basin is halting some out in the U.S. most prolific oil field. LONDON, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- The United Kingdom's (UK) tax revenue losses are projected to total 35 billion British pounds (47.4 billion U.S. dollars) when petrol-powered vehicles are phased out by 2030, lawmakers on the Transport Committee of the House of Commons, the lower house of the British Parliament, warned in a report on Friday. "The ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030 will result in a corresponding decline in two significant sources of Treasury revenue. As sales of electric vehicles increase, Treasury revenue from motoring taxation will decrease, because neither fuel duty nor vehicle excise duty is currently levied on electric vehicles," said the report titled "Road Pricing." The committee has called for a new road pricing system under which motorists would pay for every kilometer they travel. Such a system, based on distance traveled and vehicle type, would enable the government to maintain the existing link between motoring taxation and road usage, the report said. Without reform, the report added, policies to deliver net zero emissions by 2050 will result in zero revenue for the government from motoring taxation. Lawmakers on the committee recommend that the Treasury and the Department for Transport join forces to examine solutions and devise a new road charging mechanism by the end of 2022. "We need to talk about road pricing," committee Chair Huw Merriman said. "Innovative technology could deliver a national road pricing scheme, which prices up a journey based on the length of road and type of vehicle used. Work should begin without delay. The situation is urgent. New taxes, which rely on new technology, take years to introduce." James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram Disney Princess -- The Concert, presented by Disney Concerts, will come Wednesday to the Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center. The show first premiered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The all-star quartet of broadway and animated film icons celebrate all the Disney Princesses in an evening of songs, animation and stories. The performance will feature Benjamin Rauhala, Adam J. Levy, Courtney Reed, Susan Egan, Anneliese van der Pol, Arielle Jacobs and Syndee Winters. Check out a playlist of songs on Spotify. Or view a sizzle reel. LAW Ho Ming/Getty Images In the past few months, parents across Texas have pushed for the removal of books that deal with subjects pertaining to race, gender and sexuality. One of these books is a childrens biography of former first lady Michelle Obama. The book Michelle Obama: Political Icon by Heather E. Schwartz was described by a parent from Katy as unfairly depicting former President Donald Trump as a bully, according to reporting by NBC News. The book made NBCs list of 50 books that Texas parents want to be banned from school libraries. Count Jose Ortiz among the Midlanders who are weary of the considerable amount of road construction taking place inside the city. And hes director of Engineering for the city of Midland. There are a lot of traffic signs, orange cones and constant reminders that Midland is under construction. Its enough to know that another road improvement program can wait. There are Engineering Department priorities for City Hall and the Midland City Council. They start with completion of the Road Bond. That will be delayed as the city approaches the finish line. There is the reconstruction of Garfield (a 12- to 18-month project) and Main Street. The latter program will have to wait. The Texas Department of Transportation told the city of its intention to repave Big Spring Street/State Highway 349 through Midland from Interstate 20 to Loop 250, Ortiz said. Potentially having Main Street, Big Spring Street and Garfield Street under construction at the same time is a non-starter. Ortiz knows that Midlanders needed the $100 million Road Bond when voters passed a pair of propositions in November 2017. Such a large percentage of the roads inside the city were in such poor condition. Even today, the 26 streets that the Road Bond has or will reconstructed are a small percentage of the total amount of work that needs to be done. Could another round of road rehab take place? Ortiz said sure. But 2024 is when he would even consider a larger-scale project. He noted that does not necessarily mean another bond referendum. Ortiz said Midland was impacted by location as anything else. Many of the projects have taken place in or close to the center of town. The old age of the roads finally caught up with city leaders. Old Midland turned into the epicenter of construction, Ortiz noted. Midlands center is dense when it comes to population, and its roads are touched by so many vehicles going downtown or to Midland Memorial Hospital. Midland is not like a suburb of a larger city, whose growth is aided by building of new roads where none exist. The process in Midland requires tearing up roads, fixing utilities and then building the new roads. Few people remember that only 60 percent of the Road Bond went to pavement removal and reconstruction. The city noted in the Road Bond campaign that 24.4 percent was set to be devoted to utility line replacement and 10.4 percent devoted to Americans with Disabilities (ADA) compliance modifications. This led to projects becoming a process, which also created issues for completing projects as efficiently as some residents would have liked. Ortiz mentioned that a common complaint was that a person might drive by a project and not see anyone at the site. One reason for this, he said, was the staggered starts needed because the utilities needed to be done first, then the concrete work or paving. A second reason was that the state has increased its investment in road funding in the region. There were more projects for the same number of construction companies. Compounding this issue was the sheer amount of work taking place in a relatively short period of time. I have often heard, Why does the city start a project and not finish it before starting a new project, Ortiz said. The city manages and maintains around 650 linear miles of asphalt. We dont have the luxury of finishing one before starting another. Still, the city is on pace of completing around 24 Road Bond projects in a five-year period of time. That is quite an accomplishment, Ortiz noted. And because the age and condition of older roads are still an issue as is the growth that will require construction in the northeast and west Midland, the city will not be able to stop. Ortiz said, we do plan on pulling back on the throttle. Instead of having four of five going at the same time, we might have to cut it back to three and space them out so there are not so concentrated. The Palette of America A roundtable discussion of Americas roots and the colors that make up its foundation will take place at 5:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Bush Convention Center. Those participating in the roundtable are Javaid Anwar, found Midland Energy Inc. and Petroplex Energy Inc.; Donald Evans, former Commerce Department secretary and current chairman of the George W. Bush Foundation; Laura Collins, director of the Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative; and Kenneth A. Hersh, officer of the George W. Bush Presidential Center. Tickets for the roundtable discussion and the special viewing of the exhibition that will follow are $15 for adults and free for students with a valid student ID. Permian Basin Prayer Breakfast The annual Permian Basin Prayer Breakfast will be held from 7-8:15 a.m. Thursday at the Bush Convention Center. Food service will begin at 6:45 a.m. This Prayer Breakfast will have a panel of prayer warriors, moderated by Carla Smith. Individual Tickets are $10, and table sponsorships are $200. There is a complete sponsorship form online -- www.npbmidland.org. Mail checks to: Permian Basin Prayer Breakfast, 10 Desta Drive, Suite 100W, Midland, 79705. Midland County Republican Women State Rep. Tom Craddick will be the featured speaker at the Midland County Republican Womens monthly meeting Wednesday at Midland Country Club. Republican candidates in contested races will be available for one-on-one conversations from 11-11:30 a.m. They also will introduce themselves during the luncheon and be available for subsequent question-and-answer. The meeting will take place from 11:30 to 1 p.m. Tickets are $35 for non-members with a reservation and $40 for non-members without reservations. Contact Cindy at 806-777-6361 to RSVP. Reservations should be made by noon Monday. Meetings this week The Midland Development Corp. 10 a.m. Monday Midland Chamber of Commerce board room 303 West Wall St., suite 200 Midland City Council 9:30 a.m. Tuesday Council chamber, City Hall 300 N. Loraine St. Midland ISD Noon Tuesday Administration Building, Room 101 615 W Missouri Ave. Event schedule Cinderella, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, Feb. 12, Feb. 18, Feb. 19, Feb. 20, Feb. 25, Feb. 26, Midland Community Theatre. Los 3 Grandes: Los Huracanes, Primavera y Rieleros, 8 p.m. Friday, La Hacienda Event Center. Midland Gun Exposition, Saturday and Sunday, Horseshoe. Valentines Lo. Street Market, 10 a.m. 4 p.m. Saturday, Centennial Park. Vets Coffee and Pastries, 10 a.m. Saturday, VFW Post 4149. Lo. St. Market, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Centennial Park. Glazing Application, 10 a.m. Saturday, Arts Council of Midland. Hit the Slopes Olympic Kick Off, 3 p.m. Saturday, Woodys Hideaway. Symphony SoundBites, 6 p.m. Saturday, Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center. Dancing with West Texas Stars 2022, 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Odessa Marriott Hotel and Conference Center. Our Birthday Party, 7 p.m. Saturday, The FaFa Gallery. Friends of the Symphony, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center. STEAM Break Lovin LEGOS, 8 a.m. Feb. 7, Petroleum Museum. Beautiful: The Carole King Musical -- Broadway in the Basin, 7:30 p.m. Monday, Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center. The Palette of America Roundtable, 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Bush Convention Center. Dr. Jordan B. Peterson: Beyond Order, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center. Diane K. Browne opening reception, 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sibley Nature Center. Dinosaur World Live Storytime, 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Centennial Library. BPW February Program Meeting, 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Petroleum Club of Midland. The Kindness Project, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Connection Christian Church of Odessa. Disney Princess The Concert, 7 p.m. Wednesday, Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center. Wagner Noel 10 Year Mini Birthday Party at Vintage Deluxe, 4 p.m. Thursday, Vintage Deluxe. Give Your Finances Some Love, 4:30 - 6 p.m. Thursday, Second Story Coworking. Film Series, 6 p.m. Thursday, Ellen Noel Art Museum. Authors at the Ector Elizabeth Wetmore, 7 p.m. Thursday, The Ector Theatre. Mike Ryan with guest Cody Hibbard, 9 p.m. Thursday, Rockin Rodeo. Love Without Limits, 6 p.m. Feb. 11, Stonegate Fellowship Church. Chad Prather, 8 p.m. Feb. 11, Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center. Cupids Arrow Valentines, 8 p.m. Feb. 11, Woodys Hideaway. Cinderellas Royal Breakfast, 9 a.m. Feb. 12, Midland Community Theatre. Boss Babe Market, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Feb. 12, Tall City Brewing. Introduction to Astronomy Binocular Basics, noon Feb. 12, Marian Blakemore Planetarium. Kansas: Point of Know Return Tour, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 12, Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center. Galentines Day benefiting Safe Place of the Permian Basin, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 13, The Selfie Museum. Super Bowl Party, 2 p.m. Feb. 13, VFM Post 4159. Sun Valley, ID (83353) Today Some clouds early with showers likely this afternoon, and a thunderstorm is possible. High 49F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Cloudy with rain and snow this evening, becoming all snow overnight. Low 32F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 100%. 3 to 5 inches of snow expected. ROME, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- Italy recorded 112,691 new infections on Thursday, a decrease of some 6,300 compared to a day earlier and a reduction of more than 20,000 compared to two days earlier. After plateauing for weeks, weekly totals for Italy's COVID-19 infections dropped over the last seven-day period, data from health monitoring entity GIMBE Foundation showed Thursday. The foundation, which bases its calculations on data supplied by Italy's Ministry of Health, reported that after several weeks of increases, the weekly totals of new infections had held steady at 1.2 million for three weeks in January, but the latest figures totaled over 900,000 for Jan. 26-Feb. 1, recording a decrease of 24.9 percent. The total number of currently positive cases also fell, though by only 7.9 percent, the foundation reported. In an encouraging sign, the number of new cases fell in nearly all regions, ranging from a decline of 7 percent in the central Italian region of Molise to a 46.9-percent fall in the neighboring region of Apulia. The foundation also noted that the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units is decreasing: the total was 1,717 for the week ending Jan. 17 and 1,549 for the week ending Feb. 1. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Contact us Muskogee, OK (74401) Today Thunderstorms likely. Rainfall will be locally heavy at times. A few storms may be severe. High 76F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected.. Tonight Strong thunderstorms likely. Damaging winds and large hail with some storms. Low 49F. SSW winds shifting to NW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 90%. PARIS, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Though surging cases are still weighting on the long-strained health systems in Europe, multiple European countries have decided to scrap COVID-19 restrictions, relying on vaccination to reach "collective immunity." SURGING COVID-19 CASES In Germany, dail COVID-19 infections hit a new records on Thursday, with 236,120 new infections and 164 deaths registered in the past 24 hours, according to the country's disease control agency the Robert Koch Institute. France reported some 274,000 new cases on Thursday. According to its Public Health Agency, almost 33,000 patients are currently hospitalized, including 3,642 in critical care. Belgium is in the throes of its fifth wave of the pandemic, with up to 60,000 daily cases. Official figures on Thursday showed Britain added 88,171 new cases and 303 deaths in the latest 24 hours, bringing the national counts to 17,607,832 and 157,730 respectively. The most recent surge of new infections in the Netherlands followed the government's decision on Jan. 25 to further relax its COVID-19 policy. The Omicron wave in the country is far from over yet, said the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment. In recent weeks, Austria has seen surging COVID-19 infections driven by Omicron, with daily infections hovering around 30,000 cases in the past two weeks, according to data from the Austrian Interior Ministry. Romania is approaching the peak of the fifth wave of the pandemic, with 32,671 new cases reported on Thursday. RESTRICTIONS LIFTED Starting from Feb. 2, certain COVID-19 related restrictions were lifted in France, French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced on Jan. 20 during a press conference. The caps on the number of people allowed in indoor and outdoor events will be lifted. Masks will no longer be required outdoors. Teleworking will no longer be mandatory, but still encouraged. Starting from Feb. 16, standing in bars, concerts and the opening of nightclubs will be allowed. The Finnish government also decided to ease the restrictions on restaurants from Feb. 14. Restaurants can serve drinks until 11 p.m. and remain open until midnight. An official with the Italian government told local media that Italy would abandon most of the COVID-19 restrictions at the end of February, and would not extend the state of emergency at the end of March. Starting Feb. 5, restaurants and shops will be allowed to open in Austria until midnight. Besides, rules effectively barring unvaccinated people from restaurants and stores will be phased out. Starting Feb. 19, people without proof of vaccination or recent recovery will be able to visit restaurants and tourist attractions using a negative coronavirus test result. The Dutch government has decided to further relax its COVID-19 policy, reopening all restaurants, cafes, cinemas, museums and theaters under certain conditions. Malta, where outdoor mask-wearing has not been mandatory since mid-January, will no longer request vaccination certificates for entry into restaurants, snack bars and social clubs from Feb. 7. From Feb. 14, certificates will not be requested for access to bars, gyms, spas, pools, cinemas and theatres. After France's decision to facilitate travels with Britain, the British government as well will proceed to ease entry restrictions. All testing measures for eligible fully vaccinated travellers arriving in Britain will be scrapped from Feb. 11, as the government takes one step further to reopen the travel sector. For those that are not recognized as fully vaccinated, they will only need to take a pre-departure test and a PCR test on or before day 2 after they arrive in the country. TOO EARLY FOR AN END Right after the French government's decision to lift certain COVID-19 restrictions, the Scientific Council in January delivered a statement that "the fifth wave with the Omicron variant is not over and its impact on the healthcare system will remain high but partially manageable until mid-March." Speaking to local media, Christian Drosten, German virologist at the Berlin-based Charite Institute of Virology, warned that there should "be no all-clear yet in Germany" given the vaccination gap. Finnish prime minister's office said on Wednesday that the number of COVID-19 infections nationwide remains high. The situation in some regions may still be difficult, it warned, with many unvaccinated people largely exposed to the danger of being infected. While Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said "it's time for Sweden to open up again," Fredrik Elgh, a virology professor at Umea University, told Swedish Television the decision was premature. "The climbing curve of admissions of COVID-19 patients indicates that we should not do this," he said, adding that it is hard to grasp the number of new infections when testing capacity has hit the ceiling. Belgian health expert Erika Vlieghe, president of the Group of Experts on crisis strategy for COVID-19 (GEMS), said that it was still too early to suggest a close end of the pandemic. Meanwhile, Belgium has seen various demonstrations in recent weeks against health measures aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19. Although new infections rates are stabilizing in most regions of Greece, experts noted that people should be cautious for new, possibly more dangerous variants in the future. Dimosthenis Sarigiannis, a professor at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki told local media that in mid-Feb the country will expect a new spike in cases. Speaking of the case of Britain, Prof. Francois Balloux, specialized in computational systems biology, said that "an overly fast return to pre-pandemic behaviour could lead to viral flares ... and may risk further delaying the return to 'post-pandemic normal.'" Downtown Myrtle Beach property owners are being asked to agree to pay the city more money. The Myrtle Beach Downtown Alliance has been meeting with commercial property owners to drum up support for a Municipal Improvement District (MID) that would fund such things as street beautification, additional sanitation services, enhanced security, marketing, special events and research to support neighborhood economic development. Amy Barrett, president of Downtown Alliance, said her organization is working with other technical assistance programs such as Main Street South Carolina to help market the downtown instead of competing with the Arts & Innovation District located closer to Nance Plaza. That way, it feels like all one downtown, Barrett said. The downtown district is from 21st Avenue North to 12th Avenue South reaching from Ocean Boulevard, across Kings Highway and into the Withers Swash neighborhood. Barrett added parking has been a part of the discussions of creating an identity for the downtown. One thing weve noticed is that as restaurants want to open and new businesses come to town, they really need some parking for their future customers, Barrett said. The commercial property that would be included in the MID are high-rise resorts, T-shirt shops, restaurants and residential rental units. Properties that are exempt from the MID include full-time residential units, city-owned property and churches. We are not reaching out to people that reside in the community because right now the plan, which is being worked on by the city and by our group, is to draw that line along that assessment line, said Clay Brittain III. So, if youre a primary resident, you do not get taxed. If you are not a primary resident, then you, or if youre a renter, your landlord will be taxed. Barrett said there are 3,646 properties in the MID with a more than $60 million assessed value, which was calculated at 6% of the properties market price. Photo taken on Feb. 3, 2022 shows cars on an icy road in Plano, a suburban city of Dallas, Texas, the United States. (Photo by Tian Dan/Xinhua) HOUSTON, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- Texas, the second largest U.S. state, is fighting "one of the most significant icing events ... in at least several decades" though statewide grid failure like the one that occurred in last year's freeze is not expected, Governor Greg Abbott said on Thursday. Temperatures plunged within 24 hours, power lines were downed by icing accumulation, tree breakage and high winds, leading to road closures and outages across the state. About 70,000 Texan households lost power as of 11:30 a.m. Thursday local time, said the governor at a news conference. In northern Texas, widespread sleet began to transition to snow early Thursday. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport had to temporarily suspend operations in the day because of the weather impacts. Cold temperatures and hazardous roads are possible into the weekend. A number of school districts and universities across the state were closed or under early dismissal as the Arctic cold front moved in early Thursday. Also in the day, the governor signed two proclamations covering 17 Texas counties to assist in the repair of downed power lines and provide support for local governments. The National Weather Service said on Thursday that "an ongoing significant winter storm is expected to impact much of the central and Northeastern U.S. through Friday night," forecasting that a "corridor of heavy ice accumulation is likely from Texas through the Ohio River Valley." However, grid failure like the one taking place during last year's freeze is not expected, said Abbott, noting that so far outages were caused by local issues. "The power grid is performing very well this time," said Abbott. "Anyone out of power at this time should call their local power provider." The governor said that more than 10,000 line workers were assisting local power providers across Texas to get electricity back up and running, with almost 2,000 more heading in from outside the state. The state's grid, operated by ERCOT, currently shows a surplus of energy capacity, and that is expected to persist even as energy demand is forecasted to hit an all-time high on Friday morning, said a report from local media outlet KSAT.com. According to ERCOT, the grid has been operating with 8,000 to 9,000 megawatts in operating reserves for most of the day. A CBS report said when that number drops below 2,300 megawatts, ERCOT is prepared to start controlled outages. The state has been nowhere near that mark during this latest storm. Experts said the reason Texas is not experiencing the same grid issues as last year has a lot more to do with the severity of this storm, warning that the state is still vulnerable to extreme weather conditions. "The fact is, we've done a little bit to improve the grid but, if we get through this one, it'll be as much due to luck as anything else," Adrian Shelley, director of the Public Citizen, told CBS. Roughly one year ago, massive power outages swept across Texas following a severe winter storm, resulting in more than 200 deaths. Photo taken on Feb. 3, 2022 shows a snow-covered baseball field in Plano, a suburban city of Dallas, Texas, the United States. (Photo by Tian Dan/Xinhua) Photo taken on Feb. 3, 2022 shows a damaged tree in a neighborhood in Plano, a suburban city of Dallas, Texas, the United States. (Photo by Tian Dan/Xinhua) Photo taken on Feb. 3, 2022 shows a closed shopping plaza in Plano, a suburban city of Dallas, Texas, the United States. (Photo by Tian Dan/Xinhua) Photo taken on Feb. 3, 2022 shows a closed elementary school in Plano, a suburban city of Dallas, Texas, the United States. (Photo by Tian Dan/Xinhua) Narisara Nami/Getty Images VIRGINIA A job fair this month will help connect employers and students looking for part-time employment and those wanting to get a head start on summer hiring. Cass County Overall Economic Development Commission is hosting the fair at Virginia Junior-Senior High School starting at 11:15 a.m. Feb. 18. Businesses interested in taking part can contact Dustin Fritsche at 217-452-3211 or fritsche@illinois.edu by Feb. 16. A winter storm that moved into the area Tuesday evening finally has moved on, but the snow and freezing temperatures it left behind aren't likely to go anywhere anytime soon. "For Morgan County, it looks like things are wrapping up," said Alex Erwin, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Lincoln. But not before the storm dumped 8.4 inches of snow on Jacksonville over two days, he said. And while no new snow is expected for a while, there still are some concerns. Temperatures through the weekend and into the first part of next week won't reach 32 degrees Fahrenheit and winds still will be gusting up to 25 mph, Erwin said. "The biggest thing to be concerned about is the gusty, northerly wind," he said, adding that drifting snow still could cause a real danger, especially in rural areas. The rain that fell Tuesday before temperatures began dropping Tuesday evening also remains frozen under the snow, creating potentially hazardous driving conditions, Erwin said. Although Jacksonville received more than 8 inches of snow and Griggsville in Pike County received right at 8 inches, other west-central Illinois communities were even harder hit, with Bluffs recording 12.6 inches and Beardstown receiving 11 inches. Temperatures during the coming days will remain low with wind chills reaching minus 5 degrees overnight. Today and Saturday are expected to see a high of 20 degrees before Sunday warms up slightly. "Sunday will be around freezing, maybe above, but nothing that will melt the snow," Erwin said. By Tuesday and Wednesday, temperatures will climb into the upper 30s and lower 40s and the snow will begin to melt. "(The snow's) not going anywhere soon," Erwin said. And, although the storm has passed, the Jacksonville-Morgan County Office of Emergency Management is asking drivers to watch for snow removal crews, give them the right of way and reduce speed to compensate for road conditions. Texas recently passed the Safe Outdoor Dogs Act, which enforces humane guidelines for restraining pet canines outdoors. Unfortunately for me, the act fails to impose similar guidelines for the treatment of grouchy husbands and embarrassing dads. This news about dogs has had me thinking a lot about these magical creatures whom we love so much that were willing to stand outside in nostril-chafing weather and praise even applaud them for soiling our landscaping. When was the last time someone scratched behind your ears and offered you a treat as you exited the restroom? Actually, Ill bet our two doglets would praise me for my bathroom habits if they could. (Maybe thats why they insist on joining me in there to return the favor.) I truly think that God must have had at least two purposes in blessing humans with dogs. First, He wanted to give us a form of unwavering companionship, the kind that doesnt mind (and even prefers) when we dont smell so good. Second, He wanted to demonstrate his imaginative power in creating an animal that routinely displays so much of the potential for good in people (unwavering loyalty, unconditional love, unending forgiveness, unbridled joy, etc.) never mind the incessant yapping and carpet scooting. I have some wonderful memories of the dogs in my life. The first dog that I could call my own was an apricot-colored toy poodle named Fluff, gifted to me by my parents when I was a kindergartner in the 1970s (No, I wasnt into using people names for my dogs, though I did consider Art Garfunkel.) Fluffs claim to fame was that he was paper-trained, meaning that instead of going outside to do his business, he used a variety of local periodicals arrayed on my bedroom floor. This probably explains why I was always caught up on current events, but Im still afraid to get out of bed in the dark. My family soon adopted a second dog a beautiful springer spaniel/golden retriever mix named Happy, whom I met when she was still a puppy with her littermates. Ironically, my first meeting with Happy included having her mother mistaken my left buttock for a Texas Roadhouse dinner roll. Because the bite broke the skin, there had to be an investigation, which, thankfully, revealed that there was no risk of the mother dog catching rabies since I was current on all of my vaccinations. When I was in middle school, our canine menagerie grew again with the addition of Sparky, a hyperactive Boston terrier who quickly earned the nickname Spaz. Due to a desperate need for more discipline, Spaz and I attended formal obedience training one summer, but regardless of how much we practiced and how many Oscar Mayer wieners were offered, Spaz could never teach me to sit and stay properly. After my marriage and the purchase of our first home, my wife and I decided to make a trial run at having children by adopting two pet pugs, Wilkie and Benny, both of whom lived a full 16 years. Of course, we have since discovered that having human babies and having dogs are extremely different experiencesexcept for the long-term expense, the slobbering, the chewing, the cleaning up of someone elses accidents ... Wait a minute. How are they different, again? Seriously, though, dogs have been an important part of my life so far, and I hope they always will be. Our current doglets are Bailey a terrier mix who looks like the offspring of an Ewok and that fuzz you find behind the refrigerator, and Biscuit a Maltese mix who looks like the offspring of the same Ewok and Sam Elliots mustache. Bailey and Biscuit bring our family a lot of happiness, and now that our three teenage daughters are more independent, its a comfort to my wife and me that the pups are always excited to see us and spend quality time with us especially when we go to the bathroom. PG&E map of baseline territories including hot climate zones View Photo Sonora, CA Some Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) customers in the Mother Lode will be switched to a new Time-of-Use (TOU) rate plan in April to support statewide energy initiatives. PG&E today noted all California investor-owned electric utilities are required to automatically transition customers to that plan to support a cleaner, healthier, and more reliable energy grid. The utility announced about 142,662 eligible residential electric customers currently on a tiered rate plan called E-1 will be moved to the TOU rate plan with peak pricing between 4-9 p.m. PG&E spokesperson Megan McFarland indicated that on the TOU rate plan when customers use energy is as important as how much they use. Nearly 2.5 million customers in the companys service area will transition in stages by geographical region. In the Mother Lode, the county breakdown is 10,941 in Tuolumne, 10,165 in Calaveras, and 6,479 in Amador. McFarland did not have the specifics regarding what percentage of customers those numbers represent in those counties or locations. She relayed, Its my understanding that theyre scattered across the county. There are exceptions, those excluded from the automatic transition include: Customers enrolled in the Medical Baseline program Customers enrolled in or eligible for the California Alternative Rates for Energy (CARE) program or Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) customers living in hot climate zones The map provided by PG&E shows the different territories in the state, with P, S, W, and R related to hot climate zones, which covers portions of the Mother Lode. PG&E reported it does not profit from this change. When asked to elaborate, McFarland responded, The TOU rate plan is part of a statewide effort to promote more efficient energy usage and support our states use of clean energy, so PG&E does not profit and its also not a rate increase. She continued, On the TOU rate plan, prices will be higher between the peak hours of 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. when demand is highest and clean energy resources are less plentiful. The price of electricity will be lower 19 hours of each day, during off-peak hours when demand is lower and renewable resources, like solar, are more plentiful. Customers will also be covered under what the company calls a risk-free Bill Protection for the first 12 months. McFarland explains, If a customer pays more on the TOU rate plan than they would have on their current rate plan, PG&E will automatically credit the customer the difference for the first year. In December, customer notifications went out, allowing them to choose another rate plan. PG&Es Chief Customer Officer Marlene Santos affirmed, Were communicating this change more than 90 days ahead, and well continue to share information before each regional transition takes place. And, customers can choose the rate plan that best fits their needs and lives at any time. The utility also touted an earlier trial of the TOU rate plan that began in 2018, with around 150,000 residential customers from across PG&Es service area. It included 4,800 customers in Tuolumne and Calaveras counties, as reported here. The company noted that eighty percent of those customers stayed on the new TOU rate plan for more than a year and feedback from those customers was incorporated into the plans for the full rollout. For more information about the transition to TOU rates and Bill Protection eligibility for these counties, click here. BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- China and Russia oppose any attempts to abuse democratic values, oppose interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states in the name of protecting democracy and human rights, and oppose any attempts to stir up divisions and confrontation in the world, according to a joint statement issued Friday after a meeting between the two countries' presidents. At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin is paying a visit to China. The two heads of state held talks in Beijing, and attended the opening ceremony of the 24th Olympic Winter Games. In the joint statement, the two countries call on the international community to respect cultural and civilizational diversity and the rights of people of different countries to self-determination. China and Russia are ready to join hands with all the interested countries to promote genuine democracy, the statement said. The two sides agree that democracy is a shared human value, rather than a privilege of a few countries, and that promoting and safeguarding democracy is a common cause of the entire global community. The two sides believe that democracy should be whole-process and reflect the interests and will of all citizens, the statement said. People of all countries have the right to choose such forms and methods of implementing democracy that suit their own national conditions, and it is only up to them to decide whether their country is democratic, according to the statement. China and Russia, as major countries with long-standing history and culture, have profound traditions of democracy rooted in thousands of years of experience of development, and such traditions are broadly supported by the people of each country and reflect their needs and interests, said the statement. The people of both countries have full confidence in their development paths, and respect other countries' democratic systems and traditions. China and Russia note that democratic principles should be reflected not only in domestic governance but also at the global level. Certain countries attempt to draw dividing lines based on ideology, impose their own "democratic standards" on other countries, and monopolize the right to define democracy by establishing small cliques and alliances. Such action actually tramples democracy and betrays the spirit and true values of democracy, according to the statement. Such moves to seek hegemony pose serious threats to global and regional peace and stability and undermine the stability of the world order. The two countries hold that international human rights cooperation should be based on equal dialogue among all countries, and that all countries should have equal development rights. All countries should carry out human rights coordination and cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual respect and step up efforts to build an international human rights system, the statement added. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivered a testimony at the Congressional-Executive Commission on Chinas hearing on the Beijing Olympics and the Faces of Repression on Thursday, February 3rd. Pelosi was Fridays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are her words: When the Olympic Winter (games) begin tomorrow in Beijing, the Chinese government once again will attempt to distract the world from a decades-long campaign of abuse and repression. But, the United States and the international community know the truth: the Peoples Republic of China is perpetrating a campaign of gross human rights violations, including genocide. Over the next two weeks, it is our urgent moral duty to shine a bright light on the many human rights violations being perpetrated by the host nation. And, I say by the host nation because I associate myself with the remarks of Mr. McGovern: this is not about Chinese people; its about the Peoples Republic of China and the repressive government that has been in power. While we fully support and will root for our athletes, we cannot and will not be silent on human rights in China. I also am honored to be here with brave witnesses testifying today: Yaxue Cao, Jewher Ilham, Sophie Luo, Nyima Lhamo and Nathan Law Nathan remotely, as I understand. For decades, the PRC has orchestrated a campaign of terror and repression. From the genocide of the Uyghur people most recently, to aggression against the culture, religion and language of Tibet, to crackdowns against the basic freedoms in Hong Kong, to the jailing of journalists, activists and dissidents throughout mainland China, and intimidation of Taiwan and more. Yet, the Chinese government works desperately to cover up their abuses, rewriting history and projecting a very different image to the world or tries to, anyway. Many in Congress have fought to ensure that the world remembers the truth of the PRC human rights record and to hold them accountable, including by seeking to deny them the honor of hosting the Olympics. In 1993, Congress passed strongly bipartisan legislation calling on the IOC to reject Chinas 2000 bid. And, we were successful then in doing so. Many again opposed Chinas 2008 bid. Sadly, the IOC chose to sell out on human rights in China. But, we cannot we continued to speak out, including by urging President, President urging President Bush, then, to boycott the Opening Ceremony. Now, the IOC, aided by corporate sponsors, once again turns a blind eye with the 2022 Winter Olympics just to bolster their bottom line, as Mr. McGovern mentioned. As was said, if we do not speak out against human rights violations in China because of commercial interests, we lose all moral authority to speak out against human rights violations anywhere. And, that is why, at a CECC hearing last May, I called for no official presence at the Beijing Olympics. Thanks to strong leadership of President Biden, the Administration has joined Congress in presenting a united front in this effort. And, proudly many nations have followed Americas lead, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania. Make no mistake, our athletes should participate. Theyve trained. Theyre disciplined. Theyve dreamed. Theyve aspired. Theyve worked hard. But this year, we must celebrate them from home, as they compete in China. I would say to our athletes, Youre there to compete. Do not risk incurring the anger of the Chinese government, because they are ruthless. I know there is a temptation on the part of some to speak out while they are there. I respect that. But, I also worry about what the Chinese government might do: to their reputations, to their families. So again, participate, let us celebrate from abroad and dont risk thinking that there are any good intentions on the part of the Chinese the Peoples Republic of China government, because there are none. While youre competing, Congress continues to take bipartisan action to defend human rights in China and hold the Chinese government accountable. Most recently, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which was proudly signed into law in December, will harness Americas economic might to make clear: the genocide of Uyghurs must end now. And, now with our America COMPETES Act, which is on the Floor of the House, we will take another strong step to help those who fear for their futures, by designating Uyghurs as prioritized refugees of special humanitarian concern and pursuing a humanitarian pathway for Hong Kongers who feel political persecution. Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman and Congresswoman: one of the most sinister forms of torture employed by authoritarian regimes, and certainly the PRC, is to tell the prisoners: Nobody even remembers you. They dont know why youre in prison. So, why are you just insisting on the truth? We say that with this hearing, we declare to all who are suffering in the PRC, under their abuses: America sees you, America stands with you, America will continue to fight for you. That is why Im so proud to join our witnesses today, to lift up the names of those who were in prison, such as democracy activists Jimmy Lai and Joshua Wong, Uyghur leader Ilham Tohti and the Panchen Lama, just to name a few. Now, we have a as the Chairman roughly indicated, we have reems of names of prisoners who will not be forgotten. Many of them will be named by our witnesses today, in that spirit of remembering and saying to the PRC, No matter what you do, we are we will not forget, we will not go away. Much of our activism when this started Tiananmen Square when we saw you crush, crush the young lives and hopes and dreams of so many young people in China who were there to demonstrate for a better future. Crush them with your tanks. And, then try to erase from the history and the memory of people in China what happened that day. But, we will persist. In that spirit, Ill close by quoting Lee Cheuk Yan, a former legislator who has devoted his life to keeping alive the memories of those who died fighting for freedom in Tiananmen Square. A former chairman of the now defunct Hong Kong Alliance and supportive patriotic democratic movements of China, he is currently serving time in prison simply for standing up for democracy. He said the following to the judge before he was sentenced this past fall, and I quote, For 32 years we have marched together in the fight to bring justice to those who put their lives on the line June 4, 1989, and, in the struggle for democracy. Despite setbacks, we are steadfast in our belief that the universal values of freedom, the rule of law, human rights and democracy that we have been struggling for will one day take root in Hong Kong and China. And on that day, we will be able to count console the souls who came before us. Thank you to the CECC for the opportunity to participate today. And, to elevate the voices of the Chinese government, that the government that the Chinese and to elevate the voices that the Chinese government has worked relentlessly to silence. We will not be silenced. We will not let those with courage be forgotten. With that, I thank you again for the work of this Committee, not just this hearing today, but on the ongoing. And, especially at this timely this time one day before the Olympics begin. Its hard to fathom how they could choose a country like China to host the Olympics, but they have, and we wish all of the athletes well. We wish them safety, and that safety includes dont for one moment believe anything the Chinese government might tell you about freedom of expression. You take a risk, be safe. The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML. CA Secretary of State Logo View Photo Sacramento, CA California Secretary of State Shirly Weber has put out a report detailing the financial costs of last years attempted recall of Governor Gavin Newsom. Weber says the total amount to put on the special election was $200,241,680. It was less than original estimates that ranged from $215-million-$243-million. In the end, she says there were $174-million in county costs and $26-million in expenses from the Secretary of States Office. When delivering the report, Weber argued, This was a substantial cost to taxpayers and a significant disruption to governing the state. This price tag confirms that it is necessary to revisit the recall process and to pursue effective reforms. The report released to Senate and Assembly leaders breaks down how much was spent by each county to carry out the election. For example, it was $222,843 in Calaveras County, $147,501 in Tuolumne County, $120,043 in Amador County and $70,549 in Mariposa County. Click here to view the full report. Emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits have been extended for the month of February. A minimum of $95 in emergency allotments will hit SNAP recipients accounts by Feb. 28. The amount will vary based on family size. Governor Greg Abbotts office announced the extension via news release this week. Emergency allotments have been provided each month since April 2020. SNAP is administered by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission with approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. SNAP benefits provide food assistance to eligible low-income families and individuals in Texas. Those interested can apply for SNAP and/or Medicaid benefits at YourTexasBenefits.com or use the Your Texas Benefits mobile app to manage existing benefits. Tom Pennington/Getty Images Olympic Gold Medalist Tamyra Mensah-Stock is set to make a stop in Plainview on Monday and the public is invited to come out and meet her. Mensah-Stock will be at Plainview City Hall for a brief public ceremony in which Mayor Charles Starnes is expected to proclaim Monday as Tamyra Mensah-Stock Day in Plainview. The ceremony will be at 10 a.m. in the City Council Chambers. Photo taken on Jan. 31, 2022 shows a view of the Potala Palace square decorated with Spring Festival elements in Lhasa, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Chogo) LHASA, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Over 3,000 rare and ancient texts from the Potala Palace in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region have been registered and filed for future protection and study in a project launched in 2018, according to the region's culture department. The project is the largest of its kind at the palace so far, taking in more than one million folios, and with a total investment of 300 million yuan (about 44.9 million U.S. dollars). The Potala Palace in Lhasa was built by Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo in the seventh century. The immense religious complex, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a treasure house of Tibetan history, culture and art. Thanks to efforts made jointly by the central and local governments, over the past three years, the administration office of the palace not only set up a research center exclusively for the conservation and utilization of ancient books and documents, but also worked out a decade-long plan for the future protection, repair, digitization and exhibition of cultural relics. Official statistics show that, by the end of 2021, the registration and filing of 3,078 rare and ancient texts, consisting of 1.07 million folios, had been completed, with more than 68 million yuan invested. According to experts from the office, the Potala Palace currently houses tens of thousands of rare and ancient books and documents in Mandarin, Tibetan, Manchu, Mongolian and Sanskrit. Among the most significant collections are scriptures written on 30,000 pattra leaves and the Tibetan Kagyur of the Tripitaka, or the discourses of Buddha, dating back to 1410. It also houses writings by senior monks, books on medicine and history, and a vast amount of the Tibetan Buddhist canon. Call it a case of deja brew Folklores Coffee House is making its return to the Southside. As MySA previously reported, Joel "Tatu" Herrera and his wife and co-owner, Emilie Herrera, are returning to the Missions area with a shop at 359 Bustillos Drive previously housed Cafe Azteca. The Southside Folklores celebrated a soft opening at its new location on Thursday, February 3 and is open Friday until 4 p.m. Folklores originally opened at 5009 S Flores Street in 2018. Pandemic-fueled slowdowns shuttered the South Flores spot a year ago. The couple opened a shop near Fort Sam Houston, at 1526 E Grayson Street, in July 2020. That shop will remain open, (Tatu says he's proud to serve military members nearby) but regaining a Southside spot is special. In the early months of the pandemic, the shop doubled as a resource for the Southside. Even while dealing with business blows dealt by the virus, the Herreras carved out time to build grocery boxes to deliver to elderly and vulnerable San Antonians. Emilie told MySA in June 2020 that the shop was making less than $20 a day. The original shop closed months later. "When we left it was a heartache for us, we tried to do a lot for our community," Tatu says. "Going forward, we came over here to Government Hill, but in the back of our mind, we always wanted to reopen a shop on the Southside. Once COVID relaxed, we were able to get back to what we wanted. Now we're happy to get back to the Southside and open a shop in a very historical area. We're totally stoked about it. We're eager to open." 3 1 of 3 Courtesy, Tatu Herrera Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Courtesy, Tatu Herrera Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Tatu says drinks like chocolate banana nut bread lattes, pumpkin churro lattes, a Cuban latte with cinnamon and brown sugar, and the fan favorite Siouxsie-Mexican Mocha Latte topped with toasted marshmallows, will be on the menu at the new Folklores. The shop was as named one of the five best coffee shops in the city in the 2019 Express-News Top 100 Dining & Drinks guide. Cafe Azteca has found a new home downtown at 106 Jefferson Street. The Herreras spent the end of 2021 working on transforming the space to become the Southside's spot to warm up and wake up with Folklores flavores. Tatu says they plan on activating the outdoor area for poetry nights, yoga sessions, and fee-free markets for vendors. Folklores also plans on staying open later to provide picnic essentials for Mission Marquee Plaza movie screenings, which are hosted across the street from the new shop. "That's how we built our community," Tatu adds. Anchor Bar Anchor Bar is pitching in to help feed the San Antonians working to keep the city safe throughout the cold front. Police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and CPS crew members can eat free at the Northside wing restaurant. Joe Snyder, owner of the 4552 N Loop 1604 restaurant, is inviting first responders and CPS linemen to get a free lunch menu item and a non-alcoholic drink on Thursday. Anchor Bar asks that employees bring their ID if they are not in uniform. The offerings include tenders, pizza, burgers, and salads. MacKenzie Scott, former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is using her immense wealth to give back to communities across the U.S. Her generosity has made headlines following her split from one of the world's richest men. This week, San Antonio is once again benefiting from her philanthropy. Scott recently surprised Communities In Schools with a check for $133.5 million. The program, which is led by former San Antonio councilman Rey Saldana, assists children in low-income communities with necessities including food, housing, healthcare, and technology to bolster their success in the classroom. The CIS network is comprised of 3,000 schools and 136 affiliates throughout the country. The San Antonio affiliate started in 1985 and currently serves 160 local campuses and more than 9,000 students. Saldana, who is also a former CIS student, tells MySA he got the call about the "unrestricted" donation in November, but the contribution was kept under wraps until this week. The funding will be dispersed by Scott's team directly to CIS affiliates. The San Antonio arm received $7 million. Because the donation is unrestricted, the nonprofit is free to use the funds to meet needs at their discretion. "She's doing something incredible," he tells MySA. "She recognizes that instead of just giving a gift, she can share that power by giving unrestricted gifts. Local foundations know how to do the work best and so when she gives these unrestricted gifts, that's a divine intervention in our ability to reach our ambition." Saldana, who is based on the Southside of San Antonio, went on air with CBS Mornings on Thursday, February 3, to thank the billionaire for her "game-changing" gift. A video was shown of Saldana surprising CIS founder Bill Milliken with the amount donated. "Holy mackerel," a teary-eyed Milliken said after reading the amount. "How did she even know about us?" Saldana told the CBS Mornings hosts that Scott's team shared with him that they thoroughly research nonprofits before making contributions. When Scott's team reached out to him, he was told CIS would receive an "unrestricted" amount. Saldana added he thought they'd be lucky if Scott cut a check for $10 million. Saldana told the show the money will help CIS expand its goal of getting into more schools throughout the country. More for you San Antonio-area could hear rumbles of thunder Sunday night The former District 4 councilman tells the show he hasn't had the opportunity to personally thank Scott. The show opened the floor to give Saldana time to share his message of thanks for the donor. "I'm just thankful for her forward thinking about how to share power and not just the gift of her funding," he tells MySA. Kin Man Hui /Staff photographer Fresh off proposing six initiatives for council consideration, Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez proposed a new health backed by other council members that aims to help San Antonio's diabetic community. McKee-Rodriguez filed a council consideration request to create cost-share program to help San Antonio residents cover the cost of insulin, according to a news release. The CCR is backed by District 4 Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia and signed by council members Phyllis Viagran, Ana Sandoval, and Melissa Cabello Havrda. Yves here. This post reproduced below strikes me as more than a little weird. I hope those who have a better grasp of the French Revolution and the post revolutionary-period than my now-not-entirely-reliable-memories from having studied that era in college, can comment and likely make corrections. This post gives very peculiar impression that state building in post-revolutionary France was a bottom-up process, and depended on the building up of coercive power at the departement level. It completely ignores that a, if not the, major source of funding for France in the early decades after 1790 was seizure of Catholic Church property and its sources of income. Talleyrand, then Bishop of Autun, read out the decree announcing the land grab. He was excommunicated. But clerics were put the states payroll. Land reform played a significant role in growth. The areas that had more Church land to sell to private concerns showed higher growth through until the effects of the productivity gains leveled off. From the Journal of Law and Economics in 2021: This study exploits the confiscation and auctioning off of Catholic Church property that occurred during the French Revolution to assess the role played by transaction costs in delaying the reallocation of property rights in the aftermath of fundamental institutional reform. French districts with a greater proportion of land redistributed during the Revolution experienced higher levels of agricultural productivity in 1841 and 1852, more investment in irrigation, and more efficient land use. We trace these increases in productivity to an increase in land inequality associated with the Revolution-era auction process. We also show how the benefits associated with the head start given to districts with more church land initially, and thus greater land redistribution by auction during the Revolution, dissipated over the course of the 19th century as other districts gradually overcame the transaction costs associated with reallocating feudal system property rights. I also wonder how Napoleon raised and funded his armies when the departements are presented as not always fully functioning government entities as of then. The piece does make a passing reference to capitals paying higher conscription levies. By Cedric Chambru, Post-doctoral Researcher in Economic History, University of Zurich; Emeric Henry, Professor of Economics, Sciences Po; and Benjamin Marx, Assistant Professor of Economics, Sciences Po. Originally published at VoxEU Effective states can raise taxes and armies, enforce laws, and produce public goods, but how these functions are built over time is not well understood. This column studies the administrative reform initiated by the French Revolution, one of historys most ambitious state-building experiments, to shed light on the sequence of steps needed to build effective states. Cities chosen as local administrative centres initially invested in the states capacity to extract resources from citizens. These cities may not have grown in the short run, but the investments eventually delivered payoffs in terms of public goods, which stimulated long-run growth. State capacity is essential for economic development (Besley and Persson 2011, Besley et al. 2021). However, this fundamental insight of political economy involves a paradox: strong states have a unique ability to coerce their population and to collect taxes from citizens, which can also undermine economic growth. In the worst-case scenario, the coercive apparatus of the state can fall into the hands of corrupt elites and threaten the existence of markets and democracy. Using evidence from Colombia, Acemoglu et al. (2016) warn us of the dangers of putting military objectives above all others in weak-state settings. At the same time, if the state fails to enforce law and order, other actors might step in to create sophisticated administrations in its place (Sanchez de la Sierra 2017, 2020). Historical examples illustrate the importance of early investments in coercive capacity. The young Roman Republic raised large numbers of conscripts to ensure its survival and expansion. In Ming dynasty China, a substantial share of the population belonged to military households required to supply soldiers to the state. Recent work in low-income settings has focused on helping weak states develop fiscal capacity. Across the board, the ability of states to raise taxes and defend their borders seems essential to their long-term success. Yet, policymakers often grapple with the problem of how to trigger the complex process of building the different functions of the state. In our recent paper (Chambru et al. 2021), we exploit one of historys most ambitious state-building experiments, the administrative reform initiated by the French Revolution, to shed light on the sequence of steps needed to build effective states. In February 1790, Frances Constituent Assembly overhauled the administration of the kingdom. In response to widespread grievances about administrative complexity, the Assembly established new centres to concentrate local administrative functions. The main achievement of the 1790 reform was to divide the territory into 83 homogeneous units known as departements. Citizens would never be more than a day of travel away from the nearest local capital, where all administrative services would be available. This state-building enterprise, solidified after 1800 by Napoleon, has largely survived to the present day. One original feature of the reform allows us to establish a causal link between the reallocation of administrative presence across space and subsequent economic outcomes. Facing pressure from local representatives, in about a third of French departments, the Assembly did not determine which city should become the new local capital. Instead, it decided that the capital would rotate across multiple cities. Unsurprisingly, this compromise solution was not viable, and French parliamentarians soon began to call these wandering administrations a ridiculous and expensive solution. In September 1791, the Assembly abolished rotations and ordered the local administration to remain where it was. We show that this generated exogenous variation in the allocation of capital status, and we use this setting to compare the cities that were ultimately chosen (capital cities) to the ones that were initially considered (other candidate cities). Despite having similar economic potential before the Revolution, capitals diverged dramatically from other candidate cities over the long run. By the end of the 19th century, the population of capitals was 40% larger than that of comparable candidate cities. Civil servants and their families accounted for about a third of this difference. This demographic divergence, which continued in the 20th century, is consistent with a large literature showing that public investments and market agglomeration forces promote economic growth around centres of administrative power. What happened in the immediate aftermath of the reform, however, is equally intriguing. In the short run, capitals did not grow faster than comparable candidate cities. Instead, the capitals concentrated investments in coercive capacity, which enabled France to fund and fight a series of external wars. By 1815, Frances new local capitals and their periphery were substantially more likely to have established their cadastre, a type of land-registration system aiming to facilitate land taxation. Moreover, capitals also paid a heavier tribute to military conscription in Napoleons armies after 1802. We represent the dynamic evolution of population in Figure 1, where we plot the causal effect of the administrative reform on the population of capitals over time. Two striking facts emerge. First, the winners of the administrative reform the cities chosen as capitals diverge markedly from competing cities in the long run. Second, this effect only materialises after several decades. We view this initial phase as the period during which investments are made to build the extractive capacity of the state. Only later does this increased capacity translate into a higher provision of public goods. Figure 1 Population growth of capital cities compared to candidate cities Figure 2 illustrates the successive steps of state-building, which can explain the long-term success of capitals and their periphery. Panel (a) shows the dynamic build-up of extractive capacity: capital cities establish their cadastre before other candidate cities. Panel (b) shows capitals investing in enforcement capacity, in the form of tribunals and prisons. Investments in the coercive capacity of the local administration might have made capitals less attractive for firms and citizens initially. Over time, however, these investments allow the local state to deliver local public goods. Panel (c) shows that capital cities obtain a railway station earlier than other candidate cities. Figure 2 Growth in public and private goods of capital cities compared to candidate cities Eventually, these investments in public goods and infrastructure stimulate private sector growth, as shown in panel (d), where we look at the number of local banks. We observe a similar pattern for other economic outcomes, such as innovation. In the late 19th century and the 20th century, the capitals and their periphery have grown faster in economic and demographic terms: the dynamic process of state-building paid off. Frances state-building experiment illustrates that it takes time and patience for effective states to rise. Early investments in the states ability to extract resources require upfront efforts that may be costly for the local population. The dividends from such investments, while substantial in the long term, may not become apparent for several decades. These delayed benefits make the task of building effective states, which remains a key issue in many parts of the world, all the more challenging. See original post for references Kleptomaniac New Zealand parrot steals GoPro, films airborne escape Guardian Alabama man accused of keeping meth-fueled attack squirrel faces new charges NBC Investors wipe more than $220bn from value of Facebook owner Meta FT. Thats a damn shame. Blockchain startups landed record $25B in 2021 Payments Dive Food Prices Approach Record Highs, Threatening the Worlds Poorest NYT #COVID19 More on that horrid and institutional credibility-destroying (here; here) Johns Hopkins meta-study: There are many problems with below study, but what's striking is how many people sharing 'lockdowns do nothing' claims unquestioningly don't seem to realise that paper at the same time concludes mandated mask wearing has a substantial effect 1/ https://t.co/6h40YxF0kp pic.twitter.com/Rx9OpKaOAd Adam Kucharski (@AdamJKucharski) February 4, 2022 Safetyism: I really cant believe this drivel. I am not an academic. Im a real doctor who cares for patients and Im a real parent so Im just going to spend a few minutes commenting on how this is not a serious nor trustworthy article. https://t.co/tE6BLr05p9 Amy Cho, MD MBA (@amychomd) February 3, 2022 * * * The Covid Vaccine We Need Now May Not Be a Shot NYT. Nasal vaccines. One more thing that should have been done a year ago. South African scientists copy Modernas COVID vaccine Nature * * * High Rates of Rapid Antigen Test Positivity After 5 Days of Isolation for COVID-19 medRvix (Stillfeelinthebern). From the Abstract: More than 40% of vaccinated HCW who felt well enough to work still had positive RAT tests when presenting for a first test between days 5 and 10. Boosted individuals were nearly 3x as likely to result positive on day 5, their first day eligible for return, and ~2x as likely to result positive on first RAT overall. New guidance provides clearance to exit isolation after 5 days from symptom onset, without the need for a negative rapid antigen test to exit, as long as symptoms are beginning to resolve. Per CDC, the guidance was driven by prior studies, mostly collected before Omicron and before most people were vaccinated or infected, that reported on symptom onset beginning one or more days after peak virus loads. Per CDC, the guidance was driven. Commentary: 1/ @CDCgov exit isolation at day 5 w/out Neg Rapid Ag Test = dangerous policy Important New Research We followed 260 Health Care Workers returning to work early ~58% Pos on Day 6 (72% if Boosted!) 50% w high virus load **Positivity 2x-3x HIGHER if Boosted** A thread pic.twitter.com/INXM8I1Xmk Michael Mina (@michaelmina_lab) February 2, 2022 Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (Variant Delta) from Pet Hamsters to Humans and Onward Human Propagation of the Adapted Strain: A Case Study (Lancet preprint) SSRN. From the Discusssion: Our findings provide the first documented evidence of efficient animal-to-animal transmission of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 in pet Syrian hamsters, hamster-to-human zoonotic jump and further onward spread between humans. Natures clickbait headline How sneezing hamsters sparked a COVID outbreak in Hong Kong is reprehensible less than responsible. Neither Natures own article nor the full preprint paper discuss the method of transmission (whether aerosol, droplet, fecal, or anything else). The headline is, however, useful since hold onto your hats here, folks it reinforces droplet transmission. Use of disinfectants an effective way to keep Omicron at bay The Nation (Furzy Mouse). I cant track down the Japanese study, but the source is credible. So this is an issue to watch: So now we have to worry about fomites, for real? (Fortunately, the headline reads an not the, so, layered defense.) SARS-CoV-2 infection triggers paracrine senescence and leads to a sustained senescence-associated inflammatory response Nature. In vitro and mice. From the Abstract: The sustained infection-induced paracrine senescence described here may be involved in the long-term inflammation caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection. * * * CDC introduces a wastewater dashboard: Good idea, should have been done a year ago. Medicare Will Start Covering Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests NECN. There is, naturally, an eligibility requirement: Medicare Part B. Yves here. Its become common for readers to dismiss Bernie Sanders and the tiny number of Congresscritters who constitute The Squad because they havent been able to take over the apparatus of government or significantly change its operation. Yet Trump, who remember did become President and less of an outsider than Sanders by being a billionaire (as in most definitely not a socialist) and a national TV star for 14 years, for the most part was only able to get done what Team R wanted done, such as pass a huge tax reform bill. By contrast, even though this post does not mention it, the upsurge in unionization is in part due to the Sanders campaigns doing what in the 1960s would have been called consciousness raising, most of all among young people. It became cool for high school students to say they were socialists. Killer Mikes The time is now demand is not dead. It is a call for collective action for justice across color and gender lines that is animating union organizing.which Sanders has been supporting via fundraising. By Tom Conway, the international president of the United Steelworkers Union (USW). Produced by the Independent Media Institute Sarah Broad was 14 years old and just several months into her job at a McDonalds in southwestern Canada when a customer berated her about cold fries, started swearing and threw a hamburger at her. No matter how often she encountered that kind of cruelty there, or in jobs at Walmart or Starbucks over the next 12 years, callous managers expected her to just smile through the abuse and keep working. But when the risk of COVID-19 made the daily outrages all the harder to bear, Broad realized that she needed to take control of her future. She and her fellow baristas at the Starbucks in Victoria, British Columbia, met for dinner one night and decided to join the growing ranks of young workers who are unionizing to build better lives and stronger communities. Today, about 18 months after becoming members of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 2009, Broad and about 30 coworkers watch with pride as their peers at other Starbucks in the U.S. and Canada form their own unions. But this generational wave of unionism transcends any one employer or industry. Increasing numbers of millennials and zoomers in the public sector, tech field, gig economy, nonprofit community, education and other sectors also view collective action as the path to a brighter future. Amid a broken economy thats left millions behind, these workers want decent wages and benefits, along with a voice on the job and the respect their labor earns. Too often, workers struggle to make ends meet, sometimes despite juggling two or more part-time jobs, while enduring the kinds of abuse that Broad encountered at one employer after another. This isnt unskilled labor, Broad said, referring to service workers. They are working very hard. Just as Broad and her colleagues hoped, the union made a quick and crucial difference, helping the workers achieve not only wage increases but also a much safer work environment. Early in the pandemic, a manager ordered one of Broads coworkers to remove a face shieldsaying it wasnt company-approved personal protective equipment (PPE)even though the barista feared passing COVID-19 to an immunocompromised roommate. Broad said that incident infuriated other workers and helped to catalyze the union drive. In the end, they negotiated a contract that established a health and safety committee, giving them real input into PPE and other protections. And Broad, whos serving as Local 2009 unit chair, noted that the contract ensures the implementation of a company policy banning customers who harass workers. The policy was always there, she said, but it was never followed. After joining unions, young members keep fighting for justice inside and outside of the workplace. Tim Brazzel took up videography as a hobby when he was 13 and continued learning the craft as he got older. Last year, he jumped at the chance to put those skills to work for his fellow members of USW Local 7600 during a vital contract fight with Kaiser Permanente. The health care giant wanted to implement a two-tier wage system that would pay less to new hires, exacerbate staffing shortages and threaten patient care. Ignoring the unions demand for wage justice, Kaiser also intended to continue paying Local 7600 membersmany of them workers of colorless than counterparts doing the exact same jobs at facilities in other communities. I felt like it was an insult, said Brazzel, a master scheduler at Kaiser, noting the health system had previously praised the workers for putting their lives on the line during the pandemic. They were calling us heroesthat was the term they threw aroundbut they werent treating us like heroes, he added. They were looking to downgrade our benefits and everything we worked so hard to bargain for. Brazzel created a series of gripping videos relating workers sacrifices and the drive for a fair agreement. The videos helped to sustain members during the months-long battle and got the workers story out to the public. Were fighting, he said he wanted fellow union members to remember each day. We kept voicing that. We are fighting against the wage gap. We are trying to close it. I really needed to do my best to keep my brothers and sisters inspired and energized, Brazzel said. In the face of the memberships unwavering solidarity, Kaiser dropped demands for a two-tier wage system and agreed to a fair contract that, among other improvements, makes significant progress toward addressing the wage disparities. Brazzel considers it an important victory in a much wider battle for social justice. Todays young workers grew up amid the push for a $15 national minimum wage and the Black Lives Matter movement. Some, like Brazzel, experienced their own mistreatment at the hands of the police. They share a desire for change. And they see unions as a way to achieve it. Unions fight favoritism and discrimination. They raise pay for women and people of color. Union workers have affordable, quality medical insurance, raising the overall health of their communities. And union members work hard to lift up the marginalized, as Brazzel and his coworkers have done by rallying for civil rights and holding monthly food distributions for struggling families. Everyone matters, Brazzel explained. Broad and Brazzel feel immense gratitude for the previous generations of union activists who struggled to build a fairer society. Now, they feel a responsibility to continue the fight and help raise up the next wave of leaders. This is about our future and the future of those who come after us, Brazzel said. Actors perform during a parade at the Universal Beijing Resort (UBR) in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 25, 2021. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao) BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Universal Beijing Resort has become a hot destination in Beijing. The staff members here not only "create" happiness for tourists, but also pursue their own dreams in life. At 9 a.m., 25-year-old Ge Tingting usually starts to prepare the ingredients for popcorn. About two hours later, there is a long queue in front of the popcorn stall in the resort's Minion Land. Ge skillfully turns off the heat and pours out the popcorn for the guests. She joined the theme park in February last year, seven months before its grand opening in September, and has now become the "Queen of Popcorn" -- a nickname given by her colleagues. "The window is full of popcorn, conveying a sense of satisfaction, and the tourists will be happy to see it," she says. Tourists visit the theme land of Jurassic World Isla Nublar at the Universal Beijing Resort in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 20, 2021. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) Ge's colleague Hong Yang is a big fan of Harry Potter and now works as a clerk at Ollivanders wand shop. He considers himself lucky to have found work that combines with his interests. "Be careful when using the Elder Wand because its magic is so powerful," Hong offers advice to two "wizards." In the Jurassic World Isla Nublar, a "baby raptor" is lying on Zhou Feihu's right arm, sometimes grunting and sometimes opening its mouth to show its sharp teeth. Zhou's job requires him to answer various questions from tourists about dinosaurs. "There are similarities between dinosaurs and lizards, so we went to zoos to observe lizards and read a lot of books and watched videos about dinosaurs to better understand them," says Zhou. Tourists experience a roller coaster at the Universal Beijing Resort in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 20, 2021. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) Yu Xi is on the facility maintenance team at the resort, and like 70 percent of the team members, he works night shifts. It is then, after the hustle and bustle of the daytime, that the intense work of maintenance takes place. The strong wind, snow and rain in winter takes its toll on all the facilities. For Yu, the main concern is to keep things running smoothly and safely, bringing blockbuster fun to the tourists. Yu tells of the time the track on "Jurassic Flyers" became frozen. He brought his team in the maintenance vehicle with a small mallet to hammer the ice. It took more than three hours for them to clean a nearly 500-meter-long track. "I started as an apprentice in a factory, but I didn't like looking at cold machines all day. In the theme park, I can sense the pleasure of the tourists from their gestures and expressions. This work brings joy to lots of people, as well as to me," says Yu. As the morning sun brightens the park, a new day arrives along with new delights for the visitors. 13 Metro Councilmembers yet to file required campaign disclosures Three CMs have made no disclosures whatsoever since their election more than two years ago (Natural News) Editors note: This article has been reviewed by our internal editorial team after elements of the original article were brought to our attention. Upon review, we have concluded that the original article did not reflect the conclusions of this organization or its writers, and in some ways the public interpretation of this article was taken far beyond any interpretation the authors intended. As a result, we have removed most of this article and have assigned different subject matter to our writers with additional sources in order to provide better editorial coverage of the issues. We regret needing to issue this update and apologize to our readers for not doing a better job of covering this topic in the first place. For the record, this news organization is 100% pro-human for all ethnicities and national origins. We fight daily for the survival of the human race and for the protection of every human being against what we see as a rogue, dangerous pharmaceutical cartel that has placed humanity in its sights. We thank you for your understanding and your support. (Natural News) A priest from the Order of Preachers (OP) commonly known as the Dominicans declared that getting injected with the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine is not a moral responsibility. Fr. Ezra Sullivan, OP, called on people to resist vaccine mandates imposed upon them by their respective governments. The professor of moral theology at Romes Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas argued that no person has a moral duty to get the vaccine. He quoted the Nuremberg Code of 1947 that elaborated on the concept of informed consent and the right to turn down the COVID-19 vaccines. No one should be coerced to receive experimental medical procedures or treatments. All people have a right to refuse to be a test subject for the medical and social experiments surrounding the vaccines [per the] Nuremberg Code, Sullivan wrote on Jan. 28. According to the Dominican theologian, vaccine mandates have no moral justification and do not advance the common good. Instead, they place heavy burdens upon people to receive the mRNA vaccines which are undoubtedly experimental because of their newness and very short-term track record, with unknown long-term effects. Sullivan also pointed out that humans are treated like objects when governments impose vaccine mandates. Citizens are treated like objects, and their personal subjectivity and responsibility for their health is eliminated by bureaucratic tyranny. [The] basic civil rights of people cannot be removed by the state for a mandate that delivers so little benefit. The friar cited Israel, the United Kingdom and France as examples of nations with high COVID-19 caseloads despite high vaccination rates. Pushing universal vaccination at this point will only force the virus to continue mutating into potentially vaccine-resistant variations that will be more harmful for the populace, he warned. (Related: COVID-19 vaccines ENABLE the development of deadlier coronavirus variants, warns Nobel Prize winner.) Vaccine mandates are wrong, and officials should not promote them. Instead, people should resist the mandates, stop wallowing in fear and live in the freedom of the children of God. Pope Francis compares vaccination to an act of love Sullivans words contrasted with that of Pope Francis, a member of the more liberal Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits. The incumbent leader of the Catholic Church has pushed for people to get injected with the COVID-19 vaccine, even comparing it to an act of love. Back in August 2021, the pontiff and six other cardinals from North, Central and South America released a bilingual public service announcement calling on people to get vaccinated. The Argentinian Jesuit said in his native Spanish: Getting the vaccines that are authorized by the respective authorities is an act of love. [Vaccination] is a simple yet profound way to care for one another. Thanks to Gods grace and to the work of many, we now have vaccines to protect us from COVID-19. They bring hope to end the pandemic, but only if they are available to all and if we collaborate with one another. Two other cardinals who joined Pope Francis echoed the same sentiment in their respective languages. Cardinal Claudio Hummes of Brazil said in Portuguese that getting vaccinated is an act of love for all, especially for the most vulnerable. Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chavez of El Salvador, meanwhile, claimed in Spanish that vaccination is both a moral responsibility and an act of love for the whole community. However, not everyone in the Catholic Church agreed with the pontiffs sentiment on COVID-19 vaccines. Former Apostolic Nuncio Carlo Maria Vigano called on people to turn down the vaccines. He cited two main reasons for this: The shots themselves cause more deaths than the disease they seek to address, and that they contain ingredients taken from aborted fetuses. I realize that it may be extremely unpopular to take a position against the so-called vaccines. But as shepherds of the flock of the Lord, we have the duty to denounce the horrible crime that is being carried out whose goal is to create billions of chronically ill people and to exterminate millions and millions of people, Vigano wrote in an October 2021 letter. More related stories: Archbishop Vigano slams Pope Francis for pushing covid vaccines, warns about aborted baby tissue ingredients. Mother Miriam: Vaccines are designed to kill the population. Pope Francis endorses coronavirus vaccines for all. Watch the video below that discusses the vaccination advertisement by Pope Francis and the six cardinals. This video is from the ZGoldenReport channel on Brighteon.com. Resist.news has more stories about people denouncing the COVID-19 vaccines. Sources include: LifeSiteNews.com EdwardPentin.co.uk NBCConnecticut.com Summit.news Brighteon.com (Natural News) A Johns Hopkins professor slammed his own university and the establishment media for failing to report on a major study that concluded lockdowns have been almost completely ineffective at curbing COVID mortality rates. (Article by Steve Watson republished from Summit.news) As we reported yesterday, the study was authored by multiple eminent researchers at the University and concluded that lockdowns are ill-founded and should be rejected as a pandemic policy instrument. The authors wrote that While this meta-analysis concludes that lockdowns have had little to no public health effects, they have imposed enormous economic and social costs where they have been adopted. Lockdowns in Europe and the US decreased COVID-19 mortality by a measly 0.2% on average, while the economic costs of lockdowns were enormous. Lars Jonung, @JonasHerby, and I find ZERO evidence to support lockdowns. Take a look.https://t.co/8keJw5n7jG pic.twitter.com/CXj5h8CQ4m Steve Hanke (@steve_hanke) February 2, 2022 Appearing on Tucker Carlsons show Wednesday, Johns Hopkins professor of surgery Dr. Martin Makary blasted the college, noting Johns Hopkins itself did not even put out a press release about this study, and if you look at the media coverage, its one of the biggest stories in the world today, and yet certain media outlets have not even covered it. Makary urged that the reason for hiding the study is that people may already have their own narrative written about the effectiveness of lockdowns. The professor dug down into the study and noted that it found that the number of lives saved by the lockdowns is infinitesimal compared to those lost through missed cancer diagnosis and treatment alone. It was 124,000 excess deaths in year one. So, over two years, it was about a quarter million people who died, Makary noted. He added, I think the public is hungry for honesty and basic humility from public health officials. Watch: Makary also appeared on Fox Business to discuss the study: Senator Rand Paul also referred to the new Johns Hopkins study in an appearance Wednesday, noting I hope well learn from this study. There was no correlation between any of the mandates the government put in place and any change in the incidence of the disease. Paul reminded viewers that Anthony Fauci has repeatedly claimed that lockdowns have saved millions of lives. Its become so politicized that I dont think Dr. Fauci will ever apologize or admit to the country, but we need to have people like him removed from office because theyve been so wrong on so much policy, Paul urged. Watch: Other Republicans commented on the Johns Hopkins study Wednesday. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas told reporters Bad judgment and poor leadership from our nations health agencies have caused most Americans to live with an unhealthy fear of COVID-19. There is no doubt, we need a new approach to COVID as we must learn to live with it. Marshall echoed Paul, stating That new approach should not include Dr. Fauci Americans dont trust him and he has lost his reputation. We must stop the obsession with COVID, stop living in fear and move forward. The latest developments come on the heels of 70 per cent of Americans asserting that its time to live with COVID and get on with our lives. Read more at: Summit.news (Natural News) The official numbers are out, and they show that the murder rate in the United States is currently the highest it has been in 25 years. Nearly 20,000 people, according to the figures, lost their lives last year in America to someone else deliberately and maliciously ending them. The last time things were this bad was in 1996 and prior, which was recognized as a time of thick violent crime. The Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) plandemic apparently caused a dramatic spike in the nations murder rate, which had generally been on the decline prior. The FBI now estimates that the murder rate has reached 6.9 per 100,000 people, which is just a hair lower than the 7.4 murders per 100,000 people that was recorded in 1996. Howard Safir, who served as the New York Police Department commissioner during the crime spike of the 90s, told Fox News the other day that he believes the medias fueling of anti-police sentiment after George Floyd is also to blame. Safir described this phenomenon as the woke mentality that assumes police are racist and brutal. If crimes continue to be committed in large numbers, and police continue not to have the backing of politicians and the public, then theyre not going to do their job the way they did when I was commissioner, Safir added. Covid protocols are killing people, not saving their lives This could be the case, but why, then, was violent crime higher at the time when Safir was commissioner compared to now? A more likely explanation for the current scenario is the sudden spike in tyranny, including mask mandates, vaccine mandates, lockdowns and other totalitarian, anti-social impositions that ruined many peoples lives. A society can only take so much beating before people start to lash out, and the spike in murders that began right when the plandemic was launched illustrates that. Areas of the country where the most murders are currently happening this includes large cities like Chicago and Los Angeles are also areas where the strictest and most oppressive public safety measures were imposed. (Related: Hospitals are also trying to murder patients to boost covid numbers.) In Chicago, the homicide figure hit 797, up 25 from 2020. Minneapolis also experienced numbers that its Police Department has not seen since 1995, reported Just the News. Los Angeles reached its highest murder figure in a decade-and-a-half with 397, and the NYPD reported 488 murders in 2021, up by nearly 200 annual killings since 2018. Left-wing media outlets like The New York Times are of course trying to politicize this spike in murders by claiming that they are occurring disproportionately the woke mob loves that word in areas where minorities live, which somehow proves that cops are racist. Shootings are historically concentrated in impoverished, minority communities, wrote German Lopez for the Times. Most homicide victims are Black. And Black Americans were eight times as likely to be murder victims in 2020 as their white counterparts. What Lopez failed to tell his readers is that most perpetrators of murder are also black, meaning blacks are killing other blacks at a disproportionate rate (how come they never tell anyone this?). Lopez does, however, admit that many experts agree that the plandemic is largely responsible for fueling the violence that has increased over the past several years. Social services and supports that help keep crime down vanished overnight, Lopez notes. Schools could no longer keep unruly teens safe and distracted. A broader sense of disorder and chaos could have fueled a so-called moral holiday, in which people disregard laws and norms. More of the latest news about Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) tyranny and how it is fueling violent crime can be found at Fascism.news. Sources for this article include: JustTheNews.com NYTimes.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) A registered nurse who is trained in giving intramuscular injections created a video explaining why she believes that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie did not actually receive COVID-19 vaccines. In fact, she said she could spot this from a mile away just by looking at the footage that was broadcast on live television. On April 23, Trudeau and his wife were recorded getting their first doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at a Rexall pharmacy. In the video, Trudeau can be seen rolling up his sleeve and reaching over to his wife and asking her to hold his hand before a pharmacist injected the dose into his left arm at the site of his tattoo. In the nurses video, she shared several reasons why she believes that the shots were obviously fake. Her main criticism was the fact that the worker who gave the couple their shots used just one hand. Nobody does that. You dont give IM injections that way, she pointed out, using the abbreviation IM for intramuscular. The traditional method for administering intramuscular injections like the COVID-19 vaccines is using one hand to locate the deltoid muscle while the other hand injects the vaccine into the muscle in a procedure known as landmarking. Canadian government guidelines state that the skin on the arm should be stretched flat (between thumb and forefinger) at the time of administration. For the Trudeaus, she said: The injector sat back on her chair and threw that needle in like it was a dart, one-handed, didnt even touch them with the other hand, didnt touch the needle with the other hand, it was highly unusual. You can see the odd method in the video, which is posted on Brighteon. Other experts who reviewed the footage have admitted that healthcare workers are trained to use both hands when they deliver injections, but some were quick to maintain that using just one hand does not necessarily mean that the vaccines delivery was faked. Speaking to PolitiFact, a spokesperson for the American Pharmacists Association said: The video with the Trudeaus is not a demonstration of the technique we use to train pharmacy personnel for immunizations, but it also does not necessarily disprove that the Trudeaus were vaccinated. Other red flags spotted in footage Another red flag that she pointed out was the fact that the healthcare worker failed to aspirate the Trudeaus injections. This is a procedure wherein the person administering the vaccine pulls back on the syringe plunger after the needle is inserted into the arm to ensure that it has not punctured a blood vessel. Although some experts have said that aspirating is not necessary for this type of injection, it is common practice, and many believe it can help reduce the chance of negative side effects. The nurse also felt that the fact that Sophie Trudeau pulled up her sleeve before the nurse could give her a bandage is further evidence that the vaccine she was given was not real. There have been lots of reports that some of the footage of high-profile individuals getting vaccines on live TV have been faked in some way, although its hard to imagine that they wouldnt have made more of an effort to make the prime ministers vaccine look more realistic. Of course, it would be understandable if he and his wife didnt want to get the jab given its many dangers. Nevertheless, the last thing the PM needs right now is any suggestion that he might not have gotten a vaccine that he is forcing on the rest of country, particularly as peaceful protests against the vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers gain steam. Sources for this article include: SGTReport.com PolitiFact.com Reuters.com (Natural News) A poll found that majority of Canadians now want to put an end to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions currently in place. The polls findings coincided with the Freedom Convoy protests in Canada organized by truckers opposing the countrys COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The online survey conducted by the non-profit Angus Reid Institute (ARI) polled 1,688 adults who are members of the internet message board Angus Reid Forum from Jan. 27 to 28, 2022. It found that 54 percent of respondents were in favor of lifting COVID-19 restrictions. An earlier poll conducted by the institute from Jan. 7 to 12 found that only 40 percent of participants wanted restrictions to be scrapped. Commenting on the 14 percent rise in those favoring the lifting of restrictions, the institute said the public sentiment appears to be moving in the direction of opening up communities. The survey also found that at least more than half of respondents based in different Canadian provinces share the same sentiment of scrapping restrictions in place. Fifty-nine percent of respondents from the French-speaking Quebec Province expressed a desire to eschew restrictions, the most stringent in the country. These include banning the unvaccinated from stores and making drugstores in large retail establishments accompany unvaccinated customers at all times. Saskatchewan Province also showed the same sentiments, with 62 percent of respondents there agreeing to drop all restrictions. Premier Scott Moe seemingly understood this, leading to his proclamation that the province will no longer see any new COVID-19 restrictions. (Related: Saskatchewan premier says ENOUGH of harmful Covid restrictions.) Atlantic Canada became the only exception in the survey, with majority agreeing to keep restrictions in place. The region consisting of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had 52 percent of respondents disagreeing with plans to lift any imposed COVID-19 rules. Increased anti-lockdown sentiment attributed to Freedom Convoy The ARI survey was conducted amid the Freedom Convoy organized by truckers protesting the Canadian governments vaccine mandate. The convoy set out from the westernmost province of British Columbia on Jan. 23, 2022. It proceeded eastward, reaching the capital Ottawa on Jan. 29. The convoy organizers initially estimated only 1,600 trucks to participate in the demonstration. This later grew to 36,000 trucks and eventually hit almost 50,000 by the time it reached the Canadian capital. Parliament Opposition Leader Candace Bergen expressed her support toward the protesting truckers, saying they have had enough of lockdowns and broken promises. The interim leader of the Conservative Party of Canada tweeted: They deserve to be heard and they deserve respect. Her description of the truckers starkly contrasted with how Prime Minister Justin Trudeau portrayed them as racists and homophobes. Trudeau initially dubbed the Freedom Convoy and their supporters as a fringe minority harboring unacceptable views. The prime minister later remarked on Jan. 31 that he has no plans to meet with the protesters as he does not believe in their goals. I have chosen not to go anywhere near protests that have expressed hateful rhetoric, violence toward fellow citizens and a disrespect not just for science, but the frontline health workers and 90 percent of truckers who have been doing the right thing to keep Canadians safe and put food on out table, said Trudeau. However, law enforcement itself immediately disproved Trudeaus description of the convoy as violent and hateful. No riots, no injuries, no deaths. None of that has occurred over the last four days. That is a measure of success for any jurisdiction in Canada and, quite frankly, anywhere in the world, said Ottawa Police Service (OPS) Chief Peter Sloly about the Freedom Convoy. Two statements by the OPS released on Jan. 30 attested to the peaceful nature of the gathering in Ottawa. The first statement mentioned several challenges with demonstrators, which were de-escalated and resolved with no arrests. A subsequent release touched on disruptive, inappropriate and threatening behavior from demonstrators, but did not mention if any arrests were made. More related stories: Canadian PM Justin Trudeau calls citizens, truckers protesting vaccine mandate fringe minority who dont share government-accepted views. Ann Vandersteel lauds Freedom Convoy, slams Trudeau for dismissing protests significance Brighteon.TV. 50,000 truckers vow to stay in Ottawa until government lifts vaccine mandates. Watch the video below of Freedom Convoy participants chanting freedom similar to what the majority of the survey respondents want. This video is from The Mysterious Stranger channel on Brighteon.com. HealthFreedom.news has more about people wanting an end to COVID tyranny. Sources include: InfoWars.com AngusReid.org Ottawa.CTVNews.ca TNC.news Brighteon.com (Natural News) An international group of scientists are warning regulators around the world about the consequences of global, sun dimming experiments. These sun-dimming geoengineering programs are being proposed as solutions to combat global warming. These geoengineering programs give immense power and a god-like complex to some of the richest people in the world, (like bill Gates) who maniacally seeks to experiment with the Earths atmosphere using strategic aerosol injections of sulfate and other pollutants. These experiments have unintended consequences and can negatively impact weather patterns, agriculture, ecosystems, air quality, human health, and food and water security. Scientists around the world are trying to stop Bill Gates and geoengineering eugenics programs Solar geoengineering deployment cannot be governed globally in a fair, inclusive and effective manner, the open letter warns. The letter calls for international oversight to stop these global experiments. We therefore call for immediate political action from governments, the United Nations and other actors to prevent the normalisation of solar geoengineering as a climate policy option. The letter is signed by Frank Biermann, a professor of global sustainability governance at Utrecht University; Aarti Gupta, a professor of global environmental governance at Wageningen University in The Netherlands; Professor Melissa Leach, director of the Institute of Development Studies in Sussex, England; and Dirk Messner, president of the German Environment Agency. The United Nations COP26 climate change summit discussed solar geoengineering at their most recent summit in Scotland, and the corporate media introduced the idea to the public as a solution for cooling the planet. For years, this topic was considered conspiracy theory. Today, psychopaths are openly discussing ways to use the Earths atmosphere as a playground, to manipulate the stratosphere as if it is their very own experimental dumping ground. Bill Gates has been spending tremendous amounts of money to implement sun dimming projects around the world. His Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment or SCOPEX for short, is a partnership with Harvard scientists to strategically injection particles into the atmosphere to block the suns rays. Sunlight is essential for human health, and vitamin D deficiency is one of the main reasons why so many people are suffering from infectious disease today. Plants also depend on sunlight and carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. By reducing sunlight and carbon dioxide levels globally, SCOPEX would severely alter or decimate plant-based (all) food webs, agriculture, food security and ecosystems. These are just a few of the reasons why Bill Gates sun dimming project was halted by the Swedish Space Agency in 2021. Bill Gates is being chastised by the scientific community, but his money always buys influence Scientists around the world are beginning to recognize that Bill Gates is a psychopath and a eugenicist, who thinks he is in control over the Earths atmosphere, the temperature, the solar energy cycles, agriculture, crop genetics, and what genes should be turned on or off in peoples bodies, among other things. The authors of the letter warn about uncertainties with sun dimming that could negatively impact food and water supplies, especially in the poorest nations. Even the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is calling out this sinister plot. Stratospheric sulfate injection weakens the African and Asian summer monsoons and causes drying in the Amazon, the IPCC warned in a recent assessment. The scientists also warn that sulfate injection of the Earths atmosphere could have a serious rebound effect. The IPCC said, there is high confidence that surface temperatures would increase rapidly, if the program was terminated for any reason. The US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) also released a report condemning the strategic aerosol injection of the Earths atmosphere. However, Bill Gates probably wont be deterred by the dissent of scientists around the world, for his money is always buying influence over governments and regulators worldwide. Sources include: Newspunch.com Phys.org NaturalNews.com NaturalNews.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) A Chinese whistleblower by the name of Tang Mengfing who says he was imprisoned and tortured by the communist regime after exposing Amazon for abusing its employees and treating them like slaves is now asking for an apology. According to reports, Tang spent two miserable years under the heavy boot of oppression for reporting on substandard working conditions at factories where Alexa-enabled spy devices are manufactured. Tang spent several years investigating the horrific working conditions at Foxconn factories, which produce Amazon Echo and Echo Dot devices as well as Kindle devices and various Apple products like the iPhone. He learned that school-aged children are forced to work extreme hours, often without pay. Tang alleged that school-aged children were put to work in the Foxconn factory, and that many were forced to work beyond the allotted 36 hours of overtime in a month, with some exceeding over 100 hours essentially functioning as unpaid workers beyond their allotted hours, reported The Post Millennial. Tang was later punished for revealing all of this and more. He recently told The Guardian that during his imprisonment, he was beaten and tortured by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials, who appear to be working in lockstep with Jeff Bezos and other tech gurus to exploit children. My father always taught me that I should be a good person and, because I followed my heart and believed that justice should be served, I reported the serious violations at Hengyang Foxconn, Tang is quoted as saying. Yet my imprisonment has caused such great harm to me and my family. Buying from Amazon means supporting child abuse, torture and authoritarianism Amazon was eventually investigated and Foxconn was fined by the Chinese government for labor violations. However, Tang says the company should have done more to protect him from being punished and abused by local authorities in retaliation. Tang says he was handcuffed in stress positions, slapped by guards, beaten and forced to sign a confession stating that he lied about the allegations he made against the Foxconn factory. I refused to sign seven times, and they got angry and handcuffed me to the bottom of the iron frame, unable to stand, squat, sit; only bending, half squatting all night. In the early morning, I could not stand anymore, Tang told The Guardian. I think Amazon should give me an explanation, tell me if I really deserve to be sent to jail? If not, Amazon should give me an apology, along with its partner, Foxconn, to assist me to appeal for a redress, and provide compensation. At one point, China Labor Watch director Li Qiang wrote to Amazon owner Jeff Bezos urging him to intervene on behalf of Tang. That letter stated that it is unacceptable and unfair that Tang Mingfang is serving jail time for trying to help Amazon improve the labour conditions in its supplier factory. Bezos never responded to the letter and Amazon never offered any support whatsoever for Tang. Bezos was apparently too busy building rocket ships and hoarding his billions of dollars in ill-gotten profits. According to China Labor Watch, Foxconns revenge against Tang violated the third section Grievance Mechanism and Whistleblower Protections of the Amazon Supply Chain Standards, page 5, Ethical Behavior, which reads: Amazon expects suppliers to protect worker whistleblower confidentiality and prohibit retaliation against workers who report workplace grievances. Suppliers are required to create a mechanism for workers to submit their grievances in a confidential and anonymous manner and maintain an effective process to investigate and address worker concerns. Workers employed by subcontractors must have a mechanism in place to bring their concerns to management teams above the subcontractor. The latest news about Big Tech can be found at Evil.news. Sources for this article include: ThePostMillennial.com NaturalNews.com ChinaLaborWatch.org (Natural News) The Biden administration is now paying pediatricians through the Medicaid health insurance program to push Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines. It incentivizes doctors advising parents to get their children injected with the COVID-19 shot despite its dangers. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced back in December 2021 that it is now requiring states to cover COVID-19 vaccine counseling visits in which healthcare providers talk to families about the importance of kids vaccination. According to the Dec. 1, 2021 statement by CMS, the policy applies to all children covered by Medicaid which includes a significant number of children from minority groups. Todays action not only underscores the importance of vaccination education, but is also a critical step toward protecting families by increasing their access to information from providers as they make informed decisions concerning vaccinations for their children, the CMS stated. CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure defended the measure, saying it creates the space for children and parents to ask questions, get answers and receive the information they need from trusted partners. She added: By supporting conversations between families and health care providers and answering parents questions, we can connect more children to effective vaccines. The initial plan was to also include COVID-19 vaccine counseling for those on Medicare. However, Health Secretary Xavier Becerra opposed Medicares inclusion in the scheme. He argued that an incentive was not needed because it could potentially lead to fraud, and senior citizens under the program already have a fairly high vaccination rate. Becerras opposition reportedly incensed some officials at the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services. Nevertheless, the Medicaid-only proposal pushed through thanks to lobbying by doctors groups. They claimed member doctors could not afford to take time to talk to parents about the vaccines thus, they pushed for the reimbursements. COVID vaccines pose more danger to children than the disease itself The Biden administration appears to have another objective with the move to incentivize doctors pushing for COVID-19 vaccines. According to White House COVID-19 Response Team Senior Adviser for Equity Dr. Cameron Webb, the Medicaid reimbursement program for vaccine consultations is critical to combating misinformation and disinformation. Furthermore, private insurers may follow Medicaids footsteps and start covering vaccine counseling visits. This would lead to more COVID-19 vaccines being injected into childrens arms. But the problem lies with the COVID-19 vaccines themselves: They pose a more serious danger to children than the disease itself. (Related: More children die from the COVID shot than from COVID.) Chiropractor and Brighteon.TV host Dr. Bryan Ardis elaborated on these dangers during the Oct. 27, 2021 edition of his program The Dr. Ardis Show. He pointed out that both the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are equally lethal to young Americans. The fact sheets for both vaccines mentioned myocarditis and pericarditis as serious risks. Myocarditis pertains to heart muscle inflammation, while pericarditis refers to heart lining inflammation. The sheets also had fainting listed as a side effect which Ardis claimed is linked to cardiac inflammation. It mentions fainting in association with the injection of the vaccine. That means some people get queasy and they pass out. However, did you know that a symptom of myocarditis is actually called syncope? Passing out, going unconscious and fainting thats a side effect, a complication of myocarditis. Ardis concluded: How many of you think your five- to 11-year-old children deserve to start off their teenage years or adolescent years with congestive heart failure caused by myocarditis? As much as these institutions and federal health agencies are OK with hurting you, maybe even killing you I am not OK with it. More related stories: Vaccine expert: Giving COVID-19 vaccines to children is an unforgivable sin because they destroy childrens innate immune systems. Dr. Bryan Ardis: FDA approved COVID-19 vaccine for kids despite being aware of its risks Brighteon.TV. Big Pharma pushing approval of COVID-19 vaccines for children in order to escape legal liabilities. Watch the video below of Ardis pointing out the dangers of the COVID-19 vaccine in children on The Dr. Ardis Show. This video is from the BrighteonTV channel on Brighteon.com. Visit Vaccines.news for more news related to the coronavirus vaccines. Sources include: TheNewAmerican.com CMS.gov Brighteon.com (Natural News) Edward Dowd means business. The former Blackrock executive and hedge fund guru has said that if Pfizer and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) refuse to release all data on Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine clinical trials, then he will assume that fraud occurred. Because fraud eviscerates all contracts this is case law this would mean that Pfizer assumes all liability for injuries and deaths caused by its Fauci Flu injections. The same goes for the other drug giants (i.e., Moderna and Johnson & Johnson) if it turns out they, too, committed fraud. Big Pharma is supposed to be one of the most regulated industries in the country, especially with the FDA. However, the blanket declaration that covid jabs are safe and effective combined with the full immunity that was granted to drug companies involved in the plandemic suggests that this gold standard is no longer trustworthy. This could be game over for companies such as Moderna and other mRNA manufacturers, as big insurance is prepping to square off with big pharma over life insurance pay-outs linked to the COVID gene therapy jab, reported the Daily Expose. (Related: Dowd spoke with Steve Bannon the other day and explained more about this at-length.) Pfizer received blanket immunity from liability through the EUA, however, it is looking like this product is deadly according to Dowd, yet it is others who are being financially burdened. Is Big Pharma fraud propping up Wall Street? It turns out that the insurance industry is seeing a major spike in deaths ever since Fauci Flu shots were introduced by Donald Trump under Operation Warp Speed. One actuary reported a 40 percent increase in death claims, adding that this figure applies across the industry. It is not just a medical scam, Dowd says. It is a financial and capital market scam. In the case of Pfizer, the drug giant received approval for its covid jab in individuals 16 years of age and older on Aug. 23, 2021. Four days later, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted. The FDA claimed at the time that the Pfizer product meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality. However, numerous public health officials, media outlets, journalists, scientists, politicians and public figures have raised questions as to the validity of these claims. To make matters worse, the FDA tried to argue later that it needs until 2076 to fully release the Pfizer documents that were used to grant this approval. That outrageously long timeline is currently being challenged in court. One wonders what, exactly, the FDA is trying to hide on behalf of Pfizer and its partner BioNTech, both of which claim that the data should not be released because it supposedly contains confidential business and trade secret information, as well as the personal privacy information of patients who participated in clinical trials. The Expose says that both of these companies and the FDA must be forced to provide the clinical trial results in their entirety for the safety of the public, many of whom are children. Since they are reluctant to do so, Dowd can only assume that the whole thing is fraudulent, and with the already known adverse events and deaths resulting from their gene therapy jab, how can we not? added the Expose. Big insurers and big pharma are all owned by the same hedge funds (as the largest stakeholders), Vanguard, State Street and Blackrock, wrote one reader. Their money derives from banksters, royals, and other mobsters. Big insurers will not square off against big pharma, just as Russia wont square off against anybody unless the same mobsters want a war. This is all theatre. The latest news about Chinese Virus injections can be found at ChemicalViolence.com. Sources for this article include: DailyExpose.uk NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Geoengineering expert Dane Wigington branded climate engineering as the crown jewel weapon of the military industrial complex. It is a weapon that can bring populations to their knees without them ever knowing theyre under assault. It can target crops and it can have cognitive effect. We have a decline in IQ in the U.S. alone of six to nine points. Thats staggering, Wigington said during a recent episode of The Alex Jones Show. This is all madness making us dumber by the day. Thats a scientific statistical fact based on science study on aluminum and its effect on our brain function. Bottom line is: This is an assault from every imaginable direction. If we dont deal with this hole at the bottom of the boat, the boats going to go down. Wigington is the executive producer of the groundbreaking climate engineering documentary film The Dimming. He is also the lead researcher and administrator of the website GeoengineeringWatch.org. A former employee of Bechtel Power Corporation, Wigington has a background in solar energy and was a licensed contractor in California and Arizona. He has devoted the past 20 years of his life to constant research on the issues of covert global climate engineering operations, and to expose and halt them. Wigington has appeared in numerous interviews about his efforts to educate the public on the extremely dire environmental and health dangers the people are facing, as well as the ongoing global climate intervention programs. According to Wigington, climate engineering operations were first deployed over the polar regions immediately after World War II and had big ramp-ups in the 1990s. The more damage climate engineering does to the climate and the life support systems of the planet, the more they double down on these operations, he said. (Related: Geoengineering and weather modification: The dangers of environmental modification techniques.) To those in doubt that humans are capable of putting the human race at risk of possible extinction, Wigington said: I would challenge people to consider the fact that those in power have detonated about 2,400 nuclear weapons on planet Earth, which is contaminated every single fiber of the web of life. All about power and control Wigington noted that every aspect of these programs is about power and control. And at this point, its also about thinning the herd. We know from psychoanalysis that those in power, those who are addicted to power, they have various forms of deficiencies. And heres the common thread based on psychoanalysis. Theres a near-total lack of comprehension as to the consequences of their actions, even to themselves. That power is so addictive that they cannot stop and will not stop, Wigington said. He was, of course, referring to the globalists who are behind the weather control program. As of 1977, we have 239 acknowledged open-air biological tests by the U.S. military over U.S. populations without their knowledge or consent. Why would we think that theyre not engaged in biological dispersion? The key takeaway in all these, Wigington said, is that there is no benevolence in the climate engineering operations. There are many layers to these operations. The ionizing of the atmosphere is used to make it more electrically conductive for over the horizon communication for EMP offense and defense, Wigington said. We have weather as a weapon, a weapon with which populations are completely unaware that this is occurring. In the documentary The Dimming, Wigington presented conclusive evidence to show that the planet is not being destroyed by global warming as defined by the globalists. But it is being destroyed by the globalists themselves through their weather modification efforts to dim the sun by spraying nanoparticles into the atmosphere and then using microwave transmissions such as 5G to weaponize the weather. According to the documentary, the forest fires on the west coast in late 2020 and the winter storm that hit Texas early last year are all related to the globalists militarized weather modification programs. The documentary also pointed out that these climate engineering programs are causing far more sickness and disease than any virus. More related stories: Playing God: US government funds geoengineering, a controversial and deadly backup plan to alter Earths atmosphere in the name of climate science. Are industrial farming practices and geoengineering destroying the Earths soil? ENGINEERED ICE AGE: Congress funds NOAA scientist for geoengineering project to cool the Earth by artificially dimming the sun. Watch the video below to know more about the globalists weather control program. This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: Brighteon.com HealthImpactNews.com (Natural News) More individuals fully vaccinated against the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) are developing cancer and even AIDS. This is according to prominent physicians Dr. Ryan Cole and Dr. Vladimir Zev Zelenko. Cole, a board-certified pathologist and owner of a diagnostics lab in Idaho, was called to participate in Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnsons Senate panel called COVID-19: A Second Opinion. This discussion panel featured world-renowned doctors and medical experts who were given a chance to provide alternate opinions regarding the experimental and dangerous COVID-19 vaccines. (Related: Fully vaccinated people make up 71% of new cases and 60% of COVID hospitalizations in US.) Cole, who was originally invited to talk about early at-home COVID-19 treatments, also provided his testimony. According to Cole, he conducts around 40,000 biopsies a year as a pathologist and he has been seeing more cancers pop up in people who ordinarily would not be susceptible to developing the kinds of cancers he has been seeing. The only similarity between all of these people is that they have all been vaccinated. Cole collected all of his data and attempted to contact other laboratories to aggregate a bigger dataset. For pointing out what he has observed, Cole said he was ridiculed and maligned. I have oncologists, I have radiation oncologists [tell me] I am seeing an uptick in cancers, Im seeing these odd stable cancers take off like wildfires after the vaccines,' said Cole. It is happening. We need federal funding. The NIH [National Institutes of Health] isnt looking at this. Getting a grant to look at anything related to the vaccines is next to impossible. This is not the first time Cole has spoken about the rise in cancers among those vaccinated against COVID-19. In Sept. 2021, Cole went viral after a video of him talking about seeing a rise in cancers and autoimmune diseases among the fully vaccinated was made public. Since Jan. 1 [2021], in the laboratory, Im seeing a 20 times increase of endometrial cancers over what I see on an annual basis, said Cole in the video. Im not exaggerating at all because I look at my numbers year over year. Im like, Gosh, Ive never seen this many endometrial cancers before.' Vaccines immunity-killing properties cause immune deficiency problems among the fully vaccinated On Jan. 11, Zelenko, a Ukrainian-American family physician, was interviewed by Clay Clark, host of the Thrive Time Show on Brighteon.TV to talk about how the fully vaccinated patients he has been seeing are experiencing immune deficiency problems. They have AIDS. But its not HIV-induced AIDS, said Zelenko. HIV damages your killer T cells and weakens your immune system. So, that syndrome is called AIDS. But there are other things that damage your immune system. By taking a shot that damages your natural killer T cells, damages your tumor suppressor genes, whats happening is your innate immune system is getting shot, he continued. Zelenko then explained that this vaccine-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is the reason that he and many other doctors have seen a massive surge in debilitating illnesses like cancer, autoimmune diseases and other opportunistic infections and conditions like heart attacks, strokes and miscarriages. Ben Armstrong, a journalist working for the New American pointed out on his show, The Ben Armstrong Show, that all of this information blows up the entire narrative people have been fed regarding the COVID-19 vaccines. His hope is for this kind of information to be aired worldwide so that more people can see it. But of course, thats never going to happen. Thats a pipe dream, he said. So, well have to push it out grassroots style, as weve been doing with the truth the whole time. Its always through the grassroots, [through] people like you spreading this type of information. More related articles: Leaked DoD database shows U.S. military illnesses skyrocketing due to covid jabs. Miscarriages and cancer up 300%, neurological problems up 1,000% due to covid vaccines. Government whistleblowers warn about rises in miscarriages and cancer since the introduction of COVID vaccines. ACT OF WAR: Thanks to covid vaccines, the militarys cancer rate has more than TRIPLED. Mayo Clinic-trained doctor says covid vaccines are locking in suppressed immunity, making people more prone to HIV, HPV, shingles, herpes. Watch the Jan. 25 episode of The Ben Armstrong Show detailing how the COVID-19 vaccines make people more susceptible to cancer and AIDS. This video is from the channel TruthChannel on Brighteon.com. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines and how they cause debilitating illnesses at Vaccines.news. Sources include: Brighteon.com 1 RonJohnson.Senate.gov LifeSiteNews.com Brighteon.com 2 (Natural News) An entrepreneur who became famous for discrediting herbal supplements is now being called out as FRAUD. Three of the research papers authored by this scientist are now retracted, and a fourth is pending. His colleagues are claiming to have found blatant data errors, falsifications and plagiarism throughout his work. In 2013, a botanist from the University of Guelph (UG), Steven Newmaster, rose to fame and entrepreneurial success using a DNA barcoding system that discredited herbal supplements. That year, Newmaster led a team of researchers to conduct a series of genetic tests on common herbal supplements such as echinacea, ginkgo biloba and St. Johns wort. The team used snippets of genetic material to determine whether the supplements actually contained the constituents that were labeled on the bottle. The genetic tests yielded shocking results. Many of the products contained the genetic material of plants not listed on the label. According to Newmasters methodology, the supplements contained inert fillers and contaminants that cause serious health problems such as liver damage and skin tumors. The results led to outrage in the supplement industry, and large retailers such as GNC, Walgreens and Walmart began to pull the allegedly tainted products from their shelves. Supplement manufacturers went on to consult companies (that were created by Newmaster) to get a certification of authenticity for their products. By 2017, Newmaster founded the Natural Health Products Research Alliance (NHPRA) to advance certification technologies for the supplement industry. Newmaster coaxed herbal suppliers to seek validation through NHPRA, and he raised millions of dollars doing so. In one of the papers, Newmaster concluded, We suggest that the herbal industry should voluntarily embrace DNA barcoding, they wrote in the paper, to give companies a competitive advantage as they could advertise that they produce an authentic, high-quality product. Experts in DNA barcoding label Newmaster a fraud Eight experts in DNA barcoding are now calling Newmaster a fraud after discovering that fraudulent data was used to promote his 2013 paper. Researchers from UG, the University of Toronto, the University of British Columbia and Stanford claim Newmaster recurrently failed to disclose competing financial interests. Their 43-page letter claims that Newmaster and his collaborators used missing, fraudulent, or plagiarized data as a basis of their fraudulent research efforts. Some of the authors of the 2013 paper are turning their back on Newmaster, after coming to terms with the fraudulence of the data. One of them, John Fryxell, executive director of the biodiversity Institute of Ontario, said, I felt that trust was betrayed. One of Newmasters papers was recently retracted. The paper, originally signed by the father of DNA barcoding, Paul Hebert, compared the cost of DNA barcoding with traditional methods for cataloging forest biodiversity. The paper is now debunked, but isnt the only sign of fraud. A Science investigation reviewed thousands of papers, speeches, promotional videos and interviews involving Newmaster. The suspect scientist often appeared charismatic and solution-driven, but he routinely manipulated data and fabricated results. Incidences of plagiarism have been detected in his speeches, biographies and scholarly writings. He often presented other researchers data as his own, while exaggerating his own accomplishments. Paul Hebert is now speaking out against Newmaster. The 2013 herbal supplement paper reflects a pattern of deception and academic misconduct. The university has chosen to stand back for reasons that I dont understand, he says. I am disturbed to sit in a building where someone has been running a fabrication mill. Newmaster allegedly fabricated a problem and created a lucrative solution to profit from supplement manufacturers As his colleagues are now revealing, Newmasters methodology could not accurately measure the constituents of each herb. In fact, DNA barcoding is unable to quantify the compounds of various substances in a mixed sample. This is mainly because DNA degrades during processing; however, this does NOT mean that the herbal product lacks its medicinal properties. Moreover, herbal supplements may use inactive carriers such as rice powder. The presence of rice DNA does not equate to an adulterated product. Additionally, Newmaster lied in claiming the paper had no competing interests. In fact, both he and UG geneticists Robert Hanner created Biological ID Technologies Inc. in 2012 to offer purity certifications for foods and herbal products. The fraud was convincing. Even the New York Attorney Generals office probed major companies to validate their ingredients. One of Newmasters other companies, Tru-ID, offered to help the supplement manufacturers clean up their products based on the accusations he levied against them. Companies such as Natures Way, Herbalife Nutrition and Jamieson bought into the certification process, spending exorbitant amounts of money to stay relevant in the marketplace. Tru-ID even locked in $369,000 in contracts with the Canadian government. The whole way [Newmaster] would talk about DNA was really a marketing pitch for the industry. And eventually, he got a lot of success, said Stefan Gafner, chief science officer at the American Botanical Council. Newmaster maintains his innocence. I have never committed data fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, or inadequate acknowledgment in the publications as claimed, Newmaster wrote in a letter to UG. I have never engaged in any unethical activity or academic misconduct. He also said he had never made money from his network of businesses. Sources include: Science.org NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Historic American chocolate maker Hershey has apparently been taken over by descendants of the Nazi Reich, based on claims made by current and former employees who are being targeted and terminated for not getting a dangerous COVID-19 vaccine. According to The Epoch Times, which spoke to several employees many on condition of anonymity because they dont want to lose out on benefits before being let go not only are workers being fired but they are being interrogated, Gestapo-like, before being let go. I really thought Id be OK, Kim Durham, a former payment analyst and sourcing buyer, told the outlet. I thought, you cannot question my faith. Nobody can question that. She applied for a religious exemption from the vaccine and said that she believed the company would grant it. I thought this was behind me until September, when I met with an HR representative. It was an interrogation on your religious beliefs. They twisted your words and tried to put words in your mouth. It was terrible, she said, adding: I was asked such personal questions that had nothing to do with religion. In November, she said, her religious exemption was denied, which shocked her. The Epoch Times provided additional details about the interrogations: The Epoch Times interviewed two other Hershey employees who are in their final days with the company and didnt want their names used until they are fully separated, for fear of losing certain benefits. All who were interviewed mentioned being troubled by similar questions during the meetings, usually held with an immediate supervisor and someone from HR, such as: Have you ever been vaccinated? Are your children vaccinated? How do you protect yourself when you leave your home? How often do you go to church? Do you take Tylenol, ibuprofen, Tums, or Midol? If so, how can you say that youre truly a religious person, because a lot of those medicines also have the same ingredients as the vaccine? Several other people said they were told that Pope Francis was vaccinated as well and that he claimed vaccination is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give to their communities. A new parent who said they submitted paperwork and the newborns birth certificate to set up insurance coverage was asked why the baby got vaccinated by the parent would not get a COVID-19 jab. What does that have to do with me keeping a job? From the time we started this ordeal, we have had seven meetings about my vaccination status, the employee said. It was like harassment. I felt like I wanted to crawl under a rock when I was done. Hershey required all employees to get a COVID vaccine (but not a flu vaccine) by Oct. 4; when Durham did not, she wasnt allowed back in the building on Oct. 5. On her last day in November, the company sent an empty box to her home so she could pack up all of the companys equipment and property to send back to the main office. We are losing our jobs over this vaccine policy, Durham said. Its just wrong that a company can terminate you, and you lose your livelihood. This should not be forced. She and other employees estimate that around 1,400 Hershey workers applied for a religious exemption to the vaccine but its not known if any of them received one. I know people who got the vaccine just to keep their job. It wasnt something they wanted to do, but they needed the job, Durham said. I need a job too. But Im not going to do something I dont feel comfortable doing, just keeping my job. This vaccine tyranny has to stop. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Theologian and Brighteon.TV host Dr. John Diamond called on Americans to boycott products from The Hershey Company after the chocolate maker fired employees who refused to get injected with the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine. The host of America Unhinged cited an email from the Epoch Times about Hersheys move to terminate unvaccinated workers. According to the Jan. 31 article, the Pennsylvania-based company has also asked employees to sign a nine-page waiver that absolves the company from legal liabilities. The waiver also bars former workers from talking about their experience. Upon signing the waiver, the employees would be given a special separation payment determined by an algorithm. However, many affected Hersheys employees refused to sign the document and declined the money, which only amounted to two months salary for some. Since I am stationed in Pennsylvania and Hersheys is very, very close to me I think this is the time that we need to take a stand against this. We need to figure out a way to do it peacefully, said Diamond. Boycotts are something that are very, very effective. It sends a very loud message. Ultimately, it hurts their bottom line [and] it affects their paycheck. We need to stand up and stand strong, and I think a boycott of Hersheys is going to be the best way to send a very, very loud message. Here at America Unhinged, were calling for a national boycott of all Hersheys products. We need you to get on the phone, call their help center and tell them why we are not supporting you and your product anymore. If this is the way youre going to treat us, then thats fine youre not going to get our money. And then, we need to start finding companies and institutions that are going to stand for freedom especially medical freedom. So I ask you to please join me in this boycott of Hersheys, especially leading up to the Easter season. Related: Legacy chocolate maker Hershey dumps all-American image and adopts authoritarianism by firing unvaccinated workers.) Hersheys management intruding on medical privacy According to ABC affiliate channel WHTM 27, Hersheys announced a COVID-19 vaccine mandate in August 2021 that went into effect two months later in October. The mandate applied to salaried employees, but excluded factory workers and staff members at the Hersheys Chocolate World stores. A company spokesperson confirmed to the news outlet that a small number of salaried employees were terminated due to noncompliance with the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. A small number of individuals who did not get vaccinated were separated from the company, the spokesperson said. It was not clear how many employees were laid off. Hersheys is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy environment for our employees and our customers. We believe that the best way to protect the health and safety of our employees, their families and our various business partners is to ensure that our salaried employees are vaccinated against COVID-19, the spokesperson said in a statement. Several employees who talked to the Epoch Times begged to differ. They shared how the companys human resources (HR) department intimidated them during meetings by asking intrusive questions. Some who sought religious exemptions claimed they were feeling harassed with the line of questions being thrown their way. Hersheys did not respond to any requests for comment on the issues former employees brought up. These people dont care about anybody elses paychecks. Theyre letting people go under this medical tyranny, you know. My body, my choice only applies to one set of beliefs and not another, Diamond said. More related stories: Carhartt, which makes clothes worn mostly by rural conservatives, defies Supreme Court decision on covid vaccines, says employees still need to get jabbed anyway. Keep up the Delta Airlines boycott Delta cancels over 100 flights on Sunday, but cites staff shortages. Minneapolis Federal Reserve launches vaccine mandate for its more than 1,100 employees. Watch the video below of Diamond exhorting Americans to boycott Hersheys products. This video is from the BrighteonTV channel on Brighteon.com. Resist.news has more on the fight against medical tyranny. Sources include: Brighteon.com TheEpochTimes.com ABC27.com (Natural News) An investigation conducted by the National Pulse has found that a co-chair of the National Institutes of Healths (NIH) education committee also serves as advisor to an organization with deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Adam Hott works at the NIHs Clinical Sequencing Evidence-Generating Research group. He is also affiliated with the United States Heartland China Association (USHCA), a supposedly bipartisan organization that wants to develop stronger ties between China and 20 states in Americas heartland region. Hott serves in the USHCAs education committee, whose goal is supposedly to bring together resources in K12 and higher education to apply research, expertise and new entrants to the workforce to U.S.-China collaboration. In reality, the USHCA has extensive ties to the CCP. Previous reports have found that members of the CCP and Chinese firms with connections to the communist party used the USHCA to purchase American farmland in the 20 states where the organization works. (Related: Meanwhile, communist China is buying up Americas farmland.) The USHCA also works closely with the China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF), a Hong Kong-based organization that is a central part of the CCPs United Front strategy. The United Front strategy uses front groups like CUSEF as a way of co-opting or otherwise neutralizing potential sources of strong opposition to CCP influence and authority. This strategy also attempts to influence foreign governments to adopt positions that are supportive of Beijing. CUSEF is not the only United Front organization that the USHCA has deep ties to. The group has co-hosted multiple events alongside the Chinese Peoples Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC). This organization is regarded as one of the United Fronts public faces. The Department of State has described the CPAFFC as an avowed arm of the party-state, and that it is seeking to directly and malignly influence federal, state and local leaders. Given all of these extensive connections, it should be concerning that Hott is also a high-ranking member of the NIH, especially since he also has close ties to White House Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci. China ramping up efforts to infiltrate America On Jan. 31, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray delivered a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California. During his speech, Wray said that the United States is facing a new level of threat from the CCP that is more brazen and more damaging than ever. He noted that over 2,000 of the FBIs ongoing investigations are focused on the Chinese governments attempts to steal American technology or information. Theres just no country that presents a broader threat to our ideas, innovation and economic security than China, he said. Wray added that the FBI was adding new cases related to Chinese intelligence operations in the U.S. almost every 12 hours. They identify key technologies to target, then they throw every tool in their arsenal at stealing the technology to succeed in those areas, said Wray. In another part of his speech, the FBI director pointed out that China is getting more brazen in its attempts to control speech inside the United States. In November, just two months ago, the Chinese Embassy put out letters effectively warning U.S. businesses that if they want to do business in China, they need to fight against Chinese government-related bills in our Congress, noted Wray, without identifying the businesses that provided the FBI with this information. Wray warned that the CCPs next step is to co-opt more American politicians, either by buying their allegiance or intimidating them to acquiesce to the will of Beijing. The CCPs strategy is to look for local, up-and-coming politicians that may have bright futures ahead of them in politics. The Chinese government understands that politicians in smaller roles today may rise to become more influential over time, so they look to cultivate talent early, often state and local officials, to ensure that politicians at all levels of government will be ready to take a call and advocate on behalf of Beijings agenda, said Wray. More related articles: Joshua Philipp reveals Beijings connection with US-based Chinese fraternal organizations. Pelosi family steeped in business deals with China. REVEALED: Full list of Western media outlets participating in Chinese communist propaganda events. EXPOSED: The CCP successfully infiltrated Western consulates, universities and corporations. Pro-CCP news outlet recruiting social media influencers for propaganda videos that counter Western narratives about China. Watch this episode of Brighteon Conversations with Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, as he interviews John Moore, the Liberty Man, about Chinas genocidal plan to wipe out Americans. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. Read more stories about CCP operatives attempting to infiltrate America at Communism.news. Sources include: TheNationalPulse.com USHeartlandChina.org TheEpochTimes.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) A parent group in Connecticut is organizing to stop the local school district from brainwashing students into Marxist ideology. These parents have been trying to fight the Westport School System for quite some time after the Board of Education pushed an equity study on the district that was developed in concert with New York University (NYU). They even went so far as to create a website to educate the local community about what the school district is trying to do to the next generation of youth by brainwashing them into anti-white socialism. It turns out that the equity study is the driving force trying to install critical race theory, or CRT, curriculum throughout the district CRT also sometimes goes by the names of DEI or SEL. (Related: CRT is also being pushed on HBO and other media streaming services to indoctrinate families everywhere into hating white people.) A body called Team Westport has reportedly been operating illegally in violation of both town and state code to alter what is taught to students within the community. Team Westport routinely interjects its opinions in most town decisions, and weak town leadership are going along with it in order to not be called racist. Parents everywhere should be fighting the way Westport parents are fighting The WP06880 parent group, as it calls itself, finally had enough after the Board of Education moved to install CRT into Westport schools. It sent letters to town officials threatening an immediate lawsuit if they decide to move forward with the plan. The legal communication that was sent explains that on Aug. 2, 2005, the Westport Representative Town Meeting, or RTM for short, established a committee and authorized the First Selectman to appoint members to it. Since its establishment, this committee and its membership has failed to satisfy the minority representation requirement and has included ineligible members. As a result, the legal document explains, the Committee has conducted business in violation of the law, and in recent years, in absence of a quorum. Almost all of the members are registered Democrats, it adds. Accordingly, the Committee has been operating in violation of the law. All action taken by it is illegal and void. This illegal action is compounded by the fact that non-electors were improperly appointed to serve as members on the committee. Only electors of the town may be appointed to serve, according to the law. Your predecessors lacked the legal authority to appoint non-electors to the Committee, the communication goes on to state. Those appointments exceeded the scope of their authority and were illegal. Therefore, the appointments of Judith A. Hamer, Ph.D. of Redding, and Stephane J. Kirven, of Weston, are void ab initio. These improper appointees should be removed from the Committee immediately. Additionally, individuals who have ceased to be electors of the Town continue to participate in Committee business. A members appointment automatically terminates when he or she ceases to be an elector of the Town, and thereupon the office becomes vacant. In conclusion, the letter demands that the nine illegal members be advised immediately that they are no longer eligible to serve on the committee. All town officials also need to be advised that all prior actions by this illegal committee are to be considered void because they violate the law. The remaining five members are to be told that, at the current time, they lack a quorum to meet and cannot conduct any further business until they have brought the membership of the committee into compliance with the towns charter and state law. More related news can be found at Indoctrination.news. Sources for this article include: CreativeDestructionMedia.com WP06880.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Ann Vandersteel slammed hospitals profiting from the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Yes, they [hospitals] are profiting on the deaths of millions. Its disgusting, Vandersteel said during the February 2 episode of Steel Truth on Brighteon.TV. They are making money and profiting on your illness and your death. Even if you dont have it [COVID-19], theyre going to put it down. To build on her point, Vandersteel played a video showing Dr. Peterson Pierre of Americas Frontline Doctors enumerating the many ways a hospital can make money from unsuspecting patients at these times. In the video, Pierre said: So the current situation is this. If you have COVID, and you end up in the hospital, youre put on a rigid protocol. And theres high mortality rate in the hospital, and your family is kept in the dark as to whats happening. So whats going on here? Number one, the Cares Act is providing bonus payments to hospitals whenever you have a diagnosis of COVID; and then number two, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services [CMS] is waiving patient rights. This is a deadly combination. So heres what happens. You get a payment because you offered a free COVID test in the emergency room. You get a boost payment if [the patient has] a diagnosis of COVID. Number three, you get another bonus payment if [the patient is] admitted with COVID; number four, you get another bonus payment if [theyre] put on remdesivir; number five, another bonus payment if [theyre] put on a mechanical ventilator; number six, another 20 percent bonus if the diagnosis on [their] death certificate says COVID, even though [they] may not have died from COVID; and then number seven, theres bonus payments to coroners. Do you understand the gravity of whats happening right now? The Biden administration is literally paying hospitals to kill you. Thats whats happening. This is terrible. We need to stop that. These are real human lives were talking about they are priceless. What the hospital is getting is estimated at about $100,000 per patient. Think about that. Hospitals suppress use of cheap and effective treatments for COVID-19 That helps explain why hospitals are suppressing the use of cheap and effective treatments for COVID-19, notably ivermectin. (Related: Minnesota medical board harasses doctor for prescribing ivermectin.) In one of the episodes of The Dr. Ardis Show on Brighteon.TV last year, Dr. Bryan Ardis shared a document from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) website showing ivermectin as one of the three drugs in a chart titled Characteristics of Antiviral Agents that are Approved or Under Evaluation for the Treatment of COVID-19. The other drugs in the chart were remdesivir and nitazoxanide. If you have a loved one battling COVID-19 at a hospital, Ardis says you can take a copy of that chart and show the doctors that ivermectin is an approved drug to treat the disease. You will save the life of your loved ones and can hold the hospitals accountable for the doses the doctors cant tell you they dont know how to use that drug, the NIH tells you how to use that drug, Ardis pointed out. Ardis also shared a document that can help explain why hospitals prefer treating COVID-19 patients with remdesivir. The chart from the CMS website is titled New COVID-19 Treatments Add-On Payment (NCTAP). Through the NCTAP, the Medicare program provides an enhanced payment for eligible inpatient cases that use certain products with current Food and Drug Administration approval or emergency use authorization to treat COVID-19. The only drug that falls under that category is remdesivir. That enhanced payment refers to a 20 percent bonus payout given to hospitals for all COVID-19 patients they select to treat with remdesivir over any other drug. They are actually bribing the hospitals and the doctors to select remdesivir, said Ardis, noting that the CMS is currently paying out $2,400 for a five-day treatment of remdesivir. This means hospitals are getting $480 extra for every patient they put under the remdesivir protocol. For the sake of comparison, ivermectin is less than $2 per tablet. More related stories: The sicker you become with COVID, the MORE money US hospitals receive from the Biden Regime. Tom Renz: Hospitals are now becoming killing fields Brighteon.TV. Dr. Paul Marik: Hospitals are KILLING COVID-19 patients by refusing to give them life-saving medications. Watch the full February 2 episode of Steel Truth below. Catch new episodes of the program from Monday to Friday at 9:30-10: 30 p.m. on Brighteon.TV. Follow Pandemic.news for more new related to the coronavirus pandemic. Sources include: Brighteon.com 1 Brighteon.com 2 Covid19TreatmentGuidelines.NIH.gov CMS.gov An asteroid was detected to fly by Earth on March 4, at 03:00 a.m. ET (local time). The asteroid is called 138971 (2001 CB21) and its size is up to 1.3 kilometers (0.81 miles) in diameter, approximately four times as wide as the Eiffel Tower and comparable to the size of the Golden Gate Bridge. Discovery of 2001 CB21 Asteroid Gianluca Masi, an astronomer at the Virtual Telescope Project in Italy, detected the 2001 CB21 asteroid on Jan. 30 when the asteroid was over 21.5 million miles away from Earth. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) classified the asteroid as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)," as per the Space Reference organization. Also classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA), the classifications on 2001 CB21 are based on its predicted relative closest distance, 4,911,102 million kilometers (3,051,617 miles), when it passes on Earth. To put into perspective, the distance of the asteroid when it passes Earth is about 13 times between Earth and the moon. The asteroid has been categorized as a small Apollo-class Asteroid (APO) since its orbit will cross Earth's orbit. Further categorization of APOs is also based on the asteroid's size. 2001 CB21 makes an orbit around the sun once every 384 days (1.05 years), as per Space Reference. Also read: Massive Asteroid Size of Golden Gate Bridge Will Pass by Earth on January 18 Other Asteroids: Apophis and the 1994 PC1 The classifications of asteroids as PHAs are not rare. In fact, an asteroid flyby occurred last month. A large PHA-classified asteroid called 1994 PC1 safely passed by Earth on Jan. 18. The asteroid has an estimated size of 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) and with a height more than twice of the Empire State Building, as per the Earth Sky organization. The said asteroid was first discovered in 1994. Another asteroid called 99942 Apophis, with the size of 1,120 feet (0.34 kilometers) will make a close encounter with Earth on April 13, 2029. Discovered in 2004, Apophis will pass by Earth with only a distance of 31,000 kilometers (19,000 miles) from our planet. The Apophis is considered to be one of the most dangerous asteroids that might strike Earth due to the estimated close distance when it passes Earth in 2029. Measures Against a Possible Asteroid Strike There have been no planet-killing asteroids that struck Earth since the Chicxulub crater asteroid that caused the fifth mass extinction around 66 million years ago. The asteroid left its crater off the coast of Mexico, where its impact brought an end to the dinosaurs and the majority of other animal and plant species living on Earth at that time, as per The Harvard Gazette. However, NASA is preparing measures against a possible asteroid strike on Earth in the future. Currently, NASA is engaging in a program called the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission with the primary objective of deflecting an incoming asteroid away from Earth. Launched on Nov. 24, 2021, the DART mission is a test designed to evaluate the kinetic impact technique by hitting an asteroid with a spacecraft and observing any changes in the asteroid's orbit before and after, as per NASA. The space agency will conduct the test by flying the DART spacecraft at a high relative velocity to the binary near-Earth asteroid called 65803 Didymos and its moonlet. The DART spacecraft is expected to intercept Didymos' moonlet in late September 2022, as per NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office. Related article: Gigantic Asteroid Will Pass By Earth in 7 Years, Do We Have Defense Against Such Threats? Plastics that are for one-time use are called Single Use plastics, like utensils, wrappers, and other items. Out of the 300 million tons of plastics that are produced yearly, there is 50% contributed by single-use plastics. There are hundreds of studies that focus on surveying plastic debris around the surface of the ocean, which is why these studies are being called "scratching the surface" because they do not provide full data and inventory of what was deep down our waters. A group of scientists at Florida Atlantic University conducted a study where the occurrence of plastics in the entire water column in the southern Atlantic Ocean indicated the ocean interior has a crucial pool of "missing" plastics. According to Phys.org, originating from various types of plastics, these tiny fragments called microplastics pollute natural ecosystems and about 51 trillion are floating in the surface waters of oceans around the world. The massive effects of microplastics In the published journal of Global Change Biology, results show that there will be a higher encounter rate for zooplankton, and other subsurface particle feeders due to weak ocean current systems contributing to the formation of small microplastics hotspots at distance downward Read more: UN partnership aims to combat microplastics in cigarettes To gain a better systematic understanding of how plastics sink from the ocean surface beyond the mixed layer and eventually to abyssal depths of the ocean, the researchers, Dr. Tracy Mincer, a senior author and an assistant professor of biology at FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and her team sampled plastic particles in the South Atlantic Subtropical Gyre using in-situ high-volume filtration, Manta net, and MultiNet sampling, combined with micro-Fourier-transform-infrared imagine, according to Phys.org. Phys.org further noted that as a result of their samples, due to the multifaceted and diverse rearrangement processes interacting with different plastic molecules, they found out that the richness and distribution of these microplastics geographically and virtually varies. There are also some higher density polymers like alkyd resins that were used for commercial oil-based coatings and a polymer that was used in textiles like clothing and ropes called polyamide. Dr. Mincer said that as plastic particles disintegrate into smaller size fractions, they can become harmful in different and random ways that are only now beginning to be understood. These micron-size microplastics can move across the gut epithelium, become trapped in biomass, and have the possibility to transfer through marine food webs, posing an unknown ecological risk and biogeochemical impacts, the researcher added. Single-use plastics as contributors to microplastics According to Technology Works, Ryota Nakajima, a biological oceanographer at Japan Agency for Marine Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) conducted at the Japanese sea on single-use plastics. He said that because most of the plastic is coming from the Asian continent. They haven't reached a consensus regarding the amount of plastic debris that has gathered on the deep seafloor and how debris was transported there since many scientists believe that these floating plastics will eventually sink into the depths of the ocean, Nakajima added. As they have collected single-use plastics by Nakajima's team, these items vary from clothes, toothpaste tubes, up to steak packaging that was dated back to September 1984. As per Technology works, this is an example of the persistence of plastic debris in the marine environment. The primary factors of degrading plastics are UV radiation and thermal oxidation which is quite lacking in a deep-sea environment, Nakajima said. Related Article: Germany bans range of single-use plastics including straws and cotton buds Climate change and global warming have been a primary focus of the recent conference between the UN and its member countries in October and November 2021. With the latest UN report, evidence showed that planned and current measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are not enough. UNEP Report; Global Warming Measures are Not Enough The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has issued its latest emissions gap report concerning the reduction of methane emissions by at least 30% from 2020 until 2030. The report is in line with the agreements made with over 100 member countries during the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland hosted by the UK between October 31, 2021, and November 13, 2021. However, the latest UNEP report indicates current and planned mitigation measures, including oil and gas companies, are insufficient in limiting global warming. As world leaders find ways to decrease methane and other greenhouse gases, scientists are finding ways to develop easier methods in curbing greenhouse gas emissions. The UNEP report is under the International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO), a data-driven and action-focused initiative-with the objective of reducing methane emissions, starting with the energy sector. Supported by the European Commission, the IMEO initiative was launched at the G20 Summit on the eve of the COP26. Also read: Worsening Global Warming Will Kill 83 Million People by 2100, Warn Scientists Paris Agreement and UN Framework Convention on Climate Change The COP26 was held to accelerate action against climate change and global warming under the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). According to the UNFCCC, the Paris Agreement (also called the Paris climate agreement or Paris climate accord) is a legally binding international treaty on climate change signed between 196 Parties at COP 21 in Paris on December 12, 2015. The agreement took effect on November 4, 2016, with the objective of reducing global warming by up to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels. Furthermore, the agreement binds member countries into a common cause of combating climate change and its effects, says the UNFCCC. The role of these member countries is to cooperate and eventually submit their reports containing the measures they will take to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Paris accord centralized in the reduction of these human-caused GHG emissions since it accelerates the natural phenomenon of the greenhouse effect. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) defined the greenhouse effect as the natural warming of the Earth due to the trapped GHG in the atmosphere which prevents heat from the sun to escape. The NRDC stated the main gases responsible for the greenhouse effect are: methane, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases. Since the dawn of industrialization, the emission of GHG has increased over the past century. According to the United States, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the electricity and heat production sector is the No. 1 source of GHG emission, followed by the agricultural and industrial sectors. Challenge of Reducing GHG Emissions The findings of the latest UNEP report show the evident continuation of the challenges surrounding the reduction of GHG. In spite of the paramount data available about climate change and global warming, a large number of countries are still struggling to take their part under the Paris accord and the UNFCCC. The challenge of reducing GHG is most felt by developing countries that are reliant on oil and gas production, which requires them to engage in the use of fossil fuels and other energy-related activities, as per Energy Post. Related article: Claims that Australia's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Are Declining Have 'Zero Credibility,' Experts Find After admitting to poaching more than a dozen deer because they were destroying trees on his property, a 71-year-old South Dakota man was charged with 14 counts of hunting big game without a license. Although the case was centered upon the evidence of 14 dead deer, court records reveal that in 2021, the defendant acknowledged killing up to 100 deer without a license. John T. Widdoss, a Spearfish resident, pleaded guilty to seven crimes and was sentenced on Jan. 19, receiving a total fine of $13,324.50, over $700 in court fees, 15 days in jail, and a one-year suspension of hunting rights. According to the Black Hills Pioneer, the remaining seven offenses were dropped as a plea agreement. Investigating Leads Last spring, wildlife conservation officer Josh Thompson of the South Dakota Game and Fish got an anonymous complaint concerning odd behavior on the Widdoss farm, including allegations of unusual gunfire outside of hunting season, wounded deer, and dead deer. According to public records, Widdoss owns 120 acres west of Spearfish. On one site, at least five evergreen shelterbelts are growing beside houses and roadways, with some rows of trees being smaller than others, according to recent satellite images. One SDGF employee claimed that deer would cause a lot of harm to the needles in the winter when [new trees] are little and the snow is thick. "You can kill them by stripping the needles off the trees," he added. Most of the deer were whitetails, but Lawrence County, which contains the northern half of South Dakota's Black Hills, also had mule deer. Thompson, the case's principal investigator, acknowledged that deer had harmed many species of Widdoss' trees in a shelterbelt he was planting. However, Thompson notes that landowners dealing with animal problems have access to proper channels. Related Article: After Losing Half of its Trunk in a Poacher's Trap, Baby Elephant Tragically Died Punishment for Poaching Given the nature of the crime, poaching events are notoriously difficult to prosecute. Standard requirements are for surveillance, capturing poachers in the act, and even collecting bullets and connecting them to weapons in the suspect's possession. Widdoss acknowledged more infractions than prosecutors could charge him within this instance. "This is the most serious degree of poaching for deer offenses that I've ever seen in eight years of law enforcement," Thompson testified on Jan. 19. "And, to be honest, my supervisor, who has also worked in Lawrence County for the past 30 years. ...that day, we found 14 deer and charged [Widdoss] with them. "The Defendant acknowledged to poach 75 to 100 deer," the judge said. Consequences Parts of the original court transcript were obtained by local attorney and FACT board member Joe Kosel and posted on Facebook by South Dakotans Fighting Animal Cruelty Together. According to Kosel, he uploaded snippets of the hearings because the scope of the poaching incidents-and Widdoss' reaction to them-was "infuriating." Widdoss was eventually sentenced to seven 15-day prison terms, which he is presently serving at home in one 15-day stretch. According to Kosel, this is very typical, who also believes Widdoss' home arrest was likely approved owing to his age. Widdoss' hunting license was canceled for seven years, one year for each offense to which he pleaded guilty, although only one year of hunting rights was lost. Thompson said that they relied largely on the public and said wardens all around the country rely heavily on the general public in reporting breaches, tips, and calls. He added that to conserve our wildlife and public resources for future generations, we need everyone to push each other to a higher standard. Related Article: Poacher's Remains Discovered After Elephant Trampled Him to Death in South Africa For the most recent updates from the animal kingdom, don't forget to follow Nature World News! According to information published by the New Zealand Ministry of Defense on February 4, 2022, the auxiliary ship HMNZS Aotearoa has now sailed from Lyttelton and is heading south to support Antarctic environmental and scientific programs. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link Auxiliary ship HMNZS Aotearoa (Picture source: U.S. DoD) As well as being Aotearoas first trip to Antarctica, it will be the first time in more than 50 years that a Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) ship will be conducting an Antarctic resupply of McMurdo Station and Scott Base. With the construction of HMNZS Aotearoa, the NZDF now has a purpose-built, polar-class sustainment vessel specifically able to operate deep into the Southern Ocean and Ross Sea with an ice strengthened hull and upper deck trace heating. For the RNZN Maritime Component Commander, Commodore Garin Golding, Aotearoas maiden sailing to Antarctica has been long-awaited. HMNZS Aotearoa, formerly the Maritime Sustainment Capability project, is an auxiliary ship of the Royal New Zealand Navy. Builder Hyundai Heavy Industries delivered the ship to the Navy in June 2020, and she was commissioned into service on 29 July 2020. The 26,000-tonne (26,000-long-ton) ship will provide marine diesel oil and aviation fuel. It stores food and ammunition in 20-foot (6.1 m) containers. Aotearoa has a Kelvin Hughes Integrated Naval Bridge System and is equipped with Farsounder-1000 sonar. For navigation radar sensors it uses SharpEye S and X-Band with an S-Band SharpEye sensor optimised for helicopter approach and control. It is armed with a Phalanx CIWS and two Mini Typhoon mounts and has a flight deck and hangar for helicopter operations. According to information published by the U.S. Navy on February 2, 2022, the Air-to-Air Missiles Program Office (PMA-259) acquired Italy as its 28th Air Intercept Missile (AIM)-9X International Partner. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link Italian F-35 Lightning II fighter jet (Picture source: NATO) The Italian Embassy in Washington D.C. notified the Navy International Programs Office that the Italian Air Force accepted and signed the Letter of Offer & Acceptance (LOA) provided by the United States Government. Italian Air Force officials signed the LOA Nov. 19., and shortly after representatives from PMA-259 and Raytheon Missiles & Defense presented the AIM-9X Block II/II+ Classified Capabilities Briefing to Italian Headquarters Air Force Staff and F-35 Lightning II pilots. This LOA consists of a modest quantity of AIM-9X Block II/II+ missiles to complement its F-35 fleet. This procurement will be part of the U. S. Navys Lot 23 Production Contract, which will award in 2023 and deliver missiles in 2026. Additionally, the Italian Navy, which also operates the fifth-generation fighter aircraft, has been provided with a separate LOA for Lot 23 AIM-9X Block II/II+ missiles, and is expected to accept it soon. Italy will receive AIM-9X missiles that will employ the true fifth-generation Block II/II+ capabilities of Lock-On-After-Launch, Data Link, and Surface Attack. The AIM-9 Sidewinder (where "AIM" stands for "Air Intercept Missile") is a short-range air-to-air missile that entered service with the US Navy in 1956 and subsequently was adopted by the US Air Force in 1964. Block II adds Lock-on After Launch capability with a data link, so the missile can be launched first and then directed to its target afterward by an aircraft with the proper equipment for 360-degree engagements, such as the F-35 and F-22. Sign up to get breaking news, weather forecasts, and more in your email inbox. Sign Up Now New Canaan Country School sixth grade student Cameron Ablemans essay was among 15 winning essays that were recently selected by U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) in his sixth annual, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Essay Challenge. I was particularly inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr.s resilience in the face of so many hardships and people who didn't believe in him or what he was fighting for, Ableman told Hearst Connecticut Media. Ableman is a Rowayton, Conn., resident. The idea of pushing through tough times and sticking with it until you make it right is something that I can really relate to, Ableman said. Ableman's essay was chosen from a total of 2,200 entries submitted by elementary, middle, and high school students from across Connecticut reflecting on Dr. Kings dream, and their own aspirations. An excerpt from Ableman's essay is included below. When I grow up I want to be able to help people, just like him. I want to speak out against whats wrong, and not just accept defeat. I want to keep fighting for what is right and never give up. This is one of the many reasons why I admire Dr. King so much, he never stopped believing in what is right and he never gave up. I think that we should aspire to be a little more like Dr. King, meaning that we should all always believe in what we want to and in ourselves. When I grow up, no matter how close or far away that might be, I want to fight. I want to fight for beliefs instead of prejudices, I want to fight for what is right for my country and the world I know could exist if everybody could believe and I hope that with enough courage and strong compassionate voices/words we will get there. And when I say fight I mean with our voices making the others weak not with our fists but with our words. After all, many do say that, Pens cut harder than swords. And we will share what they have tried so hard to silence but we will fight back for a world where everyone is equal as our own Pledge of Allegiance says, Liberty and Justice for All. I am very pleased that Camerons essay was selected, New Canaan Country School sixth grade teacher Mauricia Gardiner told Hearst Connecticut Media. Gardiner facilitated her classs submissions to the contest. She has put a lot of work into learning how to express her ideas effectively. This is a great outcome of those efforts and an honor to be recognized, Gardiner said. In addition to being available on Sen. Murphys website, the winning essays are on display in his Hartford, Conn., office. We honor Dr. Kings legacy by continuing his fight for justice and equality. Every year, I am so impressed by the students across Connecticut who submit essays of their reflections on Dr. King and their own dreams for a more just future. Young people have always been at the forefront of the great social change movements, and their hope and determination continue to inspire me, Sen.Murphy told Hearst Connecticut Media. New Canaan Country School is a co-ed, independent day school for students in pre-Kindergarten, ages 3, and 4, through the ninth grade, and who are living in Westchester, and Fairfield counties. Graduates excel at top day, boarding, and public secondary schools, and go on to lead lives of impact, and purpose. For more information, visit countryschool.net. The school is located 635 Frogtown Road in New Canaan. As January and February come upon us we are remembering very famous people in history, like George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln, but dont forget a very important man: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Dr. King accomplished many great things in his short life but one very important thing was his movement to end racial injustice in America. One of the very important things that Dr. King did was his I Have a Dream speech. Today I will be commemorating the good things Dr. King did. I truly hope you will take an interest to find out more about one of the most esteemed leaders for the people and justice and what he means to me. I Have a Dream '' is the famous speech that started many revolutionary nonviolent movements and marches in America's history. This speech was performed on August 28th, 1963 near the Lincoln Memorial in front of many peaceful protestors struck through America like a lightning bolt in the sky causing thunder to rumble, attitudes to change, the skies to brighten, and a storm to come. Dr. King said many things in this speech, but something that has always stuck with me is the part where he said in paragraph 22 ( if you were to read it) One day right in Alabama little black girls and boys will be able to join hands with little white girls and boys as sisters and brothers. The accomplished Dr. King spread hope to everyone with his diligent ability to captivate any audience. Immediately, this passage stuck with me because it made me think, even if this was the spark of peaceful protests and painful words that America as a country needed to hear, it was truly only the beginning of a long movement. Black Lives Matter is the newest example of the civil rights movement that is fighting against systemic racism, although, like the second day of the Selma Bridge March the Black Lives Matter movement is made out of all races, genders, and religions. This is something that I think that Dr. King would be proud of. I think this because it shows people coming together for the greater good. While I think that Dr. King would be proud I also think that he may be just the slightest bit upset that this many years later we are still having to fight all these horrible ideas and prejudices about African Americans which go back to the times of slavery. I think that eventually, we will have a country and world where there is no racial injustice. Dr. King means to me what he most likely means to many, Dr. King was an astounding, very smart, extraordinary, and amazing man and when I grow up I want to be able to be at least a little like him. When he saw a difference he didnt just let it be. He made sure that people knew it was wrong and he cared for everybody. When I grow up I want to be able to help people, just like him. I want to speak out against whats wrong, and not just accept defeat. I want to keep fighting for what is right and never give up. This is one of the many reasons why I admire Dr. King so much, he never stopped believing in what is right and he never gave up. I think that we should aspire to be a little more like Dr. King, meaning that we should all always believe in what we want to and in ourselves. When I grow up, no matter how close or far away that might be, I want to fight. I want to fight for beliefs instead of prejudices, I want to fight for what is right for my country and the world I know could exist if everybody could believe and I hope that with enough courage and strong compassionate voices/words we will get there. And when I say fight I mean with our voices making the others weak not with our fists but with our words. After all, many do say that, Pens cut harder than swords. And we will share what they have tried so hard to silence but we will fight back for a world where everyone is equal as our own Pledge of Allegiance says, Liberty and Justice for All. In conclusion, Dr. King was a great man who was and still is admired by many. America needed his help back then as much as we need him and his legacy today. Dr. King was taken from us too soon, but we can still sense his presence every time a change has been made for the greater good, and Im sure that Dr. King would want us to do what is right, but also what has to be done. What Im writing today isnt nearly as much work as what Dr. King had to do just to get his movement recognized and I am proud to be able to write about such an honorable man. I would never be able to cover everything he did but I hope that you can realize and envision the amazing man he was. Newburyport, MA (01950) Today Cloudy this morning. A few showers developing during the afternoon. High 54F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Steady light rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Low 44F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Help support your local hometown newspaper/website. Independent local news reporting matters. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription, for as little as $3, so we can continue to provide independent local reporting on our communities. Press Release February 4, 2022 De Lima backs call to file raps vs Cusi, DOE officials over Malampaya deal Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima backed Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian's call for the filing of criminal and administrative charges against Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi and other Department of Energy (DOE) officials over their involvement in the anomalous approval of share sales in the Malampaya gas field. De Lima likewise supported the call for Cusi to relinquish his post for the approval of the sale of Malampaya to Udenna Corp. and its unit UC Malampaya Philippines, owned by businessman and Duterte's close associate, Dennis Uy. "Tumitindig ako kasama ni Sen. Win at iba pang mga kasamahan ko sa Senado upang aksyunan ang kwestyonableng kasunduan na ito na walang ibang makikinabang kung hindi ang mga kaalyado at crony ni Duterte, kasama na ang kanilang mga kasabwat na dayuhan," she said. "We simply cannot watch these officials facing serious allegations of malfeasance slink away from public view and let the passage of time wash away their sins. We, as duly elected Senators of the Republic, are compelled to demand so much more. We call for accountability. "We demand that they answer for all their sins against the nation. Sa lahat ng panahon na inuna nila ang kanilang sariling interes bago bayan, kailangan nila itong pagbayaran," she added. In a privilege speech last Feb. 2, Senate Committee on Energy Chairman Gatchalian said Cusi and key officials of the DOE are "criminally and administratively liable for graft, gross neglect of duty, and grave misconduct and should immediately resign from their posts for railroading the approval of the sale of participating interest of Chevron in Malampaya gas field." Gatchalian said that DOE officials violated laws to give a seal of approval to the sale of the 45% participating interest in the Malampaya gas project of Chevron Malampaya LLC Philippines, now known as UC 38 LLC, to UC Malampaya, an indirect subsidiary of Udenna Corporation. Last Oct. 25, 2019, UC Malampaya Philippines signed a sale and purchase agreement to acquire 100% of the shares of Chevron Malampaya LLC. Chevron Malampaya, a subsidiary of Chevron Philippines, Ltd., held a 45% non-operating interest in the gas field. De Lima maintained that it is in relation to these most pressing and far-reaching concerns that people should all set aside their political colors and affiliations, and stand side by side to decry collusions that she deemed "most prejudicial to the interests of the Filipino people." She stressed that "Energy - a very crucial resource - is at the heart of this controversy. What does the future hold for our people? Duterte and his cronies would know because they are once again front and center of yet another controversy laced with their personal interests". The lady Senator from Bicol said Filipinos cannot just watch as Duterte "pays his debt of gratitude to his campaign contributors turned cronies, to his minions turned officials drunk on power." She concluded that "We are witnessing one of the worst cases of cronyism in the history of the Philippine Republic, reminiscent of how, during the Marcos regime, Meralco was taken and handed over to the then President's brother-in-law, Kokoy Romualdez, during which time the public utility company somehow never turned a profit, as documented in, among others, an article by the Chicago Tribune". "Duterte, who once promised that he would not tolerate even a whiff of corruption, is, ironically, at the center of it all. Or is it really ironic? One cannot help but wonder whether this is a case of the allure of power that comes with his position and the nearly absolute control he accumulated over all the branches and institutions of government being his downfall, or if that was the plan all along from the very inception of his candidacy. "History would say that it's the latter, especially given who he has emulated from day one of his presidency, but that's just my opinion," she added. Champaign, IL (61820) Today Partly cloudy this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. High 67F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Rain likely. Low 56F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall may reach one inch. Longview, TX (75601) Today Scattered thunderstorms this morning, then cloudy skies this afternoon. High 86F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening. Thunderstorms likely late. Low 69F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Dizziness is a typical complaint with a wide range of possible causes, including both benign and dangerous illnesses. Lightheadedness and vertigo are two distinct experiences that are often referred to as dizziness. The feeling of being about to faint or "pass out" is known as lightheadedness. Even though one feels dizzy, they do not perceive themselves or their surroundings to be moving. When a person rests down, their lightheadedness usually goes away or improves. If lightheadedness worsens, it may cause a fainting sensation or a fainting spell. Vertigo is the sensation that oneself or one's surroundings are moving when there is no movement. It is possible to feel unbalanced and experience spinning, whirling, tumbling, or tilting sensations. Sufferers may feel nauseated or vomit if they have severe vertigo and they may have difficulty walking or standing, causing loss of balance and falling. Image Credit: BlurryMe/Shutterstock.com Dizziness An overview Dizziness accounts for about 3.5 percent of emergency department (ED) visits. Physicians must distinguish between the vast majority of dizzy patients who have self-limiting or readily curable diseases and the few who have life- or brain-threatening conditions using the fewest resources necessary. Dizzy patients had more testing, more imaging, longer ED stays, and are more likely to be admitted than those who do not experience dizziness. Total healthcare expenses for dizzy people in the United States were predicted to reach $10 billion in 2013. Adverse occurrences such as patient anxiety, fall-related injuries, and preventable massive strokes as a result of misdiagnosed mild cerebrovascular episodes were among the additional "costs." The traditional diagnostic paradigm for dizziness is taught across specialties and is based on symptom quality or type of dizziness (i.e., asking the question "What do you mean dizzy?"). However, newer research has cast doubt on its scientific foundation. The differential diagnosis is best informed by the chronology, triggers, and evolution over time; related symptoms; and context (rather than the descriptor used). Causes Although dizziness can affect anyone at any age, it is more frequent among the elderly. Older persons may reduce their physical and social activities due to a fear of dizziness. Falls and other injuries can occur as a result of dizziness. Dizziness is typically caused by a problem with the inner ear or the brain. It could be the result of an infection or a problem with the nerves. Low blood pressure, anxiety, nerve disorders, and heart difficulties can all cause balance problems without dizziness. Allergies, very deep or quick breathing (hyperventilation), illnesses such as the flu or colds, vomiting, diarrhea, and fever, use of cigarettes, alcohol, or illegal drugs, anxiety, and stress are just a few of the causes of lightheadedness. Bleeding is a more dangerous cause of lightheadedness. It can include severe menstrual bleeding as well as gastrointestinal bleeding. Arrhythmia and the usage of certain medications can also cause it. Vertigo happens when the messages provided to the brain by the bodys numerous balance and position-sensing systems conflict. Inner ear problems (BPPV, vestibular neuritis, Menieres disease, or labyrinthitis), migraine headaches, injury to the ear or head, and decreased blood flow via the arteries that bring blood to the base of the brain are all common causes of vertigo (vertebrobasilar insufficiency). It can also be induced by cholesteatoma, over-medication, drug intoxication, and alcohol intake. Treatment of dizziness latest updates A review published in Swiss Medical weekly summarizes the current treatment options recommended for different forms of dizziness. The best treatment options are those that are suited to the particular patient and the underlying cause. They should include neurology, ENT, ophthalmology, general internal medicine, emergency medicine, neurosurgery, physiotherapy, and ergotherapy as a multidisciplinary approach. In certain circumstances, such as cerebellar stroke or bilateral vestibular loss, it is possible to cure the symptoms of dizziness but not to completely reverse the etiology. Given that dizziness is one of the most common causes for people to visit their general practitioners or emergency rooms, it is critical to encourage further research. We would be able to make recommendations based on higher levels of evidence as a result of this. Comparative studies, in which different treatment techniques are compared to each other and a placebo, are essential. The initial steps in this regard have already been taken; for example, a multicenter, randomized placebo-controlled experiment on the treatment of vestibular paroxysmia is currently being conducted (VESPA). Similar trials for other causes of dizziness are hoped to be achievable in the future. Looking ahead Dizziness, vertigo, and unsteadiness are common symptoms of a variety of disorders that affect many organ systems. Diagnosis can be challenging. Misconceptions, overuse of resources, and misdiagnosis are all too often. A novel paradigm centered on time and triggers is more in line with the most recent research. Imaging is less reliable than history and physical examination, and the old paradigm is more likely to result in a definite diagnosis. References: If the United States ignores COVID-19 in Nigeria, we forgo global genomic surveillance at our own peril, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study published in Nature Communications. The study found global efforts to track variants grossly underreported a probable variant of concern, Eta, circulating in Nigeria in early 2021. This was followed by the circulation of a rare delta sublineage in the region that was different from the delta variant that circulated in most other parts of the globe. Nigeria is the seventh-most populated country on the planet, but there was very little viral sequencing data available from Nigeria until we started this study. The concern in having these gaps in surveillance is there may be new variants popping up in places across the globe we are not seeing. We do not want to be caught unprepared if all of a sudden a new variant with unique properties emerges onto the world stage." Judd Hultquist, PhD, co-corresponding study author, assistant professor of medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases Hultquist is also associate director of the Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution (CPGME). Judd Hultquist, PhD, assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases and associate director of the Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution (CPGME). "This study demonstrates the critical need for international cooperation in infectious disease surveillance in undersampled regions for the monitoring and 'early-warning' detection of new SARS-CoV-2 variants with concerning potential," said Ramon Lorenzo-Redondo, PhD, assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases, bioinformatics director of the CPGME and co-corresponding author of the study. Northwestern scientists sequenced nearly 400 nasal swabs from Nigerian COVID-19 patients, collected by collaborator Moses Adewumi, PhD, and his team at the University of Ibadan, who shipped the specimens to Northwestern for sequencing and analysis. The Ibadan scientists did not yet have the equipment or resources to sequence samples at their own institution. "What we found was really unexpected," Hultquist said. 'Gaps in surveillance leave us vulnerable' Northwestern researchers discovered two different variants of the virus that emerged in Nigeria at different times but that went largely underreported. "We showed one of those variants now called Eta by the World Health Organization had all the characteristics of a variant of concern," Hultquist said. "The spike protein of the Eta variant was more efficient at promoting infection in vitro and enhanced viral evasion of neutralizing antibody responses following natural infection. Furthermore, Eta was able to outcompete the Alpha variant in the region before the arrival of Delta. "When Alpha was circulating, it was a major focus of concern for public health officials and was widely reported in the media. But Eta was more important in Nigeria and other West African countries, even outcompeting Alpha in these regions, and we completely missed it. These types of gaps in surveillance leave us vulnerable. How long are we willing to take the risk that an important variant pops up and we miss it until it is already here?" Several other variants of concern, including Beta and Omicron, are suspected to have originated from Africa, emphasizing the importance of monitoring these undersampled regions. Scientists in South Africa identified the omicron variant early on and warned it might represent a new variant of concern, enabling other countries to prepare. "They were absolutely right," Hultquist said. The differences in the types of SARS-CoV-2 viruses found in Nigeria compared to the rest of the world suggests there is something about the region that is driving the evolution of these unique variants, which scientists don't entirely understand. Very different viral dynamic is occurring in Nigeria. Why? Babafemi Taiwo, MBBS, chief of Infectious Diseases in the Department of Medicine and the Gene Stollerman Professor of Medicine. "In this study, we have observed repeated expansions of globally uncommon lineages in Nigeria, which indicates a very different viral dynamic occurring in Nigeria compared to other regions of the world," Lorenzo-Redondo said. The country has reported relatively low numbers of hospitalization and low numbers of deaths throughout the pandemic, despite low vaccination rates and a population of over 200 million people. While it's possible the low case counts and hospitalizations could be due to underreporting, the number of deaths are thought to be more accurate. Part of the explanation for this low mortality rate might be Nigeria's younger overall population, "but most likely other complex factors not yet understood involving host immunity and/or virus-host interactions are playing a very important role," Lorenzo-Redondo said. "The fact that we have repeatedly seen bizarre variants pop up in Nigeria suggests the virus is there and in high enough numbers to be actively evolving," Hultquist said. To identify what variants might be problematic, scientists rely on how many times they see it and whether it is associated with increases in cases, hospitalizations or deaths. But if a variant pops up in Nigeria where there is little sequencing, scientists might miss early warning signs. By the time it spreads around the globe, it's too late, Hultquist said. "We have to start treating this pandemic truly as a global pandemic," Hultquist said. "This study demonstrates how our lack of a dedicated, global genomic surveillance effort is resulting in skewed data with potential risks. It's important to understand what new variants are arising to inform best practices in clinical care and public health policy." Collecting West African samples is currently too arduous But many low- and middle-income countries need more support. The effort required to obtain the Nigerian samples shows the challenges inherent in these efforts. Researchers in Ibadan had to travel to Lagos, the biggest city in the country, to obtain dry ice, sometimes driving between four and 10 hours in poor road conditions to do so. After they returned to pack the samples in the ice, they then had to drive again to Lagos to ship them to the U.S. for a total of four often arduous trips. Better access to sequencing equipment, supplies and training would allow more of the surveillance to be done in Nigeria. Building capacity for this type of work in other countries remains a major goal for the Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution and Feinberg's Institute for Global Health. This study was possible thanks to the long-term collaboration between Northwestern University and the University of Ibadan, led by Babafemi Taiwo, MBBS, chief of Infectious Diseases in the Department of Medicine and the Gene Stollerman Professor of Medicine. Other Northwestern authors include Egon Ozer, MD, PhD, '08 '12 GME, assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases and director of the CPGME, Taiwo, Lacy Simons, Taylor Dean and Mamoudou Maiga, MD, PhD, research associate professor in the McCormick School of Engineering and of Preventive Medicine in the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention. New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London has found that young people who experience loneliness during early adolescence (age 12) are at greater risk of leaving school with lower grades than their non-lonely counterparts, even if they stop being lonely later on. The study, published in Development and Psychopathology, finds that loneliness (whether temporary or ongoing) during someone's teenage years increases their risk of a number of negative outcomes, including poor mental health, self-harm, compulsive mobile phone use, and unhealthy lifestyle choices such as smoking. The findings suggest that, without the right support, the negative effects of loneliness could act as a force for downwards social mobility - a negative change in social position relative to where they started. 2232 participants from England and Wales were recruited from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study and assessed for a variety of outcomes at age 18; including levels of perceived loneliness, educational outcomes, and mental wellbeing. The study established that participants who experienced loneliness were at greater risk of negative outcomes compared to those that never experienced it. By 18, those who had undergone periods loneliness in the last six years were the most likely to experience problems such as depression and anxiety, as well lower levels of life satisfaction and quality of sleep. The researchers also drew distinction between the stages at which a child experiences loneliness. While those participants that were lonely at age 12 but subsequently 'recovered' were generally found to be at lower risk of poor mental health outcomes later on, they were still more likely to finish school with low qualifications. The researchers suggest that this could be due to early loneliness causing significant disruption, resulting in lost ground that can't be regained without support. Our study demonstrates that loneliness during someone's teenage years can have serious impact on their later life. In 2018, nearly half of 10-12 year olds reported feeling lonely at least some of the time, with as many as 15% saying that they often felt that way. Loneliness, however temporary, can be an extremely distressing experience, and we should make every effort to support those that need it so that they can overcome it." Dr Timothy Matthews, study's first lead author, King's IoPPN While the study did find that there were certain genetic factors that may put some people at greater risk than others of experiencing loneliness persistently, environmental factors like a loving home and supportive parents were found to have a greater influence on whether a person moved in or out of loneliness. Professor Louise Arseneault, the study's senior author from King's IoPPN said, "This study attests to the importance of early interventions to ensure that lonely young people, particularly those in the first couple of years of secondary school, are identified and given the support that they need to ensure they don't start on the back foot." King's IoPPN, in partnership with the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and the Maudsley Charity, are in the process of opening a world leading centre for children and young people mental health. The Pears Maudsley Centre for Children and Young People is expected to open in 2023 and will bring together researchers and clinicians to help find solutions that will transform the landscape for children's mental health. The E-Risk Study is funded by the Medical Research Council. Additional support was provided by National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and by the Jacobs Foundation. In a recent study posted to the Research Square preprint* server, researchers review existing literature to quantify the transmissibility, immune evasion, reinfection, and severity of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant. Study: Omicron SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Concern: A Review on its Transmissibility, Immune Evasion, Reinfection, and Severity. Image Credit: M.Aka / Shutterstock.com As a result of its high transmissibility, the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant is rapidly spreading across the world. In the United States, for example, this strain of SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for 95% of all new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases since January 1, 2022. Extensive research is needed to understand the extent to which the increased transmissibility and virulence of Omicron threaten public health globally. Furthermore, it is also crucial to determine how the global population should recognize these dynamics, perceive risk, and adhere to public health and social measures amid the emergence of the Omicron variant. About the study In the present study, the researchers performed a literature search in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, medRxiv, and bioRxiv using keywords such as Omicron, transmissibility, immune evasion, reinfection, and severity to find articles published in 2021 and 2022. Data reviewed in the present study included all the existing articles having at least one of these keywords. Study findings In one Norwegian study, among 117 people in a party that was 96% fully vaccinated, 74% got infected with Omicron after coming in contact with one individual from South Africa, from where Omicron was originally detected. Moreover, a study conducted in the United Kingdom found that the Omicron variant had a 10 times greater risk of reinfection than the Delta variant. In another study conducted in South Africa, substantial population-level evidence was acquired which demonstrated that Omicron, in contrast to the Beta and Delta variants, evades immunity from prior infection. Similarly, in a large-scale study conducted in Denmark, the researchers found that although there was no significant difference in transmissibility for Omicron and Delta among unvaccinated people, the Omicron variant was 2.6-3.7 times more infectious than the Delta variant among vaccinated people. Among studies discussing the severity of Omicron infections, one study conducted by researchers from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland indicated that when compared to the Delta variant, Omicron resulted in a two-thirds reduction in the probability of COVID-19 hospitalization. Notably, existing literature demonstrated that Omicron infections are much less severe than Delta variant infections. When assessing the clinical severity of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant using nationwide data, researchers in South Africa found that people with Omicron infection had an 80% lower risk of hospitalization than those without Omicron infection. In another study, the researchers compared the clinical characteristics of 466 patients infected with Omicron and admitted to a hospital in Tshwane, South Africa to 3,962 hospital admissions from earlier COVID-19 waves. To this end, the length of hospital stay was only 4.0 days for Omicron infection, which was comparable to the average hospital stay of 8.8 days during earlier waves. Conclusions Taken together, the current study revealed that Omicron spreads faster than previous SARS-CoV-2 variants. This is likely due to the ability variant of this to evade immune responses induced by vaccination and previous infections. Omicron also has several times higher odds of infecting vaccinated and previously infected people than Delta and other SARS-CoV-2 variants. However, the risk of infection from Delta and Omicron is almost similar among unvaccinated people. Almost all the studies reviewed in the current work consistently showed that the severity of infection in Omicron cases is much lower compared to Delta and other previous variants. Subsequently, there is a considerably lower risk of requiring hospital admission, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and mechanical ventilators in Omicron-infected individuals. Furthermore, Omicron infections were associated with shorter hospital stays and lower mortality rates. Although Omicron has an enhanced ability to escape immunity developed by vaccines, booster doses significantly protect individuals from symptomatic COVID-19 infections. Therefore, the authors strongly recommend the continuance of usual prevention measures, such as vaccination, masking, and suitable infection mitigation strategies for decreasing Omicron transmission, reducing morbidity and death to ultimately reduce the workload of healthcare systems globally. *Important notice Research Square publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. An international consortium of leading migraine scientists identified more than 120 regions of the genome that are connected to risk of migraine. The groundbreaking study helps researchers better understand the biological basis of migraine and its subtypes and could speed up the search for new treatment of the condition, which affects over a billion individuals wordwide. In the largest genome study of migraine yet, researchers have more than tripled the number of known genetic risk factors for migraine. Among the identified 123 genetic regions are two that contain target genes of recently developed migraine-specific drugs. The study involved leading migraine research groups in Europe, Australia and the United States working together to pool genetic data from more than 873,000 study participants, 102,000 of whom had migraine. The new findings, published on February 3, 2022 in the journal Nature Genetics, also uncovered more of the genetic architecture of migraine subtypes than was previously known. Neurovascular mechanisms underlie migraine pathophysiology Migraine is a very common brain disorder with over a billion patients worldwide. The exact cause of migraine is unknown, but it is believed to be a neurovascular disorder with disease mechanisms both within the brain and the blood vessels of the head. Previous research has shown that genetic factors contribute significantly to the migraine risk. However, it has long been debated whether the two main migraine types - migraine with aura and migraine without aura share similar genetic background. To gain more insight into the specific risk genes, researchers from the International Headache Genetics Consortium assembled a large genetic dataset to conduct a genome-wide association study (GWAS), looking for genetic variants that were more common in those who had migraine in general, or one of the two main migraine types. The results demonstrated that migraine subtypes have both shared risk factors and risk factors that appear specific to one subtype. The analyses highlighted three risk variants that appear specific to migraine with aura and two that appear specific to migraine without aura. In addition to implicating tens of new regions of the genome for more targeted investigation, our study provides the first meaningful opportunity to evaluate shared and distinct genetic components in the two main migraine subtypes." Heidi Hautakangas, first author of the study, Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki Furthermore, the results supported the concept that migraine is brought about by both neuronal and vascular genetic factors, strengthening the view that migraine truly is a neurovascular disorder. Potential to point to new therapies against migraine As migraine is globally the second largest contributor to years lived with disability, there is clearly a large need for new treatments. A particularly interesting finding was the identification of genomic risk regions containing genes that encode targets for recently developed migraine-specific therapeutics. One of the newly identified regions contains genes (CALCA/CALCB) encoding calcitonin gene-related peptide, a molecule involved in migraine attacks and blocked by the recently introduced CGRP inhibitor migraine medications. Another risk region covers the HTR1F gene encoding serotonin 1F receptor, also a target for new migraine-specific medications. Dr. Matti Pirinen, a group leader from the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, who led the study, commented: "These two new associations near genes that are already targeted by effective migraine drugs suggest that there could be other potential drug targets among the new genomic regions, and provide a clear rationale for future genetic studies with even larger sample sizes". The study was a joint effort between research groups from Australia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, UK and USA. A genetic variant changing just one base pair of nucleotides greatly increases risk of a high-risk subtype of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), according to a Northwestern Medicine study published in Nature Genetics. Tracing this oncogenic pathway provides a template for future studies of other types of cancers as well, according to Feng Yue, PhD, the Duane and Susan Burnham Professor of Molecular Medicine and co-senior author of the study. In this study, we discovered how an inherited gene variation regulates multiple known ALL oncogenes through a cascade of interactions. If we can manipulate this pathway, we could potentially prevent the development of this cancer." Feng Yue, associate professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, of Pathology and director of the Center for Cancer Genomics at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common leukemia among children. Genetic contributions to childhood ALL have been previously identified, but the mutations that lead to subtypes such as the more-lethal "Ph-like" ALL have remained mostly uncharacterized. In the current study, investigators at Feinberg and at St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital performed genetic sequencing in more than 5,000 children with ALL, identifying a non-coding mutation that was associated with significantly higher risk of Ph-like ALL. Because this genetic variant is non-coding, the scientists needed to determine which gene it controls and how it contributes to oncogenesis. Yue and his collaborators demonstrated that the mutation created an active enhancer: a genetic control element that influences its target from thousands of loci away. Through successive rounds of biochemical experiments, the authors demonstrated that this newly created enhancer could significantly increase the transcription of the gene GATA3, which is a known factor that can further regulate many other genes. In this particular scenario, GATA3 upregulates a pair of known oncogenes: CRLF2 and JAK-STAT. "GATA3 is a middleman between the harmful variant and the oncogenes," said Yue, who is also the director of the Center for Advanced Molecular Analysis at the Institute for Augmented Intelligence in Medicine. These oncogenes are known to promote cell proliferation and growth of the cancer helping explain why the Ph-like subtype is more lethal compared to other forms of ALL. Charting this pathway will aid future therapy design, Yue said. In particular, since either directly targeting GATA3 for inhibition or manipulating its enhancers through CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing could disable both downstream oncogenes, it is a promising line of study. Further, utilizing large genetic screens to identify influential mutations is a model that could be used in other cancer types, as many are likely to have similar genetic mechanisms that provide therapeutic opportunities, according to Yue. "The human genome has 3 billion base pairs, and what we've shown here is that one base pair difference can influence this pathogenic pathway it's unbelievable," Yue said. "There are thousands of other generic variants which are associated with different human diseases and traits. Such framework could be applied to many other types of cancer, as well." Bed nets save lives in the long run, according to a 22-year study in Tanzania which, for the first time, indicates that children who sleep under them at an early age are more likely to survive into adulthood. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, followed more than 6,700 children from 1998, tracking them again in 2019 to find out what happened to them. The results showed that survival of children who habitually slept under nets was over 40% higher compared with survival in those who slept under nets less frequently in their early childhood. Surprisingly, there are very few long-term population-based studies in any African country. With over 6,700 participants recruited and remarkably high completeness of follow-up after 20 years, this study is particularly unusual and provides unique insight into the long-term benefits of malaria control in young children. Malaria killed more than 600,000 people in 2020 and is especially dangerous for children. The disease, which is common in sub-Saharan Africa, is caused by a parasite transmitted through mosquito bites. In malaria-endemic areas, sleeping under a bed net treated with insecticide is one of the most effective ways to protect young lives. Until now, however, the long-term effect of malaria control in early childhood has been unclear. Theory suggested that preventing malaria in early life could make people more vulnerable later in life due to a lack of immunity, simply delaying life-threatening illness and death. Estimates from this rare long-term observational analysis appear to counter this theory by finding no evidence that prevention in early life leads to a surge in deaths later on. The study was led by researchers from Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) , the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH). We have known for a long time that bed nets save young lives, but we never knew for sure how long the benefits persisted. Our study shows that preventing malaria in early childhood has effects that last into adulthood. Dr Salim Abdulla, Principal Scientist at IHI and Study Author Between 1998 and 2003, the study enrolled 6,706 children born in Kilombero and Ulanga Districts, a part of rural Tanzania where malaria is endemic. Up to 2003, a survey team visited the childrens households every four months to collect information about the use of insecticide-treated bed nets. In 2019, 16 years later, the study team did a follow-up survey and was able to gather information relating to 89% (5,983) of the original participants. Sadly, the team learned that over 600 of the children had died. When the researchers analyzed the data from the study they discovered a positive long-term impact of bed nets. They estimated the association between bed net use and survival, using regression modelling to adjust for other differences between groups. Dr Gunther Fink, Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Household Economics at the University of Basel and Swiss TPH, and first author, said: Its so important to be able to go back and find out what happens to children when they grow up. Bed nets have been a huge part of malaria control efforts, and continue to be part of the toolkit. It is reassuring to see these long-term benefits, which further highlight the remarkably high returns to investing into early childhood infectious disease prevention and early life health more generally. Dr Joanna Schellenberg, Professor of Epidemiology and International Health at LSHTM and last author on the paper, said: Its remarkable that we were able to find information on nearly all these children born two decades ago. While our study shows the survival benefit of early-life malaria control persists until adulthood, it also reveals the potential of long-term community-based research. Its a testament to the deep social connections the interviewers had in the study communities, as well as making the most of mobile phone coverage. Co-author Mr Sigilbert Mrema, Research Scientist with IHI, said: One of our respondents was overjoyed simply to be told his exact date of birth. This type of long-term study is important not only in monitoring health but also in strengthening civil registration. The authors acknowledge limitations of the study, including the fact there was no information on children who died prior to the first study visit, which means that survival rates are not representative of all births. The study was funded by the Eckenstein-Geigy Professorship, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Swiss National Science Foundation. A recent study from Spain showed that the infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can change the overall structure and diversity of the nasopharyngeal microbiota in pregnant women which persists even weeks after clinical infection. The paper is currently available on Research Square preprint* server. Study: Nasopharyngeal Microbiota Profiling of Pregnant Women With Sars-Cov-2 Infection. Image Credit: NIAID The upper respiratory system is a primary portal of entry for many pathogens, and the literature suggests that perturbations and changes in the microbiota of the upper respiratory tract (which includes nose and nasopharynx) modulate the hosts propensity to various pathological conditions, such as acute respiratory tract infections. This is also the case with SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which readily enters the host through the upper airways. Consequently, the resident microorganisms found there (also known as microbiota of the respiratory system) may play a significant role from initiation to progression of the disease. Still, thus far, evidence on the exact relationship between the SARS-CoV-2 infection and the upper respiratory tract microbiota is still relatively scarce and discordant. And it is this paucity of reliable data that makes the situation in certain groups of people (such as pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals) even more unclear. In this new study, led by Dr. Francesca Crovetto from the Barcelona Center for Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu and Hospital Clinic in Spain, the nasopharyngeal microbiota in pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2 was assessed for the first time, and subpopulations have been compared. Comparing microbiota in pregnant women For the purposes of this study, pregnant women have been enrolled from a multicenter population-based cohort between March and June 2020 in Barcelona (Spain), in which the SARS-CoV-2 infection status has been determined by nasopharyngeal reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) and antibody level in peripheral blood. Furthermore, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) has been extracted from nasopharyngeal swab samples, and specific regions of the bacteria necessary for their identifications have been amplified using region-specific primers. The differential abundance of bacterial taxa was tested to evaluate alpha/beta diversity. The researchers were interested not only in the composition of nasopharyngeal microbiota in pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2 but also in potential differences in women with active versus past infection, as well as in symptomatic versus asymptomatic infection. The nasopharyngeal microbiota of pregnant women is altered by SARS-CoV-2 infection. A) Principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) ordination plot based on unweighted UniFrac distances according to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Each point corresponds to a sample. B) Barplots showing the composition of the nasopharyngeal microbiota of the population in healthy (NEG) and SARS-CoV-2-infected (POS) pregnant women. Phyla with a relative abundance lower than 0.5% and Cyanobacteria were grouped as Others for plotting. C) LDA effect size (LEfSe) analysis showing the genera that most discriminate both health conditions (infected vs. no infected). An LDA score >3 was considered a significant threshold. D) Boxplots showing the differences in the alpha diversity measured as observed ASV (amplicon sequence variant) and Shannon indexes according to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Statistical analysis of the differences between groups was calculated using the KruskalWallis test with FDR correction for multiple comparisons. POS: Positive result for SARS-CoV-2 (red), NEG: Negative result for SARS-CoV-2 (blue). *p<0.05, ** p<0.01, ***p<0.001 Differences in microbiota composition The study has shown differences in microbiota richness and evenness between SARS-CoV-2-positive pregnant women and those negative for the vires. More specifically, there was a higher relative abundance of Tenericutes and Bacteroidetes phyla (the latter primarily due to the higher abundance of the Prevotellaceae family). In addition, this research group has shown that detected microbial changes were somewhat similar among women with past and present SARS-CoV-2 infection, while no significant differences were reported in the most severe cases of COVID-19. An additional finding of this intriguing paper was the link between bacterial taxa that have been overrepresented in SARS-CoV-2-infected women and the levels of antibodies (primarily IgA and IgM). This implies a potential relationship between the microbiota and subsequent immune response to the infection with SARS-CoV-2. The paper further explains that a negative association between levels of IgA and IgM antibodies and the Corynebacterium genus has been detected. As the aforementioned genus represents one of the main constituents of nasopharyngeal microbiota related to a healthy condition, this is indeed an important finding. Confirming long-lasting effects In a nutshell, this study reported changes in the nasopharyngeal microbial community of pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2, which persisted even after the infectious course. Basically, the results support the notion of long-lasting effects of these changes, with important implications for affected individuals. Since we did not have a baseline evaluation, we cannot ascertain whether changes in the microbiota were present before the infection, say study authors in this paper. However, we believe this is unlikely, considering that other respiratory infections have also been reported to induce changes in the nasopharyngeal microbiota, they add. In any case, additional studies will be needed to confirm these results and appraise potential clinical implications of nasopharyngeal microbiota modifications in pregnancies complicated with SARS-CoV-2-CoV-2 infection. *Important notice Scientific Reports and Research Square publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. In a recent study published on the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers discuss their findings from a trajectory analysis of data searches on the web and social media with a focus on menstrual irregularities to examine the correlation between state- and national-level coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination rates and relative volume of searches. Study: Web and social media searches highlight menstrual irregularities as a global concern in COVID-19 vaccinations. Image Credit: 13_Phunkod / Shutterstock.com Background Across the globe, many women have reported an association between COVID-19 vaccination and menstrual irregularities. Concerns in the female population regarding a possible link between COVID-19 vaccination and abnormal menstrual cycles may lead to vaccine hesitancy. Furthermore, this unverified concern can be falsely exaggerated and used to promote fears of vaccine-associated abortions and infertility. However, COVID-19 pandemic-related stress may be the reason behind these menstrual irregularities. Recent studies have shown that there is a lack of adequate reporting to assess the effects of COVID-19 vaccines on menstrual irregularities due to the reluctance of female patients to discuss the matter with their healthcare practitioners. To determine the magnitude and spread of this potential link, the researchers of this study mined web data related to vaccines and menstrual irregularities. About the study In the current study, researchers used Google Trends, which enabled integrative spatiotemporal analysis for examining the relative volume of google searches for the term vaccine and period in English-speaking countries like Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. between January 2020 and November 2021. Worldwide TikTok use of the hashtag #periodproblems between January 2019 and October 2021. There is an initial dramatic peak of this hashtag (both in number of exposures to this term and number of responses to the term) in March 2020, possibly reflecting pandemic stress, yet this peak subsided and dramatically re-emerged as of January 2021with several peaks, possibly reflecting timing of initiation of vaccines in different countries. Note the massive engagement in this topic during worldwide vaccination drives. (a) Exposures to TikTok videos containing #periodproblems". (b) Responses to TikTok videos containing #periodproblems". Worldwide use of the hashtag #periodproblems on the video-focused social networking app TikTok between January 2019 and October 2021 was also studied. All obtained search data were integrated using Pandas with global COVID-19 vaccination data and COVID-19 aggregated statistics that includedCOVID-19 case and death rates. Python code was used to visualize all analyses, whereas the mining of data was performed by Pytrends. Study findings Following the initiation of COVID-19 vaccination programs, there was an increase in the relative volume of Google searches for the combination of terms period and vaccination. After a 50% vaccination rate was achieved, an additional three-to-five-fold increase in these searches was observed. From October 2020 to October 2021, due to the initiation of a state-specific COVID-19 vaccination program in the U.S., there was a prominent increase in these searches in each state. Additional major peaks in Google searches were observed after two to six months of initiation of the vaccination campaign. The researchers observed an initial significant peak of the hashtag #periodproblems on TikTok in March 2020 that included both exposures and responses to the term. This peak declined and promptly re-emerged in January 2021, with various prominent peaks emerging parallel to the timing of the initiation of COVID-19 vaccination campaigns across the world. Conclusions The current study observed a hike in searches related to vaccines and menstrual cycles post-initiation of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, thereby demonstrating apprehensions about vaccination-related menstrual irregularities across the globe. The analysis reflected a major concern of menstrual irregularities among the female population not complying with vaccination programs. This highlights a pressing need for scientific studies to validate the effect of COVID-19 vaccines on menstruation. The findings emphasize the importance of social media big data analysis as an effective tool in identifying public trends that prevent compliance to COVID-19 prevention efforts across different states and countries. Web and social media analyses can be translated into insightful health strategies for the identification of public health concerns and the design of health policies to fight against COVID-19. *Important notice medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. In early January, one of the country's top public health officials went on national television and delivered what she called "really encouraging news" on covid-19: A recent study showed that more than three-fourths of fatalities from the omicron variant of the virus occurred among people with several other medical conditions. "These are people who were unwell to begin with," said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Walensky's remarks infuriated Americans with disabilities, who say the pandemic has highlighted how the medical establishment and society at large treats their lives as expendable. Among those leading the protest was San Franciscan Alice Wong, an activist who took to Twitter to denounce Walensky's comments as "ableism." Walensky later apologized. A few more thoughts: The release of the recent unedited remarks by Dr. Walensky does not minimize the harm and mistrust created by the Administration. They have to work to gain back the trust of many communities.#CripTheVote #HighRiskCOVID19 https://t.co/GgZdPBvdKO -; Alice Wong (@SFdirewolf) January 12, 2022 Wong, 47, moves and breathes with the aid of a power wheelchair and a ventilator because of a genetic neuromuscular condition. Unable to walk from around age 7, she took refuge in science fiction and its stories of mutants and misunderstood minorities. Her awakening as an activist happened in 1993, when she was in college in Indiana, where she grew up. Indiana's Medicaid program had paid for attendants who enabled Wong to live independently for the first time, but state cuts forced her to switch schools and move back in with her parents. Wong relocated to the Bay Area for graduate school, choosing a state that would help her cover the cost of hiring personal care attendants. She has since advocated for better public health benefits for people who are poor, sick, or older or have disabilities. The founder of the Disability Visibility Project, which collects oral histories of Americans with disabilities in conjunction with StoryCorps, Wong has spoken and written about how covid and its unparalleled disruption of lives and institutions have underscored challenges that disabled people have always had to live with. She has exhorted others with disabilities to dive into the political fray, rallying them through her podcast, Twitter accounts with tens of thousands of followers, and a nonpartisan online movement called #CriptheVote. Wong is nocturnal she typically starts working at her computer around 9 p.m. On a recent evening, she spoke with KHN via Zoom from her condo in the city's Mission District, where she lives with her parents, immigrants from Hong Kong, and her pet snail, Augustus. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. Q: Why do you often refer to people with disabilities as oracles? Disabled people have always lived on the margins. And people on the margins really notice what's going on, having to navigate through systems and institutions, not being understood. When the pandemic first hit, the public was up in arms about adjusting to life at home the isolation, the lack of access. These are things that many disabled and chronically ill people had experienced. Disabled people had been trying forever to advocate for online learning, for accommodations in the workplace. The response was: "Oh, we dont have the resources," "It's just not possible." But with the majority inconvenienced, it happened. Suddenly people actually had to think about access, flexibility. That is ableism, where you dont think disabled people exist, you dont think sick people exist. Q: Have you noticed that kind of thinking more since the pandemic began? Well, yes, in the way our leaders talk about the risks, the mortality, about people with severe illnesses, as if they're a write-off. I am so tired of having to assert myself. What kind of world is this where we have to defend our humanity? What is valued in our society? Clearly, someone who can walk and talk and has zero comorbidities. It is an ideology, just like white supremacy. All our systems are centered around it. And so many people are discovering that they're not believed by their doctors, and this is something that a lot of disabled and sick people have long experienced. We want to believe in this mythology that everybody's equal. My critique is not a personal attack against Dr. Walensky; its about these institutions that historically devalued and excluded people. Were just trying to say, "Your messaging is incredibly harmful; your decisions are incredibly harmful." Q: Which decisions? The overemphasis on vaccinations versus other mitigation methods. That is very harmful because people still dont realize, yeah, there are people with chronic illnesses who are immunocompromised and have other chronic conditions who cannot get vaccinated. And this back and forth, its not strong or consistent about mask mandates. With omicron, there is this huge pressure to reopen schools, to reopen businesses. Why don't we have free tests and free masks? You're not reaching the poorest and the most vulnerable who need these things and can't afford them. Q: How has your life changed during the pandemic? For the last two years, I have not been outside except to get my vaccinations. Q: Because you're so high-risk? Yeah. I have delayed so many things for my own health. For example, physiotherapy. I dont get lab tests. Ive not been weighed in over two years, which is a big deal for me because I should be monitoring my weight. These are things Ive put on hold. I dont see myself going in to see my doctor any time this year. Everythings been online its in a holding pattern. How long can I take this? I really dont know. Things might get better, or they might get worse. So many things disabled people have been saying have been dismissed, and that's been very disheartening. Q: What kinds of things? For example, in California, it was almost this time last year when they removed the third tier for covid vaccine priority. I was really looking forward to getting vaccinated. I was thinking for sure that I was part of a high-risk group, that Id be prioritized. And then the governor announced that he was eliminating the third tier that I was a part of in favor of an age-based system. For young people who are high-risk, they're screwed. It just made me so angry. These kinds of decisions and values and messages are saying that certain people are disposable. Theyre saying Im disposable. No matter what I produce, what value I bring, it doesnt matter, because on paper I have all these comorbidities and I take up resources. This is wrong, its not equity, and its not justice. It took a huge community-based effort last year to get the state to backtrack. We're saying, "Hey were here, we exist, we matter just as much as anyone else." Q: Do you think there's any way this pandemic has been positive for disabled people? I hope so. Theres been a lot of mutual aid efforts, you know, people helping each other. People sharing information. People organizing online. Because we cant wait for the state. These are our lives on the line. Things were a little more accessible in the last two years, and I say a little because a lot of universities and workplaces are going backward now. Theyre doing away with a lot of the hybrid methods that really gave disabled people a chance to flourish. Q: You mean they're undoing things that helped level the playing field? Exactly. People who are high-risk have to make very difficult choices now. Thats really unfortunate. I mean, what is the point of this if not to learn, to evolve? To create a new normal. I cant really see that yet. But I still have some hope. This story was produced by KHN, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation. A recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server assessed the effectiveness of vaccines against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron and Delta variants. Since the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in November 2021, global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections have sharply increased at an unprecedented rate. This novel variant, classified as a variant of concern (VOC) by the World Health Organization (WHO), contains over 30 mutations that impart increased transmissibility and immune-evasive traits. Omicron vaccine breakthrough cases and reinfections have been observed in many countries raising concerns over the efficacy of available vaccines and therapeutics against the new variant. Studies have reported reduced efficacy of the BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, and ChAdOx1 vaccines against the Omicron variant; however, boosting the immune responses with an additional vaccine dose increased neutralization. The study In the present study, the authors measured the efficacy of primary and booster vaccinations against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron and Delta VOCs and compared the cycle threshold (Ct) values for the two variants in infected cases according to the vaccination status. The study was conducted in Portugal between December 6 and 26, 2021, when the Delta VOC was predominant in circulation and was gradually replaced by the Omicron VOC. The study population included Portuguese residents aged 12 years or older without a history of COVID-19 infection. People over 50 were included for assessing the effect of booster shots because the younger population was ineligible for boosters. The Omicron variant is detected based on an S-gene target failure (SGTF) signal in reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests due to the 69-70 deletion in its spike protein that differentiates it from the Delta VOC. The authors identified Omicron infections by whole genome sequencing (WGS) and/or by SGTF, and all SGTF-positive samples were considered as Delta variants. In Portugal, two-dose vaccines like BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, ChAdOx1, and Janssens single-dose vaccine are used for primary vaccination, and BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 vaccines are used for booster doses. The vaccination status of the infected cases was stratified as 1) unvaccinated, 2) partial primary vaccination where the COVID-19 diagnosis (vaccine breakthrough infection) was confirmed within 14 days of completion of the vaccine course (two-dose or single-dose), 3) complete primary vaccination with COVID-19 diagnosis after 14 days of the vaccine course, 4) partial boost where vaccine-boosted people were infected with COVID-19 in less than 14 days, and 5) complete boost where the COVID-19 infection was diagnosed after 14 days of administering the booster. A chi-square test was used to compare the patient characteristics of the Omicron and Delta infections and a logistic regression analysis was used to measure confounding-adjusted odds of complete/booster vaccination. Odds ratio (OR) was calculated and an OR value of 1 indicated no difference in the odds of vaccination, an OR < 1 meant comparatively higher vaccine efficacy against the Omicron VOC than the Delta VOC, and an OR value > 1 is indicative of lower vaccination efficacy against the Omicron variant as compared to the Delta variant. Findings A total of 13,134 out of 15,001 collected samples were examined with Omicron cases representing 37.3% of the samples. The authors observed an OR value of 2.1 for mRNA and viral-vectored vaccines in the study population indicating lower vaccine efficacy against the Omicron variant. Around 3,737 of the participants had received booster shots and a higher OR value of 5.2 was observed for boosted individuals infected with the Omicron variant, suggesting lower effectiveness of the booster shots against Omicron compared to the Delta variant. The researchers estimated the efficacy of vaccines against Omicron infection to be 28.1% for primary vaccination and 68.8% for the booster dose. The mean Ct value for Omicron cases ranged from 18.3 to 18.6 for different vaccines while it was between 17.8 to 19.5 for Delta infections, and these observed differences were not statistically significant. Conclusions Based on the above observations, the authors concluded that primary vaccination offered lower protection against the Omicron variant but the vaccine efficacy against the Omicron VOC increased after a booster shot. It is unclear whether the immunity offered by a booster could wane over time as has been observed for primary vaccination and more research is required to monitor the immune responses after the booster dose. The differences noted for Ct values between Delta and Omicron cases were not significant suggesting that the molecular basis for high transmission of Omicron was due to its mutational pattern rather than higher viral load. To summarize, the study findings revealed that protection by primary or booster vaccination was lower against the Omicron variant as compared to the Delta variant; nonetheless, booster doses offered higher protection than primary vaccination alone. Therefore, in regions where Omicron cases are dominant, booster vaccine doses could help lower the number of COVID-19 infections and reduce the clinical severity of the disease. *Important notice medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* pre-print server, a team of researchers developed a hybrid vaccine for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and influenza viruses using influenza virus-like particles (VLP). All the currently used coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines, including Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca target the full-length spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 that binds to human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) protein for entry into host cells. Cytokines increase the vaccine efficacy by activating immune cells, and in the present study, two cytokines were evaluated for their potential as biological adjuvants - GM-CSF and interleukin-12 (IL-12). GM-CSF has been used as an adjuvant in the FDA-approved prostate cancer vaccine, Provenge, by Dendreon. Also, it induces a robust immune response primarily through the maturation and differentiation of antigen-presenting cells (APCs), such as dendritic cells. Similarly, the second cytokine IL-12 induces a Th1 T-cell response with a promising clinical benefit in cancer patients. Preclinical and clinical trials have shown that recombinant soluble IL-12 (as an adjuvant) also enhances immune response and alleviates unfavorable side effects and systemic toxicity in cancer, viral hepatitis, and influenza patients. About the study In the present study, researchers used an influenza VLP to develop a two-in-one hybrid vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A. They formed a fusion protein using granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) adjuvant and glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored SARS-CoV-2 S receptor-binding domain (RBD), expressed it in CHO-S cell lines, and then purified and incorporated it onto influenza VLPs to develop the hybrid vaccine. The protein transfer approach allowed the anchoring of cytokines to the VLPs surface, thus limiting their systemic toxicity at the vaccination site. Another advantage of using a protein transfer approach was that it required only low amounts of VLP for optimum antiviral response in mice. The researchers used a GPI-anchor to engineer a membrane-bound form of cytokines that permitted the incorporation of purified GPI-anchored proteins into the lipid bilayer of influenza VLPs by a simple protein transfer technique. This approach helped researchers in presenting multiple viral-specific antigens to the immune system to mount a robust immune response. Findings The results showed that the hybrid (or two-in-one) vaccine strategy was quite promising, and multivalent vaccines could quite effectively prevent both influenza A and SARS-CoV-2 infections. The hybrid vaccine induced a robust antibody response in mice against both influenza A H1N1 virus and mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 virus. Additionally, vaccinated mice showed decreased viral load, significantly lower lung viral titers, and less weight loss when challenged with mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2, compared to naive mice administered with plain VLP. After three months of receiving the booster dose, mice were still well protected against the H1N1 virus, suggesting that the hybrid vaccine-induced antibody and T cell responses against influenza were long-lasting. Subsequently, neutralizing antibody titers remained high even after six months of vaccination, confirming the durability of immune responses. In mice, although viral titers in the lungs decreased, vaccination prevented lethality and weight loss, suggesting that the hybrid vaccine containing GPI-RBD-GM-CSF with cytokine adjuvants protected from severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. Furthermore, purified vaccine (without VLP) induced long-lasting (up to one year) antibody response in immunized mice after a year of receiving a booster dose. However, these antibodies, mostly IgG1, could not neutralize the live virus though they blocked ACE-2 binding to SARS-CoV-2 S. Hybrid vaccine (VLP with GPI-RBD-GM-CSF fusion protein and GPI-IL-12), on the other hand, induced both IgG1 and IgG2a isotypes and blocked SARS-CoV-2 virus infection. These findings suggested that the Th1 type response induced by the hybrid vaccine was more protective than the Th2 type response induced by the purified GPI-RBD-GM-CSF. In the hybrid vaccine, where the adjuvant and antigen source were physically linked, a simultaneous presentation to the host immune cells occurred. This enhanced immune reactivity and increased vaccine efficacy, compared to the vaccination approach wherein antigen and adjuvant mixture remained unconjugated. Further, IL-12 and GM-CSF targeted dendritic cells, by binding to IL-12 and GM-CSF receptors, thereby enhancing antigen uptake, presentation, and subsequently T cell responses. Conclusions To summarize, the present study demonstrated the remarkable effectiveness of a vaccine platform using influenza VLP-based delivery of SARS-CoV-2 RBD protein in combination with cytokine adjuvants to develop hybrid vaccines. These vaccines showed promising efficacy against all the variant strains currently circulating during the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The fusion protein vaccine design also allowed the creation of fusion proteins with new variant sequences that might be quickly purified using anti-GM-CSF monoclonal antibody (mAb) affinity chromatography. In the future, the use of immobilized cytokines as adjuvants will pave a safer way to induce antiviral immunity with minimal side effects. *Important notice bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. The development and mass administration of vaccines allowed many governments to dismantle the costly and restrictive measures put in place to halt the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The sheer scale of the vaccination programs offers very large sample sizes for estimating vaccine effectiveness, which researchers have taken advantage of in their most recent study in Emerging Infectious Diseases. Study: Effectiveness of 3 COVID-19 Vaccines in Preventing SARS-CoV-2 Infections, JanuaryMay 2021, Aragon, Spain. Image Credit: myboys.me/Shutterstock The study The researchers studied residents in Aragon, Spain, and conducted a prospective population-based cohort study among the Aragon Health Service users of 16 years old and higher. To be eligible, participants must have evidence of no previous SARS-CoV-2 infection through rtPCR, antigen testing, or IgG testing. The researchers tracked most vaccine data, except for individuals who received the Janssen vaccine, as the number of individuals who had received it was too low for proper analysis. Each patient was grouped by vaccination status until they were either infected or died from the disease. Following the first dose, patients were defined as exposed up until 12 days for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, two weeks following the Moderna vaccine, and three weeks following the AstraZeneca vaccine. Unvaccinated patients were defined as unexposed. For patients to be characterized as infected, the presence of SARS-CoV-2 was required to be confirmed by either rapid antigen testing or RT-PCR. Several characteristics were examined to evaluate the risk of confounding effects, including age, sex, work/residency in nursing/residential homes, the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 in the local area, and the number of tests administered in the past six months. The incidence rate (IR) of SARS-CoV-2 infection was defined as the number of confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections divided by the sum of exposure times for each participant. Unadjusted estimators were computed using a Cox proportional-hazards model that included vaccination status, and unadjusted vaccine efficiency was computed against SARS-CoV-2 infection as 1 minus hazard ratio. Adjusted estimators were computed using the same model type, including the baselines data on most of the characteristics that were at risk of acting as confounders as categorical covariates in the models. Weekly cumulative incidence (WCI) from each primary care service area and the number of tests administered in the area were added as time variable terms. Each interval was assigned to the previous weeks' WCI, and all intervals were added to the model as individual observations. Age and WCI were split into four categories based on percentiles. In total, the scientists managed to gather a cohort of 964,258 individuals around 72% of the population of Aragon. Participants' vaccination exposure was stratified by their demographic characteristics. Approximately 242,000 had been vaccinated with one dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, slightly less with two doses, ~32,000 with one dose of Moderna and ~15,000 with two, and just under 100,000 with one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Five hundred ninety-two thousand had not been vaccinated. The researchers found that the unvaccinated participants had a total of 25,767 infections an IR of 1.41/1000 person weeks. This was the highest IR of all vaccine groups, with those who had received one dose of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Oxford-AstraZeneca showing IRs of 0.86, 0.31, and 0.55, respectively. Of the individuals who had received two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, the IRs were 0.23 and 0.21. Unadjusted vaccine effectiveness for each vaccine was calculated at 23.5% for one dose and 76.1% after two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, 69.2% and 78.4% for Moderna, and 43.7% after one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. These figures changed slightly after adjusting for confounding characteristics, with Pfizer-BioNTech showing 20.8% and 76.1%, Moderna showing 52.8% and 70.3%, and AstraZeneca showing 40.3%. The risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection was, as expected, highest for unvaccinated participants 2% at day 44 and 4% at day 154. For most vaccinated participants, the risk remained below 1% for the entire study, except for those who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, as the risk rose to 1% at day 40 before falling again. Conclusion The authors highlight that they have successfully shown the effectiveness of different vaccines against SARS-Cov-2 infection and have found different and lower efficacy estimates than official clinical trials. They suggest that the difference in Pfizer-BioNTech results could be due to the cohort's significantly higher percentage of elderly individuals. The difference in results for the Moderna vaccine is put down to low sample sizes in the initial study. Unfortunately, early worries over the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine halted administration, and the vaccine was almost exclusively applied to the elderly making it difficult to assess the results. The information gathered and analyzed here could be valuable to public health policymakers and vaccine manufacturers and help decide which vaccines governments will prioritize. Mrs. Janice Lindsey Seay, 80, of Pell City, Alabama passed away on February 10, 2022 in Birmingham. Mrs. Seay was a member of Pell City First United Methodist Church. She was a loving wife, mother, dedicated teacher and world traveler. She is survived by her husband, Ted Seay; sons, Phil (Mi (Newser) Update: The American dad sentenced to two years in a Fuchu prison for helping Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn escape Japan is suffering behind bars, according to his legal team. One of Michael Taylor's US-based attorneys, Paul Kelly, tells the New York Times the facility's lack of heating led to a frostbite diagnosis in January for the 61-year-old, who experienced red, blistered fingers. His legal team continues to lobby to have Taylor and his 28-year-old son, Peter, also imprisoned in Japan, transferred to a US prison. Critics says there's "an almost ubiquitous lack of heating and cooling" in Japan's prison system, but Japan's corrections department tells the Times inmates receive the clothing, blankets, and medical care they need to protect them from the cold. Our original story from July 2021 follows: A Tokyo court handed down prison terms for the American father and son accused of helping Nissans former chairman, Carlos Ghosn, escape to Lebanon while awaiting trial in Japan. Michael Taylor was sentenced Monday to two years in prison, while his son Peter was sentenced to one year and eight months, the AP reports. They were charged with helping a criminal in the December 2019 escape of Ghosn, who hid in a big box that was flown on a private jet via Turkey to Lebanon. Lebanon has no extradition treaty with Japan. In handing down the sentencing, Chief Judge Hideo Nirei said they had committed a serious violation of the law, as now there's next to no chance of putting Ghosn on trial. "This case enabled Ghosn, a defendant of a serious crime, to escape overseas," he said. Although the defense argued the two had been merely used by Ghosn, they clearly were involved, regardless of who was making the decisions, he said. Ghosn was arrested in Japan in November 2018 on charges of underreporting his compensation and of breach of trust in using Nissan Motor Co. money for personal gain. He says he is innocent, and he left because he could not expect a fair trial in Japan. The Taylors were arrested in Massachusetts in May 2020 and extradited to Japan in March. During their trial, they apologized, saying they had been misled by Ghosn about Japans criminal justice system. Michael Taylor sobbed and said he was broke, denying they had benefited monetarily because the $1.3 million prosecutors said Ghosn paid them just covered expenses. But Nirei, the judge, said the court found that the motive was money. The Taylors can appeal within two weeks, he said. (Read more Carlos Ghosn stories.) (Newser) When Kurt Groszhans set out from North Dakota for Ukraine in 2017, he was eager to connect with his family's ancestral homeland and to farm the rich soil for which the country is known, per the AP. But his farming venture with a law professor who's now a high-ranking Ukrainian government official soon collapsed in acrimony and accusations, culminating in his arrest last November on charges of plotting to assassinate his former business partner. His family and supporters say the accusations are bogus and designed to silence Groszhan's claims of corruption in Ukraine, a country pulled between Russian and Western interests and straining to shed its reputation for graft and cronyism. The case is unfolding as Ukraine braces for a potential Russian invasion and as the US has ordered the families of American personnel at the US Embassy to evacuate. The upheaval has Groszhan's family afraid that the North Dakota farmer could be left behind, with the US government preoccupied with broader concerns of possible military action. We're terrified for my brother's well-being right now, especially everything that you're hearing in the news with the Russian troops on the border, says his sister, Kristi Magnusson. She called on the Biden administration and the State Department to "use their leverage to get him home. Asked for comment, the State Department said the administration took seriously its responsibility to help detained Americans and was closely following the case, but declined to comment further. Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, who recently visited Groszhans at the detention center where he awaits trial, said the episode has created friction between at least me and them, if not our two governments, that should be alleviated" at a time when US and Ukrainian interests should be aligned in countering the threat from Moscow. Click to read much more on how the allegations against Groszhans unfolded.) (Read more Ukraine stories.) (Newser) Jeff Zucker announced that he was quitting CNN because of his failure to disclose his romantic relationship with a colleague, Allison Gollust. But he'll also be remembered for Zucker's mutually beneficial relationship with Donald Trump, Margaret Sullivan writes in her Washington Post column. In some ways, the TV executive produced Trump. "Zucker, as much as any other person in the world, created and burnished the Trump personafirst as a reality-TV star who morphed into a worldwide celebrity, then as a candidate for president who was given large amounts of free publicity," Sullivan writes. It was Zucker who put The Apprentice on the air when he was at NBC, making Trump, with his "confident bluster," a reality star. "The show was built as a virtually nonstop advertisement for the Trump empire and lifestyle," Marc Fisher and Michael Kranish wrote in their book, Trump Revealed. When Trump launched his candidacy, Zucker had moved to CNN but hadn't forgotten their past rating success. CNN added to the hype by famously showing a vacant stage during the campaign with such breathless messages on the screen as "Breaking News: Standing By for Trump to Speak." He spoke, and CNN cameras rolled. CNN's ratings rose with Trump. And by the time he became the GOP presidential nominee and started accusing the network of being "fake news," it was too late for CNN to turn back. The network was all in on Trump. Now, Sullivan writes, US democracy is threatened partly because Zucker wanted the ratings. He once showed a glimmer of regret in 2016, she says, acknowledging that "if we made any mistake last year, it's that we probably did put on too many of his campaign rallies in those early months and let them run." Zucker then backed away, Sullivan points out, saying, "You never knew what he would say." Trump was ratings. You can read the full piece here. (Read more Jeff Zucker stories.) (Newser) Alphonso David, the first Black president of Human Rights Campaign, was fired in September after more than two years in the roleand now he's suing the LGBTQ advocacy organization, saying it terminated him because of his race. In fact, the group has a "deserved reputation for unequal treatment of its non-white employees," the suit claims. David says he was underpaid for the same reason, and that HRC board members "acknowledged" the reason he got less than his predecessor was because the president before him had been white. The HRC's interim president says the lawsuit is "riddled with untruths" and that David was actually fired because the New York attorney general's probe found that he had helped to discredit one of the women who accused Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment. David served as Cuomo's chief counsel until 2019. David also says he was discouraged from talking about race, alleging a senior exec criticized him for issuing a statement in support of Black Lives Matter on the HRC's behalf, saying it could "alienate" "white gay men" and other donors; asked him not to mention on his website bio that he was the first Black president of the HRC; and was not happy when David hired a Black-owned consulting firm, then once criticized a Black HRC staffer for going to a meeting with the company without a white staffer present because "it will be just like all the Black people looking out for each other." David also says a board member asked him after one speech, "We all know youre Black, why do you keep telling us that?" and a board co-chair said after the same speech that HRC "was not ready for a Black president," NPR reports. But the HRC's interim president insists the finding from the AG's investigation was a "painful revelation, particularly because so many members of the LGBTQ+ community are survivors of assault and harassment themselves." She adds, "Notably, some of the individuals he accuses of discriminatory behavior are people of color and champions of racial equity and inclusion who provided support and guidance as Mr. David led the organization." Nonetheless, NBC News points out HRC has been criticized at other times over the past 10 years for allegedly discriminating against people of color and transgender people. "Discrimination and bias are rife within HRC. And Im just the latest person to be affected," David tells the Washington Post. He says the actions he took while working for Cuomo were not improper. (Read more Human Rights Campaign stories.) (Newser) One of the men convicted of murder in the chase and fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery says he plans to stand trial for a second time in the killing rather than plead guilty to a federal hate crime, the AP reports. Greg McMichael reversed course late Thursday on a planned guilty plea, days after a US District Court judge rejected terms of a plea deal that he and his son, Travis McMichael, had negotiated with prosecutors. That deal was met with passionate objections by Arberys parents. Travis McMichael was scheduled to appear in court Friday morning to announce his decision after being warned by the judge that she would not guarantee their sentence if they chose to plead guilty. The McMichaels and a neighbor, William Roddie Bryan, were convicted of murder in a Georgia state court last fall and sentenced to life in prison. Separate from that case, the three white men were also indicted in US District Court on charges that they violated Arberys civil rights and targeted him because he was Black. The McMichaels armed themselves and chased Arbery in a pickup truck after spotting the 25-year-old man running past their home just outside the port city of Brunswick on Feb. 23, 2020. Bryan joined the pursuit in his own truck and recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael blasting Arbery with a shotgun. Both men had planned to plead guilty to a hate crime charge earlier this week after prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed on a 30-year sentence that would include a request to transfer the McMichaels from Georgias state prison system to federal custody. The deal would have required the McMichaels to admit to racist motives and forfeit the right to appeal their federal sentence. US District Judge Lisa Godbey Wood rejected the deal Monday after Arberys parents objected, arguing conditions in federal prison wouldnt be as harsh. Wood said she ultimately denied the deal because it would have locked her into a specific sentence. (Read more Ahmaud Arbery stories.) (Newser) Southwest Airlines will resume alcohol sales on most of its flights this month following a nearly two-year hiatus. COO Mike Van de Ven said last week that the resumption would likely come late in the first quarter or early in the next quarter, per CNBC. The date is now confirmed as Feb. 16, with beer, wine, rum, tequila, and vodka to be made available on flights covering at least 176 miles. Tonic water, apple juice, Coke Zero, Dr. Pepper, hot tea, and hot cocoa will also be added to the list of available non-alcoholic beverages, per NBC News. "Customers have expressed a desire for more beverage options," said Tony Roach, vice president customer experience and customer relations, per Reuters. However, the airline's 16,000-member flight attendants' union labeled the move "unsafe and irresponsible." "We have adamantly and unequivocally informed management that resuming sales of alcohol while the mask mandate is in place has the great potential to increase customer non-compliance and misconduct issues," said union president Lyn Montgomery, per NBC. The mask mandate requires passengers to wear a face mask unless eating or drinking. Some 70% of the 5,981 reports of unruly passenger behavior received by the FAA last year involved disputes over mask compliance, per CNBC. Both American Airlines and Alaska Airlines scaled back recent service expansions in response to complaints from flight attendants' unions. (Read more Southwest Airlines stories.) (Newser) About 350,000 homes and businesses lost power across the US on Thursday as freezing rain and snow weighed down tree limbs and encrusted power lines, part of a winter storm that caused a deadly tornado in Alabama, dumped more than a foot of snow in parts of the Midwest, and brought rare measurable snowfall and hundreds of power outages to parts of Texas. Storm conditions also caused headaches for travelers across the country as airlines canceled more than 9,000 flights scheduled for Thursday or Friday in the US, per the AP. The disruptive storm began Tuesday and moved across the central US on Wednesday's Groundhog Day, the same day the famed groundhog Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter. The highest totals of power outages blamed on icy or downed power lines were concentrated in Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas, and Ohio, but the path of the storm stretched further, from the central US into the South and Northeast. Heavy snow was expected from the southern Rockies to northern New England, while forecasters said heavy ice buildup was likely from Pennsylvania to New England through Friday. Parts of Ohio, New York, and northern New England were expected to see heavy snowfall, with 12 to 18 inches of snow possible in some places through Friday, Andrew Orrison, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in College Park, Md., said. However, ice accumulations were expected to be the primary hazard from central and eastern Pennsylvania through the Catskills of New York to New England. Along the warmer side of the storm, strong thunderstorms capable of damaging wind gusts and tornadoes were possible Thursday in parts of Mississippi and Alabama, the Storm Prediction Center said. In western Alabama, Hale County Emergency Management Director Russell Weeden told WBRC-TV a tornado that hit a rural area Thursday afternoon killed one person and critically injured three others. A home was heavily damaged, he said. Tornadoes in the winter are unusual but possible, and scientists have said the atmospheric conditions needed to cause a tornado have intensified as the planet warms. In Texas, the return of subfreezing weather brought heightened anxiety nearly a year after February 2021's catastrophic freeze that buckled the state's power grid for days, leading to hundreds of deaths in one of the worst blackouts in US history. Facing a new test of Texas' grid, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said it was holding up and on track to have more than enough power to get through the storm. Texas had about 70,000 outages by Thursday morning, nowhere close to the 4 million outages reported in 2021. (Read more winter storm stories.) (Newser) For most, the National Butterfly Center in Mission, Texas, is a gathering place for nature lovers. For a group of QAnon conspiracy theorists, it's a site rife with human traffickinga debunked suspicion that has led to so much harassment and threats that the sanctuary has now announced it's closing for the "immediate future," reports NPR. In a Wednesday Facebook post, the nonprofit noted the "difficult decision" to shutter had been made late Tuesday "in the wake of recent events targeting the center." It notes there's not yet a clear reopening date, as it awaits guidance from "the authorities and professionals who are helping us navigate this situation." The trouble seems to have started back in 2019, when Brian Kolfagea supporter of former President Trump who was indicted on charges of misappropriating funds from donors who gave money to build Trump's US-Mexico border wallposted a tweet that accused the sanctuary's director, Marianna Trevino Wright, of human trafficking, per the Texas Tribune. Trevino Wright believes the butterfly center ended up on the conspiracy theorists' radar in the first place due to a lawsuit it filed in 2017 to keep Trump's wall from being built on its property. The sanctuary sued Kolfage and his group for defamation over the tweet, and that kicked off a long wave of threats and harassment, leading up to a Jan. 21 incident in which Kimberly Lowe, a right-wing congressional candidate from Virginia, showed up at the center and demanded to see "all the illegals crossing on the raft" on the Rio Grande next to the property. Trevino Wright says that when she asked Lowe to leave, Lowe tackled her then tried to run over her son with her car. In a statement to the Washington Post, Lowe concedes she visited the center "to see what is happening at the border," but she denies knocking Trevino Wright down and says she "safely drove around" Trevino Wright's son. Before this longer-term shutdown, the butterfly center closed its doors for three days at the end of January, "due to credible threats" that it might be a target of a nearby border security rally. "It's incredibly distressing that the United States has come to the point where a really significant part of the public is just no longer tethered to reality," Jeffrey Glassberg, the founder of the center's parent, the North American Butterfly Association, tells the Tribune. The center's employees will continue to receive a paycheck during the closure, per an association release. (Read more butterfly stories.) (Newser) If Massachusetts woman Pam Harght had been looking in a different direction during a business call on Tuesday, three fishermen would have almost certainly perished in the frigid waters of Cape Cod Bay. Harght, who was working from home, says she was looking out the window when she saw a familiar 55-foot fishing vessel appear to turn over and sink. "It happened so fast," she tells the Boston Globe. "I excused myself from the call. I said, I have to go, and just hung up." She called 911 and used an app to give authorities the coordinates of where the boat had gone down off the coast of Scituate. Boats from the Coast Guard, police, fire department, and two harbormaster's offices found the three exhausted men about half a mile from the shore, clinging to a 200-foot hose that had been on the boat. The men, who were not wearing life jackets or survival suits, had been in the water for more than 45 minutes, surrounded by a slick of diesel fuel from their boat. "They were helpless, Scituate Fire Chief John Murphy told CBS Boston. "Clinging for life, holding onto ... floating hoses, and by the time we were able to get them in the boat with rope to them, they couldnt even do that." He said they were extremely lucky Harght called. "We probably wouldve found them on the beach tomorrow realistically." The three men were hospitalized with severe hypothermia, police said in a Facebook post. Fisherman Joe Roderick tells the Globe being in the rough sea, treading water in multiple layers of waterlogged clothes, was "pure hell." He says they were fishing for surf clams when the boat started tipping. He says it capsized and sank within two minutes and they swam for the hose, which was the only thing floating. Authorities say Harght was the only person who called 911 about the sinking. "It was a total fluke," she says. "I just happened to be looking out the window." (Read more uplifting news stories.) (Newser) Betty White fans came through and donated to animal rights causes in her name after her death on New Year's Eve. Now, a new honor for the late comedian and actress, albeit a more unusual one. MPR News reports that Minnesota's Department of Transportation has held a snowplow-naming contest for the second straight yearperhaps you remember 2021's Plowy McPlowface?and "Betty Whiteout" far and away emerged the victor out of 50 finalists. The DOT says more than 22,000 name ideas were originally submitted, and once that list was whittled down to 50, 60,000 votes were cast to select the winner. Here are the top eight names, which will be imprinted on snowplows sent to different districts in the state: Betty Whiteout Ctrl Salt Delete The Big Leplowski Plowasaurus Rex Scoop Dogg Blizzard of Oz No More Mr. Ice Guy Edward Blizzardhands Click here to read more of the names that made it into the top 50. (Read more snowplow stories.) (Newser) An alleged burglar who apparently had his finger on the pulse of how much residential windows cost left a surprise payment behind after breaking into a home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Deseret News reports that a couple there came home Sunday afternoon after a weekend away and found quite a surprise inside: a man with an AR-15 rifle who'd allegedly forced his way in. Per a Santa Fe County Sheriffs Office report cited by the Albuquerque Journal, the suspect had bathed and taken a nap while inside the residence, while a statement of probable cause filed in Santa Fe County Magistrate Court notes that the homeowners busted the man eating shrimp and drinking beer, per the Santa Fe New Mexican. The sheriff's report notes that a duffel bag and an AR-15 scoped rifle were next to the man, but instead of threatening the homeowners with the firearm, the "extremely embarrassed" suspect said he was sorry for breaking a window to get into the house. He dropped $200 on a living room chair as "reimbursement" before fleeing with his things. Broken window aside, the report says the theft totaled $15. Before he left, the man also told the homeowners that his car had broken down about 100 miles outside of town, and that he "was running from somebody" after his family had been killed in Texas. Sheriff's deputies didn't find anyone near the property when they arrived, but on Monday, Santa Fe police patrolling the area near a local Church's Chicken after an attempted carjacking there picked up 34-year-old Teral Christesson, who they say was walking along the road. Deputies say that although he had nothing to say about the attempted carjacking, he admitted to them he'd broken into the Santa Fe home the previous day. Per the statement of probable cause, he told police he'd been "caught in a blizzard" and was afraid he might freeze, though he "felt bad" about breaking the home's window. Christesson, who has since been booked into Santa Fe County Jail, faces charges of aggravated burglary, larceny, and criminal damage. (Read more weird crimes stories.) (Newser) Officials in Inglewood, California, deny that there was any attempt to cover up a near-fatal assault on a fan outside the stadium that will host the Super Bowl on Feb. 13but critics say they waited far too long to tell the public about it. The Los Angeles Times reports that it took three days, and an inquiry from the Times, before authorities disclosed that San Francisco 49ers fan Daniel Luna, 40, was in a medically induced coma after a suspected beating in a parking lot at SoFi stadium during Sunday's playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams. Fox 11 reports that police say a suspect was arrested after he came forward late Thursday. Inglewood Mayor James Butts and Inglewood Police Lt. Geoffrey Meeks said Thursday that nobody had tried to hush up the incident. "You dont notify anyone every time you have an injured person," Butts said, adding Luna was found unconscious and it wasn't clear that an assault had occurred until security video was located. Meeks said it isn't standard practice to publicize attacks unless other leads have been exhausted or specific information is needed from the public. Former assistant LA police chief Horace Frank, however, tells the Times that the incident should have been revealed much sooner. "You should put out that information to the public because the perpetrator is a public safety hazard and threat to the community," says Frank, who oversaw major game security operations. Butts said Thursday that surveillance video indicates that Luna, an Oakland resident, was the aggressor in the Sunday incident. He said the video shows Luna was mingling with a group of about 16 people, most of them wearing 49ers jerseys, when he shoved a man in a Rams jersey from behind, the AP reports. The mayor said the man in the Rams jersey then punched Luna in the mouth, causing him to fall and hit his head on the ground. "It looked like a small altercation that went very bad," Butts said. A woman who identified herself as the suspect's cousin told KTLA Thursday night that the incident happened after her cousin was approached by a group of 49ers fans who appeared to be drunk. (Read more Los Angeles stories.) (Newser) Being stuck inside for a day or two after a snowstorm isn't so bad if your house is warm and cozy, the power doesn't go out, and you have ample food and beverage. A two-month entrapment, with dwindling suppliesdifferent story. That's how long one couple was stuck inside their Northern California cabin, surrounded by snow and downed trees, until their rescue this week by the California Highway Patrol's Valley Division Air Operations team, reports the Hill. The CHP notes it received a request for help Tuesday from the Sierra County Sheriff's Office to evacuate the couple and their dog, who'd been hunkering down in the cabin since Dec. 6. Because the snow and fallen trees made roads in the area impassable, the CHP sent a helicopter to the cabin. The chopper was able to land nearby, despite heavy winds, and the three trapped tenants were flown to a landing zone, then brought by deputies to "a safe location." The CHP statement notes there weren't many supplies left at the time of the rescue, though it's not clear exactly how much they had remaining. Although officials aren't saying exactly where the cabin was located, NBC Newswhich shows overhead views of the residence, courtesy of the CHPnotes that the Sierra County Sheriff's Office is based on the Yuba River's North Fork, in Downieville. (Read more rescue stories.) (Newser) Longtime tensions over the coronavirus between Rand Paul and chief White House medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci are quite well-documented, but the Republican senator from Kentucky just took things up a notch, with a threat on what might happen if the GOP flips the Senate in the midterms later this year. "If we win in November, if I'm chairman of a committee, if I have subpoena power, we'll go after every one of [Fauci's] records," Paul said Friday during an interview with anti-vax podcast host Lisa Boothe, per the Hill. The outlet notes the 59-year-old senator could indeed end up at the helm of the Senate Health Committee, as Sen. Richard Burr, the panel's current ranking member, is retiring. "We'll have an investigator go through this piece by piece, because we don't need this to happen again," Paul continued in the podcast. What the senator wants probed are his claims that Fauci and the National Institutes of Healththe parent agency of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which Fauci has helmed for nearly 40 yearshelped fund a virology lab in Wuhan, China, which in turn (as Paul's theory goes) may have created the novel coronavirus now wreaking havoc worldwide. Paul has also suggested that the funding he speaks of was used for "gain of function" research on how to make viruses more contagious, an allegation Fauci has denied. The Hill and Insider both note that China has blocked investigations into the source of the virus, making it difficult, if not impossible, to get to the root of the virus's origins. Some wonder if the virus had been created in the lab (though the Hill notes there's little evidence of this) and then accidentally leaked, or let out into the world on purpose. Still other theories involve the virus originating in nature. Fauci and Paulan ophthalmologist who's had his YouTube channel temporarily suspended in the past for face mask misinformationhave also gotten into tiffs about COVID in general, including on the efficacy of masks and vaccines. Fauci has accused the senator of inciting anger against him, to the point where he's gotten death threats and his family has been harassed. "When he gets out and accuses me of things that are completely untrue ... that kindles the crazies out there," Fauci said last month. (Read more Rand Paul stories.) (Newser) The And Just Like That sequel to the iconic Sex and the City TV series just wasnt the same without Samantha Jones (played by Kim Cattrall) sharing TMI about her very active sex life, but fans will have to get used to that if the reboot is picked up for a second season, Variety reports. Though actress Sarah Jessica Parker (Carrie Bradshaw on TV) has long denied a feud between her and Cattrall, she told the magazine she would not be OK with Cattrall returning to the series because there's just too much public history. (Which may be a moot point anyway, because Cattrall has called out Parker on Instagram, liked a tweet that labeled AJLT trashy, andper Peoplehas said numerous times shes done playing Samantha.) While the official AJLT series finale dropped on Thursday, there are talks of a second season. (Spoiler alert follows): Carrie and Samantha presumably had cocktails in Europe after Carrie memorialized her Mr. Big in Paris after his controversial death by Peloton in the first episode, but Samantha has only been visible through text messages throughout the reboot. Samantha's not gone, Parker told CNN. Samantha's present, and I think was handled with such respect and elegance. She wasn't villainized. The director-writer-executive producer behind AJLT, Michael Patrick King, confirms theres no realistic expectation of Samantha, aka Cattrall, ever coming back to the show. (Read more Sarah Jessica Parker stories.) (Newser) The two GOP members of the House committee investigating the Capitol riot have been punished by their party. A resolution to censure Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger passed, without debate, on a one-sided voice vote Friday at a meeting of the Republican National Committee, the Washington Post reports. Their actions have been "destructive to the institution of the US House of Representatives, the Republican Party and our republic," the resolution says. Cheney and Kinzinger were among the House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump, but only the two of them were censured. The action met with a backlash from a few Republicans. But RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel justified it. "We've had two members engage in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens who engaged in legitimate political discourse," she told the Post. "This has gone beyond their original intent. They are not sticking up for hardworking Republicans." Her uncle, Sen. Mitt Romney, sees it differently. "Shame falls on a party that would censure persons of conscience, who seek truth in the face of vitriol," he said. "Honor attaches to Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for seeking truth even when doing so comes at great personal cost." GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy questioned why the party would censure members for "trying to find out what happened on January 6th," per the Hill. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan called it "a sad day for my partyand the country." Kinzinger issued a statement saying he's now "even more committed to fighting conspiracies and lies," per the Hill. Cheney said, "I do not recognize those in my party who have abandoned the Constitution to embrace Donald Trump." Party leaders also moved to bankroll and otherwise support a challenger to Cheney in her Wyoming primary. Kinzinger, of Illinois, has said he's not running again. (Read more RNC stories.) Please purchase a subscription read this premium content. If you have a subscription, please sign up for a digital website account or log in. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Bahrain is determined to achieve the goals announced by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, during his participation in (COP26) in Glasgow, said His Highness Shaikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa. Bahrain is committed to reaching zero neutrality by 2060 and reducing emissions by 30% by 2035 through decarbonization and energy efficiency initiatives, His Highness Shaikh Abdullah, the Personal Representative of His Majesty the King and President of the Supreme Council for Environment (SCE), said. The goal, he said, calls for doubling renewable energy sources, quadrupling mangrove trees, doubling the number of trees in Bahrain, and directing investment in carbon sequestration technologies. Shaikh Abdullah further stressed the keenness of the Council to implement the directives of HM the King for sustainable development and environmental and climate challenges. HH Shaikh Abdullah was speaking on the occasion of Bahrain celebrating the National Environment Day, which falls on the 4th of February every year. The celebration this year has the theme: We preserve the climate to preserve the future generations. It aims to highlight the issue of climate change, which has become a global environmental concern that requires deep cooperation to confront its effects, said HH Shaikh Abdullah. He highlighted that Bahrain is among the first countries to sign the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The SCE president called on government institutions, private sectors, civil society institutions, citizens and residents to enhance the efforts of Bahrain towards protecting the environment through cooperation, solidarity, and investment in sustainable development. He also encouraged demonstrating the principles of social responsibility towards environmental issues. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Bahrain recorded 100,000 existing cases of new the COVID-19 Omicron variant since January this year, said Lieutenant-Colonel Dr Manaf Al-Qahtani, an infectious disease consultant at the Military Hospital and a member of the National Taskforce to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Fourteen people succumbed to the virus till then. Bahrain recorded 787 deaths since the emergence of Delta last year, which infected 112,000 people. Dr Al Qahtani further said the vaccination had proven its effectiveness in reducing the complications of infections, hospitalisation, intensive care and death rates. The national vaccination campaign effectively raised the immunity of all age groups who took both jabs and booster doses, the top health expert said. He also pointed out that despite the rapid spread of Omicron, its complications are less compared to its previous variant, especially among those who received booster jabs. The doctor called on all to adhere strictly to COVID-19 measures. Staff Reporter TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Countries including Bahrain and Saudi Arabia must focus on switching over to hydrogen as the major energy source since it is highly essential for sustainable development, according to Eiji Ohira, Director General of Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Technology Office within the Japanese New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation. This came as Eiji spoke to journalists from across the world during an online briefing on research, development and production methods of hydrogen at Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field. The electrolysis method is used to produce hydrogen at Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field. Japan has been cooperating with many countries to boost renewable sources of energy under the international framework. Increasing renewables is the most important way to address energy security and climate change. Eiji said the benefits of hydrogen as a source of energy are many. If we use hydrogen as a fuel there is absolutely no greenhouse gas emission, hydrogen can be stored, transported as well as exported. It can be utilized in various sectors and also can be integrated into various resources and sectors. He said Japan has been in the forefront of the Green Growth Strategy. The main objective is to make hydrogen affordable as a fuel amid Japan aiming to bring gas emission to net-zero by 2050. The strategy focuses on achieving carbon neutrality. As of now, one kilogram of hydrogen fuel costs $3, which with the help of advanced technologies, can be brought down to $2 per kilogram by 2050. Eiji said that the transportation and automobile sectors are the primary segments, where hydrogen is being explored as a fuel currently. In Japan, there are 160 refuelling stations for automobiles now and the number is expected to rise to 900 by 2030. There are 470 hydrogen refuelling stations across the world along with two hydrogen trains. Mr Eiji said all major countries except China have put a strong hydrogen strategy in place. He pointed out that there are three major steps in the implementation of the hydrogen strategy for any country. First step is to bring residential fuel cell application into the local markets, second is the direct use of hydrogen as an energy source and third is wide use of hydrogen across all sectors. Concerning safety standards, Eiji said that safety must be the top priority while constructing a hydrogen plant. No leakages should happen and the plant should be constructed adhering to the highest seismic standards. For instance, the structure should be at least 1.5 times stronger than a general building. The Sustainable Energy Authority (SEA) has already unveiled a plan to establish a green hydrogen plant. Last month, Sustainable Energy Authority (SEA) President Dr Abdulhussein Mirza discussed the project with a high-level delegation from Al Judy Company, led by Chairman Ibrahim Ali. Dr Mirza outlined the SEA initiatives and projects for 2022, including a plan to benefit from the green hydrogen. The delegation gave an overview of its plan to establish a 4 Megawatt plant for the production of green hydrogen a first in the Arabian Gulf region. The company which holds a patent registered in Germany has also been conferred the gold medal for best invention, according to SEA. The factory will be established according to the highest level of international standards in the construction and operational stage. The project will be built in its first phase on land with a total area of 20,000 square metres and an estimated cost of $150 million. By Karim Mansouri The article published on 31 January, 2022, Page 3, calls for the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry to highlight their achievements during the past few years. Yaqoob Al Awadhi mentions a list of 14 points that his platform wants to achieve in his campaign and I see no mention of nationalism, that is, taking care of Bahrains interest above all others. Buy Bahraini, Make Bahraini. Are Bahraini enterprises selected first? There is no mention of moving all government offices to one location, which will save millions of Bahraini dinars every month! This will help businesses because, with the current situation, business people have to run all over Bahrain to get things done when the government is involved. There is no mention of our National Debt, BD15 billion ($40 billion), all these taxes will not pay the interest on this debt. Well, these are some of the root issues that need to be looked into as I see only more problems ahead. By Ramshankar B We heard some hues and cries recently related to the functioning of Bahrains most prominent community school run by Indians. Irrespective of the changes in the management, blame game always engulfs the committee with many allegations since its inception. It is not easy to run such a vast community school with more than 10,000 students during this pandemic. I believe the committee and the staff are trying their level best to improve the quality of education irrespective of the challenges. The biggest challenge during this pandemic is to raise funds to support the poor and needy students. I believe it is high time the Indian Embassy gets involved and looks into the transparency in operation by bringing an external auditor to verify the book of accounts. The reare many kind-hearted people ready to support the education of needy students. Unfortunately, they are not backing the school just because of the allegations raised by the opposition. If I am not mistaken, Indian School Bahrain is operated under the patronage of the Indian Embassy, but most of the time the Embassy is not involved in the internal matters of the school. I think time has now come for the Embassy to look into the issues related to the community school. If the Indian Embassy can come as an external body to monitor the books of accounts regularly it will help to develop a foolproof and transparent system. Naturally, such a two-tier system will help the better functioning of the school in the long run. DANBURY The most recent wave of the pandemic appears to be receding in the Danbury area, with towns reporting a third straight week of declining COVID cases and case rates following a mid-January peak. The majority of Danbury-area municipalities saw case rates decline between 40 to 50 percent week over week, according to state data released Thursday. At this viral waves height, case rates per 100,000 residents hit over 200 in places like Danbury, Bethel and Brookfield. Numbers began dropping back several weeks ago, but Thursdays newest state data report shows, in some cases, an even more significant decline across the Danbury area. Eight municipalities in the area saw a decline in case rates greater than 40 percent, while two towns saw case rate percent declines in the 30s. The state data is reported on a week delay, and some towns have pointed out that their case rates are now lower than current estimates from the state. Additionally, state data might not capture positive at-home tests that arent reported to the state. Connecticuts positivity rate stood at 6.57 percent Thursday, according to state data. Fairfield County is reporting the highest number of COVID cases across the state with 172,940 confirmed and 21,526 probable cases across the area. Litchfield County is the third highest, with 26,086 confirmed and 4,107 probable cases. By the numbers Redding has the lowest case rate of 32.9 and only 42 cases reported over the two-week reporting period, while New Milford had the highest case rate of 70.6 and 265 cases, state data show. Bridgewater saw only nine total cases over the two week period, with just one case reported the second week. In Bethel, First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker said that he will be rescinding the mask requirement in town buildings effective Monday, Feb. 7. Masks will now be optional in town-owned buildings. This is a much improved picture, he wrote in an email to the News-Times. In the past three weeks, Bethels case rate has dropped from a high of 217 per 100,000 residents to 55.2 this week. Danburys numbers are still high, but the city went from 552 cases during the week starting Jan. 16 to 195 cases the following week. The citys case rate is also down to 63 cases per 100,000 residents from a high point of 121 on Jan. 27. During the surge, Danbury and the state discussed potentially adding a second COVID testing site. But unless cases rise again, Mayor Dean Esposito said the city plans to keep a singular testing site at the Pat Waldron Building on Memorial Drive. For now, he thinks that the city can handle it there based on the COVID numbers theyre seeing. Were continuing on doing our testing. Were going to continue our vaccine centers and well hopefully get it to zero (cases) at one point, Esposito said. Some Danbury-area towns have seen more rapid declines in their case numbers than others. The difference that three weeks makes is huge. Were seeing that our case rates are falling but they are still high, said New Milford Health Director Lisa Morrissey. Morrissey emphasized the importance of continuing to follow mitigations strategies when it came to the virus since cases are still high. Our advice has not changed in that regard, she said. Transmission is still a concern because we still have new cases. Ridgefield had a case rate of 48.9 on Thursday, with 109 total cases during the first week of the reporting period and 62 the second. But First Selectman Rudy Marconi said that the towns current seven-day rolling average was even lower than the numbers the state reported Thursday, coming in at 35.5 cases per 100,000 residents. The town reported eight cases on Monday and 12 on Tuesday, Marconi said. Its definitely positive news. Any time you can see your way through a pandemic and get back to normal, thats positive for everyone in all walks of life from business to schools, he said. Were very fortunate and happy to see these rates of decline. Additional reporting by Julia Perkins The timing of freezing rain and icy roads in Connecticut has shifted slightly, with the greatest impact to be seen Friday evening on any roads where ice treatment has been washed away by the earlier precipitation, according to officials. The state is expected to get another wave of icy conditions that could cause slick and dangerous roads during the morning and evening commutes. The slow-moving frontal system started dropping rain on the state Thursday. The precipitation is expected to taper off late Friday afternoon into the evening. Parts of southern Connecticut are forecast to get a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain. The National Weather Service issued winter weather advisories for the entire state, most until 7 p.m. Friday. However, Litchfield Countys advisory started Thursday night and goes until 5 p.m. Friday. Below are the latest weather-related updates statewide: 4 p.m. State police are responding to a crash on Route 55 west near Evans Hill Road in Sherman. A state Department of Transportation salt truck was also dispatched to the scene. Police said there were minor injuries due to the crash. Anyone traveling in the area should use extra caution due to slippery road conditions, state police said. 3 p.m. A spokesperson for the state Department of Transportation, which has been hampered by a national shortage of workers with a commercial drivers license, said crews are out in force. The agency typically supplements its workforce with the use of contractors, however we do not anticipate using them for this storm, Josh Morgan, the agencys spokesperson, said in a statement. We have over 600 trucks out now monitoring and treating roads and highways where necessary, and we are ready for the inclement weather. If the conditions change, we will reassess and adjust accordingly. He asked motorists to use extreme caution on the roads and not to drive close to plows. 2:20 p.m. Danburys Department of Health and Human Services said COVID-19 testing at the Pat Waldron building is canceled Friday, due to inclement weather. 12:38 p.m. Stamford announced that all COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites are closed Friday. Noon Hamden Mayor Lauren Garrett has ordered all town buildings to close to the public at noon due to the weather. All non-essential employees are asked to work from home. 10:50 a.m. Rain will slowly changing to a mix of sleet and freezing rain in the Danbury and Hartford areas by noon, according to the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. Rain is expected along the coast and in southeastern Connecticut. Most roads will be wet for the rest of the morning, with a minor impact on driving. The temperature in central Connecticut is forecast to drop from the mid 30s down to near freezing by 11 a.m. Some patches of black ice may form in the late morning especially on less traveled roads. Sleet is forecast to continue through the afternoon. In the northwestern part of the state, sleet and freezing rain is forecast to change to wet snow by late afternoon. Some icing might occur and ice on trees and power lines could cause outages. By late afternoon, the temperature will drop into the upper 20s, and near 30 degrees along the coast. Some of the sleet might start to stick to untreated roads by early to mid-afternoon, especially in the northeast and central areas of the state. The change in forecast could cause a slight impact the afternoon rush hour, with a coating of sleet or patches of black ice on shoulders, ramps and bridges where any ice treatment has washed away. A flash freeze with widespread black ice is possible Friday evening on roads where the ice treatment was washed away by the earlier rain. The precipitation could end as a few hours of light, wet snow. 10:25 a.m. Greenwich Town Hall will close at noon. Greenwich libraries will close at 11 a.m. 8:25 a.m. Connecticut State Police urged drivers to reduce speed and keep a safe distance from other vehicles if hitting the roads during the icy weather on Friday. The agency said all drivers should avoid sudden braking if possible and ensure vehicle headlights are on. 7:10 a.m. The state Department of Transportation said drivers can expect pockets of freezing rain and icing as temperatures drop around the time of the morning commute. The agency urged drivers to give crews room to work and stressed the importance of avoiding crowding the plows. Take it slow, use extreme caution and allow for additional travel time, the DOT said. Parking bans: Wallingford : A parking ban is in effect until 11:59 p.m. Friday. The following colleges have canceled classes Friday: Asnuntuck Community College in Enfield Central Connecticut State University in New Britain Western Connecticut State University in Danbury University of Connecticut, all campuses The following public school districts will have an early dismissal Friday: New Haven North Branford Norwich The following public school districts have canceled classes Friday: Ansonia Avon Bethany Bethel Branford Bridgeport Brookfield Brooklyn Cheshire Colchester Coventry Cromwell Danbury Darien Derby East Haddam East Hartford Ellington Enfield Fairfield Greenwich Hamden Hartford Killingly Litchfield Manchester Meriden Middletown Milford Monroe Naugatuck New Fairfield New Milford Newington Newtown North Haven Norwalk Orange Plainfield Plainville Plymouth Portland Regional school districts 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 19 Ridgefield Seymour Shelton Sherman Simbury Somers South Windsor Southington Stamford Stratford Thompson Tolland Torrington Trumbull Vernon Wallingford Waterbury Watertown West Hartford West Haven Weston Wethersfield Willington Winchester Windham Windsor Locks Windsor Wolcott Woodbridge The annual CJF Tribute recognizes media luminaries who have made an exceptional journalistic impact on the international stage. Past recipients include Andre Picard , Dr. Sanjay Gupta , Anna Maria Tremonti , Nobelist Maria Ressa , Jodi Kantor with Megan Twohey , Jake Tapper , Tina Brown with Sir Harold Evans , and Malcolm Gladwell . Presenting the award is internationally renowned Canadian photographer Ed Burtynsky. "There are few Canadians as prolific as David Suzuki when it comes to bringing climate news and ecological knowledge to the forefront of public consciousness," says Ed Burtynsky. "Both a champion and a steward of the landscapes I myself hold dear, it is an immense honour to be able to present him with the CJF Tribute at this year's Canadian Journalism Foundation Awards." Visit the CJF Awards site for details on the June 7 ceremony. An award-winning geneticist and broadcaster, Suzuki helped launch and host the long-running CBC Radio program Quirks and Quarks in 1975. In 1979, he became the host of CBC television's The Nature of Things, a science documentary series that continues to air new episodes. From 1969 to 2001, Suzuki was a faculty member at the University of British Columbia, receiving numerous awards for his work, including a UNESCO prize for science and a UN Environment Program medal. He was also named Companion of the Order of Canada in 2006. "Dr. Suzuki is known internationally as a fearless warrior for the environment," says Bob Ezrin, legendary music producer and CJF board member. "His unrivalled skill as a communicator and his brilliant use of media to get this most important message out to the world make him the perfect honouree. No issue is more crucial now than the health of our habitat, and no one has been more effective at focusing our attention on that than David Suzuki." Matt Galloway host of CBC Radio's The Current will emcee this year's CJF Awards Ceremony. Other awards to be presented at the ceremony include the: CJF Jackman Awards for Excellence in Journalism; CJF Lifetime Achievement Award; The Landsberg Award; CJF Award for Climate Solutions Reporting; and CJF-Meta Journalism Project Digital News Innovation Award. Fellowships to be recognized include the: CJF-CBC Indigenous Journalism Fellowships; CJF Black Journalism Fellowships Program; and Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award. For sponsorship opportunities, see contacts below or visit the CJF Awards page. Cision is the exclusive distribution partner of the CJF. #CJFawards About the Canadian Journalism Foundation Founded in 1990, The Canadian Journalism Foundation promotes, celebrates and facilitates excellence in journalism. The foundation runs a prestigious awards and fellowships program featuring an industry gala where news leaders, journalists and corporate Canada gather to celebrate outstanding journalistic achievement and the value of professional journalism. Through monthly J-Talks, a public speakers' series, the CJF facilitates dialogue among journalists, businesspeople, academics, and students about the role of the media in Canadian society and the ongoing challenges for media in the digital era. The foundation also fosters opportunities for journalism education, training, and research. SOURCE Canadian Journalism Foundation For further information: Natalie Turvey, President and Executive Director, The Canadian Journalism Foundation, [email protected]; For sponsorship opportunities, contact: Josh Gurfinkel, Director of Operations, The Canadian Journalism Foundation, [email protected] HARTFORD The state Appellate Court on Friday upheld the city of Sheltons promotion of three police officers to the rank of lieutenant without a written examination. The appeals court upheld a lower court ruling, which had overturned a decision of the State Board of Labor Relations that found Shelton in violation of the Municipal Employees Relations Act. The city and I are pleased with the decision, said Mark Sommaruga, the citys lawyer in the case. The appeals court upheld the principle that the words in an ordinance do mean something. The city had argued its Code of Ordinances did not require a written test. The lawyer for the police union could not be reached for comment. According to court records, in the spring of 2018, Shelton faced an increased need for lieutenants within its police department. On April 6, 2018, the chief of police contacted the citys administrative assistant, who then posted notice of openings for the lieutenant position. Five officers applied for the positions and the city, under its Ordinance No. 908, completed an oral examination as part of the application process. Three of the applicants were subsequently promoted to lieutenant. On Feb. 19, 2019, the police union filed an appeal with the State Board of Labor Relations contending that by removing the written component of the promotional exam without negotiation with the union the city had violated the Municipal Employees Relations Act. On March 10, 2020, the labor board ruled that the citys failure to include a written examination as part of the promotion process violated the act. The city then appealed the ruling in Superior Court. A Superior Court judge later disagreed with the boards decision, stating that because a written examination was not mandated its elimination did not constitute a change in the examination methods. The Appellate Court agreed. We hereby adopt the courts thorough and well-reasoned memorandum of decision as a definitive statement of the applicable facts and law on the issues raised in this appeal, the Appellate Court ruled. The Glastonbury businessman on the states short list of suppliers for N95 masks and at-home COVID tests once admitted to misappropriating more than $1.8 million from his companys pension fund and then failed to pay off the fine for 12 years, according to federal court records and tax liens. State officials said they were aware of the federal investigation into the pension fund of Jeffrey Barlows former company when they signed an $18 million purchase order last month with his company, Jack Rubenstein CT LLC, to procure desperately needed at-home COVID tests as the omicron variant began its surge in Connecticut. Barlow never produced the tests, however, leaving Gov. Ned Lamont and other top officials scrambling for another solution. This was the second time the state did business with Barlow. The first time was early in the pandemic, when Barlow used his connections as an importer of cell phone parts and toy cars to procure N95 masks from China. Barlow has no criminal history, but federal court records and tax liens filed in Glastonbury show that he had been investigated by the IRS and the FBI in New Haven from 2007 until 2019. A spokeswoman for the Department of Administrative Services, which certified Barlows company as a state vendor in March 2020, acknowledged the agency did not conduct a background check on Barlow or his company at the time because the state was in the throes of a public health emergency, and state officials were scouring the globe for personal protective equipment as COVID deaths, particularly in nursing homes, started to multiply. The procurement team does basic research on contractors even when we procure quickly, said Lora Rae Anderson, DAS spokeswoman. This information regarding his offense from 2007 was known. It did not pose a risk to public health and safety, nor taxpayer dollars, as no payment would be disbursed without receiving the product. Ensuring our residents have access to tools to stop the spread of a deadly virus remains our highest priority. Anderson said state law doesnt require the agency to do background checks on brokers that were used during the pandemic. We are not required to complete background checks on those we enter into purchase orders with in order to procure tests and PPE, Anderson said. The State provides a wide variety of products and services, and this is a policy discussion we would be happy to have understanding that every field is different. There is no evidence that Barlow did anything fraudulent in trying to procure the at-home tests. Lamont and other state officials have only said that misrepresentations were made to state officials. We understand he believed he could get tests and was unable to get them by the promised date, as many have suffered supply chain issues during this time, Anderson said. We dont have full visibility to where the tests went, but regardless, no taxpayer funds were lost, and we were able to pivot to another supplier who started delivering tests two days later than planned. When it came time to look for at-home testing kits, DAS didnt send out a request for proposals (RFP) because it was a time sensitive issue and instead contacted vendors it had used previously. The DAS Procurement team reached out to selected suppliers who had successfully provided PPE items earlier in response to the pandemic, Anderson said. Jack Rubenstein & Company was one of those suppliers. The state has since received and distributed millions of at-home test kits. Some of them came from CVS, which helped the Lamont administration by diverting more than a half million tests to Connecticut that were supposed to go elsewhere. In response to questions about his past legal issues, Barlow texted a message to the CT Mirror, saying, that matter was resolved many years ago and as such I have no comment as no current relevance due to being in excess of 10 years ago. While Lamont never mentioned Jack Rubenstein CT LLC or Barlow by name, he did say, when asked, that the state would work with the broker again despite the failure to deliver in December. The state signed another purchase order with Barlow on Jan. 11, agreeing to pay him $2.46 million to deliver about 250,000 antigen at-home test kits. This time it appears that Barlow has delivered some of that order. On Jan. 13, the state wired him $2.3 million. Minimal standardsMeanwhile, experts in exporting and business said the state needs to have some standards, and they questioned why the state wouldnt require even a basic background check of potential vendors. You could certainly argue its an emergency situation, one we seem to have been in for two years now, but there has to be some level of minimal standards that you adhere to, no matter what the situation, before you make a deal for the state government, said Victor R. Rodriguez, chairman of the Legal Studies & Political Science Department at the University of New Haven. Douglas Stein, a Chicago-based PPE exporter, said testing kits have become the new commodity for an enormous underbelly of nefarious characters both in the United States and abroad following N95 masks and nitrile gloves. Stein was speaking generally about brokers, not specifically about Barlow, whom he doesnt know. Stein is a member of the PPE Fraud Coalition, a group of business owners who monitor possible fraudulent PPE being shipped to this country. It has continued to surprise me how easy it has been for some brokers or wholesalers to make it past state buyers without any background checks being done, Stein said. The idea that someone could say that they could get the state 3 million test kits in a few days or even a week is just preposterous, given the limited supply and overwhelming demand right now. Missing funds and IRS liens Barlows legal troubles began in 2003 when an investigator from the U.S. Department of Labor received a complaint about money possibly missing from the pension fund for the employees of Macristy Industries Inc., a New Britain-based company owned by Barlows family since 1972. It was shuttered in 2008. The government eventually filed a civil complaint in U.S. District Court in New Haven accusing Barlow of transferring about $1.8 million from the pension fund to keep the business operating. The consent judgment that resolved the DOL case indicated that he returned $1.1 million to the pension plan and also paid an additional $1 million to settle the case, court records show. Barlow also agreed to pay a civil penalty of $200,000, but when he failed to pay all of it, the labor department referred the case to federal officials in New Haven, who filed a second civil case alleging that Barlow fraudulently transferred his Glastonbury home to his wife so it couldnt be attached to any claim against him by the federal government. In a consent order, Barlow agreed to pay the federal government $500 a month until the remaining balance of his civil penalty, about $58,000, was repaid, according to court records. We can confirm that he made payments to the satisfaction of our office and the DOL, and our offices collection case was closed in September 2019, said Thomas Carson, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorneys Office in New Haven. The IRS also investigated why Barlow hadnt paid federal taxes from 2008 to 2011, records show. The IRS eventually filed two tax liens alleging that Barlow hadnt paid $779,056 in back taxes, according to records filed with the Glastonbury Town Clerks office. Barlow paid the IRS debt by 2016, records show. Chance meeting It was apparently a chance meeting that led Barlows new company, Jack Rubenstein CT LLC, to become a state vendor. Rubenstein, which imported items from China until the pandemic hit in early 2020, was formed in 2010. It was authorized by DAS as a state vendor on March 20, 2020, according to state records. Its first three checks for delivering PPE, for $326,000, were cut on April 25, according to the state Comptrollers office. Barlow told the Tulane University alumni magazine in an interview that a state employee responsible for supplying hospitals saw him at the docks and approached him after noticing his capability to obtain hard-to-acquire equipment. Barlow told the magazine that chance meeting led to a $2.5 million contract to supply much-needed hospital gowns. As COVID infections spread across Connecticut in the spring of 2020, Gov. Lamont declared a state of emergency and waived many contract regulations. As the state scrambled to obtain more PPE for health care workers, the DAS procurement team was handling hundreds of calls trying to decipher which proposals were real and which were potential scams. Barlow was one of the vendors eventually certified to do business with the state. Throughout 2020, Barlow supplied nearly $15 million worth of PPE to the state, including N95 masks and hospital gowns, state records show. Better off picking up the phone Two years later, as the spread of the omicron variant coincided with the holidays, state officials realized they needed to quickly and dramatically increase testing availability. With long lines at testing centers frustrating residents, a shortage of tests and delays getting test results becoming more prevalent, state officials looked to the at-home testing kit market to alleviate the backlog. So they turned to Barlow again and agreed to pay him more than $18 million for what were supposed to be 1.5 million iHealth test kits. The purchase order was approved on Dec. 26; the next day Lamont held a press conference to announce the testing initiative. Connecticut is going to be at the front of the line, and we will have 3 million tests available by the end of this week, Lamont said at a Dec. 27 press conference announcing the test kit purchase. This puts us ahead of the curve, the governor said. But three days later, Lamont stood outside the East Hartford Fire Department and announced the tests werent coming to Connecticut after all. Without mentioning Barlow by name, Lamont said someone had misrepresented to state officials that the tests were destined for Connecticut. There are a lot of brokers in this game. There were a lot of people putting money on the table, Lamont said. Its not like Federal Express where they say its going to be delivered at 10 oclock the next morning and if its not there, you get your money back. The state did not lose any money on the deal with Barlow, a point that state officials have made several times. Barlow was only to be paid for what he delivered, which in this case was nothing. Stinging from the test kit debacle, Lamont turned to CVS for help, and the company delivered about 500,000 test kits to the state overnight. The Connecticut National Guard and state emergency management officials have since bought more than 1 million test kits, some of which are still arriving. Stein said he doesnt understand why Lamont didnt do the same thing with iHealth or Abbott Laboratories that he did with his CVS connections. The governor would have been better off picking up the phone himself and calling iHealth and negotiating his own deal, Stein said. The demand has outstripped supply so much mostly because the government and big companies like Walmart and CVS are buying them all theres a 30-day wait for orders, and thats why theres no way any broker could have kept that promise. We see another letter to the editor from a regular poster who sees things through his GOP conspiracy glasses. He bemoans the crime rates he feels are tied to Democratic cities. He cites no facts for his views. Connecticut is the fourth safest state in the U.S. (Hartford Courant, 9/30/21) and Alaska is the most violent. In 2020 Connecticut had 108 homicides and the violent crime rate dropped last year. Nationally 77 percent of murders were committed with guns, the number of which increased dramatically in the last few years, and many of the deaths were domestic violence related. The largest number of deaths by gun were in Republican-led states. Yes, more cars have been stolen in Connecticut, hardly the reason to tear out our hair (lock your cars!). But its good messaging for those who want to blame certain folks for crime. Naturally, the writer does not seem concerned about the corruption and crime now on full display in his party ... the attempted coup, the attempted election steal and election fraud and forgeries, the unnecessary COVID deaths, the suicides, the despair brought about by the attack on our democracy. Look at the facts, not political talking points. Civilization in all its forms began when people first learned how to measure time, and the only way they had to do it was to measure the cycles of the moon. From one new moon when the moon was a sliver of light in the dark sky to another new moon was one month. Twelve cycles of the moon were one year well, not exactly one year. The lunar year is about 11 days shorter than the solar year. What this meant was that if the ancient calendars were needed to mark precisely when to plant and when to harvest, they were going to be a little early every year and eventually the planting month would drift into the harvest time. A new year festival that fell in the spring would eventually fall during the winter. This was acceptable to Islam, which to this day uses a purely lunar calendar in its Hijri calendar to mark the arrival of, for example, the holy month of Ramadan. Every year Ramadan comes 11 days earlier. Muslims have a beautiful greeting that reflects this lunar/solar gap, May you live to celebrate Ramadan in every season of the year. Judaism, by contrast, which had holidays that were tied to the harvest cycle (like Sukkot), had to introduce occasionally an extra month (Adar II) to bring the holidays back into their appropriate season. Chinese and Hindu calendars are also lunisolar with additional months added periodically to correct for seasonal drift. This is all the result of the fact that 12 cycles of the moon are not quite equal to one trip around the sun. The lunar new year brings us back to the important truth that the way we measure time is a cultural choice not a natural event. Calendars provide spiritual support and spiritual structure for our lives. In any event, the lunar New Year, also called Chinese New Year, was upon us Feb. 1. This year is the Year of the Tiger, which I am sure is encouraging to all you Cincinnati Bengals fans. In China, Vietnam and Korea and indeed throughout Southeast Asia, this is a very big time for celebrations. Lets just examine some of the Asian New Years customs. In South Korea, the lunar new year celebrations last for three days and are called Seollal. In Malaysia, the holiday lasts for 15 days. I love the fact that all Asian customs involve the remembering of ancestors and the honoring of elders with visits and deep bows (seh bae) after which the kids get some New Years money in red envelopes called seh bae don. In Singapore, the red envelopes have the word fu printed on them which means good luck. Special New Years garments are worn to honor the holiday. They are called hanbok in Korea and ao dai in Vietnam. Of course, holiday foods also are used to convey holiday hopes. Fish are eaten on New Years because fish are a symbol of bounty. Also, round foods appear in many cultures as a way of expressing the hope that we will all be alive and well after one more cycle of the year. In the Philippines, people wear clothing with polka dots because round is good. In Korea, the round dumplings are called mandu. Long is also good. Long noodles (japchae) convey the slurpy hope for a long life. The typical New Years foods in Singapore include a salad called yusheng. My favorite Korean custom is that of flying a kite in honor of the new year (yeonnalligi). In Korea, and especially in China, red (and also gold) is the typical New Years color. There are also superstitions associated with the new year. It is considered bad luck to buy new shoes, cut or wash your hair or throw anything out during Chinese New Year. In Singapore, there is a big parade called chingay that celebrates the large Chinese population. Throughout the world the lion dancers are a beloved feature of the Chinese New Years Chingay parade. Throughout Southeast Asia it is also customary for Buddhists to pay respect to Buddha by going to a temple and lighting incense. There is a need to mark the passage of time and the first way to do that was to watch the moon. I like that link to nature provided to us by moon time. I like it more than our sterile digital world where time has nothing to do with the flow of nature and the universe. The moon has given us something to look up to that does not burn our eyes like the sun. It invites us to enter the mystery of sacred time and eat some noodles. So, in Cantonese, I wish you gong hei fat choy, which means wishing you great happiness and prosperity. In Mandarin, the same greeting is gong xi fa cai. Happy Year of the Tiger! Send ALL QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS to The God Squad via email at godsquadquestion@aol.com. Rabbi Gellman is the author of several books, including Religion for Dummies, co-written with Fr. Tom Hartman. Press Release February 4, 2022 Dispatch from Crame No. 1215: Sen. Leila M. de Lima on Sen. Gatchalian's Privilege Speech on Malampaya 2/4/22 In Dec. 2021, I was among those who, early on, called out the irregularities surrounding the Malampaya agreement. It had to be done, and it had to be said lest these unscrupulous con-men behind this deal continue to suck our coffers dry and, worse, forever and irretrievably compromise the preservation of our national security and natural resources to the detriment of ourselves and our posterity. The other day, Feb. 2, in a privilege speech, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian gave a glimpse of the findings of his Committee on its investigation of the most recent Malampaya deal by Udenna Corp. I stand with him on this matter. It is in these pressing concerns that we should all set aside our political colors and affiliations, and stand side by side to decry collusions that are most prejudicial to the interests of the Filipino people. Tumitindig ako kasama ni Sen. Win at iba pang mga kasamahan ko sa Senado upang aksyunan ang kwestyonableng kasunduan na ito na walang ibang makikinabang kung hindi ang mga kaalyado at crony ni Duterte, kasama na ang kanilang mga kasabwat na dayuhan. I repeat what I said last year, the sale of Malampaya to Dennis Uy is not only brimming with irregularities, it is an affront to the Filipino people who have been left struggling with the worst socio-economic impacts these last few years. Kasuklam-suklam na, sa kabila ng labis na paghihirap ng milyun-milyong Filipino, heto muli ang isa sa mga crony ni Duterte na nakinabang sa isang questionableng kontrata. Add that to DOE Secretary Alfonso Cusi's blatant refusal to recuse himself from the matter even when he has already been called out for having become an instant billionaire through a 2017 transaction with the same most blessed Duterte crony. Lahat ng iyan ay isiniwalat at inilantad na sa mga naganap na hearing sa Senado, ngunit talagang patuloy pa rin ang pagmamatigas, kakapalan ng mukha at kawalan ng hiya ng mga sangkot. Sen. Win called for Cusi's resignation and a prompt investigation by the Ombudsman. I couldn't agree more. We simply cannot watch these officials facing serious allegations of malfeasance slink away from public view and let the passage of time wash away their sins. We, as duly elected Senators of the Republic, are compelled to demand so much more. We call for accountability. We demand that they answer for all their sins against the nation. Sa lahat ng panahon na inuna nila ang kanilang sariling interes bago bayan, kailangan nila itong pagbayaran. Energy - a very crucial resource - is at the heart of this controversy. What does the future hold for our people? Duterte and his cronies would know because they are once again front and center of yet another controversy laced with their personal interests. Ang mga susunod na araw ang magtatakda kung paano natin ilalaban ang kinabukasan ng enerhiya sa ating bansa upang siguraduhing may sapat na akses dito ang sangkatauhan, partikular na sa mga maralitang taga-lungsod at mga nasa kanayunan. We cannot just watch as Duterte pays his debt of gratitude to his campaign contributors turned cronies, to his minions turned officials drunk on power. We are witnessing one of the worst cases of cronyism in the history of the Philippine Republic, reminiscent of how, during the Marcos regime, Meralco was taken and handed over to the then President's brother-in-law, Kokoy Romualdez, during which time the public utility company somehow never turned a profit, as documented in, among others, an article by the Chicago Tribune. Duterte, who once promised that he would not tolerate even a whiff of corruption, is, ironically, at the center of it all. Or is it really ironic? One cannot help but wonder whether this is a case of the allure of power that comes with his position and the nearly absolute control he accumulated over all the branches and institutions of government being his downfall, or if that was the plan all along from the very inception of his candidacy. History would say that it's the latter, especially given who he has emulated from day one of his presidency, but that's just my opinion.### (Access the handwritten version, here: https://issuu.com/senatorleilam.delima/docs/dispatch_1215) Snow removal, in the aftermath of Winter Storm Landon, will likely continue through the weekend. Activist, Deji Adeyanju has said President Buhari will be making the greatest poitical move of history if he supports former Lagos Governor,... Activist, Deji Adeyanju has said President Buhari will be making the greatest poitical move of history if he supports former Lagos Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode to return to power in the state. Adeyanju said Buhari would be liberating the Southwest by supporting Ambode to emerge as the governor of Lagos State in 2023. In a tweet, the activist said Buharis backing of Ambode will be one of the greatest political moves in the South West. He said Ambodes emergence would liberate Lagos State from the hold of Bola Tinubu, the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC. He wrote: One of the greatest political moves Buhari can make to liberate the South West from Bullion Vanism & slavery is to support Ambode to get the APC guber ticket. Buhari will write his name in gold by doing so especially in the SW. The looting & slavery in Lagos must stop. #OtogeLagos. A faction in the All Progressives Congress supported by the Interior Minister, Rauf Aregbesola, in Osun state, has demanded the removal of t... A faction in the All Progressives Congress supported by the Interior Minister, Rauf Aregbesola, in Osun state, has demanded the removal of the state Police Commissioner, Wale Olokode, whom they accused of bias. Addressing newsmen at Oranmiyan House, Osogbo on Friday, the chairman of Aregbesolas faction in Osun APC, Rasaq Salinsile, said a series of attacks on members of the group reported to the Police commissioner were not treated. Salinsile who also said Olokode was usually quick in attending to complaints by the people in authorities against members of his group, also accused Osun state governor, Adegboyega Oyetola and some leaders of the faction supported by the governor of sponsoring attacks on Aregbesolas supporters. He said leaders and members of the group had been exposed to a series of attacks, adding that while the perpetrators were known and a petition was written, no concrete action by the security agents, especially the police. He said, We had intelligence reports of the Gboyega Oyetola-led IleriOluwa factions plan to assassinate and main us, and we had promptly passed the information to the Commissioner of Police in particular and all other security agencies. But nothing was done about it till now. We are of the firm belief that the refusal to act on our petitions on the impending attacks by the police and other security agencies emboldened the criminally minded associates of Governor Oyetola to become vicious on their attacks on us. As the security were not scrutinizing our reports not to talk of investigating it, so were they looking the other way whenever we are attacked. The worst is that we are punished by the Commissioner of Police, Wale Olokode-led police whenever such an attack happens. We, therefore, call on CP Olokode to ask the Inspector General of Police to post him out of Osun. We plead with the Inspector General of Police to please expeditiously transfer CP Olokode from Osun with immediate effect. CP Olokode, to the best of human understanding, is incapable of carrying out his job impartially as demanded by the constitution. This is clear from the litany of events that we have listed above. We note that the environment in which Oranmiyan House exists is a business district as there are banks and other significant businesses there. Babagana Zulum, governor of Borno state, says a major reason the state is succeeding in tackling insecurity is that President Muhammadu Bu... Babagana Zulum, governor of Borno state, says a major reason the state is succeeding in tackling insecurity is that President Muhammadu Buhari never denied him access. The governor spoke on Thursday while briefing journalists on internal security in the state, relocation of IDPs and collaboration between the state and the federal government. Zulum described the destruction caused by insurgents including the attack on 713 energy distribution lines and 1,600 water sources as scary. The governor said 22 out of 27 LGAs in the state were once under the control of the Boko Haram insurgents, with only one access road from Maiduguri. Today, the gradual return of peace and a reduction of cases of insecurity in Borno state, and major parts of the north-eastern region have been attributed to the commitment and collaboration of the state and federal government, he said. One of the major reasons why we have been succeeding in the north-east, particularly in Borno state, is because there was never a time I requested to see Mr president and I was denied access. This is something very important. Whenever I had serious security situations in Borno state, within 10 to 15 minutes, I will get access to speak to Mr president. This has contributed a lot to ensuring the return of peace and stability to Borno state. The governor said the armed forces, police, and other security agencies, are giving the required collaboration to the state government, adding that the states efforts in tackling insurgency are yielding positive results. He said with the strong support of the government, a reduction of the campaign of violence has been achieved, including a reduction in bombing incidents. The incidences of bomb attacks has been reduced drastically. Before then, on a daily basis, we have been witnessing bombings throughout Borno state. But this has been reduced by about 80 percent if not more than 90 percent, he said. Precious Chikwendu, the estranged wife of Femi Fani-Kayode, has started an online petition to demand custody of her children with the former... Precious Chikwendu, the estranged wife of Femi Fani-Kayode, has started an online petition to demand custody of her children with the former aviation minister. Fani-Kayode and Chikwendus marriage hit the rock in 2020 over her domestic violence claim and his counter-claim of infidelity. They have been in a heated tussle for the custody of their children Aragorn, Ragnar, Aiden, and Liam since the marriage crashed. In the petition, titled Justice for Snowhite and Sons , the ex-beauty asked the United Nations (UN), Amnesty International, United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to intervene in the matter. Other agencies named in the petition include Human Rights Campaign, Child Right Advocacy, Project Alert and Women Advocacy. According to Chikwendu, the petition was initiated to help bring her problem before the international community. The entrepreneur added that it would also help other African women who share similar experiences with her. This petition would help African women who have been denied a right to their children because they were married to or cohabited with a person of power, it read. This petition would put an end to bullying and oppression from political spouses who have the power and means to oppress and frustrate their partners out of the lives of their growing children who need the love and care of both parents. Precious is seeking justice and custody of her children. This bill will help her bring her problem before the International community. As of the time of this report, 9,266 people have signed the petition, which targets 10,000 signatures. Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin on Friday convicted 20-year-old Oyelowo Mayowa Fawas. The native of Atiba ... Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin on Friday convicted 20-year-old Oyelowo Mayowa Fawas. The native of Atiba Local Government Area of Oyo State got 12 months imprisonment for cybercrime and possession of fraudulent funds. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecuted him on the two counts. Oyelowo had disguised as a white female professional prostitute practising in the United States. Under the disguise, he swindled unsuspecting victims of various sums before his arrest. In count two, Oyelowo, between June 2020 to June 2021 in Ilorin, fraudulently collected N57,837,710. The offence violates Section 319A of the Penal Code. The defendant pleaded guilty to the charges. EFCC counsel, Innocent Mbachie, called a witness, Udo Iniubong, an operative to review the facts of the case. The witness told the court how credible intelligence led to the arrest of the defendant in Malete area of Kwara. Justice Abdulgafar found Oyelowo guilty and sentenced him to 6 months imprisonment on each count with an option of N100,000. His phones and laptop used to perpetrate the crime as well as the sum of $700 raised as restitution will be forfeited to the Federal Government. Outgoing Flag Officer Commanding FOC, Eastern Naval Command ENC, Rear Admiral Sanusi Ibrahim has confirmed the arrest of a vessel, MT PREYOR... Outgoing Flag Officer Commanding FOC, Eastern Naval Command ENC, Rear Admiral Sanusi Ibrahim has confirmed the arrest of a vessel, MT PREYOR 1 bearing 2,458,350 litres of crude oil and additional 10,000 litres of AGO in her service tanks. Ibrahim informed that the vessel did not have requisite approval, stating that the arrest was done in January 2022. He said the Command earlier arrested 27 other ships engaged in illegal bunkering, crude oil theft and other maritime illegalities in the maritime areas under his jurisdiction. The Navy Commander disclosed this in Calabar on Friday as he was handing over to a new Commander of ENC, Rear Admiral Abdullahi Dewu. He said his command was able to dismantle 175 illegal refineries in eleven months, stressing that the feat followed the determined efforts of officers to reduce incidents of piracy and other forms of maritime illegalities. He said the ENC sustained patrols of its maritime Area of Responsibility (AOR), as well as undertook clearance and swamp buggy operations in the backwaters. Under my watch, the command apprehended criminals who were in possession of 35,384,718 Metric Tonnes of illegally refined automotive gas oil (AGO). This product was evacuated. Pirates and kidnappers hideouts were destroyed by our men. Our operations resulted in a considerable reduction of piracy in Nigerias maritime domain, as well as led to the arrest of 27 vessels engaged in illegal bunkering, crude oil theft and other maritime illegalities. We successfully deactivated 175 illegal refining sites. We evacuated 35,384,718 Metric Tonnes of illegally refined AGO and destroyed several pirates as well as kidnappers send. Niger State Governor and Chairman North Central States Governors Forum (NCSGF), Abubakar Sani Bello has called for a patriotic commitment t... Niger State Governor and Chairman North Central States Governors Forum (NCSGF), Abubakar Sani Bello has called for a patriotic commitment to continuity of projects started by successive administrations in the state. Bello stated this in a commemorative message to mark the 46th anniversary of the creation of State issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mary Noel Berje. He noted that it was time to stop arbitrary, politically-minded execution and abandonment of projects and follow a roadmap that will guarantee sustainable growth and development of the state. Enough of every government come and do its own and abandoned that of the other. There must be a patriotic commitment to continuity in governance particularly as it affects service delivery to our people There is need, not only to consolidate on the legacies of those founding fathers but to institute a legal framework that will harmonize all Blueprints and or Development Action Plans from previous administrations to establish a compelling path to growth and development of the state. He called for peaceful coexistence among the diverse people in the state as well as more support to the All Progressives Congress,APC,-led administration to consolidate on the progress recorded by the founding fathers of the State. The governor also said the state government, in close collaboration with the Military, is evolving new strategies and increasing community participation in addressing all forms of armed banditry and criminality while acknowledging the role of traditional rulers in the latest approach. I once again, felicitate with all Nigerlites and urge them to remain steadfast and look into the future in unity and with hope of better years ahead. There is every reason to be optimistic despite the obvious, seemingly daunting challenges ahead, Bello added. Niger sState was created by the Military regime of Murtala Ramat Mohammed in February/April 1976. Kamorudeen Okiki, president of Agbekoya Worldwide, has asked the government of Benin Republic to release Sunday Adeyemo better known as Su... Kamorudeen Okiki, president of Agbekoya Worldwide, has asked the government of Benin Republic to release Sunday Adeyemo better known as Sunday Igboho or the group will use a traditional means to free him from detention. Igboho has been in detention in Benin Republic since he was arrested at an airport in Cotonou by the countrys security forces while he was trying to flee to Germany in July 2020. He was detained at the request of the Nigerian government, who had declared him wanted after raiding his home in Ibadan, Oyo state. A week later, a Beninise court blocked the immediate extradition of Igboho to Nigeria while ruling that the activist be remanded in prison pending further hearing. Speaking during a rally in Osogbo, on Thursday, Okiki said Igboho is not a criminal and should not be held illegally. Sunday Igboho is not a criminal. We will continue to say that. We know that it is the federal government that is holding Igboho in Benin Republic, but we are telling Benin Republic authorities now to legally release him using their court, he said. They should release him legally and quickly because they are not taking him to court again, or we will use our traditional means and powers to take Igboho out of detention. We are Agbekoya, if they dont release Sunday Igboho legally, we are going to take him out of Benin Republic. They will just see that Sunday Igboho is out of their prison. I repeat, we Agbekoya, will get him out of Benin Republic detention and bring him back home. Watertown, NY (13601) Today Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers in the afternoon. High 59F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Considerable clouds this evening. Some decrease in clouds late. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 44F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. The New Orleans Public Library is once again partnering with AARP Foundation Tax-Aide to provide in-person tax preparation assistance. This free service is available to all but is designed with a focus on low- to moderate-income taxpayers older than 50. Through April 11, Algiers Regional Library, 3014 Holiday Drive, and Milton H. Latter Memorial Library, 5120 St. Charles Ave., will host AARP tax assistance. Algiers appointments are available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays; Latter appointments are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays, with the exception of Mardi Gras. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteers are certified by the IRS to prepare federal returns, which includes most items on Form 1040, the U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. AARP volunteers can also prepare Louisiana tax returns, if applicable. The volunteers are not able to help with: Rental property income Farm income Moving expenses Casualty and theft losses Alternative Minimum Tax Loss from a self-employment business Registration is required. Call (504) 233-2316 to book an appointment. BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Celebrate Black History Month with the New Orleans Public Library art contest: Ways we Stay Healthy: Health and Wellness in the Black Community. From ways to stay healthy during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, Orleans Parish students in grades K-12 are invited to share art inspired by health and wellness in the Black community. Visit nolalibrary.org for details, rules and resources. Jane LeGros is the director of marketing and communications for the New Orleans Public Library. Theres been a disturbance in The Force. Because not enough New Orleans police officers volunteered to patrol Saturdays Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus parade for extra pay, the route of the sci-fi foot procession has been substantially lightsabered. A krewe official said Chewbacchus got word of the change Thursday evening. "Unfortunately, NOPD will not be able to staff our full route as originally planned," the krewe announced on Facebook. "We will be updating maps, and potentially shifting the start time. Please stay tuned as our team works quickly to make these changes." Instead of starting at St. Claude Avenue and Homer Plessy Way, the 1,800-person procession, named after a "Star Wars" character and the Roman god of wine, will begin at Royal Street and Elysian Fields Avenue in Faubourg Marigney then continue into the French Quarter, organizers said. Chewbacchus 2022 had already been altered from previous years, losing the Frenchmen Street leg of its usual trek through Marigny. But more drastic trimming was necessary this week. City Hall treats the first few Mardi Gras season parades, including Chewbacchus, differently than the later parades. Although Carnival starts Jan. 6, the official municipal parading season doesnt start until 12 days before Mardi Gras, or Feb. 18 this year. Big float parades such as Muses, Iris, Endymion, Zulu and Rex, which roll during the official period, are patrolled by on-duty police officers at taxpayer expense. But the earlier parades, such as Joan of Arc, Krewe du Vieux and tit Rex, which march before the official period, pay for the police that patrol their routes. City Hall spokesperson John Lawson II on Friday said those officers are volunteers who are adding to their incomes by taking on extra work via the Office of Police Secondary Employment. Chewbacchus co-captain Aryanna Gamble said that the last time the krewe marched, in 2020, it paid $11,000 for 20 to 25 officers. The trouble this year, she said, is that not that enough officers signed up for the extra work to secure the krewe's full route. So the parade had to be trimmed. Gamble said shes unsure what police protection will cost this year. Chewbacchus isnt alone. Most 2022 New Orleans parades have been altered or pared down, owing to shortages of municipal services. But Lawson emphasized that the trimming of Chewbacchus does not represent a lack of police officers, just a lack of officers who volunteered to work during the Chewbacchus parade. To be abundantly clear: This is not a manpower issue at the NOPD, and there was not a shortage of officers for the Krewe of Chewbacchus," he said. According to a Thursday night tweet from WWL-TV news anchor Charisse Gibson, a viewer warned that the small pendant she wore on air, one shaped like the African continent, implied a lack of patriotism. If you persist in wearing a medallion of Africa, please know that I will change channels, the viewer wrote via email, according to a screenshot posted by Gibson. You are an American first and should be proud of that. Gibson seemed unswayed by the aggrieved viewer's warning. Her response on twitter was simply: Nah. Reached by phone Friday, Gibson, a Black woman, said she gets her share of criticism, and often its race-based. I typically dont like to share it, she said, but this time I wanted people to see. Gibson said she wears her Africa pendant regularly. She thinks it might have drawn the attention of the viewer because it symbolizes the history of the slave trade. My ancestry is African, Gibson said, and its natural to try to find your way back to where you came from. A New Orleans native who attended Warren Easton High School, Gibson says she can trace her family to St. John the Baptist Parish and Mississippi. Farther back, her family tree can't be traced, because her ancestors were taken from their homelands against their wills and given new identities as enslaved people. To some, she said, her African pendant is a reminder of that erasure, of that original sin. Gibson said she sees no conflict in being of African descent and being American. Im African-American. Its what Im rooted in," she said, "and where I came from helped build this country. She said never intended to debate with the viewer who challenged her to choose her Americanism over her African heritage. Im not arguing this, she said. Id never deny my culture. Nor would she deny the various heritages of fellow Americans. You know whats insane, too, she said. Ive always taken joy in learning about other cultures. Without a doubt Gibson said shed be wearing her African pendant during Friday nights broadcast and thereafter. In fact, if there was time, she planned to do a little shopping for some earrings to match before stepping in front of the camera. Gibson said she was reassured when her Twitter followers rose up in her defense, with comments such as: Ask if she needs me to send her fresh batteries for her remote. Exactly You're an American first! Which means you can wear what you want, when you want, where you want. If your necklace is the biggest problem in their lives, they are blessed! Good grief. Her employer also stood up for her. We fully support anchor Charisse Gibson," executive news director Keith Esparros said. "At WWL, we embrace diversity in the people we hire, the stories we tell, and celebrate the diversity of all New Orleanians. We will continue to support Charisse and continue to celebrate diversity and inclusion. According to her online WWL-TV bio, Gibson's journalism career has taken her to Cincinnati and Shreveport as well as New Orleans. She is a national Murrow Award and Emmy Award winner, and is president of the New Orleans Association of Black Journalists. BookBrowse, an online magazine for book lovers, regularly polls its readers to determine interest in a variety of topics. It came up with a profile of the ideal books that most book club members are looking for. Well-written books that are successful with other book clubs. Eighty percent of book clubs will read local authors. Many want to read in a genre different from what the club has recently read. Members want challenging books that provoke good conversation. Inspiring and topical books are welcome, even if a bit controversial. The four book clubs sponsored by Jefferson Parish Libraries fill all of those criteria. All are free and open to the public. BestBank Book Club: The group meets from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 16, at the Gretna Library, 102 Willow Drive, Gretna. The book to be discussed is "The Family Upstairs" by Lisa Jewell. Here's the plot: Soon after her 25th birthday, Libby Jones returns home from work to find the letter shes been waiting for her entire life. She soon learns the identity of her birth parents, and also that she is the sole inheritor of their abandoned mansion on the banks of the Thames in Londons fashionable Chelsea neighborhood, worth millions. But what she cant possibly know is that others have been waiting for this day as welland she is on a collision course to meet them. Old Metairie Book Club: The group meets from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 15, at the Old Metairie Library, 2350 Metairie Road. The book up for discussion is "The Dry," by Jane Harper. Plot: A small town hides big secrets in this atmospheric debut mystery by the award-winning author. In the grip of the worst drought in a century, the farming community of Kiewarra is facing life-and-death choices daily when three members of a local family are found brutally slain. Jefferson Highway Book Club: The group meets from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 15, at the River Ridge Library, 8825 Jefferson Highway. The book to be discussed is "An American Marriage" by Tayari Jones. Plot: Newlyweds Celestial and Roy are the embodiment of both the American Dream and the New South. He is a young executive, and she is an artist on the brink of success. They are settling into their life together, when they are ripped apart: Roy is arrested and sentenced to 12 years for a crime Celestial knows he didnt commit. Great Books Discussion Club: The group meets at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 15, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie. The book up for discussion is "A Gathering of Old Men," by legendary Louisiana author Ernest Gaines. Plot: The book, set on a Louisiana sugar cane plantation in the 1970s, is a powerful depiction of racial tensions arising over a Cajun farmer's death at the hands of a black man. BOATING SAFETY: The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will conduct a boating safety class from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 12, at the North Kenner Library, 630 W. Esplanade Ave., Kenner. The class lasts between six and eight hours and is completed in a day. No preregistration is required but it is recommended by going to the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries website. The course includes information on choosing a boat, classification, hulls, motors, legal requirements and equipment requirements, many navigation rules, navigation charts, trailering, sailboats, and related subjects that include canoeing, personal watercraft and more. Students who complete the course will be issued a vessel operators certification card. COMPUTER CLASSES: Receive free computer training at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie, or at West Bank Regional Library, 2751 Manhattan Blvd., Harvey. Seating is limited, and online registration is required. Visit the Computer Classes page at www.jplibrary.net/training and click East Bank Regional Schedule or West Bank Regional Schedule. Upcoming Metairie classes include: One-on-One Instruction: 10 a.m. to noon Feb. 15 Microsoft PowerPoint 1:10 a.m. to noon Feb. 17 Microsoft PowerPoint 2: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 17 Beginner Compute: 10 a.m. to noon Feb. 18 Introduction to the internet: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 18 Microsoft Excel 3: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 21 3D Printing: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 21 JPL Digital Content: 10 a.m. to noon Feb. 22 Microsoft Word 2: 10 a.m. to noon Feb. 23 Upcoming Harvey classes include: Microsoft PowerPoint 1: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 22 Basic Computer Skills: 10 a.m. to noon Feb. 26 Basic Computer Skills: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 26 Chris Smith is manager of adult programming at the Jefferson Parish Public Library. At 10 years old, Louise Hymel already understands that being able to vote is a privilege. The fourth grader at the Academy of the Sacred Heart School in New Orleans was eager to vote for her favorite childrens book, by using a real voting machine, during an election held in the schools Mater Campus Library. This is the second time Louise has participated in the schools annual election. I felt special because I've only voted for two years, and it's special to me because I have younger siblings and they're not able to do it, so it's kind of like my thing that I get to do, she said, underscoring the significance of casting a ballot at such a young age. You can't vote for presidents until you're much older. During the mid-January election, Sacred Heart third- and fourth-grade students selected their favorite books for the Louisiana Young Readers Choice Awards, which are sponsored by the State Library of Louisiana. The iPad-style voting machines were provided by the Louisiana Secretary of States Voter Outreach Division, and manned by representatives from Secretary of State Kyle Ardoins office. Soline Holmes, Sacred Hearts preschool and lower-school librarian, launched the project four years ago. Mixing literacy with civics, the activity coordinates with the Louisiana Young Readers Choice Awards. I went online and found the list of nominated titles and got copies of the books. Then we nominated them, she said. I'm really passionate about the books. But I try not to sway people's opinions too much when I'm talking about them. In addition to reading several nominated titles during class, Holmes discussed the civics aspect of voting as well: Americans civic duty to vote during an election, and the suffragettes who fought for womens right to vote. Although the movement was active in the mid 19th Century, the right was guaranteed only in the 1920s by the 19th Amendment. That knowledge hit home at the all-girls school. When they find out that women could not vote, they're like, What? That's so unfair. Why couldn't we vote, too? That raises a lot of really good questions, Holmes said. They then discuss other groups of people who at one time were not allowed to vote, including Blacks and Native Americans. The kids are really surprised to find out that there are people who couldn't vote, and they are shocked and angry, Holmes said. To participate in the awards-related election, students must read at least three books from the list of nominated titles. Picture books included Martin & Anne: The Kindred Spirits of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Anne Frank by Nancy Churnin; Just Like Beverly: A Biography of Beverly Cleary by Vicki Conrad; and Carter Reads the Newspaper by Deborah Hopkinson. There are also a few chapter books on the list: Spark by Sarah Beth Durst; Because of the Rabbit by Cynthia Lord; and The Friendship War by Andrew Clements. Stargazing, a graphic novel by Jen Wang, also made the cut. Students receive a certificate from the State Library of Louisiana if they read all 15 books by the end of the school year. On the morning of the election, campaign posters lined the halls leading to the library, but they were purposely placed more than 600 feet from the polls. After arriving at the library, students checked in with their voter registration cards and signed their names in the poll book. Once they selected their favorite book on the voting machine with a little guidance from Secretary of State employees, if necessary they earned an I Voted Today sticker and a Louisiana Young Readers Choice Awards bookmark. The state reps certified the results with the librarian, just as they would for a state or federal election. Hearing that the Secretary of State is here I don't think the students really know who that is, or what that is, but it sounds very important, Holmes said. They just love getting to vote on actual voting machines. To give the election an authentic feel, Holmes pretended she didnt recognize the students when they arrived. While waiting in line, the girls chattered about their favorite books even though Holmes reminded them that this is technically a confidential matter. It's so cool seeing them excited about books and literature, and having those conversations with each other of like, I read this one. And, Well, no, I thought that one was better because I really liked this character. Or, I was so surprised when this happens in the book,' Holmes said. Third-grader Helen Alford, 8, revealed her favorite books: Just Like Beverly, Martin & Anne and Stargazing. When it came down to choosing one of the three, she thought about the characters and about which story meant something to (her), she said. I liked just signing my name in the registration book and the process, Helen added. Fourth-grader Violet Centola, 9, read a book recommended by a friend. I fell in love with that book. I told my mom about it, she said after voting. When I was walking up today, I was like, I love that book; I'm going to vote for that book. +5 Marrero lion dance team fosters Vietnamese culture and camaraderie among young members It was cold and rainy on a recent evening, but the weather didn't stop the Rising Dragon Lion Dance Team from practicing their routine for an She, like other students, appreciated the civics element of the project, too. I think it's kind of cool how we got to learn about history and we got to do something that you can't really do until you're 18, but in a different way, she said. It teaches us the rules of voting. And iPad thing was cool. After the election, Holmes announced the winning book: Stargazing. It's not my favorite book on the list, but it is one of my favorites. I love them all, she admitted. My favorite part is having them so excited about these books. They're learning about new people. +8 Parents of hearing-impaired kids get help through Bright School Resource Center When Kelley Hills daughter Vivien was born with a hearing problem, she quickly discovered a place that promised Vivien a quality education an UPDATE: The route has been shortened, but the parade still starts at 7 p.m. The Chewbacchanal now starts at 9 p.m. The Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus is set to parade on Saturday, but the group announced on its social media that the parade route has been shortened due to a staffing shortage from NOPD. The procession now starts at Royal Street and Elysian Fields Avenue. It follows the remainder of the original route on Elysian Fields and across Decatur Street. The announcement noted that the start time may be altered as well. The Krewe's theme is "System Reset." The original route started on St. Claude Avenue at Press Street. It's original start time was 7 p.m. The parade is followed by the Chewbacchanal at The Fillmore. Most New Orleans parades starting in Uptown will use the same shortened route this year. The city said the change was due to the inability to fully staff longer routes with NOPD officers. No parades are scheduled to use the Magazine Street leg between Napoleon and Jefferson avenues. To call New Orleans crime problem a crisis understates things by geometric proportions. This week, the City Council, the administration and the district attorney finally paused their finger-pointing and began to focus, at least publicly, on solutions as the administration and the council unveiled separate plans to reduce violent crime. Lets hope the council and the administration dont view their respective plans through the lens of political competition. Both plans are good, and both need to be implemented along with other measures because they focus on different aspects of the crime problem. The plans also underscore a point I made two weeks ago: The criminal justice system is just that a system with many moving parts and it functions well only when all parts work in sync. Mayor LaToya Cantrell alluded to that in her remarks on Feb. 2. Crime is both an immediate and long-term problem, which is why both plans are needed. Police Chief Shaun Ferguson and DA Jason Williams newfound cooperation, and Fergusons plan to resurrect policing strategies that worked in the past, take aim at the immediate crisis. The councils plan addresses long-term problems such as NOPD management and structure (particularly the number of districts); fiscal challenges and accountability; recreational and rehabilitation opportunities for youth; aid to the courts, the DAs office and public defenders; allowing NOPD to use technology more; and other initiatives. Heres another idea: Bring State Police back to New Orleans on a permanent basis, but focus their efforts on traffic enforcement (including accident reports) and quality of life issues. Get them to patrol the Interstate. Authorize them to respond to emergencies when needed, but otherwise focus them on things they know best which will allow NOPD to focus on major crimes. Orleans is the only parish in Louisiana without a State Police presence. A state law written almost a century ago, after Huey Long sent troopers to the city against his political enemies, bars State Police from New Orleans unless they are invited here by the mayor. Its time to repeal that archaic law and establish a permanent State Police district in the city. Cantrell needs to make this her number one ask of the governor and Legislature. That is the fastest and most effective way to increase the overall police presence in every corner of town. Criminals know how undermanned NOPD is. Rebuilding police manpower to optimum levels will take at least a decade, maybe longer. We dont have that much time. The mayor must act now. Crime has many causes but always the same effects: It destroys communities from within. It breeds hopelessness, fear and helplessness. Criminals are not geniuses, but they recognize those three things when they see them particularly the citywide feeling of helplessness right now. Its a pandemic all its own, and it emboldens criminals. The brazenness of violent crimes in recent years proves that. Thats why New Orleans needs both the councils and the administrations plans and a State Police presence. Make the ask, Mayor. Do it now. Your city needs it. Weve all heard the saying Everywhere else it's just Tuesday when it comes to Mardi Gras. And while its largely true, around the world people are finding ways to celebrate New Orleans Carnival this year in their own ways both big and small thanks to the Krewe of House Floats. The krewe, started by Megan Boudreaux, took off last year when the city canceled parades due to the pandemic, and this year it returns with author Maurice Carlos Ruffin as Grand Marshal. Although most of the house floats are in New Orleans, of course, expats everywhere from Denmark to Qatar, London and Alaska have signed on to participate this year. Molly Brown, who moved from New Orleans to Abu Dhabi in 2020, made a house float in 2021 complete with palm trees, camels and beads and has another in the works this year. Shes currently in the process of creating a mural of a map of the familys favorite places in New Orleans, like her daughters former school, Igors Bar & Grill on St. Charles Avenue where her husband proposed to her and Elms Mansion, where they got married. Planning it has been a trip down memory lane, she says. My husband and I were looking at this map and we were like, 'Oh, remember here when we walked to Voodoo Fest [from] our first apartment on Murat Street? And we're like, Oh, remember going and hanging out with our friends on 6th Street before going to Muses? she says. Also on the agenda is a cardboard tree so that her two daughters can decorate with beads. And of course, the staple float flowers. Its a way to keep the Carnival spirit alive and continue sharing it with her daughters. It was a really good outlet to reconnect with Mardi Gras, Brown says. My oldest is 8, and she missed Mardi Gras horribly last year I like that we're doing it and my girls are going to have some memory of Mardi Gras, even though it's not the New Orleans Mardi Gras per se. In Qatar, Louisiana natives Dina and Charles Schnurman see their house float as an extension of the Mardi Gras party they host each year. They heard of international house floats through Boudreaux, their friend. This year, their theme is Alhambra Mardi Gras named after their neighborhood and their decor includes camels, banners, lots of lights and a shisha pipe. As is often the case come Carnival time, theyve had to adjust for the elements though these particular meteorological challenges arent like anything seen in south Louisiana. We just had a big sandstorm over the weekend, Dina Schnurman says. So weve had to set up, take down, set up, take down. The Schnurmans live in a type of gated neighborhood in Qatar called a compound, where neighbors are close and kids run around and play together in the streets. They hope to get all their neighbors who are from all over the world to do their own house floats next year. They'd be totally into it, Dina Schnurman says. Similarly, in Denmark, Josh Greenberg and his family started throwing their own Mardi Gras party in 2020 right before the world shut down. They livestreamed parades from New Orleans, made both cream cheese and traditional king cakes from scratch and sent people home with beads and throws. It was a hit. Everybody embraced it, Greenberg says. I mean, what's better than a party on a Tuesday? However, it did require a bit of explanation: It was introducing people to everything, not only just decoration, but why Mardi Gras and why this food and why king cake and what's the baby about? It's like every single thing was an introduction to the culture, he says. Though 2022 is his first official year participating in the Krewe of House Floats, Greenberg has been decorating his house for Carnival wherever hes lived for the last decade. Hed get friends to ship him feather boas to hang around the house and beads to string from light fixtures. The family starts decorating on Twelfth Night, and they put up a few decorations every day for weeks to really appreciate each step of the way. This year, theyre creating instruments out of wood placards to decorate the front of the house. The wood placards are going to have different instruments dancing their way up to the front door, along the front of the house, so it's sort of like instruments as characters working their way in, Greenberg says. The decor and party are a nod to the time Greenberg spent living in Metairie during the formative ages of 11 to 13 and becoming immersed in the citys music scene and culture. It opened up my life in a different way, he says. Hes planning another party this year and has already booked a band to play and arranged for people to help bartend. Its something that's pretty ownable for us, and it's something that makes us a little more unique in our community, Greenberg says. If I have to be known for being the party thrower guy from New Orleans around Mardi Gras, that's an OK brand. Over in London, Kathy Seligman is having a smaller celebration. Last year, she put up a wreath on her door and set up a window display with purple, green and gold streamers and candlesticks shaped like a jazz trio. Something about the decor, which also included lights and a sign, gave people a not-so-subtle indication of where she was from. It made people know I was from New Orleans, Seligman says. I met someone from down the street She's like, 'I didn't know you were American. You must be from New Orleans. This is so great.' Because London neighborhoods arent the tight-knit communities they are in New Orleans, Seligman doesnt think this interaction would have happened before the pandemic. She says going out and clapping for doctors for a few minutes early in the pandemic was the first kind of feeling of community and neighborhood shed had since moving to London 35 years ago. I think this sort of just extended and people have gotten friendlier, so they were more interested, she says. I mean, once upon a time nobody would have asked, Seligman says. They would have just said, 'Who is that weird person whos got purple, green and gold?' Seligman visits New Orleans a lot for both consulting work and to see family, and in conversation, she still refers to New Orleans as home. Since December, shes split time between here and Dallas to spend time with her new grandchild. And though her stay in the states is coming to an end before parades kick into high gear, shes already scheming up some ideas for this years float, like purple flowers in her window box. After all, being back in the city has gotten her into the Carnival spirit. How can you not? she says with a laugh. Its everywhere you go. A Senate committee has yet to vote on the proposed congressional redistricting plans, but after hours of presentations Thursday, we now have a good idea of the excuses Republicans will use to not support the creation of a second majority-Black district in the state. Based on 2021 census estimates, 33% of people in Louisiana are Black. Meanwhile only one of the states congressional districts is majority Black: the 2nd Congressional District, which snakes from New Orleans to north Baton Rouge to encompass both Black Democratic strongholds. Black residents make up nearly 59% of the district. Civil rights groups like the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People support the creation of a second majority-Black district. The NAACP Legal Defense Fund said theyd sue if lawmakers dont pass a plan with two majority-Black districts, just like they did in Alabama when their legislature passed a map that had only one majority-Black district out of seven, despite Black people making up 27% of the population. Senate Democrats presented several proposals involving two majority-Black districts, but Senate and Governmental Affairs Chairwoman Sharon Hewitt, a Slidell Republican, repeatedly pushed back on them with the following four talking points. It doesnt violate the Voting Rights Act: After Sen. Jay Luneau, a white Alexandria Democrat and Sen. Cleo Fields, a Black Baton Rouge Democrat, introduced their proposals for maps with two majority-Black districts, Hewitt referenced the same line from the VRA: Provided, That nothing in this section establishes a right to have members of a protected class elected in numbers equal to their proportion in the population. She then proceeded to ask them the same question. My interpretation of that is it does not guarantee that because you have a third of your population that a third of your district should be represented by the minority, she said. I mean, it specifically says that in the act. Would you interpret it the same way? I dont, Luneau replied, I interpret that to mean that the minority people are given the opportunity to elect the person they want. It doesn't guarantee that a minority is going to be elected. Fields, who presented several plans with two Black-majority districts had a similar response. The Voting Rights Act does not say because your population is X then, you have to have X number of representatives, he said. We simply show that the minority population in the state is 33% and the minority population is compact enough to draw two minority districts, and we have presented that to you today. It matters where people live: Going even further, Hewitt said that not only do Black voters making up nearly a third of population not have the constitutional right to a proportional amount of Black members of Congress, but that their population makeup doesnt mean its a foregone conclusion or right that you have two out of six districts be minority districts either. Hewitt, whose proposed congressional map only included one majority-Black district, went on to suggest that where Black people live in the state might be the real problem. They have to be in an area with sufficient population and compact enough where they would have an opportunity to elect the candidate of choice, Hewitt said. So where they live does matter. Continuity of representation: According to the National Conference of Legislatures, state legislatures should attempt to preserve the cores of prior districts to provide continuity of representation during redistricting. Legislators brought up this phrase a lot when pitching maps that kept the congressional districts similarly to how they presently are and specifically with only one majority-Black district. I respect the voters in this state and know that they are in the best position to vote an elected official in or out of office based on their performance, and you don't want to take away the voters ability to do that by completely reconfiguring the districts, Hewitt said. While nice in theory, continuity is only a good thing if the maps are fair in the first place. Too risky: Pulling a reverse Uno card, Hewitt claimed that creating two majority-Black districts with slimmer majorities than the current sole majority-Black district would threaten having Black people elect their chosen candidate in any district. I think it would be a failure on the part of the legislature to create two minority districts of such low voting age population that you would be at risk of not allowing the minority to elect a candidate of their choice, Hewitt said. Michael Pernick, redistricting counsel with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, said House Bill 2, one of Fields redistricting plans, said Senate staff data shows that both districts would have Black majorities and solidly non-white majorities. Under HB 2, District 2 would include Orleans Parish and have a Black population of 54.5% and a Black voting age population of 52.3%, with white residents making up 37% of the voting age population. District 5, anchored by East Baton Rouge, would have tighter margins with a Black population of 54.2% and a Black voting age population of 51.7%. There, white residents would make up 43% of the voting age population. We have done that analysis for these plans and provided a summary of that analysis to the committee back in December, and we are comfortable and confident that these two majority-Black districts would perform, Pernick said. Sen. Ed Price, a Black Gonzales Democrat, added that Black residents supported the creation of an additional majority-Black district throughout the redistricting roadshows, where legislators traveled the state and collected public input. I attended all nine roadshows and it seems like some of my colleagues, they're ignoring the minority piece of what they heard during the roadshow, Price said. As minorities, I heard that they wanted a second minority district throughout the roadshow. So my colleague talked about everything else, but they're not listening to what those minority people say and that upsets me. For the third time in three years, the New Orleans City Council passed a resolution Thursday urging renovation of the citys main jail to house inmates with mental health problems instead of construction of a new building. The unanimous vote affirmed that a jail expansion remains a political non-starter two months after Susan Hutson won the sheriffs race by running against a project backed by incumbent Sheriff Marlin Gusman. But council members also allowed a proposed zoning change on the matter to die without a vote, and several acknowledged that the fate of the building ultimately lies in the hands of federal judges. Mayor LaToya Cantrells administration is currently trying to overturn a court order enforcing a 2017 agreement from the city to build the facility, often dubbed phase III, under the auspices of the jails long-running, court-ordered reform plan. I do not believe...that building a phase III jail can help with the fundamental societal problems that lead to crime, said District B Council member Lesli Harris, the author of the resolution. What I think we need to do is focus on mental health. But we struck a bargain, a contract that the prior mayoral administration and the sitting sheriff, the current sheriff, made with one another to improve our jails, one that is enforced by federal courts. A performative zoning change? While the newly-seated City Council opposes the construction of an additional jail building just like the previous council did, its members offered up a vastly different interpretation of their role in the debate. The last council, and the City Planning Commission, held long discussions over whether to approve zoning changes in favor of either a new buildings construction or a renovation of the main lock-up. But on Thursday, council members passed up their last chance to act on a zoning change in favor of a retrofit, effectively killing it. Harris described it as basically a performative piece of zoning legislation that has zero impact on whether or not or when this retrofit will occur. That proposal was sponsored by former City Council member Jay Banks, whom Harris defeated in a December runoff. Last month, the previous City Council also allowed a zoning change in favor of a new building to expire without action. Ultimately, either change would not have mattered because the new building is a judicial than a political question at this point, Harris and her colleagues said. In court filings, Cantrells lawyers have said that the City Council must pass a zoning change as part of their argument against construction of a new building, adding a point concerning the buildings political infeasibility to a broader argument about its pointlessness. But the current City Councils members, who include four lawyers, said it would set a dangerous precedent if they were to succeed in using zoning law to block a court order aimed at protecting incarcerated peoples rights to health and safety. At-large Council member JP Morrell said Thursday he worried that the same logic could be used elsewhere to block affordable housing. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up We do not want to create a precedent where cities can manipulate their way out of consent decrees, using zoning as a tool to do so, he said. Unlike previous hearings on the jail, which have featured scores of residents waving signs or emailing opinions, Thursdays vote drew no public comment. On Tuesday, however, the Orleans Parish Prison Reform Coalition had urged the Council in the strongest terms to approve the zoning change for the retrofit proposal, which would result in a lower total bedspace for the Sheriffs Office. This city requires no new jail space, the coalition said. Actually, too many people of color remain caged; deprived of liberty because of poverty, criminalization of substance abuse and mental health problems related to systemic racism. Showdown on Camp Street The Councils vote could figure into the March 7 hearing in the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. Judges will consider Cantrells attempt to block an order from U.S. District Judge Lance Africk to proceed with the new facility, which former Mayor Mitch Landrieu agreed to build in 2017. Africk and federal monitors say Cantrell hasnt presented a workable alternative to the new building, which also is supposed to include a medical infirmary and visitation rooms. Yet city attorneys have marshaled arguments that the building is both unnecessary and illegal, pointing to a federal law that prohibits judges from ordering the construction of jail facilities. The Mayor's Office says there is ample room in the main lock-up to house inmates with mental health problems on pods renovated to house them safely. The U.S. Department of Justice, attorneys with the MacArthur Justice Center in New Orleans who represent jail inmates and the Sheriffs Office all support construction of the new building. The resolution passed Thursday directs the City Councils legal team to file a friend-of-the-court brief against the new lock-up. Orleans Parish Sheriff-elect Susan Hutson, who does not take office until May 2, says she also hopes to file a brief. In its resolution Thursday, the City Council said it would pursue decommissioning 89 beds at the main Orleans Justice Center if the 89-bed new facility is built. Hutson has been adamant in her opposition to the new building, but she hesitated to comment on that proposal at a Wednesday press conference. Current Sheriff Marlin Gusman says that while he is hundreds of people short of filling all 1,438 beds at the main jail, he needs all the space he can get to quarantine and isolate inmates under COVID protocols. I am still studying what they wrote, Hutson said. We are in a time of COVID, so I would ask that they not do anything unilaterally. A watchdog group lodged a complaint Thursday against a judge of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for insisting that a lawyer remove his mask during arguments at a time when new cases of COVID-19 were surging. The group Fix the Court said Judge Jerry Smith's insistence that a U.S. Department of Justice lawyer remove his mask at a hearing last month violated the Code of Conduct for U.S. Judges. Remove your mask, if you would, Smith can be heard telling attorney Josh Koppel in an audio recording of the Jan. 6 hearing. I'd prefer to leave it on, Koppel said. We would prefer that you remove it, thank you," Smith replies. In a letter to the 5th Circuit clerk, Gabe Roth of Fix the Court asserts that Smith violated a part of the conduct code stating that judges should be patient, dignified, respectful, and courteous to lawyers they are dealing with. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up His initial response was plainly audible on the courts audio recording, indicating that the mask was not impeding Judge Smiths ability to hear him, Roth wrote. A request to the court for comment from Smith or court officials did not get an immediate response Thursday afternoon. The complaint will be reviewed by the court's chief judge, Priscilla Owen, who would decide whether to dismiss it or whether corrective action or review by a committee is called for, according to the judicial conduct rules. The Justice Department declined comment. Koppel had traveled to New Orleans to argue for the federal government in a lawsuit by a former FBI agent. The suit alleges retaliation by the FBI against the agent for a letter he wrote to a federal judge alleging that some federal prosecutors had conflicts of interest in the case of a Louisiana district attorney's plea deal. The district attorney was accused of pressuring female defendants into granting sexual favors in return for leniency. The hearing was held as Louisiana was nearing the peak of another surge in COVID-19 cases, with new cases and hospitalizations climbing. Smith, who is from Houston, was confirmed as a 5th Circuit judge in 1987 after being nominated by President Ronald Reagan. Three candidates have qualified in the race for Clerk of 2nd City Court in Algiers, a seat left vacant after Darren Lombard won the December election for clerk of Criminal District Court. The election is March 26. Early voting begins March 12. Jordan Bridges, Kenneth Cutno and Lisa Ray Diggs qualified for the race. Bridges is a program manager for the New Orleans Council for Community and Justice, an advocacy organization that fights racism and bigotry. Last year, he lost to Delisha Boyd in the race for the 102nd District seat in the Louisiana House of Representatives. Cutno, a self-described community development consultant, has twice run and lost against New Orleans City Council President Helena Moreno for the Division 1 at-large council seat. Diggs, president of Now Strategic Alliance Group, a consulting firm, serves as chairman of the Orleans Parish Democratic Executive Committee. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Records show none of the candidates have raised campaign funds thus far. The 2nd City Court clerks office maintains records for civil lawsuits and small claims suits, as well as records for residential and commercial property evictions, on the West Bank of New Orleans. While often not in the public eye, the 2nd City Court, as well as the 1st City Court, which handles cases on the East Bank, have been in the spotlight in recent months as the pandemic raised the prospect of increased evictions with many people out of work. Lombard held the clerks position since 2013. He will be sworn in on May 2 as clerk of Criminal District Court, taking over from longtime clerk Arthur Morrell. Absentee ballots must be requested by March 22 and received by the Registrar of Voters Office no later than March 25. On election day, polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh is visiting New Orleans Monday, where he will meet with local and state officials and nonprofit leaders to discuss workforce development and the $1 trillion infrastructure bill. Walsh, the former mayor of Boston, is scheduled to visit Delgado Community College where he will join Gov. John Bel Edwards, Mayor LaToya Cantrell and U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, according to the Labor Department. The officials will participate in a roundtable discussion with Saket Soni, executive director of Resilience Force, a nonprofit that focuses on post-disaster workforce issues, according to the Labor Department. Soni also co-founded the New Orleans Workers Center for Racial Justice. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up As part of the event, Resilience Force and Signal Restoration Services, a property restoration company, plan to announce a new effort to invest in and legitimize the resilience worker industry, according to the Labor Department. Resilience Force has been tapped to help the city of New Orleans its response to the coronavirus pandemic and worked with the New Orleans Health Department on door-to-door outreach on vaccinations. Walshs appearance dovetails with the recently introduced Climate Resilience Workforce Act, which would create a White House Office of Climate Resilience. In a press release, Soni called the legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-WA a historic first for disaster response workers. Michael Allen and Zyrin Gougis had no clue Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams and New Orleans Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson were at their school announcing an important crime partnership after a very public feud. About the same time as Williams and Ferguson walked up the stairs to the second-floor media room overlooking the front of Edna Karr High School, the two 10th graders were downstairs walking outside from their Talented Arts: Music class to enjoy the sunshine. As Ferguson and Williams spoke about the seriousness of the New Orleans crime surge and how theyll collaborate to wipe out as much as possible, Allen played a pop song and Gougis played a second-line tune out back. Music helps you keep your mind off of all the dangers of the city, Gougis told me later. Law enforcement includes criminal and juvenile judges, the sheriff and others, but at the core are the citys top crime prevention and crime resolution leaders, Ferguson and Williams. Respectively, they lead the agency responsible for protecting citizens and arresting anyone who violates the law and the agency responsible for prosecuting individuals charged with crimes. Most New Orleans citizens, residents and visitors are law-abiding, but some are intentional and even repeat offenders. Its up to Ferguson and Williams to ensure safe streets, neighborhoods and businesses and pursue arrests, charges and convictions with the best available evidence. Last month, Ferguson and Williams were going at it in public. With a battle of data and words, news conferences and news releases, the two practically poked each other in the chest and in the eye. A lot of it was focused on how the other had some responsibility for increasing crime, based on one measure or another. They cited the number and types of crimes to make their points, likely confusing citizens left to wonder who was right. Im not exaggerating when I say that their public feud was disappointing, frustrating and made my heart sink. Two strong Black men parsing details from different perspectives and pissing each other off wasnt the picture we needed. It wasnt helping to solve a problem involving lots of Black suspects and victims. Allen and Gougis, both 15, dont want to worry about crime. As young Black men, they were impressed that Ferguson and Williams put aside what separated them and found common ground. City Council member Freddie King, 37, said he considers himself a young Black man, and he, too, was pleased with what he saw. Ferguson and Williams said they set aside their beef in part because they knew it was important to send the right message to young people. That definitely includes young Black men like those committing too many crimes, some random shootings and killings and some involving beefs. They need to know that also includes young Black men like Allen and Gougis. Their message: We can disagree without being disagreeable. We can discuss and not tear down. We can pick apart points and not pick on each other and pick up a gun. We can win an argument without killing someone. And we can work together. What happened Thursday was an important part of moving the city forward with a must-do crime-fighting attitude backed with actions by these two men, Mayor LaToya Cantrell, the City Council, judges and others. King, who represents the area where Karr is located, said seeing the chief and the DA together was meaningful. Having two Black men showing the world, and showing the community, that we are not at odds is good, he said. We may disagree, but were in this together. Elder Warren Buchanan, pastor of Berea True Holiness Church of God in Christ, isnt as young as the students or King, but hes concerned about crime, especially in Algiers where his church sits. Watching two Black men make amends was very impressive and needs more exposure, said Buchanan, 78. Nearly everyone was watching Ferguson and Williams. Once they see other people coming together, then everybody else can start coming together, said Gougis. Honestly, Allen added, holding his trumpet, it shows us young people that we can put our differences aside and we can grow as people. Hopefully, it can stop the violence in New Orleans. By coming together to offer solutions, Ferguson and Williams passed an important quiz. The final exam grade will depend on how well they work together to get the results the city needs. The Oklahoma House has given final approval to a Texas-style abortion ban that prohibits abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy. The bill passed Thursday by the GOP-led House now heads to Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt. He's expected to sign it within days. The bill was immediately challenged in court by abortion rights advocates. The measure prohibits abortions once cardiac activity can be detected in an embryo. Experts say thats typically about six weeks into a pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant. Like Texas, the bill allows private citizens to sue abortion providers or anyone who helps a woman obtain an abortion for up to $10,000. The U.S. Supreme Court allowed a similar law in Texas to stand. Norman, OK (73070) Today Windy with scattered strong thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. High 82F. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Thunderstorms, some strong during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low near 45F. Winds NNW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Williamsport, Pa. -- A new Bachelor of Architecture offering at Pennsylvania College of Technology may make it easier to gain professional credentials and experience in the field. The degree is set to begin accepting students in Fall 2023 (and possibly sooner). The new major adds a fifth year to the current bachelors framework, effectively providing students with a steppingstone to career advancement that doesnt involve postgraduate study. Students can receive accreditation from the National Architectural Accrediting Board. Gaining approval was a multiyear undertaking and a long-held objective of the institutions architecture faculty and required sign off from the Penn College Board of Directors. "We get a few graduates each year who pursue an accredited Master of Architecture degree, and those students are typically spending two and a half to three years to get that accredited degree elsewhere. Now, it'll just be one additional year here, said Geoffrey M. Campbell, assistant professor and department head, one of whom presented the proposal to the board. They wont get a master's degree, but it will be an NAAB-accredited degree, and in terms of the impact it has on your ability to become a registered architect, there's really no difference. They're both considered a first professional degree, Lester said of the bachelors and masters credentials. So in the eyes of the accreditors and the eyes of the industry, they are relatively equivalent. To have our students do two to three years of extra education more tuition, more student loans, etc. just seemed excessive. A clearer and shorter path to licensure is seen as a prime selling point to prospective students and their families, as only licensed architects (and engineers, in some cases) can sign architectural drawings. The salary is typically better for a registered architect; the ability to advance in the hierarchy of the firm will be stronger; and they will have a heightened ability to start their own business as an architect, Campbell explained. You can do some residential work as a designer for single- or two-family homes without being registered, but that's about it. Beyond that, you need either an engineer's or an architect's stamp. All commercial work has to be sealed, Lester emphasized, so graduates are limited if they are not licensed. Pennsylvania is among the states that allows you to become licensed without a NAAB-accredited degree, but its a longer process, a much more complex process, she said. The documentation is more challenging, and if our students want to move somewhere later on, it could really inhibit them. The idea of an accredited Penn College program was floated in the past, but never with success before. Changes in administration may explain why. Ellyn was very instrumental in getting all of this to happen, Campbell said, noting that the assistant dean who holds a masters in architecture from the University of Kansas and has been through accreditations as both a student and employee met with faculty even before her official starting date at Penn College. We talked about certain issues that we had, and she came to the conclusion that, if we were to get this accreditation, it would solve a lot of them, he explained. So she started talking with the administration, promoting the idea that we should be NAAB-accredited. It wouldn't have happened had she not taken that on. It's really about positioning, the assistant dean said. There are seven other accredited programs in Pennsylvania, some bachelor's and some master's, and some relatively close. But we're different; were not trying to compete with anyone. Were building on the strengths of what we have. Key to the strength of that foundation is a curricular pivot approved in 2009: an architecture and sustainable design degree that honed students design skills toward environmental concerns. That is a really strong pairing, and we got there very early compared to a lot of other programs, Lester said. Our faculty is very knowledgeable about sustainability issues and sustainability in the building process. I love this program because its very focused on the technical not to the detriment of design, but enhancing design, and really taking design from the realm of the purely aesthetic. They really have a good strong foundation in the reality of architecture. The accreditation process will take about six years to complete, with multiple site visits by NAAB personnel at various points throughout the five-year curriculum. Should accreditation be granted at the conclusion of that process, as expected, it would be retroactive to the new majors first graduating class. Members of the colleges Architectural Technology Advisory Committee industry professionals who offer advice on curriculum and equipment, as well as sharing business connections and internship opportunities influenced the curricular change. They asked a lot of really good questions about Why now? and Whats the purpose? and Where do you see this going so it is not like every program out there? Lester said of the groups Fall 2021 review of the proposed new degree. It was very impressive. Among those committee members is Anthony H. Visco Jr., owner of Anthony H. Visco Jr., Architects, who earned an associate degree in architectural technology from Williamsport Area Community College (a Penn College predecessor) and a bachelors from Kansas State University. I am excited to hear that Pennsylvania College of Technology is creating the new Bachelor of Architecture program, which provides graduates a clear path to architectural registration, he said. Penn College already provides a wide variety of architectural-related specialties, and adding the Bachelor of Architecture offers students a viable alternative to attending a large university. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get Our Free Newsletters Never miss a headline with NorthcentralPa.com newsletters. Sign Up Today! Morning Headlines: Would you like to receive our daily morning newsletter? Afternoon Update: What's happening today? Here's your update! Daily Obits: Get a daily list straight to your email inbox. Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. Harrisburg, Pa. This month, Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf will deliver his eighth and final budget address to a joint session of the legislature. Such speeches are usually a time for governors to lay out their vision for the future, and provide a wish list of all the policies and changes they want lawmakers to act on. This time, though, Wolfs speech is expected to not only outline his policy requests but also look back at his administrations turn at the helm of government. The speech will provide the roadmap for weeks of budget hearings and negotiations between the term-limited governor and the Republican-controlled legislature. A signed budget must be in place by July 1, the start of the fiscal year. This time around, talks between the two sides will be buoyed by the fact that the state is flush with cash reserves if only temporarily. Here are six things to know before the governor delivers his budget address on Feb. 8. This year, it is scheduled to resume being an in-person event, although legislative staff said they will likely cut down on the number of people (including aides and visitors) who are allowed to attend. Legacy will be as prominent as finances This is Wolfs chance to sell the public on his tenure in office. Expect to hear about his administrations focus on increasing funding for public education, expanding Medicaid access, ushering in changes to voting policy, and responding to COVID-19. Also expect the GOP to rebut this narrative by countering that the Wolf administration overstepped its boundaries and attempted to usurp the powers of the legislature in imposing coronavirus restrictions. The states finances are OK for now A decade ago, the legislature created the nonpartisan Independent Fiscal Office and tasked it with fairly and accurately assessing the states financial health. In a report on the states budget outlook, the IFO projected a substantial surplus in this fiscal years budget but operating deficits for future years. That means negotiations between Wolf and the legislature for the fiscal year that begins in July could be calmer, but the next administration can expect a financial headache. By the 2023-24 fiscal year, Pennsylvania could be staring at a nearly $2 billion deficit, according to the latest IFO report. Federal relief dollars are a curse and a blessing Federal money from the pandemic relief bill President Joe Biden signed last March is keeping the states finances afloat, and Republicans hope to use some $5 billion in cash reserves to keep the states finances balanced through the 2023-24 fiscal year. That $5 billion includes roughly $2.4 billion in federal money from the American Rescue Plan Act that is leftover in a restricted account, and another $2.6 billion in state taxpayer dollars that was put into the budget reserve, nicknamed the rainy day fund. Democrats, however, have called for spending the money now on what they see as more pressing matters for the state to address, setting the stage for potential clashes with GOP lawmakers who want to continue squirreling some of the money away to assuage the looming deficits in later years. Education funding remains a Wolf fixture Wolf has proposed funding increases for public schools every year of his tenure. The GOP-controlled legislature has largely obliged, albeit not to the extent that the governor has sought. The current fiscal years nearly $40 billion budget, for instance, includes a $400 million boost in education funding, including $200 million more for public schools and another $100 million to help struggling school districts. But Wolf has been insistent that all education dollars not just the amount in annual increases should be funneled through the states fair funding formula to help poor and underfunded schools in urban and rural districts. If implemented, it would dramatically change the public education funding landscape. Yet he doesnt have complete buy-in from GOP lawmakers, and it is unlikely an expansion of the formula will be implemented in an election year, when public officials often shy away from making radical changes. However, a lawsuit now in a state appellate court one alleging that the state has historically underfunded poor and lower-income schools districts could eventually force the legislatures hand. But that suit could play out in the courts for months, if not years. The pandemic looms large Wolfs legacy will in large part be judged by his handling of the pandemic. Expect the Democratic governor to focus on his administrations investments in health care including an additional $225 million being fast-tracked for hospitals struggling with staffing shortages rather than the myriad fights he had with legislative Republicans over his administrations restrictions in the first year of the pandemic. Minimum wage hike, gas tax are still high on Wolfs wish list There are a handful of policy changes that the Democratic governor pushes nearly every year despite legislative inaction. They include measures to fight gun violence, proposals to raise the minimum wage above $7.25 an hour, and plans for taxing natural gas production. The governor will likely return to those themes in this years speech, but the political landscape does not appear promising for action on those fronts. Wolf also might deliver a full-throated defense of his administrations efforts to expand voting access in light of last weeks controversial appellate court ruling striking down the states mail voting law. The administration has appealed the decision to the states highest court, and Wolf has said the outcome will be pivotal to the strength of democracy in the commonwealth. WHILE YOURE HERE... If you learned something from this story, pay it forward and become a member of Spotlight PA so someone else can in the future at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get Our Free Newsletters Never miss a headline with NorthcentralPa.com newsletters. Sign Up Today! Morning Headlines: Would you like to receive our daily morning newsletter? Afternoon Update: What's happening today? Here's your update! Daily Obits: Get a daily list straight to your email inbox. Harrisburg, Pa. -- When the state faces a critical blood shortage, they look to volunteers for help. Donations have fallen dramatically as a result of COVID-19 and blood drive cancellations. Pennsylvania Physician General Dr. Denise Johnson and Patrick Bradley, President and CEO of the Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank, held a conference on Thursday expressing their concern over the dwindling amount of volunteers who regularly donate blood. The critical shortage of blood across Pennsylvania and the nation is still a major concern as COVID-19 has prevented some donors from giving blood and impacted the scheduling of blood drives, Dr. Johnson said. Blood is essential for surgeries, traumatic injuries, cancer treatment and chronic illnesses, which is why it is so important for individuals to go to their local blood bank or find a blood drive near them and donate. An adequate supply of blood is essential to ensure Pennsylvanians have safe, continuous access to the highest quality of health care. I encourage all Pennsylvanians to consider giving blood. Blood donations are an integral part of medical care, with many patients needing transfusions to replace lost blood after surgeries, injuries from vehicle crashes, or those with illnesses like leukemia or kidney disease. Approximately 36,000 units of red blood cells are needed every day in the United States. The type of blood most commonly requested and used by hospitals is type O. Type O blood can be transfused to patients with any blood type, which is why it is often used in emergencies when there is not enough time to determine a patients blood type. A shortage of donors isn't the only problem. A significant factor contributing to blood shortages is a decrease in the amount of people entering the field of phlebotomy, Patrick Bradley, President and CEO of Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank said. There is a high demand for these positions as it requires a unique skillset. To help with this challenge, Pennsylvania blood centers provide the necessary education and training to begin a career in phlebotomy. There are five major blood donation centers in Pennsylvania: American Red Cross of the Greater Pennsylvania Region; Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank; Community Blood Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania and Western New York; Miller-Keystone Blood Center; and Vitalant Blood Center. To donate blood, make an appointment with your nearest blood bank or visit a blood drive in your community. Though Type O is the most desirable, all blood types are needed to ensure that there is a reliable supply. Most people are eligible to donate blood if: They are in generally good health They are 16 or older They weigh at least 120 pounds COVID vaccinations are NOT required to donate blood. Those with a COVID and/or flu vaccine do not have to go through a waiting period if they wish to donate. Anyone who has recovered from COVID-19 is eligible to donate 10 days after the complete resolution of their symptoms, per FDA guidance. Individual blood centers may have different requirements - check with them first. For more information about donating blood including links to different blood centers in Pennsylvania and tips for first-timers, visit the Department of Health's blood donation page. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get Our Free Newsletters Never miss a headline with NorthcentralPa.com newsletters. Sign Up Today! Morning Headlines: Would you like to receive our daily morning newsletter? Afternoon Update: What's happening today? Here's your update! Daily Obits: Get a daily list straight to your email inbox. Mifflinburg, Pa. Two Union County residents were recently charged after a police search turned up several hundred grams of methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana. Brandie Sue Adams, 40, and Donald D. Kouf, 49, of Mifflinburg remain jailed at Union County Jail on felony charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. Trooper James Gutierrez of Pennsylvania State Police at Milton was among law enforcement officials called to assist the United States Marshals Task Force to serve a warrant on Sept. 29 at 2240 Johnstown Road in West Buffalo Township. According to the arrest affidavits, law enforcement received consent to search the residence and observed a rifle and marijuana plant in plain view. The rifle belonged to Kouf, who was not to possess a firearm due to previous felony charges, Gutierrez wrote. Police applied for and were granted a search warrant to further check the residence. As a result of the search, police found: 58 grams of suspected crystal methamphetamine, 152 grams of suspected cocaine, 101 grams of suspected marijuana, plastic baggies containing unknown pills, four digital scales, 72 glass smoking devices, bulk glassine baggies, two grinders with marijuana residue, and one camouflage Mossberg Patriot .308 firearm. $200 cash also was found, Gutierrez wrote in the affidavit. The charges were filed on Jan. 19 at the office of District Judge Jeffrey Mensch. Both Kouf and Adams had already been incarcerated due to unrelated charges, Gutierrez wrote. Judge Mensch set Adams bail at $20,000 monetary. Koufs bail was set at $10,000 monetary. Kouf also received a felony charge for possession of a firearm prohibited. Docket Sheet Adams Docket Sheet Kouf Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get Our Free Newsletters Never miss a headline with NorthcentralPa.com newsletters. Sign Up Today! Morning Headlines: Would you like to receive our daily morning newsletter? Afternoon Update: What's happening today? Here's your update! Daily Obits: Get a daily list straight to your email inbox. Jersey Shore, Pa. -- Around 1:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 4, Tiadaghton Valley Regional Police responded to a shot fired call near the 90 block of Vilas Drive, Porter Twp. A male victim was found to be shot twice--once in the chest and once in the groin area, according to reports from the scanner. The suspect, at the time described as a light-skinned black male in a white hoodie or jump suit, fled on foot. The suspect was taken into custody around 2:18 p.m. Authorities are actively searching for a weapon. This is an ongoing story. NorthcentralPa.com will update as information becomes available. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get Our Free Newsletters Never miss a headline with NorthcentralPa.com newsletters. Sign Up Today! Morning Headlines: Would you like to receive our daily morning newsletter? Afternoon Update: What's happening today? Here's your update! Daily Obits: Get a daily list straight to your email inbox. Lewis Twp. Pa., -- An early morning water rescue in Lewis Twp. brought two people and their dog to safety Friday. At 5:43 a.m., The Mifflinburg Hose Company was dispatched to Lewis Township, the 900 block of Canada Drive for a water rescue, according to a Facebook post. The residence is near Penns Creek in Milmont, Pa. Heavy rain and snowmelt have contributed to flood advisories throughout the area. According to the National Weather Service, minor flooding was expected in low-lying and poor drainage areas. "River or stream flows are elevated. Ice movement may lead to jams and blockages," according to a flood advisory in place until 9 a.m. Friday. PennDOT has closed roads throughout the area. Related reading: PennDOT: Roads closed in Northcentral Pa. Rescue 3 and Utility 3 crews used the Hose Company's Boat 3 to reach the two people and one dog and take them safely from the residence without injury. Units involved in the rescue included Chief 303, 304, Rescue 3, Utility 3, Boat 3, MICU 1-2, MHCFP, and Union County EMA. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get Our Free Newsletters Never miss a headline with NorthcentralPa.com newsletters. Sign Up Today! Morning Headlines: Would you like to receive our daily morning newsletter? Afternoon Update: What's happening today? Here's your update! Daily Obits: Get a daily list straight to your email inbox. Bloomsburg, Pa. Charges were filed against a Philadelphia man on Feb. 2 after Scott Township Police investigated reports of a false statement on a gun application. A warrant was issued for Isaiah Marquis Thomas, 24, after authorities said he responded no when asked if he had ever been arrested. Authorities said an investigation into Thomas background showed he was charged as a minor for possession of a handgun. According to the report, Thomas was denied a challenge to the accusations after police were able to prove he was previously convicted of a crime. Docket sheet Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get Our Free Newsletters Never miss a headline with NorthcentralPa.com newsletters. Sign Up Today! Morning Headlines: Would you like to receive our daily morning newsletter? Afternoon Update: What's happening today? Here's your update! Daily Obits: Get a daily list straight to your email inbox. Former President Donald Trump says the United States should have never abandoned Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan last year, given its strategic location in relation to China. I would have kept Bagram; it has always been my plan to keep Bagram, Trump told former top White House aide Kash Patel on his EpochTVs Kashs Corner program. The interview will premiere at 8 p.m. Eastern on Feb. 7. Its right next to China. It is one hour away from where they build their nuclear weapons. How can you lose Bagram? Trump asked during the interview, before adding China is going to have Bagram. Bagram Air Base, the largest airfield in Afghanistan, was the heart of American military power in Afghanistan for nearly two decades before it was taken over by the Taliban last year. One of the construction projects completed by the United States at the airfield is a 12,000 foot (3,660 meters) runway, which opened in 2016 at the cost of $68 million. The airbase is about an hours drive from the Afghan capital Kabul. The U.S. airfield was determined by the Pentagon to be neither tactically nor operationally necessary, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley told a congressional hearing in late June 2021. Less than two weeks later, the U.S. military left Bagram airfield. What ensued was the now widely-criticized chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in mid-August. A recent report by the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) revealed that China has been secretly building three missile silo fields near Yumen, Hami, and Orodos in western China, the region that neighbors Afghanistan. The report concluded that China is engaging in an unprecedented nuclear buildup and Chinas total Intercontinental ballistic missile force could potentially exceed that of either Russia and the United States in the foreseeable future. Dan Steiner, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel and global strategist, previously told The Epoch Times that keeping Bagram airfield, given its proximity to China, would have given the United States a strategic advantage in contending with threats posed by Beijing. The way they withdrew from Afghanistan was like we were the gang that couldnt shoot straight, Trump said. I think its the most embarrassing day or week in the history of our country. In the aftermath of the Talibans swift takeover of Kabul, the Chinese regime seized on the event to embark on an aggressive propaganda campaign to label the United States as an unreliable ally and delegitimize American democracy. Trump also claimed that Beijing has now acquired U.S. military weapons left that were left behind from the withdrawal, and the communist regime is now studying and re-engineering them. You have to get strong with China. You have to do tariffs. You have to do a lot of different things, Trump said. The full exclusive interview will premiere on EpochTV.com at 8 p.m. Eastern on Feb. 7. From The Epoch Times James R. Poplar III, of Quicksburg, proudly served with the U.S. government for over 40 years. He specialized in national security affairs at both Vanderbilt and the National Defense University. Franciscan Health Crown Point got reverified as a Level III trauma center that certifies its ability to provide the highest care to critically injured patients. An American College of Surgeons committee determined the hospital has the capability to provide trauma care to patients in urgent need. Franciscan Health Crown Point has been committed to bringing the highest level of care to Northwest Indiana, and our latest trauma certification as a Level III center reaffirms that commitment," Hospital President and CEO Daniel McCormick said. The hospital in Crown Point was first verified as a Level III trauma center in 2017. Its something were very proud of, said Eric Woo, medical director of the trauma program in Crown Point. It means the community has an institution right here in the Region that is dedicated to providing the best possible care to injured patients. Reverification requires extensive documentation that culminates in a two-day examination. While the actual verification is a two-day process, you begin preparing for your verification the day after you get your last one, Woo said. Franciscan Health Crown Point's recertification got delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. It will last three years through December 2024. Theres a constant ongoing collaboration and examination of processes and outcomes, with work and effort toward delivering trauma care as good as possible," Woo said. "No one is resting on their laurels. Were always trying to improve. The recertification requires that a trauma surgeon be available within 30 minutes and that patient transfers can be expedited to higher-level trauma centers. The evaluation process covers protocols, training and relationships. It encompasses every department, every specialty, all the ancillary services to take care of the patients, he said. The verification is not an official designation as a trauma center by a government authority but a confirmation of the highest quality of trauma care. We are very proud to have a team of dedicated physicians, nurses and health care providers that have brought their dedication and expertise to this program, McCormick said. Lastly, we have to remember that without the support of our first responders, Mayor David Uran and other local and state government officials, programs like this would be more difficult to sustain. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Mark Wilkins nearly died of a heart attack before doctors at St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart saved his life. He will share his dramatic story with the public when Community Healthcare System launches its annual Hearts of Hope campaign in conjunction with American Heart Month this February. St. Mary Medical Center will host the 17th annual Hope Tree Lighting Ceremony on Feb. 10 to raise money for research and improved treatment options. Crimson lights honoring the memory of loved ones will be placed on a 12-foot tree in the west Patient Tower lobby. People can donate $5 to dedicate a light to a special person and $15 to also send an honoree a Hearts of Hope lapel pin. The Valparaiso University chorus will sing "This is my Fathers World, by Amy Grant at the virtual meeting. St. Mary Medical Center CEO Janice Ryba, Community Healthcare System Cardiology Services Vice President Dale O'Donnell and cardiologist Dr. Abdul Kawamleh will deliver remarks. Wilkins will recount how he had a heart attack and received life-saving treatment at the hospital after his heart stopped three times. Somebody was watching over me, Wilkins said. Physicians cleared blockages in his heart, restoring blood flow, and put in a pump to help it continue to pump blood. While Dr. Zlatan Stepanovic was working on opening the artery, Marks heart function was severely compromised, Kawamleh said. His heart needed help to keep blood flowing to vital organs like his brain, kidneys, and the heart itself. Inserting the Impella pump enabled Dr. Stepanovic to perform the procedure and open Marks arteries. I was proud to be a part of this great team to save Marks life. The public is invited to attend the event and donate to support more life-saving treatment. For more information or to participate, visit COMHS.org/heartsofhope to donate. Also at the hospital in Hobart, St. Mary Medical Center Auxiliary will host a Doughs Guys Bakery Sale starting at 8 a.m. Feb. 11. Gourmet pastries, cookies and cookie platters will be sold until supplies last. The fundraiser in Conference Room 3A by the West Entrance at St. Mary Medical Center at 1500 S. Lake Park Ave. in Hobart will benefit scholarships to students pursuing a career in the medical field. For further information, call 219-947-6011. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. An upcoming housing summit will aim to leverage commuter railroad expansion to create more transit-oriented development that will result in denser, more walkable neighborhoods in Northwest Indiana. One Region and the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority will host Destination 2024 from 1 to 4 p.m. Feb. 28 at Valparaiso University. Developers, contractors, elected officials and other leaders will convene to discuss transit-oriented development prospects along the South Shore Line and West Lake Corridor. The first phase of the potentially transformative commuter rail expansion is expected to be completed by 2024. NiSource and Valparaiso University will sponsor the discussion of new mixed-use development with market-rate multifamily units. The hope is to address how Northwest Indiana can achieve regional housing goals by developing more modern housing options oriented toward commuters to higher-paying jobs in Chicago. Our regions potential comes from todays high-density multifamily housing that builds connection and walkable communities. The developments we will be discussing are not apartments from the past, said Marie Foster-Bruns, president and CEO of One Region. We deserve to live in modern, dense housing with fresh, luxury amenities that promote quality of life and we need to come together as a region to make these possibilities happen. Former Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy, a senior resident fellow at the Urban Land Institute, will serve as the opening speaker at the summt. He will address urban revitalization through walkable communities with coffee shops, pubs, restaurants and good transportation options, including rail and bike-sharing. Former Orland Park Mayor Dan McLaughlin will talk about building dense housing there and how Northwest Indiana could do the same with transit-oriented development projects. The event will also include updates on projects already underway in the Region, and a feedback session to determine the best ways Northwest Indiana can meet regional housing goals. The RDA, local communities, the state of Indiana and the Federal Transit Administration have partnered to invest more than $1 billion in commuter rail expansion in Northwest Indiana to create a more robust and vibrant region, said Sherri Ziller, president and CEO of the Regional Development Authority. For several of our communities, workforce housing is an important component of the development around South Shore stations that is expected to result from this investment. With this event, we want to come together and begin to make that happen. Steering committee members Mike Noland, Heather Ennis, Ty Warner, Pete Novak, Dr. Cindy Roberts, Angie Nelson Deuitch, Matt Reardon, Lisa Daugherty, Matt Wells, Phil Taillon, Jenn Lanfear, Ziller and Foster-Bruns planned the summit. They hope to see some of the growth transit-oriented development has triggered in other markets. We have seen regions transform when residents embrace a lifestyle for the future workforce. Pittsburgh, Seattle, Phoenix, and Denver are prime examples," said Pete Novak, steering committee member and CEO of the Greater Northwest Indiana Association of Realtors. "These areas have seen transit systems spur robust development and redevelopment alongside their public transit stops. There are many additional examples across the U.S. where residential and commercial property values have increased considerably in TOD areas. We have the potential to also see these results here in Northwest Indiana and thats why Destination 2024 is so important. The hope is to expand the tax base and bring in a younger, tech workforce. Communities that can combine access to transit with a mix of housing options, such as apartments, townhomes, condos and single-family homes, and local retail and dining options, will be poised to drive growth and economic development in the Region, Ziller said. These communities can offer further connections and expanded recreational opportunities through the Marquette Greenway and other trail systems throughout Northwest Indiana. The proposed housing projects are intended to serve multiple demographics interested in easy access to the city of Chicago and nearby amenities. This is the lifestyle that young professionals and 55+ aged residents are seeking. Without embracing these developments, Northwest Indiana will be missing out, Foster-Bruns said. Thats why we are convening stakeholders to have this vital conversation at Destination 2024. If we dont align, our region will stay where we are and not reach our true potential. For more information, visit oneregionnwi.org/d2024. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CROWN POINT Much of what a man charged with murdering a 14-year-old girl in 2019 said to detectives during two interviews in fall 2020 may be submitted to a jury, a judge ruled. Deonlashawn C. Simmons, 36, of Chicago, is scheduled to stand trial starting March 14 on one count of murder in the homicide of 14-year-old Takaylah Tribitt. Tribitt was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head Sept. 16, 2019, in an alley near East 20th Avenue and Pennsylvania Street in Gary. An autopsy showed she had been sexually assaulted, but prosecutors didn't charge Simmons with any sex crimes as part of the case. Tribitt's hands were bound behind her back with a cord, and another cord was wrapped around her neck. DNA on one of the cords linked Simmons to the homicide, court records state. Defense attorney Michael A. Campbell filed a motion to suppress Simmons' statements to police Sept. 3, 2020, and Nov. 10, 2020, while he was in custody at the Chicago Police Department on unrelated matters. Detectives from the Lake County/Gary Metro Homicide Unit asked Simmons questions about his Facebook profile before they verbally advised him of his Miranda rights, did not provide him with a written copy of his Miranda rights, and didn't tell him they were there to speak with him about a homicide investigation or that the interviews were being recorded, Campbell wrote in court filings. Lake County Deputy Prosecutor Douglas Shaw wrote videos showed the detectives read Simmons his constitutional rights and repeatedly stopped to ask if he understood them. Each time, Simmons nodded his head up and down and verbally acknowledged he understood, Shaw wrote. Lake Criminal Court Magistrate Mark Watson presided over a hearing Jan. 4 on Simmons' motion to suppress. Watson recommended granting Simmons' motion as it pertains to questions about a Facebook account, because detectives asked him those questions before advising him of his Miranda rights. Watson recommended denial of Simmons' motion as it pertains to other statements he made after police advised him of his rights. Judge Natalie Bokota approved Watson's recommendations last week. In portions of his interviews that were not suppressed, Simmons allegedly admitted he knew Tribitt and would give her rides, buy her food, and pay for her to have her hair and nails done. Simmons also said he knew his relationship with Tribitt was "going to be a problem" because of her age, but he denied he had any sexual contact with her, according to charging documents. Besides DNA evidence, detectives also gathered Simmons' cellphone location data and Tribitt's Facebook records, among other evidence, documents show. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. VALPARAISO An arrest warrant for failing to appear was issued Friday for one of two Michigan men charged in a Nov. 20 police chase that left a Porter officer seriously injured, authorities said. The warrant was issued by Porter Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Clymer for Aries Atlas Jr., 25, of Kalamazoo. "The allegations are quite significant," Clymer said. Defense attorney Mark Chargualaf made an unsuccessful attempt to place the warrant on hold while he tries to reach his client. That defense request was opposed by Porter County Deputy Prosecutor Christopher Hammer, who referred to Atlas as a high-flight risk. Clymer said he would reconsider the warrant if Atlas yet surrenders himself to the court. Bond had been set at $20,000 surety and $2,500 cash for Atlas. The allegations are that he and Samuel Kuhl, 30, also of Kalamazoo, drove a vehicle at speeds exceeding 110 mph while fleeing police from a local stretch of Interstate 94, south on Ind. 49. The duo continued driving through Chesterton and back in the wrong direction in the southbound lanes of Ind. 49, where their vehicle collided head-on with a Porter police vehicle, charges state. Porter Officer Scott Cornelison suffered a concussion and hand injury and was hospitalized following the collision. Atlas and Kuhl are further accused of fleeing the crash scene on foot. Atlas was nabbed by police a short time later, and Kuhl was taken into custody in the same area the following morning. Atlas is charged with two felony counts each of resisting law enforcement and leaving the scene of an accident and misdemeanor resisting law enforcement, driver's license never issued and reckless driving, he was told. Kuhl, who did appear for his court hearing Friday morning, had earlier been told he is charged with a felony count of possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon and carrying a handgun without a license and misdemeanor resisting law enforcement and false informing. Kuhl is scheduled to appear in court again April 1 and has a jury trial set for May 9, court records show. Future hearing dates for Atlas will be vacated due to his failure to appear, unless he surrenders within the week, the judge said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CROWN POINT A man admitted Tuesday he punched an Indiana State Police trooper in the face and pulled a second trooper to the ground last year on an interstate ramp. Aaron Morrison, 23, of Harvey, was a front-seat passenger in a vehicle Trooper Nicole Maenza stopped to check on Aug. 4, 2020, because it was stopped in the left lane of a ramp from Interstate 65 to westbound Interstate 80/94 without any hazard lights activated. According to charging documents, the driver of the car told the trooper during a conversation outside the vehicle Morrison was "wiggin' out" and might have "smoked earlier." Morrison admitted in his plea agreement he got out of the car, shoved Maenza and attempted to grab one of his friends. When Maenza attempted to handcuff Morrison, he shoved her and pulled her to the ground. Trooper Alyssa Partyka arrived and attempted to handcuff Morrison, but he shoved her and punched her in the face, according to the plea agreement. Morrison pleaded guilty to battery against a public safety official, a level 6 felony. If Lake Criminal Court Judge Gina Jones accepts Morrison's plea agreement, Lake County Deputy Prosecutor Maureen Koonce and defense attorney Joseph Curosh Jr. will argue the length of his sentence. A level 6 felony carries a possible sentence of six months to 2 1/2 years in jail or prison, with an advisory sentence of one year. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CROWN POINT Lake County voters, particularly Democrats, will find no shortage of contested races at the May 3 primary election following a frenzied final push by candidates to get their names on the ballot. On Friday, the hallway leading to the Lake County Board of Elections and Voter Registration office at the Lake County Government Center in Crown Point was crowded with politicians, politics fans, and even a few astounded citizens, all waiting and watching to see who was coming to submit their candidate paperwork prior to the noon filing deadline. Michelle Fajman, the county elections director, kept everyone on his or her toes with regular announcements of how much time was left to file. She also frequently prompted the crowd to gather around her as she added the names of last-minute filers to candidate lists posted on the wall. Let the fun begin, Fajman shouted when the clock struck noon. Maria Trajkovich is one of the dozens of local candidates running for office this year. Shes making a second bid for Lake County sheriff after losing to Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. in the 2018 Democratic primary. Altogether, three Democrats are challenging the incumbent sheriff, whose pending trial on charges of resisting law enforcement, a felony, and misdemeanor reckless driving make Martinez perhaps unusually vulnerable as he seeks a second term. Trajkovich, a 23-year sheriffs police officer, said her experience as a cop makes her particularly suited to understand the issues in the sheriffs department and how to make changes she says need to be made, such as enabling more officers to advance in their careers. Dont get me wrong, the sheriff has done great things for us. I cant say he hasnt. I have no bad things to say about him, nothing negative to say about him. But I know I could do a better job. I know I can, Trajkovich said. We need a person that is responsible, a person that cares, and a person that knows anything we do here its not because were superheroes, its not because we are these miracle workers, its because we are paid to do a job. So why dont we just go out and do the job we get paid to do and do it correctly, and do it right, and give the other people in the department the opportunity to advance and get better equipment. Former Gary Police Chief Richard Ligon, another experienced federal and local law enforcement official who previously ran for sheriff, also is making another try this year. The fourth Democratic sheriff candidate is Anthony Williams, of Gary. No Republicans filed to run for the office. Meanwhile, seven Democrats filed for Lake County clerk. All but the incumbent, Lorenzo Arredondo, submitted their names either Thursday or Friday suggesting they believe the 80-year-old Arredondo, a former Lake County judge, might quit the race following a Jan. 13 fall that initially left him hospitalized. The clerk candidates include former Lake County Coroner Merrilee Frey; Gary City Councilman Mike Brown, a former county clerk and county recorder; East Chicago School Board member Jesse Gomez; Andrew Sylwestrowicz; Janee Babbit; and Alex Garza. The most popular office on the ballot was the three positions on the Calumet Township Board. Initially, 12 candidates filed to run for those posts, but current board member Darren Washington withdrew to instead challenge incumbent Kim Robinson for Calumet Township trustee. Tony Walker, a Gary attorney and adviser to Gary Mayor Jerome Prince, said after looking over the names posted on the wall outside the election office he believes we have a good list of candidates for all of the races. Walker said he expects the sheriffs race will get most of the attention. But, at this time, Walker said Prince only is focused on making sure LaTonya Spearman remains in Princes former post of county assessor. Spearman, who appeared to be pacing the hallway during the final 30 minutes of filing, remained unopposed for the Democratic nomination, and no Republican has filed to run against her. Four-term Schererville Town Councilman Tom Schmitt also was keeping vigil, as he does every four years, to see if he would get a Democratic primary challenger before the filing deadline. He did not. I filed on the first day. But Im always here on the last day to see what the action is, Schmitt said. Theres more names popping up yesterday and today than in the previous two or three weeks. Fajman confirmed that observation. She said with county government buildings closed Wednesday because of the snowstorm, candidates were eager to get their paperwork filed once the elections office reopened Thursday. Theres been a steady flow of people coming in and filing, so it should be a great election season, she said. Candidates now have until Feb. 11, a few days longer than usual, to voluntarily withdraw from the ballot. The Lake County Election Board is scheduled Feb. 23 to rule on challenges to the validity of contested candidate filings. The primary election is May 3. Early voting begins April 5. This years general election is Nov. 8. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. MICHIGAN CITY Despite sticker shock when bids came in, Washington Park Zoos big cats exhibit is likely to be renovated all at once after all. The project is being carefully scrutinized to see where costs can be pared, and additional money is being scraped together. That's important because the zoo could lose some of its animals if the exhibit isn't expanded, Planning Director Skyler York said. New federal guidelines require more space for the animals. The zoo has four large cats, lions and tigers. The city Redevelopment Commission approved kicking in an additional $100,000 for the project cost, bringing that groups tithe to $350,000. The Park Board is also seeking City Council approval to divert $172,000 in concession funds from North Pointe Pavilion that had been earmarked for future projects. Because this project is urgent, we feel its necessary to use them right now, Assistant Superintendent Shannon Eason said. Some of the other funding sources include $300,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act revenue, $300,000 in riverboat funds, $12,300 from a Zoological Society fundraiser and a $44,500 gift. Its been a scramble to accumulate the amount of money needed for this project, Park Board President Phil Latchford told the Redevelopment Commission. The low bid was $1.67 million, nearly twice what the Park Board had budgeted for the project. Eason said the parks staff and consultant Haas & Associates have been working with Holladay Construction Group to pare the project. Redevelopment Commission attorney Alan Sirinek said its easy to see this project qualifies as economic development. From our perspective its a very, very worthwhile project, Redevelopment Commission President Chris Chatfield said. The zoo continues to see increases in both attendees and new memberships. Redevelopment Commission member Kathy Dennis thanked the parks department for keeping the commissions contribution so low. Latchford said Eason certainly pulled some rabbits out of the hat to get this done. Eason deserves the credit, he said. There are too many moving parts in the project now to predict exactly when construction will begin, Eason said. Its going to be difficult with the supply chain problems and getting materials. Her best guess is a late summer start. Park Board member Diane Sperling asked how people can donate to the project. The zoo staff will work on that. Theres not a lot of cities that have zones, especially not like ours, Sperling said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Workers at one of the largest General Motors plants in Mexico voted to adopt an independent union on Thursday in what was seen as an important test case for whether new North American trade rules can improve working conditions and stamp out corruption in the Mexican labor system. The union, called the Independent National Autoworkers Union, won 78 percent of the votes cast at the plant in Silao, where more than 6,000 workers assemble Chevy Silverados and G.M.C. Sierra pickup trucks. The vote pushed out the Confederation of Mexican Workers, which had held the contract for the last 25 years. Workers at the Silao plant start out earning less than $9 a day, and have described punishing working conditions. Employees have said they are often denied breaks and are rarely offered raises. Mexico pledged to make sweeping changes to its labor laws and court system as part of the new United States Mexico Canada Agreement, which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement. The new agreement aimed to make it easier for independent unions to challenge incumbents, and required companies operating in Mexico to revisit hundreds of thousands of existing contracts in independent elections. No-knock warrants allow the police to enter property without first announcing their presence and are primarily used when there is concern that evidence will be destroyed or officers will be put in danger. Tony Romanucci, another lawyer representing Mr. Lockes family, said Mr. Locke had no idea who was in his apartment. Had they announced who they were and why they were there, this tragedy could have been averted, Mr. Romanucci said. Mayor Frey said in a statement on Friday that no-knock warrants would not be allowed while the city reviewed its policy with experts who helped create Breonnas Law, an ordinance passed after Ms. Taylors death that bans no-knock warrants in Louisville. During the moratorium, which the mayor said was to ensure safety of both the public and officers, the police must knock, announce their presence and wait a reasonable amount of time before entering with a warrant. Mr. Lockes father, Andre Locke, said at the news conference that his son was the third oldest of eight siblings. He said his son had been working for the food delivery service DoorDash and was a week away from moving to Dallas, where his mother, Karen Wells, lives. Andre Locke said that several of his cousins worked in law enforcement and that one of them was a mentor to Amir. It was hurtful, it hurt deep to see my son executed, to see our son executed, Mr. Locke said. But the part that struck me the most was that he never got a chance to see or to know who killed him. Ms. Wells said she and her son would frequently talk on the FaceTime app when they were apart. I am going to miss just being able to see my son grow into a man, thats what I am going to miss, Ms. Wells said. I am going to miss the fact that he didnt, he wont even get the chance to become a father and give us grandchildren. The Ghost Army had one goal: Deceive Hitlers forces and their allies. Credited with fine-tuning the ancient art of deceptive warfare, the American military units of the Ghost Army used inflatable tanks and trucks to cloak the true size and location of American forces. They played ear-piercingly loud recorded sounds to mimic troop movement. They sent out misleading radio communications to scramble German intelligence. The objective was to trick the Germans into thinking the Allies were in the neighborhood in force, so that actual units elsewhere had time to maneuver. The Ghost Army, described as a traveling roadshow of deception, was composed of engineers and artists, designers and architects, radio operators and truck drivers. The work was so secretive that group members, who are credited with saving thousands of Allied lives, were unsung heroes for several decades after the war. But a grassroots effort in recent years culminated this week in the ultimate recognition from the U.S. government. On Tuesday, President Biden signed a bill that grants the Congressional Gold Medal Congresss equivalent of the Presidential Medal of Freedom to members of the Ghost Army for their unique and highly distinguished service in conducting deception operations during World War II. ATLANTA Travis and Gregory McMichael, two of the three men convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery in state court, have reaffirmed their pleas of not guilty in their federal hate-crimes case, after their proposed agreements to plead guilty were rejected. Their decision virtually ensures that they, along with a third man, will be subject to an upcoming trial that may highlight ugly expressions of racism that were not brought up in their murder trial. The McMichaels and their neighbor William Bryan were found guilty in November of murdering Mr. Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, whom they chased through their neighborhood in a pair of trucks in February 2020. The pursuers, all white men, were each given life sentences in January. The men were also charged with federal hate crimes and attempted kidnapping, for which they could also face life sentences. But with the approach of Feb. 7, the date when jury selection is set to begin, the federal case was rocked by disagreement over plea deals the McMichaels recently reached with the Justice Department. In a federal court hearing in Brunswick, Ga., on Monday, Judge Lisa Godbey Wood rejected the deal the government had reached with Travis McMichael, 36, essentially nullifying an identical deal reached with his father, Gregory McMichael, 66, as well. Indeed, after Mr. al-Qurayshi replaced Mr. al-Baghdadi, the United States put a bounty of up to $10 million on his head. Mr. Clarke said that Mr. al-Qurayshi, who was 45 and born in Iraq, had kept a low profile, which helped him elude an American-led manhunt but also may have hampered his ability to expand the Islamic States global network and brand. In March 2019, ISIS lost the last piece of its territory, which once stretched across parts of Syria and Iraq. Image A photo supplied by the U.S. government showing Mr. al-Qurayshi, who was named the head of ISIS in 2019. Credit... via State Department According to two senior administration officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the operation, an unspecified intelligence tip had placed Mr. al-Qurayshi in the Atmeh area of Idlib Province and then, by early December, more specifically at a stand-alone, three-story cinder block building surrounded by olive trees. Images shared on social media by activists who visited the site showed simple rooms with mats on the floors, a diesel heater and clothes and blankets scattered about, some of them covered with blood. American officials said Mr. al-Qurayshi and his family lived on the third floor. He left the building only occasionally to bathe on the rooftop. He relied on a top lieutenant who lived on the buildings second floor and who, along with a network of couriers, carried out his orders to ISIS branches in Iraq and Syria, and elsewhere in the world without using electronic devices whose signals Western spies could intercept a practice Osama bin Laden used for years. Top Pentagon officials and military commanders apprised Mr. Biden of their planning, at one point presenting a model of the building where the ISIS leaders and their families lived and noting that a Syrian family with no apparent connection to the terrorist group was living on the first floor. But if youre currently dealing with an active infection, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends waiting at least until you no longer have symptoms and have met their criteria for ending isolation. (Meaning, if you had a mild infection, its been at least five days since your symptoms started, your symptoms are improving and youve been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the help of medications.) That being said, some scientists recommend deferring your booster for even longer. Ali Ellebedy, an immunologist at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said that it might make sense to wait until youve fully recovered or can get a negative P.C.R. test, though this isnt a C.D.C. requirement to end isolation and may not occur until a few weeks (or even months) later. You just dont want to overwhelm your system, Dr. Ellebedy said. Let your immune system rest after fighting off the coronavirus and before asking it to ramp up again with the vaccine. This will also allow for a more refined and durable response, he said. And for some, Dr. Ellebedy added, there can be a benefit to waiting even longer. If your risk of reinfection is low for example if you work remotely, are generally healthy and can adhere to public health guidelines for masking and social distancing it might make sense to wait until your natural immunity is waning, which could occur up to three months after an infection, before getting boosted, he said. Not only will this help to produce a more robust antibody response, but by the time youre ready to be boosted, there might be a newer version of the vaccine available that will specifically work against Omicron. The vaccine is derived from the original strain of the coronavirus, and that doesnt really exist anymore, Dr. Ellebedy said. A few months from now, if an Omicron-based vaccine is available, why not take that to prepare for whatever comes next? Drug companies have begun testing new versions of the Covid booster, which may be available by the summer. Of course, deferring a booster isnt the right option for everyone. If you have a high risk of reinfection or serious illness whether because of your age, medical conditions, a weakened immune system or because you live or work in a setting that increases your likelihood of exposure then you may want to boost your immunity with an extra vaccine dose sooner rather than later, Dr. Ellebedy added. Getting your booster sooner may also extend protection to vulnerable family members and children who are too young to receive the vaccine. And of course, most experts agree that if its been more than five or six months since you got Covid-19 and you havent been boosted yet, you should do so as soon as youre eligible. YAVORIV, Ukraine With television cameras rolling, a Ukrainian soldier heaved an America-made missile launcher onto his shoulder and pressed a red button. The missile streaked out and blew a target a pile of tires to smithereens. For the more than two months after Russia began its military buildup near Ukraine last fall, the United States was quiet about its military aid to Kyiv, merely acknowledging sending arms that had been scheduled for delivery long ago. That has changed now. American cargo planes bringing weaponry and ammunition are arriving openly at Kyivs Borispol airport. And the Ukrainian army is making a point of showing media these newly delivered weapons at a military training area. In the last two weeks, seven U.S. cargo planes carrying a total of about 585 tons of military assistance have landed in Kyiv. After the latest plane arrived, on Thursday, Ukraines defense minister, Oleksiy Reznikov, posted on Twitter, this is not the end! To be continued! David Gordon, the venerable, award-winning choreographer and director who was a founding member of the 1960s experimental collective Judson Dance Theater, died on Jan. 29 at his home in Manhattan. He was 85. His son, Ain Gordon, said the cause had not been determined. To Mr. Gordon, art was life and life was art. He was part of a generation that broke the rules about what a dance could be, paving the way to postmodernism. Mr. Gordon, who was also a founding member of the improvisatory group Grand Union and the director of the Pick Up Performance Company, wove aspects of his private life into his performance works, which he reframed over the years to create an ever-evolving choreographic tapestry. His satirical humor, impeccable timing and ability to see the stage as a kind of moving painting and to design it with care, precision and the kind of innate style that cannot be taught made his vision singular. The National Museum of the American Latino, a new Smithsonian institution, is at least a decade away from opening. As of yet, it has no budget. No building. No collection. But it now has its first permanent director, Jorge Zamanillo. Im excited to lead an institution that will present a complete picture of diverse Latino communities, Zamanillo said in an interview on Thursday. By sharing those stories and narratives, people will learn American history that Latinos are a part of American history. And its one thats been left out. Zamanillo, 52, comes to the job from Miami, where he grew up, the son of immigrants from Cuba. Since 2000 he has been with the community-based HistoryMiami Museum in various positions, most recently as executive director and chief executive. He will begin his new role on May 2. Financing for the physical building, which is expected to open in 10 to 12 years, on or near the National Mall in Washington, has not yet been allocated. The same is true of money for the acquisition of objects for the collection. It was only recently, in December of 2020, that the Latino museum was approved by Congress, along with a national museum of womens history museum. Since working with Bidgoods materials, she said by email, Ive understood the deep importance of his work on so many queer people, who have shared with me that they had not seen being gay as beautiful in the same way before seeing Jamess work. His photographs, she noted, were made at a time when erotic images and gay lifestyles faced substantial legal restrictions. His work for male physique magazines existed on the edge of legality, she said. Despite this, Bidgood was never ashamed or closeted. He lived a life that was utterly uncompromising and expressive. James Alan Bidgood was born on March 28, 1933, in Stoughton, Wis., and grew up in the Madison area. As a boy, he said, he was drawn to the imagery of the Ziegfeld Follies and similar spectacles, a fascination that years later was reflected in his photographs. He didnt consider himself an artist, per se, Ms. Rivera said, but instead saw himself as driven by the need to create visual evidence of his desire, which originated from being a little boy enraptured by Hollywood musicals. Hollywood films were steeped in queer subtext, often courtesy of their closeted creators. Bidgood brought this subtext forward with clear, direct expression, and created his own visual and symbolic language. The Winter Shows 68th edition will run from April 1 through April 10 inside the former flagship location of Barneys New York at 660 Madison Avenue, the art fairs organizers announced Friday. The fair, which benefits the East Side House Settlement, a nonprofit organization serving the Bronx and Northern Manhattan, had been postponed in December because of the surge of the coronavirus pandemic. (It had been slated to be held in January at the Park Avenue Armory.) The fair went virtual for its 2021 edition, and this year, it will be in person and include some online viewing rooms. It was disappointing to postpone, but we knew it was the right decision, Helen Allen, the executive director of the Winter Show, said in an interview. But there is nothing as good as seeing artworks in person, and we are thrilled to have found a new venue, she added. ISIS leader dead in U.S. raid President Biden announced that the leader of ISIS, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, had died during an assault in Syria carried out by about two dozen American commandos. Rescue workers said women and children were among at least 13 people killed during the raid in Atmeh, a town close to the border with Turkey in rebel-held Idlib Province. Witnesses described the raid to The Times. One bystander said that U.S. forces issued demands of surrender by loudspeaker to a woman apparently in the house with children, and that he thought missiles were later fired at the house amid hails of gunfire. U.S. officials, however, said that al-Qurayshi perished by detonating a bomb. Little is known about the ISIS leader, who died as he lived most of his life: off the grid in the jihadist underworld. Context: The raid came days after a battle over a Syrian prison where ISIS fighters were held, the largest U.S. combat involvement with the Islamic State since the end of the caliphate three years ago. In many ways, the mechanics of the revote in Alabama will be similar to the mechanics of the initial election. Though both the union and Amazon pressed for in-person voting, albeit at an off-site location in the unions case, the labor board decided to run another mail-in election because of the pandemic. Variations on practices that the labor board cited when invalidating the last election also remain in place, prompting the union to urge changes to the way the new election will be conducted. Not least is a so-called collection box that Amazon lobbied the U.S. Postal Service to install last year near the warehouse entrance, where workers were urged to deposit their ballots. Amazon has said that it sought the collection box to help workers vote safely, and that it did not have access to ballots deposited inside of it. But a regional director of the labor board found that Amazon had essentially hijacked the process by procuring the box. This dangerous and improper message to employees destroys trust in the boards processes and in the credibility of the election results, the regional director wrote. Yet in the run-up to the revote, the regional director allowed the Postal Service merely to move the box to a neutral location at the warehouse, rather than remove it entirely. The union argued in a request for an appeal that there is no neutral location on the site, and that the new location is still in view of Amazons surveillance cameras. On Friday, the labor board denied the appeal request, but said the union could still object on the same grounds after the election, which could in principle lead to a third election. Some employees also say that despite reaching a nationwide settlement with the labor board in December to give union supporters more access to colleagues while at work, Amazon is still making it difficult for them to plead their case where they work. WASHINGTON President Biden announced Friday that he would extend tariffs on imported solar products first imposed during the Trump administration but would reduce the scope of products affected by the levies, a decision aimed at balancing his goals for bolstering domestic manufacturing with speeding up the transition toward clean energy. The decision will impose a tariff of between 14 percent and 15 percent for the next four years on imported crystalline silicon solar products that are used to convert sunlight to energy. But the Biden administration also moved to double the amount of solar cells that can come into the country without facing tariffs, and it said it would begin talks with Canada and Mexico to allow them to export their products to the United States duty-free. The administration also said it would exempt a certain type of two-sided panel, called bifacial panels, from the levies to help ensure that solar deployment in the United States continues at the pace and scale needed to meet the presidents clean energy targets. The carve-outs will maintain some protection for domestic industry while also allowing solar energy projects to continue accessing some cheaper foreign solar products. But they also angered some domestic manufacturers and labor leaders, who argued that the administration should be doing more to shield American manufacturers from cheap Chinese products. After fleeing criminal charges in Tokyo two years ago, the former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn waged a public campaign attacking the Japanese justice system, arguing that conditions in the countrys prisons were designed to lead you to despair. Now, Michael Taylor, the American who engineered Mr. Ghosns dramatic escape, is experiencing those harsh conditions for himself, his legal team says, as it campaigns to have him returned to the United States. Mr. Taylor, the former Green Beret who spirited Mr. Ghosn out of Japan in a speaker box, has suffered frostbite because of a lack of heating at Fuchu Prison in suburban Tokyo, where he is serving a two-year sentence, his lawyers say. Mr. Taylor, 61, and his son, Peter, 28, who aided the escape, pleaded guilty in June in a Tokyo court after having been arrested in the United States and extradited. They are now awaiting approval from the Japanese authorities as they seek to serve the rest of their sentences in an American prison. Karen Collins, assistant vice president of personal lines for the trade group American Property Casualty Insurance Association, said she and her colleagues were seeing a very significant increase in losses recently. Natural disasters in particular have been very, very elevated the past couple of years, she said. This trend is driving up premiums. According to AM Best, an insurance industry ratings and analytics firm, the total amount of homeowners insurance premiums Americans paid rose by 8.4 percent between the third quarter of 2020 and the third quarter of last year. (An AM Best spokesman noted that this aggregate snapshot did not reflect what any individual policyholder paid.) Ms. Albanese said that recently an insurer dropped one of her clients, who was already paying $22,000 a year to insure a coastal Florida property. After some scrambling, Ms. Albanese was able to find the client coverage through a surplus lines provider an insurer of last resort for the highest-risk policies but at double the cost. Its been back-to-back years of these rate increases, and I can think of at least one client who says theyre planning to sell their Florida property just because its just getting to be outrageous to insure, Ms. Albanese said. Ive also had clients purchase properties in Florida recently, unaware of what the insurance market was like down there and really having them be just shocked they just did not realize how high their premiums would be. Mr. Diton said that rising property insurance costs particularly when combined with higher property taxes in areas where home values have risen significantly were especially relevant for clients considering buying investment real estate for passive income generation. This strategy is popular among retirees and even some younger investors. When a client is interested in a property, Mr. Diton said that he will lay out a spreadsheet and analyze the expenses. In some cases, prospective buyers decide against the purchase. The homeowners insurance increase is definitely contributing to the issue for those people, he said. Home > 2022 > Hindutva is European Fascism at work in India | Bhabani Shankar (...) by Bhabani Shankar Nayak * The Hindutva draws its ideological inspiration from the European fascist organisations like the National Fascist Party/Republican Fascist Party in Italy and the Italian Social Republic under Benito Mussolini, the National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi Party) in Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler, The Fatherland Front in Austria under Engelbert Dollfuss and Kurt Schuschnigg, the National Union in Portugal under Antonio de Oliveira Salazar and Marcelo Caetano, the Falange Espanola Tradicionalista y de las JONS (Traditionalist Spanish Phalanx of the Councils of the National Syndicalist Offensive) in Spain under Francisco Franco. European fascism was riddled with many contradictions but there is no contradictions within Hindutva fascism in India. Ignorance, arrogance, irrationality and unquestionable power brings unity within Hindutva fascism in India. Catholic corporatism has played a major role in sustaining and expanding the plight of people and the power of European fascism. Similarly, the Indian capitalist classes are working as backbone of Hindutva fascism in the country. The Hindutva led government is working relentlessly for the corporate profit at the cost of Indian citizens. Hindutva fascism is the capitalist predators like their Catholic corporate brethren. The Hindutva onslaught on free press, human rights, minority rights, womens rights, science and reason, militarisation of minds of common people replicate European fascism at work during and after 19th century. The attack on Indian constitutional democracy, political opponents, journalists, intellectuals and universities are further steps to reinforce Hindutva fascism in India. Hindutva is the fascist response to normalise inequality, caste, class and gender-based exploitations. The construction of Muslims, Marxists and intellectuals as anti-nationals, criminalisation of dissent and demonisation of political opposition helps in the normalisation of Hindutva fascism. Hindutva constructs external enemies among Indias immediate neighbours as well. The creation of internal and external enemies are crucial for Hindutva fascist project to survive. The rise of interstate conflicts within India also helps Hindutva politics to thrive. The Hindutva propaganda on national unity, Gandhian socialism, economic growth and development are false dawns in the national life of India. The Hindutva politics uses propaganda to divert everyday issues of people. Hindutva vigilante led large scale and targeted violence and spread of fear are used as twin weapons to normalise faith based immoral politics for the growth of capitalism. The Hindutva militias free from judicial prosecutions help in transforming Indian state and democracy that is concomitant with the requirements of Hindutva fascism and capitalism in India. Hindutva fascism enlarges the existing problems in Indian society. It does not have visions and missions to solve any of the problems faced by Indians. There is nothing indigenous about Hindutva fascism in India. These European ideals are implemented in India by Hindutva politics. Hindutva fascism is a project of global and national capitalism in India. The Hindutva fascism faces the challenges of Indian diversities and its secular constitution. The struggle to protect Indian diversities and secularism is the first step towards the battle against Hindutva. The battle against Hindutva fascism and capitalism is a common battle. The success of such a mass movement can only decide the future of Indians and survival of India. (Author: Bhabani Shankar Nayak is based at the University of Glasgow, UK) Once somebody manages to make it in the door at our place, thats a major accomplishment, Dr. Grande said. For many patients, navigating a complex pathway to treatment, entailing multiple return visits over a period of weeks or months, can prove insurmountable. Its just a big barrier. Automated molecular tests could compress this process. From a small sample of blood or saliva, the tests amplify any trace of viral genetic material in a process akin to the older laboratory-based method of polymerase chain reaction (or P.C.R.), but have been miniaturized to run on small machines. The technologies have been around for years but gained greater visibility during the pandemic, when the F.D.A. allowed many test developers to leapfrog what is traditionally a lengthy approval process. Companies that have developed coronavirus tests of this ilk have seen enormous growth. Cue Health, which is the official test provider of the N.B.A. and has sold more than 120,000 testing platforms, reported that annual revenue grew 25-fold to more than $600 million during the pandemic. Ayub Khattak, the companys co-founder, said the streamlined regulatory process was transformative: It just broke open the door. A similar molecular test for hepatitis C could allow clinicians to deliver a diagnosis immediately and perhaps start many patients on medications the same day, an approach known as test and treat. Patients may then be less likely to transmit the disease to others, and more likely to complete treatment and be cured. One of the most promising hepatitis C tests was created by Cepheid, a diagnostic company based in California. With a palm-size cartridge preloaded with chemical reagents, the test runs on the companys proprietary GeneXpert machine and can confirm the presence of a suspected pathogen in less than an hour. Because of its simplicity and size the whole unit is the size of a desktop printer it can be deployed at remote sites and can be operated by staff members with minimal medical training. Research on how a rapid diagnosis affects patients hepatitis C treatment is limited. In a pair of pilot studies where the technology was taken to a syringe exchange and a prison, more than two-thirds of diagnosed patients began treatment, perhaps double the share of those who started therapy under typical conditions. Both studies received funding from drugmakers and in-kind support from Cepheid. Jason Grebely, one of the investigators leading the study and a professor at the Kirby Institute, a medical research organization in Sydney, Australia, said the technology is probably the next game-changer in the field of treatment for hepatitis C. Dr. Grebely previously received research funding from Cepheid and various pharmaceutical companies. Times Insider explains who we are and what we do, and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together. In 2018, despite having recently published a series of articles on how climate change was challenging the worlds cities that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, Michael Kimmelman, The New York Timess architecture critic, felt unsatisfied. He wanted more. He wanted to find a way to explore the variety of intersecting challenges such as immigration and housing affordability that the worlds urban hubs face, as well as how addressing those issues could enable social and economic progress. So he approached Joseph Kahn, the managing editor of The Times, with a pitch: I want to step back from the news cycle and examine how the challenges that the worlds communities are facing will shape their future. A few years later, that idea became the mission behind Headway, a new Times initiative that uses journalism to evaluate the progress that the world has made toward large-scale goals and interrogates what progress even means. Especially during the last several years, theres been both a relentlessness of bad news and a difficulty in getting outside the 24-hour news cycle, said Mr. Kimmelman, who serves as Headways editor at large. Theres an appetite for another conversation at another pace. One former senior intelligence official recalled trying to warn Flynn that running a large agency required different management techniques from those to which he was accustomed. Flynn, undeterred, wasted little time upending the D.I.A. He shuffled the responsibilities of the agencys senior executives and made significant structural changes to the Defense Clandestine Service in defiance of the instruction of his Pentagon superiors. He often ignored his civilian chain of command, according to one of his subordinates. Woven into the mythology of Flynns martyrdom is that his dire warnings about the growing threat of Islamic extremism were what ultimately cost him his job at the D.I.A. In The Field of Fight, he claimed to have been given his walking papers in February 2014 after telling a congressional committee that we were not as safe as we had been a few years back. In fact, the only evidence I could find of Flynn saying anything along these lines was his remarks to an audience at the Aspen Institute fully five months after being asked for his resignation by James Clapper and Michael Vickers, the under secretary of defense for intelligence, not Obama. President Obama wouldnt have known Flynn if hed fallen over him, Clapper told me. We told Susan Rice Obamas national security adviser what wed done after the fact. Their reasons for ending Flynns tenure, he added, included insubordination and erosion of morale at the agency. Clapper termed Flynns fired-for-telling-the-truth narrative baloney. Flynn was permitted to retire with the full benefits accorded a three-star general. His retirement ceremony on Aug. 7, 2014 was well attended. He bought a three-bedroom house in the Old Town neighborhood of Alexandria, Va., and set up a consulting shop, Flynn Intel Group, in an office overlooking the Potomac River. And he began venturing into politics. Six months after his retirement, he went on Fox News Sunday to criticize the Obama administrations terrorist-fighting passivity. A string of further appearances on the network followed. Flynn also began consulting with Republican presidential contenders, including Carly Fiorina and Scott Walker. But in the private sector, too, Flynn was reckless. His admirers were horrified to see him form a partnership with Bijan Kian, an Iranian American businessman who would later be indicted on charges of acting as an unregistered agent of the Turkish government (the case has not been resolved). Kian epitomized, in the words of a former colleague, these guys in the D.C. swamp who prey on generals fresh out of the military with no understanding of how the business world works. Even more concerning was Flynns acceptance of more than $45,000 for a speaking appearance in Moscow, at the 10th anniversary gala of Russias state-run RT channel in December 2015, where he was photographed sitting next to President Vladimir Putin. Friends and at least one intelligence official advised Flynn against attending the party to celebrate a Russian propaganda organization that was at the time openly spreading misinformation about and within the United States and other NATO countries. Flynn assured them that he knew what he was doing. Trump did not find Flynns views on Russia disqualifying in the least. By the time the candidate had wrapped up the Republican nomination, Flynn was his senior foreign-policy adviser and, briefly, the only nonpolitician under consideration to be Trumps running mate, according to a former Trump campaign adviser. Like most of those in Trumps orbit, Flynn did not seem to be staking his career on a victory in November. Beginning in the final weeks of the campaign, Flynns consulting firm accepted over a half-million dollars from a Dutch group with ties to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. On Election Day in 2016, The Hill published an op-ed by Flynn (in which he failed to disclose his consulting relationship) titled Our Ally Turkey Is in Crisis and Needs Our Support. Even for those conservatives who reject the most garish Trump-centric conspiracy theories, there is a tendency to view Flynn as a pawn in a chess match between Trump and federal officials who had reason to wonder if the new president sought help from the Russian government during his campaign. This is true to an extent, but Flynn had placed himself on the chessboard. He lied about discussing the Obama administrations sanctions on Russia with that countrys ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak, during the presidential transition first to incoming Vice President Mike Pence, then to White House officials, then to the media and finally to two F.B.I. agents. One former senior intelligence official who reviewed the transcript of Flynns conversation with Kislyak told me that he was struck by the plain stupidity of Flynns lies knowing that Trumps campaign was already drawing scrutiny for its contacts with Russia and knowing as well that any phone conversation with a Russian diplomat was likely to be recorded by U.S. intelligence agencies. Who wrote the book of love?, the Monotones once mused. It couldnt possibly be Henry Copper (Sam Claflin), a stodgy author whose debut romance novel is so devoid of passion that it sells only two copies in his native Britain. But when an audacious translator named Maria Rodriguez (Veronica Echegui) reimagines Henrys chaste love story as soapy erotica, he becomes a surprise sensation in Mexico. In Book of Love (on Amazon), Maria is not only a remixer for Henrys duller passages, she is also his assigned escort on his book tour of Mexico. Henry, who doesnt speak Spanish, is excited if perplexed by the legions of fans who turn out, titillated by the telenovela-worthy sex scenes Maria added to his work without consulting him. But once several comic exchanges bring her poetic license to light, his thrill turns to rage. Choking on sanctimony, Henry agrees to continue on the tour, but only to preserve his reputation. ABAKAR SOULEYMANE People would come up to me and say, You are so brave for being able to do that. That was shocking. Haroun, you remain the only feature director in Chad with international visibility. In terms of logistics does it continue to be as difficult to produce film in the country as when you started out? HAROUN Its very difficult to shoot in Chad because we dont have a real industry. We dont have real technicians. All the people who work with me in Chad have other jobs, and then when I shoot they come back. We also dont have professional actors. Sometimes the pressure of society is so strong that you cannot find women who accept to be naked or to kiss someone in a film. When I was looking for the actor for the role of Amina, I met a 40-year-old single mother. I said, Do you want to act in my film? And she said, Im very interested but I first have to ask my uncles. In our society, the uncles on your mothers side have to take care of you. So I said, If you are not free to make it, forget about it. This is the situation. Then, of course, we dont have financing there. Im always looking for money everywhere, and then go back to Chad to make a film because its a duty for me. Its a responsibility. Im the only active filmmaker there and if I stop making films in Chad, the world will be missing images from my country. Achouackh, what was your path into Lingui and into acting in general? ABAKAR SOULEYMANE Im an entrepreneur, so I have a restaurant. After high school I studied journalism and now Im learning sociology. I do a lot of things, but I always wanted to act. I left Chad when I was, like, 17, worked in fashion in California, and I came back 13 years later. I met Haroun in 2012 when he was prepping for GriGris [his 2013 drama]. I was assistant costume, and then I got to have a little role in it. I hoped the next time around I could have a bigger part, but I never thought I could have the main role in a movie. I watch a lot of movies, and it was a dream, but Im a Chadian woman, and I know that in Chad this is not something that you do, so I didnt really try to pursue it and then it happened. I was almost 40, so I thought, Its now or never. Could you elaborate on the meaning of the lingui, a Chadian concept referring to this unspoken union between people, which in the film seems to concern women specifically? HAROUN Lingui is a precept for living together. It concerns everybody in society and it starts with your neighbors. Its based on tenderness between everyone in the community to resist violence. This mother and daughter only have this love with all the other women. They share the same experiences with their bodies of being pregnant and this lets them understand that they belong to the same community and they have the same destiny, so they have to help each other. The lingui is not dead among women, but men, because of power, they forget about it. ABAKAR SOULEYMANE In Chadian society, when there is an issue women only have each other, because there are things that you cant share with the men. Women have got each others backs here and that is powerful. We Need to Do Something Stream it on Hulu. A family of four gathers in their spacious bathroom as a storm rages outside. The teen daughter (Sierra McCormick) anxiously texts someone whos not responding. Her alcoholic dad (Pat Healy) is suspicious of whos calling his wife (Vinessa Shaw). The little brother (John James Cronin) thinks a giant tornado is on the way. Then the lights go out, and no matter how hard the family pushes the door to escape, it wont budge. What happens next is what it looks like when hell breaks loose inside four walls. This pulsing, nerve-plucking feature film debut from Sean King OGrady tells a darkly comic existential tale about a teen girls coming-of-age and a familys disintegration by forces outside their control. As if being trapped in a room with your dysfunctional relatives isnt scary enough, it also serves up shocks of gore and a startling death. We did something bad, the daughter tearfully confesses at one point, one of several unexpected turns the film takes as it reveals how evil showed up at this familys front door. Make that their bathroom door this goes on my list of delightfully sinister films set in one location. Actions speak louder than words, said Mr. DiGiacomo, a fierce critic of the original memo. Time will tell. And Libby Fischer, the managing attorney of the criminal defense practice at Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, said that despite the outrage over the memo, Mr. Braggs prosecutors were largely acting as they had under his predecessor, Cyrus R. Vance Jr. To date, weve seen very little change from Vance to Bragg, she said. D.A. Bragg knows the evidence as well as we do: Putting people in prison for years does not serve to make the public safer and fails to address violent crime. His recent policy reversal is a disappointing reaction to a false narrative of fear. Mr. Bragg, a former federal prosecutor, campaigned on the need to balance public safety and fairness. But after a month that included several high profile acts of gun violence, his focus has shifted primarily to safety. Those who track the politics of prosecution said that reversals of the type that Mr. Bragg had issued were rare. Udi Ofer, the deputy national political director of the American Civil Liberties Union, said that he was troubled by the reversal in the overall values and principles that will guide this office for years to come. What kind of message is now being delivered to the line prosecutors and to New Yorkers? he said. Its giving in to the tough-on-crime narrative that has brought us this mass incarceration crisis in the first place. The memo, first made public in April, was in effect a campaign promise. Mr. Bragg was then in the thick of the Democratic primary, running against seven opponents, many of whom were running on more lenient policies. The release of the draft coincided with news that Mr. Bragg had won key endorsements from two important progressives, Zephyr Teachout and Janos Marton. For a time, Ms. Daniels and Mr. Avenatti were stars in what was sometimes called the resistance to Mr. Trumps presidency and policies. Some people believed the two could bring down Mr. Trump, who denied Ms. Danielss allegations. Seizing on her widening renown, Ms. Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, signed an $800,000 contract to write a book, Full Disclosure, for St. Martins Press. Mr. Avenatti flirted briefly with the idea of running for president. But their alliance dissolved amid acrimony in early 2019 after Ms. Daniels accused Mr. Avenatti of stealing. Since then, Mr. Avenatti has been a criminal defendant in several cases. He was convicted in 2020 of trying to extort millions of dollars from Nike. A lawyer representing him in that case later filed a notice of appeal. In a separate case, Mr. Avenatti was accused of stealing millions of dollars from five clients, including a paraplegic man who won a $4 million settlement from Los Angeles County, and of lying about his business and income. That case resulted in a mistrial last year after a judge ruled that prosecutors had withheld financial data from the defense. If that outcome led Mr. Avenatti to believe he could salvage his reputation as a populist lawyer who helped underdogs, his conviction in the case involving Ms. Daniels would appear to all but extinguish that prospect. The defendant was a lawyer who stole from his own client, a prosecutor, Robert Sobelman, told jurors during closing arguments on Wednesday. She thought he was her advocate, but he betrayed her and he told lies to try to cover it all up. During his own closing argument, Mr. Avenatti, who represented himself at the trial, told the jury that there was insufficient evidence to prove he had intended to defraud or to harm Ms. Daniels. For young Black kids, theres not been many spaces for redemption, Mr. Kirby said. And to have this opportunity to create that framework, I think, is really powerful. At the end of the session, each participant is paid $150 a stipend that organizers point out is less than a tenth of the daily cost of keeping someone in jail. Organizers say the payments, which do not come from police funds, help keep the teenagers engaged and amount to less than what it costs to process arrests, take down gangs and pay officers overtime after a shooting. Criminologists who study gangs and violence said the circle sounds promising because it allows the police to intervene in violence with an offer to help instead of a threat to punish, which can build trust. But it is too early to tell whether it will have a lasting effect or if it could be replicated in other neighborhoods or on a larger scale, they said. Its one of those things where if it works amazing, said Aaron J. Chalfin, an assistant professor of criminology at the University of Pennsylvania. But we just dont have a strong sense yet that it works. James Mulvaney, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan, said he was skeptical that the program could change the deeply ingrained attitudes of people who have accepted the risks that come with carrying a gun. If someones carrying a gun, theyve already said, Whatever, I can do my five years upstate, he said. And youre saying, heres $150. Is that going to change things? No. Organizers concede that it has been difficult to recruit other young men. This week, two teenagers who had briefly visited the circle were arrested in connection with a shooting at Kings Plaza Mall in Mill Basin that was unrelated to the feud that led to Mr. Lewiss murder. Both had also been arrested in November, the authorities said. At 6-foot-2 and 300 pounds, with a salt-and-pepper beard, Mr. Crispin is an imposing presence, even through a computer monitor. Still, he exuded a vulnerability and gentleness. Looking back, he finds it hard to believe that an adult wouldnt have noticed the repeated close contact between the priest and a minor and not realized that something was seriously amiss. The early trauma eventually bled into every facet of Mr. Crispins life, he said. He has struggled with substance abuse and problems controlling his anger, plus bouts of depression and homelessness. Though he is now sober and lives in North Carolina, working with people in recovery, Mr. Crispin was not able to hold down a regular job until his mid-40s, let alone establish a lasting romantic relationship, he said. The thought of having his own children fills him with terror. When Mr. Crispin first heard the news of Father Wancuras killing, it filled him with regret. Im sorry hes dead, Mr. Crispin said. I wanted to see him go to jail as an 80-year-old child molester. In December Mr. Semprevivos law firm filed a motion to dismiss the case, arguing that Mr. Crispin and his attorney hadnt presented a sufficient case. Mr. Crispins lawyer filed a motion opposing that argument. Last month, lawyers representing the Long Island diocese and Caroline Church filed additional motions to dismiss the case, asserting, among other things, that their clients werent liable for any alleged sexual abuse Father Wancura committed. All parties are now waiting for a judge to decide whether the case will proceed. Growing up in the upper-middle-class hamlet of Setauket, Mr. Crispin long felt like an outsider. His mother was single and spent several years severely handicapped after an accident. His family depended on charity and handouts to make ends meet. The first and only time he told his mother he had been abused was as a teenager. She said she didnt believe me and that we were never to speak about it again, he said. Her reaction shamed him into staying silent. It took years for Mr. Crispin to speak of the subject again. By then it was the 1990s, he was in his early 20s, and he was working as a chef. One night, he cooked dinner at the home of a childhood friend on Long Island, and he remembered being a little tipsy. After the meal, he started talking with one of the guests, a therapist based in Stony Brook. The conversation turned to Caroline Church. Paul Wancura is not a good man, Mr. Crispin recalled telling the therapist, before going outside and vomiting. The therapist, who asked not to be identified because she still lives in the area and occasionally attends services at Caroline, confirmed the encounter. She added that another local priest, the Rev. Canon John W. Davis, a family friend, later shared with her that the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island was aware of Father Wancuras possibly abusive behavior, echoing the allegations made by Mr. Crispin that night and many years later, in his lawsuit. Father Davis died in 2005. For two years people have debated the value of masks, vaccine passports and more, to the point that they are no longer opinions but identities. And when opinions become identities, they warp our understanding and make it harder to change ones mind as the situation changes. The truth is that we are all biased. For example, research shows that in the United States, Republicans tend to overrate the risks of getting vaccinated, and Democrats tend to overrate the risks from the disease. Without a joint sense of the risks of Covid, and with open questions about things like the likelihood of getting long Covid or how effective the vaccines are at preventing transmission, it can seem increasingly impossible to bridge divides and unite people toward a shared view of what the end of this crisis looks like. Because Covid-19 vaccines are effective in preventing severe disease from the virus but less effective in preventing infections, the continued spread of the coronavirus in highly vaccinated populations will become a Rorschach test: Everyone will see something different. People who remain worried about getting Covid-19 will see high cases during surges, which will justify their concerns and strengthen their own observance of mask-wearing and distancing. Calls for removing restrictions will seem dangerous. People who are less vulnerable to infection will focus on the lessened severity and do the opposite. They may view calls to keep restrictions in place as unnecessary and infringing on their freedoms. For people who have been highly vigilant about Covid-19, the end of the pandemic could end up feeling like defeat. At some point, it will be time to lift restrictions and lower the guards. The people theyve been debating about masks or whether the crisis is improving will then be right. It wont be because this position was always correct, but because the circumstances have changed. Thats why strong leadership is so critical for ending the pandemic. As the need for restrictions lessens, its up to public health and political leaders to explain why restrictions are being lifted, just as they had to explain why they were being imposed in the first place. Authorities must tell the public why they are placing more responsibility on individuals and, ideally, address the concerns of those who may not be ready, as well as those who remain at higher risk, like the immune compromised. As we tentatively approach the end of the crisis period of the pandemic, leaders need to help people put risk into perspective. If countries havent articulated how they will deal with pandemic trade-offs, they need to do so now. The longer it takes for the realization that the risk from Covid is lowering, the longer the crisis will last and the deeper the divides it will create. Should new variants turn the presumed end (at least for Denmark) into a brief pause, such cleavages will make the next round with the virus even more difficult. Many of the Protestants who have been most active in promoting social repair are often young African Americans, like Justin Giboney and the AND Campaign. As Thabiti Anyabwile puts it: I think a lot of people are discovering that the Bible holds together things they were taught were enemies. You can be a faithful Christian and also believe in justice. Its important for outsiders to not impose secular left/right categories here. Its too simplistic to say these people are moving left. They are quite conservative on many things. But they more readily incorporate justice work into the lifelong process of Christian formation the renovation of the heart that is at the center of the Christian life, the daily effort to grow in grace and lead a more Christ-like life. Over the past few years, Ive joined and observed a few of the conferences and gatherings organized by Christians who are trying to figure out how to start this renewal. Inevitably there were a few sessions diagnosing the problems, then a final one in which people were supposed to suggest solutions. I would summarize the final sessions this way: Mumble, mumble, mumble. Well, it was nice to see yall! But lately a much clearer understanding of what needs to happen is emerging. The most detailed agenda Ive seen has been produced by Tim Keller, the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. Tim is a friend of mine, but a lot of other people would agree that he has one of the most impressive and important minds in the evangelical world. Tim laid out for me an ambitious agenda to renew this community. Ill just give you the bullet points: The Christian Mind Project. Expand by a factor of 10 the number of evangelicals in graduate schools and the professoriate in order to make the community more intellectually robust. A renewed church planting effort. Old churches merely attract pre-existing Christians. New churches attract new believers. Keller says Christians need to plant 6,000 new churches a year. He has already had a ton of success on this front. New campus ministries. Decades ago, many young people found faith via dynamic evangelical organizations for students, such as InterVarsity and Young Life. That field has been allowed to stagnate. Protestant social teaching. Catholics have a public theology that dates back at least to Pope Leo XIIIs encyclical Rerum Novarum. Protestant versions might share 75 percent of its ideas, while being perhaps less hierarchical and more individualistic. Faith and work. Faith is not just for Sundays. Keller suggests there should be more education programs on how Christians should show up at work and in the world. Racial justice. Keller argues that this is one of the most explosive divides between the Trumpian and the non-Trumpian wings of the movement. A strategy for post-Christian world how you evangelize among people who have never had any contact with faith and dont share the same mental concepts. Spiritual formation. As Keller puts it: We need to really redo Christian education. Completely. Thats a concrete and ambitious strategy for change. Is it too late to put it into action? Quite possibly. The evangelical community might have so spoiled its own appeal that many members of younger generations will continue to reject it. But evangelicalism has survived division before. It has historically had a Christian nationalist current and also a more justice-oriented current, which was powerful as recently as the 1970s. Both of these currents ebb and flow over the decades. And young believers are a powerful force. Mark Labberton says that many of the seminarians at Fuller are moving away from church as we normally conceive it. They want to build communities that are smaller, intimate, authentic, which can often fit in a living room. They see faith as inseparably linked to community service with the poor and marginalized. Theres a general interest in getting away from all the bitterness that has devoured the elders and just diving back into the Bible. Finally, Karen Swallow Prior said something that rings in my ears: Modernity has peaked. The age of the autonomous individual, the age of the narcissistic self, the age of consumerism and moral drift has left us with bitterness and division, a surging mental health crisis and people just being nasty to one another. Millions are looking for something else, some system of belief that is communal, that gives life transcendent meaning. Christianity is a potential answer for that search, and therein lies its hope, and the great possibility of renewing its call. A libertarian constitutional law scholar named Ilya Shapiro sent out some ugly tweets last week. Shapiro, whod recently been hired by Georgetown Universitys law school, criticized Joe Bidens pledge to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court, arguing that the Indian-born judge Sri Srinivasan was objectively the best pick. But Srinivasan, wrote Shapiro, alas doesnt fit into latest intersectionality hierarchy so well get lesser black woman. He claimed that if Biden considered only Black women, whoever he chose would always have an asterisk attached. Many people were rightly incensed by Shapiros suggestion that a Black woman any Black woman would necessarily be lesser. It is, after all, far from unusual for presidents to consider issues of representation when making Supreme Court nominations. (Maybe I missed it, but I couldnt find any instance of Shapiro claiming that Amy Coney Barrett had an asterisk beside her name because Donald Trump promised to choose a woman to succeed Ruth Bader Ginsburg.) Shapiros tweets implied disdain not for a specific nominee, but for the entire universe of Black female jurists. He himself seemed to realize his tweet was indefensible; he apologized and deleted it. Thats where the matter should have stayed. But Georgetowns law school where Shapiro was to serve as a senior lecturer and executive director of its Center for the Constitution overreacted, placing Shapiro on leave pending an investigation into whether his tweets violated school policies on professional conduct, discrimination and harassment. Georgetowns Black Law Students Association started a petition demanding his firing; as of Thursday morning it had more than 1,000 signatures. Shapiros racist rhetoric and continued association with the university sends the visceral message that even if Black women attend the best law schools, hold the highest clerkships and serve on the most prestigious courts, they still are not good enough, it said. I wouldnt argue with anyone who interprets Shapiros insulting tweets that way. Nevertheless, it is a mistake for Georgetown to investigate or punish him, for two reasons, one abstract and one strategic. The abstract one is that however offensive Shapiros words were, theyre also the sort of political speech that should be protected by basic notions of academic freedom, which is why a number of people who detest what Shapiro said criticized Georgetowns move. As The Atlantics Adam Serwer wrote, Ive made my feelings about what he said clear but its impossible for academic institutions to fulfill their missions if they fire or punish people under circumstances like these. Visitors to Central Parks reservoir in New York are taking in a drama filled with feathers. Its star performer, thrilling parkgoers and terrorizing gulls, is Rover, a bald eagle. The citys birders have been tracking Rover for two years, and some point to his ongoing story as demonstrating the conservation benefits of attaching aluminum bands to the legs of threatened bird species when they are young. Rovers arrival in the five boroughs also adds to mounting evidence of a return to urban areas by birds of prey. If Rover can make a home in and around Central Park, perhaps even more eagles will fill the citys skies in the years ahead. Rovers story begins in New Haven, Conn. In 2016, the towns birders were surprised to see a pair of bald eagles set up a nest near a busy intersection. The male wore a band around his leg reading P2, while the female was unbanded. Birders christened the pair Walter and Rachel W and R after the West River, which flows through the city, said Martin Torresquintero, the outdoor adventure coordinator for the citys government. Walter and Rachel failed to raise any young that year and then relocated to a nearby cemetery. They succeeded the next year, and again in 2018 when they laid three eggs. At a dinner during the Cannes Film Festival in July, Renate Reinsve found herself so nervous in the company of famous actors that she spent the evening chatting with their bodyguards instead. When a photographer who had been taking pictures of Timothee Chalamet appeared near the group, she said, her new friends waved him over. They were like, Shes an actress, too, Ms. Reinsve, 34, recalled in an interview in January. She had flown to Cannes from Oslo, where she lives, for the premiere of The Worst Person in the World, in which she stars as Julie, a millennial woman in the midst of a quarter-life crisis, grappling with the pressure she feels to pursue a career, find a partner and form a family. It was Ms. Reinsves first lead role in a film. After some prodding, the photographer turned his lens to her. He lifted his camera, and then he didnt press the button, she said. I wasnt worth it. Ms. Reinsve won the Cannes award for best actress a few days later. And in the months that followed, the film, directed by Joachim Trier, made the festival rounds, where it garnered praise for Ms. Reinsves performance. Louis Vuitton asked her to become a brand ambassador. Just this week she was nominated for a BAFTA in the best actress category. Fresh flowers die, but there is no expiration date on a bouquet of feathers, which can also be plopped in a vase to bring color and texture to a table. Faux, of course, would be preferable, though the quality can vary. If you go real, source responsibly: Moonlight Feathers sells a selection that have been naturally molted, including a set of colorful Camelot macaw feathers that range from 10-inches to 18-inches in height ($499.95 for 10). From the stuffed animal kingdom comes another common Valentines Day gift, a Teddy bear. At four-feet tall, Steiffs Studio Bobby Bear ($1,100) towers over most others, making it a worthy alternative for your Valentine to snuggle when you are not available. There are, of course, people whose hearts desire comes in the form of the vital organ. Realists will appreciate the Love in Bloom vase ($140) designed by Marcantonio Raimondi Malerba for Seletti, a lifelike replica peppered with holes where you can stick stems (or feathers). Less accurate in design is Staubs Heart Cocotte ($219.99), which has a more abstract shape that dials down its kitsch factor and, if cared for, will last as long as your relationship. Coming off the year of Balenciaga, a trend-obsessed Valentine may prefer the brands Cash Heart Mirror Keychain ($375). Out of the Ordinary Even if they no longer write with a pencil, they may rely on one to line their eyes or lips. Catbirds Swan Pencil Sharpener ($5) would be a sweet little something for the person who insists on nothing. But you dont have to spend a penny on a Valentines Day gift if you dont want to. The occasion can be marked with a heartfelt back scratch or a foot rub. Consider more opulent ways to soothe their back or feet with Scully & Scullys backscratcher ($875), which relieves itches with a sterling-silver hand, or a hippopotamus footstool from Omersa. Upholstered in leather, the piece is available in several versions ($720 for a standard size). Like the backscratcher, it is made to order but the right gift is often one worth waiting for. The United States is among many countries that allow the chemical compound to be sold as a food preservative, and the federal Food and Drug Administration regulates its use for that purpose. There is no systematic tracking of suicides involving the compound, but The Times identified dozens of people who had used it since 2018 in the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Canada and Australia. More than 300 members of the suicide website had announced intentions to use the compound to kill themselves. A study of 47 cases of poisoning by the preservative reported to the National Poison Data System over a five-year period found that suicide attempts with it had been increasing since 2017. A 2020 article in The Journal of Emergency Medicine warned that because the compound is readily accessible through online vendors, and is being circulated through various suicide forums, emergency rooms might see more patients who have used it. Dr. Kyle Pires, a resident emergency room physician at Yale University Hospital who treated a 28-year-old woman who had bought the compound on Amazon, wrote in the journal Clinical Toxicology about her death and the recent rise in suicides by this method. The article, published last May, said policymakers should be aware of the preservatives use in suicides, and encouraged emergency rooms to stock doses of an antidote, methylene blue, that can prevent death if administered early. In an interview, Dr. Pires said that businesses should be able to buy the preservative, but sales to individuals should be banned. Theres an argument that its a slippery slope to restrict sales of something that is legal just because some people are using it to kill themselves, Dr. Pires said. But, he added, this is a cost-benefit analysis of a small number of hobbyists using this chemical to cure meat at home versus these growing numbers of young people, including teenagers, using it to kill themselves. For me, its an easy calculation. In the United Kingdom, coroners for nearly two years have been highlighting suicides involving online purchases of the preservative and asking the government to take action. A cross-government group is working with businesses including manufacturers and online suppliers of the preservative to reduce access and end some sales to individuals, according to a spokeswoman for the governments Department of Health and Social Care. The United Kingdom already requires sellers to inform law enforcement officials of any suspicious purchases of the compound, though its unclear how often such reports are made. As youre probably aware by now, Covid-19 infections and hospitalizations are plummeting in California the first pandemic-related good news in months. And while theres no way to know what the coronavirus will do next, many hope the Omicron surge was the last big one, since the variants extreme infectiousness means that millions of Americans now have an added layer of immunity. Californians, however, arent feeling all that hopeful. A poll from the Public Policy Institute of California released this week uncovered the lowest levels of optimism about the pandemic since last spring. The survey found that 67 percent of Californians believe that the worst of the pandemic is behind the United States, compared with 86 percent who felt that way in May 2021. As a former public health official, its really disturbing to continue to see this trend, she said. Late last year, The New York Times identified more than 500 top health officials who left their jobs in the prior 19 months. They have drawn ire from state leaders and the public for their decisions, and faced other hurdles including mass staff departures, inconsistent funding and dwindling trust in their authority. Adriane Casalotti, chief of government and public affairs for the National Association of County and City Health Officials, said that the fallout from the departures will have an impact that lasts beyond this pandemic and will leave the country less prepared for the next public health crisis. What we want out of our public health leaders is to tell us the truth whether or not its politically popular, Ms. Casalotti said. Were going to lose those voices and those are the voices that we need to keep our communities safe and secure. Some officials, like Mr. Kaeurauf, have become targets of conservatives bristling about testing requirements in schools and encouragement to wear masks. At a Monday hearing in Missouri a day before Mr. Kaeuraufs resignation, protesters lofted posters with messages such as were not guinea pigs and God-given natural immunity. The State Senates Conservative Caucus posted a message of support for the protesters on social media, thanking them for making their voices heard and urging them to keep up the good fight. Senator Rick Brattin, a member of the caucus, said in an interview on Wednesday that he did not believe that Mr. Kaeurauf was being forthright during his hearing. Governor Parson said in a statement on Tuesday that the Missouri Senate chose to indulge a few mens egos and to prioritize political gain. The senators had listened to rumors and lies about Mr. Kaeurauf spread on social media, he added. The events that have transpired over the past few days surrounding Dons Senate confirmation hearing are nothing short of disgraceful, unquestionably wrong, and an embarrassment to this state and the people we serve, the governor said. I pray that honor, integrity and order can be returned to the Missouri Senate and that it comes sooner rather than later. Chief Murphy said that all three men had been hospitalized but were expected to recover. It is likely that part of the boats equipment for dredging caught on something, causing the vessel to overturn, the chief said. There was no mayday call and no time to put on life jackets. They didnt have much time left, Chief Murphy said. In a phone interview from a hospital on Friday, Joe Roderick, one of the crew members who was rescued, said that the boat had started leaning toward its starboard side moments before it capsized. I said, This is weird, Mr. Roderick recalled telling the captain. As he turned around to walk into the boat, the boat flipped over and threw us all right in the water. It happened so fast. Mr. Roderick, 50, a father of four from New Bedford, Mass., who has been fishing since he was 18, said that he began to weigh his mortality. I was thinking about my children, he said. In my imagination, I was never going to make it home. It was ice-cold water out. It was terrifying. Mr. Roderick said that his chest was sore from treading water. His sinuses felt like somebody went up there with a wire brush from ingesting diesel fuel, he said, adding that his cellphone, wallet and drivers license went down with the boat. But Mr. Roderick, who works as a scallop fisherman at other times during the year, said he expected to be released from the hospital on Friday. He said that he eventually hoped to connect with Ms. Harght to thank her. Court documents and hearings over the past two years have hinted at some of the details that the federal jury may hear. An F.B.I. agent this week said that Travis McMichaels cellphone contained racist messages referring to Black people as monkeys and other slurs. A 2020 filing by state prosecutors describes an Identity Dixie Facebook post and a Racial Johnny Rebel post by Gregory McMichael. A federal filing in December by Mr. Bryans lawyer describes racially insensitive language Mr. Bryan used in text messages, as well as witness testimony that would suggest Bryan did not approve of his daughter dating an African American man. Even before this evidence is introduced, issues of race, and questions about what constitutes a fair trial, could arise with jury selection, which is set to begin on Monday morning in U.S. District Court in Brunswick, Ga. Such issues arose during jury selection in the state trial, a process that dragged on for two and a half weeks. In that case, potential jurors were drawn exclusively from Glynn County, Ga., where Mr. Arbery and the defendants lived. It was one of the biggest and most disturbing local news stories in decades, and the idea of finding jurors who had not heard about the case, or already formed opinions about it, was nearly impossible. In the end, a jury was seated, but its composition of 11 white people and one Black person raised concerns that justice could be skewed in the defendants favor. For the federal case, Judge Wood decided to broaden the pool of potential jurors, sending out summonses to roughly 1,000 residents spread over 43 of Georgias 159 counties. At the same time, the rejected plea deals for the McMichaels may have introduced a new complication. Potential jurors may well have been exposed to news coverage of Mondays hearing before Judge Wood, in which it became clear that the two men were ready to plead guilty to hate crime charges. That could make the selection of an impartial jury more challenging, said Page Pate, a legal analyst and veteran trial lawyer in Atlanta, though not impossible. The standard is not whether theyve heard about the case, or the attempted guilty plea, Mr. Pate said, but whether the jurors have made up their mind or are leaning strongly one way or the other. A Pennsylvania doctor accused of prescribing ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid-19, two drugs that regulators have called not safe for treating the disease, was fired this week, a regional health system said. The doctor, Edith Behr, who worked for Tower Health, was accused of writing prescriptions for the drugs, which are not approved for the prevention or treatment of Covid, the company said. The health system said it became aware of the allegations against Dr. Behr on Wednesday. We investigated the matter and, as a result, Dr. Behrs employment with Tower Health Medical Group has been terminated effective immediately, the health system said in a statement on Friday. Dr. Behr could not be immediately reached for comment on Friday. News of her termination was reported by PennLive.com on Thursday. The Murray-Burr bill is carefully drafted to avoid partisan divisions. The panel would be made up of 12 highly qualified citizens preferably, but not necessarily, nonpartisan subject matter experts in relevant fields like public health, manufacturing of medical products, supply chain issues and national security. They may not be government employees. Democrats and Republicans in Congress would each appoint half the members, who would name their own chairman and vice chairman. The White House would not make any appointments. The panel would hold hearings and take testimony, as the Sept. 11 panel did, and would be expected to produce a report within a year, with a possible six-month extension. I think its a splendid idea, said Senator John Kennedy, Republican of Louisiana. I think we need to know what worked and what didnt work. I think we need to be prepared for the next one. I would particularly like to know whether the lockdowns and the shutdowns we saw, whether the flame was worth the candle. The measure avoids the use of the word commission, which acquired negative connotations in Washington after a bitter partisan debate doomed an effort to create a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. Instead, the panel is called a task force, though Ms. Murray used the words commission and task force interchangeably. We tried to structure it in a way that would make a partisan approach difficult, Mr. Burr said. The proposal is part of a broader measure, the Prepare for and Respond to Existing Viruses, Emerging New Threats and Pandemics Act or PREVENT Pandemics Act. It would require certain changes even before an inquiry has concluded, including making the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention a Senate-confirmed position instead of serving at the will of the president. People familiar with the authors thinking say they want to put the measure on a fast track, possibly by attaching it to another must-pass piece of legislation. The Biden White House has been noncommittal. Jeffrey D. Zients, Mr. Bidens coronavirus response coordinator, said this week that the administration was focused on the current crisis, but over time we do look forward to engaging with Congress and reviewing lessons learned. Mr. Qahtani is one of 39 detainees left at the wartime prison, and is one of 19 who have been recommended for transfer subject to security arrangements. By law, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III must tell Congress 30 days before any such transfer that he is satisfied with the agreement. But most of those 19 detainees cannot be sent home because they come from unstable countries like Yemen and Somalia, which by law cannot receive Guantanamo detainees. So the Biden administration must find other countries willing to take them. Because Mr. Qahtani can be repatriated, he could be the first to leave. Mr. Qahtanis notoriety is linked to his attempt to enter the United States on Aug. 4, 2001, when an immigration inspector at the Orlando airport turned him away. The authorities later discovered that Mohamed Atta a ringleader of the attack carried out by 19 hijackers that killed nearly 3,000 people the next month had come to meet him there. The circumstances led the authorities to believe that Al Qaeda had sent Mr. Qahtani to serve as a member of the team that hijacked United Airlines Flight 93. Passengers on the flight fought back and caused the plane to crash into a Pennsylvania field rather than its likely intended target, the U.S. Capitol. (Mr. Qahtani has never been tried or convicted of being part of that conspiracy. Even if he had been, it is not clear whether Mr. Qahtani, who sustained a traumatic brain injury as a youth and was diagnosed with schizophrenia before he tried to enter the United States, had any specific knowledge of what the government suspects Mr. Atta was planning for him.) By the time the United States invaded Afghanistan in response to the Sept. 11 attacks, Mr. Qahtani had drifted into jihadi circles and was captured along the Pakistani frontier in December 2001 with a group of foreign fighters. He and those believed to be bodyguards to Osama bin Laden were sent to Guantanamo in early 2002. Later that year, the U.S. military recognized that he might be no ordinary detainee. With authorization from Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, he was forced to undergo two months of continuous, brutal interrogation by the U.S. military inside a wooden hut at Camp X-Ray in late 2002 and early 2003. At the hearing last month, Mr. Shamansky told Judge Walton that he wanted to subpoena not only Mr. Trump, but also several of his former aides and advisers, including Rudolph W. Giuliani, Stephen K. Bannon, Stephen Miller and John Eastman. Acknowledging that he would have a hard time disputing that Mr. Thompson had committed a crime on Jan. 6, Mr. Shamansky told the judge that he wanted testimony from Mr. Trump and the others in order to establish Mr. Thompsons mind-set that day and to prove that his client had effectively been duped into breaking the law. As for the recordings Judge Walton suggested, Mr. Shamansky argued that live witnesses always played better in front of juries. He also insisted that he had a right even a duty to mount the strongest defense of Mr. Thompson that he could. If Mr. Shamansky gets his way, it is almost certain that the famously litigious Mr. Trump would oppose the subpoena in a bruising legal fight, which could drag out the proceedings for months. In an interview on Friday, Mr. Shamansky said if he succeeded in obtaining the subpoenas, he would not only ask Mr. Trump about his speech that day, but also seek to get his hands on private notes or messages that were used in drafting the address. He added that he knew of no legal prohibition against trying to get testimony from a former president as a material witness in a criminal case. Im unaware of any authority that undermines our position, he said. The Constitution guarantees and demands Trumps appearance at trial. Some legal experts seemed to agree, pointing to President Richard M. Nixons failed attempts in 1974 to quash a subpoena by the Watergate special prosecutor for tapes and other documents related to his case. Others noted that, in 1990, former President Ronald Reagan gave videotaped testimony during the trial of John M. Poindexter, his onetime national security adviser, who was charged with obstructing a congressional inquiry into the Iran-contra affair. But perhaps the biggest error after the Abbey Gate bombing would come just three days later. On Aug. 29, American officials, fearful that another suicide bomber would attack Hamid Karzai International Airport, launched a drone strike, hitting a white Toyota loaded with what turned out to be water canisters, not explosives. The officials who called in the strike had not noticed video footage that showed the presence of a child some two minutes before the strike. In the end, 10 civilians, including seven children, were killed. General McKenzie acknowledged on Friday that the Abbey Gate investigation reversed commanders initial assessments, noting the battlefield is a confusing and contradictory place, and it gets more confusing the closer you are to the actual act. He said, for example, that ball bearings caused wounds that looked like gunshots, referring to the projectiles unleashed in the blast. In their monthslong inquiry, investigators relied on eyewitness testimony, medical examiners findings, and video footage from an MQ-9 drone flying overheard minutes after the blast. The investigation also found that military leaders took appropriate measures to protect their forces throughout the operation at Abbey Gate, and that the medical services that were available and ready saved every life they possibly could have. And the investigators said the decision to keep the Abbey Gate open late that afternoon until the explosion at 5:36 p.m. despite increasing threats of an ISIS attack, was understandable given that many Afghans with valid travel documents were still trying to evacuate and foreign allies were rushing to get their citizens out. Officials wanted to prevent throngs of Afghans overrunning the airfield, investigators said, as happened on Aug. 16 after the Afghan government fell to the Taliban. This was not preventable, Brig. Gen. Lance Curtis of the Army, a senior investigators, said of the bombing. The investigation did not focus on the bomber himself, other than to note that it was highly likely that he circumvented Taliban checkpoints and used an alternate route to the airfield, bringing him within feet of the Abbey Gate checkpoint. Investigators found no evidence that the Taliban were complicit or negligent in the attack. But Mr. Pence stopped short of completely breaking with the right-wing base that remains deeply influenced by Mr. Trump. Mr. Pence did not explicitly say that Mr. Trump lost the election and he declined to address the false claims of election fraud still being pushed by the former president and his supporters. The carefully constructed wording of his rebuke shows an effort by Mr. Pence to defend his own actions on Jan. 6, while not completely alienating a Republican base that remains animated by conspiracy theories of a stolen election. Their support could be crucial in any 2024 primary contest. His comments came just hours after the Republican Party voted to censure two Republican lawmakers for taking part in the House investigation of the Jan. 6 attack. The lawmakers, Representatives Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, were censured for participating in what the partys resolution described as the persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse. In a rambling statement issued Friday evening, Mr. Trump refrained from sharply attacking Mr. Pence. But he described Mr. Pence as being an automatic conveyor belt on Jan. 6 to get Biden elected President as quickly as possible. And he also did not back down from his assertion that Mr. Pence had the authority to change the results. Mr. Trump added, I was right and everyone knows it. If there is fraud or large scale irregularities, it would have been appropriate to send those votes back to the legislatures to figure it out. Legal scholars and officials from both parties say the vice president does not have the power to overturn elections. Mr. Pence agrees with that interpretation of the law: In a letter to Congress sent the morning of the Capitol attack, Mr. Pence rejected the presidents claims, writing that the Constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not. On Sunday, Mr. Trump falsely claimed that Mr. Pence could have overturned the election in a statement denouncing a bipartisan push to rewrite the Electoral Count Act of 1887. The former president and his allies misinterpreted that century-old law in their failed bid to persuade Mr. Pence to throw out legitimate election results. And on Tuesday, Mr. Trump said that the congressional committee investigating the role of his administration in the violent Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol should instead examine why Mike Pence did not send back the votes for recertification or approval. CHICAGO More than 2,600 Americans are dying from Covid-19 each day, an alarming rate that has climbed by 30 percent in the past two weeks. Across the United States, the coronavirus pandemic has now claimed more than 900,000 lives. Yet another, simultaneous reality of the pandemic offers reason for hope. The number of new coronavirus infections is plummeting, falling by more than half since mid-January. Hospitalizations are also declining, a relief to stressed health care workers who have been treating desperately ill coronavirus patients for nearly two years. All that has created a disorienting moment in the pandemic: Though deaths are still mounting, the threat from the virus is moving, for now, farther into the background of daily life for many Americans. Patrick Tracy of Mundelein, Ill., has seen the disconnect up close. In his county, new infections have fallen in recent weeks as the highly infectious Omicron variant has begun to recede nationwide. But as those case rates were dropping, Mr. Tracys wife, Sheila, died from Covid. Ms. Tracy, 81, a native of Ireland who was devoted to her grandchildren and the roses she tended in her front yard, was vaccinated, but also had underlying medical conditions. Professor Kamisars greatest impact on the court came in 1966, in its decision in Miranda. The year before, he had published a lengthy essay in which he compared the American legal system to a gatehouse and a mansion the gatehouse being the police interrogation room and the mansion being the courtroom. The courtroom is a splendid place where defense attorneys bellow and strut and prosecuting attorneys are hemmed in at many turns, he wrote. But what happens before an accused reaches the safety and enjoys the comfort of this veritable mansion? Ah, theres the rub. Typically he must first pass through a much less pretentious edifice, a police station with bare back rooms and locked doors. The courts offered extensive protections, rooted in the Fifth Amendment, covering the right against self-incrimination. But no such protections existed in the police station, where interrogators could coerce a suspect to confess. No system of justice could last long, Professor Kamisar argued, if it relied on the coerced flow of information from the accused. The court agreed. In a decision written by Chief Justice Warren and citing Professor Kamisars work, it ruled in 1966 that criminal defendants had to be informed of their rights before being questioned, especially their rights to remain silent and to legal counsel. That same year Time magazine wrote that at 37, Kamisar has already produced a torrent of speeches and endless writings that easily make him the most overpowering criminal-law scholar in the U.S. Others called him the father of Miranda. With the Supreme Courts imprimatur, Professor Kamisar spent the rest of his career building his chosen field he co-wrote its leading casebook, Modern Criminal Procedure (Professor Kerr, Professor King and Professor Primus later became co-authors) and defending the Miranda ruling from conservative pushback. Professor Kamisars concern for the vulnerable, and his worries about the reach of government power, motivated his other area of great interest: assisted suicide and euthanasia. If his position on the rights of the accused won him admirers among civil libertarians, many of those same people were flummoxed by his opposition to laws that would seem, on their face, to enshrine an equally important right, over ones own death. NEW DELHI After weeks of a coronavirus surge most likely fueled by the highly transmissible Omicron variant, Indian health officials said that the number of cases appeared to be declining, even as daily numbers remained high in some parts of the country. We are seeing the pandemic situation has improved, Dr. V.K. Paul, who heads Indias Covid task force, said at a news conference on Thursday. There are states and districts of concern, but overall there is a contraction in the spread of infection, which is heartening, he said. Only a few weeks earlier, the country had reported more than 340,000 daily cases. On Thursday, that number had come down to 172,433 cases, the health ministry said. And the percentage of positive test results in the country had fallen by 50 percent, according to government data. SYDNEY, Australia When the British explorer James Cook set out in 1768 in search of an unknown southern land called Terra Australis Incognita, he sailed on a navy research vessel called the HMB Endeavour. More than 90 people were on board the ship, described by some historians as homely but sturdy. Two years later, it dropped anchor off the east coast of what is now Australia, precipitating two centuries of British control. It would go on to transport British troops during the American Revolutionary War, and meet its demise in 1778, part of a fleet of ships that historians believe sank off Rhode Island. For more than two decades, a team of Australian and U.S. researchers have been scouring the waters in search of the wreckage. Then, on Thursday morning, 254 years after Cook set sail, archaeologists at the Australian National Maritime Museum announced that they were convinced they had identified the final resting place of what the museums chief executive and director, Kevin Sumption, called one of the most important and contentious vessels in Australias maritime history. Reports of abuse were filed against hundreds of clergy members and others in the Roman Catholic Church in New Zealand dating back to the 1950s, according to figures released this week to a royal commission, which for the first time capture the pervasiveness of abuse accusations in the church there. Between 1950 and 2021, there were 1,680 allegations of abuse reported against diocesan clergy and members of Catholic religious orders or associations, according to data from Te Ropu Tautoko, a group coordinating between the commission the highest form of investigation in New Zealand and the Catholic Church. The sobering data uncovered the scale of abuse within the Catholic Church, Katherine Anderson, a lawyer assisting the commission, said in a statement. The research is startling, and the heartbreaking reality is that helpless and vulnerable children and adults sit behind these facts and figures. Accusations were levied against 14 percent of all diocesan clergy in New Zealand, according to the figures, many of them between the 1960s and the 1980s, with a majority of instances involving children at educational or residential facilities under the churchs supervision. Over half of all abuse reported involved sexual harm or other physical, emotional or psychological abuses. Others involved the failure to act on complaints. AUXERRE, France With its magnificent 13th-century Gothic cathedral and its prominent statue of Paul Bert, one of the founders of Frances secular school system, Auxerre seems to encapsulate French history. Half-timbered houses line picturesque riverbanks. Vines roll across the surrounding countryside. Auxerre is the typical French provincial town, said Crescent Marault, the mayor. So typical, in fact, that for the past 40 years the Burgundy town has consistently voted for the winning presidential candidate, mirroring results at the national level and making the town a political bellwether of sorts. Today, like much of France, Auxerre has experienced a shift to the right, the result of a malaise that stems in part from the difficulties of getting a job in the provincial town, and stagnant earnings for those who are employed as well as from less tangible fears over immigration and crime. KYIV, Ukraine While Russia is not yet capable of mounting a total invasion of Ukraine, portions of its army have reached full combat strength and appear to be in the final stages of readiness for military action should the Kremlin order it, according to an assessment by the Ukrainian militarys high command. Of particular concern to Ukrainian officials is the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014. In the last two weeks, Russia has deployed an additional 10,000 troops to the region, including infantry and airborne forces; more ominously, it has put some commands on the highest level of readiness, according to the militarys assessment. Along with recent efforts to strengthen forces near two Kremlin-backed separatist enclaves in Ukraine, the deployments mean that Russia could soon be fully prepared to begin military actions along about 800 miles of Ukraines eastern and southern borders, according to the assessment. The assessment was described in general terms by a senior Ukrainian military official who spoke on condition of anonymity to disclose confidential intelligence findings. It broadly aligns with newly released satellite images showing a significant military buildup in Crimea over the last few weeks. I thought it would just be for a few days and they will see it wont work and I will leave, said Ms. Abd al-Aziz, who had no prior TV experience and only a passing curiosity about the news media. She brought her mother to the initial meeting with the network. Ms. Abd al-Azizs journey from a cafe to the anchor chair was a hard road, with more than six months of 10-hour days of voice lessons and an immersion into Iraqi and regional politics, topics in which she previously had zero interest. I worked on it. I worked on my voice, took time to follow the news, she said, adding that she learned from every negative comment her tutors gave her. This is what made me progress. On a recent morning, she arrived early at the studio, picking up her scripts for the main noon newscast and reading them over before she slid with obvious confidence into a chair in front of a teleprompter. The ease she feels now is a far cry from her first live bulletin in September when she said she was frozen with fear. Stillwater, OK (74078) Today Variable clouds and becoming windy with thunderstorms, possibly severe this afternoon. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. High 81F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Thunderstorms, some strong this evening, then skies turning partly cloudy after midnight. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low 44F. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Every year, on January 17, the people of San Bartolome de Pinares, in Spain, celebrate St. Anthony by riding their horses, donkeys and mules through piles of burning tree branches in a celebration called Las Luminarias. The unique tradition of leaping over and through flames dates back 500 years, but the men and women of San Bartolome de Pinares village still celebrate it religiously. They gather all the branches they find in the days leading up to the festivities, and when dusk falls on the eve of Saint Anthonys, they light them ablaze. Riders lead their mounts through the burning piles of the village, accompanied by sounds of drums and Spanish bagpipes. Photo: Luis Ascenso/Flickr Jumping through the flames is said to bring the animals the protection of St. Anthony Abad, acknowledged as the patron of domestic animals, ever since the Middle Ages. Locals believe the fire purifies their animals and protects them against illnesses, all year long. This comes from thousands of years ago. So that animals did not get unwell, the old priests would bless them with fires so that they would jump and be purified, one local said. Animal rights activists dont buy the whole purification deal, but in a country like Spain, where traditions like bullfighting, Shearing of the Beasts or Day of the Geese, they dont have too many hopes of putting an end to it. Still, many are at least willing to try. There is no logic in forcing these animals into a stressful situation against their own nature. In the midst of the 21st century, this is something from a bygone era. There is no superstition or belief that should justify an act of such cruelty, Juan Ignacio Codina from the Observatory of Justice and Animal Defence, said. The owners say their animals remain unharmed during the procession thanks to precautions taken by riders to cut their hair to avoid burns. A few years back, the mayor of San Bartolome de Pinares told reporters that veterinarians checked the horses after Las Luminarias and couldnt find a single burn mark, or anything else wrong with them. One thing that even the more stubborn locals will agree with is that Las Luminarias has become too much of a spectacle in recent years. Before, the shrubs and pine branches used to light the fires used to be much smaller, but nowadays they are brought in by trucks, and the fires are much bigger to impress spectators. Many would prefer to return to the old ways of animals walking over smaller fires, not jumping through flames. Ben LaBolt The White House is bringing on Bully Pulpit Interactive partner Ben LaBolt to advise President Biden on communications and messaging around the confirmation process for the next Supreme Court justice. LaBolt was president at The Incite Agency before it was acquired by Bully Pulpit in 2016. He was previously national press secretary for President Obamas re-election campaign, a White House assistant press secretary and communications director for Rahm Emanuels first run for Chicago mayor. He also served as the White House spokesman on the team to confirm Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Justice Elena Kagan. Kaplow Communications promotes Samara Finn Holland, Claire Nilsson and Jee Nah Chang Walker to executive vice president positions. Holland was previously senior vice president, influencer marketing at the firm, and before coming to Kaplow in 2018, served as director of influencer marketing at Marina Maher Communications. As executive vice president, growth and strategic initiatives, she is responsible for expanding client services, designing staff development programs, and elevating the agency's external industry visibility. Nilsson, who was senior vp, beauty, is now executive vp, beauty, with duties that include developing and executing integrated marketing campaigns, strategic partnerships, thought leadership, influencer marketing and celebrity management. Walker, an 11-year agency veteran and founding member of the firms DE&I taskforce, also moves from a senior vp position to become executive vice president, head of lifestyle. Taylor Pearson, Gil Connolly Trident DMG names Taylor Pearson joins Trident DMG as a senior account manager and Gil Connolly as an account manager. Pearson comes to Trident from CBSN, CBS News 24/7 digital streaming network, where she was a booking producer. She previously oversaw graphics production at MSNBCs The Beat with Ari Melber. Connolly most recently worked on the press team of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works under Sen, Tom Carper (D-DE). 03/02/2022 The 2022 Global Forum Capacity Building Report published today highlights ten years of successful capacity-building activities to support the global implementation of the two international standards on exchange of information on request (EOIR) and automatic exchange of financial account information (AEOI). The report also provides an update on the Global Forums capacity-building programme and outreach activities carried out in 2021. Key deliverables and major achievements include: 22 000 officials have been trained since 2011. The 34 participants in the "Train the Trainer" pilot programme, launched in 2021 under the umbrella of the Africa Initiative, collectively trained more than 850 African officials. Six news toolkits were published in 2020-21, helping jurisdictions navigate core aspects of the effective implementation of the standards on transparency and exchange of information (EOI) Five e-learning courses have been issued since 2019 and already taken by 5 200 officials. Launched in 2011, the capacity-building programme expanded over the years to cover new areas and intensified to reflect the growing share of developing jurisdictions, which now make more than half of the Global Forum membership. Regional programmes initiated by the Global Forum and focused on Africa, Latin America and the Pacific Islands have significantly contributed to advance the transparency agenda since 2015, and a new Asia Initiative will start in 2022. This work has had a great impact: The Global Forum capacity-building activities are empowering jurisdictions in their fight against tax evasion and other illicit financial flows, ultimately helping them enhance their domestic resource mobilisation. Globally, developing countries have identified at least EUR 30 billion through voluntary disclosure programmes and offshore tax investigations since 2009. The Global Forum capacity-building programme is primarily funded by voluntary contributions and grants, through generous contribution from Australia, the European Union, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Senegal, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Their continuous backing and trust are critical to the short and long-term support provided to developing jurisdictions. For further information, journalists should contact Pascal Saint-Amans, Director of the OECD Centre for Tax Policy and Administration, (+33 1 45 24 91 08) or Zayda Manatta, Head of the Global Forum Secretariat (+33 1 45 24 82 29). KYRGYZSTAN, NOVEMBER 2016. A policy options workshop was held in Bishkek in November 2016 to discuss the preliminary findings of the Social Protection System Review (SPSR) for the Kyrgyz Republic. The workshop brought together officials from the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and various line ministries, as well as researchers from CASE-Kyrgyzstan and other think tanks active on social protection. Donor partners and civil society representatives also engaged in a lively discussion about policy responses to the challenges identified in the SPSR. The workshop concluded with a brainstorming about mechanisms for promoting the systematisation of social protection. These ideas will feed into the final SPSR, which is to be published in mid-2017. < Back to News THE Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) and a major Offaly company are to partner for a more sustainable built environment. The new partnership will see leading home heating solutions company, Grant, which has played a leading role in the plumbing and heating industry for over 40 years, supporting the IGBC in accelerating the decarbonisation of residential heating. Pat Barry CEO at the Irish Green Building Council said: Decarbonising our homes is critical to reach carbon neutrality. As it currently stands, the residential sector accounts for about one quarter of the energy used in Ireland. Grant is the first heating company to join our organisation as a partner member and we are looking forward to working with them to support the decarbonisation of our built environment. Stephen Grant, Founder of Grant, added: We are delighted to join the Irish Green Building Council, bringing over four decades of knowledge, innovation and expertise in the heating industry. We are committed to the decarbonisation of residential heating and will continue to focus on helping homeowners throughout Ireland reduce their carbon footprint and future-proof their homes. The Government Climate Action plan requires Ireland to instal 600,000 heat pumps by 2030. To make the shift to heat pump technology, Grant is ramping up education of installers, architects, engineers and local authorities, offering free CPDs. Niall Fay, Director at Grant commented: We look forward to working together with the Irish Green Building Council and fellow members, to educate homeowners but also installers, architects, engineers and local authorities alike, on how making the shift to renewable. Heat pump technology can deliver a fully decarbonised, resource efficient home heating system, whilst also allowing long term cost saving and increased comfort. Further demonstrating its commitment to education, Grant has recently launched a new Knowledge Hub section on its website. Dedicated to giving homeowners easy access to information and advice to help them make informed decisions when selecting heating technologies to best suit their needs, the Knowledge Hub emphasises the importance of making sustainable home heating choices. Offaly firm, Irish Casings is supporting local woman Leanne Leavy who is travelling to Ghana to work with schools and communities there as as volunteer. Paul Daly, Managing Director of Irish Casings, said: We met with Leanne Leavy after we discovered she was about to embark on a trip to Ghana, where she is donating 1 month of her life helping people less privileged. We have a close affiliation to Ghana, especially as over many years where we have done much business. Ghana has always had a special place in our hearts and we know from our trips there that there are many people in need of help. We are making a donation to Leannes GoFundMe me account which she set up to use for helping the children she is going to work with for the month in Ghana. I have to say we are full of admiration for Leanne as this is such a generous act. Leanne was able to cover the full cost of the trip herself so any funds raised will go directly to the children of the orphanage she will be working with. If you would like to support Ghana Schools & Community you can donate at the Go Fund Me page Leanne has set up. https://gofund.me/95181951 Yes. I would be the first in line. No. I don't trust that a vaccine will be safe. I plan to, but I want to wait to see effects of first doses. Not sure. Vote View Results What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 716-372-3121 or email nfinnerty@oleantimesherald.com. Morgan Stevens official cause of death has been revealed. The Melrose Place actor was found dead inside his home on Jan. 26. He was 70. Click inside to read more The Los Angeles County Coroners Office confirmed on Thursday (February 2) that Morgan died of natural causes due to arteriosclerosis cardiovascular disease. According to Mayo [...] Two months after taking office, Germany's new government is slipping in the polls. Voters are expressing dissatisfaction over the crisis in Ukraine and especially with Chancellor Olaf Scholz. European countries are using various dialogue formats to resolve the Ukraine conflict. The Normandy Format, established in June 2014, is one; and now the British prime minister has suggested a new military pact. Paul Givan was expected to hand in his resignation by the end of the week. 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. Paul Givan has announced his resignation in a row over the Northern Ireland Protocol, prompting calls for early elections in the tense British province. The Chinese and Russian presidents are meeting as deteriorating relations with the West present a chance for both leaders to consolidate common interests. New Zealand Herald 04 Feb 2022 The leaders of Russia and China have pushed back against US pressure, declaring their opposition to any expansion of NATO and.. Koo Sze-yiu planned to protest Beijing's hosting of the Winter Games outside China's Liaison Office in Hong Kong. Those plans were scuppered, though, by his arrest early on Friday morning. Canada's top doctor said today the country needs to find a more "sustainable" way to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and future variants of the virus. In an unprecedented act of retaliation, Moscow has banned DW from broadcasting in Russia. It's a response to Germany blocking Russian state broadcaster RT but there were warning signs long before that. Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping issued a joint statement highlighting what it called "interference in the internal affairs" of other states, as both leaders face criticism from Washington over their foreign and domestic policies. 100 per cent population in Kerala has received at least one dose. Out of these 85 per cent people have taken both the doses. Queen Elizabeth II was interrupted by a canine gate-crasher as she viewed mementoes from her reign ahead of the 70th anniversary of her ascension to the throne.While the monarch inspected the memorabilia, including cards and artwork... The lawyer was convicted of charges he cheated the porn actor out of money she was supposed to get for writing a book about an alleged tryst with former President Donald Trump. Puerto Maderos, Ecuador (AFP) Feb 3, 2022 There is oil in the water, on the rocks and in the sand where children normally play on the banks of the Coca River in Ecuador. Residents of Puerto Maderos make no effort to hide their anger at the latest crude spill to hit the Ecuadoran Amazon. "This damage is not for a month, two months... it will be 20 years" before things return to normal, said Bolivia Buenano, a merchant from the A protest has been held at Glasnevin Cemetery after a decision to discontinue a memorial wall that would have marked the deaths of British soldiers, civilians and IRA volunteers killed during the years of the Irish revolution. White House press secretary Jen Psaki warns that a "destabilizing conflict in Europe would impact China's interests all over the world," after the leaders of Russia and China meet in Beijing. (Feb. 4) Prime Minister Boris Johnsons trip to Ukraine on Tuesday had little chance of being portrayed as anything other than a flight from his domestic woes and potentially an ill-judged one. The 'It Chapter Two' actor is rumored to have tied the knot with 'Split' production assistant whom he met for the first time in.. AceShowbiz 27 Oct 2019 Oskaloosa, IA (52577) Today Cloudy this morning. A few showers developing during the afternoon. High 59F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Rain. Low near 45F. Winds NE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch. Locally heavy rainfall possible. It has been 50 years since British soldiers killed 14 unarmed Catholic civil rights marchers in what has become known as Bloody Sunday. Family and friends of the 13 Catholics who died in the Bogside area of the City of Derry (Londonderry) on 30 January 1972 and of a 14th who died later of his wounds gathered this week for a series of commemorations to mark this tragic event. Among them, was a Mass celebrated by Bishop of Derry Donal McKeown to which his Anglican counterpart, Bishop Andrew Forster, was also invited. Speaking to Vatican News, Bishop McKeown expressed his closeness to the people affected: I think about the dignity of many people, the courage of many people, the strength of many people who have come through this, particularly because of their faith background. The bloodshed in Northern Ireland lasted for decades after Bloody Sunday. It was not until April 1998 that the signing of the Good Friday peace agreement brought an end to the 30 years of conflict known as the Troubles, that caused 3,000 deaths. And it was only in 2010 that a judicial inquiry found that the victims of Bloody Sunday were innocent and had posed no threat to the military. Speaking about healing the wounds of the past, the Bishop of Derry noted that much work had been achieved in building a strong relationship between the Catholic and Protestant Churches. Indeed, he pointed out, Church leaders were way ahead of politicians. Last year, the current British government announced a plan to halt all prosecutions of soldiers and militants in a bid to draw a line under the conflict, but families and friends of the victims have vowed they will not give up their call for prosecutions. Despite this, while acknowledging that there are still tensions behind Northern Irelands conflict, the war is over, said Bishop McKeown. In todays Northern Ireland, differences of opinion, differences of identity can be celebrated; not seen as something to be feared, and I hope that we as Church leaders can ensure that whatever direction the island takes, whatever direction Europe takes, it is a society that is able to process the pain of being human; process the pain of the past and build hope for the future. He called on the faithful to look at the past with compassion; to forgive and remember, and be able to move on because we deserve to be architects of the future and not prisoners of the past. The future, he stressed, belongs to those who can generate hope from the past rather than despair. Meeting with members of the International Consortium of Catholic Media on Friday, 28 January, the Pope reflected on the theme of communications and truth. Pope Francis lauded the organizations goal of seeking to unmask fake news and partial or misleading information about Covid-19 vaccines and ethical questions related to them. The Pope noted that people are increasingly influenced by mass media and that reporters must therefore employ a rigorous method in fact checking. The following is the English text of the Holy Fathers words. Dear friends, welcome! I am meeting with you today to reflect together on the theme of communications, and specifically on the way that Christian communicators should deal with certain problematic issues related to the Covid-19 pandemic. I thank Mr Montagne for his introduction and I offer a cordial greeting to all of you. In his Message for the 1972 World Communications Day, Saint Paul vi noted that, people can nowadays readily acknowledge that many of their attitudes, judgements and approaches to various questions, as well as their allegiances and antagonisms, are heavily influenced and to a great degree even shaped by their exposure to ideas and suggestions coming from the mass media. The Pope went on to observe that, the outstanding service provided by communicators entails much more than observing and reporting what is immediately evident. The reporter relates the incident to the context in which it happens, investigates its causes, examines the surrounding circumstances and tries to assess the possible effects of what has happened. This, he said, calls for a rigorous method: Communicators must observe facts carefully, check their accuracy, make a critical evaluation of the sources of their information, and finally, pass on their findings. The burden of responsibility is all the greater when, as often happens, the reporter is called upon not only to give the simple facts of a case but also to explain its implications by providing commentary and the elements needed for a fair assessment. A year ago, I read an interesting study of how the content of a story changes due to the attention the writer gives to what he or she is transmitting. The study was done by Professor Simone Paganini of the University of Aachen. It was interesting how he studied this problem of a change of content in the transmission of something. Pope Paul vi was speaking of communications and news reporting in general, yet his words are indeed timely if we think of the kinds of disinformation circulating nowadays on the web. You yourselves have set as a goal the unmasking of fake news and partial or misleading information about Covid-19 vaccines, and have begun to do so by networking different Catholic media and involving various experts. Your initiative was born as a Consortium that seeks to be together for the truth. Thank you, thank you for this. First, together. Working together is essential, not least in the field of information. Networking, sharing skills, knowledge and contributions in order to provide suitable information is already an initial form of witness. At a time when we are feeling the effects of the pandemic and of divisions in society and divisions in opinions the fact that you are networking as Christian communicators is itself sending a message. It is a point of departure, a message. We can hardly fail to see that these days, in addition to the pandemic, an infodemic is spreading: a distortion of reality based on fear, which in our global society leads to an explosion of commentary on falsified if not invented news. Contributing, often unwittingly, to this climate is the sheer volume of allegedly scientific information, comments and opinions, which ends up causing confusion for the reader or listener. This points to the importance of networking and uniting forces with scientific research on diseases, which continues to advance and enables us to combat them more effectively. Knowledge must be shared, expertise must be shared, science must be pooled (Address to Members of the Biomedical University Foundation of the Campus Biomedico, University of Rome, 18 October 2021). It also applies to vaccines: There is an urgent need to help countries that have fewer of them, but this must be done with far-sighted plans, not just motivated by the haste of wealthy nations to be safer. Remedies must be distributed with dignity, not as pitiful alms. To truly do good, we need to promote science and its integral implementation (ibid.). Accordingly, to be properly informed, to be helped to understand situations based on scientific data and not fake news, is a human right. Correct information must be ensured above all to those who are less equipped, to the weakest and to those who are most vulnerable. The second word, after together, is for together for. For is a little word but it says much. It reminds us that, as Christians, we are against injustices and lies, but always for persons. Even if the purpose of your Consortium is to combat disinformation, to refute fake news and the manipulation of more impressionable minds, the fundamental distinction between information and people must never be overlooked. Fake news has to be refuted, but individual persons must always be respected, for they believe it often without full awareness or responsibility. A Christian communicator must be evangelical in style, a builder of bridges, a promoter of peace, also and above all, in the search for truth. His or her approach is not one of conflict, it is not marked by an attitude of superiority, and it does not simplify reality, so as not to fall into a kind of fideism when it comes to science. Science itself is a constant process of advancing towards the solution of problems. Reality is always more complex than we think and we must respect the doubts, the concerns and the questions that people raise, seeking to accompany them without ever dismissing them. A dialogue with those who have doubts. As Christians, we ought to be the first to avoid the mentality of conflict and simplification, but rather making an effort to approach, accompany, and provide answers in a serene and reasonable way to questions and objections. We should work to help provide correct and truthful information about Covid-19 and vaccines, without digging trenches or creating ghettos. The pandemic invites us to open our eyes to what is essential, what is truly important, and the need for us to be saved together. So let us try to be together for, and never against. Together for. And let us remember too that access to vaccines and healthcare must be ensured to all, including the poor: we will get better if we get better together. Here, I want to highlight something I have always said: we do not emerge from a crisis alone. Either we come out together or no one comes out well. We do not emerge the same: either we will emerge better or worse. Yet the problem a psychological trap is when a crisis becomes a conflict and the conflict is resolved only by war, distance or opposition. This, however, means always turning back and not furthering dialogue, togetherness. Never let a crisis turn into a conflict. No, it is a crisis and when we are in a crisis, let us seek to emerge from it together. Finally, a brief reflection on the word truth. May we never tire of verifying data, presenting them in a suitable way, pursuing our own search for truth. That search cannot yield to a commercial viewpoint, to the interests of the powerful, to the great economic interests. No. Being together for truth also means seeking an antidote to algorithms projected to maximize commercial profit; it means working to promote an informed, just, sound and sustainable society. Without an ethical corrective, those instruments generate pockets of extremism and lead individuals to dangerous forms of radicalization and this is what conflict is. The antidote to every type of falsification is to let ourselves be purified by the truth. Indeed, truth purifies. For Christians, truth is never merely a concept having to do with judgment about things; no, that is only a part of what truth is. Truth regards life as a whole. In the Bible, it carries with it the sense of support, solidity and trust Truth is something one can lean on, so as not to fall. In this relational sense, the only reliable and trustworthy One the One on whom we can count is the living God. Hence, Jesus can say: I am the truth (Jn 14:6). We discover and rediscover the truth when we experience it within ourselves as the loyalty and trustworthiness of the one who loves us (Message for the 2018 World Communications Day). To work in service to truth thus means to seek the things that foster communion and promote the good of all, not those that isolate, divide and oppose. Not those things that lead to conflict. Brothers and sisters, in our prayers, let us keep remembering the victims of the pandemic and their families. And let us keep in mind those who, without having the virus, have died while serving the sick. They are the many quiet heroes of these times. To you and to your collaborators I offer my good wishes for your work and I bless you from the heart. And please, do not forget to pray for me. Thank you! At the end of his catechesis on Wednesday, 2 February, the Pope made an appeal for peace in Myanmar, inviting the faithful not to turn a blind eye to the suffering of our brothers and sisters in the south-east Asian country. He then recalled that 4 February marks International Day of Human Fraternity as well as the beginning of the Winter Olympics. The General Audience concluded with the Pater Noster and the Apostolic Blessing. For a year now, we have been watching the violence and bloodshed in Myanmar, with sorrow. I echo the appeal of the Burmese bishops that the international community may work for reconciliation between the parties concerned. We cannot look away from the suffering of so many brothers and sisters. Let us ask God in prayer for consolation for this tormented population. Let us entrust to him the efforts towards peace. The day after tomorrow, 4 February, we will celebrate the Second International Day of Human Fraternity. It is a cause for satisfaction that the Nations of the entire world are joining in this celebration aimed at promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue, as also called for in the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, signed on 4 February 2019 in Abu Dhabi, by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, and by myself. Fraternity means lending a helping hand to others, respecting them and listening to them with an open heart. I hope that concrete steps will be taken together with the believers of other religions, and also with people of good will, to affirm that today is a time of fraternity, avoiding fuelling clashes, divisions, and closures. Let us pray and be committed every day so that we may all live in peace as brothers and sisters. The Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are about to open in Beijing, on 4 February and 4 March respectively. I warmly greet all participants. I wish the organizers every success and to the athletes that they may give their very best. Sports, with its universal language, can build bridges of friendship and solidarity between individuals and peoples of all cultures and religions. I therefore appreciate the fact that the International Olympic Committee has added the word communiter, that is, together to the historic Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius, that is, faster, higher, stronger: so that the Olympic Games may bring about a more fraternal world. With a special thought, I embrace the whole Paralympic world: we will win the most important medal together, if the example of athletes with disabilities will help everyone to overcome prejudices and fears and to make our communities more welcoming and inclusive. This is the real gold medal. I also follow with attention and emotion the personal stories of refugee athletes. May their witness help to encourage civil societies to open up with ever greater confidence to all, leaving no one behind. I wish the great Olympic and Paralympic family a unique experience of human fraternity and peace: blessed are the peacemakers! (Mt 5:9). Ottumwa, IA (52501) Today Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers this afternoon. High 59F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Rain likely. Low around 45F. Winds NE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch. Locally heavy rainfall possible. MANISTEE Students at Manistee Catholic Central have been enjoying a week filled with games, sledding, laughter and more during the school's Catholic Schools Week celebration. Principal Catherine Grinn said Catholic Schools Week provides an opportunity to celebrate the school community. "Really, that's what it's all about: It's about Catholic education and school community," she said. "The whole week, each day is centered on a different aspect of our school community and we celebrate different people each day. That's really what it's all about." Throughout the week, days were dedicated to celebrating the community, students, the nation, vocations and faculty and staff. An added bonus that the students enjoyed Tuesday was no homework in honor of Student Appreciation Day. Students took part in a number of fun activities such as creating snow sculptures, sledding, watching movies, dress-up days and more. On Tuesday, students crafted a nativity scene, a couple of Noah's arks and even Saber Stadium out of snow. Wednesday saw students rocket through the snow while sledding, and they were able to head to the cafeteria to warm up at the hot chocolate bar. "It's been going really well," Grinn said. "... We've been having a lot of fun." Catholic Schools Week is more than just fun and games, however, students have had plenty of community service mixed into the week, as well. MCC students learned the value of making a difference through the school's Soup-a-Bowl food drive and by making tokens of appreciation for various community members. On Wednesday, students and staff created a Random Acts of Kindness board to help share ideas about spreading the love of Jesus throughout the country. "We did valentines for the elderly, we collected canned soup for the food pantry so we've been kind of interchanging fun stuff like sledding, hot chocolate and snow sculptures with our community service," Grinn said. "It's just a nice combination. The kids are seeing and understanding that Catholic education and community service is important, but it's also important to have fun while you're doing it." Thursday morning students in grades 2-6 competed in a catechism bee. Easton Kequom, the sixth grade winner, moves on to compete in the 11th Annual Diocesan Regional Catholic Schools Catechism Bee, which is scheduled to take place on May 5 at the Diocesan Pastoral Center in Gaylord. Lorenzo Vasquez took first place among the fourth and fifth grade students, while Oliver Kaltunas won in the second and third grade group. Grinn said a lot of effort went into giving the students a week to remember. "If you're going to celebrate, you should have fun," she said. "When I talked to my staff and when I figured out what we would do for Catholic Schools Week, I said I want these kids to have fun. I want them to enjoy it." During Catholic Schools Week, one of only four Missionary Images of Our Lady of Guadalupe could be viewed in the MCC chapel. It is an exact replica of the original image which was left on the tilma of Saint Juan Diego in 1531. It was gifted to the Americas by Saint John Paul II. "The image was blessed by Saint John Paul II and originated from the Basilica in Mexico City that houses the ongoing miraculous tilma from the approved apparition of 1531," Grinn said. The school week wraps today with Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day. Students were encouraged to bring a card, a note, a flower or other nice gestures for their teachers. Middle and high school students will enjoy a game-a-thon. Students are encouraged to spend quality time with the families Saturday for Celebrating Families Day. Grinn said the school welcomed students' family members into the fold throughout the week. "It gives us a really great opportunity to have our parents come in and be part of our school day," she said. "We've had some parents coming and volunteering this week and that's been fun for the kids, too to have Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa here. That's been nice." BIG RAPIDS Officers with the Big Rapids Department of Public Safety responded to the following calls. All calls may not be reported. Wednesday, Feb. 2 A property damage accident was reported in the 1200 block of Perry Avenue. Big Rapids police officers assisted CPS in the 200 block of Rust Avenue for a possible child abuse investigation. Suspicious activity was reported in the 400 block of South Third Avenue. A resident received a call from phone scammer wanting him to call his credit card company. A civil matter was reported in the 700 block of Perry Avenue. A business owner asked a customer to leave the business. As he was leaving, he yelled at owner. A civil matter was reported in the 300 block of Morrison Street. An argument between roommates over food was reported. Suspicious activity was reported in the 700 block of Marion Avenue. A juvenile was home and had a man knocked several times on the door of the residence. The subject left prior to officers arrival. A car vs. deer crash was reported in the 500 block of Rust Avenue. A property damage accident was reported in the 700 block of Perry Avenue. Suspicious activity was reported in the 100 block of North Stewart Avenue. A caller was concerned after her Apple phone and her friends notified them that an unknown accessory could see her location after she left the bowling alley. She went outside of residence and checked the vehicles. An officer with Apple phone scanned for Apple Air Tags and found none. Thursday, Feb. 3 A property damage accident was reported near State and Cedar streets. A minor personal injury accident was reported in the 1200 block of Perry Avenue. Suspicious activity was reported in the 400 block of Marion Avenue. A mother found her child has been sending inappropriate pictures of himself to an unknown older man, who claims to be from Dubai. The incident is under investigation. A traffic stop was performed in the 700 block of Perry Avenue. The stop resulted in the driver being cited for no valid license. An alarm was reported going off in the 1200 block of Perry Avenue. The building was secure upon arrival. By looking at Google searches for pothole-related complaints going back to 2004, Michigan has the third-worst pothole problems in the nation. The report, recently released by QuoteWizard, an online insurance marketplace, analyzed search data for pothole-related complaints and repairs for each state going back to 2004 to identify the areas with the worst issues. It found that Washington state has the nation's worst potholes, with Michigan not far behind. Here are the five states and cities with the worst pothole problems. States: Washington Indiana Michigan Nebraska Ohio Cities: Yakima, Washington Grand Junction, Colorado Spokane, Washington Lafayette, Indiana Seattle, Washington Additionally, Arkansas, Nevada and Wyoming have the least potholes, according to the report. AAA estimates U.S. drivers spend nearly $3 billion a year fixing damage caused by potholes. The average repair bill associated with a pothole mishap is $306, according to the agency. In 64% of cases, the repair bill is $250 or less and only 6% of incidents result in a bill thats more than $1,000. "Of course, how much you pay to repair pothole damage depends on the make and model of your vehicle as well as a number of other factors," AAA stated. "Just replacing a tire can cost you anywhere from $100 to $500 or more, depending on the vehicle you drive." How can a hole in the road cause that much financial drama? Consider that a pothole can do everything from damage to your tires to ruin your suspension. For instance, potholes can pop your tire, damage your wheel rims, ruin the engine or exhaust system, throw off your alignment and ruin your car's shocks and struts, according to AAA. Drivers between the ages of 35 and 44 reported more pothole damage than any other age group, with almost one-third of drivers saying theyve dealt with pothole damage in the last year. "Potholes also seem to strike twice or more accurately, thrice," the report read. "According to AAA, once your car has been damaged by a pothole, its likely to happen at least two more times in a five-year span." How can you file a claim if your vehicle or tires are damaged by a pothole? The Michigan Department of Transportation suggests two options on its website. For damage claims less than $1,000, the agency provides an online form, but for higher value claims, the agency said youll need to file a lawsuit. Michigan residents can also use MDOT's Report a Pothole form or call 888-296-4546 to report potholes on state roads. Most state roads begin with M, I or US designations (e.g., I-75, M-28, US-23). Your report will be forwarded to the appropriate MDOT region office for action. "Thirty Days to a Kinder Marriage," a fun, in-person marriage enrichment event, is set to take place at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday evening, Feb. 26, hosted at Midland Evangelical Free Church. Join Jeff and Shaunti Feldhahn, best-selling authors, popular speakers and internationally renowned social researchers, for an evening of music, laughter and inspiration to rediscover the lost art of kindness, and how just three simple steps, practiced consistently, can transform both you and your marriage for the better. Midland resident Alizia Hamilton applied to 30 professional jobs during a recent six-month period. She only heard back from one employer. She was trying to find a job that would pay her enough so she could afford daycare for her kids and that would meet her qualifications. This proved to be a daunting task, as she sent in application after application, only to hear crickets in return. Hamilton was not the only one. Midland County resident Tammara Middleton has been looking for work for the past two months and has yet to find a job, despite the persistent claims of job shortages from employers. She has been left wondering why she cannot get hired. It just makes me wonder if there really is that many jobs out there? Middleton said. Worker shortages has been a hot topic for months now across the country and has caused headaches for many employers. Yet many Midland-area residents have reported struggles trying to get hired, despite actively applying for work. Michigan Works! CEO weighs in Christopher Rishko is the CEO of Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works!, an employment agency that works to meet employment needs within the region. The agency works with employers to help them understand what the labor market looks like, figure out what skillsets they need, and help with job recruitment. For job seekers, Rishko said the agency could help them by getting uniforms, helping them with interview skills, or identifying any other barriers to employment they may have. We do not place candidates; we do our best to make them the most competitive candidate so they can get (a) job on their own, Rishko said in an interview in late December. The agency works with over 3,000 employers in the region, whether they are big corporations or mom-and-pop businesses, he said. Rishko told the Daily News that the labor shortage was getting better, but that it still plagued many businesses nationwide. Once businesses began opening back up in-person but positions were not being filled and people were leaving their jobs, he said the agency initially thought it was due to the availability of unemployment benefits. But based on surveys the agency conducted last year, Rishko said that very few respondents said they remained unemployed due to receiving unemployment payments. Many people gave other reasons for not working, including needing to care for other individuals (children, elderly adults, etc.); looking for flexible schedules, better benefits, and higher wages; and looking for jobs as good as or better than the ones they lost during the pandemic. He said there is also an exodus of workers aged 55 or older retiring from the work force. When it came time to go back into the labor force, they were looking at, Well, I have already operated under a single income, so now I want something better, Rishko said. The folks who had not got back into the labor force yet were waiting for something better. Job seekers share frustrations This was one of the main drivers of Hamiltons job hunt. She was forced to quit her job as an account payables specialist at the start of the pandemic due to school and daycare services shutting down. Since her job did not offer remote positions, and her husbands job has inconsistent schedules, she had to stay home and take care of her 5-year-old child, she said. After leaving her job, Hamilton gave birth to her second child and finished her associate's degree at Delta College. Eventually, she decided to return to work to help set up her family for long-term success, knowing that her degree would help give her a leg up in the job market. One thing Hamilton was looking for in a job was a wage to cover daycare costs, which for her now 19-month-old child could reach $1,100 a month. She also wanted to find a professional job that she could continue to have growth and opportunities with. I hear a lot about people saying there is a worker shortage, and that people are just lazy, Hamilton said. I think that because they see so many openings and so many jobs needing people, they just assume people just do not want to work. But they do not think of all the domino effects that have happened that led to this point. I have worked my entire life," she continued. "I have worked since I was a young teenager myself, and to see other people say people are just lazy, I am saying I was forced (to leave work) because of the pandemic to take care of my children. A lot of people are not lazy, they are just doing what they have to do to care for their families during a pandemic. However, finding jobs with a higher wage ended up being easier said than done. She applied for jobs that she felt did not meet her criteria, but no one would respond to her and following up with applications was a futile effort as well. Like Hamilton, Middleton lost her income when the pandemic hit, with her at-home hair business shutting down in September of 2020. The only job she could find was being a driver at an auto auction, which has been working at until now. However, this job does not supply a very stable income, fluctuating from 19 and a half hours one week, to only five and a half the next, Middleton said. So two months ago, she decided to look for a new career that she would work at until she retired. She applied for jobs for which she was either overqualified, or not quite qualified but could learn fast. But after sending in 30 applications, she was only offered two interviews. After one of them, she never heard back from the employer, and the other employer sent an email that said they had chosen someone else. Middleton gets some responses that say the employer has found another candidate but will hold Middletons application for 90 days. About 95% percent of the places she has applied to have not gotten back to her, she said. Middleton, who is 57 years old, has been left to wonder if her age has been a factor in people not hiring her. I've never had a problem getting jobs before, something always fell in my lap, Middleton said. I never had to worry about it, and now I am struggling and constantly trying. Another Midland resident, Jamie Maxwell, left her hotel job in the fall of 2021 after a switch in management made the job a nightmare. So, after hearing about employers desperately hiring and seeing all these help wanted signs, she gave in her two weeks notice and began looking for employment elsewhere. She wanted to a find a job with some flexible scheduling, since she is a single mom. However, that did not end up becoming a reality. She received few phone calls back during her one-month job search. She was becoming scared and frustrated about being able to pay bills. In one instance when Maxwell was invited for an interview, she was only offered 10 hours a week by the employer, something neither she, nor anyone else, could live off of, she said. I was getting upset, Maxwell said. (Employers) are putting that (they) are hiring out there, and then (they) do not call people back. How desperate (are they) for people when (they) do not even call me back? Rishko said lack of employer responsiveness could be blamed on the online application process though websites such as Indeed. The large volume of applications received through these sites has led employers to run through mountains of potential employees, creating huge backlogs of applications. However, Rishko stressed that employers should still try to follow up with potential employees, even if they are not going to hire them, so they do not burn bridges with optional talent that could be good for other positions down the line. One group of people that the worker shortage has disproportionately affected are women, due to them becoming dependent caretakers at home, Rishko said. Hamilton can attest to this and said a lot of working mothers were forced to pick between working or taking care of their children during the pandemic. With the types of jobs Hamilton has experience in (bookkeeping, accounting assistant, receptionist, and other office professional roles), she said they are largely occupied by women, with these roles largely undervalued and underpaid. She was not looking for a job that pays $13 an hour to do the accounting of an entire business, she said. It was surprising to her that wages were still this low after she began looking for work again. I see a big shortage because a lot of women were forced to leave the workforce, Hamilton said. Now they are trying to come back, and they are still being undervalued in those roles. As for advice for employers looking to hire, Rishko said they should be specific with their needs in job descriptions and make their compensation competitive with that of others in the region. So far, local employers have responded with wage increases, which have gone up by 11% in the Great Lakes Bay Region, and they are looking at ways to sponsor childcare for workers, he said. For job seekers, he said they should identify what they are looking for and try to cast a wide net for jobs. Happy ending to job searches Fortunately, Hamilton and Maxwell were able to find jobs. Maxwell works part-time at Meijer and says she has opportunities to learn about multiple departments. Hamilton now works as a contributions processing specialist on assignment for Dow Chemical, which she got through referral at Kelly Services. She makes enough to pay for daycare and said it is a fantastic job. Even though I struggled, and I was out of work for a tremendous amount of time, that tenacity and telling myself that, No, you are a valuable person. You are a valuable worker, Hamilton said. (The search) forced me to wait six months, instead of accepting one of those $13 entry level jobs that I knew I was better than, that I knew was not going to pay my childcare costs, (and) that I knew I was going to struggle with. Northwood students arent just working to develop themselves into business leaders; they are working to help future collegiate classes of entrepreneurs via DECA. DECA is an association of marketing students that encourages the development of business and leadership skills through academic conferences and competitions. It prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe (including all 50 United States, Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico and Germany). DECA has developed a Competitive Events Program that allows students to put their experience, skills and knowledge to the test while representing their high school or college. Students compete for top international honors in one of 25 different competitions. DECA is organized into two unique student divisions, high school, and college, each with programs designed to address the learning styles, interest and focus of its members. Northwood University students took on the challenge of bridging the gap between these two divisions. Historically, DECA business competitions have been held face-to-face. When the pandemic hit in 2020, DECA business competitions were forced into the virtual competition world. Northwood University student Charlee Simanskey led the development of a DECA Tip Team that created engaging videos to help prepare high school students for this new virtual competition format. This program was very successful and expanded this year. Northwood students Lauren Waiss, and Wilson Bragg joined the DECA Tip Team this fall and together these motivated students created a series of competition preparation videos for high school students and their advisors. In addition to these videos, Northwood students designed and facilitated a mock high school DECA business competition for students at H. H. Dow High School. This mock competition was designed and developed by students Kate Frank and Lauren Waiss. This mock competition brought 119 high school students to campus. In total, 40 Northwood students volunteered their time to both host the event and serve as judges during the competition. Finally, the team of Charlee Simanskey, Lauren Waiss, Kate Frank and Wilson Bragg have also ventured into high school classrooms, both virtually and face-to-face for the purpose of holding competition preparation workshops. We have received fantastic feedback from high school students and teachers with respect to these engagements preparing students for competition. In the case of H.H. Dow High School, more than 80% of their students placed high enough at their district competition to qualify for the Michigan High School DECA State Competition. Northwood University is committed to experiential learning. We find that our students learn by teaching. This peer-to-peer program benefits college and high school students alike. We are proud of our students as they have certainly brought high school and collegiate DECA closer together. It is an honor to see this type of student collaboration, and I invite the community to learn more about our DECA program at www.northwood.edu/student-life/organizations/collegiate-deca. John Gustincic is the director of the Alden B. Dow Center for Creativity and Enterprise, and advisor for Northwood Universitys DECA chapter. He can be reached at gustinci@northwood.edu. Paducah, KY (42003) Today Partly cloudy this morning. Increasing clouds with periods of showers this afternoon. High around 80F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Low 67F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Palestine, TX (75801) Today Thunderstorms during the morning hours, then skies turning partly cloudy during the afternoon. High near 85F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening. Scattered thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low 71F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - The Sahel region, already plagued by political instability, widespread violence, food shortages and disproportionately impacted by the climate crisis, is now contending with an increase in the movement of refugees from Burkina Faso, fleeing vicious attacks by armed groups, notably in the region bordering Cote dIvoire Port Louis, Mauritius (PANA) Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth on Thursday launched the first electric bus of the National Transport Corporation (NTC) that will contribute, according to him, to pave the way for a modern, safe and environmental-friendly transport system in the island-nation Your browser does not support the video tag. Photo: (Photo : Getty images ) The School Districts of New Mexico found a solution to the worsening teacher shortage in their district: they called the National Guard Members to serve as substitute teachers. Around 78 New Mexico National Guard members started working as substitute teachers as of this week. The move was a response to the request of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham as part of the program, "Supporting Teachers and Families Initiative," or STAF. The Governor also called for state employees to volunteer in the program to address the acute shortage of teachers exacerbated by the latest omicron wave of COVID-19. Read Also: Cinderella Phenomenon: What You Need To Know About This Condition Problems on shortage of teachers According to James Elementary School Principal Shayne Lopez, the pandemic posed a struggle in finding substitutes. "There were days that we were short as many as five substitutes just in this one building," says Lopez. Micol Ruvalcaba, a first-grade teacher said that she had her class last week by a National Guard. "It is a relief, and it does make me feel better because I know what it is like to have extra students in my class," she said. According to the teachers, if there are no National Guards, students have to be moved around for the day. Teachers would also need to combine classes to accommodate students. Portales Municipal School District is grateful that they were granted three national guards, although the school requested ten. They were initially skeptical if their request would be granted as they are located in a very rural area. He said they are more than glad that they were given three. NPR reports that keeping the school open has become a daunting task as more teachers quit or retire, overwhelmed with the demands and challenges of remote learning and in dealing with students affected by grief, hardship, or loneliness. Positive reaction from the community So far, Lopez said that they got positive reactions from the community. Ruvalcaba says that her students have a Guard assisting in their class. "He came in, in uniform, and they (students) were excited, of course. I was grateful that there was somebody here, and my kids wouldn't have to be dispersed," says Ruvalcaba. The guards are meant to maintain face-to-face learning in the classroom instead of virtual learning. Specialist Austin Alt, a National Guard and a substitute teacher at Pojoaque Valley Middle School and northern New Mexico, admits that he has no teaching experience. He said he volunteered because he saw how his younger brother struggled with remote learning. "The online stuff just doesn't get to them correctly," Alt said. He admits that he was anxious and felt he was not fully prepared. He only had a few hours of training and a background check. But, on his second day, he said that the students were kind. The students also said they liked Alt. The students think they do not have a problem with National Guard substituting for their teachers as long as the school stays open. Related Article: More Parents Call for Removal of Masks in Young Children Despite Continuing COVID-19 Risk Photo: (Photo : Getty images ) Couples John and Sara, both 16 years old, are so in love and have been dating for three months. They wanted to have sex but were afraid they might get pregnant or contract sexually transmitted diseases (STD). The couple tried oral sex instead and did not wear a condom when doing the "act." When Sara visited her doctor for an annual check-up, she denied when asked if she had had sex yet, as she does not view oral sex as a sexual activity. John and Sara's story is familiar among many American teens and young adults. A new survey published in the January issue of Annals of Family Medicine revealed that teens and young adults, especially young men, tend to underestimate the risks of sexually transmitted infections from unprotected oral sex. Read Also: Seventeen-year-Old Wins Appeal to Get Abortion Without Parental Consent Perceptions on oral sex A text-based poll involving more than 900 US teens and young adults at the age of 19 asked to rate how risky oral sex is on a scale of one to five, with one being the least risky. The poll revealed that 60% of participants rated unprotected oral sex at 1, 2, or 3. Those who rated unprotected oral sex a low risk did it because of its lack of pregnancy risk. The respondents also think it has a lower risk of transmitting sexually transmitted infection than unprotected vaginal sex. Common among adolescents As early as 2018, an article in the Journal of Adolescent Health indicated that oral sex is a prevalent sexual activity among adolescents as most of them were found to have engaged in it. In more than 7,000 15-24-year-olds in 2011-2015, the data revealed that 58.6% of adolescent females had performed oral sex, while 60.4% received the sexual act. For males, 55.4% had performed oral sex, and 64.6% disclosed that they received it. The study also revealed that adolescents who engage in oral sex are less likely to have a bad reputation. The youth also thinks that it will unlikely get them into trouble or make them feel bad or guilty about themselves. The risks of oral sex Although young adults who have engaged in oral sex instead of vaginal sex have avoided the risks of pregnancy, the activity is not risk-free. Doctors warn that oral sex can also transmit sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea. Chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, HIV, and human papillomavirus can lead to cancers of the cervix, head, and neck. According to Dr. Tammy Chang, an associate professor of family medicine at Michigan Medicine-University of Michigan, the youth should be concerned about sexually transmitted infections and cancer risks. Unfortunately, many youths do not understand the risks associated with oral sex. They also rarely seek advice or protection on the matter. In the study, only half of the respondents believe that their generation needs education on the risks of oral sex and how to manage it. Health experts said that the dangers of oral sex might be managed using barrier protection such as dental dams and condoms. Related Article: Pregnant and Proud: Rihanna Shows Her Pregnancy in the Most Iconic Way This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions The government has expressed its commitment to implement policies that will make Ghana become prosperous but called on citizens to support the sharing of the tax burden to reduce the public debt and budget deficit. Making the call on Thursday, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister of Finance, urged Ghanaians to be confident in building a prosperous society and developing the solid human capital required to drive the economies of Africa. However, Mr Ofori-Atta, who was speaking during the E-levy Town Hall meeting in Koforidua, said the efforts would require some sacrifices on the parts of the citizens and government. Highlighting the major government spending, he said, the government had spent GHS40 billion on education, GHS14 billion on health care, GHS14.9 billion on enhancing internal security and GHS18 billion on flagship projects. He explained that these expenditures had helped 1.26 million citizens in receiving free SHS, 3.45 million citizens from school feeding programmes, 100,000 NABCO persons and 244 households. He said for the government to have been able to cater for these human expenditures, indicated that in the coming years there would be challenges in mobilizing resources to carry out other projects. Traditionally, when the challenges arise, we look at fuel increments and we all know the negative effects it bears on all of us, he said. Currently 2.4 million people are registered as taxpayers out of 18 million potential taxpayers, he added. This means 2.4 million people are paying taxes to support 30.8 million population. Mr Ofori-Atta said without the payment of tax, Ghana cannot achieve national development if we do not pay taxes. If we think deep in ourselves, nobody like tax but rarely if we look at our debt situation, what we need to do is to raise our own money for national development, he said. Our tax revenue as a percentage of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is below our peer countries in Sub-Sahara Africa, SSA, thus 13% as at 2021, which increased from 12.2% in 2020, he added. Even though it increased, it is still very low as we compare to 16.5% and above which we cannot sustain so we need to cure that. Looking at the distribution of taxes among the regions, greater Accra contributes 88 per cent, he said, if we combine Eastern, Ashanti and Western contributes 3% of national tax, which cannot be right when we look at the population in these regions. Hence, we need to find a way to share our tax burden. For Ghana to reduce its public debts and budget deficit, Mr Ofori-Atta said it required an increase in the tax revenue but to attain this It would require the effort of every Ghanaian to take their part and pay their required taxes. Source: GNA 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. Featured Video AZA Finance continues to work on ways to develop partnerships to grow and enhance cross-border international Payments, FX and Treasury in Ghana with key stakeholder engagement sessions taking place this week. Two key global executives: Meryem Habibi, Chief Revenue Officer and Hafi Barry, Regional Head of Sales, Africa are in Ghana to engage stakeholders in fintech, payments and finance ecosystem. The team is supported by Nana Yaw Owusu Banahene, Country Manager for Ghana. AZA Finance is the largest non-bank in Africa specialising in cross-border international Payments, FX and Treasury. Through our web and API platforms, we make it easier for enterprises doing business in Africa. By leveraging cutting edge technology with our proprietary technology in our flagship products, AZA Finance is able to significantly lower the cost and increase the speed of business payments to, from and across African markets. Our partners utilise our hybrid financial infrastructure and deep local knowledge to manage liquidity and send payments to dozens of bank networks, mobile money operators and payments aggregators across Africa. Meryem Habibi, Chief Revenue Officer for AZA Finance commented: Ghana is an incredibly important market for AZA Finance and with its contribution to Intra-African trade and AfCFTA - AZA Finance wants to be part of this journey. We believe that cross-border international trade is set to increase, and we want to be part of this success story. I am excited to be in Ghana and have been meeting with key stakeholders in the sector to find ways to collaborate and grow the Payments ecosystem in Ghana. Nana Yaw Owusu Banahene, Country Manager of AZA Finance added: AZA Finance is ready to support the Ghanaian financial and fintech ecosystem grow and achieve their full potential. As a global player in FX, Treasury and Cross-border Payments, we are strategically positioned to support the ecosystem take full advantage of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). He noted that AZA Finance is working with licensed local players to deepen their working relationships with their partners in Africa and the rest of the world. Licensed by the UKs Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Bank of Spain, AZA Finance is a market-maker in every major African currency. AZA Finance was founded in 2013 and now has offices in Nairobi, Lagos, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Kampala, Accra, Durban and Dakar. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A High Court in Accra (Labour Division) has asked the leadership of the National Labour Commission (NLC) and University Teachers Association (UTAG) to settle impasse on industrial action out of court. The court presided over by Justice Frank Rockson Aboadwe gave the parties up to February 10, this year, to report back to the court. The NLC had dragged UTAG to court following the Associations refusal to comply with directives to call off its strike. When the matter was called in court, Eva Amihere, who represented the NLC, said she wanted to move two applications before the court. The first, a motion for the enforcement of the directives issued by NLC on January 13, 2022, for UTAG to return to the lecture halls so teaching could commence. The second motion is an interlocutory injunction to restrain UTAG from continuing with the strike. However, the presiding judge Justice Justice Aboadwe requested to meet the party in chambers. When the parties returned from chambers after 30-minutes, lawyers in the case parted ways. Kwesi Keli-Delataa, UTAG's counsel, told the media that they had agreed to settle the matter and report back to the court on February 10, this year. According to counsel if the parties were unable to settle the matter, they would come back to the court. UTAG, on Monday, January 10, 2022, embarked on an industrial action over worsening conditions of service. The NLC after hearing the case on Thursday, January 13, 2022, ruled that the strike be called off because it was illegal and did not follow due process. UTAG, however, continued the industrial action despite NLCs directive to call it off. The NLC then sued the Association for disregarding its directive. The suit was to secure an interlocutory injunction to compel the lecturers to return to work. Source: GNA 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. Featured Video The leader of the Islamic State (IS) group has been killed in an overnight US special forces raid in north-western Syria, senior US officials say. "Thanks to the skill and bravery of our armed forces, we have taken off the battlefield Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi," President Joe Biden said. Qurayshi detonated a bomb that killed him and members of his own family, administration officials told US media. Syrian first responders said they found the bodies of 13 people after the raid. Several US helicopters reportedly landed on the outskirts of the opposition-held town of Atmeh, which is in northern Idlib province and is close to the border with Turkey, around midnight on Thursday (22:00 GMT on Wednesday). Read Full Story .... HERE >>> : 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. Featured Video Former UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair, early on today, Thursday, February 3, called on Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia at the Jubilee House in Accra. The meeting discussed challenging global issues, including the devastating Covid-19 pandemic, as well as digitization. On Covid-19, the pair spoke about the difficult global economic situation caused by Covid-19 and how countries around the world are putting in place measures to ameliorate the impact. And on digitization, former Prime Minister Blair and Vice President Bawumia discussed the role digitalization can play in Ghana and Africa as a whole to accelerate economic recovery and transformation. Blair, who is a good friend of the Vice President, served as UK Prime Minister from 2007 to 2017. Currently, he is the Executive Chairman of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, a non profit organisation he set up which helps countries to address some of the most difficult challenges in the world. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Opposition MPs in Uganda have staged a walkout from parliament in protest about the illegal detention and torture of Ugandans. On Thursday, more than 100 MPs, led by the opposition leader, said they would not sit back and watch their colleagues and supporters suffer. Two opposition MPs have been in detention since last year - accused of being behind killings by a machete-wielding gang, allegations they say are politically motivated. The MPs walked out after their request for a debate about the detentions was denied by the speaker, who said it would have to wait until next week. They have said they will stay away until the issue is listed for discussion. Here is a video of the MPs sitting outside parliament: UPDATE: The Leader of the Opposition, @MathiasMpuuga, has led Opposition MPs out of the House, following a lack of action and accountability from the government about tortured and missing persons.#MonitorUpdates #PlenaryUg @DavyLubz reports pic.twitter.com/tvGueGxHX7 Daily Monitor (@DailyMonitor) February 3, 2022 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. Featured Video The Authority of ECOWAS Heads of States and Governments has reaffirmed the suspension of Burkina Faso from all the institutions of the Bloc and requested the unconditional and immediate release of President Christian Marc Kabore. It also requested the Burkinabe military junta, who, after the January 24, 2022 coup indicated that they would only return the country to constitutional rule when the conditions are right, to propose an acceptable timetable for the restoration of democracy to that country. ECOWAS President Jean Claude Kassi Brou, briefing the media after the Bloc's extraordinary meeting in Accra on Thursday, said the Heads of States also condemned the attempted coup in Guinea Bissau, and pledged their full support for President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, who survived a five-hour siege by gunmen. The Authority also agreed to send a stabilization force to Guinea Bissau, which would be done rapidly. On Mali, the ECOWAS leaders regretted there was no acceptable timetable for elections and called on the transitional authority to present an acceptable timetable to allow for a gradual lifting of sanctions. They made a commitment not to allow the resurgence of coups in the region, and emphasised that unconstitutional overthrow of governments must stop before it created problems for the region. Source: GNA 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. Featured Video 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. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo Friday left Ghana for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as the head of a Ghanaian delegation to attend the 35th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union. The meeting of the African Heads of State, which will take place from February 5th to 6th February, 2022, is on the theme, Building resilience in nutrition on the African continent: Accelerate the human capital, social and economic development. Whilst in Addis Ababa, President Akufo-Addo will present separate reports on AU Financial Institutions and on Gender and Development, in his capacity as AU Champion on Financial Institutions and AU Champion on Gender and Development, respectively. He was accompanied by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway; the Minister for National Security, Albert Kan Dapaah; and officials of the Presidency and the Foreign Ministry. The President will return to Ghana on Sunday, February 6, 20202. Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia will act in his stead. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Disability Rights activists, campaigners, funders, business leaders, international agencies, governments, civil society organisations all over the world will converge virtually in Norway for the Global Disability Summit 2022 (GDS 2022) scheduled for 15 17 February 2022, demanding bigger and better development goods and services for the worlds 1 billion population of persons with disability. Once again Ghana is at the forefront of this global movement as government preps to co-host the second edition of the GDS along with the government of Norway and the International Disability Alliance which is locally represented by the Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations (GFD). For certain, the Global Disability Summit (GDS) is the worlds biggest gathering of Persons with Disabilities and stakeholders presenting a vital opportunity for governments and organizations everywhere to implement the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as previous commitments made during the first GDS in 2018. Due to COVID-19 pandemic the Global Disability Summit will be held online and many stakeholders are upbeat that the virtual gathering will translate into gains of expanding participation and seamless tracking of events and their outcome. Plans are far advanced with feverish working meetings between members of Ghana government and the local organizing institution the GFD to make the event productive and impactful, positioning Ghana as a disability-friendly nation, advancing the cause of persons with disabilities. Being the host nation, Ghanas track record on pro-disability policies and indeed overall commitment to the rights and needs of persons with disabilities will be obviously scrutinized. The GFD is poised to make the most of this rare opportunity to improve partnership with government to secure and work with commitments that capture the priority needs and expectations of the community of persons with disabilities. Executive Director of the Federation, Rita Kusi Kyeremaa says the GFDs posture in all these engagements is seeking for a win- win value chain approach which provides opportunities that develop, integrate and promote the potential and well-being of persons with disabiliteis as valuable citizens positively impacting the countrys growth. The GFD is also using its joint campaign platform with SightSavers dubbed Equal World to push government as a co-host of the 2022 summit, to show leadership on the continent and ratify the African Disability Protocol as well as call on other member States of the African Union to urgently do same The first Global Disability Summit in 2018 was a pivotal moment for disability rights globally, bringing political leadership under the spotlight to take charge of its obligations and commit to do more. Despite this progress, many of its commitments are yet to be met and financed to ensure that the rights of people with disabilities, especially from marginalized groups, are protected and enforced worldwide. The Global Disability Summit (GDS), has four key objectives: Raise global attention and focus on neglected areas and inclusive sustainable development. Strengthen the capacity of organizations of persons with disabilities in the Global South and their engagement with government. Mobilize targeted and concrete commitments on disability inclusion and inclusive development. Showcase best practice and evidence from across the world on disability-inclusive development and progress made from DGS in 2018 Overall, the GDS 2022 will seek to facilitate for political will to increase inclusiveness and equality in line with the principle of leaving no one behind. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Medical Superintendent of the Takoradi Hospital, Dr. George Peprah, has told the Takoradi Circuit Court A that Josephine Panyin Mensah at the centre of alleged fake pregnancy and kidnapping claims did not attend hospital for ante-natal care. According to him, Josephine Panyin Mensah rather visited the hospital for gynaecological reasons. Dr. Peprah, who is the sixth witness, insisted that the accused was taken through estrogen test for infertility assessment at the Hospital and did not attend ante-natal as she so claims. This was after counsel for the accused Fiifi Buckman, in his cross-examination, told the medical superintendent that his client was visiting for the ante-natal reasons and being attended to by one Dr. Otubour. The lawyer further probed whether the accused was taken through an estrogen hormonal test to check her fertility. Doctors usually do not take patients through estrogen tests for fertility but rather for infertility assessment, the medical superintendent answered. It would be recalled that during investigations, Josephine Panyin Mensah had claimed that she was attending ante-natal care at the Takoradi Hospital during her pregnancy. The case has been adjourned to Thursday, February 10, 2020 for the 7th witness to also give his testimony. Source: 3news.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has discovered and destroyed a large cannabis cultivation (wee farm) at Liati Dafonu in the Afadjato South District of the Volta Region. A team of officers made up of 70 officers from NACOC, Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), the National Investigation Bereau (NIB) and the Hohoe Divisional Police Command stormed the plantation at about 7 am Thursday (February 3, 2022) to destroy the farm. It is unclear who owned the farm as the farmers who were on the farm absconded. However, four farm workers, a male and three females have been arrested and assisting with investigations. The security officers discovered the farm on Tuesday, February 1 and made the arrests. They returned to the farm Thursday morning to destroy it. The large cannabis farm, dotted in various parts of the forest, reportedly belong to different individuals who have planted corn to serve as boundaries between their respective farms. The farmers had strategically laid irrigation pipes from a nearby stream to the farms to irrigate the cannabis, enabling them to produce all year round irrespective of the rain pattern. They have also connected electric power to the farmlands to boost their activities. The team also discovered a number of water pumping machines, two motorcycles, a tractor in sheds, which serve as resting places for the farmers. Illegal cultivation Briefing journalists after the destruction exercise, the Head of Communications and Media Relations at NACOC, Mr Francis Opoku Amoah said per the new Narcotics Control Commission Act, Act 1019, section 39, it is illegal for any individual to cultivate the herb. He explained that although section 43 makes special provision relating to cannabis cultivation, it does not give people a blank cheque to go into the large size of farming. He said farming of cannabis must be done with a licence and its production must not contain more than 0.3 per cent Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) for industrial and medicinal purposes. Arrests On the arrests, Mr Amoah explained that the four farmhands arrested on February 1, 2022 included a 13-year-old girl, and two others, a 16-year-old lactating mother and an 18-year-old pregnant woman. The three have been granted bail. But the fourth person, a 29-year-old male has been remanded in police custody at the Hohoe Police Station. Investigations are still ongoing. Recce The Officer in charge of the Ghana Immigration Service Operators Team in Hohoe, which did the initial recce of the area, Assistant Superintendent of Immigration, (ASI) David Tindan, said they recieved information from their Commander in charge of Operation Motherland, Chief Superintendent of Immigration, Leslie Martin about the activities of the "wee" farmers and followed it up with an ambush on Tuesday, February 1, 2022, which led to the arrest of the four suspects who were handed over to the police. He said they later relayed the message to the NACOC and NIB who came in to conduct the destruction and take up the matter for further investigation. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A report by Child Rights International (CRI) has revealed that there has been a drastic reduction in the number of child labourers in the cocoa growing areas in the country. That, it said, was as a result of interventions such as the free senior high school (SHS) programme, Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme by the government and sustainability programmes by international partners as helping to achieve results Once we are putting in resources, we are able to get the results that we want", the Executive Director of CRI, Mr Bright Appiah, said on the sidelines of the launch of the Child Labour Monitoring System Report last Tuesday in Accra. According to him, the hazardous condition was 22.5 per cent, while the worse form of child labour was at five per cent. Buttressing his point further, he said the 2010 Census pegged child labour at over one million while the 2021 edition showed a reduction of about 300,000, saying that this report confirms some of these. Definitely, we are showing some progress in eliminating child labour in Ghana, he emphasised. Survey The survey, which was conducted over a year; from August 2020 to December 2021, covered over 82,000 children in 191, 426 households. Mr Appiah said the survey was conducted to show the progress that had been made in the cocoa sector, in respect to child labour, the interventions being undertaken. "If you look at the data, it shows a significant reduction when it comes to child labour situation in Ghana and it is because we used that system. "People are shifting from the cocoa sector and placing children in homes to be doing domestic activities", he said, adding that these children were being identified and helped. The survey covered the Ahafo, Bono, Ashanti, Eastern, Central, Western and Western North regions, targeting children between five and 17 years. Results showed that 96.5 per cent of children were in school, and about 30 per cent were not living with their parents, due to lack of financial support from parents and easy access to school. The findings also showed that 23.3 per cent of those children had engaged in cocoa farming in the previous year, with 22.5 per cent engaged in hazardous child labour activities, which might be harmful to their health, safety and well-being; 19.3 per cent being in the cocoa industry. More girls, the report also showed, were at higher risk of child labour than boys, with 64.8 per cent being at high risk. To achieve project results, there should be sensitisation of community actors including households, traditional leaders, and school authorities on the dangers of children being exposed to and using sharp tools and other hazardous materials and the negative effects of involving children in domestic work as it was a key driver of child labour, Mr Appiah said. Recommendations In order to minimise the negative effects that the activities had on working children, the report suggested that government should coordinate planning, implementation and response to child labour activities in the cocoa sector. Regulatory bodies should also ensure compliance with existing laws aimed at curbing child labour "There should also be enhanced occupational safety and health in the working environment for children." The report also suggested that the existing community child protection mechanisms should be harnessed and supported for child welfare and appealed that the ongoing efforts towards the education of children in cocoa growing communities should be sustained. Partnership In an address read on his behalf, the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, said some partner organisations did not make available to the ministry their projects and other relevant information relating to the sector. That he said, most at times, led to duplication of efforts and project proposals, and in most cases the projects were left unfinished. A good partnership, he said, would ensure the success of the project adding that "The Ministry has in place, a draft public-private partnership framework between government and its partners on one hand and industry on the other hand." Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Claims Of Hebert Krapa taking over from Hon Alan Kyerematen Vehemently Denied by Sources Within Presidency and NPP. Reliable sources within the Presidency has vehemently denied claims of imminent resignation from Ghanas Trade and Industry Minister Hon Alan Kyerematen ahead of the NPPs internal Party Election. Series of well orchestrated stories suggest that H.E Nana Akufo Addo has asked presidential aspirants holding ministerial positions to step down by June 2022 and further pointing Herbert Krapa as reportedly earmarked for the substantive ministerial position at the trade ministry. An investigation into the foetal story however reveals that the said story was not only born out of ignorance, it was also created to undermine or unsettle the political trajectory of the trade Minister. Deep throat sources within the Party hurriedly denied any knowledge of the non-existent order demanding the resignations of Presidential aspirants. A further check on the camp of the Trade and Industry Minister also suggested that nothing of that sort has been tabled despite the viral nature of the story. Herbert Krapa, however, is yet to make any official statement on the well orchestrated lies. Reliable sources at the Presidency raised some legitimate questions when asked on whether a communique has been issued demanding the resignation of Presidential aspirants. Who issued that directive? Even if a directive like that is to come it cannot be sent to Herbert Krapa or any of the deputies. These are orchestrated ideas to raise tempers within the party , a deep throat source told this reporter. He added, The president has not earmarked Hebert Krapa to take over from Alan, not today not tomorrow. Who in his normal senses will make such directive at this time of the year? I am sure it is to test the water but it wont fly. Hon Alan Kyerematen has been heavily tipped to take over the Partys Presidential Candidature ahead of the expected winner takes all internal Party Election. His descent and accommodating attributes boosted his fortunes within the Party ahead of the litmus test election. 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. Featured Video President Nana Akufo-Addo has appointed a new Board of Directors for the Tema Oil Refinery Company Limited (TOR). The seven-member board includes the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwesimintsim Constituency, Dr. Prince Hamid Armah, and former National Nasara Coordinator of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kamal Deen Abdulai. Others on the appointment letter dated January 31, and signed by Secretary to the President, Nana Bediatuo Asare are Albert Ahenkan, an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Administration at the University of Ghana Business School, Nana Akua Bakoma Prempeh and Irene Osei Bonsu. The President retained two former board member; Edith Sapara-Grant and Leon Kendon Appenteng in a letter to the Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh. They were among persons appointed as members of the Board of Directors of TOR in 2017. Meanwhile, the Office of the President has urged the Energy Ministry to take the necessary steps to have the said appointments implemented in accordance with the Companys Act (Act 992) and the regulations of the Company. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Insurance group Hollard Ghana, with subsidiaries Hollard Insurance and Hollard Life Assurance, has won three awards at the just-ended National PR and Communications Excellence Awards organised by the Institute of Public Relations (IPR) Ghana held at Volta Hotel in Akosombo. IPR organised the awards ceremony to climax its 28th Annual General Meeting, and National Communications Summit held under the theme: "Truth well told and shared". Hollard Ghana picked up the most awards on the night by any institution for Best in Technology (Communication), Best Launch and Relaunch, and the highly coveted PR Campaign of the Year. Commenting on the significance of the awards, Group Head of Marketing and Corporate Affairs, Cynthia Ofori-Dwumfuo, described the recognition as a great honour. "In times of fierce competition, we are privileged to be awarded three prestigious awards. Indeed, it's a proud moment for us to receive this acknowledgement, given the intensity of our efforts to promote communication excellence in our work managing Hollard's brand and reputation. At Hollard, our communication manifesto inspires us to communicate clearly, and without jargon. We believe life isn't about what can go wrong but what can go right, which reflects in all our internal and external communications activities. "We dedicate this award to the people we communicate with; our customers, partners and Hollardites who are instrumental in our reputation-building journey of becoming the country's favourite insurer. In the spirit of this year's conference theme, we promise to continue being truthful and clear in all our communication and promises", Cynthia added. The National PR and Communication Excellence Awards is an annual event organised by the Institute of Public Relations, Ghana, to recognise the achievements of public relations professionals, corporate institutions, public relations agencies and celebrate the best of Ghana's PR and Communications industry. About Hollard Ghana The country's favourite insurance group is Hollard Ghana, with subsidiaries Hollard Insurance and Hollard Life Assurance. The group combines its deep local knowledge of the market, having operated in Ghana for 25 years as Metropolitan Insurance with the world-class expertise of an international insurance brand in 18 countries across the world. With feet firmly planted on Ghanaian soil but headquartered in South Africa, Hollard delivers innovative insurance solutions customised to the unique risks Ghanaians face. Hollard offers various life and general insurance products, including funeral, personal accident, motor, business, travel, home, and more, and can be reached via the following means: 0501603967 (Hollard Insurance) and 0501533698 (Hollard Life). Beyond various nationwide office branches and Hollard 2U franchise shops, Ghanaians can find Hollard at Shell Fuel Station Welcome Shops, Melcom stores and online at www.hollard.com.gh and www.jumia.com.gh for all their insurance needs. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Minority in Parliament believes that the Attorney-General (A-G) is acting in bad faith just to get an unfair advantage in Parliament for the Akufo-Addo-led government to pass the proposed E-levy. The A-G has dragged the National Democratic Congress( NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, to the Accra High Court, charging him with criminal offences in relation to his alleged dual nationality when he contested the 2020 parliamentary elections. Five counts of forgery of passport or travel certificate, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, perjury and false declaration for office has been made by the A-G against Mr Gyakye Quayson. But reacting to the development in a press statement signed and issued by the Minority Leader, Mr Haruna Iddrisu on Thursday, the Minority stated: We wish to serve notice to the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government that the Minority Caucus in Parliament and its gallant 137 Members will remain resolute against the obnoxious E-levy because it is regressive, punitive and will not advance the interest and welfare of our people, especially at this time when Ghanaians are already overburdened with draconian taxes left, right and center, amidst growing economic hardships. Mr Iddrisu said Minority Members of Parliament are unfazed and will not be browbeaten by any intimidation attempts by the government to reduce their numbers in the house. We shall continue with all our might to resist the despotic Akufo-Addo/Bawumia regime and their use of crude Machiavellian tactics to reduce our numbers in Parliament in order to pass the obnoxious E-levy, he observed. He added, Any attempt by President Akufo Addo to use the courts to tilt the balance of power in Parliament will be contrary to democratic norms, values and constitutionalism. Background It is the case of the A-G that Mr Gyakye Quayson allegedly made a false statement to the Passport Office that he did not hold a passport to another country when he applied for a Ghanaian Passport. E-Levy Currently, the opposition NDC has 137 MPs with the ruling New Patriotic also having 137 MPs. There is one Independent MP who has declared his support for the NPP side. The government in its 2021 budget proposed a 1.7% electronic transactions levy (E-Levy). The tax was due to take off on February, this year but that has been missed and the success of its implementation now hangs in the balance. This follows the Minority in Parliament's insistence that the tax was counterproductive and a threat to financial inclusion and the drive towards a cash-lite society. The National Democratic Congress Minority also contend that the levy was aiming to tax savings and the capital of the public and businesses in clear violation of the principles of taxation, hence the need for it to be withdrawn. The Ministry of Finance has since stepped up public awareness of the need for the tax, while continuing with consultations to help garner public support and consensus for its passage later this month. Considering the near hung parliament, the Minority NDC thinks that the government was using the Attorney-General and the Police administration through the court to reduce the numerical strength of the NDC in parliament in order for the government to pass the tax in parliament. Below is a copy of the Minority's statement PRESS STATEMENT BY HON. HARUNA IDDRISU, MINORITY LEADER, ON BEHALF OF THE MINORITY CAUCUS IN PARLIAMENT ON THE ATTEMPTS BEING MADE BY GOVERNMENT TO REDUCE ITS NUMBERS TO PAVE THE WAY FOR THE PASSAGE OF THE OBNOXIOUS E-LEVY The Minority Caucus in Parliament has become aware of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia autocratic regimes resort to intimidation and scaremongering in their DESPERATE attempt to pass the obnoxious E-levy which is currently before Parliament. Having failed several times to pass the much loathed E-levy in the wake of the nationalistic resistance of the gallant 137 NDC Members of Parliament, the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia Government has now resorted to crude and disgraceful tactics to reduce the numbers of NDC MPS in the august house of Parliament, hoping that would help the regime to railroad the E-levy into law. In what could be described as a sickening display of desperation by a sitting Government to push an undesirable, punitive and counter-productive tax measure down the throat of Ghanaians, the Akufo-Addo Government acting through its devious agent, notably Frank Davies has sought to injunct the Assin North NDC MP, Hon. James Gyakye Quayson from holding himself out as the lawfully-elected Member of Parliament for the good people of Assin North. This latest act of desperation which has the active endorsement of the Attorney General and Minister for Justice comes at a time an Appeal and an Application for Stay of Execution filed against the Cape Coast High Courts annulment of the 2020 Assin North Parliamentary Election is still pending before the Court of Appeal. As though the above DESPERATE machinations were not enough, upon the instructions of President Akufo-Addo and the devious Attorney General and Minister for Injustice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, the Police Administration has called one of the Lawyers who represented the Hon. James Quayson in respect of the Assin North Parliamentary election petition, inviting him to make the Hon. Quayson available for service of a criminal charge on him for prosecution. Our information indicates that the said charge borders on an allegation that Hon. Quayson committed a crime by signing a declaration to the Electoral Commission to the effect that he was qualified to stand for election as an MP. It must be placed on record that the legal propriety of the said declaration made by Hon. James Quayson was challenged at the time he submitted same to the Electoral Commission, whereupon the EC invited Hon. James Quayson and his detractors for an investigation of the said complaint. The Electoral Commission subsequently determined the matter in favour of Hon. James Quayson after he had adduced sufficient evidence to satisfy the Electoral Commission that he was very much qualified to stand for election, whereupon he was cleared to contest the election. In the light of these facts, how can it be properly contended that Hon. James Quayson criminally used a false declaration to deceive the Electoral Commission in order to stand for the said election? Secondly, the issue of whether or not, per article 94(2)(a) of the 1992 Constitution, Hon. James Quayson was qualified to stand as an MP, is a question of law pending before the Court of Appeal, Cape Coast, as well as the Supreme Court in various suits. Also, an application for Stay of Execution of the Cape Coast High Courts annulment of the 2020 Assin North Parliamentary Election filed by Hon. Quayson is still pending before the Court of Appeal. Under the circumstances, the lawful and reasonable thing for the Ghana Police Service, the ruling NPP government and their surrogates to do is to abide the decision of the Court of Appeal on these processes. Any attempt by the Police to prosecute Hon. James Quayson on the conclusion or assumption that he was or is not qualified to contest the 2020 parliamentary election is prejudicial of the Court of Appeal and therefore contemptuous of same. It is obvious that the Attorney-General and the Police administration are acting in bad faith just to get an unfair advantage in Parliament for the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government in its unbridled quest to pass the obnoxious E-levy. Clearly, a statement or declaration by Hon. James Quayson at any material time that he was qualified to contest the 2020 parliamentary election is his personal application and/or conclusion of the law on the facts and does not qualify as a statement of fact to which truth or falsehood may be implied. Applications or conclusions of law may only be right or wrong, but can neither be true nor false. A legal position adjudged by the Courts to be wrong has never been a basis for prosecuting the person who asserted it. Otherwise the moment a person's position of the law on facts is dismissed by a Court of Law, that person immediately becomes liable for perjury. That, in our opinion, is ridiculous and preposterous to say the least. No wonder, the court, we are reliably informed refused an application for bench warrant to issue for the arrest of the Hon. James Gyakye Quayson. The will of the good people of Assin North who voted for Hon. James Quayson to represent them in Parliament cannot also be subverted by these DESPERATE manoeuvers of the Akufo Addo government. We wish to serve notice to the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government that the Minority Caucus in Parliament and its gallant 137 Members will remain resolute against the obnoxious E-levy because it is regressive, punitive and will not advance the interest and welfare of our people, especially at this time when Ghanaians are already overburdened with draconian taxes left, right and center, amidst growing economic hardships. President Akufo-Addo and his sidekick, the untruthful Alhaji Bawumia should not think that Ghanaians can be forever cowed by the imposition of an atmosphere of fear and high handedness on the nation. Tyrants do not last forever. Ultimately, the good people of Ghana will have the last laugh. The Ghanaian people should be assured that our Members of Parliament are unfazed and will not be browbeaten by these cowardly acts of intimidation by a government that is on borrowed time; a government whose only interest is creating new opportunities to loot and share the meager resources of Ghana even as Ghanaians groan under the yoke of hardships. We shall continue with all our might to resist the despotic Akufo-Addo/Bawumia regime and their use of crude Machiavellian tactics to reduce our numbers in Parliament in order to pass the obnoxious E-levy. Any attempt by President Akufo Addo to use the courts to tilt the balance of power in Parliament will be contrary to democratic norms, values and constitutionalism. It is our hope that the courts will rise to the occasion and preserve and protect our democratic experiment which is grossly endangered. HON. HARUNA IDDRISU Minority Leader Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Sentencing of Nigerian fraudster, Ramon Abbas a.k.a Hushpuppi has been postponed till July 11, 2022 by a United States District Court for the Central District of California. Justice Otis D. Wright granted the order after Hushpuppis lawyers led by Louis Shapiro entered a request for postponement. He is expected to remain in custody in the intervening period of the delay. Hushpuppi was previously scheduled to be sentenced on February 14 for duping people across different continents to the tune of millions of dollars. He pleaded guilty last year to the charges, seeking a lighter sentence. Hushuppi risks getting a 20 years jail sentence; a 3-year period of supervised release; a fine of $500,000 or twice the gross gain or gross loss resulting from the offence. Same court had also ordered the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to arrest the suspended Head of the Intelligence Response Team, DCP Abba Kyari, for his alleged role in a $1m scam allegedly perpetrated by Hushpuppi and five others. Source: LIB 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. Featured Video Dancehall musician, Charles Nii Armah Mensah, has waded into the controversial E-vey bill that has been trending for weeks in Ghana. According to him, the politicians, who are keen on implementing the electronic transaction tax, are not paying heed to the woes of Ghanaians. The dancehall star added that the incumbent New Patriotic Party (NPP) isnt working with Ghanaians but rather taking decisions irrespective of whether it will affect the citizens or not. Forget everything. Sometimes the way you people dey run the country e dey pain me sey man no grow so man also go help the country. Now you dey make e look like if you come get power you go take any decision you want. Yes E-levy is nice but create measures so the citizens dont complain and they will understand we are building the nation together. Work with us and think about human beings Why do you see people (citizens) as animals who cant take decisions? He queried. In his recent Facebook-like video, Shatta Wale minced no words in complaining about how the E-levy will go a long way to affect the standards of living of people who are already struggling to cope with the current economy. Shatta Wale stressed that, if the government had implemented measures and amenities that showcase positive intentions they have for Ghanaians, no one would have rebuked the E-levy bill. We understand e levy is everywhere but in USA there are places where you can buy things with just one dollar it doesnt mean it has expired its for the poor to also have access to things like food and clothing. Have our leaders done some for us or created that for us? Thats why when people go to America they dont want to return. The system works there, he said. According to the Already hitmaker, most of the politicians in the country have secured their generations financially, hence they pay zero attention to the plight of the poor masses. But here you just wake up and decide everything at parliament. You have secured your generations but have you thought about your classmate that was so intelligent and didnt get the opportunity you had? How will his parents survive when there is a decision like that? You people only think about how you will bring it out and get your money? You hear the people complain and you are not paying attention and these are the same people who put their thumbs on paper to vote for president. It is sad. Climaxing his assertion, Shatta Wale asked Ghanaians, especially the youth, to rise up for their country. I want to tell Ghanaians something start holding yourself as a Ghanaian. And just keep singing the song Arise Ghana Youth for your Country. It is bad that certain decisions are being taken and we dont take them serious. If we are not serious in this country we will continue to suffer, he said. - VIDEO- : Source: youtube/adomonline 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. Featured Video Logansport, IN (46947) Today Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. High around 65F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy with rain developing after midnight. Low 53F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. Thank you for reading the Philadelphia Tribune. You have exhausted your free article views for this month. Please press the "subscribe" button below and see our introductory price of $0.10 per week for 10 weeks. Otherwise, we look forward to seeing you next month. Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier? Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News N Augusta Breaking News Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. Success! Please click the 'Allow' button in the 'Show Notifcations' alert in your browser if one is available. Thank you for signing up! Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page. The Aiken County Sheriffs Office has called in the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) to investigate an officer-involved shooting in Graniteville on Thursday night. Around 11:22 p.m. Thursday night, a white pickup truck was stopped by deputies at Abear Street near Main Street in Graniteville. Deputies approached the driver of the pickup truck, but he sped away from the stop, according to a release from the Aiken County Sheriff's Office . Deputies pursued the pickup truck, and the driver stopped on Trolley Line Road near Morningside Drive. The driver got out of the truck, armed with a shotgun, and attempted to carjack a passing motorist. "When confronted by deputies, the suspect pointed his weapon at the deputies at which point they fired at the suspect," according to the release. "The suspect ran away after deputies fired towards him." The suspect was later found by the Aiken Bloodhound Tracking Team hiding in a shed in the 3000 block of Seneca Avenue, injured from an apparent gunshot wound to his upper left chest. The suspect has been identified as Cameron Duncan. Duncan was treated at an Augusta hospital and released, he is being held in jail in Augusta, Georgia, the State Law Enforcement Division said in a statement. The two officers involved in the shooting have been identified as Deputy Justin Rutland and Deputy Tillman Ruston. Rutland has been employed with the Aiken County Sheriffs Office since November 2012 and Rushton has been employed with the Sheriffs Office since March 2015. No one else was injured. It wasnt known if Duncan had a lawyer. SLED is investigating the shooting. Breaking news. This story will be updated as new information becomes available. (Last Updated: 2:30 p.m.) The Associated Press contributed to this report. COLUMBIA A bill exempting all military retirement pay from state income taxes advanced in the House, with GOP leaders saying it's the first piece of a broader effort to fix South Carolina's tax image problem. A separate bill that would additionally cut income taxes by nearly $760 million annually once fully implemented could advance as early as next week. It would reduce South Carolina's top tax rate from 7 percent to 6 percent over five years. House Majority Leader Gary Simrill said Feb. 3 both proposals will be part of his chamber's budget proposal for the fiscal year starting July 1, which the Ways and Means Committee will compile later this month. They would largely accomplish two ideas Gov. Henry McMaster has been pushing for years without success. The Republican governor again put tax cuts at the top of his budget recommendations this year, saying the state's largest-ever surplus make them a must. "Our work will not be done this session unless I am able to sign an income tax cut into law," McMaster said during his State of the State address last month. 'Image issue' McMaster noted the state's 7 percent top tax rate is the highest in the Southeast, which he contends makes South Carolina less competitive for jobs and investment. But South Carolina taxes are much lower than that number suggests. The state's effective rate what people actually pay averages around 3 percent, ranking 10th lowest nationwide among the 41 states that tax wages and lowest in the Southeast, according to the states Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office. That's because South Carolina, unlike most states, bases tax collections on "federal taxable income," meaning the state taxes only whats left after home mortgage interest, property taxes and various other deductions and personal exemptions are subtracted. Add to that South Carolinas generous tax breaks, which rank among the highest nationwide. "We've got a skewed system," revenue office Director Frank Rainwater told a House budget-writing panel Thursday. "We allow more deductions than other states." Simrill likened it to deceptive advertising that gives other states an unfair advantage, if investors look only at that top rate. "In reality, we have a perception problem rather than a high-tax problem," he said. "It's an image issue." Of the 2.6 million tax returns filed in South Carolina, 44 percent of the filers paid no state income taxes, while 9 percent of filers paid 60 percent of all state income taxes collected, Rainwater said. The bill Simrill sponsored would cut from the top. It's expected to reduce revenue by $145.8 million in the upcoming fiscal year. The amount would keep rising until the hit to tax collections tallies $758.9 million in 2026-27 when the cut is fully phased in, according to an analysis by Rainwater's office. That will affect people's wallets differently, as there's no such thing as an average taxpayer, Rainwater said. The subcommittee will take testimony on the bill at its next meeting. It's guaranteed to advance to the full Ways and Means Committee. GOP leaders co-sponsoring it include House Speaker Jay Lucas of Hartsville, Ways and Means Chairman Murrell Smith of Sumter, and Rep. Heather Crawford of Socastee, who chairs the subcommittee considering it. But it will be opposed by Democrats. "We cant cut ourselves into oblivion," said House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford of Columbia, who sits on Ways and Means. "The fact weve been good stewards of our money doesnt mean you cut yourself to the point" of risking deep cuts in services during an economic downturn. Military friendly? The panel went ahead and advanced the military pay piece, expected to reduce revenue by less than $10 million. South Carolina already partially exempts military pension pay, but a full exemption which 35 states already provide is needed to compete for the talented pool of working-age retirees deciding where to move when they exit the military as young as 38 years old, state Veterans Affairs Secretary Will Grimsley said. South Carolina likes to tout itself as military friendly, and this proposal is a chance for lawmakers to prove it, he said. Of the 400,000 veterans who call South Carolina home, about 13,000 are between 38 and 68 and earning retirement pay after serving in the military at least 20 years, according to his agency. "This group of very talented and dedicated people bring enormous strengths to the fabric of South Carolina society," Grimsley said. They're "fit, motivated, disciplined, highly trained and educated leaders, respectful, team-oriented, deeply diverse across every demographic. Were problem solvers. Were adaptable. These are the attributes of this incredible group of patriots." As introduced, that proposal phased in the exemption over six years. But an amendment offered by Simrill eliminated that piecemeal approach. "We want to be one of the states that reward our veterans. When our veterans went to war to protect us, they didnt phase it in, they went to protect us," Simrill said. "I wish we had done it sooner rather than later, but thats the reason for compressing it now." McMaster has been asking legislators to also exempt the pension benefits of retired police officers and other first responders from state income taxes. But the House GOP bill applies only to military retirement pay. Earlier this week, South Carolina's entire congressional delegation issued a statement urging the Legislature to pass the full exemption. "South Carolina proudly stands with our veterans, and our state leaders must demonstrate this by fully protecting their retirement pay," reads the statement sent by U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman of Rock Hill and co-signed by South Carolina's six other U.S. House members and two senators. Doing so will "ensure South Carolina continues to be known as a great destination for veterans." HILTON HEAD ISLAND A jury in South Carolina awarded $50 million in damages to a mayor in a defamation case against a longtime critic. The Beaufort County jury decided Feb. 3 that businessman C.C. "Skip" Hoagland has to pay Bluffton Mayor Lisa Sulka $40 million in actual damages and $10 million in punitive damages, The Island Packet reported. Hoagland who wasn't in the courtroom throughout the trial or when the verdicts were read laughed when the newspaper informed him of the outcome. "That's a joke, right? ... That's insanity," said the longtime Hilton Head-area media business owner and government gadfly. Sulka filed the lawsuit against Hoagland over emails he sent in 2015 and 2017 to several people including the state attorney general. The mayor claimed there were defamatory statements in the messages, such as accusations that she committed a crime and was unfit for office. "An examination of the Defendant's rambling and at times incoherent emails can lead to only one conclusion: the Defendant had every reason to know that his statements lacked veracity, yet he continued to publish them with vigor," Sulka's lawyers wrote in a 2019 court filing. During the two-day trial, the mayor described the impacts these messages have had on her: "It really hits your psyche, it really affects you. I am his target now, personally." Hoagland has frequently and vocally critiqued the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce, which some elected officials have spoken out against for its failure to share how it spends public money. Daniel Henderson, one of the mayor's attorneys, said Hoagland started a "crusade" against Sulka after the town helped the chamber with a membership drive in 2015. Her lawyers said in a filing that Hoagland believed the drive "unfairly benefited" the Hilton Head chamber at the expense of the Greater Bluffton Chamber of Commerce. "Mayor Sulka, I hope you fully understand the severity of this as a public official if this is true on using public funds to attempt to put one business out of business," Hoagland wrote in a 2015 email to the mayor, town attorney, state attorney general, lawmakers and others. The following year, he filed a complaint with the State Ethics Commission against the mayor, claiming she voted in favor of land purchases that financially benefited the real estate agency where she worked. The commission eventually cleared her of allegations that she violated state ethics law. Sulka's lawyers argued in the lawsuit that the "defamatory statements" were published with malice and hurt the mayor's reputation. Hoagland who represented himself in the case after firing a lawyer that his insurance company hired shared his thoughts with the trial judge, the attorney general and others by email instead of participating in the proceedings in person. "There is zero evidence I defamed anyone," Hoagland wrote late Wednesday. "The first amendment allows me to exercise my free speech rights to criticize, and shed light on, public corruption." He told The Island Packet in a statement Thursday that he was actually happy with the trial's outcome because it proved there's "more corruption" in South Carolina. "This case was all predetermined, a sham, Judicial Malfeasance ... I will now seek damages for violations to my First Amendment Rights caused by this lawless, filthy, frivolous defamation lawsuit to silence a critics voice," he wrote. The dispute with Bluffton isn't Hoagland's first legal battle with an elected official. He also is suing Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg. Hoagland filed that complaint in July 2018 after city police removed him following comments he made at a City Council meeting two months earlier, including calling a local tourism official a liar. His allegations include civil conspiracy and violations of his constitutional rights and of the S.C. Freedom of Information Act. The lawsuit was dismissed in May 2020, partly because a circuit court judge determined that Tecklenburg possesses the ordained power to maintain decorum at City Council meetings and may utilize his discretion in doing so. The complaint is now pending before the S.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, which hasn't issued a ruling but has stated that the case is now ready for consideration, suggesting it could make a decision soon. TIMMONSVILLE Two school board members of a district taken over by South Carolina education officials are suing to stop the state from consolidating the district into a larger one. The lawsuit said state Education Superintendent Molly Spearman exceeded her authority taking over Florence School District 4 and and has continued to abuse her power by working to consolidate the district into the much larger Florence School District 1, the Morning News of Florence reported. Spearman suspended the school board and took over Florence District 4 in 2018, blaming poor financial management and low student achievement. She allowed students to attend schools outside the district this school year without paying tuition and plans to send all middle and high school students out of the district next year as the consolidation nears its end. The lawsuit by Florence District 4 Board Chairwoman Lillie Mae Joe and Vice Chairman Derrick Echols said the financial problems have been resolved. They are challenging the state law cited by Spearman to take over the district and said her actions "accelerated the destruction of a school district without legal authority," according to the lawsuit. The first legal issue to be determined may be whether Joe and Echols can sue in the first place. The state is expected to argue the school board's power transferred to Spearman's agency when she took over. The consolidation would close Timmonsville High School and Johnson Middle School. Florence District 4 has less than 700 students, while Florence District 1 has about 15,000 students. A spokesman for the state Education Department said the agency had not seen the lawsuit and wouldn't comment. Moncks Corner, SC (29461) Today A mix of clouds and sun with a slight chance of thunderstorms this afternoon. High 86F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Some clouds. Low near 65F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. A Mississippi-based software provider plans to hire engineers to staff an office it is opening in Charleston's upper peninsula. Camgian said this week that its new space at the Charleston Tech Center on Morrison Drive will be its fourth location for the company, which has similar outposts in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Nashville, Tenn. The software provider joins the roughly 700 technology-focused companies in the Charleston region. Gary Butler, Camgian's founder and CEO, cited "the recent upswing in migration of tech talent" as a reason for choosing the Holy City for its expansion. "Charleston can assist us with our hiring needs which include senior and junior positions, software engineering, artificial intelligence and data science to name a few," Butler said in a statement. Headquartered in Starkville, Miss., Camgian has since 2006 developed intelligent software systems using data science, automated intelligence and machine learning. Companies in the national security, financial and industrial markets use its applications. Butler said that Charleston provides a "unique opportunity" to expand its presence with customers throughout the South. "As it relates to our industrial sector business, we are working with manufacturers on applications related to predictive maintenance and the optimization of production scheduling," added Kevin Tingley, a Camgian vice president. Tingley said the growth of South Carolina's manufacturing base is one reason the Palmetto State is a "good fit for our company and capabilities." Charleston's large defense sector is another. Camgian has a "long history of building advanced information technologies for the US military," Tingley said. The company's new office is in a 92,000-square-foot building that the nonprofit Charleston Digital Corridor developed on city-owned land in a public-private venture with Iron Bridge Capital. The long-planned $54 million project was completed about a year ago in a once-industrialized area of the upper peninsula, where numerous technology employers have set up shop in recent years. "The decision by Camgian to locate to Charleston is validation that our long-term strategy to provide resources to the high-wage, tech industry is smart and fruitful," said Ernest Andrade, director of the Charleston Digital Corridor. GOOSE CREEK A grocery-anchored shopping center is planned at a key intersection in Berkeley County across the street from another supermarket site that has been in the works for more than a decade. The Marketplace at Carnes Crossroads will include 85,000 square feet of retail space at U.S. Highways 17A and 176, where the 2,300-acre Carnes Crossroads development could one day have more than 11,000 residents at full buildout to add to the 47,000 people now in the growing city of Goose Creek. Site plans by Atlanta-based Worthen Development show a nearly 54,000-square-foot supermarket with five surrounding buildings of about 31,000 square feet. A small pond with fountains and a dock is planned on the corner next to the two roads. Will Sherrod of the commercial real estate firm NAI Charleston, which is marketing the property, said it was too early to disclose specific tenants. "We are in final negotiations right now with a grocery store," Sherrod said. Worthen's website refers to itself as: "High-end, grocery-anchored retail developers in the Southeast." Founder Charlie Worthen said construction is expected to begin by late summer or early fall with completion in late 2023. Site work on the wooded parcel has not begun. The property, next to Northwood Academy and near Roper St. Francis Berkeley Hospital on Highway 176, also includes six outparcel spaces for future development on roughly 10 acres near a recently opened Refuel convenience store. The site sits across Highway 17A from a 16-acre parcel where grocery chain Harris Teeter first announced plans for a supermarket in 2009. A Harris Teeter spokeswoman said the company was unable to provide updates on development plans. Last summer, Goose Creek Mayor Greg Habib said he spoke with Harris Teeter officials, who told him the company is committed to putting a grocery store on the parcel but added the surrounding area was not developed enough to support a supermarket. "Does Goose Creek need another grocery store?" Habib said Feb. 3. "Absolutely, especially on that end of the city. We certainly believe there is great interest." He also said putting grocery stores in or next to residential developments helps to cut down on traffic. A representative of national wholesale grocery distributor C&S recently said the general rule for a full-service supermarket of 40,000 square feet or more to be viable is to have 10,000 residents, or about 4,000 rooftops, within a 20-mile radius. If there's competition in the market, the required number of residents is higher and vice versa for an area with no competitors. A marketing brochure for The Marketplace shows nearly 3,800 residents live within one mile of the site, 39,000 live within three miles and nearly 100,000 live within five miles of the planned shopping center. At the end of 2021, Carnes Crossroads had 480 completed homes, 57 under construction, 42 in the planning and approval stage and 823 apartments on the ground, according to spokeswoman Julie Dombrowski of the DI Development Co., the community's development manager. At 2.5 people per household and one person per apartment, that comes out to about 2,000 current residents in Carnes Crossroads. The mixed-use community abuts the 5,000-acre Nexton tract between Interstate 26 and U.S. 176, where as many as 7,500 homes could be built. At the end of 2021, Nexton had 1,675 occupied homes, another 250 sold and under construction, 1,258 completed apartments and 602 under development, according to spokeswoman Cassie Cataline. That brings Nexton's current population to about 5,500. Other supermarkets are in the vicinity of the planned grocery-anchored shopping center and the long-proposed Harris Teeter. A Food Lion store is to the south on Highway 17A near Interstate 26 while Walmart Supercenter is to the east on St. James Avenue and Publix sits to the west at the Cane Bay development on Highway 176. Publix and Harris Teeter also plan to build stores in Nexton. GOOSE CREEK A grocery-anchored shopping center is planned at a key intersection in Berkeley County across the street from another supermarket site that has been in the works for more than a decade. The Marketplace at Carnes Crossroads will include 85,000 square feet of retail space at U.S. Highways 17A and 176, where the 2,300-acre Carnes Crossroads development could one day have more than 11,000 residents at full buildout to add to the 47,000 people now in the growing city of Goose Creek. Site plans by Atlanta-based Worthen Development show a nearly 54,000-square-foot supermarket with five surrounding buildings of about 31,000 square feet. A small pond with fountains and a dock is planned on the corner next to the two roads. Will Sherrod of the commercial real estate firm NAI Charleston, which is marketing the property, said it was too early to disclose specific tenants. "We are in final negotiations right now with a grocery store," Sherrod said. Worthen's website refers to itself as: "High-end, grocery-anchored retail developers in the Southeast." Founder Charlie Worthen said construction is expected to begin by late summer or early fall with completion in late 2023. Site work on the wooded parcel has not begun. The property, next to Northwood Academy and near Roper St. Francis Berkeley Hospital on Highway 176, also includes six outparcel spaces for future development on roughly 10 acres near a recently opened Refuel convenience store. The site sits across Highway 17A from a 16-acre parcel where grocery chain Harris Teeter first announced plans for a supermarket in 2009. A Harris Teeter spokeswoman said the company was unable to provide updates on development plans. Last summer, Goose Creek Mayor Greg Habib said he spoke with Harris Teeter officials, who told him the company is committed to putting a grocery store on the parcel but added the surrounding area was not developed enough to support a supermarket. Sign up for our real estate newsletter! Get the best of the Post and Courier's Real Estate news, handpicked and delivered to your inbox each Saturday. Email Sign Up! "Does Goose Creek need another grocery store?" Habib said Feb. 3. "Absolutely, especially on that end of the city. We certainly believe there is great interest." He also said putting grocery stores in or next to residential developments helps to cut down on traffic. A representative of national wholesale grocery distributor C&S recently said the general rule for a full-service supermarket of 40,000 square feet or more to be viable is to have 10,000 residents, or about 4,000 rooftops, within a 20-mile radius. If there's competition in the market, the required number of residents is higher and vice versa for an area with no competitors. A marketing brochure for The Marketplace shows nearly 3,800 residents live within one mile of the site, 39,000 live within three miles and nearly 100,000 live within five miles of the planned shopping center. At the end of 2021, Carnes Crossroads had 480 completed homes, 57 under construction, 42 in the planning and approval stage and 823 apartments on the ground, according to spokeswoman Julie Dombrowski of the DI Development Co., the community's development manager. At 2.5 people per household and one person per apartment, that comes out to about 2,000 current residents in Carnes Crossroads. The mixed-use community abuts the 5,000-acre Nexton tract between Interstate 26 and U.S. 176, where as many as 7,500 homes could be built. At the end of 2021, Nexton had 1,675 occupied homes, another 250 sold and under construction, 1,258 completed apartments and 602 under development, according to spokeswoman Cassie Cataline. That brings Nexton's current population to about 5,500. Other supermarkets are in the vicinity of the planned grocery-anchored shopping center and the long-proposed Harris Teeter. A Food Lion store is to the south on Highway 17A near Interstate 26 while Walmart Supercenter is to the east on St. James Avenue and Publix sits to the west at the Cane Bay development on Highway 176. Publix and Harris Teeter also plan to build stores in Nexton. FOREST ACRES Two men were killed in separate shootings that shook small Columbia-area towns Feb. 2 in what were their first homicides in years. In Chapin, lakeside town in Lexington County, police say an argument between fast food coworkers led to one shooting the other. The homicide was the first in the town of 1,800 residents since at least 2010, according to state data. In Forest Acres, which neighbors Columbia, police are investigating the city's first homicide in seven years. The homicide is the first in the town of 10,600 residents since city police officer Greg Alia was shot and killed during a pursuit at Richland Mall in 2015. The shooting deaths come as law enforcement officials throughout the state have bemoaned what they say is a rise in gun violence and gun murders. The State Law Enforcement Division in its annual report in November 2021 said the state in 2020 recorded its highest number of murders in almost 30 years. Columbia City Councilman Joe Taylor suggested in January that state lawmakers could consider creating a special court to prosecute felony gun crimes throughout the state. William McArthur Hicks Jr., 21, of Orangeburg County, died of multiple gunshot wounds after being shot at a Bojangles on Columbia Avenue in Chapin, town police and the Lexington County Coroner's Office said. Warren Bruce Rumph Jr. is charged with murder in the shooting. Police said the men were believed to be coworkers at the restaurant and argued before the shooting. Chapin Police and the State Law Enforcement Division continue to investigate the murder, police said. In Forest Acres, a 30-year-old Columbia man was found shot to death in the driver's seat of a car idling in a parking space at a Forest Acres apartment complex just after 5:30 p.m. Feb. 2. Brandon Vandyke died of a single gunshot wound, the Richland County Coroner's Office said. No arrests had been made as of the evening of Feb. 3. Investigators are seeking a potential motive and talking to people of interest, said Forest Acres Police Chief Don Robinson, who was hired as the department's new chief in January after almost 30 years at Richland County Sheriff's Department. "It rattles us all," Robinson said. "No one's free from crime, that can happen anywhere. We just have to prepare and try not to allow it to happen." Forest Acres Police used a K-9 to try to track a suspected shooter the night of Feb. 2 and returned to work the scene the next morning, the agency said. Robinson said investigators reviewed city security cameras for clues that could lead them to a shooter and went door-to-door talking to residents at the Landings at Forest Acres, apartments on Covenant Road a couple of blocks from Trenholm Park. Police said family members told investigators that Vandyke, who lived off of South Kilbourne Road in Columbia's Rosewood area, was an aspiring chef who had been saving money to attend culinary school. Richland County Sheriff's Department has been asked to assist the investigation, Robinson said. We are committed to bringing all resources to bear to solve this crime," he said. "The preventable loss of life is tragic in every city, especially in a tight-knight community like the city of Forest Acres. The Citadel has condemned a racially insensitive social media post created by a graduate of the public military college. On Feb. 2, the graduate created a fake press release mocking the college's president, its chief inclusive excellence officer and the former head of its African American Alumni Association. The alumnus posted the release, accompanied by a photo, in a private Facebook group called The Citadel "Old Corps." The release made it appear that it came from the college's website. The college on Feb. 3 called the post abhorrent and racially offensive. "The Citadel will not sit idly by and tolerate comments of this nature," the statement read. "While the post appeared in a private Facebook group and has since been deleted, it is important to publicly condemn these comments in the strongest possible terms as they were completely opposed to our core values-Honor, Duty and Respect." The Citadel declined to provide additional comments about the post. In the fake press release, the alumnus concocted quotes from Citadel President Gen. Glenn Walters, Chief Inclusive Excellence Officer Shawn Edwards and Citadel African American Alumni Association President Bruce Alexander, according to a photo of the post shared with The Post and Courier by another alumnus and member of the group. While the post was taken down, the group was still active the afternoon of Feb. 3. According to a second photo provided to The Post and Courier, the Facebook group description says it is for alumni who began their freshman year prior to 1996 and graduated before 2000. The group states it wants to protect the traditional values of The Citadel. Sign up for our Education Lab newsletter. Email Sign Up! "We do not support 'progressive' fundamental changes to any aspect of our beloved Alma Mater, and we do not respect opinions that support 'progressive' ideology," the description read. Images of the post were shared with Black alumni like Jack Douglas, who graduated in '92 and is not a member of the group. "I love The Citadel, but then there are elements like this at The Citadel who want to keep it in the 1960s," Douglas said. He did praise the current Citadel administration's diversity efforts. Citadel spokeswoman Kim Keelor said in an email that from 2010 to 2020, the number of cadets that are part of an ethnic minority increased 25 percent, and the number of female cadets increased 81 percent. Yet the college is still mostly White, with minority cadets only making up 21 percent of the school's population. South Carolina school districts can continue to decide whether to require masks in schools after the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied Gov. Henry McMaster's request to overturn the order blocking state officials and certain school districts from enforcing the General Assembly's school mask ban. McMaster and Attorney General Alan Wilson were appealing a decision in a case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of nine parents of children with disabilities who said their children couldn't attend school safely if masks aren't required since COVID-19 poses a greater risk to their health. A district judge agreed with the parents in September and blocked enforcement of the state's budget-included rule. In the 2-1 opinion issued Jan. 25, the appeals court dismissed McMaster and Wilson from the case, saying the parents didn't actually have standing to sue the two men. But the court's order still applies to Superintendent Molly Spearman and the seven school districts named in the suit, including Charleston and Greenville. Effectively, this means school districts statewide can continue to decide whether to require masks. Attorneys for the families chalked the appeals courts decision as a win. This ruling is an important victory for the disability rights community, attorney Adam Protheroe said in a statement. The states budget rule was a barrier to protecting children with disabilities. The district court removed that barrier and, for all practical purposes, that decision stands. McMaster has been an outspoken opponent of school mask requirements, vowing to take the fight to the U.S. Supreme Court. He believes parents should decide whether a child wears a mask. A spokesman for McMaster did not respond to a request for comment on the appeal court's decision. Sign up for our Education Lab newsletter. Email Sign Up! In June 2021 the South Carolina Legislature added a one-year provision to the 2021-22 budget saying that if school districts mandated masks they risked losing their state funding. When lawmakers voted on it, COVID-19 cases were low. But cases began rising again in July as the delta variant began sweeping through the state. Some districts decided to require masks despite a warning from Spearman that doing so would put state funding in jeopardy. Last September the S.C. Supreme Court heard two separate cases involving the budget rule, including one brought by Wilson against the City of Columbia after it tried to require masks in schools through local ordinances. In both cases, the court said the budget rule was constitutional. The federal court order on the federal ACLU case came a few days after the second of the state cases was decided and opened the door for districts to require masks. McMaster and Wilson appealed almost immediately. They objected on multiple grounds, arguing that the district court ruling essentially created a federal mask mandate in schools, and that the parents didn't have grounds to challenge the budget rule under the disability rights act. During arguments in December, attorneys for the state said the budget rule doesn't actually ban masks, contrary to how state officials described the rule previously. The appeals courts ruling deals largely with McMaster and Wilsons standing in the case, not the arguments for or against masks in schools. The majority opinion determined the parents didn't have standing to sue the two men and that they shouldnt be party to the lawsuit because neither has taken action to enforce the budget rule in a way that directly affects the children whose parents brought the suit. NORTH CHARLESTON North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey is criticizing the controversial Reimagine Schools Proposal and Charleston County School District's treatment of North Charleston students. Summey expressed concern over the lack of communications surrounding the proposal, which was brought to the school board by the Coastal Community Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping community organizations raise funds. The Reimagine School Proposal wants to dedicated $31.6 million to initiatives to improve conditions in 21 low-performing schools, six of which are in North Charleston. "I don't think you can come into North Charleston, create a brand-new program, fund $30-something million for it and not consult with the leadership and, even more importantly, the parents of kids in those schools," Summey said at a Feb. 4 press conference. Summey held the conference after sending a letter to interim Superintendent Don Kennedy and school board Chairman Eric Mack on Feb. 2. In the letter, Summey described his concerns about the district's treatment of North Charleston students, who, he said, are often considered second best. "Many of our school facilities are in shambles, enjoying few of the upgrades seen at schools in our neighboring municipalities," Summey wrote. "The city, its citizens, and its businesses bear the brunt of financially supporting CCSD, all while being short-changed." Nearly 20 percent of North Charleston High School students scored a C or higher on South Carolina's Algebra I End of Course exam, 23.7 percent of the students passed the English 1 exam. Those numbers fall far below district averages, which had 54.6 percent of students passing the Algebra I exam and 67.5 percent of students passing the English exam. If conditions don't improve, the mayor said he'll pursue steps to remove North Charleston from the district. The mayor plans to meet with Kennedy and district staff to discuss his concerns on Feb. 15. Sign up for our Education Lab newsletter. Email Sign Up! More coverage To read more in-depth stories from The Post and Courier's Education Lab, go to postandcourier.com/education-lab. In a written statement, Kennedy said he's looking forward to meeting with the mayor face to face. "I feel confident that the Mayor, the CCSD Board Members, and District administration all share the goal of providing the best education possible for the children of North Charleston," Kennedy said. Reimagine Schools is just the latest development in a long history of tensions between North Charleston and the school district. Around 21 percent of the district's property tax revenue comes from the city, but many of its schools in the area struggle to keep up with schools in other parts of the county. "We've been bringing in all of the industry, all of the new jobs that are coming to North Charleston and the surrounding areas and we haven't been adequately training our kids to take those jobs," Summey said. The mayor is hopeful the Feb. 15 conversation will lead to more open communication between the city and the district. He plans to move forward with asking for more support and help from the district in the future. JOHNS ISLAND As Charleston County decides whether to buy 95 acres on this sea island to manage hurricane wreckage, nearby residents are speaking out against the move. Several people showed up to the Feb. 1 County Council meeting, urging the panel not to allow burning and dirt mining on the parcels. They cited concerns about air quality from smoke and trucks running up and down Johns Island's already clogged roads. Some have organized a planned meeting for concerned neighbors on Feb. 5, when they will convene to discuss the matter further. "It just feels like another punch in the gut as a Johns Island resident, to be honest with you," Becca Nexsen, who lives near the site, told The Post and Courier. "We have unbridled development, there's so little infrastructure we're Charleston County's dumping ground. Of course were going to get this." The proposal to buy three tracts of farmland between Humbert Road and Main Road, known locally as Grayson Oaks, first came before County Council in a committee meeting in late January. Eric Adams, the countys deputy director for public works, told The Post and Courier the site could be used to burn fallen tree limbs and vegetation after a major storm, to turn this material into wood chips, or as a possible dirt mine. One of the reasons the land is attractive to the county is because of an infestation of invasive Asian longhorned beetles. A large swath of southern Charleston County is inside a beetle quarantine area, and wood cannot legally be removed without being processed or shredded into small pieces first. The Grayson Oaks land is inside that boundary, and thus, could handle debris inside of it too. But Ted Cadmus, who lives in the Gift Plantation neighborhood less than a mile away, said the smoke would be a nuisance to local property values, and that additional trucks to and from the site would stress already-packed roads. "I kind of don't care if it is infrequent or frequent as far as the burning is concerned," Cadmus said. Even if the county uses special burning methods to lessen smoke, he said, "the same pollutants are going to be thrown off." Cadmus also worried about ash from the fire polluting groundwater, and thus, wells in the area around it. One of the speakers at the County Council meeting also said he and others off Humbert Road use well water and could be affected. Patricia Fair, a researcher who has spent decades studying environmental contamination, spoke at the council meeting and wrote them a letter describing the potential health effects of wood smoke. Fair, who also lives in Gift Plantation and works as adjunct faculty for the Medical University of South Carolina, wrote that the fine particulate matter in smoke, or soot, can cause a bevy of health effects. "These microscopic particles can get into your eyes and respiratory system, where they may cause burning eyes, runny nose, and illnesses, such as bronchitis," Fair wrote. "Fine particles can make asthma symptoms worse and trigger asthma attacks. Fine particles can also trigger heart attacks, stroke, irregular heart rhythms, and heart failure, especially in people who are already at risk for these conditions." Council members appeared split on the issue at their Feb. 1 meeting, with some expressing concern over potential nuisances from the site, and others saying that this kind of hurricane cleanup work was simply not optional and needed a reliable location. "If there's a valid need and there's property, weve got to try and figure out a way to make it work," Councilman Brantley Moody said. "Weve got to find places to do this (type of work) that are other than just stick it in North Charleston." But Councilwoman Anna Johnson, who represents Johns Island, said the additional traffic strain on Main Road wouldn't work, and the St. Johns Fire District is already stretched thin by residents' reports of smoke from rural burning elsewhere on the island. She questioned whether the county is considering the land "because it's available to be purchased, or because we need some place to burn, or we need a (dirt) pit?" Ultimately, County Council tabled the issue for a month. But residents will continue to organize in the meantime. A meeting has been set for 9 a.m. on Feb. 5, in the parking lot of Berkeley Electric Cooperative at 1135 Main Road. GEORGETOWN Georgetown city leaders are examining whether the recently reopened Liberty Steel mill is doing enough to avoid a rezoning that would close the plant. The mill reopened two weeks before a Feb. 1 deadline that would have triggered rezoning that would turn the 50-acre site into an area primed for tourism-friendly commercial development on the waterfront in South Carolina's third-oldest city. If the plant was closed for a year, a city ordinance passed in 2018 would switch the zoning from heavy industrial to mixed-use. Mill operators stopped that by bringing back 65 workers in January. The downtown Georgetown mill employed more than 1,500 workers in the 1970s. Under the recent reopening, Liberty is not producing steel at the Georgetown site but is turning large blocks of steel shipped from a sister plant in Illinois into wire rods used in tires and bridge cables. In the ordinance, the mill is expected to produce steel. Georgetown Mayor Carol Jayroe said Jan. 31 that the city had some concerns over whether the company is conforming with its current zoning. Jayroe joined City Administrator Sandra Yudice and other city officials on a recent inspection of the site and turned over findings to Chris Inglese, Georgetowns former planning director who is now the Newberry County administrator. Inglese has been asked to make a recommendation on whether the mill is meeting the requirements of the ordinance to keep its zoning. Inglese is still helping the city on a contractual basis through February and will give his findings to City Council at a future meeting. He will write a report and give his determination on if they are conforming or not, Jayroe said. Liberty's London-based parent company, GFG Alliance, said in a statement that the mill restarted "in line with the citys expectations." "We sincerely hope the city continues to be a partner for the success of the mill and its employees," GFG Alliance said. The Georgetown mill has over the years received steel blocks from outside sources, a move that is necessary now to keep the plant open, GFG said. "By continuing to do this, we have enabled profitable resumption of steel manufacturing, safeguarding skilled, well-paid local jobs, and supporting businesses in Georgetowns greater business community," the British company said. "These benefits risk being lost if the mills operations are curtailed. Jayroe has said that the 65 jobs from the mill's most recent restart do not compare with the impact of transforming the site into a tourism-centric attraction. Redevelopment is already happening in several areas near the mill, including the former Georgetown Times building becoming a boutique hotel along the citys Harborwalk and a $25 million project to turn the citys old electric department building into luxury apartments and an open-air market. James Sanderson, the longtime president of United Steelworkers Local 7898 that represents Liberty workers, said he envisions the entire mill in operation and producing steel. He said the city needs to focus on helping the mill, a major employer for decades. The mill relies on the nearby Port of Georgetown. I wish we could put all that energy into trying to get our port dredged, and it doesnt seem to be a priority for them, Sanderson said. We need to become stewards of that God-given port and take advantage of what we have been given; to start marketing it and try and grow Georgetown. Sanderson said the city should do more than focus on tourism. Georgetown political and business leaders are trying to get more visitors to stop in the city right in the middle of the popular tourist spots, Myrtle Beach and Charleston. I mean, its one thing just to feel like, 'OK, were trying to convert Georgetown into a tourist industry only,' and they need to deviate from that single-type industry concept, Sanderson said. They need to become more diversified in their thought process. GREENVILLE Shuttered for more than a year, casual American and seafood restaurant Saltwater Kitchen at the Haywood Mall will soon reopen. The restaurant, part of the Rick Erwin Dining Group, announced it would open its doors again on March 2 for weeknight dinners and weekend brunch. Pandemic-exacerbated labor shortages and a lingering hesitancy to dine-in kept Saltwater Kitchen, the newest concept in the group, out of commission longer than anticipated. At the start of the pandemic, the group closed all its six restaurants except its deli. Each reopened, except Saltwater Kitchen. The restaurant's website, which has since been updated, previously displayed a message that "until state-mandated dining room capacity restrictions are lifted" the restaurant would remain temporarily closed. In October 2020, Gov. Henry McMaster issued an executive order lifting all occupancy limitations in restaurants throughout the state. Before that, the restaurants operated at 50 percent capacity. Operating at full-capacity, the restaurant would take about 50 employees and two managers. Due to the restaurant only opening for dinner and brunch in the interim, the employee count will most likely be less, a spokesperson for the group told The Post and Courier. "Eventually we'll open for lunch," the spokesperson said. "We just don't know when that is yet." In early stages of its restart, the restaurant will be "a little more laid back," the spokesperson said. A less formal experience can be expected, with the servers wearing t-shirts and hats. Saltwater Kitchen originally opened in May 2019. The locally-owned Rick Erwin Dining Group has operated restaurants and catering in the Greenville area for 15 years. On Jan. 2, Ricks Deli and Market on Falls Park Drive permanently closed after 10 years in downtown Greenville. In August 2021, the 20,000-square-foot Westfield Event Center, managed by Rick Erwin Catering and Events, announced it would close the first of this year due to economic instability. Kingstree, SC (29556) Today Mainly sunny to start, then a few afternoon clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 87F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy. Low 63F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. NORTH CHARLESTON Charleston Air Force Base has confirmed some of its C-17 fleet has been called up to support the Biden administration's response to the military threat in the Ukraine. Cargo jets from the base are shuffling troops to Europe with an ending point of actually landing in Ukraine, Diana Cossaboom, chief of media operations with the 628th Air Base Wing public affairs office, said Feb. 4. Some of the planes have already left for overseas while others are being deployed, she said. She did not have information on which military units were being moved, their numbers or the destination landing field in Ukraine where the U.S. planes will arrive. The Charleston base is home to 41 C-17s, which are considered the workhorse aircraft of the Air Force. Sign up for our SC Military Digest newsletter Get exclusive military reporting, updates from Palmetto State bases, headlines from around the globe and more delivered to your inbox each Tuesday. Email Sign up! While the most visible feature of the base is the C-17 fleet, multiple other military offices and operations are included under the site's "joint base" footprint, with the entirety of Joint Base Charleston hosting more than 60 Department of Defense and federal agencies, according to its website. President Joe Biden this week ordered 2,000 U.S.-based troops to Poland and Germany and is shifting 1,000 more from Germany to Romania, The Associated Press reported Feb. 2 amid fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Western estimates say Russian leader Vladimir Putin has a buildup of 100,000 troops along the Ukraine border. Charleston C-17s have been used around the globe and most recently, 437th Airlift Wing personnel assigned to the base had roles in the last five flights out of Kabul, Afghanistan, in the hurried U.S. exit this summer during the Taliban takeover of the country. Editorials represent the institutional view of the newspaper. They are written and edited by the editorial staff, which operates separately from the news department. Editorial writers are not involved in newsroom operations. Goose Creek, SC (29445) Today Cloudy this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 87F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Partly cloudy. Low 67F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. H.B. "Buck" Limehouse, a Charleston businessman and former South Carolina transportation official, died Feb. 3 after a long bout with cancer. He was 83. During his lengthy career, Limehouse mixed business with politics and public service. Most notably in the Lowcountry, he helped craft the state Infrastructure Bank that would be used to fund the replacement of the Cooper River bridges with the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. As an environmentalist and chairman of the state Department of Transportation Commission, Limehouse prompted the state to buy scenic Sandy Island in Georgetown County in 2006, preserving the spot for its residents and the state for future generations. There was no question that Sandy Island needed to be saved, so the first task was to convince the developers who owned the property to sell to the state," he said at the time the deal transferred ownership. "Once they were convinced to do the right thing, we needed to forge a private-public partnership that was cutting-edge for that time. The price for the 12,000-acre island was $10 million, considered a bargain. His son, former state lawmaker Chip Limehouse, said his father had a continuing bout with cancer that started over 20 years ago with prostate cancer but later evolved into bone cancer. The cancer was especially crippling, the younger Limehouse said, in that his father was never used to standing still, describing him as making a list of 10 things to do daily and finishing most by noon. "You can't just say he was good at one thing; he did everything," Chip Limehouse said, pointing to his father's mind for business, politics and the outdoors where he hunted, fished, rode horses and even became a pilot. "He could fly any kind of airplane," he said. Harry Bancroft Limehouse Jr. was born Dec. 3, 1938, in Charleston's Baker Hospital a building he would develop into condominiums later in life. He grew up on Johns Island and as a young man worked as a bridge tender on two local spans. For college he attended The Citadel (graduating in 1960) after his eyesight stopped him from going to the Air Force Academy, although that did not stop him from becoming a licensed recreational pilot. Sign up for updates! Get the latest political news from The Post and Courier in your inbox. Email Sign Up! During his unsuccessful run for Charleston's seat in Congress in 2000, he talked about his business acumen, including as a college senior when he cornered the market on delivering hundreds of copies of The Evening Post newspaper to the four Citadel barracks, using other cadets as his delivery boys. After college, he got his first job, working at Milliken textiles in Spartanburg. In his early 30s he moved to Florida and became involved in Republican politics. Eventually, he would move to Washington, where he worked with President Richard Nixon confidant Harry Dent and helped build up the national Republican Party, traveling to several states to help various candidates. In 1971, Limehouse raced back to Charleston to make his first run for office: a hasty unsuccessful bid for Congress. He tried again for Congress in 2000, losing to eventual winner Henry Brown in the GOP primary. Limehouse in his career was also hired by J.C. Long to help develop multifamily houses for The Beach Co. Other business ventures he launched included the commercial real estate company Limehouse Properties plus the Indigo Inn, the Meeting Street Inn and the Jasmine Inn in Charleston, and hotels in Summerville and St. George. In 1994 then-Gov. Carroll A. Campbell Jr. appointed him as chairman of the state Department of Transportation Commission. Chip Limehouse said his father brought many innovations to the job, both large and small, including insisting that cable stay barriers be added on dangerous road stretches to help prevent fatal accidents. The state Infrastructure Bank he helped launch was designed to bring together state and federal dollars to launch such projects as the Ravenel Bridge, as well as other needed roads including the Conway Bypass, the Carolina Bays Parkway and others. In 1999, Limehouse was hailed by conservationists when his Airey Hall plantation in Colleton County was put under a protective conservation easement, ensuring the scenic vista along 5 miles of the Ashepoo River and accompanying 1,062 acres adjacent to the ACE Basin would be protected from development. Friends reacted to news of Limehouse's passing by noting his impact on the state. Buck was a force of nature in South Carolina," said U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham. "South Carolina has lost one of her finest public servants and business leaders - Buck Limehouse," Gov. Henry McMaster said on Twitter. In honor of Limehouses service, McMaster ordered flags at the Statehouse and other government buildings lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset on the day of his funeral. Arrangements will be announced later. In Charleston and in communities across the country where Confederate and related monuments have been removed, theres still a big question left to be answered: What should be done with them now? For the last several years, Los Angeles-based curator Hamza Walker has been working on an exhibit that will gather some of those monuments in the same place, displayed and in dialogue with works of contemporary art. More Ways to Listen Understand SC is available in all major podcasting apps. Search for us or use one of these links: Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Spotify Simplecast Tentatively called Monuments, the exhibit will debut in fall 2023 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles. He and his co-curators are approaching local municipalities, asking to borrow these monuments for the exhibition, and, in the process, stirring up some difficult, but necessary, discussions about these monuments, their legacies and what these communities are going to do with them now that theyve been removed from their public pedestals. Charleston is one of those communities. The city has been asked to loan out its statue of John C. Calhoun for the exhibit. Calhoun was a fierce defender of slavery, and the citys decision to remove the 12-foot-tall bronze statue to him in Marion Square came after weeks of protests over the death of George Floyd. Now, a year and a half after its removal, the statue may be out of view, but the question of what to do with it still looms. This episode was hosted and edited by Emily Williams. Guests featured on today's episode are Emma Whalen, city of Charleston reporter for The Post and Courier; Michael Allen, a retiree of the National Park Service and a member of Charleston's Commission on History and Hamza Walker, director of LAXART and curator of "Monuments." Understand SC is a weekly podcast from The Post and Courier that draws from the reporting resources and knowledge of our newsroom to help you better understand South Carolina. Are there any stories you'd like to hear on the show? Contact us at understandsc@postandcourier.com. Related reading: It took about three years for the Post Mortem Commission to find a doctor who could fill the position left behind by retired Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Aurelio Espinola. On Thursday, the Office of the Attorney General confirmed Dr. Jeffrey Nine was selected as a potential candidate to serve as Guam's new CME. His position would include an annual salary of $310,000. Dr. Nine is currently the chief medical examiner of Yavapai County, Arizona. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. He also has experience as a professor of pathology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; University of New Mexico School of Medicine; Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, Ohio; and Ross University School of Medicine, Dominica, West Indies. Dr. Kenny Su, who was selected by the commission last year, declined the offer, expressing concerns over the budget and facility for the Office of Chief Medical Examiner. Guam Attorney General Leevin Camacho told the commission that the Attorney General's Office in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands has committed to providing $50,000 in exchange for Dr. Nine's forensic pathology services to the CNMI. The commission will now offer him the position. Death investigations The lack of a full-time medical examiner on island for the past three years has impacted investigations conducted by the Guam Police Department. On Thursday, Police Chief Stephen Ignacio said his detectives are waiting for the medical examiner from Hawaii to arrive to perform autopsies on the bodies of two men who were found dead in Yigo and Chalan Pago in recent weeks. "It goes to show the need for a chief medical examiner on our island," said Ignacio. Investigators believe the two deaths were the result of foul play. "Because we don't have the medical examiner, we look at what's presented to us and the outward appearance. But we cannot just rely on that alone, and that's where the medical examiner is key in the examination of a lifeless individual." The chief could not disclose details of the condition of the two men. "To make sure we protect the integrity of the investigation, we won't be able to disclose much at this point," he said. "We reach out to the community as well. ... We rely on them for assistance and any information they may have." Police have not been able to identify the man who was found dead in Chalan Pago. Ignacio said police continue to chase leads, however there's been no word on potential suspects. Grab your binoculars and head over to Ipan, Talo'fo'fo', to participate in Guams first migratory bird celebration today. From 8 a.m. until noon, island residents are invited to join the fun at Jeff's Pirates Cove for activities, including watching out for the birds that travel to Guam each year. The event is brought together by the University of Guam College of Natural and Applied Sciences in an effort to educate the public that Guam has birds other than chickens. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. We wanted to highlight the fact that these birds travel all the way from the Arctic to here. So the birds come from the Alaska side and Russian side, and they come down from the Arctic, they pass the Japanese islands, and then all the way down to the CNMI, said Olympia Terral, UOG research associate. There are four flyways from Asia and Guam is on the Pacific flyway. The migratory birds stop through the CNMI and Guam, some of them staying here and others on a flight path to Australia. Terral said not much is known about the journey the birds take, but the journey is long and arduous. We do know that some of them die on the way," she said. "What they do before they take off is they eat a lot and get really fat and then they can shrink their internal organs so that when they fly they are conserving energy in their body; some of the birds do that." Money birds and cultural stories The celebration will include discussions on Guams forests, art activities, native tree displays, special performances and opportunities to buy bird-themed items and art. In addition, guest speakers and master storytellers including UOG President Emeritus Robert Underwood will speak about a time when native birds were flourishing on the island. Local author Terry Perez will read the legend of the koko and hilitai from her book CHamoru Legends: A Gathering of Stories, published by UOG Press, and Harley Edeluchel will share Palaus legend of the money bird. Audubon Society Martin Kastner, a member of the Marianas Audubon Society, photographs some of the birds which have flown thousands of miles, Terral said. He would photograph the birds down in Malesso' and try to get a good enough shot to read the band on them, then compare and so several of them are over 14 years old, Terral said. The Marianas Audubon Society is a group dedicated to the protection of birds and their habitats throughout the Mariana Islands. Members help track some of the birds that come to Guam, such as the black noddy. A migratory seabird, the black noddy typically makes its flight to Guam in April. The birds usually nest on Cocos Island. However, last year they nested in front of the Malesso' church, Terral said. They come here and lay their eggs and raise their young and then they take off again. I did go out to do the survey of the black noddy nest and one gagu tree had 124 nests," she said. Binoculars The black noddies have left, but attendees at today's event are encouraged to bring binoculars to see if they can spot a few migratory birds still hanging around the eastern shores. The migratory birds that like to hang around at Jeff's Pirates Cove include: golden plovers, ruddy turnstones, whimbrels, common terns, common greenshanks, common ringed plovers and wood sandpipers. Event attendees will be able to see some local birds including Pacific reef herons and yellow bitterns. The event also will highlight some native birds, such as the ko'ko', which the Department of Agriculture Aquatics and Wildlife Division will be bringing to meet participants. They have been breeding the Guam rail, or ko'ko', for release. They released them in Rota and released them on Cocos Island, I think 10 years ago. So they will talk about efforts to bring the birds back, Terral said. The event also will feature the brown tree snake, an invasive species which has threatened bird life for many years. Terral said trying to eradicate the brown tree snake is an integral part of bringing back the ko'ko' to Guam. The U.S. Geological Survey will have a brown tree snake at the event and will talk about the agency's research and efforts to eradicate and contain the brown tree snake. Ten percent of the proceeds from all food sales during the event will be donated to the Marianas Audubon Society. This celebration also coincides with the 70th anniversary of the University of Guam and the 50th anniversary of UOGs designation as a U.S. land grant institution. Nigerian stocks dipped by 0.11 per cent or N26.9 billion on Friday as the impact of investors hunting recently accrued yield on some stocks notably oil palm processor Presco and Seplat weighed on the broad index. Even so, that was not sufficient to hamper the index from seeing another week of positive returns. Airtel Africa issued its nine-month-to-December financials where profit spiked by almost two fold to $515 million, assisted by reasonable growth in data and mobile money incomes. Market breadth, used by investors and market watchers, to determine investors sentiment towards trade, was negative given that 24 advancers were reported compared to 18 decliners. The all-share index tapered by 49.88 basis points to 47,279.92, and market capitalisation to N25.5 trillion. Year to date, the index is up by 10.68 per cent. TOP FIVE GAINERS SCOA led the gainers, appreciating by 9.65 per cent to close at N1.25. Living Trust went up by 8.77 per cent to N1.24. Jaiz Bank rose to N0.71, notching up 5.97 per cent in the process. Guinea Insurance added 4.76 per cent to end trade at N0.22. Champion Breweries completed the top 5, climbing by 4.76 per cent to N2.20. TOP FIVE LOSERS Presco was the worst performing stock, declining by 94.50 per cent to close at N10. NEM Insurance shed 9.76 per cent to close at N3.33. International Breweres fell to N5.30, losing 9.40 per cent. UPL slumped to N2.50, recording 5.66 per cent decline. Chams closed at N0.20, going down by 4.76 per cent. TOP FIVE TRADES Fidelity Bank was the most active stock with 24.9 million shares worth N71.2 million traded in 138 deals. RT Briscoe traded 23.6 million shares priced at N6.9 million in 111 transactions. Transcorp had 18.5 million shares valued at N16.4 million traded in 117 deals. Chams traded 15.2 million shares estimated at N3 million in 18 transactions. Courteville traded 12.9 million shares valued at N6.8 million in 28 deals. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Thursday, joined 26 other civil society organisations in calling for the release of four journalists and other persons detained in Cameroon. The group called on the President of Cameroon, Paul Biya, to release all those arbitrarily detained for acts of free expression. In an open letter to President Biya, the group noted that the ongoing African Cup of Nations, holding in Cameroon, masks the reality that over 100 people have been detained, most for more than a year, and some for over five years, for simply peacefully exercising their human rights. Thomas Junior, Mancho Bibixy, Tsi Conrad, and Kingsley Njoka are journalists detained on anti-state charges in Yaoundes overcrowded Kondengui Central Prison, as documented in CPJs annual census of jailed journalists around the world. Indeed, while celebrations go on outside, these people are suffering inside crowded cells, counting the months or years that they have already spent in prison, and the months or years that await them still, the letter read. They have done nothing beyond peacefully exercising their human rights. But Cameroons draconian anti-terror law (2014) can be interpreted to criminalize even peaceful protest. Detaining people simply for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, as well as detaining people after trials with no independent procedural safeguards, is arbitrary and unlawful. We too are aggrieved and shocked, not only for these individuals and the injustice of their suffering, but also for the greater injustice that their arbitrary detention represents. If they are not free, then no Cameroonian is free. If they are languishing in prison for speaking out today, then anyone could be in prison for speaking out tomorrow. The organisations also urged the president to reform the laws used to criminalise protest and public assembly and to ensure the release of all those arbitrarily detained because of acts of free expression and free assembly. A Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday admitted a man, Osakwe Evbuomwan, who is charged with exporting 1.55 kilogrammes of tramadol to N50 million bail. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) charged Mr Evbuomwan with drug trafficking. In his ruling, Justice Lewis Allagoa, held that it is trite law that an accused person is presumed innocent, until proven guilty before a court of law, adding that the defendant has shown that he would attend his trial. The judge also ordered the defendant to produce two sureties in like sum. He held that the sureties must be owners of verifiable landed properties within the courts jurisdiction and a GL15 Civil Servant. He adjourned the case until February 18 for trial. Earlier, the NDLEA Counsel, Augustine Nwagu, opposed the bail application filed on behalf of the defendant by his counsel, Benson Ndakara, on grounds that investigations were still ongoing. The NDLEA alleged that the defendant committed the offence on December 18, 2021, at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport. He said the defendant was arrested at the gate C departure hall of the Airport, during the outward clearance of passengers on board an Ethiopian Airlines flight. The prosecutor said that the volume of tramadol weighing 1.55kg, was recovered from the defendant during the clearance. The offence, he said, contravenes the provisions of Section 20(1) of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation 2004. The Act provides for a penalty of life imprisonment if convicted of the offence. (NAN) About 16 months to the end of the 9th House of Representatives, only six of the 21 members elected to the House on the platform of minor political parties in 2019 remain in those parties. The others have mostly defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), despite the 1999 Constitution frowning at lawmakers switching parties at will. Before the carpet crossing began, members of minor parties had projected themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the House, particularly during the battle for the leadership of the minority caucus. While the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which is the largest minority party, nominated Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers) as Minority Leader, members of the other minority parties joined forces with a rebel group in the PDP and supported Ndudi Elumelu (PDP, Delta) to clinch the position. However, as of January 2022, the minor parties have almost entirely faded out in the House. Only six of the members are still in the minor parties, 13 have decamped to the APC, one was sacked by the court and one died. Those still loyal to the platforms on which they were elected are the four members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), one of ADC and one of PRP. The Labour Party, Africa Democratic Party, Social Democratic Party and Action Alliance no longer have seats in the House because of defections. Dont be an interloper Section 68 (1g) of the 1999 Constitution provides that, a member of the Senate or the House of Representatives shall vacate his seat in the House of which he is a member .. if being a person whose election to the House was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected: provided that his membership of the latter political party is not as a result of a division in the political party of which he was previously a member or of a merger of two or more political parties or faction by one of which he was previously a member. While the above provision prohibits carpet crossing in the legislature, it also contains a lacuna that defectors are latching on to. Lawmakers often cite division in their parties for jumping ship. In the 9th House, the minority leaders are hampered from even protesting defections. In February 2021, when Peter Makinde defected from ADC to the APC, Nicholas Ossai, a member of the PDP, raised a point of order, citing Section 68 of the constitution. He said Mr Makinde did not provide proof of a division in the ADC. But in his ruling, Mr Gbajabiamila dismissed Mr Ossai as a meddlesome interloper, noting that since he is not a member of the ADC, he would not know if there was division in the party. He added: Do you know the party chairman of ADC? Do you know the name of the Chairman? In March 2021, Mr Gbajabimila reiterated the same argument following the defection of Jimoh Aremu of the ADC to APC. He once again called the deputy minority leader, Toby Okechukwu, a meddlesome interloper. Are you a member of the ADC? If the answer is no, then you are a meddlesome interloper. You are not a member of that party, so you will not know what is going on in that party, Mr Gbajabiamila told Mr Okechukwu. Mr Gbajabiamila often uses the argument against the Minority Leader, Mr Elumelu, to bar him from speaking for small parties when such incidences occur. But the standing rule of the House mandates the Minority Leader to speak on behalf of minority parties. Small parties as stepping stones However, the minor parties can be said to be reaping what they sowed. A common trend among members who won elections into the House on the platforms of those parties is that they moved there shortly before the 2019 general elections, often because they could not get the tickets of the major parties. Consider the case of Blessing Onuh, a daughter of former Senate President David Mark, who was elected on the platform of APGA, a relatively unknown party in her state, Benue State. She had contested in the PDP primaries but was defeated by her uncle, Egli Ahubi. Two weeks after the primary, she joined APGA and was handed the House of Representatives ticket. She proceeded to inflict on her uncle a resounding defeat at the general election. She has decamped to the APC. Another example is the case of the two Action Alliance members of the House. In the run-up to the last general election, Imo State APC had imploded over the efforts of former Governor Rochas Okorocha for his son-law, Henry Nwosu, to succeed him as governor. After Mr Nwosu was denied the APC ticket, he decamped to AA with some followers, where Pascal Obi and Uju Kingsley were elected to the House. In the aftermath of the Supreme Court nullification of the election of Emeke Ihedioha as governor of the state, nine members of the AA in the state House of Assembly decamped to the APC and Messrs Obi and Mr Kingsley followed suit at the federal parliament. Hence, AA as a political party could be said to have been a vessel for political alignment in Imo State. The story is similar to APM in Ogun State, where former Governor Ibikunle Amosuns anointed candidate, Adekunle Akinlade, defected to APM after he failed to clinch the APC governorship ticket. Mr Akinlade was defeated at the poll. However, APM got a seat in the House through Kolawole Lawal of Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency of Ogun State. Mr Lawal had served under Mr Amosun as Commissioner for Forestry. In 2020, he returned to the APC, alongside seven APM members of the Ogun State House of Assembly. Registration requirements to blame for trend? Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution mandates INEC to deregister political parties that fail to register impact at the elections by winning a minimum number of seats. The commission has the power to deregister political parties on the breach of any of the requirements for the registration of a political party, failure to win at least 25 per cent of votes cast in one state of the federation, in a presidential election, or 25 per cent of votes in one local government area in a governorship election and failure to win at least one ward in a chairmanship election, one seat in the National or State Assembly election or one seat in a councillorship election. In line with that provision, INEC, after the 2019 general elections, deregistered 75 political parties. The fear of the axe of deregistration falling on them thus also encourages political parties to offer their tickets to defectors from the major parties that they think can win elections. Political entrepreneurship Jubrin Ibrahim, a Professor of Political Science, said inequality in resources between the two major parties (APC and PDP) and the others is behind the failure of the small parties to meet the basic requirements for staying afloat. However, he also noted that some of the small parties are set up by political entrepreneurs to attract wealthy politicians. We have a political system where two parties are the major parties that have all the resources in the political space, while the rest are at the bottom of the heap, struggling for survival. Those struggling for survival are ready to welcome anybody if you can give them some resources because they dont have any. Some of them are set up by political entrepreneurs, hoping they can attract rich people to their parties, and get some of the money off them. So that is the reality for the political party system we run and I think it is very difficult to change at this point, Mr Ibrahim said. Advertisements Bidi Farouq, also a lecturer of political science, at the University of Abuja, agreed with Mr Jibrin. He said most of the so-called small parties are merchant platforms that are ready to sell to the highest bidders, both to meet INECs basic qualifications and enrich themselves. They dont have standing. They sell candidacy like merchants to anyone willing to pay. At the end of the day, they are merchants, not political parties. They are briefcase parties, available to anybody to purchase, he said. But Julius Abure, the chairman of Labour Party, absolved the parties of blame. He said parties have to accept candidates that are available to them. Rather than blaming the political parties, he said, the laws that allow elected people to defect should be reviewed. If you have no aspirant for a particular office, and somebody comes from another party and he says he wants to runand you see the capacity to win the election, it is obvious that you will give the ticket to the person. The main challenge is that law that created the loophole. If the laws are made to protect multiparty democracy, it will be difficult for those persons to decamp like that. I will therefore not put the blame on the political parties. Rather, those defectors and the laws that created the loopholes in the first place, Mr Abure said. Absence of Ideology Others have blamed the lack of political ideology for the movement of politicians across parties. Unlike in many countries, most of the parties in Nigeria have no distinctive ideological identities. In pre-independence Nigeria and the First Republic, the three main parties, the Action Group, the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) and the National Congress for Nigerian Citizens (NCNC) had ethnic or regional leaning. READ ALSO: Two Reps defect to APC While the current two major parties national in outlook, carpet crossing remains a regular occurrence. Mr Farouq said the dearth of ideology could be traced to the policy of the Ibrahim Babangida military regime that abolished the ideological division of left and right or communism, socialism and capitalism for the formation of political parties. During military rule, especially under IBB, it was deliberately decided that we should not have an international ideology. International ideologies should not determine how parties and the state are run. We should work in between the ideologies, and find a common course for Nigeria. And in doing so, we did chapter two of our constitution of the needs and requirements for Nigeria. In doing so, we established the dos and donts for Nigeria. We decided in our laws that every political party should derive its ideology from that chapter two of the constitution. Hence, INEC will not register you if you say you are a communist or capitalist, or whatever. They will only register you if you conform to the principles of Chapter two of the constitution. This argument was also raised by Mr Abure. He stressed that political parties base their manifestoes on Chapter Two of the 1999 Constitution, which explains the lack of difference in the parties. However, Mr Jibrin disagreed with the argument that Chapter Two of the 1999 Constitution is responsible for the lack of distinction among the parties. According to him, political parties in the Second Republic also derived their manifestos from a similar provision in the 1979 Constitution, but still established ideals that were distinctive among the political parties. Political parties in Nigeria have a narrow focus, they are conceived as platforms to get to powers. They dont have any ideological colouration, they dont have any programmatic platform you can identify them with. The last time we had parties you can identify ideologically or programmatically was in the Second Republic. Since then, there has been no difference between the parties. In 2011, I did a research on political parties. I visited generals-secretary of 11 political parties, and I asked them what was the ideology of their parties, what did they stand for? None of them could answer me off the cuff. They said you have to come back, I have to check what the party document says. If a general secretary of a political party cannot say off the cuff what they stand for, then it means they dont stand for anything. That provision was there during the Second Republic and yet, within the fundamentals of state principle, that is chapter two of the constitution. When you look at the Second Republic, for instance, UPN had a focus on education; that is their programmatic priority. NPN had a focus on housing, PRP had a focus on talakawa (the poor). Within the constitutional arrangement, you can still focus on what is it that you stand for, and that is what we dont have today. Yes, I know the constitution says they must derive their ideological platform from chapter two, but that does not mean they cannot have specificity, Mr Ibrahim said. Mr Abure of the Labour Party said a bill is before the National Assembly to amend section 68 of the constitution to prohibit carpet crossing. But PREMIUM TIMES found no such bill before either of the two chambers. One thing is certain, though. With another general election around the corner, politicians will start moving across political parties, and the small parties will be eager to accept them to avoid deregistration or to enjoy slices of their resources. Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has reiterated his call for engaging mercenaries to complement the efforts of the nations security agencies, in tackling insurgency across Nigeria. Mr Zulum made the call at the weekly briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team led by the Presidents Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, on Wednesday, in Abuja. His position is at variance with that of the federal government which in March last year said it would not hire mercenaries to fight the insurgents. Mr Zulum said there was nothing wrong with government hiring mercenaries to address the challenges of insecurity, particularly in the North-east zone of the country. While the challenge of insecurity is being solved gradually, it is not yet over. I have said it times without number that in addition to what we are doing, there is a need for government to rethink and look into the possibility of hiring mercenaries. I have said it times without number, theres nothing wrong. America, Britain many more countries that are stronger than Nigeria, used to seek support from outside. Theres nothing wrong because this problem has been compounded. And its not easy for us to solve the security challenges that were having now. While Nigeria is providing a lot of things, the federal government is buying equipment, there is the need for us to seek support from external agencies, to defeat these insurgents once and for all, before the matter reaches other parts of the nation. This is very important whether we like it or not, we have an existing gap that we need to fill and this gap by now cannot be filled without external support, Mr Zulum said. The governor also stressed the need for the federal government to sanitise the recruitment processes into the army, police and other security organisations. According to him, over $6 billion worth of property had been lost in the last 13 years as a result of insurgency in the North-East region of Nigeria. He affirmed that the insurgency that ravaged the zone was responsible for poverty and other socio-economic challenges facing the North-east region. The insurgency has triggered acute humanitarian and post displacement crisis, devastating social and economic impact on the population, further deepening fragility and poverty in the North-east region. The outcome of the recovery peace building assessment by the World Bank, EU and UN revealed that a total sum of about $6.9 billion was lost as a result of the insurgency in the entire North-eastern states. Out of this, Borno State accounts for over two-thirds. The insurgents have destroyed about 5,000 classrooms in Borno, about 800 municipal buildings have been destroyed, including local government secretariats, prisons, and traditional rulers buildings among others. Furthermore, they destroyed about 713 energy distribution lines and 1600 water sources. In addition to that, we harvested about 49, 311 widows and about 49, 917 orphans. These are official figures, he said. There had been a gradual return of peace as a result of commitment and support from the federal government. In Borno today, the gradual return of peace and the much reduction of cases of insecurity in Borno and major parts of the North-east, have been attributed to the commitment and collaboration on the parts of the state and federal governments. One major reason why we have been succeeding in the North-East, particularly in Borno, was because there was never a time I requested to see the President and was denied access. This is something very important. Whenever I had serious security issues in Borno, as soon as I land in Abuja, within the next 10-15 minutes on arrival, I will be granted access to the president and this has contributed a lot in ensuring the gradual return of peace and stability to Borno State, he said. He also disclosed that a lot of resources had been ploughed into processes of restoring peace in the state. Significant amounts of resources had been injected into the implementation of the security strategies; financial, material, logistics and motivational, he added. He acknowledged that the state government had shown great commitment in the relocation of displaced persons, with farming activities now picking up. Advertisements Mr Zulum lauded the federal government and her security agencies for playing a big role in the peace process as he said the natives had also contributed their own quota towards the restoration of peace, by volunteering intelligence. The first effort we made towards securing Borno was through intelligence sharing, which is very important. We considered the communities participation as very important and the community-driven approach of re-establishing peace in Borno has yielded positive results. We have our local intelligence, who normally provide feedback to the government and the military with a view to addressing the lingering insecurity in Borno, he explained. On the purported closure of some displaced persons camps in the state, the governor said reported cases of vices and criminal activities, led to that decision. The governor, who revealed that 18 displaced communities had so far been resettled, expressed appreciation to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Nigeria Customs Service, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and the North-East Development Commission, for coming to the aid of the state in various ways. (NAN) The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has said it is ready to partner refineries in the country to boost local capacity for manufacturing of essential medicines including vaccines. The professional group also promised to ensure medicines that cannot be manufactured by the local industries will be readily available for use by Nigerians. This was made known by the newly elected president of PSN, Cyril Usifoh, during a press conference on Wednesday. Mr Usifoh, a specialist in pharmaceutical chemistry, said the Nigerian government should realise that it is important to have petrochemicals that should be able to produce Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, (APIs). We hope very soon, we will pay an advocacy visit to Dangote refineries encouraging him and others to make sure that these things are in place. When we have refineries producing APIs it becomes very easy to satisfy the local industry whenever they need it. But when we import APIs, it becomes a problem. We must have what I will call drug security, or medicine security and that goes in line with vaccines, Mr Usifoh said. Stressing the importance of local manufacturing, Mr Usifoh said if a country does not have food and medicine security and is also not able to produce what it needs or a greater percentage of what it needs, that country might be in trouble. He added: During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were basic things we didnt have as a country. Thank God we were spared from the calamity. But we knew that we needed to look inwards. We dont throw away what we have. I have been talking about developing local herbal remedies for COVID-19. Now, we will make sure that the local manufacturing industries are supported in not just advocacy, but we want to know what their needs are, and then be able to go ahead with that. Agenda Speaking on his plans for Nigerians, the president said his executive will ensure an improved relationship with the government towards achieving the right of every Nigerian to pharmaceutical care. Mr Usifoh also said his executive committee will establish a National Post-graduate College of Pharmacists to complement their consultancy cadre agenda while also working with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, PCN and other relevant stakeholders. Institutionalising the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) programme, improving the visibility of pharmacists and pursuing the pharmacy tower project and all other business concerns of PSN are what we will work to achieve, Mr Usifoh added. The interim national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday presented certificates of return to the chairmen-elect of the party in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). However, two of the chairmen-elect were absent at the inauguration which took place at the partys national secretariat in Abuja. They are those of Sokoto and Kano States. States whose chairmen were presented with certificates of return were Osun, Ogun, Kwara, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bauchi and Kebbi. Others were Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Edo, Enugu, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Kogi, Ondo, Yobe, Taraba, Niger, Lagos, Oyo, Gombe, FCT, Zamfara, Nasarawa, Ekiti, Plateau and Imo. I have been asked to issue you a certificate of return as duly elected chairman of your state. It is going to be very brief, the APC interim National Secretary, John Akpanuodehede, said at the brief ceremony. Responding on behalf of his colleagues, the chairman of the APC state chairmen, Bukar Dalori, in his address, thanked Mr Buni-led executives of the party for their leadership and assured them of working with all members across states. We have taken your charge in good faith and like soldiers, we shall be unrelenting in marching our party to a commanding and convincing victory in 2023. Let us also use this opportunity to assure members in our respective states that we shall work with every party member to ensure APC protects Nigeria from those who destroyed it in the past, he said in a statement received shortly after the event he said. The APC nationwide state congresses were held in October with many states producing parallel executives leading to the factioalisation of the party in the states. Although the Governor Mala Buni-led Caretaker Committee constituted a nine-member committee chaired by Abdullahi Adamu, a former governor of Nasarawa State, last October to reconcile aggrieved members, not much success has been achieved in this regard. The reconciliation committee submitted its interim report earlier in the week. At the time of the inauguration, states such as Osun, Ogun, Kwara, Zamfara, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bauchi and Kebbi still had parallel executives. Some of the aggrieved members are already seeking redress in court, one of which is Kano. The Abuja High Court earlier in January, for the second time ruled against a faction loyal to the Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, to the benefit of another faction loyal to a former governor, Ibrahim Shekarau. Inauguration without oath Against its usual procedure and as observed often by PREMIUM TIMES, the 35 newly inaugurated chairmen of the party did not observe any oath of office This is against Article 29 of the APC Constitution which mandates every elected or appointed officer of the party to be subscribed to the oath of office. Every Officer elected or appointed as an officer of the Party shall subscribe to the Oath of Office as provided in Schedule II to this Constitution before an appropriate Principal Officer of the Party as may be approved by the National Working Committee, the constitution states. This newspaper cannot ascertain whether the act was deliberate or not, however, there have been arguments questioning Mr Bunis legal right to appoint or swear in party officers into offices. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says 593 polling units in Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have no registered voters. Mahmood Yakubu, chairman, INEC, made the disclosure at the Expanded Stakeholders Security meeting of the FCT organised on Thursday in Abuja. Mr Yakubu said that 1,328 polling units in the territory have a maximum of 50 voters, while 546 others have more than 1,000 registered voters. He said INEC had decided that election would not hold in polling units without registered voters, adding that no material was produced for those units and no personnel would be deployed to them. Mr Yakubu, however, said voting would take place in all the other polling units, noting that for congested polling units, INEC would deploy more BVAS (Card Reader) to ensure speedy accreditation of voters. He also said INEC would deploy additional staff to the crowded units, adding that the commission had accepted the suggestion by security agencies for deployment of additional personnel to ensure peace and order. For transparency, the commission is making available hard copies of the details locations of these polling units to all stakeholders at this meeting, soft copies have also been uploaded to our website. By doing so, we want to achieve two objectives. First is to ensure that voters in the FCT and indeed all Nigerians are aware of these polling units and the arrangements made for them on election day. Secondly, to seek the support of all stakeholders to ensure that these polling units are populated ahead of the 2023 general election. We need the support of especially the traditional, community and religious leaders in this regard, he said. Mr Yakubu, who reiterated the importance of peace towards successful conduct of the area council election, assured that INEC would protect the integrity of the process. Our eyes are on all our officials, be they ad hoc or regular staff, to ensure that they strictly abide by the rules. All parties, candidates and their supporters should do the same, he said. Earlier speaking, the FCT Minister, Muhammad Bello, said the meeting which had in attendance all the 17 graded chiefs in the territory, was aimed at preparing ground for the successful conduct of the Feb. 12 FCT Area Council Election, to review 2021 and look at focus for 2022. In our review we found out that the collaborative security effort with neighboring states of the FCT is very effective. And this is one aspect that we will continue to improve upon because that is where all the security agencies within the FCT and their counterparts in neighboring states of Nasarawa, Niger and Kogi work together. Overall also we appreciated the efforts of all the agencies and in spite of what happened here and there within the rural communities we are quite satisfied with the efforts. And we identified areas where we are going to give them additional support and we intend to do so, Mr Bello said. (NAN) Some residents in Benin, the Edo capital, have said that some Nigerian men would continue to keep mistresses, popularly called side chicks, due to their perceived benefits. The respondents submissions arise from the growing reports of infidelity in the lives of men, especially the highly placed celebrities in society. Some men who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Benin claim that wives might never be able to compete with the side-chicks in terms of allure, attention to detail, and penchant for romance. Mr Ojefia King, a businessman, revealed that most men had side-chicks for the fun of it. According to him, side-chicks usually do not expect anything except trips and sex from a man, whether married or single. Some side-chicks go after men because they are wealthy, while some others do it to meet their needs, he said. Also, Larry Sideso, a Disc Jockey (DJ), said that men are attracted to the side-chicks because they had less stress and were always obedient and understand their needs and desires. I am married, and I have a side-chick; she knows her place, no crossing of boundaries. My wife is aware of my side-chick. As I said earlier, everybody knows their place. I dont carry different ladies. I have my wife and a side-chick. I love my wife so much. I wont trade her for anything else, but my side-chick is only assisting, he said. Other reasons Similarly, Ivie Idolor, a teacher, said that side-chicks were always answering the call of nature for men. If you study the creation of men critically, you will notice men have more extended reproductive period than women. A man can still impregnate a woman even at 75 years of age, but a woman cant give birth at such age. Thus, the sperms in a man can produce many children, which means when God said dominate and replenish the earth specifically means mens duty to reproduce double. Men cannot help it. Thats what hormones have programmed them to do. So, when a guy has had enough of his main chick, he moves on and forgets about loving his main chick again, she said. READ ALSO: On his part, Richard Amekpa, a fashion designer, said men had side-chicks to get sexual satisfaction. Love, care, romance, and sex are essential in a relationship or marriage. If a wife cannot satisfy the husband with that, he will have someone else that will take her role. Total attention is very vital to see the natural beauty of a relationship. If a wife refuses to give the husband full attention, she is opening the door for a side-chick, he said. Advice However, Isreal Osamuyi, a cleric, advised men to upgrade their wives to the standard they admire in other women. Mr Osamuyi said that most women hardly cared for themselves because they had one need or the other to take care of. Advertisements Married women have children and always have one thousand and one responsibilities to attend to. So, there is little or no time at all to buy clothes, makeup, and visit drinking bars or roam around with friends. I am not in support of men having side-chicks, but if I want to peep into their world by trying to understand why, I think its purely because of insecurity, he said. (NAN) President Muhammadu Buhari has sent messages of congratulations to two chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation and two-time director general of his election campaigns, and Nasiru Haladu Danu, a reputable businessman, on the conferment of a chieftaincy titles on them tomorrow, Saturday by the Daura Emirate Council. President Buhari described the conferment of the title of Dan Amana, (the trusted one) to Mr Amaechi as a clear commitment to the harmonious relationship between the nations diverse cultures. Mr Danu is being turbaned as Tafida Babba of Daura. He commended the Minister for working with enormous energy to make the CHANGE we promised Nigerians a reality, noting that the change we are witnessing in the transport sector is an extraordinary legacy. The President will not be at the event but has designated a delegation of three, made up of the Ministers of Water Resources, Engineer Sulaiman Adamu; Aviation, Hadi Sirika and the Senior Special Assistant (Media and Publicity), Garba Shehu, to represent him. Garba Shehu Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity) February 4, 2022 A faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State popularly known as The Osun Progressives (TOP) has demanded the immediate removal of the state Commissioner of Police, Wale Olokode, over incessant attacks on the leaders and members of the group. The Osun Progressives who are supporters of the former governor and Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, accused the police boss of bias in the discharge of his duties. The group said this while addressing a press conference at Oranmiyan House, Osogbo, on Friday. Suspected gunmen on Thursday invaded Mr Aregbesolas campaign office, shooting sporadically into the air. On Friday, the police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) deployed their officers to the campaign office to restore calm. Speaking at the media briefing, a leader of TOP, Rasaq Salinsile, said a series of attacks on members of the group reported to the Police Commissioner were ignored. Mr Salinsile added that even when the attackers are known people, the police refused to arrest them. We are of the firm belief that the refusal to act on our petitions on the impending attacks by the police and other security agencies emboldened the criminally minded associates of Governor Oyetola to become vicious on their attacks on us. We had intelligence reports of the Gboyega Oyetola-led IleriOluwa factions plan to assassinate and main us, and we had promptly passed the information to the Commissioner of Police in particular and all other security agencies. But nothing was done about it till now. Whenever we are attacked, the worst is that we are punished by the Commissioner of Police, Wale Olokode-led police command. We, therefore, call on CP Olokode to ask the Inspector-General of Police to post him out of Osun. We plead with the Inspector General of Police to please expeditiously transfer CP Olokode from Osun with immediate effect. CP Olokode, to the best of human understanding, is incapable of carrying out his job impartially as demanded by the constitution. This is clear from the litany of events that we have listed above. We note that the environment in which Oranmiyan House exists is a business district as there are banks and other significant businesses there. We are not bothered Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in Osun, Yemisi Opalola, said those calling for the police commissioners removal do not appreciate the work he is doing. If he (police commissioner) is removed from Osun command wont he be taken somewhere else? If they remove him from here, will he be removed from the Nigeria Police Force? What else do they want him to do? Should he cut his head for them? What else do they want him to do? Immediately the incident happened yesterday, he went there by himself, what else do they now want? Is it until he cuts his head for them that they will know that he is responding? Character assassination Funke Egbemode, the commissioner for information in the state, described the allegations against the governor as character assassination. They are only trying to assassinate the Governors character, everybody know Governor Oyetola, he has never been involved in any violent politics, the commissioner said. The Governor knows what he is doing and where he is going. It is so sad that our politics have degenerated into this, we should be the Omoluabi that we are known for. It is bad, it is unfortunate and condemnable for anyone to accuse Governor Oyetola of marking anybody for assassination or maiming. If it wasnt so serious, it would have been hilarious. They do not need to start showing signs of suffering from persecution complex, no, we do not need that. Political or electioneering time will come and go but we will still be here as human, this is our state. Former All Progressives Congress (APC) members of the House of Representatives forum, on Friday, called on the leadership of the party to ensure the sustainability of internal democracy in it ahead the 2023 general elections. The forum made the call in a communique issued by its Protem Chairman, Ibrahim Zailani, after its meeting in Abuja on Wednesday night. The forum noted that sustainability of internal democracy was in the progressive interest of the party and must be made to reign supreme. According to the communique, the meeting reviewed the current state of the APC and asked the Governor Mala Buni-led Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) to ensure that internal democracy was sustained in the party. It added that the forum remains committed to deepening democracy in the country and the West African sub region. It, however, condemned the current wave of forceful removal of democratically elected governments in the West Africa sub-region, adding that the coups in Mali and Burkina Faso were unacceptable and should be condemned by all. The forum commended the federal government for tackling insecurity, economic crisis and anti-corruption cases in the country and urged it to do more in order to enhance peace and development of the country. It called on delegates to the APC forthcoming National Convention scheduled for February 26 to ensure that only credible and visionary candidates were voted to occupy the partys national offices. The communique said this was critical to properly reposition the party ahead of 2023. It quoted Mr Zailani as saying the time had come for stakeholders in the political space to accord the legislature and legislators their proper place in the scheme of things. The communique decried the way legislators were being looked down upon, even though they remained a major stakeholder in the political equation. According to the communique, the meeting was attended by APC former House of Representatives members from all the states of the federation. (NAN) The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Thursday, rested its case in a pension fraud trial involving a former Head of Service of the Federation, Stephen Oronsaye. The anti-graft agency closed its case with the testimony of its 21st prosecution witness. It will now be the turn of Mr Oronsaye and his co-defendants to open their defence to the 49 charges of money laundering involving N2 billion in public funds. EFCC alleged in the charges at the Federal High Court in Abuja that the defendants siphoned the money through a biometric enrolment contract purportedly for the reform of the civil service pension system. Mr Oronsanye faces the charges along with Osarenkhoe Afe, the managing director, Fredrick Hamilton Global Services Limited, a firm fingered by the anti-corruption agency in the scam. In November last year, a former chairperson of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina, indicted in the extensive pension reform scam, was jailed eight years by the Federal High Court in Abuja for money laundering offences involving N2 billion. The judgement convicting and jailing Mr Maina was tendered by the EFCC to strengthen its case against Mr Oronsaye and his co-defendants on Tuesday. Last prosecution witness testimony EFCCs 21st and last prosecution witness, Umar Abba Tilde, a Compliance Officer with Zenith Bank Plc, while testifying on two withdrawals of millions of naira from a pension account, on Thursday, said Mr Oronsaye was at no time a signatory to the federal pension accounts. He could also not ascertain whether Mr Oronsaye ever made an endorsement for withdrawal from the accounts. On the outflows from one of the accounts, the banker told the trial judge, Inyang Ekwo, that two withdrawals N161, 472, 00 million and N28, 375, 000 were transferred from a pension account to a company on July 6, and July 7, 2010 respectively. Led in evidence, by EFCCs lawyer, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, Mr Tilde confirmed that mandates relating to the pension accounts were submitted by his bank to the EFCC in January 2020 based on request. The witness further told the court that a letter of August 24, 2010, signed by Mr Oronsaye as then Head of Service of the Federation (HoS), instructed the bank that all e-payments must henceforth have final endorsement from the office. However, under cross-examination by Mr Joe Agi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr Oronsayes lead defence counsel, the witness said that the former HOS did not sign mandate for the two transfers made in 2010. In addition, he informed the judge that Mr Oronsaye was not a signatory to the pension accounts adding thatShuiab Sani Teidi, Eunice Chide, Mohammed Kaltung Ahmed, Hassan Mohammed and Attah Danladi, were the signatories to the accounts. Answering a question, the witness also admitted that he was in Kano branch of the bank when the two transfers were made and would not know if Mr Oronsaye ever made any endorsement. Prosecution closes case At the end of Mr Tildes testimony, the prosecuting counsel announced the closure of the EFCCs case against the defendants. Twenty other prosecution witnesses had previously testified with several documents tendered by the anti-graft agency as exhibits. Defence lawyer, Mr Agi, applied for an adjournment to open his clients case. He indicated that he would be calling two witnesses. Subsequently, the judge fixed March 9 and 10 for Mr Oronsaye to open his defence. Backstory In 2014, PREMIUM TIMES exclusively reported how the Auditor-General of the Federation indicted Mr Oronsaye for the N123 billion allegedly diverted between 2009 and 2010 under his watch. The 169-page report titled Special Audit of the Accounts of the Civil Pensions, uncovered humongous financial irregularities, outright stealing and kickbacks. READ ALSO: The report found that the pension payroll was never subjected to internal audit between June 2009 and December 2010; and that over N52 billion paid as monthly pension under Mr Oronsaye remained unaccounted for. Similarly, another witness, Salami Adesoka, narrated before the court how in 2015, he was instructed by the then permanent secretary in the Office of the HoS to submit business account names. Also, during Mr Mainas trial, Rouqquaya Ibrahim, an EFCC investigator, had told the court how investigations revealed that Messrs Maina and Oronsaye allegedly used five modules to loot about N14 billion from pension accounts. Advertisements Ms Ibrahim had said Mr Oronsaye illegally operated 66 accounts in his offices name without the approval of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. It is no longer surprising that Nigerians hear or read about insecurity in various parts of the country. We have... Why we are charging N100m for presidential nomination form APC National Chairman Top News VOXPOP: Can you leave your partner if they contract HIV, Nigerians respond Videos VOXPOP: Can you leave your partner if they contract HIV, Nigerians respond I Agree Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy The Comptroller of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Katsina State, Wada Chedi, has explained why his agency has failed to check smuggling in the state. Mr Chedi said the state has too many unofficial exit and entry routes, which smugglers exploit to bring in contrabands. He spoke during a stakeholders meeting on public and customs relations in Katsina, Thursday afternoon. The comptroller said the number of Customs officers is insufficient to fight smuggling activities. Our officers cant be everywhere because even if you bring all the Customs officers in Nigeria to Katsina, we cant adequately man the borders, which is why we need the public to help us with credible information on smugglers. There are people where these smugglers come into this state, we want them to help us with information on the smugglers movement. There are 12 official borders in Katsina but as it is now, we have more than 100 entry and exit routes that these people follow to smuggle contraband. We make sure that our officers are on the official borders and we also do patrol to ensure that smugglers are apprehended, Mr Chedi said. He said smugglers have many strategies for evading officers at the borders because they are cunning in nature. Mr Chedi also pointed out that smugglers have now found collaborators in bandits. Some desperate smugglers in the state go to the extent of collaborating with bandits, whereby we used to have a lot of attacks and record casualties, he said. In his comment, the Secretary to the State Government, Mustapha Inuwa, said border closure has not stopped the smuggling of contraband and other illegalities. He called on the Customs officers to consider the economy of the people of the state, calling for the borders to be reopened. Let me tell you this; if we want to hear the truth, the closing of these borders didnt stop smuggling. Go to the borders and see, people keep coming in and going out with goods. So, the borders should be reopened and measures should be taken to ensure that law and order in the borders are being adhered to, Mr Inuwa said. Seplat Energy, Nigerias biggest energy company by market value, Sahara Group, ND Western Limited and Tony Elumelu-backed Heirs Oil and Gas are in contention to take over an equity interest said to be worth $4 billion, held by the Nigerian unit of Hague-based Oil Major, Shell Plc, via a joint venture, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing people close to the negotiation. The four bidders handed in the non-binding offers last month for a stake, estimated by Wood Mackenzie in August to be $2.3 billion using a long-term oil benchmark of $50 per barrel. All the four did not comment, the outlet said. Shells slice of the joint venture is 30 per cent, while state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation owns 55 per cent, TotalEnergies SE 10 per cent and Eni 5 per cent. The company is stepping up plans to fully divest its Nigerian investment by offloading the residue of its onshore and shallow-water assets, having set the process in motion over 10 years ago. Shell has yet to disclose to buyers the scale of potential future costs related to litigation or decommissioning and abandoning oil wells, which could bring down the sale price significantly, said Bloomberg, quoting an unnamed source who does not want his identity divulged. Increasingly, Shell is disposing of its assets in Africas biggest producer in a bid to move to cleaner energy as part of the push to boost its climate credentials. In November, Emeka Onwuka, the chief financial officer of Seplat, said its company was holding talks with another oil driller ExxonMobil towards purchasing its Nigerian shallow water assets. The House of Representatives ad hoc committee set up to ascertain the inventory of the defunct NNPC will meet with the management of NNPC Limited and the Central Bank of Nigeria to discuss the transition process. The committee, chaired by Kingsley Uju (APC, Imo), was set up to ascertain the total inventory, assets, interests and liabilities of the defunct state oil company ahead of the transition. NNPC assumed the status of a limited liability company after the Petroleum Industry Bill became an Act. Mr Uju, in a statement released on Thursday, said the committee will meet with the CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele, and the Chief Executive Officer of NNPC limited, Mele Kyari. In addition, the committee will meet with the Minister of Finance and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, and the Minister of Petroleum (State), Timipriye Sylva, to interface on the process of the transition. The ad-hoc committee also resolved to request detailed information on NNPC assets, interests, liabilities and up-to-date audited reports from the CEO of NNPC Limited. Mr Uju disclosed that the committee has also resolved to request for yearly audited reports of NNPC from Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) with a view to juxtaposing the NNPC audited reports with that of NEITI. It is also hinged on the provisions of Section 54 of the recently signed Petroleum Industry Act. 2021. The legislative intervention is in alliance with section A 1.03 of the introduction part of the Legislative Agenda of the 9th Assembly (2019 2023) which states that, the 9th House will seek to undertake reforms of critical sectors of the Nigerian society and economy with a view to improving the conditions that allow for investment, innovation and economic growth, he said. Mr Uju explained that Section 54(2) of the Act also stated that any assets, interests or liabilities not transferred shall remain that of NNPC until extinguished or transferred to government six months after the determination in section 54(1). The Minister of Finance and Attorney General of the Federation shall develop a framework for payment of liabilities not transferred to the NNPC Limited. If the determination and transfer is not done within the stipulated 18 months, the assets, interests and liabilities are deemed transferred to NNPC Limited. According to the provisions of Section 53(2-5) of the Petroleum Industry Act PIA, the government of the federation shall hold full ownership of the NNPC Limited with the share held by the duo of Federal Ministry of Finance Incorporated and Ministry of Petroleum Incorporated on behalf of the government of the Federation. Section 53(5-8) however stipulates the governments intention to set in motion the process of immediate commercialisation and privatisation of the operation and future private ownership of NNPC Limited. The date of the meeting has not been fixed. South Africa: Support countries facing 'unconstitutional' takeovers President Ramaphosa President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for the continued support for African countries facing the resurgence of unconstitutional changes of government on the continent. The President was addressing the 31st forum of the African Peer Review Mechanism Forum. Over the past two years, a spate of coups and attempted coups have beset the West African region in countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea and most recently, Guinea Bissau. The promotion of democracy, human rights and good governance on our continent has become a particularly critical endeavour at this time. The resurgence of unconstitutional change of governments in parts of Africa is of concern, and we must continue to support the efforts of the ECOWAS [Economic Community of West African States] and the AU Peace and Security Council in this regard, he said. Turning to the impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, President Ramaphosa said the continent continues to soldier on in the face of the economic and social devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Africa and indeed the world, has been engaged in an unprecedented struggle for our very survival. The pandemic has impacted nearly every aspect of life and existence, and no sector has been unaffected. As much as COVID-19 has altered the human health landscape, it has had political ramifications as well, and will continue to do so for some time in the future. As Africa, a number of our developmental aspirations have been severely set back as we continue to marshal all our resources towards saving lives and protecting livelihoods. All of this notwithstanding, we soldier on, and have now trained our focus on the health, social, economic and political recovery, he said. President Ramaphosa highlighted that in a pandemic dominated world, the African Peer Review Mechanism remains integral in the continents path for prosperity and good governance. The work of the APR Forum has continued throughout the pandemic. This is testament to the resilience and endurance of this mechanism, as well as to the broad support it continues to receive from participating States. We know that the African Peer Review Mechanism is integral to our efforts to meet the aspirations of Agenda 2063, of a continent that is integrated, prosperous and peaceful, he said. President Ramaphosa said the APRM must be strengthened to ensure that its mission to create political stability, economic growth, integration and sustainable development on the African continent through the sharing of experiences is realised. Next year the APRM will be marking its 20th anniversary. We look forward to this, and it is an anniversary of which we can all be proud. Let us continue with the good work and spare no effort to ensure the APRM is strengthened, supported and becomes embedded across the continent, President Ramaphosa said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-02-04. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Decrease Font Size Font Size Increase Font Size Notice body The Auburn University Department of English's annual Robert Hughes Mount Jr. Poetry Prize, sponsored by the Academy of American Poets, is now open for submissions. The prize offers a $100 award, a one-year membership in the Academy of American Poets and a copy of the judges collection of poems for the Auburn University student submitting the best poem. One honorable mention also will receive a copy of the judges collection of poems. Additionally, all winning entries written by students 23 years old or younger will be considered for the Aliki Perroti and Seth Frank Most Promising Young Poet Award. This prize comes with a $1,000 award. Graduate or undergraduate students may submit up to three poems to Professor Rose McLarney of the English Department. All poems must be submitted electronically and according to the following guidelines. The contest deadline is Wednesday, March 2. Submission guidelines: -Include a cover sheet with your name, mailing address, phone number, Auburn email address and age. Any submissions missing this complete cover page will be disregarded. - Include up to three poems. - All poems must be submitted electronically for consideration. Your complete submission should be sent from your Auburn email address as a single Word document attachment. - Send the submission to Professor Rose McLarney at rem0050@auburn.edu. The prize winner will be celebrated at the English Awards Ceremony in the spring. Questions about Auburn's contest should be directed to the Poetry Prize Coordinator, Professor Rose McLarney, at rem0050@auburn.edu. The judge of this years contest is poet Michelle Penaloza. Penaloza is the author of Former Possessions of the Spanish Empire, winner of the 2018 Hillary Gravendyk National Poetry Prize. She is also the author of two chapbooks, landscape/heartbreak and Last Night I Dreamt of Volcanoes. Penaloza is the recipient of fellowships and awards from the University of Oregon, Kundiman and the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, among others. The proud daughter of Filipino immigrants, she was born in the suburbs of Detroit and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. She now lives in rural Northern California. The people of West Africa are exhausted by the repeated cycles of bad governance. earlier on ECOWAS was much more focused on contesting the derailment of the democratic order. It did not wait until the military took over before acting. Today, it does nothing until there is a coup and then offers medicine after death. Finally, the military are returning to power in West Africa because the politicians are enabling them. We must develop the capacity to disrupt the activities of such enablers. The current democratic transition in West Africa started in the early 1990s. At the formal level, it led to the establishment of constitutional rule and the re-establishment of multi-party systems. However, the problem is that democratic transition requires a more profound socio-political transformation that allows freely elected rulers and the majority of the civil population to impose their supremacy over ruling oligarchies of the military or civilian ethno-regional cabals that had been in power for decades. That did not happen in most of our countries. The end goal, which was to have been the development of a democratic political culture in which large sections of society internalise democratic values and citizens are able to determine those who exercise power, was not achieved. Most African constitutions are excellent documents; they have most of the right provisions about the rule of law, human, civil and political rights, elective institutions, governmental accountability, and separation of powers and so on. The problem however is that these provisions are often not followed. It is important to note that West African politics has been excessively marked by a history of frequent coups detat, civil wars and militarism. The military were in power in most countries of the region for twenty to thirty years. When liberalisation and democratisation began in the early 1990s, there was a long history of militarism and their enablers that stepped up to usurp the new political opportunities that were emerging. One of the basic outcomes of decades of militarism in West Africa has been the decomposition of the state and society with the widespread growth of private armies and armed bands. In many of the countries, the military lost control of the monopoly of the means of violence. Numerous warlords with stakes in war emerged and entrenched themselves in the political process and fought for the control of power and natural resources. These countries and regions such as Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote dIvoire, Guinea Bissau, the Niger Delta and large parts of the Sahel/Sahara regions of Mali and Niger, witnessed persistent armed banditry in the 1990s. This was the context that led the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to adopt the Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance (December 21, 2001). The Protocol sets out the constitutional convergence criteria to be fulfilled by Community members on the basis of the principles of good governance respect for the rule of law, the separation of powers, the independence of the judiciary, the promotion of a non-partisan and responsible press and the democratic control of the armed forces. It was on the basis of this Protocol that when President Gnasingbe Eyadema of Togo died in 2005, and his son simply took over power in total disregard of the Constitution of the country, the Chair of ECOWAS, Mamadou Tandja of Niger Republic and President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, mounted enormous pressure on Faure Gnasingbe to step down. Faced with the pressure, he stepped aside and allowed for elections. ECOWAS was also very active in guiding Cote dIvoire back to the path of democracy from the carnage of civil war. Cote dIvoire is a country that was not too long ago one of the shining stars of stability and prosperity in the West African region. Political relations in the country broke down following the death of the countrys founding president, Felix Houphouet-Boigny in 1993, coupled with the military coup that overthrew the government of Henri Konan Bedie who succeeded him in 1999. It is ironical that the same President Tandja who was giving lessons in democracy to Faure Gnasingbe also fell afoul of the wrath of ECOWAS principles. His tenure of ten years, which consisted of two terms of five years each was to end in December 2010. Just before that time, he demanded for a constitutional review that would allow him tenure elongation. The Constitutional Court ruled that his request was unconstitutional as the Constitution had a provision that the tenure clause could not be amended. He disbanded the Constitutional Court and wrote up his own personal Constitution, which even had a clause allowing him to continue in power without elections for three more years. ECOWAS however come out clearly and unambiguously to oppose his move. In an unprecedented move in West Africa, ECOWAS went as far as declaring that as far as they were concerned, his tenure as president expired in December 2010, meaning they no longer recognised him as president. This clear stance gave fillip to the struggle of opposition parties and the civil society, which organised mass demonstrations against Tandjas attempt at destroying Nigers democracy. It was in this context that the military intervened, removed Tandja from power, organised fresh elections and went back to the barracks in less than a year. ECOWAS was also very active in guiding Cote dIvoire back to the path of democracy from the carnage of civil war. Cote dIvoire is a country that was not too long ago one of the shining stars of stability and prosperity in the West African region. Political relations in the country broke down following the death of the countrys founding president, Felix Houphouet-Boigny in 1993, coupled with the military coup that overthrew the government of Henri Konan Bedie who succeeded him in 1999. This threw up deep internal divisions resulting in the mutiny that escalated into a full-scale rebellion in September 2002. After his tenure in 2005, Gbagbo refused to organise another election for five years. It was only in 2010 that ECOWAS, the African Union and the United Nations persuaded him to hold elections under UN supervision. He lost the election but got the Constitutional Council he had appointed to declare him winner. ECOWAS however stood firm and threatened to remove him by force if he did not step down and hand over to Ouattara who won the election. Eventually, patriotic forces marched on Abidjan and removed him from power, allowing the elected president to take up his mandate, which Gbagbo had confiscated. In Senegal, President Abdoulaye Wade wanted a third term at the age of 85 in 2012. Citizens surrounded the National Assembly to stop them from passing a law to allow authorise his ambition. What was important however was that massive demonstrations were organised by the Movement, M-23, and rap musicians who galvanised the youth to chase Wade out of power. One of the leading politicians that joined the revolt was current President Macky Sall, who was the main beneficiary of the struggle. Today, Macky Sall too wants a third term. In Mali, former President Ibrahim Boubakar Keita (IBK) died at 76 years old, after being removed in a coup. He was in power between 2013 and 2020. He had been prime minister from 1994 to 2000, after which he became the president of the National Assembly from 2002 to 2007. Why would that old man rig an election to remain in power? Guinea is another country in which ECOWAS played a major role. It is a country that has not known free and fair elections since 1958. The shooting incident that led to the evacuation of Guineas third dictator in fifty years, Captain Dadis Camara, paved the way for a democratic transition that led to the elections of June 27, 2010. Two major candidates emerged, Cellou Dalen, seen as the leader of a rich and powerful Fulani elite who had been excluded from power since 1958, and Alpha Conde, leader of the ethnic minorities and an historic opposition figure and Malinke power broker. In the second round of the elections, Alpha Conde emerged winner and was sworn in as president. Alpha Conde came to Daura in April 2019 and stayed a week, enjoying Sallah meat with President Buhari and was even honoured with a chieftaincy title. He returned to Guinea and announced a third term agenda, which finally led to the coup. President Buhari kept quiet. At 83 years old, what did he want to remain in the presidency for? In Mali, former President Ibrahim Boubakar Keita (IBK) died at 76 years old, after being removed in a coup. He was in power between 2013 and 2020. He had been prime minister from 1994 to 2000, after which he became the president of the National Assembly from 2002 to 2007. Why would that old man rig an election to remain in power? The argument is simple. The people of West Africa are exhausted by the repeated cycles of bad governance. Secondly, earlier on ECOWAS was much more focused on contesting the derailment of the democratic order. It did not wait until the military took over before acting. Today, it does nothing until there is a coup and then offers medicine after death. Finally, the military are returning to power in West Africa because the politicians are enabling them. We must develop the capacity to disrupt the activities of such enablers. A professor of Political Science and development consultant/expert, Jibrin Ibrahim is a Senior Fellow of the Centre for Democracy and Development, and Chair of the Editorial Board of PREMIUM TIMES. although the implementation of capital punishment for crimes other than murder is a different standard than that used elsewhere in the world, defenders can argue that the Islamic practice does serve as a deterrent and that Muslim countries as a result of their legal strictness are less troubled by the routine social violence that plagues some other societies. In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is His servant and Messenger. Dear brothers and sisters! Today, the question of whether to apply capital punishment for unusually severe or heinous crimes is a moral dilemma for civilised societies across the world. But for Muslims, Islamic law guides their views on this, clearly establishing the sanctity of human life and the prohibition against taking human life but making an explicit exception for punishment enacted under legal justice. The Quran establishes that killing is forbidden, but as clearly establishes conditions under which capital punishment may be enacted. Allah Almighty says: If anyone kills a person unless it is for murder or for spreading mischief in the land it would be as if he killed all people. And if anyone saves a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all people. [Quran, 5:32] Life is sacred, according to Islam and most other world faiths. But how can one hold life sacred, yet still support capital punishment? The Quran answered as follows: Take not life, which Allah has made sacred, except by way of justice and law. Thus does He command you, so that you may learn wisdom. [Quran, 6:151] The critical point is that one may take life only by way of justice and law. In Islam, therefore, the death penalty can be applied by a court as punishment for the most serious of crimes. Ultimately, ones eternal punishment is in Allahs hands, but there is a place for punishment enacted by society in this life as well. The spirit of the Islamic penal code is to save lives, promote justice, and prevent corruption, mischief and tyranny. Islamic philosophy holds that a harsh punishment serves as a deterrent to serious crimes that harm individual victims or those that threaten to destabilise the foundation of society. According to Islamic law (in the first verse quoted above), the following two crimes can be punishable by death: 1. Intentional murder; 2. Spreading mischief in the land (Fasad fil-Ard). Now lets consider each of these in turn: Intentional Murder: The Quran legislates that the death penalty for murder is available, although forgiveness and compassion are strongly encouraged. In Islamic law, the murder victims family is given a choice to either insist on the death penalty or to pardon the perpetrator and accept monetary compensation (Diyyah) for their loss. [Quran, 2:178] Spreading mischief in the land (Fasad Fil-Ard): The second crime for which capital punishment can be applied is a bit more open to interpretation, and it is here that Islam has developed a reputation for harsher legal justice than what is practiced elsewhere in the world. Spreading mischief in the land can mean many different things, but it is generally interpreted to refer to those crimes that affect the community as a whole and destabilise society. Crimes that have fallen under this description (Spreading mischief in the land) have included: 1. Treason 2. Apostasy 3. Terrorism 4. Land, sea or air piracy 5. Armed banditry 6. Armed robbery Advertisements 7. Cattle rustling 8. Rape 9. Adultery 10. Homosexual behaviour 11. Drugs trafficking/Selling drugs Methods for Capital Punishment Actual methods of capital punishment vary from place to place. In some Muslim countries, methods have included beheading, hanging, stoning, and death by firing squad. Executions are held publicly in Muslim countries, a tradition that is intended to warn would-be criminals. Although other nations often criticise Islamic justice, it is important to note that there is no place for vigilantism in Islam one must be adequately convicted in an Islamic court of law before the punishment can be meted out. The severity of the punishment requires that stringent evidence standards must be met before a conviction is found. The court also has the flexibility to order less than the ultimate punishment (for example, imposing fines or prison sentences), on a case-by-case basis. Debate And although the implementation of capital punishment for crimes other than murder is a different standard than that used elsewhere in the world, defenders can argue that the Islamic practice does serve as a deterrent and that Muslim countries as a result of their legal strictness are less troubled by the routine social violence that plagues some other societies. In Muslim countries with stable governments, for example, murder rates are relatively low. Detractors would argue that Islamic law borders on the barbaric for imposing death sentences on so-called victimless crimes such as adultery or homosexual behaviour. Debate on this issue is ongoing and not likely to be resolved soon. May Allah continue to expose all the evildoers in our societies, and may He continue to protect us with his divine protection, ameen. And all praise is for Allah, Lord of all creation, who guided us to Islam and the Sunnah. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad, and upon his family, his Companions and his true and sincere followers. Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of Nagazi-Uvete Jumuah and the late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okenes Mosques, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@gmail.com or +2348038289761. This Jumuah Khutbah (Friday sermon) was prepared for delivery today, Friday, Rajab 02, 1443 A.H. (February 04, 2022). Digitisation would increase the global presence of Nigerian tertiary institutions and improve their global ranking and boost the rating of our universities. It would also go a long way in the detection and curbing of plagiarism, which is a serious breach of academic integrity that seeks to detract from the value of original and honest works of scholarship. Plagiarism is generally defined as literary theft and academic dishonesty in literature, and it is important to be fully aware of this scourge in order to know how to tackle it. Plagiarism is a serious form of research misconduct. The literal meaning of the Latin phrase to Plagiare is to steal or to kidnap. The act of taking the writings of another person and passing them off as ones own is plagiarism. It is no longer news that most higher institutions all over the world are battling with the plague of plagiarism and are working round the clock to device means to curb the ugly trend. Educational institutions therefore need to recognise that addressing plagiarism requires a holistic and multi-stakeholder approach which aims to foster scholarly, community-based solutions. As part of efforts to promote good clean research in all the varsities in Nigeria and to effectively curb the evil of plagiarism, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has commenced a process of digitising thesis and projects in the nations higher institutions. Executive Secretary of TETFund, Professor Suleiman Bogoro disclosed this at a workshop on the thesis digitisation project for beneficiary institutions. Bogoro said plans were also underway to ensure the full digitisation of libraries in tertiary institutions in the country, noting that the digitisation of libraries would discourage plagiarism by researchers at any level. He lamented that important materials and thesis have also been lost due to the incidence of fire outbreaks. The importance of digitisation of dissertations and theses for researchers, universities and libraries is quite obvious for storage and easy access. The digitisation project is driven by concern for storage, accessibility and the fight against plagiariam, even though it is also driven by the rise of the Institutional Repository (IR), and the momentum of the Open Access movement. The proposed digitisation project will dematerialise and electronise thesis and projects, starting with the thesis at the PhD and Masters levels across beneficiary institutions. We are living witnesses to the fact that the world has gone digital and we cannot continue to operate in an analogue mode. A number of materials, from post-graduate and even undergraduate thesis, have disappeared during fire incidents, once the physical papers are burnt. If the theses are dematerialised and stored in various forms at different centres, it will be easier to access them, going forward. The digitisation of thesis provides easy access to inputs and outcomes of research at a click of the button and within seconds or minutes. Digitisation would increase the global presence of Nigerian tertiary institutions and improve their global ranking and boost the rating of our universities. It would also go a long way in the detection and curbing of plagiarism, which is a serious breach of academic integrity that seeks to detract from the value of original and honest works of scholarship. Meanwhile, the project is equally achievable in Nigeria in view of the fact that the British Library offers digitisation services for any and all paper-based material. Many thesis collections have already been digitised on behalf of U.K. institutions, including digitised masters theses, journals, archival records, newspapers, manuscripts and much more. The British Librarys E-Theses Online Service (EThOS) is an almost-complete index of all doctoral level theses awarded by UK universities. EThOS is a one-stop shop for these theses, regardless of their original print or e-format or the year of award. Plagiarism is a menace that has eaten deep into our educational system. It should be addressed immediately so as to curb its negative effects on the individual, the educational system, the society and the world at large. With TETFunds brilliant move to begin thesis digitisation, it is safe to say that the end of this evil act is near. Once the TETFUND commences the project, it is advisabe that it should be made to extend to private universities too, beyond just the public ones. Rahma Olamide Oladosu writes from Abuja and can be reached through: oladosurahma@gmail.com. Introduction Let me begin by acknowledging the fact that the media industry in Nigeria and, indeed globally, is experiencing existential challenges. These challenges are both internal and external. They border on credibility, funding, technical capacity, quality content, safety of media workers, as well as changing audiences tastes and expectations. Others are: uncertain operational and policy environment, and weak capacity for investigative and data driven journalism. Additionally, social media is hugely compounding the woes of the conventional media, in multiple of ways. Theres no gain saying the fact that these challenges are threatening and really worrying. In the Nigerian context, the issues are also very real. The media institution is grappling with similar challenges of underfunding and credibility crisis, even though the sector has remained centrally critical in the consolidation and sustenance of the countrys young democracy. Indeed, the nations fight against corruption, can only succeed with an editorially and economically independent media. As it is, the existing funding model for the media industry in Nigeria requires urgent review. While Nigeria has a relatively diverse media landscape, ownership concentration is moderate to high, but they are all hurting. Many media houses cannot pay salaries as and when due, or meet other equally pressing obligations. They groan under dwindling advertising revenues, prohibitive license fees and many other exorbitant fees in-between. So, with a noose around their necks, and as a developing economy that is fraught with all kinds of challenges, how can the Nigerian media survive? Worse still How can it develop? Like many other sectors of the economy, the media industry is feeling the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic saw almost a quarter of the worlds population on lockdown. The broadcast and media industry was no exception and like every other sector, is still feeling the impact of the virus, be it in terms of activities related to broadcasting, financing, production, marketing/distribution, sales, advertising revenues or media technology investment. And what can we say about digitisation, which has caused untold disruption in the traditional business model of the news media. Today, in a technology-driven world such as we live in, television, particularly broadcast journalism, is being transformed in the ways that it is produced, distributed, and used. We are witnessing the emergence of new tools and practices, which invariably has affected the ways we produce information. Audiences are increasingly moving their media use online, news consumption is shifting to social media in the younger-audience segments. And global platforms such as Facebook and Google are taking larger and larger shares of advertising revenue. In many media markets, legacy media have encountered this disruption by downsizing staff, consolidating production and merging operations. The news media industries serve a democratic function. They do this by informing audiences, facilitating debate and performing critical oversight. But, they are also commercial concerns. They are privately owned businesses that need to maintain a certain profit level to continue to be in business. However, With dwindling revenues, particularly in the advertising markets, news media are looking for new sources of income. And there is widespread fear about the damaging consequences of these trends for the quality of journalism and the professional survival of journalists. While innovation represents a way out of the industry-disruption-facing news media today, innovation also requires resources, something many media companies find in short supply. Because democratic states rely on a functioning infrastructure that can facilitate information circulation and open public debate, regulations aimed at sustaining the news industry have generally been institutionalised, to ensure that there is diversity of ownership, voices and topics in national media systems. As media diversity in Nigeria is largely ensured by a mixed system of private and state-owned media, sustaining the news industry is also a question of commercial viability. Much as the privately owned media grapple with these challenges, their public owned cousins have not fared better. In fact some argue that their situation is worse. According to a study conducted by Kwase Audu Dogari, Wayopwa Shem and Oberiri Destiny Apuke, Government-owned media in Nigeria are currently in a very poor state economically, managerially, technologically and politically. In addition, misappropriation of funds, shortage of staff, lack of adequate equipment, poor management, poor salary, inadequate funding and employment of non-professionals, were discovered to be the major challenges affecting media outfits in Nigeria. In their view, under-funding, which is unfavourable to the operation of state-owned media should be avoided, if they must survive in todays ever competitive media industry. Policy implementation in the media sector is therefore increasingly raised as an economic question, motivated by concerns for the ability of legacy media to serve as independent platforms for public deliberation. Media policy has traditionally tended to focus on unwanted developments, the most prominent being local monopolies and ownership concentration. However, policy frameworks that primarily mobilise negative regulations aimed at curtailing such unwanted outcomes generally fail to incentivize innovation in the media industries. To ensure that news media industries can overcome the obstacles that the digital disruption represents, future media policies need to focus more on enabling innovation. To gauge the effects of such policy implementations on the news media industries in Nigeria, Id like to engage in a scenario analysis of two policy avenues, protectionism and liberalisation. The aim is to ascertain future possibilities for innovation in the news media. Nigeria represents a prime case for a scenario analysis of media policies aimed at ensuring a viable news and current affairs industry in liberal-democratic states. Increasingly, only innovative media organisations with great content will attract patronage, funding and by extension, ensure financial independence. We have observed the emergence of small newsrooms or boutique newsrooms where very few practitioners multi task in a converged environment. This way they keep their overheads down, rely more on technology, some form of pay-as-you-go journalists or stringers, as legacy media outfits would prefer to call them. Nigeria is already experiencing the emergence of such small online newsrooms, particularly the online print media who are fast carving a niche for themselves. Theyre also doing well with donor funding with full disclosure, whether coming from advertisers, foreign or local funders. These initiatives are being spearheaded by the young and the restless in the media space. This means that the legacy media organisations must do well to innovate, invest in technology and young people, and review their operational models, in order to survive in the new media world. The media in Nigeria needs support to develop in different areas if it must continue to survive. The challenge will not lie with securing donor funding for media organisations; the challenge will lie with how the piper will dictate the tune. Therefore full disclosure becomes the rudder to navigate through the funding challenges, and assert independence. Emerging Issues and Trends A thorough look at most of the donors and their approaches to media, reveals a difficulty in discerning clear trends, because media support by donor agencies is extremely diverse. It defies and eludes definition, is multifaceted, and still, in many cases, experimental. According to Ben Dickinson, the manager of the Conflict and Governance Unit of the Policy Co-Ordination Division at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the media should be self-funded. My impression though is that media support from donors is often fragmented, ad hoc, and in many cases limited to training journalists. I do not recall hearing about many comprehensive institutional approaches. Basically, media development is broadly defined as any kind of support that helps foster free and unbiased media in developing countries, and this explains why todays discussion is very appropriate. Included in the definition are any initiatives related to capacity building for journalists and technicians; supporting capital or running costs to radio, TV and print media; support to mass media in terms of information and communication technologies (ICTs); broadcast legislation; management of media houses; support for freedom of the press and for rights organizations; and support to community-level participation through the media. With such a broad set of activities, it is almost impossible not to let the definition of media development spill over into the use of media for development and invariably into the realm of communication for social or behavioral changeor using media for intended outcomes. Take, for instance, a grant for a women journalists group, who run their own activities (such as annual general meetings, internal capacity building etc) and who produce radio programs aimed at educating market women about elections. This is a project that supports media as a sector in itself, and in the same vein supports media as a tool for education and development. In essence, my analysis concerns the policy conditions for media innovation. And these rest on three strands of enquiry: strategic management theory, media economics and policy analysis. Strategic Management Theory Enquiring about future media policy scenarios prescribes conceptual multiplicity, especially in cases where policy aims to sustain the media as a business, as well as a public good in a rapidly changing environment. While the Resource Based View of Competitive Advantage and the Structure Conduct Performance Paradigm, are both widely used in media economics studies, they are limited in their appropriateness, as they are primarily suited to highly stable markets. The increasing globalization, convergence and fragmentation of media markets therefore necessitate more adaptive and interpretive approaches. The future success of news media not only rests on factors that are internal to the company, such as resources, capabilities and strategies, but also on external factors such as the national and industry contextsboth of which are in flux. As strategies are not necessarily outcomes of rational planning, but can also emerge as responses to unforeseen circumstances, the interplay between intended and emergent strategies matter (Hill and Jones 1995), not least for an unstable sector. As the financial threats are endemic and essentially affect all competitors, rivalries move to the policy level. Here, opportunities have emerged for securing financial resources identified as enabling survival, if not necessarily competitive advantage. While other frame-work conditions that may impact on the innovation abilities of news organizations can be difficult for stakeholders to influence, policy in the Nigerian system is designed to involve, solicit and acknowledge key players concerns. Regulation therefore emerges as a key area for strategic management, because stakeholders have interests, that, if prevalent, may impact on other firms. Advertisements Media Economics While news is a commodity, it also has some properties of public goodsby virtue of being information goods with positive externalities. Media companies are different because they are subject to scrutiny, in ways that other industries are not. Quality journalism, as such, depends on the priorities of owners and editors, and the resources devoted to journalistic production. The market model and the public sphere model represent two oppositional approaches to analysing media companies in this context. The public sphere model sees government as the necessary safeguard for the diversity required to sustain democratic infrastructures. The market model on the hand considers free competition as the guarantee. The main difference between the two approaches is that the market model largely argues in favour of limiting policy measures to regulations that deter ownership concentration; while the public sphere approach largely advocates positive measures, encouraging interventionist policies that support incumbents. Whether the state or the market is considered the best facilitator, conditions for good economic performance are necessary to sustain a diverse media sector, thought to trigger democratic diversity. Media Policy Media policy is first and foremost committed to normative goals, not to economic efficiency. News media are subject to policy because they constitute a sphere of public debate sustaining democracy, regulated to sustain the function of critical journalism, the freedom of speech, diversity of opinions and protection of minors from harmful content. To achieve the kind of journalism that facilitates democratic debate, policy is required that can engender both competitive behaviour and product innovation. The need to cater to both economic and normative goals, however, puts policy in an increasingly difficult position. As society grows more dependent on digital information infrastructures, national media policies face new challenges with the emergence of global platform players in the content and distribution markets. Transnational conditions therefore invite national stakeholders to engage both with national policy regulators and with international operations in their long-term bargaining. While the effect of neo-liberalism on policy intervention has been observed to influence deregulation of media markets, the emergence of a global networked media system seems to shift policy towards a more interventionist approach, at least in Norway. Because media policy-making involves defining emerging conditions as a problem requiring policy solutions, alternatives presented compete for attention and support. Depending on the political climate, one solution may emerge as more applicable than the rest. Regulations, however, tend to be reactive, creating new disputes that characterise issues down the road. Media Innovation Francis and Bessant (2005) formulated the four Ps of innovation as product, process, position and paradigmatic innovation. Digitization of media production and distribution started in the 1980s and led to process innovation in legacy media. The same products could be produced more efficiently, enabled by the introduction of the new technology. Typewriters were replaced by computers, and in newspapers, typesetting in lead was replaced, first by paste-up and later by desktop publishing systems. In the 1990s, the introduction of the World Wide Web enabled product innovation, in a process of convergence initiated by the telecom and computer industries. Deregulation Of broadcasting also opened for local radio and television stations, and lack of local media monopoly regulations in Nigeria also led to model innovations of traditional newspapers moving towards multi-platform media houses with product portfolios of regional, local newspapers, local radio, local television and websites. Control of local advertising markets was a driving force for the building of media houses. However, the news of digitization of broadcasting led to a collapse of distribution privileges, and thereby the economic viability of local broadcasting. While local media houses went through a positioning innovation process towards multi-platform distribution of newspaper content, a more profound definitive transformation of the media from social institutions to corporate businesses has led to commercialization and ownership concentration. In the 2010s, global social media had disrupted both user behaviour and advertising revenue for legacy media. Many Nigerian newspapers, and radio and television broadcasting firms have been found to be significantly less innovative in product, service and process innovation, than other service firms. What About the Future? The future is uncertain, and recent developments in the media markets have led to a sense of urgent demands for the government to increase its interventions through enforced or renewed policy measures. Within the Democratic Corporative model, new policy tends to be developed by key stakeholders in cooperation, resulting in implicit trade-offs and compromises. Media practitioners in Nigeria should be at the table where, for example policies that regulate and govern the industry are discussed and agreed. By using scenario planning as a systematic approach for thinking about the future, we are able to explicitly formulate multiple futures in a coherent and holistic manner. This approach is not focused on predicting the future, but rather anticipating possible developments. The two scenarios identified therefore constitute lenses for policy makers in the process of evaluating existing measures and developing new policy. Closing Thoughts Here are my closing thoughts. Although I would like to align my thoughts with those of some distinguished professionals and scholars in calling for the establishment of the National Media Development Fund in the country; my message is, that our society needs strong and independent news organizations that do important journalism. And thats whats challenging. Theres no lack of opinions, were drowning in them. But whats supposed to drive opinions and expose corruption and abuse of power, is expensive and good journalism. It needs to be financed. Securing support to institutional media in a time of technological disruption is therefore conceptualized as a measure to protect democracy itselfnot just the financial security of incumbents. The Nigerian news media industries are reeling under the effects of the global media market. Innovation is in many respects encouraged by external factors, keeping up with developments and facing new competitors. In this environment, protecting assets is seen as more essential than risking loss in failed innovations. We need to innovate. A situation where so much revenue goes out of media houses, to external competitors, like Facebook, Google, Amazon and Netflix and other global media giants is unacceptable. The fact that we lose 20 percent of our income in advertising, year on year, does something to the will, to think innovatively. When you combine this with the disruption that has wrought the media industry, Its almost as if we are consumed by fear-based media development. Some say this is a crisis of journalism; others see it as an explosion of the profession. For the optimist, journalism seems to be more alive today than ever and going through a multiplication of both forms and content at amazing speed. If journalists are in the business of gathering information, interpreting it, and spreading it, we certainly have more means than ever to do so. The future, isnt gloomy. The future of the Nigerian media is bright. John Momoh is the Chairman/CEO of Channels Media Group. This is the text of a keynote address delivered at a two-day Roundtable Conference on Media Development and Sustainable Funding in Nigeria at the Bayero University, Kano on February 2, 2022. The Zamfara State House of Assembly has begun fresh moves to impeach the states deputy governor, Mahdi Aliyu. The deputy speaker of the House, Musa Bawa, at Fridays plenary submitted a document requesting the impeachment of the deputy governor. Mr Bawa, who is also the Chairman, House Committee on Public Account, moved a motion for the consideration of the request. He said: I stand here before our able leader, Nasiru Muazu Magarya, to submit this document for the impeachment of the Deputy Governor, Zamfara State. The speaker, Mr Magarya, acknowledged receipt of the document. We will treat the document in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), the speaker said. The deputy governor parted ways with Governor Bello Matatwalle after he refused to join the defecting governor and other elected officials in Zamfara to the All Progressives Congress (APC) last year. They had all taken their offices on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after the Supreme Court disqualified candidates of the APC who had been declared winners in the 2019 elections. The lawmakers had threatened to impeach Mr Aliyu for allegedly holding a political rally amidst killings in the state. But he denied any wrongdoing. The Federal High Court, Abuja, later in July restrained the lawamakers and the Chief Judge of the state from taking steps to impeach the deputy governor. The judge, Obiora Egwuatu, gave the order in a ruling in an ex-parte motion with suit number, FHC/ABJ/CS/650/2021, brought by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), through its lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). Mr Egwuatu ordered the defendants to maintain the status quo pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed by the PDP against the impeachment process. The judge also stopped the House from taking actions against its other members who are still in the PDP. Sweden has opened a new consulate in Lagos to broaden economic cooperation between Nigeria and the Nordic country. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the new Swedish Consulate was inaugurated on Thursday by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at Landmark Towers, Victoria Island, Lagos. Speaking at the ceremony, Swedish Ambassador in Nigeria, Carl Michael Grans, said the consulate in Lagos would be a focal point for trade and sociocultural activities for both countries. Mr Grans emphasised that Swedens first embassy was opened in Nigeria on October 1, 1961, adding that both countries had celebrated 60 years of diplomatic relations. Right now, we want to broaden our economic cooperation and that is one of the reasons this honorary consulate has been opened. We understand that the pandemic has done a lot of harm to businesses and relations but we desire to get closer and be a significant part of the economic recovery, said the Swedish envoy. He said the new honorary consul would consult affairs for Swedish citizens and Nigerians on business issues as well as cultural promotion. Philip Akesson, newly appointed Honorary Consul of Sweden in Lagos, said his primary task was to assist Swedish citizens in Nigeria with consular matters, while also supporting Swedish companies in necessary ways. Mr Akesson said that in the course of his 10 years in Nigeria, he fell in love with the entrepreneurial energy, warmth, the economic culture and drive of Nigerians. There are many opportunities in Nigeria, particularly in Lagos, and I believe that the relationship between both countries will continue to be strengthened. I look forward to supporting our Swedish businesses and also supporting the embassy in Abuja as they work to improve upon ties, friendship and the promotion of trade between both nations, Mr Akesson said. Inaugurating the new Swedish Honorary Consulate, Mr Sanwo-Olu said Lagos is open to more business partnerships with Sweden. According to the governor, the presence of the mission in Lagos will further strengthen Swedish-Nigerian businesses leading to mutually beneficial economic, cultural and political results. It is exciting to know that the bilateral relations between Sweden and Nigeria spans over sixty years. This speaks to our partnership and I appreciate the Swedish government for putting this together. A lot of businesses and sovereign nations in Nigeria recognise that while we have a thriving capital in Abuja, for them to be close to citizens, activate businesses, and initiate cultural activities, there is always a sense that they must have a footprint in Lagos. This partnership is not only about what Lagos stands for but also the benefits we all can derive from bilateral relations and today, the Swedish government has done the most appropriate thing, Mr Sanwo-Olu said. (NAN) The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned the main opposition party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to desist from offering its governorship ticket to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. The ruling party in a statement Friday described as laughable the PDPs attempt at offering its worthless electoral tickets to every passerby. The statement added that the platform that initially elected Governor Sanwo-Olu, having acknowledged his performance across various sectors in his first term, is still available to recontest for another term. His deft handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and the successful execution of the all-encompassing THEMES agenda has endeared him to Lagosians as a compassionate, committed, and the right leader for a time like this, the APC said in the statement by its spokesperson, Seye Oladejo. He has, without doubt, redirected our state to the path of progress and restored our pride of place as the leading light in the federation. As the ruling party, we want to admonish the state governor to remain focused and undistracted from the onerous task of finishing strongly and fulfilling his part of the social contract with the good people of Lagos State. The APCs statement came in response to a comment by the immediate past spokesperson of the PDP in Lagos, Gani Taofik, that the party is ready to receive Mr Sanwo-Olu if he decides to defect from the APC. The Lagos APC warned the PDP to desist from its age-long tactics of perennial attempts to destabilise the ruling party by the deliberate promotion of falsehood, blackmail, and arms-twisting strategies for political advantage. While we sympathise with Lagos State PDP over its several years of political misfortunes and misadventures, good wisdom dictates that it put its house in order to have a semblance of relevance. Its pitiable that PDP could only think of fishing in the pool of capable talents in the APC while looking for people to offer its worthless electoral tickets. This underscores the lack of attraction in the PDP and an admittance of its usual waterloo in the forthcoming elections. Governor Babajide SANWO-OLU hereby unequivocally rejects this Greek gift and hereby states that APC remains his party of choice in making his next political move, which will be made known in due course to all Lagosians. Personal opinion When contacted by PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Taofik said his comment about the governor was his personal opinion and not his partys position. I spoke as a chieftain of the party and not the spokesperson, I no longer hold that position, he said. Anybody is free to apply for any partys ticket and I know they will still mess him (Sanwo-Olu) up as they did Ambode. The Imo Traditional Council of Egbaland on Friday said the assassinated traditional ruler of Agodo community in Ogun State, Ayinde Odetola, remained the authentic head of his people until his death. The council, made this declaration while presenting documents which include a letter of notification dated July 12, 2016; certificate of chieftaincy title signed by the Alake of Egbaland, Adedotun Gbadebo, and an appointment letter issued by the Ogun State Government dated April 17, 2018. The declaration comes amidst claims by the Owu Chiefs of Egbaland that Mr Odetola had no legitimate claim to the throne of Agodo community. Mr Odetola was gruesomely killed last week, and his corpse burnt to ashes by his assailants. In the wake of his death, the Owu Kingdom questioned Mr Odetolas legitimacy as king, saying his involvement in land disputes had caused bad blood between him and the community. Official documents, copies of which the reporter was given, have, however, shown that Mr Odetola was legitimately installed as a traditional ruler by the Ogun State government. From Baale to traditional ruler For instance, the Imo Traditional Council in a notification letter sent to the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs which was received on July 13, 2016, informed that the deceased has been appointed by the council to head the community. The council in the letter signed by Dauda Amodu explained that Mr Odetola was appointed the village head (Baale) in 2016, before his subsequent promotion by the Ogun State Government as the coronet Oba in 2018. The above named traditional council of chiefs hereby notify the appointment of our Baale, Chief Odetola Olajide Ayinde of Agodo village, Yobo/Asa ward, Ewekoro local government, Itori. Thanks for your cordial assistance for our community, the letter read. The council of chiefs also presented the approval letter for the upgrade of Mr Odetolas status, signed by Dolapo Adewunmi, Director of Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, which said the monarch was advised to liaise with the Egba Traditional Council I have the greatest pleasure to inform Kabiyesi that in accordance with the Sub-Sections (1) and (2) of section 25 of the Chiefs Law, Laws of Ogun State of Nigeria, 2006, the Government of Ogun State of Nigeria has approved your appointment as the first Kabiyesi Alayeluwa Olu of Agodo in Ewekoro Local Government Area with effect from 11th April, 2018, the letter read. I am to convey to Kabiyesi, on behalf of the State Government, hearty congratulations on this appointment and to wish Kabiyesi good health, long life and many years of peaceful and prosperous reign, the letter added. Kabiyesi is advised to liaise with the Egba Traditional Council for further briefing. It is important to note that the remuneration attached to your stool will be settled by the Egba Traditional Council after it has been properly integrated into their budget. Once again, accept my hearty congratulations. Leadership tussle? Another document made available by the council showed that the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Mr Gbadebo, approved the appointment of the late traditional ruler, ostensibly to counter a move by a group in the community to install a parallel community head. Mr Gbadebo subsequently wrote to the police, after he was informed by Mr Odetola about an attempt by the factional another group to appoint a different village head. Please find attached herewith a protest letter from Chief Odetola Olajide Ayinde who was installed by me as the Baale of Agodo village in Ewekoro Local Government of Ogun State. A copy of his Baaleship certificate number OK.IV/00832 dated 2nd October 2015 is attached herewith please, Mr Gbadebo wrote in his petition to the police. Chief Odetola has reported that another Baale is to be installed on Saturday, 21st January 2017, in the same village by Oba Adegboyega Dosunmu, Olowu of Owu. I have tried to reach the Olowu to find out the situation, but I have not succeeded. Meanwhile, I will endeavour to get the Olowu to cancel any installation of a parallel Baale, if it is true the planning to install one. In the meantime, please do everything possible to ensure that there is no breakdown of law and order in that small community. Thank you for your usual cooperation. Budding trees and blooming flowers. The return of robins, loons and other migrating birds. The return of bees, butterflies and frogs. Melting snow and lake ice. Longer days and light in the evening. Shedding the winter garments. The myriad scents of flowering trees and plants. Vote View Results STOCKHOLM, Feb. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SLP has acquired and taken possession of an attractive plot of land in Landskrona from the City of Landskrona. The property is located in direct proximity to the E6 motorway and has an excellent location. Within the property, SLP will carry out a new construction project for a modern logistics building with an internal ceiling height of more than 10 meters and a total lettable area of 5,437 square meters. Pharmaxim AB has signed a 10-year lease agreement for 3,637 square meters. The annual rent amounts to a total of SEK 2,520,000. Pharmaxim is scheduled to move in in March 2023. Building permit will be submitted in the first quarter of 2022. " Together with a very stable tenant, we can carry out another fantastic new building project, this time at the best logistics location in Landskrona. The project creates good added value for our shareholders and new jobs in Landskrona", comments Peter Strand, CEO of SLP. Pharmaxim AB sells, distributes and markets products within health/hygiene/beauty, pharmaceuticals and animal care in the Nordic countries with well-known brands such as Salubrin, Helosan, Gripen, Virkon and Jodopax. " We are very pleased to be able to stay in the Oresund region by SLP being able to present a project in a very attractive location in Landskrona. This creates optimal conditions for our continued growth journey", says Johan Backstrom, CEO of Pharmaxim AB. Work has begun on renting out the remaining space of about 1,800 square meters. The new building will be certified according to Sweden Green Building Council's Miljobyggnad Silver. For further information, please contact: Peter Strand, CEO of SLP, telephone: +46 705 881 661 About SLP - Swedish Logistic Property SLP - Swedish Logistic Property - is a Swedish real estate company with a focus on warehouse and logistics properties. Since its inception, the company has maintained a high pace and in a short time has completed several high-profile acquisitions. SLP has a high ambition regarding sustainability and works responsibly from an environmental perspective. The company's property portfolio comprises a lettable area of approximately 630,000 square meters. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/swedish-logistic-property/r/slp-acquires-attractive-land-in-landskrona-and-implements-new-construction-for-pharmaxim,c3498513 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/20026/3498513/1529660.pdf SLP PR 2021-02-04 https://news.cision.com/swedish-logistic-property/i/slp---pharmaxim-en,c3007321 SLP - Pharmaxim en SOURCE Swedish Logistic Property Ariadne Labs innovation grants fund early-stage work to close gaps in obstetrics, palliative care, surgical care & more. Tweet this This year's recipients additionally include five projects funded by Harvard Medical School (HMS) Dean's Innovation Grants in Health Care Delivery. HMS Dean's Innovation Grants are supporting innovations in home-based palliative care, postpartum care for patients who deliver via cesarean section in rural Africa, equity in oncology, and monitoring for complications following recovery from tuberculosis. "At Ariadne Labs, innovation is core to everything we do. We are committed to investing and supporting early-stage ideas that can bring health systems innovation to other areas of health care delivery," said Asaf Bitton, MD, MPH, Executive Director of Ariadne Labs. "These grantees play a critical role in identifying the gaps where the health care system is not working, and developing scalable, systems-level solutions to deliver high quality care to every patient everywhere." "Innovative approaches that reshape health care delivery, patient outcomes, and human lives needn't always come from cutting-edge technologies or the latest breakthrough in science. Indeed, some of the most transformative solutions can often arise from creative, yet simple, new ways of tackling long-standing challenges," said Harvard Medical School Dean George Q. Daley, MD, PhD. "This is precisely the type of innovation that these catalytic grants promise to enable." The 2021-2022 recipients of the Ariadne Labs Spark Grant innovation awards are: Beyond Birth: Optimizing the Transition from Obstetric to Primary Care Chloe Zera MD, MPH, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Lahey Health, Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School Ann Celi MD, MPH, Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Division of Women's Health, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School The transition from obstetric to ongoing primary care represents a key opportunity to reduce short- and long-term adverse outcomes following birth and delivery. This project aims to design and test a solution to close integration gaps during this period between obstetric and primary care providers. In year one of the project, the team designed a prototype of a workbook to guide the birthing person and their provider through the postpartum care plan over time and began a qualitative study of patients' perceptions of their health care needs after delivery. In year two, the team will refine the tool further, test the feasibility, acceptability, and perceived utility of the tool, and complete collection and analysis of qualitative patient input. The team will also develop a provider implementation guide and patient education resources. Checklist for Improving Endovascular Thrombectomy for Stroke Sandeep Kumar MD, Associate Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School Ajith Thomas MD, Chairman and Professor of Neurosurgery, Cooper University Hospital Magdy H. Selim MD, PhD, Physician, Neurology, BIDMC Department of Neurology Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability and death worldwide; recent advances in stroke management, such as endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for acute ischemic strokes, has been shown to be very effective when used appropriately. EVT, however, remains underutilized, and gaps in current stroke care practices decrease its effectiveness in real-world settings. This project aims to adapt and test feasibility, acceptance, and utility of a prototype checklist to streamline workflows for rapid assessment and triaging of potential EVT candidates at community hospitals. Improving Surgical Recovery through High Quality Integration of mHealth Technology in Perioperative Care Christy Cauley MD, MPH, Faculty, Safe Surgery, Ariadne Labs; Staff Surgeon, Massachusetts General Hospital Trey Sinyard MD, MBA, General Surgery Resident, Massachusetts General Hospital, Safe Surgery Fellow, Ariadne Labs In surgical care, gaps in communication and coordination can lead to poor patient outcomes and decreased system performance. Mobile health (mHealth) offers an opportunity to improve quality of care through timely, individualized assessments, improved patient education, and more effective care coordination. The project aims to conduct necessary background research and develop a toolkit for high quality integration of mHealth into perioperative care. Making Goal-Concordant Prescribing Training Scalable Susan DeSanto-Madeya PhD, APRN-CNS, FAAN, Ariadne Labs Associate Faculty; Nurse Scientist, Beth Israel Lahey Health Erik Fromme MD, MCR, Ariande Labs Core Faculty, Serious Illness Care Program; Dana Farber Cancer Institute; Harvard Medical School Patients in hospice care are often prescribed numerous daily medications, putting them at increased risk for drug-related harm and creating stress and confusion for family caregivers. To support a person-centered approach to medication management, this project will adapt Ariadne Labs' Serious Illness Conversation Guide to create and test a Goal Concordant Prescribing Serious Illness Conversation Guide. The guide will help clinicians regularly review and simplify treatment regimens in alignment with patients' goals of care. The team will also develop a package of educational materials for scalable clinician training. Recipients of the Harvard Medical School Dean's Innovation Grants in Health Care Delivery are: Developing a Model for a Joint Provider-Payer Strategy to Increase Use of Home-Based Palliative Care Anita Wagner PharmD, MPH, DrPH, Associate Professor, Department of Population Medicine, a joint Department of Harvard Medical School and the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute; Director, Point32Health Ethics Program. Research suggests that home-based palliative care offers numerous benefits, but most patients who could benefit do not receive it, as it is difficult to identify eligible patients at a population level. This project aims to develop a scalable provider-payer collaboration to support rapid identification of patients for whom home-based palliative care would be appropriate and address the barriers to adoption among payers and providers. Having completed extensive background research in year one of funding, the team will use year two to develop and test a payer-provider engagement model. Protocols for Safe Postpartum Care at Home for Women Delivering by Cesarean Section in Rural Africa Bethany Hedt-Gauthier PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Associate Professor, Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Global protocols for cesarean sections detail standards of care for the procedure and hospitalization, but do not provide guidelines for after discharge. This gap is particularly harmful for women as many complications, such as surgical site infections which are common in sub-Saharan Africa, occur after discharge. This project will build a foundation for developing postpartum care protocols to improve consistency in discharge messages and quality of care. In year one of this work, the team completed a scoping review and began developing post-discharge instructions. In the second year the team will test the acceptability and feasibility of the instructions with mothers, community health workers, and providers and will develop strategies to effectively communicate the instructions. Improving Equity in the Quality of Oncology Care with Practice Feedback Nancy Keating MD, MPH, Professor of Health Care Policy, Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School; Professor of Medicine and Practicing General Internist, Brigham and Women's Hospital Mary Beth Landrum PhD, Professor of Health Care Policy, Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School While research shows persistent racial inequities in cancer treatments, quality assessments have rarely incorporated measures of racial inequities, and few metrics are available for practices to know if they are providing similar care to all patients. This project aims to develop an audit-and-feedback intervention to provide oncology practices with actionable, race-specific data about their performance in delivering equitable and high-quality care to both Black and White oncology patients relative to other oncology practices. Optimizing Supervision of Community Health Workers in Remote Settings Matthew Bonds PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School Community health that expands beyond the formal health care system is key to achieving universal health coverage, particularly in low-income, rural locations such as Madagascar. Since 2014, PIVOT, a nongovernmental health care organization, has partnered with the Madagascar government to strengthen the health system of one district. Community health workers are an integral component of this effort, but global evidence to guide community health worker supervision is lacking. This project aims to develop a new protocol and tools for data-informed supervision of community health workers and to study the impact of this supervision on quality of care and health worker motivation. LIBRE Post-TB: Protocol for Care for Post-Tuberculosis Pulmonary Sequelae in High-Burden TB Settings Carole Mitnick ScD, Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School While tens of millions of people have been successfully treated for tuberculosis (TB), many are left with an increased risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or recurrent TB, and guidance on routine screening for these conditions is lacking. This project will develop a package of tools to reach vulnerable individuals when they complete TB treatment. Using the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease guidelines as a guide, the package will characterize lung function and quality of life following TB treatment, determine need for follow-up, and monitor for and treat post-TB lung disease. Together, these approaches could decrease morbidity due to recurrent TB and COPD and improve quality of life for millions after TB recovery. About the Spark Grant Program: Founded in 2012, the Spark Grant program provides eligible Ariadne Labs and Harvard Medical School faculty with a year of funding to support research and refine promising new ideas to address gaps in health care and create a pipeline of innovative, scalable systems-level solutions to continue to improve delivery of care for every patient, everywhere. To learn more about the Spark Grant program, visit: https://www.ariadnelabs.org/spark-grants/. About Ariadne Labs Ariadne Labs is a joint center for health systems innovation at Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. With a mission to save lives and reduce suffering, our vision is that health systems equitably deliver the best possible care for every patient, everywhere, every time. We use human centered design, health systems implementation science, public health expertise, and frontline clinical care experience to design, test and spread scalable systems-level solutions to some of health care's biggest problems. From developing checklists and conversation guides to fostering international collaborations and establishing global standards of measurement, our work has been accessed in more than 165 countries, touching hundreds of millions of lives. Visit ariadnelabs.org to learn more. Media Contact: Brigid Tsai Email: [email protected] SOURCE Ariadne Labs DALLAS, Feb. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Award-winning immigration firm BAL has opened a new office in Denver, Colorado, led by Denver native and Partner Jeff Joseph, a prominent immigration attorney and AILA luminary with deep connections in the region. BAL Denver will serve as a springboard to grow the firm's presence in the Rocky Mountain market. BAL provides corporate immigration services to companies and entrepreneurs. The firm's services are comprehensive, from investor visas for start-ups to full-scale global immigration programs for some of the world's largest companies, including in the tech sector that is flocking to the Rocky Mountain area: a recent SmartAsset survey named Denver one of the best places in the country for tech work. The region also has a disproportionate number of tech job openings, and BAL plans to help companies address this gap by mobilizing talent from around the world. "As we help companies in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region to mobilize global talent, we're also staffing a new office in a challenging labor market. BAL attracts top talent because we offer cutting-edge technology tools and a people-centered culture," Jeff said, adding that the firm offers employees flexible schedules, unlimited vacation and paid time-off to do volunteer work of their choosing. "This complete package enables us to grow a high-caliber legal team that offers top-notch legal services to clients." Consistent with BAL's focus on creating an enjoyable work environment for its employees, the Denver office landed in an 1871 loft-style building in the city's hip LoDo district. Legal teams work in an office with windows overlooking Denver's iconic Coors Field on one side and the city's trendy Dairy Block on the other. The historic office is located within blocks of Denver's best breweries, restaurants and accessible transportation. "We look forward to transforming corporate mobility in the Rocky Mountain West, and we've found the perfect location for our game-changing team," said BAL Managing Partner Jeremy Fudge. "The Denver office space reflects BAL's strengths: We offer people-focused, creative legal solutions, and meet clients with our sleeves rolled up, ready to tackle even the most complex immigration challenges. Add to that our proprietary tech platform and the best legal minds in the business, and it's a truly special place." The expansion is BAL's fifth new office opening in the past five years as the firm grows through major U.S. economic centers, including the recently opened Austin, Texas and Santa Clara, California offices. The firm's "oneBAL" culture epitomizes collaborative teamwork: workloads are shared firmwide, while regional offices provide the personal interaction and on-the-ground support BAL clients have come to expect from the service-oriented firm. About Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP (BAL) BAL, the world's leading corporate immigration law firm and the Best Lawyers "Law Firm of the Year" in U.S. Immigration Law for 2019, ranks #1 on the Diversity Scorecard by The American Lawyer (2020 and 2021), #1 on Law360's Diversity Snapshot (2020 and 2021), and the #1 Law Firm for Women according to the National Law Journal (2019, 2020 and 2021). BAL's Cobalt digital immigration services platform won the 2020 CODiE Award for Best Legal Tech Product, the prestigious CIO100 award for Innovative Use of Intelligent Automation in Immigration Services, and Legalweek's Most Innovative Law Firm Operations Team of 2021. BAL is singularly focused on meeting the immigration challenges of corporate clients around the world in ways that make immigration more strategic and enable clients to be more successful. Established in 1980, BAL has consistently provided immigration expertise, top-notch information security and leading technology innovation. The firm entered into a strategic alliance with Deloitte UK to create the world's first global immigration service delivery model. BAL and its leaders are highly ranked in every major legal publication, including Best Lawyers, Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500, and Who's Who Legal. See website for details: https://www.bal.com SOURCE Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP MIAMI, Feb. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Cruise Line is notifying guests and travel advisors of changes to its fleet deployment plan, including two ships leaving the Carnival fleet, as it continues to implement its successful restart of guest operations in the U.S. and adjusts for the continued uncertainty of cruising in Australia. Carnival had previously shared that Carnival Sensation's restart was delayed, and that Carnival Ecstasy would move from Jacksonville, Fla. to Mobile, Ala. to operate what were previously planned as the Carnival Sensation itineraries, effective with the Mar. 5, 2022 restart. In addition, Carnival said that Carnival Spirit would go to Jacksonville to take over the Mar. 7, 2022 restart in Jacksonville, operating the previously scheduled Carnival Ecstasy itineraries. Carnival is now announcing the following updates: Jacksonville: As previously announced, Carnival Spirit will replace Carnival Ecstasy in Jacksonville. While that will happen for departures from Mar. 7 through Apr. 9, 2022, the next two cruises are being cancelled, and then a new ship will be assigned from the Carnival fleet to Jacksonville for the Ecstasy itineraries, effective Apr. 23, 2022. That announcement will be made shortly. Mobile: Carnival Ecstasy will reposition to Mobile for departures from Mar. 5 through Oct. 10, 2022. Cruises from Mobile that were planned for Carnival Sensation from Oct. 15, 2022 through Sep. 30, 2023 have been cancelled. At a later date, Carnival will be announcing a new operating plan for Mobile cruises. Australia: Carnival is cancelling planned operations of Carnival Splendor from Jun. 10, 2022 through Sep. 26, 2022, and of Carnival Spirit from Jun. 5, 2022 to Oct. 5, 2023. Details for a two-ship return to Australia will be announced when they are confirmed. As part of this deployment plan, Carnival Sensation will not restart guest operations and Carnival Ecstasy's last cruise in guest operations will be the Oct. 10, 2022 departure from Mobile and both ships will leave the Carnival fleet. "Our guests have remained passionate and supportive throughout the restart and 2022 gives us plenty of reasons for enthusiasm and excitement as we reach full operations in the U.S., prepare for our 50th birthday celebration, and await the arrival of Carnival Celebration this fall," said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. "Our very loyal guests, our vibrant homeport strategy and our fleet of popular ships are strengths to our advantage as we adapt to changing opportunities and circumstances." ABOUT CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE Carnival Cruise Line, part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL;NYSE: CUK), is proud to be known as America's Cruise Line with a total of 24 ships, sailing from 14 U.S. homeports and employing more than 40,000 team members from 120 nationalities. Carnival's newest ship, Mardi Gras, featuring the first roller coaster at sea and the first cruise ship in the Americas powered by eco-friendly Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), sailed from Port Canaveral, Fla., July 31, 2021. As part of its 50th Birthday festivities, Carnival Celebration, sister ship to Mardi Gras, is scheduled to debut in late 2022 from PortMiami, as well as Carnival Jubilee from Galveston in 2023. SOURCE Carnival Cruise Line ALBANY, N.Y., Feb. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Rise in application of disposable gloves for hands protection while handling chemicals, reactive unhygienic materials, and medicines is generating profitable opportunities for companies in the disposable gloves market. Hence, the market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.7% during the forecast period of 2021 to 2031, note analysts at Transparency Market Research (TMR). In the healthcare industry, disposable gloves are also used in dentistry, surgeries, and examinations. Hence, increase in the number of these activities is likely to create high product demand, thereby fueling the growth of the disposable gloves market during the forecast period. The disposable gloves market in North America is expected to gain sizable business opportunities and expand at a CAGR of 39.2% during the forecast period. The market is anticipated to be driven owing to rise in awareness about health and hygiene among regional population due to recent outbreaks such as SARS, COVID 19, and H1N1. Moreover, increased focus of many health-associated organizations, including The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on encouraging people to follow safety and hygienic guidelines at workplaces is leading to revenue-generation opportunities in the North America disposable gloves market. Get PDF Brochure for More Insights https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=511 Disposable Gloves Market: Key Findings Use of latex and powder-free nitrile gloves has increased in the agriculture industry for different agriculture activities. Moreover, the product is also suitable for milking activities, owing to its different advantages such as sturdy nature, durability, and ambidexterity. Hence, in order to cater to rising product demand, players in the global disposable gloves market are strengthening their production capabilities in latex and powder-free nitrile gloves. Companies in the disposable gloves market are ensuring the availability of their products through online distribution channels, including ecommerce sites. These efforts are anticipated to help in the overall market growth during the forecast period. With increase in the prevalence of different infectious diseases, the use of disposable gloves has increased for handling different food products in order to prevent microbial activity. Moreover, government authorities of many countries around the world are executing stringent regulations pertaining to the food safety. As a result, the global disposable gloves market is experiencing notable sales prospects from the food industry. High performance mechanic gloves are increasingly being used in the automotive industry, owing to their ability to assist in providing maximum comfort and improving performance in different automotive applications. Hence, players in the global disposable gloves market are providing specialized rubber gloves that offer exceptional chemical resistance and protection against abrasions, wear, and tear. Furthermore, these products ensure user safety in automotive applications and are puncture resistant. Besides, manufacturers are offering disposable mechanic gloves that are easy to apply and remove, notes a report on the global disposable gloves market. Ask for Special Discount on Report https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=D&rep_id=511 Disposable Gloves Market: Growth Boosters Rise in application of disposable gloves in handling fuel oil, pesticides, agriculture produce, and chemicals is driving global market Increased demand for disposable mechanic gloves from the automotive industry creates revenue-generation opportunities in the global disposable gloves market Rise in prevalence of transmittable diseases such as coronavirus is resulting in soaring demand for disposable gloves in the healthcare industry Increasing global population and improving disposable income of major populace are supporting the growth of the global disposable gloves market Request a Sample https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=511 Disposable Gloves Market: Key Players Some of the key players profiled in the report are: Hartalega Holdings Berhad Latexx Partners Berhad Ansell Limited Granberg AS Kimberly-Clark Corporation Disposable Gloves Market Segmentation Material Natural Rubber Vinyl Nitrile Neoprene Others End-use Medical Food & Beverages Agriculture Metal Fabrication Automotive Chemicals Others Region North America Latin America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East & Africa Buy an Exclusive Research Report at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=511